wednesday with ajvd...

Hey there!!  Happy last day of February!!  I have a post up on the AJVD blog today.  Here is a little peek of my card:

Hope you head over to the AJVD blog for a look and to let me know what you think!  Have a wonderful day!!

february pti blog hop...

Hey there!!  Wow... it seems like forever since I last posted, but it has only been a few days!  I have been making things, but nothing I could share yet.  In between those projects I did manage to make something for the PTI blog hop.  I don't have any of the newer PTI releases, but when I saw the inspiration photo I zeroed in on the little jars of flower that sort of look like lily of the valley.  I have PTI's Year of Flowers:  Lily of the Valley so I got that out along with an the Notched Banner:  Hearts die set to create my card.   I die cut the lily of the valley and then stamped it using my mini MISTI using VersaFine Smoky Gray ink.  I then colored the flowers with a light pink Prisma pencil and the leaves with two green Prisma pencils.  I die cut the banners from PTI's Spring Moss and white cardstock to layer them together.  I die cut a white cardstock panel and adhered it to a Spring Moss cardstock base.   Then I layered on the banner and the flower.  The sentiment was stamped on PTI vellum with VersaMark and heat embossed in white.  I trimmed it down and adhered it.  Finished things off with some little pink heart shaped enamel dots.  I used the current layout from Freshly Made Sketches so I will be posting my card there, as well.

Have a wonderful day and happy hopping!!

Supplies:   Cardstock:  PTI Spring Moss and vellum, MFT white; Stamps:   PTI ; Dies:  PTI and AJVD; Inks:  VersaFine and VersaMark; Embossing powder:  Hero Arts; Enamel hearts; Prisma color pencils  

wednesday with ajvd...

Hello there!!  Hope you are having a lovely week!  Stopping in because it is Wednesday and that means I have a post up on the AJVD blog.  Here is a little peek:

I hope you will head over to the AJVD blog for a look and to let me know what you think!! Have a great day!!

penny black brushstroke stamps...

Hello from some what snowy western Washington!!  We have been having snow showers over the last few days, but thankfully most of it hasn't stuck in my area!  My son is a little bummed, but he will get over it, lol!  On Monday morning an email from Penny Black Stamps landed in my inbox.  I opened it to discover that it contained a video on how to stamp with Penny Black's fabulous brushstroke stamps by the amazingly talented Jill Foster.  She constantly leaves me in awe with the magic she works with Penny Black stamps.  I watched the video not once, but twice and then in the afternoon when I had some time created this card using her technique.  My sweet friend, Greta, had gifted me with this beautiful Penny Black brushstroke stamp called effulgent almost a year ago and while I have played around with it a bit I just couldn't see to make it come to life... that is until I watched Jill's video!!  This was my first attempt with the technique and since I didn't get the stamp in the original packaging I didn't realize that some areas should be green, but I really like how it turned out so I made it into a card to share!  I think I will add this to the current Stamp Ink Paper challenge of cardmaker's choice.   To do the layered stamping I used Memento markers Angel Pink and Rose Bud, Ranger distress marker Gathered Twigs and Stampin Up! marker Early Espresso.  You can't tell in the photo, but after I die cut the piece I did some ink blending around the edges using Old Paper distress ink.

I was excited to try the technique again so after I got my kiddo off to school this morning I pulled out another PB brushstroke stamp called Berry Bramble and got to work.  This is another stamp I have had for awhile, but had been unable to come up with something that I like when I tried stamping with it.  With Jill's technique I was finally able to make something I was happy with!!   This time I used Memento markers Rhubarb Stalk and Potter's Clay and Ranger's Gather Twig.  After finishing up the stamping I inked around the edges with Vintage Photo distress ink which doesn't really show up in the photo.  I added the embossed strip of red cardstock to make the berries pop a bit more.   I have a few more Penny Black brushstroke stamps that are going to get inked up using the same technique!!  Penny Black posted another video this morning that was just as fabulous.

Hope you have a wonderful day!!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI kraft, SU! red, Arches Hot Press watercolor paper; Stamps:  Penny Black; Inks:  Memento, Ranger, VersaFine, Stampin Up!; Embossing folder

if friends were flowers...

Hey there!  Hope you are having a lovely weekend!  I have another card to share today.  This one is for the February Altenew inspiration challenge.  Also going to add it to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.  I recently got the Altenew Peony Spray stamp and die set.  I just love peonies!  I have several plants growing in my yard and look forward to their beautiful blooms every year.  So... it just makes sense that I would want to have a few peony related stamp sets in my collection!  Using the Altenew inspiration photo I pulled out the lighter shade of pink and the green (although my green isn't that dark) as a starting point.  I stamped the peony on Canson watercolor paper using VersaFine Smoky Gray ink and then loosely colored the image with Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors.  When it was dry I die cut it with the matching die.  I watercolored a second piece of Canson watercolor paper with a light pink ZIG marker and when it was dry die cut it with the Altenew Watercolor Stripes cover die.   I stamped the sentiment using VersaFine Onyx Black and then popped the piece up on a light gray cardstock base.  I originally had the flower adhered flush with the die cut but didn't like it.  Thankfully I was able to remove it and add some foam dimensionals to the back.  It looks much better popped up.  Finished with some Pretty Pink Posh sparkling clear sequins.

Have a wonderful day!!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  SSS fog, Canson watercolor; Stamps and dies:  Altenew; Inks:  VersaFine; Watercolor medium:  Kuretake Gansai Tambi, ZIG clean color marker; Sequins:  Pretty Pink Posh

watercolor flowers...

Hey there!!  Popping in with a card to share.  This one is for the current Where Creativity Meets C9 challenge, Color Throwdown and Freshly Made Sketches.  I have been working on watercoloring, again.  Not sure if I'm improving much, but I'm having fun!!  I absolutely love the Concord & 9th Hello Lovely stamp set and just had to watercolor it for the WCMC9 challenge.  I have a couple of Daniel Smith dot palettes from Simon Says Stamp and I used those to watercolor all the flowers in the CTD colors.  The image was stamped using VersaFine Smoky Gray.  I seem to be using that ink a lot lately... I just love it!  When the image was dry I trimmed it down and then die cut the center flower using an AJVD Polka Dot circle backdrop die.   Because I wanted the watercoloring to show through I used vellum for the strip elements found in the FMS sketch.  I adhered the main panel flat to the cardstock base, added the vellum strips and then adhered the circle with foam dimensionals.  The sentiment was stamped in VersaFine Onyx Black.  I finished will some tiny Pretty Pink Posh sparkling clear sequins.   Also adding this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.

Have a wonderful day!!

Supplies:   Cardstock:  SSS fog, Canson watercolor paper; Stamps:  Concord & 9th; Ink:  VersaFine; Watercolor medium:  Daniel Smith; Sequins:  Pretty Pink Posh

yuletide greetings...

Hey there!!  Happy weekend!!  I have a card for the current Merry Monday Christmas challenge.  I also going to enter into the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to add die cut.  The last time I played along with Merry Monday the sweet gals there were kind enough to pick my card as the top card!  That really made my day so thank you ladies!!!  This week the challenge is to use a stencil and at first I didn't think I would play along, but then I remembered the Pine Bough stencil that came in the Simon Says Stamp Limited Edition holiday card kit.  I pulled it out and stenciled the image using Ranger Distress Oxide ink in Iced Spruce.  I cleaned off the stencil and then placed it back on slight off set and applied some Doodlebug glitter paste in silver to some of the image.  I let it dry and the trimmed it down.  The pine cones are dies from A Jillian Vance Design.  After cutting them I applied some more of the silver glitter paste.  The sentiment was stamped in VersaFine Smoky Gray.  The pine cones were adhered with Multi Medium Matte and then the panel was adhered to a kraft cardstock base. Super simple, but I have one more Christmas card made!!

Have a wonderful day!!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI kraft, MFT white; Stamps:  SSS Yuletide Holiday; Stencil:  SSS; Inks:  Ranger and VersaFine; Glitter paste:  Doodlebug; Dies:  A Jillian Vance Design

inspire me friday with prs...

Hey friends... happy Friday!!  I have a post up on the Precious Remembrance Shop blog today.  Here is a little peek:

I hope you will head over to the Precious Remembrance Shop blog for a look and to let me know what you think.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Hey there!!  Yep... it is Valentine's day and I do have a post up on the AJVD blog!  I'm sharing one last valentine.   Here is a little peek:

I hope you will hop over for a look and to let me know what you think!  Have a lovely Valentine's Day!!

two valentines

Hey friends!!  I have a couple of valentines to share with you.  They both have similar color combos, but that is where the similarity ends, lol!  First up is a card for the current MFT sketch and color challenges.   When I started making this card it wasn't my intention to make things hard for myself, but that is what ended up happening!! Originally I was going to just die cut the rectangles and adhere them to the card, but decided to make a shaker card instead.  So that involved trying to line everything up and die cut each individual rectangle.   In the end I think it turned out okay.  Then there is the heart.  I love the MFT Abstract Heart die, but rarely use it.  So I decided to use it for my card and keep all the little bits inside, but in a different color!  More work and lots of glue stuck everywhere later I finally got everything put together!   Oh well... sometimes that is just what happens when you are creating, right???   Going to add this to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge, as well.  The shaker mix is a combination of sequins from Pretty Pink Posh and Ellen Hutson.  The sentiment is from a now retired MFT set and unfortunately I don't know the name!

The second card is another entry for the current Color Throwdown, as well as for the current Where Creativity Meets C9 challenge to watercolor.   I just love the pineapple stamp from the C9 Pineapple Perfection stamp set and thought it would be interesting to watercolor it in the CTD combo of red, pink and gray.  After stamping the pineapple using VersaFine Smoky Gray on Canson watercolor paper I used my Faber-Castell (pinks and reds) and Derwent (gray) watercolor pencils to color the pineapple.  Once all the coloring was done I let the pineapple dry and then die cut it with the matching die.  I splattered some white woodgrain cardstock with pink and red watercolors using my Kuretake Gansai Tambi paints.  When that was dry I die cut it with an AJVD stitched dot rectangle die.  The sentiment was created using the C9 Layers of Love stamp set.  I stamped the words on light gray cardstock in VersaFine Onyx Black, trimmed them out adhered them and the pineapple.   I get that a pineapple isn't generally used for Valentine's day, but I thought that since the C9 pineapple is made up of flower it would work!

Supplies:  Card #1:  Cardstock:  MFT pink, dark pink, white; SSS Fog; Stamps:  My Favorite Things;  Dies:  My Favorite Things and AJVD; Inks:  VersaMark watermark ink; Embossing powder:  Hero Arts white; Sequins:  Pretty Pink Posh and Ellen Hutson

Card #2:  Cardstock:  SSS fog, Ranger woodgrain, Canson watercolor; Stamps:  Concord & 9th; Dies:  Concord & 9th and AJVD; Inks:  VersaFine Onyx Black, Smoky Gray; Watercolor medium:  Derwent and Faber-Castell watercolor pencils; Kuretake Gansai Tambi 

thanks for loving me...

Hey everyone!!  Hope you had a nice week!!  I have a card to share for a few challenges:  Color Throwdown, Freshly Made Sketches and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.  I have a little bag full of now discontinued Reverse Confetti quick cards and I have been trying to use them now and then.   I was going to use a couple to create this card, but when I cut the two up per the sketch I didn't like how they looked together.  So I decided to keep the red hearts panel and pair it up with some RC pink cardstock.   To bring in the gray I adhered the pieces to some dark gray cardstock leaving the little edge and gaps.  The sentiment is from the RC Seaside stamp set as is the little crab.  The sentiment was stamped in VersaFine Smoky Gray and the crab in SU!'s Real Red.  I cut a little slit in the crab's claw and then added the little heart from the RC Love Notes die set in the same gray.  A second heart in pink was added on the other side.

Hope you have a wonderful day!!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  MFT white, RC pink, gray; Stamps:  Reverse Confetti; Dies:  Reverse Confetti; Inks:  Stampin Up!, VersaFine

wednesday with ajvd...

Happy Wednesday!!  I have a card up on the AJVD blog today.  Here is a little peek:

Yep... more glitter, lol!!  I hope you will take the time to head over to the AJVD blog for a look and to let me know what you think!

cards to share...

Hey there!!  Wow... the Patriots did not win the Super Bowl!  I did not watch the Super Bowl, but found out what happened when I went on line, but given just how well the Patriots play I was surprised that they lost.  Anyway... during the time I was not watching the Super Bowl I made a couple of cards and took my antique loving child to the antique store!  First up is a card for the soon to be closing Color Throwdown and this month's Reverse Confetti Sketch for You to Try.  I  created a little swag of flowers and leaves using the Reverse Confetti Whole Lotta Thanks stamp and die set.  I can honestly say that this is the first time I have used these stamps and dies even though I have had this set for over a year!  The light blue squares were die cut using the Reverse Confetti Shakers 'n Frames die set.   The flowers and leaves in the set have an outline image and a solid image.  I stamped the line image using the lime green, yellow and dark pink inks and then did second generation stamping to stamp the solid images.  I finished off the flowers by stamping the center of the flowers with the same ink.   This was a pretty labor intensive card to make with all the die cutting that happened, as well as getting everything arranged, but I think it was worth it.

The second card is for the current Essentials by Ellen Mix it Up challenge (combine EE products with Hero Arts) and the current CAS(E) this Sketch challenge.   I recently made a trip up to Issaquah, WA where Ellen Hutson LLC is located to pick up a few things I had purchased.  One of those items was the fun EE set Snailed It.  I combined that set with a Hero Arts set I got last year called You're A Fungi.  The mushroom images are from the Snailed It set.  The sentiment and the little grass images are from the You're a Fungi set.  I stamped all the images with VersaMagic inks and then colored in the grass with a couple of green Prisma color pencils.  A little bit of ground was added using a couple of brown Prisma color pencils.  The sentiment was embossed in white on vellum, trimmed down and adhered with rolled up glue dots.  I finished with a little bit of twine.   Think I will add this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.

Hope you have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Card 1:  Cardstock:  MFT white; RC light blue; Stamps:  Reverse Confetti; Dies:  Reverse Confetti and A Jillian Vance Design; Inks:  VersaFine Onyx Black, SU! Melon Mambo, Lemon Lime Twist, Memento Dandelion

Card 2:  Cardstock:  PTI rustic white, kraft, vellum; Stamps:  Essentials Ellen and Hero Arts; Ink:  VersaMagic, VersaMark; Embossing powder:  Hero Arts white; Recollections twine

happy bee-day...

Hello there!!  I have a little card to share that I made with a fun stamp set from MFT called Meant to Bee.  I have had my eye on this stamp set ever since it came out a few months ago and finally got the chance to make it mine!   Sadly, the dies were sold out, but it was super easy to just fussy cut the images.   I stamped the images on some PTI rustic white cardstock and then colored them with the Prisma pencils you see in the photo.  I really like how the little bee hive turned out.  I can definitely see some improvement in my coloring skills... practice, practice, practice!!  I  cut down another piece of rustic white cardstock and ink blended some Wild Honey distress oxide ink onto the panel.   Once that was done I placed the panel into a honey comb embossing folder and did some partial embossing in the ink blended area.  The panel was then die cut with an AJVD rectangle die.  The sentiment was stamped on a scrap of rustic white and trimmed out.  I adhered everything as you see and then finished the card off with pale yellow Pretty Pink Posh sequins.  The layout is based on the current MFT sketch so I will be linking up there, as well as over at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.  It is anything goes this time around.

Hope you have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI Rustic White and kraft; Stamps:  My Favorite Things; Dies:  A Jillian Vance Design; Inks:  VersaFine Onyx Black; Coloring medium:  Prisma pencils; Sequins:  Pretty Pink Posh

Friday with PRS...

Happy Friday friends!!  Popping in to let you know that I have a post up on the PRS blog today.  Here is a little piece:

Hope you will hop over to the PRS blog for a look and to let me know what you think!  Have a wonderful day!