One seed can start a garden, one candle can light a room, one step can begin a journey, one conversation can start a friendship, one smile from a handmade card can lift one's SPIRIT!

Monday, October 31, 2016

Merry Monday ~ Door Decoration

I love swags on doors and Bonnie, Our Merry Maker, for the Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge has asked for our card to have a door decoration on it!
I remember one year early in my marriage, I made a swag and attached a LOT of really cute little Christmas ornaments to it, I was so proud of that swag and thought it looked awesome.
Well, apparently someone else did too, because the next morning it was missing from my door front!!
I love houses that have a red door, it makes such a huge impact and an awesome pop of color!  So I pulled out some Altenew woodgrain white paper and sponged on some pure poppy red ink for my door face!
These are the stamps I used:
WPlus9 Holday Boughs
PTI Spruce & Sprigs
PTI Tinsel & Tags Sprig Stamp set (bough)
Memory Box: A Batch of Gingerbread
Lil' Inkers:  Holly Jolly sentiment set
 

I hope you will join me and the rest of the team with this door decoration
Heart Hugs, friends!



Sunday, October 30, 2016

Just Us Girls # 367 Wild Card

We have Wild Card Week up over at Just Us Girls Challenge!
They want the sentiment to be the focal point of the card!
It is hard to see all the gold goodness from the photo above, here is another shot of it:
I thought it would be elegant to have gold berries in place of red ones, so I used my versamark pen and dotted the berries with it, then after gold embossing the berries, I decided to add some some to the tips of the leaves too.  The sentiment was gold embossed as well.  The leaves were sponged on with some orange zest and summer sunrise ink.
This was my third attempt at this card!!  And the reason fr so many sequins is to cover up bloopers!  After all this work I just couldn't trash it!
Head over to the blog as there is lots of wonderful inspiration from that design team!

Autumn Adornments
Gold Embossing Powder
MFT Stitched Rectangle Scallop Frame
PPP clear sequins
Heart Hugs, friends!



Tuesday, October 25, 2016

PTI October Blog Hop

What a great inspiration photo for this PTI Blog Hop
Blog Hop 
I was drawn to the pumpkins and their unusual colors.
Well, now that I am posting this, I can see I should have used different background inks...this was starting out as a card for the MIM, and since I used the photo inspiration, it evolved into this card for the Blog Hop.  I used harvest gold and parakeet green for the dry brushing on the background and added my pumpkins from Autumn Pumpkins, they are colored with copics.
The Fancy Foliage Details were sponged with harvest gold, summer sunrise and canyon clay. The sentiment is from Give Thanks and I stamped it with dark chocolate about three times, then again with versamark and finally clear embossing powder ~ that is because the paper is textured Tim Holtz watercolor paper and it was hard to get a nice even stamping of the words, embossing it really helped.

Heart Hugs, friends!



PTI Make It Monday # 265

Lizzie is up with a video HERE demonstrating Layered Dry Brushing for the background.
I used Pale Peony and Soft Stone Reinkers with Adirondack Acrylic paint "pearl" because that was the only acrylic paint I had!  It does give it a very nice shine.
My flowers are from Floral Sketches.
This is a special birthday card for my Aunt who will be 93 on Saturday and it needs to go into the mail as she lives in Seattle!  I knew I wanted to make her a special card and was happy this came together using this new technique from Lizzie for the Make It Monday.
I did like Lizzie and sponged on my two colors and then die cut the word 'birthday'.
 
Thanks for stopping by friends!

Heart Hugs, friends!



Monday, October 24, 2016

Merry Monday #219 with a Bird!

This week's challenge is asking for a bird to be on the card.
Sue is our Merry maker this week.
I love the PTI Winter Woods Bird, but then I love cardinals!
My "sprig" is from Spruce & Sprigs, also PTI.
I look forward to seeing your card in the gallery!
thanks for joining us!
Heart Hugs, friends!



Thursday, October 20, 2016

Seize the Birthday ~ Lots of Leaves!

Fall is in the air and so are the LEAVES!
Before we look at the card I want to welcome THREE new members to our design team...WOW are we ever excited to have these talented ladies join us with this challenge.
Please visit them and give them a big WELCOME!
Ashwini
Sandy
TaeEun
Leaves are our topping for this challenge over at Seize the Birthday!
I started out with embossing a Darice folder with "Lots of Leaves"! 
I cut out the oval using a Lil' Inkers Stitched oval die, and blended in some color for the background. I die cut the word three times using orange zest paper.
My leaves are a cluster from MFT:  Fall Foliage and PTI Color Pop:  Autumn
The bow is from PTI Tinsel & Tags Sprig stamp set.

I have several friends who have a "fall" birthday and nothing could be better than the glorious fall Northwest leaves!
I look forward to seeing your card in the gallery, I hope you will play along with our topping, but if you prefer to make any kind of birthday card, that is always fine too!
Heart Hugs, friends!



Monday, October 17, 2016

Merry Monday with PLAID

Nina is our Merry Maker asking for plaid on our cards this week.
I had some Cloud 9 Designer Paper that was perfect for this challenge!
I die cut a PTI Peace die three times, once in gold and two times in black, then I added a wooden snowflake at the top.  Pretty simple and easy!
I hope you will join us, we look forward to seeing your card in the gallery!

Go check out all the inspiration at the Merry Monday Challenge!

Heart Hugs, friends!



Monday, October 10, 2016

Muse # 197 by Tracey

Tracey is our MUSE this week and I was inspired by her card...I loved how the flowers came out from the top and down and her colors were so pretty!
This is a NBUS stamp for me from Altenew called Doodle Blooms, I colored it with copics and added my sentiment from PTI called It's the Thought!
Thanks Tracey for a fun design!
Here is Tracey's card:
 
I finally have all day to play in here and I am skyping my BFF as we both play along with challenges!!  Have a great week friends! 

Heart Hugs, friends!



Merry Monday # 217 Vintage/Retro theme

this is Lori's week to select the theme and she wants to see Vintage/Retro for your card.
I really struggle with  those types of cards...I pulled out an 1980 SAF stamp and also the Believe stamp for the smaller images, I also went with the colors in Lori's photo.
 
I hope you will play along with us! I look forward to seeing your car in the gallery!!
Heart Hugs, friends!



Thursday, October 6, 2016

CAS Mix Up October challenge third try with Ghosting!

I think this is my favorite of the ghosting techniques.
I chose a darker pink card stock and placed the same snowflake stencil (echo park # 2 snowflake) on the paper.
Using a pouncing motion, I added white pigment ink to the paper...then I lifted off the stencil and dried it with a heating tool.
I laid the stencil back on the paper, but moved it slightly down and to the right, then I used the same color ink as the color of the paper and pounced the color onto the paper.
When I removed the stencil it gave the coolest effect.  
 Go HERE to check out this challenge...it lasts for the whole month...so you have until the 24th to enter...Loll has great videos to watch and they are listed on this site!

I stamped + Ghosting + embossing
Heart Hugs, friends!



Seize the Birthday ~ NO Topping!

Welcome to another Seize The Birthday with NO TOPPING!!
You can make any kind of birthday card!
I decided to ink up PTI "Some Like it Hot" stamp with that cool flamingo!
They are 'gorgeous' birds, aren't they?
I hope you have checked out the design team and are inspired to make a birthday card...join us in the gallery!

Heart Hugs, friends!



Wednesday, October 5, 2016

MIM Background Building with Frames

Background Building with Frames is the new MIM this week by Amy.
I used the dies from Don't Forget to Write and the beautiful leaves, nuts and berries from Color Pop Autumn and a couple of wheat stalks from Paper Clippings:  Thankful for you.
This was a new to me technique and one I like...I will try to use this again, if I remember *wink!

Half way through the week...on Friday I am driving to Bend, Oregon to watch Ellie play in her high school varsity volleyball tournament!


Heart Hugs, friends!

CAS Mix Up October Challenge my second card

I tried it again friends!  This time I used a more intricate stencil...an Echo Park Snowflakes # 2 stencil...and I thought I would try softer colors to sponge on the mixed media paper.
I used distress inks:  tattered rose and shaded lilac...couldn't resist adding some pearl drops from my Viva Paper pen and a PTI Fab Flakes die cut on vellum and white embossed.
I have one more idea and I think I will use this same stencil, but a different technique...so stay tuned!  Will see if the next one is a better ghosting technique for me!
Here is the link to the October CAS Mix Up challenge
I stamped + ghosting + die cut & embossing
Heart Hugs, friends!

Monday, October 3, 2016

CAS Mix Up October Challenge

Loll makes this look really easy over at the CAS Mix Up Challenge...actually every video tutorial Loll does looks easy and amazing...I struggle.  Can you even see the shapes in the background stencil I used?
I first applied distress inks to a Mixed media paper, then laid my stencil (MFT Funky Florals) on top, spritzed with water and removed.  Waited 15 seconds and laid a piece of paper towel on top to absorb the extra moisture.  I do love the colors, they are so bright and bold...does it make a difference if the background is soft or bright?
I then die cut a SSS Fresh Daisies in white and placed it on top of the card.
I do like this a lot, but think I will try a few more..
Thanks for stopping by friends, I know I have been missing in action.

A cousin of my husband who is from Norway was here for 3 weeks, my home was her base!  I first met her 50 years ago when we were both juniors in high school (this is aging me!! *wink!)  We became good friends, even before I was dating my husband...you know how it is with high school boys, they don't like to hang with family much...so I did family activities with her family minus my husband and they became my family, couldn't have asked for better or nicer in-laws!
 Now I am back to the studio...
I stamped + Ghosting + die cut

Heart Hugs, friends!



Watercoloring Goes a LONG way!

This very seldom happens to me...one card that qualifies for several challenges!
All because it is watercolored!  YEAH!!
I was just talking with my neighbor about those cute little mice...and they are cute, as long as they are NOT in your house, or even your yard!
They are building an addition to their house and the worker lifted up some wood and what did he see but a whole family of mice...momma and babies!  He couldn't do it, no he just dropped the wood back on top and left them to be.
But he told the owner and they have been plagued with mice, they had the run of their home before they moved in...it was disgusting.  So the owner lifted up the wood, the momma scampered away and NO he did NOT do anything to the babies, figured they would be on their own and nature would take its course!
So that is my story about how this card came to be.
I have been wanting to use that cute little critter from PTI called Christmas Critters...you know ..."all through the house not a creature was stirring..."
At first I had this critter holding a little acorn, and then my brain kicked in and I said to myself, hey this isn't a squirrel...it's a mouse, I don't think they eat acorns!!  I don't suppose any of you talk to yourselves, right??
so I replaced the acorn with a leaf...duh!!

These are the challenges I am entering:
Just Us Girls # 363 word week:  LEAVES

Addicted to CAS "Watercolor"

And a NEW CHALLENGE in town called CAS Watercolour Challenge
starting this month of October, run by the TWO fabulous and talented ladies Loll and Bonnie. I hope you will go check out their new challenge and play along, they are looking for some DT members, too! They are the two that started the CAS Mix Up Card Challenge which is going on now for the month of October and my BFF Linda won the challenge over there last month so she will be the guest for November!!!





I forgot to tell you what I used...brushos, distress inks, zigs, Lil' Inkers Stitched leaves...sorry this is so long!!
Heart Hugs, friends!



Merry Monday # 216 with an Elf

Hi again Friends!
 Linda is our Merry Maker and she is asking for an elf on our Merry Monday Christmas card.
I pulled out the MFT Santa Elves set.  I white embossed it and then used water color to paint it.  I also used a little brusho for my background.

Thank you for stopping by and looking, I hope to see your card in the gallery!
Heart Hugs, friends!



Saturday, October 1, 2016

Make It Monday # 262

Ashley has a video HERE  showing three ways to use pumpkin stamps.
I guess my card would be a little trendy...
 
I was at a craft store and really did see different colors of fall  pumpkins...even white ones!
So I cut and sponged on different colors, then added the Stylized fox to sit behind them.  I also thought I would use up some of my coveted pattern paper!  Gingham from PTI Chicken Scratch and leaves from Fall Prints & Patterns.  I am calling this trendy because of the colors and also my purple fox!!
 
Have a great weekend friends!
 

Heart Hugs, friends!