Birch Press Design Post

 Hello!  Long time, no post, lol!  But I'm here today to let you know that I do have a post up on the Birch Press Design blog today and here is a little peek of my "frosty" card. 

I hope you will head over to the Birch Press Design blog to see the full project.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Jewel Snowflake

 Hello!  Popping in with a card for a few challenges, Freshly Made Sketches, Color Throwdown and Pinkfresh Studio monthly challenge.    For the PFS challenge I went with the theme of a Christmas/holiday card. Take a look at what I made:

A few months ago Pinkfresh Studio had a Christmas/holiday release and they introduced the beautiful Folk Snowflake stamp, stencil and die set of products.  I love a good snowflake and had to get this one.  I had been waiting for the right situation to come along to make something with this set and the color combo from CTD is what set everything in motion.  I just love the beautiful jewel tone colors in the combo and it worked out perfectly that there were three colors (plus gold) and three layers to the snowflake.  I just love the snowflake in those bold colors.  I stenciled the snowflake first using PFS inks in Royal Kiss, Olive and Sapphire, stamped it with the outline stamp and then die cut it.   I had previously die cut the gold rectangle using the PFS Folk Rectangle dies set.  I layered that on a white panel and then used the smaller scalloped rectangle die for the piece I layered the snowflake on.  To make the scalloped rectangle and the snowflake substantial I adhered several layers behind each before adhering them to the panel.  I finished with one gold glitter embellishment to the center of the snowflake and the greeting that I had hot foiled in black a long time ago! 

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

Birch Press Design Post

 Hello and happy Thursday!  I have a post up on the Birch Press Design blog today and here is a little peek of what I created.

Head over to the blog to see both projects.  Yep, there are two projects to see!  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Blue Christmas...

 Hello, hello!  Boy it sure has been awhile since I last posted.  To be honest I haven't really felt like making cards lately.   I have been doing alot of stitching, though, lol!   But, I have made a card for the following challenges:  Paper Players, Freshly Made Sketches and Color Throwdown.   Also adding this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to use dies.

I used the Fresh Air Holiday Tree set from the Simon Says Stamp October release for my blue and aqua card.  I learned that the best way to get all the layers correct is to die cut the tree image and then line up all the layers.  Works like a charm!  I started with a really light aqua ink and unfortunately you really can't see it in the photo.  The next layer is more of a true aqua and the final layer is a dark blue.  I used Altenew Fresh Inks Dew Drops and Aqualicious for the aqua layers and Pinkfresh Studio Stargazer for the dark blue.  There are two additional layering images in the set.  One adds a garland and the other little dots.  I went with the little dots layer.  I used watermark ink, applied gold embossing powder and heat set.  The star was also embossed in gold.  The sentiment was stamped in the Stargazer blue.  Die cut the star and sentiment with dies from the set.  I embossed dark blue cardstock with a Simon Says Stamp snowflake embossing folder and then swiped the top of the piece with gold ink before adhereing it to my white cardstock rectangle.  I layered on the rest of the elements and then added the panel to a white cardstock base.  Clean and simple!

Thats it for me!  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day.

Birch Press Design Friday

 Hello!  Hope everyone in the US had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!   It was also my older son's birthday and so we had that to celebrate, as well.   I do have a post upon the Birch Press Design blog today and here is a little peek:

Hope you will head over to the blog to see what I created.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

More Christmas cards...

 Hello!  Popping in with a couple more Christmas cards to share.  The first card is for the Paper Players challenge to create a clean and simple card with a tag on it.  I also used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches so will post it there.  Take a look.

I made the tag several years ago for Ellen Hutson's annual Christmas tag challenge.  I used one of her stamp sets for the images.  I don't know which one because I was too lazy to dig through everything and find it, lol!  Anyway, I stamped a starry background on watercolor paper and then did a galaxy background with watercolors.  I die cut the tag from that and then added a little snowy hill for the deer to stand on.  The deer was stamped, embossed and then watercolored, too.  Die cut with the matching dies.  I stamped and embossed the moon on vellum.  Die cut it and then added some sparkle with glitter glue (I think!)  Finished with the sentiments and some sparkly eyelash twine.   For the sketch I added some strips of patterned paper from La La Land Crafts that went well with my tag.  The back panel was embossed with a Simon Says Stamp snowflake embossing folder.   Adding this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to make it sparkle.

My second card is for the Color Throwdown challenge and I used a Stampin Up! stamp and die set that I recently purchased.  Take a look.

I stamped the sentiment using Memento Pear Tart and then applied the same ink to white cardstock to create matching cardstock.  That was die cut with a Memory Box arched die.  The smaller arched die was cut from dark green cardstock and stamped with an image from the stamp set using a dark green ink.  I adhered the sentiment and then added the little pine branches that I die cut from black metallic cardstock using a die from the coordinating Stampin Up! die set.  The little berries were also die cut from the cardstock that I created with the direct to paper inking.  I added some glossy accents to them for a little shine.

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

tiny trees...

 Hello friends!  I'm popping in to share a card that I made for the current Color Hues challenge of red and gold.  Classic Christmas colors and so I made a Christmas card!   I used a Waffle Flower Crafts stencil called Duo-tone Christmas Tree and the 0+ blender brushes.  

The stencil is unique in that you stencil a set of trees and then shift the stencil over to the open area and stencil a second set of trees to fill up your card front.  For my card I used Lumberjack Plaid distress ink to stencil the trees and then added some Aged Mahogany to the bottom of each tree.  I then moved the stencil over and added the second set of trees using Ranger Lunar paster in Slippery When Wet (a bright gold).  I removed the stencil, cleaned it off and let the panel dry.  Once dry I die cut it with a Memory Box arched rectangle die.   The large Merry Christmas is also from Waffle Flower and that was stamped using Lumberjack Plaid and then Aged Mahogany pounced on in certain areas of the stamp and then layered on the Lumberjack Plaid.  Gives it a bit of an ombre look.  I die cut dark red cardstock with a rectangle die, adhered it to my white cardstock base and then adhered the arched panel.  The sentiment was added along with tiny gold stars to the little red trees. 

If you are on Instagram I'm having a giveaway of a sample set of Waffle Flower's new blender brushes over there.  The giveaway is sponsored by Waffle Flower.  

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Happy Christmas...

 Hello!  I'm back with a clean and simple little card for the current Color Throwdown challenge.  Haven't played along with that challenge in weeks.  The colors for the current challenge really pulled at me so I had to make something.  A few new products from Simon Says Stamp arrived in my mailbox this week and one of them was the Wonky Tree-O die set.  I just had to use the dies for my card.  My card works for the JUGs challenge so I will be adding to their gallery.   I used two of the colors (pink and green) and my card features trees.

I diecut the trees from white cardstock and inkblended on Pumice Stones, Spun Sugar and Evergreen Bough distress oxide inks.  I die cut the little tree stands from kraft.  I used a very old Memory Box die to create my little snowy background, die cut the bottom with the same Memory Box die I used to die cut the woodgrain cardstock and adhered the two together.   The trees were added and then I decided that I wanted to add a little Rock Candy glitter.  So I dapped on some distress collage medium and then poured on the glitter.  I added some Snowfall grit paste around the bottom of the trees and to the sentiment for an extra little touch.  

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Pink Poinsettia

 Hello friends.  I'm popping in to share a card for the November Altenew challenge.  I love the pretty color combo that is offered and challenged myself to use them with one of my favorite stamp sets, Altenew's Festive Poinsettia.  

To color the poinsettia I pulled out my Altenew gouache paints.   I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination when it comes to coloring with different mediums, but it is fun to try your hand at something outside your comfort zone.  I wanted to see if I could manage to combine the pink and soft purple colors in my poinsettia and I think I achieved that goal.   It was definitely interesting coloring with the gouache paints as the color seems to be a bit flatter to me than with watercolors.   To create a bit more separation when some of the bracts overlapped each other I used a medium pink Polychromos pencils.  Overall, I'm pretty happy with how things turned out. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Birch Press Design Friday

 Hello and happy Friday!  I have a post up on the Birch Press Design blog today.  Here is a little peek of my card.

Hope you will head over to the Birch Press Design blog to see the full card.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

sending a bouquet...

 Hello... boy it has been awhile!   Haven't really felt like creating that much lately and so I have just been working on a few cross-stitch projects that I have going.   In an effort to get back into a creative mood I made a card for the current Sunday Stamps challenge.  The have a beautiful fall color palette to work with.   This is what I made.

If this card looks familiar that is because it is very similar to the last card I made for my Birch Press Design blog post.  I liked the look and thought I would make it again, but with a little change.  I created an arched frame instead of using a solid arched panel.   The majority of the products are from Altenew.  

The teal flowers and leaves from the Altenew SketchedFloral stamp set were stamped using Altenew Fresh inks in Aqualicious, Teal Cave and Galactic Stream.  The orangy-rust foliage was stamped using Pinkfresh Studio Clementine and Persimmon inks.  Everything was diecut with matching dies.  I used VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne ink for the sentiments.  They were also die cut.  I die cut white cardstock with a rectangle die and then used the Altenew Dotted Wave impression plate to added the dotted background.  The arch frame was die cut from a teal cardstock using Memory Box arched dies.   After I layered everything onto the main panel and added it to my card base I thought I might add something else, but decided to keep things the way you see it.  Also adding this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge since technically the dotted waves pattern is embossed. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Birch Press Design Post

 Happy Friday!  I have a post up on the Birch Press Design blog today.  Here is a little peek at what I made.

I hope you will head over to the blog to see the full card.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!.

Birthday Wishes...

 Hello friends!  I back to share a card that I made for a few challenges:  Paper Players (sketch), Color Hues (colors) and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge (anything goes).    I'm also going to share more thoughts on the new Waffle Flower Crafts 0+ shader brushes.  Here is what I made.

I don't know about you, but sketches that involve one of the elements being set slightly askew (like in the Paper Players sketch) give me fits.  I think it is because the off kilter panel makes it hard for me to put the sentiment on straight.  Anyway, I persisted and this is my card, lol!   I started by die cutting the Memory Box Backyard Wren die from white cardstock.  I then used one of the 0+ shader brushes to add kraft colored ink to the layers of the bird.  I really liked that with the small shader brush I was able to get the depth of color I wanted where it was needed.  I was also able to add more color to the bird's head after I had put the bird together and I didn't get the ink everywhere.  Waffle Flower sent me one of their little sampler brush packs that you can see in the photo.  I used the 0+ shader in the pack, as well as the larger 1+ shader.  I used the 1+ shader brush for the body of the bird.   While larger than the 0+ shader brush you are still able to ink up your die cuts with precision.   Once I had the bird done to my satisfaction I worked on the branch that it is sitting.  The branch is from the Birch Press Design Hillside Branch and Bramble Contour Layers die set.  I inked them up with the kraft and yellow inks and then layered them.  I die cut the rectangles from yellow gingham and white woodgrain cardstock.  In her introduction video about the new shader brushes Nina talks about how they pick up much more ink than the original brushes (or other brushes for that matter) and she isn't kidding.  I had to use a blender brush from another company to ink up the edges of the woodgrain panel.  I had to work twice as hard to get ink on that blender than I did for the Waffle Flower shader brush!  To finish the card I layered everything onto another panel of the white woodgrain cardstock.  I thought I had die cut down the panel, but when I went to adhere it to my kraft cardstock base I discovered that I had not!  Yikes... too late to trim it down so I just adhered it to the cardstock base as you see.   The last piece was the sentiment.  I got it on, but it wasn't easy, lol!

I hope I was able to share some additional good information with you about the new Waffle Flower shader brushes.  I can tell you that I plan on getting a set of 1+ brushes in the near future.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

hey there...

 Hello!  I'm popping in today to share a simple card I made using a new product from Waffle Flower Crafts.  Waffle Flower was so kind and sent me a package of their brand new Shader 0+ brushes to try out and give my thoughts on.   I used the mood board/color combo from JUGs for my colors and the new Waffle Flower Pop Up Fall Leaves panel die and the coordinating Fall Leaves stencil which Waffle Flower generously sent to me, as well.  

You can see the shader brushes I used on the right hand side of the photo.  How cute are they?  Even though slim in size they fit nicely in your hand.  I die cut a piece of white cardstock with a rectangle die and then die cut the pop up leaves from that.  I selected the following distress ink colors based off the JUGs color palette:  Ripe Persimmon, Wild Honey, Aged Mahagany and Fired Brick.  I layed the stencil on top of the die cut panel and started blending on the ink.  I had initially thought I would blend two ink shades together, but I realized that I could achieve the shaded look I wanted with just one color.   It is very simple shading, but I like the more graphic look that I achieved.    

Because the brushes have a slight slant to them I found that for me what worked best for me was using a stroking motion instead of the usual circular motion that is used with most blending took.  You can blend with them that way it is just that the other way worked better for me.  And even for their small size they pick up a lot of ink.   Waffle Flower also sent me one of their sampler packs to try out.  I hope to have a few more cards to share made with these new brushes.  Life has been a bit of a struggle this past week.  My oldest was in a car accident that thankfully he emerged from with only lacerations, scrapes and bruising.   We are also thankful that he was driving our Subaru.  They have one of the best safety records and now we, as a family, can attest to that!   I think from all the stress I caught the cold my youngest had and that has knocked me for a loop.  I'm feeling better, but still lacking energy or drive!

I finished the card with a Waffle Flower sentiment that I foiled in gold and die cut with the matching die.  

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Your Kindness...

 Hello everyone!  Hope all is well in your world.  Popping in today with a card for a few challenges.   One that is closing very soon so I had better get to it, lol!   The challenges are JUGS (pumpkin), Sunday Stamps and Simon Says Stamp (food and drink... pumpkins are food!).   Take a look.

For this card I did something I have done in a very long time.  I colored with Copics!   I also used a stamp set I haven't used in a long time, either.  A Jillian Vance Design's Autumn.  I stamped the pumpkins using Memento Rich Cocoa ink and then colored with Copics.  I left the image in my stamping tool and once I was done coloring, I stamped the image again with VersaFine CLAIR Acorn ink.   I then die cut the image with the matching die.  I pulled out papers from P13's The Four Seasons Autumn pad and die cut them down with rectangle dies.   The branch image from Autumn Pumpkin was stamped with the Acorn ink and then layered on the bottom rectangle.  I used a Copic marker that closely matched the background and used it to color the white rim around the die cut image.  The image was then popped up on the panel with foam squares.  The sentiment is from the Simon Says Stamp Full of Thanks stamp set and was stamped with the Acorn ink before being trimmed down and adhered to the card front. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Birch Press Design Post

 Hello!  Popping in to let you know that I have a post up on the Birch Press Design blog today.  Here is a little look at what I made.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you enjoy my project!

fall berries...

 Hello!  I'm popping in today with a card for this month's Pinkfresh Studio challenge, as well as the Sunday Stamp challenge.  The Pinkfresh Studio challenge this month is to use ombre and/or tone on tone.  I actually used both on my card with the gorgeous color way from Sunday Stamps.  Take a look at what I made.

I have mentioned this before, but Scrapbook.com often has a "gift with purchase" or freebie offer.  During the summer one of their offers featured a product from Pinkfresh Studio.  It has been a while, but I believe it was the stamp set called Berry Branch.  I couldn't resist so I bought the coordinating stencils and die.  That is what I am using on my card today.  The stamp set is actually a Christmas set, but as you can see, the berry branch looks amazing in fall colors.  I used distress inks in Scattered Straw and Rusty Hinge for the leaves and Festive Berries and Fired Brick for the berries.  That created my tone on tone look.  I did ombre ink blending on white cardstock using Weather Wood and then die cut the panel with the Pinkfresh Fancy Oval Frame die.  I die cut multiples of the frame from scrap cardstock, adhered them together and then adhered it to my white cardstock panel.  With the Fance Oval Frame die the oval is a "fall out" piece.  I adhered all of the ones made when I die cut the frame together with the ink blended on on top and then added thin foam squares to the back to pop it up even more.  I then adhered the berry branch on top.  Originally, I had wanted the white portion of the oval frame to be at the top, but I could find a good place to put the sentiment (from the Pinkfresh Studio Thanks for Being There stamp set).  I flipped the panel upside down and there was the perfect spot, lol!  I adhered the sentiment with a combo of liquid adhesive and foam squares cut into thin strips.   I finished with some Pinkfresh Studio ombre jewels in gold.  

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

just a note...

 Hello!  I am popping in to share the card I made for Freshly Made Sketches and Color Throwdown.    The CTD colors this week are similar to the color combo at Color Hues so I thought about entering it there, but decided that if I participated in the CH challenge, I would just make a different card.  I will also post this to the Flower Challenge.  It is their birthday and the last challenge that Viv, who helped start the challenge will be participating in.  I "met" Viv when I participated in the Less is More challenge.  She is a fabulous clean and simple card designer and will be missed!   Alright how about a look at what I made.

The CTD colors are coral, blue and navy.   As many people know Ellen Hutson is closing its doors except for their stamp and die line that will be available on Amazon.  I was pretty sad to read that announcement as Ellen Hutson is a local business that I liked to support.    I took advantage of the sale to purchase the Concord & 9th Eclectic Blooms stamp and die set that I used for my card.  I actually looked at a lot of different stamp and die sets that I had and even did some stamping with another set before settling on Eclectic Blooms.  I used Pinkfresh Studio inks for all the stamping.  After stamping and die cutting the flowers I die cut some PTI polka dot vellum with a circle die to provide me with the three elements on the sketch.  I used the polka dots to hide the glue I used to glue the circle to my white panel.  I adhered the flower and the sentiment that I stamped with the dark blue.  I added some dots of Nuvo drops in a pale blue to finish things off.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

SSS Season of Wonder Release!

 Hello!  Hope your October is off to a great start.  Simon Says Stamp has a new release called Season of Wonder now available in the shop.  You can see the full release here.   Simon was so kind and sent me the super pretty layering stamp set called Fresh Air Holiday Tree.  Take a look at what I made.

What do you think of my pink tree?  This is actually the third card I made with the stamp set.  Sadly, the first card didn't make the cut.  I used distress inks in Spun Sugar, Kitsch Flamingo and Picked Raspberry.   After I stamped all the layers, I decided that I wanted to add some embossing, but I had removed the final layering stamp from my stamping tool.  Then I remembered that you can add embossing powder to distress ink before it completely dries.   So, I applied some SSS Rainbow Sparkle embossing powder, created a mess removing the excess and then heat set it.   The embossing powder only stuck in random sections of the top layer.  That happened to be the Picked Raspberry and I love how it deepened the color in some areas.  I die cut the piece and adhered it to a panel of light pink cardstock that I embossed with a Simon Says Stamp snowflake embossing folder.  I then added some Tim Holtz Idea-ology mirror stars.  The sentiment is from a different Simon Says Stamp set called Holiday Gift Giving.  I tried using the sentiments from the Fresh Air Holiday Tree set, but the sentiments are curved and when I stamped one of the sentiments on the first card panel, I made I just didn't like the look.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink (after trying it in Picked Raspberry) and then die cut it with the matching die.  I love this tree in pink!

For this card I used traditional Christmas colors when stamping my trees.  I used Altenew Fresh inks in Evergreen, Forest Glade and Frayed Leaf.   There are two additional layers in the stamp set that will add the tiny ornaments or a scalloped banner.  I added the small ornaments on both trees with dark red ink and then added Stickles in Frosted Lace on top.   The sentiment is also from the Holiday Gift Giving set, as well.  This time I stamped it in the red I used for the ornaments and then die cut it with the matching die.  The Holiday Gift Giving set has a stamp that creates the look of falling snow.  I stamped that at the top of the panel with watermark ink, added the Rainbow Sparkle embossing powder (that time I didn't make a mess, lol!) and heat set it.  The stars were stamp with Altenew Fresh ink in Sunray.  Adhered my panel to a white cardstock base with foam tape and then added the sentiment.   Two Christmas cards down... more to come, lol!

Affiliate linked products used:

Fresh Air Holiday Tree stamp set

Fresh Air Holiday Tree stamp and die set

Fresh Air Holiday Tree die set

Season of Wonder Release 

Holiday Gift Giving stamp set

Holiday Gift Giving die set

Holiday Gift Giving stamp and die set

Altenew Frayed Leaf Fresh Ink

Altenew Forest Glade Fresh Ink

Altenew Evergreen Fresh Ink

Altenew Sunray Fresh Ink

Simon Says Stamp Faceted Snowflake Embossing Folder

VersaMark Watermark Ink

Spun Sugar Distress Ink

Kitsch Flamingo Distress Ink

Picked Raspberry Distress Ink

VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne Ink

MISTI Stamping Tool

Spellbinders Platinum 6

Hope you will check out the release.  Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

fallish wreath...

 Hello!  Can't believe that September is almost over.  Fall is definitely in the air here in the Pacific Northwest.   The rain is falling, the wind is blowing and that means I had to get out my warm coat when I take our dog for a walk.   I don't walk when it raining hard, but I do love getting out once the rain has passed as the air is so fresh, clean and full of the smell of falling leaves!  Anyway, on to my card.  It is for Color Throwdown and Freshly Made Sketches.   Will also add it to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes. Take a look.

As I have stated in the past, Scrapbook.com often has freebies and about a week ago they offered this die wreath.  I couldn't resist so I made a small purchase.   When I saw the FMS sketch I thought the wreath would be fun to use.  I die cut mossy green and rust colored cardstocks with the wreath then glued them together.  The is a separate circular die that I cut from kraft cardstock and stamped with the sentiment from a Simon Say Stamp with VersaFine CLAIR Acorn ink.  I die cut off white cardstock with a rectangle die and then adhered the wreath and sentiment.  I found a piece of mossy colored twine that I wrapped around the panel and tied in a bow.  

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!