Hello Weekend!

Dear Bloggin' Buddies:

One would think that weekends don't mean so much for us retired folks, but they still do. So many different things to do. We have our two favorite exercise classes on the weekends, so that is special. And now that our young nieces are involved in sports there are always games to attend. The days are longer and the weather is great - life is so good!

Anyway, on to the card! I have been playing with my Gansia Tambi water colors again. This time with the Hero Arts Harlequin Pattern background stamp, which was clear embossed on watercolor paper. The great word die is from Simon Says Stamp.

This will go into that mass of talent known as the Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes" Challenge.

Thanks for the visit and enjoy your weekend!

Stretch Your Dies - Day 7, the Grand Finale!

Hello, Bloggin' Buddies!

Wowzer, but did I ever have fun with today's lesson. I loved all of the techniques, but Kathy Racoosin's "Hidden Letter" technique with alphabet dies had me in love. She did such a great job with her example that I couldn't wait to give it a whirl.

Did I tell you haw much I am loving my Gansai Tambi water colors?! Oh, MY!! It is unbelievable and so worth the investment. I'm glad that I got the 36-color set.

Anyway, I stretched some watercolor paper and went to town heat embossing and old favorite from Hero Arts, CG134, "Large Flower". I did a background first, let it dry and then painted the flower. When it was all dry I sprayed it with some Perfect Pearls, let it dry again and over-stamped it with Hero Arts S1832, "Italian Poetry". The sentiment is Hero Arts CL371, "Essential Messages", and the alphabet dies are Memory Box "Parker Upper Case".

Can you see the raised letters in the second photo? Unbelievable!

What a great series - I really recommend it it you want to make the most of your dies.

Thanks for the visit!

Stretch Your Dies - Day 6

Hello, Bloggin' Buddies!

We are coming down home stretch with the fantastic Online Card Class "Stretch Your Dies".

Today's technique, which is all about using border dies to create inlaid designs, is by the so very talented Debby Hughes. If you don't know Debby, you MUST check out her blog - I've been a follower for years. She never ceases to amaze. I love this easy technique!

For this card I used MFT Die-Namics dies, "Chevron Stripes"; Simon Says Stamp "Stitched Rectangle" dies; and, Paper Smooches "Wicked Nauticool" stamps and dies. I again used some of that terrific wood grain textured cardstock that I got at the Paper Garden Boutique while in Sacramento.

Hope you are having a great week. Thanks for visit.

Stretch Your Stamps - Day Five

Good morning, Bloggin' Buddies!

Happy Monday and here we go on another week!

I was able to complete another day of the great Online Card Class series yesterday. The topic is using coordinating die. It is so difficult to decide which of the many great techniques to try. I selected one presented by the amazing Shari Carroll.

I was having a tough time coming up with a set of stamps and dies that would work for this technique. Then I remembered an old Hero Arts Frame Cuts die set (D1005) and several coordinating stamps that I had for it. I selected my favorite one, "You Who" (K5657). I used some terrific woodgrain cardstock that I recently purchased in Sacramento at The Paper Garden. It is so rich with heavy embedded texture!

The background paper is American Crafts 6"x6" "5th & Frolic". Other than that, this speaks for itself. You can see the acetate panel better in the small photo.

 I hope to get another coordinating set that would work better with this technique because, even thought I am not a huge "stamping with StazOn" fan, I really like it. There was no sunshine yesterday so the pix are a little dull.

Thanks for the visit and have a great day!

Stretch Your Dies - Day 4

Hello, my bloggin' buddies!

First, I want to tell you what a glorious card-making day I had yesterday in Sacramento. Six hours of class with the amazing Julie Ebersole! Can't tell you how much I love that gal - with all her positive energy and inspiration. You can see some of the cards we made on her website. But we did even MORE! A total "you rock!" day.

The card I made for today's Online Card Class is by far my favorite so far. So many great ideas and I had fun trying some new ones. For this card I used Carissa Wiley's "enhance patterns" technique using tiny dies. Such fun! The little stars are cut with tiny dies and backed with glitter paper.

For this card I used "Home and Hearth" dies and "You Rock" dies by Julie Ebersole (in honor of the great class she taught us yesterday!) from Essentials by Ellen and some paper by Teresa Collins (Studio Gold).

I am entering this into Ellen Hutson's  Essentials by Ellen "Pin-Sights Challenge" which is happening at the Classroom.

This is the inspiration photo. Love it, don't you?!

Thanks for the visit and have a lovely Sunday.

Stretch Your Dies - Day Three

Hello, my bloggin' buddies!

Inside of Card

Well, I can only say that Day Three of the Online Card Class "Stretch Your Dies" has gone better than Day Two. Today's card went together well and I actually like it. It is just a difficult one to photograph because it wants to pop open and it is difficult to capture the depth of the folded layers.

Jennifer's lesson was on making a foldout window card. It was so much fun. I used a digi stamp that I had from ages ago and some older Hero Arts sentiment stamps (CL155, Playful Animals and CL272 All Occasion Messages). I added a little frame around the cut window, just to finish it off a bit.

Closed Card

Opening the Card

Thanks for the visit. Have a great weekend. I am going to an all-day card class in Sacramento taught by the amazing Julie Ebersole.......can hardly wait!

Stretch Your Dies - Day Two

Or, in this case, scream and cuss at your dies!

Yep, I'm back at the Online Card Class series. Those gals make it look so darn easy! I almost didn't post this, but I figured that classes are all about learning, and mistakes are sure a part of learning.

I have learned that it makes a HUGE difference which dies you select for this technique, which Kristina calls "Die Cuts Within A Larger Die".

My butterflies were just too delicate and the shapes too large. They just look strange cut off into a circle shape.

I wish I'd kept the butterflies at their full sizes, but that wasn't the technique, now was it? Ah, well. The technique is a good one, my execution just leaves much to be desired.

Thanks for the visit,

Products: Dies - Memory Box (Moonlight Butterfly, Kaleidoscope Butterfly), Spellbinders (Fanciful Flight), Paper Smooches (Hello Words); Paper - My Minds Eye (Follow Your Heart-Be Amazed)

Stretch Your Dies - Day One

Hello, my friends!

A quick post today showing my homework for Day One of Stretch Your Dies, the great online card class. Today's lesson involves word dies. Yes, I am a little tardy with this homework, but life happens.

Debbie Huges shared a spin on inlaying word dies and I gave it a whirl. I used Lawn Fawn's "Scripty Thanks" and papers from My Minds Eye "In Bloom".

This is more tricky than it appears - I need some additional practice! Thanks Debby, and thanks to Jennifer and Kristina for the great class series.

Thanks for the visit!

In Name Only

Top O' the Mornin', Blogging Buddies!

I have always loved my name (thanks, Mom), which is Irish. That is the only thing Irish about me. I am of Scottish and English decent, but I am All-American. I even have a great-grandfather who signed the Declaration of Independence.

But, today we are all Irish, right? I have a beading class today and I thought I'd bring the gals a little holiday treat. I used my new Lil' Inker "Lilipop & Pencil Treat Holder Die" for these gems. I didn't have a leprechaun stamp, so I figured a green frog with a hat would work.   What fun!

Other products used are:

• Hero Arts - Celebrate Everyday CL498 and Dotted Shamrock A5018; shadow inks
• Paper Smooches - A Little Lovin', with the dies, and Hats dies
• American Crafts - Premium Ribbon

Have a great St. Patrick's Day - don't get pinched!
Thanks for the visit,

Ellen's Mix it Up Challenge

Howdy, my Bloggin' Buddies!

Have you heard the news?

Ellen Huttson has a new challenge going on over at the Classroom! The first one is to mix a wonderful "Essentials by Ellen" product with a Hero Arts product.

I have been having such fun with my new Kuretake Gansai Tambi paints and decided that this was the perfect chance. I have many of Ellen's great Essentials (such amazing designs!), but I wanted to combine this simple word die from Julie's "You Rock" set with part of a Hero Arts sentiment, in this case one from Essential Messages, CL371. The background is from Neat and Tangled (hope that is permitted!).

I added a mist of Perfect Pearls after the watercolors were applied - a lovely shimmer! - and some sequins from my stash.

I'm still fighting with making good photos at the new house - sorry!

Give this challenge a try - you have a couple of days. And check back at the Classroom for additional future challenges.

Thanks for the visit - have a great week!

Playing in the Water

Colors!

Hello, Blogging Buddies:

I am so excited about my new set of watercolor paints!

I had been using an old kid's set that I got at a garage sale for $1.00, but I kept hearing so many of you talking about the Japanese Gansai Tambi paints.

I finally jumped in and got a 36-color set and I think I'm in love - with every rich and creamy pan of luscious color. What a treat it is to use these amazing paints.

I did some clear embossing on watercolor paper and played for hours. Love the look!

The background stamp is Hero Art's Lattice and the "Hello" die is from Simon Says Stamp.

Thanks for the visit and have a lovely weekend,

Smile

Hello, Bloggin' Buddies!

I sure hope you have had a great weekend. We sure did - it feels like Spring, but we continue to pray for rain.

Today I am sharing a fun little card that incorporates products from several companies. The sentiment is from a fun set by Inkadinkado called "Kid Quotes, Friendly Advice". These just make me chuckle. The crazy rabbit is from paper Smooches "A Little Lovin" and the matching dies. Finally, the vellum circles, called "Circle Scribbles" are from Papertrey Ink.

These are all mounted on a background that is water-colored with Distress Inks (but I just got a new set of great water colors - can't wait to try them).

Thanks for the visit and have a wonderful week.