Fun with MFT...

Hello!  Hope your week is going well!  The other night I sat down and did some watercoloring with several different MFT stamp sets and today I'm sharing two cards that I made using those efforts.  First up is a card for this week's Paper Players challenge which is a lovely sketch.  I used smooth Bristol cardstock and Ranger distress markers to color up the sweet little girl with her umbrella from the MFT/Birdie Brown stamp set called Rain or Shine.  I was thinking of my little niece Kaia and her bright pink Ugg boots as I colored up this sweet little girl!  May just have to send this card to Kaia!  Once I was done I die cut her with the matching die.  Then I found patterned papers that would work with the colors I used for my little girl.  After cutting the rectangles and laying them out on my card base I decided to do a little stenciling with the MFT Mini Raindrop stencil using MFT Blue Breeze ink.  The sentiment was stamped on a strip of white cardstock that I die cut with an A Jillian Vance Design sentiment strip die and then I got to layering up all my elements.  To finish things off I added a little sun peeking out from behind the clouds.  I will also add this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.

The second card features a little boy and his umbrella from the MFT/Birdie Brown set called Puddle Jumper.  This card was inspired by my little nephew Max.  He isn't old enough to actually jump in puddles, but I still couldn't help but think of him as I colored this little guy!  I used distress markers to color him, as well.  When he was finished I die cut him with his matching die.  The layout comes from the MFT sketch challenge.  I used the Mini Raindrops stencil on this card, as well.  But this time I used Ranger Texture Paste transparent gloss.  I love the fun shiny raindrops!  I die cut some green polka dot paper (from MFT) with an AJVD slippery slope die and adhered it to my card base.  The sentiment was stamped on another piece of MFT patterned paper and die cut with an MFT fishtail flag stax die.   I colored up a little puddle for my little boy to jump over and then adhered all the pieces to the card base.   May have to send this card off to him, too!

Hope you have a wonderful day!  Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:  Card #1:  Cardstock:  SU! blue, PTI  white, Smooth Bristol; Patterned paper:  MFT; Stamps:  MFT; Dies:  MFT, AJVD; Ink:  VersaFine, MFT; Watercolor medium:  Ranger distress markers; Stencil:  MFT

Card #2  Cardstock:  PTI white, Smooth Bristol; Patterned paper:  MFT; Stamps:  MFT; Dies:  MFT, AJVD; Watercolor Medium:  Ranger distress markers; Ink:  VersaFine, VersaFine CLAIR; Ranger texture paste

Happy Wednesday!

Hello and happy Wednesday everyone!  I have a fun card up on the A Jillian Vance Design blog today that I made using a fun new die set from AJVD!  Here is a little peek of my card:

I hope you will head over to the AJVD blog to see the full project and to let me know what you think!  Have a wonderful day!

two more cards...

Hmm... I seem to be doing a lot of posts with two cards lately.  Guess it just seems to make sense to me.  Anyway... the first card is for Color Throwdown.   The color combo is really pretty, but also one that I wouldn't even think of to use.  When that happens I fall back on what I like to refer to as collage stamp... one of my favorite ways to stamp.  Collage is the technique of taking various materials to create a design.  Obviously I don't use different materials, but different types of images.  For this card I went to some of my favorite Stampin Up! set for images to use.   I generally have a good idea how colors will work together so it is just a matter of determining what types of images that I will be using.   I actually figured out how I was going to stamp this card, changed my mind to try something different, didn't like it and went back to my original idea, lol!  Anyone else do that?  Once the stamping was done I die cut the panel with my trusty A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle die and then adhered it to a light gray cardstock base.  The inks used are from Stampin Up!, Close to My Heart, PTI and Imagine Krafts.

While the first card is all about stamping the second card is all about die cutting.  I recently received the Spellbinder's small die kit of the month and actually managed to make a card with it before the new kit has been revealed!  This card is for Freshly Made Sketches and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of dies only.   I turned to my large collection of patterned paper pads and pulled out an oldie, but goodie from My Mind's Eye Collectible Notable collection.  (I just checked and it is from 2013!)   I die cut the large die cut piece from some green paper from the pad and then the little flowers and butterflies from various coordinating papers.  Cut the piece of blue striped paper to fit the bottom portion of the card base, adhered the large die cut and then adhered the piece to my cardstock base.  I then added all the little flowers and the butterflies.  Because the large die cut is actually larger than the card front I trimmed off the overhang.  The sentiment was die cut from the same yellow patterned paper as the little flowers multiple times, adhered together and then adhered to the card front.  I did add little clear Pretty Pink Posh jewels to the center of the flowers.   Can't wait to use this beautiful die set again to create another spring themed card!

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Supplies:  Card #1:  Cardstock:  PTI white, SU! Smoky Slate; Stamps:  Stampin Up!; Inks:  Close to My Heart Pansy Purple, Stampin Up!, PaperTrey Ink and VersaFine CLAIR

Card #2:  Cardstock:  PTI white; Patterned paper:  My Mind's Eye; Dies:  Spellbinders; Embellishments:  Pretty Pink Posh jewels

Happy Wednesday!

Hey there!  Most of the snow that we got last week here is now gone and I am looking forward to spring arriving!  With that in mind I have a spring like card up on the A Jillian Vance Design blog today.  Here is a little peek:

Hope you will head over to the AJVD blog to see the full project and to let me know what you think.  Have a wonderful day!

a bright daisy...

Hello!  Hope your week is going well!  I recently purchased the Essentials by Ellen Mondo Gerbera Daisy stamp and die set and used it to create a card for a couple of challenges:  The Flower challenge (use your newest stamp and die set) and The Paper Players (monochromatic CAS).    For this card I used my ZIG markers and some smooth Bristol cardstock.  I have not had a lot of luck with Bristol cardstock in the past.   I always wondered why people seemed to be able to create beautiful projects with their ZIGs and Bristol cardstock.  Then I watched a video by the super talented Lisa Tilson and she mentioned that she really liked to use Strathmore smooth Bristol for coloring with ZIGs.  I had a 60% coupon for Joann and so I went up and purchased a pad.  I had a few piece of a different kind of Bristol and so before I tried using the Strathmore Bristol I gave the one of the other pieces a try.  Once, again, I had a bad result.  Then I tried the Strathmore.  What an amazing difference!  Coloring with ZIGs on the Strathmore Bristol is like a dream!  So glad I gave the Strathmore a try.  I used one ZIG in Bright Orange to color the Mondo Gerbera Daisy after stamping it with VersaFine Onyx Black ink.  The stem was colored with a light yellow ZIG.   I die cut the flower with the matching die and then used the word dies that come with the die set for my sentiment.  I finished off the card with a few little Pretty Pink Posh jewels in buttercream.

Have a wonderful day!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white, Harvest Gold; Strathmore Bristol; Stamps:  Essentials by Ellen; Dies:  Essentials by Ellen, A Jillian Vance Design; Ink:  VersaFine; Embellishments:  Pretty Pink Posh jewels; Coloring medium:  ZIG clean color makers

cards with just a splash of color...

Hello!  Today I have two cards to share and both have just a splash of color on them.  First up is a card for Color Throwdown, Fusion (I mainly used the Fusion sketch) and Reverse Confetti Stock Your Stash challenge.   When I saw the color inspiration photo for CTD I noticed that there was woodgrain in the background behind the string heart so I looked through my patterned paper collection and finally found a piece with a woodgrain design.  I die cut that with the smaller scalloped square from the Reverse Confetti Scalloped Squares Confetti Cuts.   Some white cardstock was die cut with an AJVD rectangle die and then I adhered the scalloped frame to the white panel.  The center cut piece was adhered with foam tape for dimension.  The floral image from the RC Something Wonderful was stamped on white cardstock with Catherine Pooler Flirty Fuchsia ink and die cut with the matching die.  I adhered that to the raised square.  I placed the panel in my stamping tool and stamped the sentiment from the Mod Floral Stack stamp set.    I finished things off with a little black twine bow and then adhered to a light gray cardstock base.

The second card is for Freshly Made Sketches and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge (black, white and one color).  I have to admit that when I see a sketch I often can't get past the shapes that are used for the sketch and really have to push myself to use other shapes.  However when I saw the FMS layout I immediately wanted to make a card using triangles!  I have a set of triangle dies from MFT that I have never used so I pulled those out to make my card.  The floral image is from the beautiful Honey Bee Stamps Winter Anenome set.  I decided to use the largest image from the set, but didn't need part of it as it would have gone off the edge of my panel and did not look right.  So I did a little masking on my stamp and then inked up the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Before I started coloring the image I laid out the larger triangle and then placed the smaller one on top to determine where I would need to die cut the second image that I needed to stamp.  Once everything was stamped I colored the one flower with Marvy Uchida alcohol ink markers.   Then I die cut the large triangle from the main panel.  I die cut the smaller triangle from the second image and then colored it.  Finally I die cut the main panel, stamped the sentiment and assembled everything on a light gray cardstock base.   I'm pretty pleased with how my idea turned out.  I only wish that my triangles were just a little bit taller and thinner.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Supplies:  Card #1:  Cardstock:  PTI white, SU! Smoky Shadow; PP:  My Mind's Eye; Stamps:  Reverse Confetti; Dies:  Reverse Confetti and AJVD; Inks:  Catherine Pooler and VersaFine CLAIR; Black twine:  Stampin Up!

Card #2:  Cardstock:  PTI white; SSS Fog; Stamps:  Honey Bee Stamps; Dies:  MFT and AJVD; Inks:  Memento and VersaFine CLAIR; Coloring medium:  Marvy Uchida alcohol ink markers

Happy Day Before Valentine's Day!

Hello everyone!  Valentine's day is tomorrow... are you ready?  I have one more valentine to share over on the A Jillian Vance Design blog today.  Here is a little peek:

Have a wonderful day and a wonderful Valentine's day!  I hope you will head over to the AJVD blog to see my card!

xo xo

Since we are still somewhat snowed in I was able to sit down for a while and create a couple of cards.  One I will be sharing on Wednesday and one that I'm sharing right now.   This card is for the Paper Players (colors), Sunday Stamps (sketch), the Card Concept (clean and layered) and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge (interactive element).  All the dies I used, as well as the stamp set are from A Jillian Vance Design.  I used the two largest hearts from the Stitched Dot Heart die set to create my shaker element that I filled with dark gray, white and fuchsia flat sequins that are also from A Jillian Vance Design.   The dark pink and light gray cardstocks are Stampin Up! Melon Mambo and Smoky Slate.  The darker gray is PTI's Weathervane and the white is also from PTI.  I one of the dies from the AJVD Sentiment Stripes die set to create the piece running across the white cardstock panel.  After die cutting the strip I adhered it to my white cardstock and then die cut the whole thing with the largest AJVD Stitched Dot rectangle.   The smaller strip was actually cut from the tag that is part of the Minnie Pearl Tag set from AJVD that I trimmed down to fit the sketch.  I adhered that strip and then stamped the sentiment from the AJVD Valentine's Day stamp set in VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne ink.  I adhered the shaker heart and then added two smaller hearts die cut from the Smoky Slate and Melon Mambo cardstock, as well as some dark pink baker's twine tied in a bow.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white, Weathervane; SU! Melon Mambo; Stamps and dies:  A Jillian Vance Design; Ink:  VersaFine CLAIR; Sequins:  A Jillian Vance Design

you inspire me...

Hello from the snowy Pacific Northwest!  We are getting more snow than we have had in ages!  Hopefully it won't hang around for long, lol!   With all the snow staying inside and crafting makes a lot of sense.   So I think that is what I will be doing all weekend.  First up is a card that I made the other day for several challenges:  Reverse Confetti Stock Your Stash, Color Throwdown and Freshly Made Sketches.  I recently took advantage of a 15% off sale that Reverse Confetti had to buy the Mod Floral Stack stamp and die set.  I used that set to create my card (along with small stamps from two other RC stamp sets).    The smallest mod floral stamp was used to create the butterflies.  I stamped the image twice in red, orange and yellow and then die cut them.   In order to make the butterflies I trimmed one of each color in half and then adhered the pieces to the back of the other intact die cut.  To make the body I used a solid floral image from the Petals 'n Posies stamp set, stamped it three times in black and then trimmed out the portion I needed.  The bodies were then adhered to the butterflies.  I used another image from Whole Lotta Thanks to add in the little dots here and there in red, orange and yellow.  The butterflies were adhered and then I added the sentiment that I stamped in watermark ink on black cardstock, heat embossed in white and then trimmed out.

Hope you have a wonderful day... that doesn't include snow, lol!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  MFT white, Stamps:  Reverse Confetti; Dies:  Reverse Confetti and A Jillian Vance Design; Inks:  Stampin Up! Read Red, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne and VersaMark watermark ink

fabulous day...

Hello!  Hope you have a had a great week!  We had a teeny tiny polar vortex here in the Pacific Northwest at the beginning of the week.  It got super cold and we got snow.   Things have thawed a lot, but we are supposed to get more snow this weekend.  Good time to stay inside and do some crafting.   The other day I received some happy mail in the form of the Altenew Cattleya Build-a-Flower stamp set.  I pulled it out and worked on my watercoloring.  I stamped the image using VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink and then colored it with my Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors.  I only used one color for the flowers and two colors for the stem and the unopened bud.   I really took my time as I colored the image and I really like how it turned out.  Once it was dried I die cut it with the matching die.  The colors come from this month's Altenew Inspiration challenge.  To finish the card I stamped the outline image on white cardstock in light gray ink and then splattered the image with some gray ink mixed with water.   Arranged where I wanted the image to be and then stamped the sentiment.  I adhered the image and then adhered the panel to a light gray cardstock base.  I will also be adding this to the current Flower Challenge to use your newest stamp set.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  MFT white, SSS fog; Arches watercolor paper; Stamps:  Altenew; Dies:  Altenew and AJVD; Ink:  VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne, Ranger Hickory Smoke distress ink; Watercolor medium:  Kuretake Gansai Tambi 

Wednesday with AJVD...

Hello and happy Wednesday everyone!  Valentine's day is just a little over a week away and so I have another valentine to share over on the A Jillian Vance Design blog today.  Here is a little peek:

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

sending love...

Hello!  I have a Valentine to share today that works for several different challenges:  Paper Players, Just Us Girls (a challenge I have not participated in for ages!), Mojo Monday and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.   My last Concord & 9th order included the little Sending Love stamp set.   I just love that big heart!  I stamped the heart using VersaFine CLAIR Tulip Red ink and then went on a hunt to find patterned papers that would work with that color!  Thankfully I found some papers from the My Mind's Eye On Trend 6x6 pad that worked.  I got a little crazier with the patterned paper then I normally like to do when I decided to use the diagonal striped black paper for the main background panel.  But sometimes it is good to get out side your comfort zone!  I trimmed out the heart and then layered up all the different die cuts.  I finished off the card by stamping the small sentiment from the set on white cardstock with VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne, trimming it out and popping up with foam tape.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white; Stamps:  Concord & 9th; Dies:  Spellbinders, My Favorite Things, A Jillian Vance Design; Patterned paper:  My Mind's Eye; Inks:  VersaFine CLAIR

thinking of you...

Hello!   I'm popping in with a card for a few challenges:  Color Throwdown, Freshly Made Sketches and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.   I used the beautiful Stampin Up! First Frost stamp set and the matching dies for my card.  I had to play around with the color combo a little bit to come up with a combination that worked well with the images in the First Frost stamp set.   Instead of using strips of paper for the diagonal element in the FMS layout I decided to use the vine image from First Frost.  After I finished the card I really liked how it looked, but when I took the photo I started to second guess my choice.  But no going back now... right?  The stamp set is part of a new line from Stampin Up! called DisINKtive.   I really like the way these stamps give you a variegated effect while using only one ink.   I used the aqua color for the large leafy/floral images and then stamped the two flowers using the yellow and saffron colors.  I brought in the brown by stamping the vine image one in brown, as well as the sentiment.   The twine looks black, but it is actually a very dark brown.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white; Stamps:  Stampin Up!; Dies:  Stampin Up! and A Jillian Vance Design; Inks:  VersaFine CLAIR Acorn, Stampin Up! So Saffron, More Mustard and Pool Party; brown hemp twine