Happy Valentine's Day!!

Happy Valentine's Day wishes to all my blogging friends!! Here's a virtual card to you all:

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders A2 card; BoBunny Dotted;

My Favorite Things Colorful Canvas; Neenah Solar White

Stamps with Dies - Hero Arts Jan 2024 My Monthly Hero kit &

Smile Friend

Dies - A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Altenew Tea Party enamel dots

And here are the handmade cards I've received to date for my birthday - thanks everyone!! Special thanks to Rosemary who stitched the sweet pillow and to Gundi for the bookmark and stamp-offs. And yes, Gundi - I waited until today to open your card! :)

Had lunch with friends yesterday & I'm off to have lunch with more friends today, plus 3 more lunch dates planned. This bday celebration continues on & on - I love it!! Thanks again if you sent a card & if I didn't receive it yet, I'll enjoy it when it arrives!

Hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday! If you've made a non-traditional Valentine which includes use of a die cut or embossing folder, be sure to link up to the February Die Cut Diva Challenge with wonderful sponsor Hero Arts!!

Thanks for stopping!!

Nordic Birds on a Branch

Happy Monday everyone! Yesterday I had a little early birthday celebration with my brother and sister-in-law who brought me some lasagna and red velvet cupcakes - yum! They went home to watch the Super Bowl & I stayed at my house. Could've gone to a watch party but I like to work on crafts during breaks in the action. Had to stay by the television for the commerials though! My fave was the Dunkin' Donuts one! And that halftime show with Usher - what a talent!! Topping it off - overtime win for Kansas City - fantastic!! I could go on & on but let's get to my card for today:

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card; 

Authentique Colorful Christmas 6x6"; 

BoBunny Botanical Journal 6x8"; 

scraps of red, green, pink & black;

Dies - Poppystamps Nordic Bird Bunch;

Elizabeth Craft Designs Pine Cones;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop

Press Plate & Die - Spellbinders Merry & Bright Sentiment Strips

Other - foam tape

I was thinking of what to do for the current Christmas Kickstart Challenge "Out on a Limb". Given it's the second Monday of the month, Darnell (djkardkreations) is doing Dies for her IDEAS plan. I thought I'd join her & pulled out a new bird die set from Poppystamps. I also got a pine branch die from Elizabeth Craft Designs in the mail last Thursday - so two newbies for the February NBUS Challenge. 

Aren't the birdies the cutest??! I cut them from both red and pink cardstock so I could alternate the colors & get two pairs. I put one from each pair on the card. Die cut the branch from a scrap of green & the rectangle from a soft green. Both the birds and the other papers matched well with a colorful piney piece I found in a 6x6" Authentique pad. I cut the pine paper to A2 size and added to a card base. Matted the stitched rectangle with black and glued to the card, then added the pine branch and birdies. A Betterpress sentiment finished it off.

Since I was at it, I made a second card using the other birdie pair. This time I used a piece of piney paper from Lawn Fawn's Peace Joy Love 6x6" pad, cut to leave a frame of the card base. The matted rectangle was cut from a soft blue pattern from BoBunny's Boulevard 6x6" pad. Also used a different sentiment strip from the same Betterpress set. Which card do you prefer?

I took the photos with my new light box. I had tried it in January and wasn't satisfied but I played around with it. The photos I took without it weren't getting the colors right so this worked better, thankfully! 

That's it for today, friends - thanks for stopping! Have a crafty day!!

Rose Birthday

Hi & Happy Monday! I was inspired by Darnell (djkarkreations) who posted last week about her new plan to start a crafty routine on Feb. 5th. She's using the aconym IDEAS to do something each Monday and we're invited to play along! Luckily, it was right after lunch that I remembered to check her blog post (gorgeous blossom cards!) regarding this week's use of Inks. So off I went & came up with this card:

Supplies: Paper - Michael's A2 card; Hero Arts Pitch Black; 

Strathmore Cold Press Watercolor Paper;

Porcelain Betterpress Paper; scrap of grey

Dies - Spellbinders Peekaboo Trellis Panels (retired);

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Betterpress with Dies - You are Everything Sentiments

Other - Park Lane gems; Betterpress Black ink;

Hero Arts Azalea ink & Red Shimmer Spray

I was doing some crafty clean-up and found a Spellbinders die set from August 2022 - an APG (Amazing Paper Grace - they don't carry this line anymore). It hadn't been used yet so I decided today was the day. I went with the print-making coloring technique that Kathy Racoosin shared HERE.

I die cut the set's roses from watercolor paper and used another piece as a work surface while inking them. Also sprayed the larger outline rose with HA shimmer spray. There was a big blob of that on the watercolor work surface so I used that (once dry) to cut the background to the smaller rose. I die cut part of the work surface with a stitched rectangle, getting some of the stencil effect and shimmer sprayed area. I die cut a black mat layer and then the leaves from a scrap of grey. Added everything to a pale grey A2 card along with a Betterpressed sentiment. A few pink gems completed the card. 

I'm adding it to Darnell's February NBUS Challenge since the roses/leaves dies were newly used. Since I used the colors for Just Us Girls Challenge #712 & Color Hues Challenge #80 (neutrals allowed), I'll also add my card there. 

Thanks for stopping and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Rose Heart

Hey everyone - I'm back with another Valentine card! I had to pop down to my hometown yesterday for a funeral (cousin from Dad's generation passed) so today I'm catching up on some blog commenting. I spotted Betty's (created by bjk) gorgeous Boxwood Heart card for the current Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge #240 with Vicky's fun board. Thought I'd play along - here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders A2 card; Neenah white;

Hero Arts Pitch Black; Tim Holtz Jewel Kraft Metallic

Dies - Hero Arts Jan 2024 My Monthly Hero kit (heart and LOVE)

Stencil - Waffle Flower Postage Collage Rose

Other - sentiment strip (Taylored Expressions maybe?);

Altenew Tea Party enamel dots

Here's Vicky's board; I used the left vertical row (Enamel Dots/Stencil/Rose flower):

I made a few cards (see them HERE, if desired) using Waffle Flower's Rose Collage Stencil. I didn't want to make another one of those but thought it would be fun to use one of the set's layers to stencil a bunch of roses and then die cut into a heart shape. So that's what I did! I used various shades of Hero Arts pink and red inks and didn't mind if I overlapped them a bit. That same stencil has some bitty hearts so I used some Neon Pink ink to stencil a few over the roses. Next I die cut it with a heart die from the January MMH kit; also cut a second heart in red glitter for a shadow. 

Next I die cut 4 LOVEs from black and one from red metallic cardstock. Layered for dimension and used one black for a shadow. Added to the heart with a sentiment strip and then to an A2 card. Some heart-shaped enamel dots from Altenew - love, love, love - finished the card. Please excuse the glare off the red metallic - made my O look like it has a wrinkle - so hard to photograph!!

Since I used the colors for Just Us Girls Challenge #712 & Color Hues Challenge #80, I'll add my card there too. Will also send my card to Addicted to CAS #251 where the code word is HEARTS; spotted Jo's lovely entry after I'd finished my card & thought I'd play along. Great minds think alike with the big hearts!

Thanks for stopping and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Valentine Gnomie

Hey everyone - I'm back with another Valentine card! This time I'm using some new Spellbinders I ordered a while back and hadn't had the chance to use until now.

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card; Neenah white;

My Favorite Things Colorful Canvas; Paper Studio Holiday & glitter;

Tim Holtz Kraft Metallic; scraps of black, light & medium pinks & acetate

Stamps - Hero Arts Jan 2024 My Monthly Hero kit (sentiment)

Dies - Spellbinders Gnome Drive Holiday &

Gnome Drive Hearts for You;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

I bought the entire Spellbinders Gnome Drive bundle; you need the Holiday set if you want the car - the others are add-ons. My test die cut of the car body was done with purple (my favorite color, if you didn't know). Then I spotted Lisa's (My Paper Tales) darling card for Just Us Girls Challenge #712 where it's color week - Red, Pink & neutrals. I set aside the purple car for future & cut one from a deep red cardstock. Die cut the rest of the car, gnome and balloon bouquet from a couple more shades of red & pink, plus the neutrals. Cut the car body twice, actually, and sandwiched some acetate between the two so I'd have a windshield. Stamped the sentiment on the biggest balloon. 

Note: The gnome's arms are down at his side when die cut; I trimmed them off to reposition with one driving the car & the other holding the balloons. Assembled the gnome and car. Next I die cut a stitched rectangle from a MFT pink canvas pattern & adhered to pink A2 card, then added the gnome car and balloon string. The balloons were popped up with foam tape.

I haven't played at Color Hues in a while but Challenge #80 happens to have the same colors so I'll add my card there. Plus I'll link up to Darnell's February NBUS Challenge since my gnome sets are new.

One more Valentine done and just one more to go - yay! Thanks for stopping and I hope you have a crafty weekend!!

January 2024 Card Chain Reveal

Yes, it's that time again! Time to reveal cards going 'round the world for the January 2024 Card Chain Challenge!  Thirty-two people participated and you can see the entire reveal HERE. My card went to dear Jo (Jo Blogs) in the UK. Jo helps run the CCC and also does a few other challenges, including Christmas Kickstart where I was her January elf - so fun! Thanks for all you do, Jo!!

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts Mist and Amethyst;

My Favorite Things Colorful Canvas;

Neenah white & black; scrap of slate

Stamps - Hero Arts All Occasion Messages (retired)

Stamps with dies - Lawn Fawn Our Friendship Grows (dies HERE)

Dies - Spellbinders Essential Four Petal Labels;

Hero Arts Smile Friend Stamp & Cut*;

A Jillian Vance Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Copic Markers (BV29 Slate, C4, C1, V12, V15);

white gel pen; Hero Arts Aqua enamel dots;

Tim Holtz Black Soot Distress Ink

As I often do, I used the color palette, followed the sketch and used the theme of friendship. Options were:

Colour Palette Option

Sketch Option

Theme Options: Mythical Creatures / Birds / Friendship

Product / Technique Options: Paint or Ink / Splatters

I die cut two stitched rectangles in two shades of aqua canvas pattern from MFT. From the darker shade, I die cut a label. Added some shading to the edges with Black Soot then adhered the darker rectangle to the lighter one with foam tape. Glued to a Mist A2 card. 

Next I stamped the flower on Amethyst cardstock and fussy cut then added to a white die cut so I'd have white edges. Added some shading with Copics. Stamped the leaves, colored with BV29 and some grey Copics, then fussy cut. Die cut the FRIEND 3 times - twice from black and once from slate. I added BV29 to the slate one to deepen the color, then glued it atop the two black ones for dimension. Stamped a subsentiment strip and glued it to the FRIEND. Assembled the elements and added some enamel dots - done! The FRIEND is from the Spring 2024 Hero Arts collection* which I was able to get through the ShopBox program; it'll be available at Hero Arts on Feb 14th - my bday - yay!

The amazing Julia (Create with Me) sent me the following stunner - just love the beautiful blue jay atop the fence (gorgeous woodgrain!) with the sweet scene behind!! Julia also included some fence and bird die cuts for me to play with - thanks, Julia!!

In the USA & Canada it's Groundhog Day where the question is "Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow??". This forecasts whether we'll have an early spring or not. And if you want to see an adorable groundhog family, check out Chunk the Groundhog videos on YouTube. I saved a link to them on my phone to watch anytime I need a smile!

That's it for today! Come and join us at the Card Chain - sign up for February HERE by Feb 6th.

Thanks for stopping and have a crafty day!!

Rose Collage Valentines

Hey there - I'm back with more stenciling! This time I was inspired by Darnell (djkarkreations) who posted on Sunday about her new plan to start a crafty routine. She's going to use the aconym IDEAS to do something each Monday and invited us to play along! She's starting on Feb 5th but I dove right in because Monday the 29th was a fifth Monday of the month (S for Stencil). 

I'd already used up my 3 entries for Just Us Girls Challenge #711 to use Stencils but I still had a stack of new stencils handy. Plus I had Valentines to make. So here are a couple using a new Waffleflower Stencil for their postage stamp collage die:

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 cards; Neenah White

Dies - Waffle Flower Postage Collage

Stencil - Waffle Flower Postage Collage Rose

Inks - Hero Arts Azalea, Moss, Red Royal, Green Apple, Peony

Other - Hero Arts Spring Enamel Stickers;

Pre-printed Sentiment Strips by unk

Very simple - just use the 3 stencils from the set, then die cut; adhere to card & add the sentiment strip, plus embellishments - done! Sorry for the washed out photo for card 2 - didn't matter what I did! I blame the fluorescent green card :) On that one I didn't stencil the With Love since my sentiment strip had the love in it already.

Here's the graphic Darnell is using for her crafty routine:

I will add card one to Darnell's February NBUS Challenge since the rose stencil got first play here. If you're interested, check out our February Die Cut Diva Challenge where we're doing non-traditional Valentines - I'll be here with mine on the 21st & 29th.

Thanks for stopping & have a crafty day!