Sparkle Merry Christmas

Hello, my creative friends.  Here's a little Christmas sparkle for you.

If I'm really fast I think I can make it over to Rudolph Days before the challenge closes.

Scrappymo does Rudolph Days each month from the 25th to the last day.

It's an anything goes Christmas card challenge that's lots of fun.

At Merry Monday, Nina is asking for shimmer or sparkle on our Christmas cards.

I just happened to have a sparkly die cut in my Christmas UFO box.

My friend Nance brought the die over before Christmas and I cut some out.

It sure does sparkle!

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  None

Ink:   None

Paper:   Solar White (Neena 110 lb.), Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer, Red Glimmer (SU)

Other:  Kars Snowflake EF (retired Cuttlebug), Stitched Squares (LI), Merry Christmas (?)

A Goldfinch for CAS Mix Up

We're nearing the deadline to enter this month at CAS Mix Up.
The challenge ends on the 24th.

Here's my last card (for now) using corrugated cardboard.

This is the last watercolor piece I did on our recent trip.

I thought he would do well as a goldfinch.

The goldfinches in our yard are more olive and brown in the winter.

In the spring they start getting their yellow feathers and they

look quite patchwork as they are turning.

I noticed one recently that had 3 "patches" on his back.

(No photo though.)

I mounted the die cut watercolor piece on a piece of 

corrugated cardboard cut from a box of NBUS.

Susan's challenge has been lots of fun!

My mixed media are stamping, corrugated cardboard, watercoloring, and die cutting.

Here's a photo of the real thing in his summer feathers.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Every Moment (retired SU), Dandelion (TT)

Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black, Early Espresso (SU)

Paper:   Watercolor (Strathmore 140 lb. cold press)

Other:  Corrugated Cardboard, Watercolors (Koi), Aqua Painter, Stitched Mats Rectangles (LI)

Snow Couple for Merry Monday

Are you having a good weekend?

We're having beautiful springlike weather.

But Merry Monday has a snowy challenge!
a Christmas card done this week,
but thanks to my UFO box and a very CAS card, I was able to get one together.

My friend, Linda is the hostess this week.

I had this snow couple image partially colored with Copics and found it when
I pulled out something to color.

I finished coloring it and die cut with the new Stitched Shapes Thinlits from Stampin' Up!

I got some of the Infinity Circle Dies for Christmas and one was perfect for a narrow mat.

Some Flower Soft and Dazzling Details added some texture.

We had a visitor to our back yard yesterday afternoon.

DH says it's a Cooper's Hawk.

He stayed quite a while and the yard was very quiet. Not a peep from the other birds.
The squirrels kept a low profile too.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Season's Greetings (There She Goes OOB), Think Big #20 Christmas (PTI)

Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper:   Solar White (Neena 110 lb.), Real Red, Whisper White

Other:  Copic Markers, Stitched Shapes Thinlits (SU), Infinity Circles (HA), Flower Soft, Dazzling Details

Gardenia Love

Hello friends.  I hope the weekend has started off well for you.

I've been busy in the studio this week.

I used both the Gorgeous Gardenia dies, painting both  pieces with some
Frost White Paint that my dear friend Loll sent me.

I went over the leaves with some watercolor paint.

The background was watercolored with some Vintage Photo Distress ink
smooshed on my palette and picked up with a waterbrush.
I used the wet on wet technique on Mixed Media Paper.

When dry, I randomly stamped the script and postmark with some
Vintage Photo ink that had been stamped off. (2nd generation stamping.)

I painted some more Vintage photo on a scrap of mixed media paper and
die cut with the love die.

The piece is mounted on foam and the card base is Acrylic Paper.
I love the texture and color of acrylic paper.

 The Flower Challenge#5 is to CASE (Copy and Share Everything)

a card by the Guest Designer Therese. Here is her card...

I used the same die and watercolor as my CASE elements.

A big thank you to The Flower Challenge for choosing this card

as a Top Pick last month!

              Memory Box Challenge #21                                          Simon Says Wednesday Challenge

                                                                                                               FANTASTIC FLORALS 

The CAS Watercolour Card Challenge is open until the 24th.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  French Foliage (retired SU)

Ink:   Vintage Photo (Distress)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore), Acrylic (Strathmore)

Other:  Heartfelt Die (PB), Gorgeous Gardenia dies (MB )(I'm sorry but it looks like only the background die is still available.), Frost White paint (Tsukineko)

Wishing You Love Reminder for CAS Watercolour Card Challenge

 There's just over a week left at the
  CAS Watercolour Card  Challenge.

There's lots of loving entries in the gallery.

The Design Team and our talented Guest Designer, Michelle have
some more inspiration cards for you to enjoy.

Hope to see your's there too.

DH and I recently went to Virginia for a few days.
While he was in meetings, I played with my Koi travel set
and some previously stamped pieces.

This piece hadn't stamped clearly but I decided to try to salvage it.

After I colored the butterfly and did a very light wash on the background,
I took my Extra Fine Point Black Sharpie and dotted the fine tip around the
outline of the butterfly where it hadn't stamped well.
This technique is called Pointillism.

I finished it off with one of my favorite Penny Black sentiments.

I'm thinking about adding some sequins.
I'm not sure that I want them.
What do you think?

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Wonderful Wings (retired SU)

Ink:   Basic Black Archival (SU)

Paper:   Strathmore (140 lb. cold press), Basic Black (SU)

Other:  Koi Watercolors, Black Extra Fine Point Sharpie

The Sweetest Sound for CAS Mix Up Reminder

We're halfway through the month of February already!

CAS Mix Up 
is still going strong.

We've had some wonderful entries in the gallery and once again our
Design Team has wonderful inspiration for you.

I'm enjoying using corrugated cardboard for die cuts.

The ripples do flatten a bit but a paper piercing tool works well for fluffing them up again.

Speaking of fluffing, these lovely birds are fluffing their wings
and tweeting that Spring is coming.

I die cut with a Penny Black die that my sweet friend Loll sent me.

I had seen this awesome card by Donna (Room In A Cupboard) a while back and bookmarked it.

And Maura's card in the CAS Mix Up gallery last month insprired the layout.

After die cutting and fluffing feathers, I wiped some Gesso on the birds and let it dry.

Then I smooshed some Embossing paste on their tummies with my finger and let it dry.

I found the stamped piece in my UFO box and over-stamped it with a
leaf stamp that had been inked in green and used my Aqua Painter to move the paint around.
(Some of the leaves were solid and some outlined.)

The frame was in my UFO box too and it seemed to fit quite well.

Go ahead and cut up one of those boxes your NBUS goodies came in and join us at
CAS Mix Up.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Etched Branches (PB), Dream a Little (retired SU)

Ink:   Sahara Sand, Pear Pizzazz (SU)

Paper:  Crumb Cake (SU), Watercolor (Strathmore 140 lb. cold press), Mixed Media (Strathmore)  

Other:  The Sweetest Sound Die (PB), Cardboard from box, Gesso (Faber Castell), Embossing Paste (Wendy Vecchi)

Valentine

A simple Valentine for DH.

I placed a corrugated cardboard on a snippet that had been embossed with a die and
ended up being very crooked on the card front.  I'd cut it out and saved it.

I added it all to a piece of embossed trees because DH love the woods.
(He noticed those trees, BTW.)

Since it has corrugated cardboard, I'll add it to the gallery at
CAS Mix Up

My mixed media are stamping, corrugated cardboard and dry embossing.


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Eloquence (PB)

Ink:   Cherry Cobbler (SU)

Paper:   Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White (SU), 

Other:  Corrugated Cardboard, Woodland EF (SU), Primitive Hearts Bigz Die (Sizzix)

Light Touch with Stains

I love my red geraniums in the summertime. 

So when Penny Black came out with this stamp, it went on my list.

This is it's first outing, a NBUS, and I had a fun time with it.

I inked it up with Distress Stains and stamped on watercolor paper.

It was pretty wet so I let it dry then added some more stain 

in a few spots and stamped again.

By using my MISTI, it was easy to get more than one stamping.

I used Distress Markers for the butterfly and sentiment.

The frame was a leftover from cutting the next to largest 

Stitched Mat Rectangle die from Lil' Inkers.

I'm going to link up with

Penny Black and More                                       Penny Black Saturday Challenge

                USE YOUR FAVOURITE STAMP                           TRY SOMETHING NEW                     

                       This is my new favorite.                                                   A new stamp. 

    

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Light Touch (PB), Friendship Messages (SSS)

Ink:   Distress Stains (Festive Berries, Barn Door, Mowed Lawn), Distress Markers (Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Black Soot, Pine Needles)

Paper:   Watercolor Paper (TH), Solar White (Neena 110 lb.)

Other:  

Papercrafting Class

We've just had another Papercrafting Class here.

I thought I'd share what we did.

Wish you could have joined us!

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Penny Black, CASual Friday, SU

Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black, Marina Mist, Soft Sky (SU)

Paper:   Solar White (Neena 110 lb.), Basic Black, Soft Sky, Whisper White, Irresistable (SU)

Other:  Dies (PB, CF, MB, SB), Bird Builder Punch (retired SU), White EP (SU), Black Ribbon (Michaels)

Touch of Nature

I recently watercolored some long ago stamped pieces.

I painted this little guy as what we refer to as a LBJ (Little Brown Job).

We're using corrugated cardboard this month at
 CAS Mix Up
so I added a cardboard mat and heart.

I really like the added texture and color of the cardboard
on this card.

My mixed media are stamping, corrugated cardboard, watercolor,
distressed edges, tearing and dry embossing.

Here's another card using this stamp.

this time it's a chickadee.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Touch of Nature (retired SU)

Ink:   Jet Black StazOn

Paper:   Naturals Ivory (ret. SU), Cheap Watercolor, Acrylic (Strathmore), Basic Black (SU)

Other:  Koi Watercolors, Cardboard from box, Primitive Hearts Bigz Die (Sizzix), Stately EF (Craft Concepts), White Gel Pen

CAS Poinsettias for Merry Monday

Kathy's challenge at Merry Monday this week is a favorite of mine.

I used a NBUS die from Simon Says Stamp and popped it over a piece of 

Inka Gold smoosh background.

I die cut again from some green cardstock and inlaid the leaves.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Merry Christmas Messages (HA)

Ink:   Raspberry Ripple (ret. SU)

Paper:   Raspberry Ripple, Very Vanilla (SU), Garden Green

Other:  Poinsettia Parade Die (SSS), Inka Gold (Lava Red, Platinum), Basic Rhinestones (SU)

Signs of Spring

Look what I found in my yard this morning.

There were some Red Winged Blackbirds visiting too but they were
high up in the tree and I couldn't get a picture.

Those of you that are buried under snow, note that Spring is on the way.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

What Color is Love?

I've had fun lately playing with alcohol inks.

I did several panels using the Alcohol Ink Smoosh technique on Yupo paper

 that Loll shared with us.

This Simon Says Stamp Stitched Heart Collage Die

 is perfect for showing off these backgrounds.

You'll probably be seeing more cards using this die and the smooshed Yupo.

I made lots!

This week's Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is

THE COLOR OF LOVE

Simon Says Monday Challenge is

YOUNG AT HEART

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Essential Greetings (SSS)

Ink:   VersaMark, Alcohol Ink (Adirondack Shell Pink, Poppy Field, Gold)

Paper:   Solar White (Neena 110 lb.), Yupo, Gold Foil (SU)

Other:  Stitched Heart Collage Die (SSS), Stitched Snowdrifts Die (MFT), Gold EP (SU)

Doing the Bubble Wrap Smoosh

We're down to the final days of Darnell's last NBUS Challenge to celebrate her 

5 years of blogging (birthaversary), her more than 1000 followers and

1000+ posts.  What a lot to celebrate! Congratulations, my friend!

Her last challenge, like the 2 previous ones, requires something from our

NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff) pile and an optional challenge

of using bubble wrap or bubbles or some other unusual material.

I was intrigued by the bubble wrap backgrounds Darnell and other friends shared

and had to give it a try.  I have lots of the big bubble wrap but not much of the little stuff.

Most of the small bubble wrap came from the inside of padded envelopes and it's kind of squished.

But I decided to go with what I had.

I tried the big stuff and alcohol ink.

It looked like green eyeballs! Eek!

I dropped some more alcohol ink on a piece of the little bubble wrap

and put pressed the green eyeball piece on it.

It helped some but still not great.

So I though, what if I smoosh the  piece into the bubble wrap.

I laid the paper on the inked bubble wrap, pressed down good,

and twisted it smooshing the ink onto the glossy paper.

Now that was fun!

(This isn't that piece.)

So I smooshed some more pieces.

But I was loosing the circles. 

So I spritzed with some more blending solution and

pressed the piece into the bubble wrap again.

Had some circles.

That made me happy!

My NBUS is the Fern Die.  I die cut it 3 times and glued the pieces

 to give it some extra thickness so it wouldn't get lost against the background.

The top layer of the fern is a piece of retired Irrestistable Paper that was laying out.

It has shiny, white dots on it and goes well with that glossy paper.

I also shaped the leaves after the glue had dried.

(Well it was almost dry.)

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  

Ink:   Adirondack Alcohol Ink (Sandal, Indigo, Gold Mixative)

Paper:   Glossy (It was a gift from a friend), Snippets of Neena 110 lb., Irresistibly Yours Paper (retired SU)

Other:  NBUS Pair of Ferns (Cheery Lynn Designs), Bubble Wrap, Blending Solution (Adirondack)