Saturday, June 30, 2018

Turning the Page July 2018

Tomorrow we turn the page on our calendars to a new month.

I make calendars each year and I've been sporadic about sharing them with you so
I thought I'd set up a regular post on the last day of each month "Turning the Page".

I hope you enjoy these posts.

Here's our July page.


 By the way, the calendars are clipped together and can be displayed on an easel
or hung on a push pin or magnetic hook.  We all have a different way to display them.


Happy July!

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!




Card Recipe
Stamps:  Insightful Meadows (Unity), Timeless Textures (SU)
Ink:  Markers Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire, Peeled Paint (D), Real Red (SU)
Paper:   Neena 110 lb.
Other:  Slightly damp water brush


Friday, June 29, 2018

June Flower-Rose

Hello friends.  I'm so glad you could stop by today!

Today I'm sharing June's Flower.


This started out with the rose at the top of a longer piece of cardstock.

I stamped the sentiment crooked. Bah!

Fortunately I was able to salvage the rose!  Barely!

I used my MISTI to stamp this, and used Distress Markers
for color.  Once stamped, I moved the color with my
water brush and stamped again.

To add extra shading, I swiped a marker on my palette and
picked up a little color with the water brush to add here and there.

The design piece is popped up on a piece of foam.

Challenges:

 



Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!


Card Recipe
Stamps:  Year of Flowers Collection (PTI), Agapanthus (TT)
Ink:   Tattered Rose, Abandoned Coral, Peeled Paint (DM), Onyx Black (VF)
Paper:   Neenah, Blush Blossom (SU), Mixed Media (St)
Other:  Double Pierced Rectangle (AE)


Thursday, June 28, 2018

Reindeer in Plaid

Hello friends.  I'm glad you stopped by!


I had this negative left over in my UFO box and I
kept looking at it and wondering what to do with it.
I couldn't decide so it kept going back in the box.

Before die cutting the deer, I had stamped a piece of watercolor 
paper with the Sanded background stamp and Soft Suede ink.
Using a water brush, I moved the ink around to give it a washed look.

You can see the deer on this card.

I think this deer looks quite dashing in plaid.

is a Christmas card challenge that is anything goes as long as it's Christmas.
Mo holds this challenge the 25th of every month until the end.

At Merry Monday Nina is asking for
This is the last challenge for Merry Monday.
I'm so sad they are closing down.
They have been a weekly part of my life for a long time.
Thanks for all the wonderful challenges you've provided
and all that inspiration!

Challenges:

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.


Enjoy!


Card Recipe
Stamps:  Believe (PB), Sanded (ret. SU)
Ink:   Onyx Black (Versafine)
Paper:   Rustic Cream (PTI), Garden Green (SU), Watercolor (140 lb. Strathmore)
Other:  Prancing Deer BIGZ (Sizzix), Water Brush


Saturday, June 23, 2018

Fluttering with CAS Mix Up

Hello friends.  I'm glad you stopped by!

I've had a difficult time getting a good photo of this card.
Using embossing powders, stamping, heat embossing and die cuts


I used the same technique as on this card.

Here's a close up.  All that blue is glitter embossing powder.
It really sparkles!

Check out the challenge site for video tutorials of techniques
using layered embossing powders.


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!




Card Recipe
Stamps:  Enjoy (PB)
Ink:   WOW Emb. pad
Paper:   Neenah
Other:  Cardboard, Clear Gloss EP (WOW), Liquid Platinum EP (Ranger), Shabby Blue EP (Stampendous), Flower Background die (AE) 


Friday, June 22, 2018

Pines and Paneling

Hello friends.  I'm glad you could stop by today.


This week's Merry Monday Challenge is hosted by my
dear friend Marcia.  And she chose.....
I was inspired by the paneling and pine sprigs.  I loved the red peppermints but didn't have
any stamps that would work, so I chose a piece of red and green plaid ribbon to
mimic the colors of the candies.

I'm also going to enter this at the Poppystamps Challenge

and I'll add this to the gallery at CAS Christmas where Christine is hosting.


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!


Card Recipe
Stamps:  Yuletide (Kaisercraft), Mixed Christmas Sentiments (HLS)
Ink:   Real Red
Paper:   Crumb Cake, Watercolored Smoosh Background
Other:  Pine Sprigs (PS), Forest Pine Branch (MB), Ribbon , Wooden Snowflake (SU)


Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Flamingo Fun

Hi there.  I'm so glad  you stopped by today!

Today I have two cards for the Twofer #6 Challenge.
I had so much fun with these cards!





I had a palm tree die in my NBUS box and after failing miserably to do two
cards with a tree stamp, my eyes fell on this.

I wondered if the palm leaves would spiff up a flamingo?

Do flamingos fly?

This one does! Or he's thinking about it!

Or maybe someone ruffled his feathers?


I stamped the flamingo on a snippet of mixed media paper, (blank space
from the offending first tree trial), tapped it with a water brush 
and die cut it when it was dry.

Then I die cut two palm trees from more of the mixed media paper
and colored one to match the flamingo after cutting off the trunk.

I put it on a piece of splattered Gelato that I did with the girls at ESCR.
The colors were perfect!

A dear friend had sent me some PPP Marshmallow Confetti and
I thought it would add just the right embellishment.

For my Twofer...

I went more traditional with the second card die cutting it from more
of that mixed media paper.

I sponged some color on the palm tree, then moved the ink with a water brush
adding a few little trunk marks with a Distress Marker.

All I had to do was pop it on a piece of watercolor smoosh
from my background stash and frame it.

I'm thinking this would make a great retirement card!

Since I used snippets of mixed media paper, I'm going to drop by
where I haven't had time to play in ages!

Hope to see you in the Twofer Gallery!


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!



Card Recipe (card 1)
Stamps:  Fabulous Flamingo (Reverse Confetti)
Ink:   Pink Pirouette (SU), Picked Raspberry, Hickory Smoke (DI), Onyx Black (Versafine)
Paper:   Mixed Media (St), Coastal Cabana (SU), Neenah
Other:  Fabulous Flamingo Die (RC), Palm Tree Die (wish, Gelatos, Splatter Brush (TH), Marshmallow Confetti (PPP), Water Brush

Card Recipe (card 2)
Stamps:  Enjoy (ret. SU)
Ink:   Chocolate Chip, Wild Wasabi, Garden Green, Crumb Cake, Brown Sugar (SU), Vintage Photo (DM)
Paper:   Mixed Media (St), Neenah
Other:  Palm Tree Die (wish), Stitched Square Die (SSS), Marshmallow Confetti (PPP), Sponge Dauber, Water Brush

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Woodland Tree for CAS Christmas Reminder

Hello friends.  Whoosh! This month is halfway over!

I have another masculine Christmas card to share.


Theres still about a week to join in at CAS Christmas where Christine is hosting.
The Design Team and our Guest Designer Bobby,
have some more awesome inspirational pieces to show you.

You can find a link to instructions and video for layered embossing on this post.

This time I used the "skin" that was left over on the parchment paper
from other die cuts.

I melted clear embossing powder on this Tim Holtz die cut tree
then laid the pieces of "skin" on top and let the pieces melt together.

It turned out really shiny and has interesting patterns.

The stars behind the tree are heat embossed too.
The shine isn't showing in the photo.

This also fits with the CAS Mix Up Challenge
My mixed media are Layered Embossing Powders, Stamping, Heat Embossing and Die Cuts

Both challenges end on the 24th.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!



Card Recipe
Stamps:  In the Meadow (PTI), Star of Light (SU)
Ink:   Encore Gold
Paper:   Fresh Forest (FSJ), Linen
Other:  Woodlands Die (TH), Gold EP (SU), Mixed EP Skin


Saturday, June 16, 2018

At the Shore for CAS Watercolour

Hello friends.  So glad you could stop by!

There's just a week left for our June CAS Watercolour challenge.


This month I chose the challenge.

I found a piece of watercolor in my UFO box.

I had used watercolor crayons and a water brush to create an ocean scene.

Then I stamped some little sand dollars and starfish that were 
way to big for the size of the scene!

I decided to see if I could fix it into a usable piece.
Nothing to lose, right?
And giant starfish and sand dollars are a bit unnerving!

I put a drop each of Sahara Sand and Crumb Cake re-inkers into the dips in a palette.

I wet the sand area with a water brush then picked up a bit of re-inker on
my brush and dropped it into the wet sand.

I kept adding more until I'd covered up the offending shells.

When it was dry, I cut it in half and added some birds to the scene.


I stamped sea oats on the other half.

I added a bit of white gel pen to the waves.

Better than before anyway.

I hope you'll check out the lovely ocean designs at
Our Design Team is joined by our Guest Designer Robyn (Waterlily cards by Robyn).


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!




Card Recipe 
Stamps:  Seaside (wish), Fun Birthday Sentiments (HLS)
Ink:   Vintage Sepia (VF), Smokey Gray (VF), Onyx Black (VF)
Paper:   Rustic Cream (PTI), Watercolor (Strathmore 140 lb. cold press), Neenah
Other:  Watercolor Crayons (retired SU), Water Brush, Gelly Roll Pen


Friday, June 15, 2018

Enamel Stars for CAS Mix Up

Hello friends.  I'm glad you could stop by.

We're halfway through the month and I have another CAS Mix Up card to share.

Using embossing powders, stamping, heat embossing, and die cutting

Loll is our hostess at CAS Mix Up this month

I've used the same technique that I used on this card.

I've used mainly white and gold embossing powder on this one.

I love how the heated powders move and swirl!

I've added one medium and two small stars to some sparkle paper
that I've had for ages.  I fear I'm coming to the end of it.  Hope I can find more.

The sentiment is stamped and heat embossed on a snippet of gold
and I tucked some gold thread behind it.


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!



Card Recipe
Stamps:  Christmas Sentiments (Kaisercraft)
Ink:   Whisper White (SU)
Paper:   Neenah, Sparkle, Gold Metallic
Other:  Cardboard, EP (clear, white, gold), Gold Thread


Thursday, June 14, 2018

Christmas Barn

Hello friends.  I'm glad you stopped by.


The boys are hanging out with us this week and Jack has been keeping busy in
the studio playing with Brushos.  But I was able to put together a quick
card for Merry Monday where Leanne is hosting.

I have one barn stamp and it was in my NBUS box just waiting to make a debut!

Serendipity makes and sells this stamp.

I stamped it with Pumice Stone Distress ink and let it dry.

I colored the barn by putting some ink on my palette and picking up
color with a water brush.

When the ink was dry, I stamped again with VersaMark and embossed 
with heat and clear embossing powder.  Then I could do a wet
on wet wash for the sky without the ink from the design running.

The wreath was made by stamping a tiny snowflake stamp with green ink.
I used punches to make it into a wreath.

Some chunky Frantage added some texture and a snowy scene.

I'm also going to add this to the gallery at
CAS Christmas where Christine is hosting.

I think this will go to my nephew who farms.


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!



Card Recipe
Stamps:  Barn and Windmill (Serendipity), Christmas Treasures (Wish)
Ink:   Pumice Stone, Fired Brick, Faded Jeans, Stormy Sky, Pine Needles (DI), VersaMark
Paper:   Mixed Media (St), Neenah
Other:  Water Brush, Clear EP, Chunky Frantage EP (Stampendous)


Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Alcohol Inked Leaves

Hello, friends.



This card uses a Penny Black die that was in my NBUS box.

It was cut from a piece of photo paper inked with greens and blending solution.
(I used a felt pad and applicator to do the inking.)

The die cut frame was glued (very carefully with a fine tip)
to a stitched die cut rectangle then layered on another alcohol ink
piece done in the same colors.


On this card, I used some more of the same alcohol inked piece
as the previous leaves. 

I die cut these leaves with a Poppystamps die then used the negative as a
stencil to add some embossing paste to a background.

For added interest, I dry embossed a strip of white cardstock
to put behind my framed leaves.

Entering at Just Us Girls



Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!



Card Recipe (card 1)
Stamps:  Banner SEntiments (PTI)
Ink:   Old Olive (SU)
Paper:   Neena, Photo (Kodak)
Other:  Alcohol inks (Ranger), Framed Flowers Die (PB),Stitched Rectangle Die (SSS)

Card Recipe (card 2)
Stamps:  Happy Snippets (PB)
Ink:  Gumball Green
Paper:  Neena, Textured White (SU), Photo (Kodak)
Other:  Alcohol inks (Ranger), Lorelai Leaf (PS), Embossing Paste (WV), Stitched Frames Die (MFT), Woodgrain EF (SU)


Sunday, June 10, 2018

Winter Tree

Hello friends.  I'm glad you could stop by today!


This month, Christine is hosting at 

I used a piece of salted background left over from these cards
and stamped this winter tree on it. The MISTI enabled me to get a nice 
dark stamping on the watercolor paper.

I added snow with a Snow Marker and heated it to make it puffy.

Surgically separating the sentiment made it easy to stamp it in two colors.

Bobby (bits and pieces) is our Guest Designer this month.
She and the Design Team have some amazing inspiration pieces!

I hope you'll add to your masculine Christmas card stash and join us.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!



Card Recipe
Stamps:  Tree (Seaside Stampin' Ink)
Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black, Real Red (SU)
Paper:   Neena, Basic Black (SU), Watercolor (Arches CP)
Other:  Gansai Tambi Watercolors (#61 Cornflower, #64 Blue, #66 Menthol Violet), Sea Salt, Himalayan Fine Pink Salt, Snow Marker (Marvy), Cheery Cardinals Die (PS)


Angel Kisses

Hello friends.  I'm glad you could stop by.

I wasn't sure I would get a card done for Merry Monday this week.
But thanks to my UFO box, I got one done quickly.


This week Linda is hosting the challenge.

When I saw Marcia's card I remembered that I had this image
stamped, colored and tucked away for future use.

I had stamped this a long time ago when stamping with friends
and even got it colored.

You know how it goes.  You stamp a bunch of stuff and it 
gets set aside for later. 

The background was also in the UFO box.  I had used some gold
stenciling creme to do some stars.  I didn't do a really good job on them
but it wasn't bad enough to throw away.

There's only a few showing and some tiny stars punched
from gold foil filled in.

I edged the background with some gold ink and heat embossed it 
in gold to go along with the sentiment.


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!


Card Recipe
Stamps:  Manger Kiss (Stampendous), Christmas Sentiments (Kaisercraft)
Ink:   Encore Gold, Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:  Neenah, Gold Foil (SU) 
Other:  Stitche Arch Stax (MFT), Gold EP (SU), Metallic Gold Modelling Creme (Viva), Star Stencil (SU), Stars Border Punch (SU)