Stencils - day two! Stencil Fun Challenge

There might have been was a little bit of shopping before the holidays - you know how that goes, right?  I picked up another of the Altenew Build-a-Garden sets: Pristine Peonies which I can never say no to, btw.  As always, I was 'encouraged' by my friend Therese - thank you, T!

There are two images in the set - you'll be seeing the second one soon enough.  For their 'premier' I try to use all the coordinating things as they are intended: stamps, dies, stencils - you get the picture.  Using stencils again today allows me to share a card with those lovely gals at the Stencil Fun Challenge.  For January 2024 there is an optional 'add a bird' - guess who forgot her bird...

This is quite a large image but I found a way to make it fit while leaving

plenty of open space for another bit of stenciling on my background panel.

You aren't surprised it's grey - tone on tone grey!  I found the same general 

shape of the Peony in another stencil set from The Ton.

Just one of their Gentle Peonies layers was used and I used a very light touch with my favorite CP Twilight ink.

Here are the other inks used for the Peonies.

Okay, off I go to deliver this to Darlene and Diane!  There are already such wonderful cards that include that optional bird!  Are you playing?

=] Michele

Just us Girls #711 - Stencils

One of the 'new' things at Just us Girls this year is the addition of stencils to their lineup - I love it!  

There are plenty of stencils in my stash, but during my annual reorganization, I came across a few of these gorgeous butterflies that were foiled and stenciled at my friend Marcia's... gosh it could be two years ago!  But they never disappoint.  I found another stamp/stencil from Pinkfresh Studio that works a charm for a garden where one might find just such a butterfly... see if you can find him...

These were the inks I could match to that butterfly!

After stenciling, I stamped the image using that Queen for a Day

royal blue ink - worked a charm for the sentiment, too!

Here it is nearly 11 am and I've yet to start the laundry - some things can wait!  But I better get this card in the JUGS #711 gallery before it closes!

Hope your week has started out with a little craftiness!

=] Michele

Pinkfresh: Miss your Smile, stamps and stencils; Braided Tag, Butterfly foil plate, die, and stencils.

Freshly Made Sketches #620

I have a few of my Spellbinders' Betterpress of the Month plates that had never been used - Jacquie's Sketch #620 at Freshly Made Sketches gave me the perfect time for one of them... here's the closeup so you can see the deep 'letterpress' look of the pressing...

I think the debossed look of my yellow panel [Lil' Inkers] gives a dreamy atmosphere- don't you?  The sentiment is one of a few in the Sun & The Moon set.

Those itty-bitty stars are from a very old MFT Blueprints 18 set of dies.

It is a 'balmy' 39 F today - our snow is melting but all that moisture is causing a thick low hanging fog.  A very good day to stay in my studio!

=] Michele

Keep them coming?

I received a sweet little comment this morning from a friend saying 'keep those lure cards coming...' and I aim to please!  This one's for you, Marie!

I had one little lure and a bobber left from my last session with that

darling Layered Lures set from HoneyBee Stamps.  I found a few puffy

fish stickers in my stash, and the theme was finalized.  

I am quite sure these stickers are not available any longer but they did

a great job of helping me with this under the sea - under the acetate - creation!

A bit of Spellbinders 'seaweed' and a great sentiment from HoneyBee and

my Valentine is done!

This card proves that there would eventually come a time when a little puffy wave will be the final touch I was looking for!

=] Michele

Just us Girls #710

 Just us Girls has a mood board for challenge #710 that I just couldn't resist - check out all of this glorious grey!

AND a kitty AND coffee! Who could ask for more?

I brought together some oldies but goodies for my card today:

I used that oldie embossing folder on grey, and kraft - then 

added a little swipe of white pigment ink above the cup for the idea of steam!

Inside: from my mug to yours!

I'd better get this little furry friend delivered to their gallery before that next load of fun needs tending to!

=] Michele

A twofer for two!

... two challenges, that is!  I had one more fun new goodie from HoneyBee on my desk to use.  Sorry if you're already tired of my fishing cards.  But I creel-y couldn't resist...

The fishing rod isn't quite up to proportion with this Vintage Creel but seemed to be

where the fishing line ends - so it was a must.

If you're wondering - those fish are actually one of the lures from HoneyBee's

Lovely Layers: Lures, and the sentiment can be found in that brilliant

set called: Hooked on You.

This one will be added as a second helping to Freshly Made Sketches #619. 

I made a card for Double D's January 2024 challenge - they are asking for sparkle and/or shine and when I saw some of the snowflakes their team used, I was in!  

I had a few more of these wonderful SU Soft Succulent panels that I cut with one of Marcia's stash of dies - I think it's a cover plate from The Greetery?  [She's much better at labeling than I am!]

Anywho - I backed it with a panel of mirror card stock and it's about as shiny a thing as I could find today.  Even though photographing it was a bear...

The silver embossed sentiment was the easy bit - I still had lots of

sentiments left in my Christmas stash.  The wonderful snowflakes are

also from HoneyBee - Lovely Layers: Large Snowflakes

It's a VERY cold day - 12 degrees this morning, but the sun came up and the sky is blue!  I'll take it!

Have a great weekend my friends!

=] Michele

Color Hues #79 - Verdigris anyone?

If I had been as quick with the making as I was with the idea you'd already see my card in the Color Hues #79 gallery!  Karen has chosen two fun colors that brought verdigris to mind - you know, it's what happens to those copper pennies that go through the laundry, or when copper [or brass] statues oxidize - think Lady Liberty!  

source:  here

My card can't hold a candle [or torch] to that beauty, but I did manage to get a little patina on my copper frame...

I was reminded that I had a few of these vine-y embossed panels on hand - I just found a die that makes it appear that the vines are growing out and onto my Altenew Enchanted Mirror!  The mirror was actually cut from Green-eyed Monster cardstock from MFT, and the copper embossing was added to it. 

Gotta run - I have a Facetime playtime date soon with my friend Cat!

=] Michele 

Freshly Made Sketches #619

Judy, I sure do appreciate that you were so brave to choose my crazy take on last week's Sketch - hope you still have your magical glasses on!  lol Here's my take on your fun and fabulous Freshly Made Sketch #619!

An old Cuttlebug EF, a bloom from The Stamp Market, and a sweet Betterpress-ed sentiment came together so well... IMHO anyway! 

Here is how I added the dimension to that darling Paws Up from Waffle Flower:

with one of their detail brushes, of course!  This time Shader #3+ to be exact.

I went right to work using this darling Cat Paw to bring a little of our darling Calvin & Hobbes back into our lives again.  Waffle Flower has THE BEST set of sentiments with 'cat-itude!'  It's called Pet Thoughts and some of them are just exactly what we think our boys would have to say about things!  This one is going to my brother-in-law - he will SO get it!

The bangles and hanging beads in this embossed panel [thanks Lisa!] would

be absolutely irresistible to any cat!

I can't paws another minute for more playtime - after a fun chat with my friend Stephanie this morning, I'm raring to go!  OH! before I go - check out what I saw this morning....

Hope you're having a sun-shine-y day today!

=] Michele

Who can eat just one handful?

Or not make a second card for Freshly Made Sketches #618?  Looking back, I feel like my first attempt [while really fun] may not have been true to Ceciles' Sketch.  Heck, I may have failed a second time, but had so much fun trying again!

This little die+stencil set from Waffle Flower seemed like it needed to live with us - we are really big fans of that buttery snack!  The stripes on the box are my stand-in for Ceciles' paper stripes!

This particular sentiment was found in their Puzzle Sentiments,

but it seemed to fit - like butter and popcorn!

[the cover panel was an exchange from Kim S a few years ago - thanks Kim.]

I won't know for sure if the FMS618 gallery is still open - I'd better go find out!  But before I leave you - here is a taste of our weather this weekend!

=] Michele

The view of the drift in our backyard.

The view from my studio!  I'm staying in!

Tom shovels a path on the deck to feed his Bluebirds - 

and I guess to grill??  OY!

Playing while Waiting for the Storm of 2024!

So far, we have only had a few flakes of that 'four letter word' but the National Weather Service says we're in for it - so here I am with a potpourri of cards for challenges on my radar!

First up for Just us Girls #709 - Word Week: Sparkle!  I hope a sparkly-two-ways sentiment counts!  This gorgeous embossing powder is worthy of a closeup:

It's really key to heat from the underside of these glitter-filled embossing powders -

ask me how I know...

I kept my card clean and simple as can be allowing the letterpress shine without

adding any ink at all.  I love this gorgeous Winter white!

Triple B January 2024 has a little birdy that caught my attention - see if you can find him here - and his little B-word friend!

I knew I could find a bird small enough for these TH Pines!  I found

just the ticket in an old PTI In the Meadow set - btw it's the same set where I found my sparkly sentiment!

There are bits and blobs of glittering snow on the branches - you'll

have to look closely to find it.  The hardest part of Winter for me

is the poor lighting for photographing in natural lighting.

Last up second helpings for the new Word Power Challenge #1!  More Betterpress-ed Evergreens and one big, beautiful sentiment:

Okay!  Now I'm off to brew up a big pot of Zuppa Toscana soup for dinner - that should keep us warm and satisfied all evening!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend that excludes bad weather and includes some crafty time playing in your favorite challenges!  Thanks for spending some time with me this week!

=] Michele

I'm HOOKED!

You might not imagine it, but I LOve to go fishing - have since I was around 6 when I sat upon my brother's handlebars, and we rode miles from home for the best catch of the day!  It comes as no surprise that I had to have all of the fun fishing sets from HoneyBee Stamps - a few new ones arrived recently! They had a whole set of great sentiments for fishermen - and women - called Hooked on You.

Here are my first efforts - you can't be surprised I made more than one...

I loved the deckle-edged die from PTI for my card panel here, and below.

But look closely and you'll spy a bit of debossed 'current', too!  So sorry Lil' Inkers isn't around any longer.

The one above will be heading to Freshly Made Sketches #618 -

I think Cecile will allow my artistic stretch!

This next one is heading to a friend who just retired - shhh don't tell him!

The DSP is from PTI called Text-style: Postmarks- very old.

The die set comes with a bit more tackle but I see this pole and reel as a fly-fishing rig so I created a 'fly' for the hook - looks like it was the right choice - fish on!

I'd better get these delivered - thanks for stopping by!

=] Michele

Peace on Earth #55

It's beginning to look a lot MORE like Christmas here on the shore of Lake Michigan than it did on December 25th!  Though I'm sure we didn't get hit as hard as others, it's enough for me!  I'll be mighty glad to see the sun again.  But you didn't come for a weather report!

Peace on Earth Christmas #55 gave me the perfect opportunity to bring out my Betterpress to play with a few new press plates that arrived yesterday!  [Yes, I did do a little bit of after-holiday shopping.]  Take a peek at their gorgeous mood board...

 

Okay - take a really close look at the top right photo - do you see what I see?

Probably not... but I do hope you see them in my card...

I bought TWO plates with snowy pines - this one Evergreen Row from 

LDRS Creative - a Michigan company! - with a lovely press plate collection.

The ornament is Hero Arts, PEACE from Honey Bee, and the embossing

is a folder from Spellbinder called Stylized Trellis - a monthly club from January '23!

Here is her closeup so you'll see that I Stickled some snow instead of bejeweling my ornament like the ones in the photo.

Now you remember my rule, right?  Why just make one?  Here's two...

I'll send this one to Four Seasons: Winter 2024!  I see that bottom left photo here!

  and three!  This row comes from Spellbinders' and is called 

Season's Greetings Evergreens. I set up my plate so that I could turn the platen and pressed a second time with the residual ink to appear as a shadow - or perhaps a reflection on an icy pond?  Use your imagination!

Then I did a third pressing with just the sentiment [LDRS].

I had such a 'pressing' day - of fun!  Thanks for dropping by - I'd better get those ornaments delivered!

=] Michele