Thank you!

Hi everyone.  Hope you all had a wonderful holiday.  Now is the time to relax after the busy lead-up to the big day.

I was fortunate to have two celebrations, one with both sons, spouses, grandsons, and grand-doggie.  Had a wonderful afternoon being together a couple of days before Christmas.  Christmas day was spent with Jer, Alex, and Violeta, with my mom joining us for dinner.  It was a wonderful, relaxing day.  Dinner was made by all of us working together and it was DELICIOUS! :)

This will be my last post for 2018. It means so much to me to share my hobby and I appreciate each and every one of you that comes by to visit and view my cards, and a special thanks to those that take the time to leave comments.  It makes me happy to create and I hope you've enjoyed my cards this year.

I thought it would be good to finish the year with a big THANK YOU to all of you.  Using a NBUS die (never-before-used-schtuff, a la Darnell), I watercoloured the leaves and flowers with distress inks, shaped the flowers with my stylus and popped the branch up on top of the oval, which in turn is popped up from the card base.  A white heat embossed sentiment on black banner follows the curve of the oval.

Here's a close-up ...

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year.  See you on January 1st!

Stamps:  Banner Sentiments (Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb. 400 Series); White card base (Neenah 110 lb.); Black (SU!)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Worn Lipstick, Festive Berries (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Floral Oval (Spellbinders), water brush, stylus & mat, white embossing powder, heat tool

Penny Black - Simplicity at its best

I'm back with another sneak peek of my Penny Black card that is posted on the Simplicity at its best blog.  Click HERE to check out the full details and instructions on how I made the card above.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Happy Birthday Cooper

Hi everyone.  My grandson, Cooper, turned 5 on Dec. 18th.  Wanted to share the card I made for him.  Isn't this fun??!!  I bought a template (click HERE for link) and then set to work cutting out all the little pieces.  It turned out so well.  Perfect card to give to him along with a wooden fire truck building set.

We will be seeing the grandsons later today when Evan brings them over to celebrate a belated birthday for Cooper, as well as Christmas.  We don't get to see the grandsons very often, so we are excited to have the time together.  Jer, Alex and Violeta will be here too.  It's great to have us all together.

Here's a close-up ...

Red Star

Hi everyone.  Quick post today to share a no-line watercoloured poinsettia. 

I stamped the solid poinsettia image onto mixed media paper using tea dye distress ink.  The medium brown base added to the colours of the poinsettia and greenery.  I then used a water brush and more distress inks to watercolour the petals (festive berries, barn door, fired brick) and greenery (peeled paint) over top of the tea dye ink.  To finish, I stamped the sentiment that comes with this stamp set, in black ink.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Stamps:  Red Star (Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb. 400 Series)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Tea Dye, Festive Berries, Barn Door, Fired Brick, Peeled Paint, Mustard Seed (Tim Holtz); Black (Memento)
Accessories & Tools:  Water brush

Penny Black - Holly Jolly Critters

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing a fun, clean and simple design featuring holly jolly critters.

I absolutely adore this stamp.  I smiled the whole time I was making my card. :)

I stamped the critters on mixed media paper with Versafine (permanent) black ink.  I heat set the image and then watercoloured using a mix of SU! and Distress inks.

I placed my finished piece in my grill to warm it and sprinkled chunky white frantage on top to add some falling snow.  The frantage melts quickly on the grill.  I stamped the sentiment in red ink, added crystal glaze to the lantern, and sparkle to the white cuffs and pompoms of the Santa hat, using clear wink of stella.

If you get a chance, pop over to the Simplicity at it's best blog to see some new designs from my Simplicity Sisters.

Penny Black Products:
#40-657 holly jolly critters

Adding this to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge where they are looking for Winter or Christmas cards.

Stamps:  Holly Jolly Critters (Penny Black - stamp set includes sentiment)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb. 400 Series)
Ink:  Versafine Black (permanent); Real Red (SU!); Distress Inks:  Brushed Corduroy, Rusty Hinge, Mowed Lawn, Forest Moss, Salty Ocean, Mustard Seed (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  water brush, red chalk (for adding cheeks), Crystal Glaze (Nuvo), Chunky White Frantage (Stampendous), heat tool

Challenges:
Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Winter or Christmas

Three Colourful Star Cards

Hi everyone.  Sharing a few more star cards before December's CAS Christmas challenge closes on the Dec. 15th.

Lots of sparkle and shimmer for this card. :)  I started with the rubber band technique over gold foil card stock.  This is where you wrap a few rubber bands around the barrel of a brayer, load with versamark ink, and lightly roll over card stock.  The ink transfers from the rubber bands to create a lovely design.  Then the design is heated with embossing powder.  I used gold glitter embossing powder for the card above.  I cut the piece into 1 1/4" squares and mounted on my card front.

I used a piece of leftover alcohol ink with gold foil accents to die-cut the large stitched star.  It's popped up on foam to give it some dimension.

To finish, I stamped the sentiment in gold ink and heat embossed with the same gold glitter that was used for the background.

Here's a close-up ...

Since I had all my supplies out, I made two more cards using the same papers, but changing up the designs slightly ...

Stamps:  Merriment (Penny Black)
Paper:  White (Neenah 110 lb. card stock); Gold Foil (SU!); Yupo
Ink:  Alcohol Inks; Versamark; Gold Delicata (Tsukineko)
Accessories & Tools:  blending solution, gold foil, Stitched Star die (AliExpress), rubber bands, brayer, heat tool

Challenges:
CAS Christmas December Challenge - Stars

Special Friend

Hi everyone.  I made today's card for a very dear friend.  We met at work through a mutual friend and have been friends for over 30 years now.  It was her birthday a couple of months ago and I made a special card to mark a milestone birthday.

Frances loves irises.  I knew what image I was going to use.  I wanted to do something special, so this is my first try at this technique - glitter painting (which my friend Susan taught us at the craft retreat in May).  I've been waiting to give Fran this card. :)

The irises are stamped in permanent black into onto a piece of thick acetate.  I let the ink dry thoroughly before moving on to the next step.  On the back of the acetate, I covered the center of the irises with glue and sprinkled with a light purple.  Once dry, I added glue to the rest of the flower petals and used a deep purple glitter to fill it in.  Last, I repeated the same of adding a layer of glue and then coating it with green for the leaves.  I let it dry overnight to make sure it was completely dry.  I'm so happy with how it turned out.  You may be able to see a little of the sparkle from the glitter, but it is very sparkly in real life.  I added a simple white frame and stamped sentiment.

Here's a close-up ...

Photographing acetate is difficult.  This is much brighter and totally sparkly in real life.

Stamps:  Summer Glow, Happy Snippets (Penny Black)
Paper:  White (Neenah 110 lb. card stock)
Ink:  Versafine Black ink (for stamping on acetate); Memento Black ink (for stamping sentiment)
Accessories & Tools:  Acetate, Glitter (light purple, dark purple, green), glue (Tombow Mono), Rectangle Nestability die (Spellbinders)

Twelve Quick Artsy Cards

Hi everyone.  A reminder for the CAS Watercolour December Challenge - Thank You is only running for two weeks this month.

There's just one more week to play along before it closes.

I'm sharing the twelve thank you cards I sent to my wonderful Guest Designers of my Christmas Tag event.  They were fun and easy to make.  I started by making six large backgrounds using stencil monoprint technique with Brushos.  Once the backgrounds were dry, I cut them in two equal pieces, creating my twelve card fronts.  I pulled out several silhouette stamps and started stamping the card fronts with Black ink.  I used white embossing on black card stock for the banner sentiments.  The front card panels were popped up on foam to add a bit of dimension over the card base which had been splattered with diluted black acrylic paint.

Above are two cards made from the same background.  Below are the remaining 10 cards, again grouped in twos with each set using one background cut in half.  Hope you like them!

Challenges:
CAS Watercolour December Challenge - Thank you

Thank You x 3

Hi everyone.  Sharing a set of three cards for the CAS Watercolour December Challenge - Thank You, before it closes on Dec. 15th.  Bonnie is hosting this month, and what a great challenge for the end of the year.

These three cards were created fairly quickly.  Once I decided on the design, I simply made three of everything for the card base, die-cut corner panel with copper card stock backing, and stamped thank you.  I used a complete stamp set to stamp in permanent black ink and then watercoloured the blooms and leaves with zigs.  The matching dies make it quick and easy to cut them out.

Here's a close-up of all three ...

and ...

and ...

There are just two weeks to play along this month.  We've shortened the playing time this month only, so that the team has some quiet time to get ready for the holidays. :)

Stamps:  Even more Spring Flowers; Handwritten Greetings (both from Simon Says Stamp)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb. 400 Series); White (Neenah 110 lb.); Copper card stock (unknown)
Ink:  Versafine Black; Zigs
Accessories & Tools:  Corner die (AliExpress), Waterbrush, Matching dies for Even More Flowers (Simon Says Stamp)

Challenges:
CAS Watercolour December Challenge - Thank You

CAS Christmas December Challenge

Hi everyone.  Today is the launch of the last challenge of the year for CAS Christmas.  This month's challenge is being hosted by the talented Trina (Phamtastic Design).

NOTE:  December challenge will run Dec. 3 - 15

Thank you!

I used an artsy star image, coloured with markers, spritzed with water and stamped onto mixed media paper.  A simple sentiment is stamped to complete this very CAS design. :)

Here's a close-up ...

I hope you'll check out the challenge blog to see the beautiful star cards from our Designers and wonderful Guest Designer, Cindy (Escape to Stamping).  Then come play along.

The challenge is only open until the 15th this month to provide time off for our Designers during the holidays.  Hope to see you in the gallery!

Stamps:  Scribble Star (Rubber-Art Stamps - The Stampin' Place); Snow Globe Sentiments (My Favorite Things)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb. 400 Series)
Ink:  Distress Markers:  Wilted Violet, Peacock Feathers, Mowed Lawn, Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Festive Berries; Real Red (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Water mister

Challenges:
CAS Christmas December Challenge - Stars

CAS Watercolour December Challenge

Hi everyone.  Welcome to the last CAS Watercolour challenge for the year.  This month is being hosted by Bonnie and she chose ...

NOTE:  December challenge will run Dec. 2 - 15

Thank you!

I started with a splash watercolour background done on mixed media paper in tumbled glass distress ink.  I stamped the bluebell image onto the background with waterproof black ink.  Heat set to make sure it was dry and then watercoloured with zigs.  Used two shades of blue and one of green to colour the image.  Cut a backing for my panel that was 1/2" longer and stamped the sentiment in black and then adhered my watercoloured panel on top.  Popped it up on foam onto my card base for further dimension.

While I was at it ... I thought why does this have to be bluebells??!!  There are lots of other flowers that have similar petals, so I watercoloured a second one in orange.  Used another splash watercolour background on mixed media paper, this time in peacock feathers.  Stamped the image with the same black ink and watercoloured with zigs.

Here's a photo of the second card ...

I personally like the orange card better because of the contrast of the orange on the blue background (complementary colours).  Which one do you like better??

We are thrilled to have our Guest Designer Michele (I Card Everyone) joining us for our last challenge of the year.  Please check out the challenge blog to see the beautiful Thank You cards from our Designers and wonderful Guest Designer, Michele.

Then come join us.  The challenge closes at midnight Dec. 15th.  Hope to see you in the gallery!

Stamps:  Happy Together; Banner Sentiments (Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb. 400 Series); White (Neenah 110 lb. card stock)
Ink:  Versafine; Zigs; Tumbled Glass and Peacock Feathers Distress inks for backgrounds
Accessories & Tools:  water mister, water brush

Challenges:
CAS Watercolour December Challenge - Thank You

CAS Mix Up December Challenge

Hi everyone. Welcome to the last challenge in 2018 for CAS Mix Up.  This year has flown by, but it has been so much fun!!  Thanks to everyone who played along with us this year.  It's been awesome!

NOTE:  December challenge will run Dec. 1 - 15

Thank you!

I love this grid background stamp for the emboss resist technique.  I embossed the grid in white and then sprinkled two colours of magicals over top (autumn crimson maple, ramblin' rose).  The watery ink pools in the squares to create variations of colour.

I added a white frame with silver stamped sentiment and beautiful die-cut flowers that were gifted to me by a sweet friend.  Sequins add a little sparkle to finish the design.

Here's a close-up ...

Check out the challenge blog to see the Emboss Resist CAS cards from our Designers, and special Guest Designer, BozenA (Art Card Box).  Then come play along.

We are also saying good-bye to Julia from the CAS Mix Up Team.   Thank you Julia, for all your hard work and inspirational cards you've provided since being one of the first DT at CMU!

Thankfully, Julia isn't going far!!  She will be part of the newest CAS Challenge (see announcement below).


Stamps: Grid (Simon Says Stamp) Fond Expressions2 (STAMPlorations)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb. 400 Series); White (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Silver Delicata (Tsukineko)
Accessories & Tools:  Lindy's Magicals, water mister, flower die-cuts (gift from a friend), Rectangle frame die (Spellbinders), sequins

Challenges:
CAS Mix Up December Challenge - Emboss Resist

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I'm excited to announce the launch of a new challenge!

CAS Stencil Card Challenge

 I'm thrilled to have a very talented group of Designers joining me.

Check out the new challenge HERE.

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