Father's Day early!

Hey there - I spotted my friend Dawn's fab masculine card on Saturday. She's on the Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog Design Team - they're doing a Masculine/Father's Day theme this week. Since I need a Father's Day card for dear ol' dad, I decided to play along. Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - DCWV A2 card; Authentique 6x6 (from a mix);

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb

Stamps - Simon Says Stamp What's Brewing (retired);

Taylored Expressions Many Minis - Holiday (retired);

Hero Arts AR143 Cool Dad (Archiver's exclusive - retired)

Dies - Hero Arts DI345 Nesting Postage Stamp Infinity Dies

Other - Copics; foam tape; Paper Studio star gems;

Hero Arts Intense Black ink

I've probably told this story before but, when I was growing up, I toured with a Drum & Bugle Corps. Invariably, I'd come home from all over the US dragging little presents for my family. Poor Dad still has some of the cups I brought him. My fave is the one from Disneyland with Mickey Mouse on it. But I digress.... Dad still loves his coffee (not strong enough unless a spoon stands up in it!) so I decided to go with a coffee theme. The SSS cup stamp is outline only but I added the "Cool Dad" from an oldie but goodie by Hero Arts. I've not used the SSS set before - poor thing, it's already retired!! So I'll also enter this to Darnell's NBUS Challenge.

Masculine/Father's Day

 

Thanks for the fun challenges and thanks to you for stopping by!!

Care to Tag Along?

Happy Monday! I had a chance yesterday to create a card for the current Christmas Kickstart Challenge to use a tag. Here's my take:

Supplies: Paper - DCWV Neutrals A2 card; 

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110 lb

BoBunny Winter Wishes Collection 6x6

Dies - Hero Arts DI197  Tag Infinity Dies;

Impression Obsession Snowflakes Die Set DIE024-X

Stamps - Hero Arts CL234 Winter's Butterfly (retired)

Other - Michael's gems; foam tape;

ribbon from a My Monthly Hero kit packaging

I already had my fabulous Hero Arts Infinity Tag dies out so that was my starting point. I started digging through my Christmas papers and found some beautiful BoBunny with browns, greys and pink. They reminded me of the neutrals in Julee Tilman's gorgeous card on the Hero Arts Blog for their Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge #9. I decided to use Julee's yummy sketch again and enter my card in that challenge as well.

The snowflakes in the IO set are very unusual in design - just love them! I picked the biggest of the trio &, considering the thick paper, it didn't want to cut all the little pieces. I even used a metal shim and did four passes in the Vagabond. Oh well, decided to go with it but made sure to glue the back so the bits wouldn't fall out. I did remove the outer circles of the snowflake and then added some gems. The beautiful sentiment is from a 2008 Hero Arts clear set; I should use it more often!!

Thanks to Jo at Christmas Kickstart and to Hero Arts for fun challenges to keep me busy. And thank you for visiting! Have a great week!!

Jingle Bells in June!

Hey there - I'm playing along today with the current CAS Christmas Challenge - Bells, hosted by Linda of Lin's Craft Corner, running until June 24th.

I remembered a cute Your Next Stamp set I used on a Merry Monday challenge back in 2017 (see it here). Thought I'd have another play with this set; in fact, I stamped a bunch of images from the set to have for future use!

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps - Your Next Stamp Holiday Postage (with matching dies);

Taylored Expressions All Tucked In - Christmas

Dies - My Favorite Things Blueprints 20 (retired)

Other - various Copics; washi by unknown; foam tape;

Hero Arts Intense Black Ink and Crystal Clear Lacquer Pen

Haven't really figured out a way to have the word BELLS show up better - it's a very small outline and seems meant to be colored; maybe I'll try filling it in black next time... Really love this red washi and thought it would add the perfect frame to my sentiment. If I remember correctly, it was sent by my friend Heather. I'll say thanks again, Heather, whether it's this one or not - you've sent many!!

Thanks to Linda and the CAS Christmas crew for a fun challenge and thanks to you for stopping by!

Blue Roses

Hi all - if you spotted my previous post with the raspberry/rose/cream roses, I said I'd share some cards I made with blue roses. I love the Everything's Rosy stamp set from Sunny Studio and made several cards this spring with it, along with the matching dies. First up, a card for my friend Heather who had a birthday in early May. Given the mail issues due to covid19 she didn't get it on time but it arrived before the end of May - yay!!

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Sunshine A2 card (retired);

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Stampin' Up green;

BoBunny Boulevard & Cottontail 6x6

Stamps - Sunny Studio Everything's Rosy (with matching dies);

Hero Arts CL139 Birthday Messages (retired)

Dies - My Favorite Things Blueprints 20 (retired);

Spellbinders Elegant Ovals S4-425; Avery Elle Quilted Frame

Other - Michael's gems; Inks - various Hero Arts & Memento

Heather loves blue and I had some beautiful BoBunny paper with some blue roses in it. I thought blue stamped roses would be perfect with it. What do you think? Heather loved them! Since I had the set out with the MISTI, I stamped a bunch of these roses. More ended up on my parents' anniversary card - they celebrate the day after Heather's birthday. I used some of the same papers, just in a bit different way. When I cut the quilted mat for Heather's card, I had a perfect frame left over. Decided to use it on the parents' card.

Supplies: see above plus - 

Sentiment - Hero Arts CL272 All Occasion Messages (retired);

Taylored Expressions Simple Strips Die

Many companies have narrow sentiment stamps that fit the TE strips. It's so easy to retain the negative and pop a strip into its slot for stamping. I have a stack of them ready to stamp! Well, that's it for today. I came home Wednesday to a dying water heater and spent yesterday with the plumber in residence installing a new one. He did the water softener and some valves at the same time - everything looks so nice. I'll have him back next week for some other piddly replacements that need doing. Now I can work on some Christmas cards for different challenges.

Thanks for stopping and have a great weekend!!

May Card Chain Challenge Reveal

Hey there - hard to believe it's June already and time to reveal the May Card Chain. My card went to Robyn in Australia. It took just over three weeks but luckily she received it before the end of May!! Gail sent me this beautiful card all the way from Norway - thanks Gail!!

Supplies: Paper Studio cream A2 card; BoBuny Cottontail & Valentine

Stamps with matching dies - Sunny Studio Everything's Rosy

Sentiment stamp - Momenta Smile/Sparkle

Other - Michael's gems; various inks (see photo)

I used the May colors & the sketch, plus have repeated flowers. I added green leaves - don't hold it against me! It was a bit difficult for me to have the largest flower at the top and the small ones at bottom - but I went with it!!

I typically do my color layering using a stamping tool and stamp first on printer paper for lining up. I align the negative and pop my die cut flowers into the negative for stamping. I did a bunch of flowers in this color combo (plus others), some for Robyn and some for other projects. For some reason I had trouble getting the fifth layer on the medium flower so I ended up stamping it twice into what looks like a full circle - didn't really mind this look and stamped all of them this way!! Here's a photo of the inks I used - the My Monthly Hero kit inks didn't have color names, sorry! Interesting how differently the inks combined on cream vs white.

I ordered the rosy set last year to take to my friend Heather in Ireland. While I was there I stamped a few roses to bring home. You can see cards I made with them last year here, here & here, if desired. Loved the roses so much I finally ordered the set with matching dies (plus other stuff....no surprise) not long into the pandemic. Was delighted with the service from Mendi - very timely despite the pandemic! Thanks Mendi!

I might share a couple of the cards I made with a blue color combo - not a common rose color but it matched the patterned paper I was using!! Will try to do that later this week.... Because - hey, this is a celebration (Kath was the 3000th participant) and a bit of a blog hop! Use the links above to go to the "before and after me" in the hop. And be sure to check out The Card Chain Challenge blog from June 2nd-28th for some fun games and prizes. Hope you can play along and also note, the June sign-up is on until June 6th.

Thanks for stopping and have a crafty June!!

Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge 9

Hey there - I'm playing along with the current Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge, running until Thursday June 11.

I just love sketch challenges and had fun with this one - first, here's the sketch, from Julee Tilman (Poetic Artistry):

Here's my take on it:

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Sunshine A2 card (retired); 

various Lawn Fawn 6x6 patterns

Stamps - Hero Arts CL184 Thoughtful Messages (retired)

Dies - Hero Arts DI128 Daisy Cutting Set by Lia Griffith (retired), 

DI197 Tag Infinity Dies and

DI145 Kelly's Documented Stamp & Cut (retired)

My Favorite Things Blueprints (retired)

Other - Memento Rosebud ink; Michael's gem;

Hero Arts ribbon from some My Monthly Hero kit

I loved Julee's inspiration card with the neutral papers! I chose something a little brighter for my mom's friend Dot who likes color & flowers. I substituted a tag for the rectangle element - just love these Infinity Tags!! I tend to have my sentiment on the right so I arranged my sketch elements running that way. Before the pandemic closed stores, I found some retired Sunshine A2 card packs - love, love, love!! Please, can you bring these back Hero?

I bought a bunch of these Hero Arts/Lia Griffith flower die sets years ago and haven't used any until now. Not sure why not; they're darling! Especially love the veins on the leaves in the Daisy set I used today. Sorry but now I can't find it to list the name - duh! Guess my crafty clean-up went a little too far!! Since this is my first time using the flower die, I will add to Darnell's NBUS challenge for never-before-used schtuff. ** Update - found the set in its packaging sitting under my address book - I was getting cards ready to mail and it got covered!! I added it to the supply list.**

Thanks for stopping by! Stay safe, healthy & crafty!!

More Small Joys

Hey everyone - hope all is well with you!! I realized the latest Hero Arts Stay Crafty challenge runs through May 28 at 5pm PDT. Had some time today so decided to make an anniversary card for my friends Deb and Dave. I was in their wedding many years ago and always try to send a special card since I don't see them very often. I have many sets with bitty hearts that I thought would work for my small joy stamp.

Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - DCWV A2 card; Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps - Hero Arts CL268 Warm Wedding Wishes (retired),

CL954 Many Everyday Messages

Dies - Hero Arts DI334 Nesting Hearts Infinity Dies

DC184 Ribbon Messages Stamp & Cut

Other - Hero Arts Intense Black ink, Stickles, 

Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide ink,

Crayola markers & pencils

I combed through my stash and settled on an old Hero Arts clear wedding set with a small pair of toasting glasses as my main image. Using an A2 card (nearly the color of the bridesmaid dress I wore in the wedding), I cut a heart shaped window. I stamped the pair of glasses on the card inside through the window. I added a couple hearts (another small stamp in the set), colored them and added stickles. I drew a black heart around the window, masked the rest of the inside and inked the border. A bit of a mess there, oh well..... Next I shaded the glass and bubbles. I took a straight horizontal sentiment and curved it using a stamping tool to fit the negative of my diecut banner. Popped the banner into the negative to stamp it - I thought it fit the banner's curve pretty nicely.

Here's a view of the card's inside:

Inside sentiment - Taylored Expressions The Inside Scoop - Anniversary

Finally, here's the wedding set I used. Had to have it years ago, mainly for the wedding cake but I love the sentiments too!

That's it for today, friends! Thanks for stopping and thanks to Hero Arts for this fun challenge! I was able to use two small stamps that had never seen ink!!