Just us Girls #746 - Stencil week!

It's stencil week over at Just us Girls #746!  I wasn't quite ready to put this beautiful stencil set away.

Altenew's White Capped Peonies using their Shades of Purple ink set.

I clipped and tucked a few behind the mat but in front of the debossed side of an 

embossed panel of Prairie Grass cardstock from Papertrey ink.

Those 'loads of fun' are calling my name - better get this one posted before I forget!

Thanks for stopping by!

=] Michele

More leaves! CAS on Friday #293

There are lots of challenges out there in our card-making world - I found a new one through someone I follow - thanks, Kristin!  

CAS on Friday is looking for leaves - one of my favorite things - and, oh do I have a lot of them!  But today I was being a little nostalgic remembering a trip to visit a wonderful bloggy friend in Canada!  I must have cut a forest of these leaves while visiting Tracey!  It didn't take long for me to buy my own dies, but it isn't as much fun without her!

There are many types of leaves in these old sets from Lawn Fawn.

So fun to color these Maple leaves using my watercolor pan set from Altenew.

I used an Altenew die for the branch, a Spellbinders Hemstitch die for the

square, and a sentiment from Alex Syberia Designs.

Here are the Oak leaves from the set:

Keeping it as CAS as I can, I added just the tiniest bit of texture

to each panel after cutting the square and circle.

As long as I was die-cutting - here is another Concord & 9th Festive Blooms using that gorgeous debossing die as a background...

I guess I better decide which leaves are falling into that CAS on Friday gallery now.  Thanks, to all of the challenges that so often inspire my creations!

=] Michele

Color Throwdown #812 and Peace on Earth #72

Popping in with two cards made for two different challenges - let's get to it shall we? 

Color Throwdown #812 inspired the color for this gorgeous Immense JOY finally came home to roost in my studio - today CCC, Spellbinders' and C&9th came to my aid for its premier:

Colorado Craft Co.'s Christmas Hats - Penny Black Immense Joy - C&9th Tree Topper

and Spellbinders' Pine Betterpress plate

Although he never made it to the top of the tree, our Calvin was often

found in our live Christmas trees!  Maybe he was chasing that mouse?

The gals at Peace on Earth Christmas have the most gorgeous photo inspiration loaded with such gorgeous jewel-toned rainbows:

I'm convinced that even though I reached for the right inks, the resulting

card lacks the brilliance of that photo!  Alas, I'm sending it just the same:

Reverse Confetti's Triangle Trees - PFS Sentiment - MFT Star

Okay, that's it for me - enjoy your Saturday!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #655

I dropped the ball the last few weeks - you know those Christmas cards don't make themselves - I've missed creating a card using the fun sketches at Freshly Made Sketches... but today I've used Jen B's for a Christmas card!

There might have been another little die set in my recent purchase from Concord & 9th... Tree Topper!  With just the cutest little set of ornament dies that can be mixed and matched in so many ways - here's how I used them for FMS...

You'll be seeing quite a bit of 'winter white' here this season.

Most of us remember these 'retro' ornaments - they also make

me think 'Jetson's!'  Now you know how really old I am!

Okay, they didn't call that set tree topper for nothing... the sentiment is another from PFS Banner Christmas set and the embossed panels were a gift from Marcia.

Hope your weekend is topped off with something crafty - enjoy!

=] Michele

Laura Fedora, you've done it again!

If you need a little enabling in your crafty life, look no further than Ms. Laura Bassen - aka Laura Fedora!  I couldn't hit the 'buy' button fast enough after watching this video - I spent a few hours with this Festive Blooms die set yesterday... the sky is the limit with color combos!

The set includes a cutting die and one that debosses a gorgeous 'pattern' to

follow when placing all the bits and pieces.  Laura explains it better

than I.  I can see myself using that debossed image as a background piece, too!

By the way, the bundle includes that sweet little banner but the sentiment

is from C&9th's Festive Blooms stamp set - I bought the deluxe bundle to have them both!

Here is another - based on a color combo that Laura introduced me to years ago - I 

have a photo her card displayed in my studio, so I won't forget it!

I think those colors translated beautifully here - and I even took advantage

of the opportunity to add a little grey with my berries!

Whether mounted on a die-cut-shaped card or an ordinary A2 this is lovely, don't you think so?

You'll be seeing more of it before Christmas, believe me!

=] Michele

You are loved!

You are loved - who doesn't need to hear those words on occasion?  I'm very pleased with how I turned a recent wedding invitation into a wedding card for the daughter of a dear friend.  Hope they know how much we wish we could attend but sadly had to send regrets.

Here is a peek at the graphics I snipped from the invitation:

Using my friend LeAnne's 'waxed paper' trick, I was finally able to get

a smooth cut and stacked a few of these from SSS for the focal point of my card.

SSS's Splendid Leaves Circle Frame embossing folder was used 

for the front panel followed by a circle of this wedding white that was

popped up with foam tape to enable me to tuck those snipped bits.

Finished off with a few sparkly gems from PFS and it's ready for mailing.

But first I'm sharing it with WORD POWER #9

Thanks for stopping by - you are all loved!  

=] Michele 

An Autumn playday with Marcia!

Hey, you!  I'm so glad you dropped by!  I promised you a glimpse of a playdate I recently enjoyed with my sweet friend Marcia - she was ready with a fun assignment when I arrived!

I always admire her use of Lindy's Magicals and I was very happy to have her guidance with these sparkly powders!  I didn't get a 'before' shot of the panels I created - sorry about that - nor do the photos do the sparkle justice no matter what the lighting or position.  You'll have to take my word for it!  

There was plenty of room to cut three of Pinkfresh Studios' Fall Leaf dies from the A2 panel of oranges - here is the result:

That gorgeous grey panel was one of the goodies Marcia gifted

to me - debossed with a Pierced Plaid plate from The Greetery, I added a bit of shading to the edges with Black Soot ink and a splatter of gold.

A sentiment from my stash and it was added to a card base of MFT Steel Grey.

Double D is looking for Fall Leaves!  Lucky me!

Thanks so very much Double D!

Another panel treated to a different Lindy's Magicals immediately brought one of

my embossing folders to mind - it couldn't have been more perfect IMHO...

Beautiful Blooms from Spellbinders is the EF and I topped it

with a simple THANK YOU from The Stamp Market.

Then I remembered a little envelope of sub sentiments I had stamped at

Marcia's over the years!  BINGO - just what I wanted!

Three jewels from PFS and my card was complete!

I'm sharing this one with Can you Handle the Pressure?  September 2024 Fall Colors

After our magicals play, but before Marcia's yummy lunch, was spent stamping away in chatter - me stamping her Penny Black stash, and her stamping a few of mine that I brought along to share.  Here is one that I stamp EVERY year if my memory serves:

This little sweetie is heading over to Four Seasons Fall September 2024 challenge:

I think Marcia is as happy to greet Fall as this darling little leaf-watcher!

Have I shared my 'cheat' for masking?  Yes, that is one of the laminated cards

that SSS includes in every order.  I just used a simple die to cut the circle and

used a blending brush and blue ink to create her wee blue sky!

It's always a treat to spend a few hours with you, my friend!  I hope I have another dozen years or more to share!  Do you think the guys would be kind enough to put us in the same home?? LOL xx

I'm on my way to see what my friend got up to after I left - you know by now we NEVER finish a card while we're together!  Won't you join me?  HERE  There's sure to be LOTS to FALL in love with!

=] Michele

Tulips for You and JUGS #745

Hey, happy weekend eve, my friends!  I'll make this a quick one - okay, I know - but it's always my intention!

I'll let the Just us Girls Mood Board do all the talking... thanks, Ina for giving us another Spring!

Thanks to a fellow blogger, I was introduced to this little Penny Black gal - she's surely Dutch as she has pots-full of tulips for you!  Thank you, Sue!  HERE is just one of the cards Sue has made using this adorable little florist!  She was kind enough to send me a link to buy one of my own!

Marcia let me do a deep dive into her PB supplies - I was happy to

stamp a few of their post cards!  All others are from Wplus9 - sorry they 

are no longer available.

Sending this one to PB on Saturday Challenge, too!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

=] Michele

OH, I'm so thrilled by this honor - thanks PB on Saturday!

More water coloring? Yes, please!

I had a wonderful time at Marcia's yesterday - more on that soon, promise.  But I've had these PB Merry Days cuties on my desk for a few weeks now since my return from North Carolina ... can you blame me?   They are so sweet and fun to color - 

I often forget that there is a wonderful challenge that is ALL ABOUT Penny Black:

Penny Black on Saturday!  [Thanks, J.M. for the sweet reminder!]

September's challenge is Anything Goes or Anything but Square... forgive me if

I'm confused... should it be square?  Oh well, we'll soon find out!

You'll see I've used the PB Classy Frames again - along with their Triangle Pattern embossing folder for that bottom section from one of Jill Foster's Sketches for my card design.  I have always been a sketch fan and still miss CASE this Sketch!

Here are a few more of my recent water-colored card sessions... I hope the recipient has received it by now!  Here is my gorgeous inspiration - thanks, Tom!

I could hardly do it justice!

An oldie from MFT - Don't you LOVE her saddle shoes??  Whose parents didn't have that set of Samsonite?

One more?  These gorgeous Memento Magnolias sent to me by my friend Bonnie!  They were such a treat to assemble - with the instructions and photos she included that is!

These pieces were water colored individually and then assembled and

mounted on a rectangle panel [EH] that had been treated to a watery wash

of leftover distress inks and Delicata Gold stamping with a Wplus9 background stamp - also added to the envelope.  This card is a 5x7" and I hope to hand deliver it to my youngest daughter soon.

Okay, friends, that's it from me - I brought LOTS of Penny Black stamped images from Marcia's to color!  I better get to it!  Thanks for the visit!

=] Michele

Color Hues #95 - seconds!

Now, don't say I didn't warn you! Penny Black's Cozy Cuteness kids just HAD TO play at Color Hues #95, too!

PB's Encircle embossing folder provided a little texture to their colorful sunrise!

That good old Stitched Slopes and Hills die from SSS cut/stitched my snow hill.

I was happy to add a few new blues to my Copic collection that compliment those new blues from The Stamp Market I recently added - you can see those on my last post.  

Luckily, I have the dies for these cuties, too!  Thanks for allowing me to drop in twice today - I'm heading to Marcia's for the day tomorrow!

=] Michele

Color Hues #95 and more Hope for JUGS #744

Let me just start by saying there WILL be 'second helpings' for Color Hues #95 - another darling PB couple just had to play, too!  But today I pulled out an Altenew set that hadn't seen any action for a while.  It's a beautiful set, but I questioned whether the simple color combination would work... I do believe it did, by using several 'hues' of each color and stamping the details in grey.  See if you agree...

More interest was added by dry embossing the background* with - are you ready for it? - an Altenew POINSETTIA background folder!  I think those leaves are a wonderful match!

A beautiful hope-filled sentiment completes my card - from ASD's Spring Garden - and makes it eligible for JUGS #744 Word Week: HOPE!

=] Michele 

* the paper used is Cerulean Blue from The Stamp Market

Color Throwdown #810

I know I'm supposed to be sorting laundry - but a little fun first!  My Sunday afternoon was spent water coloring a few more Penny Black images and included this little darling in the colors from Color Throwdown #810!

All these images were stamped on Canson cold press watercolor paper

in Versa Clair Misti Morning ink.

Penny Black 'sharing a song' and an old sentiment from Reverse Confetti

I couldn't resist adding another Penny Black bear to my collection recently - this one is called Love and Magic. I've found two ways to feature him...

Here he is delivering his Christmas bouquet in that gorgeous PB Double Frame.

Next decorating a PB Jumbo Bauble!

Back to reality!  Have a great Monday!

=] Michele