His and Hers Birthday Cats

Hello and welcome back!  Just some fun and frivolity today.  I thought I would share the the last of the Penny Black Birthday Critters I colored earlier this month.  It was a treat to pick a stamp set and a pack of paper, then just sit with my Copics and color to match.  Saves some of the decision making.  Not only that, but it helped me finish off a paper pad.

The first looks like a boy card to me.  Maybe it's the colors, maybe the cat?

A close up below shows the glossy balloon and sparkly stars.  The balloon gloss comes from packing tape over cardstock before die cutting.  I love that trick.  I used a Ranger Distress embossing pen and sparkly embossing powder on the stars, baker's twine for the string.  A little apricot ink brushed over the pennants-embossed background.

The next one is actually a gift tag made with Spellbinders Scallop Labels and Tag.  The designer paper is in the die cut Happy Edger (Penny Black).  Other sentiments are Penny Black as well -- Happy Builder and Carefree Wishes.  Ribbon and eyelet (!) from the vast neglected hoard.

I'm rushing off again.  It's been a busy week with all the home and life stuff that's not necessarily a lot of fun, but has to be done.  Our son is coming for a long weekend so I'll be able to slow down and enjoy more then.  See you again soon!

PB Love Blooms

Hi there!  I'm sending happy thoughts today with a brand new Penny Black stamp set -- Love Blooms -- cut with its matching dies and colored with Tombow markers and blender.  It's paired with a sentiment from the Happy Builder set.

I thought I would go with Jill's Sketch #4 as it was my favorite.  I improvised the frame with some old timey Spellbinders dies, and added a border of gingham paper at the top.  Memento Toffee Crunch was used for the stamp outline, the shading, and for coloring the skinny edge strip.  Spellbinders Branching Out embossing folder added yet more texture, and I finished with some homemade glossy accents.

I think that covers the essentials so I'll keep it short and simple today.  Linking to:

Darnell's NBUS Challenge #70 with my never before used Love Blooms stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a happy day!

Magical Deer and Tweet Cardinal

Hello and welcome!

Oh, happy day, I have two more cards for the Christmas box!  We'll start off with Spellbinders Magical Deer.  I used it once last year and didn't even realize until this year that I put its antlers on upside down.  How could I do that?  What a goofball!  Hopefully I've redeemed myself this year.

All supplies are listed below, but I will mention the baubles hanging from his antlers.  They are punched silver gloss cardstock coated with Diamond Glaze and hung on a string borrowed from the much older Memory Box Precious Hearts.  I was prompted first by the Christmas Kickstart Challenge in which Jo is asking for baubles this month.  I had my heart set on the deer so I was dragging my feet until I thought if Spellbinders could picture (on the package) the deer with a long tag hanging from his antlers, then surely I could hang some baubles.  I chose silver baubles as a nod to the mood board created by my friends at the Peace On Earth Challenge.  Sending my thanks to both challenges with links and graphics at the end.

Next is another Spellbinders die -- Tweet Cardinal.  I kept this card simple with a ready made frame from my card parts drawer.  Die cut holly accents a corner, and the sentiment banner gives him something to perch on.

I added Diamond Glaze to the holly berries, and you can see the holly leaves are also glossy.  The gloss was achieved by applying clear packing tape to green cardstock before cutting.  I learned the simple and genius packing tape trick from Natalie Bowers at NB Cards who I found during my late night YouTube excursions.

I have to give Natalie a shout out.  She's not selling anything, usually she can't even name the dies she uses as she oftentimes picks them up at a "charity shop".  I love that.  She'll take you step-by-simple step through creating the most beautiful backgrounds, and almost all her cards are ultra-CAS.  She created a Smoosher for smooshing watercolor backgrounds.  Don't knock it till you try it.  It makes smooshing so easy and neat.  She also makes her own glossy dots, which I've been doing for years, but her influence has prompted me to nearly give up purchased dots altogether.  Nearly.  I still have some in my stash, but I no longer buy them.  Most of her videos are only a few minutes long and it's amazing the ideas and inspiration she shares in that amount of time.

So here are the aforementioned challenges, plus NBUS for the Cardinal:

Christmas Kickstart #94 -- Bring the Baubles
Peace On Earth #80  -- See optional mood board
NBUS #70 -- Never before used schtuff.  My NBUS is the Spellbinders Tweet Cardinal.

  

If you're still with me after all that, then I appreciate your patience.  Have a happy day!

Deer:

Stamps:  None except inside sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80lb (base) & 110 lb(dies, red, dark gray, and silver gloss cardstock  Coloring:  Minimal with gray Copics  Dies:  Spellbinders Magical Deer, Impression Obsession Holiday Bottom Word Edgers, Memory Box Precious Hearts  Other:  Memory Box Frosted Pines 3D embossing folder, 1/8", 1/4", 1/2" hole/circle punches, JudiKins Diamond Glaze

Cardinal:

Stamps:  None except inside sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110#, SU Garden Green for holly and Poppy Parade for layer under sentiment banner, scrap designer paper  Coloring:  Minimal with Copics  Dies:  Spellbinders Tweet Cardinal and Make It Merry Sentiments, Tim Holtz Sizzix Holiday Greens Mini  Other:  JudiKins Diamond Glaze for berries, clear packing tape for gloss on holly leaves, Scotch brand foam mounting tape for Cardinal

Watercolored Pleasant Perch

Hello, friends!  I've been playing around with dies and embossing folders for the last few cards, but now it's time to get back to coloring as I have so many wonderful stamps yet to see ink.  Today it's Penny Black's Pleasant Perch.  This was a birthday gift (October) from a friend who knew exactly how much I would love it.  I think you know I have a great fondness for the outdoors, particularly if there's a forest or fur or feathers involved.

I stamped in Ranger Archival Watering Can and watercolored the bird and branch with only three Tombow markers:  Green 177, blueish-green 249, and brown 969.  I used a black permanent marker on the eye, and white acrylic paint for the eye glint

The background was watercolored with smooshes and splatters of Stampin' Up inks from reinkers -- Creamy Caramel and Brocade Blue.

The sentiment is from another Penny Black set, Thinking of You.

It's not flowery or flamboyant, but this little bird on her piney perch imparts a sense of peace and comfort.  In my real life world I appreciate that.

Pictured below is one of my most appreciated local spots where I can walk for miles and Sophie can run off leash.  This is a winter pond -- dry in the summer, but good for Sophie's splashing and swimming in the winter.

I'll send my card along to the following challenges:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge -- Anything goes or optional "something new".  I'm calling my Pleasant Perch stamp new because this is its first use.
Triple B Challenge -- Anything goes with birds, blooms, or butterflies.  Mood board optional.
NBUS Challenge #70 -- Never before used schtuff.

 

Thank you for visiting!  Wishing you a happy day.

Stamps:  Penny Black Pleasant Perch and Thinking of You  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot press watercolor, grocer's kraft  Ink:  Ranger Archival Watering Can  Coloring:  Watercolor with Tombow markers plus Stampin' Up reinkers for background and splatters, black permanent marker for eye, white acrylic paint for eye dot  Die:  Hero Arts Wood Frame

Folk Art Fox

Hello, friends!  It's good to see you again.

You may remember I said I was going to use this particular 2013 MME Notable designer paper on every card until it was gone.  I had such a little bit left, but it was still card-worthy.  Well, today's card finished it off -- happy dance!  There will be one more post using this paper, but I decided to mix things up a bit as there are some challenges that inspired me.  They call for something new, a birthday, and pretty papers.  I'll list all at the end.

My "something new" (to me) is the Cottage Cutz Folk Art Fox.  I loved their entire folk art release, but waited for a sale and then picked up a few pieces.  Just because I'm focusing on the "new" doesn't mean the old stuff gets neglected -- such as the Memory Box Tree of Wonder (2013), and the Tutti Designs heart I tucked into the branches.  In fact, everything on this card, other than the fox, has been residing in my toy box for years.

For these smallest scraps it was infinite fun to use them for the fox and scene.  Nothing fancy, just folk art simplicity.  Ideas came along the way.  I don't even remember why I chose to tuck a heart into the tree branches, but I love it.  I added Stickles glitter to the flower centers, sponged the sky.

The challenges I had in mind at the start are listed below: 

Love Those Pretty Papers  -- Anything goes using patterned papers.
A Cut Above -- Anything goes using die cuts.
Seize the Birthday #297 -- Use something new.  My Folk Art Fox is new (to me).
NBUS Challenge #70 -- My "never before use schtuff" is the Cottage Cutz Folk Art Fox

 

 

Thanks ever so much for dropping in to share the crafty good times with me.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Lawn Fawn Wavy Sayings  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb, My Mind's Eye Notable designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up Pool Party, Close to Cocoa for sponging edges of fox  Coloring:  Copics and ink blending  Dies:  Cottage Cutz Folk Art Fox, Memory Box Tree of Wonder, Lawn Fawn Fancy Wavy Banners, Tutti Designs Stitched Nesting Hearts, Die-namics Fresh Cut Grass, Impression Obsession Leaf Cluster  Other:  Flower punch, 1/8" circle punch for flower centers, Stardust Stickles

Double D Challenge: White on White

Hello!  Back with another Double D Challenge today.  White on white is the theme.  It's not easy for a crafter like me who loves color, but I always admire the look of it.  Check out the inspiration board:

Prizes as shown below are by random draw, and creative favorites are voted on by the team.

 

I pulled a variety of dies together for a Christmas card.  The dove is an old favorite, one of my earliest dies, in fact.  Cheery Lynn Designs closed up shop years ago, but their high quality dies are everlasting in my craft room.  The Spellbinders Blossom Nestabilities (circle) is even older.  Relatively new are the Memory Box leaves and sentiment.  Another retiree is the SU Subtle embossing folder which I used to texturize the card base.

I rather like how it came together with the teensy bit of dull gold shimmer cardstock for the sentiment and the accent under the leaf sprig, and I cannot complain about adding a Christmas card to my 2025 collection.

My Double D teamies have some lovely and creative samples to share with you, so pop over and have a look.  I hope to see the players' gallery aglow with white.

Have a happy day!

Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80# and 110#, dull gold satin metallic cardstock  Dies:  Cheery Lynn Peace Dove, Memory Box Leaf Bunches and Peace Cheshire Script, Spellbinders Blossom Nestabilities  Other:  Stampin' Up Subtle 3D embossing folder

Daisies and Denim

Hi there!  Another daisy card today.  I made two Lisa Horton Tall Daisies cards one right after the other.  This was the second.  This time I embossed, but did not cut.

I gave my hot pressed watercolor paper a spritz on both sides from the water bottle before embossing.  Heat dried, then commenced watercoloring with Tombow markers.  It looked like a hot pressed mess at times, but in the end I think it's safe to call it "artsy".  I did some splattering, added a decorative border.  Before I glued it down I also cut and embossed more daisies to layer underneath and help keep the top layer plumped up.  All that was layered over the 2013 designer paper which I vowed to use on every card until it was gone (getting close).  Lastly, I added the sentiment and a generous scattering of iridescent sequins up the side.

The Tall Daisies are now put away with the rest of the embossing folders.  Only a few (ahem) left waiting for their first turn.

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, Neenah 110 lb white for sentiment and 80 lb for card base, SU Taken With Teal for border edge, My Mind's Eye Notable designer paper (2013)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment  Coloring:  Watercolor with Tombow markers  Other:  Lisa Horton Tall Daisies 3D embossing folder with die, Spellbinders A2 Bracket Borders One, Iridescent sequins

Mouse Party

Hello again and welcome back!

The optional theme at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge is "Something New".  It could be new anything, not just new craft stash, but I'm totally focused on my "new" craft stash and a whole lot of it is Penny Black stamps.  Today's stamps are Penny Black's Birthday Critters.  They're new to me and not yet used so I stamped and colored everything in the set and started with this card.

Are these mousies cute enough?  I love this card.  As always, it's so much cuter in real life.  You know how that goes, don't you?  I colored the whole set of critters with Copics and then hand cut.  Pretty easy cutting with these guys.  I made sure to use another scrap of the designer paper I've targeted to finish off.  A 6x6 pad goes on and on when you use only a small bit at a time, but a little bit can make a big difference.

From my stash are the Spellbinders Candles for Every Birthday embossing folder, the Penny Black Immense Enjoyment die, and the sentiment from Penny Black's Carefree Wishes stamp set.  The pictures tell most of the story as to what was done with the different elements.  I tried to capture the glitter on the candle flames in the photo below but, again, prettier in real life.

A third mouse from the set is sitting inside the card with another of the Carefree Wishes sentiments.

I see there's a new release coming from Penny Black.  I resisted their Christmas release, but I won't resist this one.  The flowers... gasp... so beautiful!

Penny Black Saturday Challenge -- Anything goes or "something new".  My Birthday Critters are new to me.
Of course, I'll have to send my never-been-used Birthday Critters over to Darnell's NBUS Challenge #70, too -- Never before used schtuff

 

Thank you for visiting.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Penny Black Birthday Critters and Carefree Wishes  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb & 110 lb, Stampin' Up Taken With Teal, My Mind's Eye Notable designer paper (2013)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark for sentiment, Stampin' Up Apricot Appeal on background, Taken With Teal to sponge edges of tag  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Penny Black Immense Enjoyment die, Poppystamps Main Street Stitched Tags, Spellbinders Candles for Every Birthday embossing folder, linen thread, WOW Bright White super fine embossing powder, Stardust Stickles, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Daisy Day

Hello and welcome to a new week on the blog!  I'm just playing again, still savoring this relatively quiet time in the new year.  Christmas is a beautiful season, but it can be a lot of work no matter how simple I try to keep it.  Nevermind that... today is a day for daisies and sunshine -- in my craft room, if not outside.

I pulled out my Lisa Horton Tall Daisies 3D embossing folder with die and used it for the first time.  I know... how long have I had it?  I've lost track.  Well, here it is now, embossed, cut, and colored, sitting on a blended background backed up with some 2013 designer paper I'm trying to finish off.

Can't say it's not cheerful!  It has a birthday greeting inside.  The little bit of coloring was done with inks and stencil brushes.  The mini-slimline card was covered edge to edge with my least favorite piece from the paper pad, and then it was left sitting in my card parts drawer for quite a while.  It's easier on the eyes with most of it covered.  Now I like it.

As for the daisies, they were embossed and die cut, then the inner parts hand cut with a craft knife.  Coloring was accomplished and then the daisies were embossed again.   Next, I cut and embossed a second set of daisies, but did not hand cut the inner parts.  Rather, I brushed with ink to match the background, then layered the first daisies over top and glued to the card.  It sounds like a lot and it probably was.  I have a gift for making things more complex than they need to be.

I'm happy to add my daisy card to Darnell's NBUS Challenge #70 (never before used schtuff).

Thanks for hanging in there with me!  Have a craft-happy day!

Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions (with dies)  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, My Mind's Eye designer paper (2013)  Ink:  SU Taken with Teal background, various for coloring, Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment  Coloring:  Inks and stencil brushes  Other:  Lisa Horton Tall Daisies 3D embossing folder with die, Spellbinders Long Classic Rectangles, Scotch brand foam mounting tape for sentiment

Just Be You

Hello, friends!  Here we are a few days into 2025 and now that the Christmas card rush is over I feel it's time to take a wander through my not-yet-used stamp stash and do some coloring.  Not all my stamps are mainstream, and most are not newly released, but it doesn't matter... I'm going to enjoy them.  The operative phrase here is, "just be you".

I found myself drawn to certain stamps in the Creative Expressions Designer Boutique collection.  Most in my collection are critters and flowers, and favorites among them are a combination of the two.  The regal fellow pictured below appears to have been browsing someone's gorgeous flower garden and come through the other side covered in blooms.

I stamped in Memento Toffee Crunch on Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White and colored with Copics.  After coloring I brushed around him a few spots of Stampin' Up Blush Blossom ink.  The sentiment and more comes with the Flowers & Antlers set.  He's a big guy, but his head and shoulders fit nicely on an A2 card.

Okay, so there's one from the coloring pile.  Only a bazillion more not-yet-colored stamps to go.  I also have that many not-yet-used dies and almost as many embossing folders yet to use.  Things got out of hand.  I won't even mention the designer papers... oops... I just mentioned them.  I'm not proud, but I will not feel guilty.  Are you with me?

Have a happy day, and remember to just be you.  See you again soon!

Stamps:  Creative Expressions Flowers & Antlers  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80#, kraft woodgrain  Ink:  Memento Toffee Crunch, Stampin' Up Blush Blossom  Coloring:  Copics, white acrylic paint for eye dots