Doggie Birthday Party!

Hey crafty friends - it's the final day of our Die Cut Diva Birthday Bash - you have until 9pm Pacific Time today to play along!! I'm sharing this card featuring a Bugaboo image today at Die Cut Divas along with the rest of the end-of-the-month team:

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio

Stamps - Taylored Expressions Itty Bitty Sentiments

Sunny Studio Birthday Balloon

Dies - Sunny Studio Birthday Balloon Die

Cottage Cutz Elegant Champagne Glass (bow - retired)

Digi stamps - Bugaboo Birthday Puppies

Other - Copic Markers & white gel pen

I've enjoyed working with fabulous Bugaboo digi images this month - so cute and fun to color! After coloring the Birthday Puppies with Copics, I added a black mat and adhered to an A2 card. Decided my sentiment could go on a balloon. I die cut it from orange cardstock and just added the stamped shadow detail from the balloon set. The sentiment came from a fabulous Taylored Expressions set which I got free with a purchase; it's designed for their little tag dies (retired) which I have - yay!

And here's a twofer! I had the doggie image printed in a smaller size (thanks again, Arlene!) and colored it like the big one:

Additional supplies: Paper - Doodlebug So Much Pun

Dies - Your Next Stamp Mini Balloon Trio Two

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Amazing how different they look, isn't it? One of the pluses of the digis - being able to get many sizes. I highly recommend Bugaboo's! Thanks for being a great sponsor too - this month's random winner will get a $12 gift code to their store - yay!! Winner to be announced at DCD on July 3rd. Be sure to check back tomorrow, though, since we'll have a new challenge up and running. As always, remember to use a die cut or an embossing folder along with the theme.

Thanks for stopping and have a crafty day!!

Some Thank You Cards

Hi there - hope you're enjoying your week! I'm popping in with some thank you cards for the neighbors who helped me out a lot during covid while I was with my parents.

Supplies: Paper - Bazzill; Paper Studio; 

Momenta Watercolor Prints

Dies - Hero Arts Leaves & Vines Fancy Die

May 2016 My Monthly Hero kit 

Nesting Circle Infinity Dies &

Paper Layering Plant and Stand

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop

Other - Prima Flower, Parklane gems,

Tea Dye Distress Ink

I picked up the Hero Arts leafy background die when I shopped at JoAnn's last week. Then when I visited Hobby Lobby on Tuesday I found some Prima flowers that coordinate well with it. I added a couple extra leaves I had cut ages ago from the paper layering HA set. The thank you die cut (from a MMH kit) was doubled and shadowed with a darker blue layer. 

Next I made a mini slimline using some new layering dies from A Jillian Vance Design. I used the same thank you die but used a dark blue envelope for my shadow layer - good way to use up those dark envelopes you don't want to mail. I upcycled a Hallmark birthday card my mom received pre-printed from her health insurance company for the blue striped layer.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah & Anchor Paper,

Doodlebug So Much Pun,

upcycled Hallmark card 

Dies - Hero Arts MMH,

A Jillian Vance Design Mini Slimline Backdrop Die Set

Since my leafy got first play today, I'm adding this to Darnell's NBUS Challenge 27. The mini slimline rectangles are also getting their first outing - love them for layering!! Also got some mini slimline envelopes the other day at Anchor Paper so I'm set!

Thanks for stopping and have a crafty day!!

Bugaboo Birthday Bird and Dog

Hi all - I'm sharing at Die Cut Divas today for our June Birthday Challenge.  Bugaboo Stamps is our sponsor. Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Bazzill A2 card; 

Paper Studio Black & Doodlebug So Much Pun (dots)

Dies - Hero Arts Square Infinity Dies

Stamps - Sunny Studio Inside Greetings Birthday

Bugaboo Digi Stamps - BugBdayBird4 &

Birthday Puppies Set

I just love Bugaboo digi stamps - so adorable & fun to color! I started with one of the Birthday Puppies and decided he'd be cute with a birdie in the scene. Colored everything with Copics and then fussy cut the birdie which was printed separately. I tried her in different spots before popping her onto the bow of the present. I matted the image with a black square, adhered to a blue card and added dotted strips. I stamped the sentiment last, crazy me, and it turned out perfectly! Thanks to Arlene for printing off my digis since my printer still isn't speaking to my laptop....

And here's a twofer:

Additional Supplies: Hero Arts Nesting Oval Infinity Dies 

My Favorite Things Blueprints 2 (retired)

White gel pen

I colored & fussy cut the larger birdie Arlene printed and decided to put her on an oval mat with some colorful papers from the same 6x6 paper pad as card one. The red mat was cut from an envelope, then backed with several more ovals for dimension. Cute birdie image - really makes me smile!

Thanks for stopping and I hope to see you in the Diva gallery!! You have until 9pm Pacific time on June 30th to play along.

The Stockings were Hung - Take Two

Hi friends - hope you're having a wonderful weekend!! I'm back with a second card for Christmas Kickstart Challenge 51 to use a stocking - with or without a fireplace. Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Solar White; 

Paper Studio black and red

Stamps - Hero Arts From the Vault Home Scene

Stencil - Memory Box Diamond Texture (retired)

Other - Copic Markers, pencils to shade,

foam tape, Hero Arts clear & yellow lacquer;

Taylored Expressions Oreo &

Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide inks

I shopped in person at my local JoAnn's yesterday and spotted some stamp sets I'd been resisting. Since on sale at 30% off, I bought a few - including this vintage Christmas one. I had to have the kitty on the rug; isn't she sweet?!! They didn't carry the matching dies but, no worries, I ordered them. For today's card I just fussy cut the stockings and kitty. After creating my scene I decided the "walls" needed something so I added some light stenciling - thought it turned out great. Hope you got a smile out of Mr. Mouse adding his little stocking to the mantle.

I'm also adding (entry 2) to the current Watercooler Wednesday All About Occasions Challenge. And to the current NBUS Challenge since my stamp set is getting first play today. Thanks to all for the fun challenges!

Thanks for stopping and have a great weekend! I'll be celebrating Father's Day tomorrow (previously shared my card for Dad) but I'll be back on Monday with my Die Cut Diva post. Hope to see you then! We're doing birthdays at DCD this month so hope to see your birthday card with a die cut &/or embossing folder in the gallery!!

 

Picnic Thanks

Hey there - I'm popping for a quick share of a thank you card made this afternoon. 

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Solar White;

Doodlebug So Much Pun 6x6; Paper Studio navy 

Dies - My Favorite Things Blueprints 27;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop;

Sunny Studio Chloe Alphabet

Stamps - Hero Arts Happy Dad's Day (retired)

I sent this card to a chorus friend Carrie and her hubby who had a small group over for a deck picnic last night. They're in the meat business so we had their yummy brats on the grill with homemade sauerkraut and buns - wish I could've eaten more they were so delicious!! Such fun to get together with 5 chorus friends too - hadn't hugged them in 15 months. The red gingham in the card matches the tablecloth Carrie used and her hubby had his Weber grill out so I found an old Hero Arts stamp to match. I fussy cut the "brat" (I think it's really a hot dog) and "ketchup" (I think it's really hot sauce) from one of the So Much Pun papers. The letters are from those papers too - I had cut the entire alphabet when I made Jeanne's card the other day - only had to cut a new N for this card. If you'd like to see a Christmas version using Blueprints 27, check it out HERE; MFT only offers 3 Blueprints die sets now and this is one of them - love all of mine!!

Hope you're having a crafty day! Thanks for stopping!!

Sunshine and watercoloring

Mornin' crafty friends! I've been working on an idea for the current Let's Squash It!! challenge and it all came together this morning. I included sunshine so made a second card to play along at the current Twofer Challenge too - gotta love getting two cards done this early!! Here's the Twofer:

My element in common is the sunray stamp; it's from a My Monthly Hero kit which I hadn't used yet. On the retirement card I used it once, on the thanks card I flipped it to stamp a full circle  - made into a flower. 

The Squash It challenge is to emboss a nature item and watercolor. My starting point was the Tall Pines embossing folder embossed into watercolor paper. I sectioned off the two banks and then watercolored a lake, sunrise and sky, then carefully watercolored the trees - got a bit messy in spots, oh well... Next I stamped the sun and rays, then the duck and cattails, finally the sentiment. The card will go to a guy friend so I kept it manly. What do you think of my cloudy sky? I was quite happy with how it turned out just swiping & splotching some blue around. Here's a closer look:

Supplies: Paper - Ms Sparkle & Co A2 card;

Strathmore 140lb cold press

Watercolors - Tim Holtz Distress Reinkers

Stamps - Dec2020 My Monthly Hero kit &

July2019 My Monthly Hero kit (both sold out)

Paper Smooches All Year Cheer (NIB)

Ink - Taylored Expressions Oreo

Embossing Folder - Tim Holtz Tall Pines (retired)

For the thank you card, I started by stamping the rays twice on watercolor paper and then filled in the center with some Mustard Seed reinker. Then added a bit of Worn Lipstick. Then I hand drew a stem and leaves with Twisted Citron and Rustic Wilderness. Once dry I stamped the sentiment, die cut with a dot stitched rectangle, matted with black & added to the card. Popped a gem on the flower for some interest - done!

Additional supplies - Momenta and Doodlebug paper,

Honey bee gem; Hero Arts Say it All sentiment;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop

Since my sunray got first play today, I'm also entering the retirement card in the current NBUS challenge. Also in Watercooler Wednesdays All Occasion challenge. Thanks to all for the fun challenges and thanks to you for visiting!!

 

 

Hello Friend Mini Slimline

Happy Wednesday - another day over 90F so a hot one for us! But I had a chance to meet a card-making friend in person for the first time and do a little shopping & lunching - what a great time!! I met Jeanne (Reba Li Creates), a regular participant in The Card Chain Challenge, at Anchor Paper in Plymouth MN. I took her this card, whipped up at 6:30am:

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Sunshine Layering Paper (retired);

Momenta Watercolor; Paper Studio blue & orange;

Doodlebug patterned

Dies - Momenta Nested Rectangles

Sunny Studio Chloe Alphabet

freebie from Simply Cards & Papercrafts (Butterfly)

Stamps - Hero Arts Many Everyday Messages

Other - Honey Bee gem; Hero Arts ink

Anchor Paper has a fabulous clearance room and I picked up some goodies you'll see in upcoming Die Cut Diva challenges. Won't say what I got yet... 

As to today's card, I bought the rectangles with the cut out corners at Hobby Lobby last week - thought they were so fun, although the sizes included don't layer with a perfect border like other dies might. I ordered a bunch of Sunny Studio products in April and am still working my way through them. Their Chloe Alphabet is so cute and getting it's first play today so I'm adding my card to Darnell's NBUS Challenge 27. I cut them from a patterned paper that looks like a collage of washi tapes and added a blue offset layer.

Thanks for stopping and happy crafting!!

The Stockings were Hung

Hey there - I'm playing at Christmas Kickstart Challenge 51 to use stockings (fireplace optional). Because I have many fireplace items - stamps, dies etc. I included a fireplace and even a cozy side chair in my scene. Also playing at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge to Create a Scene.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah White; Paper Studio Red;

Basic Grey Aspen Frost; Tim Holtz Kraft Metallic

Stamps w/matching dies: Hero Arts Winter Hearth

(also available HERE at Simon Says Stamp)

and Welcome Home (retired)

Spellbinders Truckin Through the Seasons (pines);

My Favorite Things Fireplace (retired)

Other - Michael's gems; Copic Markers:

Simon Says Stamp Sentiment Strips Extra Large Christmas

Did anyone else have that olive green carpeting growing up? Ours was shag! Had to laugh when adding it as the  "floor" to my scene. Didn't have striped wallpaper though - LOL. I used the grate and flames from the MFT Fireplace set but the log, stockings and fireplace came from the Hero Arts Winter Hearth set. I thought the two sets worked well together for the fireplace.

Thanks for stopping!! Thanks to Jo & elf Cindy for a fun Kickstart challenge and to the SSS team for a fun Wednesday Challenge!!

 

May Card Chain Reveal

Hey there - Oops, past time for another reveal of cards going 'round the world in the Card Chain Challenge - we had 30 people play in May. You can see the entire chain HERE. My card went all the way to New Zealand to my Die Cut Diva teamie and all around great friend, Dawn (Dawn's World). Sadly, she's still waiting for it to arrive....**Update - she finally received it June 14th - yay!!

Supplies: Paper - Neenah White; Paper Studio blue

Stamps - Taylored Expressions Little Critters &

A Few Phrases (heart)

Hero Arts Color Layering Water Lilies (sentiment) - retired

Dies - Hero Arts Nesting Circle Infinity Dies

Stencil - CAS-ual Fridays Tin Roof

Other - Copic Markers; foam tape;

Blueprint Sketch Distress Ink;

Versamark Ink; Seafoam White ep

I used the colors, sketch, and theme of friendship:

The cute little penguin stamp came to me as part of a curated set for Taylored Expressions' online crafty session Stamp Joy 2021. I attended both the Friday and Saturday events and had a great time! We can't share the class content but we used the penguin on a window card (he comes from a set of critters linked in the supply list). Decided he would be darling in my trio of circles and why not color him in blues??

I created a mini slimline card from cornflower blue card stock. Next I die cut three circles lined up perfectly on a white panel. I used the negative to aid in placing my sentiment & the circles onto the card. Stamped and embossed the sentiment, then stenciled the pattern along the left edge. Stamped and colored a penguin on each circle, then popped onto the card through the negative guide. Decided to add a little heart so stamped that last, carefully covering the rest of the card. I'm prone to getting stray marks and in fact had gotten one on my first card base while stenciling!! Had to start over there....oh well. Otherwise the card came together quickly - good thing since I made it on the day it needed to go into the mail.

This beauty from Dee in Kenya will find its way to me; mail service has been slow but I'll be delighted when it arrives! **Update - I received this gorgeous card (the photo doesn't do it justice; the background it amazing) on June 12 - thanks so much Dee!!

I totally forgot to publish this post for the typical reveal date of the 2nd, oh well. And sign-up for the June challenge already ended today. Check back at The Card Chain Challenge if you wish to sign up to a future exchange; the July sign-up should open tomorrow.

Thanks for visiting and have a crafty day!!