It's a Boy Thing...

Are all of you Lili of the Valley fans ready for new stamps? How about images that seem to be sorely lacking in the stamping world? I mean masculine images for men or boys of course. If you've got them in your life you know how hard it is to make cards for them. Well, LOTV has filled that hole quite nicely with their new line of stamps, all about the boys/teens/men in our lives. I love these stamps!

How about this cute guy concentrating intently on his guitar lessons? And of course his faithful pup singing along to encourage him, haha! Love it.

The papers are from a We R Memory Keepers winter collection called Merry January, lots of awesome masculine papers in that set. The embellishments were kept to a minimum, just a simple twill ribbon under the sentiment circle. I love the interchangeable sentiments in the new clear set Mixed Circular Sentiments. LOTV is nailin' it with each new release!

You'll be able to purchase the boy stamps starting May 11.

Thanks for dropping by!

Lili of the Valley Thursday Challenge Love is in the Air

Good morning! 

This week Love is in the Air for the LOTV challenge, and I decided to showcase the love of a sister, or best friend with my card. This adorable stamp 'Story Time' seemed perfect for the job. 

The wing chair the cuties are snuggled up in  was paper pieced with a pretty plaid paper from a Prima pad. I did some shading with a dry chisel brush and Distress inks to make the pattern less 'flat'. The rest of the image was water colored separately with Distress inks as well.

I lovelovelove the clear sentiment stamps (Verses) LOTV recently released! You can never have too many sentiments, and this one is particularly sweet.
Notice the little stitched flower embellishments? Also from the new clear stamps called 'Cute as a Button'.   I stamped them onto Core'dinations Whitewash paper, cut them out by hand (ummm....future dies anyone? hint..hint, lol). I sanded them lightly to reveal some of the color and attached buttons to their centers. Sort of shabby chic, no? The Prima papers have that sort of flavor I think.
We'd love to have you join in on the challenge, check out the Lili of the Valley blog for all the details.
Thanks for dropping by!

Stamps: Lili of the Valley
Ink: Memento, Distress, CTMH
Paper: Heavenly White card base, Memory Box, water color paper, Prima, Core'dinations
Tools & Accessories: pink taffeta ribbon, sewing machine, Aqua brush, PTI buttons

The Little Things

Good morning everyone, I'm glad to be back home even though it's a disaster area, lol. While I was away in NC visiting my brothers, my darling Jimmy decided it was time to re-tile our one bathroom. Wonderful! The shiny new white tiles are beautiful. The rest of the house....NOT! sigh.... I'm going to have blinders on for a few days, just pretend everything's normal.

Just as I suspected, we were staying with my brother who happens to NOT have internet at home. He lives alone and only needs his HTC smart phone for all his internet needs, so I was out of luck. I did manage to 'borrow' from the neighbor's Wi Fi if I was sitting out in the yard, haha, but the signal was pretty weak. 

Anyway, here's a card I made using one of Wee Stamps new images last week. 

Darling, no?
I hope I don't have trouble getting back into the 'groove' after my vacation, sometimes my mojo takes a while to come back to me, lol.

The sentiment is from Lili of the Valley's new clear sentiments collection, some really beautiful sayings for all types of cards. 

Thanks for still being here, I'll be back to my regularly scheduled programming in no time!

Stamps: Digital image from Wee Stamps, sentiment from Lili of the Valley

Ink: Memento, Versamark

Paper: Prima, Stardream shimmer, Core'dinations, PTI, Heavenly white card base

Tools & Accessories: Spellbinders Fancy Labels 2, PTI leaf dies, clear EP, sheer ribbon, Prima flower, colored pencils, OMS, Copics, Stickles

Ocracoke Lighthouse

Hello everyone! It's time for another Impression Obsession challenge. We're using spots, dots and circles in the Polka dot challenge this week. My polka dots are pretty subtle in this card, but the background paper does have them. Oh, and the ribbon does too. 

I watercolored the lighthouse image with a combination of Distress Inks and Peerless water colors. I haven't used them in a looooong time, so I decided it was time to brush the dust off of them.
I created a wood frame around the image with some of that real wood paper, then aged and distressed it with inks and sandpaper. I looped a length of cotton rope around the frame for a nautical feel.

Want to play along in our polka challenge? Head on over to the IO blog for all the details and join in on contest for a chance to win IO bucks.
Check out all the other DT ladies creations for more dotty inspiration:

• Daniela Dobson
• Deborah March
• Dina Kowal
• Jeanne Streiff
• Jenny Gropp
• Julie Koerber
• Laura Fulcher

Stamps: Impression Obsession 'Ocracoke Lighthouse'
Ink: Palette, Distress
Paper: 'Something Nautical' Digital papers from Scrapbook-Elements, Cherry real wood paper, Heavenly White, Gina K, SU
Tools & Accessories: Martha Stewart edge punch, polka dot ribbon, cotton rope, Peerless water colors, aquabrush

Flower Girl

Good morning everyone! If you all check out the Papertrey Ink design team's blogs, you might recognize these pretty flowers from Debbie Olson's blog a while back. I just fell in love with them and had to CASE them for this card. Pretty flowers for a pretty little girl. This stamp is from the Pergamano clear stamp set I found here. 

There are no patterned papers at all on this card, instead I stamped directly on the card base with PTI's Twinkle background set. I love making my own patterned papers, the possibilities are endless, especially when I need something 'just right'. In this case I wanted very soft, light colors so the flowers wouldn't be over powered.

I colored the little sweetie with my trusty colored pencils, her skin with Copics.

I'll be going away to visit my brothers in North Carolina on Thursday, so I won't be posting for the Lili of the Valley challenge. I hope my brother still has Wi Fi because I won't be happy without internet till Monday, lol! If not, I hope you all have a very Happy Easter!

Thanks for dropping by!

Stamps: Pergamano Flower Girls clear stamp set, Papertrey Ink
Ink: Memento, Perfect Match
Paper: PTI
Tools & Accessories: PTI Bloom Builders, Turning a New Leaf and Mat Stack dies, PTI ribbon/buttons, Nestabilities, Colored pencils, OMS, Copic sketch/Spica markers

Feeling Blue?

Paint yourself a different color! That is soooo cute, I love these sweet/funny sentiments by children from Inkadinkado. I can just hear my own kids saying similar things when they were little, lol!

Anyway, I thought it was appropriate for this sweet raincoat clad cutie. After all, she's all in yellow, and you can't feel blue in yellow! This darling image is another beautiful digi stamp from Mo Manning. I'm telling you, she's got stamps for every occasion, from common to completely uncommon, but so appropriate. Her style is just so different, and I love so many of them.

I colored her with my colored pencils, and added Liquid Glass all over her rain gear. Looks more like shiny vinyl that way.

Hope this cheers up your day a little, I know she just makes me smile! Thanks for visiting!

P.S.- I've added a bunch of cards to my Etsy shop, take a look if you have a minute.

Stamps: Digital image from Mo's Digital Pencil, Inkadinkado sentiment
Ink: Perfect Match
Paper: Heavenly White card base, Cosmo Cricket Salt Air, Papertrey Ink and Core'dinations
Tools & Accessories: EK Success bubble edge punch, PTI ribbon/button, assorted colored pencils, OMS, Liquid Glass, Copics (for flesh tones), Spica glitter pens

Spring's bursting into life...

Happy Friday! Although not so happy for me because I have to work tomorrow.... grrrr! But anyway, I have this cheery Easter card to share using these new clear Forever Friends stamps. If you've been following my blog for a while, you've seen me go through this bear stage a couple of Christmases ago. They are just adorable! I saw Funky Kits carrying these new clear sets and pounced on a couple. I must say I love the clear stamps better than the wood mounted ones, especially because these sets come with all sorts of 'accessory' images.

I colored this trio of pudgy bears with my colored pencils as usual, simple and quick!

I love the little Spring poem that came with the set, you can click on the pictures to make it bigger and easier to read.

Thanks for checking in, I'll be back soon!

Stamps: Forever Friends, PTI Twinkle background
Ink: Memento, Paper Salon
Paper: Papertrey Ink
Tools & Accessories: Spellbinders labels, colored pencils, OMS, Stickles, Copic Spica pen, PTI ribbon, EK Success flower punches, Viva Decor Pearl pen, Cuttlebug embossing border folder, SU edge punch

Lili of the Valley Thursday Challenge 'Happy Birthday'

Hello everyone! This week's theme for the LOTV challenge is Happy Birthday, which is super easy with all the awesome new clear stamps they're releasing today. Lots of sentiment stamps as well as some stamping basics like flourishes, backgrounds and floral designs to compliment their beautiful line of rubber stamps. When I saw these cute ticket stamps, I immediately knew I had to create a boy's birthday card. I used this cutie pie, 'Big Present'. 

While I was coloring his shorts, which I wanted to look like denim, I thought about this paper I had received from The Paper Temptress, Blueberry Brown Bag paper.  The color was very much like denim and I thought I could make it look even more like the real thing. I ran it through my die machine with PTI's linen impression plate, shaded the edges with Denim Distress ink and stitched all around it. I even added some gold brads to make it look like the rivets you see on jeans. Not a bad impression! On the reverse of this brown bag paper is a different color, and looks exactly like a brown paper bag. So I used it to paper piece the gift box he's holding. No self respecting boy would ever use real wrapping paper, lol!

See? Making masculine cards isn't all that hard. Whenever I'm stumped when it comes to making a card for a man or boy, I first try to think of the fabrics used in men's clothing. Denims, tweeds, pinstripes, etc. That always helps me get started.

If you haven't already, make sure to check out the LOTV blog for more DT inspiration, then join in on the contest to win some stamps!

Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Lili of the Valley

Ink: Memento, Perfect Match, Distress

Paper: PTI, Brown bag paper, Neenah, Ruche crepe

Tools & Accessories: Spellbinders labels, colored pencils, OMS, Copics, gold brads, sewing machine, striped ribbon, McGill circle punch, Glaze pen

Sweet Angel

Isn't this little girl just like a little angel? Look at that face! I am so in love with these images from Wee Stamps. I have a feeling this artist is going to be in serious demand and we will soon be seeing many of her designs in rubber!

I chose these pretty Stampin Up papers in soft feminine colors, but NOT pink, lol! I do tend to overdo it with the pink. I colored the sweetie with my colored pencils, her skin with Copics.

I love using the stamps that coordinate with Spellbinders labels, I wish there were more available. This one is from Gina K. The sentiment is from PTI though.

Hope your week is off to a good start, I'll be back soon with another project, and don't forget the Lili of the Valley Thursday challenge is coming up! I have something different planned for that.

Thanks for looking!

Stamps: Digi Stamp from Wee Stamps, Gina K, PTI
Ink: SU
Paper: Stampin Up, PTI
Tools & Accessories: Spellbinders labels, EK Success lace edge punch, SU ribbon

Just the best..

Good morning everyone! I hope everyone had a nice weekend. It turned out to be pretty busy for me and I couldn't get much stamping done. >:-(

But I do have a finished card to show you all that I made a little while ago. The image is from Whimsy and Stars Studio. I colored them in very bright cheerful colors with my colored pencils. 

I love the newest impression plate from Papertrey Ink, I embossed a piece of Core'dinations paper, then brayered some white ink over the design to make it 'pop'.
The green patterned paper I stamped with a couple of stamp sets from PTI as well.

It's supposed to be 87 degrees here today, which just boggles my mind! I heard yesterday on the radio that Chicago hit that temp so I'm fully expecting it to happen here today. Very unusual for April... that usually means big storms coming too.

Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Digital image from Whimsy and Stars Studio, PTI 
Ink: Perfect Match
Paper: PTI, Core'dinations, Neenah
Tools & Accessories: Spellbinders doily/Fancy Tags, PTI impression plate, Daisy punches from The Punch Bunch, Stickles, colored pencils, OMS, PTI ribbon

Bunny in the Blooms

Good morning everyone, it's Friday! I'm so happy today is the last day of work and then I get TWO whole days off. LOL, almost unheard of for me!

Anyway, I have a pretty spring card to share with you today, using a digital image from Cuddly Buddly. These bunnies are so cute, and all the pretty flowers around him, perfect for coloring!

I went easy on the patterned paper, stuck with one design so it wouldn't get too busy. I did make some paper flowers to coordinate with the flowers in the image.

I'm starting to see Daffodils poking up through the muddy ground around here, thank goodness! Spring is finally here! I am so looking forward to warm weather, enough of this cold and snow already!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Digital image from Cuddly Buddly, Catslife Press sentiment circle

Ink: Paper Salon

Paper: Heavenly White, PTI, Basic Grey

Tools & Accessories: SU edge/corner punch, Bellflower punches from The Punch Bunch, PTI ribbon, colored pencils, OMS, Copics/ABS/Spica, Martha Stewart leaf branch punch, Stickles, Nestabilities

Impression Obsession Encouragement Challenge

It's time for an Impression Obsession challenge! This week theme is 'Encouragement'. My inspiration came from the beautiful Chinese porcelain blue and white ware. I used to have a dining room in my big old house with a ceiling painted this shade of blue, white walls and ornate crown molding. I had a lot of these types of vases, bowls and plates on display. I loved that room...

Well, I don't have that room anymore, but I still love the blue and white ware, so I created this sentiment card.

The sentiment says to me-- even though it 'rains' in life with worries, stress and suffering, eventually it will pass and we will be better people because of it. I do firmly believe that. And I find that quote to be very encouraging.

The patterned paper was stamped using the Tapestry cover-a-card stamp . Some gold fleur-de-lis accents and a pretty bow and it's a simple, elegant card.

Head on over to the other DT's blogs for more inspiration, then you can create your own card to enter for a chance to win some IO bucks.


Jeanne
Jenny
Julie
Daniela
Dina
Laura
Deb
Shirley

Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Impression Obsession 'Tapestry Cover-a-Card'; 'Smell of Flowers'
Ink: Perfect Match, Versamark
Paper: Papertrey Ink, Retro Gold Lustre
Tools & Accessories: Spellbinders Labels/Fleur-de-lis accents, Mega Mount, PTI ribbon

Lili of the Valley Thursday Challenge 'Peach and Green'

Hello everyone! This week's challenge over on the LOTV blog is to use peach and green on our cards. Oddly enough, I didn't have ANY patterned paper with just peach and green, so I had to settle for this retired SU Green Tea paper which was the closest. 

Here again is a Molly Harrison fairy colored in Copics, called 'Autumn Calling'. Such a pretty little thing sitting in the tree. 

I colored her with Copics, sparkled up her wings with Stickles and added some leafy branches cut with PTI dies.

You can play along in the challenge with us, just head on over to the LOTV blog for all the details.  There's a chance to win some LOTV bucks if you enter!

The week is more than half over, which means the weekend is almost here, and I'm off again, woo hoo! More stamping time! Thanks for stopping by...

Stamps: Lili of the Valley, PTI

Ink: Memento, Versamark

Paper: Heavenly White, Hammermill, Core'dinations, SU

Tools & Accessories: PTI leaf dies, Martha Stewart Topiary punch, Copics, Stickles, clear EP, silk ribbon

Enjoy the ride...

Good morning everyone, I have a masculine card to show you all today. I know I'm always looking for ideas for the men in our lives, so maybe someone will get some inspiration from this. I used 'Zooming Along' for this card, a cute bear in a classic car. I decided to go with water color for this image, using markers and Distress inks. The hardest part was all the chrome, I've never colored chrome before and had to look at a picture of real chrome to get an idea on how to color it.

Of course pretty patterned papers were out of the question, but I remembered buying some of that real wood paper on clearance at Michael's not too long ago, so I opted for that. I cut them up into squares and reassembled them in a 'parquet' like fashion. Cool stuff that paper!

I also used some leather paper from The Paper Temptress, that is some seriously cool paper! I added a bit of stitching and silver brads to the paper panel on the right for that 'biker' feel, lol.

Take it easy! Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Lili of the Valley, PTI
Ink: Palette, Distress, Memento
Paper: Leather Paper, Stardream, Wood paper, PTI
Tools & Accessories: SU ribbon, Caran d'ache water color pencils, Spellbinders labels/Nestabilities, PTI banner die, SU brads

Spring Bough

Good morning! No April Fool's pranks from me today, although I'm expecting my kids to come up with something clever at some point, lol! 

Thanks to the wonderful world of forums, I get to discover new stamps from around the world without ever leaving my chair. Recently there was a thread asking for people to share their latest discoveries in the the world of digital stamps, and the original poster shared Wee Stamps. I immediately fell in love! If you're a long time follower of my blog you know how much I love images of sweet children, so these gorgeous little angels hopped into my cart faster than a speeding bullet and I had this darling colored up in no time. Isn't she beautiful?!

Wanna know what my color inspiration was for this whole card? A couple of felt squares I had in an old shoe box! Before I discovered wool felt, I used a lot of the inexpensive synthetic felt used for crafting. I had purchased a sampler of many different colors a certain Etsy seller carried, so I had dozens and dozens of swatches that weren't really large enough to do anything with. However, there were these three colors right next to each other that caught my eye, and this card was born! I ended up using the small squares to die cut some flowers as embellishments. Aren't the colors just perfect?

It just so happens the colors worked perfectly with these pastel papers from the Prima Fairy Flora collection. I love them, and I have to get more of these paper pads before they disappear forever. I rarely buy duplicates of patterned papers, so when I really love a certain collection, I stock up.
The swirly die cuts behind the image are the beautiful Creatables dies from Marianne Designs. I cut them out of some Cryogen White paper I got from The Paper Temptress. It's an absolutely stunning subtle shimmer paper that's not too flashy, but has just a touch of glimmer to it. I've colored on this paper with Copics before too, and it's amazing how easily the colors blend on it.

Thanks for all the lovely comments everyone, and thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Digital image from Wee Stamps, PTI sentiment
Ink: Perfect Match
Paper: Prima, Cryogen White, Heavenly White, Memory Box, Hammermill Color Copy
Tools & Accessories: Creatables die, silk ribbon, SU tiny tag punch, Copics/ABS , Stickles, felt, pearls