12 Kits of Occasions: Crafty Friends Are The Best

Hello and welcome to the 12 Kits of Occasions, February post.

The fabulous Jeanne Jackna is our hostess this month. Her kit was full of projects

for friendship, especially our crafty friends! I loved every bit, thank you Jeanne!

Here's what I made:

Sweet Pure Innocence from MFT inspired this card. Jeanne supplied all the elements

with the exception of the easel (PTI: You're a Masterpiece). I had way too much fun

painting the mini landscape!

These paintbrushes from Waffle Flower are the cutest. Just had to combine 

them on a pallet (Poppystamps) and frame them.

In our kits were all these wonderfully colorful and artsy designer papers.

I couldn't resist using as many as I could. This sweet little frame from Hero Arts

was perfect to frame one of the flowers.

I used several of the papers in the kit for this collage. Not a stamped image on this card.

These Crafty Critters are enjoying the day with each other.

Jeanne included these die cut wood stamps (C9), along with the foil scissors and b/w

designer paper. I had the Concord & 9th stamped paper already done, and created my

card around it. It's one their Turnabout series (Crafty Turnabout). I just made my ink

pads to match. The sentiment is from the same set.

And finally, this Reverse Confetti tag, came with the window popped out. Just 

perfect for a flower stamp, also from Reverse Confetti, called Floral Gem.

I have several elements left over for more crafty goodness.

Can't wait to use them!

Thanks for the visit, and if you have some time, what'd you think? Did 

you like a particular card? Mine has to be the first one, with the PI doll

painting her masterpiece. That was just too fun to do. I forgot to mention

I used puff paint on the clouds and mountains. 

So hard to see, but irl the texture's there, and looks like wet paint.

Jeanne's invited 5 guests! Be sure to visit them and leave some love!

Thinking of You

My card's on the Poppystamps blog today!

Thinking of You, and definitely Thinking of Spring!

So many new spring products. Come take a look Thinking of You by Nancy Penir

Keeping Christmas: February

Hello! And welcome to February's blog hop for 'Keeping Christmas'.

It's a card hop for inspiration, and just plain joy for doing our 

Christmas cards any time of year. 

2 cards with the same layout and stamp set from Concord & 9th's Christmas Florals

and a stamp called Woven Stripes.

1st card is stamped with Momento Northern Pine, and colored with copics.

The Merry and Christmas letters are die cut with shimmer card stock.

The centers of the poinsettia, Nuvo Gold drops. I wanted a down home country

very traditional look to my card, so the stripe stamp was turned and stamped

again for a plaid look.

If you like a more contemporary look for a card, this card's chrome and black is 

on target. Same background stamp, this time, 1st white embossed, then stamped

with silver ink. Both times on the vertical.

Stamped with Jet Black Archival, and painted with Metallics, one of my

favorite mediums on rich dark cardstock.

If you look closely, the silver mirror letters are placed just above the stamped 

black letters for a bit of shadow.

2 more cards for the Christmas pile! Still a long way to go, folks! But

it feels so good to get a stash going. Do you like creating Christmas cards

throughout the year? It sure helps during the busiest time of year, to have

some if not all of my Christmas greets done!

Be sure to check out all the designers on the hop for more inspiration.

Here's a list:

Kelly Lunceford (Creator)

Vicki Finger

Claire Broadwater

Lori Tecler

Nance Salkeld

Nina Forsyth

Nancy Guse

Marybeth Lopez

Nancy Penir (me)

Carol Hintermeier

Happy Easter

I've had my Greetery order on my desk for days, and finally had time this past 

weekend to play with Betsy's Botanicuts: Lily. If you're not familiar with the

I've had my Greetery order on my desk for days, and finally had time this past 

weekend to play with Betsy's Botanicuts: Lily. If you're not familiar with the Botanicuts, it's a series of assembly dies that create a bloom. Welcome, Lily!

My husband blessed me with a Valentine bouquet that had lilies and roses, and the 

colors on the lilies were spectacular.

I wanted to try to capture the watercolor effect plus the amazing colors on each petal.

Mimicing God's creation is impossible, but we can come close with the right tools.

The pieces were 1st cut with Poppystamps' Open Studio new watercolor paper. 

It boasts a delicate finish, useful for mixed media, paper arts and card making, 

and comes in a package of 10 4.5 x 5.75" cards. Die cutting is a breeze 

with this thickness of paper.

I used my Windsor Newton tubes for this project, the colors are intense and 

transparent like no other I've found.

These are 2 of my favorite blooms for an afternoon of painting. (LOL, the first petals were 

heavy with paint, and didn't define. But I kept going until something pleased.)

I do send out Easter cards, mostly to family, and plan to more of this magical lily.

Betsy has a youtube video to help with coloring and assembly,

New Die Intro + How-to: BotaniCuts Lily

Since my palm fronds are considered leaves, I'm adding my card to 

the Flower Challenge

The Flower Challenge #41 Reminder

Did you get this die? I'm afraid to say I'm hooked on all things Greetery,

especially these Botanicuts! 

Have a blessed week!

The Card Concept: Warm Winter Wishes

Hi and welcome to a blog post celebrating one of my favorite card challenges, 

The Card Concept. You are given an inspiration photo and several styles

to choose from, and you create a card with that style, or one of your own. Yes,

you can combine styles too.

The neutrals and wood inspired my card. I used the Greetery's Halvsies die and ran it

through a wood embossing folder. 

Oopsie Daysies (the Greetery) provided the bouquet.

Our challenges are for 2 weeks, and the winner has a guest designer spot on the blog.

Hope your weekend is extra craft.

Valentines

It's almost Valentine's Day, and I've been playing with some beautiful foiled paper

by Rinea. If you're not familiar with the product, it's either starstruck pattern or

double sided foiled paper and comes in a pack.

It embosses in a folder beautifully, and cuts easily in a die. The solid colors are

double sided and react with a pad they call 'Ghost Ink'. I found some very

helpful instruction on YouTube.

This card was cut with Memory Box: Ferrand Heart, a favorite from a few year's

back. The background is watercolored with a new paper from Poppystamps.

The second card uses Rinea papers too, the silver heart die cut & embossed, and

the red first stamped with ghost ink, then die cut. Also a watercolored background.

I couldn't wait to use this new product (new to me), and love it! I've already got plans

to make some Easter cards with some of the gorgeous colors they have.

Thanks for the visit, hope you enjoyed!

Candy Valentine Vans

Hi and welcome to my happy hippie van valentines!

I made a bunch of these for the youngest of my grands. Just a way to say

Gma loves you!

The die for the van is the Greetery's Happy Hippie Van, and the heart border is an

old PTI set called Confetti Heart Border.

All the vans open on the back end to reveal a candy package.

The package folds easily to fit in the back.

They also each get a Target gift card tied to their candy vans.

The banners are created using the Greetery's Signed & Sealed with a Kiss (heart)

and Halvsies Diamond Die.

The older grands get cards and money. I try to please all!

Happy Valentines!

Valentines

Hello there. Getting close to Valentines, and had some time to play with Betsy's

February release, and all the great new stamps and dies that came with my order.

I followed Dawn McVey's lead with my double background stamping and

angling the plaid stamp. Couldn't resist also double stamping the envelope flaps.

One card with red interior and sweet heart seal,

And one with double envelopes and messages and a postage stamp. 

I LOVE these sets. I understand some of them sold out, but if I were

you, I'd add them to my collection when they're restocked. I already

have plans for Easter cards, using the florals and envelopes for my

holiday cards.

The first card I made with the Ribbon Words, a birthday card.

And this one made with Poppystamps Heart Plate, used as a stencil.

The frame was made by cutting the 2 Postal frames at the same time.

The Card Concept has a new challenge, Be My Valentine.

I have some inspiration for you, using the Greetery's newest release.

All products listed at the end of this post.

I used colors, theme, and elements from our inspiration photo. Pretty much

the whole photo inspired my Valentine card.

There aren't any flowers in the photo, but there is some greenery. I just couldn't

resist adding the sweet 2 step florals from Betsy's set.

I first stamped the background with Windowpane Plaid Background before stenciling

hearts from Poppystamps' Confetti Heart Plate. I made a stencil from the die plate,

before spraying it with Pixie Repositional Spray,  something I learned from

watching Betsy's video. 

The envelope is popped up with foam.

There are so many ways to be inspired from the photo, and our designers

have plenty of inspiration for you on the CC blog. 

Play along for a chance to win and be our guest designer!

Have a great and crafty week!

The Greetery

Sentiment Suite: Love

Signed & Sealed

Signed & Sealed With a Kiss

Pretty Postmarks

Poppystamps

Confetti Heart Plate 

The Card Concept #128 {Be Mine, Valentine}