Autumn Blessings

 Hey there!  Popping in to share a card that I made for the Color Hues challenge of rust and yellow.  I'm also going to add it to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge gallery since I think the card is pretty colorful (although maybe not super bright, lol!).  Let's have a look at what I created.

Toward the end of November last year I purchased the Greetery Oakwood set of products, but because Christmas card making was in full swing I never used the products.   Recently, the Oakwood products were featured at a 15% discount and it got me thinking about using them.   Thought the Color Hues combo was a perfect vehicle.   I started by using the stencil set to inkblend the leaves using distress oxide inks in Rusty Hinge and Fossilized Amber.   For the stems and acorns I used Gathered Twigs and Frayed Burlap.   After stenciling the leaves, acorns and stems I added the details on the leaves with the stamp set.  I used Gathered Twigs to add the detailing on the leaves and acorns and Black Soot for the stem.  Then I die cut everything with the matching die.  I love the soft matte look the distress oxide ink gives to the leaves. I then stamped the word Autumn using Fossilized Amber and Rusty Hinge and the word blessings was stamped in Gathered Twigs.  Used PTI dies for both of the background layers.  Additional layers of the oak leaves and words were die cut and stacked behind.  I them adhered everthing to the card front.  I finished with a little bit of Rock Candy glitter to the leaves and acorns.

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

Simon Says Stamp Sugar n Spice Release!

 Hello, hello!  I know that Simon Says Stamp just had a fantastic month of exclusive released for Stamptember, but they have a new release that dropped today called Sugar and Spice!  Simon was so kind and provided me with the absolutely adorable Cool Birthday stamp set.   This set features sweet little polar bears, penguins and seals and a cute little iceberg with an igloo and banner complete with a disco ball!  How fun is that?!  Let's have a look at what I created.

First up is a card featuring the two polar bears and a seal carrying a present.   I'm a stickler for things being correct and for my card to be correct I had to put the polar bears and seal together because despite what you see during Christmas and winter polar bears and penguins do not live in the same hemisphere!  Penguins only live at the south pole and polar bears only live at the north pole.  Seals, however, live at both the northern and southern poles so they can be used with the polar bears or the penguins.  Got it, lol?   Now that we have that out of the way let me tell you about the cards.  I stamped the images using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored them very simply with Copic markers.  I then stamped the iceberg/igloo image on a white cardstock panel and colored it simply as well.  It is hard to tell put I did use a very light blue Copic to create the water the iceberg is floating on.  I did use some Memory Box snowflake rub ons in the background, as well.  For a little sparkle I added some glue to the disco ball and the little pompoms on the party hats and then added some Rock Candy glitter.  Finished with the sentiment that I stamped and die cut with a sentiment strip.

For the second card I did some selective inking up of the iceberg image to remove to make the scene a little different.   I stamped the iceberg image a little too off center so I had to die cut it down alot more than the first card so I die cut a light blue cardstock panel and then added Memory Box snowflake rub ons.  I stamped the little party goers in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored simply (again) with Copic markers.  As with the first card I added Rock Candy glitter to the disco ball, and pompoms on the party hats and the sentiment that was stamped and then die cut with a sentiment strip.

That's it for me.  You can see the full release by clicking here.   I also have a post up on the Birch Press Design blog today that you can see by clicking here.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Birch Press Design October Post #1

 Hello, hello!  Popping in to let you know that I have a post up on the BPD blog today.  Here is a little peek at what I created.

Hope you will head over to the BPD blog to see the entire card and let me know what you think.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Simon Says Stamp World Cardmaking Day!

 Hello, hello!  Today is World Cardmaking Day and I'm sharing a card that I made for a special event happening over on the Simon Says Stamp blog.  Crafters from around the world are sharing Christmas/holiday themed cards on the Simon Says Stamp blog.   So excited to be representing the good old USA!!  Here is what I made.

I used the super cute and fun Holiday Ornaments from Simon Says Stamp.  Have to share a funny little story about this set.  I received this set from Simon Says Stamp to create project with for a previous release.   Because I liked the set so much and knew I would use it, I decided to get the matching dies and purchased them when the full release was available.  Well, months later Simon Says Stamp offered the dies at a "super sale" price.  I had totally forgotten that I had already bought the dies and bought them for a second time, lol!  I realized my mistake when the second set arrived, I put them with the stamp set and the first set was already in the storage pouch!  I decided it was a good mistake because now if I decide to stamp two of each image I have dies for each one.  Anyway, for my card I stamped the three images using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored each one with Copic markers.  I then die cut a panel of white cardstock and embossed it with a SSS snowflake embossing folder.  The EF isn't available any more, but they do have a couple that are similar.  I die cut the strings from silver cardstock and then arranged all the ornaments on the front.  I finished with a sentiment from the set that I stamped and die cut with a small rectangle die.

That's it for me.  Don't forget to head over to the SSS blog to check out all the other holiday projects!  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful World Cardmaking Day!

Friend... thankful for you

 Hello!  Popping in to share a card for a few challenges:  Just Us Girls (die week - leaves), Sunday Stamps (sketch), Color Throwdown (colors) and Die Cut Divas (anything goes).  Let's have a look at what I made.

So happy when I saw the challenge at JUGs was to use leaf dies.  I love leaf dies as they are so versatile.  You can use them any time of the year, but especially during the fall!   Because I wanted to make a card using the Sunday Stamp sketch I knew I needed a smaller scale leaf die and pulled out a favorite from Simon Says Stamp.  I have had them for along time and don't remember the name.  Not sure if they even carry them anymore, either.  I die cut them from white cardstock and then inked them up with the colors from CTD (orange, red and green).  I used some small postage stamp dies from Waffle Flower and die cut kraft cardstock to use to layer on my leaves.   The main panel was die cut with a Pinkfresh Studio postage stamp die.  I almost added little postmark images to the smaller stamps, but got sidetracked at one point and didn't go back to that idea.  Layered the postage die cuts on to the main panel and then added the leaves.  Finished with a sentiment from a Simon Says Stamp set called Cozy Autumn.  

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

Papertrey Ink September Release - Part 2

 Hello!  I'm back to share three more cards that I made with products from the Papertrey Ink September release.   With all these beautiful Christmas themed products to work with I'm sure to get most of my Christmas cards made for the season!  Let's have a look at what I made.

This first card was made with the new Into the Blooms: Snowdrops die set, the This is Big Happy Holidays stamps and dies, the Stitched Snowflakes cover plate die, Rounded Rectangle dies and In Frame: Ovals dies.   I die cut the snowdrops from green and white cardstock and then added a little bit of Broken China distress oxide ink to the white pieces.  The stems were die cut from a medium green cardstock.  I adhered all the piece together with liquid adhesive and thin foam squares in a few places.  I then die cut pale blue cardstock with the largest In Frame: Ovals die.  I kept the two pieces together by securing them in place on the back with washi tape.  White cardstock was die cut with the largest Rounded Rectangle die and then run through my die cutting machine with the Stitched Snowflakes die.  I adhered that to a pale blue cardstock base and then layered on the ovals and the snowdrops.  I finished with the Happy Holiday sentiment.   I didn't stamp the sentiment and then die cut it as I wasn't sure I could get the die to line up correctly.  So, I die cut first, left the die cut in place, aligned the sentiment on top and then stamped using black ink.  Worked like a charm.  I die cut additional layers, adhered them together and then adhered the sentiment to the card front with liquid adhesive and thin foam squares.   A little bit of sparkle was added as well using Rock Candy glitter.   Going to add this card to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.

For this card and the third one I went with a traditional red and green theme with kraft instead of white as the background for a more homespun feel.  This card uses Love to Layer Christmas Tree dies, Fresh Greens hot foil plate, Rounded Rectangle Pierced dies and a sentiment from the Merry Motifs stamp and die set.    I had recently found a sheet of watercolor cardstock that I had used to create this dark green backgound using distress mica sprays.  I decided to use it for my Christmas tree.  I used Memory Box patterned paper from one of their Christmas pads for the garland and little ornaments.  I decided to bring gold into the mix with the star, little sparkle ornaments and the gold hot foiled frame.  The background needed a little something else, so I used one of the smaller pierced Rounded Rectangles to die cut the patterned paper I used for the garland to place behind the tree.  The sentiment was stamped in a dark red and die cut.  I then die cut a second layer from gold foil cardstock and adhered it behind the sentiment slightly off set.  It looks so pretty in real life. 

 I think this final card really has a homespun feel too it.  Again, done in red and green with kraft.  I think I should have maybe embossed the sentiment black, but there it is in white!  This card was made with Build a Christmas Tree dies, This is Big:  Happy Holidays sentiment set and the Rounded Rectangle Stitched dies.  Memory Box plaid cardstock was used for the background.   After die cutting the garland from a red cardstock I decided to jazz things up a bit by using red glitter cardstock for the ornaments.  The kraft bows dial the glitz back a little for a more homespun fell.  After layering everything on the tree and adhering it to the plaid background I stamped the sentiment on vellum and embossed in white.  Again, thinking maybe I should have used black, but what is done is done, right? 

Well, that is it for me.  I have made it through a large portion of the September release, but still have several more products to share.  So, I will be back later in the week with more Christmas cards!  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!