Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Sunny Hello for Color Hues

Hello friends!  Today starts a new challenge at Color Hues.  This time the lovely Bonnie is hosting and she has chosen a wonderful color combination.


For a nanosecond I thought about doing something other than a floral card, but fortunately that thought passed quickly lol!



I dug through all my sunflower stamps and dies, and found this oldie but goodie from Colorado Craft Company.  It's one of their Big and Bold images and it works well with either a 5" square (with a little trimming) or an A7 size, which is what I went with.  I used my Copic and Olo markers for the coloring then die cut it with the matching die.

For the background a panel of Spellbinders Beeswax cardstock was cut down with one of their matting basics dies, then I used a couple of ink colors to blend around the edges.  I admit to getting a little enthusiastic while doing that I didn't leave much of the cardstock color.  The trellis is actually an A7 plaid cover die that I trimmed down to fit on the panel.  Once everything was adhered to the card base, I added the sentiment and a few gems.  Last came the white gel pen and some clear shimmer on the flower petals, but I don't think it's visible in the photos.


This is a great summer color combo - just wait until you see what my talented teammates came up with!  Use the link above to visit the challenge and then I hope you'll head off to your crafty space and play along with us!  The challenge will remain open until 3pm EDT Tuesday, July 29th.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stef

  • CCC Ukraine's Sunflower stamp and die
  • Simon Says Stamp Hi There Greetings
  • Honey Bee Stamps Plaid A7 Cover die (base)
  • Spellbinders 5x7 Matting Basics A die
  • SB Beeswax cardstock
  • Ink - Altenew Lemonade Stand and SSS Honey
  • Copics - YR27, 23, Y15, 11, E59, 37, 39, 33
  • Olos - 8.7, 8.5, 8.3

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Flourishing Blooms #2 for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  I'm here with my mid-month reminder card for The Flower Challenge.  This month we're asking everyone to use the colors in the prompt, which are orange and aqua/cyan.

As I shared in my post at the first of the month, I used the huge Flourishing Blooms stamp from Altenew and got three panels from a full sheet of cardstock and this card was made from one of the two smaller panels.


I trimmed the stenciled panel down from it's original A2 size, then added a sentiment from the same stamp set. I really like that the sentiments are flourished in some manner as well, to kind of match up with the flourished leaves.  The panel was layered directly onto an orange card base, gems were added and I was done!


You still have 10 days to play along, so what are you waiting for?  The team has more inspiration for you at the challenge blog (linked above) and you'll have until July 25th to join in or add a 2nd card.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Take care!

Stef

  • Altenew Flourishing Blooms stamps and stencils
  • Altenew Dew Drops, Aqualicious, Galactic Stream, Chamomile, Snapdragon and Mandarin Burst inks
  • SSS Surf Dazzling Gems and Creamsicle cardstock


Sunday, July 13, 2025

Charming Bouquet for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  This week at the Paper Players, the lovely Ann is hosting our color challenge and has chosen a delightful combination.

With these gorgeous colors, I couldn't do anything but a floral *wink* but I did step out of my usual A2 card and created a gatefold.


The gatefold card base was made months ago (dare I say over a year ago?) for an unfinished project, and I was happy to finally put it to use.  The card is 5" square with embossed panels of 2.5" each on either flap.  I used the Simon Says Stamp Petal-Tipped Labels to create layers for my floral image and sentiment.

The stamp was a gift from Altenew but any small/mini set would work for this.  It didn't come with a die, so when the Copic coloring was complete, I fussy cut it and used thin foam tape to add it to the petal label die cut. After adding the sentiment, the entire thing was adhered to just the left side of the front. I added a panel to the inside that was stamped in pale purple-pink, with the floral image going off the upper left hand corner. The last step was to add a few gems.


This is such a pretty color combination, I look for to seeing what everyone creates.  I hope your card will be in the gallery, which will remain open until Friday July 18th at 3pm EDT.  Before you head out, I encourage you to visit the challenge (linked above) and see all the beautiful inspiration from my talented teammates!

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

  • Altenew Charming Bouquet stamp
  • Altenew Modern Squares 3D embossing folder
  • Altenew One Go: Solid Sentiment Strips 2 press plate and die
  • Honey Bee Stamps Marvelous Moments gems
  • Copics - Y06, Y26, RV66, 55, 63, 52, BG49, 13, 11

Sunday, July 6, 2025

For the Record for the Paper Players

Hello friends! Today begins a new challenge at the Paper Players and I am hosting this week, stepping in for the lovely Joanne so she could enjoy a well-deserved vacation.  She chose the theme of using circles on our cards.  Very easy to do, with sooo many ways to use circles.

I hit some crafty sales a couple of months ago and found the perfect stamp and die sets for this challenge, so I'll be sharing once again with Darnell over at NBUS #76 (which stands for Never Before Used Schtuff).


Isn't that a fun card?  All the stamps and dies are from Concord & 9th. I thought these were such a clever products that could be used for most ages.  

I started with the background stamp.  It's a rather clever design where you stamp it one direction then turn it 180 degrees then stamp it again to fill in the entire background.  I also used a little stamp around some of the records, which to me looks like the record player beneath of it. 

Next all the dies were cut, the sub-sentiment stamped, then everything added to the card front.  This card will be headed to my BIL next month but I think the products are generic enough to use for anyone. 


I'm looking forward to seeing all the gallery cards and how everyone chose to use circles.  I hope you'll join us this week, the challenge remains open until 3pm EDT Friday July 11th.  But before you dash off, please make a stop at the challenge blog where my talented teammates have used circles in a wide of array of designs.

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

  • C & 9 For the Record stamps and dies
  • C & 9 Greatest Hits stamp
  • C & 9 Oceanside and Sunflower cardstocks
  • Altenew Aqualicious and Lemonade Stand inks

Friday, July 4, 2025

Bloom With Happiness for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  It's a new month over at the Flower Challenge and this time we have a color challenge.


I love this combination of orange and aqua/light blue and decided to use a beautiful floral stamp that I had yet to ink up.  


The stamp is Altenew's Flourishing Bouquet and it is ginormus, so large I had to use my Memory Misti and a full sheet of white cardstock.  The cool thing is that you can then cut the panel in quarters and have four card fronts, so that is why I decided to get it.  

After stamping I used the coordinating stencils to color the image.  I made a boo boo using the first stencil, inking up a leaf in orange, and I couldn't fix that.  So, I completed the remainder of the stenciling, then cut the panel in half so that I could get one 5" x 7" panel from the side with the mistake and two A2 panels from the other (one of which you'll see for my reminder card on the 15th).  I stamped the sentiment, added the larger panel to an A7 card base and finished it off with some gems.  I do love this to bits, with the flourished image in these colors!


What are you inspired to make with these colors?  I think our gallery will be beautiful this month and I hope you'll add your card to it!  Be sure to visit the challenge where my amazingly talented teammates have some beautiful cards to share.  The challenge will remain open until Friday, July 25th.  I hope to see your card in the gallery!

Stef

PS Happy Independence Day to all those in the US!

  • Altenew Flourishing Bouquet stamps and stencils
  • Kristina Werner Kristina's Essential Dies
  • Altenew Dew Drops, Aqualicious, Galactic Stream, Chamomile, Snapdragon and Mardarin Burst inks
  • SSS Surf Dazzling Diamonds

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

I'm Killin' It for Color Hues

Hello friends! Okay, I try to refrain from saying this every month, but can you believe it's the first of a new month? And that we're halfway through 2025? It's true, and the good news is that we have a new challenge at Color Hues.  The fabulous Tracey is hosting this time and has chosen the great color duo of red and white.

 
And since I am using multiple new products I'm linking up to Darnell's NBUS Challenge here.

I am especially fond of Art Impressions stamps with humor and I picked up one earlier this year and thought it would work perfectly for this challenge.


Love this cranky old lady and I find the sentiment so funny!  I stamped her and the sentiment on a panel of die cut white, then set about coloring her with Copic markers.  I used a Copic Acrea paint marker in Snow White to add the polka dots on her hat and the stripes on her balloon.  Unlike most white gel pen, the paint marker doesn't absorb the ink colors underneath, so it's one of my new favorite tools!

I used a polka dot background stamp on the card base, then added the matted arch with our birthday gal and called it done.


Thanks for taking time to stop by!  For oodles of inspiration from my highly talented teammates and our guest designer, Kim Miller, please head over to the challenge and check it out!  Hopefully you'll join us for Tracey's challenge, it will remain open until Monday, July 14th at 3pm EDT.

Stef

  • Art Impressions Never Too Old Laugh Lines stamps
  • Simon Says Stamp Swiss Dots Background stamp
  • SSS Nested Domed Arches dies
  • Copic Acrea Paint Marker in Snow White
  • Copics - R59, 39, 37, 35, 21, C9, 7, 5, 3, 0, T2, 0, W3, 1, Black 100, E11, 21, 00


Sunday, June 29, 2025

Lakeside Birthday for the Paper Players

Hello friends!  The Paper Players are back with a new challenge and since this is the 5th Sunday of the month, the amazing Jaydee is hosting our Tic Tac Toe challenge.  She's created a wonderful board with lots of great choices.

I'm also joining in with Seize the Birthday, where the toppings is to use a silhouette on your birthday card.

From the TTT board, I chose the center column - something that flies, die cut and layers - but it could easily go across the bottom row as well.



I'm quite smitten with these Waffle Flower Postage Collage products, so this won't be the last you'll see in the next few weeks.  When I lived in Oregon, our house was about a mile from a National Wildlife Refuge, so my husband and I would frequently walk the 3.5 mile path around it. There were always herons, storks, ducks, geese, hawks, eagles, deer, frog, etc. (depending on the time of year, of course) and when I saw this particular Lake Sunset stamp set, it reminded me of those times (except no waterlilies there). I also used a couple of bird stamps from two other PC sets. 

I used the Postage Collage Blocks die, which cut out the little panels, that were then ink blended before adding the silhouette images.  The Postage Collage die was cut from a white panel and then the little panels were added using foam tape.  The sentiment is from an Altenew mini stamp set.  The postage panel was matted with an aqua panel then added to the card front.  I didn't add any of the postage elements, such as first class or the cancellation mark, because I just love the wildlife scene as is, but it's always an option for another card.


The Tic Tac Toe challenge is always fun, with so many options for creating, I do hope you'll join us this week.  The challenge will remain open until Friday, July 4th at 3pm EDT (Happy Independence Day to those in the US!).  But before you head off, please take a minute to pop over to the challenge blog for a bevy of inspiration from my talented teammates.  

Thanks for visiting and take care!

Stef

  • Waffle Flower Postage Collage Lake Sunset, Forest Sunset and Wild Birds stamps
  • WF Postage Collage die and Blocks die
  • Altenew Regal Frame sentiment stamp
  • Altenew Aloe Vera, Matcha Tea, Dew Drop and Aqualicious inks