Poinsettia Christmas card, Freshly Made Sketches#402

Inspiration for this card came from this weeks sketch at fms#402.  Lately I've been using a lot of different colors for my Christmas cards, that's always fun. But today I've used Merry Merlot and Shaded Spruce for a more traditional look.

The plaid is from Wrapped In Plaid DSP, and the holly is from the Detailed Skate dies.

The team cards are really special this week, be sure to check them out.  

I've actually gotten quite a few cards completed for Christmas, that's a good thing because I've decided to make embroidered  wall hangings for my family for Christmas and that's taking a lot of time.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Quick and easy Christmas card

Just a quick upload today to show you how easy a Christmas card  can be.  This is a piece of the new Holiday DSP Feels Like frost.  I added the deer, santa and sleigh and the sentiment. Done. 
There are so many different designs to this DSP, and so many sets with things you can add and ways to add them. 

I hope you enjoyed and it gave you some inspiration. Thanks for stopping.

Dove of Peace Christmas, Just Add Ink #473

I know, I haven't been posting much lately.  I am working on Christmas cards, but otherwise I am having a great time making embroidered, quilted wall hangings for my family for Christmas. 
This stamp is retired, but I didn't get to use it much way back when I bought it and it just seemed perfect for this card. 

The DSP is Brightly Gleaming.  So many beautiful, metallic patterns! Then there is the other side.  Also beautiful patterns, but not metallic, so a very nice and usable pack. 
So, my inspiration this week was from Just Add Ink. Check them out here.

As you can see, I chose Metallics and twine.  My bird is also embossed in Copper, which of course makes is super easy to color.  I didn't take a lot of time with the coloring this time. I just used my Aqua Painter and ink pads put lightly put down just 2 colors, Soft Seafoam and Pretty Peacock.  The leaves are from the Lovely Flowers Edgelits, it just seemed to fit in.

I also added some Frost Shimmer paint, if you look close I think you can see it on the leaves.  It's hard in a photo, but beautiful in person.  Sorry to say, the gold twine is also retired, couple of years ago I think, but I'd love more metallic twine.

As an alternative you could stamp the dove on vellum, color the back side and have a whole different look. 
Thanks for stopping by.

Metallic Ornament card, Freshly Made Sketches #400

So, this is a very special week at FMS.  Their 400th week of doing the sketch challenge.  Go on over and check out the team cards and the special  doings.

And, here is the sketch.

Now, about this card, it is so hard to get a good photo of metallic shine.  I'll post another photo down a bit that might help with that.  I used one of 2 sets of ornament stamp and die sets that I have that retired.  If you have one or both of them, you are going to want this DSP! Look at all the matching and metallic shine.
If you don't have one, then the Christmas Gleaming bundle is for you! Personally I think one of these ornament sets is mandatory.  And be sure to get the DSP, which just happens to be by the same name.
This is my 2nd time using the new copper metallic ink. And I am in love.  If you are going to do a resist technique, then you need to emboss, but if not, you can have that gorgeous bright shine just by stamping with these new inks. Besides Copper, it comes in Silver and Gold and there are refills.
My supply list was very simple, I used Very Vanilla, Pretty Peacock and copper.    And I used the retired Ornament Keepsakes stamp and die set, Merry Christmas dies, And the  metallic ink pad.

 I think the shine shows up better in the photo.
Thanks for stopping by, I hope I have inspired you.

Merry Christmas Dies

$28.00

Celestial Copper Delicata Metallic Ink Pad

$11.00

Brightly Gleaming Specialty Designer Series Paper

$14.50

Watercolor fun, A Christmas Card. Paper Players #456

A Bit of play with the Pigment sprinkles.  I would have done Red and green, but there is no red unfortunately, but I think the Bermuda Bay and Gorgeous Grape will do very well.  I actually ended up with way more color then I wanted, I just forgot how little it takes.  So, I had to dab and take some off, spread around, dab some more.  Take my word for it, tiny amounts to start.

I'm in love with this bundle, it's called the Free Skate stamp set with dies to match.  In order to keep the color down on the skates, I used Pool Party CS. I could have used the Posy CS instead, but went with this.

Before I go on, you'll want to check out the challenge to see what everyone else did.

Now, to start with that copper color that looks embossed, isn't.  This is a new metallic we have in the Holiday catalog. It comes in Silver and gold as well as the copper.  As you can see it looks wonderful, shiny and bright even without embossing and it dries fairly quickly.
So, here is a better look at the copper.

After stamping and coloring in the other colors, I just took a tiny drop of refill ink and used it to brush in the copper for the blades.   I only got copper, but I am for sure going to add the silver and gold to my next order!

Free Skate Bundle

$45.00

Free Skate Cling Stamp Set

$21.00

Detailed Skate Dies

$29.00

Christmas Layers Dies

$29.00

Celestial Copper Delicata Metallic Ink Pad

$11.00

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A Very Merry Christmas Card, Freshly Made Sketches #400

My disclaimer, the only stamp set used in this card was the sentiment.   I have to admit that I do not have this bundle.   I just couldn't squeeze one more bundle out of my budget, so I bought the DSP.  Isn't it fun??????

I added Shaded Spruce to the mix of colors from the DSP.  I cut the snowman out, but he had no hat, so I cut the hat out too. If you look closely you can see the glitter, he comes with. In fact the DSP has quite a lot of glitter already added and lots of cute, cute, cute paper.

I used the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches for my inspiration, take a look at the teams cards.

Itty Bitty Christmas Cling Stamp Set (En)

$22.00

Let It Snow Specialty Designer Series Paper

$14.50

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Birthday Wishes card, JAI#470 challenge

This turned out to be harder then I thought.  The challenge is to make a card without stamping.  Not much of a problem except for the sentiment, so it took a lot of thought.

I could have taken the easy way out and just die cut or punched out designs and layered it on the paper and left no sentiment, but I always have to make it hard for myself.  So, check out what the team did for this one.

I was going to use the punched out flower in the Floral Essence set, but then I realized, I couldn't without stamping them. I mean I could have, but they wouldn't have look as neat with out the stamping.

The paper I used is just gorgeous. It's photos of actual art work, with stunning flowers and colors. This piece is one of the more plain pieces, and I cut the flowers from one of the pieces as well.   It's called Perennial Essence.

I used Pretty Peacock and Blushing Bride  and the Stitched Nested Label Dies that come in the bundle with the Free as a Bird stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope I gave you some inspiration.

Another vintage Christmas card. Paper Players challenge #454

Do you remember all the glassware from way back?  Many people collected it, lots of it was blue.  I decided my tea pot should be a memory of all that vintage glass.

I made this for the Paper players challenge, it will be sent as one of my Christmas cards of course.  See what the team did here.

I probably shouldn't be doing Christmas cards just yet, but when I got my order, I found the designs rolling around in my head so I had to get them out.  I do love Black and white, but always with a pop of color, so this was right up my alley. 
I used the Toile Tidings DSP, stamped my tea pot from Tea Together then cut out using the die from Tea Time Framelits.
Those tiny red rhinestones were originally in last years Holiday catalog, but are now in our new Annual catalog. I'm really happy about that, I love them and they are usable all year.

Thanks of stopping by.

Festive Friday #0040, Vintage Christmas. 2019 Stampin Up Holiday Sneak peek

I know there are plenty of people, not here in AZ, but other places where it's cold, that still ice skate in the winter.  But to me it seems an old fashioned idea, so I combined my new Free Skate bundle with the new DSP Toile Tidings.  A very vintage looking paper.  It has the same designs on each page, but one side is Real Red and the other side is Garden Green.  
In my mind, this just screams Christmas and winter both. 
I used Very Vanilla as the DSP background is VV, then accented the skates with gold foil.
I have layered 2 different designs of the same package then used my Stitched Rectangle dies for the green piece under my skate.  I happen to be in love with this skate die, but there is also a set of skate you can stamp in the set. 

So, here is the challenge, stop by and see what the team did.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Fab Friday #169, 2019 Holiday sneak peek

I had this idea to punch out a cat using the new plaid DSP for the Fab Friday Challenge. Unfortunately the gold embossed lines in the plaid failed to show up in this photo, but take my word for it, it's really pretty. 
I paired it with the Peaceful Boughs bundle in the new 2019 Holiday catalog. It was quick, easy and fun. And will be going out to a lady who is a friend, and who lives across the country, who not only supports cat groups, but houses many of them in a very neat building of their own.  

Check out the challenge here.

As you can see I changed the circle and added a few things from the bundle. 
My colors are: Cherry Cobbler, Shaded Spruce, and gold.  These boughs are very quick and easy to cut and apply.  I may try them next in metallic. 
Thanks for stopping by.

Sneak Peek, from the Holiday 2019 catalog. Fusion Family challenge

I'm so excited! I just got my first pre-order from the new 2019 Holiday catalog, and I just HAD to play with it.   I know I should be playing with more of my goodies from the annual catalog, and I'll get back to that, but this stuff was just too tempting.

I didn't notice many of my team mates talking about this skate set. It's called Free Skate and It was the first thing I noticed and had to have.

So, here is the challenge I'm using for inspiration. Click here to see what the team did.

It's  a little hard to see, but there is a piece of vellum cut using one of the  Stitched Nested Label dies under the skate.  It kind of blends in with the blurry parts of the DSP  Speaking of DSP, isn't this fabulous???????????   There is a whole pack of gorgeous papers like this in the pack and the back side is also wonderful, it's white with metallic silver designs! Wow! The name is Feels like Frost DSP.

It just seemed like it had to be used with my skate and the new Christmas Layer dies. One is under the skate.

The sentiment is from Itty Bitty Christmas. And the little tiny snowflake sequins are also in the catalog.   Thanks for stopping by.

Stampin Up, Sailing Away. Festive-Friday#0039

It's all about Lighthouses, that was my choice on the Festive friday challenge. Check out the teams cards and come join in.

 A simple card using the new Sailing Home stamp set.  The water is from the High Tide stamp set, otherwise it's all from the Sailing Home set.

My colors are Night of Navy, Balmy Blue and Whisper White.I sponged on some blue to help with the water and the sky,  otherwise it is all stamped in Night of Navy. 
I hope you got some inspiration from it.

Stampin Up, Freshly Made Sketches # 398-2

So, I really wasn't happy with my FMS card for this week.  I've left it below, but I did a new one here.  Much more to my liking.  Isn't Flirty Flamingo the perfect color for my bird?  Well, guess that might be the reason it's called Flirty Flamingo!  And I used the new incolor Seaside Spray, I just love this color.  I thought when I first saw it, that it would be awful close to Balmy blue, but it has a touch of gray that you can't notice unless you put them together. 

Once again, here is the link to the site so you can see all the other pretties.
And here is the sketch.

I used the colors: Whisper White, Seaside Spray, Mossy Meadow, Flirty Flamingo and Basic gray.   
I also used, Lilly Pad Lake and the matching framelits, Lakeside Framlits and my Aqua Painter, one of my favorite tools. 
Thanks for stopping by.

Stampin up. Freshly made sketches #398, Garden Shed

This graphic is one of 2 small ones in the Garden Shed stamp set.  The main graphic is a large Garden shed.   I look for that as it means the set will be more useful.
So, I am wondering, what sentiment would you put on a card with that large shed image on it?  I'd really like to know, I am dying to color it up and make a card.

So, today my inspiration is a sketch from Freshly made sketches. Find it here:

I have found myself needing more Thinking of you and get well type of cards lately. Lots of friends having surgeries, or getting through stuff.   So, I choose that as my sentiment, and it's from the set Itty Bitty Greetings.
I used my Blends alcohol markers to fill in the pots and flowers.  Those tiny flowers could be difficult, but were really easy with the Blends.
So my colors today are Whisper white, Terracotta Tile, Daffodil Delight  Granny Apple Green and Flirty Flamingo.

Thanks for stopping by.

Garden Shed Cling Stamp Set

$23.00

Corrugated Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

$10.00

Stitched Labels Dies

$33.00

Itty Bitty Greetings Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$36.00

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Christmas in July, #tgifc221

I haven't played with TGIF for a long time, but it struck my fancy this week.  While waiting around for the Holiday catalog to come out, I found myself making Christmas cards, and they are doing Christmas in July this week.  Here is a link to the challenge.

I actually managed to use mostly current stuff.  The gold doily is not I'm afraid. Maybe in the Holiday catty they will bring it back?  I love them.
The Merry is in a set of Dies that is still current, I love word and phrase dies.  And the image is from Timeless Tidings, which was carried over, it's mostly a sentiment set with 3 smaller images, but really cute ones. 

I also used the new dies from the Free as a bird bundle.   I used Gorgeous Grape, and the new incolor purple posy.  And the leaves are Pear Pizzazz.  I stamped and embossed in gold then just lightly colored in the leaves and made my berries Purple.

I cut 2 sizes of the die and after stamping and coloring the small one, I put them together and added them to the top after embossing the posy with the subtle EF, and adding the doily.  A few rhinestones blinged up the little image.
Then I cut and added the Merry, and that's it.

I hope you enjoyed and got some inspiration from it.

Christmas in July

My upline has been giving us color challenges lately.  I choose to do this one.  Balmy blue, Rich Razzleberry and Pineapple.  

For some reason I was in the mood for Christmas. Maybe it's because the pre order for the Holiday catalog is just around the corner, or because I am seeing so many Christmas in July cards. 

On top of these colors I've added in Silver embossing.  I do love embossing.  I used watercolor paper and stamped and embossed my tree, the using my aqua painter, I picked up some color from my Balmy blue ink pad and squeezed out some water to put down my color.  
I used my scallop die to create the edges, don't ask me how I got just the right size piece to go under the watercolor, I don't know. I had a piece of scrap, die cut on both edges and was going to cut them with enough room to tuck under. However, when done, it fit perfect without cutting. 

So, I stamped some tiny snowflakes on, then die cut some snowflakes and attached them. Then stamped and die cut the piece for the sentiment. 

That was fun, now to wait a couple weeks and I can order some of this years new Holiday goodies. 
Thanks for stopping by. 

Stampin up Friendship card, Festive Friday challenge #0038

I love watercolor, I'm not great at it, but I am learning.  And this embossing folder was a must have.  It did a great job!  I used watercolor paper, spritzed it on both sides, then used my ink pads to pick up color from the pad and laid it down using my Aqua Painter.  I think the Mosaic pattern lends itself so well to this.
So, before I go any further, here is the link to the challenge, and the beautiful cards done by the team.  

I hope you will come on over and give this one a try yourself.

I used some of my very favorite colors, purples and aquas.  In this case, Gorgeous Grape, and Highland Heather along with Coastal Cabana and a bit of Shaded Spruce for my leaves.
The stamp set is Beautiful Friendship. If you haven't noticed this one in the Stampin Up catalog, you might want to give it a look see, it's gorgeous.

I also used the Rectangle stitched dies, and the Stitched nested dies.
I hope this gave you some inspiration today.

Mosaic 3D Embossing Folder

$10.00

Beautiful Friendship Photopolymer Stamp Set

$22.00

Stitched Rectangle Dies

$35.00

Stitched Nested Labels Dies

$35.00

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