Lacy Valentine

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

I cleaned out my Valentine UFO box!  Yay!

Since I couldn't send Christmas cards to my Canadian friends due to the postal strike,

I decided to send them valentines this year and save their Christmas cards for later.

So you'll probably be seeing a lot of valentines this year.

I found some of these hearts in the box.  Either someone sent them to me or I die cut

them when with a friend.  They had been in the box for quite a while.

The red background is embossed but didn't show up in this photo.  Maybe you can see

it better here.

The flowers were die cut from Neenah Solar White and colored with a 

finger dauber and I die cuta little branch and cut it apart to add a little more texture.

Challenges:

AAA Colourful #12 - See Below

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Valentine (Inkadinkado)

Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper:   Real Red, Neenah Solar White

Other:  Cross My Heart EF (CB), Potpourri Flowers Dies (PS), Lacy Heart Die (?)

Enjoy!

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Group of Seven Cardmakers January 2025

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

This month the Group of Seven Cardmakers technique

is Dry Embossed Highlights over Ink Blending.

For my first card (a little larger than A2  size), I inked a piece of Neenah Solar White 

with three shades of Distress Oxide ink and left it to dry.  I find that overnight is best.

While the ink was drying I used a homemade heart mask and pink Oxide Inks

to add color to the center of a piece of Neenah Solar White,

The next step is to emboss the pieces.  It's important that the ink is dry so

you don't get mixed colors the next time you emboss.

(How do I know that?)

Dragging and patting a white inkpad over top of the inked embossing really

accentuates the embossing!

3D embossing folders work best, but regular embossing folders work well too.

This is such a fun technique!  My teammates have outdone themselves

with examples of this technique.  You can see them at

Group of Seven Cardmakers.

There's a linky there if you want to try this technique and share it with us.

Challenges:

Just Us Girls #759 - Stencil Week (card 2 uses a stencil)

NBUS #70  - Never Before Used Schtuff (Nordic Bird Die)

Darnell's I.D.E.A.S. - Anything goes week

Can You Handle the Pressure - ATG with embossing

   

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps: Thoughtful Wishes (SSS)

Ink: Encore Gold, Speckled Egg, Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire, Bundled Sage (DOX), Whisper White

Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Gold Foil, Vellum

Other:  Vine Canopy EF (SSS), Pine Wisp Die (Grtry), Nordic Birds Die (Grtry), Gold EP

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  Keep it Simple Valentine (PTI)

Ink:   Encore Gold, Worn Lipstick, Picked Raspberry (DOX), Whisper White

Paper: Neenah Solar White, Gold foil, Regal Rose

Other:  Heart Die (for stencil), Two Hearts as One EF (SB), Gold EP, Precious Hearts Die (MB)

 

Enjoy!

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Maka

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

One of our grandsons is a student at NC State, home of the Wolfpack.

Lavinia's Maka stamp seemed to be perfect for Gavin's birthday card.

I found a backgrounds in my stash and stamped the wolf onto it then embossed with

clear powder.  The moon spot was punched with a circle punch and another

piece of background inlaid.

The leaves have been in my NBUS box for years. It was way past time to

ink them up!

Challenges:

Darnell's I.D.E.A.S. - 4th Monday Anything Goes

NBUS #70 - Never Before Used Schtuff 

Krafty Chicks #752 - Masculine

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Maka (Lavinia), Delicate Leaf Branch (Magenta), BP Cheers to You (SB)

Ink:   Nocturne (VFC), Going Gray (SU)

Paper:   Neenah Natural , Green, Black

Other:  Clear EP, Opaque White Foil, Grassland Border (PS)

Enjoy!

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Snowflake Joy

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

We finally had enough snow to cover the ground.  Well almost.

Challenges:

Four Seasons - Winter

Inkspirational #333 - Word Prompt - Snow

Peace on Earth #80 - Inspired by snowflake on Christmas tree

 

It didn't start snowing until after dark last night, but we have a spotlight on the corner of the

house that illuminated the falling snow through a bay window.  I love watching snow

falling.  This morning we could see how much had accumulated.  It's less than 2 inches,

but more than we've had in several years.

Unfortunately it resulted in postponing our Craft Group meeting.  But we can  reschedule that.

We don't get many snow days!

 

Stay warm and cozy.

Card Recipe

Stamps:  A Better World (PB)

Ink:   Encore Gold

Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Soft Sky, Vellum, White & Gold Glimmer

Other:  Gold EP, Subtle EF (ret SU), Winter Snowflakes EF (SZ), Stitched Alpine Snowflakes Die (PS), Star of Wonder Die (MB), Confetti Stars Punch (SU)

Enjoy!

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Moody Valentine

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

I've been busy trying to clean out the valentine UFO box.

It's amazing how things collect in there!

I had three stamped, heat embossed and cut out hearts done in gray that

I was wondering what to do with.  Just Us Girls #758 helped with that.

Here's the mood board that I was inspired by...

 

I zeroed in on the gray mittens and white cup of coffee as well as the red berries.

I stacked the hearts to add some depth, embossed a knitted looking background to

place the heart on and added a die cut berry branch.

It was pretty easy and only took me several years to complete!

Challenges:

Just Us Girls #758 - Mood Board (see above)

Krafty Chicks #751 - CAS

Simply Clean & Simple - CAS 

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Filigree (ret SU), Holiday Wishes (ret SU)

Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black, VersaMark

Paper:   Smoky Slate, Neenah Solar White

Other:  White EP, Sweet & Sassy Framelits (SU), Winterberry Spring (MB), Simply Succulents Label (SU), Embossing Folder (?), Gold & Red Sharpies

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. 

Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that" 

                                                                       Martin Luther King, Jr.

Enjoy!

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Navy and Lime for Color Hues

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

It's time for a new challenge at Color Hues and Stef has chosen

Navy & Lime Green for our colors.  

Doesn't it look like this jay is up to mischief?

He reminds me of the blue jays that used to dive bomb our cat when she

laid under the tree they were nesting in.  She totally ignored them until they went away.

I don't think she ever bothered the birdie babies, if there were any.

I am really enjoying this stamp and thought it would make a good card for

my brother-in-law.  He'll be 88 this year.

Esther is our Guest Designer for this challenge and I can't wait for you to see what

she has come up with and the rest of this fabulous team too. I know you'll be inspired to

use these colors and join us.  This challenge is open until January 29th at 9:00 AM.

Hope to see you at Color Hues with your navy and lime green creations.

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Messenger (PB), Airy Greetings (SSS)

Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black, Faded Jeans, Prize Ribbon, Night of Navy

Paper:   Watercolor (Strathmore), Night of Navy

Other:  Caran d'ache Supracolor Pencil (Ultramarine), Checkered Scallops EF (SB)

Enjoy!

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Wild Surprises

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

Another NBUS today and it hasn't been in that box for more than

a few months.

For the first card, I pretty much followed this fun video by Lisa Arano.

I stamped the image with Versafine ink and watercolored with Distress inks.

I have learned (the hard way) to make sure that I give the stamping plenty of time

to dry before I start watercoloring.

Smooshing the ink on a palette and picking up with a damp waterbrush works

best for me when watercoloring this image.

I love the deckled edge dies that I got from Unity too.  For a bit of distressed look, I

used a finger dauber to brush some Brushed Corduroy on the edges.

The brown piece was embossed with a textured embossing folder but doesn't

seem to show up in the photo.

And a twofer....

This time I masked the grass and flowers when I stamped the moose,

remembering to remove the tape I used to mask before I stamped.

The grass and flowers was inked with Distress Markers which madet he colors 

brighter than stamping them with black and adding color.

I watercolored some mountains behind the moose and used another of

the Deckled Dies to cut the image and another for the mat.

He's added to a piece of olive cardstock embossed with Pinewood Planks.

Two more NBUS out of the box and two cards for the guys on my birthday 

list this year.

Challenges:

Cardz 4 Guyz #363 - Tic, Tac, Toe (used far left column-Animal, Texture, Brown)

Just Us Girls #757 - Word Week-Masculine

NBUS #70 - Never Before Used Schtuff (stamp set and die set)

  

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Wild Surprises (Unity)

Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black, Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, Walnut Stain, Faded Jeans, Peeled Paint (DI)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore), Warm Cocoa (GKD)

Other:  Tumbled Glass, Wilted Violet Re-inker, Deckle & Stitches Nesting Dies (Unity), Tasteful Texture EF (SU), Hemp Twine (Michaels)

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  Wild Surprises (Unity), Airy Greetings (SSS)

Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black, Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, Walnut Stain, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss, Salty Ocean (DI)

Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore), Old Olive

Other:  Deckle & Stitches Nesting Dies (Unity), Pinewood Planks EF (SU)

Enjoy!

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Birthday Candles

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

Happy Birthday/Anniversary to Darlene and Diane of Double D fame.

Their challenge is celebrating 9 years.  I've given them a candle to grow on.

These candle dies have been sitting in my NBUS box for way too long.

I've die cut the candles from Neenah Solar White and brushed Simon Says Stamp

Pawsitively Saturated Ink in various colors.  There's a solid die in the set and the candle

flame so I cut those out of the Neenah too.

After coloring the candles, I used the leftover ink on the brushes to add a

stenciled background.

Challenges:

Double D - Birthday or Anniversary

NBUS #70 - Never Before Used Schtuff

Seize the Birthday #297 - Use something new

Stencil Fun - Did not us the Winter option

 

 

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Friendship Messages (SSS)

Ink:   Cadette, Fairway, Amethyst, Guava, Sherbet, Sunbeam, Citrus (SSS), Versafine Onyx Black

Paper:   Neenah Solar White

Other:  Patterned Birthday Candles Dies (Frantic Stamper), Square Dance Stencil (Artsploratons)

Enjoy!

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Messenger

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

One reason it takes me so long to get through the NBUS is because I like

to use each stamp, die, embossing folder, stencil, etc. multiple times.

Sometimes when my NBUS gets put away, it stays neglected for too long.

Then I feel guilty for spending so much.

So, this year, I hope you'll see more of each NBUS.  We'll see.

I bought this stamp because it works for a blue jay as in the January calendar,

or as a cardinal.

Hubby had a birthday and he loves feeding and watching the birds, so I turned

it into a cardinal for him.  It's our state bird after all.

It's colored with Copics on Neenah cardstock and the paper got a bit

roughed up around the bird, but I thought it added to the rustic, masculine feel.

And after coloring all that, I wasn't about to throw it away.

Challenges:

AAA Birthday #69 - Winter Birthday

Four Seasons - Winter

Penny Black Saturday - ATG using Penny Black

Triple B (Birds, Butterflies & Blooms) - I've got the bird covered

 

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Messenger (PB), Birthday (?)

Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Black, Kraft

Other:  Copics (R24, R35, R39, YR07, YR12, N5, C10, E23, E25, E99, YG03, YG63, YG67), Happy Die (Paper Roses)

Large Brad (?)

Enjoy!

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Winter Fun

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

I have a couple of cards using images from my UFO box.

I decided to put these images on oval cards and used some heavy 

decorative paper for the base layer.

Unfortunately they barely made a dent in the UFOs.  And my NBUS stash has become

a mountain.  I'm going to have to find lots of time for creating this year.

Challenges)

Just Us Girls #756 - Use Die Cuts

Love Those Pretty Papers - ATG Using Patterned Paper

 

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Brillaince (PB)  

Ink:   Bundled Sage, Pine Needles, Vintage Photo, Fired Brick (DM), Real Red (SU), Tumbled Glass (DI)

Paper:   Neenah Solar White, DP

Other:  Fluted Classic Ovals Dies (SB), Subtle EF, A little Message BP Plate & Die (SB), Frosty Flakes Stencil (Grtry)

Card Recipe (card 2

Stamps:  Amaryllis (TT)

Ink:   Festive Berries, Peeled Paint, Candied Apple

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore), Neenah Solar White

Other:  Fluted Classic Ovals (SB), A Little Message BP Plate & Die (SB)

Enjoy!

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