Laugh Louder

Hi there!  A brief pop in today to share a card I made for my sister/friend's birthday.  She's not actually my sister, but she might as well be... we're that close.

I don't know how many more times I can use this Art Impressions Laughing Set, seeing as how I've sent these girls out to so many people already.  I've got a bazillion sentiments I can use with them, and this sentiment is from Your Next Stamp, called Whatnot Sentiments Eleven.  Could there be any more truth in that sentiment?  I do love to laugh!

My laughing girls were watercolored with Gansai Tambi paints, plus the occasional Tombow marker when it was handy for the smaller spots or when I needed a color not in my paint tray.  You can mix the paints to change colors, but the marker is much easier.

It's a simple card.  Just some flower sequins and a stitched border.  So quick it made my head spin!

I hope you get a chance to laugh today.  Take care!

Stamps:  Art Impressions Laughing Set, Your Next Stamp Whatnot Sentiments Eleven  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot press watercolor, other card base  Ink:  Palette Noir  Coloring:  Watercolor with Gansai Tambi and Tombow markers  Other:  Lil' Inker Silly Stitched Die Set, Queen & Co sequins

Twofer Wreath Challenge

Hello on a Monday, friends!  Yippee skippee, I got some cards made in time for the November Twofer Challenge.  Two different designs for two different occasions using the same stamps, stencils, and/or dies.  The prompt this month is "Wreath".  We're supposed to photograph the two cards together for the link up, so I've done that first.

Thinking I could make some quick cards with no coloring, SU's Wondrous Wreath was the first stamp set to pop into my head.  I made the Christmas card first, stamping and turning and stamping multiple times, but still had some blank spots due to a flawed stamp that SU did not want to replace (grrrr), so filled in with die cut Poinsettias and a bow.  Lots of stamping, die cutting, gluing, applying Stickles.  A clean and simple and not so quick card.  Ultimately, I like how it turned out.

The second card was much quicker.  I used only one stamp from the multi-stamp set, whereas I used three on the first card.  Gee, I hope that's okay for the challenge.  It's the same stamp, two different ways, right?   In this case, the flawed part of the stamp is under the gingham designer paper, and I stamped it three times in a row, somewhat like a garland.  Added little flowers punched from glitter paper.  Rhinestone centers.  The flower on the sentiment has die cut leaves.

Honestly, if it wasn't for the Twofer Challenge I may not have ever used this wreath again, but now I love it to pieces because of that sweet garland.  You just never know.

Supplies listed below.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  SU Wondrous Wreath, Your Next Stamp Whatnot Sentiments Eleven (thinking of you)  Paper:  SU Whisper White and Cameo Coral, Coral glitter paper, Bazzill tan, Prima Julie Nutting designer paper  Ink:  SU Wild Wasabi and Garden Green, Memento Tuxedo Black  Accessories:  Black Stickles and gold Stickles (Christmas), rhinestones, flower punch (thinking of you card)  Dies:  Memory Box Seraphine Laurel (Poinsettias), Impression Obsession Large Bow,  Sue Wilson Pierced Flags, Taylored Expressions Ric Rac Borders, Impression Obsession Leaf Cluster

Monday Fun Day: Drink Rainbows, Eat Glitter

Happy Monday!  Well, here I am having fun again.  I hope it's a good day for you, as well.  Would you like to see more rainbows and blue skies long about now?  Across the northern hemisphere the weather is still pretending it's winter, but throwing in a nice day for a teaser now and then.  I wish it would make up its mind!  Guess I'll just have to pretend, too... pretend it's not pouring down rain outside right now.

I played with a new stamp set today.  No, it's not that cute little mouse girl.  It's the sentiment -- one of several in Your Next Stamp's Whatnot Sentiment Set Eleven.  Lots of good, useful sentiments in the set, but, honestly, this is the one that sold me.

I didn't have a Your Next Stamp character to go with the sentiment (although I have some cute ones bookmarked for later, ahem) so I pulled out this very old, yet still joyful, mouse girl by Great Impressions.  Mixing old with new is a real treat for me and justifies that hoard of stamps sitting in the drawers.  I know you have them, too.

Okay, the particulars:

• The background is rubbed with SU! Tempting Turquoise, then splattered with water.
• I made the rainbow with oval dies, which wasn't quite as easy as I expected it to be, so now I'm thinking along the lines of a rainbow die set -- another "later" for my wish list.  Smeared the rainbow with glue and sprinkled with SU! Dazzling Diamonds glitter.  It's all sugary and I love it!
• Poppystamps Stitched Landscapes and Twirly Clouds.  Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets.
• Punched flowers and sparkly Nuvo drops sprinkled across the landscape.
• Copic coloring.
• The little mouse girl is popped up because she's jumping for joy, so happy about her friend's birthday and the prospect of drinking rainbows and eating glitter.

If you've read to the end, thank you for that.  I enjoy our little visits.  We're all in this stamping thing together, aren't we?  Have a happy day!

Monday Fun Day: EGG-citing Easter

Hello there!  Ready for another week to whiz by in a heartbeat?  Let's slow it down for a minute and enjoy our Monday.  It seems like a good day for something cute, fun, whimsical, lighthearted... so I'm going to designate Mondays as a fun day.  Flowerful Friday, Monday Fun Day.  Guess I'll do Whatever Wednesday for the in betweens.  I may miss a day or two when the stamping runs out, but for now it will give me some focus and keep me moving along.

I didn't think I was going to get any Easter cards made, but then I remembered it's one of the reasons I bought this So EGG-citing stamp set.  Birthday, Easter, baby... there's a sentiment for each and more, so I'm good for a while as long as I don't send egg cartons to the same person over and over again.  In fact, I slipped a Post-It Note in with the stamp set so I can list the names of who I send egg cards to.

I think the card is pretty self-explanatory:  A stitched circle frame with a stitched circle patterned paper inset, grass die, Copic coloring.  Very simple and not much time spent on coloring.  Did I mention it was fun?  Yep, it was fun!  See you again on Wednesday!

Stamps:  Your Next Stamp "So EGG-Citing"  Paper:  Neenah 110 lb white, PTI Lemon Tart, Memory Box Granny Smith, Echo Park Happy Summer designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Memory Box Stitched Scalloped Circles and Stitched Circle Layers, Impression Obsession Grass Border

Party at the Hen House

Hello, and welcome to another week of foul weather stamping!

So... I mentioned I have new stamps.  Getting right down to business, I'm starting with a stamp and die combo from Your Next Stamp -- "So EGG-citing".  You know how I like to color, and I'm developing a fondness for clean and simple cards, but, I also still like to goof around with fun, silly stuff, and play with dies and frames and papers and card designs.  Believe it or not, my husband thought this card was just the neatest thing.  I told him that's why I call it "playing in my room".

Perhaps it seems like a whole lot of card for that one little ol' egg carton, but I couldn't stop.  I had to use the chicken wire and wood grain frame.  Needed something for the corner, so along came the grass.  Well, what's a party without a little decoration?  Hence the banner.  Thought about using kraft for the card base, but then remembered this burlap paper which I've had for quite a long while and have never used.  Yes, this card represents a good deal of fun.

I sponged a yellowish glow on the background so there'd be lights on in the hen house.

I used a partial sentiment on the front, and saved the egg-pun sentiment for the inside.

I rarely buy a set's matching dies, but this time it was absolutely essential for putting the eggs and chicks in the carton.

Playing along in two challenges today:

Seize the Birthday:  Anything Goes

Alphabet Challenge:  Y for Your Choice

I'll come back around to this set later.  It's such a simple little thing with bunches of stamps and sentiments for several occasions.  Makes me giggle.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Your Next Stamp "So EGG-citing"  Paper:  Neenah 110 lb white, Strathmore Mixed Media Vellum Surface (inside hen house), Neenah Grocer Kraft card base, SU Wild Wasabi and Going Gray, DCWV Burlap Paper, Elizabeth Craft Through the Lens Wood Series designer paper, Simple Stories Snap Color Vibe designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Spellbinders Grand Squares and Classic Squares Large, Cheery Lynn Chicken Wire Frame, Impression Obsession Grass and Grass Border, Memory Box Banner Parade, Scotch brand foam mounting tape