Orange Slices

Hello and happy day to you!  I've had a few busy mornings in my craft room and today I thought I'd share some of the fruits of my labor before the day grabs hold of me.  A few challenges prompted me to sit down with one of my newest purchases -- Elizabeth Craft Fresh Fruit die set.   One day I said "I need a citrus set", and so here we are.

I took creative liberties with the colors, using some ancient greens that don't come off the shelf very often -- mostly Stampin' Up Green Galore, with a little Glorious Green ink for shading.  Anyone remember those?  I even colored the flower centers green just because I could.

There are lots of choices with this die set from lemons to oranges to grapefruit.  Even a strawberry.  Not selling, just saying.  I'm imagining today's card with a standard orange slice and a little Clementine.

Covering the card base is Tiny Mosaic, an old Cuttlebug embossing folder from my stash.  It looks rather kitchen-y don't you think?  

In the next photo I hope you can see the Diamond Stickles glitter in the flower centers, and the gloss on the orange slices.  The gloss is packing tape -- brush cardstock with ink, then cover with clear packing tape and cut with the inner die that creates the little sections.  Cut again from non-glossy cardstock to create the lighter colored "frame" for the sections.  Maybe that makes sense???

For embellishment I punched 1/8" circles from the glossy orange cardstock.  The three-layer sentiment is from a not-used-until-now Cottage Cutz set.

 

One last thing -- the card measures 4 1/4" x 5".  It's what's left over after cutting a mini-slimline; a cute little size, fun to work with, and it fits in a standard envelope for no-extra-postage mailing.

Sometimes it feels like it takes a lot of words to explain a card, but it's all about the sharing and taking the time to visit with you.

This particular card was totally inspired by the following challenges:

Tic Tac Toe Challenge #275 -- I chose the top row:  Nature, Circles, Foliage
NBUS Challenge #76 -- My never before used schtuff is the Fresh Fruit die set and the sentiment from a Cottage Cutz set.

 

I'm so glad you could stop by.  We'll do this again real soon, okay?  Take care!

Stamps:  None except inside sentiment not shown  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110 lb, Stampin' Up Green Galore  Ink:  SU Tangerine Tango, Apricot Appeal, Green Galore, Glorious Green  Coloring:  Ink blending with brushes  Dies:  Creative Expressions Fresh Fruit, Cottage Cutz Hello Sunshine, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers and Stitched Scalloped Circles  Other:  Cuttlebug Tiny Mosaic embossing folder, Diamond Stickles, clear packing tape, 1/8" holed punch, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Playing Along with the Colors of The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  I've been meaning to get my Twinkling H20's out for some watercoloring.  Over time they've become one of my favorite watercolor mediums.  Those little pots of paint are full of some very rich and gorgeous colors!  I think they're off the market now, but there are other types of shimmer and glimmer paints that are pretty amazing.

I stamped Penny Black's Enchantingly in Ranger Archival Pale Ochre on Arches cold press watercolor paper.  Painted first, then cut with the matching die.  The designer paper is one of my newer pads by Brutus Monroe called Love Letters.  The whole pad is scripty, vintage, papery, double sided, semi-gloss, awesome, and perfect for backgrounds.  There is nothing about love apparent in the script so it can be used for any occasion.

The small envelope was made with my envelope punch board, and I inserted a note made with an old, neglected SU notepaper edge punch.  I drew lines with a pencil and stamped with Penny Black's Note Builder.

The colors were decided by The Flower Challenge.  I love this combo!  Even the paper fits the colors.

I can never capture the shimmer of Twinks in a photograph, but you can see the graininess of the mica flakes in the photo below.  I know you can imagine how it looks and feels in hand.

In addition to The Flower Challenge I would also like to share in two more challenges:

The Neglected Stuff Challenge -- Darlene and Diane encourage us to play with something we haven't touched in months.  It's probably been years since I've used my notebook punch.
NBUS Challenge #76 -- My never before used schtuff is the Penny Black Enchantingly stamp.

  

I'm so glad you could stop and visit when there's so much summertime activity to be enjoyed.  I'm heading out to the garden with my little helper, Sophie, as soon as I finish here.  It's looking lovely out there!  Have a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Penny Black Enchantingly, Note Builder  Paper:  Arches 140 lb cold press watercolor, Cougar Natural, Brutus Monroe Love Letters designer paper  Ink:  Ranger Archival Pale Ochre, Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Creamy Caramel  Coloring:  Watercolor with Twinkling H20's  Other:  Envelope Punch Board, notepaper punch, sequins

Sprinkle & Grow

Hi there!  Another card today -- a messy bouquet in a watering can.  I sure struggled with this one.  Ordinarily I cut everything from 110 lb white and then add color, but I thought this time I'd try and use up colored CS scraps.  Turns out it wasn't so easy with these skinny little stems and lighter weight cardstock.  Then trying to tuck them into the watering can... geez.  I'm sure I somehow made it more difficult than it needed to be, but I do have a knack for that.

Ultimately I guess it's kind of cute (?).  I won't go on about how I ended up with these colors and papers.  Cards have a mind of their own sometimes, don't they?  You go one way, they go the other.  Or is it just me?

The colored scraps are all from my sorted bags of Bazzill bits.  I added texture to the white panels with two different embossing folders.  The flowers are touched with Diamond Stickles which doesn't show up well in the photo, but you  can see all the texture from the cardstock and embossing in the photo below.

No challenges today.  Just playing a little before rushing off to do a bazillion other things.  Hope you have a happy day!

Stamps:  Gerda Steiner All Cats  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, scraps of textured cardstock, Forever Friends Kraft Notes designer paper (old)  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black for sentiment  Dies:  Spellbinders Sprinkle & Grow, Simon Says Stamp Pretty Bows, Memory Box Cross Stitched Frame Borders  Other:  Diamond Stickles, Sizzix Flowers EF, SU Subtle EF

Butterflies -- Two Cards, Three Challenges

Hi, friends!  I'm happy to be back near the end of a busy week which didn't allow much time in my craft room.  I feel much better having finished these two clean and simple cards.

When I saw the Can You Handle the Pressure Challenge with the optional twist of butterflies I immediately pulled out one of my oldest embossing folders.  It's still such a pretty thing!

Firstly, I embossed, then watercolored with Stampin' Up Cameo Coral ink on hot press watercolor paper.  The fine lines and dots were colored with a Copic marker.  Also, the insides of the butterflies' wings were done with gray Copics which gives them that soft, almost vellum-like appearance.  All the dots were sparkled with Stickles Diamond glitter glue.

I somehow managed to smudge the sentiment with my fingers and then transferred more smudges here and there on the card front.  Hence, four extra dots were punched and added.  Can you spot them?

Darice Butterflies in Corner embossing folder
Altenew Wishing You sentiment

I'll be sending the first card to the following challenges:

Can You Handle the Pressure? -- Anything goes with an embossing folder, or optional twist of butterflies.
Neglected Stuff -- It's been years since I used this Butterflies in Corner embossing folder.

 

Card #2 was not destined to happen until I saw Michele's sketch at Freshly Made Sketches.  I always love their sketches, but a one week challenge is difficult for me to manage unless all the stars line up just right.  In this case I had an extra embossed panel of Cameo Coral which I'd cut down for the spare parts drawer.

Memory Box Wooden Alpha
Tim Holtz Sizzix Snowfall embossing folder

I flipped the sketch to the opposite side, and my butterfly curve is a border rather than a free-standing element, but I hope it's still okay.  I brought the Snowfall embossing in from the side which looks very cool in real, but sorry it doesn't show up more in the picture.

Here's the challenge link and the sketch:

Freshly Made Sketches #691

Well, this was fun!  I appreciate how challenges bring out the old familiars from my toybox.  Thanks, everyone!  Have a great weekend!

Bunny Smiles

I wouldn't want you to think I was done with the bunnies yet.  Well, here's another one, and it's a cutie.  It had me smiling and I hope it does the same for you.

She's from the Simon Says Stamp Woodland Whimsy set.  We go back a few years and I've loved the set lots, but I'm not sure I've used the bunny before.  Isn't she pretty with her flowers?

The flowers come with the set, and I've combined some stitched circles with butterflies, gems, and Mintay designer paper from my stash.  All older stuff that still brings me joy.  That's why we do this, isn't it?  She's colored with Copics and popped up on foam tape.  I added stamped sprinkles with the very old SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds set.  Heaven forbid I should ever be without my Itty Bitty Backgrounds!

Enjoy your day!

Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp Woodland Whimsy, Penny Black Thinking of You, Stampin Up Itty Bitty Backgrounds (sprinkles)  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 lb & 110 lb, yellow scrap, Mintay Farm Life designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black & Rich Cocoa  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Lil' Inker Silly Stitched Die Set, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, Impression Obsession Butterfly Set, gems, linen thread, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Rosy Whiskers and Running Free

Hello and happy May Day!

If you'll bear with me, I'm not quite done with the bunnies yet.  Soon.  This self-challenge has thinned out my NBUS baskets as well as given me the opportunity to revisit a few from my collection.  Today I have two bunnies, one NBUS and one from my stash.

The first is NBUS Rosy Whiskers from Creative Expressions Designer Boutique.  I colored with Copics.  Cut an oval from the center and raised it by layering over an additional oval (or two?).

Spellbinders Essential Stylish Ovals and Fluted Classics Rectangles
Creative Expressions Mini-Expressions -- Hello & Hi die
Nuvo Sugared Almond Crystal Drops

The next bunny is Creative Expressions Designer Boutique Running Free.  I've colored it only once before.  It takes time with all the detail.

Spellbinders Hemstitch Rectangles, Penny Black Background Basics stencil multi-pack

Sharing here:

Addicted to Stamps and More #491 -- The theme this time is "make your mark" (coloring, etc)

Spring has sprung and the outdoors are claiming more of my time, but I expect I'll still be making cards, too.  Just can't stop!

Have a beautiful day! 

PB Love Blooms

Hi there!  I'm sending happy thoughts today with a brand new Penny Black stamp set -- Love Blooms -- cut with its matching dies and colored with Tombow markers and blender.  It's paired with a sentiment from the Happy Builder set.

I thought I would go with Jill's Sketch #4 as it was my favorite.  I improvised the frame with some old timey Spellbinders dies, and added a border of gingham paper at the top.  Memento Toffee Crunch was used for the stamp outline, the shading, and for coloring the skinny edge strip.  Spellbinders Branching Out embossing folder added yet more texture, and I finished with some homemade glossy accents.

I think that covers the essentials so I'll keep it short and simple today.  Linking to:

Darnell's NBUS Challenge #70 with my never before used Love Blooms stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a happy day!

Double D Challenge: Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Who's Got the Pumpkin?

 

Hello, friends!  The Double D Challenge is all about pumpkins today.  Darlene wants to know, "Pumpkin, pumpkin, who's got the pumpkin?

Check out the inspiration photo with pumpkins galore, and see the prize the DDs have for a random winner.  As always, the team votes for creative winners, as well.

 

I have a painted patch of two stylized pumpkins and a scattering of fancy leaves.  They're from a 2020 Penny Black set called Owlsome.  I loved it for the whimsy, yet have only used it once, tsk tsk.  Today it's colored with Tombow markers and blender.  The sky is smooshed watercolor.

You can probably tell I hand cut the leaves and added them to the finished painting.  Spellbinders Hemstitch Rectangles provided a border.  That's about it.  Not a lot of hooplah to 'splain about this card.

The team has a lot of pretty pumpkins to share on the Double D blog, so do hop over and get inspired.  I hope to see your pumpkins in the gallery!  Have a beautiful fall day!

Stamps:  Penny Black Owlsome  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot press watercolor, cinnamon Bazzill  Ink:  Ranger Archival Jet Black  Coloring:  Tombows and Stampin' Up inks  Other:  Spellbinders Hemstitch Rectangles

Birds, Birds, Birds

Hello and welcome back!  It's nice to see you on this beautiful fall day.

I currently have an excess of crafty things sitting on and around my desk and I'm going to have to tidy up or I'll get nothing done.  But first... I finished three cards using three different Cottage Cutz die sets, and now those three never-been-used die sets are tucked away in the Cottage Cutz bin.  That's tidying up, isn't it?

The first is called Spring Bird w/Vine, but I thought I could make it look fall-ish by using certain colors.  I made up my own bird species.  It's part of the joy of crafting.

Cottage Cutz Spring Bird w/Vine, Creative Expressions Mini-Hello & Hi
Spellbinders Scallop Labels and Tag

For all three cards I worked with an old Heartfelt Creations paper collection and Spellbinders dies for the mats.  The focal dies were cut in Neenah 110# white and colored with inks and blending brushes.

Moving backwards into summer, the next die set is called Garden Bird.  It does not have an extra wing part for layering so I cut a whole extra bird and trimmed out the wing to make my own layer.  Easy and makes a lot of difference.

Cottage Cutz Garden Bird and Hello Phrase, Spellbinders Essential Arches

I'm including one extra photo to show sparkle and shimmer:

Card #3 is representing spring with the Spring Potted Flowers set.  The bird is sweet and I love the die set, but I don't like the way I colored the flowers and leaves.  Not sure what I was thinking when I colored solid and forgot to leave any light areas.  This die set is worth a do-over.  Maybe I could put poinsettias in the pot for Christmas.

Cottage Cutz Spring Potted Flowers w/Bird, Impression Obsession Have a Nice Day
Spellbinders Long Classic Rectangles

I'll send my fall card over to two challenges today:

Triple B Challenge --  Birds, Blooms, and/or butterflies.  I did not use the beautiful colors in the mood board this time, but I'm inspired to make another card before the month is over.
NBUS Challenge #67 -- All the Cottage Cutz bird sets and the Spellbinders Scallop Layers and Tag are never before used schtuff.

Now I plan to do a little more tidying up and move on to the next set of cards.  Thank you for stopping by!

Sunflowers and Pumpkins

Hello, friends, and welcome!  Turning to those first few days of fall when the sunflowers are still blooming and the leaves are not quite turned... there may even be a ripe pumpkin or two in the sunniest patch.  No matter the season, they can all come together on our cards.  That's something to celebrate.

The up front star of the show is a new-to-me Cottage Cutz die called Fall Centerpiece.  Maybe it's from last year, but it came to me during their Labor Day sale.  The little "hello" is from a different Cottage Cutz set.  All the CC dies were cut in Neenah 110 lb white and colored with inks and brushes.

The card base is cut from shimmery white, including the Tutti Designs Maple Vine Frame which I glued to the base and brushed over with inks.  The background colors are not true in the picture I'm viewing on my laptop.  It's actually a soft pale-orange (SU Apricot Appeal) blended into a darker warm-orange (SU Really Rust).  Both colors retired in 2010.

The arch is also shimmery white, cut with the new-to-me Spellbinders Essential Arches which I decided were essential indeed.  Not fancy, just functional.  I was on a shopping hiatus for a while, but... sales happened, sigh.

• I was going to leave off the sentiment but when I saw The Sisterhood of Crafters "Hello" theme I added it to my card and it looks just right.
• Of course, I have to send my card over to Darnell's NBUS Challenge #66 with my never-been-used Fall Centerpiece and Essential Arches.
• Additionally, I'm sharing in Vicki's A Cut Above September Challenge which closes on the 28th.  It's all about die cuts as a focal point.  The optional theme is "monochromatic", which I had in mind when I made the card base, but then it looked like such a nice background for the Fall Centerpiece.

 

That's it for today!  I've got some things on my table that I hope to finish soon, fingers crossed.  I'm off to run errands today.  Happy fall!

Stamps:  None  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 110 lb for main image dies, shimmery white for base and arch  Ink:  Various Stampin' Up  Coloring:  Blending brushes  Dies:  Cottage Cutz Fall Harvest, CC Telephone for sentiment, Spellbinders Essential Arches, Tutti Designs Maple Vine Frame  Other:  Dimensional tape for one sunflower

Double D Challenge: Fall Leaves

 

It's that time of year, friends -- cooler temperatures, shorter days... and a Double D challenge in which Darlene is asking to see our fall leaves.  Have a look at her inspiration board full of rich color:

In addition to creative winners the Double D's have a prize for a random winner:

I dearly wanted to color my Inky Antics Autumn Dogs this fall, and the DD challenge gave me the perfect opportunity.

I colored with Tombow markers on hot pressed watercolor paper.  The embossed card base was brushed with SU's Apricot Appeal ink, keeping it bright, but with just a bit more definition in the texture.  The patterned papers are some I've had for years and will probably still have for years to come.  I love my patterned papers, but I also like a fair amount of white space.  Usually.  Sometimes.  It depends on my crafty frame of mind.

The zig zag stitch is an old Hero Arts stamp.  The die cut leaves are sponged with ink on the edges.  It was a fun card to make!

I know you'll enjoy the team samples at Double D.  I hope to see you in the gallery.  Have a beautiful day!

Stamps:  Inky Antics Autumn Dogs, Hero Arts Stitched Ribbon (zig zag)  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, scraps designer paper  Ink:  Palette Noir, SU Apricot Appeal (card base), Brocade Blue (sky), Crumb Cake (zig zag)  Coloring:  Tombow markers and homemade blender  Other:  Darice Fall Leaves Swirl embossing folder, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, Impression Obsession Small Leaf Set