just for you...

 Hello!  Popping in to share a card that I made for Freshly Made Sketches and Color Throwdown.   I have been working on other projects but wanted to take a little time to make "just for fun" card.   The colors at CTD are orange, green and white and the sketch at FMS features three of something and a sentiment.  Since it is fall and the leaves on the trees are changing color my thoughts turned to a die set that I recently purchased from Poppystamps called Fanciful Fall Leaves.   The last time I used the set I had some leave leftover and as luck would have it, they worked perfectly for CTD as well as the Color Hues challenge!  Here is my card.

As you can see the card is very simple.  Just the leaves, the sentiment and a little white twine.  True story as I was making the card, I was so intent on arranging the leaves that I forgot to die cut the white cardstock first.  I didn't realize what I had done until I had the first one glued down!   So, I had to go "old school" and trim my panel down with my paper trimmer!   Added the other leaves and the sentiment from a Reverse Confetti stamp set called Poppies. 

Anywhoo... thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day.  Our fall weather finally decided to show up here in the Pacific Northwest.  We had been having unseasonably warm weather and no rain.  Lots of wildfires left us with bad air quality.   Rain and colder temps have finally arrived, sort of.  But that is the PNW for you!  

halloween cards

 Hello!  I'm popping in with two Halloween cards that I made.  I ended up with two cards because as I started making one card, I didn't like how it was turning out so some of the items I created for that card were transformed into another card.  Other items that were going to also be on the original idea ended up on the second card!  The end results.  I had a great time and I think I'm getting a bit of my mojo back.   Here is the first card.

The gnome and the pumpkins were originally going to be part of the original idea I had for a card.  After I colored the images with Copic markers and then die cut them I tried to make them work with some Halloween patterned paper that I wanted to use.   I ultimately realized that my gnome and pumpkins were too whimsical for the patterned paper, so I had to rethink things.   I decided to go with the sketch from Sunday Stamps and use some patterned paper from P13's The Four Seasons:  Autumn 6x6 pad.    The banner was die cut from the patterned paper and then I layered that on my kraft base panel.   The sentiment from a very old Reverse Confetti Halloween stamp set was stamped in VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne.   I then layered on my gnome and all the pumpkins.  I finished off by adding the strip of embossed green cardstock and the purple/white bakers' twine.    The card isn't too spooky, so I think I will be sending it to my great nephew and great niece. 

Let's have a look at the second card.  It has a spookier vibe!

As I struggled to make things work with my initial idea and I determined that the gnome and pumpkins weren't the answer I die cut the pumpkins you see on the card from some leftover panels that I had watercolored for a project I made a few months ago.  I thought they might work with the idea I had, but nope!  So that first idea was finally put to rest and I moved on.   I remembered I had all these fun Spellbinders dies that create a front door for different seasons.   The Halloween dies would be perfect with the pumpkins and so my card was born.  I used very old Halloween patterned paper for the background, the door and the stoop.  The stoop was backed with some of that watercolored paper I mentioned to make the sentiment really stand out.  I even used that paper to for the small window next to the door and for the windows in the door.  I like how it turned out.   I adhered everything and thought I was done until I spied the purple 31 that I had die cut for the gnome card.  I tried to make the numbers work on that card but decided the card didn't need that additional.   However, when I added them to the door panels on the second card, I knew they had found their home!  Even though there isn't anything else purple on the card I think the addition of the numbers works.   I think this card will be heading to my great niece who lives in California. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day.

grateful for you...

 Hello!  Been awhile since I last posted.  Honestly, my papercrafting mojo has been somewhat MIA for a while now.  I'm trying to get it back by participating in my two favorite challenges:  Freshly Made Sketches and Color Throwdown.  Let's take a look at what I made:

The FMS layout is a nice simple one that you can really tailor to products you want to work with.  I had recently gotten the Simon Says Stamp Fab Flower die and decided that I really wanted to make a card with it.  Originally, I die cut the flower pieces from all three of the CTD colors, but as I looked at my arrangement, I thought it was too clunky.   So, I decided to go through all the SSS dies I had that featured leaves of some kind and settled on the Etched Berry Branch die.   The die is larger than I wanted to use so I just used portions of it to die cut the leaves from brown and the berries from blue.  The background was created using the Birch Press Pinpoint Radial Plate die.   I trimmed it down to fit the sketch and then layered all the other elements.  The sentiment is from a little SSS stamp set called Simply Thank You and was stamped in VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne ink then die cut into the banner.  I added one little gem to the center of the flower to finish things off.  Very clean and simple, but when I don't have a lot of mojo clean and simple is the way to go for me!  I also going to add this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of fall colors as I think my card fits.  

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

beautiful friendship...

 Hello friends!  I'm popping in with a card that I created for the October Pinkfresh Studio monthly challenge, as well as their world cardmaking day challenge.  The October monthly challenge is all about leaves and the WCMD challenge is anything goes.   I pulled out my favorite fall paper pad from P13 called The Four Seasons:  Autumn to help me create my card.  Take a look:

 I used Pinkfresh Studio Essentials Stitched Scallop Rectangle to die cut the patterned paper.  I popped up the frame that is created using foam tape and then inset the interior piece flush on my cardstock base.  I had previously die cut some gold glitter leaves using the Curvy Leaves die set so I die cut additional pieces from patterned paper that coordinated with the main piece I cut.   All the pieces were layered as you see and then I added the little bows tied with kraft colored twine.  I finished with some sequins that also coordinated with the patterned paper.   The sentiment is from a pack of foiled sentiments that was a collaboration between Pinkfresh Studio and Scrapbook.com.  

For some reason I am not able to upload the graphic for either challenge.   Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day.

cozy hugs... simon says stamp october release

 Hello everyone!  Simon Says Stamp October release called Cozy Hugs is live on the blog and it is full of lots of pretty new products.  I'm popping to share a couple of cards that I made with the new Picnic Floral Sentiments stamp set from the release.  (An affiliate linked list of products is at the end of this post.  Using my links allows me to earn a small commission at no cost to you.  Thank you for your support.)  Let's take a look at what I made.  Both are very clean and simple.

For the first card I decided to go with shades of blue.   The flower and the sentiment look like they were stamped with the same ink color, but they weren't.  I used Pinkfresh Studio ink in Sapphire for the flower and Blue Jay for the sentiment.  I think stamping the sentiment on the light blue cardstock  was the reason it looks like I used only one ink for the stamping.  I used my  very old Spellbinders rectangle dies for the light blue square.  That was layered on the larger white panel.   The flower was stamped and then trimmed out.  I adhered that to the smaller rectangle, added Nuvo drops to the center of the flower and then added a few rainbow gems from Trinity stamps. 

For the second card I used the large flower and a smaller flower for the stamping.  The inks I used for the stamp are from Pinkfresh Studio.  After stamping the flowers I die cut the thanks using a Simon Says Stamp die.   I adhered the panel directly to a kraft cardstock base so that I could inlay additional die cuts into the opening finishing with the original die cut.  I finished off the card with two different types of sequins.  The larger are shaped like little flowers and the others are tiny silver and gold sequins. 

Affiliate linked supply list:

Simon Says Stamp Cozy Hugs release

Picnic Floral Sentiments stamp set

Spellbinders Platinum 6

Simon Says Stamp Thanks die

Pinkfresh Studio Blue Jay ink

Pinkfresh Studio Sapphire ink

Pinkfresh Studio Peach Fuzz ink

Pinkfresh Studio Apricot ink

Hammermill white cardstock

Spellbinders Raindrop cardstock

Bearly Art Glue

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L thin foam squares

Nuvo Jewel Drops - Steel Blue

Trinity Stamps - Rainbow Reflection Jewels

Thanks so much for stopping by today.  Don't forget to check out the new release!

Spellbinders October Clubs

 Happy October everyone!   Hard to believe it is October because here in Western Washington it feels more like summer!    And with it being the 1st of October that means all the new Spellbinders clubs are in the Spellbinders store.   Even though fall is in full swing the Spellbinders October clubs are all about Christmas and everything is just gorgeous!  (An affiliate linked list of products will be at the end of this post.  Using my links allows me to earn a small commission at no cost to you.  Thank you for your support.  I truly appreciate it!)   Let's take a look at my cards.

First up is a card I made using the October Glimmer club called Poinsettia Spray and the October embossing folder called Scattered Christmas.   For this card I went with traditional Chrsitmas colors of red, green and gold.   I decided to just simply foil the image using Matte Gold foil on Spellbinders Pomegranate cardstock and then die cut it with the matching die.  The sentiment is part of the kit and was also foiled in Matte Gold on Pomegranate.  I die cut dark green cardstock with the largest die from the Fluted Rectangles die collection, placed it in the Scattered Christmas embossing folder and ran it through my Platinum 6.  The panel was adhered to a card base and then I added the image and the sentiment.  I'm going to add this one to the Simon Says Stamp World Cardmaking day gallery. 

This next card is very simple, too.  I stamped the small poinsettia image and a flower cluster (twice) from the Wonderful Christmas stamp and die set with Memento Bamboo Leaves ink and colored with Copics and then die cut them with the matching dies.  I arranged the cluster and adhered it the dark blue cardstock panel.  The sentiment from the stamp set was heat embossing using platinum embossing powder.   The panel was then added to a dark blue cardstock base.  I love the non-traditional color scheme of this card.   I'm going to add this one to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes. 

My final card also has a non-traditional color scheme.  I wanted to go with a soft look for the large cluster from the stamp and die set.  I colored the poinsettia with light pink Copics and then added in some yellow.  The berries were colored in light red Copics, the pod/flowers in light yellow Copics and the greenery in light green Copics.  I trimmed down Pink Sand cardstock and embossed it with the Scattered Christmas embossing folder.  I decided to use the debossed side of the panel instead of the embossed side.  The panel was adhered to a cardstock base and then I layered a rectangle die cut from Dahlia cardstock using the Fluted Rectangle die set.  Before adhering the floral clusters to my card base I stamped the sentiment in black.   I  applied some distress collage medium to the clusters and then added Rock Candy glitter.  The pieces are so sparkly in person.  Once they were dry I added them to the card front.  

Affiliate linked supply list:

Spellbinders Platinum 6
Glimmer hot foil system
October Stamp and Die club
October Glimmer club
October Embossing folder club
Matte Gold foil
Dahlia cardstock
Pomegranate cardstock
Pink Sand cardstock
Fluted Rectangle dies
Essential Rectangle dies
Rock Candy Glitter
Distress collage medium
VersaMark watermark ink
VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne ink

Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder
Wagner heat tool
Bearly Art glue
Scrapbook Adhesive by 3L thin foam squares
Spellbinder Quick Trimmer

Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!