Happy Valentine's Day X 5

Hello friends and a very Happy Valentine's Day!   Do any of you do anything special to celebrate this holiday?  Because my birthday is the day before (the 13th), Valentine's Day was always celebrated along with my birthday, until the kids came along.  Now that our girls have grown up and grandchildren are in the picture, I make a card for each of them along with a treat and also make a card for hubby and a few friends.  This post is about the Valentine cards I made for the 5 grandkids, and I'm starting with the youngest (she's 1) and then working my way up to the oldest who is 11.

 This one was stamped with PB's all my love on white cs and then again on DSP from PTI. The LOVE stamped on the DSP was fussy cut and then paper pieced over the stamped image that was colored with Copics.  I used the postage die and more DSP for the background and a sentiment from The Greetery.

   For our 2 year old grandson who loves CHOO CHOO trains, I used PB's love train dies and a sentiment from The Greetery.  He LOVES trains so I think he's going to love this!!

For our 5 year old granddaughter I stamped PB's fur-ever yours and Copic colored the bear.  The heart she's holding was stamped onto the red velvet cs I've been using lately and the sentiment from The Greetery was also stamped onto it.  (I ended up having to stamp and cut a 2nd time as the black ink takes a while to dry enough so that it doesn't smear all over your fingers and everywhere else too...grrrrrr!!)  The framing (also PB) was cut from that same velvet cs and the background was hot foiled with red foil using a PFS foil plate. 

 Our oldest grandson is almost 9 years old, and I didn't think he'd be too excited by a critter card, so I used PB's stitched xoxo dies and added it to a SB's ef (Heart Blooms) background.  I wish I would have remembered to take a picture of the inside and back of the card as I stamped a YETI from MFT's Beast Friends on the inside and big foot paw prints running up the back of the card.  Hopefully he'll get a kick out of it!!

 And last but definitely not last, a card for our oldest granddaughter using Anita Jeram's (CCC) ever thine stamp set.  The mouse holding the heart was once again colored with my Copics, die cut and then added to a background of more of that red velvet paper.  The frame was left over from our 5 year olds card.  The tiny heart tags on both the 4th & 5th cards are from PTI's Tiny Tags set.

I'm sending the first 4 cards to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge which is an "anything goes/optional romance" challenge for this month of February.

However you celebrate this day, I hope it's a good one for all of you!  And may sound kinda corny, but LOVE really is the answer, so be kind to everyone friends! This world really, really NEEDS it!! 

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

The Birthday Girl Turns 1

Hello friends.  Our youngest granddaughter turned the BIG 1 yesterday, and I thought I'd share the birthday card I made for her...something other than a Christmas card for a little break!!

I used one of my favorite Penny Black stamp sets called critter celebration and inked up one of the 5 images included in the set. I colored the little mouse in with my Copics and then used The Greetery's Crimped Circle Dies to cut out the image, with enough room left for the No. 1 and the birthday sentiment.

For the background, I ink blended a light pink at the top of the card base and gradually worked down to just the plain white of the cs. I used The Greetery's Delightful Digits Die over the card base and then added the circle with the image over top of that.  Very simple, but I was tickled with the way it came out.

Here's a couple pictures of the birthday girl and her cupcake...she wasn't too interested, although her 2 year old brother thought the cupcakes were GREAT!  Haha!!

I thought for sure she'd dive right in and be a mess...she poked one finger in, looked at her finger and then just barely touched it to her lips. Not sure how she can be a granddaughter of mine and not like frosting, but she's young yet...we'll train her right!  Haha!!

I'm going to add my card to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where it's a "Anything Goes" Challenge, with the option of SNOW/SNOWMEN, which I didn't use.  This challenge is open till the end of the month.

 

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

Happy Halloween

Hello friends and Happy Halloween!  Just a quick post today to share my youngest granddaughter's Halloween card...

I started with PB's classy frames dies and ink blended the center piece with oranges & pinks. The left-over panel that I had die cut the frame from was embossed with Sunny Studio's Quilted Hearts EF. I die cut the 2 pumpkins (PB's abstract pumpkins) from white cs and then ink blended them with oranges and yellows.  Next came that sweet little ghost from PB's fa-boo-lous stamp set that I inked up in gray and then fussy cut out.

I arranged the pumpkins (shorter one is pop dotted with foam tape) and ghost to the left so you could still see the ink blended background and also have room for the sentiment which is also a part of the stamp set.  A few Disco Ball sequins (Gina K) finished off my sweet little card for Bella.  She's only 10 months old, so I'm sure she'll try to eat the card rather than look at it!  I'll be sending this off to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where the option is "Too Cute To Spook".

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

Another Christmas Playdate with Michele & A Bit of Halloween

Hello friends.  Michele and I had another playdate last week and worked on some more Christmas cards, and even a tiny bit of Halloween!  It's always so much fun when we can "borrow" each others supplies when we get together, and this time was no different!  We started with a new Christmas stencil set from Kristina Werner and Concord & 9th called Holiday Icons. I had played with this set before, but Michele had not and absolutely loved it...I knew she would!!  Of course I didn't mind playing with it again (it's one of those that's kinda addicting!!) and picked out 5 very non-traditional ink colors to stencil with...

Well the green is Christmas-y, but not so much the oranges and teals...I still like the color combo though.  Inks are C&9 and the joy sentiment is from The Greetery's Opposites Attract Holiday and PTI's Say It Simply: Merry & Bright sentiment is on the right hand card.  I love that the stenciling does all the work and you just add a sentiment!!

We also played with a Impression Obsession trio of birdies (E19968 by Lindsay Ostrom) I've had for ages and made into this simple card...

I kept my coloring of the birdies very simple (grays & brown Copics) and greens and red for the leaves and berries.  I fussy cut around the bottom edge of the leaves (and tail) and added a piece of plaid from Paper Rose's Merry Little Christmas Patterns. 

I finished with a very thin strip of red glitter cs behind the trio and a sentiment from PTI's Think Big Favorites: #20. Oh and a leftover snowflake from IO with a red gem in the center.  

This little shopping bear is from Michele's PB stash and is part of the Teddy Tidings stamp set.  I colored her with my Copics and then added her to a little scene complete with snowy trees ( PB's tree border) die and a few IO snowflakes.

 I'm not real thrilled about the way I colored the shopping bags, but by the time I added the trees and glitter, the snowflakes & the Double Frames that Michele brought along, the card didn't turn out too bad!  The sentiment is from PB's tiny tinsel stamp set and fit perfectly in the little bit of space I had.

And now a little break from Christmas for a spooky little Halloween card...just kidding! NOT spooky at all!  This sweet little witch is from PB's fa-boo-lous set and I once again colored her up with my Copics.  

After fussy cutting her out, I placed her on a background I embossed with SU!'s Subtle ef and another of Michele's frames (PB plated frames circle dies).  I also added a couple of PB's abstract pumpkin die cuts using sandable cardstock in orange and yellow.  The sentiment is from MFT's Spooktacular Friends. I colored in the stars on her little witch's costume with a silver sparkle pen, so in real life, this card does SPARKLE!! I bought this particular stamp set because of the ghosts, but ended up loving this sweet little witch even more!!  

I will be adding this last card to the current Double D Challenge and also the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Once again, we had a fantastic time hanging out together and working on cards...and of course laughing, chatting, and eating too!  I made chilli (even though it was in the low 80's last week) and Michele brought her yummy cornbread and lemon brownies...yummmmmmm!!  You can check out what Michele did while she was at my house right HERE.  I know we'll be blown away as usual!!  Hope you all have a good friend to stamp with too...one of the best treasures I've been blessed with!! :0) 

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

Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge #94

Hello friends.  Still trying to play catch up with my Christmas cards and the Peace on Earth challenge had such a beautiful inspiration board that I just had to play along!

If you're a music lover like me, then these photos definitely inspire!!  Here's what I came up with...

I received this PB stamp set (sing joy!) as a gift last Christmas, and I absolutely adore all 3 images included in the set, although this is the first time coloring up this particular caroler!  I colored her up with my Copics and then fussy cut her out.

I stamped a background using SU!'s Sheet Music background stamp and then used PB's classy frames (3 times for some dimension) to cut the opening for my sweet little caroler. I embossed the sentiment in gold and added a few gold gems to finish off my card.

I'm also adding this card to the Penny Black Challenge where it's anything PB goes and an optional "embossing" addition.

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

Penny Black Saturday Challenge May 2025

Hello friends. Playing along with the Penny Black Saturday Challenge that is an "anything goes" challenge, with the option this month of using a monochromatic theme...I did not use the optional monochromatic theme.

I used a new (to me) little stamp and die set called handpicked and came up with 2 cards.

The water pitcher and flowers were stamped and colored with my Copics before die cutting and then placed over a background I made using a mask and PB's classy frames dies. I ink blended the masked background using residual ink on my turquoise blending brush and then stamped over it using a Heidi Swapp background stamp from 2013 before removing my mask.

I finished with my sentiment, a twine bow and some flat sparkly silver dots that my sweet friend TK gifted me (great for not adding bulk and mailing!!).  After I finished I realized I forgot to add the classy frame die cut around the masked background, so I decided to make a 2nd card.

I changed up the colors a bit on this one, but otherwise it's the same as the first, and does have the frame attached!

 Two pretty simple cards and I'm very happy with the way they turned out!  And YAY for 2 more cards for the birthday stash...I was running seriously low!!

Lots of inspiration from the DT that you can find right HERE, so check it out and play along if you're a Penny Black lover like me!  This challenge is open till Friday, June 6th @ 8:00PM.

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

PBSC January - Anything Goes...Optional "Something New"

Hello friends.  I was lucky enough to receive some new Penny Black stamps for Christmas from my sweet friend Sue, and the cuddle up set was the first one to get colored up!  Take a look...

Aren't they just the cutest little couple all snuggled up together against the cold?  They must live in Michigan like me!  I colored the image with my Copics and then fussy cut the image out.

My background consists of PB's stitched square & circles (the largest circle die in the set) and PB's tall trees dies.  Although it's hard to see in the photos, I ink blended the background of the circle die in residual blue ink from one of my blender brushes. My image of the couple was added over the circle with foam tape for a bit of dimension.

 I finished this card with a sentiment from the cuddle up set and embossed it in white on a strip of black.  I thought about adding some bling, but then decided it really didn't need it!

Lots of inspiration from the DT that you can find right HERE, so check it out and then play along.  This challenge is open till Friday, January 31st @ 8:00PM.

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

PBSC October Anything Goes...Optional...'Cute or Spooky'

Hello friends.  Playing along with the Penny Black Saturday Challenge (PBSC) again as I had another image that I had stamped when Michele came over to play last month.  I finally got around to coloring it up and turned into a card, and I think it definitely qualifies as 'Cute'!  Just a warning though...it's not Halloween as I already have those made for this year and am still trying to finish up my Christmas card stash!  Anyway, take a look...

The image is from the Merry Days stamp set, and I colored up those sweet bears and their sled full of gifts AND a Christmas tree too, with my Copics.  Michele had the die too, so all I really had to do was color the image.  Easy peasy!!  I used foam tape on the back and applied it to a background that I used SB's Hexi Snowflake ef on in Smokey Slate cs.  

A little close up for you...aren't those bears just the sweetest?!!  To finish I added a few sequins and a piece of white crochet thread at the top that also holds my star tag and sentiment (PTI's Tiny Tags).

Lots of inspiration from the DT and those already in the gallery that you can find right HERE if you'd like to play along.  This challenge is open till Friday, Nov. 1st @ 8:00PM.

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

Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Hello friends.  Last week when Michele was here, she brought several of her new Penny Black stamps to share, and I had a great time this week coloring up a couple of them and making them into Christmas cards.

My first card uses the Love & Magic stamp set with the sweet little bear carrying his bouquet of holly and berries.

Isn't he a cutie?!  I did some simple Copic coloring and then fussy cut him out before adding him to a panel that I blended some tea dye ink on (with foam tape on the back).  I also used the Crystal Frames die with a piece of Real Red cs behind.

I used a top folding white card base and then finished with a sentiment from PTI's Christmas Blessings stamp set.  

My 2nd card uses the ADORABLE Sing Joy stamp set from Penny Black and I am absolutely in LOVE with this sweet little caroler!  I colored her with my Copics again, and then added her to a die cut Posted Cut Out.

My background for this 2nd card uses SSS's Hand Lettered Holiday Background stamp on Real Red cs with white pigment ink.  I added a piece a shimmery ribbon around the background piece and then added to a white card base.  I left off a sentiment since there were enough words in the background and I didn't want the card to be too busy!

A BIG thanks to sweet Michele for sharing her stash with me...I had so much fun coloring both of these sweet images and turning them into cards!  I'm adding both of these cards to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where it's a "Anything Goes" with the option of "Anything but Square".  I used rectangles on both cards, so I think it's safe to say I didn't add a square!!  This challenge is open till Friday, Oct. 4th @ 8:00PM.

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