Turning the Page June 2020

Time to turn the page on our calendars to a new month.

I make calendars each year for my desk and my family.

I thought I'd set up a regular post on the last day of each month to share them.

I hope you enjoy my “Turning the Page” posts.

Here's our June 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.

If you would like a word document with the calendar, 
email me (bonklass(at)gmail(dot)com.

and I will be glad to send it to you so you can design your own.

If your email address is not in your profile, I have no way to send this to you.

Email link is in my profile on the sidebar.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Fluttering Flowers

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

Today I'm playing with the MFT Color Challenge using these colors.

I was lucky to win their last challenge and

I'm excited to have a chance to go shopping!

I don't have the exact colors but I think I came close.

I place the flowers in MISTI and inked with markers, then did the same

with a foliage sprig.

The butterfly is from a NBUS set that was heat embossed and watercolored.

The cardstock was some specialty that I found in my stash.

I love the texture!

Challenges:

MFT Color Challenge 142 - Natural, Sno Cone, Limelight, Jelly Bean Green

NBUS - Never Before Used Schtuff

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Flower Silhouettes, Fluttering Friends (MFT)

Ink:   Sahara Sand, Baha Breeze, Lucky Limeade, Old Olive (SU), WOW Emb.

Paper:  Specialty (?), Neenah

Other:  Fluttering Friends Die, Gold EP, Stitched Rectangle Die (SSS)

Glittery Snowman for Jingle Belles

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

Another card for the Christmas stash.  How's your Christmas stash growing?

I used an acetate image from Stamp On It and some of their Glitter Film.

It makes a super easy card with lots of sparkle!

Jingle Belles is asking for bling.  Glitter is in their list and this certainly has the glitter!

Challenges:

Jingle Belles - BLING on the Holidays

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Scripty Holiday (GKD)

Ink:   Island Indigo (SU)

Paper:   Neenah, Gold Foil (card 2)

Other:  Vintage Hues Acetate, Glitter Film (Stamp On It), Kars Snowflake EF (ret. Cuttlebug), Stitched Square Die (LI), Infinity Circle Dies (HA)

Wings and Petals

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

Have you seen any butterflies yet?
I saw a couple a few weeks back but none since then.
I hope our butterfly bush will attract some.

I found this little guy in the studio.

He was already watercolored and all he needed was a place to land.

The background was in my background box and I didn't make note of 

how I did it.  My best guess is that it's mixed media paper smooshed in 

Distress ink or SU reinkers.?!

I used a Memory Box die for the background and added some

die cut daisies.  I thought about adding color to the daisies, but decided

I liked them au naturale.

I hope this brings a little bit of a sunshiny feeling to you!

Challenges:

Memory Box Outside the Box #61- May Flowers 

Poppystamps #68 - Winged Things

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Happy Snippets (PB)

Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black

Paper:   Neenah, Watercolor, Mixed Media

Other:  Daisy Silhouette Die, Distressed Windham Collage Die (MB), Stitched Butterfly Trio (PS)

A Wreath for Rudolph Days

Hi there.  I'm glad you stopped in!

It's time for another Rudolph Days Challenge.

Our friend Maureen (Scraps of Life by Scrappymo) host this challenge

every month from the 25th to the end of the month to help us build

a stash of Christmas cards through the year.  We can make anything we want

as long as it's Christmas.

A sweet friend sent me this beautiful wreath die cut a while back.

I love the simple design and the size of it.

I adhered it onto a piece of embossed cardstock and die cut

a sentiment to go with it.

I found a piece of plaid ribbon in my stash and added it along

with some Nuvo Crystal Drops.

Easy peasy with the help of my friend!

How's your Christmas stash coming along?

Challenges:

Rudolph Days - Anything Goes Christmas Card

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  

Ink:   

Paper:   Neenah, Shaded Spruce (PB)

Other:  Jovial Wreath Die (MB), Greetings Die (PB), Autumn Red Nuvo Crystal Drops

Memorial Day

Hi.  Welcome to my blog.

Today we celebrate Memorial Day.

This is a Power Poppy Digital image.  I've loosely colored it with my Zigs

and lots of water.

WHY IS THE POPPY A SYMBOL OF MEMORIAL DAY?

In the war-torn battlefields of Europe, the common red field poppy (Papaver rhoeas) was one of the first plants to reappear. Its seeds scattered in the wind and sat dormant in the ground, only germinating when the ground was disturbed—as it was by the very brutal fighting of World War 1.

John McCrae, a Canadian soldier and physician, witnessed the war first hand and was inspired to write the now-famous poem “In Flanders Fields” in 1915. (See below for the poem.) He saw the poppies scattered throughout the battlefield surrounding his artillery position in Belgium.

“In Flanders Fields”

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Challenges:

Power Poppy Creative Confetti - Walk in the Garden

PS: There's still a great sale going on at Power Poppy!

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps: Perfect Poppies Digital (Power Poppy), Snippets (PB)

Ink:   Old Olive

Paper:   Mixed Media, Old Olive, Watercolor (Strathmore 300 Series)

Other:  Long Classic Rectangle (SPL), Zig CCRBM (50 yellow, 20 Red, 24 Wine Red, 46 Mid Green, 43 Olive Green, 72 Dk. Brown, 239 Spruce Green)

Full Bloom More Twofer

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

I hope you're feeling healthy and creative these days.

card #1 - Sympathy

This is super Quick Clean and Simple (QCAS)!

Stamp twice on white cardstock with black ink, die cut a piece from the middle,

mount it on a piece of contrasting cardstock just a bit bigger and stick it on top.

Monochrome is what the Flower Challenge is looking for this month,

Twofer - Birthday

This one took a bit more time.  I stamped and watercolored with

Gansai Tambi paints.  This little black strip of straight cutting was laying

beside my paper cutter.  Straight little strips aren't the norm around here

so I added it to this card. 

Challenges:

The Flower Challenge: Monochrome

Twofer Challenge: Flowers

Penny Black Saturday: Anything Goes/(Optional Inspired by a Song)
Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes/(Optional Tropical)

 

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Edited to correct...the stamp is Full of Glee not Full Bloom by Penny Black.  Oops

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Full of Glee (PB)

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black

Paper:  Neenah, Basic Black (SU)

Other:  Double Pierced Rectangles Dies (AE)

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  Full Bloom, Heartfelt (PB)

Ink:  Archival Shadow Gray, Versafine Onyx Black

Paper:   Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. cold press), Neenah, Basic Black (SU)

Other:  Gansai Tambi Watercolors (139 Purple, 54 Olive, 61 Cornflower Blue), XStitch Borders (Gina Marie), Black Twine (FSJ)

Sliced Strawberries

Hi there.  I hope this finds you healthy and happy.
Thanks for stopping by.

 

Barbara's Power Poppy Challenge

Since we've been getting fresh, juicy, local strawberries, this digital stamp

had to come out.

I've colored it with Arteza Twimarkers and added some white gel pen

and a bit of Multiliner to the berries.

Then I measured it off and cut it in thirds.  I was ecstatic to see that it didn't

ruin the whole piece! 

Challenges:

Power Poppy Creative Confetti - Rule of Thirds

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  

Ink:   

Paper:   

Other:  

More Gesso Resist

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

I've been playing with gesso again.

I've put some of my thick gesso through a stencil and let it dry.  Then I ink

blended some Scattered Straw Distress ink over the design, wiping it off the gesso.

There's a bit of texture stamping in the top left corner under the die cut.

The die cut was cut twice and glued together then watercolored.

After the watercoloring was dry, I brushed a little Transfer Gel Duo 

over the top and let it dry.  I used some little bits of left over foil

to rub on the gel to give the flower some golden highlights.

My mixed media are Gesso Resist, Die Cutting, Watercoloring, Foiling

Stamping,  Heat Embossing, Dry Embossing and Splattering.

Challenges:

CAS Mix Up - Gesso Resist

Craft Stampers Magazine Take It Make It - Anything Goes

Krafty Chicks - CAS

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe 

Stamps:  Botanical Blocks (PTI), Texture Stamp (Darkroom Doory

Ink:   Scattered Straw (DI), Whisper White (SU)

Paper:   Neenah, Mixed Media (Strathmore 400 series), Basic Black (SU)

Other:  Gesso (Faber Castell), Stencil (TH), Magic Poppy Die (Alexandra Renke), Transfer Gell Duo, Foil, Stately EF (ret. Craft Concepts)

Jingle Bells Kickstart with the Chicks

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

I have a couple of cards today.

First off a fun one.

This stamp set was a Christmas gift from a sweet friend.  

I love that I could break it out for the Jingle Belles Challenge who want bells

and for the Krafty Chicks challenge.

I've colored using Zigs and the colors and sketch from challenges at 

My Favorite Things, who made this delightful stamp.

(Oops, the Sketch Challenge has ended.  Drat.)

I used another set that the same sweet friend gave me.

This one is from Power Poppy and is colored with Arteza Twimarkers.

Christmas Kickstart is asking for a wreath.

Since both of these sets are getting their initiation, I'll take them

over to Darnell's NBUS challenge.

Challenges:

Christmas Kickstart: Wreathed in Christmas Smiles

Jingle Belles: Those Christmas Bells

Krafty Chicks: Christmas

MFT Color Challenge: Use Grout Gray, Lemon Chiffon, Lush Lagoon, Steel Gray

NBUS Challenge 14: Never Before Used Schtuff

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Christmas sELFies, Jingle All the Way (MFT)

Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper:   Watercolor (TH, Pacific Point (SU), Neenah Solar White

Other:  Zigs (32 Persian Blue, 51 Lemon, 91 Lt. Gray, 71 Flesh 220 Tea Rose), Twimarker (321 Charcoal Gray), Double Pierced Squares (Avery Elle), Crackle EF (Darice, Glitter Pen

Card Recipe (cars 2)

Stamps:  Berry Sweet Holiday (PP)

Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black, Real Red ink and marker (SU)

Paper:   Neenah Classic Natural, Baked Brown Sugar (ret. SU)

Other: Arteza Twimarkers (195 Green, 207 Forest Green, 114 Ruby Red, 335 Raw Umber), Subtle EF (SU), Xstitch EF (ret. SU), Gold Twine, Gold Dazzling Details (SU)

Layered Stencils

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped in.

How are things in your neck of the woods?
I hope all is well with you and yours.

Hilary is hosting CAS Stencil this month...

I've sponged some Peacock Feathers and Mowed Lawn Distress ink on a piece
of Neena cardstock.  Using a mesh stencil, I added some Pine Needles ink, removed
the stencil and sprtized water on it, flipped it over and pressed it on the inked piece.
After blotting with a paper towel, I had some stencil monoprint.

When everything was good and dry, I placed this Bamboo stencil over top
and inked some Distress Black Soot ink through it.

I was able to cut the piece in half and get a second card from it.

Challenges:

CAS Stencil - Layered Stenciling

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Fun Birthday Sentiments (HLS), Thinking of You (ALT)

Ink:   Peacock Feathers, Mowed Lawn, Pine Needles, Black Soot (DI), Versafine Onyx Black

Paper:   Neenah, Basic Black

Other:  Texture Mesh Stencil (MB), Bamboo Stencil (Magenta)

Hollyhocks and TP

Hi there.  I'm so glad you popped in.
I sure enjoy the company during these quiet days!

Today I'm playing with the Flower Challenge, NBUS Challenge and Twofer Challenge,

This month Darnell is asking for FLOWERS.

How could I not participate in this one?

I've had this hollyhock stamp and die in my NBUS box for almost two years.
It's about time I got around to using them!

Card #1 - A birthday card

I've inked the stamp with Distress ink, spritzed with water and stamped

onto cold press watercolor paper. After I stamped, I moved the paper

over and stamped again.  I've die cut and watercolored some flowers

and placed them in the foreground with dimensionals to make them stand out.

A leftover strip of the watercolor paper worked for the sentiment and

I wove it through the flowers. To keep with the monochrome theme, the sentiment

was stamped with Aged Mahogany ink.  (That background pink is a much better

match for the flowers IRL, no matter what the camera thinks!)

My Non-conventional Twofer - a fun way to say hello

A sweet friend recently gifted me with this stamp and die set.

Isn't it adorable?  I giggled the whole time I was working on this card!

I used one of the Hollyhock dies to embossed the roll of tp.

The background was done the same way as card #1 except on a die cut 

Neenah square.  The little mouse was colored with watercolor pencils and

the embossed tp has a bit of watercolor on the flowers.

The background was cut freehand sort of in the shape of a roll of toilet paper.

Oh, in case you're worried, we have plenty of toilet paper.

So far...If this shortage doesn't last too much longer.

Challenges:

The Flower Challenge: Monochrome

NBUS Challenge:   Never Before Used Schtuff

Twofer Challenge: Flowers

 

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Full Bloom Hollyhocks (IO), Wildflowers (TT)

Ink:   Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry, Aged Mahogany (DI)

Paper:  Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. cold press), Petal Pink (SU), Neenah

Other:  Hollyhocks Die (IO), Double Pierced Rectangles (AE)

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  Full Bloom Hollyhocks (IO), TP (Inky Stamper)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Spun Sugar DI, WOW Embossing

Paper:   Neenah, Basic Black (SU)

Other:  Hollyhocks Die (IO), TP Did (Inky Stamper), Nested Wacky Stitched Square Die (Cottage Cutz), White, EP, Fancy Fans EF (ret. SU)

May CAS Challenge Reminder

Hi there.  How are you?

I'm glad you stopped by.
I have a long post today with reminders for the
CAS Challenges.

Changes are coming to the CAS Challenges starting next month.

The new CAS Mix Up Challenge will include a rotation of challenges ...
Mixed Media, Stencil, Watercolour (repeat).

At CAS Mix Up Linda has challenged us to use...

I used some thinner gesso this time and pounced it onto my script stamp with

some Cut & Dry foam, stamped it on some cardstock and let it dry while I 

washed the stamp.

When dry, I  used a make up brush to add Distress ink over the gesso.  

Then I used a baby wipe to get the ink off the gesso.  

BAD idea!

Either I was too heavy handed or the wipe was too juicy because

it caused the paper to pill.  I was able to save the small piece that you see here.

I sponge ink on the stem and leaves of the dandelion. I used some glue on

the flower piece and sprinkled some chunky white embossing powder on top to

get some texture.  I also dabbed the stem and leaves in my embossing pad

and heat set with some clear embossing powder.

Here's a close up.

My mixed media are Gesso Resist, Die Cutting, Sponging, Heat Embossing, Chunky Frantage, Embossing with Die and Stamping

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CAS Christmas is hosted by Loll

A sweet friend enclosed this pretty die cut in a card recently.

Her timing was perfect!

I've colored the greenery by picking up ink from an inkpad and

the berries with re-inker.  When it was all dry, I splattered with white

gouache paint and let it dry again.  To brighten it up, I went over it

with a Specturm Noir Clear Sparkle marker.

I found this embossed wreath in the Christmas box and popped the

bough on top.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CAS Watercolour where Jenny is asking for

The night sky is a piece of watercolor using Lindy's Magicals and

water done on some coated cardstock.

The die is an all in one.  I cut the tree part a second time from some

Glimmer paper and also the star. 

The starry sky was added with the help of a white gel pen.

This will be the last CAS Watercolour Challenge on this blog.

You can watercolor with us at CAS Mix Up in the future.

Challenges are open until the 24th.


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps: French Script Background (ret. SU), Happy Snippets (PB),

Ink:  Tumbled Glass, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint (DI), Pear Pizzazz (SU), WOW Embossing

Paper:  Neenah, Soft Sky (SU)

Other:  Gesso, Stitched Square Die (SSS), Wildflower Stems #1 (TH/Sizzix), Chunky White Frantage, Clear EP

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  Tis the Season (Serendipity/IO)

Ink:   Baked Brown Sugar, Garden Green (SU)

Paper:   Crumb Cake (SU), Textured White (?)

Other:  Silverdale Branch Die (MB), Real Red Re-inker (SU), Seasonal Wreath EF (SU), White Gouache Paint, Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle Brush, Jute Twine

Card Recipe (card 3)

Stamps:  

Ink:   

Paper:   Neenay, Coated, Glimmer (SU)

Other:  Delicate Pine Frame Die (MB), Star of Wonder Die (MB), Lind's Shaker Afternoon Delight Denim