World Card Making Day 2021 with Pinkfresh

A few of you know we took a little 1500 mile drive over World Cardmaking weekend!  Lucky for me, I had some new Pinkfresh goodies to play with when I got home, and a few more days before this challenge ends!

Without further ado - here is my first go with PF Garden Roses layering stencils, stamps, and die set:

I started with the lightest color, and worked my way up to the darkest which gives all the gorgeous depth to the roses - Pinkfresh makes layering easy with their numbering system right on the stencils.  After all the stenciling was done, I die cut them out using the dies, and then ran the 'leftover' through my die-cutting machine with that favorite SU subtle texture EF.

The sweet sentiment is also in the Garden Rose stamp set.  It was cut with a die from their Basic Label Frames set.  A few of their gorgeous gems, and it was done!

Okay, I'm heading over to the Pinkfresh WCMD gallery - 

wish me luck, my wish-list is VERY long!

=]  Michele

Here are the inks I used today:

 

The Flower Challenge #61 Reminder to join the Party!

 

Just a quick reminder that we're celebrating 

The Flower Challenge's 5th Birthday this month!

There are loads of prizes - but you must play along to WIN!

You may remember my Altenew echinacea - here is the shape they're in today:

This Nested Dome die set from Waffle Flower Crafts is a frequent flyer in my studio - isn't it fun?  Here are the inks I water-colored my echinacea with today:

Here is how I keep it from rocking and rolling... 

Just a quick snip from the back panel.

Okay, let's go see what the rest of the team have made... and then YOU

get to making, too!  We can't wait!  there are PRIZES my friends!

=]  Michele

Inspired By #191 - I'd Fall for You!

Hello again, my friends!  Glad you dropped by today!  We have this

adorable little Fall inspiration for Inspired By #191. 

I've fallen - and we hope you will, too!

The colors of Fall, and that sweet bear were my inspiration - I had

just the inks, and furry guy for the job...

SSS Fall Foliage embossing folder, Sugar Pea Hey Winter stamps and dies

Pigment Craft Co. Sweater Season stamps, and dies.  Coloring on the bear done with Zigs.

Would you believe this base started as a simple white sheet of cardstock?

The embossing on the folder is so deep, and intricate - a fine mist of water

pre-embossing hinders cracking, btw.  I then went to town with those

Oxides inks and foam blending tools, ending the process with a bit

of Distress Glaze to bring the browns to life.

Catherine Pooler Icing on the Cake was used for this sweet sentiment, adding a bit of clear heat embossing powder makes it pop!  It's Fall so you'll be seeing even more

of that desert storm [kraft] card stock.

As much as I love that bear, I kinda wish he'd move out of the way 

for just a second - ha!  But he does look quite dashing in his sweater, right?

Okay, now it's your turn!  How will you bring IB191 to life?  I'm pretty sure

we'll fall for it!  See you in the gallery!

=]  Michele

Waffle Flower Crafts' October Challenge

The fabulous team at Waffle Flower Crafts Challenge has chosen Shaker cards as their theme for October - what a fun way to shake Fall up, right?  and the perfect time to use my little JOY-filled prize again as the focal point of my own shaker card!

Week 1's team wants us to use two of more sections to add shaker elements to - I have had MANY failures when it comes to shaker bits not shaking - I perhaps was asking too much of myself this time?

But it worked!!!  Using their wonderful Stitched Diamond Panel Die, and a layer of foam tape on the positive parts of the panel, I was able to add these pretty little beads I bought a hundred years ago to the 'window' sections!  

My JOY was cut from Neenah Solar White, and Copic colored with BG10 - then a nice coat of Wink of Stella.  You'll have to take my word on that shine... but did you find the extra beads?  The JOY combination set comes with a layered die set, and tons of go-along sentiments that work perfectly with JOY - like the one I used today.  This time heat embossed using a glitter powder from WOW!

Thanks for stopping by, and leaving a bit of joy to my day!

=]  Michele

Peace on Earth Challenge #1

 

There's a new Challenge in town, brought to us by Diane & Darlene who seem to have a knack for challenges here in blogland - this is their 4th!!  they've made this one an

'anything goes' as long as it's a Christmas card challenge.

Just take a looky loo at this gorgeous mood board for their first 

Peace on Earth Christmas challenge:

Between their logo, the colors of this mood board, and my friend Leslie's gorgeous stag, I couldn't resist playing along!  I have many, many more Christmas cards to make to reach my goal of 350!  Here's how I was inspired:  

• the grey print on the stocking inspired my choice of paper for my panel
• the white ornaments lead me to this retired Dove from EH
• my friend Leslie's gorgeous Stag with the stamped scene steered me to stamp on my dove!

Ready for my card??  Here she comes...

Another cover plate you see here often from Altenew - Dotted Starburst 

I recently was lucky to have a win at Waffle Flower Craft Co.  This gorgeous

JOY was ONE of the sets I chose - you'll see another very soon, promise!

Soo.  are you all ready for Christmas card sending??  No?  Why not join me and play along?!

=]  Michele

Playing Cards with Friends - October 2021

Happy Fall, my friends!  I have been tapping my toe waiting for that calendar flip - you see I have another dear friend Playing Cards this month!  You might know Kristie from her work on the Catherine Pooler DT, or from all the wonderful cards she's posted on her blog: Kreative Kristie!   Kristie and I even had a chance to meet for reals this Summer - but not enough time to get our craft on!  So it was a treat when she accepted my invitation to play cards... ready for our assignment?

All the Colors of Fall!  No Pumpkins! 

but Halloween’s always a Treat!

Well, it is the month of tricks, and treats - so I had to make another Halloween card!  Besides, this little Poppystamps boo-friend wanted to make another appearance!  

Still too cute to spook!

I've brought out a discontinued EH Boo die, and paired it with a  new Taylored Expressions Fineline Leaf background stamp, inked in a few Concord & 9th inks - their minis made inking the rows a little bit easier!  Kristie's CP minis would have been perfect, too!

But it's that Pigment Craft Co.* Dashing Sentiments stamps and dies, that bring the fun to this card!  So easy to snip apart to make room for the BOO!

I'm off to visit Kristie, and I hope you'll follow my lead - I wonder if she'll be making a Halloween card, too?  Only one way to find out.... thanks for playing cards, my friend!

=]  Michele

*I've just discovered that SSS carries the Pigment Craft Co. line!  How awesome is that?

CAS Mix Up - October 2021 - Botanical Prints

 

Surprise!  I don't normally post on the weekend, but made an exception today because I couldn't wait to share the success I had with leaf pressing for the 

CAS Mix Up Botanical Prints challenge for October 2021!

I was having a phone-chat about this challenge from Bonnie with my friend Bobby when I remembered my gorgeous Coleus plants on my front porch!  How could they not be the perfect choice for trying out this leaf-printing technique?  I have two varieties - today I chose the bright chartreuse with purple veining... of course one loses lots of the color when pressing, so here is a few shots of my plants PRE-pressing!

I have THREE of these pots - my coleus were SO huge this year!

Here is a little perspective:

Okay enough - you came for the card[s] right?

I had so much fun I had to make three... it's amazing what you get from just putting leaves between two pieces of water color card, and running them through your die-cutting machine!  But beware!  It can be a little messy!

A very simple card - I thought just ONE of the leaves would be gorgeous 

for a custom postage stamp!  

Waffle Flower Crafts Nesting Postage dies are such a perfect set to reach for.  

You'll see a few bits of the actual leaves but I don't mind it!  As a side note:  I recently purchased my first ink from Pigment Craft Co.: Sage is the most beautiful grey-green I've found on the market - and it stamps like a dream!

Sugared Lavender from Catherine Pooler accentuated the purple of the veins quite nicely!

My first time stamping this gorgeous set from The Greetery with all the best postmarks, and messages.

My next pressings took on more of the veining as I left it overnight...

There's that lavender again, used with a fun die cut word from Pigment Craft Co. set  called Dashing Sentiments stamps and dies.  

I couldn't help but think this would make a beautiful gift set of cards... three is a good number for a set... this is a sweet little thank you 

that measures 4.5 x 3.5 inches!

I used a favorite embossing folder from SU to add just the finest detail without

 disturbing my pressing one bit!  Look!  You can still see the veining beautifully.

A sweet little vellum die cut postage stamp was a good place for the sentiment.

Now comes the hard part - which one to share with the ladies at CAS Mix Up?

You'll have to go over to their gallery to see!  And while there, how's about playing along, too?  You'll find plenty of links for instruction at their blog!

=]  Michele

Supplies:

Pigment Craft Co. ink, and sentiment dies

Waffle Flower Craft Co. Nesting Postage dies

Catherine Pooler ink:  Sugared Lavender

The Stamp Market:  Blush dye ink

Stampin' Up Subtle Texture embossing folder

The Greetery: Pretty Postmarks [with a very old 5 cents stamp from Wplus9]

Dessert Storm card stock

Fabriano Hot Press 25% Cotton watercolor paper