Doodlebugs Friday!

 

Hello friends!  I'm not going to blah, blah, blah on my blog today!  It's weekend eve, and I really can't wait to show you how I brought a Christmas stamp out to play with a new wreath in the first week of Spring!   Here's your peek...

Come see the entire card at the Doodlebugs blog today!

=] Michele

Doodlebugs Friday!

 

Hello again, my friends!  I have a fond memory of conversation hearts as a child Here's a little peek at how I created my own paper ones over at the Doodlebugs blog - hope to see you there!

=] Michele

Playing Cards with Friends - January 2023

My playdate in December fell through, sadly - so it's with renewed vigor and enthusiasm that I'm back with my first 

Playing Cards with Friends session for 2023!

This month my very special guest is from my Instagram group of friends!  Melinda's 'IG handle' is what caught my eye first: @itsacardknocklife is so very clever, don't you agree?  And a very clever card maker she is - Melinda shares lots of techniques and story reels/tutorials on her feed... all gorgeous! 

I was thrilled when Melinda said yes to my invitation to play - here are our requirements for our cards:

Did you know today is International Thank you day? 

Make a thank you card with a water-colored bouquet - seemed like a good choice for our assignment!

My card started by stamping a Penny Black [a sweet Christmas gift from a friend who knows how much I love tulips] called Springtide onto watercolor cardstock.

 

Then I stretched the stamp to lengthen the stems so they would show properly from the bottom of my 'wrap' along with a bit of rudimentary no-line water coloring.

My wrap is one of the Nesting Slimline Labels cut from kraft card...

... you'll spot another behind it, on top of a panel of kraft card cut with

a HoneyBee Scalloped frame ... topped with a HoneyBee sentiment!

Thanks a bunch was perfect - stamped and gold heat embossed!

Melinda thank you so very much for starting this year of Playing Cards with me!

Of course, I would love it if you all stopped by Melinda's Instagram page - she's even been kind enough to add her card to her blog for those who can't.

Thanks, bunches, for stopping by today!

=] Michele

Playing Cards with Friends - September 2022

Today, I have the great pleasure of Playing Cards with my friend from Sweden, Karin Åkesdotter!  Not only has she inspired another of my PCWF cards, but she even honored my request to use her water coloring talents to paint our cats! [Still might be the very best surprise I ever gave to my husband] Karin's blog Peppermint Patty's has been such a pleasure to read for many years - I'm very, very lucky that she accepted my invitation to Play!  Thanks, so much, my friend!

We are celebrating two National Holidays this month:  Hug a Greeting card Writer Day and Locate an Old Friend Day!  I've linked the celebration details so you can read all about them.  Using one, or both of the holidays, here is our assignment:

    ·         Use a die-cut sentiment as the star of your card

and deliver it to that friend!

How easy is that?  I found a sentiment set in my stash that just has not seen enough ink and wanted to try that wonderful technique from Dawn at Wplus9 using silhouette stamps... you can find her instruction here.  I went with a very watery stamping - for a moment, I thought it was a goner!  But Dawn never steers us wrong!

The technique is a simple one:

1. Load your MISTI with stamps of choice - I used Altenew's Leaf Clusters - and your favorite watercolor cardstock.  [my current favorite is Fabriano hot press]
2.  Grab your daubers or blending sponges and choose some Distress Oxides that make you happy - I was thinking Autumn today.  
3.  Add ink directly to the stamp as you'd like then give the stamps a spritz of water using a fine misting bottle like TH Mini Mister
4.  Close the lid of your MISTI wait a few seconds and have a second panel of paper at the ready - you won't believe it, but you will get a second stamping!

Here's mine...

Since it was for a very special friend who will be hugging this greeting card maker soon, I brought out a bit of sparkle and added splats of gold spray, and that sentiment I mentioned - actually two from Waffle Flower's Sentiment Additions combo set of stamps and dies - that were heat embossed in Ranger Princess Gold.  By positioning one to the left and one to the right of my panel it's as if there is a beginning and end which wraps around my card panel!  

Just when you think I might be done... here's that second stamping all drizzled with gold spray, a camouflaged sentiment cut from the panel and then lifted with two additional cuts stacked below for dimension ...

[this one I'll save for a rainy day!]

I cannot wait to be bedazzled by Karin's brilliance!  So, why not join me?

Karin, thank you so very much for Playing Cards with me today.  I know you have your hands full with work, your darling boy, and husband!  I consider it a great honor that you've shared some of your spare time with me! xx

=] Michele     

CAS Mix Up and CAS Christmas August 2022

 I don't often combine challenges but today's time in my studio turned into the perfect opportunity to combine CAS Christmas, and CAS Mix Up for August 2022!   It also gave me some time to play with my new inks from SU - thanks to a very sweet friend!

I reached for my much loved, annually used Altenew set: Holiday Bow.  The Pine Bough is a two-step session which is great because I could use CP sandcastle ink for the 'branch' after stamping the needles with Evening Evergreen, then again with Versamark, and clear heat embossing it all - that's the magic of Emboss Resist!  All the watery ink that I've added is resisted by the heat embossed images.  Here's a closeup for reference. 

I used that gorgeous Soft Succulent to loosely watercolor the background.  Here's the end result:

That pretty little duo of bells and the sentiment are Wplus9's Silver Bells set

What could be easier than using the same supplies for another card?  This one is heading to CAS Christmas where PINE is the chosen theme by Trina!  Thanks, Trina!  This time I stamped them with the Soft Succulent ink!

Another sentiment from Silver Bells and I'm revisiting those sweet little stitching dies from MFT -

I remember when nearly every one of my cards had it!

Okay, I'd better get these delivered to their galleries - the boss just came home early!

=] Michele

Doodlebugs Friday!

 

It's FRIDAY!  YAY!  I have an extra fun card to share over on the Doodlebugs Blog today!

Here's my sneaky peek... wouldn't you flip for a pair like this??

=] Michele

Doodlebugs Friday!

 

SO glad it's Friday especially since I'm happy to have added to my Altenew Paint-a-Flower stash - and I get to share it with YOU!  Here's a peek, but I hope you stop by the Doodlebugs Blog to see the whole thing!  Thanks, in advance - you guys are the best!

=]  Michele

Altenew - May 2022 Inspiration Challenge

A weekend of potting plants made me take a second look at Altenew's May 2022 Inspiration Challenge - isn't that a gorgeous bloom?  Terri Koszler is our host - she took this photo at the Botanical Gardens in Bristol, UK.  It brought my mind to one of Altenew's Paint-A-Flower sets:  African Daisy!

Simply stamped with WOW embossing ink, and clear heat embossed made simple water coloring even simpler.  It was easy to find all the right shades of color in my Altenew 36 Pan set of watercolors: Puffy Heart, Bamboo, and Forest Glades to be exact. The sentiment is also from the African Daisy set.  These embossed pieces [SU] were here waiting for me in my snippets!

Hope your week has gotten off to a colorful start!

=] Michele

Color Hues #40

 

We have been elbow-deep in painting/retiling our master bathroom - but I found a few free hours to play today and couldn't resist embracing the blues, and tans from Color Hues #40!

The fabulous DT used a variety of blues so i thought my favorites would be totally acceptable ... see what you think:

I just love the look of these Altenew Impressionist Bouquet blooms and can't get over how pretty they are - they're stenciled!

I reached for their Geo Steps embossing folder [don't be fooled by that dimension: it's a simple piece of grey cardstock and the shadows cast by the light!]  

Apothecary Labels again and a sentiment from an Altenew mini set, a few tiny pearls, and my work is done!

=] Michele

Doodlebugs Friday!

More of my loose, messy water coloring today over at the Doodlebugs Blog!  This time using a lovely new to me set from Pinkfresh Studio:  Beautiful Blooms - and a wonderful place to plant frame them... hope you'll stop over!  thank you!

=] Michele

Where Women Create - Word of the Year

I'm sending a card over to Where Women Create on Instagram today.  But thought I'd share with you, just in case you have a word that you're particularly fond of this year.  I gave 'my word' a lot of thought and came to the conclusion that HOPE continues to be what gets me through any day!

Two Altenew sets came together to help me showcase my word:  Build-A-Flower Triumph Tulip [my newest tulip acquired in 2020] and their Caps Bold Alphabet dies.  

My message?  Hope is attainable - sometimes hidden or buried by other emotions - but worth every bit of effort to find.

Here are the inks I've used today for layering these gorgeous shades-of-turquoise tulips:

Thanks #WCWordOfTheYear 

=] Michele

The Flower Challenge #64 reminder

 

Popping in to remind you that there's still plenty of time to make a Monochrome floral card for The Flower Challenge!  

I had to play a little more with my Altenew Hello Beautiful* Craft a Life kit!  It includes a set of coloring stencils. I'll admit to scratching my head a little bit, but in the end, they worked their charm to color this beautiful bouquet... another love of neutrals card for me!  Altenew's Coffee Break ink collection proved to be the perfect choice for a little mocha monochrome.

This Timeworn Type embossing folder from SU is the newest addition to my every-growing collection!  This time I used MFT's Natural cardstock - another discontinued paper, sadly.  

I know I've shared this tip in the past, but happy to share it again. 

Using an embossing folder, like this oldie from Cuttlebug, to emboss a second die cut layer can add lift, without bulk - or extra postage!

There are tons of cards to inspire you over at The Flower Challenge blog - my friend Lisa is our guest designer this month, too!  So why not go on over to be inspired, and play cards with us while you're at it!

=] Michele

*Altenew's Craft a Life Hello Beautiful is a kit - items not sold separately - yet!  Sometimes they will do later, but no promises are intended.  Please understand that this is not under my control nor am I an affiliate of the Altenew company.  I'm sure you have another floral that will be just perfect!

Color Hues #27 - Orange and Green!

 Orange and green?  It couldn't be a more perfect choice for Fall at Color Hues!  

I had a little play with another new layering set from Altenew:  

Fresh Bloom, and dies.

I love that its layers leave a few white highlights!

The inks I used today are from a set called Goldfish Tails!

This one had an additional layer of brown that may have disqualified it, 

but I wanted to share it just the same:

When Fall comes, I turn to these colors naturally - so naturally I had to play along!

Thanks, Color Hues!

=]  Michele

Supplies:

Altenew Fresh Bloom combo, Goldfish Tail ink set, Rounded Rectangle frames, Leafy Garden die, and Dotted Swirls cover plate.

Playing Cards with Friends - September 2021 Edition!

My guest this month is familiar to most of you, I'm sure - she has the most wonderful way with CAS, and I just know she'll knock my socks off with every card she makes as a designer at any of the CAS family of challenges - currently CAS Christmas.  Please welcome my September guest:  Hideko from Papercraft Boutique!   A darling friend who lives so far away from me in California - no, we haven't met YET!  But it is a shared dream between us!  [Look out Matt, and Tom!]

Today is National Coloring Day!  To celebrate it, and our shared love of Altenew florals, our parameters were very simple:

Color an Altenew image, using any medium at all!

There was an image I had saved in my phone to try another day.  Playing Cards with Hideko, and National Coloring Day, was the perfect time to attempt it.  Here is the image I had saved to my phone:

Enterprise Times UK 2018

Now I have a limited number of pinks in my Copics collection - so please keep that in mind.  It was this dark pond that I was really trying to capture - don't ask how many layers of Copics,  and Prismacolor pencils were used!  I think my paper had absorbed as much ink as was possible!

Altenew's Inked Lotus to the rescue - with the hint of a few leaves from an older Altenew Lotus set.  Ready? 

Hideko, you always leave the sweetest compliments [and always see

things about my cards that no one else does] - thanks for being a wonderful 

friend, and for playing cards with me today!  

I cannot wait another second to see your card my friend - hope you ALL join me, please!  Oh and do color a little something today in your own studios in honor of National Coloring Day!

=]  Michele

p.s. This sweet sentiment is from The Stamp Market, but heat embossed with Altenew Rose Gold!

The Flower Challenge Reminder #58

 

You may have noticed I haven't been around much?  I've been

stay-cationing with my husband, which included shutting down, and tuning out  blogging, social media, and crafting!  But I have enjoyed seeing the wonderful cards you have all made - from the sidelines!  Here is a little something I got done before shutting down! 

It's time to remind you that there is still time to enter 

The Flower Challenge #58 - Add spots, or Stripes!

I found the perfect bloom to wear the spots today - complete with a few stripes 

of its own design!  

Because it's nearly six months 'til Christmas, another card for my stash!

Yes, it's one of my favorite tropical Christmas blooms again...

the line design of this Altenew Modern Poinsettia combo provided the stripes I was

looking for - but those dots?  All mine, added with two shades of

pinkish red for my spots!

Have you played along?  You know you can play again, right?  But be sure to read the rules about how many times, okay?  I don't want to be the one to lead you astray!  Find our link, and rules here!

=]  Michele

Hey! Since this card features a Poinsettia, I'm sending it over to Linda, our host at 

CAS Christmas Challenge July 2021!

Color Hues #17 - Red & Orange

 

There was not one bit of doubt in my mind that I'd be playing along with those fab designers at Color Hues this week -  I LOve the combination of red, and orange!

DT Hannelie's card inspired me to get out some of the awesome card stock I have on hand - these from The Stamp Market, worked beautifully with my Climber Flowers set from Altenew - which seems to be climbing beautifully on their Grid Cover Die - thank you, to one of my generous friends for that die!  Ready for my card?  Here she is...

Two very bright and wonderful inks came together for my sentiment -

this one from Pinkfresh's Lush Greenery set... 

Okay.  I'd better get back to my regularly scheduled 'loads' of Monday fun!  Thanks Color Hues for featuring colors I love!

=]  Michele