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

Penny Black Christmas!

I'm not going to lie - this will be a long post!  I'll keep the chatter to a minimum - grab a beverage, and let's get to it!

Penny Black has a new release - yes, of course I shopped!  But before those newest goodies arrive here are a few cards using the LAST few I bought!

First up: Stocking Stuffers!  Following Jill's lead on an older PB&J video, I created lots of water-y colored watercolor cardstock, and die-cutting galore... my favorite first...

These first two using a deckle-edge die set from PTI...

... and this one using that old favorite woodgrain die from Lil' Inkers:

I love the 'felt-like' texture that the water-colored pieces have!

Next up: three cards using the die cuts and a stamped image I brought home with me from Marcia's!

Both feature the lovely PB Double frame - but only one frame was used.

Sentiment: PB Joy & Warmth - background Wplus9 no longer available.

Altenew's Moroccan Tile is in the background.  The tiny sentiments

are from the old RC Triangle Tree set I used recently.

PB re-released this image, but Marcia had the Lily of the Valley gray rubber version!

One more berry die had to be added to my stash - PB Winter Berry Branch ... btw Bonnie made me do it!

I always cut these branches from Canson 140# water card and

often use Distress inks for water coloring - as I did here.

PB's slapstick Music Background stamp was used for the background panel -

stamped in Gathered Twig DOX over a washed/die cut panel.

Well! That wasn't too bad, right?  Hope you don't mind!

=] Michele

FMS #656 - CTD #813

One of those 'snippets' found its way onto a card today... why not make it for Freshly Made Sketches?  Cecile's sketch is wonderful:

 

Ready?  set... go...

Which came first - the pressed pines or die cut?  It doesn't really matter, though I'm awfully thankful to have these wonderful die-cut pine boughs from my friend Bonnie, I think they are wonderful with the Betterpress-ed Pine Boughs I found tucked in the packaging!  Guess what else was ready to play?  This playful pup and sentiment from Colorado Craft Co.'s All is Bright set.

Last but not least: another C&9th ornament that was cut last week!

I have made SO many Christmas cards this week!  More on those soon... but I managed to sneak in a little ink blending for Color Throwdown #813!  Broni has such lovely 'sherbet' colors for us this week:

The Stamp Market's Leaves cover die did all the work - but here

are the inks I blended on my white cardstock before cutting:

I'd love a big bowl of tropical rainbow sherbet right now!

That big hello is from Waffle Flower Crafts and the sub-sentiment is

from Alex Syberia's Spring Garden set.

I'll be back tomorrow with those Christmas cards!  Until then, I'm wishing you all a happy day!

=] Michele

Colorful Options: October 2024

My sweet friend Marie CASE'd one of my cards for her team card at Colorful Options - how could I NOT say thank you by playing along?  Oh, you'll want to play, too... check it out...

 

My heart went in so many directions! But in the end, I stayed true

to my slightly dramatic side drawing inspiration from the colors

and lighting in that left middle photo:

Stemmed Leaves from The Stamp Market - 

Various orange cardstock from Concord & 9th, embossed to add texture with 

SU! Timeworn Type - and their Subtle Texture on my card base, too.

Print and Script: With Love from Waffle Flower Crafts

I think I'll also send this one over to the Four Seasons Challenge: Fall

Of course I had to add a bird!  Thank you, Marie for the honor! x

=] Michele

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