sending you Sunshine!

Hi there, I do want to send you some sunshine! It's much needed in our state. Can you imagine there were snow flurries in our state today? Snow on April 2 in NC is a bizarre twist since our dogwoods and azaleas have just started blooming. 

Bringing some flowers your way today so that I can play along with Laurie's Favorites challenge on the PTI blog before it ends tomorrow. 

We were to choose any past Make It Monday technique to use for our card. I chose to use  MIM #312  featuring a framed sentiment. I also was highly influenced by THIS card of Laurie's because I just love her color choices. 

I began by using the stencil and inking it lightly with Midnight Muse ink from Stampin' Up! I stamped the images using additionally Aqua Mist, Tropical Teal, Harvest Gold and Honey Nut. I used the Stitching Garden and Sending You stamp sets adding a bit of sparkle with yellow sequins. 

Hope you have a great day! I'm wishing you a burst of goodness and happy hugs. 

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!

More with Happy Wishes

Hello, it's been a beautiful Saturday! I was out enjoying the sunny weather and breeze on our boat this afternoon, but earlier today I had some time to stamp. 

Remember when I shared on my last post how I hated cutting up the pattern I'd stamped using the Happy Wishes stamps and dies from W Plus 9?  Coming to the rescue is the CAS(E) This Sketch for this week that gave me the perfect chance to use it on another card.

The stamped strip and hexagon frame that I had left over fit right in to make today's sketch. I added a couple of die cut and stamped flowers to a white hexagon, attaching the patterned frame on top. Behind that I mounted the polka dot paper, and foam mounted it all as my focal point. 

It may be a bit busier than I would have liked for a clean and simple card. After several attempts to rearrange things, I ended up adding a yellow enamel dot to draw your eye to that center flower.

All inks were from W Plus 9 also - Bloomsberry, Cockle Shell, Last Leaf, Wild Mango, Ocean Drive, and Coconut Husk. Also used were the Clear Cut Stacker Dies - hexagon, and the sentient from Papertrey's Mixed Bouquet Stamp set. 

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today. It always means so much! 

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!

Stamping a Repeating Pattern

Hello and welcome to my blog today. While my husband and I watched our favorite team in the basketball play-offs over the weekend, I got in some stamping time. I was able to spend some time playing around with my inks since our team won by a good many points! Today I have a card to share!

I was intrigued by THIS video from Dawn Woleslagle, owner of WPlus9, showing how to make your own pattern for repeat stamping, and I admired the beautiful cards she made! Highly inspired by her work, I created my own patterns using different colors and sentiments. 

By creating a 6" square divided equally into 4 segments, you can easily repeat the same pattern by stamping and turning for each quadrant using the Misti. I can't wait to try this again with other stamps. 

After creating the patterned sheet I hated to cut it up but I trimmed it for an A2 card and die cut a hexagon from the center. I placed patterned paper behind it and used craft foam to lift the image. A die cut flower and leaves were added to embellish the layer. 

As always, I am thankful for each and every visit! I will list my supplies below. 

I am posting into three different challenges today. 
Virginia's "Show & Share"  for March,

the Double "D" Challenge inspired by gingham, 

and the Inspired By Challenge, Spring Lovelies. 

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!

Supplies used are from WPlus9 unless noted

Stamps: Happy Wishes and dies, Basic Banners

Paper: Neenah Solar White, PTI - Bitty Big Paper Collection

INK: Bloomsberry, Cockle Shell, Last Leaf, Wild Mango, Ocean Drive

Accessories: Clear Cuts Stacker Dies - Hexagon

Hugs and Birthday Wishes

Hello stamping friends! 
I've had a bit of hiatus for the very special reason of our daughter's wedding which was last Saturday. A wonderful and delightful start to a new chapter in her life and a festive and fun celebration plus a new son-in-love for us.

As you can imagine, I had to curtail stamping and blogging for a bit.  And this past week, I was too drained to do anything. Can any of you MOB's relate?

But now, I'm ready to get back to it! 

Nothing makes me feel more like stamping than sunshine and spring! I made today's card to add to my stash of birthday cards. 

At first glance the Let's Fiesta set didn't seem my style, but the more I saw of the tiny flowers the more I liked it! It's so versatile and fun to make different arrangements with the stamps and die cut images, which are easy to use. 

I'm playing with three challenges today as they always give me a jump start in creating. And yellow and red?  At the top of my favorites list! 
Laurie's Fabulous Favorites Challenge at PTI asks us to use our favorite color combo. 

Time Out 

Color Throwdown 

Thanks for visiting! Hope your day is wonderful and bright. 

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!

Supplies used:

Stamps:

Paper: Neenah Solar White, PTI - Bitty Big Patterns - Harvest Gold,

INK: PTI - Pure Poppy, Harvest Gold, Bright Buttercup, Berry Sorbet, Simply Chartreuse, Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores. Plus 9 - Appletini for the sentiment

Accessories: Nuvo Drops, PTI - Shape Shifters Oval 1 Die

Zig Clean Color Markers and Bouquet of Thanks

Hope your week is off to a great start! I know much of the nation is in the grips of a snowstorm, so how about some flowers to brighten your day? 
I'm sharing a card I made using the Bouquet of Thanks stamp set and an array of unique (to me) springy colors. 

 Again, I took time to play with Zig Clean Color Real Markers. After stamping the image onto watercolor paper, I was very pleased that shading was much easier because I was coloring a larger image. I added highlights with a yellow marker, and a few dots with a white gel pen.

A banner is one of my favorite embellishments. This banner and sentiment are from the Charmed set. I love the Pierced Feature Frames Oval dies from Papertrey Ink, they dress up a card so elegantly. I cut a few edges of the colored blossoms with my craft knife so they could hang outside the "box." I placed the oval on top of the watercolor paper and pulled the cut parts out over the frame.

I'm entering three challenges today, Laurie's Favorites, Time Out Challenges, and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.   

Thank you so much for visiting! I wish you a happy day. 

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!

Other PTI Supplies used:

Paper: Vintage Jadeite, Lemon Tart, Vintage Cream card stocks

INK: Soft Stone for no line watercolor

More Coloring - Zig Clean Color Markers

As you can tell from the title, there has still been more coloring going on as I explore the different mediums I already own. There has been furniture re-arranging, curtain washing, and I even pulled out the ironing board today and used it. Gasp! The world did not stand still. But you aren't here to here about my spring cleaning.

Again, taking a break to color is for my sanity. This time I pulled out the Zig Clean Color Real markers and used them for a child's card. Nothing too complicated, just fun to color and make into a basic layout. 

I was hugely inspired by THIS video from Kelly Latevola. Her results are amazing! I learned the hard way how much water was too much as I had some bleeding. I will keep practicing though and do what Kelly suggests: use as little water as possible. 

Thanks for your visit today! 

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!

Supplies used:

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp -  Showers and Flowers, Stampendous - Friendly Phrases

Paper: Neenah Solar White, Ranger Distress Watercolor Paper, SU - Bermuda Bay,Basic Black

INK:Simon Says Stamp - Intense Black, Versamark

Accessories: Zig Clean Color Real Markers, Stitched Circle Dies, white embossing powder

Congrats card with Derwent Inktense

Good Tuesday to you! 

I've been wanting to do something that feels "normal" today. You know we have our daughter's wedding in a little over two weeks, and our other daughter and our daughter in love are both having babies in a month or two! You can imagine the busy-ness all these wonderful events entail. Truly they are such a blessing. 

I just needed to regroup today. For me that means making a card, and posting! 

Lucky you! 

I'm sharing this card I made recently to add to my stash. 

I intended only to do some coloring with my Derwent INKtense pencils to better my skills. You know that I love coloring but I still don't have a favorite medium. I've been debating adding a new product.  Polychromos Colored Pencils. I know what your'e thinking.  I said the same thing to myself. Admonishing that I must first decide if I really LIKE coloring with pencils and second, to make sure a new choice of pencils that I 'think' will be better actually WILL. 

That's the story behind me pulling the Inktense out and using what I have. I learned this time that I get a much better result if I color softly in a circular motion and then wash over it with a paintbrush that is barely wet. Also, adding water to the darkest part and moving the brush to the lighter part of an image helped. It's important to clean your brush in between images, otherwise, you will just spread the dark ink and that defies the idea of shading totally. 

I appreciate you sticking with me through this long post! Thanks so much for visiting. If you have any comments on your favorite pencils, I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!

Supplies used:

Stamps:  PTI - Circle of Love, Fresh Bouquet

Paper: Neenah Solar White, Stampin' Up! - Basic Black and Cantaloupe Crisp

INK:Simon Says Stamp - Intense Black

Accessories: PTI - Scalloped Stacker Dies - Large