Penny Black - Gladness

Hi everyone.  Today is another new stamp from the latest Penny Black release, called Gladness (40-854).  I created this card for a very special friend's birthday, which was three days ago.  I hope she's received my card in time. :)

I stamped the bouquet of flowers onto mixed media paper in Gray Granite dye ink (SU!) and heat embossed with clear.  I stamped a second time onto a scrap piece of mixed media paper, making sure all the flowers fit, but didn't worry about the stems.

I watercoloured all the flowers with distress inks:  Abandoned Coral, Candied Apple, Mowed Lawn.  I fussy cut the blooms from the flowers stamped on the scrap piece and set aside.

To add a focus on the middle part of the bouquet, using a circle die as my template and a pencil, I drew a circle over top, having the circle go off the page slightly.  I used a piercing tool to poke holes around the circle at about 1/8" intervals.  I erased the pencil circle.

I stamped the sentiment Not Older, Better (30-896) in the upper left corner in the same Gray Granite as the flowers, heat embossing with clear.  I attached the card front to my card base and then added the fussy-cut blooms over top of my card front, adding some pop dots for added dimension.

Close-up ...

I'm sending this card to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes with Optional Spots and/or Stripes.  I've added paper piercing to create a dotty (or spotty) background for my flowers. :)  This is my second entry.

And I'm sending this card to The Flower Challenge #70 - CAS.  I created a CAS design using some stamping, watercolouring and a little piercing. :)

Thanks for coming by for a visit!

Penny Black Products

Gladness (40-854)

Not Older, Better (30-896)

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Stamps:  Gladness; Not Older, Better (both from Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Gray Granite (SU!); Distress Inks:  Abandoned Coral, Candied Apple, Mowed Lawn, Rusty Hinge (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Clear Embossing Powder (Ranger), heat tool, watercolour brushes, Piercing tool

Challenges:
PBSC - Anything Goes with optional:  Spots and/or Stripes

The Flower Challenge #70 - CAS

Thoughts of you

Hi everyone.  Sharing a card I sent to a friend who recently had surgery.  Thankfully everything went smoothly with the surgery and she is doing great!!

I used gold embossed images from Altenew that my dear friend, Bonnie, sent me ages ago.  I really need to be better about using up gifts!  I watercoloured with my zigs and fussy-cut.  I added a pierced border and a gold embossed sentiment to match.  I arranged the flower spray in the bottom right corner of the pieced rectangle, popping up the large flower for added dimension.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Beautiful Day (Altenew); Gratitude (Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card base (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  zigs; versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Waterbrush, gold embossing powder, heat tool, paper piercing tool and template

Watercolours Again

Hi everyone.  Playing around with the same technique as a couple of days ago (Happy Watercolored Birthday).  This time I used the orange and yellow from the Muse Card by Marion Vagg, but changed the blue to Rich Razzleberry (love this bright purple!).

I also kept the white embossed wood grain background from the Muse card, but it looks so different being an A2 card (4 1/4" x 5 1/2") from the square card.  I used a white silhouette of die-cut daisies and white embossed sentiment.

Here's the Muse card from the lastest challenge (#64) ...

I'm also entering this card into CAS-ology #92 Challenge, cue word: Garden and for the Less Is More #168 Challenge (makes me smile) ... playing with inks makes me smile :)

Stamps:  Friendship Garden - sentiment (Fiskars)
Paper:  110 lb. white (Neenah); watercolor
Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Rich Razzleberry (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Wood Grain embossing folder (Sizzix), Fresh Daisies die (Simon Says), white embossing powder, heat tool, water mister

Challenges:
Muse #64
CAS-ology #92
Less Is More #168

____________________

Here are two more of my Dirty Dozen Design Team cards from last October (click here for an explanation as to why I'm sharing them now).  Along with the theme challenge of "It's about Time", there are also challenges within the central theme ... one of them being "More is More.  This is where you make a card, and then make a stepped-up version.

Here I made a CAS Christmas card with some die-cut heated copper.  And by just adding some dry embossing and paper piercing, the card below is the "stepped-up" version :)

Stamps:  Beautiful Season (SU!)
Paper:  White (Neenah)
Ink:  Soft Suede (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Holiday Cheer dies (Sizzix), Country Landscape die (Memory Box), Snowflake embossing folder (Cuttlebug), paper piercing tool, template and mat; copper metal sheet .005 thickness (K&S Precision Metals), mini torch

Happy Birthday Evan!!

Hi everyone.  Today is my oldest son's birthday ... and he's turning 30th!  Wow ... where did the years go??!! :)

I made him a card in August when we went to a "Surprise Birthday BBQ" that his girlfriend was throwing to celebrate.  She justified it being early as she wanted to have a BBQ (which Evan loves) ... so it all made sense.  And as some of you know that read my blog post in August ... it turned out to be a surprise wedding for all the guests! :)  So today, it's official ... and so I made him another card - a guy can never have too many birthday cards, right??!! :)

Evan is a coffee drinker ... he can't let a day go by without having his beloved Timmy's ... or several for that matter.  So I saw this fun digi at Bugaboo and knew it would be perfect for his card.  The layout is something different for me ... and I CASE'd it from my good friend Kylie (link to her card here).  I loved the DP strip and how she popped it up from her card base and then the main panel was popped up again.  I have done that also, although it's hard to tell in the photo (still need to get on the light box but I have been WAY too busy).

Here's a close-up:

I paper pieced the mug, sponged around the edges of each piece, added piercing to the "steam" and crystal effects on all three hearts.

Stamps:  Cocoa (Bugaboo); Bitty Birthday (SU!)
Paper:  White, Generations DP (Simple Stories)
Ink:  Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Black, Smoky Slate; Copics:  R59, W4
Accessories & Tools:  paper piecing tool and mat, crystal effects, glue, adhesives, and dimensionals

This also qualifies for the SCS TLC challenge (TLC455 - paper piecing).

____________________

I have another card ... I know, two cards in one day is not the norm for me, but I've been on a roll! :)  Today the challenge at SCS Way's to Use It (WT453) is add a wreath.  I made this very CAS Christmas card, using the felt again for the holly leaves (love playing with felt!).

I added the sentiment in the middle and some pearl "berries" and twine bow.  Fun, and easy to make.

Here's a close-up:

Stamps:  Merriment (SU!)
Paper:  White
Ink:  Real Red (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Holly die (C.C. Designs), Green felt, red half-pearls, Maraschino twine (The Twinery), Circle Nesties (Spellbinders), glue, adhesives, and dimensionals

O Christmas Tree

Hi everyone.  Another quick and CAS Christmas card to share with you today.  I made a very small "folded Christmas tree" (click here to see the tutorial on SCS), and placed it inside a circle aperture.  The background for the circle cut-out is brick embossing on white (love this embossing folder and can't get enough of it!!). :)  I added some paper piercing around the circle to give it more presence.  A glittery star on top of the tree and a simple sentiment finished it off.


Here's a close-up:

I did learn something with this card and I'll pass it along.  It is easier to pierce the circle first and then cut out the center ... much easier to make sure they are lined up.

I used a small half circle of the retired "Be of Good Cheer" designer paper from SU! for the folded tree.  Once the folding was done, I rounded off the bottom so it was symmetrical.  I used a scrap for the tree as well as for the brick embossed background, so I'm entering this into Pixie's Crafty Snippets Playground - Week #88.

Stamps:  Merry and Bright (Amy R)
Paper:  White (C.C. Designs); Be of Good Cheer - retired, silver glimmer (SU!)
Ink:  Gumball Green (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Holiday Shapes die (Simon Says), Brick embossing folder (Tim Holtz for Sizzix); paper piercing tool, template and mat, Stamp-a-ma-jig, glue, adhesives, and dimensionals

____________________

Just another quick item.  I had a comment from "Colorado Crafter" about the "Best of" gallery on SCS.  Sorry I couldn't answer your comment, but you didn't leave an email address so I'm hoping you'll read this :)

Click on the link to see the "CAS Favorites - Best of 2012" on SCS.  If you have any questions, please send me an email (link in right-hand coloumn near the top of blog) and make sure to fill in your email address and your name and then I can contact you directly.  Thanks!

Daisies for Karen

Hi everyone.  Hope you're not tired of hearing from me :) ... I've had lots of time in the studio lately.  So much fun!!  Today's card is another for this week's Queen for the Day at SCS (QFTD175 - choose a previous Queen with the initials J through L).

Today I'm honoring my good friend, Karen.  She LOVES CAS cards and has been making them for a long time.  I have spent many hours looking over her gallery of cards, oohing and ahhing.  I picked this card to CASE today.  I changed it up a bit, but kept the same basic layout, design and colors.

Thank you Karen ... not only for all the inspiring cards in your gallery and on your blog, but also for your lovely comments and the extra behind-the-scenes work you do for Splitcoast!  Hope you like this card I made in your honor!

Here's a close up of the daisies:

The flowers are stamped in Staz-on Black onto Whisper White card stock and then I colored them with ink and my blender pen (marker layering).  I've added dazzling diamonds to the centers, but couldn't seem to capture the shine in the photo.  I fussy-cut the flower and mounted them onto my yellow polka-dot strip, popping them up with dimensionals for added dimension.  A line of piercing above and below the polka-dot panel adds more detail.

Stamps:  Single Daisy Bloom (Impression Obsession), Sentiment Sampler (Paper Smooches)
Paper:  White (C.C. Designs); Whisper White and Daffodil Delight polka-dot DP (SU!)
Ink:  Staz-on Black, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  blender pen, dazzling diamonds, paper piercing tool, template and mat, adhesive, and dimensionals

You're a Special Friend

Hi everyone.  Here is my design team card for the latest challenge at Addicted to Stamps & More #49 - Addicted to CAS.  My very special friend, Nancy, sent me a lovely package of molded clay roses and vases ... and I used one of the small roses on the card above.  I colored the rose using my Aqua Painter and coral ink - love how it turned out.  The leaves are leftovers from a Flourish die-cut from Cheery Lynn.

This challenge's sponsor is

Prize:  $10 Voucher

(must follow challenge rules to be eligible to win)

Di's Digi Designs is sponsoring the whole month of June!

Stamps: Be Happy Sentiments (Amy R)

Paper:  White, Old Olive (SU!)
Ink:  Pear Pizzazz, Calypso Coral (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Label punch; Piercing tool, template and mat; Leaves, Molded Clay Rose (Nancy), Aqua Painter, glue, and dimensionals

Here's a close-up:

I hope I have inspired you to join us for this fun challenge.  Check out the other fabulous creations by the Design Team at ATS&M!

Summer Daisy

Hi everyone.  Here is my Design Team card for the latest challenge at Addicted to CAS.  Love these three colors of ink together for the watercolored backdrop.

This challenge is being run by the incredibly talented Marie (Baileyrosy), and she chose this fabulous word ...

This challenges sponsor is

Prize:  $15 voucher for Paper Makeup Stamps
(must follow challenge rules to be eligible to win)

Stamps:  Autumn Sentiments (Amy R)
Paper:  White, Watercolor; Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo (SU!)
Ink:  Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Melon Mambo, Early Espresso (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Leafy Branch die (C.C. Designs), Medium Daisy Punch (Punch Bunch), Itty Bitty Punch (small circle - SU!), Aqua Painter, sponges, Crystal Effects, Water Mister; stylus, tweezers and mat; piercing tool and template, sticky strips, glue, and dimensionals

I started with the background paper ... watercolor paper that was misted with lots of water.  I used the three colors of re-inkers, placing a few drops in each of my palette cups and adding a few drops of water to dilute slightly.  Then I picked up one color at a time with my Aqua Painter and touched the wet watercolor paper ... the ink color spreads with the water.  I cleaned my Aqua Painter and then repeated the process with the other two colors.  The more ink you add, the more saturated the color.  And if there's too much water and the ink starts to run, paper towel blots it up and then you add more ink as needed.  Fun to make!

Here's a close-up:

I hope I have inspired you to join in our fun challenge ...  Addicted to CAS - Circle(s). Come check out all the wonderful creations by the other Design Team members.

____________________

Just a quick comment on my Card Candy.  I've had a few inquires about where to buy my candy ... thank you for your sweet comments, but I make it just for fun and to give friends.  If you are interested in making your own set, send me an email and I'll give you detailed instructions on how I made them.  :)

Thanks also to everyone that commented on my latest Card Candy Giveaway - #3 (Clouds and Apples).  I used the True Random Number Generator to pick the winner of the Card Candy:

True Random Number Generator Min:  Max:   Result: 23 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Cathy (Cathy's Card Spot)

Congrats Cathy ... please email your mailing address to me (click on the "Email Me" in the right-hand column near the top), and I'll send you the Card Candy.

Birthday Candles

Hi everyone.  Here is my Design Team card for the latest challenge at Addicted to Stamps & More #43 - Addicted to Colors (or use the closest you have to these colors).

I wish I could take credit for coming up with the idea for making these candles - they are so cute.  I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was perfect for the color challenge.

This week's sponsor is

Prize:  2 sheets of digis (8 images)

(please follow the rules of the challenge to be eligible to win)

Whoopsi Daisy will be sponsoring the whole month of May 2013

Stamps:  Make a Big Wish (studio g)

Paper:  Crumb Cake, Lined DP in Pacific Point, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie (SU!)

Ink:  Basic Black (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  White hemp twine; piercing tool, mat and template; Stamp-a-ma-jig, glue, sticky strips, adhesives, and dimensionals

I cut the lined DP on the diagonal; each piece is 2 1/4" x 3 1/2".  I put a straight line of glue on one short end and a sticky strip on the other (leaving the cover on the strip).  I placed the hemp twine in the glue and held for a couple of seconds until it was adhered.  Then I rolled up the paper, making sure the top and bottom remained lined up, and then removed the cover of the sticky strip at the end and secured.

I picked up this sentiment about a year ago from one of the $1.50 bins at Michael's ... it's just perfect for today's card ... I stamped the sentiment using my Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement.  I pierced a border around the edge of the card front and then used my Black Stampin' Write marker to add stitch lines.  I adhered the candles using sticky strips, and then popped the card front up onto the card base for added dimension.

For interest, I added a band of each striped DP on the inside, cutting the blue 3/4" wide, the pink 1/2" wide and the orange 1/4" wide.  I layered them together and adhered them to the inside.

Here's a close-up of the candles:

I hope I have inspired you to join us for this fun challenge.  Check out the other fabulous creations by the Design Team at ATS&M!

Happiness Always

Hi everyone.  Where has my mojo gone??  .... I have been trying to make some more Easter cards, but things just weren't working out.  It happens to all of us ... but it's been three days of this - which is really long for me :(  I'm thinking that the kids will get a bag of treats and no cards this year.  Yep, I need to let myself off the hook. :)

So today I didn't even attempt an Easter card ... instead I tried making some roses with my Rose Creation die from Spellbinders.  I had seen some gorgeous hand-made roses on SCS by Joanna Krog ... amazing!!  I thought I should give it a try.  Well, it went  ... OK.  I still need to work on them, but I think I'm on the right track.  Just need to figure out an easier way to get the petals to stay "scrunched up" ... I'm thinking glue.  I'll do some more practicing ... but for now, I'm using one of my roses for this card.  Happy with how this card turned out in the end ... this is after I broke my favorite fern punch (it had been giving me trouble for a while so I guess I should have picked up on the fact that it was done).  I subbed in some olive branch dies instead and I'm really happy with how they look ... these are the darker sprigs covered with white flowers.

So I'm happy that I made a card that I actually get to share with you :)   And making something that is pretty makes me happy too.  Hope you like.

Stamps:  Whimsical words (SU!)
Paper:  White, Raspberry Ripple, Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi (SU!)
Ink:  Raspberry Ripple, So Saffron (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Rose Creation Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Little Leaves die (Sizzix), Olive branch die and 8-petal die (C.C. Designs), paper piercing tool, stylus and mat, Stamp-a-ma-jig, glue, and dimensionals

I pierced a square about 3/4" in from all sides of the front panel.  I stamped the sentiment in Raspberry Ripple using the Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement.

I die-cut the Rose from Raspberry Ripple cardstock and used my stylus and mat to shape the petals and then glued all the layers together.

I created a triangle of Little Leaves die-cut from Certainly Celery cardstock.  Then I added another triangle of Olive branch dies on top out of Wild Wasabi cardstock (the triangles need to be off-set from each other).  I placed the rose in the center and added both sizes of the 8-petal flower dies (the larger ones have a center dot of So Saffron ink).  


Here's a close-up of the rose spray:

Thankful for Nancy

Hi everyone.  This card is for a couple of challenges.  First, the SCS Featured Stamper (FS319) this week is my good friend, Nancy Littrell.  Congrats Nancy!!

Nancy and I met while on the CAS Design Team for SCS just over a year ago and we've been friends ever since.  We have so much in common, and share a passion for CAS cards.  I have been inspired by Nancy for many of my cards that I have made and I know that she has inspired many others as well.  Today it's all about her ... and she will know that I really worked hard to make this card for her :)  She has made several beautiful cards using the two-step bird punch from SU! and I mentioned to her that I had the same punch, but just couldn't seem to get it to work for me on any of my cards ... I had tried several times and they always looked terrible and I would ditch them and start with something else.  I think I ended up with some sort of complex about using this punch!! :)  Today I used this beautiful card from Nancy's gallery to get me over my phobia!!  I'm so happy with how this turned out ... thank you, thank you, thank you Nancy!  I appreciate you for all your wonderful cards and inspiration you provide, but most of all, I appreciate you for you.  Enjoy your special week, my friend!!

I'm also entering this into the Less Is More challenge (LIM#111 - frame it).  I used piercing to frame my label punch.

Stamps:  Be Happy Sentiments (AmyR)
Paper:  White, watercolor
Ink:  Certainly Celery, Tempting Turquoise, Not Quite Navy (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  2-Step bird punch, Label punch; Piercing tool, template and mat, Stamp-a-ma-jig, water mister, glue, and dimensionals

I dropped some watered-down re-inkers (Certainly Celery, Tempting Turquoise, Not Quite Navy), onto a piece of wet watercolor paper.  The ink spreads across the water to create a large piece of multi-colored watercolor paper, which I let dry and then punched out the bird and branch.  I punched a second branch which is attached to the inside of the card.


Here's a close-up of the main image:

If Friends were Flowers ... I'd pick YOU!

Hi everyone.  Here is my Design Team card for the latest challenge at Addicted to Stamps & More - Sketch #6 (check out the sketch below).  I wanted to use the beautiful designer papers called Sycamore Street ... the colors are so bold and bright and it definitely says "Spring".  I have a fairly large "collection" of designer papers.  I call it a collection, because I don't use them on my cards very much ... just keep collecting them :) My goal is to start using them more ... hopefully!

FYI, Addicted to Stamps & More is making some changes.  A new series of challenges begins next week, so stay tuned for some fun and exciting changes!

Here's today's sketch:

Stamps:  Watering Can Logos (C.C. Designs)
Paper:  White, Sycamore Street DP, Rich Razzleberry, Summer Starfruit, Tangerine Tango (SU!)
Ink:  Rich Razzleberry (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Small daisy and small sun punches (punch bunch), Little Leaves die (Sizzix),  Stylus Kit (McGill), mat, piercing tool, piercing template, glue, adhesives, and dimensionals

I stamped the large sentiment just above center and then added a line of piercing below.  The daisy is three layers, with the petals pinched and shaped.  Two sun punches (also shaped) are the flower center.


Here's a close-up view of the flower and sentiment:

I hope I have inspired you to join us for this fun challenge.  Check out the other fabulous creations by the Design Team at ATS&M!