Penny Black - Captivating

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing two cards made with the same stamp from the new release at Penny Black.  This stamp is called Captivating (40-774) ... and it is just that!!  This is one of my favourite images.  I LOVE these gorgeous fuschias!

This card was fairly simple to make, as long as you like working with alcohol inks.  I had this background panel in my stash, so it was ready to gold heat emboss to finish. :)  This is a combination of my favourite colours of alcohol inks:  Wild Plum, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow (Ranger).  Such bright and happy colours!

I used the Princess Gold embossing powder, which is a yellow gold.  It compliments the background colours and shows up really well.  I simply stamped the image and sentiment from Smiles (30-802) in versmark ink and heat embossed.  LOVE how it turned out.

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Sending this to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes.

I made a second card using part of the same image ...  it's so totally different that it doesn't even look like the same stamp was used for both cards.

This card was heat embossed in white and then watercoloured using distress inks:  Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Rustick Wilderness.  I intentionally bled the colour beyond the outlines.  I wanted a dreamy look.  I mounted my watercoloured panel onto the second largest of the Sewing Stackers frames (51-651).  The sentiment is from the stamp set Trust Me Builder (30-710), stamped in Rustic Wilderness DI.

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I'm looking forward to using this stamp again and again!

Thanks for stopping by!

Penny Black Product Links

Captivating (40-774)

Smiles (30-802)

Sewing Stackers (51-651)

Trust Me Builder (30-710)

Card #1:  Happy Birthday

Stamps:  Captivating, Smiles (both from Penny Black)

Paper:   Yupo, White Card base (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Alcohol Inks:  Wild Plum, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow (Ranger); Versamark
Accessories:   Blending Solution (Ranger), Princess Gold embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool

Card #2:

Stamps:  Captivating, Trust Me Builder (both from Penny Black)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Versamark;  Distress Inks:  Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, Rustic Wilderness (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   White embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, paint brushes, Sewing Stackers Frame (Penny Black)

Challenges:
PBSC - Anything goes

Christmas trees

Hi everyone.  Today I have a quick post with a CAS Christmas card.  I used a piece of smooshed Lindy magicals from my stash for the background.  Tore a piece of white card to create my snowhill, and used two trees (also from my stash) that I had made with alcohol inks on acetate; diecutting from Fir Trees (Impression Obsession).  To finish, I stamped a sentiment from Love Bug Christmas (Unity) using Peacock Feathers distress ink that matches the colour of the sky pretty well.

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I'm sending this card over to a few Christmas challenges.

Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge Blog #33 - Anything Christmas Goes

Product Links

Fir Trees (Impression Obsession)

Love Bug Christmas (Unity)

Stamps:  Love Bug Christmas sentiment (Unity)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Alcohol Inks:  2 shades of green (Ranger); Magicals (Lindy's); Peacock Feather Distress Ink (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:  Water mister, Fir Tree dies (Impression Obesssion), acetate   

Challenges:

Rudolph Days - Anything Goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge Blog #33 - Anything Christmas Goes

Penny Black - Fragrant Friends

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing two cards made from one of the new stamp sets in the Penny Black release - Delight.  Both cards are the most darling cats that are part of the Fragrant Friends (30-807) stamp set.  There is also a sweet Bear image that I'll share on a later post.

I started by stamping the cats in black ink and clear heat embossing.  They are both watercoloured with Distress Inks (listed at bottom of post).  I used red chalk to add the rosy cheeks, and then added a few highlights with a white Posca pen.  The images have matching dies (Fragrant Friends Cut - 51-704), which I used to die-cut both cats.

The background is sponged in Mustard Seed and Spiced Marmalade inks using sponges over top of a Honeycomb stencil (25-012).  To finish, I framed the stenciling using the second to smallest frame from the Sewing Stackers Frames (51-651).  A simple sentiment (part of the stamp set) is stamped in black and clear embossed to match the image.  On the inside is the second part of the sentiment " ... filled with lots of LOVELY things!"

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I'm sending this card over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes or Cute.  This cat is definitely cute! :)

For the second card, I used the same layout and design with the stenciled background and framing.

A different simple sentiment (again, part of the stamp set) is stamped in black ink and heat embossed in clear.

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Thanks for coming by for a visit!

Penny Black Product Links

Fragrant Friends (30-807)

Fragrant Friends Cut-out (51-704)

Sewing Stackers (51-651)

Honeycomb Stencil (25-012)

Stamps:  Fragrant Friends (Penny Black)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White cad stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Black (Memento); Distress Inks:  Dried Marigold, Rusty Hinge, Mowed Lawn, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, and Crackling Camp Fire (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Honeycomb stencil (Penny Black), sponges, Clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, waterbrush, Fragrant Friends Cut Out (Penny Black)

Challenges:
PBSC - Anything Goes or Cute

More Foiling Fun

Hi everyone, sharing one more simple way to foil that I shared at my Zoom group meeting on Apr. 14th.  This time I used a piece of double-sided adhesive sheet on foam and then burnished my foil over top.  Adding the foam to the foil gives it added dimension.  I die-cut this sweet leafy sprig (AliExpess).  It not only cut out beautifully, but it also has the embossing on the leaves.  I used the Gold Shattered Glass Decofoil again and you can see how the reflection gives you lots of different colours.  So pretty!!

I used a piece of alcohol ink'd Yupo in the background that I had in my stash.  Not positive of the colours but believe they are my favourite combo of Wild Plum, Sunet Orange, and Sunshine Yellow (Ranger).  Die-cut a frame from white card stock (Spellbinders - retired) and popped the frame over top of my card front, adding the gold foiled leave inside the window aperture.  Stamped a Simple Sentiment (Lawn Fawn) and heat embossed in Princess gold embossing powder.

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* * * * *

Jessie had some pampering from Alex ... Mani/Pedi.

Even though she doesn't like having her nails clipped,

she adores Alex and took the opportunity to steal a kiss. :)

* * * * *

Blogger has notified blog owners of a change to their service.  They will no longer be providing the Feedburner email subscription service.  This means for all of you that receive my new posts via email, that subscription will no longer be working as of July.

In the meantime, I will be downloading your email addresses and forwarding them to a new subscription service.  Right now, I'm not sure which service that will be but will have that settled shortly.  Hopefully there won't be any disruption of subscribers receiving my updates.

Thanks for visiting!

Product Links

Simple Sentiments

Stamps: Simple Sentiments (Lawn Fawn) 

Paper:   Yupo; White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Alcohol Inks:  Wild Plum, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow (Ranger); Versamark
Accessories:   Blending Solution (Ranger), Leaf die (AliExpress), Sookwang Double-sided adhesive sheets, Gold Shattered foil (Decofoil), Rectangle Nestabilities - retired (Spellbinders), Princess Gold embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, 

April's Zoom fun - Simple Foiling

Hi everyone.  This month our Zoom group worked on simple foiling.  There are several simple ways to add foil to your work without a laminator and even without transfer gel.

First up is using double-sided adhesives (sookway tape in different widths used on card above).  They are covered with Deco Foil's Gold Shattered Glass.  It's so beautiful and really catches the light.  I finished the design by adding a die-cut cherry blossom branch (Cherry Blossom die - Penny Black) that is watercoloured using Gold Delicata ink for the branches and leaves, Kitsch Flamingo Pink and Picked Raspberry distress inks for the blossoms (diluted with water to get a very soft look), and a sweet, little sentiment (Happy Snippets - Penny Black) stamped repeatedly with Spun Sugar distress ink.

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For the second card, I've used foam tape (1/4") to create a fun rainbow foiled background.  

Burnished the rainbow foil from Deco Foil onto foam tape using my fingers to press firmly.  Cut the long foam tape into smaller pieces and just laid them side-by-side to form the background.  The foam tape is sticky on the sides, to they stuck together nicely.  Added a simple die-cut hello (Small Hello die - SSS), cut three times and layered together, with the top layer painted with Gold Delicata ink.

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I'm adding the top card with Cherry Blossoms to The Flower Challenge #55 - Pretty Pastels.

The second card (rainbow hello) I'm sending to SSS Wednesday Challenge - CAS.

Thanks for visiting!!

Product Links

Cherry Blossom - Penny Black

Happy Snippets - Penny Black

Small Hello die - SSS

Card #1 - Cherry Blossom Hugs

Stamps:  Happy Snippets (Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)

Ink:   Delicata Gold (Tsukineko); Distress Inks:  Kitsch Flamingo, Picked Raspberry (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Cherry Blossom die (Penny Black); Gold Shattered Glass Foil (Decofoil); Sookwang double-sided adhesive strips, Stylus and mat

Card #2 - Rainbow Hello

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)

Ink:   Delicata Gold (Tsukineko)
Accessories:  Rainbow Foil (Decofoil); 3M double-sided adhesive foam strips, Small Hello die (Simon Says Stamp)

Challenges:

The Flower Challenge #55 - Pretty Pastels

SSS Wednesday Challenge - CAS

CAS Challenges April Reminder

Hi everyone.  Time for the reminders for both CAS Mix Up and CAS Christmas challenges.  First up, CAS Mix Up.  This month is hosted by Linda (Life in the Craft Lane) and she wants us to go back in time to an older technique - Paper Piecing.  Adding a few mixed media techniques along with the paper pieced image, gives this technique new life.

Linda is our host.

For my card above, I stamped Enliven (Penny Black).  I used a background from my stash which is done with magicals (so there is lots of shimmer) and cling wrap.  You've probably seen or done this technique before.  If not, check out the YouTube video HERE on how to do this fun technique.

I stamped my image on top with Black ink and also stamped the image onto patterned yellow and white DSP.  I fussy-cut the flowers and glued them over top of my image on my watercolour panel.  I did a bit of shading using Spiced Marmalade distress ink for the petals on the flowers and colouring the stems and leaves with Mowed Lawn distress ink.  I then coated the flowers with Clear Wink of Stella and added white dots to the stamens and centers.  Tip:  Before gluing on your pieces, take a coloured marker (same as the ink you are using) and go around the cut outside edges of the fussy-cut pieces to they blend into the stamped image.

I popped up my main panel with foam and added a stamped sentiment, Trust Me Builder Stamp (Penny Black) to finish the card.

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Trina is our host.

Reminder card for CAS Christmas April Challenge - Rainbow.

This looks like it would be an easy card to make, right??!!  It was super fiddly and took me a few tries to get it right. :)  In the end, I'm happy! :)   I watercoloured each gift in the colour of the rainbows, adding a bit of shading with a darker colour on each.  I coated each of the gifts with Clear Wink of Stella for some shimmer and then used a white Posca pen to add designs to colour.  The row of gifts is popped up to add a bit of dimension.

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I hope you'll check out the challenge blogs to see the amazing cards from our Designers, Guest Designers, and participants.  If you haven't had time to play along, there's over a week left before both challenges close on 24th at midnight PST.  Come join us!

Product Links

Enliven 30-705 (Penny Black)

Trust Me Builder Stamps 30-710 (Penny Black)

CAS Mix Up Reminder - Patterned Posies
Stamps:  Enliven, Trust Me Builder (both Penny Black)
Paper:  Watercolour paper (Arches 140 lb. cold press); White card base (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Magicals (blue and green) for the background); Distress Inks:  Spiced Marmalade, Mowed Lawn (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  Cling wrap, water mister, blending brush, Black marker, White Posca Pen


CAS Christmas Reminder - Rainbow Gifts
Stamps:  Snowglobe Sentiments - retired (My Favorite Things)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink: Distress Inks:  Candied Apple, Carved Pumpkin, Mustard Seed, Mowed Lawn, Peacock Feathers, Wilted Violet (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  Brilliant Gifts Die (Simon Says Stamp), water brush, Clear Wink of Stella, White Posca pen


Challenges:
CAS Mix Up April Challenge - Paper Piecing
CAS Christmas April Challenge - Rainbow

The Flower Challenge #55 Reminder

Hi everyone.  I'm back with a reminder card for The Flower Challenge #55 - Pretty Pastels.  Today I've used a new-to-me stamp that I bought recently from Newton's Nook, called Floral Fringe.  This is such a fun and whimsical design that tells us that Spring is here! :)

I started by stamping the image in white pigment ink and then heat embossing in white.  I used Squeezed Lemonade distress ink to add a soft yellow wash to the background before watercolouring the rest of the flowers, using soft pastel colours.  The leaves are watercoloured using watercolour pencils in three shades of green.  The sentiment, which comes with the stamp set, is stamped in green to finish the card.  A CAS design that shows off the pretty pastel flowers.

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I hope you'll check out the challenge blog to see the amazing reminder cards from our talented Designers.  Lots of time to play along.  The challenge closes on the 25th.

Product Links

Floral Fringe (Newton's Nook)

Stamps:  Floral Fringe (Newton's Nook)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Unicorn White Pigment Ink (Hero Arts); Distress Inks:  Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick, Dusty Concord, Broken China (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   White embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, water brush, Green Watercolour Pencils (Derwent)

Challenges:

The Flower Challenge #55 - Pretty Pastels

Twofer #37 Challenge

 

Hi everyone.  I had fun playing with this month's Twofer challenge.  I LOVE this beautiful, leafy stencil (gifted from a sweet friend) that I used on both cards.

Please remember to follow the prompt below as well as above ...

I'm liking this technique that I saw on a youtube video by Nina Marie a couple of weeks ago.  This time I tried with with a sweet row of cacti (Happy Together - Penny Black), stamped in black and clear heat embossing, then watercoloured with the two colours of Distress Inks I wanted to use for the top stenciling (Peacock Feathers, Mowed Lawn, along with Rusty Hinge for the pots).

Added a light sponging and then a layer of sponging through a leaves stencil (Lovely Leaves - Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi) at the top and then finished with a sentiment (Special Sentiments - Penny Black), stamped in black and clear heat embossed to match the image).  I really like how the card turned out! :)  Now I need to look through my stencils and images to find some more pairings. :)

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For my second card using the leaf stencil, I started with a coloured background.  This is one of my last pieces of Certainly Celery (SU!) that retired many years ago. :)

I sponged the leafy sprig around the outside edges of the card front, using two shades of green for depth (Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness).  I then added just a few more sponged sprigs, done this time with Versamark and then heat embossed in clear.  The sentiment (Smiles - Penny Black) was stamped in Rustic Wilderness and clear embossed as well.

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I hope you'll come play along at Twofer ... it's such a fun challenge!  It's open until April 24th ... don't miss out! :)

Products:

Lovely Leaves Stencil (Studio 490 - Wendy Vecchi)

Happy Together (Penny Black)

Special Sentiments (Penny Black)

Smiles (Penny Black)

Card #1 - Birthday Leaves

Stamps:  Happy Together, Special Sentiments (both from Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Black (Memento); Distress Oxides:  Mowed Lawn, Peacock Feathers, Rusty Hinge (Tim Holtz)
Accessories: Clear embossing powder (Ranger); heat tool, waterbrush, Lovely Leaves Stencil (Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi), blending brushes

Card #2: Best Friends

Stamps:  Smiles (Penny Black)

Paper:   Certainly Celery DSP (SU!); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories:  Sponges, Lovely Leaves Stencil (Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi), Clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool

Challenges:

Twofer Challenge #37 - Leaves

Paper Piecing with Die-cuts

Hi everyone.  Today is another paper pieced card for this month's CAS Mix Up challenge, but with a twist.  I used die-cuts to paper piece this lovely Holly & Berry Branch die from Penny Black.

I die-cut the image three times (one from green patterned paper, one from red patterned paper, one from brown card stock).  I used the green image as the base, cutting off the holly leaves and berries to add the branch in brown overtop, and cutting off the holly leaves and branch from the red patterned paper for the berries.  I added crystal glaze to the berries for some shine.

The background is made with SSS Falling Snow stencil, covered with white embossing paste.  Once dry, it was cut to size.  A simple sentiment (MFT Snowglobe Sentiments - retired) was stamped to add another pop of red.

This card has paper piecing, die-cutting, stenciling, embossing paste, and heat embossing.

Thanks for stopping by!

Product Links

Holly & Berry Branch die (Penny Black)

Falling Snow Stencil (Simon Says Stamp)

Stamps:  Snowglobe sentiments - retired (My Favorite Things)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Patterned paper (unknown); Baked Brown Sugar card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:   Versamark
Accessories:   Holly & Berry Branch die (Penny Black), Falling Snow stencil (Simon Says Stamp), white embossing paste, palette knife, Apple Red embossing powder (WOW!), crystal glaze (Nuvo)

Challenges:
CAS Mix Up April Challenge - Paper Piecing

The Flower Challenge #55

Hi everyone.  It's the start of a new challenge at The Flower Challenge #55 - Pretty Pastels.  We are thrilled to have a sponsor this month, Varda Sharma.  I used one of their free images for my card today.  You can find this FREE image HERE.

We also have an amazing Guest Designer with us this month.  Welcome to Keia (Confessions of a Paperholic)!

I started by printing off the image twice.  One for my background, which I sponged lightly with three colours of Distress Inks (Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Picked Raspberry).  For the second image, I fussy-cut the flowers and leaves, watercoloured, added dimension using a stylus and foam mat, and then paper pieced on top of the background.  I used Mustard Seed and Picked Raspberry distress inks on my flowers, Mowed Lawn distress ink on the leaves.

To finish, I stamped in black ink, one of the sentiments from Stampendous Spring Sentiment stamp set. I also added just a few drops of Black Liquid Pearl to the flower centers.

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I hope you'll check out the challenge blog to see the Pretty Pastel cards from our Designers and wonderful Guest Designer, Keia.

Come join us.  The challenge is open until April 25th!

Product Links

Flower Cluster1 (Varda Sharma)

Spring Sentiments (Stampendous)

Stamps:  Flower Cluster 1 (Varda Sharma digital stamps); Spring Sentiments (Stampendous)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Picked Raspberry, Mowed Lawn (Tim Holtz); Black (Memento)
Accessories:   blending brushes, watercolour brush, Black Liquid Pearl

Challenges:

The Flower Challenge #55 - Pretty Pastels