Twofer Birds

I'm trying once again, to join in on Darnell's Twofer Challenge -  these are SO challenging for me!

I participated today in the Splitcoaststampers Inspiration Challenge which was Etsy Birdhouses and created this card using a bird stencil inspired by this pillow.

So I said to myself - 'Self - this could be used for the Twofer challenge!  How can I use this in another design?"    

I got out different color inks and a different sentiment and created this card.

So I used the same bird stencil, the same dots stencil, the same frame die and the same sequins -  but used different colors, more than one stenciled bird and a sympathy sentiment instead of an encouragement sentiment.  I did not pop up the outside frame piece on foam, which I did on the first blue card.   And I only stenciled the dots on the inside piece of the frame die cut on my 2nd card - I stenciled the dots over the whole panel on the blue card.

So here they are -  my Twofer

Oh, and I also turned my stencil over so the birds were flying a different way!

Sympathy                                                            Encouragement

I'm also linking my cards to:

CAS Stencil - Sponging

There are just a few more days for you to link up to either of these challenges so get cracking!

Stamps:  Walk by Faith - PTI, Simply Said Sympathy - Jillian Vance Designs
Ink:  Ranger Distress Wilted Violet, Victorian Velvet, Seedless Presserves, Weathered Wood, True Black - PTI
Paper:  Water color paper - Canson, white - PTI
Accessories:  Birds Stencil - Dina Wakley, Lots of Dots stencil - Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous, Winter Blend Sequins - Avery Elle, Pierced Feature Frames - PTI

Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!

Have you heard?  It's time for the Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!

Here's the first of hopefully several cards I'm going to make before the Dec 7th deadline!

I used stamps and stencils from Wendy Vecchi's Mug Art set.  I stamped the mug in black and then stenciled the stripes using Wendy Vecchi Fern Green Blendable Dye Ink, the dots and handle in Wendy Vecchi Poppy ink and the 'coffee or cocoa' in Distress Brushed Corduroy.  I used Pierced Feature Frame Oval die from PTI - raising the outside piece on foam dots.   The papers are Paper Stash/Christmas from Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.  I fussy cut the mug and layered on the inside oval using foam dots.  I stamped the sentiment on a white strip and adhered it to the mug and outside frame.

On the inside of my card I adhered a piece of the same red snowflake patterned paper and then stamped a white panel with a stamp from Gift Card It by Waltzingmouse (retired) adhering it on 3 sides so I could slip in a gift card for the receiver!

You really need to check out all the sponsors of this wonderful Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop  - so many prizes to be won by randomly chosen entries!  Thank you Amy for, once again, organizing all this for us!   You'll find all the details here!

Stamps:  Mug Art - Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous, Gift Card It - Waltzingmouse (retired).
Paper:  White - PTI, Paper Stash/Christmas - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.
Ink:  Wendy Vecchi Blendable Dye Poppy and Fern Green, Ranger Distress Brushed Corduroy, Hero Hues Black.
Accessories:  Blending tool, Mug Art Stencils - Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous, Pierced Feature Frames - Ovals - PTI, foam dots.

Stamping with Leaves

There was a fun Ways to Use It challenge over at Splitcoaststampers last week -  Stamping with leaves - where you go out in your yard and find some leaves - press them into your ink pad and then press them onto your cardstock!  

I used plant leaves instead of tree leaves - and look how pretty they came out!

For my first try -  I used 3 leaves from my pink geranium and 3 different colors of Wendy Vecchi Archival Ink -  Orange Blossom, Cornflower Blue, Fern Green.

I stamped a sentiment from Simple Stems by PTI in the same colors of ink.  I used Tim Holtz Mini Scallop die - 3D Impresslits (it die cuts and embosses in one swoop!) with metallic green paper for the lovely border along the bottom.  The blue frame is cut with Scallop Stackers Small die from PTI and the green border is Noted: Scalloped A2 die also from PTI.   I also splattered some Yellow Oxide Acrylic Paint mixed with water over the panel.

The Process:  I laid a leaf onto the ink pad.   Then I placed a piece of computer paper over the leaf and ink pad so I could really press on the leaf without getting all inky!  Then I removed the leaf from the ink pad and laid it onto a watercolor paper panel. Again, I laid a clean sheet of computer paper over the  panel and rubbed over the leaf to get as good an impression as possible.  I repeated the process with other leaves in other colors.

My next try was with a leaf from a ground cover plant I have in my garden -  I had forgotten the name of it - it has bright yellow flowers in the spring early summer.  I looked it up in my Garden Flowers Book and I think it is Spring Cinquefoil.

The veins in the leaves are more prominent than the fleshy parts. I wasn't sure how the leaves would show up over the text stamping (a panel I had on my desk from a previous project) but I love how it came out!

I die cut the panel with Noted: Pinked A2 Vertical Die from PTI and layered it to a green panel and a die cut blue panel using the same Pinked die set. I added three black rhinestones. I didn't put a sentiment on it - I will probably either just use it for a note or stamp a sentiment inside for an appropriate occasion!

Here are the leaves of this ground cover - the yellow blooms long past but will return next spring!

So - give it a try!  Ink up some leaves and stamp them on your cards!

Geranium Card
Stamps: Simple Stems (sentiment) - PTI
Paper: watercolor paper - Canson, Enchanted Evening, Simply Chartreuse, white - PTI, Foiled Card Stack - DCWV
Inks: Wendy Vecchi Archival Cornflower Blue, Fern Green and Orange Blossom
Accessories:  Real geranium leaves from my garden, Yellow Oxide Acrylic Paint - Golden, paint brush, water, Scallop Stackers Small Die - PTI, Mini Scallop die - 3D Impresslits Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Noted: Scalloped A2 die  

Spring Cinquefoil  card
Stamps: Script Background Stamp - Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous
Paper: Vintage Cream, Enchanted Evening, Simply Chartreuse, white - PTI
Inks:  Wendy Vecchi Archival Cornflower Blue, Fern Green, Hero Hues Black
Accessories:  real Spring Cinquefoil leaves from my garden, Pinked A2 Dies - PTI, black rhinestones - Kaiser Craft

Just Us Girls - July Guest Designer - Photo Week

This is my last post as the July Guest Designer for Just Us Girls! 

What a wonderful time I have had creating with the Design Team this month! 

Thank you so much ladies for inviting me to play with you!

This week is Photo Week and here is the challenge!

What beautiful shades of orange with the soft green leaves, bling floral centers and text background!  So much to inspire us!

I was inspired by the flowers, the colors and the text background in the photo!  

Pretty much all of it, right?!

I got out the May Corner Adorner stamps and die from PTI.  I stamped the flowers in Summer Sunrise - then die cut two single flowers, stamped them in Orange Zest and layered them over the first stampings with foam dots. 

I die cut the card base using PTI Noted: Pinked A2 die.  I die cut the panel using one of the dies in the Noted: Scalloped A2 set.  I stamped Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous Script Background over the panel and then sponged the edges with Ranger Distress Tea Dye ink.  I layered the little bouquet over the panel with foam dots as well as the stamped sentiment strip.  Then I added orange rhinestones to the flower centers.

So please join us over at Just Us Girls showing us your creation inspired by this lovely photo!  You have until 9 pm EST August 2nd to link up your card.

Stamps:  Script Background - Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous, Corner Adorner: May - PTI
Paper:  Vintage Cream, White - PTI
Ink:  Hero Hues Black, Ranger Distress Tea Dye, Orange Zest, Classic Kraft, Simply Chartreuse, Summer Sunrise - PTI.
Accessories:  Noted: Pinked A2 die set, Noted: Scalloped A2 die set, Corner Adorner: May die set - PTI, rhinestones - Kaiser, foam dots, Blending Tool - Ranger.

June CAS Mix Up - Layered Embossing Powders

It's June 1 and a new challenge has been posted over at CAS Mix Up!  Loll is our hostess this month and she wants us to do Layered Embossing Powders!

Here is my card - where I was inspired by this technique video - Mixed Embossing Powders by Jennifer McGuire.

I was excited to get out this sweet popsicle die from Reverse Confetti to use on my card today.

 I bought it several years ago and it has not been used until now!

First, I die cut 3 popsicles and 3 sticks out of watercolor paper and glued them together to give a sturdy base for my embossing.

Then I embossed the top section in Pink Peony 3 times - letting it cool a few seconds in between embossings.

Then I masked off the middle section before inking with Versamark for the 2nd color Buttercup.

I didn't worry if there was a little overlap or flecks here and there. 

My Versamark pad is old and it has gotten several different flecks of powders stuck on it!!

I repeated masking the yellow to emboss the bottom section in Sky Blue. 

 I used Tree Branch EP for the popsicle stick - again embossing 3 layers so it's really thick and creamy!

I used Noted: Scalloped A2 die from PTI for the die cut framings.

I can just hear the Ice Cream Man's truck music when I look at this - can't you??! 

Popsicles were 5 cents when I was little!  

And we still couldn't get one every day - it was a special treat in the summer!

So please show us how you will use layered embossing powders on your CAS mix up card - remember to keep it CAS, use embossing powders, stamps and another media for your design!

We are welcoming Guest Designer:  Jane (Purplejet Loves Crafts) this month so please give her a warm welcome!

You'll find links to YouTube videos of various techniques for layering embossing powder as well as lots of inspiration from the Design Team over at CAS Mix Up!  You have until June 24th to link up your creation!

Stamps:  Sentiment Staples: Birthday - PTI
Paper:  White, Hibiscus Burst - PTI, Watercolor paper - Canson
Ink:  Versamark, Hero Hues Black
Accessories:  Wendy Vecchi/Ranger Embossing Powders in Pink Peony, Buttercup, Sky Blue and Tree Branch, Popsicle Die - Reverse Confetti, Noted: Scalloped A2 Dies - PTI, Tombow Glue, heat tool, Post It's for masking.

Coffee Lovers Bloghop - You Perked Me Up!

With so many prizes offered by so many sponsors - how can I NOT keep entering cards in the Coffee Lovers Spring and Summer Blog Hop?!! 

Here is my third summer coffee card -  I used a pattern paper from St. Tropez Paper Pad by Prima that looks like ocean waves.

The stamps are from Cafe Art by Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous and I stamped them in Wendy Vecchi Archival Cornflower Blue ink that coordinated quite nicely with my pattern paper.  I added a little Prima flower and 3 Amelia Rose Crystals also from Prima.

We have until June 1 at 6 pm Pacific Time to link up our cards over at The Coffee Lovers Blog.

Stamps:  Cafe Art - Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous
Paper:  White - PTI, blue Bazzill, DP St Tropez Paper Pad - Prima.
Ink:  Cornflower Blue - Wendy Vecchi Archival.
Accessories:  Prima Flower, Amelia Rose Crystals - Prima

Coffee Lovers Blot Hop - No Sugar Needed

I'm entering a 2nd card in the Spring and Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.  There are SO MANY prizes to be won from SO MANY sponsors -  and we can enter as often as we like!  We have until June 1 at 6 pm Pacific time to link our cards.

Here's my card.  I used bright orange colors and a beautiful sunflower on the mug!

Stamps are Cafe Art from Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous.  The mug is a Mat Mini Get Mugged also from Wendy Vecchi.  I colored it by smooshing it on my craft mat with Ranger Distress Spiced Marmalade ink and water.  I stenciled the top and bottom with Dots and Stripes Stencil from Wendy Vecchi sponging over it with Spiced Marmalade and a little bit of Hickory Smoke Distress Ink.  I drew a line across the open edge with a brown Micron pen.  I die cut the leaves with a leaf from Stitching Garden from PTI.  The sunflower is two layers of Daisy Doodles from Prima.

I stamped and stenciled on the inside with a sentiment from Think Big Favorites #12 from PTI.

I'm also linking my card to:

Just Us Girls

Seize the Birthday

Use designer paper

You'll find the Coffee Lovers Spring and Summer blog hop here.

Stamps:  Cafe Art - Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous, Think Big Favorites #12 - PTI.
Paper:  Rustic Cream Orange Zest, Text Style Distressed Dots - PTI
Ink:  Ranger Distress Hickory Smoke and Spiced Marmalade, Hero Hues Black.
Accessories:  Brown Micron Pen, Leaf Die from Stitching Garden - PTI, Mat Minis Get Mugged - Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous, Daisy Doodles - Prima.

CAS Christmas Challenge - Holly

I'm so excited to see Loll and Bonnie's new CAS Christmas Challenge launching today!  And their theme this month is Holly -   I love holly and have several stamps and dies of it so I think I'll be playing along a lot this month!  And I sure do love having all my cards ready to send when December rolls around - don't you?!

Here's my card.

I had these fun Mat Minis Holly and Berries from Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous - they are made of some kind of chipboard and coordinate with Wendy's Stamp It Stencil It Holiday Icons stamp/stencil set

I inked the stamp up with Archival Jet Black Ink and pressed the holly piece over the stamp (it's easier than trying to line up the stamp over the cut out!)  I did the same thing with the berries piece and then sponged over the holly leaves with Wendy Vecchi Archival Leaf Green Ink and the berries with WV Archival Red Geranium Ink.

I embossed the background panel with Tim Holtz/Sizzix Wood Planks embossing folder and die cut the  Holiday Frames from Simon Says Stamp.  I adhered everything to the white card base.

I made four cards while I had the supplies out -  so into my Christmas Box they go!

Here's a link to the CAS Christmas Card Challenge -  we have until March 24th to get our holly cards linked up and we can enter 3 times!

Stamps:  Stamp It Stencil It Holiday Icons - Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous
Paper:  White - PTI
Ink:  Wendy Vecchi Archival Red Geranium, Fern Green,  Archival Jet Black
Accessories:  Holiday Frames Die - Simon Says Stamp, Mat Minis Holly and Berries - Wendy Vecchi/Stampers Anonymous, Wood Planks Embossing Folder - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Tombow Glue.

Birthday Birds

Today I'm sharing a card I made for the Inspiration Challenge over on Splitcoaststampers.  Brenda asked us to look at Needlepoint.com for inspiration.   

I was inspired by this cute Baby Mockingbirds piece.

I had just received my latest Papertrey Ink purchases in the mail - and it included the Brushed Birds Stamp set as well as the Never Enough Birthday sentiments set and I was happy to get them out and use them so soon after purchase!  The dies that go with the set were already sold out - so I had to fussy cut them. (I'm on the wait list for the dies!)

I used this weeks Sketch Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers for my design.  I couldn't remember if I had a branch die anywhere in my craft room -  so instead of taking hours to look (!) I came upon this leafed stem die from Tim Holtz Flower Garden die set and just turned it on it's side!

For the background stamping, I die cut a big circle and used the negative piece as a mask over the panel and then stamped this lovely Ornate Background stamp from Wendy Vecchi (I love this stamp!).

I'm linking my card to:

Addicted to Stamps and More - Anything Goes

 Seize the Birthday

The House that Stamps Built - Anything Goes

Stamps: Brushed Birds, Never Enough Birthday - PTI, Ornate Dots Background Stamp - Wendy Vecchi/Studio 490
Paper: white, Spring Rain - PTI, brown - Core Color Coordinations
Ink: Harvest Gold, Smokey Shadow, True Black - PTI, Wendy Vecchi Archival Cornflower
Accessories: Flower Garden and Mini Bouquet die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, foam dots, Vanilla Flower Sequins - Simon Says Stamp, Tombow Glue

Dare to Get Dirty Post IV

Here's the 4th installment of cards I made for the Splitcoaststampers Dare to Get Dirty week-long challenges.   There were 5 challenges a day so at the end I made 35 cards!

 

We are not supposed to disclose the exact details of the challenge as participants need to be a member of the SCS Fan Club but I have listed their titles here so perhaps you can figure it out?!!? 

 I also list my supplies for each card at the end of this post.

Here are 5 more cards #16 - 20 :

The Challenge: Does it Spark Joy?

I'm also linking this card to the Merry Monday summer challenge:
Inspired by June 12th challenge

 

The Challenge:  Cling Wrap Background

The Challenge: Use a Digital Image

(Free colored digital image from the Graphics Fairy)

The Challenge:  Watercolor Plaid

The Challenge: Kick up your Background

It was so fun trying out new or forgotten techniques and to get so many cards made for my stash - I sell them to friends where I used to work as well as at my church -  so I need a constant supply of new designs!

I'll be back in a few days with 5 more - hope I'm not boring you to death!?!

The Joy of Holly

Stamps: Festive Foliage - Waltzingmouse Festive Foliage - Waltzingmouse, Signature Christmas - PTI

Paper: white, true black - PTI, DP Fine and Sunny Paper Pad - Kaiser Craft  

Ink:True Black, Pure Poppy, Simply Chartreuse - PTI

Accessories: Small Madison Window Die - Poppystamps, Holly Die - Waltzingmouse, foam dots

Winter Woods

Paper: Arches Watercolor Paper, White - PTI

Accessories: Brushos - Purple and Sandstone, cling wrap, water mister, Die - Ali Express, wooden star - Hobby Lobby, Gold Leaf Run'N Buff, foam dots

Unforgettable

Stamps: Ella and Friends - Mama Elephant

Paper:White, Terracotta Tile, Black - PTI

Ink:True Black - PTI

Accessories: Vintage Circus Elephant Digi Image - Free from the Graphics Fairy

Cutest Little Thing

Stamps:Sweet Cheeks - PTI

Paper:Arches Watercolor paper, White, True Black, Vintage Jadeite, Vellum - PTI

Ink: Versamark, New Leaf, Sweet Blush, Classic Kraft - PTI

Accessories:  Sweet Cheeks Dies - PTI, gold embossing powder, heat tool Gold metalic marker, water color paints pink, orange, green

Embossed Wreath

Stamps: Keep it Simple Birthday II set - Papertrey Ink

Paper: white, true Black - PTi

Ink:  Versamark, Wendy Vecchi Archival Cornflower and Fern Green Re-inker

Accessories: Wendy Vecchi White Embossing Paste (colored with Fern Green Reinker), Stencils: Wendy Vecchi Check Mate , Create a Wreath, Flowers - Taylored Expressions, tiny red brads, white embossing powder, pallette knife, foam dots