Lovely Snowy Tree Tag

This is my 12th and final tag for
Twelve Tags of Christmas with Loll & Friends 

The linky is open until the end of the day on November 25th

so there's still time to enter.

The design piece was all done and even die cut in my Christmas UFO box.

I added a larger outline tag that I badly carefully fussy cut,
a die cut bird and some red twine.

That's it.  All done!

My mixed media are Stamping, Heat Embossing, Sponging and Die Cuts

I got the idea for doing the hanger thingy from Nancy Stislow.
I am in awe of all her tags!

Now that I have some tags, I need to start Christmas shopping.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree (SU), Tiny dots (not sure which stamp I used)

Ink:   Old Olive, Whisper White, Soft Sky (SU)

Paper:   Old Olive, Whisper White (SU)

Other:  White EP (SU), Tag Die (retired SU), Resting Birds Die (MB), Red Twine (stash)

Lovely Tree for Merry Monday

Good Merry Monday morning.

Sue is our hostess this week.  I love what she chose.

I used what I call Watercolor Splotch technique

and dropped some gray watercolor in.

When it was completely dry, I stamped the tree and sentiment.

Then I stamped some snowflakes and stars over the splotch.

I tried to emboss the stars.  

I also tipped the branches with a white gel pen.  It doesn't show up very well.

Since I have watercoloring, stamping and heat embossing,

this fits the CAS Mix Up March Challenge too.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree, Holly Jolly Greetings (SU), Mixed Christmas Sentiments (HLS)

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Encore Silver

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

Other:  Watercolor (Koi), Silver EP (SU), White Gel Pen (Signo)

Snow Day for Merry Monday

It's Merry Monday time.

Debbie is our hostess this week.

Let's see what she chose...

I haven't made a one layer card in a long time!

My snowman looks like he's about to roll down the hill.

That could be fun!

My card is Crumb Cake and the snowman is from a 

Stampin' Up! retired set called Snow Day.

He's stamped in Whisper White craft ink.

I tore a piece of paper to use as a mask and sponged

Whisper White ink under him with a sponge dauber.

Snowflakes were stamped and blowing snow added with the dauber.

I thought it needed something else, so I stamped a tree off the side.

(I had to stamp the bottom under the bottom of the tree to get more height.)

Now it's your turn.

Get a head start on those Christmas cards so you don't have to panic later.

Check out the fantastic Design Team cards.

They are sure to inspire you!

See you at Merry Monday.

Rudolph Days start today

and the challenge is open until the end of the month.

I'm going to share this over there too.

Thanks for stopping by.

Enjoy!

    **********

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Snow Day (retired SU), Lovely as a Tree (SU)

Ink:  Whisper White, Garden Green, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Suede (SU), Jet Black StazOn

Paper:  Crumb Cake (SU)

Other:  Sponge Dauber

Autumn Leaves

I love the Autumn with the colors of the leaves and cooler temperatures.

I hadn't colored with my watercolor pencils in ages.

I pulled them out and colored up these leaves.

Actually, I messed up coloring the leaves first go round.

So I stamped them again on the punched out piece and did a better job of coloring.

Then I fussy cut them out and shaped them with a bone folder 

before popping them over the mistake with dimensionals.

I love the dimension it added.

A happy accident.

I thought this embossing folder was perfect to 

let the leaves be the spotlight among the forest.

I've been enjoying the videos from the Online Card Class.

These videos are very informative and offer lots of tips and techniques.
Day 3 included Watercolor Pencils.

I'm so glad you stopped by.

Enjoy!

    **********

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree (SU), Perfectly Penned (retired SU)

Ink: Black StazOn

Paper:  Solar White (Neena)

Other: Woodland EF (SU), Watercolor Pencils (SU), Blender Pen (SU)

Serene Lovely Tree

I was undecided whether to put this card on my blog.

But, here goes!

I stamped the tree a couple of times with Whisper White craft ink

and embossed with white embossing powder.

Then I sponged the background.

I've been practicing with my sponging and have had 

a lot of help and encouragement from a dear friend.  

Thanks, Loll!

I love this layout.  You'll be seeing it again.

I stamped some snowflakes with Encore Silver 

and embossed with silver.

I wish I'd left them off.

AAA Cards

Blue, Blue, Blue Christmas

Addicted to Stamps

is having a 

CAS week

Pixie's Snippet Playground

cuz I used some snippets on this.

Simon Says Monday Challenge

Holiday Cards

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge

Christmas/Holidays

So glad you stopped by.

Enjoy!

    **********

Recipe

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree, To You and Yours (retired)

Ink:  Whisper White, Encore Silver, Marina Mist

Paper:  Solar White (Neena), Whisper White, Not Quite Navy

Other:  Kars Snowfall EF (Cuttlebug retired), White EP, Silver EP

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Lovely Tree Tag for Twelve Tags of Christmas

My friend Loll of Stamping with Loll

is hosting a new challenge.

The challenge is to do Mixed Media Christmas Tags.

For this event, Mixed Media is defined as stamps + ink, plus two other elements which add texture and/or dimension.

Here's one that I did.

The background was in my UFO (UnFinished Objects) box.

It was made by applying ink on a craft mat, spritzing and

dragging the paper through the wet ink.

I used embossing paste and the Simon Says snow fall stencil to add some snowfall.

I stamped the tree in Mossy Meadow and 2nd & 3rd generation stamped behind.

There's a little cardinal on the tree. 

It's not quite so dark IRL.

Simon Says Monday Challenge

is walking down Memory Lane and asking for the Good Ol' Days.

In the Good Ol' Days of my childhood, there was a stand of pine trees

behind our house. I loved waking up to see the snowfall on those trees.

It was a magical place to grow up.

I hope you'll create a tag and join in.

I'm new to tags and having fun with them.

Thanks for stopping by.

Enjoy!

    **********

Recipe

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree, Winter Wonderland (bird)

Ink:Mossy Meadow, Basic Gray, SU Marker (Real Red)

Paper:  Whisper White (2 layers)

Other:  Scallop Tag Topper Punch, Snow Fall Stencil (Simon Says Stamp), Organdy Ribbon (Joann's), Gessoed Crochet Thread

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Take Care for Queen Ruth

I was honored to be asked to me a Guest Designer for the Queen for the Day challenge this week.  Our queen is Ruth, aka RDey.  You can see her fabulous and extensive gallery here.  I chose her Spring card and turned into a Thanksgiving card.

Cuttlebug Mania's challenge this week is.  I've used my Big Shot to emboss the woodgrain background and stitching.

Less is More is asking for  String or Twine

Simon Says Monday Challenge is having an ANYTHING GOES challenge this week.

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge is also having an ANYTHING GOES challenge this week.

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Take Care, Lovely as a Tree
Ink:  Cajun Craze, SU Markers (Baked Brown Sugar)
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Baked Brown Sugar
Other:  Stitched Mat Rectangles (Lil Inkers), Jute twine (Michaels)

I found this leaf all colored and cut out in my UFO box.  I honestly don't remember how I stamped and colored it. Wish I did!

Thanks for the visit.

Enjoy!

Peace

Recently I was putting a box of cards together for Operation Write Home.  I had room in the box for some more cards so I raided my Christmas UFO box to see what I could find that would be quick and easy.  And with no glitter.  LOL, now that that box is shipped, I can get out the glitter and glimmer!

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree, Itty Bitty Backgrounds (retired)
Ink:  Old Olive, Marina Mist, Whisper White
Paper:  Whisper White
Other:  White EP, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Kars Snowflake EF (Cuttlebug-retired I think), White Gel Pen

I found this tree stamped and die cut.  I stamped the "snow" around the tree with one of the Itty Bitty Background stamps and Whisper White Craft Ink and embossed with white embossing powder.  Then I sponged around the tree with Marina Mist ink.  The image panel is popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals atop an embossed layer.  And I used a White Gel Pen to deposit some snow on the branches

Challenges

Festive Friday

This card says PEACE to me.  I'm thinking of the hush of snow falling and softly settling on the trees and ground.  

Simon Says Monday Challenge From dry embossed paper to creating a resist effect with clear embossing powder, extra fine embossing powder to melted UTEE in a pot, there’s a lot of textured fun to be had this week.

I have heat embossing and dry embossing.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I hope you come back soon.

Enjoy!

Vermont Holiday

My Dad's home sold last week.  It's bittersweet.  We have so many wonderful memories of that ramshackle camp on beautiful Lake St. Catherine.  I hope the new owners will collect as many wonderful memories as we did.

With this in mind, and seeing this card by Heidi Baks, this week's Featured Stamper at SCS, I wanted to do something similar to remember "The Camp".

I had the view from the porch in mind.  It really doesn't do it justice, but DH knew exactly what it was.

The Addicted to CAS challenge this week is

Who doesn't like going on holiday?? We all do!!! Take this code word and make it your own. Where was your favourite holiday? Is there an object that reminds you of somewhere you have been or would like to go? Is it a time of year that makes you think of holidays? Go nuts and show us what you come up with.

Thinking of holidays as vacations, this was our place to go for many years.

My first try at sponging a scene didn't go very well.  The proportions were all wrong.  So I cut the bottom off and used it to make this card.  I think deep down I was thinking about the lake and the ocean just wasn't working out.

But the beach is my next favorite place to take a vacation.

I raided the snippet bags and made a snippet from the unsuccessful landscape, so I'll get a turn on the slide at the playground over at Pixie's Crafty Workshop.

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree (tree on the side), Wetlands (tall grass), Watercolor Minis (retired: grass),  Little Pine Trees (Inkadinkado)

Ink:  Garden Green, Baked Brown Sugar, Always Artichoke, Pool Party, Soft Sky, Not Quite Navy, Crushed Curry, SU Markers (Handsome Hunter)

Paper:  Whisper White, Dark Green (?)

Other:  Hemp Twine

I stuck sticky notes on each side of the space I wanted to sponge and tore other sticky notes to sponge around.  I inked some of the grass from the Wetlands stamp and stamped twice then used the fern stamp from my very old Watercolor Mini's set to stamp into the grass.  I stamped the large pine tree in Always Artichoke to the side.  I inked just the tip of the smallest tree on the Inkadinkadoo stamp for the trees across the lake.  The sun was sponged through a punched circle in another sticky note then covered with the circle to sponge the sky.

My eyes kept playing tricks on me and the greens and blues were looking so much alike that I think the sky got some green in it.  Sometimes there's just not enough light to see well!

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  Wetlands, Sanded Background, Too Kind (sentiment)

Ink:  Sahara Sand, Crumb Cake, Pool Party, Rich Razzleberry, Soft Sky, Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Paper:  Sahara Sand, Baja Breeze, Bashful Blue, Whisper White

Other:  Hemp Twine

Sorry this is so long.  Thanks for coming by.

Enjoy!

Falling Snow

I found this tree in my UFO box.  I used the Poppin' Pastels technique on it.

To do this technique,  stamp the image with VersaMark ink and "pounce" some ink on the VersaMark with a sponge dauber.  In this case, I used a cosmetic swab and added some brown for the trunk and limbs and also some darker green highlights.  There's a full tutorial at SCS.

I saw the Festive Friday challenge was snow,

I knew just what I wanted to do with this image.  So I pulled out my favorite Kars Snowflake embossing folder and added a snowstorm.  I wish I could tell you where to find this amazing folder, but I've just checked and it's not available anywhere that I could find.

Jingle Belles is having a CARDSTOCK CHRISTMAS.  They ask that we use only cardstock and no Decorative Paper on a card.  Was this challenge for me or what?  My hoard of paper is safe for another day!

CAS on Sunday is having CHRISTMAS IN JULY.  That seems to be a popular challenge this month.  And this card is certainly CAS.

Merry Monday is having an ANYTHING GOES for the whole month of July.  There's some awesome cards in that gallery.  Lots of them!

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Card Recipe
Stamp: Lovely as a Tree
Ink:  VersaMark
Paper:  Mellow Moss (retired), Whisper White
Other:  Kars Snowflake EF (Cuttlebug), Linen Thread, White Gel Pen, Stampin' Pastels (available in the Clearance rack. See sidebar.)

Thank you for stopping by and for all your encouragement and inspiration.

Enjoy!

Keeping Cool with Snow Much Fun

Summer has arrived with all the heat and humidity.  So I pulled out a snowman to play with.

This was the picture on my January page of one of my calendars.  The more I look at it the more it looks like a giant snowman hanging in the air.  I should have cut his feet out to sit on the top flag.  LOL, I'll send this to someone with a good sense of humor!

I used the sketch from Merry Monday.  There's still time to play over there.

Rudolph days lasts until the end of the month.  Sarn has a delightful card up there and some fun Christmas stamps for a lucky winner.

Festive Friday wants to see a tree on our card.

Winter Wonderland has an interesting challenge

3 snowflakes

2 papers

1 image

3 snowflakes at the top of the DSP (lots in the snowman), 2 decorative papers.  It might be a stretch for the one image, but I'm hoping it's close enough.

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Card Recipe
Stamps:  Snow Much Fun (retired), Lovely as a Tree, More Merry Messages
Ink:  Jet Black StazOn, Always Artichoke, Handsome Hunter (retired), SU Markers (Crumb Cake, Island Indigo, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black)
Other:  Dazzling Details

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you're having a great weekend!

Enjoy!

Father's Day

A quick share with my Father's Day cards.

Remember last week's Merry Monday sketch?  I tried to use trees as the banners and it didn't work out.  I might add that several of you did use trees and they worked out beautifully!  You can check out the gallery here.

Have I mentioned that DH thinks there needs to be a tree and/or duck or goose on all his cards?  Yeah, I thought so.  So he see's these geese a lot!  There's 3 for our 3 daughters.  He's such a wonderful Dad and Pop Pop!

And I hesitate to even share this one.  I bought this set of stamps at a sale and I had some trouble getting this chickadee to look right.  If nothing else you can see what not to do.

This is the second one I did.  LOL, the first one looked like he had a broken wing.  I sent this one to my Dad who loved getting the mail but didn't notice the imperfections.  What a blessing that I've had such a wonderful Dad!

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree, The Pines

Ink:  Old Olive, Cool Caribbean, Certainly Celery, Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Paper:  Naturals White, Handsome Hunter, Whisper White

Other:  Simply Scored

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  Birds (MS), Sanded, Something to Celebrate

Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento), Sahara Sand, Soft Sky, SU Markers (Basic Black, Basic Gray, Peach Parfait, Handsome Hunter)

Paper:  Whisper White, Handsome Hunter

Other:  Ovals Framelits, Woodgrain EF

Thanks for stopping by.

Enjoy!

Frosty Friends at Sunset

I finally found time to finish a card and actually spent 2 hours last night editing photos so I'd have something to put on my blog. Now to find time to share them.  It's such a crazy time of year!  Fun but crazy!

This is a bit non-traditional and I'm not sure if I will use it for a Christmas card or a holiday thank you so I haven't added a sentiment yet.

The sunset is inspired by the view from my kitchen at sunset! I love seeing the red through the trees.

This card's for several challenges, although some have probably closed the door since I started this.

One Layer Wednesday  to put snow on a one layer card.

Less is More #97  which is a One Layer Week with a theme ALL IN A ROW.

Dynamic Duos #32 

Jingle Belles-December to Remember Anything (holiday) Goes

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Frosty Friends, Lovely as a Tree

Ink:  Jet Black StazOn, Goint Grey, SU Markers (Pretty in Pink, Rose Red)

Paper:  Whisper White

Other:  Stampin Sponges, Dazzling Details, Simply Scored

I've been getting some lovely Christmas cards in the mail.  I look forward to going to the mailbox every day.  Usually there's nothing fun in there.  I hope you're getting some snail mail these days.

Thanks for stopping by during this busy time.

Enjoy!