Merry Christmas!!

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing something a little different.  I bought this snow globe die (Snow Globe A2 Shaker die - Honey Bee) many months ago with the plan to use it for my Christmas cards this year.  Needless to say, I have changed my mind on that. :)  This was like a card-making marathon! :)

But, I'm happy I made this.  I followed Jennifer McGuire's video "Shaker Ornaments".  I used ten layers of card stock frames, two layers of acetate centers, along with the original background center and a separate sentiment.  Whew!  That's a lot of die-cutting. :) 

Close-up ...

I hope you enjoyed seeing my snow globe shaker.  This will be a one-of this year. :)  

I'm signing off for the rest of the year.  I want to thank all my friends, followers, and subscribers for visiting my blog throughout the year.  I appreciate all of you!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season

and the best for 2022!

And a very Merry Christmas from Jessie!!

I'll be back on January 1, 2022 with my CAS Mix Up Challenge card.

See you then!

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Penny Black - Brilliance Part 2

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing a third card that focuses on the Brilliance (40-806) stamps from Penny Black.  Click here to see the first two cards I made with this stamp set.  I LOVE these berry branches and know I will use them A LOT! :)

Today I used again, the new Penny Black die called Viewpoint (51-724).  This is an interesting window die.  I've used it with the basic window, but there are also shadows that you can add in to create the look of depth for the window. 

I started by softly sponging two shades of green at the bottom of my mixed media paper (distress inks:  Shabby Shutters and Peeled Paint).  Then I sponged two shades of ink at the top (Broken China, Salvaged Patina).  I stamped both the leafy images from the Brilliance stamp set, inking with Peeled paint for the leaves and Festive Berries for the berries.  I used a bit more ink and a wet paint brush to move colour around.

I wanted to add some texture with falling snow, so used Stampendous Chunky White Frantage.  I placed my card front in my griddle on low heat, sprinkled with the frantage, placed a lid over top and then waited about five minutes for the embossing powder to melt.

To finish the card, I die-cut three of the window frames.  I stamped the sentiment from the Penny Black Hug a Snowman stamp set (30-887) in the middle of one frame and heat embossed in red.  Then I glued the frames together with the sentiment one on top, and then adhered the group of frames onto my image.  Finally attached the whole thing to my card base.

Close-up ...

Sending this card to the SSS Wednesday Challenge - Happy Holidays / Christmas challenge.

Oops ... missed the deadline - darn!

Thanks for stopping by!

Penny Black Products

Brilliance (40-806)

Hug a Snowman (30-887)

Viewpoint (51-724)

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Stamps:  Brilliance, Hug a Snowman (both Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Broken China, Salvaged Patina, Festive Berries (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories:   Sponge brushes, paint brushes, Chunky White Frantage (Stampendous), Viewpoint window die (Penny Black)

Challenges:

SSS Wednesday Challenge - Happy Holidays / Christmas 

Penny Black - Delicate Pines

Hi everyone.  I have another wonderful stamp that I'm featuring in this card from the new Penny Black Hello Winter 2021 release.  It's called Delicate Pines (40-813).  I can see myself using this set of three pine branches a lot.

I started by stamping the three different branches down the side of my card front in Mowed Lawn distress ink.  I used a small brush (#2 round) to add some Rustic Wilderness distress ink to the stems of the branches to add a darker green.  I then sponged more Mowed Lawn ink in the background.

I stamped the sentiment (Christmas Moments 30-731) in Barn Door distress ink, repeating several times to create a dark red colour.  To finish, I wanted lots of sparkle so pressed my Versamark pad over the whole card front and heat embossed with Kaleidoscope embossing powder (Stampendous).  The name says it all, lots of colours that sparkle through a clear coating.

So pretty, but VERY hard to photograph.  The sentiment looks blurry, but it's not in real life.

Close-up ...

This was another quick and easy card to make so I did a second one.  This time I used Evergreen Bough and Pine Needles distress ink, along with the same sentiment stamp and ink colours from the card above.  Less sponging creates a softer look for the background.  Instead of adding sparkle to the whole front of the card, I added bits of glue here and there and adhered Shaved Ice (Stampendous), which are iridescent flakes with lots of sparkle.  It's a different look ...

Close-up ...

Thanks for stopping by!

Penny Black Products

Delicate Pines (40-813)

Christmas Moments (30-731)

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Stamps:  Delicate Pines, Christmas Moments (both Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness, Evergreen Bough, Pine Needles, Barn Door (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Sponge brush, Kaleidoscope embossing powder (Stampendous); Shaved Ice (Stampendous)

Penny Black - Picturesque

Hi everyone.  Sharing another of the new stamps from Penny Black's Hello Winter 2021 release.  This is a clean and simple card that came together quickly (quick for me, that is). :)

Started by creating a mask for the snow, sponging above to create the rising sun and sky.  Used distress inks: Mustard Seed, Abandoned Coral, Salvaged Patina.

With the mask still in place, stamped the small tree from the Picturesque (40-811) stamp set on the right in dark brown ink.  Removed the mask and stamped the large tree in the same dark brown ink.  Tore a piece of white card stock and adhered it at the bottom to create a second snowhill.

Used diluted white gouache paint to add snow to the branches of the trees and for splattering the falling snow.  Stamped the sentiment (Christmas Moments 30-731) in more of the dark brown ink.  

Close-up ...

Entering this card into the Merry Little Christmas challenge #41 - Anything Christmas Goes.

The card above came together so quickly that I made a second one ...

Mostly the same stamps as above, with the addition of some sponged Abandoned Coral ink in the sky.  And I added the Viewpoint (51-724) window frame die, along with a sentiment from the Festive Snippets (30-387) stamp set.  

Close-up ...

Thanks for stopping by!

Penny Black Products

Picturesque Stamp set (40-811)

Christmas Moments (30-731)

Festive Snippets (30-387)

Viewpoint die (51-724)

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Stamps:  Picturesque; Christmas Moments (both Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Rich Cocoa (Memento); Distress Inks:  Mustard Seed, Abandoned Coral, Salvaged Patina (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Sponge Brushes, Diluted White Gouache Paint, #2 Round Paint brush

Challenges:

MLCC #41 - Anything Christmas Goes

Penny Black - Lovely Landing

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing a card made with another of the new stamps from the Penny Black Hello Winter 2021 release.

This stamp is called Lovely Landing (40-807).  I love this sweet bird sitting on the branches watching the snow come down. :)

I started by smooshing the background with Iced Spruce and Speckled Egg distress inks.  The image was stamped with Basic Gray ink and heat embossed in clear.  The bird was watercoloured with more of the Iced Spruce and Speckled Egg distress inks and then pops of colour for the berries using Barn Door and Aged Mahogany distress inks.  White acrylic paint was diluted and used to add snow to the branches and then splattered over the whole image for the falling snow.  To finish, a sentiment (Bright & Light 30-762) was stamped in Versamark onto black card stock and heat embossed in white; then adhered to the bottom of the card.

Close-up ...

I'm sending this card to the Penny Black Saturday challenge - Anything Goes - Optional: Christmas.

Thanks for stopping by!

Penny Black Products

Lovely Landing (40-807)

Bright & Light (30-762)

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Stamps:  Lovely Landing, Bright & Light (both Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.); black card stock (SU!)
Ink:  Basic Gray (SU!); Distress Inks:  Iced Spruce, Speckled Egg, Barn Door, Aged Mahogany (Tim Holtz); Versamark 
Accessories:   Water Mister, Clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, Watercolour brushes (#4, #2 Round), White Acrylic Paint, Clear Wink of Stella, White Embossing Powder (Ranger)

Challenges:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Optional:  Christmas

Penny Black - Hug a Snowman

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing cards made from another of the new Penny Black release, Hello Winter 2021.  This stamp set (Hug a Snowman  30-887) includes the family image above, along with two other adorable snowman (one with a bunny), and two sentiments.  This set can be used for lots of different occasions such as winter birthday or celebration, as well as for Christmas.

Stamped the family of snowpeople in archival black ink onto mixed media paper.  Used sponge brushes to add Salvaged Patina and Wilted Violet distress inks to the top ... these colours are so pretty together!  Used the same two colours to watercolour the scarves, hats and gift as well.  Finished by first splattering with water, got a little carried away with some very big drops :) ... and then splattering with diluted white acrylic paint to finish off this snow storm.  Added a few details with a white pen and some red chalk before popping up the panel with foam onto my card base and adding a stamped sentiment (from the same set).

Close-up ...

This makes me smile! :)

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Penny Black Products

Hug a Snowman (30-887)

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Stamps:  Hug a Snowman (Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Archival Black (Ranger); Distress Inks:  Broken Glass, Salvaged Patina, Wilted Violet, Carved Pumpkin, Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs, Black Soot (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Sponge brushes, Paint Brushes (#4, #2 round); Clear Wink of Stella; Diluted White Acrylic Paint, Red Chalk, White Posca pen

Penny Black - Brilliance

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing cards made with the new Penny Black products that are part of the latest Hello Winter 2021 release.  I have made Christmas cards with these stamps, but they could be used for a variety of winter occasions.

I just LOVE this gorgeous leafy berry branch (Brilliance 40-806), which comes with two branches.  I used the largest above, although almost half of the branch is not showing.

I started by smooshing some leftover inks on my palette from one of the ornaments I made for Christmas.  The colours for the background are distress inks:  Peeled Paint, Forest Moss, Festive Berries, Aged Mahogany.  Once the background was dry, I placed it in my Misti along with the berry branch and stamped using Forrest Moss and Festive Berries markers to colour, with just a light misting of water.  I moved the ink around with a small paint brush and then repeated until I was happy with the look.  I die-cut the card with a circle die.

To finish, I stamped a sentiment from Christmas Moments (30-731), which is heat embossed in white.  I used a white acrylic pen to add dots to the berries and popped the circle up on my card base with foam.  

Close-up ...

Sorry for the shadows at the bottom of my photo ...

I love this colour combination so much, I had to make a second card.  This time I used the same distress ink colours for the smooshed background.  I added two stampings of the smallest berry branch, heat embossed in Princess Gold.  I added a simple sentiment (Christmas Sentiments 30-504) to finish the card.  

Hard to tell in the photo, but the leafy branches are a bright yellow gold metallic.

Sending the first card over to Merry Little Christmas Challenge #41 - Anything Christmas Goes.

Thanks for stopping by!

Penny Black Products

Christmas Moments (30-731)

Brilliance (40-806)

Christmas Sentiments (30-504)

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Card #1:  It's Christmas

Stamps: Brillance; Christmas Moments (both Penny Black) 

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Distress Inks and/or Markers: Peeled Paint, Forest Moss, Festive Berries, Aged Mahogany (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories: water mister, paint brushes, white embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, white acrylic pen (Posca)

Card #2:  Peace, Love, and Joy

Stamps: Brillance; Christmas Sentiments (both Penny Black) 

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Distress Inks: Peeled Paint, Forrest Moss, Festive Berries, Aged Mahogany (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories: water mister, Princess Gold embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool

Challenges:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #41

Winterberry Background x 2

Hi everyone.  I've had this stamp (Pinkfresh Studio's Winterberry Background) for a while, so happy to finally be inking it up for Christmas!  I used no-line watercoloring this time, although you can see some of the lines with the lighter green leaves.  That's another thing ... I do love twisted citron distress ink, but it DOES NOT photograph well.  It always looks yellow.  Trust me, the lighter leaves are green! :)

Started by inking up the image with antique linen distress ink.  Used distress re-inkers and watercolour paint brushes (#4, #2 round) to watercolour this background.  To finish, I used my white Posca pen to add highlights to the berries and some of the leaves.  I used a new-to-me die-cut sentiment banner from Simon Says (Holiday Words On a Line) and cut it from red card stock.  It was lost in the busy pattern, so I anchored it with a strip of white.  Worked great! :)

Close-up ...

I really like this background and wanted to try it with my new-to-me fine tec watercolours ...

LOVE the shimmer of these amazing watercolours!

I cut out a small strip to add in the sentiment banner.  You can just see it peeking out from the inside of the card.  It's small, but adds a nice little somethin' somethin' to the inside. :)

Close-up ... this really shows the shimmer of the paints!

I'm heading over to NBUS Challenge #32.  I used three new NBUS on this card (stamp, die, watercolours).  I'm having fun working my way through my new schtuff!

And I'm entering this pearly card into Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge #4.  I went with the Anything Goes for this challenge.  The mood board is AMAZING, so I might be back with another card inspired by it! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

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Stamps:  Winterberry Background (Pinkfresh Studio)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.); Real Red card stock (SU!)
Ink:   Antique Linen Distress Ink; Distress Re-inkers:  Candied Apple, Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Watercolour Paint brushes (#4, #2 round) - Blick Art Materials; White Posca pen; Liquid Platinum

Stamps:  Winterberry Background (Pinkfresh Studio)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:   Versamark; Pearlescent Watercolours (Fine Tec)
Accessories:   Watercolour Paint brushes (#4, #2 round) - Blick Art Materials; Liquid Platinum Embossing Powder, heat tool, CZ Design Sentiment Strips Reverse Christmas (Simon Says)

Challenges:
NBUS Challenge #32

Peace on Earch Christmas Challenge #4

Happy Birthday Susan!

Hi everyone.  Today is my dear friend Susan's birthday.  She loves blue and so when I saw this beautiful flower set from Honey Bee (Framed Anemones), I had to buy it to make her card.  I'm so happy how it turned out.  It's bright, bold, and a great birthday card for her.

Started by stamping in black ink and clear heat embossing.  I used only one shade of blue distress ink (Blueprint Sketch) for the flowers, two shades of green re-inkers (Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness) for the leaves.  I've now added the Blueprint Sketch re-inker to my wish list ... there's always something to add! :)  Here's the photo that I saw that helped me pick my shade of blue ink ...

The image comes with it's own frame, which I originally watercoloured in Black Soot distress ink.  I didn't like how it looked, so fussy-cut out my image and placed it over top of a hemstitch dotty border, which has been lined with black card stock.  Much happier with the design.

Close-up ...

I'm sending this card over to Seize the Birthday - Challenge #228.  I didn't play along with my hobby, but the card is for Susan and she is an AMAZING gardener!! :)

Also to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday, where the challenge is Anything Goes.

And sending to NBUS Challenge #32.  This is the first inking of this pretty stamp!

Thanks for stopping by ... and if you have a moment, why not stop by Susan's blog (Cardmaker's Garret) and leave her some birthday love.  Thank you!!

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Stamps:  Framed Anemones (Honey Bee); Sentiment - Cosmos (Technique Tuesday - retired)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.); Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:   Obsidian (Altenew); Blueprint Sketch distress ink, Mowed Lawn and Rustic Wilderness Distress Re-inkers (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Clear embossing powder, heat tool, Watercolour Paint brushes (#6, #4) Blick Art Materials, Hemstitch Rectangles (Spellbinders), White embossing powder

Challenges:

Seize the Birthday #228

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

NBUS Challenge #32

Berry Wreath

Hi everyone.  I have another new stamp set that I had fun playing with, Memory Box's Berry Wreath. :)  I started by stamping the wreath with Versamark and heat embossing with Liquid Platinum embossing powder.  I watercoloured using Distress Re-inkers (Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Candied Apple), and shaded the berries with a bit of Aged Mahogany distress ink.  

To finish, I stamped the sentiment (also from the same set) onto a vellum banner and heat embossed with the same Liquid Platinum embossing powder used on the wreath.  I added a few white highlights with my Posca pen.

Close-up ...

This wreath comes with a matching die, so maybe next time I'll use that.  

I'm sending this over to NBUS Challenge #32.  Happy to be using some of my HUGE stash of new stamps! :)

I'm also playing along with the final challenge of the year for Rudolph Days.  I happy to say that I played along in every challenge this year!!  Thanks to Maureen and her Designers for all their wonderful inspirational cards!

* * * * *

Jessie went for a sleepover with Violetta a couple of days ago

while I was resting to get over the flu.

Jer snapped this photo of her staring out the window, looking for squirrels. :)

* * * * *

Thanks for stopping by!

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Stamps:  Berry Wreath (Memory Box)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.); Vellum (SU!)
Ink:   Versamark; Distress Reinkers:  Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Candied Apple; Aged Mahogany distress ink (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Liquid Platinum embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, Watercolour Brushes (#4, #2, #1 round), white Posca pen

Challenges:

NBUS Challenge #32

Rudolph Days November Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Star Ornaments

Hi everyone.  I've made a few more ornaments to donate to my friend Susan's charity fundraiser.  Not sure if I mentioned, but this will be the first time we are making ornaments to sell.  Usually there is cards and shortbread.

I used wooden star ornaments that I bought from AliExpress.  All five of these ornaments in this post were painted with red acrylic paint for the bases.  Three of them have a crackle finish over top, which shows a little of the red peaking through.  The rest are a mix of watercoloured and card stock die-cuts, along with stamped and heat embossed sentiments.  It was a lot of fun making these.

I used a lot of snippets on these ornaments, so sending them over to the Snippets Playground - Challenge #416.

Thanks for stopping by!

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Challenges:

Snippets Playground Challenge #416