Playing with new Penny Black stamps

 I recently purchased Penny Black’s Mimi’s Love stamp set. The images are so adorable! 

I coloured this cute image with Copics, cut it out and glued it to a background I made using Tim Holtz Distress Oxides.

Added Texture for Birthday Card

 This week’s Simon Says challenge is Add Some Texture. I was making a card for my sister-in-law and decided to try something different. 

I used my gel plate, some Prussian blue Golden fluid paint and a Tim Holtz stencil to create my background on deli paper. I then used matte medium to adhere the deli paper background to some index cardstock. I stamped some script on it, and added texture paste through another Tim Holtz stencil. The flower is from a Tim Holtz stamp set (Flower Garden) that I stamped on more gel plate print backgrounds. I paper pieced the flowers and used matte medium to adhere to the card front. 

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day.

Die Cut Challenges

 

We have a few birthdays to celebrate this month, so I was busy making some cards this past weekend. I recently bought some fabulous stamps and dies from Papertrey Ink and decided to play around with them. I used one of the stamps from Watercolour Wonder Stamp Set and stamped it in Hero Arts Tide Pool ink, Pale Tomato ink, and WPlus9's Wild Mango. I used the same three colours and stamped some of the images from Circle Scribbles Stamp Set. I stamped off the first image on scrap paper before stamping on the card front so the colours aren't quite as bold. The HAPPY is from the Birthday Basics stamp set. The front panel uses the fabulous Mama Elephant Femme Frames (popped up on foam adhesive), and the birthday die is from PTI.

 

I saw this technique somewhere, a while back....maybe in an online card class. I just can't remember right now...sorry. Not sure about the method I used, though. I stamped the three colours and then die cut the word birthday. I kept all the pieces to glue in later. Then I die cut the word from a piece of the same white cardstock I was using. I fit it into the open area and put some tape across the back to hold it in place. I then stuck in the coloured pieces (using the tape made it easier and less messy than glue). I put some foam adhesive on the back of the colourful 'birthday' and placed it over top of the white die cut word. This way I was able to line everything up. Not sure if that was how I was supposed to do it, but I found it to be an easy way.

 

 

 



 I would like to enter my card in the following two challenges:

Virginia's View Challenge #5 - Die Cuts  

 

and

Moxie Fab World's Wonderful Words Challenge

 

Thanks for stopping by! And don't forget to play along with these fabulous challenges!

 

Tag Challenge at Virginia's View

Making tags is a lot of fun. I started yesterday with a blank tag that I cut from a piece of cardboard that came in my daughter's calendar she got from Christmas. I used my Tim Holtz tag die and then let it sit on my crafting table for a few hours. I wasn't sure what I wanted to create on it. I did know that I could use recycled items for Virginia's View Challenge #4.

After coming back to my tag and staring at it for a few minutes, I decided I wanted to use my gelatos on it. So I painted a coat of gesso on the tag base and let it dry. I then took two shades of blue gelatos for the sky, and two shades of green for the grass. I added the colours to the base and blended them with a damp finger. I did this a couple times (using my heat gun to dry it before adding more colour)until I was satisfied with the results. I added a coat of gel medium over top. Then I let it sit there again until later today.

I started by using a leaf stamp from Avery Elle and stamped it a couple times in WPlus9's Appletini ink. I used a couple other stamps (can't remember where they are from) to make the leaves at the bottom in the same colour ink, and then a lace stamp with TH Peacock Feathers ink, along the edges of the sky. You really can't see it very well - it blended in a bit too much. I painted a thin coat of gel medium overtop of the Appletini ink and then dried it with my heat gun.

I had a hard time trying to decide what image I wanted to use. So I started going through my stamp sets and found this cute one from Penny Black (Touch of Whimsy). I love the images, but have rarely used it. I chose my stamp, inked it up with some Versafine Onyx Black ink and stamped it on the tag. I then stamped it a couple more times on some scrap patterned paper (my box of scraps is very full!) After fussy-cutting the images, I distressed them a bit and then adhered them with gel medium. I added some liquid pearls for the little flower spots.



The clouds are die cut from Lawn Fawn's Spring Showers  using some really old fleece scraps that my mom gave me years ago (I used to make doll clothes with this stuff when I was a kid..) The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Life is Beautiful stamp set.

So I learned a few things while making this...do not use a heat gun for too long or the surface starts to bubble - I swear it wasn't on that long! And I learned to make sure I keep the heat away from the liquid pearls - it made some dull spots on them.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

Lawnscaping Challenge

I love creating with the Lawn Fawn stamps and dies. I made this card for my sister-in-law. I just love the sunflowers, and that baby fox is so cute!

I am entering my card in the Lawnscaping Challenge - #78  CAS. 

The stamps are LF Our Friendship Grows and Into the Woods.

The sentiment and birthday die are Papertrey Ink.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

Adorable Tiddly Inks Image

Last week I started making a card for a friend. I searched through my stamps, but couldn't find the right image. So I searched online for cute dogs - digital images since I needed the card soon. I found exactly what I was looking for at Tiddly Inks! Their stamp set Dog Days is soooo cute! I printed off a couple of the dogs and started coloring them. It didn't take too long to create the background with TH distress inks and I die cut a couple clouds (Memory Box).

I am entering my card in the Tiddly Inks challenge #124 a CAS challenge. 

Happy Birthday

This month at CASE Study, Donna Mikasa is the fabulous Muse! I just love her blog and her wonderful cards. This is her card for the challenge:

 For my card, I used my PTI stamps and Paper Smooches stamps. The ink is Hero Arts - soft pool, and the sentiment is white embossed. It didn't quite turn out the way I wanted it to - it is a little hard to see the sentiment. My white embossing powder is coarser than my other embossing powders and it makes it look 'lumpy'.

Lawn Fawn"s adorable stamps...

When I first saw Lawn Fawn"s into the woods stamp set, I knew I had to have it! I just love that adorable deer stamp! 

The first card I made with the stamp set is for a very special person. Her birthday isn't until the end of the month, but she already received her card from the family birthday party we had earlier this month.

This card was a lot of fun to make. I also used LF"s trim the tree for the background trees.

Tags with Penny Black Stamps

I'm still playing with my new PB stamps. I have been working on some tags. They took longer than I thought - since I am stamping, colouring, and then cutting out the images to adhere to the tag. But I am happy with how they turned out.
I used oatmeal cardstock from Wplus9 for the tags (also from Wplus9-die). I liked the look of the oatmeal cardstock - more suitable for the Garden Critters stamp set I used than the white. I distressed the edges with TH Walnut Stain Distress Ink.
Edit: Oops, forgot to add that I used Copics on Neenah solar white card stock for my images. I used Memento Tuxedo Black to stamp the images.
I also made a box to hold all 7 tags.  Distressed the edges and slipped on a bow to hold it together.
I am entering my tags in Moxie Fab World's Gift Tag Challenge.

Here they are:

And the box:

 The sentiments are from various stamp sets - Paper Smooches, Hero Arts, and Wplus9.

I decided to change the bow and twine on this hedgie one - didn't get a new picture before packing it in the box.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!





New Penny Black stamps

I won some stamps from Penny Black's new release and I just love them! When I saw this week's sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch, I knew exactly what stamps I would use! Since I need a new card for my sister's birthday, I thought this would be perfect.

I love the flow of this sketch.

 

The adorable bunny image is from the new Penny Black Garden Critters. I stamped them on some Neenah Solar White cardstock, coloured them with my Copics and cut the images out. I stamped several more butterflies and coloured and cut them out too. The sentiment is from another of their new stamp sets - Nature's Wishes. I added a few Copic-coloured gems to finish it off. No sentiment was needed for the sketch, but I felt I needed one on the card. :)

 

I am also entering my card in Penny Black's For Family Challenge (which ends on the 19th!)

 



and 4 Crafty Chicks Birthdy Challenge.

 



Penny Black For Family Challenge

Penny Black is having a For Family Challenge. Details can be found here.

I made this card originally for my sister's birthday, but decided to give it to my mother-in-law for her birthday. She works in the garden a lot and I liked this card better than the card I made for her. I used the adorable Penny Black stamp 1649k Mice Mail Letter.  I stamped it on Neenah Solar white cardstock, coloured it with Copics and cut it out. I stamped it again on the card base and then adhered the coloured image. The Happy Birthday sentiment is from Paper Smooches.





I am also entering my card in:
CAS-ual Fridays 100th challenge! I choose Birthday, Bling and Punches/Dies (I hope a corner chomper counts as a punch!)

and

Totally Paper Crafts - CAS.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

Hero Arts April Challenge...Last Day

I finished my card on Monday, and almost forgot to enter it! The week has gone by too fast.

I am entering this card in the Hero Arts April Challenge  - Sketch:

I needed to make some Thank you cards for my daughter to use Tuesday night. I really wanted to participate in this month's challenge, so I started with the sketch.

 

I used HA's Blossom Art CL495 and paper pieced the flower. The leaves are from Paper Smooches (stamp and die). I used the PS's border die to cut out the sentiment strip. The sentiment is from Lawn Fawn (Home Sweet Home). The embossing is a Cuttlebug folder (sorry, don't have the name handy). After I embossed it, I rubbed over top of the embossing with my acrylic block to flatten it a bit. I wanted a raised pattern, but just a slight one.

 

I'm off to get ready for school - have to finish the Mother's Day gifts with the kids. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

 



You Are Awesome

A little while ago, I got some new stamps from Paper Smooches as well as their Notebook Basics die. I combined them with some patterned paper (I thought it looked too plain on a white card base.)

 

I really love the adorable Paper Smooches "cuteasaurus" stamp set. I am hoping to get the matching dinosaur dies - makes cutting them out so much easier.

The paper is from My Mind's Eye, and the banner die is from WPlus9.

I am entering my card in Charisma Cardz Challenge #11- Die Cuts.

Have a good night!

Happy Easter Tag

It has been a long time since I have posted. I have been fighting colds for most of the new year. I've missed a lot of challenges that I wanted to participate in, but I just didn't have the energy to be creative. Today, I was finally able to focus long enough to make and complete something - an Easter tag.

 

I used the colours from the Hero Arts March Challenge:

 



I decided to stamp and colour the images separately and then fussy cut them - so the Copics wouldn't show up on the back of the tag. Those flowers were tricky to cut out.

I am entering my tag in the following challenges:
A Blog Named Hero - Challenge 22 Free Style!
Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog - Easter/Spring
Hero Arts March Challenge

Supplies:
Hero Arts: Happy Day Animals, Celebrate Everyday
Inks: MementoTuxedo Black, Summer Sky; Tim Holtz Distress Ink Peeled Paint
Copics
Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Moxie Fab Camera Craze Challengee

This morning, Cath posted a new challenge over at Moxie Fab World: The Camera Craze Challenge. I had the perfect stamp for this challenge. It is from Penny Black, and is adorable with all the little mice. I stamped it on Neenah solar white, coloured with copics and cut it out. I adhered the camera with the three mice directly to the card base, and added dimensional foam under the fourth mouse.

 

I aslo stamped the lens portion of the camera again, coloured it and then added it to the camera with dimensional foam. I watched a video earlier from Julie Ebersole, over at 'the CLASSroom' and liked how she added dimension to her camera.

 



 

I think I should have coloured under the mouse though...

 

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!



Cupcake Inspirations Challenge 196

 

I just love the photo inspiration at Cupcake Inspirations Challenge blog. I couldn't resist this week's photo:

 

The colours, the layers...just beautiful. It inspired me to use my Memory Box Princess Dress die.

 

 

I decided to create layers to my dress, so I stamped a lace pattern onto neenah solar white cardstock (distressed with TH antique linen) and cut out two dresses. The third layer was cut from patterned paper. The colour doesn't quite look right in the photo, but it is more of a rose colour. I popped up the layers on dimensional foam and adhered the rest of the dress and the hanger directly to the card base. I made the bow on the dress by copying my bow die from MFT.  The hanger was die cut from a piece of a silver chocolate box. It was a good weight and I liked the addition of the silver to the card - tied in nicely with the gem on the bow.

 

I would also like to enter my card in Love to Create Challenge - Let's Celebrate!  They are celebrating 1 year!! Congrats! 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by. Have a good day!



Pillow Box Gift Card Holder

I made this pillow box for my niece's (33rd) birthday instead of a card. I thought she might find it cute...?? She liked the Chapter's gift card inside. 

I am entering the pillow box in Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes challenge.

Have a good day!

World Map

Just a short post...

City Crafter Challenge Blog's challenge this week is It's a Small World.

I have this really nice map background stamp from Just Rite that I bought a while ago but hadn't used. I didn't realize how much I didn't like the word 'Travel' on the image until I tried using it. But, I fixed that on the birthday card for my husband. I just tore off most of the word and added Happy Birthday instead.

I coloured with my Copics, and distressed the edges with Tim Holtz Antique Linen and Walnut Stain. The sentiment is from Paper Smooches (it is my favourite Happy Birthday sentiment.)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

First challenge at Muse...

I have had quite a busy week and almost forgot that I have several birthday cards to make for this weekend. I was at school for the morning, so I've only had a little bit of time to work on them today. I took my inspiration for my first card from the new Muse Challenge Blog. It is their first challenge and I'm excited to be able to enter.
The beautiful inspiration card is from Amy Kolling:

I love her beautiful yellow flower. This inspired the card that I made for my sister-in-law. I used the poinsettia die from MFT to create the flower. I first stamped a damask pattern (IO) onto Neenah Solar white cardstock with Versa Magic Thatch Straw. I die cut them and distressed the edges with Walnut Stain. I then decided to add another layer of stamping to the flower. I used another IO stamp and Antique Linen  ink to have a subtle layer of writing on top of the damask print. I die cut the leaves from Echo Park patterned paper (sorry, I don't remember the name of the 6x6 pad).

The sentiment is from Paper Smooches - a set I got just before the holidays. I really like the 'happy birthday' font and size. It is hard to see the yellow in the photo - poor lighting on this cold, snowy day.

Please check out this new challenge blog! The current challenge ends at noon (EST) Saturday, so you still have a little time to enter!

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

Bear Hugs

This week at CAS-ual Fridays, the challenge is to create a clean and simple card with a long edge and short edge - not standard size.

I made my card 2.5" x 5".

Have a great day!

Edit: I was a Contender for the challenge!! :)


Supplies:
Stamps: Paper Smooches, Lawn Fawn
Paper: Neenah
Copics
Doodlebug Twine