Double D Challenge: Tropical

Hello crafty friends!  It's time for another Double D Challenge and our theme today is "Tropical".  The inspiration board gives us so many fabulous places to start.  Check it out:

I did handsprings when I saw the fish on the board as I have lots to choose from and I love them all.  For the tropical theme I chose my Memory Box Ocean Fish 3D embossing folder with matching dies and stencils, along with the MB Underwater 3D embossing folder.  What fun!

I brushed SU Pool Party ink on the Underwater background.  I was thinking I grabbed Pool Party sandable cardstock for the base but, oops, I realized later this is Soft Sky instead.  No matter, I carried on with all my different blues.

I don't do a lot of stenciling, but these fish are actually pretty fun.  I can see how a person could get hooked on stenciling.  There are so many avenues and possibilities in this craft!

How about taking a trip to the tropics with us?  The Double D team will help get you in the mood.  Enjoy!

Also sending my fishies to play along here:

Can You Handle the Pressure -- Anything goes with an embossing folder or optional "Boys to Men".
Stencil Fun Challenge -- Anything goes with stencil or optional "butterflies".

 

Thanks!

Stamps:  Frantic Stamper Shaaaark! sentiment  Paper:  Hammermill Premium 100 lb White, SU sandable cardstock maybe Soft Sky  Ink:  Various Stampin' Up  Other:  Memory Box Ocean Fish 3D embossing folder with dies and stencils, Memory Box 3D Underwater embossing folder, rectangle die from stash for sentiment

Jellyfish Blooms

Hello crafty friends!  I was excited to be stamping and coloring again in the new year... anything other than a Christmas card... so when my friend's birthday came along last month I felt I had just the right never been used stamp for her card.  This is a Creative Expressions stamp, Jellyfish Blooms, from their Designer Boutique collection.  The sentiment is a CZ Designs for Simon Says Stamp -- You 2.  It was a freebie with one of my orders.  Nice!  Lots of variations in the set.

I colored with Copics on Hammermill Premium 100 lb white, and added several spots of Silver Stickles for sparkle.  It's quite the little fantasy piece, but I do love this type of image that mixes flora and fauna.

As for the sentiment, I felt it fit both the image and my friend who has a beautiful spirit and amazing strength considering all she's been through in the last year and a half.  I stamped on SU Bermuda Bay and embossed in white, then hand cut around the "you" and cut the "amaze me" with a random rectangle die from my stash.

It's a 4 1/2" x 6" card with the image panel simply glued to a Bermuda Bay base which I embossed with SU's retired Subtle 3D embossing folder.  The last step was to embellish with some Hero Arts Seashells brushed with Wink of Stella which I tried to capture in the photo below, but it's so much glossier, cleaner, and more shimmery in real life.

My not yet used supplies are bountiful, including a wealth of gifts I was showered with for my birthday and Christmas -- all from the same friend for whom I made this card.  She knows what I like.

Sharing here:

NBUS Challenge #83 -- Never before used schtuff -- Jellyfish Blooms, You 2 sentiment, and Seashells

I'll leave you with a wish for a happy day.  Take good care of yourselves, please.

Stamps:  Creative Expressions Jellyfish Blooms, CZ Designs/Simon Says Stamp You 2  Paper:  Hammermill Premium 100 lb white, Stampin' Up Bermuda Bay  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Hero Arts Seashells, WOW Bright White super fine embossing powder, Silver Stickles, SU Subtle 3D embossing folder, misc. rectangle die

Endless Summer

Hi there!  Back to card making today and happy to have a good play with some of my newer NBUS.  I started with the Simon Says Stamp Ocean Horizon die which I thought was the coolest thing.  Who knows what will appeal at any given time, but this one really got to me.  I couldn't help but combine it with one of my recently purchased Cottage Cutz super sale items -- Surfer Van.

The Endless Summer is a 1966 semi-documentary film about surfing.  I've never watched all of it, but my Rich has watched it a few times over the years and still watches clips on YouTube now and then.  He was a surfer guy in his youth and he enjoys reliving the thrill of it.  Naturally, I made this card with him in mind.

l tried using this background die three different ways and as far as the application of color goes, this is my favorite.  I cut the die -- it comes out in 16 pieces, including the skinny frame -- then I glued each piece to a separate white panel, and commenced brushing on the inks.  I like the way the edges of each die cut section grabs the ink.  It's subtle, but it makes a difference.  The colors I used are similar to those on the die package.  All Stampin' Up inks.  I'll list them below.  I hand cut a sandy beach on which to park the van.

I'll be sending my endless summer over to the following challenges:

A Cut Above -- Anything goes with dies.
NBUS Challenge #78 -- Never before used schtuff.  As mentioned, the Surfer Van and Ocean Horizon dies are NBUS.

 

Wrapping up now... I'll be back shortly to share what I've made.  Things are hopping here with lots going on and I'm surprised to have made any cards at all, but glad I'm able to manage it somehow.

Take care, and stay cool!

Dies:  Cottage Cutz Surfer Van, Simon Says Stamp Ocean Horizon
Inks:  Stampin' Up (top to bottom) Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie, Pixie Pink, Melon Mambo, Purely Pomegranate, Cool Caribbean, Not Quite Navy, Creamy Caramel, Gable Green.  Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment
Coloring:  Ink blending with brushes.  Small parts of van colored with Copic markers

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

Double D Challenge: Let's Go to the Beach!

Hi!  How about a trip to the beach?  Darlene is inviting us to share our beach-themed cards or projects for the Double D Challenge that kicks off today.  She's provided a lot of inspiration to get us started:

There's a prize for a random winner.  Creative winners are voted on by the team.

I've made two cards.  The first brings to mind the cooler temperatures of our Pacific Northwest beaches.  I embossed and sanded a blue panel, then added a few bits and pieces from my die collection, all older, some probably retired.  They're listed further down.  I'm especially fond of the fishing net which doesn't get many opportunities to play.  The patterned frame was in my spare parts drawer.  The sandy beach is torn paper.

Next is a tropical beach.  The beautiful Mintay paper was not to be resisted, though I've had it for quite a while and barely used it.  When I pulled out the pad I found the shell pattern with a circle already cut on the edge, so I used it to frame another piece, then added a woodgrain border.  I brushed the tropical fronds with Stampin' Up inks Barely Banana and Sage Shadow.

I'm serious about using my designer paper more often.  It can feel like cheating, but I put a lot of thought into this design and thoroughly enjoyed the process.

10 die sets -- Spellbinders Standard Circles Large & Small, Amy Design Fishing Net, MFT Die-namics Wild Greenery, Impression Obsession Grass Border, Grass, and Mini-Shell Set, Memory Box Wrapped Stitched Frames, Cottage Cutz Seagulls in Flight, Sue Wilson (Creative Expressions) Life's a Beach
1 embossing folder -- Tim Holtz Sizzix Lumber 3D
1 paper pad -- Mintay Paradise
2 stamp sets (for inside sentiments, not shown)

My teamies at Double D have shared all manner of beach cards for inspiration.  I hope you'll come along and have some beachy fun with us!

Enjoy your day!

Double D Challenge: Nautical

Hi everyone!  A new Double D challenge starts today.  Here's Diane's fabulous board and a prize.  I love it all to pieces!

I was inspired to make something relatively clean and simple with a mix of dies and stamps.  No coloring, just colored cardstock.  It was rather nice for a change!

Penny Black Immense Enjoyment die and Enjoy Builder stamp set.  Two layers.
Impression Obsession Sailboats.
Frantic Stamper Making Waves.  I cut right across the card front, then separated the pieces, backed with the same blue as the big "enjoy".  Smaller wave dies from the set were used inside the immense "O".

I borrowed a banner die from a Poppystamps sentiment set, and those little black stars popped out of a background I cut for a Christmas card a while back.

That's the gist of it.

Come see the team's inspired samples at Double D.  Play for fun and maybe you'll win a prize or become a top favorite in the process.  Enjoy!

Relaxing with Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Hello friends, and welcome!  In this merry month of May I have the privilege of being the guest designer for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  That's way fun for me because Penny Black stamps are my favorites!

As always the challenge is "anything goes", but the optional theme this month is "Pastels".  I did not go with the optional theme this time around.

I worry that some of my favorite PB critter characters will fade into the background as the newest releases seem to favor a different style, so I bought a few sets, including this guy:

I colored on watercolor paper with Tombow markers and have him relaxing on the beach after his birthday party.  The designer paper overhead suggests the waterline, and he's gathered a starfish and shell to take home as souvenirs.

He'll be sent to a guy friend who loves the beach.  I've stamped a Penny Black sentiment inside with more of that water lapping at the lower edge.

Many thanks to the PBSC crew for having me this month!  Do stop by the challenge blog to see the team samples.  They're always fun and inspiring.

Have a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Penny Black Relax and Birthday Love  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, scrap designer paper  Ink:  Palette Noir  Coloring:  Tombow markers and a little bit of blender  Other:  Impression Obsession Mini-Shell Set

Ocean Fish Splishin' Again

Hi friends!  I hope you don't mind if I share more fish cards today.  These two cards are somewhat simple designs that just sort of happened all on their own and they turned out to be my favorites.

Using the Memory Box Ocean Fish 3D embossing folder with matching dies and stencils.

First is a 3 3/4" x 6 3/4" mini-slimline.  These fish were die cut from a stenciled wavy underwater background.  I was struck by how pretty they were with their delicate colors and gentle pattern from the waves stencil so I simply embossed and left all but one as is.  An old Darice Corner Scroll embossing folder added movement to the background.

Just one fish is colored, popped up, and facing the opposite direction... hence the sentiment (Power Poppy).

Inside has more fish, soft wave stenciling and a Hero Arts sentiment.

 

I had three fish left over so I made a 3 1/2 x 6" mini-slimline using the same Darice Corner Scroll embossing folder.  This one is a birthday card with a Stampendous sentiment.  So simple and so much fun!

Wishing you all a happy weekend.  If you're traveling and observing the Labor Day weekend here in the US please stay safe while you enjoy it.  See you again soon!

 

Ocean Fish Waving Hello

Hello and welcome to a new week on the blog!

We'll soon be waving goodbye to August and hello to September.  No matter the season at my house, it's always summer somewhere.  The fishes on my card today are living in a year-round paradise.

I weakened and bought a few things from the previous Memory Box release, but I'm not sorry one bit because these fish are the neatest thing since sliced bread.  They're the Ocean Fish 3D embossing folder with matching dies, and a matching layering stencil set (sold separately).  I brushed inks through the stencils, gave each an eye dot with a gray Copic, then pressed each fish into my Versamark pad and embossed with clear powder.  You know how much fun I had with this, don't you!

Each fish is layered for a bit more dimension and they're swimming in an underwater scene created by brushing inks onto the Memory Box Underwater 3D embossing folder.  The Poppystamps Sylvan Frame seems to work pretty well with the scene.  I added a wavy sentiment from Lawn Fawn, and some Memory Box Fairy Jewels for bubbles.

Inside is a Poppystamps birthday sentiment which I altered with a permanent marker.  I die cut a Poppystamps Sylvan Sprig and used it like a mask to create a soft border along the lower edge.  It's interesting and nice how these Sylvan dies (2016) work for underwater scenes when I've always used them for garden and flowers in the past.

This card does appear to be rather involved, but the frame and background were already made,  I even had a banner cut for the sentiment.  You can lose yourself in this craft... you know what I'm saying.  In fact, I made four cards with my fishes before I put them away.  Some were very clean and simple but turned out to be my favorites of the bunch.  This was my first sit down with the new toys, so thought I'd share in order.  Not that I don't love it, too... well... anyway... each to her/his own.

I'll be back when I can get it all together.  See you then, I hope!

Stamps:  Lawn Fawn Wavy Sayings with matching die, Poppystamps Birthday Blow Out (inside)  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb  Ink:  Various Stampin' Up, Memento Tuxedo Black  Other:  Memory Box Ocean Fish 3D embossing folder with matching dies and layering stencils, Memory Box Underwater 3D embossing folder, Poppystamps Sylvan Frame and Sylvan Sprig dies, Memory Box Fairy Jewels, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Double D Challenge: Lighthouse

Hello friends!  I have some special news today -- I'm back on the Double D Challenge team!  I retired from all challenge teams for a couple of different reasons.  Now things have leveled off manageably and I'm dipping my toe back into the water.  This is tentative, but hoping I can keep up.  I appreciate the opportunity.

Technically I'm on Darlene's team (third Wednesday of the month), but I couldn't wait to get started so I'm playing along with Diane's challenge (first Wednesday) -- Lighthouse.  Have a look at the inspiration board: 

I have exactly one lighthouse stamp and it's an oldie PSX.  I paired it with a Stampendous sentiment and some Mintay designer paper.  Played around with the design and some dies... I always have so much fun with the Double D challenges!

I stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and clear embossed.  Minimal coloring was done with Tombow markers and my homemade blender.

The team votes on creative winners, plus there's a super nice prize for a random winner.  Love those Cottage Cutz dies!

Come play with us at Double D!  We'd love to see your lighthouses.  Have a great day!

Stamps:  PSX Lighthouse, Stampendous Ocean Sayings sentiment  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, 111 lb wood grain white card base, SU Poppy Parade & Brilliant Blue, Mintay Marina DP and Simple Stories Color Vibe DP for flags  Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black  Coloring:  Tombow markers and homemade blender  Dies:  Cottage Cutz Rope Corner, Memory Box Banner Parade, Spellbinders squares and circles  Other:  Detail clear embossing powder, foam mounting tape to pop up lighthouse square