you make my life brighter...

Hello!!  Stopping in to share another card that I made the other day.  This one is for the current MFT Wednesday sketch challenge, as well as the current MFT color challenge.  Going to post it to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes, too.   Recently got the MFT/LJD Stars Above stamps and dies and had been wanting to use it.  Thought it would be perfect for the MFT sketch and color challenges.  I had two of the MFT colors (Tropical Teal and Gravel Gray) and then found a couple that worked for the other two.  The stars were stamped in VersaMark watermark ink, white embossing powder applied, heat set and then die cut.  I trimmed down a panel of white cardstock so that the gravel gray card base would show per the sketch.  The panel was partially embossed with a star embossing folder before I added the stars.  The sentiment was stamped in VersaMark on black cardstock, white embossing powder applied, heat set and then die cut with an MFT Stitched Fishtail Flag Stax die.  Adhered everything on the panel and then attached the panel to my card base.

Hope you have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  white, SU! Pool Party, SSS blue, MFT Gravel Gray and Tropical Teal; Stamps and Dies:  My Favorite Things; White embossing powder; Ink:  VersaMark watermark ink

birthday tweetings...

Hey!!  Stopping in with a card for the current CTS challenge.  Also posting this to the anything goes challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.  I'm not a huge fan of critter stamp sets, but when I saw the super cute Reverse Confetti Toucan of Friendship set I just had to get it.  I had been wanting to make something with it since it arrived in my mailbox and the CTS layout finally provided me with the opportunity.  I started with some woodgrain cardstock and inked one corner with some Broken China distress ink.  I then stamped my little toucan and the leaves on some watercolor paper with VersaFine Onyx Black ink.   I wanted my toucan to look like a real one so I googled toucans and got to coloring with my ZIG markers.  Most toucans have black feathers, but some also have red feathers on their chest.  So I colored my toucan's body black and then layered in some dark red.   Their beaks can be many different colors.  I chose to go with a beak that is a combination of yellow, green, blue and orange.   The little leaves were colored with two shades of green.  Once everything was dry I die cut the images and then layered them up on the panel.  A banner was die cut from green cardstock using an MFT fishtail flag stax die and then stamped with the sentiment in the Onyx Black.  Finished with a few little sequins.  I really like how my little toucan turned out!!

 I generally don't talk about stamping products because there are a ton of people out there who review stuff all the time, but I just have to say that I recently got the Lawn Fawn stamp shammy and it is absolutely AMAZING!!  No more stamp cleaning solution and stamp scrubbers for me or baby wipes for that matter!!

Wishing you a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Carstock:  white; Ranger woodgrain and watercolor papers; Stamps:  Reverse Confetti; Dies:  Reverse Confetti and MFT; Inks:  VersaFine Onyx Black, Ranger Broken China distress ink; Watercolor Medium:  ZIG clean color markers; sequins

happy birthday...

Hello!!  Had sometime today for crafting and got a couple of cards made so I'm sharing one of them.  This card is for the current Freshly Made Sketch and the Essentials by Ellen pin-sights challenge.  I will also be adding it to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.  I pulled out my EE Up the Happy stamps and dies to create my card.   I pulled different colors from the inspiration photo and did a little bit of watercoloring with the balloon and clouds.   Once they were dry I die cut them with the matching die and then got to work putting together the layout.  I made a minor change to the sketch by having the strip underneath the circle instead of on top because it didn't look right with the clouds.  The sentiment is actually from the EE set Lovely.  Before adhering the balloon I added a little bit of string to the back.  Still feeling a bit rusty after having not made anything for over a week, but I really like how this card turned out!  ETA:  adding this to the current Less is More challenge to use a balloon on your card.

Hope you have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI kraft, white, Stamps:  Essentials by Ellen; Dies:  Essentials by Ellen and A Jillian Vance Design; Inks:  VersaFine Smoky Gray and Onyx Black; ZIG clean color markers; white twine;

PTI January blog hop...

Hello!!  Stopping in with a card for this month's PTI blog hop.  Nichole provided a beautiful and yummy inspiration photo and this is what I came up with.  I was inspired by the colors and used the PTI set Fresh Floral Wrap Ups. I have had this stamp set for ages and this is the first time using it!!  I die cut the images and then stamped them as you see.  To bring in the black background I used the PTI notebook die.  One of the cookie has a notebook paper look to it and so I thought using that die would be a nice touch.  Even though there aren't any polka dots in the inspiration photo I went with the tiny polka dot wrapper image and then echoed that with the polka dot background paper.  Finished off the card with the little tag and a bow tied using red twine. Super simple, but that it about all I can manage right now.    I will be adding this to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.

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

Supplies:  Cardstock:  white, PTI black; Teresa Collins patterned paper; Stamps and dies:  PaperTrey Ink; Inks:  Hero Arts, PTI and VersaFine; Hemptique hemp twine

wednesday with ajvd...

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

Hope you have a wonderful day!  Would love it if you would hop over to the AJVD blog for a look and to let me know what you think.

sending my love...

Hello!!!  Wow!!! It has literally been like almost two weeks since I made a card!!  I know I have posted a few things, but that was because I managed to work a head and I got some things done before I got "sick like dog"!!   I'm finally feeling better except for the horrible cough that I still have, but I know that won't last forever!  Around the time I got sick my January My Monthly Hero kit arrived in my mailbox.   I unpacked the box and there all the contents sat until this afternoon when I was able to make this simple little card using the stamps and dies and the layout from Freshly Made Sketches.  I stamped the wrapper for the bouquet on some older Valentine paper from Echo Park and then die cut it with the matching die. The floral part of the bouquet was stamped using the floral heart outline image from the set using a dark pink ink from the kit and then the matching solid floral heart image using a lighter pink ink (also from the kit).  I trimmed down some more of the papers from the same pad and adhered them to my card base.  Stamped the sentiment in black ink and then added my bouquet.  I finished things off with some of the dark red waxed twine that came in the kit.  I also added some Nuvo Glitter Drops in White Blizzard to the centers of all the flowers.

Hope you have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  white; Patterned paper:  Echo Park; Stamps and dies:  Hero Arts; Inks:  Hero Arts and VersaFine; Red Waxed twine; Nuvo Glitter Drops

SSS flickr challenge feature!!

Hello!!  Popping in with a quick post to let you know that I'm being featured over at the Simon Says Stamp flickr group along with my sweet in real life friend, Greta!  Simon Says Stamp has been hosting a bi-weekly challenge over in their flickr group for several years now.  If you love Simon Says Stamp products and creating with them and you have not played along with the flickr challenge you really need to check it out.  With input from SSS flickr members they decided to start featuring crafters who frequently participate in the challenges and for the first feature they picked me and Greta!!  The challenge for this two week period is use your favorite technique.  Right now my favorite technique is watercoloring and so that is what I used on my card.  Since Valentine's day will soon be here I decided to create a little valentine.  I started by stamping the large floral heart image from the SSS set Roses for You on watercolor paper using VersaMark watermark ink, applying white embossing powder and then heat setting.  Once that was done I did some simple watercoloring using four different ZIG markers (green, red, wine red and pink) and clean water. By simple I mean that I just scribbled on some color and then blended it out with a bit of clean water.  Easy peasy lemon squeezy!  After the panel was dry I trimmed it down to fit a card front.  The sentiment was white embossed on black cardstock.  The heart is a die from the matching die set and was die cut from silver glitter cardstock.  The sentiment strip was adhered to the heart and then the entire piece adhered to the panel.  Some black cardstock was angled on a red cardstock base and then the watercolor panel was attached.  I hope you head over to the SSS flickr group to check out the challenge and to play along!  You could win one of two $25 gift certificates to SSS and you could also be the next SSS flickr member to be featured!!

Hope you have a wonderful day...
Supplies:  Cardstock:  red, black cardstock, silver glitter paper, watercolor paper; Stamps and dies:  Simon Says Stamp; Ink:  VersaMark watermark ink; Filigree white embossing powder; ZIG clean color markers

wednesday with ajvd...

Hello!!  Stopping in to let you know that I have a post up on the AJVD blog today.  Here is a little peek of my card:

Hope you have a wonderful and that you will take the time to not only look at my project on the AJVD blog, but to leave me a comment!

happy birthday...

Hello!!  Popping in with a card for a few challenges.  Last year my sweet friend Lisa and I had a little challenge going where we would both play along with the CASology challenge to see how each would interpret the challenge.  But as the holidays approached we had to focus on other things.  The other day Lisa contacted me and asked if I wanted to play along with this week's CASology challenge to which I said "yes"!  I'm also going to add this to the current Freshly Made Sketches challenge as my design is based on the current sketch and to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of winter birthday.  When I saw the CASology cue word I immediately thought of my AJVD birch tree die.  I cut the die four times and adhered them together using spray adhesive.   The bird is included in the die set and was cut from red mirror cardstock.  A panel of watercolor cardstock was scribbled with a light blue ZIG marker and the color blended out with clean water.  Once that was dry I stamped the sentiment (from the AJVD stamp set Happy Birthday) in VersaFine Onyx Black and then adhered the birch trees and bird.  The panel was then adhered to a light gray cardstock base.

Hope you have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI rustic white, SSS fog, Ranger watercolor paper; Stamps and Dies:  A Jillian Vance Design; Ink:  VersaFine; Water color medium:  ZIG clean color marker; Red mirror cardstock

with sympathy...

Hello!!  Stopping in with a card for a few challenges: Essentials by Ellen Mix It Up, CAS(E) this Sketch and Color Throwdown.  The Mix It Up challenge this month is to combine Essentials by Ellen products with Avery Elle.  I have some older AE products, but recently was blessed to receive from my sweet friend Greta the "with sympathy" die set from AE.  I decided to combine that die set with the EE Mondo Peony stamp set.  I stamped the peony on watercolor paper with watermark ink, applied white embossing powder and then heat set.  Some simple watercoloring (my favorite technique right now) was done using ZIG markers in two shades of yellow.  Once it was dry I trimmed the flower out.  I die cut the word sympathy was die cut from a medium blue cardstock twice and adhered together and the with from black cardstock three times and adhered together.  I adhered the flower to the white cardstock panel that was die cut with an AE rectangle die and then added the sentiment as you see.  I finished things off with the two black enamel dots.

Hope you have a wonderful day...
Supplies:  Cardstock:  white, black, blue and watercolor paper; Stamps:  Essentials by Ellen; Dies:  Avery Elle; Watercolor medium:  ZIG markers; VersaMark watermark ink; My Mind's Eye enamel dots

winter birthday wishes...

Hey!!!  Stopping in with a card for a couple of challenges:  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of winter birthday and Time Out challenge of winter.  I also entered this in the SSS flickr challenge of what's new as I used the stamp set Frozen Fractals stamp set from the January card kit.  I stamped the snowflakes with watermark ink, applied white embossing powder and then heat set.  Once that was done I did some simple watercoloring with a dark blue ZIG clean color marker.  I colored the centers of the snowflakes with the marker and then blended the color out with clean water.  Once the panel was dry I trimmed it down just a bit on one side.  The banner was die cut from some of the blue vellum that came in the SSS card kit, stamped with the sentiment (from the SSS set Hand Lettered Winter Wishes) using watermark ink, white embossing powder applied and heat set.  The small birthday sentiment is from the SSS set Happy & Smile.  I stamped it on light gray cardstock, trimmed it out and fishtailed one ended before adhering to the banner.  I adhered the panel to a medium blue cardstock base and then finished things off with a few sequins from the SSS card kit.

Supplies:  Cardstock:  medium blue, white watercolor paper; Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp; Dies:  My Favorite Things; Ink:  VersaMark watercolor ink, VersaFine Onyx Black; Watercolor medium: ZIG clean color marker; sequins from SSS card kit; white embossing powder

wednesday with ajvd...

Hey friends!! Popping in to let you know that I have a post up on the AJVD blog today.  Here is a little peek:

Hope you have a wonderful day...

guesting at where creativity meets c9!!!

Hey... happy Monday!!  I'm so excited because today I'm guesting over at Where Creativity Meets C9!!  I was the winner of the November challenge thus getting the opportunity to design along side the amazing Where Creativity Meets C9 design team!!  The theme for this challenge is try something new and the something new I'm trying is a really simple foiling technique that I saw last year, but never got a chance to try.   Foiling is a trendy technique right now, but don't worry if you don't have one of those machines that does the foil (I don't) you can still do simple and pretty foiling techniques like the one I used.  All you need is an iCraft deco foil adhesive pen and some foil and you are good to go!  Simply use the adhesive pen to apply the adhesive to your die cut, allow to dry for 30 seconds to a minute, apply the foil, burnish, remove the foil and you are done!  For my card I started by watercoloring a piece of watercolor paper with a simple color wash using light blue and gold paints from my Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolor set.  I let it dry and then trimmed it down.  I also have something else I tried that is new to me... a little technique that you can use with the By Your Side die from C9.   You can find it here at C9.  I die cut the birds from my card front and then pulled them out slightly so I could slip a piece of scrap paper underneath the birds, apply the adhesive and then foil them as you see.  Once I had the foiling done I stamped the sentiment from the By Your Side stamp set.  The panel was adhered down, some clear and gold sequins were added and I was done.    The stamps and dies I used are also new so I'm going to add this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of something new.  Thanks to the Where Creativity Meets C9 design team for asking me to guest design!!

Hope you have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  white and watercolor; Stamps and Dies:  Concord & 9th; Ink:  VersaFine Onyx Black; Watercolor medium:  Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors; Pretty Pink Posh sparkling clear and gold sequins

winter bird...

Hello!!   Got another card made... I think I'm on a roll, lol!!  I love the simplicity of this week's Freshly Made Sketches layout and when I saw the new challenge over at Time Out of winter with an optional twist of white on white I put the two challenges together and came up with my card.  I stamped a snowflake (my winter component)from the MFT Simply Snowflakes stamp set on white cardstock using VersaMark, applied white embossing powder, heat set and then die cut it with the matching die.  The little bird is from Memory Box and I die cut that four times and then adhere them all together using spray adhesive.  A strip of light gray cardstock was cut and then strips of white cardstock were added pursuant to the sketch.  I added the snowflake, the bird and a sentiment (the other winter component) stamped in black on white cardstock that had been die cut with an MFT fishtail flag stax die.   A tiny bit of Nuvo Glitter Drops in White Blizzard was added to the little bird for an eye and I was done. 

Hope you have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  white and light gray cardstock; Stamps:  A Jillian Vance Design Let It Snow; Dies:  My Favorite Things, Memory Box; Inks:  VersaMark and VersaFine Onyx Black; Embossing powder:  Filigree white; Nuvo Glitter Drops

many thanks...

Hello!!!  Happy new year everyone!!  I haven't done a lot of crafting lately and I feel so rusty!!  I got some new crafty supplies from MFT yesterday and it was just what I need to get me back in the swing of things... sort of, lol!!  I'm also in the midst of purging a lot of stuff that I don't use so we will see how it goes!  Anyway, I used the current MFT Wednesday challenge sketch and the colors from Color Throwdown as my starting point.  I decided to purchase the MFT Fancy Floral card kit and a few other items so I used the one of the floral images for my card.  I stamped it in VersaFine black onyx on watercolor paper, along with the stem and leaves, and then watercolored everything with my ZIG markers (dark and light pink for the flower, green for the stem and leaves).  Once they were dry I die cut them with the corresponding dies.  The rectangle was die cut using one of the smaller MFT mini scalloped rectangle die from black cardstock so that the flower would pop a bit more.  The sentiment is from the MFT/LJD Geometric Greenery stamp set.  I die cut a MFT Fishtail Flag Stax from white cardstock, stamped the sentiment in black and then trimmed it down.  Terribly simple, but that is about all I have right now, lol!!  Also adding this to the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of something new since I used new stamps and dies.

Hope you have a wonderful day...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  white, light gray and black; Stamps:  My Favorite Things; Dies:  My Favorite Things and AJVD; Inks:  VersaFine; Watercolor medium:  ZIG clean color markers

wednesday with ajvd...

Hello!!! Hope everyone had a wonderful new years!! We had a pretty quiet one... just hung out around the house.  I'm stopping in to let you know that my first post of the new year is up on the AJVD blog.  Here is a little peek:

Hope you have a wonderful day!  It would be lovely if you would take the time to head over to the AJVD blog for a look and to let me know what you think!