Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by! A couple of weeks ago I shared a couple of cards using the Wplus9 Flora and Fauna 3 stamps.  You can see them here and here. Today I'm sharing the results with the bird from this set. This was not my first try, but perseverance won out to something usable. I stamped with Antique Linen Distress ink and started coloring with Zigs. I was struggling with the colors so I switched to my Altenew watercolors.  I still am not satisfied with the large flower, but it's as good as it's going to get. The next card is a CASE of a card by my ..read more

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by! When I saw the Jingle Belles challenge to add a sticker, I thought that would keep me from entering.  Then I remembered these cardinal stickers that I bought last year and never used any. I had embossed this snowflake for another project and it had a wrinkle on the bottom.  But it was below the snowflake so I added a frame to hide the wrinkle and added the bird sticker perched on a die cut Merry. Quick and simple. Just the way I like it. Challenges: ABC Christmas - A for Anything Goes Christmas Can You Handle the Pressure - Anything ..read more

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by! Time to turn the page on our calendars to a new month. I make calendars each year for my desk and my family. I thought I'd set up a regular post each month to share them. I hope you enjoy my “Turning the Page” posts. Here's our February page using the Gentle Whisper stamp from Penny Black. By the way, the calendars are clipped together and can be displayed on an easel or hung on a push pin or magnetic hook.  We all have a different way to display them. If you would like a word document with the calendar, email me (bo ..read more

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by! I'm excited to announce the beginning of a new blog! Group of Seven Cardmakers It's an Advice Blog about favorite techniques and products for cardmakers from seven wonderful friend.  For the past couple of years, each month our group has had a Zoom call to try out new techniques (or revisit older techniques), as well as discuss art products.   It's been a lot of fun!  We continue to meet and want to share some of our  creations and findings with you.  We'll be posting our shares on the 28th of each month. This month ..read more

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by! I promised to be back soon with the bird from the Wplus9 Vintage Ephemera. Here he is... I've paired him with the Scripted Background stamp from the same company. It's been inked with Bundled Sage DOX ink and spritzed before stamping. The bird was inked with Distress Markers and the color moved around with a damp brush, then fussy cut when dry. I used the Eclipse Technique to cut a heart from the background and cut another from a bit of foam.  Glued together and put back in, it gives added dimension. Finally I added my favorite die cut p ..read more

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by! I'm still playing with new to me sets from Wplus9. I have really enjoyed using them. First up using the colors from Color Hues. I stamped and embossed with gold onto mixed media paper and used Distress Markers and my waterbrush to color. The shine is amazing when the light hits it. So hard to photograph! Then I inked and embossed it with white embossing powder. It's so hard to see where to color, but I enjoy the results. Last but not least... I inked and embossed the smaller flower stamp with the gold. Love that little bee! I'll be bac ..read more

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by! Today I have a VERY shiny card! I punched these bells from foil cardstock and embossed them with my subtle embossing folder.  The bow was die cut from red foil. With all that shine, I needed to heat emboss the sentiment and add some embossed gold highlights to the wreath. Getting a good photo was the hardest part! Challenges: Jingle Belles - Christmas Bells Card Recipe Stamps:  Yuletide (Kaisercraft) Ink:   Encore Gold Paper:   Neenah Natural, Gold Foil, Red Foil Other:  Bell Punch (ret SU), Subtle EF (re ..read more

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by! Playing with a special stencil... I used tape to block off areas that I didn't want inked (I'm very messy with my inking) and did one color bow at a time.  I did the same thing for the ornaments. The gold ornaments were inked with Encore Gold ink and heat embossed. I added VersaMark through the stencil on the red ornament and bows.  Then I heat  embossed them with clear powder to get the shine. The greenery was sponged through a stencil made with a die. The design was matted on a piece of matte gold foil leaving a thin frame th ..read more

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by! I especially love to see the cardinals in the trees this time of year when the colors outside are gray. He stands out so beautifully! I've stamped this guy with Antique Linen Distress ink then added color with markers on the stamp, moving the color with a damp waterbrush after each stamping. My first try was a complete disaster.  I'm glad there are two sides to the paper. This card is a combination of inspiration from  Mimi A La Carte and Heather Telford. I used Chunky White Frantage heated from underneath for the snow. I'm s ..read more

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by! They say there were a few snowflakes the other night. I'm sad I missed them, but it can snow in the craft room. I used an old embossing folder with a new snowflake die. The die set is two pieces and each has an inner cut that can pop out for more stacking. This time I cut from Champagne Foil. I also cut from white cardstock and smooshed in some DOX inks. The background for this card is stamped and heaty embossed for a tiny bit of texture and added interest. Challenges: Card 1 Can You Handle the Pressure - ATG with Embossing Folder (no twi ..read more