Spring Flowers in July (almost August!)

Hi friends!  I thought I'd do some stamping and coloring this week.  I haven't had so much crafty time , but I can generally find a few minutes to color a flower or two.  With that in mind I stamped some Penny Black and got to work.

This stamp is from the Perch set, which I think was released this year.  I'm so far behind in my not-yet-used goodies that I lose track of time.  The sentiment is also Penny Black, very old (2011) and I still use it lots.

Coloring was done on hot press watercolor paper with Tombow markers and homemade blender solution (recipe found online).  Fill a blank Copic marker and use it very much like a watercolor brush.  It sure seemed like the green was a better match with the paper, but the camera will do what it wants.  You know how that goes.  I hand cut the image and sentiment, tucked the flowers into a wonky-curved pocket made with oval dies, then stuck all that onto a background embossed with a favorite old Cuttlebug folder.  Only the sentiment is popped up.

About that leafy paper... I found it through an Amazon ad on Pinterest and the only name on it is JarThenaAMCS.  Apparently it's a whole store.  You just never know what you're going to come across next.

No challenges today.  Just me having a play with my toys.

Wishing you a lovely day!

Stamps:  Penny Black Perch, Penny Black To You  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot press watercolor, Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb for background, 110 lb for sentiment, Prism Dark Herbal Garden (old), JarThenaAMCS designer paper (from Amazon)  Ink:  Ranger Archival Shadow Grey, Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Tombows and blender  Other:  Spellbinders Classic Ovals, Cuttlebug Birds and Swirls embossing folder, Memory Box Fairy Jewels gems, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

A Slice of Life July 2025

There was a time this post would have been full of flower pictures, but sometimes there are other distractions to capture my attention... starting with Sophie.  She'll be two years old in August and has grown into a sturdy and very fluffy girl.  She was good enough to stop and let me take her picture, but she definitely had adventure on her mind at the time.

The picture below was actually taken in June.  Town turkeys, geez.  Ordinarily they're only here in the fall.  They don't bother me so much and, heck, I think all babies are cute.

The young buck in velvet, below, caught my eye through the window, so I went out with my camera thinking my photo efforts would be a gentle way to shoo him from the garden.  It worked, but he lingered in the woods for a while.  He's probably been visiting here since he was a fawn.

Pictured below, Sophie is beckoning me to her favorite place of sticks and loam and the scent of critters who've passed along the trails.  She's at the head of the path right behind our garden shed, leading to the network of trails I cut years ago.  Just like Wally and LuLu before her, Sophie has the run of the place with or without my supervision.  She's a good girl and knows her boundaries.  She doesn't stay down there long without checking in, and she comes running gleefully when she's called.

The fawn below is standing at the very same spot in which Sophie was pictured.  A doe and two fawns were lounging alongside our shed, and the buck was munching on native foliage nearby, probably part of the same family.  This fawn is robust and healthy, but just as I took this picture another smaller, paler fawn stood up and wobbled weakly into the woods.

I was and still am very worried about the weakling fawn, and fear I may find another casualty in the woods this year.  I waited a while and then ventured quietly down the path.  Just a few steps in I found the family resting once again.  The weak fawn is laying down, the healthy fawn is standing the other side of Mom.  You can see its two back legs in their knock-kneed stance just beyond her.

Finally, Sophie is now at the front end of the yard in the cool shade of the cherry tree where she loves to roll in the emerald lawn and chew on the sticks she brings up from the woods.

The past two summers I let the garden go.  I was grief stricken the summer of 2023, then the summer of 2024 Rich was very sick and I spent all my time as a caregiver and chief cook and bottle washer.  Over the last 5 years we've lost 4 trees, changing the look of the garden significantly.  The deer were already eating everything in sight anyway, so I threw up my hands.  This spring the whole front of the yard and half of the side were torn up for sewer line replacement.  It's never ending.  However, once the landscapers finished the huge job of putting our yard back together I decided I missed my garden and now I've started over.  Hence the back and foot pain, sigh.

It will never be the same, but a person has to just keep going forward with hope... and lots of deer spray and altered expectations.

Have a beautiful day!

Winged Creatures and Gorgeous Paper

Hello and happy Friday!  Yesterday I said I would have one more card today.  As it turns out, I have two.  It's all about the designer paper today, specifically Ciao Bella Sicilia, chosen for these cards because it prominently features lemons and all that beautiful yellow.  You know I love yellow!

Do you see the lemon slices around the edges?  I cut this 6x6 piece down to 5 1/4" square to cover the card, then simply added the die cuts -- Memory Box Serene Bird and Branch, and Sue Wilson Creative Expressions Just a Note.

The second card is another piece that did most of the work, but I did add a border for contrast, and a pretty dragonfly and sentiment -- Memory Box Azure Dragonflies, and Sue Wilson Creative Expressions Stacked Thinking of You.

This wraps up a week of citrus and Christmas.  It's a lot more crafting than I normally accomplish in a week, but I had some extra down time due to back and foot pain.  I'm fine, just had to limit certain activities, and am now feeling quite a bit better.

I'm happy to be playing along in the following inspiring challenge today:

Love Those Pretty Papers -- Anything goes with designer papers, or optional 'birthday'.

I keep saying I'm going to make a point of playing with my paper more often.  The Vast Hoard is overflowing with gorgeousness!

I plan to be back tomorrow with some pics of Sophie and the critters that visit our home on the edge of the woods.  Maybe I'll see you then.  Take care, and have a great weekend!

Three More Cards for Christmas in July

Hello friends!  It's good of you to stop by again.

I was determined to devote a good lot of my July card making time to Christmas.  I can't say I made as much progress as I'd hoped, but with these cards I've managed seven for Christmas in July.  It's better than zero.

I focused on not yet used Cottage Cutz again.  These are somewhat simple cards, certainly as compared to my usual.  Nevertheless, they were fun to make and I think rather pretty.  First a window with overhead branches and a little birdie perched on the sill.

I stippled the pine branch corners with white acrylic paint, and applied Stickles glitter to the sill and window pane corners.  Behind the widow is vellum colored on the backside with Copic markers.

The next two cards feature ornaments cut from glitter cardstock.  In the background is one of my new favorite embossing folders from a Spellbinders warehouse sale -- Pinecones & Berries.  The sentiment is an oldie from Stampin' Up.

All the cards are mini-slimline, 3 1/2" x 6".  I like this size as it fits in a standard envelope with no extra postage.

I think that wraps it up for Christmas in July... or not.  We'll see what happens next week.  Believe it or not, I will be back with one more card tomorrow.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Retired Stampin' Up  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110 lb, coppery gold for ornaments, vellum, green scraps for pine bough corners  Ink:  SU Garden Green for sentiments  Coloring:  Copics on vellum for window  Dies:  Cottage Cutz Classic Arched Window, Partridge, Angel 1, Poppystamps Whittle Birds, Wispy Pine Needle Corner, Spellbinders Classic Long Rectangles  Other:  Spellbinders Pinecones & Berries embossing folder, white acrylic paint, Diamond Stickles

Lemon Branch

Hi there!  Yes, I am back so soon with another citrus card.  This one was inspired by the Color Hues Challenge where Bonnie is asking for yellow and green.  Not only do I love the color combo, but you know I have this new citrus set...

We have lemons today with a combo of sentiments from my stash and the Spellbinders Splish Splash embossing folder.  It's not even real apparent that the embossing is water splashes, and that's what I love about the folder now that I've finally used it for the first time after waiting far too long, sheesh.  I actually wanted it to look more like juicy lemon drops this time, but there's too much yellow and I didn't want to start over.  The thing is, I love how pretty and fun and versatile the folder is and I'll make a point of using it more often in the future.

Pictured below you can see glitter on the flower centers and glossy dots for accent.  The dots are 1/4" and 1/8" punched cardstock coated with Diamond Glaze.

I'll list supplies further down, but first to recap the aforementioned challenge and add one more:

Color Hues Challenge #114 -- Yellow and green.

NBUS Challenge #76 -- My never before used schtuff is the Splish Splash embossing folder.

 

Well, that was fun!  There's another citrus card still to come, but I'll save that for another week.  See you again soon!

Stamps:  Pinkfresh Lemons and Blueberries sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb, scraps yellow, white, black cardstock  Ink:  SU yellows and greens, Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment  Coloring:  Ink blending with brushes  Dies:  Elizabeth Craft Fresh Fruit, Sue Wilson Creative Expressions Stacked Happy Birthday, Spellbinders Scallop Labels and Tag, small rectangle from stash  Other:  Spellbinders Splish Splash embossing folder, Diamond Stickles, 1/8" and 1/4" hole punches, JudiKins Diamond Glaze

Rustic Wreath

Back to Christmas in July today!  I found the prettiest wreath at The Scrapping Cottage during their most recent sale.  It's called Rustic Wreath, no longer on sale, but there are always amazing finds in their retired and overstock categories.

I made this for the Christmas Kickstart Challenge #100 where Jo and her elf friend, Gail, are asking for spots, dots, and circles.  I have a rustic circle (wreath) on a stitched circle, and that's on top of a background made with the Sizzix Tree Rings embossing folder.  To finish, I added dots in the form of red gems.

💖Happy 100th challenge, Jo!  That's a milestone worth celebrating! 💖

I cut everything twice so I could fluff up the wreath all nice and festive.  Love the little pinecones and I plan to make up a bunch of those for other projects.  Every piece was colored with inks and blending brushes.   The sentiment is also Cottage Cutz.

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #100 -- Merry-go-round.  Must use spots, dots, and/or circles.
NBUS Challenge #76 -- My never before used schtuff is the Cottage Cutz Rustic Wreath.

 

Thanks for your visit!  Have a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Inside sentiment only  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb, scrap Memory Box Christmas Plaid designer paper  Ink:  Various Stampin' up inks  Coloring:  Ink blending with brushes  Dies:  Cottage Cutz Rustic Wreath and Happy Holidays, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers  Other:  Tim Holtz Sizzix Tree Rings embossing folder, red gems, Diamond Stickles

Orange Slices

Hello and happy day to you!  I've had a few busy mornings in my craft room and today I thought I'd share some of the fruits of my labor before the day grabs hold of me.  A few challenges prompted me to sit down with one of my newest purchases -- Elizabeth Craft Fresh Fruit die set.   One day I said "I need a citrus set", and so here we are.

I took creative liberties with the colors, using some ancient greens that don't come off the shelf very often -- mostly Stampin' Up Green Galore, with a little Glorious Green ink for shading.  Anyone remember those?  I even colored the flower centers green just because I could.

There are lots of choices with this die set from lemons to oranges to grapefruit.  Even a strawberry.  Not selling, just saying.  I'm imagining today's card with a standard orange slice and a little Clementine.

Covering the card base is Tiny Mosaic, an old Cuttlebug embossing folder from my stash.  It looks rather kitchen-y don't you think?  

In the next photo I hope you can see the Diamond Stickles glitter in the flower centers, and the gloss on the orange slices.  The gloss is packing tape -- brush cardstock with ink, then cover with clear packing tape and cut with the inner die that creates the little sections.  Cut again from non-glossy cardstock to create the lighter colored "frame" for the sections.  Maybe that makes sense???

For embellishment I punched 1/8" circles from the glossy orange cardstock.  The three-layer sentiment is from a not-used-until-now Cottage Cutz set.

 

One last thing -- the card measures 4 1/4" x 5".  It's what's left over after cutting a mini-slimline; a cute little size, fun to work with, and it fits in a standard envelope for no-extra-postage mailing.

Sometimes it feels like it takes a lot of words to explain a card, but it's all about the sharing and taking the time to visit with you.

This particular card was totally inspired by the following challenges:

Tic Tac Toe Challenge #275 -- I chose the top row:  Nature, Circles, Foliage
NBUS Challenge #76 -- My never before used schtuff is the Fresh Fruit die set and the sentiment from a Cottage Cutz set.

 

I'm so glad you could stop by.  We'll do this again real soon, okay?  Take care!

Stamps:  None except inside sentiment not shown  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110 lb, Stampin' Up Green Galore  Ink:  SU Tangerine Tango, Apricot Appeal, Green Galore, Glorious Green  Coloring:  Ink blending with brushes  Dies:  Creative Expressions Fresh Fruit, Cottage Cutz Hello Sunshine, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers and Stitched Scalloped Circles  Other:  Cuttlebug Tiny Mosaic embossing folder, Diamond Stickles, clear packing tape, 1/8" holed punch, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Camping on the Water's Edge

Hello!  I'm back with a reminder card for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  It's been a treat to play along as guest designer this month!

  

The theme is always "anything goes", and the optional theme this month is "in or on the water".

*******

The scene-making bug took hold of me for this card.  It just happened.  I combined the Penny Black Camping stamp (💗) with the Immense Enjoyment die and gave her a campsite by the water.  I had help with other dies from my stash, plus managed to work some designer paper into it as well.

The site resembles a few places we've camped in eastern Oregon or Utah.  Fun times!

Maybe you've got a Penny Black stamp or two and you'd like to play along in the challenge.  We'd love to see you there!

Enjoy your day!

Stamps:  Penny Black Camping, retired SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds splatter stamp  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, green scraps, KaiserCraft Hunt & Gather designer paper  Ink:  Various Stampin' Up  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Penny Black Immense Enjoyment, Memory Box Pine Trees, Poppystamps Stitched Landscapes, Impression Obsession Mountains

Double D Challenge: For the Kiddos

Hello there!  The Double D challenge is all about the kids today.  We have a fun board for inspiration...

... and a cute stencil prize for a random winner.  As always, creative winners are by team vote.

The board is full of Disney characters, which I don't have in my collection, but I was inspired by Pooh Bear to pull out one of my oldest stamps by DJ Inkers (or Hooks, Lines, and Inkers -- 1993).  I've used this guy many times in the past, but it's been more than a minute since he last saw ink.  He's just so easy and fun and cute, and he goes perfectly with my Cottage Cutz bamboo frame.

The sentiment is an oldie from Stampin' Up.  The background is a Sizzix 3D folder called Fallen Leaves -- another oldie and one of my most gorgeous favorites that WOWs me every time.  I brushed on yellow and blue inks for a soft suggestion of a bamboo forest.

Just for fun I cut an extra frame and trimmed off a piece for the panda to play with.

The team has some cute cards to share with you on the Double D blog!  If you need a card for one of the kids in your life perhaps you'd like to play along.  We'd love to see you there!

Have a wonderful summer day!

Playing Along with the Colors of The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  I've been meaning to get my Twinkling H20's out for some watercoloring.  Over time they've become one of my favorite watercolor mediums.  Those little pots of paint are full of some very rich and gorgeous colors!  I think they're off the market now, but there are other types of shimmer and glimmer paints that are pretty amazing.

I stamped Penny Black's Enchantingly in Ranger Archival Pale Ochre on Arches cold press watercolor paper.  Painted first, then cut with the matching die.  The designer paper is one of my newer pads by Brutus Monroe called Love Letters.  The whole pad is scripty, vintage, papery, double sided, semi-gloss, awesome, and perfect for backgrounds.  There is nothing about love apparent in the script so it can be used for any occasion.

The small envelope was made with my envelope punch board, and I inserted a note made with an old, neglected SU notepaper edge punch.  I drew lines with a pencil and stamped with Penny Black's Note Builder.

The colors were decided by The Flower Challenge.  I love this combo!  Even the paper fits the colors.

I can never capture the shimmer of Twinks in a photograph, but you can see the graininess of the mica flakes in the photo below.  I know you can imagine how it looks and feels in hand.

In addition to The Flower Challenge I would also like to share in two more challenges:

The Neglected Stuff Challenge -- Darlene and Diane encourage us to play with something we haven't touched in months.  It's probably been years since I've used my notebook punch.
NBUS Challenge #76 -- My never before used schtuff is the Penny Black Enchantingly stamp.

  

I'm so glad you could stop and visit when there's so much summertime activity to be enjoyed.  I'm heading out to the garden with my little helper, Sophie, as soon as I finish here.  It's looking lovely out there!  Have a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Penny Black Enchantingly, Note Builder  Paper:  Arches 140 lb cold press watercolor, Cougar Natural, Brutus Monroe Love Letters designer paper  Ink:  Ranger Archival Pale Ochre, Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Creamy Caramel  Coloring:  Watercolor with Twinkling H20's  Other:  Envelope Punch Board, notepaper punch, sequins