Wildflower Bunch

Welcome to a new week here at Running With Scissors!  I hope all the lovely mothers out there received the special treatment you deserve on Mother's Day.  It was a very nice day at the Miller house and I was not neglected.  I even got extra smooches from Wally and LuLu.

I'm hoping to play in some challenges this week.  Today's card is for the Four Seasons May Challenge which is "Anything Goes Spring".  There's a mood board which you can see further down, and it inspired me to finally color this never-been-used Deep Red Wildflower Bunch.  I don't know if these can be considered spring flowers, but they sure are pretty!

I chose Copics on Neenah white for the coloring as I felt it would be easier with the detail.  There's a lot of sketchy shading in this stamp, which is one of the things that makes it so pretty once colored, but it can be hard to follow if the image is not crisply stamped.  Memento Tuxedo Black on Neenah super smooth white gives a nice, crisp image.

I'm not sure a close up photo is value added, but an extra dose of pretty can't hurt... so here you go:

I mixed up different dies which are all listed in the recipe.  The circle is popped up.  The white fence in the inspiration photo led me to the white die cuts.  I have a weakness for lattice so I used one of my old favorites.

Four Seasons May Challenge - Anything goes spring

NBUS Challenge #38 -- My Wildflower Bunch is a first time use.  I believe it's been in the basket less than a year, so not as long as many of my other poor, neglected NBUS.

Enjoy yourselves this week and I hope you find plenty of reasons to smile.  Sending hugs to all!

Stamps:  Deep Red Wildflower Bunch, Lawn Fawn Wavy Sayings  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80 & 110 lb, years old CTMH Summer Cloud Blue  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Joy Crafts Square Frame, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, Lawn Cuts Fancy Wavy Banners, Scotch branch foam mounting tape

A Frog in my Pocket

Hello and welcome!

I'm crafting with 100% older supplies today.  The mood board at the current Double D Challenge made me do it.  They're asking for something with pockets.  Coincidentally I was looking at this old pocket stamp recently and loving it anew.  Doesn't it look authentic?

I tucked in a little frog which I stamped and embossed, then colored with Tombow markers and a homemade blender pen.  Cut down the frog in such a way that he could hang over the edge.  I think you can make out how it's all put together, and supplies are listed in the recipe below my signature.

I embossed the white panel with a daisy folder, but not sure it was a good idea.  Something seems off.  You know the feeling?  I do love that little frog and pocket, though!  It's already on its way to a friend.

About that frog... it's one of the first stamp sets I ever bought -- a very long time ago -- way back when we had a craft store in a local mall with a small section for stamps and patterned papers.  I still love the stamps.  Pictured below is the index sheet that came with it.  Mind you, I did not color the following image; it came that way in the package:

Fun, isn't it?  Love the oldies!

Double D Challenge:  Something with Pockets

Additionally per Darlene's reminder (thanks Darlene!):

Sisterhood of Crafters -- Use an old neglected stamp.  My pocket stamp is 10+ years and the frog set is probably 20+ years.

Thank you for coming to visit.  Have a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Judith frog set - name unknown, Deep Red Stamps 'Denim Pocket'  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, Neenah White, SU Buckaroo Blue, scrap yellow, scrap gingham  Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, SU Buckaroo Blue and Old Olive  Coloring:  Tombow markers and homemade blender pen  Dies:  Die-namites Daisy Bunch, Memory Box Swirly Tree, Taylored Expressions Ric Rac Borders, Paper Smooches Hello Words  Other:  Detail clear embossing powder, Darice Large Daisy embossing folder, SU Subtle embossing folder (on card base), foam mounting tape to pop up daisies in pocket

Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge -- December

Welcome back to the Two Old Bat's year 'round Halloween challenge!  Right in the middle of the busy holiday season... truth is, it was fun to take a break from Christmas cards after being up to my eyeballs in them for quite a while now.

We have an inspiration board, but not required to use it.

I love playing off the boards and my Halloween card o' the month was inspired by the bats and the 31 in the upper right of the board.  I paired a Deep Red Halloween Dress Form stamp with Impression Obsession's Halloween Stamp.  This eerily pretty party dress just needs the cobwebs brushed off and it's ready to wear!

I stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and clear embossed for the fine detail.  Brushed some color on the background, colored the bow and 31 with a Tombow marker.  Hand cut the postage stamp and popped it up on foam tape.  The papers are not Halloween, but I wanted some different colors for this card.  The fancy non-Halloween die frame worked out great when cut in black.  All in all I like it!

Come see us at Two Old Bats.  I know this is not an easy time to be making Halloween cards, but it's fun if you've got the time.  Challenge ends on the 28th.  Have a great day!

Stamps:  Deep Red Halloween Dress Form, Impression Obsession Halloween Stamp  Paper:  SU Whisper White, black card base (not visible in photo), years old Memory Box and 7 Gypsies designer paper  Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, SU Crushed Curry and Going Gray  Coloring:  Tombow marker and SU inks brushed on backgrounds  Other:  Clear embossing powder, foam mounting tape, Spellbinders Divine Eloquence and Labels Twenty Eight

Terracotta Vase and Autumn Wheat Twofer

Hi there!  It's been too long since my last post, but it's not because I've been idle.  Early fall is a beautiful time to be outside in the garden, or even to be in the sunny kitchen with the patio door open to welcome the season.  I've also been busy working ahead on cards I must wait to share... such as today's card which I sent for a dear friend's birthday.

I hadn't colored this stamp yet and I felt it could work for an early fall card if I used the right colors.  The stamp is Terracotta Vase by Deep Red.  I found it when searching flower stamps on 1-2-3 Stitch.  I have to say I'm a little confused... did Deep Red become Nellie Snellen?  You can see a near-replica here at SSS under the Nellie Snellen name.  I do spend a lot of time under my rock.

I colored with Copic markers and made a simple card design -- not CAS, but not too much.  After I tied the fun fiber I frayed the ends to make them all cute and curly.  Did some stitching, added a decorative border which is actually part of a rectangular die.  Hey, it was already cut and I felt the color worked.

I'm going to slip my birthday card into a couple of challenges before they close:

Seize the Birthday #223 -- Faux or Real Stitching.  I've done real stitching.
NBUS Challenge #30.  As I mentioned, the Terracotta Vase is a first time use.

 

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I have a twofer today.  Pictured below is a card I made in early August.  I wasn't sure if I liked it enough, but actually I do like it quite a bit.  I mean, how much do you have to do to a card to make it likeable?  The wheat was die cut and then watercolored in a smooshing fashion.  Honestly, I can't remember exactly how I did the smooshing, but I do like how it turned out.  Supplies for both cards are listed below my signature.

 

I'm so glad you could drop in today.  I hope to be more consistent with my posts now that I'm ahead a little bit.  This is a busy card making season.  Have a beautiful day!

Card #1 -- Stamps:  Deep Red Terracotta Vase, JustRite Just Because set  Paper:  X-Press It Blending Card, SU Barely Banana, Neenah card base, Studio Light Wonderful Autumn DP  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Barely Banana  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Fun Fiber, Cheery Lynn Dutch Daisy Stacker A2 Frame, JustRite custom die (name forgotten)

Card #2 -- Stamps:  Sparkle N Sprinkle 'Flowers Silhouettes" (out of business), SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds (retired)  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110 lb, SU Rich Razzleberry, Arches 140 lb cold press watercolor (for wheat)  Ink:  Distress Vintage Photo, SU Crushed Curry and Marigold Morning, Versamark  Other:  Impression Obsession Wheat die, string, white embossing powder