Happy Birthday Hibiscus

Why yes, that is me using my favorite Sheena stamp set of ever...again (Wild Rose & Hibiscus from her Floral Fantasy range). 

I can't get enough of this gorgeous, enormous hibiscus. I colored the blossom and leaf with Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers from Crafter's Companion. I attempted a "no line" effect, not too shabby, if I do say so myself. 

I added some texture to the card base with a Sheena Individual EZMount stamp, this one is Simply Scripty.

The sentiment is a new favorite, it is from the set a that comes with the latest issue of Crafter's Inspiration Magazine. 

The faux wood background piece started off as plain cream cardstock. I added score marks every quarter inch using the Big Score and swiped several colors of Memento Dye inks directly to the paper. I just swiped from one short edge all the way down, flipped and swiped again. I did this with each color until I thought it looked like old planks. I used a mixture of warm browns, greens and grays. 

With Love

For today's card, I cut the Die'sire Create-A-Card A2 Card Size Die - With Love from freezer paper, ironed it onto some Ultra Smooth Premium White Cardstock and airbrushed with the Craftwell eBrush and Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers. It's so magical when you take off the freezer paper. 

I added some pearls and a sentiment from Sentimentals, popped it up onto a card base and sighed. ;)

Every Day Is A Gift, Darling

This lovely shop-a-holic from Crafter's Companion and Frou Frou made an appearance on my Instagram feed recently when I colored her with my Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers for #TheDailyMarker30Day2 challenge running this month. My friend, Kathy Racoosin brought back this fun, no stress challenge for the month of June. Just color something everyday, even if just for 5 minutes, and post to whatever social media you prefer and add #TheDailyMarker30Day2.

Frou Frou Shoppe
SN: FS2, FS3, GG1, GG2, GG3, BG1, BG2, BG3, TN2, TN3, TN4, DR2, CR9, CR10, IG1, IG2, IG4, LG1, LG2, LG3, EB1, Blender
Ultra Smooth Premium White Cardstock

With Sympathy

One of my husband's co-workers lost his father and this is LITERALLY the 2nd time the man has asked me to make a card. No. Joke. He must sorta like the guy?

I used some images from a Crafter's Companion Stamp-It Australia set and sentiments from a Hero Arts set (my GOTO for sympathy cards because of the beautiful script and variety).

I colored the image and background with Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers. But when it was "finished" I though it needed some more interest. So I added some distressing with a very pale tan marker, which caused some mottling because the lighter the marker color, the more alcohol--the more alcohol, the more the marker behaves like the blender. I decided that I really dug the mottling, so I used rubbing alcohol on a wash cloth the blot the image to create more texture. My friend Kathy Racoosin will be so proud.

A Special Wish

Crafter's Companion recently introduced a new papercrafting line called Kimono. The line includes dies, stamps, embossing folders, patterned paper and a papercrafting CD. The images in the stamp sets are so elegant, I fell in love immediately. I chose the figure in the Butterfly Silk set, along with a greeting and the tiny bird and stamped them onto a panel of Ultra Smooth Premium white cardstock. I colored the images with my Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers.

I masked off the trim and background of the figure and stamped the delicate sakura image onto the main part of the kimono to create a patterned robe. (This was actually my brilliant husband's idea, I love that he supports and encourages my addiction hobby.) I matted the image off-kilter onto a black panel and added to a coordinating card base that I stamped with the sakura image.

I am delighted with this stamp set, so be prepared to get bored to def with it!

Butterfly Silk
Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers: FS1, FS3, PP1, PP2, PP4, PP5, IG1, IG4, IG6, IG9, BT1, BT2, BT4, DG1, Blender
Ultra Smooth Premium White Cardstock

With Love

My lovely friend, Kathy Racoosin of The Daily Marker, is hosting a challenge this month, if you post ANYTHING that you've colored on social media, add the hashtag #thedailymarker30day. I've had a great time participating, and my kids have gotten involved too. You can see some of our daily coloring on my Instagram profile. I'd love for you to follow me there, too. 

This was, literally, the 2nd time I'd used my eBrush with my Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers. If you don't get your marker seated correctly, you get that splatter...I just went with it. The stamp is from the Crafter's Companion Art-Kure US Landmark Collection. 

Sweet As A Rose

Bebunni is the sweetest bunny.

Colored on Ultrasmooth Premium White cardstock with Spectrum Noir Markers. 

Spectrum Noir colors: PP3, PP5, CR9, FS1, FS6, FS9, JG1, JG3, BLENDER

Friends Are Flowers

...and this flower is longing for Spring.

sheena poppies & daisies

sentimentals phrases

ultrasmooth premium white cardstock

SN: blender, lg4, lg5, ct1, ct4, bt1, bt2, bt4, gt1, gt2, ig1, or1

Hugs & Kisses

it's never too late for those, right? (totally meant to post this fella on V-Day)

Hugs & Kisses:

bebunni hearts

sentimentals friends & family

memento gray flannel, rose bud, angel pink dye

SN: IG1, IG4, PP2, PP3, PP4, PP1, PP5, blender

ultra smooth cardstock

Crafter's Companion: Back By Popular Demand

Okay, only kind of.

As some of you may know, I left the Crafter's Companion Inspiration Team last Fall. I was feeling overwhelmed, I was missing deadlines...I was disappointing myself and people I cared about. So I resigned.

But it felt wrong.

Then in mid to late December, Taylor (she who is in charge of teams and other neat stuff at CCUS) asked me "So, you ready to come back yet?".

I said, "No, but ask me again in January."

She did, and here I am.

I love Taylor and Crafter's Companion. I'm very glad to have been invited back to the team. Thank you, my friend. <3 nbsp="" p="">
(words, so many words, i know)

I got a little crafty this weekend with the Louise set by Scruffy Little Cat for Crafter's Companion. I love these crazy, big-lashed divas! I added sequins and sparkle, of course. But I also added Sakura Black Glaze pen to her lashes, because, SERIOUSLY! 

Crafter's Companion Products:

Scruffy Little Cat: Louise

Sentimentals: Memories are Made

CC Essentials Dies: Just the Ticket

Memento Tuxedo Black

Memento Toffee Crunch

Spectrum Noir Alcohol Pens: 

hair-EB3, EB6, GB7, skin-FS4, FS6, FS7, FS9, background-BT2, BT4, BT5, eyes & perfume-BT2, BT4, shoes, flowers & sash-CT1, CT4, GB7, floor-EB3, EB5, EB6, EB7, lipstick, heart, lips, sentiment-BP1, BP3, BP4, BP5, pearls-EB1, blender, dress-IG1, IG2, blender

Live The Life You Dreamed

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I love to stretch my stamps. You know, get more from one set by using the stamps in a way they weren't intended or for an occasion they wouldn't normally be used for. I also love to take those teeny support images and make them the focus of my project. That's what I've done here, I used the 3 small floral images from Let's Do Lunch to create a pattern. I added a Die'Sire tag and butterfly (that I colored with my Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers) to finish off my project. 

More Fun With Die'Sire Essentials

Angelica is so excited about the Die'Sire Essentials, she can barely hold it in! 

Get them at Crafter's Companion:

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Crafter's Companion USA new DIE'SIRE ESSENTIALS

You're gonna need these, seriously! Die'Sire Essentials Dies from Crafter's Companion USA!

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Always and Forever

SN Markers: CR1, CR7, CR10, BT1, blender

I don't use embossing folders much. I buy them, I have a basket FULL of them. I just have a hard time using them. I had this piece of the Crafter's Companion Ultra Smooth Premium white cardstock laying around on my work table, it had already been embossed with the Blooming Wonderful embossing folder from the Vintage Floral Collection. I kept staring at it, and I kept wanting those roses to be in color. So, I colored them. And I LOVE it! I used a sentiment from the Vintage Floral Sentimentals Greetings set. 

I'd paint every room in my house coral and pool, I would.

A Million Little Things

SN pens: IG1, Blender

I love this sentiment from Crafter's Companion Stamp-It Australia Imagine Friendship Sentiments stamp set. I paired it with Sheena Douglass' A Taste of India Henna Mango set. I used one of the motifs from that stamp set and stamped a random pattern in Memento Dandelion, Tangelo, Grape Jelly and Teal Zeal dye inks. I added a bit of shading to each motif with my lightest ice gray pen and faded it out with the blender, both from Spectrum Noir. I mounted it onto a bright orange card base and added the sentiment that I had die cut and layered onto the same orange cardstock.

Road Trip!

naturally, i smudged the sentiment

Tomorrow is a biiiiiig day, Simon Says Stamp is releasing some amazing products in their "This Is The Life" release. I was lucky enough to get my hands on some of these goodies. And I'm hear to tell you, this release does not disappoint! Hold on to your pocket books! (does anybody still say "pocket book"?)

all supplies available at simon says stamp:

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