Inky Bouquet Two Ways!

Hi everyone! I'm here with a card that I shared on my regular Die Cut Diva post today, plus a bonus card only here, as usual.

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts A2 card;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Violet Studio patterned

Stamps w/die & stencil - Altenew Inky Bouquet 

Stamps - Altenew Bellaroma Hybrid Tea Rose

Dies - AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set 

Other - Copic Markers; Memento Tuxedo Black ink;

DOI Tumbled Glass & Black Soot inks;

 white gel pen; Altenew Carnival Magic enamel dots 

We're doing Flowers at the Divas for our April Challenge with Altenew as our fabulous sponsor. You can't go wrong with all the gorgeous Altenew floral sets available. I chose to use a fave of mine which, sadly, is sold out right now. The sentiment is from a different set which, as of when I wrote this post, was still available.

I stamped the bouquet onto Neenah with Memento ink and die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle. The Inky Bouquet set comes with a coordinating die and stencil - you'll see those later in this post. Instead, I colored the image with Copics & then stamped some dots (also from the set) with Tumbled Glass DOI; I blended the same ink around the edges. Stamped a sentiment from the Bellaroma set & added some Carnival Magic enamel dots to the panel. Adhered it to an A2 card that I'd covered with a piece of patterned paper edged with Black Soot DOI. Done!

For my bonus, I used the same bouquet stamp. 

This time I colored it with various inks from the stash by blending through the coordinating stencil. I added a bit of shading with coordinating Copic colors, then die cut the image with the matching die. I added it to a rectangle of the same patterned paper as above and adhered to a Paper Studio pastel card. Added a different shade of enamel dots from the same set & then a Betterpressed sentiment from the stash (one from the Spellbinders You Are Everything Sentiments set).

I'm adding my first card to the April We Love Stamping Challenge where Anything Goes or you can use a fave stamp which I did. I'll add my bonus card to the April Flower Challenge #101 where they're doing Spring colors.

Thanks for stopping by & happy crafting! Hope to see you in the April Diva gallery!!

Sending Sunshine

Hi everyone - I'm popping in with my latest Craft Roulette creation! Episode #263 aired last night & I multi-tasked trying to make my card with the CR playing live on my laptop & the Twins baseball game (ugh - a loss) playing on my phone. Needless to say, I didn't get very far on my card and had to finish it today.

Supplies: Paper - Spectrum Noir white;

Hero Arts A2 card

Recollections Plaids (includes solids)

Stamps - Hero Arts Sending Happy Thoughts,

Cherish, Elephants, & Sky's the Limit (all retired)

Dies - AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Copic Markers; foam tape; 

Hero Arts Sparkle Lacquer

Mary Gunn FUNN had Ann Butler (@BellaCraftsPublishing‬) as her guest. Ann is founder, editor & CEO of Bella Crafts Publishing which has a quarterly online magazine. Ann designs stamps (including for Unity Stamps) & has her own line of paper! The wheel wasn't too hard on us this week:

• Project - Sending Sunshine: A2 card with Sending Sunshine sentiment.
• Colors - Spring: Pastels you'd find in spring.
• Element - Rodent: Used a mouse stamp.
• Random - Shiny: Sun has sparkle lacquer.

Once again I was visiting my dad so I use stamp sets from the satellite studio stash - all Hero Arts goodies from 2009! Colored the images with Copics & fussy cut since no matching dies back then! Stamped and fussy cut a sentiment. Die cut a blue panel and a green one, cutting the green one down for "grass". Covered an A2 card with the coordinating plaid paper & added everything else.

I'll add my card to the April We Love Stamping Challenge using the Anything Goes option.

That's it for today. I'll be back Monday with my regular Die Cut Diva post. Have a wonderful weekend, including Easter if you're celebrating!

Thanks for stopping by!

Poinsettia Spray with Candles

Happy Wednesday! Here's another card for the current Christmas Kickstart Challenge #97 - Positively Poinsettias. Jo & elf Bobby want to see poinsettias on a Christmas card & I have many poinsettia items in the stash!!

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card;

 BoBunny Joyful Christmas; many scraps

Dies - Spellbinders Holiday Label Motifs

(retired but found HERE at Frantic Stamper);

Sizzix Tim Holtz Vault Festive Wreath;

AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Copic Markers; foam tape

Just because I have many poinsettia items, there's always room for more! Not too far from my dad's house there's a JoAnn store & I popped in to shop their Going-Out-Of-Business sale. I picked up the Tim Holtz wreath set plus a few more items I couldn't resist. First I die cut the candles, flowers, and foliage from the TH set and assembled. Shaded with Copics where desired.

I didn't want to made the wreath from the set - so, what to do with my candle arrangement? I spotted another never-before-used set in the stash - this one from Spellbinders. I picked it up during a 2023 Arizona trip & hadn't given it a go until now. It features the ray label with a lantern; I skipped the lantern and substituted my candles. Die cut the rays plus a background and mat layer, then assembled. 

Die cut a rectangle from musical patterned paper & adhered to an A2 card. Added the ray panel with foam tape, then the candle arrangement. I finished it off with a banner sentiment from the bits box. It's been there forever &, as I, it's a long retired Spellbinders banner shaded with Copics (one left HERE at Frantic Stamper as of this post date). It was stamped, I believe, with an old Hero Arts sentiment - no idea which set. Quick and easy!!

I'm playing along with Darnell's IDEAS program (see her fabulous inspiration cards HERE) where the week's theme is Dies. Since both the candles and rays die sets are getting first play here, I'll also add my card to Darnell's April NBUS Challenge #73. Finally, I'll link to the current Creative Crafters Challenge #87 where anything goes.

That's it for today, friends. I appreciate you stopping by & hope you have a wonderful day!

Happy 90th Queen Mum!

Hi everyone - hope you're having (or had) a wonderful weekend! I'm back as promised with the card I made for our Queen Mum Mary's 90th birthday. 

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card;

Neenah Solar White; scraps

Dies - Memory Box Royal Robin,

Happy Birthday Sheet Music,

Small Nest, & unk Birthday script;

My Favorite Things In Stitches Numbers; 

Sunny Studio Out on a Limb;

AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set 

Stencils - Taylored Expressions Set the Scene Clouds 

Other - Hero Arts ink; Copic Markers for shading

I die cut a stitched rectangle and stenciled the clouds, then added to an A2 card. Die cut the bird, crown, branch, leaves, music staff, numbers, nest and sentiment. Assembled and added to card.

Mary's daughter Heidi, the lead singer in my retired quartet, held a brunch yesterday for close chorus friends. Here's a photo of Mary with my former quartet; I'm on the right.

Here's a photo of us from 20 years ago when we were still competing as an ensemble & Mary was our coach. Our favorite photographer Jon Petersen took this specially for us after we won a contest. We look very comfortable with our shoes off!

The whole chorus celebrated Mary (who directed for 38 years) last Monday night with a big cake and several presentations.

That's it for today, friends! I'll send my birthday card to Seize the Birthday #303 where they're doing layers as the topping. My birdie, nest and sentiment are all layered. I'll also share at Darnell's April NBUS Challenge #73 since those dies are all newly used.

Thanks for visiting!!

A Thank You Toast

Happy weekend everyone! I'm popping in with my card for Craft Roulette #262 which aired last night. Once again, I couldn't finish my card until after the show, oh well. But at the end, the prize wheel spun my name - I won a spot at an upcoming online event with Bella Crafts Publishing! Will have to wait until I get it to see what it all involves.

Anyway, here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Various cardstocks by unk;

Neenah Solar White; BoBunny Penelope Collection

Stamps - Hero Arts Big Ticket (retired)

Stamps w/dies - Hero Arts Cocktail Party 

Stamp & Cut (retired)

Dies - AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Foam Tape; Memento & Hero Arts inks;

Doodlebugs Designs Fall Sprinkles (enamel dots)

Host Mary Gunn FUNN had Sejr Andersen (@SejrAndersen‬) as her guest. Sejr is a CR member and was making his third appearance as a guest. He's been on several design teams, including Trinity Stamps. See a cute card of his with Trinity HERE. Here's what the wheel spun for us:

• Project - Thank You Card: Pretty self explanatory; I made an A2 card with a thanks sentiment.
• Colors - 1950's: I drew from a color palette I found HERE on Etsy.
• Element - Toast(s) or Bread: I stamped a subsentiment "Let's toast!" and included clinking glasses.
• Random - Brown Paper: I used both a darker brown and a tan brown cardstock.

Pretty simple card! First I die cut three stitched rectangles - large from patterned paper & two medium from card stock. Formed an A2 card from a taupe-ish brown cardstock and layered with the large rectangle. On the tan rectangle I stamped the thank you sentiment & two subsentiments. Stamped and die cut two beverage glasses and added to the tan rectangle. Offset the tan atop the eggshell rectangle using foam tape & adhered to the card. Added a trio of enamel dots & done!

Yesterday, I attended a brunch for our Queen Mum who turned 90. We had a wonderful time & this was my thank you card to the host. I'll share the card I made the birthday girl along with a few pictures tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by & have a crafty day!!

Poinsettia in Skates Bouquet

Happy Monday! Yesterday while watching my favorite Food Network competition show, I put together my first card for the current Christmas Kickstart Challenge #97 - Positively Poinsettias. Jo & elf Bobby want to see poinsettias on a Christmas card - perfect!

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card;

Neenah Solar White; many scraps;

Paper Studio A Country Christmas;

 BoBunny Joyful Christmas

Dies - Spellbinders Skating into the Holidays (DOM-Jul24)

AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Copic Markers; foam tape

When the CKC challenge was announced last week, I pulled out several poinsettia themed sets. The first one I chose to use was a never-before-used Spellbinders set from last year. First I die cut all the pieces of skates, flowers, berries and foliage I wanted to use, then assembled. Added some shading with Copics where desired.

Die cut a BoBunny birch bark patterned paper using a stitched rectangle and added the panel to an A2 card. Arranged the skates and added to the card. Added the floral arrangement to the skates. Next I went through my Christmas sentiments bit box & found a cute tag that was cut from patterned paper. If interested, go HERE to see a card with some other fun things from the same paper pad. I also found a couple random snowflakes (brand unk) in the bits box so I tucked them into the arrangement too.

Since my skate bouquet die set is getting first play here, I'll add my card to Darnell's April NBUS Challenge #73. I'll also link to Merry Little Christmas #61 where Anything Christmas Goes. This is entry #5 of a possible 8 at MLC.

That's it for today, friends. I appreciate you stopping by & hope you have a wonderful day!

Forest Scene Snow Globe

Hi everyone - I'm back with a card for the current Just Us Girls Challenge #769 to use dies with no flowers allowed. Hmmm - once something says no, I always seem to find things to use with that item. Crazy eh? Here's my take:

Supplies: Park Lane A2 card & papers;

Neenah Solar White; scraps

Dies - Spellbinders Simon's Snow Globe &

Woodland Scene;

AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set 

Other - Copic Markers

I pulled out the Simon Hurley snow globe set, plus add-on from Spellbinders that hadn't seen any use yet. Die cut the elements I wanted to use and assembled the snow globe. Added some shading with grey Copics. Popped it with foam tape onto a wood plank patterned paper, then onto an A2 card. Quick and easy.

Since my snow globe got first play here, I'll add my card to Darnell's April NBUS Challenge #73. I'll also link to Merry Little Christmas #61 where Anything Christmas Goes.

Thanks for visiting and happy crafting!