Monday, August 31, 2020

Turning the Page September 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 September 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!




Sunday, August 30, 2020

Shaped Partridge for Christmas Kickstart

Hi there.  I'm glad you stopped by!


I have another card using the Power Poppy Partridge in a Pear Tree digi stamp.

I printed it out and colored with Zigs then used my Elegant Rectangle STAX
dies to cut it out and make a shaped card.

Challenges:



Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!


Card Recipe
Stamps:  Partridge in a Pear Tree (PP digital)
Ink:   
Paper: Neenah, Mixed Media (Strathmore 400 series)   
Other:  Zig CCRBM, Caran d'ache Supracolor Watercolor Pencils. Tumbled Glass Re-inker (for wash), Elegant Rectangle STAX die (MFT)


Saturday, August 29, 2020

Power Poppy Bee Hive





For the first Creative Confetti challenge this month, Barbara asked us too....

I veered away from a flower this time because I had this awesome NBUS 
Bee Kind Toile stamp set that I got with my winnings a couple of month's ago
from this challenge.  I thought a yellow bee hive would look awesome with
that ultramarine background.

I used a Zig to color the bee hive, a gold Gelly Roll pen to color the
table legs and Brusho powder with a drop or two of water to  get that
deep blue background.

I'm lovin' all the little bees in this set and I've already used them, so maybe
this isn't NBUS after all.  But the gold thin circle die was NBUS.

Oh, and the bees' wings shimmer with WOS.


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Bee Kind Toile (PP)
Ink:   Memento Rich Cocoa, Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:   Neenah Natural, Mixed Media (Strathmore 300 series), Neenah Eames Furniture, Gold Foil (SU)
Other: Elegant Rectangle STAX (MFT), Infinity Circles (HA), Circle Thin Frame (SSS), Brusho (Ultramarine), Zig CCRBM (Yellow), Gold Gelly Roll Pen, Clear Wink of Stella 


Friday, August 28, 2020

Print Making Butterfly

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


I've really been enjoying Kathy Racoosin's Print Making-Coloring technique but my
backgrounds always end up without much actual print but with a good wash background.

I Zoomed with some friends not long ago and we tried this technique together.

My dear and talented friend Loll, suggested using Distress ink smooshed onto a 
palette to do our coloring.

It took several tries but I finally got a Print Making background where I can see
the prints.  I found that Arches Cold Press really works best for the die cuts.  
Intense color on the die cuts also helps.

If you'd like to see more examples of this technique check out the
cards my friends have made.  You can click on their name to follow along.




Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!




Card Recipe (card 1)
Stamps:  Kind Words (Verve OOB)
Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black, Sea Glass (GKD), Pine Needles (DI)
Paper:   Watercolor (Arches CP for die cuts - Fabriano Extra White HP for background)
Other:  Moonlit Butterfly, Kaleidoscope Butterfly Dies (MB)

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Memory Box Merry Christmas

Hi.  I'm so glad you stopped by!


I recently borrowed a mini compressor from a friend and played
with alcohol inks! I used the compressor to blow the ink and alcohol around.
Where the ink was thick and sticky, I rubbed some Deco foil. I love the look! 

I've cut this beautiful ornament from the alcohol pieces and popped it atop
 a new embossing folder from Memory Box. Thanks for the enabling, Tina.  I
think I'll be using this a lot!

Challenges:
ABC Christmas - PQR are for...(Red Ornament)
Memory Box #64 - Happy Holidays
Rudolph Days - Anything Goes Christmas




Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Scripty Holiday (GKD)
Ink:   Encore Gold
Paper:   Gold Foil (SU), Neenah, Yupo
Other:  Alcohol Ink (Ranger), Deco Foil, Cabrini Ornament (MB), Glorious Leaves EF (MB), Gold EP


Monday, August 24, 2020

Shimmery, Sparkly Magnolias

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


A very sweet, dear friend recently sent me this Alexandra Renke Magnolia Duo die.
I was so excited to have it and couldn't wait to try it out!

After die cutting from watercolor paper, I watercolored the flower and bud 
with Distress Oxide inks,

Since the Flower Challenge was asking for sparkle this month, I added a good coat
of Wink of Stella.  Can you see the shimmer?


I remembered some rose colored Glimmer paper and die cut the blooms from it
and the stems from bits of Champagne Glimmer.

It certainly has sparkle!

Thank you dear friend.  I will enjoy this die for a long time to come.


Challenges:
NBUS #17 - Never Before Used Schtuff




Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!


Card Recipe (card 1)
Stamps:  Tiny Sayings (Ali)
Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black, Seedless Preseerves, Peeled Paint (DOX)
Paper:   Watercolor (Strathmore 300 series)
Other:  Two Magnolias (AR), Stitched Rectangles Die (SSS), Clear Wink of Stella

Card Recipe (card 2)
Stamps:  
Ink:   
Paper:   Rose Glimmer, Champagne Glimmer (SU), Neenah Natural
Other:  Two Magnolia Dies (AR), Large Letters EF (Kwan Crafts, Double Pierced Rectangle Dies (AE)

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Merry Christmas Bear

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


I found this fun bear in my Christmas UFO box.  The birches were in there too, 
and the stamped snowflakes.  They went together pretty well, I think.

I die cut the Merry Christmas banner and it was done.

I love it when I can use up some of those UFOs!

Challenges:
Jingle Belles - Use cardstock-no patterned paper

  



Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Christmas Pines (SU)
Ink:   Whisper White (SU)
Paper:   Crumb Cake, Real Red (SU), Watercolor (Strathmore), Textured
Other:  Birch Die (TH), Bear Die (Spellbinders Kit), Holiday Word Edgers (IO), Red Felt


Thursday, August 20, 2020

Sunny Twofer

Hi there.  I hope you are well and I'm glad you stopped by!


I'm playing in the Twofer Challenge today.
 
I dug out my one sunshine die and cut it from some bright yellow Brusho background.

For the first card, I die cut three sunshines and layered them. I also die cut
a stem and leaves from a Tim Holtz flower set.

I colored the stem while it was laying on a piece of watercolor paper and
let the color run off.  While it was good and wet, I turned it upside down and
pressed it onto the watercolor paper.

Since the flower was already colored, I spritzed one and pressed it onto the
watercolor background.

I used some prills for the flower seeds and stamped a
birthday sentiment.


For my twofer, I stamped and used Copics to color the sweet hedgehog
sitting on a flower.

The background was a mop up piece and I placed the hedgie
looking at the sun.  Actually he's looking at a bird flying over.  We
should never look directly at the sun!


I have a new computer and the colors look a bit off to me.  I hope they look
fine from your end.  I never know how my words are going to look either.
The keyboard keeps playing tricks on me! 😉


Challenges
Krafty Chicks - Clean and Simple Week
Penny Black Saturday Challenge. - ATG with option of "Make the Sentiment the Focus"
Penny Black and More - Say It With Flowers
Twofer #30 - Sun/Moon
Double D Challenge- Sunflowers 

 



Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!



Card Recipe (card 1)
Stamps:  Birthday Love (PB)
Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black
Paper:   Watercolor (TH), Neenah
Other:  Stitched Sun Die (LI -OOB), Bountiful Sunflower (for stem-for stem), Brushos, Prills


Card Recipe (card 2)
Stamps:  Just for You (PB), Many Everyday Messages (HA)
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:   Daffodil Delight (SU), Neenah
Other:  Stitched Sun Die (LI -OOB), Copics (E0000, E000, E00, E01, E13, E25, Y13, Y15, YG95, R81, R83, R29), Double Pierced Rectangle Die (AE), Brusho Mop Up piece

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Hot Summer Sunflower

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


Sunflowers are blooming around here.  They seem to love the hot Summer temps!

That's what Poppystamps is looking for this month.

I've die cut this gorgeous sunflower and colored it with Zigs and let the 
color run off onto a piece of watercolor paper.  For good measure, I've spritzed the
colored flower and pressed it face down on the background too.  You can watch
Kathy Racoosin do this technique here.

Sunflowers always make me smile.  I hope this makes you smile too!

A big thank you to Poppystamps for my win last month.


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Kind Words (Verve)
Ink:   Chocolate Chip (SU)
Paper:   Daffodil Delight (SU), Watercolor (Strathmore 300 series)
Other:  Bountiful Sunflower (PS), Zig CCRBM (Lemon Yellow, Yellow, Bright Yellow, Lt Green, Olive Green, Dark Brown), White Gel Pen


Sunday, August 16, 2020

Four Calling Birds

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

I've been working on my Christmas card stash.


I've pulled out an old wood mount stamp that I love.  It gave me another option
for Susan's 12 Days of Christmas challenge.

I did it in blue too.  Looks like there was a blizzard on this one.


I've stamped both with Memento ink and colored with Copics.

The sentiments are computer generated and I used some
heat embossing and dry embossing.

Challenges:
CAS Christmas - 12 Days of Christmas 
Christmas Kickstart - Snow is Falling
Krafty Chicks #520 - Christmas 

 
 


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!



Card Recipe
Stamps:  Birds (ret. Inkadinkado)
Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:   Cherry Cobbler, Brilliant Blue (SU), Neenah
Other:  Kars Snowflake EF (ret. Cuttlebug), Chunky White Frantage EP (Stampendous), Double Pierced Rectangle die (AE), Copics (B23, B24, Y17, E13, R29, R39, W4, W5, Y15, B0000, C0)


Saturday, August 15, 2020

Smell the Sea for CAS Mix Up

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

There's still time to join in at CAS Mix Up.


We're doing watercolor this month and Loll has challenge us with...

Our talented Design Team is joined by our Guest Designer, Brenda,
and there's wonderful inspiration there.

To make this piece, I liberally
wet Arches Watercolor paper and dropped in Gansai Tambi Watercolors 
and let the color move.  I sprayed with Shimmer Mist to add some sparkle and
help the color move some more.

When it was completely dry, stamped and heat embossed the sentiment.

The seagulls were die cut and colored with Arteza watercolor pencils
and a waterbrush.

I mounted the finished piece on piece of foam then onto 
the back of a mixed media pad cover.

Hope to see your beach cards in the gallery at

Challenge closes on the 24th.


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!


Card Recipe 
Stamps:  Smell the Sea (Lindsay Ostrom/IO)
Ink:   Wow Emb.
Paper:   Arches Cold Press, Strathmore Watercolor (for gulls), Back of mixed media pad cover
Other:  Gansai Tambi Watercolor (56 Marine Green, 57 Turquoise Green), Sea Birds Die (IO), Arteza Watercolor Pencils ( Pewter, Smoke Gray, Dolphin Gray and Rust Orange), Shimmer Spray (ret. SU)





Thursday, August 13, 2020

Sending Gnome Hugs

Hi there.  I hope you're doing well.


A while back, my friend Nance came over for a day of coloring while 
socially distancing.  It's good that I have a large room so we can easily keep our distance.
We kept our masks on too.

She brought some of her NBUS stamps and let me ink them up.

This gnome was one of them.

I stamped him with Memento ink on mixed media paper and colored him
with Zigs and my waterbrush.

Since I want to send this to a friend, I opted to use a sentiment from
a Simon Says Stamp set instead of the thanks stamp that came with the gnome.

Nance had gifted me with a gnome stamp a year or so ago.  He's been stamped
with Distress markers and colored. He's waited patiently to be added to a card.



Challenges:
Sunday Stamps - Color Challenge




Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!


Card Recipe (card 1)
Stamps:  Flowery Gnomes (SB), Sketched Flowers (SSS)
Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore), Grapesicle (MFT), Gorgeous Grape (SU)
Other:  Zig CCRBM (83 Lilac, 80 Violet, 53 Yellow Green, 46 Mid Green, 40 Green, 37 Cornflower Blue, 51 Lemon Yellow, 52 Bright Yellow), Subtle EF (SU), Double Pierced Rectangle Die (Avery Elle)

Card Recipe (card 2)
Stamps:  Gnome on a Swing (SB), Snippets (PB)
Ink:   Brushed Corduroy, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, Ripe Persimmon, Seedless Preserves, Wilted Violet, Hickory Smoke, Pumice Stone (Distress Markers), Tumbled Glass Distress re-inker (for wash) Gorgeous Grape (SU) Caran d'ache supracolor pencils
Paper:   Watercolor (Strathmore Cold Press 300 series), Bashful Blue, Neenah
Other:  Oval Punches (SU), Woodland EF (SU)

Monday, August 10, 2020

A Partridge in a Pear Tree for CAS Christmas

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by! Susan is hosting the CAS Christmas challenge this month.

I used a Power Poppy Digital Image and watercolored it with a
combination of Zigs and Watercolor Pencils.

I ended up with some smudges on the frame. These snowflake sequins I've been
hoarding, came in handy!  I added a tiny rhinestone to the center of each.


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.


Enjoy!

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Partridge in a Pear Tree (PP digital)
Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black
Paper: Neenah, Mixed Media (Strathmore 400 series)   
Other:  Zig CCRBM, Caran d'ache Supracolor Watercolor Pencils. Double Pierced Rectangle Die (Avery Elle)