Guest Designer at Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Penny Black was one of the first brands I was introduced to when I started making cards and it quickly became a favorite.  I was on the PBSC DT from Sept. 2014 through 2017 and I'm delighted to be the GD for January's Anything Goes--Optional Something New challenge.  I goofed and didn't email my card to Helen in time for the initial post.  But today we're reminding you that there's still plenty of time to enter the challenge.  Here's my card.

A long time ago I was given PB Graceful Wings die and I'd never used it.  So glad I finally pulled it out, as it's absolutely beautiful!  I die cut it twice from a soft red shimmer envelope and gently lifted the top wings.  For the background, I stamped PB music background and a branch from PB xmas sprig in gray ink on a gray panel.  The sentiment is from PB enamor.

I added the darker gray frame, attached the butterfly and added 3 dark silver gems.  Why not pull out your Penny Black goodies and enter the challenge?  Favorites will be picked and one lucky entrant will win a voucher to 123 Stitch.

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

Thanks so Much

We have a great theme for August at Penny Black Saturday Challenge--use your favorite technique. Don't forget to use at least one PB image or Stickeroo.  I enjoy lots of techniques, but one I always return to is emboss resist.  It's great with lots of images including background stamps.  

The one I used by PB is called sweetness.  I began by gold embossing & then sponged on Distress Ink dusty concord & peacock feathers. The panel was die cut with AJVD Polka Dot Rectangle--a gift from a dear blogging friend. The panel was spritzed with shimmer mist & mounted to a purple mat.  I also love to put my sentiment on vellum. Here I used heavy weight vellum & heat embossed the PB sentiment.  Finished off with beautiful gold PPP sequins.  I'm entering SSS Wednesday & Word Art Wednesday.  Thanks so much for stopping by.

A Rose for PBSC

Hard to believe it's July & time for a new challenge at PBSC.  Thank you so much for all the sweet comments & support last month with our 8th BD Blog Hop.  The randomly drawn winner from my post is #32, Tirpuunen. Congratulations! Please use the "Contact Me" field in the right column to e-mail me your choice of stamp & mailing address.

This month our challenge is to make a one layer card.  I pulled out one of my oldest PB stamps--Single Rose from 1999. I've always had trouble coloring it, but decided to try my Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers--love the effect!  My card is made from 140 pound watercolor paper & I used silver ink with a satin embossing powder. The sentiment is also very old--1998.  It's from an Oregon company--Peddler's Pack--& I stamped it in Versafine Smokey Gray.  I added a few splatters from the same Zig pens & finished with a single PPP clear dot.  
I'm entering SSS Wednesday, Time Out, Virginia's View & Word Art Wednesday.  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.

With Sympathy

Inspiration by Therese

There's a gorgeous inspiration card by Therese at MUSE this week.  I love the dramatic effect she achieved with the colors & silhouette images. However, since I was about to make a sympathy card, I chose soft colors (Distress Inks pumice stone, bundled sage, weathered wood) which I spritzed after inking to get splotches like the inspiration card. I experimented with black, gray & dark green, but really liked the look of my stamping done with Memento Espresso Truffle.  

You probably think it's black looking at the photo, but in person there's a big difference. My stamps are verdant, 4310K & eloquence, 30-162--both by Penny Black.

Yesterday was another perfect day out on the lake.  We were again thrilled to have a bald eagle fly by a couple times & land in a tree.  Unfortunately, there's no such thing as being totally still when you're in a boat & I'm not a great photographer.  

Maybe you can still tell this is the eagle if you click the photo to enlarge it. Wishing you happy moments.

Simply the Best!

Two very busy days at work & I was pretty wiped out when I got home. I'm never too tired to work on a card, though, so here's my entry for the new Curtain Call Challenge & CAS(E) This Sketch! using Penny Black's Single Iris & edge to edge stamps & iris die.  

I began by using Gelatos directly on the stamp, spritzed & stamped on watercolor paper.  I tore the panel, sponged the edges with Distress Ink squeezed lemonade & then sprayed on Shimmer Spritz.  I die cut the iris from watercolor paper, applied Gelatos & blended with my waterbrush.  I used foam tape under the blossom & bud & attached it over the stamped flower. The sentiment is stamped in Memento Toffee Crunch.  

In case you wondered what I was talking about in this post, check out Darnell's blog. Enjoy your weekend.

Runway Inspired with Penny Black

You may have seen that Penny Black is playing along with the Runway Inspired Challenge this week & today it's the Stamp Squad's turn. Talk about a gorgeous gown--wowzer! As soon as I saw the picture I thought of Penny Black's glory of modesty cling stamp.  I have to admit, it took several attempts with various papers & inks to get the look I wanted, but it was worth it. The stamp was inked with Distress Ink seedless preserves & stamped on white cardstock. I used my waterbrush & pink watercolor for the flowers which gave me the desired two-tone effect.   

Tattered Angels Pearl Shimmer Mist was sprayed on to capture the shimmer of the satin. Before attaching the piece to a panel of light pink cardstock, I die cut the edge with Spellbinders Classic Scallop.  The edge was slightly bent up & not glued down to give it a feeling of motion.  The ruffles are part of what makes the gown so stunning & that inspired my ribbon treatment, including the flowers I made using dark & light pink ribbons. I love pearls, but if I was wearing this gown my accessories would definitely be diamonds! Therefore clear gems embellish the flower & the sentiment--one of the stamps in the Penny Black set called every happiness. 
What a fun challenge--so glad the Stamp Squad got to play along.  Hope you can join in the fun--the prize is fantastic!

Balloon Dies

I've had my new Penny Black balloon dies, uplifting, 51-004, for awhile & had an idea of how I wanted to use them. Finally got it done last night & for once, the picture in my head came out OK on paper--LOL! The white embossed background is made with Penny Black's pointille, 3860J--subtle but adds so much, I think.  I arranged all 5 balloons on my panel & die cut them, saving the balloons for another card.  Then I die cut each balloon out of papers from the Penny Black Madison Paper Pad using blues & yellows for a summery look. I really like the look when you put the die cut image back into the negative space.  The strings are made with white floss tied together with blue & white twine.  I mounted the panel to a blue card with foam tape. Using Brilliance Mediterranean Blue ink I stamped the greeting from Penny Black's transparent sentiments, 30-025, notched the ends of the strip & mounted it with foam tape.  I'm entering the Birthday Card Challenge in the Moxie Fab World & Simon Says Stamp Anything Goes.  Tons of entries, but why not?!  
Edited to add: I'm also going to play along with the challenge at Seize the Birthday.                                       

Don't forget, you still have time to enter the current Penny Black contest. Good luck!

Edited to Add:  I think this would qualify as Bright & Sunny, so I'm entering the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Happy Easter

When I began stamping over 15 years ago, I started buying Penny Black stamps.  I have quite a collection which continues to grow, as they are one of my favorite companies.  I recently discovered the Penny Black Saturday Challenge Blog HERE & hope to regularly participate.  This week the challenge is to CASE this gorgeous card by Helen:  

"He arose, He arose, Hallelujah Christ arose!"  I love the old songs from when I was a kid.  Wishing all of you a blessed Easter.








I love everything about this card, including the colors, water-colored image & dry embossing.  I'd never embossed 2 sheets at the same time--it works great!--& in this case it means the images automatically are lined up.  I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  Yes, I know daffodils are generally yellow, but one of the things I love about this craft is that you can use any colors you want for any image.  This is Penny Black O March! colored with Distress Markers concord grape & sage green.  When it was dry I over-stamped without spritzing & added some Distress Stickles in the same color.  The torn edges are swiped with PTI Vintage Cream & the card & twill are the same.  I just added the pearls in one corner & mounted the flower piece with foam tape to finish it off.

Thanks for taking time to stop by.  I always appreciate your comments.