grateful for all you do...

 Hello!  Popping in on this cold, but sunny day to share a card that I made for the current JUGs challenge, as well as the Pinkfresh Studio monthly challenge.  I haven't participated in a PFS challenge in a very long time.  The challenge is year in review and so I went with April:  Flower Frenzy and May: Frame it Up.  The JUGs challenge is stenciling.  The SSS Wednesday challenge is also stenciling so I will add it to that gallery, too.  Let's have a look at what I created.

Back at the beginning of January, PFS had a weekly special of buy the die set For Never Give Up and get the stamp or press plate and stencil set free.  I couldn't resist especially since the image is so pretty and who wouldn't like buying one product and getting two more in the process!  I used PFS inks in Coral Reef, Passionfruit, Berrylious and Grassy Knoll to stencil the image.    After diecutting the image and the sentiment I pulled out the PFS Dotted Fancy Frames and Folk Edge Rectangles to create my backgound.  I used some light coral cardstock to die cut the thin frame using two of the Dotted Fancy Frames together and then glued it to the white base layer.  Since I'm in my "no dimension era" I glued everything flat to my card base.

Well, that's it for me.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Snowflakes and hearts!

 Hello, hello!  I'm popping in today with two cards that I made using beautiful papers from Your Paper Insider Box 14!   Your Paper Insider contacted me through Instagram and asked if I was interested in creating with one of their boxes.  Of course I said yes!  Who wouldn't want to play with pretty cardstock and specialty papers?!?  The cardstock and specialty papers came beautifully wrapped in teal tissue paper and included a little sheet that shares information on some of the specialty papers and provides a list of everything in the box.  Boxes arrive 4 times a year (January, April, July and October) and cost just $29.95!  Shipping is included, too!  I think that is an amazing deal.  

The cards I made today will be heading to several different challenges:  Sunday Stamps (sketch), Color Hues (blue and white) and Inspired By challenge (I was inspired by the sketch).  The first card also works for the Paper Players clean and simple winter card challenge.  Let's have a look at what I made with some of the papers.

This card was made with shades of blue.  Specifically, Sapphire Colorplan cardstock, Baby Blue Thai Unryu (mulberry paper) and Blue Moon Cocktail.   I die cut the large center snowflake from the Blue Moon Cocktail.  It has this pretty subtle sparkle to it and is so pretty!  The smaller snowflakes were die cut from Sapphire Colorplan.  I cut a strip of the Baby Blue Thai Unryu and then used my wet fingers to pull off small pieces to give the strip that wispy look.  I do admit that I was worried that the strip would be too light, but it looks so pretty against the white cardstock.  I also like how it provides a nice softness to the overall design.   The sentiment is one that I hot foiled ages ago and I believe it is from Pinkfresh Studios, but I'm not sure.

Here is a shot of the two cardstocks and Thai Unryu paper I used along with the dies.  This card will be going to Sunday Stamps and Color Hues. 

 This card will be going to Inspired by Challenge and as stated above I used the sketch for my inspiration.  I used all speciality papers from the box for the main elements on the card.  The white cardstock used in both cards is what I purchased from PaperTrey Ink.   The papers I used are Magenta Thai Unryu, Magenta Non-Shed glitter and Light Pink Non-shed glitter.   I used two heart dies to cut the hearts from the glitter papers and then layered them using a thin foam square.  I trimmed down the Magenta Thai Unryu and used the same process I used on the Baby Blue Thai Unryu to create the wispy look.  I embossed white cardstock with a puffy hearts embossing folder, layered on the Thai Unryu paper and the hearts.  I finished with the little sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp Locket of Love stamp set.  Going to add this one to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to use embossing.

This is a photo of the specialty papers I used for the second card.

Well, that's it for me!  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Valentines and Christmas

 Hello! Back with the final projects that I made with products from the Simon Says Stamp Heart to Heart release, as well as a Christmas card that I made.  The Christmas card will be heading off to Freshly Made Sketches, Just Us Girls (mood board - I went with some of the colors found in the mood board and pine, as in pinecone!) and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.  Let's look at the Christmas card first.

Back in the fall I purchased the Simon Says Stamp Layering Pinecone stencil and die set and had wanted to make something with it, but once, again, never got around to it.  The products were still on my desk and so I was determined to use them.  As you can see the pinecone is quite large and so perfect for the oval element on the FMS sketch.  I used Pinkfresh Studio brown inks to stencil the pinecone.  There are four layers to the stencil.  After stenciling all the layers with the brown inks, I cleaned the stencils and then used the 4th layer to add matte texture paste, removed the stencil and covered the texture paste with Rock Candy glitter.   I love the frosty look it adds to the pinecone.  I used some Simple Stories winter patterned paper for the background that I embossed with the SSS Stars and Snow embossing folder.  That was adhered to a kraft cardstock base.  I trimmed down another piece of Simple Stories patterned paper and adhered that to the card front.  The pinecone was layered on along with the twine bow and sentiment that I hot foiled several years ago.   

For my tag I used the pretty Locket of Love stamp set.  I stamped the locket and bow images on watercolor cardstock and then watercolored them with Daniel Smith watercolors.  The tag was also die cut from watercolor paper and then I added a wash of gray to the tag.  Once the images were dry I fussy cut them out.  I finished the heart with one of the hearts from the Flourish Heart Trio die set that I added a wash of pink to.  The sentiment was stamped and then fussy cut, as well.  Everything was layered on the tag along with a small white paper doily.  The tag is small enough that it could fit on a card front if I decide to do that. 

This card and a second one were made with the Sassy Sally stamp set.  I also used a stencil set that matches the Locket of Love set to create the heart my little kitty sits on.   I stamped the image on watercolor cardstock and then watercolored it with Daniel Smith watercolors.  When dry fussy cut it out.   Stenciled the heart using Spun Sugar distress oxide ink and then die cut the panel.  Figured out where I wanted the image and sentiment to be and then stamped the sentiment.  

Card number two was made in the same way as card number one, just used a different image and sentiment.  These little valentines will be heading off to two of my great nieces.  Just have to figure out a card for my other great niece and my great nephew.  

Well, that is it for me.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Simon Says Stamp Heart to Heart Release!

 Hello, hello!  The new Simon Says Stamp release called Heart to Heart is now available on the Simon Says Stamp blog.   Simon Says Stamp was so generous and sent me several products to create with.  Today I'm sharing two of those projects.   Let's have a look.

My first card uses a sweet little die set called Flourish Heart Trio and a sentiment from the Locket of Love stamp set.  I used an older SSS background stamp called Heart to Heart for the background.  I used VersaMark watermark ink to get the tone on tone look for the background.  The hearts were die cut from an off white cardstock and then inked up with Lumberjack Plain distress oxide ink.   After inking them up I adhered them to a SSS tag die cut from the same off white cardstock I used for the hearts.   I added the tag to the background with foam tape and then added the sentiment and little twine bow.   Going to add this to the Die Cut Divas challenge of something new since the hearts are new.

For this card I used the new Warm Thought die set, a heart from the Flourish Heart Trio and  Snow & Stars embossing folder.  I used a light blue patterned paper with a white splatter on it for an even frostier look.   I used a light blue cardstock for the die cut sentiment, subsentiment and little heart.  Simple, but impactful I think.  Going to send this one off to this week's JUGs challenge.  It is word week and the word is encouragement.  I think this card is encouraging.   

That's it for me.  I will be back with the other projects I made in a few days.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

snow happy...

 Hello, again!  Can't believe I'm back sharing another card, lol!  Guess my "dry spell" is over... ha ha!  Today I have a card for the current Sunday Stamps challenge and a new to me challenge:  Inspired By.  My bloggy friend Lisa shared a cute card she made for the Inspired By challenge and it inspired me to play along!  Let's see what I made.

The die set that I used to create my little snowman face was the DieCember 2024 die set that you got for free with a purchase of $30 of Tim Holtz products.  I had waited until later in the month of December 2024 to make my purchase so I didn't get the set until after Christmas.   I set the die set aside and promptly forgot about it.  Please tell me I'm not the only one who does that.  Throughout 2025 I found the set, looked at it and then put it back.    When I saw the Sunday Stamps sketch challenge I thought of the snowman face in the set and knew I wanted to combine it with some of the snowflake dies that I have.  I absolutely love how this card turned out!  To keep the snowflake theme going I added a panel that I embossed with the snowflake embossing folder.  Finished with a snow themed sentiment from a Simon Says Stamp set that I got a few years ago.  

Well, that's it for me.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

make a wish

 Hello and happy new year!  Popping in to share a card that I made for a few challenges.  It feels like I haven't made a card in ages.  I have just can't share them just yet.  Stay tuned for Thursday, January 8th when a new release from Simon Says Stamp drops!  Today's card is for Color Hues (red and gray), Just Us Girls (use a cover plate die) and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to add a sentiment.  Let's have a look at what I created.

For my card I used PaperTrey Ink's Stitched Snowflakes cover plate die with Memory Box woodgrain cardstock.  I love the subtle look of the woodgrain texture with the snowflake pattern.  I die cut the Birch Press Design Block Print Perched Bird from gray cardstock and then blended on Lumberjack Plaid distress oxide ink.  Once the inking was done I adhered my little bird together.  I then die cut the Birch Press Design Simple Pine Needles from additional woodgrain cardstock and lightly blended on some Lumberjack Plaid.  I adhered everything to the panel and then decided to add some Rock Candy glitter.  It is hard to see in the photo.  Super gloomy day here in the PNW and so my picture isn't that great.  The sentiment is from the new Birch Press Design Plain and Simple Birthday Greetings stamp set. 

Well, that's it for me.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!