Hope Your Day Soars

 Today I'm sharing a card I made using this adorable Happy Dance Bird die from Memory Box.  I just had to purchase it after seeing several blogging friends use her on their cards.  She just cracks me up!

I'm sending my card to:

The Inspiration Challenge at Splitcoast Stampers

Seize the Birthday

NBUS

1st time using the Happy Dance Bird

Stamps: Spread Your Wings Sentiments - Spellbinders

Paper: White, Lovely Lady, True Black, Lemon Tart - PTI, DP - a card front from Donation we made to St. Labre Indian School.

Ink: Nocturne - Versafine Clair

Accessories: Happy Dance Bird Die - Memory Box, Close the Gate Die - Heffy Doodle, Pierced Feature Frame - PTI, Pink Candy Dots - Waffle Flower,

A Sitting Pretty Cat

 I recently purchased this fun Cat Tree House Die from Waffle Flower and was happy to get it out to create this birthday card for a friend.

I embossed the background panel using Geo Screen Embossing folder from Spellbinders.  I die cut the Cat Tree House out of hammered white paper, colored the pieces with Copics and adhered the brown pieces over the tan.  Easy Peasy!    The cat is a sticker from Recollections.

I entered the following challenges with this card.

Seize the Birthday

ends 6/23

Crafty Animals

Always anything Goes with an Animal ends 6/30

Featured Stamper over at Splitcoast Stampers

Inspiration Challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers

NBUS

1st time using this Cat Tree House Die

SHUP Cats Only Challenge

ends 6/30

Paper: Hammered White - Amazon, White, Berry Sorbet - PTI

Accessories: Cat Tree House Die - Waffle Flower, Geo Screen Embossing Folder - Spellbinders, Cat Sticker - Recollections/Michaels, Copics E00, E13, clear dots - Waffle Flower, foam dots, computer generated sentiment.

Tulips Blooming in Spring

 Spring is on its' way, in my garden and on my card!  The tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are pushing up out of the ground and will start blooming in two or three weeks!

My card was inspired by Parrot Tulips.

The tulip stencil is a long slim line size - so after stenciling, I cut it down to 5 1/2" x4 1/4" to fit an A2 card.

I used a 'new to me' embossing folder called Plaster from Sizzix which adds great subtle texture..

I sponged over the EF with Soft Stone ink and I used a BG90 (soft gray) Copic over the edges of the white parts on the stems and tulips, just to add a little dimension to the clean white!

The tulips are up on foam dots.

I'm sending my card to the following challenges:

NBUS

First time using the Plaster Embossing folder

Tic Tac Toe

Center Vertical row - Flowers, Spring, Add dimension ends 3/27

Split Coast Stampers Saturday Inspiration Challenge

K. Van Bourgondien Dutch Bulbs - Website

Time Out Challenges

Inspired by the white and red gowns ends 3/26

Stamps: Birthday Basics - PTI
Paper: White- PTI
Ink: Strawberry, Verdant - Versafine Clair, Soft Stone - PTI
Accessories: Tulips Slim Line Layering Stencil - Unity, foam dots, blender brush, Copic BG90

Snowy Dream Catcher

 I've been wanting to use these wonderful dies from The Greetery that I purchased over a year ago - and today is the day.   

I die cut the hoop from Hoop and Fringe die set, the snowflake net from Catching Snowflake die, and the feathers from Curio Spring Findings all from The Greetery.

I cut a second ring and set of feathers out of white card and layered them to the first die cuts.  The hoop and feathers are up on foam dots.  I added some clear gems for a little sparkle.

I'm linking my card to:

Split Coast Stampers Inspiration Challenge 

inspired by this on Paper Heart's Design Pinterest board

Christmas Card Throwdown

Sketch - I used a circle instead of a rectangle, and feathers instead of the strip

NBUS

First time using all of the dies

Jingle Belles: 

Wrapping Up Christmas anything Christmas

Time Out Challenges:

Holly and Ivy Christmas

Anything Goes

Paper: white, kraft - PTI, DP North Wind - Craft and You, Frozen Roses (on feathers) Ciao Bella

Accessories: Catching Snow Flakes die, Hoop and Fringe Dies, Curio Spring Findings (feathers) dies - The Greetery, foam dots, Just Married Gems - Buttons Galore and More, Small Talk Stickers: Occasions - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology

Purrfect

Today I have a card to share that I made for three challenges.

The cat and sentiment are from a set called Kit'n Caboodle from Papertrey Ink.  I embossed the background with Weathered Embossing Folder from Taylored Expressions.  The cat is popped up on foam dots above the sentiment 'shelf'.

Here are the challenges I was inspired by:

Splitcoaststampers Inspiration Challenge

I was inspired by this dress from Miss Vogues website

Fab Friday

for my sketch

Color Throwdown

Stamps:  Kit' N Caboodle - Papertrey Ink

Ink:  True Black - PTI, Hero Hues Sea Salt.

Paper:  white, True Black, Fine Linen - PTI

Accessories:  Kit'N Caboodle Dies - PTI, Weathered embossing folder - Taylored Expressions, Sentiment Strip dies - Neat and Tangled, Lacy Edge die - unknown, foam dots. 

Cards for Seniors

Today's Inspiration Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers is to be inspired by something found at Ellen Hutson's shop and/or blog.  

I buy lots of my crafting stamps and supplies from Ellen's company - she has great sales and offers discounts to good customers.  

I also found on her blog today that she has put out a call to send her cards made for Seniors who are socially isolated in Assisted Living Homes or Nursing Homes.  One random person who links up the card they are sending will win a $35 gift certificate to Ellen Hutson you have to link up by 3/29/2020. Check out all the details on  her blog post here.

I will be sending her two of these cards I've made today and three more will be sent to people in my church who are home bound.

I used Julie Ebersole's cute little bear and sentiment from All Inside, both the stamps and dies are from Ellen Hutson

I die cut the card base using Noted: Scalloped Square die from PTI.  The sentiment I used inside is from Bear Hugs also by PTI.

Here are a few process photos.

I die cut the bears out of water color paper and then stamped them using Obsidian Dye Ink from Altenew.  I dried the ink with my heat tool to be sure it wouldn't run when I water colored the bears.

I did the same thing with one of the heart stamps and dies in the set.  The heart slips into the bears arms as the die cuts around the arms - so fun!

I hope you are all well, keeping your social distance and enjoying your time in your homes as best as you can.  I am thankful that we are still able to get out in the sunshine and walk around in the fresh air.  

I am also very thankful for our wonderful stamping/blogging community where we can still stay in touch, share our concerns and encourage each other!

Thank you Ellen, for giving us a way to share our love of cardmaking with those who will be delighted to receive them!

Stamps:  All Inside - Julie Ebersole/Ellen Hutson, Bear Hugs - PTI
Paper:  Watercolor paper - Canson, white - PTI, Playful Patterns Valentine Paper Pad - Taylored Expressions.
Ink:  Obsidian - Altenew
Accessories:  All Inside Dies - Julie Ebersole/Ellen Hutson, Noted: Scalloped Square die - PTI, Marigold and Calendula water color paints - Ruby Mountain Paint Co., Red Watercolor paint - Kuretake, foam dots, paint brush, water.

A Magical Unicorn Birthday

I always see things (dies, stamps, inks) that I want.   And then I purchase them.  They arrive, I put them in a drawer for another day - and often forget to get them out and use them.

Case in point -  the wonderful Lawn Fawn Reveal Wheel dies and stamps and the Neat & Tangled Magical Day stamps and dies which I purchased months ago thinking I'd use them to make a card for my unicorn-loving youngest grand niece.

So yesterday was the day I got them out -  inspired by two challenges.

And here is the fun card I made for Madelyn -  who will be 5 in April 

(shhh - don't tell her about the card!)

I personalized the top of her card using my Brother Label Maker.   

And the birthday sentiment stamp really says "wishing you a wonderful birthday", but I only inked the Wishing You A and the Birthday and then stamped the MAGICAL in the space that happened to be just big enough!

I took 4 pictures to show you the 4 words from the sentiment set that I stamped on the wheel so you see each one as you turn the wheel.    FABULOUS  AMAZING  AWESOME  MAGICAL

I colored the unicorn using Tombow Markers pushing the color around the area with a Clear Glitter Wink of Stella -  below you can hopefully see the wonderful glittery shine!  

Jennifer McGuire has a YouTube Video on this coloring technique here.

My inspiration from the Splitcoaststampers Inspiration Challenge was this unicorn from the web store Accessorize

 Simon Says Wednesday Challenge

Make an interactive card.

Stamps:  Reveal Wheel Sentiments - Lawn Fawn, Neat & Tangled Magical Day.
Paper:  white, Hibiscus Burst, DP Bitty Big Pale Peony - PTI, Strathmore Bristol Smooth Surface.
Ink:  Hero Hues Black
Accessories: Reveal Wheel Die Set - Lawn Fawn, Magical Day Dies - Neat & Tangle, foam dots, Brother Label Maker, Tombow Markers, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella, tiny brad.  

Red and Pink Watercolor Tree

I recently purchased a lovely 3 piece stamp set from Rubbernecker Stamps called Gentle Breeze.  

I hadn't really looked at the stamp when it arrived - just put it in my floral stamp drawer to use later.  On Saturday I participated in the Inspiration Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers where we were to be inspired by the All Posters Website (wow, what a lot of inspiration there!).  

I came upon this poster 

and it made me think of my Rubbernecker stamp. So I got it out and created this card.

The stamp set has 3 stamps in it - the landscape piece, the tree piece and the grasses piece - so it's easy to get different colors on the different pieces.  

I decided to do a watercolor technique where I put one of the stamps in my Tim Holtz Tonic Stamp Platform (these stamps are red rubber but not on wood and you can use red rubber stamps in this platform.) I colored the stamp using Ranger Distress Markers in the colors I wanted, spritzed the stamp with water and then pressed the stamp on a panel of watercolor paper.  I repeated this with the tree stamp and the grasses stamp.  The Distress Markers I used are Walnut Stain, Brushed Corduroy, Spiced Marmalade, Gathered Twigs and Peeled Paint. I die cut the panel with Pierced Feature Frames: Rectangle from PTI.  

I really loved how this came out and was eager to watercolor it again!  

So I happened to check out the February CAS Watercolour Card Challenge and saw that it was to use Reds and Pinks.  I thought I'd try these unusual colors with this stamp set and created a Valentine by adding 3 stamped hearts and a Valentines sentiment after I did the water coloring.   The Distress Markers I used on this card are Fired Brick, Worn Lipstick, Festive Berries, Spun Sugar and Aged Mahogany.

 I'm linking this Valentine card to:

 CAS Watercolor

First Tree Card
Stamps: Gentle Breeze #1027 - Rubbernecker Stamps
Paper:  watercolor paper - Canson, White - PTI
Accessories:  Tim Holtz Stamp Positioning platform, Ranger Distress Markers Walnut Stain, Brushed Corduroy, Spiced Marmalade, Gathered Twigs, Peeled Paint, water mister, Pierced Feature Frames: Rectangle - PTI

Valentine Tree Card
Stamps: Gentle Breeze #1027 - Rubbernecker Stamps, Perfect Match (hearts and sentiment) - PTI 
Paper: watercolor paper - Canson, White - PTI
Ink:  True Black, Pure Poppy - PTI
Accessories: Tim Holtz Stamp Positioning Platform, Ranger Distress Markers Fired Brick, Worn Lipstick, Festive Berries, Spun Sugar and Aged Mahogany, water mister, Pierced Feature Frames: Rectangle - PTI

Two Cards from the Sea

I have two cards to share today -  both made with backgrounds created using the Oxidized Shaving Cream technique - discovered by Lydia over at Splitcoaststampers.  She used it as the technique for the Mix Ability challenge on Friday.  You will find her YouTube video here. 

So here's the first card I made for Lydia's challenge.  I kind of covered up my lovely shaving cream background by stenciling this wonderful sea turtle from Stencil Girls over it using black embossing paste - but he looks perfect swimming in the ocean I created - along with 3 little schools of fish (the Friday Free 4 All challenge at SCS was back to school!)   The fish and sentiment are from S'Whale stamps and die sets from Ellen Hutson.

I'm linking my Sea Turtle card to:

Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media Challenge

 Country View Challenges

Sun Sea and Sand

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge

Back to School

 So then today's Inspiration Challenge at Splitcoaststampers was a nail polish website, OPI - and I chose this Marbled Waves manicure for my inspiration.  

I had made several backgrounds from the shaving cream technique so I used another one on this card!  You get to see more of the lovely background since I just did some stamping over it - the hilarious sentiment is from Impression Obsession and the mermaid tail is from Inner Mermaid from Ellen Hutson.  I die cut the panel with Pierced Feature Frames die from PTI (my favorite framing dies at the moment!)

 Hope you are all having a lovely weekend -  we are having intermittent sun and showers at the moment - but it's a hot summer's day!

Tortoise card
Stamps:  S'Whale - Ellen Hutson
Paper: white - PTI
Ink:  Hero Hues Black, Ranger Distress Peacock Feather, Ranger Distress Reinkers Peacock Feathers, Bundled Sage, Tumbled Glass, Shabby Shutters
Accessories:  Turtle stencil #S417 Daley - Stencil Girl, Black Embossing Paste - Wendy Vecchi, shaving cream, paper plate, foam dots, S'Whale Dies - Ellen Hutson

Mermaid card
Stamps:  If your thighs touch - Impression Obession, Inner Mermaid - Ellen Hutson
Paper:  white - PTI
Ink:  Hero Hues Black, Ranger Distress Reinkers Peacock Feathers, Bundled Sage, Tumbled Glass, Shabby Shutters
Accessories:  Pierced Feature Frames Die - PTI, shaving cream, paper plate, Tiny Twinkles - Taylored Expressions