Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Simon's Wednesday Challenge is an 'anything goes' challenge that is asking for Penny Black this week if we have some... do I?!

I picked up a few in January.  This one's a lovely 'cabbage rose' design called Christmas Blush... but I didn't make a Christmas card today.  A friend asked if I would send a card to her friend who is battling breast cancer and might appreciate a card from me.  Prayers will of course be enclosed.

It's gone from sunny days back to cloudy and cold - here's a 

bit brighter look at my card:

If your Friday evening dance card hasn't been completely booked, my friend Therese is the guest designer at Craft Roulette this evening.  HERE is a link if you can make it!  I know she will be so happy to have you join the fun!

=] Michele

Freshly Made Sketches #675

We have the fabulous and fun Linda as our host over at Freshly Made Sketches #675 and I couldn't wait to play... in fact I went right into my studio after reading her post this morning!

 
Too bad I didn't take a second look at her sketch before the glue was dry...

Think she'll notice that my branches are starting out on the wrong side of the card?

WAIT!!  So did HERS!! and I love it!

  

I think I'm safe!

Base: Lil' Inkers Dip-died dsp

Parklane embossing

MFT Sweet Besties stamps and dies

Branches from Altenew Tropical Vibes Project Kit

Linda said to 'use those lines for anything!'  I just followed orders and thought these besties could have a lot of fun swinging from those branches!  Thanks, Linda!

=] Michele

Altenew Inspiration Challenge February 2025

The wonderful, exuberant Erica Andersson is hosting the February 2025 Altenew Inspiration Challenge  - I could really go for one of her delectable little macarons with my coffee today!

The print fabric shown here is actually what Erica calls her 'Altenew robe...' 

who doesn't craft at least part of their day in their robe? lol

While my first load is spinning out, I decided to take one of my all-time favorite Altenew frame dies out for another spin...

It's perfect no matter what you tuck into it!  Today, I had a sweet

friend in mind while crafting - prayers are coming your way!  A little

Faith and Hope can only help, right?

Erica is looking for texture:  I found lots in this gorgeous

Altenew Woodgrain Powder paper and my frame has such wonderful 

detail, too - I pumped it up a little using one of their small blending brushes and mocha ink.  

Altenew Elegant Sayings stamps and dies filled in my message quite nicely.

OH!  I should mention this lovely little Altenew Lavender set that has been

in my stash since 2019 - I stamped it with two shades of aqua then

added a little bit of interest with a brown pen.

A clean and simple card indeed.

=] Michele  

Inkspirational Challenge #335

After receiving the sweetest email from a friend saying that my little heart card had been chosen as a Top Pick at Inkspirational, how could I not say thank you by making them another?  

It's mood board time for challenge #335 and they have a beauty:

As much as I wanted to stamp some Hyacinths, it was the Balloon Flower from

Altenew that came out to play!

There is a bit of green in their mood board - on that little spool of thread!

Thanks to the IC team for that Top Pick!

=] Michele

The Paper Players #725

Jan at The Paper Players has asked us to embrace and conquer our fear of masculine cards - you know it's a real thing.  It only took one look at their prompt to remind me of a die set I bought years ago and [as they were never cut apart] it was obvious I'd never used it!  That seldom happens around here, I promise.  It wasn't such an easy task to FIND it!

This is easily the most CAS card ever from me!

Another set from The Cat's Pajamas contains some really fun sentiments

one might not send to a gal pal - having said that, I have a few that this one

would be perfect for!

Thanks, Jan for the fun challenge! ... AND this honor:

=] Michele

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

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