Freshly Made Sketches #658

I'm so swamped with things I must do that I have to sneak in a challenge while doing so! Bet you understand!  Here's where my playtime landed today... Narelle's darling sketch #658, that's where!

I don't think she intended her sketch to restrict our creations, so I took

her rectangles as postage die cuts.  I had another MFT set that

also comes out to play each year, too!  A few from the set were the perfect size!

Can you blame me for craving toasted marshmallows now?

=] Michele

Paper Players - #712 Tag it!

Hi, friends!  I know it's been a few days since I've posted - OR made a card!  I'm head-down-tail-up on finishing up those cards for Bringing Smiles to Seniors - making the cards is the easy part - stamping/writing inside sentiments takes much longer!

My friend LeAnne and her Paper Players were the impetus for my card today - these MFT Selfies just have to come out to play every Christmas!  After Copic-coloring, I kept this one CAS and made it a tag!  Hope they don't mind the bow - but it's a tag challenge, right?

A nested postage die set from Waffle Flower Crafts was used to cut the panel.

That fun sentiment is from the MFT set - isn't it perfect?

Thanks, LeAnne!

=] Michele

Christmas Kickstart #91

Christmas Kickstart #91 has such a beautiful inspiration photo and color theme!  But don't take my word for it...

Isn't it lovely?  I was first drawn to those snowy branches and bright red reindeer... but then this happened... I remembered that cute little hand from the 

Concord & 9th Tree Topper die set I recently purchased!

My blues are a little more muted - or perhaps it's the gloomy day I'm having here -

but I did manage to bring three shades - two using patterned paper and one pretty glitter-y paper for the star!  

Don't you love her red nails?  After very carefully adding a bit of crimson Copic, I added a bit of Nuvo Crystal Drops to each nail for shine!

I pulled out all those 12x12 Christmas pads that my cousin gifted to me - this on has 15 more card-cousins for those seniors!  I hope to have another day just like it today!

Thanks, Jo and Faith for inspiring my card!

=] Michele

The Flower Challenge #96 Reminder

A gentle reminder that there is still plenty of time to stencil a few more cards for our gallery, my friends!  Come on - you know you have stencils that would love to play!

I've chosen another from my stash from Altenew: Tranquility Rose... it has a vintage look to it IMHO...

I blended a panel of Bristol card using the residual inks from my

blending brushes after stenciling my rose and leaves - it got a spritzing

of Wplus9's Pure Color Shimmer spray.  After THAT dried, I took it

for a spin through my Switch using Altenew's Dotted Swirls debossing plate.

This sweet sentiment is one from HoneyBee's Daisy Layers Bouquet set.

BTW you don't HAVE to stencil your flower/flowers!  Stenciling your background would be just fine with us!

Okay, that's enough from me - run over to The Flower Challenge and be inspired by all the lovely stenciling from my teammates, won't you?  Thanks always!

=] Michele

ONE more Point-settia!

 I knew I was forgetting something!  How could I?  My friend Amy Rohl is hosting the Color Throwdown!

Here's her really fun prompt...

I'm cutting it close... here is my card!

Yes, that's the wonderful Concord & 9th Festive Blooms again!

Off it goes to the CTD#814 gallery!

=] Michele

Poinsettia Parade!

I took full advantage of the size of the Spellbinders' Scenic Poinsettia embossing folder and with only one full sheet of kraft cardstock, I had four more Christmas cards to send!

Here is a look at that fabulous embossing - today I took advantage of the 'debossed' side...

Armed with a handful of inks and my small WF blending brushes I added color just to the florals and other areas that are debossed.  Then, like magic, I swiped my Versa Clair inks [first grey and then black] and all the gorgeous details came to life!

Then, as if that weren't enough, I over-stamped each A2 panel with an older stamp from Wplus9 in Delicata gold and silver!  Here's a closeup of that detail:

I finished all four cards using Concord & 9th's Festive Blooms sentiments.

Two with vellum banners and gold heat embossing:

and two more with kraft banners:

While I had this embossing folder out, it was time I pressed one in white - I used a combination of saltwater taffy ink and Nuvo Aqua Shimmer to add color... isn't it pretty?  

The smallest frame die from Penny Black's Classy Frames was

used to bring one of their Joy & Warmth sentiments into focus!

One more?  I couldn't help but use the FMS657 Sketch again...

This time, I replaced Karren's tag with a Honey Bee Lovely Layered: Poinsettia - but 

managed to add a tiny tag, too!  

It holds another PB sentiment from their Cuddle Up set.

All the pieces were cut from water colored card - some of you may remember

that debossed stitching from MFT - why they ever retired it is beyond me!

Okay, I've ignored that laundry long enough!  See you next time!

=] Michele

Color Hues #96

Julie B. was in my creative brain today when I came across a Betterpress-ed panel in my stash... thanks, Julie!  Your colors at Color Hues #96 were just right!

I hadn't ever blended ink onto the Betterpress paper, so I didn't know what I'd end up with as it has quite a 'soft hand' to it.  I needn't have worried...

I pressed two panels and blended the purple and orange distress inks a little differently on each - since I didn't need more Halloween cards,

I simply used one to cover my card base and popped the other on top.

That purple twine holds a little surprise on the inside:

I have my friend Marcia to thank for this bit of creepy fun - thanks my friend!

I found several googly eyes that fit the bill and a Halloween greeting

from an old 12 Kits packet!  He wouldn't hold still for long... do they ever?

My resident KIA let me know that spiders often have 4 or more eyes and even found evidence of it on the web...

Ruined my night's sleep, but I was happy to oblige - upped the creep factor, right?

Hope you had a happy crafty weekend!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #657

Karren has a fun Sketch for us this week at Freshly Made sketches #657 and I had a few Honey Bee supplies out that seem to work pretty well for it!  First, here's her Sketch:

Seems like a good place for a Quail, am I right? lol  I took liberties with her

plumage but isn't that why this craft is so much fun?

My card base was created by stacking two A2 panels of wood grain card [Altenew]

and giving them a random diagonal cut at the same time.

You'll undoubtedly see the fraternal twin soon enough.

While I had those inky finger daubers out, I gave the top white portion a little

color, too...

This little HB tag die was used to cut a leftover piece of water colored card

from this week's PB stockings.  A few Spellbinders' Holiday Blooms cattails, 

bits of pine bough and leaves from PB Stocking Stuffers, and a linen string and bow were just the ticket for toppings.  Okay, a bit of Stickles for good measure, too.

You have put up with me a lot this week and I sure appreciate it!  Have a great weekend, my friends!

=] Michele

One more from Penny Black!

I've loved sharing the bounty of Penny Black with you friends .... I have one more set and two cards using it today!  Hope you like them!

Heartsong has been on my wish-list for long enough!  I'm so happy to finally make it mine...

This first card uses both of the images in the set - the bird on the branch, and the

leafy bough, too!  I used the bough to add a little interest around the edges 

of the PB Classy Frame used to frame that sweet Bluebird!  [BTW there are

at least a dozen Bluebirds visiting our backyard these days.  I wonder if they are waiting

for Tom to treat them to those mealworms again?] This time I popped up the center

portion of frame - I rather like it!

This one is inspired by Jill's gorgeous card on the packaging - one day I MIGHT

be almost as good at water coloring these darling images!  Practice makes almost perfect!

Finally, I've used the smallest of the frames in that set - doesn't it make the 

prettiest frame for the sentiment?  Of course I had to add a little sheet music for

his song using PB Music Background cling stamp.

One of these will be shared with my friends at Triple B!

My box of cards for the seniors is nearly full - you would find SO many Penny Black cards inside!  No time like the present to add a few more!

Until next time - thanks so much for stopping by and the kindness you leave behind!

=] Michele

Second installment of Penny Black's Round II

Another day of pleasure with the newest additions to my Penny Black collection - this time from their second round of Christmas sets!

You'll see a bit of background stamping using those favored sets from The Greetery and Wplus9 - both have a postal flair but only the Pretty Postmarks from TG are still available.  You'll also see the PB Music Background - fitting for my husband who is very musically talented.  I've also incorporated that much loved PB Ornate Frame - such a pretty place to perch these darling characters from PB Cuddle Up!

Okay enough chatting...

Here, I used the leftover in the middle to create a winter sky and 

snowy path to their sweet little mailbox!

I had TWO of these gold-foiled Betterpress sentiments in my stash... I wish

I had one that said 'seasons TWEETINGS'... here's why...

We spend a fair amount of time greeting our feathered friends to our backyard -

this one will be tucked away for Tom at Christmas!

Did you notice that I trimmed that center leftover into a hill of snow?

I love the music peeking out from behind this frame!

I'm soon going to reach my deadline for delivering these cards to the Seniors - I better get a few more made!  I added ONE MORE set to my stash - see you soon!

=] Michele

New Penny Black stuff!

Hello, my friends!  I was very happy to add a few of the new goodies from Penny Black's Round II Christmas release.  Here are the products I used for today's cards: 

    3D Berries Abound embossing folder

    3D Berries Abound cutting die

    3D Berries Abound coloring stencils

I die-cut these 3D Berries from watercolor cardstock, 

then embossed the image before stenciling.

I was happy to get a pretty good monoprint from the leafy stencil layer:

It doesn't make a huge impact, but at least I didn't waste that ink

and I get to play with the wonderful Group of Seven!

This sentiment is one of many from PB's Joy & Warmth set...

here's another...

And my second card was inspired by the view outside my window!

I'm quite sure this is the very first time I've peeled/rolled the edge of my watercolor cardstock as Jill Foster often does - this decision was made AFTER the card was finished - can you imagine how nervous I was??

Before I cleaned up, I just HAD to emboss one in all pure white... doesn't it 

look like plasterwork?

My heavy white cardstock was spritzed quite well with water before

embossing.  I decided I liked the curve of the warping!

A Betterpress-ed sentiment from my stash, and my playtime came to an end.

But don't worry - there were a few more items in that order! wink.

=] Michele

Peace on Earth Christmas #73

It didn't take me long to decide where the Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge #73 was taking me today!  I couldn't wait to create more orange Poinsettias!!  Thanks, ladies!

Waffle Flower Crafts Layered Poinsettias, and Oversized Joy dies 

were the heroes of today's playtime!

I won a darling little pad of plaid papers from D & D and they were

the perfect papers for my Poinsettias - say THAT ten times! lol

One of the dozens of panels I have cut at Marcia's in the past

came in handy for my background panel.

Try as I might - that pretty pale pink JOY was really hiding - undoubtedly

because of the generous layer of Diamond Stickles I gave it!  Just the 

perfect match to the luster from those PFS Pixie Dust Ombre Glitter Drops.

It was the only card I completed today - but I do love it!  

=] Michele

Just us Girls #747 - Color Week!

One of my sweetest friends happens to be hosting a color challenge over at Just us Girls #747!  Lisa, I couldn't love this combo more - and had just the friends who wanted to play, too!

 

This fun trio of feathered friends found their way home from North Carolina with me!  I know they are stamps from Unity - but I am never as good at making note of the product names, perhaps Bonnie will help me out?  Thanks, my friend!

But seriously - these birds are SO fun!  Hope you like seeing them as much as I did coloring them using Lisa's colors!  Here's their closeup first...

Do you agree I chose the right birds for each color? lol

I used an older Altenew speech bubble die to cut the original sentiment [you're fluffin' fabulous] and added two more for the other birds from an equally old stamp 

set from EH Small Sayings.

I have high hopes of spending a bit of time in my studio for World Card Making Day tomorrow!!  If anyone would like to spend a little facetime making a card with me, I'm open to it - just send me an email!

=] Michele

The Flower Challenge #96

Hello my friends!  It's that time again - are you ready to get inky with us this month at The Flower Challenge #96 - it's stencil time!

As we are leaning into Autumn, my mind is quickly embracing warmer earthier tones - orange roses are a favorite!  I have finally added the Golden Days from Altenew to my stencil collection!  What the heck took me so long?

She was stenciled onto Bristol paper - because of its smooth surface I might

have dried the ink between layers.  But I quite like the ethereal look of 

the layers of petals.  After it dried, I fussy-cut the right edge and embossed

the background piece using a Park Lane folder from JoAnn's to add some foliage in its garden. But before I glued it to my card base, I gave the base a spritz of Distress Mica spray! [By now you know all about those sentiments!] 

I love to while away the hours stenciling - do you?  It is quite possibly the most calming of all techniques to me!  We sure hope you'll add your stenciled flowers to our gallery - or maybe just a stenciled background BEHIND your florals?  My fellow designers have gorgeous ways to inspire you right HERE at The Flower Challenge!

=] Michele