Have a Beautiful Birthday

 

Well, hello! I've been spending some time crafting with stamps and dies that are new

to me, and was happy to see The Flower Challenge chose the theme, 'Use Your Latest

Stamps or Dies'. 

The Greetery's Botanicuts dies are simply amazing. Finelyinely crafted and 

carefully thought up pieces that produce flowers, pinecones, leaves and other

items from nature that allow your creativity to... well... bloom.

I began stamping the largest stamp from Sketchbook Roses on my card base, arranging on

corners, and covering the top. The spray is done with a toothbrush, and Lindy's Stamp Gang

Starburst Moonstone.

The roses are inked with Oxide Distress inks, mainly reds and pinks, and the leaves

are inked with greens and blue. I'll list the colors below. Once done and assembled

I flicked on the Moonstone and then white.  I did pop up up the pedals, and used

foam on the smaller rose, and rose bud. Betsy has a couple of fabulous You Tube

videos on how to's for her Botanicuts I found very helpful.

The Rose die set is not new to The Greetery, but I was so happy it's finally added to 

my collection. Layering brings this set to life. And I'm imagining all the color ways

possible. 

Thanks for the visit, and hoping you're enjoying craft time too! Not much else

 to do until I get a Covid shot! (Or 2...)

The Greetery 

Sketchbook Roses Stamps

Botanicuts Rose Die Set

Distress Oxide Inks (Ranger)

Festive Berries, Candied Apple, Fired Brick,

Twisted Citron, Lucky Clover, Pine Needles, Rustic Wilderness, Salty Ocean.

Love Never Fails

 

Good Monday Morning Card Making Friends!

I finally had some time this weekend to play with the Greetery's New 'Love Is', and

decided it's a favorite. (I think I say that about all the Greetery's stamps and dies!).

I wanted to give my Boxwood Heart a background and did several color ways with the

Fresh Floral Background Stamp. 

Once the cardstock panel was in the Misti it was easy to stamp white ink over and over

until I got image I wanted. I just stamped around the edges.

I die cut some with Nordic Frame, and some with Postage die.

The finished cards all have simple arrangements of the Botanicuts Forget Me Nots, and

Love die.

When there's time I love doing multiples, playing with color and different techniques.

So many styles, so little time, right?

The first card uses all the 1Cor. 13  'Love' quotes.

And the other 2 finished cards, on Kraft Cardstock

Did you have a good weekend? So happy to hear Texas is OK, and the

weather warmed. Take care, my friends.

Card Concept Challenge: Wee One

 

Hi there! It's time for a new challenge at the Card Concept, and we celebrating with

this photo inspiration:

!

The colors against purest white was the first thing that hit me, and then followed

by 'it's a baby's room! I haven't done a baby card in awhile so I was looking forward

to creating a card with a celebration baby theme.

For my Clean and Layered, I used the Greetery's Postage Stamp die, and cut it 

from PTI's Hawaiian Shores cardstock. To celebrate baby, I chose the balloons

from the Greetery's Balloon Bouquet, and used the colors in the photo. 

baby fox is a Flora & Fauna image from their Bohemian Forest Animals

collection. While there's no fox in the inspiration photo, there are 2 stylized 

owl pictures, and my little foxy came closest to the style of those owls.

Now it's your turn. What inspires you?

Play along  and don't forget to mention a style (use ours or make one up of your own),

and don't forget to post our inspiration photo on your blog. 

Happy stamping! (or die cutting, painting, copic coloring... well you get the idea!)

 

Valentines Feb. '21 A card for Ron

 

Playing with The Simon Says Stamp Valentines kit, and loving all fun images, tags, papers,

and die that came with the kit.

I included a tag he could use as a bookmark. The kit had so many!

Had to include a chick... we raise chickens (for their eggs), and this silly guy

will always be one my favorites from Stampin Up's Hey Chick.

Hope your day is full of love, and stamping of course!

The Card Concept: Sweetheart Sweets

 

Hi and welcome to a new challenge at the Card Concept called: Sweetheart Sweets.

 If you love joining in on the fun of a card challenge, The Card Concept has 

fabulous inspiration for you. 

So much to inspire in this photo, I hardly knew where to begin! Finally settled on 

the Valentine colors and of course, sweets!

The style of my card is mixed media. I recently got this fabulous lips stencil from SSS,

and couldn't wait to experiment with it! I did half a dozen cards in different

colors and mediums.

Method for this one? Start with pink cardstock, apply stencil, and colored stencil paste.

I use a spray on the back of the stencil to hold it in place. And I added re-inker to

my stencil paste (Altenew Pink Diamond). 

Seriously love the new heart box, also from SSS, as well as that skinny heart and arrow die.

The images are from For My Sweet. I white embossed the heart box onto dark brown

card stock, and painted with metallics.

Head on over to the Card Concept to see what the other designers have for you, 

I know you'll be inspired to play along! Don't forget to include our photo 

inspiration on your post, as well as tell us what style your card is. There are

several we have listed on the style page, if you don't find what you like, combine

or create one of your own!

Can't wait to see your creation! 

Have a wonderful crafty week! The best kind!

The Card Concept #148 {Sweetheart Sweets}

Also linking to SSS Monday Challenge

Simon Says: Love/Hearts

12 Kits of Occasions: A New Year of Birthdays

 

Hello, and welcome! Tracey McNeely is our hostess for January 2021. And her 

bright happy kit was filled for all things birthday. Have a look, but be warned, this

post is not for a quick look and be gone... I used just about ALL of Tracey's goodies

for 7 cards! A perfect kit to stock up on much needed birthday cards!

Many of the cards I make are for my crafty friends. The card above will come in handy!

If this colors don't brighten someone's day, I can't imagine what would!

The pinwheels and 'happy' were included in the kit. Fortunately I had the stencils to add 

a bit more celebration.

This sweet present laden bear was a hoot to color! I just used the colors from the

dp Tracey included in her kit.

All these letters that spell 'BIG' Birthday Wishes were in the kit. I stamped and colored 

them. 

What to do with the negative spaces? Make another card, of course!

The designer paper I received included a panel with this envelope. I carefully cut

along the flap line, and glued only along the rimmed edges for an actual 

working envelope. See below...

As the front flap is opened, a surprise...

The string, balloons and pinwheels were all in the kit! Stars and confetti in my stash.

Thank you Tracey! You're the best. I can't begin to tell you how I've treasured your 

kind and patient friendship. Always there to lovingly 'fix' a boo boo, or encourage

with sweet comments. As I opened the kit, I smiled. It was perfect! Full of just the

best, at the right time, (my birthday stash was depleted), reminding me what a 

treasure crafting friends are! 

Stay well, sweet friends! And craft on!

A New Year of Birthdays - January 2021

Be Mine, Valentine

 

The season of love is fast approaching, and the images of hearts and flowers are

everywhere. The Greetery's latest release: The Nature Lover Collection has the

sweetest stamps and dies, and I was fortunate to get my order in before they sold

out of the Complete Collection. Honestly, Betsy must have stamping elves getting

orders out, because my order came before it's delivery date! And I've been 

playing with it ever since!

I die cut 5 of the Heart Leaf Jumbo Posy Pocket Dies, (watched Betsy's video on

You Tube), and created Valentines. 

I stamped a bunch of the flowers from Lovely Blossoms in pink and red, and pretty

much put the 5 Valentines together assembly line style.

Did 5 envelopes to match the posy pockets. They're so easy to do while everything's 

out and handy!

I added the twine tie, like Betsy did in her video, and love that it looks like a gift

for the recipient. 

A perfect day here. Wet and rainy... perfect for staying indoors and crafting!

Greetings from Central CA, where the rain is coming down, (praise God in Heaven!),

and I'm playing with the Greetery's new goodies, which arrived 2 days sooner than

was planned. Another reason to rejoice!

My daughter is celebrating a birthday at the end of this month, and the new

Heart Leaf Posey Pocket dies were just aching to be played with!

The layout of cascading hearts was inspired by one of Betsy's photos during

the release. Such a lovely layout, with bright new shaped dies! And that 'love'

script! Gorgeous!

I plan to make valentines with the largest Heart Leaf Jumbo die, but meanwhile

a much needed birthday card is off to a very special daughter.

Thanks for visiting! Don't you just love the newest Greetery release? I was

hooked with the first sneak peek!

 

Daring to Dream: The Card Concept Challenge

 

Well, hello there! And welcome to the Card Concept's newest challenge, 

Daring to Dream.

Confession time... I had the hardest time with this photo. Why? Too masculine?

Muted colors? No flowers? I finally decided to focus on the globes, (always

loved globes!) and design my own way! That's a hint for you too, folks. Do

what you love, create your own way! 

And, I rather like the results! 

On water color paper, I smooshed color onto the surface with a stamp block.

It took 3 tries, and this is the one I liked best.

Glorious Globes from PTI haven't seen ink in a while, and I love the sizes in the set.

Simple stamping, and a few pop ups for the books and globes.

In case you can't read it, the sentiment says: 'You will change the world.'

The card is for a brilliant DIL/Geography teacher, who is truly on a path to

change with education. 

Play along for two weeks, and remember to add our challenge photo and

pick a style. Choose one of ours or design one of your own.

By the way, mine is Mixed Media (watercolors and inks) and Clean and Layered.

Products used:

PTI: Glorious Globes

The Greetery: All Blessings Flow (greenery sprigs), Crimped Frame Die.

All Altenew Inks

Tim Holtz watercolor card stock