Another stencil card

Just playing today, using another of the set of strip stencils that I just found, this one another leaf motif.  I decided to use a rainbox color scheme.

So I pulled out all distress inks and finger daubers and stencilled my way across the panel, lifting and repositioning the stencil and changing ink colors each time.  After trimming that panel to just inside an A2 size, I die-cut out the scalloped rectangle, then inserted it back in and put both pieces into an argyle embossing folder, which fits the stencil pattern pretty well.  The original idea was to use the larger piece as a kind of frame and I would stamp my sentiment on the top of my card base and pop the stencilled embossed panel above it.  Just for fun I decided to stamp the sentiment on the small die-cut, and I like it better that way, for some reason, maybe because you have to look closer when you see that they're not on the same height?  But it still needed something, and my solution was these die-cut butterflies layered on top of each other.

supplies: Plaid stencil strip, festive berries, spiced marmalade, mustard seed, mowed lawn, and faded jeans distress inks, Nesties scalloped rectangles die, old Hero Arts wood stamp from 2001, Happy Birthday Message, Versafine onyx black ink, Simon's Chrissy and Leanna butterfly dies, lots of thick pop-dots

I'm entering this into Moxie Fab World's Styling with Stencils challenge.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by!

Roses for you.....

The current sketch at CASE This Sketch is so appealing to me, and I wanted to try one more time, and this time make a truly 1-layer card.

I always enjoy playing with this PTI 3-step rose set, The Sweet Life, and used all distress inks.  I was going to mask a square for behind it, then I spied this old Hero Arts solid stamp called Graphic Scribble.  I stamped it using their Soft Granite ink. And my sentiment is from a tiny Hero Arts set also, simply entitled Messages.  

Yellow roses have always been my favorite, and I like the yellows mixed with the grey backdrop.   Thanks for visiting today.

CAS-ual Fridays: Oval

After seeing DT Tracey's take on the CAS-ual Fridays challenge this week, I was excited to use an embedded die-cut for my entry, too.  We are to use ovals, and my oval reminds me of an old-fashioned hand-painted cameo pin:

supplies: Hero Arts A Real Flower Drooping, from 2002, (it reminds me of snowdrops when colored white like this, which I've never done before) embossed in white and shaded with tumbled glass distress ink, Die-Namics Oval Decorative Doily, Simon's Surf Blue cardstock to line inside of card, Simon's Audrey Blue ink for stamping sentiment from discontinued The Craft's Meow Potted Garden

And I'd like to put this also into the current CASE This Sketch challenge this week:

A Happy Hello

It's getting warmer here, but the trade-off today is that it's also a very dreary day.  I guess it's supposed to rain, but that hasn't happened yet.  So I'm staying inside and playing with some challenges.  This one is for the current CASE This Sketch challenge.  Here's the sketch:

I had lots of ideas, but finally decided to use this pretty Die-Namics Spring Wreath.  I cut it out using Simon's Apple Green cardstock, and added some Kelly Purkey sequins to it to give it some blossoms.

The little birds with heart wings are Wplus9 Folk Art Florals, and my sentiment is an old Hero Arts tiny set called Mini Messages.  

That's alot of white space for me, and I'm itching to fill inside the wreath with something, but I'm sitting on my hands.........Thanks for stopping by today!  Hope your weekend is a good one!

Simon Says........Anything Goes with Buttons!

It's the last Wednesday of the month, which means an Anything Goes challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog! This month, we're adding buttons to the mix.  

The design team were treated to an array of products from Crafter's Companion, so you'll see us using them this week.  If you've got some of their products, we'd love to see you using them, too, but it's not mandatory to enter our challenge.  Here's my card today:

Isn't this shoe and sentiment cute?  The set actually has a whole bunch more sentiments, too.   The button is actually 2 buttons from my collection layered together.  You'll see my supplies list down below.

As always, sweet Heidi has provided us with another $50.00 gift certificate to the Simon Says Stamp Superstore!  Will you be the winner this week?

Also, there are additional chances to win some Crafter's Companion products this week - as Crafter's Companion DT members,  Laurel and Jennifer have giveaways on their blogs, and Crafter's Companion is offering up a separate prize also - please see our Wednesday Challenge blog for details.   

A Bokeh of butterflies.........

I was just playing today and wanted to try again for a bokeh effect, only using hearts instead of circles like is usually seen.  So I found 3 different hearts and 4 colors of pale inks and stamped away.

Because of the hearts, I liked this sentiment, and then it occured to me that the hearts looked like a big flock of pastel butterflies, so I added this big die-cut Cheery Lynn one, and some clear irridescent sequins.  

The sun is shining today, but it's still pretty chilly, so I'm making my own spring!  

supplies: Simon Says Stamp Mint and Surf Blue inks, Memories Baby Pink and Soft Lilac, Hero Arts Made with Love sentiment, hearts from Simon's Love This and Only Have Eyes for You, and HA's Hugs 'n' Hearts

Thanks for stopping in today - hope you're having a sunny day wherever you are, too!

Hello Spring!!

One of the lovely things about spring is watching all the new green shoots emerge and the buds unfurl to that lovely shade of spring green that lasts only a little while.  That's the thought behind my card today, made for the MFW Styling with Stencils challenge.

Stencils are popping up everywhere, not just in the paper crafting department; my friend Carol found a set of stencils at our local craft store that are 4 different designs, each just a single strip, and what's so fun about them is that they are made of almost a thick duck tape, and are sticky on the back side.  So you can just peel up your choice, position it on your paper, and then use a finger dauber to ink it!  I bought this set because of these leaves, and this challenge got me to try them out.  I used peeled paint alternating with shabby shutters distress inks, and moved the strip diagonally across the panel, flipping it with each color change.  My sentiment is a combo of Simon's small hello die, and Kelly Purkey's alphabet stickers.  

We have yet to see any new green, but I'm hoping that any day now I will!  Thanks for visiting today!

Lilac roses

The current Case This Sketch challenge has been generating alot of pretty cards!  They inspired me to play, too, and here's my entry:

I pulled out this pretty Hero Arts spray of roses, embossed it in white and watercolored it using shaded lilac and peeled paint distress inks, then cut them out.  I wanted to use a lacy-edged die cut (Spellbinder's Floral Ovals), and when I was getting some white cardstock, I found this Penny Black Eyelet White embossed paper, which I love behind the other elements.  I used a Hero Arts notecard from their now discontinued Spring set as my card base, and my sentiment is also Hero Arts.  

This photographed more blue than it actually is irl; it truly is a more purply tone than this blue.  I think I remember this happening in the past, too, with this color.....Here's the sketch:

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and for leaving such nice comments.  

Happy Birthay, Maria!

Maria is celebrating her 50th birthday today!  And her friend Shirley is throwing her a surprise party!  I was happy to be invited - here's my card for Maria:

I wanted to make a CAS card with bright colors.  I masked off most of my card front and stencilled the TCW Mini Flower Frenzy using picked raspberry and mustard seed distress inks.  Then I stamped my wishing you sentiment in Doll Pink.  To finish I die-cut the Happy Birthday from Doll Pink cardstock, and added some clear sequins to the centers of the flowers.  

Hope you're having a fantastic day, Maria!  Happy Birthday!

I'm also linking this, at Donna's suggestion, to the Moxie Fab World Styling with Stencils Challenge.  

It's snowing!

Big fat wet flakes, enough to cover the ground again - ACH!!  What's a girl to do but make some cards!  I decided to make something to enter into the PaperCrafts & Scrapbooking March Gallery Challenge; the theme is mint and melon.  Wasn't sure what they meant by melon, so I made 2 cards:

supplies: Technique Tuesday Two-Steppin' stamps, charcoal, mint julep, and soft canteloupe inks, Hero Arts sentiment, peach pearls (Doodlebug tangerine).  I smooshed the melon and mint inks on an acrylic block and spritzed with water, then picked up the color with a fine brush and flicked it on the card to finish.  

The above is what I think of when you tell me melon, but the example given was a bit more watermelon colored, so here's one to cover that:

This is a CASE of this card from Pinterest.  I'm sorry to say that it doesn't link back to anything - if it's yours, please let me know so I can give you credit!  

supplies: My Mind's Eye washi set, Simon's Chrissy butterfly die, Nesties scalloped rectangles, The Craft's Meow Fly Free sentiment, Hero's pale tomato ink, mint and red pearls

Hope the weather is better where you are!  Have a good weekend!  

Welcome Spring!

I've always thought of March 21st as the first day of spring, but this year it's today!  So here's my welcome to this much-awaited season:

This uses 3 stamps that are now discontinued or hard to find: Rubber Stampede's Bleeding Heart, #A2300H, the spring version in this Hero Arts Seasonal Memories set, #E3373, and the sentiment from The Craft's Meow Easter Greetings set.  I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers, overstamped the spring memories text in a dull green, then sponged around the edges with tumbled glass.  This was framed out in a BoBunny dot cardstock, adding a sweet pink gingham bow and some clear sequins from a recent Simon card kit - irl, they are irridescent and give a lovely dewy sparkle, with hints of pale pink and blue.  My card base is a piece of Simon's Surf Blue cardstock, rapidly becoming a go-to for me this season.  

For those of you who've never seen a bleeding heart plant, here's a picture from one of my Pinterest boards:

Isn't Mother Nature amazing?  

Happy Spring, everyone!  

Simon Says Stamp April Card Kit

I just received my SSS April Card Kit, and I'm jumping on the bandwagon with everyone else who says this is an outstanding kit!

I adore both the stamp set and the beautiful papers that are in it, so I challenged myself to use ONLY the supplies in the kit and I made 2 cards, 1 using all stamps, and the other using mostly papers.

The first stamp I used was this light rays one; I stamped it 3 times in an almost-circle in butter bar ink, then oversamped the lightbulb and used one of the little heart stamps and red royal ink to put the heart in the center.  I ADORE the handwriting in these sentiments!  (wish mine looked like that....)  So, a very simple design........I'm thinking I may send this to our oldest son for his birthday later this month.....

Like I said, the papers in this kit are amazing - they are from a Simple Stories DIY Boutique paper pad - lots of black and white patterns, backed in these bright solids, and then this gorgeous floral on black, which makes the colors pop even more.  The sentiment is perfect, and I added this little stitched hearts and some of the golden enamel dots also in the kit.  

RUN, and order this kit before it's gone, as I'm sure it will be!

Simon Says .......... Glitter It!

Time for another challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog!

This week it's all about Glitter!  The design team are all using Wink of Stella products, and we'd love you to use them, too, if you have them, but it's not a necessity to enter, as long as you have glitter somewhere on your creation.

I have been waiting a long time for a hollyhock stamp and Penny Black has delivered it in their latest release!  I colored it with my Spectrum Noir markers, then cut it out and popped it above this MME design paper.  Next I die-cut the Simon exclusive small hello and punched a butterfly from a pink paper in the new Pebbles Garden Party pad.  I also die-cut more of the hellos in white to stack underneath my pink hello.  I used my clear Wink of Stella pen to add some sparkle to the centers of the flowers, the butterfly, and my sentiment. 

Be sure to visit our Simon Wednesday challenge blog, as my teamie sisters have a wonderful variety of cards to share with you today!

As always our Heidi has provided another $50.00 gift voucher to the amazing Simon Says Stamp Superstore!  Will you be the winner this week?

 

*Penny Black Rubber Stamp HOLLYHOCKS 4376K	*My Mind's Eye 6 x 6 ON THE SUNNY SIDE Paper Pad OSS110	*Crafter's Companion PINKS SPECTRUM NOIR MARKERS 404652	*Crafter's Companion PURPLES SPECTRUM NOIR MARKERS 404645	*Crafter's Companion GREENS SPECTRUM NOIR MARKERS 404638
*Crafter's Companion YELLOWS SPECTRUM NOIR MARKERS 404591	*ZIG Wink of Stella GLITTER CLEAR Brush Tip Marker 025320	*Pebbles Inc GARDEN PARTY 6 x 6 Paper Pad	*Simon Says Stamp SMALL HELLO Craft Dies SSSD111327	*Martha Stewart MONARCH BUTTERFLY Double Craft Punch Medium M283414
*Scrapbook Adhesives 126 3D WHITE FOAM SQUARES Adhesive	*Ranger Inkssentials GLOSSY ACCENTS Glue Dimensional Adhesive

InLinkz.com

Do the Polka

When I saw the March Diva Dare at the Verve Blog, I just had to play along, as I have been a lover of all things dotted for as long as I've been making cards.  And such a fun name for this challenge: Do the Polka!
Here's the card I had so much fun making:

The other thing that I've really embraced is washi tape, and so I pulled out these Doodlebug washis and then found inks to match and stamped and cut out the flowers and leaves from Verve's Bloom & Grow set.  I added enamel dots to the centers of the flowers and stamped some extra dots on the card face, too.  Do you think I have enough dots? 

Just love how this turned out - hope these happy colors make you smile, too!  Thanks for visiting me today!

Grey, celery and tangerine

Those are the colors we're to use this week for the Color Throwdown  challenge:

I'm so glad that grey has come into our choices - I can't think of much that it doesn't go nicely with!  Here's my card:

I used these stamps: Hero Arts Edged Fabric with Flowers and Stitched Frame, and a sentiment from Simon's Like Your Style set.  My ink is Hero Arts charcoal and the papers are from My Mind's Eye Collectable "Notable" and DCWV's Spring Mix 6" pads.  I added some celery enamel dots and tangerine pearls, too.

Thanks for stopping by - hope your week is off to a great start!

CASE-ing Joni

I have recently discovered Joni Nina Andaya's beautiful work and so was thrilled to see that she is the Muse at CASE Study challenge this month!  Here is her card for this week:

I just received an order from Simon Says Stamp which included this luscious stencil from Memory Box called Texture Flourish, and was eager to give it a test run.

I started with a white sheet of cardstock and using picked raspberry and mustard seed distress inks, I applied them through the stencil with some finger daubers.  I let that dry overnight and then this morning I remembered this challenge, and decided to use this panel for my card.  So I then sponged on some worn lipstick distress ink, flicked the panel lightly with water, and then let it dry again.  Next I pulled out 2 old favorite stamps, the sentiment from Ali Edwards Simply You and this floral and leaf spray from a Pink Paislee stamp set from their Butterfly Collection series (#00445 Impressions), that sadly,  is long discontinued.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and used VersaMark and white embossing powder for the leaf spray.  My panel was then mounted onto a white card base, and I added some new Lawn Fawn Hello Sunshine sequins to it.  

Thanks for stopping today - have a great weekend!

ETA: I'm linking this also to the Moxie Fab World's Styling with Stencils Challenge; I'm within the 4 week back-linking limit.

More lime.......

While visiting Lisa's blog recently, I came across a challenge I don't think I've ever tried before, the Color Q challenge.  This one intrigued me because one of the "colors" this week is to use newsprint!

I have always been drawn to cards using text as a main element, and when you add in these other colors they've chosen, I just had to have a go of it!

I started with a kraft card base, then found this text paper and the subtle green print in some of my older My Mind's Eye 6" pads.  I stamped the 2008 Hero Arts Silhouette stamp over the text, then framed that panel in black.  The butterfly is also another oldie from Hero Arts, simply called Butterfly.  I added some details with a colored pencil.  My sentiment comes from a The Craft's Meow set called Fly Free, now discontinued.  To finish I used some lime enamel dots to bring the color downward, and to get my white into the mix, some pearls.  

I love these pops of lime - to me they mean that spring is coming!  Thanks for visiting today!

A card for 2 challenges

I was thinking about my friend Virginia's Watercolor Challenge the other day, and I remembered these Real Flower woodblock stamps from Hero Arts circa 2002.  They were on the scene before I was stamping, but once I had seen them, I made it my mission to find as many of them as I could, and thanks to a used stamp sale here in our area each spring, I have collected a good number of them.  

So I started with a piece of thick watercolor paper, wet it, and then proceeded to stamp these flowers using distress inks Shaded Lilac, Picked Raspberry, Shabby Shutters, and Peeled Paint.  After drying thoroughly, I then overstamped the sentiment from another old woodblock set, and then mounted my panel on an egg-shell card to match the watercolor paper.  Because I used a birthday sentiment, I can also enter this into Hero Arts current Birthday contest, too.

Because these stamps are so old, I can't link them to anywhere, but if you go over to my flickr photostream, I have listed them for you in this photo.  

Thanks for visiting today!  Spring IS coming!  Even though we got a little more snow yesterday and the temperatures are in the teens, I can hear the birds singing out there in the sunshine this morning......