Sending Strength

 

Hello and welcome.  Today I'd like to share a couple of pick me up cards I made to mail out.  First up is a digital image from Impression Obsession (now closed).  After printing it off onto Hammermill white card stock, I colored it using Castle Arts pencils before lightly stippling Stormy Sky distress ink for the sky.  I then added some tiny die cut flowers, faux stitching and stickles to finish it off.

 

Challenges entered:

 

Triple B August 2026 - Birds, Blooms, Butterflies (birds in pool and outhouse, die cut flowers)

Creative Inspiration #41 - Anything Goes 

Word Art Wednesday Wks 764 and 765 - Anything Goes Uplifting (sending strength)

CD Sunday Plus #189 - Anything Goes Digital (Impression Obsession image)

 

Next up is a card I made using the Hanging Plants (retired) set from Pajama Crafter Stamps. I started out by stamping all of my images onto Hammermill white card stock and then coloring using my Ohuhu markers.  Once the coloring was finished, I layered the image panel and added some white brads. The finishing touches where two tiny butterflies, some stickles to the flower center's and the saying popped up using pop dots.

 

Challenges entered:  

 

Creative Fingers #327 - Anything Goes 

Critter Crazy #113 - Anything Goes With A Critter (cat)

Pattie's Creations #245 - Anything Goes 

 

I'm really happy with how both of these turned out since I've been dealing with migraines again.  Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day. 

 

 

 

  

The Watermill

 

Hello and welcome.  Today I'd like to share a card made from another one of the images I colored while my husband had been in the hospital using a digital Watermill image from Impression Obsession.  The image is one I've had for a while printed out and just hadn't gotten to yet.  It is colored using Castle Arts Watercolor pencils and once layered, I added some faux brads to it to help keep the postage price down.  The only embellishment used is stardust stickles to highlight the water.

Challenges entered:

 

Never Before Used Schtuff (NBUS) #76 - Use Your NBUS 

FarmQuest General Store July 2025 - Anything Farm or Country Goes (country)

Splitcoaststampers USEIT2025 - Use Your Unloved Stash (image)

Moving Along With The Times #180 - Masculine

Park Hopping My Happy Place July 2025 - Anything Goes Theme Parks (inspired by Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland - just permanently closed too)

 

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

 

Stamps: Impression Obsession

Ink: None

Card Stock: Neenah;Stampin Up

Accessories: Computer, Printer, Castle Arts Watercolor Pencils, Blender Pencil, Faux Brads, Stickles  

Barnyard Friends

 

 

Hello and welcome. Today I'd like to share with your a fun image I colored over the last month or so - little by little while dealing with this migraine, and fibromyalgia, flare.  The image is a digital from Impression Obsession which is unfortunately closed now. To color my farmyard scene, I pulled out my Lyra and Castle Arts pencils and got to work adding layer/shades until I was happy with it.  Once the coloring was finished, I layered it and added some vintage brads. As an afterthought, I also went and distressed the bottom layer using my paper distresser.  For my card base, I dry embossed a green panel using my Cuttlebug Branches embossing folder and big shot.  After adding my layered image panel using glue dots, I tied part of a jute ribbon around one side of the card.  I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

 

Challenges entered:

 

Never Before Used Schtuff (NBUS) #74 - Use Your NBUS (image)

Can You Handle The Pressure May 10, 2025 - Anything Goes Embossing Folders Option Floral (branches embossing folder)

FarmQuest General Store #28 - Anything Farm or Country Goes (barnyard scene)

A Place To Start May 2025 - Anything Goes 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

 

Stamps: Impression Obsession

Ink: None

Card Stock: Neenah; Stampin Up

Accessories: Computer, Printer, Castle Arts Colored pencils, Brads, Big Shot, Embossing Folder, Jute, Glue Dots, Lyra Pencils

 

Winter Church

 

 

 

 Hello and welcome to the February Recycled Artistry IG Hop hosted by @newdawncards and @createwithkas We’re taking recycling to the craft room and giving new life to discarded items in a creative way. From paper towel rolls, junk mail envelopes, cereal boxes, bubble wrap and so much more, we encourage you to look around and see if you can ‘use it before you lose it’ to the trash! We post once a month on the 2nd Tuesday at 2 PM EST. To join, message Dawn or Kelly and tag us using #recycledartistryighop.  My card today is re-using some corrugated packaging from inside a Chewy box as well as a digital stamp from Impression Obsession (now closed).   Although I've had this image printed for some time, I just hadn't colored it up to put on a card.

 

After coloring my church scene using both Lyra and Castle Arts pencils, I blended everything using a Prismacolor blender pencil before stippling chipped sapphire distress ink to fill in the sky.  Once the coloring was finished, I layered it and added some faux brads before adhering it to my card using glue dots.  The final touches were copper cord along the left edge and icicle/star dust stickles to add some sparkle.  I'm semi happy with how this turned out since I'm dealing with another migraine.

 

Challenges entered:

 

Never Before Used Schtuff (NBUS) #71 - Use Your NBUS (image, corrugated layer)

Peace On Earth #81 - See Insp Pic Below (inspired by snow, deer color)

The Four Seasons Feb 2025 - Anything Goes Winter  (inspired by snow, tree color) 

FarmQuest Country Christmas #17 - Anything Goes Country

 

Peace On Earth

 

The Four Seasons

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

 

Stamps: Impression Obsession

Card Stock: Neenah; Stampin Up

Ink: Tim Holtz Chipped Sapphire

Accessories: Lyra and Castle Arts Pencils, Blender Pencil, Stipple Brush, Gel Pens, Small Hole Punch, Glue, Stickles, Copper Cord

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

The Rose Quartz Castle

 

 

Once upon a time there lived a princess in a rose quartz castle after moving out of her evil step-mother's house......

Hello and welcome.  I'm guest designing over at Park Hopping My Happy Place challenges this month and the theme is Let's Celebrate.  Be inspired by the castle's pictured or you can use any other theme park related inspiration.  For my card, I chose to go be inspired by ALL of  the Disney© theme park castle and dug out an Impression Obsession digital stamp called Castle With Swing (NBUS).  It's part of their Gary Robertson line of digital images so if you haven't tried their digital stamps, you really should.  The detail is amazing! 

After I printed it onto Neenah white card stock, I pulled out my Castle Arts watercolor pencils and got to coloring.  Now with the way my migraines have been lately, this did take me about two weeks to color.  Once the coloring was finished, I layered it, added silver mini brads and then distressed the edges of the layered panel using my Tim Holtz paper distresser then set aside.  I then pulled out my MFT brick wall stencil, paper pouncers and mowed lawn distress ink to create the card's background.  I then adhered my layered image using pop up glue dots for a little dimension.  The final touch was crystal ice stickles highlighting the water, crown and purple mushroom.  I'm really happy with how this turned out.  I hope you can join us at Park Hopping My Happy Place for this month's challenge.

Challenges entered:

 

Never Before Used Schtuff (NBUS) #59 - Use Your NBUS (digital image)

Splitcoaststampers USEIT2024 - Use Your Unloved Stash (digital image)

Double D Jan 17 - Sparkle and Shine (used ice stickles on water, crown, mushrooms) 

Cupcake Inspirations #586 - Fairy Tales (inspired by Cinderella's castle)

Digi Choosday Wk 4 - Anything Goes Digital (image from Impression Obsession)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Anything Goes

Paper Funday #61 - Anything Goes Optional Let's Celebrate (anything goes)

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Impression Obsession

Ink: Tim Holtz Mowed Lawn Distress

Card Stock: Neenah; Stampin Up

Accessories: Computer, Printer, Castle Arts Watercolor pencils, Blender Pencil, Brads, Distressing Tool, Pop Up Glue Dots, Paper Pouncer, MFT Brick Wall Stencil, Ice Stickles

Tire Swing

 

Hello and welcome.  Today I'd like to share a card I made using one of the Impression Obsession digital stamps called Tire Swing from the Gary Robertson line of digital stamps.  I've had this image printed for awhile but just hadn't used it yet and I have no idea why it's taken me so long.

I started out by coloring it using both prismacolor and copic markers and a Recollections white chalk marker before layering and adding brushed gold brads.  Taking my card base, I dry embossed it using a Cuttlebug© snowflake embossing folder and my Big Shot©.  Using my paper pouncers, I stippled Tim Holtz picket fence and chipped sapphire over the dry embossed images.  I then took my layered image, distressed the edges using a fingernail and then added it to the card using pop up glue dots.  For the image snowflakes, I used a Sakura white gel pen before adding white enamel dots and diamond ice stickles to the embossed snowflake centers.

Challenges entered:

 

Inspiration Station Jan 2024 - See Inspiration Pic (inspired by the snow/moon/night sky)

Never Before Used Schtuff #58 - Use Your NBUS (image)

Classic Design 01-Jan 2024 - Anything Goes Optional Blue/White 

FarmQuest General Store Challenge Jan 2024 - Anything Farm or Country Goes (tire swing with cat in it)

 

Inspiration Station

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Impression Obsession

Ink: Tim Holtz Picket Fence, Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks

Card Stock: Neenah; Stampin Up

Accessories: Computer, Printer, Prismacolor and Copic Markers, Recollections Chalk Marker, Enamel Dots, Brads, Fingernail, Pop Up Glue Dots, Paper Pouncer

 

Run Up To Christmas 2023 Week 10

 

 

 

Hello and welcome to week 10 of the #runuptochristmashop2023 hosted by @love_smile_and_craft and @kellys.craft. We are going to make a card each week for 12 weeks until Christmas. This week we're being inspired to use humor, or be humorous.  Since mine, and my husband's family, have multiple health issues I just had to go with bathroom humor.  I remember more than one family gathering where the discussion topic came around to including bathroom humor; especially if my late mother-in-law started it. 

I decided to use one of my favorite designer lines from Impression Obsession, the Gary Robertson line of digital stamps.  I started out by printing the never before used Seasons Greetings Outhouse on Neenah white card stock before coloring it using both Lyra and Castle Arts pencils and a white gel pen.  Once the coloring was finished, I stippled Tim Holtz tumbled glass and chipped sapphire distress inks using my paper pouncers before layering and adding brads.  My card is stamped in pine needles distress ink using a retired Stampin Up holly jumbo roller wheel before stippling more pine needles around the edges.  Once my layered image was adhered, I went and highlighted parts of the image using a Sakura 3D clear glaze pen.  I then added waterfall and diamond ice stickles to finish the card off.  I'm really happy with how this card turned out because I almost threw it away at one point thinking I had really messed it up.  Fortunately, the card finished well.  

 

Challenges entered: 

 

Never Before Used Schtuff (NBUS) #56 - Use Your NBUS (main image)

Peace On Earth #53 - See Mood Board (inspired by colors) 

The Four Seasons December 2023 - See Mood Board (inspired by colors/season)

The Merry Little Christmas #53 - Anything Goes Christmas 

Inspiration Station #56 December - See Photo (inspired by colors)

Peace On Earth

The Four Seasons

 

Inspiration Station
 

 

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Impression Obsession; Stampin Up

Ink: Tim Holtz Pine Needles, Tumbled Glass, Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks

Card Stock: Neenah White; Recollections Pre-folded Card Stock

Accessories: Computer, Printer, Lyra and Castle Arts Pencils, Blender Pencil, Twine, Brads, Glue Dots, Ice Stickles, 3D Glaze Pen, White Gel Pen, Paper Pouncers

Run Up To Christmas 2023 Week 8

 

 

Hello and welcome to week 8 of the #runuptochristmashop2023 and this week we're being inspired to Make A Scene.  Now I love scenic stamping so this challenge is "right up my alley" so to speak and I knew the stamp set I wanted to use.  I just received this Snow Village set by Impression Obsession from a friend that's been on my wish list for some time now.  I decided to use my church in Anchorage, Alaska as inspiration for my scene.

I started out by stamping the village in memento tuxedo black ink on a slimline scrap panel before coloring using both prismacolor and copic markers.  Once my coloring was finished, I pulled out my Slimline Cloud stencil from Picket Fence Studios and created my cloud background using Tim Holtz stormy sky distress ink and blending brushes.  At this point, I decided I needed some more trees and a couple of snowmen, so I stamped those on scrap white card stock, colored using gel pens, then cut out to adhered to my card.  After stamping my saying from Colorado Craft Company's Bethlehem's Light, I then adhered the image panel to a spruce green card before adding the clay snowflakes from  plum pudding sequin mix and diamond ice stickles because snow just had to sparkle.

Challenges entered:

 

Never Before Used Schtuff (NBUS) #56 - Use Your NBUS (stamps)

Cardz 4 Guyz #335 - Winter Scene 

Crafty Catz #659 - Anything Goes Optional: 3 Of Your Favorite Colors  (blue, green, brown)

Most Magical Time of the Year #14 - Anything Halloween or Christmas (Christmas)

Peace On Earth Christmas #52 - See Inspiration Board (used colors, trees, snow as inspiration)

 

 

Peace On Earth

 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.  For my followers in the United States, have a Happy and safe Thanksgiving.

 

Stamps: Impression Obsession; Colorado Craft Company

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Pine Needles, Stormy Sky Distress Inks

Card Stock: Neenah White; Stampin Up

Accessories: Prismacolor and Copic Markers, Sequins, Glue, Ice Stickles, Cloud Stencil, Blending Brush, Gel Pens

Dare To Get Dirty Day 4

 

Hello everyone and welcome!  Today starts the annual Dare To Get Dirty (DTGD) challenges over at Splitcoaststampers.  The DTGD challenges are a special thank you to Splitcoaststampers Fan Club members.  For info on joining the fan club, see the details here.  My cards for today's challenges are below.

 

Challenges entered:

 

Never Before Used Schtuff (NBUS) #52 - Use Your NBUS (stamp set)

Splitcoaststampers USEIT2023 - Use Your Unloved Stash (stamp set)

Crafty Animals #74 - Anything Goes Animals (horses) 

 

 Stamps: Impression Obsession Slimline Horses

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Fired Brick, Dusty Concord, Chipped Sapphire, Mowed Lawn, Spiced Marmalade

Card Stock: Stampin Up

Accessories: Picket Fence Studios Blending Brushes

 

 I'd also like to enter it into the following challenges:

 

Challenges entered:

 

Splitcoaststampers USEIT2023 - Use Your Unloved Stash 

Creative Crafting Uncles #43 - Maritime (boat, old world map)

Crafty Calendar July 2023 - Anything Goes 

The Male Room #176 - Travel (sailboat, old world map)

 

 

Creative Crafting Uncles

 

 

Sailing Card:

Stamps: Stampin Up Old World Map (retired), Winds Of Grace (retired)

Ink: Tim Holtz Chipped Sapphire

Card Stock: MFP Corn Husk; PTI Enchanted Evening

Accessories: Copper Brads, Copper Cord, Pop Dots, PFS Blending Brush

 

 

 Challenges entered:

Splitcoaststampers USEIT2023 - Use Your Unloved Stash

Crafters Cafe #299 - Christmas In July (Grinch)

The Holly and Ivy Christmas #144 - Anything Goes Christmas 

Happy Little Stampers Christmas July - Anything Goes Christmas (Grinch)

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #51 - Anything Goes Christmas (Grinch)

 

 

 

 

Stamps: Crackerbox

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Card Stock: Copic Xpress It White; Stampin Up

Accessories: Prismacolor and Copic Markers, Bling, White Gel Pen, Bow, Glue Dot

 

 

 Challenges entered:

Never Before Used Schtuff (NBUS) #52 July - Use Your NBUS

Beautiful Blossoms #7 - Anything Goes Flowers Optional Mood Board 

Daisy Chain #76 - Summertime (inspired by wild sunflowers) 

The Flower Challenge #82 - Clean and Simple

Simply Clean And Simple July 2023 - CAS  

 

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge

 

The Flower Challenge

Sunflower card supplies

Stamps: Sweet N Sassy Stamps

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Mowed Lawn, Tumbled Glass

Card Stock: Copic X-press It, SU

Accessories: Prismacolor and Copic Markers, Brads, PFS Blending Brushes, Pop Dots

 

 

Summer Collaberation Sea or Pool Party

 

 

 

 

Welcome to this years #summeraspired2023 hop. Organised by @kellys.craft and @kellysantidesigns.  Where each week we have 2 choices for themes where we can create either or both themes or even combining both together. Week 3's themes are Sea or Pool Party.  Since Mother Nature has really turned up the heat here in Central California, I went "swimming" with the pool party theme and pulled out some scrap pool water designer paper I've had for ages and paired it with Impression Obsession's Pool Party set.  

Once I had my images stamped in memento tuxedo black, I colored everything using both Prismacolor and Copic markers.  I then stippled some Tim Holtz tumbled glass distress ink around the image panel before layering and adding brads.  I then added it to a blue card layered with the scrap pool water designer paper before stippling tumbled glass around the card.  I then went over the saying with a Sakura 3D black glaze pen before adding some Picket Fence Studios sequins before adding some waterfall ice stickles and blue/green fibers I've had in my stash for a while now.

Challenges entered:

Inspiration Station July 2023 - See Mood Board

Splitcoaststampers USEIT2023 - Use Your Unloved Stash (fibers, pool water designer paper)

Hero Arts Stay Crafty With A Blog Named Hero July 2023 - Here Comes The Sun (sunshine saying, summer swimming)

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #210 - Anything Goes 

We Love 2 Create #6 - Anything Mixed Media Goes (fibers, sequins, markers, ice stickles) 

Word Art Wednesday Wks 605 to 606 - Anything Goes Uplifting

Gem of a Craft Challenge Wk 14 - Anything Goes 

 

Inspiration Station

 

 Stay Crafty With A Blog Named Hero

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day.

Stamps: Impression Obsession

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black; Tim Holtz Tumbled Glass

Card Stock: Hammermill White; Stampin Up; Unknown Designer Paper

Accessories: Prismacolor and Copic Markers, Fibers, Sequins, Glue, Brads, Glue Dots, Sakura 3D Glaze Pen, Ice Stickles

A Year In Review For 2022 Blog Hop

 

 

Hello and welcome.  I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and have enjoyed being with family and friends.  I have decided to co-host this year's Year In Review blog hop put on by Elliebelle's Corner.  I have several favorite projects but will only share my Top 10 for now.

1)  First up is a card made for the Cat Lovers Hop in October - Singing The Song Of Our Peoples using some old Rubbernecker stamps I've had for a decade or more and never used.

2)  Next up is another Cat Lovers Hop card from October using a digital from Impression Obsession - A Cat In The Hat Jack.

 

3) Next I have a card that was made for the 2022 Dare To Get Dirty Challenges in July over on Splitcoaststampers - Boho Bull.   Definitely a favorite since I learned a new technique that I really like.

 

 

4)  Next up is another card I made in July using a digital from Impression Obsession.  The coloring turned out better than I thought it would - Classic Truck 

5) Next is another Impression Obsession digital image I made in July - Old Fishing Hole  

6)  Next is a card I made back in August while dealing with some personal and health issues - Wildlife Babies.  I really love how it turned out especially with all of the "outside stuff" I was dealing with at the time.

 

 7.  Next is a card made in June using my retired clear stamps from The Cat's Pajamas - Oh What Fun 

 

8.  Next up is a card I made in May using another Impression Obsession digital stamp as part of the #cardsforukraine card drive - Another Sunflower For Ukraine

 

9.  April brought out my lighthouse images and another Impression Obsession digital stamp is a favorite - Spring Lighthouse  I absolutely LOVE how this card turned out.  My mother and I both loved lighthouses.  She passed away in 1991 from breast cancer and I was thinking of her a lot while coloring it.

 

10.   Now I love a good snarky card, and when I saw this stamp set from Whimsy in April, I knew I just had to have it, AND the family member that would be receiving this card at Christmas .

11.  In March, I played along with the Virtual Stamp Night challenges over at Splitcoaststampers.com.  For one of the challenges, I used this image from Gracielle Design - I Am The Resurrection And The Life 

12.  January saw me seriously try out stenciling to use on cards using some stencils from Picket Fence Studios, and found I really liked how they turned out - Rockin' Wishes

Blog Hop Participants: 

Bonnie from Stamping in the Light (that's me!)

Brenda from Floral Fantasies 

Debbie from Secrets to Stamping

Diane from Nellie's Nest  

Ellie from Ellibelle's Corner

Helene from Mummylade 

Hilary from Fidding About 

Joanne from My Slices of Life

Melissa from The Stamping Ninja 

Rachel from Slow Down, Enjoy and Create 

Sara from Sassy's Cards and Gifts

 

Sue from Just Peachy Stamping

 

I invite you to also participate by linking up your own year in review post using the linky tool as it will be open for only one week.  Please remember ONLY a year in review post.  No other blog posts as they will be deleted.

 Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a great day and a safe Happy New Year.  May 2023 bring you joy, smiles, laughter and lots of creating.  ;)