Birthday Chick

Hi, everyone!  I'm back for one last challenge this month, and this one is at my old stompin' grounds -- Double D.  Their challenge is "Balloons" and I just happened to have a -- you guessed it -- not-yet-used stamp that was perfect for it!

It's a Bugaboo digi called Chickz - Happy Birdday Chickie.  I was nearly caught up on my Bugaboo digis when along came one of their 50% off sales.  I weakened.  Anyway, this one is no longer not-yet-used (yay!).

Bright birthday Copic coloring here.  I drew the border rather than add a layer.  It's lightweight, easy mailing, nothing to snag up.  Put one postage stamp on it and it's ready to go.  I mail all my cards, so that's important to me.  The mail can be brutal, no kidding.

Double D Challenge:  "Balloons"   


Thanks ever so much for stopping by!  I hope to see you again soon.  Have a happy day!

'Something New' for Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Hello!  It's a new week, new cards, and more new or not-yet-used supplies.  Today I'm sliding in with not much time to spare for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge with the theme "Something New".  I double checked and it's okay if your "something new" is several months old like mine, as long as it's the first time out of the package.

I'm using a Penny Black set called Be Happy.  Personally, I love the set.  It's not as mainstream as some of their stamps and I'm not sure it was real popular, but what do I know?  I just know I like it.

I wanted a clean look to this card, because that's how I felt at the time.  No inky backgrounds or designer paper.  I cut a frame and added some jungle foliage, not that giraffes generally live in the jungle, but they do live in the desert sometimes, so maybe...  Giraffes also do not have plants growing out of them, but that's what I love about it.  Is it a planter, or is it a whimsical fantasy piece?

By the way, do you know about Okapi?  They're the only living relative of the giraffe and their natural habitat is the rain forest, except they're endangered and now are mostly found in zoos.  They look more like a zebra.  Very cool!

Supplies for this card are listed below my signature.  Wishing you a happy day!

Penny Black Saturday Challenge  

Stamps:  Penny Black Be Happy set, SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, grocer's kraft, Bazzill spring green  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Accessories:  Scotch brand foam mounting tape  Dies:  Hero Arts Wood Frame, MFT Die-namics Wild Greenery

Bowl of Beauty

Happy Friday!  A little more watercoloring today.  Sigh... this is the ever so lovely digital Power Poppy Bowl of Beauty with a sentiment from the clear stamp version, Strong and Beautiful.  Not shy about the colors today!  I used my Tombow markers on Arches 140 lb hot press paper.

One thing about the Tombows is that I can get some very rich, vibrant color with them.  Sometimes that's exactly what I want, and the middle of winter is the best time for it!

It didn't even take too long, considering I spent very little time on the card design.  Honestly, that can take longer than the coloring, but when the image fills the card front, well...  my job is done!

Wishing you a happy weekend!

Ice Cream Bouquet

Greetings, friends!  How lucky was I when I won a GC for Graciellie Designs digital shop?  Very lucky, I tell you!  So I went shopping, of course, and took my time browsing, looking for something different from other stamps in my collection.  I loved this ice cream bouquet!  The set is called Sweetness.

I watercolored with Gansai Tambi paints; really just splashed on the colors and didn't leave much in the way of highlights, but I don't miss them.  It feels okay to me.  Ordinarily I'm excruciatingly detailed with watercolors.  I used sherbet colors and added a strip of designer paper that had all the same colors, stitched it up and good to go.  The sentiment is from the set, too.  Printed separately and popped up.  I lightened the image just a bit before printing.  It's not 'no-line', but 'light-line'.

It was nice to sit down and throw some paints around.  Watercolor is my favorite, for sure.  What's next?  I'll have to peek in my project bags.  See you soon!

Twofer Hearts

Hello!  I have a fun post today as I'm playing along in the Twofer Hearts challenge.  This could not possibly be a difficult theme for me, seeing as how I use hearts on my cards so frequently, but it took me a while to get around to it.  Nevertheless, here they are:

My hearts in common are the smaller of the die cut stitched hearts.  One card is a Valentine, the other a St. Patrick's Day card.

The Valentine is a new-to-me Gerda Steiner stamp set called All Cats.  Along with the lovable cat and all the hearts is another new-to-me item:  Precious Marieke Ribbon Border die.  I'm hoping it will help with some of my vast hoard of ribbon which I need to either use or lose.  It's taking up way too much space where I'd rather store stamps!

Next, the St. Patrick's Day card is using some golden oldie wood block stamps.  The Leprechaun from DOTS (now called CTMH) is one of my first ever stamps.  Too cute to give up!  The sentiment is from Art Impressions, dated 2001.  A perfect pair!

The hearts are Tutti Designs Stitched Nesting Hearts.  Designer papers are years old from my stash.

Thanks for your time today!  I hope this week is going to be a good one for you!

Birdhouse In Frame

Well, I didn't get much done in my stamp room this week.  Last week I was on a roll in there, this week I was on a roll in other areas.  However, I did make a card just so I could use this darling little Cottage Cutz Birdhouse with Vine which I found last month at Scrapping Cottage in their 'retired' category.  I thought this sweet set would make a nice accent on a flower or critter card, but then I was gifted the Sue Wilson Leafy Frame just this month, so I wondered how the two of them would work together.

Hmmm... so I think it's a lot of frame for that little bitty birdhouse, but I do adore the look of it, the colors, the whole works.  The background is Salty Ocean and Twisted Citron Distress Oxide inks directly on the card base, and the birdhouse and punched heart were colored with Copics.

The Leafy Frame does not cut an outer edge, so you can decide if you want to make a frame or an inset pattern.  For this card I cut a panel of white 4 1/2" x 5 1/4" and centered the frame die over it, and that's my card size.

Whether I'm playing with dies or coloring a 'picture' I'm reminded of how much I loved this stuff as a child.  I'm still that same kid, but with better toys.  Are you with me?

Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Hero Arts Small Greetings set  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 100 lb  Ink:  Distress Oxide Salty Ocean and Twisted Citron, Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Accessories:  Heart punch, 1" circle punch  Dies:  Cottage Cutz Birdhouse with Vine, Sue Wilson Leafy Frame

Beach Day

I forgot to say I'm on Goldens and Garden today.

Thank you!

Benton Loves His Bubbles

Good grief, I haven't colored Benton since 2013!  I looked it up.  He was new to me then and it was the first and last time I colored him.  That's just wrong!  However, in the midst of chipping away at my collection of new-to-me acquisitions, I came across a bubble bath challenge.  Did you know January 8th is National Bubble Bath Day?

I did break out one not-yet-used item for this card, and that's the bubble stencil.  Actually, it's a bokeh stencil, but it's perfect for bubbles, too.  Benton and his bubbles were stamped in Memento London Fog ink and colored with Copics.  I cut out the words of the sentiment and used a flower punch on the ampersand.  The sketch is current at Freshly Made Sketches.  I followed it to the letter because, really, there was no reason to deviate.  It was ideal for Benton.

The Bubble Bath Day challenge is at Day of the Month Card Club.  They're somewhat new, this being their 11th challenge.  Each runs from the 7th till the end of the month, which gives us slow stampers plenty of time to play:

Also:

Freshly Made Sketch #417 and Double D Challenges "Use a Punch" (a punch was used on the ampersand in the sentiment):

Supplies for this card are listed below my signature.  That's all, folks!  Enjoy your day!

Stamps:  Inky Antics Pampered Benton  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, soft blue Bazzill  Ink:  Memento London Fog, Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Soft Sky for bubbles  Coloring:  Copic markers  Accessories:  Newton's Nook Bokeh Stencil Set, sequins, flower punch  Dies:  Lawn Fawn Outside In Stitched Scalloped Rectangle Stackables, Spellbinders Nested Lacy Pennants