Birthday Card with Brush Leaf Stamp

Maile Belles is one of my favorite designers.  She's been the Muse this month at Case Study & I finally decided to play along. I used the kraft card, her basic layout & the pretty summer colors.  Instead of feathers I pulled out this older Penny Black brush leaf stamp.  I liked it in the catalog, but have had trouble using it.  Bet some of you can relate to that.  Why is it I never thought to use something other than green?!  I actually really like this image in the pretty VersaMagic colors Persimmon, Pink Grapefruit & Mango Madness.  The card front is embossed with a piece of burlap--something I learned from my friend, Rosemary.  The Penny Black sentiment is embossed with Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate on a scrap cut with MFT Fishtail Flags.  I only cut part way & then turned the piece around in the die to get both ends notched.  The flag is curved up in the middle & mounted with foam tape.  Thanks so much for stopping by, my friends.

Summer Flowers

I didn't want to miss the monthly challenge at Fresh Squeezed Stamps, a company I recently discovered.  The theme is "summer" so I had to figure out an appropriate card using my 1 FSS set--Trendy Triangles.  I've seen flowers made from circles, leaves & butterflies, so decided to see what could be done. Played on some scratch paper & sure enough you can make a blossom from triangles!  I also used a combination of the curved & straight solid triangle stamps to make my grassy border.  I think these colors give a summery feel to the card: VersaMagic Pink Grapefruit, Persimmon, Sahara Sand & Wheat with Brilliance Pearlescent Lime.  The flower stems are from The Craft's Meow Flower Garden set.  Hard to see in the photo, but the top of the blossoms is outlined in Stickles.  Just saw the Simon Says Stamp challenge is anything goes, so I may as well enter this card.  Day off with lots to do, so I'll keep this short.  Thanks for your continued encouragement--I love reading your comments.

Happy Memorial Day

Hope you're having a great Monday celebrating Memorial Day if you're in the U.S.  I have a few days off & decided it was a good chance to get a start on my Fourth of July cards--never seem to get them made.  CASual Fridays challenge is Red, White & Blue & I combined that with CAS(E) this Sketch.  I'm also entering A Blog Named Hero since this is CAS.  The hearts are an unmounted stamp I got in the going out of business sale at Embossing Arts, a local company at the time I began stamping.  The sentiment is also an Oregon company--Peddler's Pack.  The stars embossing folder is Cuttlebug & I added Elizabeth Crafts glitter which becomes extremely shiny & flat when you burnish it & doesn't rub off.  I had so much fun making this card may get a few more done ahead.  Before I end this post, wanted to share the excitement on the Penny Black blog today--another big giveaway!  You won't want to miss it!  Enjoy your day & thank you so much for visiting my blog.

King of Kings

One more Christmas card done thanks to the current "royal" challenge at CASology.  I'm also entering A Blog Named Hero's CAS challenge.  This DeNami manger is one of my oldest stamps & I still love to try & find new ways to use it.  It fit perfectly in Spellbinders Labels 18 stamped in Delicata Golden Glitz onto PTI Vintage Cream cardstock.  Since I stamped before die-cutting, I clear embossed the image to be sure it didn't smear.  I sponged the gold onto the next size die cut while it was still in the die.  This is my first time to print directly onto my card front after a couple tries on scratch paper.  Could have moved it over for a little bigger card, but this works.  No glitter, gems or pearls--for once I like it plain.  The twill is also PTI.  Hopefully I'll stop humming The Hallelujah Chorus sometime before December!  Enjoy your Sunday & thanks for stopping at my blog.

PTI Blog Hop

    

I love the PTI Blog Hops, but couldn't manage to get a card made ahead of time.  Finally finished it up this morning.  I loved all the color choices--check them out if you haven't. I wanted to include the pink's in this scheme, but didn't like any of the ink colors in my collection with my substitutes for Orange Zest & Summer Sunrise--crazy considering how many ink pads I own!  Finally gave up & this meets Nicole's suggestion to try something outside my comfort zone.  Choosing a floral stamp set was pretty easy since I wanted to try out the Rosie Posie Step 2 set.  Isn't it a wonderful effect?  To soften the white of my Mega Mat Stack 3, I used the lightest ink stamped off with an image from Quilled Elegance.  The sentiment is from The Sweet Life, another favorite set.  I added a touch of Stickles to the blossoms & popped up the top one.  Intended to add some twine or ribbon, but forgot before gluing down the pieces & I didn't want it on top.  I'm also entering the challenge at A Passion for Papertrey.  Enjoy the hop--always so much inspiration.  Thanks for taking some of your time to see what I came up with.  Enjoy the holiday weekend if you're celebrating in the USA as we honor those who serve to keep us free.

Butterfly Wishes

Paper piecing is something I do once in awhile, but mostly my printed papers are just to admire & not to use--LOL!  Melissa's video for PTI MIM inspired me to actually make use of some papers.  Her technique of using several papers for a single flower gave a look I'd never seen & really liked.  Decided to try it with an old DCWV Matstack.  I don't have a PTI flower stamp that would work, so pulled out the butterfly from PTI Quilled Elegance & began by stamping it on the blue dotted paper using VersaMagic Sahara Sand.  Then I stamped it with the same ink on the other papers.  I almost gave up since the sections are so small, but in the end it was worth it.  I really like the patchwork effect & now I want to try it with some other stamps--especially bigger images!  The frame is made with a Spellbinders circle & lacy circle  & is mounted with foam tape.  Tiny blue pearls & Stickles embellish the butterfly.  The sentiment is from PTI Tag-Its 3 & is also stamped in the Sahara Sand.  Simple, feminine, CAS card--just right for a girlfriend. I'm also entering the current challenge at A Passion for Papertrey--inspired by nature. Almost a holiday weekend here in the USA.  Wishing you good times wherever you are & thanks for stopping by.
Edited to add:  Qualifies for A Blog Named Hero challenge, so also entering this card there.

Playing with Gelatos

I've been having fun playing with my Gelatos lately.  The colors are so gorgeous!  So far it's been backgrounds, but I'm building up my courage to paint an image with them next.  For the first card I painted the colors onto watercolor paper, added some Gesso over a homemade "mask" & stamped a background by coloring directly on the stamp with the Gelatos.  More details in Flickr HERE.  The newest card started by scribbling the Gelatos onto a piece of wc paper, but I wasn't able to blend them with my wet paintbrush like Alexandra did HERE (may need different paper), so I added more color & rubbed them with my finger--Love that it easily washes off.  After it dried I stamped the tulip image from Penny Black delicate florals set twice with the idea of having it frame my sentiment.  I decided the sentiment (an old PB stamp) would be better stamped on vellum.  It has been quite awhile since I added embossing powder to my panel, so sprinkled Stampendous! shabby white in 2 corners & heated it in my craft electric skillet until it was stuck enough not to blow with the heat gun.  I like the interest it adds--what do you think?  The card front is hard to see, but has PB diamond pattern stamped in Brilliance Platinum Planet & is really pretty in person.  The corner die cuts are pieces of Spellbinders Lacy Square.  Another card for my biggest fan, my sister.  Since I used a floral stamp, I'm also entering the current Stampendous! challenge.  Our rainy weather hasn't dampened the activity of the goldfinches at all & I was able to get a picture of one pair.  I've had up to 3 pairs at a time--so fun to watch.  Hope you have something lovely in your life today.  Thanks for stopping by.