Woodblock Wednesday Guest Designer

I'm delighted to be a guest designer for Amy's Woodblock Wednesday November Challenge.  I still have a lot of my old wood mounted stamps.  If you've been stamping for over 25 years, you might recognize this wonderful 1998 DeNami stamp.  I used Versafine Clair Green Oasis and embossed with clear powder.

I love the design of the trees and that the sentiment is included.  Can't really remember the cards I made with it years ago, but I know they weren't watercolored!  I used green and brown Zigs and the Zig blender pen for the trees.  The background wash was done with blue Prima Confections watercolor.  Can't see in the photo, but I also added white gouache splatters.  I really like the look of using thin mats, so my Gina K Master Layouts 1 and 2 are getting a lot of use these days. 

I've seen a lot of colored card fronts lately and I do like them.  This one was made by brushing the green ink on the white card edges. Leftover red die cut dots covered in Christmas Red Stickles add some bling and tie in with the red mat.  If you have woodmounted stamps, why not join in the challenge?  It's always fun to see the variety in the gallery.  I'm entering Time Out (emboss, nature) and WAW.

Edited to add:  Also entering SSS Wednesday.

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

Christmas and Birthday

I missed posting my card for last month's Woodblock Wednesday, so had it ready to go for the August challenge.  DeNami was one of the first companies I discovered when I started stamping.  I still have and love many of them, including this one from 1999.  

I stamped in Versafine Clair Green Oasis and PTI Pure Poppy.  Birch Press Handwritten Merry Christmas and Outline was die cut from vellum and cardstock I inked with Pure Poppy.  You can see the green and red Stickles in my IG post.  I love how beautiful elements let you create a simple card that is pretty and festive, but flat for mailing.  

Finally finished my card for the August Stay Crafty with Hero challenge.  I was the lucky winner of May's card kit which has a beautiful cake image.  I've been telling myself to use my Zigs, so gold embossed with HA powder on Bristol paper.  

The images are are pretty small, so not as intimidating for me to color.  I learned from Amy Tsuruta that Zig makes a blender brush.  Oh boy does it work great!  The cake plate was colored with Spellbinders gold pen, although here it looks brown.  I used a gold gel pen to cover the white edges after diecutting.  The kraft mat and card front were splattered with gold watercolor.  

The Gina Marie rectangle diecut was in the bag where I store the ones waiting to be used.  Usually I forget to check it!😊 I found just the sentiment I wanted in the 2011 HA set called Congrats and it stamped perfectly with one try.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday and Allsorts challenge to include a sentiment, hosted by my friend Brenda.

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

A Few More Christmas Projects

Hubby got the outside lights up a few days ago & I'm slowly decorating inside.  The tree makes me happy just with the lights, but I will add the balls tomorrow, hopefully!  I've gotten a lot of cards mailed, but I'm not finished yet.  I started with the ones going the farthest & I'm working my way west.

Amy has a monthly challenge called Woodblock Wednesday & I loved pulling out Art Impressions Small Pine Spray (over 10 yrs old) & the 2010 DeNami sentiment.  

The Spellbinders square & Fleur de Lis dies are also old.  I used 3 off white papers--something I would never have done when I started stamping.  The card is PTI Rustic Cream, the image is gold embossed on watercolor paper & the fancy mat is Michael's cream cardstock.

I used markers scribbled on an acrylic block & picked up with a damp brush to do the watercoloring.  Just flicking the end of the marker with the damp brush gave me the little brown splatters.  I do love simple & elegant, so this is my kind of card.  I'm also entering SSS Monday.

I love PPP Layered Tree die which can be used for many different looks depending on colors & techniques.  This time I wanted a special card for a relative who is big on Christmas trees & uses only traditional green & red for all her decorating.  

I double embossed a white panel with Zing green glitter ep & then die cut the sections.  There were a couple little spots where the embossing came off, but they were easily repaired.  The trunk was die cut from a brown scrap & the star was stacked 3 high with the top layer being silver metallic cardstock.  I've never used the little ornaments in the set & they're so cute.  I die cut them from red metallic cardstock which stood out perfectly with the shimmery tree.  

Discovered that glue dots were an ideal way to attach the star & the ornaments.  I like the subtle white embossed snowflake background & only an inside sentiment to let the tree take center stage!  I'm entering SSS Monday, SSS Wednesday & Christmas Kickstart.

My final project is for the December Poppystamps challenge.  This may be the most fun I've ever had making a tag!  I pulled out Poppystamps Tunnel Tags & Sloping Hillside dies. 

Amazingly, what I had in mind worked without having to redo anything!  I used some of my overflowing white scraps & a piece of Memory Box blue glitter cardstock I'd already cut into.  First I partially die cut the tag & moved it up before finishing diecutting to make a slightly shorter tag.  Then I die cut Sloping Hillside from the tag.  Next I needed the same size tag for the back & managed to get it right--whew!  I glued a piece of the glitter cardstock to the back tag where the opening would be & then glued the top tag in place.  The trees were brushed with a shimmer pen & covered in Shimmer Pico Embellisher.  I'll have a short video on IG if you want to see the shimmer & sparkle.  Another little scrap of the glitter cardstock was die cut with circle dies for the hole reinforcer & I added white crochet thread.  The perfect sentiment from a Winnie & Walter set was stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.  I'm also entering SSS Monday, SSS Wednesday & The Snippets Playground.  

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

Green & Gold

I love green & gold for Christmas cards, so pulled out Brilliance Pearlescent Ivy & Delicata Golden Glitz to make a couple cards for the Twofer Holiday Greenery challenge.  My greenery images are from PTI Spruce & Sprigs.  Here are the 2 cards together.

My first card started by stamping the old DeNami sentiment in Versafine Clair Nocturne on a white card.  Then I stamped the holly & berry branch in opposite corners.

Finished with Altenew black ink spray splatters & rounded the corners.  I'm also entering Time Out.

My second card uses the same green & gold inks (even though they don't look the same) along with the same PTI stamp set.  But this card is vanilla, the sentiment is Altenew & I added a couple more of the Spruce & Sprig images to go with the holly & berry branch.

I die cut the thin SSS frame from my panel & inlaid the gold inked frame stacked 2 high.  This time I added green splatters & gold sequins.  I'm also entering CAS on Friday, Stamping Sensations & WAW.

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

More Tags

I'm still having fun making tags for Tracey's 25 Days of Christmas Tags.  On Day 15 Tracey's adorable angel caught my eye & reminded me about the DeNami stamp I've had for 20 years. 

I tried gold embossing the angel, but it didn't show up enough.  My final version ended up with white embossing (Tracey had the right idea--haha) & Distress Oxides fossilized amber, wilted violet & picked raspberry.  The sentiment from 2005 is by Stampendous.
  
My other tag was inspired by Carol's fun ombre trees on Day 17.  I fell in love with the tree in an Ellen Hutson stamp set, but didn't let myself buy it as I have so many Christmas sets. 

Last year I decided to get it anyway, only to discover it was discontinued.  However, a stamper with the set offered to stamp off a few for me.  She stamped & die cut a total of 9 trees on 3 different papers--what a sweetie!  I love my Zigs & it's a great way to do ombre.  The star was colored with a gold gel pen, but decided it needed some sparkle.  That was easily accomplished with a bit of Stickles. 

The tiny snowflakes are from W&W In Bloom: Frenchy's Festive Florals & the sentiment is from PTI Take Three: Winter.  

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

Angel Card

This 1998 DeNami angel is one I bought when I began stamping. I still love her & usually just heat emboss on colored paper to avoid having to color.  Now that I have Bristol paper & Zig wc markers I wanted to try coloring.  Actually came out OK & I'll keep practicing.  After it dried I brushed the gown & wings with Spectrum Noir clear sparkle.  The die cut is Spellbinders Decorative Labels One & the sentiment is from Hero Arts Happy Holly Days.  

Love Stampendous Moonstone embossing powder.  Memento Gray Flannel was a close match to the Zig I used for the trumpet so I used it for the sentiment. The mat looks black, but it's actually a dark gray.  Last minute entry for the challenge at Always Use Rubber & I'll also enter ATSM, Allsorts, Christmas Card Challenges, DRU, Paru's Card Making Challenges, SSS Wednesday, Die Cut Divas & Word Art Wednesday.  Thanks so much for stopping by.