Miss Manners says, Send a Thank You note!!

Here is a trio of thank you cards I made to mail out after Christmas! I used SU's "Elements of Style" for the floral image and the sentiment is also SU! Apothecary art. They went so well together. The inks are Crumb Cake, Night of Navy, and Cherry Cobbler. I actually liked the crumb cake on the cream colored cardstock the best. The images are stamped and then mounted on the same color paper to give the card a little more presence. I almost added a pearl...but then that would have made them more difficult to mail. Instead, I brushed them with a Pearl Ex powder in pearl white...which adds a subtle shimmer. I didn't add that to the red, but the crumb cake and night of navy have a pearly look...which of course, always looks better in real life than on camera!  So, I basically have a one layer card and if I can just discipline myself to write out a note;  I can get these out soon.
This is my last entry for Power Poppy's Rewind  challenge, gifts! These would make a great gift set...I made 6 so I would have a few extra just for that purpose.
Thank you so much for popping in...wishing you a very Blessed New Year!!

One last peek at Christmas!

I am not one to put away my Christmas decorations the day after, or even tomorrow, New Year's Day! I love the twinkling lights of my tree...and it helps me to keep it up for at least part of the cold dreary month of January to cheer me and warm my soul. So...on that note; I am sharing my last Christmas card using Power Poppy's adorable stamp set, "Cozy Cupfuls."

I get so much inspiration from the Power Poppy Brigade's Design Team...I saw this tree stamp done in a tall card size on Katie Sim's blog and thought it looked a little more grand with the length...so I went with the size and framed it out with a gold glitter paper. The sentiment was gold embossed on a polka dotted vellum...trimmed with lace. A textured bright pink card base added a little pop! The balls are glittered up in diamond stickles.

This card is for this month's Power Poppy challenge...add the gold, lots of gold and glittery goodness in this card!!

 Thank you so much for all your visit today! I hear birds singing outside my window...the sun is shining and hopefully we will warm up past our recent highs of way below freezing!!

Merry Christmas!

Hi friends! I am sharing another card that I made attending a Stampin' Up! Christmas card class! This went together fairly quickly using the "Falling Snow" embossing folder, a snowflake and word die, glitter paper and red foil paper...it makes such a sparkly presentation and I was quite taken with the shiny red and sparkly silver against a white backdrop. I went home and added the doily because I love white feminine doilies on everything...making it mine!
Hope this brings a smile...as always, thank you for popping in and sharing your time with me.

Joy! ~a bit of Nostalgia

Hi dear friends! In the flurry of Christmas preparations, I hope you will be singing familiar carols and hymns and let the joy of the season permeate your heart and settle your soul! We have been given the greatest gift, Jesus Christ, as the Savior of the world!! What joy, what peace, what an amazing God!!
This card was made in a Christmas card class using Stampin' Up paper and and embellishments. I loved the pom pom dot for the "J," don't you? Thank you so much for your visit!

Power and Spark Rewind Challenge!

It's beginning to look a lot like the mess before Christmas...in my house and especially the stamp room! As I "make merry" with all things ink and ribbon and jingle bells, chalkboard paint and stamps...but you wouldn't know it by coming here...so I hope to add a few of my Christmas cards and projects in the next few days!
This month my favorite stamp company, Power Poppy, is having a "Rewind Challenge," a repeat of any challenges over the past year. I chose to do the "Embellish It" challenge as that is what I do most often.
This Poinsettia card is watercolored and embellished with some intricate lacy dies and a big floppy bow of a pretty mix of Christmas ribbons and pearls.

I chose a soft vignette and even though it doesn't show the depth of reds and greens, it does make for a dreamy effect. Speaking of dreamy...the snow has left drifts among the pines and Christmas lights sparkle underneath. 

I am also entering my card for this week's Wordart Wednesday scripture challenge blog, "Anything Goes."

Wishing you joy as you prepare your heart for Christmas this year. 

Word Art Wednesday #210

Hi dear friends! I am sharing a scripture card that I made using reinkers as my background. I wanted to make a Fall card featuring one of my favorite Bible verses. The scripture is a retired Stampin' Up that I recently pulled out to try a few different techniques. It is hard to tell, but the scripture is stamped in gold encore ink and has a subtle shimmer to it...it looks prettier in person! I wrapped twine lenthwise and added a single copper colored rhinestone to the corner.
I have been struggling with insomnia; so this is a verse I like to meditate on any time! I so appreciate your visit; and hope this scripture will encourage your heart.
I am entering this in this Week's Word Art Wednesday challenge; one of my favorite blogs with wonderful devotionals and scripture sharing.

Snow birds in Purple!

I am once again playing with Power Poppy stamps and joining this month's Embellish It challenge! I love this stamp illustrated by Marcella Hawley called "Heaven and Nature Sing!"  It is one of my very favorite images. I have colored it up last year in very traditional colors and made my birds Chickadees. Several of the Power Poppy design team members have inspired me to try the floral in non-traditional colors...so this is where this rich purple comes in. I colored the birds and flowers and holly berries in various shades of the copic violet family...then the background in blue to highlight. I added glaze to the berries to add some sparkle, and a little wink of Stella pen to the flower centers. The roses are Prima roses were smudged  with SU's Rich Razzleberry ink. The die cuts are all Spellbinders. Pearls were added for an extra flourish...now I just need to find someone who loves purple to give this to!!
Thanks as always, for stopping in and spending time...your visit is appreciated!

Lilacs in the Fall

I wanted to try a little bit of shabby look with these lilacs, and also a more Fall centered theme...how did I do? My image was water colored, then I used some of the actual paper from the Prima packaging for the petite print pattern because I love that paper...and a big Prima flower that was in the packaging. My youngest daughter brought this adorable Prima Flower

package all the way from China. She had stopped in a scrap booking store and saw them and bought them for me as a souvenir. That was so sweet...so I've been trying to find fun ways to use them! I added a little twine bow behind the flower and a pretty jewel in the corner along with a Martha Stewart doily. I am submitting this to this month's Power Poppy's Power and Spark Challenge! You have this week to play along...Thanks so much for stopping in, I hope your day is blessed!

New Addition to the Family~Welcome Walter!!

Our daughter, Erin, with her new Mountain Bernese puppy, Walter! Walter is squirmy, wiggly, has an extremely long tongue, his eyes dance with merriment (kind of like Erin's)...and he has a little swagger in his puppy walk. He has mastered the stairs on our deck , is almost potty trained, and has won our hearts! He has made quite the impression on Instagram, with hundreds of fans and followers!  I can sure see why! And Erin is one happy puppy owner!! Thanks for sharing this "Major Moment" with me!!

Power Poppy November Challenge~Embellish This!

For today's card, I am participating in this month's "Power and Spark Challenge!" over on the Power Poppy blog!I have been stamping and will have a few cards to add to this collection soon. Here in Colorado, we woke up to a cold frost on the last of the autumnal leaves remaining on the trees.I don't know if I am quite ready for the bundling up of winter...but I can celebrate the coming season with a new card! This is a set from Flourishes (which is retired, but I heard, coming back?)...and I love these sweet birds. I attempted a little more masculine look to my card, then I had to add pearls, but I kept them masculine, because they are brown, right? I mean men do like brown pearls, I'm certain. Ha! My embellishments are pretty obvious...thanks so much for stopping in and taking a look!

I used retired SU! designer paper, colored in with copics, added a wink of stella clear pen over the branches, brown ribbon, pearls, and a snowflake die cut with pearly brown center! I hope you're staying cozy wherever you are!

Happiness

Last year I took an online card class just to try out some new techniques and refine my stamping skills. It was actually really fun trying new ideas with paper, ink, and SU! Products!

This is one of my favorite cards I made using Stampin' Up's "Choose Happiness" set. 

The black cardstock has a stamped floral encore gold ink background. Sequins, doily, and gold thread were the embellishments. 

And here is a close up of the embossed birds:

I rarely stamp cards on black cardstock, but the gold encore ink really add a dash of formality and drama. Thank you so much for visiting...wishing you a day filled with joy and happiness!

One Year Anniversary!

One year ago...this happened...

Our beautiful daughter had her fairytale wedding in her princess gown...and her Prince Charming is just that! I am so happy they've celebrated their first year wedding anniversary this weekend.
I made an anniversary card to give them for this occasion...trying to use the soft muted shades from her wedding colors. My card is totally inspired from Lilybean Paperie's blog...nobody does shabby chic and beautiful like she does!!

Two vine die cuts, one in cardboard, the other in vellum...embossed with rose and gold detailed inks. A vellum overlay on the left panel, a floppy bow with underlying gold threads...stamped background in bridal rose ink with Gorgeous Grunge from Stampin Up and a few gold sequins to finish! The sentiment is also gold embossed. Thank you so much for stopping by! 

Wedding Card in Gold~

I rarely make wedding cards because I rarely get to go to weddings anymore...but my beautiful niece married this past weekend and my husband and I , both daughters and respective husband and boyfriend also travelled to Woodinville, Washington for the grand affair! Her colors were champagne and gold...so I decided to use this gold vellum heart overlay over a gold embossed floral paper for the base. The stamp is SU! and is gold embossed. Tiny rhinestones and a champagne were added for flourish. The card is 5x7...which seemed appropriate for a wedding. This was actually easy, but I think it makes a keepsake for the bride and groom.

And here you can see a little more of the paper underneath and the gold embossing...shield your eyes!

There seems to be no easy way to capture gold without glare. I was pleasantly surprised how quickly this card came together using the overlay. I used mini glue dots under a few of the hearts to prevent the vellum from curling up.
Hope you enjoyed this card...blessings on your day!

Shabby and Chic~French Provincial Style!

Good morning friends! I just returned home from my niece's wedding in Washington state this week, so I will be having a simple wedding card to show you in a few days...but meanwhile...of course I had to stop by Power Poppy blog and find this month's challenge!

I don't make shabby chic cards often...and after a lot of fiddle and faddle, I finally finished two cards for the challenge. That's because one kept wanting to go a different direction with colors...I'm sure you know what I mean. I wanted to use the Power Poppy Lilacs stamp and also try out these new Peerless Water Colors that come in long bookmark looking papers with beautiful deep hues of every color. Once I stamped in Memento ink and began with the colors...I noticed right away that the saturation and hue was so deep and rich...I couldn't go with the soft images usually seen in Shabby Chic. My colors were bright blues, purples, flesh pink, shabby shutters greens, and that bright yellow that resembles the sun...it wasn't until this morning that I could recall the exact place of this color inspiration:

It was a few years ago in one of our travel ventures to Europe. I was on a perfumery tour in Grasse, France...where fields of lavender are grown for the glorious making of perfumes...it is the best smelling place ever, and very intoxicating! The colors of that area were so beautiful...this card maybe partially captures it. And believe it or not...the actual color inspiration was a tiny bathroom in a little cafe that actually played itself out in my card today. It was the prettiest bathroom I had ever seen...and one that I won't be duplicating in my home as it was very feminine...but my memory bank stored that and here it is...to the best of my limited artistry.
I do believe travel is one of the best ways to be inspired in all areas of life...beauty, knowledge, idealism, wonder...it is such a great investment and memories will find ways to stay alive and encourage in darker days.
Thanks so much for your visit today!

It's a Bright New Day!~Power Poppy "Hang Some Paper" Challenge

Thanks for stopping by today! I decided to make another card for Power Poppy's "Hang it Up Challenge" which you can see here using my latest set, "Lilac Time."

 I spent some much needed time stamping this weekend; determined to finally figure out these Spellbinder Borderabilities I had never used. I found a wonderful tutorial on YouTube and it helped so much to make this card. I used several of the Borderabilities and the sentiment from the set. Also, I stamped the individual flowers on white to make my own background paper~can you see it? It actually matched one of the design papers I used! Imagine that! The other three papers are from a pack of Basic Grey paper pack, "LilyKate." The pack contained the tag and I used that as my starting point for the sentiment.The tag is tied up with a pink taffeta ribbon, silver cording, and a petty floral button with rhinestone center.
One thing I find with stamping is no matter your mood...you can choose to pick up a wonderfully positive sentiment and let that be your focus and as you put your card together...it is a wonder how much your mood can lighten and countenance brighten. And then when you mail it...the blessing is two-fold.
Blessings on your day!~

Power Poppy~Hang Some Paper

My favorite stamps, Power Poppy, are back with a July Challenge!!You can visit their blog here to read all about it.

My card is from the "Short Stacks Collection." Such sweet images...and this one is colored with copics in one of my favorite color combinations...pinks/roses/minty greens...I did use 3 designer papers for this card and am so thankful to DT member, Leslie, for the inspiration this month as I liked the combo and thought the chevron banner added a little more interest! I added a little glittery goodness to the tulips, hearts, and ribbon with a Wink of Stella pen. Thanks so much for stopping in!!

Songbirds

Hi there! Just another quick post today with a sweet songbird stamped out for a friend's birthday! This card was found on the Papertrey Ink's capture blog by one of their designers...I changed a few things but the overall design was inspired by them.
I was so happy to make this in one of my very favorite color combinations...red on white! A very dear friend from way back in 7th grade is having a birthday at the end of this month. She called me out of the blue about a week ago and when I asked her how she was...she told me that she was fine...now. Then  she went on to explain she had suffered a brain bleed back in February and had been in Intensive care for two weeks before she was able to go home. Her Mom stayed with her and took care of her for a couple of weeks after that. Her lightheartedness accompanied by the heavy news left me at a loss for words...it is always hard to know what to do or say after a crisis has occurred, and been recovered from. I just said I was so happy she was fine now and that she was here and I valued her friendship. I won't forget her birthday this year...she loves the color red, so this was made especially for her! The little Happy Birthday to you stanza is actually meant to be a banner...but after not having much success cutting them out evenly; I opted to use it as a background stamp and love the way it turned out. A little prima flower perched on some natural twine completes the songbird ensemble.

         

No hail allowed!

I am a little late in my gardening this year...as in I have nothing at all planted in any planters. First we were gone on Mother's Day weekend which would be my typical day to plant...then it became unseasonably cool...and then the past two weekends we have had huge hail and rainstorms...so about now I am debating whether I should or not. Our daughter planted an entire garden in her very first home...and said the hailstorm this weekend ruined it. So sad...but she may replant some areas.
One of the things I love about stamping cards is you can have instant flowers...no hail damage allowed! I love this pretty bouquet of cascading floral in this sweet bicycle wicker basket. My card today was Pinterest inspired. I made this for a friend who is getting on in years and I think this is a fun birthday sentiment for that occasion. Wishing you hail-free and stress-free gardening! Thanks so much for your visit.

Pedal Pusher

Hi blogging friends! Happy June! I can't believe we are already nearing summer,can you? Way back in February, my youngest daughter, Erin, took us to a breeder she was considering for her first puppy. This was a "sample" of a sweet little cuddly fellow (that was about to go home with another owner.) I took a few pictures because I wanted to celebrate the moment...even though the actual puppy is still a few months from coming home with her. The Bernese Mountain is the breed she has chosen...they are supposed to be very mellow, sweet dogs...but big! And she lives in a two bedroom town home right in the heart of downtown Denver. Oh my is all I can say to that!

She is in line for the next male dog of the litter due sometime in September, I believe. I just recently took out my Papertrey Ink stamp, "Pedal Pusher," and found this cute puppy face that is one of the many options to fill the bicycle basket.
As I am a little rusty, the design was taken from Pinterest...but I changed up the colors and layout a bit. I love the way this card took shape...

That face looks a lot like the puppy's face in the photo, don't you think? This card just makes me smile. I added a bit of crochet ribbon over the basket to look like the puppy is swaddled in a blankie along with all sorts of fun embellishments to give this a little dimension.

As always, thanks for stopping in...your comments make me smile! 

Steamboat in the Spring

Our first visit since January to our little Steamboat "cabin," and taking a walk on my favorite path that borders Fish Creek...I turned around and told my husband, "this would be a pretty picture," but I didn't have my camera...so he took out his phone and snapped this...oh my...so beautiful!! Will get back to stamping soon.!

Power Poppy April Challenge~Pop of Pastel!

Happy Spring! Yesterday I was driving around our neck of the woods and suddenly, Spring had sprung! Every tree was in bloom, the grass had lost it's brownish hue from the dormancy of winter, and green was sprouting up all over! That doesn't mean we won't still have some winter like weather possibly pushing through in the next few weeks...but boy, it felt so good to finally see some spring!
This month the challenge at Power Poppy is to add a "pop of pastel" to your card.

  

I used the stamp set, "Springtime Love" for my card. Anchoring the pretty focal image with two different Spellbinder's dies set it off and gave the image a little more presence. I also used a tulip embossed border, now retired from Stampin' Up. The ribbon matched perfectly! 

I love the bleeding hearts on this stamp...they are so pretty and fun to color. I added a bit of glitter with a Wink of Stella pen and used some dots with copics to highlight. This shade of lavender reminds me of spring!

Yesterday I had this song that I must have learned way back in kindergarten going through my head...it is such a sweet refrain and reminder of this time of year:

Sunshine bright,

Raindrops light,

Makes the spring time flowers grow.

Voices ring,

Children sing,

Happy Spring is here we know!

Thanks as always for stopping in...I wish you Spring in your heart even if your weather isn't cooperating just quite yet!

Power and Spark Challenge~Go for the Gold!

So, hey, it's been almost a month since I've popped in to my own blog...I've been busily stamping per the usual, but not so much blogging! That has to change today...as it is the last day to submit a challenge to this month's Power Poppy's "Go for the Gold" challenge here.

Admittedly, this is a Christmas card, and I plan to enter it into SCS's Christmas card challenge. It will be in the pile for next year if I can bear to part with it! Chickadees have to be one of my favorite birds, and I was very challenged to color these images in an effort to resemble these sweet little creatures. Thanks to some help online, I think I did alright.
And just in case I forget and want to replicate my own rendering...here is a little close up:

This image is matted very simply in SU's glittery gold and a cherry cobbler linen bow and Webster's sparklet to finish it off! A bit of gold spica pen to add sparkle to the flower centers...and we're golden!
Thanks so much for dropping in...may your day be blessed!

Pretty Pink Zinnia!

I have long been an admirer of many of the design team members of the now retired Flourishes stamps. This card was completely inspired by Christine of Christine Creations who now serves on the Power Poppy brigade team! She introduced me to pointillism via her blog a long time ago...and when I can remember; I love to use this for shading around a focal image.  The technical definition of "pointillism" is using points of ink in art to form a pattern. This doesn't actually form a pattern, but it adds a lot of color surrounding this pretty flower! I still have so many of the Flourishes stamps, many as of yet not inked

...so I will be continuing to use these and feature them on my blog along with the newer "Power Poppy" stamps!!
Thanks so much for stopping by, hope you enjoyed my little card!!