Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Prayer Journal

Hello and welcome.  I've been trying for a few weeks now to make a prayer journal for my husband, however, my health had other ideas.  Between migraines and a sinus infection with bronchitis, I've had absolutely no energy, let alone get creative.  Hoping the antibiotics help me feel better soon and Mother Nature decides to play fair with the wind/rain California's getting right now.

After digging through my stash to find that composition book I bought during the back to school sales, I adhered lots of Scor-tape over the front of the book before adhering a 12x12 sheet of "sea painting" designer paper I've had for years and never used.  Once that was done, I I took some 49 and Market washi tape I won a while back, also never used, along the edge of the cover before adding card stock and more washi tape inside the front cover.  Taking some scrap white card stock, I then die cut the prayer journal letters using a Sizzix alphabet set I received from a friend when she had to down-size her stamp room for a move.  I then stippled on some Tim Holtz old paper, faded jeans, tattered rose, aged mahogany and stormy sky distress inks over the letters to help them subtly blending in with the designer paper.  Finally, I die cut from scraps two crosses from Spellbinders Cross Collection (now retired) dies with one cross for the inside cover.  After stippling some Stampin Up wisteria ink over my die cut cross, I adhered the letters first then my cross using some Bearly Arts glue.  


Turning my attention to the inside front cover, I first stamped my To God Be The Glory hymn title from Sweet N Sassy's  Timeless Hymns, onto scrap white card stock before die cutting it out using my Spellbinders Labels 7 dies and my Big Shot making sure to also die cut the remaining layers from scraps as well.  Before adhering all the hymn layers together, I stippled the same Tim Holtz inks around the hymn.  After adhering the layers, I then added the second cross I had die cut earlier using the Bearly Arts glue.  I then took my Martha Stewart punches and punched out several ferns, pine spring, butterflies and flowers using up some scraps to make my own floral sprays for the inside.  Once everything was adhered I finished them off by highlighting the hymn using a 3D glaze pen and then adding some Stampendous Class-A-Peels stickers I've had for years and haven't finished using up yet.   I'm happy with how the journal turned out for my husband, especially since it took three weeks to put it together while sick.

Challenges entered:
 
Never Before Used Schtuff #48 (NBUS) - March Use Your NBUS (designer paper, Sizzix and Spellbinders dies, washi tape)
Snippets Playground #450 - Use Those Snippets/Scraps (letters, crosses, book die cuts, floral sprays) 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a fabulous rest of your week.

Stamps: Sweet N Sassy Timeless Hymns
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Faded Jeans, Old Paper, Aged Mahogany, Tattered Rose, Stormy Sky; Stampin Up Wisteria
Card Stock: Stampin Up; Misc Designer Paper; Scraps
Accessories: Composition Notebook, Scor-Tape, Sizzix Alpha Dies, Spellbinders Cross Collection, Labels 7, PFS Blending Brushes, Washi Tape, Big Shot, 3D Glaze Pen, MS Punches, Bearly Arts Glue, Stampendous Class-A-Peels Stickers
 

Monday, March 27, 2023

Challenge 2312

 Sponsored by Newton's Nook

Newton
 
 
Hello and welcome.  Today begins a new challenge over at Pammie's Inky Pinkies and this week we're being sponsored by  Newton's Nook and I would like to thank them for their sponsorship.

Now that the calendar thinks it's spring, even though winter is still saying "not yet" here in California, it's just about time for picnic season to start.  First, thank you Lord for all of the rain/snow you've blessed us with, as well as the rain/snow you will continue sending our way.  With picnic's firmly on the horizon, I decided to use a new, cute little set I purchased during Newton's Nook's after Thanksgiving sale, and still hadn't used yet, called Newton's Picnic along with the matching die.  I just took another look at the Newton's Nook website and apparently the set is now also retired.  
 
After stamping my image panel in memento tuxedo black, I colored it using my Castle Arts pencils before stippling Tim Holtz tumbled glass and mowed lawn distress inks around the image.  I then stamped the saying, then punched it out using and old Marvy oval punch, die cut two little butterflies out and popped them up using pop dots.  My card was embossed using a Cuttlebug paisley embossing folder I received from a friend when she had to downsize her craft room.  After adding some ice stickles to highlight the butterflies/dragonfly, I added a bit of black 3D glaze pen to the ants/watermelon seeds to finish everything off.
 
Challenges entered:
 
Inspiration Station #47 - See Mood Board (inspired by the great outdoors)
 

Inspiration Station #47
 
 Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a fabulous day and don't forget to join us over at Pammie's Inky Pinkies.
 
Stamps: Newton's Nook Stamps/Dies
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Mowed Lawn, Tumbled Glass Distress Ink
Card Stock: Neenah White; Stampin Up; Scraps
Accessories: Castle Arts Pencils, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Big Shot, PFS Blending Brushes, Ice Stickles, Pop Dots, Brads, Glue Dots, Sakura 3D Black Glaze Pen.

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Woodblock Wednesday - March 2023 Edition

 
 

 
Hello and welcome to another Woodblock Wednesday challenge.  Each month participating stampers are using wood block stamps and showing them some love.  I've got a "ton" of woodblock stamps, and some of them haven't seen ink in years, so this challenge is perfect for me.  My card today finally uses one of those "virgin" wood mount stamps.  I bought this stamp somewhere around 2005 or 2006 from a stamp shop in Boise, Idaho.  We had been visiting my in-laws and while doing some shopping/dining out in Boise, we went to an awesome stamp shop. My brother in law, at the time, wasn't thrilled about it until he discovered the shop had a "husbands room".  Basically there were 3 recliners, TV and movies for the husbands to watch/hang out in while their wives shopped or attended a class.  What an awesome idea!!!  I wish all stamp shops had this although my husband loves stamp shopping with me and is a bigger enabler than anyone.  I try to take stuff out of my basket trying to not over spend and he puts it right back in the basket saying "I don't want to hear about it".  However, I digress.  My brother in law found this stamp, from Northwoods,  near the "husbands room" and made a comment about liking the picture I think before setting it down.  My husband grabbed the stamp and put it in my basket because he loved it.  It's sat in my scenery box since then, never used.  Perhaps it's because my brother in law (or fellow outlaw as he put it) died the following March from cancer.  The stamp reminds me a lot of him.  So Gary, this card is for you.  I'm sure you're watching from Heaven as I've finally used your stamp.  I just hope I did it justice.

I started out by stamping the image in memento tuxedo black ink onto a Neenah white scrap card stock before coloring it using both Lyra and Castle Arts pencils.  Once the coloring was finished, I stenciled the clouds using Tim Holtz stormy sky distress ink and Picket Fence slimline cloud stencil along with my Picket Fence blending brushes.  Once that was finished, I lightly stenciled some Tim Holtz mowed lawn distress ink around the edges before layering and adding brads.  My card base has stenciled using Sweet N Sassy Birch Forest stencil along with my blending brushes and the mowed lawn distress ink.  Once that was finished, I added my image panel using pop up glue dots.  As an afterthought, I ran a fingernail along the edges of the popped up image to distress it a bit and stippled some left over Tim Holtz old paper distress ink to "age" the image a tad.  The only other embellishments were crystal ice stickles for the sun/creek and a small green bow I found in my stash.

Challenges entered:
 
Inspiration Station #47 - See Mood Board (inspired by all the green colors)

The Four Seasons

Inspiration Station #47

 
Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day and while you're at it pull out some wood block stamps and join us.  We have a fabulous sponsor for our challenge.  

Stamps: Northwoods
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Mowed Lawn, Stormy Sky
Card Stock: Neenah White; Stampin Up
Accessories: Castle Arts and Lyra Pencils, Fingernail, Brads, SNSS Stencil, Bow, Pop Up Glue Dots, Ice Stickles
 

Saturday, March 18, 2023

Peace and Joy

 Hello and welcome.  I don't know about you, but right now California is dealing with a lot, and I mean A LOT, of rain lately.  First the record snow pack and now lots and lots of rain.  Our rivers, and reservoirs, are overflowing because the rain is falling on the snow pack and melting it fast!  We use that snow pack for drinking water and irrigation during the hot summer months. At least, we're no longer in an extreme drought but no drought where I live.  (Thank you Lord for the rain)  My migraines are having a fit, however, I will deal with them.  Here in central California, small towns are getting flooded out and some people are losing everything.  My own cul-de-sac flooded out from the downpour we got (see pic taken from my porch).  Fortunately, a neighbor had put sandbags in front of our mobile home to keep water from flooding underneath it before the last storm rolled in.


Now we're waiting on atmospheric river number three arriving late Sunday night.  So, I figured I'd finally get this adorable Away In A Manger digital image from Sweet N Sassy Stamps colored while I could.  

After printing the image onto Neenah white card stock, I colored it using both Lyra and Castle Arts pencils before stippling some Tim Holtz walnut stain and chipped sapphire using my blending brushes from Picket Fence Studio.  Once that was done, I stamped the Peace/Joy saying from Sweet N Sassy's Old Fashioned Christmas set in memento tuxedo black ink underneath my colored image.  The final touch was stippling some old paper distress ink over/around the image before highlighting the Christmas star's rays using a clear glitter gel pen.  I'm really happy with how this turned out.

Challenges entered:
 
Splitcoaststampers F4A685 - A Splash of Luck with a Dash of Green (I went with the dash of green on the shepherd boy's cloak) 
 
Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Sweet N Sassy
Card Stock: Neenah White
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Walnut Stain, Chipped Sapphire, Old Paper
Accessories: Computer, Printer, Lyra and Castle Arts Pencils; PFS Blending Brushes, Gel Pen

Monday, March 13, 2023

Snowglobe Love

Hello and welcome.  First, and foremost, I hope everyone had an enjoyable and safe weekend.  If you were in California, especially the Central Valley, this last weekend, highlight the safe part.  What a wacky set of storms we had.  Everything from rain, snow, flash floods, hail (1.5 inch size),  severe thunderstorms and the rare California tornado warnings (2 of them).  Needless to say, my migraines, back issues and fibromyalgia took a huge hit this weekend.  Even with all of that, I did manage to get some weeding done between thunderstorms and some stamping.  

I've had this Inkadinkadoo snow globe stamp for years and have never used it, so I thought this wacky weather weekend was a good time to ink it up using Splitcoaststampers WT398 - Sound of Music challenge, and my own wedding cake topper, as inspiration.  After stamping the snow globe in memento tuxedo black ink onto some white scrap paper, I added the wedding couple stamp from DJ Inkers in the center before also stamping the image onto scrap white card stock.  Once I had colored the couple using Lyra and Castle Arts pencils, I fussy cut them out before popping up in the snow globe using pop dots.  Once they were added to the card, I pulled out a dusty Stampin Up Wonderful Words set and stamped the love at the bottom of the card.  The only embellishments I added were a red 3D glaze pen and frosted lace ice stickles.  Somewhat simple was more powerful.  For those that are not familiar with the movie, here's a YouTube link to the Sound of Music wedding scene.

Challenges entered:
 
Splitcoaststampers WT938 - Sound of Music (inspired by wedding scene and my own cake topper)
Splitcoaststampers FS840 - Scrapacat (inspired by her card here; kept colors changed everything else)
 
Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Inkadinkadoo; Darcies; Stampin Up
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Card Stock: Neenah White; Stampin Up; Scraps
Accessories: Lyra and Castle Arts Pencils, Pop Dots, Brads, Frosted Ice Stickles, Glue Dots, 3D Glaze Pen

Challenge 2310

 Sponsored by

 
 
Hello and welcome.  Today begins a new challenge over at Pammie's Inky Pinkies  and this week we're being sponsored by We Are Three.  I would like to thank them for their sponsorship and for providing images for the design team to use.  My card today is using one of the pre-colored images from the Margaret's Wreaths set.  

I started out by printing the iris wreath image onto Hammermill white card stock, then cut down to size before stippling some ballet blue ink around the edges using my blending brushes from Picket Fence Studios.  After layering, and adding brads, I pulled out one of my retired Stampin Up sets called I did it and stamped one of the sayings in the upper corner of the wreath.  My card was then dry embossed using my Cuttlebug birds and swirls embossing folders and my big shot before stippling ballet blue ink over the embossed image and around the card edges.  After adding some washi tape I won awhile back, I added my layered image using pop up glue dots.  The final embellishments were clear/purple sequins from my stash.
 
Challenges entered:
 
 
Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a fabulous week and don't forget to enter the challenge over at Pammie's Inky Pinkies.
 
Stamps:  We Are Three
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Stampin Up Ballet Blue
Card Stock:  Hammermill White; Stampin Up
Accessories: Computer, Printer, Sequins, Washi Tape, Brads, Pop Up Glue Dots, Big Shot, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Glue

Monday, March 6, 2023

Lovely Tulips

Hello and welcome.  Today I'd like to share a thank you card I made for Amy Tsuruta for picking my name as a winner for one of her @craftee1 craft de-stashes a couple weeks ago.  Unfortunately, due to health issues, I haven't been able to finish it until now.

I started out by stamping the tulips and vases from Concord and 9th's retired set called Tulips on scrap white card stock before coloring using both Copic and Prismacolor markers.  Once my coloring was finished, I die cut everything out before setting aside to pop up later.  My card background is stamped using Stampin Up's retired set Fresh Fillers in lavender lace ink before stippling the same ink around the edges of the card.  I then took my image panel, and added brads before adhering to the card.  Once the card base was assembled, I took all of the die cut pieces and adhered them using mono adhesive and pop dots before stamping my saying in memento black.  There's quite a lot of dimension on this card(see below).

Challenges entered:
 
Snippets Playground #449 - Use Those Snippets/Scraps (everything except the card base)

The Four Seasons
 
Splitcoast IC898
 
 Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Concord and 9th; Stampin Up
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; SU Lavender Lace
Card Stock: Stampin Up; White Scraps
Accessories: Prismacolor and Copic Markers; Pop Dots, Brads, PFS Blending Brushes, Glue Dots, Big Shot
 


Wednesday, March 1, 2023

PIP Challenge 2308

  Sponsored by




Hello and welcome.  Today begins a new challenge over at Pammie's Inky Pinkies and this week we're being sponsored by Jan's Digital Stamps.  I would like to thank them for their sponsorship and for providing images for the design team to use.  My card today is using their Spring Tiger Lilies digital set.

After printing my images onto Hammermill white card stock, I colored it using Castle Arts pencils before highlighting the saying using both a black gel pen and black 3D glaze pen.  I then used a retired Wishes stencil from Picket Fence Studios using Tim Holtz mowed lawn and my Picket Fence blending brushes.  Once that was done, I then took my Picket Fence slimline cloud stencil, blending brushes and Tim Holtz tumbled glass distress ink to create the sky background.  After adding some retired Picket Fence gin and tonic sequins, my card was finished,

Challenges entered:

Park Hopping My Happy Place
 
Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a fabulous week and don't forget to enter this weeks challenge over at Pammie's Inky Pinkies.

Stamps: Jan's Digital Stamps
Ink: Tim Holtz Tumbled Glass, Mowed Lawn
Card Stock: Neenah White
Accessories: Castle Arts Pencils, PFS Wishes Stencil, PFS Slimline Clouds, PFS Blending Brushes, Sequins, Glue