The friends I have are so sweet. So many are supporting me these last two years through some very difficult days our family is going through. This cute little guy will find his way to a near-by friend that often sends me little incouraging face book posts and drops by with little gifts. I feel so humbled by the friendship of so many. I think this might be a Penny Black retired stamps. So fun though. I used my crysal effects on the lemon.
Simon Says Wednesday Stamp It Challenge
Everyone in blogland is posting Autumn this, pumpkin spice that and I’m over here in WI still trying to hang onto the summer that wasn’t. Our hydrangea is just now starting to bloom. My morning glories have buds but no flowers yet. I know it’s almost mid—september, but come on….i was still hoping for a couple of sunhine days to get those flowers blooming. Today we had sun but it was cold. I went out for a walk and had to come home and put a sweatshirt on.
Hydrangea it is, then for Simon’s Wednesday Stamp It Challenge.
Working with the sketch challenge from MFT I pulled out elements from my blueprints #5 and #6. I also dug around and found this little tag from who knows when I purchased it. It went well with this scrap of paper i was using up. The Viva pearl drops are gold but they look kind of green in the photo.
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge (sentiment stamp) Use a stamp
Tomorrow I am taking a free on line water color class. Not for cards, just for scenes. I’ve always loved the softness of the water color look. In anticipation of the class I had to stamp and watercolor this beautiful flower from Altenew. That’s what I like about Altenew. You can “faux” water color by using all the layers or you can just take one layer and do your own version of water coloring with it.
Simon Says Monday Challenge “Stamp IT” no digis allowed.
Saw a fun meme the other day that said, I’m convinced that buying stamping/crafting supplies is a hobby all it’s own as opposed to actually USING them. Bwhhhaaaaa!!
Yep, that’s me. I cannot resist running into our Michaels and Hobby Lobby just to see what’s on clearance. I find so many good bargains. Then there’s the actual “using” them.
Here’s one I purchased the other day and came home and inked that baby up right away. I rather like it, especially for the clearance price. I included the little banner die which i don’t think i have used before but got it long ago from MFT. And isn’t that stitched tag, the bomb? Bargain there too, i went shopping when MFT had their 50% off sale. Well, I think they still have it but there’s not much left, really.
Spring and fall seem to bring showers, weddings and babies. Making cards to cover these occasions.
Entering into Simon’s Anything Goes Wednesday Challenge I rarely play with my Stamps by Judith but they are too cute to give away. I created a little gifting tree with the All Seasons Tree. Spellbinders sentiment tag. MFT sentiment
Spring and fall seem to bring showers, weddings and babies. Making cards to cover these occasions.
Entering into Simon’s Anything Goes Wednesday Challenge
I used a very old Fiskars texture plate. Yep, I still have them. The image is something a freind mailed to me with a stack of others. So fun.
The blue prints from MFT can be so useful. When I am stuck in a mode where i want to stamp but don’t have an idea what to create I go to my Blue Prints sketches. They are always fun, they always turn out better than I thought they would and i like the change up from the same old tired design i am currently in the mode of.
The Color challenge from MFT is always great for inspiration too. This is the one I used. 
Her wee little socks pulled in the corn flower blue. Isn’t she so sweet?
Simon’s Wednesday Challenge Anything Goes
That was my thought when i saw this sketch over on Split Coast las week. But you know what? I LOVE this card. I pulled out some DP from Crate Paper called Farmers Market and then found some Studio Calico paper that worked for the strips. I put this all on black cardstock and it looks really elegant. That Tim Holtz cone flower is a favorite of mine. I bought the full set large and small just to have that flower in two sizes.
My mom just moved into a memory home. My mom is a dog lover and has a great sense of humor. She is almost 90. I thought she would enjoy this little creation. It’s a sweet whipper snapper image and is also a NBUS from a couple of years back. I was trying to follow the SCS skettch from a couple of weeks back. Not sure I really understood the way the layers were but close enough.
Simon Says Wednesday-Anything Goes
Simon’s Monday challenge is a Back to School challenge. Hey, i just did this last week for the Wed. challenge. You guys are really making put on my thinking cap. This time I found something in my stash that looks a little more school like. And whoo-hooo the note book stamp is a NBUS that has been taking up space for about four years. So thank you very much for another school challenge.
This also fits the SCS challenge for this week to have diagonal corners.
This card is for a young friend who’s birthday coincides with the beginning of the school year. I put his name on the card but didn’t want to photograph the name since I post on FB and don’t want him to see it yet. He has a sweet rag doll cat that loves to lay by him when he does his homework.
Another school year begins in a few days but our daughter-in-law teacher started this past week with conferences and getting the room ready etc.
Simon Wednesday says use Avery Elle if you have them and make a school themed project.
These sentiment stamps and dies are the only Avery Elle I own and I made it work. For my school theme i just decided to use School Bus yellow card stock and primary colors. I’m still in love with this little coffee cup die from Simon. He’s adorable. The hearts come from the Sending/Wishing Simon sentiment stamps. faux stitching done with my scor-buddy and a cutter b tool and gel pen.
ATC= Artist Trading Card I get a kick out of all the abbreviations we use in our stamping community. I have a stamping friend that doesn’t read any blogs and when Angie and I are posting on FB she is confused a bit by all the abbreviated terminology we use. I remember wondering what all those terms meant. I think SCS has a page where they explain all that. (that would be Split Coast Stampers)
Simon’s Monday Challenge this week was to do an ATC card. The dimensions are 3.5 x 2.5 In the picture it looks large of course but it is indeed a wee little card. I use these to tuck into my packages when people order from me.
This is a pre-embossed full sheet of which I had a little scrap left that was perfect for this challenge. Another piece of scrap covers the end of the sentiment label. Some Nuvo drops complete the soft look.
I used my Blue prints 5 (i think) to get the curved frame look. IRL it is longer than this but I positioned my paper so i would get a shorter arch that would fit the look I wanted to create on my card.
This new Spellbinders die is so beautiful and i had to use this scripty Thank You from Sizzix because of the frilliness of the die. I’m so glad i found that on sale at Michaels and grabbed it up. My clear sequins are MFT dies also (this was one on sale recently but i had purchased it long ago) i get a lot of use out of those sequin dies. Left over acrylic from packaging makes excellent clear sequins.
Simple and sweet for an elderly friend who gave all the ladies in our Bible Study one of her antique serving bowls a couple of weeks ago when study was her home. A real treasure and memory of her.
The large doily is in my stash and I don’t really know which company it is but i love it. I used a Prickley Pear die for the center and also for the images and sentiment. I cut the main panel with my stitched die from MFT. A little banner looks held in place with that cute clip that Angie Bode gave to me.
It doesn’t get much quicker than this. Grab a piece of cardstock that is navy on the outside and white on the inside. Cut, Score, Fold. Add some stickers, stamp on the inside and done!
ABC Christmas Card challenge Q
P is for people. I don’t know if Santa is considered a peep or not but I’m gonna roll with it. I got this new spellbinders die and I wanted to use it. I had some left over 12 x 12 scraps from making and envelope with LARGE images on it and it made a perfect strip for this card. I cut out another that i need to apply somy thinking cap for.
I used distress ink to add a bit of color to the edges of the lacy strip. Then stamped the images with tea stain distress ink and embossed them with an espresso embossing powder. A small amount of light water color to the images and down the middle of the strip, hmmmmm….grab that squeezy thing that makes paint splatter from your markers and i’m calling this one complete. Oh wait, it needs a strip of something down the opening side of the card. Used a marker and a ruler. DONE!! Not my best work but still passes the it’s okay to mail test.
Finally, a day to stamp. I was getting worried I was going to miss the last day of MFT Camp. Here’s the die cutting card i was wanting to make. I had this pre-colored image sitting on my desk since winter. With the MFT stitched frames dies i was able to make it into a nice frame with the image partially cut and I sponged around the flower and the sentiment with some distress ink in fossilized amber. I like the look of the double stitched frames together.
The sentiment is from MFT also. Such a sweet set for those sad occasions.
Campfire night. I decided to make a scene. Yep! Still loving these little MFT mice. This went together so easily don’t know why I don’t do it more often.
My mom lives in Alabama. My siblings that live down that direction got her moved into a memory care home today. I am sending this to my brother and his wife who did most of the moving. I’m going to type and inside sentiment that says “thanks for lifting the big things”
