Hero Arts Spring Stamp Along 2023 - it's here!!

Hey everyone - I'm attending the online Hero Arts Spring Stamp Along 2023! Last night Libby Hickson (Libby's Little Addiction) from Hero Arts hosted a welcome event with Q&A's for four of the instructors. Today we enjoyed 5 classes - here are the cards I made:

Class one - Double Eclipse Butterfly with Lydia Fiedler (Understand Blue) along with a bonus card using leftover parts!

Supplies: Paper - Neenah White & black; TH Distress Watercolor

Dies - Hero Arts Delicate Butterfly & Nesting Circle Infinity Dies

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Stamps with Dies - Hero Arts Friendly Messages Bundle

Stencil - Hero Arts Petal Burst

Other - Hero Arts Liquid Watercolors Neon Brights Chartreuse, 

Yellow & Pink and Birthday Enamel Dots;

Hero Arts White Pearl Hero Paste

Class two - Wisteria Trellis with Mindy Eggen (Mindy Eggen Design) - love the layers of flowers on the trellis!! Mindy was inspired by Bibi Cameron's trellis video. Of course, being a purple lover, I put my purple layer at the front - Mindy's was further back.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps (with dies) - Hero Arts Wisteria Heroscape Bundle

Other - various HA and Distress inks

Class three - Bee Floral Window with Nichol Spohr. Gotta love the coordinating stencils! I've used this set before - go HERE if interested.

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Canary & Clear Card; Neenah White

Stamps - Hero Arts Friendly Messages & Burlap Bold Prints

Dies - Hero Arts Bee Florals Window;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Stencils - Hero Arts Color Layering Bee Florals 

Other - Hero Arts Gold Hero Pearls & Sparkle Lacquer;

various HA and Distress inks; Versamark ink;

Taylored Expressions foam strips; white ep

Hero Arts Icicle Sequins Mix

Class four - White Daffodils with Daniel West (Del & Artie) - love the crisp white flowers! I used my daffodil die set before - go HERE if interested.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah White; Hero Arts Kiwi and Papaya

Dies - Hero Arts Daffodil

Stamps with Dies - Hero Arts Friendly Messages Bundle

Stencil - Hero Arts Petal Burst

Other - Hero Arts Icicle Sequins Mix & White Pearl Hero Paste;

Copic Markers to add color

Class five - Birthday Daffodils with Michelle Lupton (Handmade by Michelle) - gorgeous with blue background. The torn bits are popped up with foam tape for a shadow box effect.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps - Hero Arts Friendly Messages & Burlap Bold Prints

Other - Copic Markers R11, R21, R22, Y19;

Hero Arts Moss & Deep Ocean inks; Memento Danube Blue

The blue texture was described as "taco" stamping - fold the cling stamp and randomly stamp. So I did it that way (working ahead - oops) and got a lot of straight lines of burlap. When Michelle actually demo'd, she used "won-ton" stamping, kinda folding it into a bundle. I'll try that next time.

Fun set of classes and 5 more tomorrow! Thanks for visiting & happy crafting!!

Easter & Birthday Wishes!

Warm Easter Wishes to those celebrating! It seems we'll finally have a lovely spring day today - yay!

I send very few Easter cards but thought I'd share a few of the designs I made this year:

I really enjoyed playing with the stamps from the Spellbinders February Club (don't see them on the Spellbinders site for separate purchase), Aren't those bunnies just the cutest?! The embossed white background on cards one and two were trimmed off some Michael's brand handmade paper. The pierced pattern on card three was from a Memory Box freebie in a UK magazine (love those freebies!). Colored the images with Copics and either die cut or fussy cut. 

Next I paired some Penny Black chicks with a darling duck that my friend Gundi (papierelle) sent me (along with some other fun diecuts and this cute card). Thanks Gundi!!

Supplies: Stamps - Penny Black Garden Friends

Frantic Stamper Spring Bold Sentiments (with matching die)

Non-Easter Bonus - a birthday card for my brother. His birthday's today so we're celebrating twice! My sister-in-law made a delicious chocolate birthday cake for the family to enjoy after Easter dinner - yum! My brother enjoys Monster Truck events and drives a jumbo white pickup truck. I think he'll like this card.

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card; 

Authentique & Basic Grey patterns

Stamps - Unity Many More Birthdays (with matching die)

Hero Arts CL478 Going (retired)

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop

Sorry I haven't been posting much - I've been helping my dad & getting ready for two chorus events. Busy, busy! Hope to get back to posting & commenting more soon!!

Since the Spellbinders set got first play here, I'll add to Darnell's April NBUS Challenge.

Have a wonderful day & happy crafting!

March 2023 Card Chain Challenge Reveal

Hey there friends - it's that time again! We're revealing cards that traveled far & wide for the March 2023 Card Chain Challenge. Thirty-four people participated & you can see the entire chain HERE. My card went to Imke (My Crafty Place) in Germany.

Supplies: Paper - Authentique (shamrock from a 6x6 mixed pad);

Lawn Fawn Beachside (orange grid - retired); 

Neenah white; Paper Studio greens; Spice by unk

Dies - Impression Obsession Fancy Shamrock;

Hero Arts Nesting Circle Infinity Dies;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set;

My Favorite Things Blueprints 2 (retired)

Stamps with Dies - Hero Arts Wisteria HeroScape Bundle (sentiment)

Ink - Hero Arts Root Beer Reactive (to shade circles) & 

Tim Holtz Lucky Clover Distress Ink (to stamp sentiment)

This month we could use:

Color Palette Option

Sketch Option

Theme Options: Irish / Birds / Friendship

Product / Technique Options:  Stamps / Rocker Card

Once again I used the sketch & color option, plus the theme of friendship with a bit of Irish. I stamped the sentiment but everything else was die cut. I was excited to find patterned shamrock paper that had both the colors shamrock and spice (plus a bit of neutral cream). Thought it went well with my shamrock die cut.

I received this gorgeous card from Ella (Moje craftowe przygody) in Germany. I just love the patterned papers she combined with the sweet birds & butterflies!! Thanks Ella and thanks too for the pretty papers you sent - can't wait to use them!!

That's it for today! Thanks for visiting and if you haven't signed up for the April 2023 chain, check it out HERE by April 6th. Happy crafting!!

Final Day for Anything Goes at Die Cut Divas!

Hello and welcome! I'm part of the last day inspiration crew over at Die Cut Divas. 

Our March Anything Goes Challenge ends today at 9pm Pacific time. 

We've been using digis from our amazing sponsor Scrapflower Estudio but all you need is a die cut &/or embossing folder in your design. Here's the card I'm sharing:

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card; scrap of brown;

Authentique Renew and Echo Park Reflections 6x6 pads

Digi stamp - Scrapflower Estudio Reading Nordic Gnome

Dies - Penny Black Wood Floors

Other - Copic Markers 

Scrapflower Estudio

I combined two images from this adorable new file from Scrapflower Estudio. I colored & fussy cut each image, then created a scene with some patterned paper for wallpaper & a die cut wood floor. I trimmed bits of a patterned paper for the sentiment. Quick and easy!

Now for a bonus - I used a different size print of the girl gnome from the same file. I colored her with Copics & fussy cut, then added to a postage stamp mini slimline die cut. Layered onto a precut bookmark, added a Tim Holtz sentiment sticker & a tassel - done!

Supplies: Paper - Basic Grey Serenade 6x6;

Paper Studio kraft tag

Digi stamp - Scrapflower Estudio Reading Nordic Gnome

Dies - Kat Scrappiness MINI Slimline Postage Stamp Edge

Other - Copic Markers; Paper Studio tassel;

Tim Holtz Thoughts Sentiment Label Sticker

Thanks again to teamie Arlene (A Bit of This and That) for printing off this month's digis for me!!

I just finished "Lightening Strike" by William Kent Krueger - love the Minnesota setting for his Cork O'Connor sheriff character. What are you reading now? Share in the comments, if desired.

That's it from me. I hope you can squeeze in a project for the Divas' March Challenge! Thanks for visiting & have a crafty day!

Anything Goes with Scrapflower Estudio

Hey there - I'm providing inspiration at Die Cut Divas today using digis from our amazing March sponsor Scrapflower Estudio. We have "Anything Goes" as the theme - no need to use digis; just be sure to use a die cut &/or embossing folder in your design.

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card; 

Graphic 45 Artisan Style 6x6 (2015)

Digi stamp - Scrapflower Estudio Reading Nordic Gnome

Dies - Hero Arts Stacked Books; Penny Black Wood Floors

Other - Copic Markers & Hero Arts water reactive inks

Scrapflower Estudio

I love, love, LOVE to read so I was delighted to see this adorable new file from Scrapflower Estudio. Perfect for Copics or pencils or whatever your fave medium for coloring! I chose Copics to color my reading gnome - looks like an English Literature professor in his study - LOL. I colored & fussy cut, then paired him with a die cut stack of books colored with water reactive inks. I left the sentiment off the front but will put something book related on the inside.

Literally, a book stack like this appears many places in my house - some already read & others waiting. I just finished "The Therapist" by B.A. Paris - love all the twists in that one! 

Now for a bonus - another gnome from the same file. For the girl gnome atop books, I added another book stack. This time I die cut it from Neenah, colored with Copics, and cut into three parts. Added a few books to the bottom of the girl gnome stack & tucked the rest behind her. Had one little cocktail sticker left from other cards and it found its way onto a book stack. The preprinted sentiment was in my bits box - not sure of the brand.

That's it for today - hope to see you in the March Diva gallery! And if you are reading something & want to share, let me know in the comments. 

Thanks for visiting! And special thanks to teamie Arlene (A Bit of This and That) for printing off this month's digis for me (still no working printer at my house). Happy crafting (and reading)!!

Snowman with Winter Wishes

Warm winter wishes, everyone & TGIF! We got a few more inches of snow overnight, preceded by sleet - not a great combo! I managed to shovel and salt my sidewalk and driveway, then the neighbor helped with the snowplow leavings. Now on to a card for the March Christmas Kickstart Challenge:

Supplies: Paper - BoBunny Woodland Winter;

Neenah White; Park Lane A2 card

Stamps with dies - Hero Arts Holiday Cheer (retired)

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Copic Markers; Hero Arts inks

Jo & her elf Monika want to see a scarf or scarves on the card. I went flipping through my stamp sets and found plenty of snowmen with scarves - decided to give the retired Hero Arts Holiday Cheer set some love. It rarely happens, but all the stamps for this card came from the same set!

I created the scene starting with the 2 trees, each stamped twice (second time after shifting the paper vertically in the MISTI). Next I added the hill stamp, snowflakes and sentiment; the sentiment was also double stamped with a horizontal shift. Die cut the panel with a rectangle. Stamped, colored and die cut the snowman, then popped into the scene. 

I was surprised and excited to still find some snowflake paper left in my BoBunny paper pad - thought it worked perfectly here. Trimmed it to fit an A2 card and assembled - done! Very quick and easy, plus I stamped a few extra snowmen for future. 

Thanks Jo & Monika for a fun challenge! One more Christmas card for the stash - yay! Thanks for stopping & enjoy your weekend!!

February 2023 Card Chain Reveal

Hey friends - March 2nd already!! It's time to reveal cards that went around the world for the February Card Chain Challenge. Thirty-three people participated and I sent the card below to Gail L. (What's Normal?) in British Columbia Canada; you can see the full reveal HERE.

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card (aqua and brick red); 

Graphic 45 Artisan Style 6x6; BoBunny Count the Ways 6x8

Dies - Hero Arts DI334 Nesting Hearts Infinity Dies 

DI483 Window On Love Confetti Fancy Die

Stamps - Hero Arts Wild Columbine

Other - Altenew enamel hearts

We had several options for our design; as usual I went with the sketch. I also used the color option and the themes of hearts & friendship. I figured I'd be excused for having a few extra colors in my floral paper. 

Color Option

(exact matching not required)

Sketch Option

(orient as desired)

Theme Options: Hearts / Tags / Friendship

Product / Technique Options: Burlap or Gauze / Layers

I was really pleased with how this turned out after I tried various combos of papers. I love the little enamel hearts that Altenew includes on their dot sets (stars too) - so cute! They added the perfect finishing touch to my heart design.

I received this gorgeous card & set of pearl stickers from the wonderful Pia (Pias Papir og Perler) from Norway - thanks Pia!! She had my name back in September 2021 when she first joined the Card Chain - I'm so glad she's still participating!! I just love the hot air balloons & how Pia worked in the colors!!

If you'd like to join in, you can still sign up for the March chain until 3/6 - please go HERE for details.

Thanks for visiting and have a crafty day!!