A Big, Shiny Birthday Balloon!

 I made this for My Favorite Things' card challenge of the week.

The Three Mouseketeers (plus one)!

 My Favorite Things' Color Challenge #163 includes some mice from an old Penny Black set (before MFT came out with their cute baking mice) with an MFT background stamp.

Supplies: MFT Happy Birthday background stamp, Penny Black's Critter Party, Memento Tuxedo black ink, Copic markers, random card stock, Ranger glossy accents, Wink of Stella and silver thread.

Herd it's your birthday!

My Favorite Things' Sketch Challenge #532 presented a number of difficulties for me.  I opted to follow the figurative sketch pattern posted by Vanessa Menhorn on the MFT site rather than the shape-specific star design since I found her card so attractive and thought it might work with my farm animals. Then, I tried to figure out how to put everything together without doing a bunch of fussy cutting for physical layers. I first considered stamping the animals on acetate and laying that over the background stamp, but once I mastered stamping in StazOn on the ultra smooth surface and got all the animals masked and layered with a bale of hay and feeding trough,  I soon realized how crazy hard it was to color those images smoothly!  So, after what seems like a dozen attempts, I ended up with fewer images stamped on card stock, masked before adding the background stamp and blending the background, then coloring with Copics. I couldn't locate the balloons I wanted, so I used another set (even though these strings were not as long as I really wanted) and then I made the mistake of squirting way too much glossy accents on them. . .  I nearly didn't post this (ideally the chicks should be further down and the hen shouldn't have a speck on her body); but I spent too much of my Saturday to pretend this didn't happen! At least I learned something from the process and now have a card that is perfect for my friend, Sarah which are two things I appreciate about completing the weekly challenges!

Supplies: My Favorite Things The Whole Herd, Happy Birthday background stamp, Sweet Succulent sentiment, Bentley Bear by Adam Pescott (balloons), Ranger glossy Accents, Copic markers, Memento Tuxedo Black and Versamark ink, Neenah Solar white card stock, Stampin' Up! Marina Mist and Tim Holtz Salty Ocean distress ink, and Recollections Snow white embossing powder.

Warm thoughts

My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge #530 was designed for a slimline card, which is not my favorite, but a good challenge for me to try. The hardest part was stamping a snowman and snowy trees on a day when it's in the upper 70's where I live! I may have to save this card for next winter.

Supplies: MFT stamp set Flurry of Love, stitched die-namic, Stampin' Up Whisper White flock and chalk, Memento Ink Tuxedo Black, assorted Copic markers and dimensional adhesive.

Heart broken

I wasn't sure how I felt about this week's sketch challenge at My Favorite Things until I did it. Once it was done, I decided that I like the cut panels, especially for something as heart-breaking as the loss of a loved one. 

Supplies: MFT Fine Line Floral stamped image; Happy Hummingbirds sentiment, Memento Tuxedo black, various Copic markers, Neenah solar white, Stampin' Up! green cardstock, Versamark, fine detail white embossing powder and Paper Studio enamel stickers. 

 

When life gives you lemons

I wonder how lemons got such a bad rep that the phrase about "when life gives you lemons" got started? And why is a kruddy car called a lemon? I know it's a rabbit hole that I could easily investigate as I sit here at the computer, but for now I'll leave it a mystery.

I actually like lemons, I adore fresh squeezed lemonade and I frequently use lemon juice in marinades and/or baking!  When I saw the colors for this week's My Favorite Things Color Challenge #159, I decided right away to use the Main Squeeze stamp set along with some watercolors for the fun of it.

I used Tim Holtz distress ink for the grapesicle-like background and scraps of card stock for the die cut and mat. I'm not a pro at watercolor, so it was hard for me to control the shades of yellow and green on the lemons, but overall I was happy with the results.

Supplies: My Favorite Things Main Squeeze stamp set, Hello die-namics, Tim Holtz water color paper and Shaded Lilac distress oxide, Versafine Onyx ink, Gansai Tambi and a hint of Yasutomo water colors.

Birthday wishes

My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge 526 provided me with a good plan for making a birthday card to give our office manager, Laura. She loves watching hummingbirds from her porch swing on her back porch, overlooking the lake, so I used one as my focal point with a blended blue sky (or lake) behind it. I also used some MFT clear embellishments in addition to the flower accents. It could look a bit more festive, but on a gloomy and rainy day, my  mood was more one of restfulness and tranquility than celebration. She has such a pleasant, positive personality I hope she likes it and understands that the understated appearance still conveys heartfelt wishes.

 

Supplies: My Favorite Things Happy Hummingbirds stamps and dies, clear embellishments, yellow flock, Memento Tuxedo, Versafine Onyx ink, Tim Holtz distress inks and assorted Copics.

Panda Valentine

My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge 525 gave me another opportunity to create a non-traditional Valentine and I've decided that all the cards I make for the holiday this year will be that way (except for the one I already completed on a previous challenge that I finished too late for in In Link party), but never mind. Let's just say I like the idea of non-conventional cards and as you can tell from previous posts, I really like the Happy Pandas for most all occasions!  This sketch allowed me to show them peeking out for a cute, playful look with what I hope will be received as a heart-warming message. Now, I'm not sure if this might be a perfect card for my Mom, but there are other people who deserve long distance hugs, too!

Supplies: My Favorite Things Happy Pandas, Versamark ink, Stampin' Up! Certainly Celery ink and card stock, scrap kraft card stock, Versafine Onyx ink, Fine detail embossing powder and dimensional adhesive.

A Blue Valentine

My Favorite Things Color Challenge #157  gave me an opportunity to create a unique Valentine's card for my Mom, who is the baker that inspired me to follow in her footsteps, making cookies and rolls from scratch for my family. I can't believe we haven't seen each other in person for over a year, but we talk on the phone, text and share photos, so thankfully, it doesn't feel like we're out of touch; I just I miss being with her and sharing the aroma of our home-made goodies. 

The last time I used this color challenge, it was perfect for a baby card, but I think it worked just as well for this cozy kitchen scene. 

Supplies: My Favorite Things Sweet Shop, Stitched dies, Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Taken with Teal, scrap blue and craft card stock, assorted Copic markers, random heart die, Versamark Onyx ink and Wink of Stella.

Two more happy hummingbirds

 This week's sketch challenge # 523 at My Favorite Things was a fun one to play with. There were some diverse examples for inspiration , so I felt free to make my own version of the sample design. 

My husband needed a sympathy card for a cousin who passed away recently and since he's a huge hummingbird fan, I thought this would be an appropriate card for him to send. As I was sampling colors, however, I started to worry that the teal background I liked best might be too cheerful for a sympathy card. But then I decided that the bird on the branch looked rather contemplative and besides, sympathy cards should try to cheer people up a bit, so why not use some bold, happy colors?

I added the contrast of the white embossed, non-filled images since the blockiness of the design didn't fit the vibe of condolences (although I think I'll definitely use it for some contemporary hello cards in the future).  

Supplies: MFT Happy Hummingbirds, Copic Markers, Wink of Stella, Neenah Solar white, Stampin' Up! Taken with Teal and Whisper White card stock, random arrow die (to create banner), Tim Holtz Distress inks blended on background pieces, Versamark, and fine white detail embossing powder.

Flurries of Love

 I used My Favorite Things' Color Challenge 156 for inspiration of this wintry card. I combined two new stamp sets to create the scene, and although I like the hillside lines, I felt they were a little too strong for the look I wanted (I should have stamped in gray, I guess), so I decided to add some white flock for some dimensional snow. I colored the polar bear with Copic E00 and N0 for a Grout Grayish look on the bear's fur and the penguin's nose and feet, then used a couple different blues for the Berrylicious and Blueberry scarves.

Supplies: My Favorite Things Polar Opposites, Sending a Flurry of Love, Copic markers,  Stampin' Up Whisper White flock, Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Versamark, Fine detail white embossing powder, scraps of cardstock on a Neenah Solar white card base.

Happy (Hummingbirds) New Year

It's always fun to play with new toys after Christmas, no matter what age you are. My husband has been reading new books, my kids have been practicing calligraphy and Chinese calligraphy with their recent gifts, and I've been playing with my newest stamp sets and embellishments.

I created this card for the My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge 522. I used a few new markers along with a new favorite stamp set and clear round drops I've been eager to add to my stash to make this potential Valentine's Day card (although the message could be sent any time of year).

Supplies: My Favorite Things Happy Hummingbirds, Clear round drops (mix two), Stampin' Up! Simple Shapes, Versamark, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Wink of Stella, clear embossing powder and assorted Copic markers.