Color Hues #2 Second Helpings!

 

It's not often I'm inclined to make two cards for a challenge these days... but when the mood strikes, I will take advantage of it!  

This card uses the required Navy and Turquoise in an unusual way ... though I might not like Holly [EBE Mondo Holly stamp, and die] in these colors in nature, they look lovely on a Christmas card!

Hope you all enjoyed the weekend ... now back to my regularly scheduled loads of Monday fun!  wink, wink!

=]  Michele

A birthday celebration!

Loll is hosting a birthday card party for the fabulous, kind, and loving Nancy!  You may know Nancy as Scandinancy - who always sends love and hugs our way!  I couldn't wait to send my birthday wishes, too!

Nancy, I've used lots of techniques in your honor today: heat embossing, stamping with a stencil, among them!  These sweet little SSS Anna's Flowers are appearing as fireworks today!  You do deserve a special celebration!  

Thank you, my friend, for all the love you send around our blogosphere!  Especially all you've sent my way!  Happy birthday!

Love and hugs,

=]  Michele

CAS[E] this Sketch #391

 Oh that Donna Mikasa ... she really knows what ticks my boxes!

Take a peek at CTS391:

Imagine the possibilities, then come play along, won't you?  My little card started with just two inks, a new to me PTI Fall Florals set.

And ended in this glorious CAS goodness, complete with my favorite Dotted Swirls!  [which has been in stock, and out again, quicker than I could type these words!]

Don't adjust your screens, this card was made using Bristol card, which isn't quite as white... I'm okay with that as long as it all matches!

So.  Where did your imagination take you?  We can't wait to see!  Let's run by CTS to see all the goodness from my teammates...

=]  Michele

Inspired By #143 ... colors of fall!

As much as I wanted to dig through my stash for my abstract paint swipes, I was inspired to use these delectable paint colors to do something totally different today … it turned out even better than I'd hoped!  For Inspired By #143: 

 

I was able to 'stretch' my W&W Into the Woods* stencil to create tall and skinny trees, for my tall and skinny card!  Believe me, it took a bit of trickery, but I was happy in the end!  and there's my fun Lil' Inkers' Quilted Spirals*  again... can you hear the wind through my trees?  Here are the inks I've used today...

 



That Altenew School Days sentiment says it all!  Where did Summer go?  Well, the colors are indeed changing to a more Fall-like color palette around Michigan.  Head over to the IB blog to see our Sketch, and all the fun cards my IB teamies have created, and then, why not play along?!

=]  Michele

*no longer available, sadly.

A day of play with Fall Florals from PTI

There is a cute little bush, that grows near water or wetlands, called Buttonbush - this Fall Floral set from PTI reminds me of it!  I've take liberties with their color!

I've had a bit of fun with a few of the Distress Oxide inks that just didn't want to get put away just yet... here's a look at my fun day using Evergreen Bough, and Peeled Paint... 

I also really wanted to play with that wonderful Altenew die again...

this time, a slimline card!  and a mop-up of these inks, plus Scattered Straw!

This little playtime sure did help me get over the hump ... hope it brings a little pleasure to your Wednesday, too!

=]  Michele

Supplies:

Hey friend:  the branch of leaves from my snippets bin; a card base cut with W&W Noelle Cutaways from Bristol card; DOX inks, and Versafine Smoky Gray ink for my EBE It's All Good sentiment.

Just Because:  PTI Scalloped frame die - cut from PTI Stormy Sea card stock; Reverse Confetti Stitched Scallops cover plate, cut with Altenew Rounded Rectangles; EBE Totally Random Sayings vol. 3 for sentiment.  Card base and scalloped rectangle cut from Bristol card.

Just Because I love you:  Card base cut from water color card; EBE Totally Random Sayings vol. 3 sentiment, stamped with Versafine Smoky gray ink.  The little berries were cut separately from gold card.

Buttonbush in Fall

Brown & Pink and Navy & Turquoise!

I'm back again with, as my title suggests, lots of color - which is a challenge for me in itself!  

The Flower Challenge is looking for Brown & Pink! 

That color combo reminded me of all the wonderful Hydrangea I've dried over the years!  Here are some from last year!

Guess what came out to play?  Of course it had to be my 

 EBE Mondo Hydrangea!  she is my most favorite 

of all the Mondo flowers!  

Stamped in GinaK's Skeleton Leaves amalgam ink, and water colored with Arteza markers, with a bit of pencil detailing.

Here's a little closeup:

and the supplies I used:

Next up ... my entry for Color Hues #2 . They're looking for shades of  Navy and Turquoise !  I've been saving this little tweet-y [borrowed from a friend - thanks Marcia] for the perfect occasion... also the perfect occasion to use this trick for adding texture to your Copic colored images from Kathy Racoosin ... it added the most wonderful wooly texture, don't you think?

All it takes is a tiny bit of colorless blending solution on

a bit terry cloth - this is the tiny square Kathy handed

out to us at MFT at a class I attended there

with Nancy Leppek and Bobby Hagen!

Happy weekend-eve my friends!  Hope your plans include lots of fun, and a bit of crafting!

=]  Michele

Before anyone asks... the embossing on my card is just one folder from many in a wonderful gift, from a fabulous friend who prefers to remain anonymous!  Thank you SO very much!!!  I LOVE the perfect branches for my little feathered friend!

CAS Christmas: September 2020 Christmas tree!

Okay... let me start by saying thank you, for stopping by, and for putting up with me for a test ... no you won't be graded.

As you read this, I am about to write my very first post using the New Blogger - so far so good!  I'm sharing a card made for the September CAS Christmas Challenge - now, here comes the difficult part:  linking this text with the challenge post!  aha!  it worked!

and so did pasting their graphic!!  Yay!

I sifted through my [three] containers of Christmas sets and was thrilled to find so many Christmas tree options ... don't think that means I won't be tempted to buy more!  Today, I'm using a Penny Black cling stamp called Christmas Glow.  Here are all the supplies I needed to complete my card:  [this is where I insert a photo - fingers crossed] 

Voila!!!  it arrived perfectly!

I stamped my tree on a 5x7" piece of Tim Holtz

water color card stock, using the inks above.

Then, because I felt it needed a little something, I 

whacked off the left edge, die cut the oval, then added back the slice I'd removed - after slicing off a wee bit more.

Okay, I'm getting there... but something else was off.

aha!  It needed a nice red container, instead of the 

navy I'd originally used.  It was easy, stamped it on a scrap, then fussy cut it, and glued it over the top!

I do wish my camera could have captured the sparkle of the 

Diamond Stickles I applied to the lights ... 

Well.  it seems I have conquered my fears ... even though, now that I look at it,  I may have failed miserably on the CAS part of the challenge!  lol how many times have I done that?  

Thanks for the support I've been given by a few blogging friends who nipped that new blogger in the bud from the get-go!  one final test ... getting my card to the CAS Christmas gallery!  oh boy... here goes nothing...

=]  Michele

CAS[E] this Sketch #390

One of the ways I like to play with our CTS Sketches is to give it a turn ... that's what I've done today with CTS#390:

 

Does anyone remember this little edger?

 

 

I love it for vellum!

 



I needed two of these Pinkfresh Studio's Lush Greenery - greenery that I left perfectly uncolored except for a bit of gold here and there - and I think they stacked up beautifully!

Now.  How will YOU use Sketch #390?  as is?  or given a flip?  Anyway you do, we can't wait to see your work!

=]  Michele 

Inspired By #142 ... playful patterns

 

When I took my first look at our IB142 assignment, I saw fish-scales!  SO … I found a way to make it work for the sentiment I had in mind - a fun little wish for my eldest granddaughter who is 16 this year!!  I don't know how that happened so fast? For Anna:

 

Anna could be a Mermaid with the swimming skills she has!

 

Though the lightest of my fish scales seem white, you'll have to trust me that they are indeed the palest of pinks... Bazzill cardstocks, all:  Pale Rose, then Citrus Slice, and Circus Peanut!  Each cut with the largest  of the dies in the MFT Ocean Motion set.  I brought in the black from our inspiration photo with my black heat-embossed sentiment from EBE Inner Mermaid, and the sweet twine that attaches this darling little PPP Square scalloped tag.  The curvy shape of my little card was achieved with a Paper Smooches Borders 1 die... aren't we going to miss that wonderful company?

 

So there you have it … now I do hope you'll play, too!  Our IB team have so many more ways to inspire you … and a fun Sketch!  You'll find them all HERE!

 

=]  Michele

 

Affiliate links provided which help to support my habit, but add no additional cost to you - thank you!

 



Perhaps you're missing a little something?

In your stash, that is!  Here's a little something that might help you out with that wish list ...

Read the fine print.  Don't forget the code.  There is a time limit … go!!  

=]  Michele

About my grey roots...

I'm going back to my extreme love of grey today!  oh.  You thought I was going to talk about my hair, didn't you?  lol  Fooled you!  No.  I had a day of playing cards with my favorite color: GREY.  First, for CAS Mix Up's  September challenge: 

I have three cards.  First up, my premier play with Altenew's Hanging Garden Die set [which appears to be OOS and very popular!]

 Embossing with die + Stamping+ heat embossing

 

The set comes with two dies... this time, the larger die was embossed onto a mid-tone grey card stock, and the smaller cut from white card.   The contrast really has impact, I think.  In this instance, I cut the berries from gold card to add back into the die cut, and brought it all together by embossing my sentiment, from Inked Lotus, in gold.  All that terrific texture comes from a Tasteful Textile SU embossing folder.

Card two features the larger of the dies, but uses more white card, than grey...

Embossing with die + stamping + Stickles

If you look closely, you'll see that I filled in the berries this time, in layers of Ranger Onyx Pearl Liquid Pearls, with a topping of Diamond Stickles.

 

One more … this one features my favorite 'greyed down' colors, and a great big MEGA FRIEND die from Altenew that is a perfect fit for a slimline card … especially with their Virginia Rose die set.  My sentiment, stamped in Versafine Smoky grey ink, is another from Altenew, called Story of Us.

 

 Embossing with die + floral dies + stamping

 



Okay.  Keeping in mind that the challenge is all about CAS cards, which do you think made its way to their gallery?  I guess you'll have to go see for yourself!  Hey... why not play along while you're there?   and thanks, so very much, for sharing a bit of your Monday with me! 

=]  Michele

Thanks so very much for this honor!

CAS[E] this Sketch #389 Retro Week!

http://casethissketch.blogspot.com/2019/01/case-this-sketch-306.html

It's Retro Week!  and for the life of me, I don't remember this Sketch... I'll have to revisit that post from January 2019 to be sure I played! lol  Maybe I'll see you there, too?  ahhhh now I remember!

I've taken a totally different tact this time ... I must mention where my inspiration comes from: my friend Linda Callahan's darling ocean of fun!  Go see, I'll wait...
 

Here are the Distress inks I used for my waves, made

with a new MFT Ocean Motion stencil:

Hope the recipient doesn't end up sea-sick!  Been there - ugh!

I'll see you over at the CTS blog where I know we'll find oceans more fun...

=]  Michele

MFT Fish you were Here stamps and dies, and Ocean Motion stencil

EBE Classic Block Alpha dies, stamped with

EBE Plaid Maker





Inspired By #141 tweet tea!

Inspired By #141 tweet tea... features the tweetest little tea cups!  It's no wonder that little tweet-heart is building her nest there - which is exactly where my inspiration comes from today... can you find her?

I'd paint every one of my cabinets this gorgeous grey!

So, of course, I created a little 'cabinet' for my cups

using a Reverse Confetti Stitched Note & Frames die

and a new grey card: Bazzill Alpaca!

It didn't take long to find all the right blooms for my little TCP die-cut tea cups - these come from Pinkfresh Studio: Keep Going, and The Stamp Market: Bloominus - but my little nest-builder is from Altenew's: Wild Hibiscus c. 2015!  I'll keep it in my stash just for this little bird, but the blooms are pretty terrific, too!  I Copic colored them as those IB tweet-tea cups are - see if you can match those that inspired me.  Then come play, won't you?!

=]  Michele

A labor of love for Color Hues!

There's a new challenge in town!  and I am so happy to spend a bit of my Labor Day creating for Color Hues inaugural color challenge:

I also had the perfect image for it... from Alex Syberia Designs … a Happy Sunflower!  first, here's a closeup of my fussy-cut sunflower...

 

 and the yellow and green Copics I used:

 

Congratulations to Nancy, and her entire Color Hues team for all the beautiful cards using yellows, and greens! 

=]  Michele

Sentiment from The Stamp Market:  All lined Up

Thanks, Color Hues team!!!