Botanical Backgrounds

This background set from CTMH has been a longtime favorite.  I've been trying to clean my craft room ... and instead of finding things to let go, I find things to play with again!

I white heat embossed it on some heavy card stock, and then 'water colored' the panel with various blue Distress inks.
This is one of my favorite things lately!  I splattered with gold shimmer paint, heat embossed the sentiment in gold on vellum.

Fun to play along with Challenge #22 Tic Tac Toe at Double Trouble - 
though I didn't add the twist of Magic. Forgot about my Unicorn set until I was ready to post...

White and gold

Die cuts, a very pale swash of watercolor, some splatters, and a gold embossed sentiment.  I cut the prism triangle die twice and glued them together for dimension. My first thought was to have the watercolor show through...but it looked too busy, so I backed with a solid piece of card stock. The triangle was trimmed to make two smaller triangles.  I have not done a white on white card - it's really tough.  Not sure this worked, but it is a look I would like to perfect.

Inspired by Freshly Made Sketches #375

Celebrate

Taking time during our recent snowstorms to watch videos and tutorials.  I have longed for some of those dimensional/stacking dies, but just can't deal with the price.  So Jennifer Mc Guire's recent post about how to get the same effect with a single cover die had me excited.  It works!!  Easy and fun to do.  I can't wait to try another.

The Darice cover die is 4.25x5.5. I cut it in white, and then three shades of card stock. When gluing, you offset each layer and trim the side.  I used a Papertrey Ink stamp and stacked it for dimension. The sentiment is from a CTMH set.

Linking this to Watercooler Wednesday #208  "All About Occasions"  WWC208

Bee Happy

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #303


  I used three CTMH sets from the past: Doodled Designs, Happy to be Friends, and a Petite Perks. I performed some masking and pen tricks on the sentiment to create the 'Bee'
AHSC is teaming up with Double Trouble again this week, so there will be LOTS of inspiring entries at both sites.  Check them out and play along!
I used the sketch, and added the Double Trouble: flowers and a 'buzz'

Best Wishes Baby

Just in time for the baby card I need for a friend about to become a first time Grandmother♥

Try Stampin' on Tuesday challenge #393 - this sketch and an option of 'tiny things'

Playing with Techniques

This watercolor saran wrap technique creates some very fun designs.  It requires lots of water and color on the paper, and enormous patience in waiting for it to dry before you pull off the saran.  It's always a surprise.  This blue one was really one of my favorites!  I couldn't bear to cut it, so I used a new Xcut die.  After cutting the pieces of the dragonfly,  I rubbed them with Versamark and covered them with gold embossing powder.  I considered adding some golden sequins...but hate to distract from this lovely dragonfly.  The watercolor panel is popped up with foam.

Linking to several Challenge sites today:

Addicted to Stamps and More #326

Watercooler Wednesday WWC206

and Tuesday Throwdown #424 Anything Goes

Love AHSC #301

My mojo has been seriously sleepy...I had several ideas for this sketch, but nothing very original. A day late....I was checking my blog emails, and saw a post from one of the quilting sites I follow.  Now, I haven't quilted for over 20 years (and then I made three and just quit), but I adore making quilted paper♥  It's quite addicting.  This leapt out and I got so excited because it was the sketch itself!

So thanks to exuberantcolor.blogspot.com and her January 28th post of her gorgeous quilt that I used for this sketch.  Head on over to Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge to see what other folks are doing with the sketch.


I have a file drawer of patterned papers - filed by color groups.  It has some really old pieces of collections in there!  Any long time CTMH crafters out there recognize these?  The tiny cranberry dotted paper is from the company while it was called "Dots."  No judging folks, I have a serious paper hoarding problem :-)  which as you see comes in very handy when making tiny paper quilts. This one is a 3"x3" block.

Cranberry ink with stamps from an ancient CTMH set called Whooo's Your Valentine. I usually dry emboss these for dimension and to make them look quilted, but decided to leave this one plain...and regretted that once it was glued down.