Inspired By #193C

'Tis the Season, alright!  The season for making Christmas cards for all our friends, and those sweet senior citizens on my very long list!

I just love the print in our Inspired By #IB193C photo prompt - and have just the jolliest old friends to represent it well.  Reverse Confetti's Christmas duo from Jolly Holiday, has been around for a few years now, and so has their North Pole Wishes.  My packages come from a Janes Doodles set, and the fun scallops are another oldie from Papertrey Ink.  

Gosh.  It makes me wonder why I keep buying new, when the old looks fresh as new?  Okay.  We won't go there.

But we will be going to our gallery this week to see which prompt our friends have chosen - the countdown begins now! and there is a Fall, 

and Sketch option, too!

=]  Michele

A wonderful Wednesday with Marcia!

Any day of the week would be a very good day when spent with my friend Marcia!  Last week Wednesday we were hard at play from 9am to 4pm stamping, cutting, embossing, and stenciling all the bounty of craftiness we had to share - believe me, there was a lot!!

We try to pick something we both use in our own way to share with you all, but keep our finished cards secret from each other.  This time it happened to be a wonderful layering stencil set called Holiday Botanical Background from Pinkfresh Studios.   

I promise this bright pink cardstock matched before I brought in the 

Crystal Accents!!  Look at the one I missed underneath in the cluster of three!!  lol  

Pinkfresh also gets credit for this retired Joy and Cheer sentiment, and the Fancy Oval Frame.

I had a great time playing with a few of Marcia's finds from The Greetery - of course their Winterberry Bouquet was at the top of my list - since they are what I see outside of my studio window each day... here shown in all their glorious red - perfect for a Christmas card!

fa la la from The Stamp Market's 'Tis the Season stamps, and dies.

I embossed the negative again with my SU Subtle Texture EF.

The Greetery provided all the treats used for my third card - Marcia even created the wonderful wood grain card for my frame and 'shutters!'  She spoils me!

That pretty plaid is from PTI's text-style Fall Prints and Patterns that I got for $2!  I drove 750 miles to pick up the last package of SU Old Olive paper from LeAnne! lol  Used here for my card base

I have one more card made, but I cannot share as I used it for a DT card!  You'll see it soon enough!

Thank you, Marcia, for the day spent crafting away - and your wonderful bowl [and a half] of chili!!!  YUM!!  I'm on my way over - virtually - to see all the wonder of your makes!

=]  Michele

Inspired By #192 - Who's your Boo?

 

Yes, I know there is an adorable Christmas prompt this week, too!

But, since she was a tiny girl, and Monsters Inc. released, my granddaughter Lola has been called Boo!  Now, with a title like this,  how could this Grammy resist making her a Halloween card this week?  See if you can find my inspiration[s].

Yes.  I am the old bat.  Grampy is the ghost - for reasons we won't get into.  And since Boo's eyes disappear just like this when she smiles big, we'll just say

that is a very silly version of her!  

Now, will you be bewitched by Halloween, or catch that cute Christmas vibe?  We'll love either, you know that's a sure thing!

=]  Michele

Supplies: 

EH Happy Haunting stamps and dies, Pumpkin to Talk About, Snow Days [for the fences]

Waffle Flower Craft Rustic Rainbow dies for the gas clouds

Wplus9 4 Bar Stitched rectangle dies

CAS Christmas Card Challenge - Gray and Red! - take two!

By the time this hits the airwaves, I'll be on my way to spend the day with our Hostess for this month's CAS Christmas October 2021 - Gray and Red Challenge!!  Yippee for a day of play with Marcia!!

Remember the sentiment from The Stamp Market I used the other day?  It worked its charm on my card today!  But it appears to have been discontinued in their shop - how can this be?  It's so cute...

Another piece from Teresa Collins Candy Cane Lane - for the perfect candy cane sentiment!

My little Holly leaves were cut from a sheet of paper stamped with an MFT sweater-knit background

stamp - in CP Twilight ink.  I've also used another of these wonderful Waffle Flower Crafts' cover panels!

Here's another - one that's not quite CAS enough - but using another Pinkfresh goodie: Merry Little Christmas Cling pop out ... with the Holly Jolly shadow layer cut from vellum!

My photos seem to be rather dark - either the light from the time of day, or user error?  At any rate, I hope you like them just the same!  

Thanks so much for visiting!  Better get this one posted and hit the road!!

=]  Michele

Color Hues #28 Red and Kraft!

 

I may have mentioned how much I adore kraft and red at Christmas - add natural creamy paper with those little fibers in it and I'm especially happy!   

Thanks Color Hues #28!

Here is my 'everything very old is new again' card:

MFT Die-namics wreath die c. 2010?  Paper: Teresa Collins Candy Cane Lane c. 2014

a sweet little set of sentiments that was part of a gift from MFT when the Three Amigos visited them in Florida!  and a hand-me-down set from CP from my friend Kristie!

Wreath, and bows cut from Desert Storm, and stamped with CP peppermint scrub.

Altenew Red Cosmos set of enamel dots

W&W Noelle die for that sweet little panel

Isn't this paper so hoardable lovely? 

Thanks for the visit!!

=]  Michele

Pinkfresh Studio October 2021 Challenge

 

I am so happy that I had a little time on Saturday to play cards!  Sunday arrived, and brought with it a new computer - how shall I say this?  It wasn't pretty!  Everything new isn't better, in my opinion... perhaps I'm just resistant to change?  lol

At long last, I was able to edit some photos of the cards I made for

Pinkfresh Studio's October 2021 Challenge  One card uses a wonderful sentiment die from The Stamp Market that I bought at the end of year 2020 - not sure if it is allowable.  So I just made another!

Questionable Card #1:

Card #2 is heading for their gallery!  This sentiment is from Merry Little Christmas!

Both were made using Pop-Out Folk Christmas - a wonderful set that stamps all of these darling characters, while the die cuts ALL of them at once!  I just love that!  I would never have chosen these colors for a Christmas card, but now that I've used them, I can't wait to use them again! 

So happy that you stopped by - thanks so much!

=]  Michele

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

What a wonderful surprise!

Thank you!

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

Altenew's Alphabet Name Game!

 "Shelly Shelly bo belly, banana fana fo felly, me my mo Melly - SHELLY!"

OH don't mind me, I got just a wee bit caught up in the Name Game song of my childhood!  But that is NOT what Altenew wanted to read/hear/see when they announced their Alphabet Name Game with their wonderful Altenew Educators!  Erum wants us to use the first initial of our names and find a technique that starts with that letter!

M stands for Mat - as used to bring focus to a photo or framed art piece?  

Perhaps this will help:

That Altenew 3D poinsettia embossing really did deserve some

extra attention - so I created my mat with one of their Rounded Rectangle dies.  Hey, why cover it up?  I instead used their Fine Alphabet dies to create a sentiment that one can see through!

Okay. Ready. set.... GO PLAY!!!

=]  Michele

Inspired By #190 - pumpkins ROCK!

I never did get into the fad of rock painting, or scavenging, but I do agree:

Pumpkins DO rock!  Especially so for Inspired By #190!

You may remember that I had a little coloring session with Tom on his birthday?  Well, this big guy that I colored has been waiting in the wings since then - hope he, and his pumpkin, inspire you to play along!  I found the most wonderful wood-like paper in my stash - did you spot that wood in the photo?

Sugar Pea bear, Pigment Craft Co. Pumpkin and stamped leaves

The view just outside my studio window is so pretty as these Winterberries change color... orange at the time of photographing, now they are a gorgeous bright red!

That's it for my show-and-tell!  I do hope you have some wonderful pumpkins to share with us this week in the Inspired By #190 gallery!  Thanks for playing!

=]  Michele

CAS Christmas October 2021: Gray and Red!

Anyone that knows me, by now will also know that my favorite color is GRAY!  or gray + any other color, will do nicely, too!  I couldn't have been more happy to see Marcia's choice for the CAS Christmas October 2021 challenge:

I have been saving/hoarding/hiding this last little bit of a favorite plaid from PTI - I'm so happy I had just enough left for my design - but don't even think I'll throw away the rest!

Looks like I've used it for this stag head before - but it brought JOY to my card today!

So often we see the spotlight on that O - but I thought those antlers made the perfect

embellishment for the Y ;)

PTI Holiday Plaid x 2, Altenew Caps Bold Alpha dies, and Rounded Rectangles - texturized with

The Stamp Market Pierced Plaid cover plate.  A retired EH Prize Stag die.

So I'm off to deliver this one to the CAS Christmas gallery!  Thanks for stopping by!

=]  Michele

Color Hues #27 - Orange and Green!

 Orange and green?  It couldn't be a more perfect choice for Fall at Color Hues!  

I had a little play with another new layering set from Altenew:  

Fresh Bloom, and dies.

I love that its layers leave a few white highlights!

The inks I used today are from a set called Goldfish Tails!

This one had an additional layer of brown that may have disqualified it, 

but I wanted to share it just the same:

When Fall comes, I turn to these colors naturally - so naturally I had to play along!

Thanks, Color Hues!

=]  Michele

Supplies:

Altenew Fresh Bloom combo, Goldfish Tail ink set, Rounded Rectangle frames, Leafy Garden die, and Dotted Swirls cover plate.