Double D Challenge -- Going Green

Hi, friends!  A new Double D challenge begins today and this time Diane says we're "Going Green".  Anything green will do.  There's a beautiful mood board for inspiration.  It certainly did inspire me!  See the board and a prize pictured below:

The prize goes to a random winner, and creative favorites are voted on by the team.

My inspiration came from the upper left and the lower right corners of the board which, happily, prompted me to pull out a Lavinia Forest Leaf stamp which was a birthday present in October.

I colored with Copics, and Lavinia's Mooch came along to see how it turned out.  Inspired by the painted wall, upper left corner of the board, I swiped ink up the image panel directly from pad to paper.  Burgundy sprinkles were stamped as a finishing touch.

The Double D team has some beautiful ideas to share with you, so check them out.  We'd love to see your green, too!  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Lavinia Forest Leaf, Lavinia Mooch, Stampin' Up Itty Bitty Backgrounds sprinkle (retired), Hero Arts Moments sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb, Stampin' Up Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss, Bravo Burgundy  Ink:  Same as cardstock plus Memento Tuxedo Black for Mooch, and Versamark for sentiment  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Stampin' Up Subtle embossing folder on card base, WOW white embossing powder for sentiment, label die

Mooch in the Moment -- A Lavinia Card

Hi there!  Mooch is the cat, in case you were wondering.  I dipped into my Lavinia stamps and endeavored to use some that have not yet seen ink.  In this case it's Mooch and the crows.

When I start adding ink I'm am not always sure where I'll end up.  Maybe this is a big harvest moon, but I can't say that was exactly the plan.  Inks are Memento Tuxedo Black and Stampin' Up.  I didn't do anything special or extra.  It's just plain old stamping and lots and lots of color.  The sentiment is from a retired Power Poppy set.

I'll send my card over to Darnell's NBUS Challenge #59 because I was pleased to use Mooch and the crows for the first time.

All the Lavinia stamps are listed below.  Thank you for coming to visit.  I'll be back when something crafty happens.  Enjoy your weekend!

Lavinia stamps:  Mooch, Bird Collection, Tree Branch, Leaf 1 Mini, Willow

A Spooky Night in Lavinia Land

Hi, friends!  For today's crafty offering I had another go with my Lavinia stamps, thanks to inspiration from the Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge.  I saw the board and figured I could possibly do something similar.  I need the practice and I do love a silhouette scene.

Lots of ink blending and repeat stamping and masking for the rolling hills.  I tend to lay on the ink rather heavily.  Hooray for reinkers.  All the inks (except the black) are Stampin' Up.  I have so many SU inks from the old days, still going strong.  The bats are vintage Stampin' Up, and the sentiment is nearly as vintage Whipper Snapper.

When I sat down to type today I saw that The Sisterhood of Crafters has a new challenge up with the theme "Make a Scene" so I'll be sending my card over there, too.

And since the never-before-used baskets are bottomless, I'll also share at Darnell's NBUS Challenge #53.  In this case it's the Lavinia Large Owl that's representing.

 

Thanks for your time today, and happy crafting to you! 

Stamps:  Lavinia Large Owl, Tree Branch, Willow, Skeleton Tree Scene, SU Halloween Backgrounds (2004), Whipper Snapper Spooky Expressions  Paper:  X-Press It Blending Card, black card base  Ink:  Various Stampin' Up plus Distress Black Soot

Dancing in the Moonlight

Hi!  Just me, playing with my Lavinia stamps because it's been a while.  As I worked on this card I realized how much I've forgotten since the last time I picked them up.  That was April.  Now it's like starting all over again.

Today I have Minni & Moo dancing along a garden path in the moonlight.

To start things off I stamped the stone path and the moon in Memento London Fog.  I masked the moon and the landscape and blended blues and greens and highlights of purple, leaving the path to appear illuminated by the moonlight.  After stamping all the black silhouettes and allowing the ink to dry thoroughly I stamped the magic sprinkles in Versamark and embossed in white.  They seem a little too stark to me so next time I'll try something different.  I also forgot to add shadows under Minni & Moo.  Every card is a learning experience.

I finished with a light spritz of Sheer Shimmer sparkle spray, then mounted on a mini-slimline white card base.

Lavinia stamps used:
Minni & Moo, Moon, Fairy Path, Tree Branch, Mini Leaf 1 (tree leaves), Fern Heads, Slender Mushrooms, Forest Spruce, Foliage Set 2, Stars 1 Mini

All these Lavinia stamps and more can be found at Del Bello's Designs shop.  Best resource I've found in the US with a full Lavinia inventory.

Minni & Moo and several other stamps I used are first time out of the package so I'll link up with Darnell's NBUS Challenge #53.

I'll play more with Lavinia soon, I hope.   It's good to have a little magic in your life.

Have a wonderful day!

Lavinia Pheasant

Hi!  I didn't want to let the month slip by without having another try at a Lavinia card.  So here we go -- lots of color, a hilly landscape.  I'm thinking it's earliest spring, just like here.  All the trees are not leafed out yet.  A little bit real, a little bit fantasy, a whole lot of fun.

My card is 4 1/2 x 6 with Stampin' Up inks blended on Stathmore Mixed Media Vellum Surface cardstock.  The colors are fairly limited -- just green, blue, magenta, plus the neutrals.   The black is Memento Tuxedo Black.  The tree trunks were colored with Copics.  The landscape is a mix of die cut curves and torn paper for masking.  I keep several masks in a drawer and use them over and over.

After the scene was complete I gave it a little spritz with shimmer/sparkle spray.  Not sure you can see it very well in either photo, but it's pretty in real life.  The sentiment is retired Power Poppy.

There's always something more to learn with these stamps and I'll keep at it.  I'll list the Lavinia stamps below.  I'm glad you could stop by today and I hope to see you again soon!

Lavinia stamps:  LAV092 Pheasant, LAV643 Tree Stem, LAV505 Spanish Moss Foliage, LAV530 Skeleton Tree Scene, LAV097 Birds, LAV151 Slender Mushrooms Mini, LAV679 Foliage Set, LAV695 Foliage Set 2

In the Dark Lavinia Woods

Hello!  I've been away for a few days having a very busy week which wrapped up on Friday with a friend over for lunch and stamping.  We made it a Lavinia day because we're both hooked and we need the practice.  It's a learning process and thank goodness for all the samples I've pinned and videos I've watched.

This card was inspired by Tracey's video titled "Flight Through the Dark Woods".  The title alone is enough to grab me.

I made minor changes, working with what I have and choosing an owl and fox, rather than a fairy.  I hoped to suggest a sense of being on the edge of the woods looking out.  The sun is setting and the sky is darkening.  I've said before how I love a forest.

I keep learning my way around the scene making.  I embossed some of the vining leaves in the foreground and once again the powder stuck in places it didn't belong.  The next day I added more embossing and it went just fine.  I've learned that all those layers of blended ink take longer to dry than I'd imagined, and so I need to give it more time before embossing.  A heat tool helps, but waiting is best.

I would like to share in the following challenges:

The Sisterhood of Crafters:  The Color Green
Colorful Options:  March, Green
NBUS Challenge #48 -- Never before used fox, owl, vine, tree, star sprinkles.

  

Thank you!  Wishing you the best of days always.

Lavinia Bunnies in the Springtime

Hi there!  I've been playing with my Lavinia stamps again.  The deep forests and nighttime scenes are what most passionately attracted me to Lavinia, but I had it in my head that I wanted to make some brown bunnies in a spring scene this time.

In this case I stamped the bunnies first and then built the scene around them.  All inks are Stampin' Up.  The bunnies were inked in Creamy Caramel and stamped about three times using a stamp positioner.  Finally I inked their ears, feet, and tails with a Chocolate Chip marker and stamped one last time.  I made masks for the smooth rolling hills.

I'm so addicted.  Lavinia stamps have cast a spell on me.

The paper I stamped on is a metallic white shimmer cardstock purchased through Amazon.  It has a beautiful sheen for blended backgrounds so I thought it would be nice for Lavinia cards.  It is a lovely sight in person, but not easy to capture the shimmer in a photo without it looking grainy and glaring.  I can recommend it for blending, stenciling and stamping.  You can find it here.

I'm happy to share in the following challenges today:

Sunday Stamps Challenge 303:  Spring Dreaming.  Must use three colors from the graphic below.
NBUS Challenge #47.  Never before used schtuff -- All the foliage stamps are being used for the first time.

 

I appreciate the folks who put so much time and effort into these challenges for the rest of us.

One last thing -- It snowed 3" here last Thursday.  Our 13 and 11 yr old Wally and LuLu played in it like puppies:

A single crocus in the melting snow is a reminder that spring will prevail:

Wishing everyone a beautiful day!

The Lavinia stamps I used are:   LAV482 Whimsical Hares, LAV173 Willow, LAV741 Leaf Spray, LAV729 Woodland Fern, LAV305 Mini Leaf 1

The sentiment stamp is an oldie wood block from my stash.

Joyful Hare in the Snow

Hi again!  I'm back to play in two challenges with a winter theme.  It's the perfect opportunity for another Lavinia card.

Today I have a remake of the very first Lavinia card I ever made (not that long ago).  It had some problems so I didn't share it, but I did learn from it.  I'm still learning.  There's nothing perfect about this card but it was, oh, such fun to make!

 

I used Strathmore vellum surface mixed media paper.  Torn paper masks for the snow, and Stampin' Up inks in Bordering Blue and Not Quite Navy for a monotone scene.  I painted a little snow on the trees with white acrylic paint.  The sky was stenciled and the finished scene was splattered with diluted Aleene's Tacky Glue and then sprinkled with glitter.  It's a little blobby, but very sparkly and magical.  Truth is, there are a few design ideas that came about simply to fix or minimize errors (ahem), but we won't worry about those.

I stamped the leaping hare and added a little shadow under him.  Before I stamped and embossed the white foliage I did use an embossing buddy, but some white powder stuck to the hare in spite of it.  It appears as though the hare is kicking up the powdery snow as he runs.  I like it!

The sentiment is from Power Poppy and really couldn't be more perfect.

With this card I was still working with the first few Lavinia stamps I ordered.  I've since acquired a few more.

Stencil Fun Challenge, January -- Optional theme of winter.
Four Seasons Challenge, January -- Anything goes with a winter theme

 

I hope to see you again soon.  Lately I seem to have more things to do than you can shake a stick at, but a girl has to have some fun, too.  Take care!

Stamps:  Lavinia -- LAV482 Whimsical Hares, LAV524 Forest Scene, LAV489 Small Fairy Fir Tree, LAV431 Moon, LAV505 Spanish Moss Foliage, Power Poppy Cuddle in the Cabin sentiment  Paper:  Strathmore Vellum Surface Mixed Media  Ink:  SU Bordering Blue, Not Quite Navy, Night of Navy, Memento Tuxedo Black, Memento London Fog (moon)  Other:  WOW Opaque Bright White Superfine embossing powder, Aleene's Tacky Glue, SU Dazzling Diamonds glitter, white acrylic paint, stencil from pack of 36 purchased on Amazon

Magnus and the Harvest Moon

Hi!  I have another Lavinia card today.  Still experimenting with inks and the few stamps I have.  For this card I wanted a non-snowy scene and a giant harvest moon.  It could be a sun, I suppose, but I keep seeing it as a moon.  The nice thing about the Lavinia genre is that you can feel free to stretch the imagination.  And, ohhhhh, the colors!  I could just keep on and on with these.

I've listed all the inks and stamps below.  I added a border with a fine tip black marker, plus a Memory Box grass corner die cut.  The sentiment/quote is from Power Poppy.  I should have cut some smooth masks for the landscape as these torn paper masks were intended for snow, but I do still like the look of it.

One interesting note is that I used a lightweight semi-gloss white cardboard for the image panel.  It's the backing piece from a 12x12 pack of Stampin' Up designer paper.  Is it still packaged the same?  I saved all the cardboard backs that came in the collections I purchased.  Just thought I'd try it.  The ink went on very smoothly and the richness of the color kind of blows me away.  I'll try different paper next time.  I'm eager to play with my Lavinia stamps again.

I'll be sharing my card in Darnell's NBUS Challenge #46 as this is the first time I've used Magnus.  Rich tells me Magnus is an Irish Red Deer.  After Googling I would have to concur.

I hope you're all enjoying the new year.  I make no resolutions but there are a few absolute necessities on my agenda as well as all the usual good intentions.  Take care till we meet again!

Stamps:  Lavinia Magnus LAV638, Small Fairy Fir Tree LAV489, Spanish Moss Foliage LAV505, Power Poppy Pure Prairie Spirit sentiment  Paper:  Semi-gloss lightweight white cardboard, Cougar vanilla for card base  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie, Perfect Plum, Kiwi Kiss, Old Olive, Always Artichoke  Other:  Fine tip black marker for border, Memory Box Tall Grassy Stems Right Corner

Hooked on Lavinia Stamps

Hi everyone!  I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving (in the US), a safe Black Friday and Small Business Saturday and are onto a successful Cyber-Monday.  I stayed home for all of it and spent a little time getting acquainted with my new Lavinia stamps.  As the title of this post indicates, I'm totally hooked on them!

Pictured below is my favorite piece so far.  All the color... sigh.  I keep watching videos and learning more each time.  My Lavinia collection is limited, but I guarantee it will grow.

My scene was made on a semi-gloss cardstock.  I'm not sure what it's called or where to find it as it was a friend share.  It sure was nice to work with.  I cut a circle mask for the moon, then blended SU Vintage Violet and Purely Pomegranate for the sky.  The snowy landscape is made with torn paper masks and a combination of SU Always Amethyst and Lovely Lilac.

About the moon -- I mentioned the circle mask, but I also stamped a Lavinia moon stamp inside the circle after the sky was blended.  I applied light pressure in SU Lovely Lilac and achieved a very subtle and natural look.  The masked circle is larger than the stamp, but I added shading around the edges so you don't notice.  I'll try different colors and ideas with this and have infinite fun as I go along.

After blending the sky I added water splatters, then white acrylic paint splatters.  The nature of Lavinia stamps give rise to all kinds of whimsical  possibilities.  There are so many ideas I'd like to try.  Not selling, just saying.  

This is a winter scene, but not a Christmas card.  I'll share in two challenges today:

Sisterhood of Crafters -- Anything Christmas or Winter
NBUS Challenge #44 -- Never before used schtuff.  My Lavinia stamps are NBUS.

 

Back to a busy week after a few somewhat quiet days.  I'm in pretty good shape for Christmas, but there's a whole lot of other life stuff to take care of, too.

Wishing you a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Lavinia 431 Moon, 482 Whimsical Hares, 492 Small Fairy Fir Tree 2, 489 Small Fairy Fir Tree, 505 Spanish Moss Foliage, 524 Forest Scene (2nd card); Power Poppy sentiments  Paper:  Coated semi-gloss white cardstock (source unknown at this time, 1st card), Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White (2nd card)  Ink:  SU Purely Pomegranate, Vintage Violet, Lovely Lilac, Almost Amethyst (1st card), Memento Tuxedo Black and London Fog, SU Bordering Blue, Versamark (2nd card)  Other:  White acrylic paint, Alene's Tacky Glue watered down for splattering on 2nd card to hold glitter, glitter, white embossing powder, spray matte sealer to keep glitter splatters from brushing off, stencil from collection of 30 purchased at Amazon (2nd card)