Warm Thoughts

I really wanted to use the darling Impression Obsession Spring Chickadee stamp given to me by my sweet friend, Maria.  

With the current IO challenge to use summer/warm colors, I decided to stamp the bird on kraft with brown ink.  I fussy cut the bird & another wing for some dimension.  I used my neglected gel pens to add a bit of color & mounted the bird to a panel blended with Distress Inks & sprayed with gold Perfect Pearls.  The shimmer is really stunning in person.  The sentiment from IO Anytime Sentiments was stamped in brown under the panel & I added gold splatters.  The little wooden embellishment from Freckled Fawn seemed perfect to finish it off.  I'm also entering CCCB & Word Art Wednesday. Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.

More Friendship Cards

I was without my laptop for a few days, so got further behind in visiting blogs.  We're in for a hot weekend, so won't be working outside & I'll catch up with you soon.
I was about to give up on the PTI MIM challenge: Emboss Resist Shadow Sentiments.  I only have a couple big word stamps & they have a design which didn't work at all!  Last night I decided to make a fun foam stamp with the Wonderful Words: Hello die & it worked!  

Obviously, I moved my stamp more than Ashley did, but I think it's still OK.  For the resist I used stencil brushes with Winter Wisteria, Lovely Lady & Tropical Teal.  For just a bit of interest & texture, I partially embossed the dots from an Echo Park folder that's one of my favorites. The butterfly from Butterfly Hope was stamped in the same inks & die cut.  I added clear sticker dots & the sentiment from the same set. Love having matching cardstock for the PTI inks.  I'm also entering ATSM & Word Art Wednesday.

Next is another splash of color card, but with 6 colors!  Yep--used another little bit of my rainbow swiped piece.  

The little flowers are from SSS Hello Friends (2015) & I used an ink applicator tool to color the centers with the same Distress Inks. I added a drop of Nuvo White Blizzard glitter drops & stamped the sentiment from SSS Warm Wishes (2014). Most of my US friends probably don't want me to send them any more sunshine than they have--haha!  I'm entering SSS Flickr #76,  Retro Rubber & Word Art Wednesday.  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.

Warm Color Combo

The current Impression Obsession challenge is to use summer or warm colors.  My first thought was to use yellow, blue & green. But then I saw some of my newest mini Distress Inks & decided to blend fossilized amber, abandoned coral & candied apple as a background for the IO Solid Tree stamped in Hero Arts Cup O' Joe.  

May be my new favorite color combo, even though I always say I prefer cool colors.  Then again, my favorite metallic is gold which I used to stamp over the sentiment so it wouldn't look exactly the same as the tree.  I also spritzed the panel heavily with gold Perfect Pearls--so gorgeous in person!  The sentiment looks hard to read in the close up photo, but it really isn't.

It would have been a one layer card, except I messed up using a stitched rectangle die.  Fortunately, I could just trim the panel a bit & mat it with brown textured cardstock.  Might actually like it better anyway.  I'm also entering CropStop, Freshly Made Sketches & Stamplorations Theme. Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.

Christmas in July

Christmas in July has always been popular with me.  When I was a kid at summer camp I got our cabin to pick that theme for the cabin decorating contest--can't remember if we won! This year there are lots of blog features & challenges with the theme, so more to come.  Actually, I made a Christmas card for last week's PTI MIM challenge & here's my entry for PTI CAWU.  I really loved Laurie's black, white & gold card & was inspired by the gold on white die cuts, gold frame & contrasting card.  

As you can see, I used Pure Poppy cardstock instead of black. The die cuts from Spruce & Sprigs are stamped in Delicata Golden Glitz--my favorite gold ink.  I made the frame with AJVD Polka Dot Backdrop rectangles & sponged with gold. The sentiment from Botanical Blocks IV is gold embossed & I couldn't resist adding a few small PPP gold sequins. The panel is mounted with fun foam to the card front, so will need a bit of extra postage. I'm also entering HLS Christmas challenge, Die Cut Divas & Word Art Wednesday.

Next is my first card using a brand new die from CASual Fridays.  Haven't been letting myself buy new stamps or dies, but couldn't resist the bell dies in the retirement sale.  I didn't have any bell dies, so that's my justification--haha!  

So fun to use the shape of an object for a shaker window & I tried out Stephanie's technique of stacked layers instead of foam--great when the opening doesn't have straight lines.  The shaker mix is white seed beads & Stampendous Shaved Ice.  I have 2 Lawn Fawn plaid paper pads that have hardly been used--love the look!  The PPP bow was the perfect size to top the bell & I added an iridescent gem that ties into the mix.  The sentiment from the first card was still in my Mini MISTI & was the right size, so I stamped it several times in DI pine needles which closely matches the cardstock panel.  I'm entering CAS-ual Fridays, CCCB, CropStop, HLS Anything Goes with Dies, SSS Wednesday & Die Cut Divas. I'm slowly catching up on blog reading--thanks for your patience.  Enjoy the weekend!
Edited to add: Joining the Summer Link Up at Merry Monday using #241 (red, green & white) or #240 (bell)--thanks for the suggestion, Linda.
   

Cards for Friends

My favorite cards to make are Christmas, but next to that are cards going to blog friends when they don't expect it.  That's why I got the Lawn Fawn sentiment die many, many months ago.  So glad the July Ellen Hutson Mix It Up Challenge is with Lawn Fawn, which got me to finally make a card with it!  

I began with a white panel & the foam stamp I made from EH Bold Blossom small die.  The inks are DI tumbled glass & cracked pistachio.  I sponged the edges with worn lipstick & didn't like it, but just kept going--I'll spare you the details--haha!  The next day I tried using a vellum panel over most of it & decided it was OK.  I inked a scrap with cracked pistachio & cut a strip plus the 2 Bold Blossom leaves which I covered in Wink of Stella.  

The sentiment is stacked 3 high & covered in Crystal Lacquer. Finished off with a few black Pico Embellisher dots.  I'm also entering CropStop, Stamping Sensations & Word Art Wednesday. 

I loved The Play Date Cafe challenges--especially black & white with a splash of color.  So I was really happy to see that's the current theme for SSS Flickr #75.  I know you'll be shocked to see I chose a splash of pink--haha!  

I used SSS Falling Snow stencil with white ink on a scrap of black paper & also stamped a leaf cluster from SSS Sketch Ranunculus.  The blossom from the same set was stamped in black on a white scrap, as well as another leaf cluster & one blossom which I die cut.  The sentiment from Hero Arts Leaf prints was white embossed & trimmed into the little banner.  A piece of black ribbon covers the intersection of the 2 panels & the single blossom is partially matted with black & popped up.  The pink splash of color comes from Nuvo Rosewater Jewel drops.  I'm also entering The Playground  & Word Art Wednesday.  Hope you're staying safe with all the fires & flooding.  We're having one cloudy day in the midst of many full of sun, so spent the morning working in the yard.  I'll catch up with you soon.

Summer Hello

When I saw the new Winnie & Walter Gossip Column Summer Fruits post it took awhile before I could tear myself away from that gorgeous citrus print dress--not that I could wear it! Taheerah actually found lots of incredible inspiration & her cards are just brilliant!  However, I thought this might be one challenge I'd have to sit out.  A few hours later it dawned on me that I have the Love Jar Hero Arts stamp set that includes a citrus image I've never used.

 

I've been wanting to use printed paper with my W&W hello die, so thought maybe I could make my own.  I started by sponging DI dried marigold on a white scrap & then stamped in Orange Zest.  Such a fun summery look, I think.  I mounted the die cut 3 high using Orange Zest cardstock for a slight shadow.  I also wanted the card to work for the floral theme at ABNH who is collaborating with W&W this month.  The daisy from the set worked perfectly for the look I wanted--just curved the stem in my mini MISTI to the right angle.  I kept the citrus theme using lemon yellow & lime green markers. Each color had to be stamped several times--so great having the stamp positioner!  I masked the flower & used a stencil brush with DI pumice stone & tumbled glass for a light background, but it needed something.  Just love the change I got by partially embossing the Echo Park dots folder using a small hammer.  

The word is covered in Wink of Stella, every other petal is covered in yellow Stickles & the sides of the panel are die cut with Paper Smooches dots.  I mounted it to a kraft card & tied some twine for embellishment. I'm also entering a2z Scrapbooking, HLS Anything Goes with Dies, SSS Wednesday, SSS Work it Wednesday, Stamplorations Theme & Virginia's Summer Blog Party.

Edited to add: Anything Goes for Paper Smooches this month, so I'm adding my card to their challenge.

Summery Leaves for a Birthday

The Winnie & Walter Color challenge is about to end. Decided to make a second card & combine it with the new Rerun Challenge & ABNH where the collaboration is with W&W. Unfortunately, I forgot that the theme is florals--that'll teach me not to double check--haha!  

Shay's Rerun card with the symmetrical arrangement of trees inspired my design using 3 images from In Bloom: Renee's Leaves.  After white embossing, the leaves were messy watercolored with DI squeezed lemonade, picked raspberry & salty ocean.  The top line of the sentiment is from Hero Arts Find Joy (masked to use just the 3 words) & celebrate is from W&W Big, Bold Seasons.  I stamped with HA Field Greens, using my Mini MISTI to re-stamp just the word celebrate.  I sprayed the panel liberally with Heidi Swapp white Color Shine.  

The lined strip is done with Scenery: Stripes 2 & the same green ink.  I attached the strip to a larger piece of white cardstock covered with MFT Glitter Glaze.  A tiny strip of yellow textured cardstock was attached to the card front to tie in with the center leaf.  I mounted the strip with foam tape & added some PPP marshmallow sequins.  I'm also entering HLS Watercolor Challenge, Paru's Card Making Challenge, SSS Wednesday & Word Art Wednesday.  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.