Winter Wonderland Tag

 Hi friends!  Popping in to share a project that I made for one of my monthly Birch Press Design posts.  I have had this idea rolling around in my head for several months now and it pretty much turned out exactly has I had envisioned it would.  Let's have a look.

I started out by painting a #8 Tim Holtz thickboard tag with white paint.  Once it was dry I sanded off some of the paint (even though you don't really see it), applied some multi matte medium to the tag and adhered the patterned paper that came from the Memory Box Poinsettia Plaid 6x6 pad.  I roughed up the edges of the paper a bit and curled some of the corners, as well.  Then I added some Memory Box snowflake rubons to the tag.  

I die cut the Holly and Berries Contour Layers die from vellum and then added the "berries" using Nuvo drops in a matte gold.  As my blog title indicates, I was really going for a winter wonderland look so kept everything muted.  I had previously die cut the large circle from Memory Box cream woodgrain cardstock and had tucked into the envelop with the dies so I had that already to go.  I then die cut it further using the Wavy Hillside dies and adhered the layers to another die cut circle.  I used different heights of foam squares for the bottom and middle layers.  The top layer was adhered with glue.   I die cut the Littletown Village pieces from white cardstock and the patterned paper used for the tag base.  The houses were adhered together, glossy accents added to the roofs and then I dipped them in Rock Candy glitter.  

Before adding all the elements I applied some Icicle crackle paste to the tag and let it dry.  When the houses were dry I added them to the hillsides along with the trees.  The circle was adhered to the tag and then I added the vellum holly piece.  I trimmed the stem a little and removed one of the leaves that I tucked in behind at the top of the stem.  I finished off the tag by adding the little twine bow, the Memory Box white Christmas labels and some Snowfall grit paste.

I'm going to add this to the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge to use die cuts.  Well, that's it for me.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wondeful day!

More Christmas Cards

 Hello!   Hope all is well in your world.  I have two cards to share today.   One card is for Color Throwdown and then other card is for Color Hues and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.  Both cards feature stenciling.  Let's have a look.

Last year I bought the Honey Bee Stamps Holly Border stencil and die set.  It came too late to make a Christmas card with it so I wanted to make sure that I got something made with it this year.  The Color Throwdown challenge was just the vehicle.   I originally thought that when you stenciled the holly the colors would be layered, but that isn't the case.   So I stenciled one layer of the holly in a light green and the second layer in the dark green.  The berries were done in two shades of red.  The veining for the holly leaves was done with a dark gray.  Once the stenciling was done I die cut each piece with the matching die.  The word die is from Simon Says Stamp (Fancy Peace) and was die cut from a cream cardstock four times, layered and then added to the shadow layer that was die cut from PTI's rustic white.  The card base is also rustic white.  I added the holly borders, stamped the small sentiment and then adhered the larger sentiment.  Simple, but I like it. 

When I saw the Color Hues combo of blue and purple I had to play along.  And I immediately thought of the Pinkfresh Studio Folk Snowflake as the image I wanted to use.   I stenciled the snowflake in two shades of purple and the one shade of blue.  Stamped the details using black ink and then die cut it.  I embossed a panel of white cardstock with a Simon Says Stamp snowflake embossing folder and adhered that to a white cardstock base.   I die cut the silver glitter cardstock using the largest die in the Pinkfresh Studio Fancy Circles die.  That was adhered using thin foam squares.  The snowflake was added using slightly thicker foam squares.  I finished with the sentiment from a Simon Says Stamp set and was embossed on vellum using silver embossing powder.  I trimmed out the banner and adhered itdusing glue.   Dollops of Nuvo drops in Morning Dew were added to the center of the snowflake as well as the four blue dots. 

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

Noel... deer?

 Hello!  I'm popping in to share a card for the Paper Players challenge.  This week they are asking for card featuring a deer.  My card takes a bit of license with the idea, but I think it still fits. ETA:  I think this card also works for the current Tic Tac Toe challenge.  I'm going with the white on white, embellishment and die cut.   Let's have a look.

A few years ago my friend, Greta, gave me with fun noel die.  I don't know who the manufacturer is, but as you can see the word noel has deer antlers and the drop out pieces from the "o" allow you to turn that into a nose of sorts.   I wanted to participate in the Paper Players challenge, had several options and was about to go with another when I remembered this fun die.  I thought white on white with a touch of red (thinking Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer!) would made for a fun card.  I love how it turned out.  I die cut four pieces and then glued them to a white rectangle.  The "noses" were die cut from dark red and added to the words.  I added a dollop of Nuvo drops in Morning Mist to create a shiny red "nose".  I wanted to keep the noel theme going so I used the Joyeux Noel sentiment that I die cut with a small banner die.   

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

It's DieCember!

 Hello!  Happy first day of December (what???!! where did the year go??!!) and the first day of Simon Says Stamp DieCember!  Today I have two cards to share that I created with the new Scripty Thinking of You die that Simon Says Stamp generously sent to me.  If you make it to the end of the blog post you will find information on how you can get a free Simon Says Stamp product (value $24.99) for a qualifying purchase.  Now, let's have a look at what I created.

This first card is super simple.  I die cut a piece of patterned paper and then embossed it with the super pretty Blossom Swag embossing folder.  I added this to a dark red cardstock base.  The Scripty Thinking of You die consists of the words (all one piece!) and a shadow die.  I die cut the words die from the same dark red cardstock I used for the base three times, adhered them together and then added it to my card front.  While the card is very simple I think the neutral embossed background allows the sentiment to really shine.

With Thanksgiving behind us we are now into the Christmas season.  I know that some people aren't necessarily in the mood for Christmas, but want to be remembered.  I thought that a "thinking of you" card with a Christmas theme would be perfect.  I used papers and ephemera from the 49 and Market Evergreen Season collection for my card.  I even used some of the paper to die cut out the words and shadow.  I layered a frame from one of the ephemera packs on die cut patterned paper.  I then popped up my sentiment in the center.  Some laser cuts were tucked into opposing corners and a sentiment from an older (but favorite) Simon Says Stamp set was added down below.  I kept the sentiment small to keep the emphasis on the "thinking of you".  I love how this turned out.  Going to add this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.

Now for the information I mentioned at the start of my post.   This offer is good only on December 1, 2024 until 11:59 pm EST. 

If you want to see the entire DieCember release, please click the Simon Says Stamp affiliate link in my sidebar.  Any purchases made using my affiliate link are truly appreciated.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

happy holiday...

 Hello!  Popping in with a card for the Altenew November challenge.  I will also be posting it to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.   Haven't done an Altenew challenge in several months, but couldn't pass up the chance to use my favorite poinsettia stamp set that just happens to be from Altenew!  

I love the Altenew Festive Poinsettia stamp and die set because it is one of the most realistic poinsettia stamp sets out there.  Most poinsettia stamp sets depicit the poinsettia looking more like a traditional flower.  The flowers on a poinsettia aren't the red bracts, but the tiny yellow dots in the center of each plant.   Anyway, like I said, the Festive Poinsettia is a very realistic depiction of a poinsettia.  I stamped the image twice with VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne ink on watercolor cardstock and then used my Jane Davenport watercolors to color in the images.  Once they were dry I splattered them with black paint, let them dry, again, and then die cut.  I layered them together for the front of my card.  I used Antique Linen distress oxide ink and the MFT rectangle stencil to create the background for the flowers.  I love the soft golden background it created.  I stamped the sentiment from the set in the Nocturne ink, die cut it with a tag die, inked the edges with the Antique Linen DO and then added the little red twine bow.  Another Christmas card done!  Since I did stencil the background I will also add this to the last JUGs challenge for the year.  

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

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Hello and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here in the US celebrating!  I'm popping in with my second Birch Press Design post for the month.  Can't believe that we are less than a month away from Christmas.  Thanksgiving coming so late this year really speeds things up doesn't it?   Since Christmas is so close I thought I would share a Christmas card today.  Let's have a look.

I started my card by picking out two shades of red to use with the new Rosebud Arch Contour Layers die set.  Even though this die is a more spring-like die I thought it would be lovely used for a Christmas card.  I did also use two shades of green for the stems.  I die cut everything and adhered all the pieces together.  I did add a bit of sparkle to the buds with some Rock Candy glitter.  I love that stuff!   The Merry Christmas was die cut from the darker of the two reds three times, layered together and then adhered to the shadow layer that was die cut from white cardstock.   

I wanted something a little more for the background so I decided to pull out my Herbarium Layering die set.  At first I was going to use layer A to emboss the background, but then decided that I would do a little hot foiling with it.  I used silver matte foil and I love the pretty background it provides to the card.  Fun fact:  I have NEVER actually used all of the Herbarium layers together on a card!  I have only used the top layer for embossing and now hot foiling!  Need to use all the layers together soon.

With all the pieces completed it was time to put everything together.  The Rosebud Arch creates the perfect spot for a sentiment, even one as large as the Merry Christmas.   Well, that is it for me.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!  Going to add this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.

Autumn Greetings

 Hello!  Popping in with a quick share of a card that I made using the Color Throwdown colors (sort of?).  I will also be posting it to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to add sparkle and shine.   Here is my card.

The colors at CTD are rust, amber and kraft.  I thought I had picked an ink that would provide a more rusty color, but it ended up being more dark orange.  But I think it will still pass muster.  I used the Greetery Autumn Sketch stamp and die set.  I die cut the branch first and then lined up the stamps and it worked perfectly.  I also stamped the little berry(?) image as well as additional single leaves.  I used an MFT rectangle stencil to add some kraft ink to the one corner of my off white panel.  I then stamped the greeting using the dark orange ink.  I added all the images.  The branch was popped up with thin foam squares and the berries and leaves were adhered with glue.  For the sparkle I added tiny Memory Box fairy jewels in dark orange and amber. 

sending joy...

 Hello, hello!  Popping in with a card for several challenges:  Just Us Girls (word week: Joy), Color Hues (Pink and Aqua), Sunday Stamps (sketch) and Paper Players (clean and simple Christmas).  Lets have a look at what I made.

It is rare that I make a card for four different challenges, but this card is one.   It started out that I was only going to make it for Sunday Stamps and Just Us Girls, then I saw the color combo at Color Hues and had to add it to the mix.   Then I saw the challenge from Paper Players and couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a clean and simple card!   Several years ago I purchased a pretty Stampin Up! set called Joy of Noel.  I had used a few of the dies from the set, but never the stamps.  I pulled it out for this card.  Stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored with Copics in shades of aqua and pink.    The die cut "joy" is a very old Simon Says Stamp die that I cut from white cardstock three times and adhered together.  I then colored the top layer with the light pink Copic marker I used to color the berries.  Embossed a white rectangle with the pretty holly swirl embossing folder.  I trimmed that panel down a little bit and then added the aqua cardstock strip to the one side.  I tried to use a strip of pink cardstock on the card, but neither color I tried worked with the Copic colors I used.  So I used sparkly silver glitter cardstock!  Really like how it looks.  Layered on the colored image and the sentiments that are from an older Simon Says Stamp set that I just love.  One more Christmas card to add to my stash!

Well, that's it for me.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Birch Press Design...

 Hello everyone!  The Birch Press Design blog is still down so here I am with my first of two BPD blog posts.  I hope you enjoyed what I made.  Let's have a look.

Memory Box recently released two new fall themed 6x6 paper pads (Nutmeg Forest and Nutmeg Plaid) and I just had to use them for my card.  I used a plaid for the background and one of the gold foiled patterns for the scalloped circles (Poppystamps Scallop Pinpoint Rings).

For the acorns and oak leaves I used the new Oak Leaves Contour Layers die set.  I had a piece of cardstock that I had layered several different distress mica sprays on and used that for the acorns and leaves.  The hello sentiment is the brand new Hello Scripted die and I die cut that from kraft cardstock three times then layered together.  

I layered on the plaid background and the die cut circles on to a kraft cardstock base.  I arranged the acorns and leaves and then added the sentiment.  I love the rustic look of this design. 

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

autumn blessings

 Hello!  Popping in with a card for the current Color Throwdown challenge.   For this card I combined a newly released Simon Says Stamp die set with a very old (but favorite) Simon Says Stamp stamp set.  Let's have a look.

As I have said before I love pumpkins and when I saw this super cute Autumn Arrangement die set from Simon Says Stamp I had to get it (didn't hurt that it was reasonably priced, too!).   To get the colors that I wanted I used distress inks in Rusty Hinge, Aged Mahogany and Forest Moss.  I inkblended each color onto white cardstock and then die cut the pieces.  Because this is a smaller die set I was able to use up pretty much all of the inkblended cardstock and get enough pieces for my arrangment.  I used the Memory Box pierced arched die set for the background layers, stamping the sentiment (from the very old SSS stamp set by the same name) on the smaller arch with VersaFine CLAIR Acorn ink.  I then arranged all my pieces.  I layered the small arch onto the larger one and tucked the left-over leaves in the corner.  I finished by adding all the flowers and a tiny drop of Morning Dew Nuvo drops to each flower center.  I adhered the panels to my kraft cardstock base and I was done.  This also works for the Card Concept so I'm going to add it to their gallery.   My card would probably fall into the clean, but somewhat layered category, lol!

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

Old Fashioned Christmas

 Hello everyone!  I had a post ready to go for the new release from Simon Says Stamp and once, again, Blogger flagged it and unpublished it.  When I read the email it said that I was engaging in SPAMMING!  I had about 7 affiliate links in my post and that is all.  I tried removing those links and republishing, but it flagged me, AGAIN!  So... here I am writing a completely new post and hoping that it gets published.   So incredibly tired of Blogger!   Here are the cards I made:

SSS generously sent me a stamp set called Old Fashioned Christmas.  It features four images and several sentiments.  For this card I stamped the image of a decanter on watercolor cardstock with VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne ink and then did very simple watercoloring to make it look like there was some type of alcohol in the decanter.  The bow was also stamped on watercolor cardstock (twice) with the Nocturne ink and then watercolored.  When the image was dry I trimmed out the full bow and then just the top portion of the bow (if that makes sense, lol) and layered them together with thin foam squares for a little dimension.  I die cut some Christmas foliage from watercolor cardstock and added a wash of color to the pieces.  Once everything was dry I adhered the pieces to my decanter and finished with the sentiment from the stamp set.

For the second card I stamped both of the drink images with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored very simply with Copic markers.  I die cut the panel with a rectangle die and layered it on glitter cardstock with a light peach hue to it.  I added a bit of more sparkle to each drink by adding glossy accents and Rock Candy glitter to the ice cubes, cherry and orange slice.  

That's it for me.  If you want to check out the release, please click the link to Simon Says Stamp that is over on my side bar.  Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

autumn frame...

 Hello!  Popping in with a quick share of a card that I made for Color Throwdown and Paper Players.  Will also add it to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.  Let's have a look.

I used the Simon Says Stamp Autumn Frame stencil and inks from Altenew (Terracotta) and Pinkfresh Studio (Doe and Sweet Mustard) to create the autumn frame.  Once down with the stenciling I die cut it with a rectangle die.  The sentiments are from the SSS stamp set Cozy Autumn Hugs.  I stamped them with the PFS Doe ink and die cut with matching dies.  I die cut additional layers and layered them behind the sentiment.   I added the panel to a kraft cardstock base, adhered the sentiments and then added some tiny gems. 

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

spooky manor...

 Hello everyone!  Happy day before Halloween!  I'm not a huge fan of Halloween, but I just couldn't resist creating a somewhat spooky scene with the new Birch Press Design Littletown Spooky Manor and Wavy Hillside dies.  Today would have been my day to post on the Birch Press Design blog, but the blog is still down so I'm posting here.  Let's have a look at my card.

Lots of inkblending going on with this card!  I started by die cutting the Wavy Hillside die from dark green Memory Box cardstock and then inking up the edges with Forest Moss distress ink.   For the sky and the moon I used more distress inks.  Scattered Straw for the moon and Chipped Sapphire, Faded Jeans, Dusty Concord and Scorched Timber.   With all the inkblending done I let everything dry.

The pieces of the Spooky Manor and trees were die cut from purple and black Memory Box glitter cardstock.   Yellow glitter cardstock was just for the light in the windows.  I saved the arched fall out pieces from the window to create a little graveyard scene up on the hill.  So fun I could use the pieces for that! 

I layered the hillside pieces on to the background using two heights of foam squares and liquid adhesive.  At this point I decided to add splatters of foundry wax in Gilded to the sky.  So I used masking paper to cover up the bottom and splattered away.  I then heat set it with my heat tool.  Now it was time to add the "tombstones", trees and spooky manor.  I finished with a computer generated sentiment that I die cut with a banner die and inked up with ink from the blending brushes. 

I really like how it turned out.  I will be adding this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.  Well, that's it for me.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day.

more clean and simple mixed media...

 Hello!  I'm back and like the title of my post says I have more cards created in a clean and simple style that feature some mixed media!  Love combining things that don't seem like they belong together, lol.  Let's have a look at what I made.

This card is for Freshly Made Sketches and I just love how it turned out!   I used lots of distress mica sprays and I think the Fossilized Amber distress spritz for the leaves.  The whole thing started when I created the tag I used on this card.  I had alot of the sprays left over in my splatter box and so I decided to grab a piece of watercolor cardstock and soak up all the leftover sprays.  The end result was a brownish color.  Once it was dry I added some additional mica spray in Mulled Cider and Harvest Moon (I think, lol).   I let it dry and then die cut the leaves using a leaf die from A Jillian Vance Design and a set of leaf dies from Simon Says Stamp.   A piece of off white cardstock was die cut with a rectangle die and then I worked on the arrangment of the leaves.   When I had that done to my liking I took a picture so I could get the placement just right.  I glued down the leaves and then added the sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp Cozy Autumn Hugs stamp set with strip of foam tape.  I finished with the little bow.  

This next card is for Color Throwdown and I will also be adding it to the Just Us Girls gallery as I added a little bit of stenciling.   Take a look.

The CTD colors this week are orange, cream and kraft.  I thought the newly released Birch Press Design Splendid Cosmos Contour Layers die would look pretty in those colors.  I die cut the main flower from off white cardstock (PTI's Rustic White) and then added orange ink (Pinkfresh Studio Apricot) to the center of the flower extending it out on the petals.  Got a little too much on that one bottom petal, but I think it looks fine.  I die cut the center pieces from kraft cardstock and then added a little bit of the residual orange ink on my brush to the pieces.   Everything was then glued together.  I originally had another ide for the card, but when I tried it I just didn't like it.  That happens sometimes, right?   So, I decided to sleep on it and in the morning pulled out a brick pattern stencil from MFT Stamps and added the partial brick pattern to a kraft cardstock panel using Picket Fence Studios Luxe Paper Glaze in gold.   Once dry I adhered the flower and then added the sentiment that I had hot foiled on cream cardstock in matte gold.   Again, clean and simple, but with a little touch of mixed media.  Try it sometime!

I was sad to learn of the passing of Color Throwdown team member, Barbara Anders.  She never failed to amaze me with her gorgeous cards!   Her talent will be greatly missed.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

hey pumpkin...

 Hello, again!  Here to share a card that I made for the current Paper Players challenge to create a clean and simple card with a tag on it.    I'm also going to post it to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of Halloween.  Let's have a look at what I made.

The elements of this card got started when I was making the card with the big pumpkin on it.  I couldn't decide if I wanted to use the big pumpkin die set or this Simon Says Stamp die set called Stack o' Pumpkins with the CTD colors.    I die cut the Stack o' Pumpkins from the orange cardstock, as well as the aqua cardstock I used for the other card, but as I played around with the die cuts I just didn't like what I was coming up with.  So, I set Stack o' Pumpkins die cuts to the side and made the other card.  Then I saw the challenge at the Paper Players I thought I could use the other pumpkins on a tag.   While this card is pretty clean and simple I went in a mixed media direction with it.  For the tag I sprayed some white cardstock with Fossilized Amber distress spritz, let it dry and then spritzed on some Fallen Acorn distress mica spray.  I die cut the tag and then used what was left over to back the open ares of the jack o' lantern pumpkins.  I added a bit of distress oxide ink in Gathered Twigs to the tops of each pumpkin.  I didn't want to waste the aqua colored die cut pumpkins so I glued them behind the orange ones.  I stacked all the pumpkins on the tag starting with the bottom one.  I used thin foam squares on that one and then glue for the other two.   I recently purchased a package of Penny Black Beautiful Branches stick and shine so I used one of the branches along with bronze Deco Foil in the upper left corner of a white cardstock rectangle.  I added the tag and then finished off the card with the twine bow and the sentiment.   I didn't have twine in the brown color I wanted so I used some cream colored twine and spritzed it with Gathered Twigs distress stain and Fallen Acorn distress mica spray.  I really like how it turned out.

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

halloween greetings

 Hello!  Popping back in with another card for a few challenges:  Color Throwdown, Just Us Girls and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.   Let's have a look at what I made.

It's pumpkin season and I am here for it!  I LOVE PUMPKINS!! And making card with pumpkins on them, lol!  Couldn't resist using the Simon Says Stamp Pumpkin die set along with the CTD colors and inspiration from the JUGs mood board.  I die cut the pumpkin from orange cardstock and then added some light inking with distress oxide ink left on the blending brush I use with orange oxide inks.  I die cut the stem and leaves from aqua and green cardstocks and did the same thing with them.   Black cardstock was die cut with a rectangle die and then embossed with the spider web embossing folder.  I adhered that to a light gray cardstock base, added the pumpkin and leaves and finished with the sentiment that was stamped in black on the same light gray used for the card base and die cut with a tag die.  To tone down the gray I used the residual ink on my black soot oxide blending brush.   Another Halloween card to send to one of the littles in my life!

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