Christmas wishes...

 I didn't do much in the way of "Christmas in July" this year.  Just wasn't feeling it.  But I recently purchased a stencil and die set from Simon Says Stamp called Festive Swag.  When I saw that it was stencil week at Just Us Girls, I decided to put my new products to use.   

I paired the stenciled piece with patterned paper and a pre-printed sentiment from the 49 and Market Evergreen Season collection.  I used distress oxide ink in Candied Apple, Lumberjack Plaid, Evergreen Bough, Rustic Wilderness and Pine Needles for the swag.  I used the Pinkfresh Studio Postage Edge dies for the two patterned paper layers.  Now I have one Christmas card ready to go!

That's it for me.  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Birch Press Design Blog Post

 Hello!  Wow... July is just whizzing by!  My second Birch Press Design post is up on the BPD blog today.  Here is a little peek.

Hope you will check out the post.  Thanks to for stopping by and have a great day!

three cards...

 Hello!  Popping in with three cards today.  And each card is for one challenge each!   First up is a card that I made for the current Color Hues challenge.  Let's have a look at what I made.

This card was made using the Altenew Craft Your Life Watercolor Flowers stamps and stencils along with sentiments from the Simon Says Stamp Sweet Birthday stamp set.  A few weeks ago I think I mentioned that I had been looking through my Altenew products and came across the Watercolor Flowers stamps and dies.  I had thought I had also purchased the coordinating stencils and embossing folder, but couldn't find them.  Well, I found the stencils and the embossing folder a few days ago.  YAY!   What was lost has been found, lol!  I used Altenew inks to stencil the flowers and leaves after I stamped the image.  I was going to die cut the image, but decided to just leave it as is and just die cut the panel.  I adhered the panel to a white cardstock base, stamped the two word sentiment and die cut them.  I did die cut additional layers for the words.  I adhered them together and then added the words to the card front.   A simple, but elegant card, I think.

Next up is a card for the current Just Us Girls challenge.   This week it is mood board week and it is a pretty one.  This is what I made.

 

When I saw the mood board I immediately thought of a Simon Says Stamp set that I got in a card kit called Cozy Autumn Hugs.  It had leaves in it that are similar in style to some of the images in the mood board.   I used to it create my own version of the mood board.  I tried to use what I thought were some of the colors found in the mood board, as well.  Not sure if I totally hit the mark with the colors, but I love how the card turned out.  I arranged all the leaves and berry stems around the sentiments that are also from the stamp set.  I adhered all the leaves flush to the card base.  The sentiments were stamped and die cut and then I die cut additional layers of each word to adhere behind the words so there was a bit of dimension.   Did I hit the mark?  Let me know what you think.

The final card is for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of cute critters.  Are whales cute?  I think the ones on my card are, lol!

I created this card using more new dies from the latest Birch Press Design release.  The fun whales are from the Block Print Whale Duo set.  The waves are another new die set called Corner Waves.  I also used the Wavy Hillside die set and a sentiment from the Vintage Everyday Greetings stamp and die set.  I die cut the whales and then added some ink to give them a little more depth and dimension.  I had wanted both whales to be a little more tucked behind the waves, but I wasn't paying attention when I added foam tape to the bottom two waves resulting in me not being able to tuck the whales down behind the waves.  I added the hillside in the background and then did some inking on the remainder of the white panel for the sky.    I added the sentiment to finish things off.  I think this will be a good card to send to my brother for his birthday.  

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

Birthday cards...

 Hello!  Stopping in to share a couple of birthday cards that I made using products from the 49 and Market Summer Porch collection.  It is one of my favorites.   Let's have a look at what I created.

I will be sending this one off to Freshly Made Sketches.  It is a very simple take on the sketch facilitated by the fact that I could use patterned paper to create the corner elements on the sketch.  The center portion was easy as I just added a frame, the flower pot and butterfly laser cuts.  The sentiment is from a Simon Says Stamp set that I stamped on a scrap of Summer Porch patterned paper and die cut with the matching die.  

The second card is for the JUGs challenge.  This week is word week and the word is water.  Let's have a look.

This card is on it's way to Scottsdale, Arizona.  My niece recently graduated from the University of Washington - Tacoma with a finance degree and got her first job at an organization located in Scottsdale.  She starts her job on July 14th and her birthday is July 15th!  I'm hoping this card reminds her a little bit of the Pacific Northwest.   For this one I used the largest postage edge die from Pinkfresh Studio to die cut the patterned paper from the Summer Porch collection.  I added the postage stamp in the one corner and the leafy stem, berries and butterfly in the other.  The sentiment is from the same Simon Says Stamp set I used for the first card.  I finished off the inside with another sentiment.  Another super simple card.  

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

July Birch Press Design Post

 Hello!  Popping in to let you know that I have a post up on the Birch Press Design blog today.  Here is a little peek of what I made.

That's it for me.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Ocean Wonders...

 Hello, hello!  I'm popping in to share two cards that I made using the FABULOUS new Birch Press Design release!   This release is huge and while I do two monthly posts on the Birch Press Design blog (one coming on Wednesday July 9th) I will be sharing lots more here on my blog.  Let's take a look at what I made.

This first card using the new Block Print Deep Sea Fish set of dies.  Isn't that a cool fish?  Honestly, the whole release just makes me think of Finding Nemo!  I have so many ideas, lol!  I used the colors from Color Throwdown for my little scene.  I inked up sections of white cardstock with distress oxide inks in carved pumpkin, seedless preserves and frayed burlap.  I let them dry a bit and then die cut all my pieces.  Using the ink left on the blending brushes I added different colors to each of the pieces.  I love how the fish turned out.  The layout is from Sunday Stamps.  I will admit that I took a bit of license with the sketch.  I thought the top and bottom fins added those two additional elements on the sketch.  The kelp was die cut from a scrap of white cardstock and then inked up with the seedless preserves and carved pumpkin.  I added everything to a white cardstock base and then remembered I needed a sentiment.  Thankfully it stamped correctly, lol!  I used one from the Birch Press Design stamp set called Classic Sentimental Wreath.   Three clear sequins in three sizes were the finishing touch.

On to my second card.  This one is for the Paper Players to use circles.  Let's have a look.

I absolutely love the new Block Print Floating Jellyfish!  This card came about because I just wanted to figure out how the jelly comes together.  I die cut it from a dark blue cardstock and then worked out the layering.  I put the piece aside and worked on the first card.  After I finished the first card I really started looking at the blue jelly and realized I could make a card with it.  I added some ink to parts of the jelly.  The bottom legs of the fish were inked up with seedless preserves.  The middle layer was kind of left alone and then I really darkened up the top layer.  I die cut a circle from light blue and then added some ink to the circle as well.  The kelp was die cut from a bright green cardstock and then inked up with green and teal inks.  I used oxide inks and basically used what ink remained on the blender brushes to add the color.   The sentiment is one I hot foiled months ago using the Birch Press Sugar Scripts Sentiments 2 set.  I layered the kelp on the circle and then added the jelly.

In this close up you can see some of the ink blending a little better.  I added the circle to a white cardstock base.  Adhered the sentiment and then added all the little sequin "bubbles".  The sequins are a silvery blue.   I decided to add the panel to a bright green cardstock base and love how it makes the jelly really pop.   

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