Fresh Bloom

Last month each of us girls on the SNS design team
were treated with a 'surprise to us'  extra stamp to create with,
none of us having any idea of what we would receive.

I have to admit mine was the perfect choice for me
as I love, love flower stamps and was truly excited when I saw it.

The stamp I received was a Stampendous Fresh Bloom Rubber stamp.
I created the card below.

I stamped on vellum using Versamark, then embossing with Gold Detail embossing powder.
(Make sure and use an anti static bag first, this gets rid of any finger prints)

I simply then, just flipped the card to the back and colored with Copics,
something you have seen me do many times before.
Next I stamped the sentiment using  a stamp from 
SNS stamp set True Beauty,
tied it to my bow and button flower,
adhered it to a card stock base and it was done.

I think the card turned out so pretty,
so pretty that I may have to make several more of these!
Thank you for visiting with me today!

Entering the following challenges:
Really Reasonable Ribbon .... ATG with Ribbon
Dare 2b Artzy .... Pastel Colors (m)
Stamping Sensations .... ATG (m)
Crafting With Dragonflies .... Embossing wet/dry
Just Us Girls .... Shine

I'm A Travelin' Man

Remember the song by Ricky Nelson...

Travelin' Man?

I think I just really aged myself...lol....

anywho, I have a 'travlin' mans card today.

I have to admit, I am not the best a making 'male cards,

but I made around 60 plus for Tutti

and this is one of them...first time on my blog!

Those cards sure took me out of my comfort zone,

but now I have LOTS of manly cards when I need them.

This one was pretty simple, 

but I love how it came together.

I used a cogs wheel paper and map paper along with an atlas paper (whew)

all three which had been in my stash for years...ahhh it feels so GOOD to use them!

I popped up the atlas paper, 

then added my Tutti Designs Vintage Car

cut from a bronze metallic paper.

This will be an easy card to grab for a guy when needed

and an easy mailer, too!

Entering the following challenges:

The Male Room .... (8/15)

Harvest Hoe Down Challenge

We are having a 'Harvest Hoedown" at The Sisterhood of Crafters

so if you ever wanted to hoedown, now is your chance...lol!!

The theme was chosen by our 'Sistah' Dar and the design team certainly had fun with it!

One of the things I love about being on The Sisterhood team

is, as long as we stick with the theme

we can use any products we want, making it so fun to create

with some rather neglected things from my stash.

Only thing that is hard, is which 'thing' to choose to work with.

I went with a very 'intense' die (as I like to call them)

from Cottage Cutz.

The reason I say 'intense' is that this image I used has 36 die cut pieces,

even the little candle wicks!

The die is called 'Autumn Centerpiece'.

A few times a year Cottage Cutz has half off sales,

and let me tell you, I jump right in and stock up on some pretty neat dies!

I am the 'snippets' queen when it came to this card,

as all those little die cuts were from scrap pieces of papers.

I sat on the floor and Freckles and I (my crafting kitty...she crafts if I want her to  or not)

cut all the little 36 pieces out!

The entire centerpiece was adhered to a Spellbinders die cut background.

Once done, I felt it still needed 'something',

so I added a few sequins!

So, head on over to The Sisterhood and see what my Sistahs'

has to inspire 'YOU" with to join our challenge!

Entering the following challenges:
Crafting From The Heart .... ATG
Ooh La La .... ATG
Come and Get It .... Die Cuts

Be Merry and Bright

Today's card is one that I needed to do

to get my mind back in the creating mode.

I have been working the last week with the hubby

getting ready for a cancer fund raiser golf outing that

is in it's 35th year, and I think he has been volunteering

for the last 25 at least.

(Somehow when he volunteers I am very involved, too..lol)

So, I saw this challenge at CAS Watercolour and thought it

was a technique I had yet to try,

and plus the fact I had won a gift certificate to Scrapyland

and decided my 'gift' would be the perfect die for this challenge.

The challenge is to create a CAS watercolor card using salt.

My above card is my first attempt to try this technique.....

The die I used is a Poppystamp Evangeline Floating Square.

I used some of the first water colors I ever purchased (cheap and old..lol).

I have some really nice watercolors now and think when I have time

(whenever that might be) 

I will try this again to see if I can get a much bolder look.

Entering in the following challenges:

The Holly and Ivy Christmas .... ATG

Connie Can Crop .... Watercolors (m)

Cas Watercolour .... Salt Technique (8/24)

Christmas In August At The Cutting Cafe

I am so late getting this post up, 

I think I will be late for my own funeral when the time comes

as they say...but hey that's okay with me ...lol

Also since nothing seems to go smoothly lately

I am lucky to get this done at all....

my virus protection and the new Cricut software

are having a running non-stop battle it seems!

Anywho, today I do have my project for

The Cutting Cafe

and our theme is

Christmas In August.

We could choose any file we wanted and I chose two,

neither of which I used...lol.

I ended up with this super quick, easy and CUTE

Mitten Shaped Card file.

I used a chunky~snowy glitter from my stash

that gives a bit of a furry look to the mitten trim.

A pretty ribbon bow was added using RRR ribbon and a snowflake button.

I stamped a sentiment using my new Stamp Platform...

look at how perfect it fits on my punched circle....

OMGoodness how I love that thing...if you don't have a stamp platform,

you might want to check this one as it is amazing!!

So take a hop on over to 

The Cutting Cafe blog and see all the pretty and 'fab'

projects created the entire TCC team!!

Entering the following challenges:
Really Reasonable Ribbon .... ATG with Ribbon
Always Fun Challenges .... Let It Sparkle
Crafty Calendar .... Shaped Card
Craft-Dee Bowz ....ATG
Crafty Hazelnut's .... Patterned Paper Challenge
ABC Christmas Challenge .... P,Q,R People~Quick~and/or Red

Holiday Wishes

This is my post on the Sparkle N Sprinkle blog today.

To see how it was made, please take a peek there!

Hi, Diane with you today using another beautiful stamp set

from the July release 'Winter Greeting Bird and Wreath'.

I stamped the wreath image with Versamark

then embossed with Irish Spring embossing powder.

This EP powder has glitter in it, so it gave the wreath lot of sparkle.

The holly leaves were colored in with copics.

The birds were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink,

colored with copics, 

and Copper Penny glitter was added to their wing tips and tail feathers.

The sentiment was embossed with Black Detail embossing powder.

I fussy cut all the pieces out, 

then added Nuvo Crystal Dots Autumn Red to the berries on the wreath.

I set these all aside to dry.

The technique for the background of my card is

embossing on an already embossed card stock.

For this you will need Versamark and a Brayer.

I choose TH Alterations poinsettia embossing folder,

ran my card stock through my machine,

use the Anti Static bag to go over your card stock

(don't miss this step, it is very important)

loaded the brayer with Versamark, then with a 'light' pressure

ran it over the folder both diagonally and vertically.

This insures you pretty much get most of it covered.

You don't want to have a heavy hand or you will get embossing powder

where you don't want it.

I used Apple Red embossing powder.

I adhered my finished embossed background to a white card stock base,

then added my fussy cut stamped pieces and a bow to finish!

Thank you for visiting with me today!

Entering the following challenges:

Word Art Wednesday .... ATG

Sparkles Christmas Challenge .... Festive Sentiment

The 12 Months of Christmas .... Tradional Christmas Colors

Pretty Pastels

How has your summer been going?

I have to say I have had some great times

but there have been a few things thrown at our family I

wouldn't wish on anyone.

I am blessed though that my hubby likes to go and be social

and when he comes in the house and says

'Let's go here....I drop everything and go.

It has put me in a few tight spots with my DTing now and then,

but I think family comes first.

My card today has a bit of a 'romantic' look to it I think.

I used a pretty doily my friend  Ros sent me in a package of goodies...

so handy to just grab and use with no fuss!

The next layer is made with snippets of papers

that last winter I sat down and glued strips of designer papers

to card bases to use later when needed.

This one I cut with a Tutti Designs Stitched Nested Rectangle

making it so perfect.

I die cut from glitter paper (shame on me when I DT for a glitter company..gulp

but hey, I already had it in stock...lol)

a pretty Tutti Designs Harp, 

adding a tiny pink rose to it.

The little music button came from one of our sponsors when I worked

on The Shabby Tea Room DT.....

but I can't remember who it was...sigh!

Anyhow a pretty pastel girlie card

for just about any occasion!

Entering the following challenges:

Cardz For Gals .... Pretty Pastels
Aud Sentiments .... No Sentiment on Front
Craftaholics Are Us .... Die Cuts
Watercooler Wednesdays .... ATG Feminine