What I Love...

Hello friends, hope you are doing well in this new week! I've been keeping inside because of the heat and having a blast with my stamps and morning tea. 

The card I'm sharing would be perfect for the feature I used to have on my blog called "What I love Wednesday..." There is still a link to it in my sidebar. Here's today's love list: birds, sweet flowers, my two fave  card-making colors, and the cutest sentiment which has to do with something else that I love to do. SING!

It was made for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge (which I also love) with stamps and dies from their card kit which I've really been enjoying recently. They're asking for us to Focus on the Sentiment,  I had quite a few large word dies to choose from. The copic coloring of the images and keeping this design simple brought a smile to my face today. Hope it will make you smile too! 

Thanks for coming by again! 

Be yourself

         Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Supplies:
Simon Says Stamp - Tweet friends stamps and dies
Penny Black - Immense YOU die; Allover Stitches embossing folder
Distress Oxide Inks sponged for the large sentiment
Neenah Solar White card stock

God's Masterpiece

 Happy to be starting a new week and a new month with a card to share with you. Hi friends, welcome to my blog. 

Spring flowers are starting to pop up here and there outside, and many are flocking to blog land as challenges seek projects decorated with blooms! 

Here's one that I made. 

Using the great layout from Jill that I shared HERE, I've used this rose from the Enchantingly (Clear Stamps) for today's card. The greeting is from Penny Black as well; Inspirational Sentiments. Re-inkers are the medium for watercoloring.

Thanks for your visit!

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

The challenges I'm joining are: 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - use Penny Black
Try it Tuesday - embossing
Allsorts Challenge -  Clean and Simple
Penny Black Saturday Challenge  ATG

Cup of Kindness for Color Hues

 The well-known song says, "we'll take a cup of kindness yet.... for Auld Lang Syne" As I am typing my first post of the year, I will wish you special gifts of health and happiness for 2024.  Welcome to our first duo at Color Hues!  Marcia has chosen Light Blue and Navy for us. 

I couldn't wait to use the new stamps and dies from Concord & 9th called Cup of Kindness that features the cutest shapes and sentiments for coffee cups. 

I love the floral mini patterns that can be printed on the cups. Neutrals are also OK to add to your projects including kraft, gray, cream, white or black.

My favorite sentiment is the Thank You checklist. Here's how it looks on the inside of my card. I grabbed a stenciled background from my already-done file that was a good fit with the colors and theme. 

Please be sure to check out the fabulous designs from the team. 

We hope you're ready to get crafting again! Please join us to play along. The challenge will last for two weeks. Thanks so very much for your visits and kind words. 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 
               Make something beautiful!  

Adding this to Darnelle's wonderful challenge at NBUS.

I Love Christmas!

 The Christmas in July theme has been everywhere in blog land, and I caught the bug. I don't need new stamps, but I love pulling out the older ones in my stash and creating with them anew. 

The challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throw-down asks us to use the technique of fussy cutting in July. I found these lovely gals from the I Love Christmas stamps (by Photoplay) that I had already colored and fussy cut. The decisions of where to start were easy! 

I also pulled out some favorite papers from the Candy Cane Lane pack (Prima). 

I had only a few scraps left, so I trimmed out some tags for the second card to add a bit more fussy cutting to the project. Although it's a bit busy, I feel sure my grand-daughter won't mind! 

 Isn't the candy cane a cute embellishment! I loved the products from this SSS kit last year, if you'd like there are a couple more projects HERE and HERE. 

Thanks for coming by to visit today. I'm happy to have my first two Christmas cards done! Motivation is one of the great things about challenges. 

 Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

YOU Bring me Joy

 I hope you're doing well and surviving the heat wave. I'm cooling off again in the craft room before heading off to a barbecue this afternoon with friends. It will be 95!  

I haven't really been into rainbows, but I saw the idea of a rainbow made like gingham, so I gave it a try! I used a stencil from CCC and various inks to create a panel on white card stock.  The inks are  a bit more saturated than I would like, the small cubes were juicy! The small cubes were easiest to work with. 

I loved this bear and used an oval die to cut him out after coloring with Zigs. Penny Black stamps has inspired me to buy quite a few of their dies and sentiments that go together, and you will be seeing more of them! 

I realized as I was posting that this is close to the sketch at Freshly Made, so I am joining the challenge! I'm also playing at Happy Little Stampers Stencil Challenge. 

Hope you have a wonderful day and some joy coming your way. Thanks so very much for your visit! 

Enjoy the Little Things

 Hello! Well, you know what they say. If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. My version is fitting for those enduring this heat wave. If it stays HOT grab a lemonade and head to the stamp room to stay cool!

That's what I did this afternoon, and it was the perfect time to use some new supplies. 

I've had these pretty Lovely Layers: Dogwood dies from Honey Bee in the new-things-container since spring so I gave them a try for today's card. The layers and etching on the dies add lovely texture and details. I had trouble getting a good photo though. The papers from Concord & 9th are very pretty IRL but it was hard to capture these hues.

 I paired the flowers with the Immense Joy die and sentiment from Penny Black. I'll be entering the challenge at NBUS with dear Darnelle - who encourages us to share our never-been-used-stuff. And at the Flower Challenge, where they request CAS cards. Their DT samples are fabulous! 

I appreciate your visit to my blog today! Hope you've found a way to keep cool!

 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Just a Hello ...

 Hello crafty friends, it's good to be here today! You know how I love card challenges and it's even more fun when I get chosen as Guest Designer. That's the happy circumstance for today's card, which I've created for the Tic-Tac-Toe challenge! 

You may know that they post a board and you may chose which elements you'd like to include on your card. 

I'm delighted that this prompted me to finally pull out my new-to-me Strawberry Patch large dies from Spellbinders. 

I was first led in the direction of FRUIT in the top row, but instead I decided to go with: embossing, fun fold, and gingham in the left row vertically. 

I love interactive cards, but don't make them often enough. This one is an interlocking  gatefold and it was so fun to make, I can't wait to try another one! The card measures 5.5 x 5.5 and I want to remind you that it will require extra postage. I needed the extra space to feature those beautiful berries! 

The sentiment is heat embossed, and there is embossed texture on the die cuts. I added a bit of shading with Copics and inks. 

Please be sure to check out the fantastic cards from the team, and join us to play along! You will find them HERE. 

I'm so happy for your visit today! 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Songbirds Make my Heart Sing

 Hey there, friends! It's nearly the end of the week, and soon will be the end of the month, and I've been mostly MIA. I'm here today to fix that! 
I've pulled out a new-to-me stamp set, and was inspired to join a card challenge I've just discovered called Triple B: Birds, Blooms, and Butterflies! Use one or all three in your cards.
I spent a few tries with mediums to color the bird, but liked this one best using Copic markers and made it into a card. 

What I love about this Songbird stamp set (Concord & 9th) is that the bird on the tree branch is a separate stamp, and there are images to add to the branches for each season of the year. I used the flowers and buds for a spring scene. Deciding it needed some texture, I added the border of stitching, and a bit of color randomly dotted with a stencil. A few flat sequins and two butterfly die cuts complete the card. 
Thanks so much for joining me today and taking a peek at this creation! It's been nice sharing a bit of time together, let's do it again soon!  

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Card Supplies: Concord & 9th - Songbird Stamp Set. Lawnfawn - Just Stitching Double Rectangles. Tim Holtz - stencil. Sequins are from The Cat's Pajamas. Stampin' Up! - butterfly dies. 

NBUS Challenge #50 using a new stamp set

and Triple B Birds, Blooms & Butterflies has a lovely mood board. I used all three B's on my card. 

Watercolored Love You with Penny Black

 As I sit down to write this post, I feel at a loss for words. My dear older brother passed away just after Easter and that brought so much sadness. My husband and I were set to fly cross country today for his funeral tomorrow and for a chance to join with family and my siblings at his memorial. Unfortunately, health issues of mine came up and I have had to stay home. 

So, I made a card. 

How's that for just enough telling-it-like-it-is?

It's been way too long since I've used patterned paper, and it took me forever to pick the papers for this card! But I did have fun. Watercoloring was therapeutic as always and I have the satisfaction of doing something today. 

I fell in love with these adorable elephants from Penny Black, aren't they cute? It just happens that  at The PBS Saturday Challenge they are asking for Patterned papers. 

The stamp set Together Forever is new to me so I'll share this at NBUS too. 

Other details: the papers are from Waffle Flower (polka dots) and Penny Black ( pink with roses.) The sentiments and dies are from Honey Bee stamps. I used watercolors from Altenew for coloring on Canson 140lb Cold Pressed Watercolor Paper. 

Thanks so much for visiting today. I'm so grateful for your kind words and I've met so many of you through this craft that have come to mean a great deal to me. I'm hoping to get crafty again today, so I will see you soon. 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Combining Stencils

 I am popping in with a card for the Tic Tac Toe Challenge, even though it's near the deadline, I just had to play along. You may have noticed my obsession with stencils lately. It continues! I learned so many ideas from the Stenciled 2 Online Card Class, that I pulled all my stencils out, and ordered a few more as well. 

I just couldn't wait to use this new stencil from Gina K designs, called Bold Bouquet. 

Beginning with pale blue card stock, I blended Oxide inks in layers using Salvaged Patina, Peacock Feathers, and just a bit of Shabby Shutters. 

For the next step, I inked the Stitched Quilt Stencil  (Frantic Stamper) over the entire card front. This simple layer brought cohesiveness to the design. Wanting to add texture, I used the Dot Fade stencil (Tim Holtz) and randomly daubed white craft ink in a few areas. 

I had a blast making this card and I was really pleased with how it turned out. I am eyeing all my stencils differently now that I realize how many ways they can be used. 

The Tic Tac Toe challenge had great options! I went with the top row suggesting Flowers, Word Die and Matching Envelope. 

It was easy to add a stenciled flower diagonally across the envelope with some design on the back and upper left front.  

ETA:  I didn't make it in time to enter at Tic Tac Toe. Next time!

I will also add this to NBUS, SSS Wednesday Challenge, and a new to me challenge at 

 I hope this encourages you today. Get those stencils out to play! I am grateful for your kind visit, thanks so much! 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Colorful Birthday

 Hi there, stamping, friends, I have to tell you that today's card features some of the new colors from Concord and 9th and I am SMITTEN with them! I was so ready for these fresh new hues, and I especially like how there are light and darks of the same shades that work well for ink blending. My favs are the series of pretty pinks and oranges, soft blues and greens that pop. 

That brings us to today's card. 

Keeping my design simple, I die cut octagons, and stamped the grid image with versamark  for added interest.  The colors of card stock are sprout, parsley, sea glass, and oceanside. 

Using white card stock, I cut the flowers from the Duet Die (Penny Black) three times and glued them together. 

I am happy to be in time to enter this at Freshly Made, using the delightful sketch by Karren, although I used the mirror image.

I appreciate your visit, and hope you are doing well today!  I will be back soon. It's a busy week, but I have lots of new stuff inspiring me to get crafty! 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

 

 

Stand Tall

 Stand tall is a good reminder, especially if you are short like I am at 5'1 and 1/2" or if you are a flamingo that stands on one leg! I made this card for one of my favorite people who's going to Florida to celebrate a special birthday. I thought these two flamingoes would be fun for her card!

The images and sentiment are from WPlus9 Designs.   I created a stenciled background for my scene, and colored with Copic markers. 

I'm adding this card to these challenges: 

NBUS because the stamps are never used until now. 

Tic Tac Toe using the row Colouring, Critters, Scene

Double D - Things that fly - yes, I looked it up, flamingoes do fly! Thank you so much for your visit today, hope you have a really good weekend.

Having just returned from a road trip to Florida, I'm looking forward to taking it easy myself! Am I the only one who comes home from vacation and needs to rest, lol? 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Supply List 

Stamps: Flock Yeah and dies, Birthday Wishes  from WPlus9

Good Things Take Time

 Good things do take time.  The arrival of spring, the growth of a flower, the struggle of an emerging butterfly, a sunset after rain. It's a new challenge at Color Hues #62 and I chose Purple and Green for our projects this fortnight. Even though Easter is over, there are lots of ways to use these shades.

I had summery vibes in mind and so out came the butterflies! 

Choosing two patterns of paper from Waffle Flower, I used the pale green dotted piece as a background, and the purple inside the butterflies. The beautiful layering dies are by Bibi Cameron for Spellbinders, as are the sentiment and border panel. 

As always, you'll find wonderful inspiration at the Color Hues blog, and we hope to see what you make as you play along.

Thanks for joining me today! 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Gratitude Color Hues #61

Hello friends! Welcome to our new challenge at Color Hues! For April our dear Stef has chosen Peach and Kraft for us to use.  I chose floral stamps and stamped them in warm brown ink,  colored with Copics, then fussy cut them out. 

I wanted the sentiment (Penny Black - Smile) to be the focal point on my card because I love the message and the pretty fonts. Using the dies I cut and framed a diamond shape and matted it with kraft card stock. 

  

To dress it up even more, I added a 3D embossed panel (SSS - Magnolia Branches) and a few flat gold sequins. 

Our wonderful challenge participants fill our gallery with beautiful cards and clever designs. I can't wait to see what you will make! Just have fun.

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Stamps used: Waffle Flower Bouquet Builder   Dies: Spellbinders' Diamond Foil Frame Plate and Die set. 

Sending you Warm Hugs

 Hey there! Hope all is going well for you today! It's in the 70's here, with sunshine and breezes, so I thought warm wishes would be in order.  

I choose warm shades of peach for my card, and used an inking technique and the new-to-me 3D embossing folder, Pressed Flowers, from Altenew. 

I love the depth and details of these pretty florals! 

I used sponge daubers and a brayer to ink the debossed side of the folder with Distressed Oxide inks in Spiced Marmalade and Saltwater Taffy. After I ran the card stock through, I added splatters of white acrylic paint. 

The sentiment and tag are from The Greetery. And then there just had to be pearls. 

Be yourself

          Have delight in your craft 

               Make something beautiful!  

Challenges for today: 

Freshly Made Sketches  

NBUS

and Time Out Challenges,  theme is words, inspired by light and summer: Warm