Tag You're It! Challenge #46

Hello friends.  I am honored once again to be guesting with the fabulous ladies over at the Tag You're It! Challenge.  The challenge this time is a fun one...take a look at the inspiration:

Isn't that just the cutest little tag??!!  I took my inspiration from the brick background and the little gnome holding out the flowers and came up with this:

Since I don't own any gnome stamps (dang it!), I used one of the mice from MFT's Harvest Mouse, and then paper pieced her coat and scarf from some scraps, and colored the rest of her with my Copics.  My brick background was done by inking up the inside of a brick embossing folder and then spritzing it with water before placing my cardstock on it and smooshing it down.  The sentiment is also from the Harvest Mouse stamp set.  A few sequins and some bakers twine finished up this fun little tag.

LOTS of really cute inspiration from the DT members, so check them all out and play along right HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do!!  :0)

April 2016 Challenge with Birgit

Hello friends.  It's time once again for BIRGIT and I to do our monthly challenge, and this month we are focusing on die cuts.  I don't know which one of us has more dies, but I think it's safe to say that neither one of us had a problem coming up with a card or two (or 3 or 4 or 5 or......) using a die cut on it!!  Isn't it nice that we can share this addiction together??!!  So let's get to it!

My first card uses the new What the Doodle: Apple from PTI.

 I also used PTI's Enclosed: Apple die to cut out the red frame and clear acetate to make my card into a shaker card.  My sentiment is die cut from PTI's Wet Paint Die Collection III, and the rest of the card is stamped, and accessorized with washi tape, bakers twine, DSP, & sequins.

My 2nd card uses MFT's Gumball Machine die, which my dear friend Birgit shared with me...aren't stamping friends just the BEST?!!!

I die cut all the pieces from retired Pixie Pink (SU!), silver, and white cardstock, and then assembled and layered on top of a part of the Cover Plate: Pretty Frame die that I cut out in sparkly white cardstock, and then layered that on top of a piece of black and white polka dotted DSP.  The gumballs were blended with shades of Pixie Pink ink, and then covered in Glossy Accents.  A tiny tag (PTI) and some bakers twine finished off this fun little card.

My third card also used MFT dies:

This card uses the Blueprints #27 dies and the Hello die.  The flowers and leaves and butterfly are all part of MFT's Build-able Bouquet and Tweet on You stamp sets and were colored with my Zig markers.

My 4th card uses dies from PTI's latest release:

I water colored my background first with Peerless water colors (Blue Sky), and then added the die cut Inspired: Faith and butterflies from the Color Pop Butterflies.  The water colored layer was die cut with a Lil Inkers Stitched Rectangle die, and then matted on black and again on a white card base. 

My last project isn't a card, but a die cut pillow box:

My pillow box was cut with SU!'s Square Pillow Box Thinlits die, and then decorated with PTI's Friendship Jar Flowers dies, which I stamped first and then die cut.  I absolutely love how this turned out and am going to have a hard time giving it away!  Thank goodness I have everything to make more if I miss it too much!!  :0)

Hope you enjoyed seeing what I came up with using dies, and make sure you check out what BIRGIT has done using dies too...I just know she's going to blow you away with her crazy good talent!!

Thanks so much for stopping by and supporting us in our crazy addiction and love of stamping!!  :0)

New Stamps

Hello friends.  Just a quick post to share a couple cards I've made with some new stamps. 

First up is a card I made using some of the new stamps from the latest SOA box...I am SO hooked on the butterflies in this set!!

I embossed in white the 3 butterflies, and then blended over them with Altenew's Shades of Purple ink set.  The sentiment and die cut butterfly are also from the new SOA set.

My second card used PTI's What the Doodle: Feather stamp set.

I stenciled my background with a PTI stencil and Amethyst Allure and Ocean Tides inks.  The feathers I embossed in white, and then blended the same two colors over the embossing.  The 3rd feather was embossed on vellum.  The tag is a Casual Fridays die cut and the sentiment from the What the Doodle: Feather set.  A seam binding bow, bakers twine, a pearl, and a few white sequins finished off this card.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do!!  :0)

Merry Monday #202 - Let It Snow

Hello friends.  The theme this week at Merry Monday is "Let It Snow".  I had fun creating my card and using Peerless Water Colors for the first time.  I had heard of these water colors before, but didn't really have a clue what they were when I bought them.  They come in a little booklet form, and you just snip off a tiny piece of the paper (it's like a cardstock weight) and put it in a little tray of water and the color dissolves.  I used the Sky Blue for my background...take a look:

Isn't it such a pretty blue?  And so easy to water color with...I loved it!  After it dried, I added a few snowflakes from MFT's Cool Day stamp set and embossed them with white embossing powder.  Next I stamped (and masked) that cool snow dude on the ice chunk and used my Copics to color him.  I fussy cut him out and pop dotted him to the water colored layer.  I added a sentiment from PTI's Warmest Wishes and then mounted to a white card base.  You can't see it in the photo, but I also added some sparkle to the blue in the bears hat and scarf, using a Spectrum Noir Sparkle pen (it's like a WOS pen, but has MUCH more sparkle to it!!).  This was a pretty quick and easy card, but I really like how it turned out!

Lots of time to play along this week yet, and some gorgeous inspiration from the DT, so check it all out right HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do!  :0)

April 2016 Blog Hop Challenge

Hello friends.  It's the 25th, and to most people, that means it's the 25th...no biggie!!  (unless it's your birthday or anniversary!)  To me, the 25th means it's blog hop time over at Papertrey Ink!  Crazy what happens to your life when you have an addiction!  Oh well, it's all good!!  I don't think I said "it's all good" when I first saw the inspiration photo for this months blog hop though...they seem to be getting tougher each month!  Once I calm down though, and let my mind wander, ideas start popping up, and then "it's all good"!  Here's this month's inspiration photo:

What I finally took from this photo was the colors (shades of red, orange, yellow, white, and a little black), and LOTS of circles!  Enough circles to make you a little light headed!  OK........

I started by blending my background using Fired Brick, Orange Marmalade, & Scattered Straw Distress Inks.  Next I used white pigment ink and a Color Box stencil to add the white circles, creating a bokeh effect.  Don't know if I have as many circles as the inspiration photo, but I think I'm close!  :0)  For the wine bottles and glasses I used PTI's Uncorked die set, and for the sentiment, I used the Wet Paint Cuts III Die Collection.  A few black sequins (more circle shapes!) finished off this card that will go to our oldest daughter who will be celebrating her 27th birthday on Sunday, and who LOVES wine! 

So don't let the inspiration photo intimidate you, and play along today!  You can check out all the inspiration, and play along, over on Nichole's blog right HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do!  :0)

   

Make It Monday #246 - Faux Brush Lettering

Hello friends.  This week the talented Amy Sheffer is hosting the Make It Monday challenge, and she is showing us how to do faux brush lettering.  I didn't stray far from Amy's design as hers was so totally perfect that I just had to CASE some of it! 

I started with the "happy" from the Wet Paint stamp set and used Almost Amethyst & Lovely Lilac inks (retired SU! colors) and my Aqua Painter to do my faux brush lettering.  While I don't think mine came out quite like Amy's (you really do have to THINK about where you're placing your darker color to mimic the brushstrokes!), it didn't come out too badly for a first try!!  Next I added my wreath (Twig Wreath) in Green Parakeet ink (LOVE this green!!) and then started decorating with flowers and leaves from Twig Wreath and Friendly Flowers stamp sets, using Hawaiian Shores, Aqua Mist, Lovely Lilac, Almost Amethyst, Green Parakeet, & New Leaf inks.  I used the Cover Plate: Pretty Frame die just like Amy did to frame my floral wreath, and then added a few sequins to finish off my card!

Make sure you check out Amy's beautiful card and video for all the how to's, and then play along right HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do!  :0)

Merry Monday #201 - Purple, White, & Silver

Hello friends.  This week at Merry Monday the challenge is a color one...use purple, white, & silver on your Christmas card.  Oh my, LOVE this color combination!  This is what I came up with:

I started by making my own background with a Hero Arts background stamp (Snowflakes Bold Prints) and Royal Velvet and white inks.  (I stamped in the Royal Velvet ink first, turned my cardstock a quarter turn, re-inked the stamp with white pigment ink and stamped again)  I embossed my sentiment in silver from Neat and Tangled's Bright Baubles on a strip of Royal Velvet cardstock, and then die cut a snowflake (Poppystamps - Giovanna Snowflake) from holographic cardstock.  I also added a couple very thin strips of the holographic cardstock above and below the sentiment banner.  A couple rhinestones finished my card.  I think I will be making a few more of these cards as it was so easy to make and I think it turned out just lovely with these colors!!  :0)

 
There's still plenty of time to play, so check out all the beautiful inspiration from the DT and play along right HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do!!  :0)

CAS Mix Up April Challenge #2

Hello friends.  Played around with Mixed Media elements this weekend and came up with 2 more cards to share for the CAS Mix Up challenge.

This month the challenge is about using stencils, so thought I would show you what I started with:

This layer was smooshed with Night of Navy and Pool Party inks, and a little bit of Inka Gold Champagne, and then while still wet, I pressed down a Winnie & Walter stencil (Circle of the Rings), and then used a paper towel to blot up the excess water.  It really shimmers IRL...wish I could photograph that!!

 
This is what it looks like after I got done "playing"!  I added a Hero Arts background stamp in Smokey Slate ink (Leafy Vines), a vellum die cut using a Cheery Lynn die (Fanciful Flourish), and a SSS bird die (Bird of Roses) that I embossed with Frantage Aged Copper embossing enamel.  I mounted this layer to a black layer, and then layered that to a white card base.  A simple black banner with my sentiment from PTI's Winter Woods embossed in white, finished off this card.  I really love how this card turned out, even though you can't see the stenciling now. 

 
My next card I wasn't sure I liked at first, but it's growing on me, so I decided to show it anyway.  This was my first venture using embossing paste, and I mixed in a bit of the Inka Gold, thinking it would shimmer like my first card, but not so much when blending with the Opaque Matte paste.  I wonder if I had used the Transparent Matte or Transparent Gloss, if the Inka Gold shimmer would have shown up better?  Oh well, another time.  Anyway, this is what I came up with using the same Winnie & Walter stencil:

  
I used the same Leafy Vines background stamp, and also a retired SU! background stamp (En Francais) with Tea Dye Distress ink over the embossing paste, and then added a Memory Box die cut butterfly (Vivienne Butterfly) from Soft Sky cardstock, that I also embossed the edges of with regular gold embossing powder.  I also embossed the edges of this layer with the gold embossing powder, and then the sentiment too (also from PTI's Winter Woods set). 

I'm not sure if Mixed Media will ever be my first love when it comes to stamping, but I sure am having fun playing around with it, and am loving the learning something new part of it!

 
There is still time to play along with the April challenge, so get out your stencils and give it a try!  You can find everything you need to know to play along and link up right HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do!!  :0)

MFT Sketch Challenge #276

Hello friends.  Playing along with a new to me challenge over at My Favorite Things, called the Sketch Challenge.

And here's my take on it:

I used Salty Ocean and Mowed Lawn Distress Inks for my background, and then used a few die cuts to build my scene.  The fence is a PTI die, the clouds a Memory Box die, and the sun a MFT's die, along with the banner from the Blueprints #27.  The dogs and sentiment are from MFT's Lucky Dog stamp set, and I colored the dogs with my Copics.  Cute, cute stamp set and a fun card to send out to celebrate a birthday!!  :0)

You can check out all the details and play along right HERE. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do!!  :0)

PTI's Create Along With Us - April 2016

Hello friends.  Playing along with Papertrey Ink's release week challenge Create Along With Us, where you create a card inspired by one of the design team members.  Every month there is oodles of inspiration and it is so hard to pick just one card to CASE, but this month Lizzie Jones made such a beautiful CAS card, that I just had to give it a try!  Here is Lizzie's card:

And here is mine:

What struck me right away about Lizzie's card was the thin white frame from the new Cover Plate: Delightful...I think that just adds such a lovely detail to a card!  I used last months Cover Plate: Pretty Frame for my little extra detail.  I blended Harvest Gold and Orange Zest inks onto the corner of my card first, and then added the frame, butterflies (What The Doddle: Butterfly & Flower Favorites) and sentiment (Wet Paint: Holiday & Choose Joy).  A few rhinestones completed my Lizzie inspired card.  Here's a little closer up view:

There is SOOOO much to be inspired by this month, so head on over to Nichole Heady's blog and play along HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do!

HLS April CASE the Designer - Joyce Mehrberg

Hello friends.  I have been seeing some absolutely stunning cards from the challenge over at Happy Little Stampers April CASE the Designer - Joyce Mehrberg, and just had to try my hand at it!  Here is Joyce's card:

And here is my CASE of Joyce's card:

 

 

I started with a PTI's Peonies On Parade watercolor panel and a Lil Inkers Stitched Rectangle die and cut out the center of the watercolor panel.  Next I watercolored the flowers and leaves on this center cut out panel using my Aqua Painter and Orange Zest, Raspberry Fizz, & Simply Chartreuse inks.  After piecing the two pieces back together, I used SSS's Prayers stamp and die set for my sentiment.  This really is a fun technique, and totally makes a BIG statement with the black and white border and colorful inside panel...thanks Joyce for such an inspiring card to CASE!!  :0)

 

                                   

 

 

You can check out all the CASE's of Joyce's beautiful card and play along right HERE. 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do!  :0)

 

 

 

Merry Monday #200 - LET'S CELEBRATE!!!!

Hello friends.  I am SOOOO excited to be a part of Merry Monday's 200th challenge and celebration today!!  When one of my dear blogging friends and DT member of Merry Monday's,  Colleen Foelker, asked me to guest with her for this special celebration, I couldn't help but say "YES!",  as this is one of my favorite weekly challenges to play in!  When I was getting ready to write up this post, I went back through all my posts to see when I actually started playing along with Merry Monday's, and found my very first post back on June 13, 2013...you can see it HERE.  So for almost 3 years now I have been playing along almost every single week, and I have to tell you that this challenge is so awesome as it gives me so much inspiration each week, and come December I am ready to send out cards!  :0)

To celebrate this 200th challenge, you are being given 4 different options for your cards...so really, the hardest part of this challenge is picking which inspiration to go with!

  I was so sure I was going to go with the snowman theme, but I got a little sidetracked (thanks Colleen!!) and ended up going with the pink and silver inspiration.  Take a look:

I started by sponging my background with Spun Sugar distress ink, and then embossed the large pine sprig from SU!'s Ornamental Pine stamp set (LOVE this set!!!) with silver embossing powder.  I also embossed the ornament in silver on a piece of cardstock that I had sponged the Spun Sugar ink on first.  My sentiment was die cut using WPlus9's Hand Lettered Holiday.  Here's a closer up photo so you can see the die cut better (I cut and glued 3 of the "joy" together for some added dimension):

I used My Favorite Things Die-namics Blueprints 27 die for the stitched and scalloped border on this layer, and then attached it to a white card base.  A few iridescent sequins finished my card.

So what are you waiting for??  Join in the fun and make a card for this BIG celebration!  LOTS of inspiration this week, so head on over and check it all out right HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do!  :0)

Tag You're It Challenge #44

Hello friends.  Don't usually post on the weekends, but was totally inspired by Nancy Penir's tag over at the Tag You're It! Challenge.  The brightly colored flowers and leaves, the umbrella, and of course those little rainstones definitely made me think about April showers bringing May flowers!  And we could use some color here in Michigan besides white...very tired of snow, so I brought some color into my stamping room this morning!  Take a look:

 
I started with a Casual Fridays die cut tag and blended some Tumbled Glass distress ink onto it.  The flowers are from PTI's Twig Wreath & Choose Joy stamp sets and the sentiment is from Birthday Classics: April.  The umbrella is an Impression Obsession die and the DSP is from an older LOTV pad called Promises. 

Here is Nancy's beautiful tag that inspired me:

There are still a couple days to play along, and you can find all the info right HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and have a wonderful weekend!  :0)

Merry Monday #199 - Getting Sentimental

Hello friends.  This weeks Merry Monday challenge is all about getting sentimental...that is making the sentiment the focal point of your card.  I had bought a larger Penny Black stamp last Christmas that I've only used once, so figured this was a good time to pull it out, and this is what I came up with:

 

 

I started by using a TH Diamond stencil and Tea Dye distress ink for my background, and then embossed in gold the sentiment part of the stamp Heavenly Love.  When I bought the stamp, I had cut it vertically so that the sentiment and the flourish were 2 separate stamps.  I did this so I could ink up the two with different inks as I did here.  For the flourish, I used Old Olive and Real Red inks and then stamped it next to my embossed sentiment.  Don't look too closely at my smudged "C" ...grrrrr, I hate it when that happens!!  After stamping I die cut this layer with a MFT Die-namics Blueprint #27 die, and then layered that to a kraft card base.  A few gold and clear sequins finished my card.

There's still a few days left to play with this challenge, and you can check out all the info to play along right HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by today...I love it when you do!!  :0)