Diamond Botanicals X Two

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

I finally got to a NBUS stamp and die set from 2021.

Sadly, it's probably been retired in the meantime.

First up...

I stamped and heat embossed with white and watercolored with Arteza Twimarkers.

I cut the frame with the matching die and used one of the sentiments from the

set in the center.  For the dots, I added some color to a scrap of mixed media paper

and die cut with tiny circle punches.

And since I am way behind on making Christmas cards.....

I stamped this one with Memento Toffee Crunch and again colored with

the Twimarkers.  A Penny Black sentiment fit perfectly inside the frame

and the dots were cut from a scrap of red foil cardstock.

Challenges:

Double D - Frames

NBUS #75 - Never Before Used Schtuff

 

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Diamond Botanicals (TE)

Ink:   Whisper White

Paper:   Mixed Media, Watercolor (Strathmore)

Other: Diamond Botanicals Die (TE), Arteza Twimarkers (Olive Green, Cornflower, Violet)

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  Diamond Botanicals (TE), Season's Gifts (PB)

Ink:   Memento Toffee Crunch, Handsome Hunter

Paper: Mixed Media (Strathmore), Cover from Mixed Media Pad

Other:  Diamond Botanicals die (TE), Arteza Twimarkers (Pine Green, Olive Green, Forest Green, Jungle Green, Ruby Red, Raw Umber)

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Freshly Made Squares

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

I'm almost late to the party at Freshly Made Sketches this week.

I think I can squeak in.

Cécile offered this week's sketch.  I rarely make a square card, but I thought it

would be fun for a change.  Thanks for challenging me, Cécile.

On this first card, the leaves go a little over the edge but it will go in an A2 envelope

so I don't think that will be a problem.

I used a Penny Black die that has been in my collection for years.

After shaking the dust off, I die cut it twice from mixed media paper

and watercolored with Distress re-inkers.

I trimmed it down to fit behind and on top of the smaller square and layered

the two flowers to give more dimension.

While I was going through my dies I found a couple more that were pretty

dusty and actually had some leaves and flowers already cut in the pouch.

So I made another square card and added another layer to the sketch just for fun.

The flowers are watercolored and I sponged color on the leaves.

Challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches #689 - Sketch below

The Neglected Stuff - All these dies are years old

Penny Black Saturday - ATG using Penny Black Product

Darnell's I.D.E.A.S. - 2nd week of the month is Dies

 

 

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Happy Snippets (PB)

Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black

Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Mixed Media (Strathmore)

Other:  Elegant die (PB), Double Pierced Squares die (AE), Distress re-inkers (Picked Raspberry, Evergreen Bough, Forest Moss), Subtle EF (ret SU)

Card Recipe (Card 2)

Stamps:  Happy Snippets (PB), Serene (PB)

Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black, Wilted Violet, Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness (DI)

Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Mixed Media (Strathmore)

Other:  Airy die (PB), Tall Flowers die (PB), Micron Pen, White Gel Pen

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Orange, Green and Turquoise

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

I wasn't too sure about this color combinations, but I LOVE it!

Thank you Amy for challenging us to use these colors!

To color my die cut flower, I smooshed some Distress Ink on a palette and picked up

color with a waterbrush.  I built up color until I was happy with it and set it aside

to let it dry.

My background piece is Tempting Turquoise. (The camera makes it look more blue,

but it is turquoise.

The layered die cut background is from a new die set by Emily Moore Designs.

I've got to say that I am loving this set of dies!

The itty, bitty gems were a thrift shop find.

Challenges:

Color Throwdown #834 - Green, Turquoise, & Orange

Just Us Girls #778 - Layered Die Cuts 

NBUS #75 - Never Before Used Schtuff (background dies)

Edited to add: 

Inkspirational #343 -Mood Board Below (Thanks for the tip, Carol.)

 

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Handwritten Notes (ret PTI)

Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black, Spiced Marmalade, Rustic Wilderness, Forest Moss (DI)

Paper:  Tempting Turquoise, Mixed Media (Strathmore), Neenah Solar White

Other:  Alstroemeria Stem (SSS), Decorative Sentiment Dies (Emily Moore Designs), Teeny gems (?)

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Getting Inky with Sweetly Scented

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

I've recently seen some cards done with Brushstroke stamps by

Penny Black.  It's one of my favorite techniques and I hadn't done it

in quite a while.  I checked my NBUS box first and didn't see any

Brushstroke stamps in there so I started going through the shelves.

When I saw Sweetly Scented, I knew it was the one.

I used Distress mini ink pads to add color to the stamp and lightly spritzed

before stamping.  A damp brush blended the colors easily and using the

MISTI meant I could restamp if needed.

After it was colored, I did some splatters then wondered why I hadn't done a

wash in the background first.  I was able to get a wash done by being very careful.

The scallop and stitch die were a gift from a sweet friend.

I cut the borders and embossed the stitching with the dies.

A little butterfly from the box and this is ready to send to our

sister-in-law who is recovering from a broken hip. 

Challenges:

Darnell's I.D.E.A.S. - Week 1 Ink

Just Us Girls #777 - CASE a Designer (I CASEd Lisa with the scalloped edges and happy yellow)

NBUS #75 - Never Before Used Schtuff - Scallop and Stitch dies

 

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Sweetly Scented (PB), Special Sentiments (PB)

Ink:   Mustard Seed, Fossilized Amber, Bundled Sage,  Forest Moss, Gathered Twigs (DI),Chocolate Chip

Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore), Daffodil Delight  

Other:  Ruffles & Dashes die (CP), Corner Rounder Punch (Fiskars), Distress re-inker (Tumbled Glass), Caran d'ache Supracolor Pencil (English Red), Arteza Pencil (Hazelnut Brown), Graceful Butterfly Set EF & Die (SSS)

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Agapanthus for Freshly Made Sketches

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

This is my second card using Jen B.'s sketch.  I couldn't share my first card.

More about that below.

I used an calendar page from 2023 that was in my UFO box.

I cut the image with a stitched circle die and another circle from some blue cardstock.

(It's really not as dark as the photo shows.)  An embossed background was split 

to make two strips and I added a strip of blue between them for some contrast.

Challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches #688 - See sketch below

I've learned that you can't give the same title to two different blog posts with Blogger.

It gives a weird permalink and there's no fixing it.  I tried changing the name and it

still wasn't happy.  Fortunately Jen picked a great sketch and I had some time to

use it again. 

Card Recipe

Stamps: Agapanthus (ret), Itty Bitty Basics (MFT) 

Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Blueberry Bushel 

Other:  Copics (B21, B23, B24, YG07, YG17, G46), Prismacolor Pencils (Parama Violet, Tuscan Red), Leafy EF (SB), Double Stitch Circles (ret), Infinity Circles (HA), White Gel Pen

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Faith Flower

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

It's time for a new challenge at Color Hues.

This time our friend Sheri is hosting and she chose....

I die cut this flower from watercolor paper and colored with Distress re-inkers.

I had this half sheet of embossing left over from another project and added a strip

cut from watercolor paper and colored with the re-inkers.  It made a good place to tuck

the flower.  The sentiment follows the diagonal line.

My super talented teammates are sure to inspire you with their fantastic

creations and we are joined this month by the equally talented Barbara.

I hope you'll check us out and join in at Color Hues.

The challenge ends June 14th at 9:00 AM EDT.

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Faith, Hope, Love (PB)

Ink:   Versafine Smokey Gray

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore), Neenah Solar White

Other:  Distress re-inkers (Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness, Abandoned Coral), Etched Crocus Stems (SSS), Floral Festoon EF (SSS)

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Turning the Page June 2025

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

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 first 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 4 ½ x 7 inches and 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

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

Email link is on the sidebar.

June Recipe

Stamps: Songbird Celebrations (PB), Forever Fern (SU)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Gumball Green

Other: Copics (BG11, BG15, BG18, G14, Y13, Y15, Y17, YR07, E97) Touch up with Arteza (Turquoise, Pewter Gray)  

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Take Care for Freshly Made Sketches

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

In our craft group session this month, we used nesting dies.

We had some decorative papers and cardstock to go with the nesting dies.  I chose these 

coral colors and octagon dies and went with Jen B.'s sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.

Challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches #688 - see sketch below

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Snippets (PB)

Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black, Salt Water Taffy, Rustic Wilderness (DI)

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Decorative Paper (?), Calypso Coral (SU)

Other:  Octagon Dies (SB), Flower dies (HA), Leaf Die (AS)

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Batik with Group of Seven

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

The Group of Seven has used a Batik technique for our cards this month.

On 80 lb. cardstock, I stamped this large flower with embossing ink and heat set 

with clear embossing powder. Using a light shade of blue Distress ink, I ink blended over

the embossing.  I folded the card several times vertically and horizontally, using a

bone folder to sharpen the creases. Then I smoothed it out again on the back side.

Back to the front, I ink blended a darker shade of blue Distress ink.  When the creases

weren't showing up as well as I wanted, I folded it to the back along the

creases and added more ink along the creases on the front.  A finger dauber

worked better for this. Make sense?

I wanted a little more interest in the background so I stamped the flower with

a dark blue ink over the embossing.  I had so much ink on the white embossing that

it wouldn't rub off with a paper towel so I used a baby wipe to clean it up.

It was like magic!

Then I tried a different technique...

This time I stamped some leaves on 80 lb. cardstock with a light green ink and blended

over it lightly with the same color ink.  Then I stamped with embossing ink and heat set

with clear embossing powder and blended a medium green ink over top. (Let the embossing

cool before doing this.)  I stamped some more leaves with dark green ink in a few places.

Then came the creasing as on the first card and adding dark green ink to bring out

those fold line.

To finish it off, I stamped some leaves and heat set with white embossing powder.

I cut the piece in two to get a second card.

There is a link to a video tutorial on the Group of Seven blog and my creative

friends have more cards made with the batik technique for your inspiration.

There's also a linky if you want to try this technique and link it up with us.

We love to see what worked, and didn't work, for you.

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Passionate (PB), Flora & Fauna 3 (W9 ret)

Ink:   Wow Embossing, Tumbled Glass, Faded Jeans (DI), Dapper Denim (SU)

Paper:   Neenah 80 lb., Solar White

Other:  Clear EP, Simply Succulent Labels die (ret SU)

Card Recipe (cards 2 & 3)

Stamps:  Forever Fern (SU), Celebrate Everyday (HA)

Ink:  Wow Embossing, Sage, Eucalyptus, Spruce Tips (PFS)

Paper:   Neenah 80 lb Solar White, Copper Foil

Other:  Clear EP, White EP, Stately EF (ret), Happy Birthday Poe Script dies (PS), Little Chickadee die (SB)

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Hummingbird

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

I've been seeing a hummingbird checking around for flowers.

I'm late getting them planted this year so he came to the window to give

me a quick reminder before he darted off.

This little guy is paired up with a NBUS flower die and embossing folder.

Challenges:

Can You Handle the Pressure - ATG Using embossing folder (did not use the option of zoo animals)

CAS on Friday #309 - Things with Wings

Time Out #289 - Your Favorite Winged Thing

NBUS #74 - Never Before Used Schtuff (flower dies)

     

Card Recipe

Stamps:  

Ink:   Cherry, Field, Lemonade (SSS)

Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Watercolor (Fabriano)

Other:  Floral Festoon EF (SSS), Delicate Florals Hummingbird dies (SB), Etched Crocus Stems die (SSS)

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Poppies for Memorial Day 2025

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

MEMORIAL DAY

I'd like to share this thought with permission from Angela at Unity...

"As we head into this special weekend, let’s all just take a little intentional pause—

not just for the cookouts or the extra day off—but for the reason we honor this time: the lives given for our freedom.

Our heroes didn’t just fight for a country. They fought for us—for our ability to live, connect, love, laugh, and yes, even grieve in peace.

So whether you're surrounded by family, catching up with an old friend, or spending the day in quiet solitude—remember this: every moment of connection, every act of kindness, every deep breath of freedom is so very sacred and lovely.

Let’s honor them by living fully.

Love big.

Reach out.

Share a smile.

Be brave with your heart.

This is how we remember. This is how we carry them forward, and oh they SO DESERVE to be carried forward."

Thank you for letting me share this, Angela.

Challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches #687 - Sketch by Verena

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Easy Expressions Original (Ton)

Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black

Paper:  Neenah Solar White

Other:  Iceland Poppies die (SSS), Real Red, Mossy Meadow, Early Espresso (SU Markers), Burlap EF (HB), Easy Expressions Die (Ton)

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!