Freshly Made Sketches #674

I'm seeing lots of patterned paper being put to use around blogland - I have a darling 6x6 inch pad from Unity that was calling my name today!  This Sketch from Jen M. at Freshly Made Sketches #674 seemed like the perfect home for it...

 

I started with that curve but wanted to use one with a little bit more movement.  This oldie but goodie Borders #1 set from Paper Smooches seemed right.  I cut two panels of the Hello Daisy paper using one of the dies then switched them out to create two different cover panels.  clear as mud, right?  Here's a look at that:

That sweet little die set from Sizzix [663630] was a gift with purchase last year - no name but the daisies were just what I was looking for!  Remember that fun bear and penguin set I bought last year?  The die intended for light bulbs worked a charm for my flower centers.  Until this very moment, I thought surely the cardstock I chose was a match - not so much - but it does match the confetti in the base of my card front, so I went with it!  Tell me if you agree...

Concord & 9th Just Sayin' dies for my sentiment.

I'm so happy to bring my little bunny out of storage... he's much easier to control than the ones who come right up onto our porch!

Wait!  Wanna see the other one?  Okay... you know I love second helpings!

I found this sentiment in my snippets [WF Hello Friend Combo] which prompted

a few black enamel dots to bring it all home!  Do you have a favorite?

=] Michele

What's a little challenge between loads?

When those wonderful Tulips in Bloom arrived from Penny Black on Saturday, I knew just where I'd be on Sunday, and I'm very happy to share the results with you here between loads on Monday!!  Color Hues #104 and my friend Bonnie's color choices may have inspired my own choices: abandoned coral and fossilized amber from my new palette of reinkers!

It was love at first sight but then there was the color decision

for the stems and leaves - green is NOT a neutral [ask me how I know].

A bit of black soot and pumice stone were used to watercolor 

all the 'green' bits... you'll see those soon, promise!

A wonderful sentiment from the set was cut using my old faithful

PFS essential labels, I embossed the bottom half of my cover

panel with PB's Linked EF, and planted my tulips over top

of the largest of the PB Classy Frames dies.  A smattering of tiny

pearls seemed just the finishing touch I was looking for!

There you have it!  Now back to the regularly scheduled Monday loads of fun!

=] Michele

The Flower Challenge #99 Reminder

Just a quick reminder that you have a plenty of time to make more pink florals for us at The Flower Challenge!!  Pink is the easiest of all floral colors, right?

Another New Year's pledge on the books for 2025: shop my stash!  This sweet PTI Amaryllis just doesn't get enough attention!  How could it possibly get worn out or more perfect for our winter-y Valentines Day?

There you have it! Have you made yours yet?

No time like the present!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #673

Though Valentine's Day [I was recently told] is for your most significant other: spouse, partner, etc. I still am sending lots of love out to you all!  My own Valentine took today off, so I'd better make this quick!  Since I made lunch, he is in charge of dinner... surprise: It's pizza night!  

Freshly Made Sketches #673 is from Jen T. and it's a fun one!  

I have this wonderful Honeysuckle Stems layering stamp set from The Greetery that I remind myself to use every year... any type of flower is a good reminder that Spring will come one of these days.  

Let me start with this closeup so you can see the subtle layers I've used for Jen's Sketch.

The card base was debossed with my old favorite from Altenew: Dotted Swirls.  I cut a framed circle using an Ellen Hutson set then embossed the main circle with a Penny Black Encircled EF, popped it onto my base then added the frame which I left 'un-embossed.'

After much moving/adjusting/flipping I ended up using two of the three stems

I'd inked.  Then it was a matter of the sentiment... this one is for my granddaughter

who chose her Winter break from school to have her tonsils out!  Sounds like 

she's doing great besides having a little soreness - nothing naps and binge-watching-movies

won't take care of.  

Okay, that's enough of me barging into your Valentine's Day ... big hugs!

=] Michele

Distress inks for water coloring?

Hello again, my friends!  I've been using my Distress ink pads for years to watercolor - have you, too?  They never seem to go dry because I don't use them for stamping.  But after watching Jill Foster use those Distress re-inkers for painting all of those gorgeous Penny Black images, I decided I needed to put a little research of my own into it!  Ranger had a 20% off coupon for first time buyers so I quickly put a dozen in my cart...

I found an empty watercolor pan palette from Altenew in my stash

and added a small drop of each color to its little wells.  

Then I SWATCHED! Yes, Therese, I swatched those inks!  I'm so glad

I did - the inks truly are so deeply pigmented it completely shed light on Jill's watercolor methods!  

Since I neglected to add any greens to my cart, Forest Moss and Peeled Paint

were smooshed onto a surface for those leaves.  

BTW I think I've come to 

the very last item I purchased during the Christmas sales!  This

Pinkfresh Studio Poinsettia Frame had been calling my name!

[Marcia - I also got the stencils and have already stamped 

a few for our playdate next week!]

I took my own sweet time painting and experimenting with color mixes and can quickly see adding a few more re-inker colors to my stash as those pads get dry!  Ready for the reveal?

It truly is going to take some time getting accustomed to the intensity of these inks,

and how to move them on my Canson watercolor paper.  But for my first

outing I'm very happy with the results.

I'd love to know if you watched the release of the Penny Black Kit Starter video that released today.  You KNOW those tulips are on their way soon!

=] Michele

Love those Pretty Papers February 2025

My sweet friend Leslie - you all know/love her from Running With Scissors - followed a mutual friend's path down a rabbit hole of paper piecing following THIS guide on YouTube... the instruction was a little confusing as she kept changing her mind - but don't we all?  As it often happens with us card makers, I found a way to make things a little easier and of course had to add my own little 'twist' on it as well.

Leslie used the MOST beautiful papers from Basic Grey - oh, how I wish they'd start making papers again!  I brought out a cute set from The Stamp Market just because the colors made me happy - sorry they are no longer available.

After cutting each of the panels of patterned paper [3.75" x 5"] into 8 pieces, one goes about swapping out four from each.  Watch the video - that will make more sense.  Here is where her instruction got a bit sketchy for me - I never did hear her say what size the panel to which one glues these pieces is.  I made mine 4" x 5.25" which leaves a very thin border, and taped them temporarily together to save my brain...

after gluing one triangle in place, I could remove the tape and realign the

other with a bit more precision.  It was a little like putting a puzzle together and

I really loved the results... ready?

This set of papers came with a page of tags, and I stacked two here

and tied them together with a bit of that lovely linen twine from SU!

The little cutie patootie flower and hello are from The Stamp Market

class I took a few years ago.  Did you spot my 'twist?'

That little debossed string of hearts is another new one [to me] from Penny Black.

All those pieces just felt a little like quilt piecing to me that wanted to be stitched!

BTW after cutting those pieces, you end up with enough to make two cards...

which is right up my alley!  This time I used a pink base for piecing.

Do you have a favorite?  I'm going to send one over to Love Those Pretty Papers

and the other as a thank you [to you know who!]

Sounds like we are going to get a little snow again... just when the roads were completely clear again.  Winter - thank goodness I have all this fun inside where it's warm!

=] Michele

The only thing that is still available on these cards is that Stitched With Love die from Penny Black... sorry!

Making Monday a fun day!

I've had such fun playing cards with the ladies at The Paper Players and this week my friend LeAnne is hosting!  She has a beautiful Color Challenge for us, and I have just the die set for them!

This beauty came to live with me before Christmas and it patiently 

waited in the wings until today.  Remember the Concord & 9th Festive Blooms die set?  They have another called Primrose Garden that I picked up during their 

'favorites' sale.  Here she is in LeAnne's pretty Spring colors:

You can see the debossed guide for placement of all the layers peeking out.

I also used it to add that pretty detail to my card panel!

Although I did use their lovely guide, I also had my way with

the placement of those pretty blooms and added a bit of sparkle to

the 'berries' and some of the flower centers using

Star Dust Stickles. I love how it turned out!

Okay the laundry is calling but what a fun way to start my Monday!  Thanks, LeAnne and The Paper Players!

=] Michele