Merry Christmas...

Hello!  I popping in with a card that I made for several challenges:  Freshly Made Sketches, Hero Arts holiday card challenge and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.   The last couple of months I have been able to purchase the My Monthly Hero card kits, but unfortunately haven't found the time to use either of them.  Finally this weekend I was able to pull out the October My Monthly Hero and make a card.  I started by coloring the tree line image from the set with a Crushed Olive distress marker and stamping it on some watercolor paper.  I then blend the color out just a little bit.  I repeated the process using a Forest Moss distress marker.  Once that was done I took the little snow flurry image and colored it with a gray Tombow marker and then blended out the gray a bit.  Light blue was then layered over that and blended out just a bit.  The larger tree and stag were stamped using the same process, but instead of using watercolor paper I used plain white cardstock to give then a little bit of a different look.  I added a wash of light color using my Antique Linen distress maker.  I die cut it using a smaller rectangle die to keep everything in scale and then finished things off by tucking the sentiment underneath the tree line, then added the tree and the little stag.

Hope you have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Olive cardstock, Ranger watercolor paper; Stamps:  Hero Arts; Dies:  Hero Arts and A Jillian Vance Design; Inks:  Ranger distress makers, VersaFine Onyx Black, Tombow watercolor markers

bursting with joy...

Hello!!!  Well... the week is winding down and we have had a really wet one here in the Pacific Northwest!!  But I'm okay with that... we need the rain!!  I'm popping in with a card that I made for the current Essentials by Ellen pin-sights challenge.  I will also be posting it to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes and to Word Art Wednesday which is also anything goes.   The inspiration board for the EE challenge is gorgeous... full of all kinds of fall loveliness.  I decided to focus on the flower arrangements in the center of the board.  I pulled out my Mondo Peony stamp set and did some watercoloring with my ZIGs. I stamped the flower and leaves on watercolor cardstock using watermark ink, applied white embossing powder and then heat set.   I used an orange for the flower and a dark green for the leaves.  Some yellow was scribbled on to a piece of watercolor cardstock and then blended out with clean water.  Once the flower and leaves were dry I trimmed them out since I don't own the matching dies (yet!).  I arranged the pieces on the dry panel so I could figure out where to stamp the sentiment (from the EE set Lovely).  I trimmed the panel down, stamped the sentiment using Onyx Black ink and then adhered the flower the leaves.  Don't know if peonies come in orange, but that is the great thing about card making... you can make flowers any color you want!!

Hope you have a wonderful day...
Supplies:  Cardstock:  white, Ranger watercolor cardstock; Stamps:  Essentials by Ellen; Ink:  VersaFine Onyx Black; Watercolor medium:  ZIG clean color markers; VersaMark watermark ink; Filigree white embossing powder

wednesday with ajvd...

Hello... yep... its just me letting you know that my regular Wednesday post is up over on the AJVD blog.  Here is a little peek of this week's design:

Hope you have a wonderful day... would love it if you would take the time to head over to the AJVD blog for a look and to let me know what you think.  Thanks so much! 

PTI October Blog Hop...

Hello!! Hope your week is off to a good start!  Stopping in with my card for this month's PTI blog hop.  We got another beautiful inspiration photo from Nichole which you can see below.  When I saw the photo I immediately thought of my Turning a New Leaf stamp set.  I did use that set, but only to stamp the little branches you see behind the die cut branch.  I also used Background Basics: Text Style, Fall Elegance and a little berry image from Rustic Wreath.  The leafy branch was die cut using the PTI Branching Out die.  I first colored up some water color paper using Scattered Straw and Ripe Persimmon distress markers.  When the paper was dry I die cut it and then colored the leaves and branch further using Scattered Straw and Ripe Persimmon markers, as well as some brown ZIG markers.  Once everything was dry I added a bit of Ice Stickles to some of the leaves on the branch, as well as to the stem.  I cut a piece of woodgrain patterned paper and then stamped it with one of the Text Style images using light gray ink.  The small branch from Turning a New Leaf using SU! Always Artichoke ink.   The little berries were added using a SU!'s Ruby Red ink.  Once the stamping was finished I adhered the branch and the little bow tied from some dark brown twine.  I'm also going to add this to the current Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge of Autumn.

Hope you have a wonderful day... happy hopping!!


Supplies:  Cardstock: dark brown, watercolor paper; Patterned paper:  My Mind's Eye; Stamps: PaperTrey Ink; Die:  PaperTrey Ink; Ink:  Ranger Distress inks, VersaFine Vintage Sepia; Ranger Icy Stickles 

just sharing...

Hello!!  Thought I would pop in and share a card that I made awhile ago, but never posted.  I used the Penny Black Red Star stamp and the technique that I used on this card and this card.  I love how this card turned out.  I used four different distress markers for the poinsettia:  Dried Marigold, Barn Door, Fired Brick and Picked Raspberry.  The pine sprigs were colored with two different distress markers:  Crushed Olive and Peeled Paint.  I started out coloring the stamp with the Dried Marigold blending it out with clean water.  I then layered on the Barn Door and Fired Brick blending then out with clean water.  The Picked Raspberry was only added in certain areas to add some depth and to provide a more of a shadow.  Once I was done with the main image I added some yellow to the center using Squeezed Lemonade and Scattered Straw.  I also added some Scattered Straw around the outside of the image and then distressed the entire piece with Old Paper and Vintage Photo distress inks.  Some Diamond Stickles were also added for some sparkle, but you can't really see it in my photo. The sentiment is also from Penny Black, but I don't know which set!! I stamped that in VersaFine Onyx Black after everything was done.  I'm going to add this to the current Flower challenge of anything goes.

Hope you have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  SU! Red; Stamps:  Penny Black; Ink:  Ranger Distress inks, markers, VersaFine Onyx Black; Diamond Stickles

always time for coffee...

Hello!!  Lisa and I are continuing out little challenge revolving around CASology. This week the cue word is coffee.  While I'm not a coffee drinker I do have several coffee related stamp sets.  I pulled out an old one from Whimsy Stamps called Coffee Break.  This set also has matching dies that include a little to go cup, wrapper and lid.  I used the color combo from this week's Color Throwdown, as well as the layout from Freshly Made Sketches.  I die cut the main cup from the blue/green cardstock and the wrapper and lid from cream.  The sentiment was stamped in dark brown ink (looks almost black really!) on the wrapper and then everything was adhered to the cup. A panel of cream cardstock was die cut and then I used a strip of red houndstooth washi tape to bring in the red and  added a thin strip in a neutral color.   Finished by adhering the panel to a dark brown cardstock base. 

Hope you have a wonderful day!! Make sure you stop by Lisa's blog to check out what she made for the challenge.  I know it will not only be clean and simple but also super clever!!


Supplies:  Cardstock:  SU! Chocolate Chip, PTI Ocean Tides and Vintage Cream; Stamps:  Whimsy Stamps; Dies:  AJVD and Whimsy Stamps; Inks:  SU!; Washi tape:  SU!

star of wonder...

Hello!!  Well... the weekend is here.  My boys get Monday off and they are super excited to not have to go to school!!  I'm excited that I don't have to get up early with my oldest!!  Have a card to share that I made for a couple of challenges:  SSS Wednesday challenge (use the color pink) and CAS(E) this Sketch.  I recently got the beautiful Star of Light stamp and die bundle from Stampin Up! and I have been wanting to make a card with it.  I started by stamping the swirly image on some watercolor cardstock with watermark ink, applying white embossing powder and then heat setting.  I then scribbled on a light pink ZIG marker and then blended it out with clean water.  The star was die cut from gold glitter cardstock and once my panel was try I trimmed it down, stamped the sentiment and then adhered the star using foam dimensionals.  The panel was then adhered to a light gray cardstock base.  I took a close up of the star and the background so you can see the pink color wash and the embossed swirl.  I have never played along with any of the Happy Little Stampers challenges, but I was on my friend Greta's blog and saw that the current challenge is anything goes with dies so I thought I would enter my card there, as well.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend...


Supplies:  Cardstock:  SSS fog, Ranger watercolor, MFT gold glitter; Stamps and dies:  Stampin Up!; Ink:  VersaMark and VersaFine Onyx Black, ZIG water clean color marker

wednesday with ajvd...

Hello!! Yep... it is that time of the week again, lol... time for my regular Wednesday post over on the AJVD blog.  Here is a little peek of my project:

Hope you have a wonderful day and that you will take the time to head over to the AJVD blog for a look and let me know what you think! 

two more cards...

Hello!!  A weekend full of rain, rain and more rain plus some strong winds led to lots of time to make cards!!   I think I made about 6 cards over the last few days!  I haven't made that many cards in a very long time, lol!!  Have two more to share today.  First up is a card for the current MFT Wednesday Sketch challenge, as well as the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to use a resist technique (I used emboss/resist) and I'm also going to add this to the Color Throwdown as I used that color combo again.  I started by stamping one of the snowflakes from the MFT Snowflake Sparkle card kit on some of the smooth white cardstock included in the kit using VersaMark ink, applying white embossing powder and then heat setting.  I then inked up the corner where the snowflake is using the MFT Blue Breeze ink pad included in the kit and an ink distressing tool.  Once that was done I die cut the words Merry Christmas from the Sour Apple glitter paper from the kit, as well as white cardstock.  All the words were adhered together and then adhered to the card front.  I also added some of the little dot clusters from the snowflakes stamp set around the panel using light grey ink.  Dotted around some Diamond Stickles for a bit of sparkle and I was done.

The second card is for the Reverse Confetti October Sketch for You to Try.  I recently got some new Reverse Confetti stamps and dies (Vintage Ornaments), as well as their new Christmas patterned paper pad (Very Merry)and so I used some of those items to make my card.  I inked up one of the ornaments with SU!'s Real Red and then die cut it with the ornament die.  The little ornament topper was die cut from matte silver cardstock and the bow was stamped in green and then die cut.  I adhered all the pieces together and let it dry.  I pulled out four different patterns from the Very Merry pad to create the different components of the layout.  A few more RC dies (banner from Tag Me and small wreath from the Wreaths die set) were used to cut several pieces.  Layered everything up and I was done.  This works for the new Merry Monday challenge so I will be including my card in the challenge.

Hope you have a wonderful day...
Supplies:  Snowflake card:  Stamps, dies, ink and cardstock:  My Favorite Things; VersaMark watermark ink and Filigree white embossing powder
Ornament card:  Stamps, dies and patterned paper:  Reverse Confetti; Inks:  Stampin Up!

spooky...

Hello!!  As our crazy fall weather continues Lisa and I are weathering the storm (ha ha!!) by playing along with CASology.   This week the cue word is spooky and initially I didn't think I would be able to make anything because to be honest Halloween is not big at our house and so I don't have many Halloween themed stamp sets, but then I remembered my PTI Spooky Sweets set... perfect for the challenge!!  I recently purchased some spider web doilies and I used one as a stencil to create my spider web.  I taped the doily down and then pounced on the gray ink.  Once that was done I stamped the spooky sentiment and added some googlie eyes.  A little spider was stamped in the center of the web.  Conveniently there is a rather large spider living right outside one of our kitchen windows so I was able to make sure I had my spider correctly oriented on the web!  I added some glitter to the spider's body for an extra bit of fun.  Since this has a spider on it I'm going to add it to the new Less is More challenge to use an insect or spider.  The new challenge at CAS on Sunday is Halloween so I will add my card to that challenge as well.

Hope you have a wonderful day and make sure you check out what Lisa created.  I'm sure it is clever and spooky!!


Supplies:  Cardstock: white and black; Stamps:  PTI; Ink:  VersaMark Onyx Black, Memento London Fog; googlie eyes; Ranger Diamond Stickles

joy to the world...

Hello!!  Popping in with another card to share for a couple of challenges.  With the weather being so rainy and windy staying inside and paper crafting is the name of the game for me right now!!   The current Essentials by Ellen challenge is to mix it up with Pink Fresh Studio.  I don't have any of the new Pink Fresh Studio items, but I do have several things from their Christmas Wishes line from last year so I teamed them up with an Essentials by Ellen die.  The layout is based on the current Freshly Made Sketches challenge.  As I was looking through the bits and pieces I have from the Christmas Wishes line I found a scrap of the patterned paper with the phrase "joy to the world" printed multiple times in one corner.  Perfect to team up with the EE Brushstroke Joy die.  After trimming the piece to the size I wanted I die cut joy from it.  Joy was die cut several more times and then all there stacked inside the negative finishing up with the original word on top.  That was matted with some additional paper from the Christmas Wishes line.  It was a bit of a trick for me to figure out how to add the two strip elements from the layout, but I think I worked it out nicely.  I added the red hemp twine and then a thin strip of Tim Holtz glitter washi tape that I adhered to some of the patterned paper and then trimmed down to fit.  More of the Christmas Wishes paper was used for the background.  After laying everything up I added the little dove from the Christmas Wishes Studio Puff.

Hope you have a wonderful day...


Supplies:  Cardstock:  SSS red; Patterned paper:  Pink Fresh Studio; Die:  Essentials by Ellen; Red Hemp twine; Pink Fresh Studio puffy sticker; Tim Holtz glitter tape 

courageous...

Hello!!  As I sit here typing this blog post the wind is whipping around in the trees and the rain is pouring down!! I guess the Pacific Northwest is being hit by the remains of a tropical storm that was born in the Pacific ocean!  Perfect weather to stay inside and do a little crafting!!  As the storm was heading our way last night I got started on the card I'm sharing today.  I finished it up this morning.  I'm posting it to the current Color Throwdown, as well as the new challenge blog dedicated to Concord & 9th called Where Creativity Meets C9.  Their challenge this month is watercoloring.  I love C9 stamps and dies and have a nice little collection going, but unfortunately I never seem to find the time to make things with them... hoping this new challenge will help me change that!!  I used the C9 sets Being Classy and Give Thanks for my card.  I also used the courageous die from the die set that is a companion to Being Classy.  The leaves were watercolored using a simplified version of the technique I used on this card.  For the aqua leaves I used Broken China and Peacock Feathers distress markers and for the lime green leaves I used Crushed Olive and Peeled Paint.  Once all of the leaves were stamped and watercolored I then added the veining using a medium gray ink.  The word courageous was stamped using the same gray and then die cut with the matching die.  I inked up the heart shaped image using the same technique and colors.  After stamping it I blended the colors out using clean water.  When it was dry I stamped the sentiment and adhered it to the inside of my card.  To finish I trimmed down the main panel and adhered the word with pop dots.  A piece of black cardstock was placed on an angle on the card base and then the main panel was adhered at the opposite angle.  Some hemp twine in matching colors was added. 

inside of card

Hope you have a wonderful day and that you have good weather where you live!!
Supplies:  Cardstock:  SU! black and Sahara Sand, Ranger watercolor; Stamps and dies:  Concord & 9th; Inks:  Versafine Onyx Black and SU! Smoky Slate, Ranger distress markers; Twine:  Hemptique

wednesday with a jillian vance design...

Hello!!! Popping in to let you know that my regular Wednesday post is up on the AJVD blog.  Here is a little peek of my card:

Have a wonderful day... I hope that you will take the time to head over for to the AJVD blog and that you will take the time to let me know what you think of my card.

a wish for peace...

Hello!!  After a crazy weekend of wet and windy weather here in the Pacific Northwest we are back to beautiful sunny days.  It is a bit chilly, but I will take gorgeous blue skies and chilly over wet, windy and chilly any day!!  I recently purchased another one of Penny Black's beautiful brushstroke stamps called la fleur rouge and I have wanted to try out a technique I used on this card with my new stamp.  It took me several tries and a review of Jill Foster's video on the technique before I ended up with my finished card.  I absolutely LOVE how it turned out!  To color the poinsettias I used distress markers in Fired Brick and Barn Door.  I colored directly onto the stamp and then using my mini MISTI repeatedly stamped and blended the colors with clean water.  The same thing was done with the leaves and the stems.  I then scribbled some Wild Honey distress ink on to my craft sheet, added water and painted it around the image.  Once the panel was finished and dry I over stamped it using the Penny Black background stamp called Christmas Story using Old Paper Distress ink for portions of the panel and Tea Dye for another portion.  I trimmed down the panel, distressed the edges with more Old Paper and then added the strip of red mirror cardstock.  The sentiment from another Penny Black stamp set was stamped using VersaFine Onyx Black.  The panel was mounted on a light grey cardstock base and then I added the red burlap twine.  Since my card has a vintage feel to it and it is a Christmas card I'm going to add it to the Merry Monday Christmas challenge, as well as the newly launched Flower challenge with a theme of anything goes.  I found out about this challenge through the super talented Viv as she is on the team (if you check out her blog you will see why!) and since I love flowers I thought this is a challenge I must play along with!!!

Hope you have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  light grey, red mirror and watercolor paper; Stamps:  Penny Black; Ink:  VersaMark Onyx Black, Ranger Old Paper and Tea Dye; Markers:  Ranger Distress Markers; red burlap twine

orange feather...

Hello!!  Hope your weekend is going well.  Our crazy Washington fall weather is here and if I had the time to make something I would, but unfortunately I don't... boo hoo!!  I did squeeze in a little crafty time on Friday afternoon and created this funky little card.   When I saw the layout for CAS(E) this Sketch I just had to play along and yep... I used a feather!! I have had PTI's What the Doodle: Feather for ages and finally got to ink it up.  I stamped in on watercolor paper using VersaMark ink, applied white embossing powder and then heat set.  My colors come from this week's Color Throwdown.  I pulled out my Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors to get the vibrant orange I wanted, as well as the dark navy.   I applied some clean water to my feather before mixing the orange paint with water and covering the embossed feather.  Once it was dry I die cut it with the matching die.  Along one side of a panel of watercolor paper I stamped a small feather from the same set using VersaMark, applied white embossing powder and heat set.  Then I did the same process using the dark blue color.  Once the panel was dry I trimmed it down to fit my kraft cardstock base and stamped it with the sentiment from the set.  Because the panel warped a little I used sticky back fun foam to adhere it to the card base.  A little bow was tied from some orange hemp twine, adhered and I was down.

Hope you have a wonderful day...


Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI kraft, Ranger watercolor; Stamps and dies:  PTI; Inks:  VersaFine Onyx Black, VersaMark watermark; Watercolors:  Kuretake Gansai Tambi; Hemptique twine

wednesday with ajvd...

Happy Wednesday... popping in to let you know that my regular Wednesday post is up on the AJVD blog today.  Here is a little peek:

Hope you have a wonderful day... I would love it if you would  take the time to head over to the AJVD blog and let me know what you think!

little elf finn...

Hello!!  Hope your week is going well.  We are back to our typical western Washington weather (say that three times fast, lol!) of wind and rain.  Can't complain too much though... we had a great summer and early fall!  I have a card that I made for the current Merry Monday Christmas challenge to put an elf on your Christmas card.  At first I didn't think I would be able to play along and then I remembered the super cute Penny Black slapstick cling stamp called Little Elf Finn that I purchased several years ago.  I love the stamp, but I had never inked it up because I was didn't have a lot of confidence in my coloring skills.  I decided that I could no longer let that stop me from using the stamp and so last night I colored Finn up with my ZIG clean color markers and I must say that I am rather pleased with how he turned out! I did learn one thing... I definitely need more ZIGs, lol!! I kept things simple and just die cut my finished piece and then amounted it on a green cardstock base.  The sentiment is also from Penny Black (Christmas Wishes) and I thought it perfect for my little elf as he does look quite jolly doesn't he???  I think I will also add this to the current Simon Says Stamp challenge of anything goes.

Hope you have a wonderful day...


Supplies:  Cardstock:  Stampin Up! and Ranger; Inks:  VersaFine Smoky Gray and Onyx Black; Stamps:  Penny Black; Dies:  AJVD; Coloring medium:  ZIG clean color markers

two cards... two seasons...

Hello!!  The weekend is winding down here in my neck of the woods and after spending the last few days running around more than I like I had some down time today.  I took advantage of that down and made a couple of cards.  One a fall design and the second a winter design... thus my blog title.  First up is the card with a fall design that uses the current layout from Freshly Made Sketches and the color combo from ColourQ.  I have tons of quilling papers and had not quilled in ages.  I decided that today I would pull out all my quilling supplies and use them on my card.  I created a little corner piece in the style of a sunflower using the dark brown and orange colors and some leaves using the turquoise color.  I die cut the banner from kraft cardstock and then adhered my quilled pieces.  The thanks was die cut from dark brown and dark turquoise cardstock.  I offset the turquoise behind the brown, adhered them together and then to the banner.  Some patterned paper in a darker orange and cream was adhered to my card base and then finished with the banner.  

 

The second card is my winter design.  Each month I check out the MFT monthly kit and finally in September I took the plunge and got the Snowflake Sparkle kit.  I used it to create my card for this week's MFT sketch challenge.  I die cut one of the larger snowflakes from the blue glitter paper included in the kit and then two smaller snowflakes from white and stamped them with the coordinating stamps in the MFT Blue Breeze and Tropical Teal inks included in the kit.  I cut the panel from white cardstock and then die cut the center with the largest die from the MFT Stitched Inside Out die set.  The outer part of the panel was adhered to a card base made with MFT Cornflower  cardstock and then the inner panel was adhered using foam dots.  The snowflake was layered on and I added the sentiment that was stamped on a MFT Stitched Fishtail Flag Stax.   I am absolutely loving all the snowflake images in this kit and can't wait to make something else with it!

Hope you have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Thanks card:  PTI kraft and Stampin Up! Early Espresso and Turquoise cardstock; American Crafts Halloween patterned paper; Quilling paper strips; Dies:  My Favorite Things and A Jillian Vance Design; Snowflake card:  MFT Cornflower and Recollections white cardstock; MFT blue glitter paper; Stamps and Dies:  My Favorite Things; Inks:  My Favorite Things