Happy Birthday Cardinal

One of my favorite things about spring is hearing the cardinals singing so much!  I think they are such pretty birds, even the female, with her muted colors.

When I bought this Hero Arts Color Layering Cardinal stamp set last year, I knew I'd love it for Christmas cards, but I also wanted to try it for a spring time card.  I'm entering this card into a couple challenges.

Link to the blog is HERE

Flickr group: LOVE--Handmade Cards, ATC's & Other Crafts April Challenge--Anything Goes

I used a hand-cut cloud stencil to ink the clouds in the background with Tumbled Glass Distress ink.  I experimented with the various shades of red inks I have to find a combination I like.  I use Abandoned Coral Distress ink for the 1st layer.  Second layer is Simon Says Stamp Lipstick Red, finishing with Aged Mahogany Distress ink for the 3rd layer.  The flowers are stamped with SSS Twirling Tutu and Hot Lips.

I edged my card base with some Scor-tape and added some pretty soft pink Art Glitter in Baby's Breath to create my own glittery edges.

I added flower centers and a few extra dots with Nuvo Crystal Drops in Red Berry.  Also added Spectrum Noir clear sparkle pen to flowers and darkest ink on bird, but it doesn't show in the photo.

Thank you for taking a look!

Best Wishes Peony

Being a "flower" addict, I had to get a couple of The Ton's new stamps!  Today I have used Dearest Peony for my card.

I'm entering this into a few challenges:

Get the details HERE

Flickr's LOVE--Handmade Cards, ATC's & other Crafts--April Challenge Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge...Splash It On


I did a lot of "splashing" on this one!  I created the background using the "ink smooshing" technique, sprayed on a bit of water, the sprayed on a bit of Perfect Pearls & Distress Spray Stain.  The flower was watercolored with Zig Clean Color markers and added more details with two Prismacolor Pencils.

I love this copper embossing powder!!!!

Here is a photo with the main supplies I used.  Not very many really.

Thank you for taking a moment to check out my card!  If you leave a comment, a BIG thank you to you!!!

Birthday Card Boo-boo's

I'm putting this up on the blog to participate in Darnell's 2nd Annual April Fool's Boo-boo Hop and NBUS Challenge #11.  Our entry can be sharing our boo-boo's and/or NBUS!  No prizes, but just fun times seeing that we all have those moments!

So here is the front of the card in all its glory!  These are stamps and dies from My Favorite Things.

You may be wondering, what's the problem?  Well, the "problem" is that I had the entire card front adhered to my card base before beginning the sentiment inside!  There must've been an earthquake when I stamped this sentiment!  I guess I was in shock because I then promptly dropped the ink pad onto the card!!  Argghhh!!  What to do?!!  Also notice the little smudge along the right side!!

So I wracked my brain and Ta-da!  It clicked into gear and saw the extra pieces and parts leftover from the front!  Re-stamped the sentiment & die cut it with a Spellbinders die to cover the original boo-boo.  The extra leaves and flower covered the ink smudges!!  YAY!  LOL!

So the moral of this story, for me, is to consider completing the inside before finishing the front.  We'll see if that happens.....haha!   Thanks so much for taking a look!

Daily Coloring Challenge, Week 4

I really challenged myself to color each day of this challenge & I'm so glad I did!  Some of the projects covered two days which is why there's not 30 projects.  Not only do I have cards for my stash and some to send in for a card drive, I do feel like I'm more confident in my coloring!  Kathy Racoosin will have another challenge, and I encourage anyone to follow her blog to get the details on when and how to play along!

Another flower from Simon Says Stamp's More Spring Flowers colored with Zig Clean Colors.

Because petunias are one of my most favorite flowers, I had to have this Modern Petunia set from WPlus9.  I colored this with Spectrum Noir markers.  Used my Cricut Explore to cut out a basket and embossed it with a We R Memory Keepers 3-D embossing folder.

I drooled every time I saw someone post on Instagram using this beautiful stamp, so I caved!  Love, love this!  Used Prismacolor watercolor pencils to color.

Here's this same stamp colored with Zigs.  Instead of using water to blend the colors, I used my clear Spectrum Noir Sparkle pen to blend!  Oh the shine!  Made a shaker card using Concord & 9th's Happy Card Frame dies & Happy Words stamp set.  Filled with Pretty Pink Posh sequins.

And this won't be the last of this stamp set for me!  I love the different looks you can achieve using different colors and mediums.  This time I embossed it in gold & colored with Zig Clean Color markers.  For the main flower I used one of the Gansai Tambi Starry Colors to blend for the shine.

Just look at the beautiful shine!

Well, if you've looked at all of these for this challenge, I thank you so much!  Love to get comments too and I'm so appreciative of those that take a moment!

Daily Coloring Challenge, Week 3

More fun coloring and card making while participating in the 30-day Coloring Challenge.

I'm not much into all the critter stamps that are popular now, but oh how I love this bear!  It's Essentials by Ellen All Inside!  I colored him up with my Prismacolor pencils.  I stamped the flowers using JustRite's Multi-Step Flower Garden set.  The fence is a Spellbinders die.

This is a stamp from Waffle Flower called Enveloper Little Birdie.  While this did not turn out the way I had pictured in my brain, I think it's still pretty.

I did lots of masking to make a background with W Plus 9's Beautiful Bouquets: Mums.  I tried a technique and colored first with my Spectrum Noir, then added more detail with Prismacolor pencils.

Another of my most favorite stamps:  Essentials by Ellen Mondo Hydrangea.  Colored with Zig Clean Color markers.  I used two We R Memory Keepers next level embossing folders.

I think these flowers from Simon Says Stamp's More Spring Flowers just look like happy flowers!  Colored with Spectrum Noir.  Sentiment is Altenew's Happy Mail and added some Nuvo Drops.

Thank you for taking a look!

Daily Coloring Challenge, Week 2

This is my coloring and card making for week 2 of Kathy Racoosin's 30-day coloring challenge that was March 1-30.

I used a coloring card that was in a Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kit, from March 2016 I think.  It's so nice because it's printed on X-Press-it paper and my Spectrum Noir markers blend so easily on it!  I used a white gel pen to add some dots "Kathy style".

These next 2 are stamps from Art Impressions using Marvy LePlume II markers.

This is such a fun way to watercolor.  The owner/illustrator/designer Bonnie Krebs sure makes it look a bit easier than it is.   I do enjoy this watercoloring!

This coloring card is from a book titled Spectrum Noir Colorista premium marker pad.  The cool thing is that there is either silver or gold foiling on each page for the shine!  I picked this up a Michael's at 50% off sale.  Now who can resist 50% off?!!!  LOL!

This is Altenew's Garden Grow stamp set and dies.  I absolutely love this set, but it's just the 2nd time I've used it.  I think all the fiddling and arranging of the pieces and parts is somewhat intimidating to me.  And I do fiddle-diddle a LOT!  I colored this with my Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers.  The background was quick and easy with a few spritzes of Distress Ink spray stain in Twisted Citron.  The sentiment is from an Ellen Hutson set.

I watercolored this beautiful set from The Ton called Happiest of Peonies using Prismacolor watercolor pencils.

Thank you to anyone that takes a look!  Hope you like!