Leafy Flourish

Hello and welcome, friends!

The Can You Handle the Pressure challenge is always anything goes using an embossing folder, but there's an optional twist if you so desire.  This time the twist is leaves, and it inspired me to stop dancing around this gorgeous Lisa Horton Leafy Flourish 3D embossing folder and actually use it on a card.

Leafy Flourish is a 6" folder, but I applied it to an A2 card and simply let it overlap to the back.  It comes with a matching die which I'll save for later.  I used sponge tipped applicators, similar to eye shadow brushes, to apply Stampin' Up inks -- River Rock, True Thyme, Really Rust, Bordering Blue.  The Impression Obsession For You sentiment is a double layer of SU's Bordering Blue cardstock.

I'm hurrying and scurrying to finish up tonight.  It's been a busy day, including a long walk with Sophie.  In the afternoon we met up with a friend and walked in a favorite city park, but first Sophie and I went into our woods.  The bees have abandoned their nest and I haven't seen the cougar in a while.  We explored for a bit and had just crested a little rise when I asked Sophie to look at me so I could snap a picture.  She seemed reluctant and distracted.  Well, I'm sorry to say it turns out she was bothered by the carcass of a very small fawn.  It had been there long enough for the forest critters to take care of it.  I can only guess what happened, but it's getting a little nerve wracking back there.  You know when you have the feeling that someone's watching you... well, that.

Back to the craft room...  Here are the two challenges I'm sending my leafy card to:

Can You Handle the Pressure -- Anything goes embossing with optional twist of leaves.
NBUS Challenge #66 -- Never before used schtuff.  First time use of the Leafy Flourish embossing folder.

 

 

Thank you for dropping in to share a day in the life of Sophie and me.  There's always something going on outside my stamp room window, and hopefully there will be a lot more going on inside my room, as well.  Hugs all around!

Double D Challenge: Sunflowers

Hello, friends!  I'm back to my Double D Challenge duties today.  The DDs and team were very patient with me while I dealt with life stuff and I appreciate them so much.

Diane has given us a cheerful challenge today -- sunflowers.  You just have to feel good looking at those bright yellow blooms.  Here's our inspiration board:

The team votes for creative winners, and a random winner will receive the prize pictured below.  Please see the Double D rules for more specific information.

Yellow sunflowers and blue butterflies... I think you can see which corner of the board inspired me.  I've crafted a simple design with crisp white layering on an embossed card base trimmed with a strip of polka dots.

I colored with Copics on Neenah white, added black pearls to the butterfly bodies.  All supplies are well loved and oft used.

Come join us at Double D with your sunflower creations.  We'd love to see them and we hope you'll be inspired by the team samples.  Great stuff over there!

Thank you so much for dropping in today.  Happy crafting!

Stamps:  Stampendous Pop Sunflower  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80# & 110#, scrap SU Old Olive, scrap designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Black pearls, Tim Holtz Lumber 3D embossing folder, Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets

Penny Black Permission to Play #1

Hello and welcome!  I started making today's cards in June, and now it's the middle of August.  I feel so far behind, but here in my happy place there's no room for worries.  More card making, please.

For these cards I finished up the last three images from the Penny Black Christmas Fun set using Jill Foster's Permission to Play Sketch #1.  I pulled embossed panels from my spare parts stash and chose sentiments from here and there that worked with each image.  The embellishments are just enough to add some fun -- Tim Holtz Holiday Greens Mini, and one card with some oldie dog icons from my stash.  Coloring was done with Tombow markers.

Diamond Glaze on the baubles and berries.
Picket Fence Studio Santa Mischief sentiment.
Tim Holtz Pine Branches 3D embossing folder smooshed with white ink.

Stampendous Squeaky Stuff sentiment
Spellbinders Sweater Weather embossing folder brushed with Memento Toffee Crunch ink.

Inky Antics Holiday Bazooples #2 sentiment.
Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder smooshed with white ink.

Thank you, friends!  The crafting habit is not one I wish to break, so I'll surely make time to use my supplies.  I hope you don't mind if I pop in with spring flowers in the dead of winter.  That's how far behind I am.  But, hey, I'm doing Christmas cards in August so I suppose there's no difference.

By the way, the doe and her two fawns crossed through the garden yesterday, so they're safe for now.

Take care till we meet again.

We're Still Here

Hello!  Just checking in to say we're still here and dealing with the current lifestyle changes.  I'm not saying we're settled into a routine because everyday is different and one never knows what's around the corner.  We can only stay hopeful and appreciative of every little thing.

Take Sophie, for instance.  She's one year old today.  Happy birthday, Sophie!  She's grown into a beautiful, sweet young lady, my constant companion and a comfort to Rich when he needs it.  That face...

My guy and my girl... Rich makes an effort, although there's little change in the more than a month since his hospital discharge.  In the photo below he was checking a mole trap and, of course, Sophie had to snuggle her way into the center of activity.  She provided a soft place for Rich to rest his head for a moment.

Pictured below:  There is new life in the garden.  I've watched two spotted fawns grow more curious as mom introduces them to her favorite browsing areas.  Shortly after they were born Sophie ventured too close to the area where the doe had hidden her fawns in the woods.  My girl came charging out of the brush looking like she was having the time of her life, but the doe close on her heels meant some serious business.  Sophie has not ventured into that particular area of the woods since.

A day or two after the doe chased her out of the south woods, Sophie blundered into a nest of ground bees in the east woods behind the house.  Her reaction to their stings was to rub her face on the ground which, of course, made it worse.  I was able to call her away and run her up to the house, her white fur spotted with bees which I did my best to brush off before entering the house.  Somewhat traumatized, but safe inside, the sting sites were swelling and giving her fits.  A single Benadryl worked wonders -- no more itching and the swelling went down.  She steers clear of that area of the woods now, too.

As if the incidents with the deer and the bees weren't enough, I looked out my kitchen window one July morning and saw a cougar passing through the very area where I photographed the fawn.  Sheesh!  One can't be too cautious when the predators start coming that close.

That's life.  Visitors come and go, work gets done, errands run, appointments kept.  I'm working my way back to blogging slowly but surely.  I'll be back with Double D in September, but I did also finish the cards I started in June, and even made a new one.  I'd forgotten how time consuming it all is.  Wish I knew how to streamline it and still enjoy the process.

Thanks for putting up with me.  Sending hugs all around.

   

Just a Note About Life Happenings

Hello, friends.  I just want to share a word to let you know why my posts are sparse and I haven't been around to visit.  I haven't crafted in the month of July at all, but I've had some scheduled posts and I appreciate everyone who has stopped by to comment.

My Rich spent some time in the hospital with pneumonia.  I probably don't have to tell you how scary that was in an older guy whose lungs are already failing from another serious condition.  Miraculously, he recovered from the pneumonia (we think), and is now home, but not in good shape.  The pneumonia took its toll, and he's having a rough time.  Some days are better than others, but never great.  I won't go into all of it, but I know you can imagine my hands are full, my heart is heavy, and my nerves are stretched.  I won't even get started on the quality of healthcare since our regular physician retired.  Crafting would be good therapy if there was time for it.

I miss crafting and blogging and the sisterhood that goes along with it.  I have piles and basketsful of not yet used stamps, dies, and embossing folders.  My desktop is strewn with supplies for the partially finished set of Christmas cards I was making before Rich went to the hospital.  You might look in here and think I was abducted by aliens with everything left exactly as it was at the moment of abduction.  It will all return to normal eventually.  The very fact that I'm sitting here right now is a good sign.

I'll leave you with a card I made and photographed sometime in June.  It was a birthday card for a friend, using the Memory Box Elegant Anemone die and an embossed panel that came in a card from a friend.  I left it simple for easy international mailing.

Sentiment is a combination of older supplies.  Distress Oxide ink was brushed on with a sponge-tipped applicator... or maybe a small brush.  Sorry I don't remember at this point.  I sanded the Memory Box cardstock because I wanted to soften the color.

Again, my apologies for lack of visiting.  I'm really hoping for some spare time to come my way soonish.  Sending love and hugs to all!

Stamps:  Poppystamps Sending Scribbles sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110 lb, Memory Box Meadow  Ink:  Distress Oxide Picked Raspberry, Shabby Shutters, Pine Needles, SU Garden Green for sentiment  Other:  Memory Box Elegant Anemone, Frantic Stamper Sending Love/Hugs die, misc rectangle dies, embossing folder unknown (received in a card from a friend)

Double D Challenge: Basket Full of Posies

Hello, and welcome to another Double D Challenge.  Darlene's theme today is "Basket Full of Posies" -- basket, posies, or both!  See her pretty inspiration board:

 

In addition to our creative winners we have a prize for a random winner:

I love the idea of flowers in a basket, so I'm imagining my posies in a fancy little basket, although I believe it's supposed to be a pot.  No matter, I love it either way.  It's very simple and fun, loose coloring, bright papers, embellished with stamped flowers and punched hearts, loaded with cheer.

I cut a top fold card and embossed the front with a Basketweave folder.  The embossing is deeper than the photo represents.  See the straight stitch along the top of the image panel, and the cross stitch along the lower edge -- I used two different rectangle dies for that.  I miss doing real stitching on my cards, but I love the extra room on my desk top since I put the sewing machine in the closet.

All supplies for this card were pulled from the vault, and they're as much fun now as ever.  The scalloped border was made with the old Stampin' Up slit punch.  We go way back.  It cuts a slit for inserting a tab, but I've always used it for the scallops.

Do pop over to Double D and see the team's pretty posies.  We'd love to see yours, too.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Pink Petticoat Pretty Potties, Hampton Art Celebrate Life sentiment  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb, scraps designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Darice Basketweave embossing folder, SU slit punch for scallops, 3 in 1 heart punch, Memory Box Cross Stitched Frame Borders, Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets

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!

Guesting with Christmas Kickstart Challenge

Hello friends!  It was the nicest surprise when Jo invited me to be her Guest Elf at Christmas Kickstart Challenge #88!  A kickstart is exactly what I need this time of year when it comes to Christmas cards, and then once I get started I have all kinds of fun.  Thank you, Jo!

For the month of July we're doing Festive Frames.
I do love to dress up a frame!

In this case I made a wide frame by nesting some unrelated pinpoint dies.  I backed the frame with thin foam mounting tape and adhered it to the card.  When I was sure of where all the decorative elements would go, I stamped the sentiment panel and recessed it within the frame.

Then the fun part...  I Copic-colored one of my beloved Penny Black critters and cut her out.  Added a ric rac border for her to sit on, and pine bough corners overhead.  When I reached for my pine bough dies I found these in the envelope, already cut and stippled with white acrylic paint -- oh, happy day!  I added Diamond Glaze to the string of lights(?), and scattered homemade resin dots for extra fun and frivolity.  The sentiment, by the way, is from an Impression Obsession set.

Remember, those homemade resin dots are my new favorite thing -- punch circles of whatever size, then coat with glossy glaze.  It dries hard, sticks securely, and adds almost no dimension to interfere with mailing.  Love!

I hope you'll come join us at Christmas Kickstart Challenge #88 with your festive framed Christmas card.

Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Penny Black Christmas Fun, Impression Obsession Dear Santa  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80# & 110#, CTMH Ponderosa Pine, red & green scraps for resin dots, scrap designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Spellbinders Scored and Pierced Rectangles, Memory Box Pinpoint Double Frame, Poppystamps Wispy Pine Needle Corners, Taylored Expressions Ric Rac Borders  Other:  SU Subtle 3D embossing folder, 1/4" & 1/8" punches, JudiKins Diamond Glaze, Scotch brand foam mounting tape