The Flower Challenge Sketch

Hello friends!  How about some spring flowers in fall?  The Flower Challenge is a welcoming place for flowers year 'round, and this month they've given us a sketch for starters.  I'd set aside Penny Black's Good Wish Bouquet for NBUS coloring and I figured I could make it work with the sketch.

Here's the basic idea:

I added the band on the left to cover an unstamped edge.  The background is Hero Arts Leafy Vines.  I used blending brushes to apply inks to the stamp in my MISTI, and was pleasantly surprised at what a nice job it did.  Colors are listed in the recipe.

The flower stamp and butterflies are watercolored with Twinkling H2Os on 140 lb hot pressed WC paper.  I hand cut the flower and vase.  This set is part of a group I've stamped with intentions of coloring, cutting out, and setting aside to be made into cards as time allows.  I need this outlet, and it's nice to have something creative/crafty in the works for whenever I have a few or a lot of minutes.

I've also simplified the photo process -- same set up every time, no props.  I'm feeling optimistic as opposed to overwhelmed.

I'm sending my card and a big thanks to the following challenges.  The administrators and DTs put a lot of work into these challenges and I do appreciate it.

The Flower Challenge:  Use the Sketch
NBUS #78 -- Never before used schtuff -- That would be my Penny Black Good Wish Bouquet
Penny Black Saturday Challenge -- Optional spots and/or stripes

And one more per Lisa's friendly reminder:

Just Us Girls #792 -- Word Week -- Container

    

A big thanks to all of you, too, for stopping by.  What would I do without my crafty friends?  Group hug!

Stamps:  Penny Black Good Wish Bouquet, Hero Arts Leafy Vines  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb, SU Old Olive  Ink:  Ranger Archival Watering Can for flowers, Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment, SU Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun for background  Coloring:  Watercolor with Twinkling H2Os  Other:  Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, Impression Obsession Butterfly Set, SU Subtle 3D embossing folder, Honey Bee gems

Mushrooms for Autumn

Hello everyone!  I'm happy to share my first fall card of the (almost) season.  We still have a few days of summer left so I'm not letting it go yet, but I do love fall cards.

I've had this Spellbinders Mushrooms From Me To You 3D emboss & cut folder for approximately a year.  I bought the Scallop Labels and Tag dies at the same time and have used them quite a lot, but this is the first time for the mushrooms.  I don't have a good excuse for why I waited so long.  It's so cool how it works!  The dies go right into the folder with the paper so it literally cuts and embosses at the same time.  I guess I was under a rock again because I did not expect that.

So this is my result after simultaneously cutting and embossing, then "painting" with Tombow markers and blender, and embossing again just for good measure.  After all that I decided to smoosh it all over with Versamark ink and emboss with ultra-thick embossing enamel.  Loved it.  Slipped it into the folder and embossed again.

I embossed the entire folded grocer's kraft card base with my Tim Holtz Lumber 3D embossing folder.  Lined the inside with vanilla cardstock and will save the sentiment for later.

With all this embossing going on I naturally want to share in the Can You Handle the Pressure Challenge.  It's plain to see I did not go with the optional "Balloons" twist.

I'm also sharing in the following challenges:

The Four Seasons Challenge -- Fall
NBUS Challenge #78 -- Never before used schtuff -- Mushrooms From Me To You 3D emboss & cut folder

  

Thanks so much for visiting.  It's been busy as ever here, especially now that Ridley has joined the family.  Two Golden Retrievers are definitely better than one!  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  None  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot press watercolor, Stampin' Up Old Olive, grocers kraft, Cougar Vanilla  Ink:  Versamark for wet embossing  Coloring:  Tombow markers and blender  Other:  Spellbinders Mushrooms From Me To You 3D emboss and cut folder, Tim Holtz Sizzix Lumber 3D embossing folder, Spellbinders Scallop Labels and Tag dies, Ranger Ultra-Thick Embossing Enamel

Double D Challenge: Music Theme

 

What a fun challenge the Double Ds have for us today!  It's a music theme, as I'm sure you've already determined, but there are so many possibilities -- sheet music, musical instruments, singers and songs (be sure to tell us which song you've used) -- let your imagination have fun with it!

As always there's a prize for a random winner.  Today it's a cool Spellbinders Cable Knit stencil.  Creative favorites are voted on by the team.

At this point I'm taking every opportunity to get another Christmas card done, and I had all kinds of fun putting this one together.  I've used a Memory Box bear, landscape, and sentiment, with an oldie music border die overhead.  The music border had been cut from an inky, glossy background and set aside, forgotten, long ago.  It's what determined my color scheme, and I'm all the happier for it!

You're probably familiar with the song, "Winter Wonderland".  My bear might be happier on an ice floe, but she seems to be enjoying the current change of scenery.  What's a winter wonderland without a little sparkle?  You may not be able to see it in the photo, but I added red Stickles to the holly berries, and Diamond Stickles to the landscape.

Sometimes card making is almost too much fun!

Have a look at the fabulous inspiration the Double D team is sharing.  I hope you'll sing along with us!

Have a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Memory Box Holiday Wishes  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up Bashful Blue  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Memory Box Wintertime Bear, Evergreen Sky Collage, Yvonne Creations Holly Jolly Music Border  Other:  Diamond and Candy Cane Stickles

Guest Designing with Christmas Kickstart -- Sept. 2025

 

Hello there, and happy September!  I'm honored to be guest designing with Jo at Christmas Kickstart this month.  We're going to have all kinds of fun playing with Santa!

 

I had a few new-to-me-not-yet-used Santas in my collection, mostly from last year, but one or two from this year as well.  I used three of them in an earlier post, and Jo's challenge will see to it that I use the rest of them.  Well... maybe with one tiny little Santa left over.

Today I'm using last year's Layered Festive Santa from Memory Box.  In fact, all the dies and the sentiment are Memory Box.  Everything is listed in the recipe at the end.  There are a lot of parts to this guy, but a lot of fun, as well, if you enjoy that sort of thing, and you know I do enjoy it.

All coloring is Copics, except the presents which were cut from designer paper.  They're a separate die set and not just for Christmas.  With all these parts to deal with I didn't do anything special with the coloring.  The die parts are intended to create their own shading.

That's about the gist of it.  I do have two posts today, a few hours apart.  I'd rather not pile them up on top of each other, but it's just the way it worked out.  I hope you'll see both.

Now I'm hoping I'll see your Santa over at the Christmas Kickstart Challenge!  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Memory Box Holiday Wishes with die  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb, scraps designer paper  Ink:  Ranger Archival Watering Can for sentiment  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Memory Box Layered Festive Santa, Pretty Presents, Oval Master Frame  Other:  Tim Holtz Sizzix Snowfall embossing folder

How I Spent My National Dog Day

You knew I couldn't stop at one, didn't you?  What better way to celebrate National Dog Day (Aug. 26) than to give Sophie a little brother?  Say hello to Ridley!

Rich came up with the name, by the way.  This is the guy who said a second dog was all my thing and he really had no input, yet it turns out he laid awake at night thinking of names.

Ridley is already 16 weeks old, one of the last two left behind from a litter of nine.  The others must have been really something because to my eyes Ridley is perfect.  He has the sweetest, most gentle way about him.  His color will darken as he matures, and he'll fluff out a bit, but never as much as Sophie.  He's what Rich and I call the Field and Stream model.

Frankly, I never expected Sophie to be as big and fluffy as she is.  She's a whole lot of lady and can be quite boisterous and sometimes oddly grumpy, but she seems to have taken quite happily to her role of big sister.  I think they'll be good for each other.

Ridley was raised to this point outside in a pen, not in a mean, heartless way, but in the way that some would raise a working class dog.  Earlier siblings have gone on to be avalanche rescue heroes or fine hunters.  He had never been walked on a leash, or house trained, or socialized outside the family.  His home was rural, and there were no kids or grandkids.

Well, never mind all that because we've found him to be affectionate and at ease with every human and dog he meets, and he's met quite a few in the four days he's been with us.  He's okay with the leash, but nervous about the street.  Best of all -- he had one pee accident in the house and that was the end of it.  He practically house trained himself!

I tried and tried to find a suitable rescue dog.  It didn't have to be a Golden Retriever, but it needed to be a friendly, intelligent dog, preferably not a puppy, but young enough to handle Sophie's exuberance.  I'd hoped for a medium-size mixed breed, but a daily search was fruitless.  Then I saw Ridley and his brother in a local shopper ad... the rest is history in the making.

What a pair they're going to be, and what a good life they'll have together!

It's Labor Day weekend and our son is coming to visit.  He's crazy about Sophie and couldn't wait to meet Ridley.

I'll be back with cards very soon as I have some scheduled posts.  You know how I am with the camera, so I'll be back with more pics of the kids soon, too.

Have a good day!

💗💗💗💗💗

Sweet Thoughts

Hello!  I made a card just because I had an urge to color something and I have a few not-yet-used Pinkfresh stamps that need attention.  I was able to finish this in a mere week.  I know!  It's been crazy busy here lately.

One stamp and one die does the whole works at once.   This is just part of it.  I colored with Copics and added Diamond Stickles to the flower centers.  Some of the flower parts are popped up, some glued flat.  The heart was punched from gingham cardstock and coated with JudiKins Diamond Glaze.

If I'm slow to visit your blog, please bear with me.  Maybe I'll have a chance to visit and share again soon.  There are reasons, and some of them are good.

  💗

Today I'm sending my card along to Darnell's NBUS Challenge -- My never before used schtuff is the Pinkfresh Berries and Blossoms stamp and die. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps:  Pinkfresh Berries & Blossoms, Power Poppy sentiment (retired)  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb, PTI Aqua Mist, Echo Park Agenda designer paper (older)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Spellbinders Essential Arches, Scored and Pierced Rectangles  Other:  Heart punch, JudiKins Diamond Glaze. Stickles Diamond glitter glue, Memory Box Fairy Jewels, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Double D Challenge: Butterflies

Is there a soul among us who doesn't love the sight of a beautiful butterfly?  That's our challenge at Double D this time around.  Have a look at our gorgeous inspiration board:

So many colors to delight the eye!

The DDs offer a prize for a random winner, and the team votes on creative favorites.

I played off the blue and pink in the upper left corner of the board.  My butterfly is an oldie by Impression Obsession.  The die cuts the open scroll, but I managed to keep the inner parts together long enough to secure a solid background.  It's cut from shimmery paper and brushed with inks.

What better place to alight than a rose garden?  It's Tim Holtz Sizzix Roses 3D embossing folder, a gift from a dear local friend who knew I would love it.  I'm using it for the first time here, brushed with inks and a butterfly-appropriate sentiment stamped in the corner.

Do stop by the Double D blog to enjoy all the team's butterflies, and then show us yours!

Take care, and have a wonderful day!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Lilac Time sentiment  Paper:  White shimmer CS for butterfly, Neenah 110 lb white for embossed panel and card base  Ink:  Stampin' Up Brilliant Blue, Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Mauve Mist, Memento Tuxedo Black  Other:  Impression Obsession Open Scroll Butterfly, Tim Holtz Sizzix Roses embossing folder, black gem

Guesting with Color Hues Challenge: Blue and Red

Hello crafty friends!  I'm having some fun today -- guesting with the Color Hues Challenge!  I was so pleased with the invitation and couldn't wait to get started.

As you can see, our colors for this challenge are blue and red, with neutrals welcome as well.  I can't help but think "nautical" when I see these colors, and I had the perfect guy for the theme.  I'm so glad to bring him out for his first play!

I joined the Spellbinders Small Die of the Month Club just so I could have the Shipmates set.  I definitely do not have a Walrus in my collection and I think he's so cute!  There's a seagull in the set, too.  Quite a deal I thought, and bigger than I expected.  He fills up the card quite nicely!  The anchor and sentiment are separate.  I fell back on my trusty (older) Mintay Marina paper for the background.

Check out the amazing samples by the Color Hues team, and then show us your blue and red.  It'll be fun!  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Stampendous Ocean Sayings  Paper:  Stampin' Up Brilliant Blue and Real Red, neutral color scraps, Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110 lb, Mintay Marina designer paper  Ink:  Real Red for sentiment, other matching for sponging  Dies:  Spellbinders Shipmates, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, KaiserCraft Anchors  Other:  Scotch brand foam mounting tape