The Last of the Valentines

I've finished up the last of the Valentines, and it's a good thing because we're having a false spring and the outdoors are beckoning.  This is not the time to be sitting in my stamp room no matter how much fun it is.  Must enjoy that sunshine before it goes away again!

Today I have two more cards using the uber-cute Va-Va-Valentines digi set from Power Poppy.  I was thinking how quick and simple these cards are, but I looked at my pile of supplies after I finished -- three paper pads, four die sets, one embossing folder, ribbon, rhinestones... no wonder my room was such a mess!  I'll list all supplies at the end.  The first card is a soft color combo with honest to goodness ribbon.

The second card has a good deal more color set against a white embossed background.  The swirls in the embossed panel and the ribbon tails are meant to echo the swirly pattern in the designer paper.  Coloring on both cards was done with Copic markers.

The first card with its pink/gray/red color combo is for the Color Throwdown challenge.

The second card is just because.

My room is all tidied up now and ready for the next project... when the rain comes back.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Va-Va-Valentines digital set  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White and Neenah 110 lb white, SU Pink Pirouette, MFT Homespun Gingham, Carte Bella Words of Love, Echo Park Happy Summer designer paper  Ink:  Printer, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Taffeta ribbon, rhinestone hearts, Cuttlebug Musical Flourish embossing folder  Dies:  Sizzix Fancy Tags, Lil' Inker Side Stitched Rectangles, Spellbinders Scalloped Hearts, Impression Obsession Large Bow

Double D Challenge: Sequins

Hi there!  I'm joining up with Team Diane today to usher in a new Double D challenge:  Sequins.  Honestly, you buy one bag of sequins and you have a bunch.  But then you "need" more colors, and more, and on and on it goes until you're swimming in sequins.  At least that's my story.  Well, here's some encouragement to use a few of those sequins.

I used only five sequins on my card today, but I tend to use them sparingly, which helps explain why I have so many.  I pulled a few from a pastel collection to match up with this springtime scene.

Here's our inspiration board and a prize:

   

The only thing my card has in common with the inspiration board is the sequins, but I couldn't resist coloring my pretty, not-yet-used Agnes.  Oh, how I've loved all seven of my Loralie stamp sets, but now they're no longer in production.  I shouldn't have waited so long to color this one, but I'm perfectly happy to love on her now.  To my eyes she's adorable!  By the way, she was sent as a birthday card.  What in the world do you do with a sentiment like "I feel pretty"?  Well, you make a pretty card and send it along just for fun.

Every part of my card is watercolored on Strathmore Mixed Media Vellum Surface paper.  I used another old, retired product for the watercoloring -- SU's Watercolor Wonder Crayons.  The background is swished and smooshed.  I'm enjoying these crayons after all the years of letting them sit unopened.  Each crayon holds far more paint than you find in tray-type watercolor collections, and they're actually paint -- not ink, not crayons.  Paint.  I wish I'd bought more than two sets.

Inside is spruced up with watercolored flowers and a Copic colored border.

Be sure to check the Double D blog for challenge details and to see the ultra-inspiring cards by the team.  There are more details about this card in the recipe below.  Thanks for coming to visit me.  You know I love it when you do!

Stamps:  Loralie Designs -- Agnes, Art Impressions I Feel Pretty  Paper:  Strathmore Mixed Media Vellum Surface, other white for card base  Ink:  Palette Noir, Memento Tuxedo Black (sentiment)  Coloring:  SU Watercolor Wonder Crayons, Tombow markers -- gray and black  Accessories:  Sequins, Poppystamps Freida Curve, Lil' Inker Silly Stitched Die Set, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

A Funny Punny for My Honey

Hello, friends!  A new week, a new card.  I splurged a whole $6 and bought the new Va-Va-Valentines digi set from Power Poppy and made this card for my one and only:

This particular image resonates with me as I know it will Rich.  With two Golden Retrievers in the house, socks are always disappearing.  They're never damaged, but they do get carried off.  So, there you go -- I was tee heeing all over the place when I saw this.

I made a 4 1/2" card, simple, using some of the very few Valentine papers I have.  I tried to keep it somewhat manly, but, hey, it's a Valentine.  Copic coloring of the image, sparkly punched hearts, an old Spellbinders Heart Circle, ribbon... easy stuff.

I made sure I used the sparkly hearts specifically so I could play along in this month's Power & Spark Challenge at Power Poppy:  Love to Sparkle.

Additionally, I'm right on time to join The Paper Players Challenge:  Will You Be My Valentine.

Girls just gotta have fun!  I hope you're having fun, too!

Valentine Pups

Hello at last!  It's Valentine month so I set everything aside and got started.  Much as I'd like to focus on one project at a time, I do have four separate projects currently in the works.  Really, I'm not that scatter brained.  Tell me, does this happen to you?

• Shortly after Christmas I started a batch of four Christmas cards and have been working on them a little at a time between other projects.
• I made a background for a Valentine, but decided it would be pretty for a Christmas card, so it's set aside with parts for the making.
• I printed up four digis to color a gift set for a friend.  Made one card, but realized the rest would have to get in line with more pressing card needs.
• I suddenly had the strongest urge to play with layouts and designer papers so I got started on that with some old papers that need to be used up.

All projects are in neat little piles,  waiting to be finished, but first -- Valentines!

I only have one sweetie and one child, but Valentines are too fun to make only two.  These will go to friends.  Valentine parties in grade school were my favorite.  All those cute little cards!  I think I was destined to be a card maker.

I used a Bugaboo set called Valentine Pup.  Copic coloring, a few die cuts, a bit of patterned paper.  There are Nuvo glitter drops on the first card.  The second card has an embossed paw prints base, smooshed with white ink.  Simple, but cute.

When I was making these cards I realized for the first time I could snap the nozzle off my Nuvo drops.  I honestly did not know that.  Just push the nozzle to the side and it comes right off.  I thought my Nuvo drops were doomed as they were all plugged up after only a few uses.  Now I take off the nozzle and rinse after each use.  So happy!  I might need more Nuvo drops now...

I'm glad we could visit today.  It's been fun!  Now, back to making more Valentines.  Enjoy your day!
 

Stamps:  Bugaboo Valentine Pup digital set, Power Poppy Springtime Love sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Neenah 110 lb white, SU Melon Mambo and Going Gray, Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid designer paper  Ink:  Printer, Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Craft White, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Nuvo Sherbet Shimmer Glitter Drops, Darice Paw Prints Background embossing folder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape  Dies:  Lawn Fawn Outside In Stitched Scalloped Rectangle Stacklets (long name!), Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangles Stacklets, Lil' Inker Silly Stitched Die Set, Frantic Stamper Sending Love/Hugs

Our Little LuLu is Fit as a Fiddle

Because so many of you kind souls have asked, I wanted to let you know our little LuLu is fully recovered and back to her happy, active self.  Here she is with our dear, sweet Wally, living the Golden Retriever good life.

Her meds healed her tummy and she's now taking daily omeprazole to prevent acid reflux.  She hasn't had another bout since, but it wasn't all that frequent to begin with.  We'll wait and see.  We've always been careful with Wally and LuLu's diet, easy on the people food, paying heed to the long list of foods dogs aren't supposed to eat.  It's a mystery.

When they hurt, we hurt.  Love hurts, but it's worth it.  If only we didn't care so much...  Thank you for caring, too.

Little Things Twice

It's probably time I shared these cards I made the week after Christmas, don't you think?  I went a little nuts with my Lil' Inker "The Little Things" stamp set, stamping and cutting out bunches of birds and leaves and flowers.  Very simple with no coloring, but certainly lots of cutting.  There's a matching die set available, but I honestly think it was quicker to stamp out lots and cut at my leisure.  I was in no hurry.

There's something about the simple, almost primitive folk-artsy look of these stamps that appeals to me.  I made five cards, one after the other, but I'll only share two of them.  The first is more involved -- lots of leaves to make a wreath, both stamped and cut out, with a few flowers placed here and there.  Stitched and framed with a make-believe bird for fun.

The second card is more clean and simple, and it uses the Lil' Inker "Silly Stitched Die Set", as well.  The die set comes with rectangles and circles.  The circles make the stitched pattern, but do not cut out a shape.

Inside:

So, yay, I added three birthday cards, a thank you card, and a hello card to my stash.  Really trying to get ahead and this simple stamping helped a lot.

I hope you've enjoyed a stamp happy week, or any kind of happy week, and are looking forward to the weekend soon to come.  If I get some cards photographed I'll pop in next week.  Take care!

Sparked by a Sketch Challenge

Welcome to Monday, friends!  I'm playing along with Power Poppy today.  It's a sketch challenge, and I do love a sketch.  I find them inspiring, rather than confining, and there's always room for interpretation.  I used the Lavender set, one of my well-used favorites.  Lots of images and sentiments to work with.

There are several sketches to choose from.  This is the one I used:

The entire page of sketches with Power Poppy samples can be seen here.

I used lace for the scalloped edge element and replaced the oval with a sweep of lavender stems.

Coloring is Copics on X-Press It Blending Card and all images are cut out.  Other whites in the design are from a pack of textured whites I've had forever.  A Wal-Mart gem of a find.  The word, "Lavender", was stamped in SU's Kiwi Kiss, a perfect match for the patterned paper.  I tried to match the lavender color, as well.

Inside:

The Copics used for coloring:

Power Poppy Power & Spark Challenge:  Grab a Map

Hopefully, I've covered all the details.  There are so many pictures here I tried not to blather away with too many words.  There's a summary of details in the recipe below.  Have a wonderful day!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Lavender  Paper:  X-Press It Blending Card, textured white, Heartfelt Creations Delicate Asters designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Kiwi Kiss, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Lace, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, Sue Wilson Pierced Flags

Daisies in Pink and Yellow

I'm back!  Here's a card that will wake you up in the morning.  It was sent to someone awesome who can't decide whether her favorite color is pink or yellow, so I combined both.

I stamped a whole panel of Strathmore Mixed Media Vellum Surface paper with Verve's "Simply Amazing" stamp set, embossed with white and watercolored with Tombow markers.  The die cut "awesome" is Verve's "Amazing Adjectives", cut from green glitter card stock.  I added green glitter die cut leaves, as well.

There are more details below which I think will sum it up.  It seems like I've been on the computer all day, so I'll keep this short and sweet and wish you all a happy weekend.  Take care!

Stamps:  Verve Simply Amazing  Paper:  Strathmore Mixed Media Vellum Surface, Neenah 110 lb white for sentiment panel, other white for card base, green glitter paper  Ink:  Versamark, Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Pixie Pink, Tombow markers for watercoloring  Accessories:  Verve Amazing Adjectives dies, Spellbinders Long Classic Rectangles, Little B Bouquet (leaves), white embossing powder, Scotch brand foam mounting tape