2018 Spring/Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

Hello, blog! Long time no see! Here is my card for the 2018:

Today I have a chalkboard card. I forgot how fun these are! I used my MISTI stamp positioner to enable me to stamp and colour, then stamp again and emboss. I chose not to emboss the hearts so they would recede a bit.

I used chalk pencil crayons to add some subtle colour to the flowers and a slight drop-shadow to the "thanks" calligraphy. I drew the border by hand. I used striped washi tape as a temporary guide to help me space my dots in the border like this:

I used a sponge to smudge a bit of chalk ink in the corners and mounted with a few black and white layers to the front of a 5X7 inch card.

Thanks for stopping by. You can see LOTS more caffeinated cards at the official link up blog here. My card is number 860!

Knitting Warm Winter Wishes

I'm back after a long hiatus due to a busy schedule and a very tired computer that does not want to cooperate. This is a Christmas card for my friend Mary, who knits up a storm, and even more so now that she is retired.

The House Mouse design is by Stampendous and the sentiment is by Waltzingmouse Stamps.

I thought the red and green scheme works for a Christmas card, but it could be used year round by swapping out the colours. I stamped with Memento and coloured with Copic markers, then overstamped with Versafine Black and clear embossed.

I am entering this in the 52 Card Throwdown Challenge, which is to pick any of the previous challenges from 2015. I chose the August Colour Challenge:

And the Weekly Christmas Card Challenges Week #1.

Thanks for visiting!

Stampendous Jumbo Peony Farewell

Isn't that one BIG, beautiful bloom? The Jumbo Peony stamp measures about 5.5 X 4 inches. This is a stamp that makes a statement. I needed to make a farewell card for one of my staff with an envelope that would accommodate the giftcard and brochures from the spa resort that were her going away present. Something about the size of a business envelope, with added depth, was needed. A larger sized card also allows for everyone to sign it.

I stamped the peony in embossing ink and applied Lindy's Stamp Gang Desert Moon Turquoise embossing powder and heat set. Then I used Twinkling H2Os watercolour paints to shade the petals (African Jade, Bashful Blue and Icicles). I used Wink of Stella Glittering Silver to accent the stamen.

Envelope #1

Do you know how difficult it is to find a nice Farewell, Goodbye From All of Us or We Will Miss You stamp? I am always on the lookout for such a thing and knew I did not have one in my stamp collection. So I turned to my Silhouette Cameo to find a script font. I cut the word on my Cameo and then treated it with the same embossing powder as the flower. Unlike a stamp, I could size this word to just the length I needed. Then I made an envelope, which you can see above. The label was cut on the Cameo, as were the letters of Christine's name so that the envelope would show through. The envelope was made about a quarter inch thick to allow for the card and the inserts. I was not crazy about the green envelope as the colours on the card ranged more to blue, however, I was short for time.

BUT THEN, I foolishly put the  envelope on the kitchen counter - the one with cooking oil on it! So back to the drawing board I went. I decided to change up the colours of the envelope and label, and use the matching script font for the cut out name for envelope #2.

Envelope #2 and embossed Farewell e-cut.

This tie envelope is a fun SVG file from Lettering Delights that I re-sized to a longer length and 1/4 inch depth and is held together by decorative brads and baker's twine. Once again, the Cameo allows me to "have it my way" as they say! I am entering this in the Cheerful Stamp Pad's Challenge #85 (embossing).

WOYWW 257

Decided to share my fairly clean worktable for the What's on Your Workdesk? Wednesday 257. You can learn about it at the Stamping Ground blog. This is my first time posting.

For the most part this is just capturing all the new things I have added to my space. (There is a resist-stamped background there and an inset die cut message card that I managed to ruin at the last minute by dropping a stamp pad on it - twice!)

The black and white damask tool caddies (left holds all my clear stamp blocks, right holds assorted glues, sprays and rulers) were dirt cheap at Michael's and take up little space for what they do. Just beyond those is my latest fun treat - a Ranger spinner rack (with three tiers) for Distress Ink blending foam tools. I only need about 16 more tools and I will be set! Just decided I would use them a lot more if they were accessible.

Last but not least, some new stamps. The Stampendous Jumbo Peony, and these lovelies (above) from Pink Persimmon, which is having a sale on stamps right now, so I could not resist. So what's on your workdesk today?