Monday, February 29, 2016

Fabulous Christmas Flamingo

Good Merry Monday Morning.



Lori (Inkingly Yours) chose this week's fun challenge.


I immediately thought of this Fabulous Flamingo stamp.

I'd seen a card done with a flamingo wearing a Santa hat and thought it was great fun.
I don't remember where I saw it, but I appreciate the inspiration.

I pulled out a piece of stamped and watercolored "sand" and a Brusho "sky".
Before putting them together, I stamped the flamingo legs.
The matching dies for the flamingo make it easy to put together.

Did you see that bit of pattern on the Flamingo?
I used a feather stamp inked in the same color to give him a little more interest.

The hat is from the retired Jolly Bingo Bits stamp set.
I fussy cut it out, treated it with some Dazzling Details
and when dry, popped it on his head.

I added a bit of sparkle to the "sand" too.

Now it's your turn.

The Design team has some wonderful inspiration pieces
to get you started.

See you at 

I'm going to share this at
where all we have to do is use some of those snippets.

and
Where the lovely Maureen and her team invite us to link a Christmas card
between the 25th and the end of the month.

and

This is a CAS Mix Up card
I used, Stamping, Brushos, Watercolor, Die Cuts, Dry Embossing and Sparkle.
Our first challenge goes live on March 1 at 1:00 pm EST.



Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Fabulous Flamingo (Reverse Confetti), Jolly Bingo Bits, Sanded, Four Feathers (retired SU)
Ink:  Pretty in Pink, Real Red, Sahara Sand (SU), SU Markers (Chocolate Chip, Real Red), Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:  Solar White (Neena), Whisper White Snippets, Coastal Cabana (SU), Watercolor (Strathmore 140 lb. cold press)
Other: Fabulous Flamingo Die (Reverse Confetti), Brushos, Koi Watercolors, Waterbrush, Dazzling Details (SU)


Sunday, February 28, 2016

Watercolor Fun and Butterfly Kisses


This is a piece I did during the Watercolor for Cardmakers - Intermediate class
that I took a while back.

I still haven't done all the homework.

It's a good thing I can go back and do it at my own pace.

Anyway, this was an exercise in Watercolor Wash.

After it was dry, I stamped and embossed this flower then added
Memory Box butterflies.

I can add this to the beautiful gallery at
Outside the Box: Challenge #9
Challengeicon
I've got lots of pink on this card!

I can also take it to

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge
INSPIRED BY A SONG

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog
for the song Butterfly Kisses.
I'm not sure which came first, the song or the card?

and

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge
ANYTHING GOES
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog



Only a few more days until the start of 
CAS Mix Up



This is a sample of a CAS Mixed Media card using
watercolor, stamping, heat embossing, die cutting and a few sequins for added texture.
Loll (Stamping with Loll) and I hope you'll join us there on March 1st.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Blooming with Kindness
Ink:  Whisper White
Paper:  Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. cold press), Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Vellum (SU)
Other:  Watercolors (W&N French Ultramarine, Aureolin, Alizarin Crimson), Isabella Butterfly, Pippi Butterfly (MB), White EP (SU), Sequins (PPP)



Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Happy Anniversary Dear Loll & Gord


Today was a special day for my friend Loll and her husband Gord.

Hope today was really special for them.


I'll join in at Penny Black Saturday Challenge for February
Use Red and/or Hearts

and

Penny Black and More
Anything goes with a stamp and a die/s.
I've used a Penny Black stamp (Special Wishes) for the sentiment and
a Poppystamps die (Leafy Sprigs) for the foliage.

and

Poppystamps Challenge #17
Crazy in Love
Used Leafy Sprigs by Poppystamps.

and

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge
Anything goes


...or Hedgie Please do grab our logo to display on your own blog
  Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Special Wishes (PB)
Ink:  Whisper White (SU)
Paper:  Solar White (Neena), Whisper White, Rose Red (SU)
Other: White EP (SU), Cross My Heart EF (Cuttlebug), Stitched Rectangle Die (Lil' Inkers), Sweetheart Punch, Perfect Polka Dots EF (SU), Leafy Sprigs Die (Poppystamps) 



Monday, February 22, 2016

Bells for Merry Monday

It's Merry Monday time.



Linda (Lin's Craft Corner) is our hostess this week.


I pulled out my favorite bells from the retired Bell's and Boughs set 
and inked them up with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and stamped 
on a stitched rectangle and on a snippet of Vanilla.

I laid my favorite stencil over the image piece and sponged some 
Antique Linen Distress Ink over it.

After coloring both images with Copics and Blendabilities, 
I fussy cut one of the images out leaving off the bottom bell.  

I laid the partial cutout on the design with foam dots to add dimension.

Then I winked the bells to add some shine.

So I have Stamping, Coloring with Markers, Stenciling, Paper Tole,
Die Cutting, Embossing, and Sparkle.
This is a CAS Mix Up kind of card.
(Our first challenge goes live on March 1)

Here's a closeup so you can see the dimension of the bells.



I hope you'll make a Christmas card with Bells on it
and join us at

The rest of the Design Team have some wonderful inspiration for you.
Do check them out.

I used snippets for my stitched design piece and extra bells so I'm off to

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Bells and Boughs (retired SU), Christmas Sentiments (Kaisercraft)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Chocolate Chip (SU), Antique Linen Distress
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Whisper White (SU)
Other:  Copic Markers, Blendabilities (retired SU), Texture Scraped Paint Stencil (MB), Wink of Stella



Sunday, February 21, 2016

Loll's Flower


My good friend Loll (Stamping with Loll) sent me some flower card candy
a couple years ago.  I hadn't used any for a while.

I pulled one out and popped it on this embossed piece.

Stamped a sentiment and cut it into a little banner.

A quick and easy CAS Mix Up card.

Stamping, Dry Embossing, Punching and Shaping with
a little Glitter thrown in for good measure.


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!


Card Recipe
Stamps: Endless Birthday Wishes
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:  Solar White (Neena), Whisper White
Other:  Treillage EF (Cuttlebug, Anna Griffin)


Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Exciting News

I have exciting news to share.  My friend Loll (Stamping with Loll) and I are starting our own card challenge.

We have just launched the CAS Mix Up Card Challenge blog.  
Our very first monthly challenge will begin on March 1st.  YAY!


The challenge is CAS (clean and simple) designs with added mixed media products and techniques.    It's going to be a lot of fun.  :)

There will be three parts to every challenge:  
     1)  Stamping; 
     2) Required technique; and 
     3) Your Choice for a third element (product or technique).  

You can add a little or a lot of all three elements, and you can add even more if you want as long as you keep a CAS design.


We even have a list of techniques and products you can select from for the "Your Choice" option.  Or choose your own!

Here's a sample of a CAS Mix Up card......


I have used stamping (the sentiment), Heat Embossing (the sentiment), Dry Embossing,
 Die Cutting,  plus I used Inka Gold on the die cut dragonfly.

I've left lots of white space to let the main image shine (literally).

See how easy that is?  I've actually added 3 mixed media techniques/products
plus the stamping.

Loll and I hope you'll check out the CAS Mix Up blog 
to get more details on our new challenge. 
And we hope you'll come by again on March 1st to see the first challenge and play along.

Thanks for stopping by.

Enjoy!
    **********
Card Recipe
Stamps:  Kind Words (Verve)
Ink:  Encore Silver
Paper:  Solar White (Neena), Whisper White (SU)
Other:  Meadow Dragonfly (MB), Ornate Frame EF (Sizzix), Silver EP (SU), Inka Gold (Platinum, Steel Blue)

Monday, February 15, 2016

Snowbird and Berries for Merry Monday

Hello and a Merry Monday to you.



This week it's my turn to choose the challenge.


I've had this gorgeous Stampendous stamp for a year (or maybe 2)
and I finally put some ink to it.

And watercolor.

I was able to practice a paint lifting technique I learned in the
Online Watercolor for Cardmakers Intermediate class.

It's a CAS Mixed Media card.

What is CAS Mixed Media?

Check back tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I hope you'll think about berries and join us at

I'm so glad you stopped by.

Enjoy!
    **********
Card Recipe
Stamps:  Snowbird (Stampendous), Holiday Snippets (PB)
Ink: Basic Gray Archival (SU), Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:  Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. cold press for design, Strathmore 140 lb. cold press for card base), Basic Black (SU)
Other:  Watercolors (Koi), Stitched Mats Rectangles (Lil' Inkers), Sparkle Texture Effects (MS)


Sunday, February 14, 2016

Happy Valentine's Day


Share the hugs!

Here's an example of CAS (Clean and Simple) Mixed Media.

I have smooshing, die cutting, stamping with heat embossing, 
and dry embossing. The smoosh was done with re-inker and Perfect Pearls.

The heart was cut from a smooshed piece and the stitched die cut panel
was mopped up from the craft mat.

BTW, a big thanks to Loll (Stamping with Loll) for my new blog header and signature.

Isn't she the best?


Thanks for stopping by today.

Enjoy!
    **********
Card Recipe
Stamps:  Snippets (PB)
Ink:  Whisper White (SU)
Paper:  Solar White (Neena), Mixed Media (Strathmore)
Other: Stitched Mats Rectangles (Lil' Inkers), Primitive Hearts Bigz Die (Sizzix), White EP, Re-inkers (SU), Perfect Pearls (Ranger)




Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Bloomin Heart


This Bloomin' Heart is one of my favorite items from the Occasions Catalog.

This is on it's way to my Aunt Marian.  She loves pink.

I pulled out a frame from my snippets (it's a leftover from diecutting stitched rectangles)
and embossed it.  It works really well to anchor vellum so the adhesive doesn't
show on the front.

I adhered the die cut heart on the vellum.

After cutting some extra flowers (the dies are included), I sponged them 
with ink and added a yellow center with a SU Marker.

While holding my breath, I stamped the sentiment.

Such a relief to get it straight!

I'll take it over to







since I used a snippet of a frame and snippets for the little flowers.


Simon Says: Have a Heart 

I'm so happy you stopped by.

Enjoy!
    **********
Card Recipe
Stamps:  Oh Happy Day (Avery Elle)
Ink:  Strawberry Slush, Pink Pirouette, (Daffodil Delight Marker (SU)
Paper:  Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Paper Vellum (SU)
Other:  Bloomin Heart Die (SU), Square Lattice EF (retired SU), Sponge Dauber


Monday, February 8, 2016

Heart of Hearts


Last Spring I was blessed to meet my blogging friend, Mary H.
and her sweet husband, in person.

She very generously gifted me with a bag of goodies.

This heart was one of her gifts.

Thank you again, my friend.

I used it to make a special Valentine for one of my daughters.

Thanks for the visit.

Enjoy!
    **********
Card Recipe
Paper:  Solar White (Neena), Whisper White, Red Foil, Dazzling Diamond Glimmer (SU)
Other:  Heart of Hearts Die (IO), Expressions Thinklits Dies (retired SU)




Wonderland for Merry Monday



Kristie (Kreative Kristie) is our hostess this week.


I really like the way this turned out.

And you know I'm not much on messy chalkboards!

I stamped and heat embossed the (NBUS) trees and sentiment, 
stamped some snowflakes with Craft White ink and
added some smears with a sponge dauber dipped in the ink.

Do check out the awesome samples from the rest of the Design Team.

We'd love to see your chalkboard Christmas cards in the gallery at

So glad you stopped by.

Enjoy!
    **********
Card Recipe
Stamps:  Wonderland (retired SU)
Ink:  White Craft (SU)
Paper:  Solar White (Neena), Whisper White, Basic Black (SU)
Other:  White EP, Sponge Dauber (SU)



Thursday, February 4, 2016

Watercolor Class Flowering Vine


This is my last post of homework for the Watercolor for Cardmakers Intermediate Class

There are till techniques that I haven't tried.

Fortunately they give lifetime access to the class.

I can go back when I have time to really dig in to the last techniques.

Hopefully it will be soon.

For this card I did a bit of wash in the background, dried it,
painted the vine through a stencil and used brushstrokes for the flowers.

Debbie Hughes demonstrated this technique.

I love the softness and unstructured look.

(I say that so I can get by with these weird flowers.)

If you're interested in learning more about watercolor techniques,
I highly recommend this class.
You can find the class at

Thanks for taking the time to stop by.

Enjoy!
    **********
Card Recipe
Stamps: Sending and Wishing (SSS)
Ink:  Bermuda Bay (SU)
Other:  Watercolor Paint (Koi Travel Set), Sequins (PPP)



Watercolor Class Floral


I'm not as pleased with this card as with some of the others,
but thought I'd share it anyway.

I was trying to do the negative technique from Day 3 of the
Online Watercolor Class
I didn't get the depth that Dawn got and my negative space got out of hand.

I think my Aunt will like it though.

Here's what it looked like before I cut it down for the card front.


Glad you could stop by.

Enjoy!
    **********
Stamp  Recipe
Stamps:  Fabulous Florets (SU), Friendship Messages (SSS)
Ink:  Chocolate Chip
Paper:  Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. cold press), Blushing Bride (SU), Solar White (Neena)
Other:  Watercolors (Koi Travel Kit)