Angel Christmas Cards

 I wanted to play again with the Build an Angel die set from Paper Trey Ink, using the smaller of the 2 angels in that set to add to a card.  I have 2 cards today.

supplies: Peacock, Audrey Blue, White Shimmer, and silver glitter cardstock, Build an Angel dies, sentiment and banner from (retired) The Crafts Meow Little Angels stamps, silver embossing powder,(retired) Wplus9 Pine Frame cover die, adhesive foam squares

I'm sorry to use so many retired things on this one, but the fit was just too perfect!  I lifted the pine cover die above the card front for some fun dimension and shadows.  You'll see on my next card that that PTI gave us a sentiment set to go with these angels, but I remembered also these banners and a selection of sentiments that came with a The Crafts Meow stamped angel set, and I liked the idea of a curved banner.  They were embossed in silver.

My next card was made for someone who loves pink.

supplies: white, pink, shimmer white, and dusty pink glitter cardstock. Build an Angel dies, Angelic Sentiments, embossed in silver, a banner die, Spellbinders Adorning the Tree 3D embossing folder, white pigment ink, adhesive foam squares

They don't show up in my photos as well as I'd like, but I wanted to let you know that I found some glitter card that cuts much easier than anything else I have - it's made by Simon Says Stamp, and comes in a gorgeous array of 6" sheets!  

As of this writing the angel dies are sold out, but you can also look at Paper Trey Ink and Scrapbook.com for them.  I know they'll be used often, and not just for Christmas!

Happy Turkey Day!

 Here's a fun card that uses a Spellbinders die set from 2018 that is still available!

supplies: cream, and various colored cardstock, Paper Rose Autumn Plaid, nested rectangle dies, Spellbinders Happy Turkey Day dies, (retired) The Craft's Meow Golden Days sentiment, adhesive foam squares

It's getting closer!  What are your Thanksgiving plans?

An Anniversary Card

In this month of weddings and anniversaries I wanted to share a card I made for my husband. Earlier this month, we celebrated our 53rd anniversary.  This card is a CASE of one I found on Instagram.

supplies: white, pinks, and greens cardstock, Spellbinders Floral embossing folder, heart die, leaves from Spellbinders Mini Blooms and Sprigs, (retired) Simon heart dies, sentiment from (retired) The Craft's Meow Side by Side

We had a lovely day in Cleveland, taking advantage of the University Circle museums and gardens, with a nice dinner in Little Italy.  

Are you enjoying your summer?  It's been a good one here so far!  Thanks so much for visiting.

Leftovers

Last year I made these 2 card fronts but never finished them into a card.  They were waiting for me in my fall bin of supplies this year.  So I found some sentiments for them and put them onto a card base.  Both started with Taylored Expressions "foil it" panels.

supplies: white, fuschia, and peacock cardstock, Taylored Expressions Fall Foilage Foil It panel,  Fall Foliage layering stencils, fuschia, lagoon, and fresh lemon altenew inks, Foil It (retired) Hand Lettered sentiments, (but you can get the same sentiments in a cling set HERE),  summer rainbow foil, laminator, circle and scallop circle dies

I used the same rainbow foil to foil the leafy panel and also the sentiment, and then chose my inks from those colors plus lagoon.

supplies: white and Orange Peel cardstock, Taylored Expressions Falling for You Triple Slim layering stencils and a matching Falling for You Foil It panel, gold foil, laminator, various fall colors of inks, sentiment from (retired) The Craft's Meow Autumn Borders, Spellbinders (retired) Mini Slimline Envelope Card Creator die

After stencilling the foiled panel, I attached one of the stencils and ran them through my die-cut machine with a rubber pad and embossing plate to emboss some of the leaves. 

Thank you for stopping by today!

My Favorite Time of Year!

It's September, the beginning of my favorite season - cooler temps, beautiful colors, comfort food!  And, unless you're living under a rock, STAMPtember!   

Today's card is a stamp/stencil combo from Taylored Expressions.  I mixed regulation fall colors with peacock - love the combination!

supplies: white and peacock cardstock, Taylored Expressions Modern Tree cling stamp set and matching layering stencils, oxide inks in mustard seed, ripe persimmon, and peacock feathers, markers to add details, sentiment from (retired) The Craft's Meow Speaking of Fall, Simon Stitched Rectangle die, twine bow

I've used this sentiment with the tree once before - I like how it mimics the dots in the design!  And after completing my stencilling, I added some highlights with markers, trimmed out the panel, and glued on a twine bow.

As I said above it's also STAMPtember - be sure to tune in to the Simon Says Stamp blog every single day this month for lots of fun and surprises!

Anniversary Roses

 I took advantage of a Memorial Day Sale at Birch Press Design and brought home this lovely.  In my opinion, you can never have too many roses!

supplies: white, 3 peach shades, and 2 green shades of cardstock, Rose Bunch Contour Layers dies, leaves from Altenew Garden Picks dies, (retired) The Crafts Meow Sweet Sentiments

On her wedding day, this bride carried shades of blush roses.  These new dies are a perfect size, needing nothing else but some leaves and a sentiment.  

Thanks for stopping by!

More Blues for Spring

Something I really enjoy about this time of year is being able to open our windows and enjoy all the sounds and smells from outside.  Judging by the birdsong I hear, they are just as excited to have Spring back as we are!  So today I pulled a bunch of some of my favorite things and mixed them up for my card.

supplies: white cardstock, Tim Holtz Grey Two-Tone Woodgrain cardstock, Lawn Fawn Floral Wreath and bird from Magic Iris Birdhouse dies, My Favorite Things Home Tweet Home Birdhouse die, Spectrum Noir Tri-Blend True Blue and Light Green markers, The Crafts Meow (retired) Happy as a Lark sentiment, Winnie & Walter  (retired) Noelle Scalloped Rectangle die, adhesive foam mini squares

All of these elements have stitching in them, so I went looking for a cover plate die that had stitching also.  I had a few things to choose from, but I liked the scallops on this old Winnie & Walter one.

As always, thanks so much for coming by - have a beautiful day!

Dove of Peace

 When I saw the lovely dove dies recently released by My Favorite Things, I pounced!  

supplies: white cardstock, My Favorite Things Peaceful Dove dies, tumbled glass oxide ink, (retired) The Craft's Meow sentiment from Christmas Lanterns, Pink Fresh Studio Folk Edge dies, adhesive foam 

The dies include the dove body, a wing, which I cut twice, the beak, and the leafy branch.  I suppose you could ink blend some grey to bring out the details on the dove, but really, I think it's beautiful as is. I popped it above my card base, and pulled the top wing forward a bit for some dimension.

The price point is wonderful too!  I am so glad I got this; it may be the easiest card EVER, and if I need any last-minute Christmas cards this year, it's in contention!

Thanks for stopping by today.  Happy Friday - enjoy your weekend!  

Spring Birds

 I had loads of fun making today's card - it's a mix of My Favorite Things and Spellbinders goodies, with an old The Craft's Meow sentiment.

supplies: white, kraft, Cotton Candy, Green Leaf, Green Apple, blues from Memory Box Ocean Blue collection, My Favorite Things Happy Patterns cloud dp,  Home Tweet Home birdhouse dies, and flowers from (retired) Birds of a Feather die set, Spellbinders Sweet Birds on a Branch dies, The Craft's Meow (retired) Happy as a Lark sentiment, heart sprinkles, twine to hang birdhouse

Hope my little blue birds of happiness brighten your day today!  Thanks for stopping by!

Woodland Christmas cards

Every year I make at least a couple Christmas cards with a woodland theme, using for the most part the same dies from year to year.  Here are this year's cards, adding in the Darling Deer dies I got at the end of last year.  This year I used patterned papers for my backgrounds.

supplies: white, green, kraft, Schoolhouse Red card, a dotty patterned paper, Tim Holtz Tree Line and Darling Deer dies, Impression Obsession Birch Tree dies (includes cardinal), sentiment from The Craft's Meow Christmas Lanterns

supplies: white, kraft, green, and Schoolhouse Red card, snowy tree patterned paper, Tim Holtz Woodlands and Darling Deer die, cardinal from IO Birch Tree dies, retired sentiment

I love the pop of red that the cardinals add, so I used red ink for my sentiments to echo that.

How are your Christmas preparations going?  Time is flying!

Woodland Christmas card

 Another Christmas card today, in the woodland style that I love for the holidays.  Growing up, we lived out in the country, and saw this kind of thing frequently.  My card uses some products that have been retired for years, plus one of Tim's Darling Deer.

supplies: white, kraft, and Schoolhouse Red cardstock, Salty Ocean and Pine Needles distress ink, Hero Arts Red Royal ink, Simon's Falling Snow stencil and modelling paste, (retired) Mark's Finest Papers All is Calm pine tree stamp, Impression Obsession Birch Tree dies (includes birds), (retired) The Craft's Meow sentiment from Christmas Lanterns, Tim Holtz Darling Deer die

I first inked a panel with salty ocean distress ink about 2/3 of the way down, then overstamped my pines.  Next I attached my stencil and added some falling snow.  When that was dry I ripped a panel of white cardstock and attached it to the bottom, then glued on the trees, deer, and birds, and finally stamped my sentiment.  

What's your favorite kind of Christmas card to make?

Modern Tree

 Here's another of the stamp and stencil combo sets from Taylored Expressions.  It's called Modern Tree.

supplies: ivory and Burnt Orange cardstock, Taylored Expressions Modern Tree Stamp & Stencil Combo, ripe persimmon, vintage photo, and peeled paint distress inks, brown and green markers, Spellbinders Hemstitch Rectangle die, The Craft's Meow sentiment from Speaking of Fall (retired)

Here's a 2nd version, different border die, sentiment, and colors.

supplies: ivory and kraft cardstock, TE Modern Tree stamp and stencils set, fossellized amber, rusty hinge, and fired brick distress inks, Penny Black Stitched Stackers border die, Sunny Studio Autumn Greetings, brown and green markers

This is aptly named, and it's sized perfectly so that you don't need anything else except a sentiment.....  fun to play with, too!  And it doesn't necessarily have to be a fall tree, depending on how it's colored.

Sure do hope that Taylor will expand on this idea in the future!

Another Eclipse Card

......this time for Christmas!  I had such fun with my first eclipse card that I couldn't wait to try another one.

supplies: Schoolhouse Red cardstock, a music patterned paper, (retired) The Crafts Meow Hearth & Home clear holly stamp, Pink Fresh Studio Adore Alpha dies

I first trimmed out my music paper, then die-cut the letters from it, placed them back in, overstamped my holly sprigs, and colored in the details.  Then I cut multiples of the letters, stacked them together, and placed them back into place.  

These alpha dies cut a fat letter, and a small frame for around it so that it really helps make the letters stand out from the background - I'm so pleased with them and highly recommend them if you're looking for a good alphabet set!

Thanks, as always, for stopping by!

Golden Days

Hi friends!  Can you stand another fall card?

I saw this stencil being used by Shari Carroll a while back and thought it made an interesting background.  Here's my first card with it.

supplies: white, rust, and Dark Chocolate cardstock, Tim Holtz String stencil, carved pumpkin, ripe persimmon, mustard seed, and barn door distress inks, blending brushes, sentiment from (retired) The Craft's Meow Golden Days, Impression Obsession leaf die, adhesive foam to lift leaves

Doesn't this stencil have all kinds of fun possibilities?  I also used my new Taylored Expressions blending brushes to blend these inks, and I'm in love!  The same inks were used to color a scrap of white cardstock before I cut out the leaves from it.  

Thanks for stopping by today!

A Christmas set from The Greetery

The Greetery had a Christmas release recently, and I couldn't live without the new With Love at Christmas stamps.

supplies: white and coral card, The Greetery With Love at Christmas stamps, Altenew mini inks from Spring Bouquet greens and Tea Party, sentiment from a (retired) The Craft's Meow Holiday Poinsettia, Spellbinders Hemstitch Oval die, adhesive foam to lift up flowers

I thought I'd make the floral spray dimensional, so I stamped the greens separately and cut them out, then the flowers, then raised the flowers above the greenery.   I also made myself a smaller floral spray using some of the extra stamps included in the set.

Betsy has a true gift in giving us these lovely layering stamps - keep them coming, please!

Crisp Leaves

Playing with my new fall The Greetery stamps!

supplies: white cardstock, woodgrain patterned paper from SN@P Wood & Notebook Basics, The Greetery Autumn Sketches layering stamps, Altenew mini ink cubes, sentiment from a retired The Craft's Meow set

I simply stamped and fussy cut my leaf branches, and a few extra leaves, then arranged them around my sentiment.  Thought they'd all go nicely against a wood plank background.  

Next, another play with a canning jar.

supplies: white and Surf Blue cardstock, The Greetery Mason Jar Fillers stencil, Just Mason Around, Autumn Sketches (colored leaves) and Budding Beauties layering stamps, Altenew mini inks, sentiment from Sugar Pea Designs Fall Fox, natural twine

I stencilled the twigs onto my white panel and the Mason Jar, then separately stamped and cut-out the berry branches and a few fall leaves, arranged them with the help of some Press 'n' Seal, and lastly stamped my little sentiment.

These products of Betsy's are wonderful; I couldn't be more pleased with my purchase of them!  Everything plays nicely together, and I hope she continues with these layered stencils - they are easy and fun to work with!   I hear she has a new holiday release coming at the end of this week - hold onto your wallets!!  

Fall Blessings

Hello friends!  I received a new Pink Fresh Studios Modern Bloom die that I couldn't wait to play with! I paper-pieced it with fall colors against a bright blue sky.

supplies: white, black, orange, Audrey Blue, Sunshine, Green Apple, and Green Leaf cardstock, Pink Fresh Studios Modern Bloom die, sentiment from a retired The Crafts Meow set, Autumn Borders

This took a little minute, but I cut the die from all of the cardstock colors, then glued the white outline to a blue backing and inlaid the leaves and flowers.  I didn't want to cover up much with a sentiment, so I chose this nice small one.

Have a great day, thanks for stopping by!

Variations on a Theme

I have 2 cards today, inspired by a wonderful card maker, Michele Ferguson.  I've had THIS card of Michele's pinned for awhile, waiting for the right inspiration.  I loved Michele's use of the bit of gingham behind her main image.  Here's the first card I made:

supplies: white and pale blue cardstock, Impression Obssession Gingham cling, Sunny Studio Everything's Rosy multi-step stamps, Deep Blue Seas and Green Valley mini ink cubes, The Crafts Meow (retired) Happy as a Lark sentiment, adhesive foam squares

I first used a circle mask to stamp the gingham in the center of my white panel.  Separately, I stamped and arranged the flowers and leaves and decided where they'd be placed before I stamped my sentiment.  The flower arrangement was then lifted above the gingham circle.  

Then I thought I'd reverse the design for the background, and put a white circle inside a gingham base.  This Sunny Studio Gingham dp is a perfect match to the inks I used for the flowers.

supplies: white and Classic Gingham cardstock, Sunny Studio Everything's Rosy multi-step stamps, Deep Blue Seas and Green Meadows mini ink cubes, Fancy Frames Circle die, Simon's Stitched Circle die and sentiment from Choose Joy stamp set

Which one do you prefer?  Thank you, Michele, for your constant inspiration!

Make a Wish!

I recently saw a lovely card by Viv (veesea_creations) on Instagram that reminded me of another Hero Arts stamp that I wanted to play with again......their woodlblock Dandelion, from 2007.  Here's a CASE of Viv's card using my own supplies.

supplies: white cardstock, salty ocean, broken china, and mowed lawn distress oxide inks, Hero Arts G4917 Dandelion, sentiment from The Crafts Meow Butterfly Kisses, VersaMark ink and white embossing powder, Paper Smooches Fab Frames die, adhesive foam squares to lift center panel

It was a bit difficult stamping just the little seeds flying away from the flowers with a woodblock stamp, but I think you get the picture of blowing that dandelion puff and making a wish!

Viv did a gorgeous job blending her background inks - in hindsight I wish I'd taken a little longer to do the same, but I was in a hurry to play with this old favorite!

Thanks for stopping by!

The Golden Days

A simple card made with Neat & Tangled Maple Thanks and matching dies......

supplies: kraft, white, and Audrey Blue card stock, gold glitter card stock, Neat & Tangled Maple Thanks stamp set and matching dies, Tonic Nuvo markers to color, sentiment from The Craft's Meow Golden Days (retired), VersaMark ink and gold embossing powder

See you tomorrow!