Catching Up on Goldens and Garden

 It's been a while, but I finally have a post on Goldens and Garden.  Lots of pics there.

Thank you!

For My Favorite Human

Hello!  I'm so happy to have finished another batch of Christmas cards.  I wasn't sure my trigger finger would cooperate, but I think it might be loosening up some.  Thanks for all your concern and well wishes in that regard!

My first card is very clean and simple.  I made only two of these, but I love it a lot.  All cards feature an oldie Judith stamp.  There's no name on the stamp, but I think it's called For My Favorite Human.  A dear friend gifted this from her personal stash a few years back.

For accent I stamped red stars (retired SU).  The sentiment is brand new to me -- Lawn Fawn Winter Wavy Sayings.  Simple coloring was done with my trusty Tombows and blender pen on hot press watercolor paper.  The stars and bow are glittered, but did not photograph prettily, tsk tsk.

I made the above card specifically to play in the CAS Christmas Card Challenge -- Dogs and or Cats.

I made three of the card below with the gray bricks in the background.  Just had to use my brand new Old Brick Wall stencil by Frantic Stamper.  Dies are oldies:  Cheery Lynn Holly Corner, Lil' Inker Silly Stitched Die Set.

Finally, I made three on grocer's kraft with lightly stenciled reddish bricks.  That makes EIGHT cards this month -- hooray!  Hope I'm able to keep this up so I can have a merrier Christmas season.

*****************************************************************************

-- A little something extra just for smiles. --

Pictured below is our Wally, handsome as ever at 11 yrs old.  He was being Big Puppy, playing with his Christmas moose, and this photo op just happened.  Have you been missing Wally and LuLu at Goldens and Garden?  I'm sorry, I've been remiss, but will have a catch up post there this weekend.

Sending grins and giggles and safe hugs your way.  See you again soon!

CAS Mix Up Reminder: Stencil Heat Embossing

Hello, there!  Just a reminder today that there's still time to play in this month's CAS Mix Up Challenge -- Stencil Heat Embossing -- hosted by Nancy.  

I had fun with this challenge and did more heat embossing than I've done in a long time.  The stencil here is smooshed with Versamark and then heat embossed with a custom mix of everything but the kitchen sink.  It's a little gold, a little sandy/grainy looking.  I made the embossed panel weeks ago and then tucked it in a drawer with my other background pieces.

Chevrons make me think of coffee and caffeine for some reason, so when it was card-making time I pulled out an old stamp and embossed with copper EP, then colored with Tombows and blender pen.  Very simple.  I added the copper cord after I looked at it for a day or two.  The simplest thing made me feel much better about the card as I believe it anchored the image.

By the way, the textured white card base is from a hoarded stash.  Would love to find more, or maybe an embossing folder that gives the leathery look.  Any suggestions?

Do come play with us at CAS Mix Up with Stencil Heat Embossing.  My teamies have got some pretty amazing cards to show you for ideas!  Thanks for coming today.  See you again soon!

Stamps:  Impression Obsession Smell the Coffee, SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds  Paper:  SU Whisper White for stenciled background, Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot press watercolor for coffee image, textured white card base  Ink:  Versamark  Coloring:  Tombow waterbased markers and blender pen  Other:  Copper cord, homemade mix embossing powder, copper embossing powder, Memory Box Simple Chevron Stencil, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

A Cup of Buttercups

Hello!  I made it back with flowers for Friday.  Still have the trigger finger flare up going on, but this card has been finished for weeks and waiting its turn on the blog.  I've used Power Poppy's Cuppa Buttercups digital stamp and a sentiment from Power Poppy's Nice Things to Say clear stamp set.

The frame was cut from a stenciled and heat-embossed background, same as this card.  I found the buttercups already colored in my card parts drawer, so I simply cut them out.  Before I popped them up on the card I coated the cup of flowers with Versamark ink and embossed with clear powder.  It's not noticeable in the photo, but adds a nice effect in real life.  The little heart was also embossed, first with sparkly powder, then with clear.

Check out cards by my Power Poppy peeps, as well:

• Christine
• Barbara W.

I hope I'll be able to do more of what I love soon -- coloring.  I'm able to do little bits at a time, with a very light touch.  My stamps aren't going anywhere, so I can just bide my time.  I do have some works in progress.  Can you say addicted?  Take care and I'll see you soon!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Cuppa Buttercups digi and Nice Things to Say clear stamp set  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb  Ink:  Printer, Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  MFT Die-namics Stitched Rectangle Frames, Paper Smooches Hearts  Other:  Stamplorations Winter Flowers stencil, embossing powders - yellow, dark red, clear, sparkly, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Chicken in the Grass

Okay... this one is just for fun because I wanted to try another one of my Woodware Lino Cut stamps.  With so much solid surface it can be difficult to get a good impression, especially with a clear stamp, but this came out usable with Memento ink and the MISTI.  It's called Chicken in the Grass.

My friend gave me the sheet of wood grain designer paper to help out with this card, and it was just the prompt I needed to decide which colors to use with the green.  A little burlap paper, a die cut greeting, and the Chloe Stem die to match...  I mean, really, how many different things can you do with a green square?  In the end I love it.  Stamped a birthday greeting inside (came with the stamp set), and tucked the card away in my birthday file.

Since my Woodware Chicken in the Grass stamp is fresh out of the package, I'm sending it over to Darnell's NBUS Challenge #23 (never before used schtuff).

Till I see you again... have a happy day!

Stamps:  Woodware Chicken in the Grass  Paper:  SU Whisper White and Blush Blossom, Neenah 110 lb white for die cuts, Craft Consortium wood grain designer paper, DCWV burlap paper  Ink:  Memento Bamboo Leaves, Copics B05 and R02 for coloring die cuts  Other:  Stickles Stardust Glitter, Cottage Cutz Greetings, Memory Box Chloe Stem

Retro Valentine Wishes

Hello on a Monday, friends!

I learned to type on a manual typewriter, probably much older than this one, but not nearly as cute.  My card accidently came out retro-looking, so I'm going with that.  The daisy flower punch is so old it could almost be called retro, anyway.

Today's challenges:

• Double D Challenge:  Valentine Love (Inside sentiment is "Happy Valentine's day".)
• Shopping Our Stash #438:  Love is in the Air (Use hearts.  Most supplies on this card are years old.)
• Darnell's NBUS Challenge #23 (Typewriter die/stamp set is NBUS.)

 

That's it from me!  Trigger finger is cutting my typing and coloring time short, so I'm not sure how much of that I'll be able to do coming up.  This week's cards were all made prior to the flare up.  Signing off with a wish for a beautiful day!

Supplies:

• Marianne Designs Typewriter stamp and die combo
• Tutti Stitched Nesting Hearts
• Old SU daisy punch, 1/4" circle punch, SU Subtle embossing folder, Stickles Stardust glitter glue
• CTMH Primrose and Shell Pink card stock (years old), DCWV Baby Girl designer paper (also years old)

Poppies for a Flowerful Friday

Happy Flowerful Friday, friends!  I have to say, by the time I got to this card I was really feeling the need to color some beautiful flowers.  I looked through my digi box and decided on Power Poppy's Perfect Poppies.  I like to keep a collection of digis printed up, but for flexibility I generally leave the sentiment off.  This image is combined with a sentiment from a retired PP set.

I can only go so long without some serious coloring, and it's been a lot more fun since I started using Tombows with my homemade blender pen on watercolor paper.  I know... I sound like a broken record when it comes to this coloring method, but I do dearly enjoy it.  It looks like watercolor, but is easier than anything.

The simple card recipe is listed below my signature, but first let's see more Power Poppy designs by:

• Christine
• Barbara W.

Thanks so much for sharing your time with me.  Enjoy the rest of your day!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Perfect Poppies digi, retired PP sentiment  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot press watercolor, textured white card base  Ink:  Printer for image, Palette Noir for sentiment  Coloring:  Tombow markers and homemade blender solution in blank Copic marker  Other:  Doodle Bug enamel dot, Spellbinders Scored and Pierced Rectangles, JustRite Custom Charms (old)

A Cat with Heart

Monday greetings, friends!  I hope you're doing well today.  I'm feeling fine, but a little disappointed that I'm not going to manage as many Valentines as I'd hoped.  Other cards happened, plus projects around the house, then this, that, and the other thing.  That's life!

I do have two Valentine cards with a not-yet-used Tutti die called Fancy Hearted Cat.  It's not new, but you know me -- it just doesn't matter.  The first is a 4 3/4" square with a heart in the background and a mix of patterned papers.  The sentiment is an oldie from my stash.

The second card is 5" and has a brushed ink glow in the background.  The inset hearts on this cat came from the cat in the first card and vice versa.  I believe I had at least three different paper pads out for these cards.  Whatever works, right?

I'm joining some fun challenges today:

Dies R Us Challenge -- Anything goes as long as something on your project is carried by the DRU store

Shopping Our Stash:  Love is in the Air -- Use hearts.  I shopped my stash for the mix of designer papers and everything else, even though the cat die is NBUS.

NBUS Challenge #23 -- Never Before Used Schtuff (cat die)

The stitched hearts are also by Tutti -- Stitched Nesting Hearts.  I'm going to keep this post quick so I can go make some more Valentines.  That sounds like fun, doesn't it?  Have a happy day!

CAS Mix Up Challenge: Stencil Heat Embossing

Hello, friends!  It's time for our February CAS Mix Up challenge.  This month it's hosted by Nancy and she's asking us for Stencil Heat Embossing.

Please see the challenge blog for all the instructional videos Nancy has linked.  For my stencil heat embossing I smooshed Versamark ink through the stencil and then applied two different embossing powders -- yellow and dark red.  I allowed the dark red to filter through the yellow so it has a peppery look.

While I had all my embossing supplies out I decided to also emboss the sentiment and an accent leaf.  On those you can see the pure colors.  Gave it a white wood grain frame and hopefully enough white space to still call it CAS.

Come along and play with us at CAS Mix Up.  Have some fun with heat embossing through a stencil and exercise your CAS skills at the same time.  I'm still working on mine.  There are great samples by the team and our guest designer, Arlene, on the challenge blog.  Enjoy!

Paper:  Neenah 80 & 110 lb white  Ink:  Versamark  Stencil:  Stamplorations Winter Flowers  Dies:  Cottage Cutz Thanks Phrase, Hero Arts Wood Frame, Paper Smooches Foliage 1  Other:  Yellow and dark red embossing powders, dark red string