Sweet Dreamings

Stampavie puts out some seriously adorable stamps designed by several talented artists, this one is by Penny Johnson. How sweet is this baby girl?! I used soft, serene colors to tie in with the Sweet Dreams theme. She's colored with a combination of Copics (BG 10,11 & 72) and Prisma colored pencils. I find it much easier to get a very soft gradient of color around the image with colored pencils blended with OMS.
I printed the little sentiment circle on my printer and cut them out with small circle Nestabitilites. The embossed strip behind the image is done with one of the borders from the Cuttlebug Frills set.

I applied some Stardust Stickles to the candle glow and the stars for a bit of sparkle. I love this card, probably because I used my all time favorite color--Stampin Up's Soft Sky. IMO, it's the prettiest color EVER!

Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Stampavie

Ink: Memento

Paper: Heavenly White, SU, PTI

Accessories: Cuttlebug Frills borders embossing folders, Nestabilities, colored pencils, OMS, Copics, satin ribbon, PTI button, Stickles

Swingin' by to say hello...

I love embossed paper, but don't use it as much as I'd like to. Know why? The embossing folders are NOT big enough for my size cards! Hmmph! So I have to cheat and use it for only half a card or just an accent piece. I have noticed certain embossing folders are coming in larger sizes, but what about the beautiful old textures, like dots, swirls, argyle??!! As many products as there are on the market, it seems like there is never enough...

I colored up this pretty Lili of the Valley stamp with my colored pencils, using colors pulled from Basic Grey's Kioshi. Gorgeous paper! I am in love with that collection.
I didn't have a sentiment stamp to go with the card (other than the usual Happy Birthday and Thinking of you, etc) so I printed my own. It took me a while, but I eventually figured out how to print my own sentiments in a circle in Photoshop. Now I can say ANYTHING on my cards, lol!

Hope you like it, thanks for dropping in!

Stamps: Lili of the Valley

Ink: Memento

Paper: Basic Grey, Memory Box, PTI, Bristol vellum, Gina K

Accessories: Sizzix texture plate, Nestabilities, Cuttlebug border EF, McGill Flower punch, seam binding ribbon, pearl, PTI med. scallop die, colored pencils, OMS

Perfect Gift

I don't know about you all, but I see Mo everywhere now! Her digi stamps have taken off in the card making world, and I couldn't be happier. That means lots more beautiful drawings for me to color! They are so much fun to color, makes me happy every time.

I love this sweet little fairy, look at those pudgy little legs! I colored everything with the lightest of pastel colors, added a lot of sparkle to her wings, and used a super light silk ribbon for a big bow. I was going to give this to my boyfriend's niece on Saturday who just had a baby, but he chose something else instead. (I didn't really want to part with it anyway, lol)

Well it's a rainy Monday morning, and it's off to bring the kids to school and get my butt to work again! Thanks for visiting.

Stamps: Digital Pencil Too, PTI sentiment

Ink: Vivid

Paper: Basic Grey, Heavenly White, Bazzill, Memory Box, water color paper

Accessories: Spellbinders Fancy Tags, silk ribbon, colored pencils, OMS, Stickles, Cuttlebug embossing folder

Sweet Peas

Good morning everyone! I couldn't wait to finish my other projects so I could start playing with the new Papertrey Ink stamps I received a few days ago. Especially the Sweet Pea set. How pretty are these?! I decided to water color them with Adirondack Inks because Mountain Rose just reminds me of the color of Sweet Peas I once had.
The argyle background paper was stamped as well, in pink, melon and moss colors. I think it's so awesome to be able to create my own DP, especially when I just don't have the 'right' color in my stash. I usually color my stamped images after I choose a DP, but this time I had to use the Mountain Rose ink, and didn't find anything to coordinate nicely with it. So the custom argyle print was born!

Hope it inspires! Thanks for looking!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink

Ink: Memento, Adirondack, Distress

Paper: Papertrey Ink, Fabriano Water color paper

Accessories: Martha Stewart Quilted edge punch, SU modern label/word window punches, Spellbinders Petite Ovals Nestabilities, paint brush, Stickles, pearls, satin ribbon

Angel of Love

While browsing Etsy a few days ago, looking at all the wonderful new digi artists popping up I came across this wonderful image from A Day for Daisies. How sweet! I love this artist's unique style. Her angel series particularly caught my eye and I quickly purchased several of them. I couldn't color this angel fast enough and a card came together in no time.

Lots of Stardust Stickles for her wings, some beautiful Kioshi paper and voila! A pretty card.

I love finding new images to color for my cards, and I am so grateful to all the talented illustrators out there who are willing to let us use their images for our hobby. Thank you!

Have a great day!

Stamps: Digi stamp from A Day for Daisies

Paper: Basic Grey, Memory Box, Papertrey Ink

Accessories: EK Success edge punch, colored pencils, OMS, Stickles, silk ribbon, Liquid Glass

Joy in the little things

Just a simple, pretty card to share today. I am aching to grow some flowers of my own, but the nights are still getting pretty cold, so I am afraid to do any planting yet. I have my Begonia bulbs saved from last year, I hope they survived their winter rest in the garage. I'll have to go pull them out today. The Begonias are for the back deck planters, very shady but they flower like crazy anyway. That's why I save the bulbs year after year, it's not easy growing things in almost complete shade! This little beauty always has the sun shining on it's little head! I colored the bloom with my colored pencils and popped up one of the layers with foam tape for some dimension. I love doing this with flower images, makes it look so complicated!

Hope you have flowers as pretty as this one growing in your back yard... (I can't, the deer eat everything).

Stamp: SU

Ink: Memento

Paper: SU, Memory Box, PTI

Accessories: Spellbinders Labels & ovals dies, Martha Stewart edge punch, colored pencils, OMS, Stickles, seam binding, SU rub-on sentiment

CreativiTea

I've always wanted to try this box that Claire from Waltzingmouse Stamps made quite a while ago, but was kind of waiting for a tutorial. Well, I'm sure she got entirely too busy making all her wonderful stamps, so I had to figure it out myself. It wasn't too hard, actually!
I painted the main box part with Lavender Crackle paint, I love that stuff! Just slather it on with the built in brush, let it dry and you have a gorgeous distressed finish. The box top and bottom were cut out with Labels 5 from chipboard and then from Basic Grey Kioshi papers. Notice the beautiful little wild rose image from Taylored Expressions new tea set. So pretty!
Instead of coloring the tea pot for the card, I stamped it onto a scrap of patterned paper, and added some shading with very light grey Copics. Stick some of your favorite tea bags in the box, and you have a perfect little thank you gift for someone.

I have to make a couple more of these boxes....

Thanks for looking!

Stamps: Taylored Expressions, PTI

Ink: Memento

Paper: PTI, chipboard, Basic Grey, Memory Box

Accessories: Spellbinders Labels 1 & 5, PTI ribbon, colored pencils, OMS, Stickles, PTI medium scallop die, Ranger Crackle Paint

Pretty Pony

Love the way this card came out, with all the soft pastel colors in Memory Box's Gossamer collection. I love pastel colors, soft blues, pinks and greens are my absolute favorites.

I colored the sweet little girl visiting her pony image with my colored pencils.
Of course I had to add some glitter to the flowers to sparkle things up a a bit. I even added some clear glaze with my pen to the apple to make it nice and shiny. It's the little details like this that really add the final touch to a card for me. I'm not very into adding tons of flowers or other embellishments, I like a little, but not too much. An edge punch, a bow, maybe a few pearls and glitter is all I need!

Thanks for looking...

Stamps: Lili of the Valley

Ink: Memento

Paper: Heavenly White card base, Memory Box, Bristol vellum

Accessories: EK Success edge punch, half pearls, satin ribbon, Stickles, Glaze pen, colored pencils, OMS

Showers of Blessings

I have a quick, no-coloring card to share today using last month's Papertrey Ink color. I love Hawaiian Shores, such a gorgeous clean turquoise blue! I picked the colors from the patterned papers to stamps a Dot Spot background too.

I don't think I used this umbrella stamp more than once since I've gotten it, which is a shame because it's so pretty. I paper pieced it because I really didn't feel like coloring anything, which seems to be happening more often lately. I don't know if I've just burned out from coloring almost everything, or what, but I just don't feel like doing it much.

In the meantime, I've got plenty of no-coloring-necessary stamps to keep me going. It's better than not making cards at all. I love doing this too much to stop for too long...

BTW, if anyone is wondering about the Aqua felt I used for the flowers, no you didn't miss out on this color from PTI, they haven't come out with Aqua Mist felt yet. I hand dyed a ton of my own wool felt a looong time ago, so I'm well ahead of PTI as far their colors! It's really easy, so if you can't wait, you can dye your own too! I used Wilton cake colors, a pot of boiling water and some natural white wool felt. Simple!

Thanks for visiting, have a great day!

Impression Obsession Challenge- High School Colors!

It's Tax Day! Which is why you may need a card like this.....lol!

This is the card that almost wasn't.... This week's Impression Obsession Design Team Challenge was to use our High School colors. Ughh! I vaguely remembered maroon being one of our colors, but couldn't remember the gold. I had to Google it. So maroon and gold it was. This was indeed a challenge for me! I almost tossed this one right in the trash early on in the process. BUT, Distress Inks to the rescue! I stamped the background first, using the Flourishes CAC background stamp in a Cream pigment ink on SU Saffron cardstock. Pretty! I knew I wanted to use my 'What's Brewing' set for this card, so I added some stamped-off coffee beans to the BG too. OK, I'm thinking, still not bad. Then I decide the Saffron wasn't 'gold' enough, so I brayer on some Adirondack Butterscotch over the whole thing. Oh boy.... sure is bright...

I stamp the coffee cup and color that in with some Copics, add the 'Get Well' from the clear Sentiments II set and layer it all with some maroon and gold paper. This is the point I almost gave up on it and filed it!

Instead, I give myself a little pep talk, and try to tone down the colors a bit with some Distress Inks. Hmmmm......looking ok. Keep going. Some wide red/ivory striped ribbon, a funky brown button. Hey, this is looking pretty good!

In the end, I am happy with the result. It just goes to show a little challenge is a good thing. It helps me out of my safe little sphere of confidence to go forward and try something new.

Now it's your turn-Play along with our IO challenge for a chance to win some IO bucks! Read the rules on their blog, they're pretty simple. Then you can browse all the other ladies gorgeous creations:

• Deb
• Dina
• Jeanne
• Jenny
• Laura

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Impression Obsession

Ink: Memento, Distress, Adirondack, Perfect Match

Paper: SU, PTI, Gina K

Accessories: Stickles, Copics, Nestabilities, Spellbinders Labels, red/ivory wide ribbon, PTI button/twine, Mega Mount, brayer, Liquid Glass

Tilda Picking Peaches

Sorry I haven't been blogging as faithfully as I usually do. There are a few things I'm dealing with that have been distracting me from my hobby lately. Some of it good, some, not so good. I love my hobby though, and I am determined to stick with it despite 'life' getting in the way, LOL.

I thought I'd share this Tilda card today, which was rejected for publication. (Yes, one of the things distracting me from blogging, it's always been one of my goals to be published, and I've been submitting some projects lately! It's hard work I tell you!) I wasn't too upset about it because I've gotten some good news as well bad, so it all evens out! I'll share more when I can.

I used the Tilda Picking Peaches Magnolia stamp inked with Memento Cocoa ink. I've always used dark brown ink for my images, I think the look is a little more vintage, not as high-contrast. Just a personal preference. Tilda was colored entirely in Prismacolor pencils, blended with OMS. Despite all the other media I have for coloring, Gamsol Magic remains my favorite!

The DP is Cosmo Cricket's Early Bird. I did a zig zag stitch all the way around it with my little Janome machine. I even added a little bit of Stardust Stickles to some of the berries on the DP just to spice things up a bit.

Hope she brightens your day a bit, thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Magnolia, sentiment from Papertrey Ink

Ink: Memento, Perfect Match

Paper: Papertrey Ink card base, Cosmo Cricket, Bazzill, SU

Accessories: Polka dot grosgrain ribbon, Flower button from Elzybells, Cuttlebug Frills embossing folder border set, Spellbinders Fancy Tags, SU oval punch

Dahlia

Another beautiful flower set from PTI, one of my favorite flowers-Dahlias. I know there are a ton of flower stamps out there, but for some reason I am not as attracted to them as I am PTI's clean, simple line drawings. I colored this one with my colored pencils. Once again I used Spot Dot for a background, how pretty is that?! I can't wait to see which flower will be released this month. I'm hoping it will be a Hydrangea, I looooove Hydrangeas.

Which flower would you most like to see?

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you're enjoying the beautiful spring weather like we are here!

Most supplies from PTI except for ribbon (seam binding), and Martha Stewart Simple Scallop punch, Art Institute glitter, colored pencils, OMS & Scor Tape

Spring Birthday

Hello everyone, sorry I've been so quiet. I went away for a little vacation again, this time to NC to visit my younger brothers. It's a loooong ride, but we had a fun time!

Anyway, here's one of the cards I made up before we went using PTI's new Year of Flowers set. I thought this card was perfect to share, especially because on the way down to NC Daffodils were everywhere! The center medians for the highways had tons of Daffodils growing, all the homes in my brothers neighborhood had their cheery little heads welcoming spring. NC is way ahead of us here in PA as far as spring.

I colored the flower with my colored pencils, and popped up the center with some dimensional tape.

The background paper was also stamped using one of my favorite new stamp sets ever, Dot Spot. I lovelovelove it! I actually stamped it on vellum because I love the way it softens the colors. That polka dot pattern just does something for me, I don't know why, it's not my usual style.

Anyway, hope you like it, thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink, sentiment from Studio G

Ink: Memento, Perfect Match

Paper: Papertrey Ink

Accessories: SU scallop border punch, Stickles, PTI ribbon

Impression Obsession Card Challenge- Celebrating Mom

This week's Impression Obsession Design team challenge theme is 'Mom'. Pretty simple for my Mom, anything flowery and beautiful suits her just fine! I've been seeing a lot of people using Basic Grey's new Green at Heart, and so am I! Such pretty summery colors.

I used this beautiful flower stamp called 'Frills' from IO's recent release. I wanted to try something different from my usual colored pencils, so I broke out my paintbrush and Distress Inks and water colored it. Especially with all the new yummy colors that recently Ranger came out with, I couldn't resist.
I printed 'Mother' out in a pretty font on my computer and added the little label below the image. The white bow is silk ribbon, sooooo pretty and delicate and soft. I love that stuff.

Don't forget you can join in on the challenge too for a chance at an IO gift certificate. Check out all the details here, on their blog. Then you can go check out all the other design team ladies' cards for more 'Mom' inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by!

Dina

Jeanne

Daniela

Jenny

Deborah

Julie

Laura

Stamps: Impression Obsession

Ink: Colorbox pigment ink, Distress Inks

Paper: Fabriano water color paper, Basic Grey, SU, PTI

Accessories: Fiskars heart scallop border punch, Spellbinders Labels 10, Nestabilities, Liquid Pearls, paintbrush, clear embossing powder, silk ribbon, SU modern label/word window punches, self stick pearls