Double D Challenge: Pretty Florals for Mom

Hello everyone!  Diane has given us a floral challenge for Double D this time around.  Pretty Florals for Mom... or for any occasion.  You can't help but love the sweet inspiration board and the fabulous Spellbinders die set being offered as a prize for a random winner.  Have a look:

 

My Mom is gone, but never forgotten and so the sentiment on my card is for her.

(Penny Black Captivate and Thinking of you)

I used Memento London Fog to stamp my flower bunch twice up the side of the watercolor panel, then colored with Tombow markers.  I used pretty pink shades for the blooms with a hint of amethyst blue, the same blue that's on the butterfly.  After coloring I splattered with white acrylic paint and then stamped a few sprinkles in amethyst.  It's backed with matching cardstock, popped up on the textured white card base with thin foam tape.

While the prize winner is chosen by Random.org, the team also votes on creative winners.  I'm sure you've got plenty of pretty florals in your collection and we would love to see them in our gallery at Double D.  Come visit the team and feast your eyes on all the lovely samples.  I'll see you there!

Have a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Penny Black Captivate and Thinking of You, Stampin' Up retired Itty Bitty Backgrounds (splatter stamp)  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, CTMH Spring Iris, textured white  Ink:  Memento London Fog, Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Lovely Lilac  Coloring:  Tombow markers with minimal use of the blender  Other:  White acrylic paint, thin foam mounting tape

Bird Notes

Hello and welcome!  It feels like a long time since I posted and, in fact, it has been a week.  I've been paddling below the surface with the many things that keep a person busy.  Nothing of concern, but my hands seem to be more full than usual lately.  This week I happily have some cards to share, prompted by a challenge or two.

Today the focus is on designer paper.  The Vast Hoard never seems to shrink, even though it's been ages (okay... months) since I added to it.  A few days ago I saw that the Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge is calling for "Springtime Designer Paper".  Well, you know that prompt had my name written all over it.  So I made this card:

(Mintay Springtime designer paper, Elizabeth Craft Layered Birds, Sue Wilson Creative Expressions Stacked Happy Birthday, Impression Obsession Balloons, miscellaneous foliage dies and string bow)

I hope they don't mind that I took advantage of this challenge to play with some bird dies that have been sitting far too long in the never-been-used basket.  Now that I've used them I think they're an awfully lot of fun.  I cut all parts in white and colored with Copics.  The random foliage on the first card is rather a mess because you know how something doesn't look right so you keep adding things... yes, that happened.

Then I went on to make a second card because there are two birds in the die set.

(Mintay Birdsong designer paper, Elizabeth Craft Layered Birds, Memory Box Leaf Bunches, Impression Obsession Grass, Spellbinders Lattice Border, The Ton Easy Expressions with dies)

The next card was made in February.  I'd always intended to make more from its particular paper collection, but it didn't happen.  The paper was put away and the card pushed to the side, tsk tsk.  It has worth so I'll share it here.

(Studio Light Winter Garden designer paper, Sue Wilson Creative Expressions Duos Just a Note)

It's time to move along so I'll list the two inspiring challenges:

Sisterhood of Crafters -- Springtime Designer Paper
NBUS Challenge #61 -- My never before used schtuff is the bird dies and the Winter Garden designer paper.

 

Thank you all for visiting.  Have a happy day!

Friends and Good Vibes

It's true, life is better with friends and I can't imagine being without them.  Two friends enabled me to make today's cards.  Cat sent the sentiment and flowers I used on the first card.  She had stuck everything to a piece of yellow low-tack tape and I love the way it looked so I simply made an almost identical arrangement on yellow cardstock.  Then I adhered that to a pretty frame piece sent by Michele.

Michele sent the Spellbinders Scrolled Punch & Pierce Plate.  In the card above I popped up one of the smaller cuts, and in the card below I used a larger cut for a lacy cover that looks so pretty white on white.  She also sent the Pinkfresh Chrysanthemum washi cuts which I used on the second card.  The sentiment stamped in the open space is from my own Pinkfresh Folk Hummingbird set.

Just having some fun in between projects around the house and yard.  We've had a little sun now and then, but nothing to get too excited about.  I'm still waiting and wondering when spring will be here for real.  Maybe tomorrow.  Wishing you a beautiful day!

Nordic Deer

Hi friends!  The sun is finally shining (though a little cold and breezy), a few flowers are blooming, and in the middle of all that I made a Christmas card.  Well, gee, it's high time I started on some of the new Christmas things I collected before, during, and after the previous holiday season.  My motivation comes from the Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge which I'm getting into just in time.

Today's card is all Spellbinders, from one of their amazing warehouse sales (last December?) -- Magical Deer, Tinsel Time Sentiments, Ski Lodge embossing folder.  The long rectangle is Spellbinders, too, but much older.  I love how it works with slimlines.  This one is 3 1/2 x 6.  I moved the focal panel off to the side so more of the embossing would show.

There was a lot of "getting acquainted" time during this crafty session.  The Tinsel Time Sentiments, for instance...  as it turns out, those letters are way too skinny for my patience.  It was easiest for me to nest the word and the shadow dies, and cut in white to result in a negative.  Then I cut the shadow again in red and layered the two.  I like the effect of the inset letters.

Peace on Earth Challenge #61 -- I was particularly inspired by the deer in the upper right corner of the board.
NBUS Challenge #61 -- My never before used schtuff is deer, sentiment, embossing folder.

 

That's all for this crafty week.  I'll see you again soon.  Take good care of yourselves and enjoy each day as it comes.

Double D Challenge -- Water Related

 

It's Double D challenge time again, and Darlene has given us a "Water Related" theme -- think ocean, rain, waterfall, any body of water, etc.  Use your fabulous imagination.  Have a look at the inspiration board:

We have creative winners plus a random prize winner.

I've been making a point of working with my never been used supplies, but I was stumped when it came to this challenge until I remembered some beautiful 6x6 designer paper I was gifted.  There are several sheets in the collection that are way too pretty to be chopped up so I had to come up with a plan.

It's easier to show than to explain, so I have lots of photos.  You might get the impression that it's a gatefold, but it's a sort of z-fold/gatefold concoction.  Neither one quite worked on its own so I pieced some ideas together.

At this point it still looks like a gatefold.  The tab fits into a slot between two strips of foam mounting tape.  It still wouldn't stay closed flat enough for my satisfaction so I added a magnet closure.  That's a magnet under the circle of designer paper on the front panel.

The next photo shows it open, but there's one more fold yet to come.

Here it is (below) with the z-fold or accordion fold side of the card completely open.  It utilizes the full 6x6 panel of designer paper.

I thought I might as well decorate the back of the card, too.  And why not a sentiment?  All designer paper parts are from the Ciao Bella (CB) Delta paper pad.

I know it probably doesn't make a lot of sense.  If I had a video to link to I would, but I made it up as I went along and I'm quite sure I'll never make it again.  I breathed a sigh of relief when it was finished.  All the sentiments -- relax, just breathe, enjoy the moment -- come from a discontinued Power Poppy stamp set called Lilac Time.

Still with me?  Come check out the team's inspiration at Double D and then play along with your own water-themed project.  Have fun!

Stenciled Spring Flowers

Hi and welcome back to my craft room!  I've got a simple card today, made with the SSS Fading Florals stencil, cut on a curve and placed over an embossed card base.  

The sentiment is a pairing of oldies from my stash.  The embossing folder is an old-timer, too, from Stampin' Up during a Sale-a-bration.  Oh, and the curve die is one of my earliest Spellbinders.  Gosh, I've got all kinds of new things waiting in baskets, yet I inadvertently brought out the elders.  These old girls have still got it.

I'm playing along here:

April Stencil Fun Challenge -- Spring/flowers theme
Can You Handle the Pressure -- optional weather twist.  I didn't do the twist, but I'm imagining all our rainy weather will bring some pretty spring flowers.

Thanks a bunch for stopping by!  

Making Memories with Sophie

Sophie and I are back a little sooner than expected, but I wanted to answer Mildred's question as to what breed Sophie is.  Hi, Mildred!  Sorry I do not have your email, but that's okay... I'm happy to share a little more Sophie on Sunday.

Sophie is an English Cream Golden Retriever.  The name has to do with her coat color and certain differences in AKC and BKC standards.  The LKM standards are the most important to me -- that's Leslie Kay Miller standards.  I just want a friendly, lovable, happy, healthy, active companion, and Sophie is certainly all that.

Here she is on another one of our recent excursions, seeing new sights, smelling new smells.

Pictured below is the object of her attention.

Before we went home they had all become as companionable as they could manage on opposite sides of the fence.  Sophie looked for her friends the next time we went to this spot, but they were not to be seen.  Her disappointment lasted only until she was distracted by the buzzards flying overhead.  She chased after them for a fair distance and then decided to jump off the dock and go swimming.

Sending smiles!

Bunny Thinkin' About Color Hues #84

Hello and welcome back!  The Color Hues challenge of peach and green made me think of flowers first, but I've been really and truly wanting to color this bunny which was still in my "to do" basket after making Easter cards.  He is cute, isn't he?

Inky Antics Carrot Bunny with a sentiment from Delightful Dogs 2.

He's colored with Copics on Neenah cardstock.  I pulled out an oldie Sizzix tag die and cut an extra from CTMH Apricot Blossom cardstock which I sanded to soften the color.  Added a bow and some leaves to top it off.

Underneath the tags is a green frame covered with paper lace that's been sitting in the cabinet for many years.  It's wrapped and taped behind the frame.  All is mounted on a white card base.  

A whole lot of fun was had in the making of this card.

I'm sending thanks to the Color Hues team for always providing such great inspiration, and many thanks to all of you for coming to visit.  I love when you stop by!

 Color Hues #84 -- Peach and Green

Have a wonderful day!

Stamps:  Inky Antics Carrot Bunny and Delightful Dogs 2 sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110" & 80 #, CTMH Apricot Blossom, Memory Box Parsley  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Sizzix Fancy Tags, Memory Box Leaf Bunches, Poppystamps Prim and Proper Bow

Spring Smiles

Hi friends!  Just coloring today.  Penny Black's New Day is one of many stamps I bought from their Scent of Spring collection.  I hope I can get them all colored before the next release.

This card is 4 1/2" x 6" so as not to crowd the beauty.  It's about the largest card size I feel comfortable with.  I stamped with Memento Toffee Crunch on Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 hot pressed watercolor paper and colored with Tombow markers, no water, and only minimal use of the blender solution.

I also got the Background Basics stencils which were released last year, and the older Thinking of You sentiment set.

I would like to have more time to linger here, but the day is getting away from me and I have lots to do yet.  I'll share in some challenges I enjoy:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge -- Anything goes or optional numbers
Four Seasons Challenge, April -- Anything Goes Spring
NBUS Challenge #61 -- Never before use schtuff.  My New Day stamp and Background Basics stencil are new.

 

Thanks for your time.  Enjoy your day!

Sophie Sunday

Hi!  Just a little Sophie share today.  Our girl was the sweetest tiny fluff ball when we first brought her home, but at 8 months she's more dear and adorable to me than ever.  She's been busy having a good life -- running, swimming, playing with friends, and growing stronger every day.  I hope you enjoy a few photos from the week.

I think Sophie likes her life.  There aren't many things more important to me than that.

Thank you so much for stopping by.  Wiggles & wags & sloppy kisses to everyone from Sophie!

Sweet, Sunny, and Simple

Hi and welcome back to my craft room!  Some stenciling and experimenting and just plain playing around has been going on here.  Today's cards were inspired by Loll's use of stencils and glass bead gel.  I'm a novice at using any kind of texture paste with stencils -- I don't even have a palette knife -- but since I ordered the gel in January I thought it was time to give it a go.  Loll makes it look so easy.  Well, it is once you know what you're doing (which I didn't).

Each card uses Stampin' Up inks and Simon Says Stamp Fading Florals stencil.

I thought I applied a thin coat but this stencil is a full-size slimline and I was surprised at how heavy the finished panel was.  I decided to cut it down but not with my cutter (yikes!), so I selectively cut it apart by hand.  Not a huge issue but it was not something I'd planned on.  In the end it made two cute cards that I like a lot, plus there were leftovers for the insides.

I think the second card is my favorite -- woodgrain cardstock for the base and an oldie frame die from my stash.

One note:  I knew it would take a while to dry, but after 48 hours and still tacky I realized it was never going to not be tacky so I sprayed it with clear acrylic matte sealer before I assembled the cards.  No more tacky (hurray!).  I don't know if this is to be expected, but it worked out okay.  Spray matte sealer is a staple in my craft room.

I'm sure it pays to watch a how-to video (which I didn't), but I will because I definitely plan to use this very cool medium again.

Close up:

I'm going to share in two challenges:

Stencil Fun with the optional twist of spring/flowers.
NBUS Challenge #61.  My never before used schtuff is the stencil and the glass bead gel.

 

That's all folks!  Have a happy weekend!