Fresh Sketch Throwdown

This week I combined Jacquie’s sketch at Freshly Made Sketches and Lynn’s colors at Color Throwdown for a cheerful floral card!

I used WPlus9 Studio’s “Fresh Cut Florals” and a sentiment from the new “Florals and Laurels.”

I made the plaid by shading and masking the diamond pattern on The Stamp Market’s “Pierced Plaid Cover Die” with Distress Oxide Inks in Spun Sugar, Dried Marigold, and Scattered Straw. So much fun!

Celebrating 50!

I made a card for my sister and brother-in-law who celebrated their 50th anniversary on October 12th!

I used WPlus9 Studio's Freehand Florals, a sentiment from Fresh Cut Florals, and Papertrey Ink's Headline Numbers dies.

I incorporated their wedding colors of raspberry and navy... some pink, and gold for their golden anniversary!

Some Nuvo drops and gold Liquid Pearls for a little elegant texture 💕!

Summer Florals Throwdown

This week at the Color Throwdown Challenge are some fresh and fun colors to use...red, pale yellow, and grey! I  chose to use WPlus9 Studio's "Southern Summer Florals" stamp set and dies

for my card...

Also used a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp, popped up some flowers, and added Nuvo Jewel Drops in Limoncello. The paper is from an older DCWV pad.

Hope YOU have a beautiful day, too!

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Let's Doodle

This week at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog, the challenge is Let's Doodle. We were to doodle, as little or as much as you liked! I'm not a very good artist, so I chose WPlus 9 Studio's "Doodle Buds" set to help myself out!

First, I stamped the flowers on watercolor paper, then colored them with watercolor pencils. I die cut the Brushed Rectangles die from Papertrey Ink, and used the negative as a stencil to trace an outline frame with a fine black Sharpie. Then, I stamped the doodle zigzags all along the edges to make the frame look more professionally doodled :)!

Before adhering the flowers, I added a background color wash inside the doodled frame.

I just ordered my first set of Nuvo Drops and they are so much fun! Went a little too crazy trying them out, I think. These are the Translucent Jewel Drops in Orange Marmalade, Limoncello, and Key Lime. What a fun challenge!

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Top 10 Favorites of 2017!

I had fun looking back at my blog for my favorite cards that I made from the year.
So here they are with a countdown from 10...

#10

Papertrey Ink's Petite Pots and Headline Alphabet 

#9

Papertrey Ink's Enclosed: Apple, Petite Places: School, and Headline Alphabet, Impression Obsession's Cover-A-Card Screen background

#8

Papertrey Ink's Still Life Summer, Plaid Builder, Ways to Say: Birthday

#7

Papertrey Ink's Tulip Time

#6

Magic Slider Card with Papertrey Ink's Believe set

#5

Papertrey Ink's Rustic Wreath, Holiday Folk Mini Kit, Bitty Background Squares, Winter Village

#4

Papertrey Ink's Shaker and Sprinkles Kit, Sparkle & Shine 

#3

Reverse Confetti's Fall for You 

#2

Betsy Veldman's Fan Brush Watercolor Tree tutorial and Winter Village sentiment

and #1 from way back in January, 2017!

WPlus9 Studio's Freehand Florals, Concord & 9th's Sophisticated Script, 

Cornish Heritage Farm's Perfect Plaid Backgrounder

So there you have it!  Makes me want to stamp all over again :)!  

Here's to a very stampy 2018!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Fusion Challenge: Red Christmas

An absolutely stunning inspiration photo at the Fusion Card Challenge Blog this week!  It's called Red Christmas, and makes me want to go out and buy a white pitcher and some babies breath and berries :)!!

I ended up making two cards for the challenge...

This is actually my second card, because my first wasn't doing it for me with the color scheme I chose.  For this one, I went with a warmer look, like the photo...

I used WPlus9 Studio's "Very Merry" set and berries from Fresh Cut Florals.  Used PTI's Picnic Plaid Impression plate, too.  Glitter, red and white Liquid Pearls, and Glossy Accents dotted all over on both cards!

My first card uses the same stamp sets, but I went for more of a bold, chalkboard look (thought there had to be a chalkboard sign in that quaint kitchen someplace)! The woodgrain impression plate is from A Muse Studio.  Some white pencil accents around the sentiment to make it look chalk-y :)!

Back to work tomorrow, but hoping I get to keep playing along with all of these awesome holiday challenges, my favorite time of year to stamp!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A little time to play along with the Color Throwdown today, and I found the perfect inspiration for these colors...

This Thanksgiving Blend K-cup box from Starbucks!

I used WPlus9's Freehand Florals, and a sentiment from PTI's First Fruits...

Used the Mix & Mat: Berry Boughs die to frame the sentiment, embossed it in gold, and added some gold pine boughs cut with an Elizabeth Craft Designs die.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Brown Paper Packages Sketch

A little stamping time this evening, it's been so long!  Tried this week's fun sketch by Karren at Freshly Made Sketches...

I used PTI's Quoted: Favorite Things mini stamp set , and berries from WPlus9's Fresh Cut Florals, a branch die from Memory Box, and a pine bough die from Elizabeth Craft Designs cut in white.

The lighting was not the best since I made it at night!  Embossed that awesome sentiment!  Added some Glossy Accents to the little red heart, and some 4mm clear sequins, and Martha Stewart clear coarse glitter, on and around the branches for some sparkle!  I think I am reserving Tuesday for a stamp-a-thon...school will be done for me, but my girls still have one more day, hee!

Her color is lilac...

I had a friend ask me to make me a wedding card and a gift certificate for a bed & breakfast.  I always get so nervous when I have to make something specific!  She told me to make anything, but I was still anxious.  So I asked what the wedding colors were, and she just said "Lilac...I think!"

WPlus9's Fresh Cut Florals ALWAYS works and is loved by recipients and stampers alike!  So here is what I came up with...

I embossed a piece of PTI's Linen cardstock with the Woodgrain impression plate, then cut a stitched circle with SSS dies.  I stamped and die cut flowers from Fresh Cut Florals and one teeny one from (the yellow) from More Fresh Cuts.  I layered them over a circle that I sponged with Tumbled Glass Distress ink, and splattered with some aqua and black acryllic paint mixed with water.

I used PTI's envelope die and a scalloped die and sentiments from Gift Card It from Waltzingmouse Stamps to make a coordinating certificate set. It took me forever because I was worried about smudges and mistakes, but luckily my friend loved it all!

Easter Challenge

At the Fusion Card Challenge, it's all about Easter and I was really inspired by this gorgeous photo!

I used A Good Egg by Claire Brennan to start my card...

I placed the egg over some white cardstock embossed with PTI's Woodgrain Impression plate, and some lovely Chicken Scratch gingham paper, too!

I have started quite a collection of mini stamped flowers with coordinating dies!  I can't seem to get enough of them!  This card has flowers and leaves from PTI's Bloom & Grow and Petite Pots, WPlus9's Fresh Cut Florals, and Simon Says Stamps' Artsy Flower Parts.

Loving the spring sunshine today here in upstate NY :)!

Pear Wreath

The Color Throwdown colors this week are black, a mustard yellow, and a pretty blue!

As soon as I saw the yellow, it made me think of a pear...so I chose the Woodland Wreaths set from Wplus9...

I also used a text background from Penny Black and a sentiment from PTI's  O' Tannenbaum set.  Such a fun color scheme to try with my Christmas stamps!

Bouquet Throw...down!

The colors at the Color Throwdown Challenge this week were so pretty, just had to play....olive green, hot pink, and black!

I got a new stamp set, my first from Concord & 9th, and it's so much fun!  It's called Sophisticated Script.  I got the bundle with both the upper and lowercase sets because I love the look of hand-lettering on tags, and my handwriting is not pretty like that!  I thought it would be perfect to try out with Freehand Florals from WPlus9 ...

I added a background using an old 6x6 backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms called "Perfect Plaid."  Unfortunately, I made some smudges on my floral piece because of all of the black, so my bouquet got bigger, and bigger, and wider to cover them up!

 Inspiring colors to warm our chilly hearts this weekend...it's seems to be cold everywhere, although not as snowy here in Rochester as it is for about everyone else around us (and in the nation)! :)

Fusion Card Challenge's 3rd Anniversary!

I was delighted to be asked by my talented stamping friend Michelle Leone to join in Fusion Card Challenge's 3rd Anniversary celebration!  Just look at this inspiration photo and sketch, so gorgeous!

I chose this sweet Stampin' Up mug from "Cup of Cheer" for my card...

I was inspired by the gorgeous photo and some elements of the sketch.  I included a Nordic print stripe from Claire Brennan's Nordic Winter set (that I believe is now for sale at GinaK Designs), a circle stencil from Heidi Swapp with texture paste for the snow, and little leaves and berries from WPlus9's "Be Merry" set.  I cut a tree branch from grey woodgrain paper using a Memory Box die, and added some pine branch die cuts colored with Copics and glittered up with Crystal Snow.

I can't wait to see what the DT members came up with, and to watch the gallery fill up with gorgeous winter creations!  Thanks again to sweet Michelle, and a big congratulations to the Fusion team for creating a challenge blog that ALWAYS inspires!

Extra Hour to Stamp!

With an extra hour to stamp, I got quite a bit accomplished ;)!

Another set of snowman tags using the Sizzix Framelits Snowman and Tag set from Simon Says Stamp.  The first also uses WPlus9's Be Merry stamp set and banner die.

This one also includes a "joy" die from Carta Bella, also from SSS.

This was my attempt at watercoloring and also this week's sketch at Freshly Made Sketches...except I forgot to include a center panel.  Decided to post it here anyway.  Uses the beautiful WPlus9 set "Be Merry" again.

Merry Throwdown

Got to participate in the fun Color Throwdown Challenge this weekend.  Loved this week's color scheme of Cranberry, Dark Teal, Peach, and Kraft.  Decided to use WPlus9's "Be Merry" set again...

Eek, my bigger bottom flowers are a little more poppy than cranberry in this photo :)!  The plaid backgrounder is an oldie from Cornish Heritage Farms.  Added some Stickles, Wink of Stella Pen, and some Glossy Accents to finish.  It's fun trying these "fall" color schemes on Christmas cards!