Wednesday, February 12, 2025

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

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

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!

Monday, February 10, 2025

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

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Penny Black 2025 Sketch #12

Jill's sketches for PB&J really get all the credit for pulling me out of my Winter blues this year... thanks so much!  And even though I'm very sad to say this is the final sketch of her New Year 2025 series, I know that I can go back again and again and revisit any one of them anytime I feel the need for a boost to my mojo .... and YOU can, too!

Are you ready for the grand finale?  Here she is:


In sketch #12 Jill has included a panel of embossing - that always make me happy!
In her video she gives us three different designs.  I really wanted another 
session of coloring those gorgeous Enchantingly roses - a dear friend reminded
me how much I love orange roses but since I didn't have many orange
distress inks, I tried my hand at Copic coloring them.  


I quickly realized that it wasn't as easy to leave that bit of
'white' Jill recommends using alcohol markers but found I could knock
back a little color using that E0000 and my colorless blender.


This wonderful sentiment is a quote that is included in the PB Loving Friend set.
So true, isn't it?  The embossed panel at the bottom was made using my latest
addition to the ever-growing collection of folders: PB Linked


One more?  Why not!


I just adore the floral card Jill created using this sketch - she used such
a beautiful collection of re-inkers to add depth and shadow... you really need
to go see it, please.  Since I'm 'making do' and don't have the colors she used,
I came up with a weird little selection of my own:


Can you spot that Vintage Photo ink in my roses?  Yep, it's tough to spot
but takes my roses to the vintage side, I think.


PB Triangle Pattern embossing folder; and another wonderful sentiment 
from the aforementioned set.

Thanks again, Jill and Penny Black for all the lovely inspiration, and for making my Winter a little more bearable!  and thank YOU for stopping by as your visits really do make me smile...

=] Michele

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Freshly Made Sketches #672

There was plenty of those colorful MFT card stock pieces leftover from my playtime with Therese... why not cut a few more blooms?  This Bloomin' Cute die from The Stamp Market doesn't take much of that to make the cutest statement!  


I found a sweet little panel of pinpoint debossed card in my stash -
thanks again, Kim - it adds just the right amount of interest to this CAS card.
Jacquie's Sketch #672 was my design inspiration today!


My 'happy dance' sentiment is from PFS Happy Dance stamp and die sets.
Lucky me - I had just the perfect little enamel dots for the floral centers.

I hope your weekend is off to a great start!
=] Michele

Friday, February 7, 2025

Guest Designing for As You See It Challenge #341

I am so very pleased to be guest designing for As You See It Challenge #341!  I only hope they love my card as much as I loved making it!  It is my pleasure to invite you all to play along with me!  Here is their prompt or 'recipe challenge' as they call it...


Now don't be intimidated - I'm betting many of you already use many of these elements on your cards!  For me, the biggest challenge of the five was to use ribbon!
Thank goodness I still have a little bit in my stash!

Okay - are you ready?  Here's my card!


I joined Spellbinders' Small Die club last year just to buy ONE set -
but guess who forgot to cancel it?  OY!  This little set arrived before I 
remembered and I can't say I don't love it after all!

Let's see if I ticked all five 'ingredients' in their recipe:

Celebration: it seems like a birthday card, right?  But MAYBE it's a BIRTH/New Baby card?  Either way, it's celebrating something!

Heat Embossing:  Gold embossing for my celebratory sentiment!

Ribbon:  a silk seam-binding ribbon from years ago from Verve!

Die cuts:  That is where that Birthday Bliss DOM from Spellbinders came in handy!

Pastel Colors:  Wait.  Can kraft card be considered a pastel?  I think so - it IS pastel brown!

Ta Daaaaa!  I did it! and even managed to find a pastel gingham and embossed
it with a VERY old SU! embossing folder - let's see if any of the AYSI designers
notice the SU! Subtle Texture on the clouds, shall we?


Thank you to Heather Cooper who represented her team and sent me really great direction with their invitation, too!  I can't wait to see how the team completed this fun 'recipe!'  Let's go - but don't forget to play along!
=] Michele

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Therese has a challenge for us!

Sorry to barge into your day again!  BUT my wonderful friend Therese of Lost in Paper goes LIVE on her YouTube channel on occasion and I may have coerced her into challenging me and her guests to use our colored cardstock and her friend Mr. Color Wheel to make a card CASE-ing her lovely florals.  

Go ahead and watch her video first then why not pull out one of your layering die sets and play along, too! 

I had a different Alex Syberia Design set than Therese used - but it worked beautifully for the four colors I pulled from my MFT cardstock stash!  Here is where my color wheel took me...


Using a triad of colors: blue violet, yellow green, and two shades of red orange.
Then I cut the layers of ASD's Garden Tweets put them together
with Bearly Arts glue and popped them onto a panel debossed
with ASD's Meadow Magic Cover Die.


A few of those floral layers looked very much like hearts - and I added
one more layer cut from white.  Makes me SMILE - hope it makes
Therese, and the gals at Just us Girls #761 smile, too.



Therese made TWO cards from all the flowers she layered up!  
You can see them right HERE!

=] Michele

Penny Black Sketch meets Color Throwdown colors!

There was no doubt in my mind that I would pull out that gorgeous PB Enchantingly for Sketch #11 from the PB&J New Year Card Making series that uses Sketches to inspire our cards.  HERE you'll find the three ways Jill has used her Sketch... speaking of:


Lucky me - I had the littlest of their Classy Frames ready to go!


Stamped on Canson watercolor card in Archival Espresso ink and colored
using only two inks: Distress Gathered Twigs, and Festive Berries!

I rearranged the flowers a bit - also the die cut word - and added
just a little bit of 'filler' floral from Altenew to round out the focal triangle.


This lovely sentiment is another from the PB Loving Friend set - stamped 
with CP Icing on the Cake.
The die cut friend: PB Friend Edger

Now you might wonder why I used brown for the leaves.  I had this fabulous inspiration from Color Throwdown #826 in my brain, that's why!


I hope the varied shades of pink are allowed - those cookies made me do it!
=] Michele

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

PB Sketch #10

I have two pretty cards using Jill's Sketch #10 over on their PB&J YouTube channel!  If you're watching too, you'll know Sketch #11 hit today - I better get busy!  

Jill has used wreathes for her sketch and after I shopped my stash and found only one wreath die, and not one wreath stamp - but that's okay I had a work-around for that using one of those tiny little stamps from an Altenew set.  There were lots that don't get much attention.  First - here's that Sketch:


I'll share my stamped wreath first... 


While I couldn't find a wreath stamp, I did find an oval shaped die to 
use as a guide.  A very light pencil tracing made free style stamping quite easy!
Altenew Eclectic Bouquet and PF Oval Foliage stamps worked their charm,
and I love the Altenew Misty Moor ink for these.

This wonderful Altenew Rustic Rose was added to my stash during the Christmas sales.
They had me at that bow!  And I just couldn't bring myself to cut off that leaf
so I just moved my panel down to the lower left corner and skipped Jill's detail
around the edge of the panel.


Pinkfresh Studios Layered Wreath, Spellbinders' Christmas Bird Poinsettia die set,
and a beautiful sentiment from Penny Black's Joy & Warmth came together
beautifully for my die cut wreath card - a wee bit less CAS than Jill's example, but 
I couldn't help myself - I doubled the wreath and added more dimension with the
added foliage and pretty Poinsettia! 

          If you have this wreath die you might wonder where that detail comes from?  While
it was still wet I flipped it over and used a stylus on a mouse pad to add it.



The wonderful die that Jill uses to add a little interest to her card panel is another
on my very long wish list - this 'old thing' from Lil' Inkers worked just fine.

You've all been so kind with your comments - will you be as sad as I when this series comes to an end?  Only two more to go!
=] Michele

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

The Flower Challenge #99

We're baaaack!  I hope you are enjoying a most Happy New Year - are you ready to get The Flower Challenge party started?  We can't wait to see all the gorgeous floral cards you will share with us in 2025!

Without further ado, here is our 99th challenge:

I have a new and larger commitment to my Seniors for 2025 - I'd like to deliver to all of them in my area: 380 at the time of this writing!!  YIKES!  SO, on occasion, I'm going to make one of my cards for this challenge into a Christmas card - using the challenge parameters, of course!  Ready?


I used two shades of fuchsia pink cardstocks from Concord & 9th for the main
Poinsettia from HoneyBee and curry card for my SB Poinsettia Corner 
Better-pressed panel and leaves! 
I STILL have plenty of those premade Christmas sentiments - this one
from The Ton.


Honestly this is my favorite shade of pink - isn't it lovely with that curry color?  

Okay, we really love ALL the pink flowers so use what you love, and we'll love it, too!

Let's go see what my talented teammates have created shall we?  
=] Michele

Monday, February 3, 2025

Can we ever have too many florals?

I certainly don't think there can ever be enough florals in my stash!  I've added one from Penny Black - I know, I know... you are thinking that resolution was short lived, right?  But this one is gorgeous, and I had to play along with Jill's PB&J Sketch #9! 


Anything peek-a-booing from the edge of that sweet little curve
would be perfect, right?  As is usual, Jill shares three ways in her video.

Here's where I found the resolve to 'make do' this time - I simply cut a curve
and when one was a bit boring, I doubled it!


Adding a bit of texture to the base couldn't hurt either!

There is another gorgeous bouquet in the PB Enchantingly set.  Painted as red roses my first go around - perfect for The Paper Players and Ann's theme: Love is in the Air!


See if you can find my inspiration:


Pretty obvious, right?


PB Enchantingly; Sugar Pea Designs: Handwritten Letter; Betterpress sentiment.

Okay, my friends.  It's Monday.  You know the drill.  But GOOD NEWS tomorrow The Flower Challenge is returning!!  YAY - I hope you'll all dust off your florals and play along!

Thanks so much, Ann!


Sunday, February 2, 2025

Lots of love all around with PINK and RED!

The second image from Penny Black's Endearment set seemed just the ticket for several challenges that are asking for pink and red - 'tis the season for LOve after all!  

Color Hues and Inkspirational challenges have teamed up making it double the fun!


  

Here is where my heart and that PB set took those lovely colors...


It isn't Valentine's Day without bringing out my old Amy Tangerine 
Love Spun embossing folder - I just love those 'cross-stitched' hearts!
Top it off with an old MFT Stitched Heart and this darling couple -
well, it all makes me happy!

And just like that I have made this card eligible for Time Out #281!
Using THREE of their categories:
Layer, stitch, and heart!


and I've used PB so I can send this one over to my friends at
Penny Black Saturday Challenge using their option of HEARTS!


This has to be some kind of record for me to find FOUR challenges in one card!
=] Michele