Birds on my Brain

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies and happy Monday!

We just returned from a wonderful visit to California's beautiful central coast. That area has always been a favorite of mine. We are so blessed that so much of California's unique coastline has public access - a gift to us all.

Anyway, I have had birds on my mind because I want to make a set of cards for a friend who is seriously into them - she is president of a bird group and an all-around great gal.

I took advantage of Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge, which is "Clean and Simple". This is never easy for me, but when I am making cards as a gift for someone I like to keep them that way for easy mailing.

The Design Team used Hero Arts stamps, so I did too! This uses old favorites, Newspaper Bird (H5580), Friendship Definition (CG125), and Everyday Sayings (CL342) on kraft papers. Still having trouble with photos here in the new digs.

Have a fantastic week and thanks for the visit!

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Hi, Bloggin' Buddies!

Just a quick post today - it is too darn beautiful outside to remain inside for too long! I don't usually do many challenges, but this Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, Make Your Own Background, just pulled my strings. How much better does it get?

I used a Hero Arts background stamp (Looped Flower) with my amazing Gansai Tambi watercolors to create a colorful background for the great Avery Elle "Happy" die. Love the combo.

Hope you are having a grad weekend! Thanks for the visit!

Crazy Fun

Hello, Bloggin' Buddies!

As you know, I don't "let go" and create silly very often. But I was in need of some bright colors and some fun. So I took advantage of Ellen Hutson's "Mix It Up Challenge" over at the CLASSroom.

We are to mix it up with Essentials by Ellen and Lawn Fawn. How fun is that?

I mixed up some Essentials by Ellen dies with some Lawn Fawn paper and a stamp to make this crazy card.  I die cut four layers of the "Prize Stag" to make him pop. And the speech bubble is heat embossed for some super-shine. I'm still having problems photographing at our new house.

Essentials by Ellen - Prize Stag and Laurel Wreath dies

Lawn Fawn - Chit Chat stamps/dies, Bright Side Petite Paper Pack

Happy Monday!

Hello, Bloggin' Buddies!

I was up early and read about the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge which is all about "the middle". Check it out and play along - you have all week!

Well, it got me to thinking (AFTER I had my coffee) about how we are in the middle of a terrible drought here in California. And, we have a friend who has been told by her doctor that she needs to drink more water, preferably in the middle of the day. So, I got the idea to put a jar of water in the middle of a bunch of other jars. Silly? Maybe, but I like it!

I used Hero Arts CL673 "Love Jar" and matching die and the perfect paper from Studio Calico's "South of Market" 6x6 pad.I added a sheet of vellum (I'm trying not to be so afraid of that stuff - it scares me!) to soften the background paper. I embossed the lemon slice and popped it up. A simple card.

Drink up and thanks for the visit.

Let's Get Outside!

Hello, dear Bloggin' Buddies!

I hope you are having a great weekend. We are enjoying some perfect weather (but we'll take more rain, please). It is the time of year that we love to get outside - before it gets too hot.

We have met some new friends here who have amazing adventurous spirits. They are always going somewhere or doing something exciting.

I wanted to make them a special card after they told me about their amazing parents who, in the 1940's and later, hiked and camped in some pretty desolate and exciting places and produced documentary films. Simply amazing folks.

This card uses Hero Art's Lattice background, die-cut stars from "Essentials by Ellen", my terrific Gansai Tambi watercolor paints and some computer-generated words.


Thanks so much for the visit. Have a lovely Sunday.

Happy Easter, Happy Spring!

Hello, Bloggin' Buddies!

I wasn't going to make any Easter cards this year (for many reasons.....), but when I got this great layered flower stamp set from Stampin' Up I knew that I had to pair it with my MISTI (Most Incredible Stamping Tool Invented) to see what might happen.

Incredible.  I made four of these cards in no time. Many companies are making these fun layered flower stamp sets and, while I have never been much on floral designs, I am so taken by the great look they achieve.

This post is short because there is so much going on - all good!

Wishing you a blessed Easter and/or a lovely Spring! Thanks for the visit.

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!