Heaven & Nature!

I've kind of done this one before- I love this world map stamp anyway, but to do it with a Christmas phrase is such a great combination. I was glad I found a current phrase that worked, ha! And I like how it worked! I also happen to love both of these shades of blue! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Watercolor World, Perched in a Tree
Ink: Boho Blue, Starry Sky
Paper: Starry Sky, Basic White card stocks
Accessories: Merry Melody embossing folder, Starry Sky Metallic Woven ribbon, Dimensionals

*and yes, I embossed my stamped sheet backwards...... It's fine. haha! 

Peaceful Christmas

I really love this paper. When I was little, my dad had a record with a perfect Christmas scene on it- a little boy who had fallen asleep in a huge, old fashioned arm chair, by the fireplace and tree, and a plate of cookies for Santa, and this page reminds me of that. 

This is one of those ideas that works in my head better than in real life. I tried a couple options and I don't really love either, even tho I do love all the elements... 

Supplies:

Stamps: Perched in a Tree

Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Paper: Basic White & Cherry Cobbler card stocks, Traditions of St Nick DP

Accessories: Festive Pearls, Circle dies, big shot (retired)

I stewed about it a while because I really want this to be part of my class and it helps to love the selection...! I added a cardstock mat to the DP and that seemed to solve it! So this is what we'll make!

And because you really should see this pack of paper up close, here's a quick sampling of it all.

Autumn Leaves

are in fact my favorite. And autumn is WAY too short! So of course we were gonna play with them for a fall card class! The only leaves I own that are current are dies, but I still used the coordinating stamp set for the greeting.

Supplies:

Stamps: Perched In A Tree 

Ink: Cajun Craze, Old Olive

Paper: Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze card stocks

Accessories: Linen Thread, Dimensionals, Timeworn Type embossing folder, Aspen Trees dies, big shot (retired)

Sympathetic Bird

End of the week, end of the day, but here I am with another sympathy card for you. 
This time I combined The Paper Players latest sketch with the Color Throwdown challenge. It isn't my favorite card, I think I don't love the striking Vanilla bird, but, it's on it's way to someone anyway. Also I pulled out a retired greeting because nothing currently in my inventory worked for this one. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Perched in a Tree, Well Said (retired)

Ink: Cajun Craze, Mossy Meadow

Paper: Crumb Cake, Mossy Meadow & Very Vanilla card stocks

Accessories: Festive Pearls, Watercolor Pencils, Aspen Tree dies, big shot (retired) 

What are you making this week? 

Note of Thanks

This card is weeks overdue being mailed, much less made, but I still needed to send one. I used the latest sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and the color combo from Color Throwdown (altho I was too late for both challenges by the time I made this) and I love the result! 

I've used a Blending Brush every time I stamped last week, so why quit now? ha! This time I used the Pumpkin Pie and Real Red inks to make a faded background for the leaves. I chose Cherry Cobbler as "maroon" and stamped the speckles and greeting with that. Then I die cut the leaves out and that was that! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Sending Smiles, Perched in a Tree
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler
Paper: Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Festive Pearls, Aspen Dies, Dimensionals, Blending Brush, big shot

In Color Bird

Cards three days in a row! yeay! 
Today's card used the sketch from Inspire.Create.Challenge. and then the As You See It Challenge was to use the newest stuff in your craft room, and that is the newest In Colors! So today I have a bird in autumny colors, but different ones than I have used in the past, haha. I really like Boho Blue! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Perched In A Tree

Ink: Boho Blue, Pebbled Path, Wild Wheat

Paper: Boho Blue, Pebbled Path, Very Vanilla card stocks

Accessories: In Color Dots, Dimensionals, Aspen Trees dies, big shot (retired)

Quick tip on how to use Dimensionals on the bird- you really don't need a lot! 

And here's another shot with the shiny Dots! I love those actually. 

What have you made this week? 

Bright Bird

I have another color combo for you today! This one comes from Global Design Project. I have only done this bird in fall/winter shades, and actually these colors could be wintery, but with the nice breeze coming in, I was sure these were spring colors, haha! 

I stamped the branch and the bird in Smoky Slate, and then I colored the bird in with the Watercolor Pencils, but I didn't "watercolor" them. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Perched In A Tree

Ink: Smoky Slate, Coastal Cabana

Paper: Coastal Cabana, Flirty Flamingo, Basic White

Accessories: Classic Matte Dots, Watercolor Pencils, Aspen Trees Dies, Dimensionals, big shot (retired)

Come back tomorrow and see this guy in different shades! 

Perched on a Tree Class

Here is another card for my upcoming class. 

I love this bird and I love the coordinating dies but I admit I struggle just a bit using it all. Coloring the bird is a bit tricky for me, maybe because I'm not sure how it's supposed to look... but I've seen a number of different ways to color it! This time I used the Watercolor Pencils and Blender Pens because they blend so easily, and they're super forgiving.

Supplies:

Stamps: Perched In A Tree
Ink: Stazon Black, Early Espresso, Crushed Curry
Paper: Crushed Curry, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Watercolor Pencils, Blender Pens, Dimensionals, Aspen Tree dies, big shot

If you're curious, this is how I colored the bird this time: 
Bird: Head: Crushed Curry
Beak/talons: Daffodil Delight
Throat: Cherry cobbler
Breast: Cajun Craze
Back, Early Espresso blended into feather lines 

Wintery Sympathetic Bird

Happy Thursday! 

Alright so yesterday's card is a pretty close replica of the day before, but its totally different too. haha... Same purpose, different colors.
This time I used the color challenge from Global Design Project, and actually, my daughter had suggested I try shades of blue the first round. So here he is in blue.  

Supplies
Stamps: Perched In A Tree, Inspired Thoughts 
Ink: Memento Black, Balmy Blue, Night of Navy
Paper: Balmy Blue, Basic White card stocks
Accessories: White Bakers Twine, Opal Rounds, Dimensionals, Aspen Tree Dies, big shot 

Sympathetic Bird

There have been a number of people passing away in recent weeks and I am in need of some more sympathy cards. This is what I put together yesterday.
I used the latest Just Add Ink challenge to add wings, with this little bird image I haven't used before now. The bird and leaves are die cut, the branch and specks are stamped directly onto the card front. 

Supplies:
Stamps: Perched in A Tree, Nature's Harvest
Ink: Stazon Black, Early Espresso, Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze 
Paper: Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Gold Metallic Specialty Paper
Accessories: Linen Thread, Festive Pearls, Watercolor Pencils 1 & 2, Blender Pens, Aspen Trees Dies, Dimensionals big shot
Watercolor Pencils: Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso

We Create Blog Hop: Thankful & Thinking of You

And just like that, it's November already and time to share our gratitude for others! Which is why our theme this month is both Thankful and Thinking of You. These are some of the cards I mail out the most, and I had already thought I would try to send out several thank you cards this month. Altho my card today ended up working better as a Thinking of You.

Today's card uses a diagonal tic-tac-toe challenge from The Paper Players (orange/yellow, texture, fall) and the sketch from Hand Stamped Sentiments. And this lovely bundle from the July-December Mini catalog. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Perched in a Tree

Ink: Crumb Cake, Pumpkin Pie

Paper: Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie, Mango Melody, Crushed Curry

Accessories: Linen Thread, Amber Gems, Dimensionals, Circle dies, Aspen Trees dies, big shot

There are a lot of aspen trees in my area and Mango Melody and Crushed Curry are perfect for the color of their leaves! I love how that worked out for today's challenges! 

Now hop along over to Cheryl's blog using the button below, and see what she has made for you. Then hop on thru to see everyone's projects. 

And then make something pretty and stick it in the mail to brighten someone else's day too! 

Autumn Aspens

It is World Card Making Day! I am not playing along today, but I have some fun ideas for you if you are! 

First up, I have a lovely fall card for you, using the latest from the Color Throwdown, and the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.

This was not the easiest card to make, haha. This aspen forest die is not designed to cut the oval out. I trimmed around it, but that meant the trunk on the right was then detached... I also wanted to use the oval negative to stamp inside, and since it was my own trimming, haha, that was a bit tricky to use too. But! it all worked out and I really like it!  

Supplies:
Stamps: Perched in a Tree
Ink: Cajun Craze
Paper: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Starry Sky card stocks
Accessories: Leaf Label & Amber Gem Pack, Aspen Trees dies, Natural Ribbon, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, big shot

And come back later for more!! 

Autumn Leaves!

As is often the case, as soon as I post about no time to stamp.....I stamp. lol. I really really wanted to play and I was somewhere between totally stumped and totally overwhelmed. And then for no reason at all, this worked together beautifully, and I love it. 

I combined the SUO Challenge of "autumn", with the CAS Colours & Sketches color challenge, and The Paper Players theme to use either scarecrows or leaves! ...altho I'm not sure how "clean and simple" my card ended up... 

I thought the Merry Merlot, Calpyso Coral and Mossy Meadow would make great watercolored leaves, so I inked up a block with the ink pads, spritzed a little water on it, and laid the block onto Very Vanilla card stock. 

Then I die cut the leaves out of the watercolored section. I did a bit of stamping behind the leaves, which is the biggest reason I think it's not exactly clean and simple. But I like it so it's fine. haha! Everything except the card stock and ink came from the July-Dec Mini Catalog.  

Supplies:
Stamps: Perched In A Tree
Ink: Merry Merlot, Calypso Coral, Mossy Meadow, Flirty Flamingo, Soft Suede
Paper: Very Vanilla & Mossy Meadow card stock
Accessories: Leaf Label & Amber Gem combo pack, Woven Ribbon, Aspen Trees Dies, Glue Dots, Dimensionals, big shot