Love Letters

Hello friends!  Valentine month is not over yet and so I'm going to jump right in here and share two Valentines I made for next year.  The Cottage Cutz die set has never been used, but I ran out of time for this year.  I'm going to try to do better on all my occasion cards by prepping ahead.  I hope you'll bear with me when I stamp out of season.  Thank you in advance!

The stamped sentiments are pulled from my stash.  The first is a cute Stampendous set which will be used more later.  It's in the NBUS line up.  The designer paper is from a 6x6 Echo Park Love Notes pad which I received free with a recent Scrapbook.com order.  I can't even remember what I ordered, but I'm sure it's still sitting in the NBUS basket.  Both of these cards are 4 1/4".  Petite and cute for Valentines.

The bird and branch and all the little hearts were in the same set.  I colored with Copics and stenciled some clouds on this card.  One cloud layer is upside down, darn it.  I almost always goof when I use this stencil.  It shouldn't be so hard, sheesh.  Still cute.  I've used a sentiment from a 2011 Penny Black set.

That's all from me.  I'll be moving right along to the next project soon.

Sharing in Darnell's NBUS Challenge #59 -- The Cottage Cutz Love Letters die set and Echo Park Love Notes designer paper are both used for the first time.

I'm glad you could visit today.  You know I love it when you stop by.  Take care till next time!

Stamps:  Stampendous Mailbox Spring, Penny Black To You  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb, Echo Park Love Notes designer paper  Ink:  Pixie Pink & Poppy Parade (1st card), Memento Tuxedo Black & Pink Pirouette (2nd card)  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Cottage Cutz Love Letters, MFT Die-namics Woodgrain Fence  Other:  Heffy Doodle Cloudy Skies stencil, SU 3-in-1 Heart Punch, Fiskars scallop scissors, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Split Front Hello

Happy Sunday, friends!  I hope this finds you well today.  We're okay here, not counting my BFF who fell down in her backyard and fractured her elbow.  You know what they say... "Life is what happens while you're busy doing other things".  She's an independent soul and will be okay, but I'll be on the alert in case I'm needed.

In the meantime, I have a card to share which is somewhat of a departure for me, considering it's all designer paper other than a couple of die cuts and some linen thread.  There is no stamping at all.  You see, lately in the evenings while Rich is playing solitaire on the computer I've been watching the occasional crafting video on YouTube -- on the big screen TV, relaxed on the sofa with Sophie cuddled up beside me.  Recently I stumbled upon a video for the split front card design.  It's been done many times, but I'm just now giving it a whirl.  The video I watched is here.

My card:

I cut into my Piatek Awakening 6x6 paper pad for the first time (birds) and my Zolu Forest Dreams pad for the second time (green inner part).  I found it matched up nicely with SU's Always Artichoke, so that's my card base.  Now that I have a template for the split front I'm eager to make more... and I did, but will share later.  Now I'm rather hooked on finding ways to prominently feature designer paper because the cupboard is bursting and these beautiful papers deserve to be seen.

The foremost panels are popped up on thin foam mounting tape.  The leafy die cuts are oldies from my stash, but the "Hello" is a newish-to-me Creative Expressions die, found at 1-2-3 Stitch when I went searching specifically for sentiment dies.

Otherwise...

Our beautiful Sophie has been busy growing up.  She turned six months on Feb. 12 and weighs well over 50 lbs.  I'll find out her exact weight Tuesday when she goes in to be spayed and chipped.  My poor girl will not be happy about that,  but it's for the best.  I'll be giving her a bath later today.  She's had a lot of good runs in The Great Outdoors and cleans up quite nicely with the hose and a good toweling off, but this last run on the bay left her a little fragrant.

Sophie will start basic obedience training on March 20.  She's a good girl and has learned many things, but not as obedient when excited or distracted.  I've never had to do classes before, so this should be interesting.

Wrapping up, I will share in Darnell's NBUS Challenge because my Piatek Awakening paper and the Creative Expressions Mini Expressions - Hello & Hi are being used for the first time.

Thank you all for stopping by.  Wishing you a week of good times and crafting!

Double D Challenge: Patterned Paper

Hello friends!  It's all about patterned paper at Double D today.  Darlene is asking us to dip into our designer paper collection, however vast or limited it is, and feature it in our projects.  I've mentioned a few times that I have a Vast Hoard, so this is a delightful challenge for me.

Here's the inspiration board and a pretty paper pad for a random prize winner.

  

The papers I focused on are perhaps not the most gorgeous in my collection, but they're fun and I've had them for many years.  There was a time I would browse the all the wonderful shelves of 12 x 12 papers in our local papercrafts shop and choose 2 or 3 sheets that coordinated.  I can hardly begin to tell you how enjoyable that process was for me.  Sadly, the shop has been closed for a few years (sniff sniff, boo hoo).  Way back in 2016  I cut all the not-yet-used 12 x 12 coordinating patterned papers into 6 x 6 sheets and made charming and fun, easy to store, much more likely to be used collections of them.  On the rare occasion that a collection gets down to the last few sheets I like to make layouts on card bases and set them aside for future use.  That's what I did with these papers, and then the challenge came along so I turned two of them into cards.

I chose to work with my beloved Inky Antics dogs -- also many years in my collection.  I could have left the branch off the first card, but what's done is done.

For the second card I cut strips of plaid and wove them together.  Our 6 month old Golden Retriever, Sophie, sent this card to her best friend, Tommy, a mini-Schnauzer exactly the same age.  On Valentine's Day they got together and had an exceptionally good time, though Tommy did most of the yapping.

Pictured below are the two remaining cards-in-waiting.  I have other collections I've been working on as well.  There are simply too many things I enjoy playing with in my room.

My Double D teamies have done some pretty fabulous things with their patterned papers.  Have a look and then show us yours.

Happy crafting!

Stamps:  Inky Antics Delightful Dogs #3 plus a sentiment from Inky Antics Puppy & Kitty Love on the second card  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb, designer paper from stash  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Brocade Blue, Old Olive, and Baroque Burgundy for inking die cuts  Coloring:  Copics and ink blending  Other:  Poppystamps Freida Leaf, Freida Curve, and Whittle Birds, small flower punch, white gems, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Mooch in the Moment -- A Lavinia Card

Hi there!  Mooch is the cat, in case you were wondering.  I dipped into my Lavinia stamps and endeavored to use some that have not yet seen ink.  In this case it's Mooch and the crows.

When I start adding ink I'm am not always sure where I'll end up.  Maybe this is a big harvest moon, but I can't say that was exactly the plan.  Inks are Memento Tuxedo Black and Stampin' Up.  I didn't do anything special or extra.  It's just plain old stamping and lots and lots of color.  The sentiment is from a retired Power Poppy set.

I'll send my card over to Darnell's NBUS Challenge #59 because I was pleased to use Mooch and the crows for the first time.

All the Lavinia stamps are listed below.  Thank you for coming to visit.  I'll be back when something crafty happens.  Enjoy your weekend!

Lavinia stamps:  Mooch, Bird Collection, Tree Branch, Leaf 1 Mini, Willow

Valentine Cats

Hello!  Today is Valentine's day and I hope you're all feeling cherished, whether it be by a significant other or any friend or family member, including the furry kind.  Most of my Valentines go to friends because, you know, friends are the family you choose yourself.

Gosh, I hope I'm not sending these cats to the same people again, but I just love this little Gerda Steiner cutie pie with the XOXO.  I did one in pink and one in red.  The fun thing I'd like to tell you about these cats is that I colored them with ink and small blending brushes from Amazon.  Some are angled, some flat, sized small to tiny.  Not as dense as more expensive brushes, but they work nicely.  I was mainly planning to use them for stenciling but this was fun, too.  I like how they gave the image a shaded look without any extra effort from me.

One in pink, one in red.  I covered the card bases with some random loose designer paper sheets from The Vast Hoard.  Supplies are listed below so I won't go on too much about details.

My goal today is to eat chocolate and do no chores (in my dreams).  How about you?  Happy Valentine's Day!

Stamps:  Gerda Steiner All Cats  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, SU Real Red, designer paper from stash  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Real Red, Pretty in Pink, other for coloring  Coloring:  Inks applied to cats with small stencil brushes -- Memento London Fog on pink card, SU Apricot Appeal and Pumpkin Pie on red card  Other:  Die-namics Wonky Stitched Squares, Poppystamps Clothesline Hearts, Memory Box Fairy Jewels, Wink of Stella

Inky Antics Valentines

Hi and welcome to a new week!  It's Valentine week and I'm still lagging behind.  I need to start working on next year's cards because this holiday comes too soon after Christmas for me to get any steam behind it.  I did make a few with my oldies but goodies.  It starts to feel as though I'm sending the same cards over and over, but when you've got favorites you just have to use them, don't you?

I wasn't thinking of Valentines when I pulled out my Inky Antics dogs and stamped and colored and cut out every single one of them.   Actually, the image on the first card was already stamped and in my card parts drawer so hooray for getting it colored and on a card.

All coloring was done with Copics.  To the card below I added a background from Rubbernecker and some little hearts from (?) -- an unlabeled stamp.  The gray scalloped mat was already cut so I built on that.

At some point along the way I looked up Inky Antics to see if they still make and sell stamps, and I found a whole website.  Well, you know what happened then.  Three sets into my cart.  Not new, but new to me.  I think it's important that we create what makes us feel happy in the making, and Inky Antics have been making me feel happy for years.

Sending sweet Valentine wishes to all!

Stamps:  Inky Antics Puppy Love (1st card), Puppy & Kitty Love #2, Rubbernecker dog stuff background(?), nameless heart flowers stamp (latter 3 all on 2nd card)  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb, grocer's kraft, SU Going Gray & Pink Pirouette (2nd card), scrap designer paper (1st card)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Rose Red  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Poppystamps Heart Hugs and Scribble Daisy Heart Frame, Tutti Designs Stitched Nesting Hearts, Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets, Lawn Fawn Stitched Scalloped Rectangle Stackables, rhinestones, foam mounting tape

PinkFresh Blooming Branch

Hello!  After finishing my few Valentines (which I'll share later) I had a chance to reach into my NBUS basket and pull out something new-to-me.  This Pinkfresh Blooming Branch came from a recent 40% off sale on their website.  Not to be resisted, right?  I got this and one other stamp set, no dies.  Amazing reserve on my part.  I made two cards with this stamp.  The sentiment is from the Pinkfresh Delicate Rosebuds set.  I do have the matching dies for that one and I love how the sentiment cuts.

I stamped in Ranger Archival Watering Can and colored with Tombow markers and blender on the first card.  It was not too difficult to hand cut since I recently got a shot in my wrist that has the De Quervain's tenosynovitis.  My left wrist/hand had gotten so bad that I could barely use it.  It's much better now, but I have to be cautious about over-using it.  That's okay.  Anyway, here's the first card and I kind of love it.

The card front was salvaged from a card I received in a package from a charitable organization.  You know how they give little gifts to encourage you to donate.  I adhered the front to my own card and covered it with the large oval.  Pictured below you can see the ready-made gloss and sparkle as well as the flap of the matching envelope.  I have a few others in different colors, too, and they've been sitting a long time waiting for me to use them.

The next card is smaller with stamping off the edge.  This time I watercolored with Stampin' Up inks and I'm not thrilled with the results.  I was trying a watercolor technique I saw on a video.  It works for them, but apparently I'm better off sticking with what works for me.  Old dog I guess, ahem.  I was happy to use a smidgen of ribbon as well as a sentiment die from the NBUS die basket.  One basket for stamps, one for dies, and both rather full.

The inside of each card is stamped in a similar manner.  No sentiment.  The sentiments on the front can work for many occasions, and I can write my own message inside.  This lets me simply enjoy the cardmaking and have a card for whatever occasion when I need it.

Enough chatter?  I'll go ahead and link now to Darnell's NBUS challenge where she encourages us to get busy and use our never before used schtuff rather leave it sitting in the basket or bin while we shop for more new stuff...wait, what?  I know... it was how I rolled when I was working full time and didn't have enough left over creative energy to stamp.  It must have been habit forming because I still do it and haven't come up with a better excuse.

NBUS Challenge #59 --  My Pinkfresh Blooming Branch stamp and Impression Obsession Hi are fresh out of the basket.

Thank you for coming to visit.  Wishing you a beautiful day!

Double D Challenge: Heartfelt

Hi again!  It's Double D Challenge time, friends.  Diane is asking for hearts and she's given us a pretty board for inspiration.  See it below along with the prize for a random winner.

Heartfelt

A challenge can take you to some very nice places.  When I looked at the board I decided I liked the cocoa mug with the flowers behind it.  After only a little bit of head scratching I pulled out one of my all-time favorite stamp sets -- WPlus 9 Hello & Thanks.  It has the lighthearted playful look I love, and it comes with matching dies.  I also liked the aqua blue in the lower right corner of the board, so I went with that as well.

With the help of a Cottage Cutz die set I added a dollop of whipped cream and a placed a heart cut out on the side of the cup.  The teensiest hearts around the edges are from that CC die set, too.  "Best friends" is an ages old stamp (name unknown) from my stash.  Isn't that the prettiest cut and emboss edge?  It's another oldie from my stash that needs to come out to play more often -- Joy Crafts Stylish Border.

This is a special Valentine for a dear friend.

Simple coloring was done with Copics.  This was so much fun, and in my book that's what it's all about.

I hope you'll come play with us at Double D.  The team has some great samples you'll want to check out.  We always have creative winners and the one prize winner.   Most importantly we just want you to have fun.

Catch you again real soon!

Stamps:  WPlus 9 Hello & Thanks w/matching dies, sentiment from stash (unknown)  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb, pink sandable cardstock, scrap designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Bermuda Bay & Pool Party  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Joy Crafts Stylish Border, Cottage Cup of Love (partial), SU 3-in-1 heart punch, Cotton Candy Stickles

Barnyard Romance

Hi there!  I'm getting ready for the next holiday on the list with a Valentine for my one and only.  In fact, I hope to concentrate more on all the holidays and birthdays this year until I've got everything covered.  This card came about when I was going through my drawer of friend shares.  Dang, I'd forgotten all about this lovable pair of piggies.  They came all the way from Alabama.

I found the stitched heart and the larger heart negative panel in my card parts drawer and thought they'd make a good background.  I embossed the stitched heart with flowers and dots, added a banner.  I wanted to keep it simple, but the couple really needed a fence and some grass in their barnyard.  I'll settle for simple-ish.  All that cuteness is on a card base of the retired sand-able cardstock from Stampin' Up that I need to stop hoarding.

I think Rich will get a laugh from this card.  Who doesn't need a laugh?  He'd probably fall over if I ever gave him a serious card.

Enjoy your day and we'll get together again soon!

Stamps:  Pigs of unknown source, Lawn Fawn Wavy Sayings  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, SU Green Galore, SU sand-able cardstock for card base, other pink  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  MFT Die-namics Woodgrain Fence and Fresh Cut Grass, Lawn Cuts Fancy Wavy Banners, Tutti Stitched Nesting Hearts, Sizzix Flowers embossing folder