a shamrock and a peony...

 Hello!  Hope your week is off to a good start!  We have had a little bit of snow here in my corner of the Pacific Northwest.  The weather report actually calls for rain, but it is cold enough that the rain is coming down as snow!  Won't be sticking around, tho... thankfully!  I have two more cards to share.  I have been in a crafting mood lately and finally participated in a couple of challenges that I always want to take on, but mostly never seem to get the chance to do.  First up is a card for the current Inspired By challenge.   I have a couple of rainbow dies from MFT and used one that is sort of wonky to create my rainbow.  I die cut green glitter cardstock and gold mirror cardstock then alternated the two for my rainbow.  I die cut scrap white cardstock three more times with the die and adhered those to my top pieces to create a nice sturdy rainbow.   I die cut three small hearts using the AJVD Stitched Dot Hearts die set from green glitter cardstock to create my shamrock and the stem from the gold mirror cardstock.  I adhered the rainbow  to a panel of white cardstock and then added the shamrock.  I couldn't find one sentiment in my large collection of stamps that had anything to do with luck!  So I ended up using this lovely verse that is part of a sympathy stamp set from AJVD.  Originally I stamped it in green directly on my panel under the rainbow, but it wasn't straight!  I didn't like the look of the green so I when I restamped it on my banner I used watermark ink and embossed it in gold.  I like that much better!  Also sending this off to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to use green.

This next card is for the MFT sketch challenge.  I always want to play along with that challenge because I love a good sketch, but never seem to find the time.  I did this weekend... yay!    I pulled out the MFT Peony Perfection stamp as it is perfect fot the sketch and I had never used it!   I love floral images, but get a little intimidated by how complex they can be.  I never know if I'm putting the shadow in the right place, but I decided that I just needed to get over that and color things how I think they should be and so I did!  I used my ZIG Clean Color Real Brush markers for the coloring as well as a couple of Polychromos color pencils.  I stamped the image using VersaFine CLAIR Acorn ink on smooth bristol cardstock and started coloring.  Once the coloring was done I trimmed out the flower.  That was a trick, but I got it done!  I used the MFT Rectangle Extraordinaire to create the element across the card.  I blended on distress oxide in Tumbled Glass.  Going heavy on the top and fading down to the bottom.  I then die cut the panel with a rectangle die.  I adhered the flower in the center and then stamped the sentiment (from Simon Says Stamp) in Tumbled Glass distress oxide underneath.  I also discovered that apparently I do not own any stamps that actually say Happy Easter!  So funny!  Anywhoo.... I finished off the card with lots of sparkling clear sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

foiled cards...

And I didn't use my Glimmer foil system!  I think about 2 years ago I purchased a Simon Says Stamp monthly card kit that included some Gina K. Designs Foil Mates sheets.  They were fall inspired and exclusive to the Simon Says Stamp card kit so there is not information about them.  At the time I did not have anyway of foiling the images (that I didn't know about) so I set them and the foil sheets I received aside for a later date.  Finally about a year ago I decided that I needed to figure out how to foil the sheets and make something with them.  So I got on the internet and started searching and found a couple of blog posts (don't remember the blogs... sorry!) and learned that it is possible to use an iron to do the foiling.  I gave it a try and it worked!   It wasn't easy to foil using the iron, but the end result was actually pretty darn good.  Once I was done I die cut each of them with a rectangle die and then promptly set them aside!   Recently I was going through my little box of scrap pieces and found them, again.  This time I was determined to turn them into cards and I did with two of the pieces.  Before turning them into cards I decided to color the images as I had seen someone else coloring foiled images.  I think that person (I'm not sure who it was) used Copic markers, but I decided to use color pencils to be on the safe side.   The first card is this pretty daisy like image and sentiment that I foiled using a deep red foil that was in the card kit.  I used two shades of red Polychromos pencils to color the flowers and then added a little bit of shadow with a dark brown.  The leaves were colored with just one shade of red.  I adhered the panel to a dark red cardstock base.  I'm going to add this one to the September Gina K. monthly mix challenge.   Here is a close up of the foiling.

With the second card I was able to use three different colors of foil to foil the falling leaves and then an foil with a fun pattern to foil the sentiment.  I colored the leaves using the some of the colors from the current Color Throwdown.  To bring in the brown from the combo I mounted the panel on a dark brown card base.   The top and bottom leaves were colored with several different Polychromos colored pencils to create the color blends.   I did this so that one leaf was more yellow in color and the other was more orange in color, but still a blend of the two colors.  I think they turned out pretty well.  The middle leaf was obviously colored red (same colors of pencils that I used on the daisy image.  I'm also including a close up of the foiling.   While it was fun learning that you can foil with an iron I'm glad that I now have a laminator that I can use to foil should I get additional Gina K. foil mates sheets.   May enter this one in the monthly mix challenge, too.

I hope my cards inspire you to try an unconventional approach to your crafting!  Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

guesting at color throwdown!

Hey there!  Super excited to be guesting at one of my very favorite challenges:  Color Throwdown!  I love me a good color challenge and CTD has been the top color challenge out there for 601 challenges!   For my card today I used a lovely image from the Pinkfresh Studio Hanging Florals stamp set.  I decided that I wanted to use the image to create a wreath.  I stamped the image on smooth bristol cardstock with VersaFine CLAIR ink twice and let them dry.   After I had colored each image and cut one out with the matching die I realized that I should have die cut my pieces first and then stamped them.  I ended up ruining one of the colored images and had to start over.  Live and learn, right?   The images were colored with my ZIG markers and Polychromos color pencils.  I trimmed off the ends of the image that I did not need and then arranged the pieces on my die cut panel.   I used a sentiment from the Pinkfresh Studio Believe in Yourself stamp set and heat embossed it in black on vellum.  The vellum was trimmed into a strip and wrapped around the panel.   I'm also going to add this to the July Pinkfresh Studio inspiration challenge.  The challenge this month is summer and I think my brightly colored wreath just says summer!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Simon Says Stamp Crafty Hugs Release!

Hey everyone!Says Stamp new release called Crafty Hugs is live in the SSS store.  There are tons of fun new items and I already have my eye on a couple of them, lol!   Just click here to be taken directly to this new release (This is not an affiliate link.)   As with past Simon Says Stamp releas tes I have been fortunate to receive a new product to create with.  Simon Says Stamp generously provided me with the stamp set called Work of the Heart.  This set is jam packed full of medicalhemed images and also has a matching die set.  I made three cards and decided to focus more on the small images that come with the set.  The first card was created with the little clipboard image and the sentiments 'your kindness is off the charts' and 'thank you'.  I started by determining how many clipboards I wanted in each row and found that three worked perfectly.  I then stamped three rows of clipboards with Memento Tuxed  Simon o black ink and colored them very simply with Copic markers.  I then die cut the panel with a rectangle die.  The sentiment was stamped on vellum using VersaMark watermark ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder.  I spent a lot of time trying to get the larger sentiment centered and thought I had the smaller sentiment centered, as well, but after I did the embossing I realized that it wasn't quite centered.   Just one of those things that happens, right?  

The second card is my favorite.  There is a cute little sentiment that says 'thanks for patching me up' and it goes perfectly with the little teddy bear that has it's arm in a sling and a bandage on it's head.  I stamped the teddy in VersaFine Clair Acorn ink on smooth Bristol cardstock and then colored him with ZIG markers.  Again, the coloring was very simple.  I trimmed him out once he was dry.  I used the Thanks die that came in a previous Simon Says Stamp monthly kit that I had purchased.  I don't remember what month.  I had made something using the die and other supplies from the kit.  I thought I had put the die back in the box with all the other supplies, but when I went to get it out it was gone!  For several months I looked for it in vain and then one day last week I picked up a couple of SSS stamp set and there it was!  It came in a little plastic bag and I think that it got struck to the stamp sets!  Anyway... I die cut it from the Bristol cardstock and then colored it in an ombre fashion with the same brown markers I used to color the bear.  I die cut a few additional thanks from scrap paper and stacked them all together.  I centered the thanks on a white cardstock panel and then stamped the secondary sentiment underneath.  The bear was adhered on top of the thanks using foam dimensionals.  I'm going to add this one to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.

The final card was created base off of the sentiment 'caring is a work of the heart' and the stethoscope image from the set that has a heart in it.  Using some scrap paper I determined how I was going to stamp the stethoscope and what little add in images I would use.  I decided on one of the little hearts and the little cross image with a heart in the center.  I placed my cardstock panel in my stamping tool, positioned the stethoscope, stamped it with VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink and then turned it so that the opposite corner could be stamped in the same way.  I then repositioned the stethoscope and stamped the remaining corners in the same way.  I used a small acrylic block to stamp the hearts and crosses  I colored everything with color pencils.  The stethoscopes were colored with a dark pink Polychromos pencil because I discovered that you can get a stethoscope in just about any color you want... including dark pink!   After everything was colored I added Glossy Accents to the hearts and crosses.  I let everything dry and then figured out how I was going to stamp the sentiment.  I finally settled on using the heart from the Deco Heart die set.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink on red cardstock, die cut it and adhered it to the panel with foam dimensionals.

I had a lot of fun working with this stamp set.  I hope you enjoy my cards and thanks for stopping by!

two cards... one image...

Hello!  Well I seem to be in a cardmaking lately!  I'm trying to use all of the stam

ps and dies that I purchased in November and December.   Today is the day to share two cards that I made using one image.  In either November or December I purchased the beautiful My Favorite Things Floral Focus stamp and die set.  This set consists of a large floral image and different words that can be put together to create sentiments.  The die is one large die that cuts the entire image.  However, the way the image was design there is a way to cut the image apart thus creating two separate pieces.  I stamped the image on watercolor paper and then stamped the image using VersaFine CLAIR Morning Mist ink.  I watercolored the image using my Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors in the MFT color challenge combo.  I'm really fascinated with using gray to color images and even though I had already created a card using that color combo I really wanted to use it again.  Once the image was dry I added some additional color with my Polychromos color pencils and I then carefully die cut it.  The die is solid and so I had to die cut it first from scrap paper to create a template, arrange the template over the stamped image, fit the die into place and then run it through my die cutter.  It took a little bit of patience to do that, but it worked like a charm. I cut the piece apart and then I created my first card using the layout from CAS(E) this Sketch.  I will also be posting this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge and the MFT color challenge.

The second card uses the layout from Mojo Monday.  I'm going to try to play along with Mojo Monday more often this year.  We will see how it goes.  I left the ribbon element off my card for a more clean and simple design.  Going to post this one to Simon Says Stamp, as well.  No need to explain the process as I already did that for the first card! With this card you can see more of my coloring as on the first card I partially covered that up with my sentiment strip.  I must say that  even though I had to cut the image into two separate pieces I'm really pleased with how well my coloring turned out.  I have been watching lots of videos on watercoloring and learning lots.  Now I have to put it into practice!  I'm looking forward to coloring this image again and using the full image on one card!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

magnolia thanks...

Hello!  Hope your week is off to a great start.  I have a card to share that I made with a gorgeous stamp and die set from Stampin Up!  When I saw the Good Morning Magnolia stamp set and the matching Magnolia Memories die set in the Stampin Up! catalog I knew I had to get it.  I finally made it mine in December!   I will be posting this card to the following challenges:  Sunday Stamps (a gorgeous neutral palette that I have been dying to use!), CAS(E) this Sketch, the Paper Players and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.  The challenge at the Paper Players is to use something new, as is the challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.   So obviously the stamps and dies are my something new.  I stamped the flowers in VersaFine CLAIR Morning Mist, did some simple coloring with my Polychromos pencils in shades of gray and then die cut them with the matching dies.  The sentiment is also from the set and was stamped on vellum with VersaMark watermark ink and heat embossed with WOW! embossing powder in black.   The large flower was adhered to dark gray cardstock that I die cut with a rectangle die.  The sentiment was trimmed down and adhered over the top of the flower.  I added the smaller flower and some sparkling clear sequins from Pretty Pink Posh.   Super happy with how it turned out.

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope you have a wonderful week!

flowers and leaves...

I have been pretty busy lately making cards.  Not sure what happened other than maybe I got some inspiration because normally I only make about two cards per week.  In the last two weeks I have made about 10 cards and a lot of them have involved coloring.  More specifically watercoloring.  Today I have another card that I created using the beautiful MFT Fresh Cut Flowers background stamp (which is on sale right now for 20% off).  I did some practicing of my no line watercoloring and while there were a couple of areas that didn't go so well overall I'm pleased with how the image turned out.  I used the layout from Freshly Made Sketches for my card so I will be posting it there.  I stamped the image on Canson watercolor paper using Antique Linen distress ink and then colored the smaller flowers with Worn Lipstick distress ink and the bigger flowers with Festive Berries distress ink.   The leaves were colored with a combination of Mowed Lawn and Peeled Paint distress inks. When I was done I did try to add a little bit more shadow using Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils on just the flowers.  I used a red and a pink for this.  I die cut the image with a rectangle die and then foam mounted it on a light gray cardstock base.  The sentiment is from an older MFT set called Amazing.  I heat embossed it in white on vellum and then die cut it with the MFT Slanted Sentiment Strips die (these are no longer available as a two die set like I have, but you can get them in a set of 3 dies set.).  I adhered that with Nuvo Deluxe adhesive to the card front.  When I saw the new Time Out challenge I thought this card would work so I will be posting it there.

The second card is all about die cutting.  When I originally started the first card I had thought I would die cut the large Thank You word die that I had gotten from MFT from the center of the flower, but after spending all that time coloring the image (I worked on it when I had a free moment so it took two days!) I decided that I didn't want to die cut it after all.  But I still wanted to use that die as I had never used it before.  So I went the patterned paper route and pulled out the pretty Fall Market pad from Carta Bell.  I did the inlaid die cutting technique for this card using two different patterns from the pad.  Once I had that done I thought the card needed something more so I added the little leaves that I die cut from the scraps using the AJVD Leaves and Petal die set.   I'm posting this to this week's Paper Players challenge to make the sentiment the focus of your card, but now with the leaves I'm wondering if it distracts too much from the sentiment.  You be the judge.  I'm also going to add it to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to use fall colors.  Die cutting done with my Gemini Jr. and my Big Shot Plus.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!  Compensated affiliate links used where possible at no cost to you.  

Happy Stamptember!!

Hello everyone and welcome to the Simon Says Stamp Stamptember 2019 blog celebration!  This isn't a traditional blog hop, but an opportunity for you to find lots and lots of inspiration and ways to use all of the newly released Stamptember products.  The complete list of all participants can be found on the Simon Says Stamp blog.   Each blog will also be offering a special code that you can use to get something fun from Simon Says Stamp!  The code is found in the banner on my blog and only good until August 34rd at 11:59 pm EDT so make sure you place your order by then if you want the free item!  Simon sent me the School Days Grow stamp set to create with and I just fell in love with the sweet little flower images in the set.  They have tiny faces.... so cute!!

My first card uses those sweet little flowers for a clean and simple design based on the sketch from Fab Friday so I will be posting my card there, as well as with the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.  I stamped the flowers in a row using VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne ink and then colored them very simply with Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils using the colors from Color Throwdown.  I think there is just enough time for me to add my card to their gallery, as well.   I then trimmed down my panel to fit my cardstock base.  I stamped the sentiment on SSS fog cardstock with VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne ink and then trimmed it down.  The polka dot strip is some patterned paper from Moda Scrap that came in a Simon Says Stamp card kit that I purchased several months ago (apologies, but I don't remember which month!).  I layered those on per the sketch and then added the little twine bow.  The panel was then adhered with foam dimensionals to the cardstock base.   Super clean and simple!

The second card is also pretty clean and simple.  This time I used another piece of Moda Scrap patterned paper (all the papers were just so beautiful and made creating my cards so easy!) that I trimmed down and die cut with the SSS Flower Cluster die. I have had the Flower Cluster die for quite sometime, but this is the first time I have used it!    I adhered the die cut patterned paper to a light pink cardstock base and stamped the sentiment using Memento Bamboo ink.   The flower cluster was die cut two more times from white cardstock, all the little bits removed and then placed back inside the negative space finishing with the patterned paper die cut on top.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Please make sure to check out all the blogs participating in this celebration and pick up some of the newly released products.  You can find all of them here.

Supplies:  Card #1:  Cardstock:  MFT white, SSS fog; Patterned paper:  Moda Scrap; Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp; Inks:  VersaFine CLAIR; Coloring medium:  Faber-Castell Polychromos color pencils

Card #2:  Cardstock:  Reverse Confetti pink; Patterned paper:  Moda Scrap; Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp; Die:  Simon Says Stamp; Ink: Memento Bamboo

i just miss you...

Hey there!  Hope your September is off to a good start.   I'm popping in with a card that I made today.  I actually stamped and colored earlier last week, but never had a chance to turn into a card.  When I saw that the new Flower challenge is an anything goes challenge I thought I would finally turned the image I colored into a card and enter their challenge.   The image I used is from a limited edition stamp set from Stampin Up! called Blended Seasons and I stamped it in VersaFine CLAIR Morning Mist ink on light gray cardstock.  I then colored the image with my polychromos color pencils and then added the sentiment using the same gray ink.  I simply die cut the image with the largest AJVD Stitched Dot rectangle die and then adhered it to a white cardstock base.  I will be adding this to the Flower challenge, as well as to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to use stamping on your card.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  MFT white, SSS fog; Stamps:  Stampin Up!; Dies:  A Jillian Vance Design; Ink:  VersaFine CLAIR Morning Mist; Color medium:  Faber-Castell Polychromos color pencils