Mixed Up Bird!

For the first time in 3 years we had a beautiful, male Evening Grosbeak at the feeder this morning.  Hubby joked about it being here in the morning instead of the evening.  

Couldn't get a very good picture through the window & I was afraid it'd be gone if I opened the door.  
I've been trying to come up with something for the Winnie & Walter May Color Combo, but couldn't figure out how to work in the lavender.  Finally decided to follow Heather's example of using designer paper & I found exactly what I needed!  

The gorgeous Graphic 45 Secret Garden was a gift several years ago from a blogging friend & I've barely used it.  Glad I rescued the doily from under a soup bowl!  I applied glue around the center, leaving the edge loose.  The little word from Big, Bold, Seasons was stamped in Adirondack Mushroom.  I happened to have one sheet of textured cardstock that was almost a perfect match, so I used it for 3 layers of the die cut word.  

Stardust Stickles was added to the butterflies & the word was covered with Crystal Lacquer.  After tying on the hemp & adding a pearl, the panel was attached to a Vintage Cream card.  So rewarding to make a card I love!  I'm also entering Allsorts, Butterfly Challenge & Word Art Wednesday.

Thought I'd also show you how I added the gift card holder for the Poppystamps challenge onto a card before sending it off. Really love the WRMK's 3D embossing folder!  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.

Roses and Roses

Hubby's pain from the kidney stone is gone--now if only the gout would go away.  I spent the last 2 mornings working in the roses which were in full bloom when we got home from camping.  I love roses, but I don't love the work required--haha!  It is worth it, though, to have a bouquet like this in the house.  

Speaking of roses, finally got my card done for Winnie & Walter Rerun No. 19.  The layout of Shay's Mother's Day card was my inspiration.  

I used a Doodlebug printed paper for my graphic background & die cut rose patterned Washi tape with a PPP scalloped border die.  Mini Scenery: Bed of Roses was white embossed on Bristol paper & colored with a dark red Zig blending with water.  Then I brushed clear Wink of Stella over the entire panel so the areas I'd left white became a light pink & the whole panel is shimmery.  

The sentiment from Big, Bold, Seasons was stamped several times with Brilliance Starlite Black & it's mounted with foam tape. Instead of pearls like Shay, I used Rose Water & Key Lime Nuvo Jewell Drops.  I'll use this for a blogging friend's birthday card.  I'm also entering Die Cut Divas, Time Out & Word Art Wednesday.  Thanks so much for stopping by.

Felt Flowers & Snowflakes

Wishing my US friends a happy holiday weekend as we honor Veterans who gave their lives serving our country. Traditionally this is the start of the summer season with lots of people camping or doing other fun outdoor activities.  This year the weather is beautiful, so lots of our neighbors are doing yard work.  However, our weekend began with a visit to the ED at 6:30am where hubby was diagnosed with a kidney stone. Poor guy is also in the midst of a gout attack, but the meds are helping & he's feeling much better tonight.  
I have lots of felt, so was happy to see this week's PTI MIM challenge is felt flowers.  

Mine are simply Garden Guild dies cut from 2 shades of yellow felt, but I hope to try Lizzie's techniques soon.  My blogging friend, Vikki, inspired me to finally ink up Friendship Jar Flowers.  I stamped with Honey Nut on kraft, sponged and distressed the edges & added a few splatters.  A scrap was trimmed into a tag, stamped with a sentiment from Tiny Tags & mounted with foam tape.  Finished off with a yellow/white twine bow & Limoncello Nuvo Jewel Drops.  I'm also entering Double D & Word Art Wednesday.

I actually began buying felt to use for snowflakes.  

My card for Christmas Card Challenges, Rudolph Days, ATSM & CropStop uses MFT dies cut from light blue, navy & white felt which I first attached to cardstock.  Love this beautiful Darice snowflake embossing folder which I mounted to navy textured cardstock.  Nuvo White Blizzard drops embellish all the snowflake centers & the A Muse Artstamps sentiment is stamped in denim Adirondak--one of my oldest ink pads.  Always fun to make a Christmas card!  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.
 

Papertrey May Blog Hop Challenge

Time for the monthly PTI Blog Hop which I almost forgot about, having been gone.  Fortunately, a friend reminded me & I made my card last night.  My original idea didn't work since I was missing one of the things I needed.  

Usually I pretty much case the inspiration, but instead I just used the colors & splatter from the photo & a bit of watercoloring that's hard to see.  I've had Lovely Layers for a long time & still really love it.  I used the 4 dies with these cardstocks: Stormy Sea, Hibiscus Burst & Pale Peony.  Each die cut was heavily brushed with clear Wink of Stella.  Then I tried something new by watercoloring some detail on top with the matching ink.  You can see it on the Pale Peony.  I decided the Stormy Sea wasn't blue enough, so those pieces were watercolored with Enchanted Evening.  Love the die cut card from the Don't Forget to Write kit.  I recently got the Mat Stack 3 stamp set not realizing how much I'd love the little sentiments.  One of these days I need to use the images--haha! Always tons of inspiration in the hop--can't wait to see what everyone made.  I'm also entering HLS Anything Goes with Dies & Word Art Wednesday.

Before I go, thought you might enjoy seeing this sunset shot of the bay from our campsite.  Thanks so much for stopping by. 

It's Been Awhile

Feels like forever since I made a card or wrote a post!  We're back from our first camping trip of the year, but I don't seem to be back in the swing of things yet.  

That elusive Blog Writing Genie would sure be helpful--haha! The weather was really good, especially for the Oregon coast. We took a drive & snapped this at a place with offshore rocks. 

I do have a couple cards to show you that I posted on Flickr recently--both just use die cuts. First is another sympathy card using SSS Birch Tree Window, Avery Elle sentiment & Zigs.  

My friend Rosemary inspired this one.   I used a gray blue textured cardstock to back the window & dark gray for the sentiment.  Got it mailed before we left since I couldn't go to the service.  I'm entering CropStop, Die Cut Divas & SSS Flickr #71.

Next is my card for the previous SSS Flickr challenge & Flickr Love Handmade Cards.  

The smooshed panel (DI mermaid lagoon, salty ocean, lucky clover, cracked pistachio) was left over from a previous project & is die cut with AJVD Polka Dot Backdrop Rectangle. I used the same inks to color SSS Floral Shapes dies using a lighter hand for the top flower. Tried out my new extra fine tip white Sharpie & brushed the blooms heavily with Spectrum Noir clear sparkle.  The sentiment is SSS Painted Thanks cut from black textured cardstock.  Gotta get this one in the mail to one of my sweet blogging friends.  I'm also entering HLS Anything Goes with Dies & Word Art Wednesday.  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by. I'll catch up with you as soon as I can.

Casing Heather

There's always so much inspiration from the DT for the PTI monthly releases. However, this time I knew immediately what I wanted to case for Create Along with Us. I don't even know how many times I went back to admire Heather's card for Day 3.  The next day, before CAWU was even posted, I made a sympathy card for a family I grew up with who just lost their mom to a long battle with Alzheimers.

I clear embossed the Altenew sentiment on Bristol paper & used my Zigs for watercolor resist.  I colored with the same 2 green Zigs directly on the Hero Arts image from the 2010 set called Earth Flowers & spritzed with water before stamping. Using the Mini MISTI let me repeat the process until I was satisfied.  I added splatters, a PPP die cut edge & a strip of watercolored paper.  I'm entering ABNH & Word Art Wednesday.

Yesterday CAWU was posted & this time I used ink blending, like Heather did.  

The inks are Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky & Mint Julep which I blended over the clear embossed sentiment from Friendly Flowers.  Bristol paper does work great for ink blending as well as for using Zigs.  Rosie Posie was in my 3rd PTI purchase back in 2012.  I still love it & need to use it more often.  The details are done with the newer Step 2 set which I stamped multiple times with the Spring Rain & Mint Julep so it would be darker, but subtle.  Again I added little splatters & since this is for a birthday I spritzed heavily with Perfect Pearls for a gorgeous sheen.

A strip of Enchanted Evening cardstock was attached to the card front for just the right contrast.  Not perfectly stamped, but still one of my favorite cards.  I'll be using this design over & over.  I'm also entering Allsorts, CAS Mix Up & Retro Rubber.  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.

Happy Mother's Day Weekend

Wishing all my US friends a Happy Mother's Day.  Hubby surprised me with this beautiful hanging basket.

I made a birthday card for the PTI MIM challenge: background stamping with sentiment stamps.  

The word "happiness" from Make it Market Garden Gild was stamped in Soft Stone on a square of white cardstock. Decided to make a wreath so more of the background would show.  I looked through some PTI color combos & decided to use the Twig Wreath dies with PTI cardstock.  Must be getting old because this morning I realized 2 of the colors were not what I intended to use!  Fortunately, I like the combo: soft stone, fine linen, aqua mist, scarlet jewel & sweet blush. The flowers were mounted with foam tape.   I stamped the Tiny Tag in Soft Stone & inked the edges of the tag & the panel. Rosewater Nuvo Jewell drops embellish the flowers & I tied on white crochet thread.  I'm also entering HLS Anything Goes with Dies, The Playground, Die Cut Divas & W2CB.  

Cut my first 2 roses of the year & here they are with a picture of my mom, always in my heart.  

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.