Saturday, March 17, 2018

Easter Bonnet Chick

Oh, how I love Easter.  From the lively church service celebrating Jesus's resurrection, to the amazing selection of foods at dinner, being with family, and rejoicing in the warmer (hopefully) weather with spring at it's heels.  And let's not forget the Easter parade, and the baskets of candy (hopefully with peanut butter M & M's). Hint, hint, EB.

I made this card for my design team mid-way post for the March Penny Black Saturday Challenge, Anything Goes, Optional Easter or chocolate brown.   
The challenge is open until April 6th, and there is a $20 prize to 1,2,3 Stitch awarded to the randomly drawn winner.  Hope to see you there!

I used Penny Black stamps, Easter Bonnet 1933E, Easter Wishes 3603E, Unfold 3388K.  For the die, I used Spellbinders filigree egg die.

I colored the chick with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils, and the flowers in the foreground with Copic markers.  I stamped them onto the card front, then onto scrap paper (I used Strathmore smooth bristol), then fussy-cut them and added them to the card.  The sponging is done with Distress inks in broken china.

While I made this card I was thinking how sad that many people do not dress up for Easter any more.  Back in the day, we children always got new clothes for Easter, and I had an 'Easter bonnet,' white gloves, and shiny new shoes, as well.  The whole family would dress to the nines, and off to church we would go.  It warms my heart to think back on that time.  

I am entering my card in these challenges:

Addicted To Stamps - Holiday
Allsorts Challenge- Bring on the bling (sequins, shimmer on hat flowers)
The Flower Challenge  - Anything goes
Penny Black at Allsorts - Feature a creature
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Easter inspired
Tuesday Morning Sketches Challenge -












I'm so glad you stopped by today.   Thank you for your visit, and your kind comments.  It's always nice to hear from you.  
I would love to hear some of your Easter memories stories in the comments!  Please share.

Blessings,

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Birthday Dahlias

Another flock of geese flew over today, coming back for the season.  I'm afraid they're going to take one look at the snow and head back south!  I love the sound of honking geese, and run outdoors to wave hello when I hear them.  Sure sign spring is on its way!

For my card today, I used a Power Poppy digital stamp, Hello Dahlias.  I colored the image with Copic markers, and added some colored pencil highlights.  The happy birthday is from Power Poppy clear set Dynamic Duos Peonies & Tulips.  The die is from Lawn Fawn, stitched squares.

Here is my card...
The Power Poppy challenge is to take inspiration from fabric.  I chose this fabric as my inspiration for my card...

I really like this stamp set.  I'm not sure there are blue dahlias, but I took artistic license.  I used to tell my students to make their flowers or other objects any color they wanted.  Life has enough other rules, and our little tiny card canvases offer us the freedom to stretch our horizons and break some rules.

I am adding my card to these other challenges:

The Flower Challenge - Anything goes

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Spring/Easter

Time Out Challenges - Birthday (their 4th!)  

Pile It On  - Circles (flowers are circular)

Thanks so much for visiting my blog.  I appreciate your comments and encouragement.  

Make it a good day.

Blessings,

 

 

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Celebrate Watercolor Card

I'm back with another card today.  I wanted to get this card in for the Art Impressions Challenge , which is Watercolor Wonders.

I just adore these little stamps.  They're perfect for a quick little card, simple, yet artsy looking and pretty.  They look as though you actually painted the images, but, they are stamps.  I can't get enough of these.  Anyways, on to my card for this challenge....
I used stamps from the Art Impressions watercolor series from several different sets.  I have taken the stamps out of the packages, and put all of the flowers in one cd case, leaves in another, cats in one, birds in one, you get the idea here.  So much easier to just grab what I need and they are all in one place, rather than pulling from different sets.  

I used Tombow markers on mine.  The celebrate verse is one I found in my stash, and do not know the company.  The die is from Spellbinders.

I'm dreaming of spring, when our birds return to our garden, and we can finally ditch the jackets and boots.  These last few weeks of winter just drag by, and we always get hit with a noreastern in March....which we have now.  Ugggh.  Well, more time to make cards!  Silver lining!

I hope you are able to do what you love today.  Make it a good day.

Blessings,

You Are Special

We are having some snow and blowing, just on the tail of the Noreastern going up the coast.  Nothing compared to what the more eastern states and even a little further east in New York are getting, I'm sure.  

My card today makes me think about the bunny who lives in our garden.  He greets us when we sit on the deck, while he nibbles grass and other goodies he finds there.  Thankfully, he hasn't eaten any of our plants.  Hopefully this spring will be the same.
Isn't he sweet?  The stamps are from the Technique Junkies March release. 

They are: 


Just click on the name of the stamp above, and it will take you to the Technique Junkies store, and directly to that stamp, if you want to do some shopping.  If you do, be sure to use my code TJ10Lynda for 10% off your stamps.  

To make this card, I started with a watercolor panel.  I stamped the bunny (using Tombow markers) and watercolored him, then masked him and stamped the Growing Wild flowers (again, Tombows), then added watercolor to give them a painterly look.   I die cut the panel using DieNamics Blueprints 2, and added it to an A2 card.

I stamped the You Are Special with Ranger Archival ink in Watering Can color.  I fussy-cut the words and added them with foam tape.  

A little brush of color from distress inks finish off the card.

I am adding my card to these challenges:

Addicted To Stamps - Make your mark


Thanks for stopping by.  I appreciate your spending time here, and I enjoy your comments.

Stay cozy, and create something marvelous!

Blessings,
 

Sunday, March 11, 2018

My First Two Bible Journal Pages

Yep, I've caught the Bible journaling 'bug.'  Here is my second ever page.  You can read the details of this page, and my insights at my A Little Perspective blog.  

And my first page....
 You can read about this page on my Tangled In The Word blog.

I will be back with some much needed spring card-making inspiration.  

Blessings,

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Bunny In Brown

Hello peeps!  Just stopping in today with a link to my Technique Junkies blog post  for today.  I'm writing this post at my daughter's house, while we are watching the girls after school and tonight.  So, I'm sneaking a paragraph between giggles and games, and snacks, then on to dinner prep.  So, I'm keeping it short today.

Today's project features the Little Bunny, Wisdom of Oz verses, and part of the Flourished Floral stamp.  All links to these stamps can be found on my post HERE.
And here he comes...hopping right into my blog.....
Full details of how I made this card, stamps used, etc., can be found HERE.  

Today is the last day to get 15% off all new March release stamps, including this little guy.  Check them out at Technique Junkies store here.

And don't forget to use my code - TJ10Lynda - to get 10% off any regularly priced stamps any time. 
Thanks so much for visiting.  I appreciate and read all of your comments.

Blessings,

Saturday, March 3, 2018

Easter Wishes Lilies

It's March!  Spring IS on the way...although you wouldn't know it as I'm writing this post in upstate New York!  Snowing, blowing, yadda, yadda.  But, I'm thinking Easter with my card today, nonetheless!
This is my card for the Penny Black Anything Goes challenge this month.  The theme 'Anything Goes' also has an optional Easter or Chocolate Brown theme as well.  I went Easter.  

For the background, I smooshed some yellow and green TH distress ink lightly onto watercolor card stock.  Then I added some background elements using Penny Black Letter Background (1999L0, Damask (3861H) and Swirl Border 1969B.

I stamped the Penny Black Brush Lilies (3306K) using my Misti and TH distress inks cubes.  I applied color, brushed it out with a little water, then applied more color.  I repeated until I achieved my desired look.  I then touched it up with Polychromos colored pencils.  

The Easter wishes verse is from my stash.  It is Penny Black, but I had pulled it from the wood block, and neglected to write the name/number of the stamp.  I stamped it with Forest Moss distress ink.  It looks black in the picture, but it is dark green.

The cross is from a Spellbinders die set, Crosses Two.  I layered three dies for dimension.  I added some Nuvo clear drops, and a touch of ultra fine yellow glitter over them.

I hope you will join us and play along in the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  You just may win a prize!

Thanks for visiting my blog.  I always appreciate your wonderful encouragement and comments.

Blessings,

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Technique Junkies March New Release Blog Hop!

Welcome to Technique Junkies March Release Day blog hop!   What a fabulous bunch of 15 new stamps in this  stamp release!  Check out the hop for some sweet inspiration from our fabulous design team!

If you are here from  Beth Norman's blog, you are in the right place.  If not, head on over to the Technique Junkies Blog to start at the beginning of the hop.


All of the March 2018 New Release stamps are 15% off until March 8th! We can all use a little bargain, right? No codes needed, just put them in your shopping cart and the discount will be applied at checkout.  If you see other non-release stamps you love, just use my code TJ10Lynda to get 10% off at Technique Junkies.

I am excited to share three cards with you today, and will be back later throughout the month with more.  


Card # 1....
STAMPS: Links provided
Itoh Peonies
In My Prayers (non-release)
OTHER:  
Tim Holtz distress ink
Ranger Archival Ink
Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils
Strathmore mixed media paper

I used the distress ink in pink to stamp the peonies onto the mixed media paper, then colored in the no-line fashion with my Polychromos.  The verse stamped with cobblestone gray archival ink.

Card # 2....
STAMPS:  Links provided
Perfect Atoms
OTHER:
Faber-Castell Pastels
Faber-Castell Polychromos colored pencils
India Ink black
White gel pen
White acrylic paint
Micron fine-line pen

I stamped the bird image with black onto Strathmore mixed media paper, and colored it with Polychromos.  I added white dots and colored the hearts with white gel pen, and some white acrylic paint when my pen stopped working.  I attached the panel onto a white A-2 card with foam tape.

I used my fine-line Micron pen to draw more vines and extend the legs of the birds onto the card front.  I added soft blue pastels to the background.  

CARD # 3....

STAMPS:  Links provided
Wisdom of Oz
Clouds 
Old Pier (Non-release)

OTHER:
Tim Holtz distress ink
Vellum
Alcohol inks
Tombow markers
Strathmore mixed media paper 
Misti stamping tool

For the sky, I inked the Clouds stamp with TH Iced Spruce ink and stamped it onto white mixed media paper.   I used Tombow markers to stamp the pier scene on the bottom, and added more color with a brush.  I used my Misti to do repeat stamping, alternating between watercoloring and adding marker.

For the rainbow, I used alcohol ink and dragged the applicator across the vellum, then cut it out and adhered it to the sky.  

The verse is from the Wisdom of Oz set.  I stamped it and distressed the panel, then adhered with foam tape. 

From here, hop on over to Pat Huntoon's blog for more ideas and inspiration with her release projects.

Don't forget, to get 10% off non-release stamps to go with the new ones (which are 15% off until March 8), just use my code TJ10Lynda.

Here is a little sneak-peak 'teaser' of more release stamp cards I'll be posting during this month....

Thanks for visiting.  I always enjoy your lovely comments and appreciate you spending time here.   Enjoy the hop, check out the other designer's inspiration, and have fun shopping!

Blessings,