Three Christmas Cards for June

Hi friends!  It's Christmas cards today.  I did better than last month in that I have three more to add to the box.  Loll's CAS Christmas Challenge is back and I was eager to play.  I'm not good at clean and simple as I tend to want to add that little something extra, but I always loved this challenge.  The theme this month is "Bird" -- yes, please!

My bird is colored with Tombow markers on hot pressed watercolor paper.  I painted the snow on the berries with white acrylic paint and then applied Stickles Stardust glitter.  I probably shouldn't have embossed the background as the guidelines say "no pattern", oops, but I sure do love the way it looks.  I used a double-sided adhesive sheet to apply thin vellum to cardstock before embossing it and was surprised at how white the embossed patterned turned out.

Stampendous Chickadee Holiday, Spellbinders Scallop Labels and Tag,
Spellbinders Pinecones & Berries 3D embossing folder, older retired Stampin' Up Joy die

CAS Christmas Challenge -- Bird

 

CAS Definition

- clean (uncluttered) cohesive design

- must include white "or open" space (no pattern)

- minimal layers and embellishments

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The next two cards are not intended for the CAS Christmas Challenge. Pictured below is the same Stampendous bird set as the first card, called Chickadee Holiday.  I did not color them as Chickadees and that's just okay.  They're cute little birds that probably look like something, but I'm not sure what.  I carried on with the vellum and double-sided adhesive, this time on dark green cardstock.  It appears as though I applied white ink which smeared onto the non-embossed areas, too.   I'm flabbergasted by the whiteness.

Next, I switched to another Stampendous set called Heavenly Birds.  These plump little cutie birds and the starry background are all one stamp.  I stamped once in Ranger Archival Black for Tombow coloring, and once in white ink on navy cardstock for the white embossing.  Cut each with a frame die, mounted on navy, then white, and finally a navy card base.  Added the star and gem.  Definitely not CAS, but not too much, either.

Stampendous Heavenly Birds, Scrapbook.com North Stars die
Memory Box Oval Master Frame, Poppystamps Christmas banners with dies

Total Christmas cards in the box:  17

I may do more Christmas cards this month, but I'm not sure.  No pressure, just come what may.

Thank you so much for your time!

Treat Yourself

Hi again, friends!  Seize the Birthday's "Sweet Treats" prompt grabbed my attention and I was inspired to play along with another oldie or two.  I have baskets full of not yet used stamps and dies, but sometimes you just have to go with the flow.  I've used Stampendous Tiers of Treats with an Inky Antics sentiment.

The gingham is a lightweight cardstock from a 12 x 12 pad which I'll never finish off in my lifetime.  I made the whole card with it and lined the inside.  The cute loopy border trim begged to be used after too long a time, and then I just kept adding more.  I cut the image with a tag die and found the matching frame in my spare parts.  Coloring was done with Tombow markers on watercolor paper.

The inside sentiment is another Stampendous oldie:

I continue to struggle mightily with my new photo editing software.  It takes so long to get a photo to look right that I almost want to give up, yet I persevere.  Still working on the die sorting project, too.  Little by little.

Two challenges here:

Seize the Birthday -- Sweet Treats
Neglected Stuff -- My neglected stuff is the loopy border and the Tiers of Treats.  The last time I used this stamp was 2019... I looked it up.

 

Thanks for sparing me a few minutes of your time.  It's been some busy days here and I imagine it's the same for you.  Take care and we'll meet again soon!

Stamps:  Stampendous Tiers of Treats and Birthday Calories sentiment (inside), Inkyy Antics Pampered Benton Treat Yourself sentiment, SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds (sprinkles)  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb watercolor paper, gingham cardstock, other scraps, Neenah 110 lb white  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Close to Cocoa for sprinkles  Coloring:  Tombow markers  Dies:  Sizzix Fancy Tags, SSS Pretty Bows, Lawn Fawn Outside In Stitched Scalloped Rectangles, Taylored Expressions Ric Rac Borders, Frantic Stamper Livermore Loop Border, Spellbinders Standard Circles and Scalloped Circles

Double D Challenge: Add a Bow

Hello friends!  Double D has a challenge for you today that is bound to inspire some pretty cards -- put a bow on it!

I knew I wanted to use my pretty SSS Double Loop Bow, and might as well use the SSS Country Basket Bouquet which I bought at the same time.  The brown basket was a spare already made up, so I commenced to filling it with flowers.  So much fun!  As it happens, I had two spare Chickadees from the SSS Chickadee Gathering 3D embossing folder with dies, so I colored them as well.  Too dark on the wings and tail feathers, oops, but there's always a next time.  I think they look very comfortable tucked into the flowers!

The background was embossed with the Chickadee Gathering folder and brushed with ink.  Just enough of it shows to add texture and to help the card appear a lot more dimensional than it actually is.  As I made this card near Mother's Day I was thinking of my mom who passed years ago, and I may never mail it.  I still have the card I made while thinking of her on last year's Mother's Day.  I wish I'd started a card tradition years ago... a special collection just for Mom.  It's not too late to start.

Lastly, I added some tiny SSS gold star embellishments, and a sentiment from The Ton.  Further details are in the recipe below my signature.

Drop by Double D and see what the team has to share with you.  Pretty stuff there!  I hope you'll have time to share yours as well!

Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions w/dies  Paper:  Hammermill Premium 100 lb white, brown scraps for basket  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black and Versamark for sentiment, Distress Oxide Shabby Shutters for leafy background, SU Close to Cocoa to shade basket  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  SSS Country Basket Bouquet and Double Loop Bow, SSS Chickadee Gathering 3D embossing folder with dies, Ranger Princess Gold embossing powder for sentiment, SSS gold star embellishments, Scotch brand foam mounting tape to pop up basket

A Sympathy Card

Hi!  I'm back again with some not so moldy oldies.  This one is for The Paper Players Challenge where LeAnne has provided a sketch.  As soon as I saw it I knew I had some spare parts that would work just perfectly.

I cut the card base and embossed with SU's Subtle 3D folder (retired), and I cut a mat for the leafy embossed panel, but everything else was already made:

Die-namites Resting Birds
Paper Smooches Foliage 1
The Ton Easy Expressions
Sizzix Tim Holtz Fallen Leaves 3D embossing folder

I brushed on SU inks Apricot Appeal, More Mustard, Close to Cocoa, and stamped some black sprinkles via SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds.

Here's The Paper Players sketch:

Turns out I like this sketch a lot and will save it for future makes.  Thanks, LeAnne!

I'm going to have to quit making cards and get back to my organizing project, but I keep getting distracted by all these fun toys!  I have a few posts ready for later so maybe now...

Have a happy day!

Bird Tapestry

Hello and welcome!

As I go through the process of consolidating my dies -- several like dies onto one magnetic sheet -- I'm becoming reacquainted with the oldies.  It's funny how they can look brand new and I'm eager to use them again.  Such is the case with this Tutti Designs Bird Tapestry.  I found one in the envelope already cut in white and just waiting for a card.

 

Dainty and feminine, isn't it?  Just sweet.  I cut another panel and layered it, then layered that over a panel of BasicGrey Euphoria paper (quite old).  I think the small flowery print looks pretty peeking through the negative cut.  The blue panel it rests on is from the same Euphoria pad, and I cut the sentiment from that blue as well.  Before cutting the sentiment I glued the designer paper onto a heavy white cardstock so it would be easier to work with, as well as having a bit more dimension.

To finish, I punched 1/8" cardstock circles with a hole punch, placed them as shown, and coated with JudiKins Diamond Glaze.

Sharing here:

The Neglected Stuff Challenge.  The last time I used this die was 2018.  It seems like yesterday.

I'm thinking I need to designate a few hours a month to the oldies.

I have a long way to go on the die project.  I've done Banners & Flags, Beach, Birds, Birthday, Borders, Bows.  I'm about to start on Butterflies & Bugs and that will finish the "B's".  The categories end with "Words", so you can guess it will take a while.

I appreciate that you took the time to stop by.  Wishing you a lovely day!

Christmas Dove for May

Hi friends!  I have failed this month to reach my goal of two or more Christmas cards, but I do have one, and it's made with oldies I uncovered during the extensive cleaning, tidying, organizing project I've undertaken in my craft room.  The most time consuming project is the process of consolidating my dies to group several dies or die sets onto one magnetic sheet.  I'll have to share more on that later, but it's saving a lot of space and looking much tidier.  It's a long process and I'm not even done with the birds yet.  There are a LOT more letters in the alphabet!

Anyway, that's where this card comes in.  I found two doves already made up and sitting with the die in its envelope.  Per this organizing project I'm no longer keeping the spare cuts in with their dies because that was adding bulk, so there goes another whole job of organizing the spare parts.  In this case I decided to simply layer the two doves and make a card.

At the start of the project I went through all the dies to see what I might possibly relinquish.  There are currently 10 die sets sitting on the give-away pile, and this wreath was up for consideration, but I decided its time has not yet come.  When I opened its envelope I found one wreath cut in green, so I cut another in white and layered it.  To make the die appear more dimensional I Copic colored just the bow (it's all one die), then went over the bow with a Ranger Distress Embossing pen and embossed with clear powder.

The sentiment was already stamped, cut, and waiting.  In the photo below you can almost see that the card base was stamped in Versamark with my old SU Flannel Plaid background and embossed with clear powder.  It makes for a glossy textured card front with a hint of pattern, much more visible in real life (and actually very cool).  Put it all together and there's one more Christmas card for the box.

That's lots of talk for one rather simple card, but there's so much more to this craft than just putting a card together.  The thing is, I love all of it -- shopping, creating, organizing, sharing.  I feel so fortunate to have such an interest.  How about you?

Total Christmas cards in the box:  14

Happily, I'm able to play along with Jo and Guest Joanne in the Christmas Kickstart Challenge this month as their theme is Season's Tweetings.  I do have a bird or two in my collection (ahem).

Thanks for putting up with me.  Stay crafty, my friends!

Stamps:  Poppystamps Christmas Banners (dies included), SU Flannel Plaid  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb, SU Always Artichoke (bottom wreath layer)  Ink:  SU Real Red for sentiment, Versamark for Flannel Plaid background (barely visible on card base)  Coloring:  Copics for bow  Dies:  Cheery Lynn Peace Dove, Tutti Designs Wreath with Bow  Other:  Ranger Distress embossing pen, detail clear embossing powder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape to slightly lift dove's wing and tail

Double D Challenge: Splatter

Hi there!  How about another Double D Challenge?  It's all about splatter today.  Big splatters, little splatters, crazy splatters, tidy splatters... let's get messy!

I don't know about you, but my splatters generally get messy.  Today wasn't too bad.  I had my splatter screen and craft mat, and my splatters were fairly well controlled.  I used them as a background for the rose cone -- Penny Black's Flower Scoops.  The cone and rose are separate stamps so you can use them in a variety of ways, but I rather like them together.  I thought it would work as a birthday card with the "sweet wishes" sentiment (Cottage Cutz).

All the coloring was done with Copics on watercolor paper, including the butterfly and die cut words.  After coloring the butterfly wings I went over them with a brush tip Ranger Distress embossing pen.  I love that thing, but I forget to use it.  It's perfect for smaller things such as the butterfly.  I then embossed the wings with a years old Iridescent Peacock powder which gives it clear and truly iridescent stay-in-place sparkle.

The team has some fine samples to share with you, so hop over to Double D and check them out and then I hope you'll splatter along with us!

Have a super day!

Stamps:  Penny Black Flower Scoops  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot press watercolor, Close to my Heart Vineyard Berry, SU Pink Pirouette  Ink:  Palette Noir, SU Rose Red & Pink Pirouette  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Lil' Inker Silly Stitched Die Set, Memory Box Canyon Butterflies, Cottage Cutz Sweet w/Shadow & Wishes w/Shadow  Other:  SU Subtle embossing folder (on card base), Ranger Distress embossing pen, Iridescent Peacock embossing powder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Birds on a Flowering Branch

Hello and welcome!  I finally have a card to share.  Actually, I made this card maybe two weeks ago, but my big (old) computer where I edit photos simply would not start one day.  It wouldn't even start in the shop for the tech guru.  He was able to save my hard drive but not my programs (also old), so here I am, starting over, learning new software.  Even my monitor wouldn't start with the new computer, so off I went again...

Pictured below is a beautiful Penny Black stamp from last year.  I watercolored with Twinkling H2Os, then added an Easy Expressions from The Ton, and embellished with a few small gems.  I miss my old editing programs, but I'll get the hang of it.  During the cropping and straightening process things went a little wonky.

I'm playing along in the following challenges:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge:  Anything goes or your favorite Penny Black Stamp.  I love all my PB stamps from cute to beautiful, but I'm drawn to anything with a bird, so today it's this stamp called Confidant.  Are they whispering secrets?
Triple B Challenge:  Birds, blooms, or butterflies.  I can't resist.  Look at all that pretty pink in their inspiration board!
NBUS Challenge #86:  Never before used schtuff.  Yes, this beautiful stamp has been sealed in its package since last spring.

 

That's all for now!  Life is busy, but I'll try to be back soon.  We have out of town visitors next week, so housework must be done.  Sophie has already been to the beauty parlor.  An adventure dog can start to look a little scruffy after a while.

Scruffy Sophie

Stay crafty, my friends!

Stamps:  Penny Black Confidant, The Ton Easy Expressions  Paper:  Strathmore 140 lb cold press watercolor, natural white card base, Neenah white sentiment  Ink:  Ranger Archival Watering Can, Stampin' Up Brocade Blue & Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment  Coloring:  Watercolor with Twinkling H2Os  Other:  Clear gems, foam tape to pop up sentiment