July Challenges

One last post before my shoulder replacement surgery.  I realized our anniversary is early in September & I needed to make hubby's card while I can still use both arms. 

Woodblock Wednesday inspired me to use an old favorite heart stamp which still has the price tag, but no indication of what company made it.  I white embossed it several times using my old fashioned stamp positioner.  In the same stamp drawer I saw the love stamp made by an Oregon Company, Embossing Arts.  They've been out of business for years.  I black embossed that stamp, scored a frame & taped it off.  

I ink blended Distress Oxides lucky clover & broken china, as hubby's favorite color combo is blue & green.  The little heart was "colored" with a Gelly Roll Clear Star pen & I added black splatters.  Simple one layer card I think hubby will like.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday & WAW. 

The July Pinkfresh Studio challenge theme is Go Geometric.  Circles & half circles are considered geometric, so gave me a chance to use Slim Braided Circles Panel.  I knew I wanted to use my favorite Lush Vines background stamp and thought this textured green cardstock would be perfect.  It's actually a brighter kelly green in person--so pretty.  I white embossed on Bristol paper so I could use Zigs for the loose watercoloring.  This stamp is perfect for that technique, in my opinion.

The 3 sprigs from Dainty Blossoms were die cut from a white scrap embossed with HA Sparkle powder.  The sending hugs diecut from Perfect Sentiments was already black embossed & fit perfectly on this card.

Decided not to add any embellishments & just tied on a white crochet thread bow.  I'm also entering SSS Wed via IG. 

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  Hopefully, I'll get back into a routine of leaving comments when I'm released to use my left arm.  

It's Been Awhile

I didn't intend to stop blogging, but that's just the way things worked out.  Luckily, Memory Box & Poppystamps challenges are monthly.  I already posted them on IG, as that's so much faster for me.  Before I get to the cards, thought I'd give you a brief update.  

I wouldn't even know I had a hip replacement 6 months ago.  I now am back to walking normally with no pain.  Unfortunately, my arthritic left shoulder pain has become much worse & steroid injections are no longer helpful.  So I will be having left reverse total shoulder replacement on July 31.  I'm so fortunate to be right handed, but I'm still dreading going through this.  Everyone is different, so hopefully I'll be one of the people with less discomfort & a faster recovery.  I'll be in a sling 99% of the time for 6 weeks--only allowed to do the prescribed exercises to prevent elbow, wrist & finger stiffness.  Then I'll begin going to physical therapy twice a week.  Typing will be challenging, but I plan to make a fresh start visiting your blogs.  There will be a few GD posts I've written before surgery, so my blog won't be totally quiet.

It worked out that I got to have a fun time before surgery, which I really needed.  5 years ago I met Betty Keefe in person when we went together to the Taylored Expressions Stamp Joy event in Iowa.  I just returned from seeing her again & we had a great time just visiting.  I embossed a lot of panels with her folders I don't have & she taught me how to make 2 different cards.  Such fun!  

Here's my entry for the Memory Box "It's Not Easy Being Green" challenge.  Wayfarer Leaves dies were cut from 4 different panels, each sprayed with a different green Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist.  The shimmer & shine is so beautiful in person.  I ended up only using the larger size leaves, so I've got a lot more diecuts ready for another card.  The embossed background panel was done with SSS Refracted Folder which I lightly rubbed with a green ink cube.  Poppystamps Happy Birthday Poe Script was stacked 2 high, covered with glaze & colored with a green Copic.  Always love using leaves for masculine cards & this one will be perfect for my plant loving brother-in-law.

I wanted to do something different for Poppystamps July "Rainbow" challenge.  It's been quite awhile since I made a shaped card & never one that was also a shaker.  

Finally, I decided to use Little Kindness stamp set from 2017 & stamped one of the very small flowers in a rainbow of inks:  CN9 Poppy, Buttercup, Clover, Blueberry & Fig with PTI Orange Zest.  The cute little bee in the stamp set fit perfectly in the center.  The panel was diecut with a circle & attached to the front of a card base made with the same die.  I used the same circle die & a smaller one to make the black frame.  The shaker bits are clear seed beads & 2 different kinds of glitter.  

Thought a simple "hi" went with the kinda funky floral background, so I stacked the letters from Memory Box Parker Lowercase Alphabet 3 high & covered them with glaze.  Simple little card to brighten someone's day.

Just had to use one of the beautiful SSS embossed snowflake panels I made at Betty's.  I sprayed the debossed side with Midnight Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist & boy is it gorgeous!  I'll have a video on IG soon, if you want to check it out. 

The Winnie & Walter word die & PFS snowflakes were cut from silver glitter cardstock scraps.  I already had a white Noel diecut with the die & really liked the look using it for a narrow shadow.  Finished off with tiny gems I colored blue with a Copic.  I'm entering The Snippets Playground & MFT Ready, Set Christmas.  

Thanks for catching up with me.  I'll do what I can to stay in touch.  Your friendship does mean a lot to me.

Caffeinated Christmas Guest Designer

I'm delighted to be one of the July Guest Designers for the Caffeinated Christmas Challenge.  This month's theme is Stars to use with coffee, tea or cocoa.  Don't forget, we want to see a Christmas card, not just one for winter.

I had so much fun stamping the background for my coffee cup that is probably filled with a peppermint mocha!  The stamp sets I used are all from Precious Remembrance Shop & the inks are Memento.  

I stamped the tree from Oh Christmas in Cottage Ivy, the date from Sketchy Christmas & dots from Fall Colors in Rhubarb Stalk and the sentiment from Oh Christmas in Rich Cocoa.  Then I embossed the panel with Tim Holtz Tiny Stars Texture Fade folder.  The travel cup from Coffee Love was stamped in Espresso Truffle & then Versamark so I could use clear embossing powder.  I colored it with Copics G07 & R29, purposely not blending away the horizontal lines.  The top was colored with Rich Cocoa & the image was fussy cut.  The big star from CAS-ual Fridays & the little stars from Jillibean Soup were colored with the Copics.  I added an extra cardstock layer behind the cup & inked the card front with Espresso Truffle.  Always good to have another Christmas card ready ahead of time!  Hope you'll join the challenge which is sponsored by A Colorful Life Designs. 

Edited to add: I'm entering Inkspirational's Christmas in July challenge, SSS Wednesday & WAW.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.