Home Sweet Home and a Vintage Country Home freebie

"True friends are never apart. Maybe in distance, but never in heart."

I'm so happy to see you, my dear blogging friends! 

Paula has moved into a new home, so a card was in order! 

QUESTION: This is the first Altenew Pigment Ink I've purchased, and the first time used. It already requires reinking. Are you familiar with this brand? Does it mix well with other brand pigment reinkers? "Back in the Day..." pigment inks used pretty much the same formulas and reinkers could be interchanged. But nowadays, I hesitate doing that with all the special formulas. Do you absolutely need to use their reinkers with their pads? Altenew's seem to be a bit more expensive. I appreciate the feedback!

After running old, old, old designer paper through the embossing folder, white pigment ink was swiped across the top, dredged with clear detail EP and heat set:

Using the die as a stencil, Pumice Stone was applied in the openings and scenic background. VFC Morning Mist was applied to the lace punch for dimension, before layering.

Using the same die on the inside sentiment, and more stenciling in the same color made for a pretty card. The house was originally colored with Copic Markers and scanned:

By cutting 3 more "blank" die pieces, and adhering them together, a dimensional centerpiece was created.

Finally, white cardstock was adhered to the back of the embossed designer paper, cut with deckle scissors, with lacy trim attached.

Small sentiment was added before adhering to kraft cardstock:

On the inside, the original designer paper, layered with the stenciled sentiment:

A gift for you: 

If you would like a freebie set featuring this Vintage Country Home digital, please email me, and a ZIP file will be sent your way. It includes colored versions and black and white. For your use as a gift, not for resale/sale. Please refer to set #911.

Products: Images: My Digital Set Vintage Country Home (free to you if you wish to email me), Inks: Altenew Cloud White Pigment ink, VersaFine Clair Morning Mist, Distress Pummice Stone, Copic Markers, Embossing: folder Anna Griffin Baroque Vine Frame, Clear Detail EP, Paper: 20 years old pattern paper, white, and craft, Dies: Spellbinders 5x7 Elegant Labels 4, Martha Stewart Doily Lace Deep Trim Punch

Grateful to be playing in the following challenges (thank you, design teams, for hosting challenges):

1. A Perfect Time to Craft Open Challenge #8 AG 08/28 (entry #2)
2. Ally's Angels #97 AG (entry #2) 9/12
3. Crafter's Cafe #322 AG with Patterned Papers 9/12 (entry #2)
4. FarmQuest General Store Challenge #31 AG Farm and/or Country (my digi set is titled Vintage Country Home - be sure to email me if you would like the set for free) 9/5
5. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2533 AG (entry 2) 8/25
6. CD Sunday Plus Challenge #165 AG using a CD, USB, or digital [using My Digital Set Vintage Country Home (free to you, my blog visitor, if you wish to email me) 8/31
7. Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #138 AG 8/31

Stamping Hugs,

It's the Anniversary Squirrel! {Being A Little Squirrelly }

Waving "hello" to my blogging visitors!

 It's the Anniversary Squirrel! (another Bugaboo cutie) Sigh - I sure miss Jodie. What a fun artist!

This is the 49th anniversary card for my hubby. He enjoys nonsensical, humorous cards. Since I'm a little nutty by nature, it was only appropriate to use this squirrel - not to mention the fact that we live in an oak hammock where acorns are plentiful, and we are frequently over-run with the little varmints in our rural area.

Colored with Copic Markers and Distress Oxide inks, this little cutie is another of Miss Jodie's quirky creations. Jack prefers non-mushy cards, although he always finds the most beautifully meaningful cards for me. Being a sentimental fool, I've kept all Jack's "love letters/cards". After 49 years the container is huge!

 Do you save love letters and cards from your honey?

PAPERS: BEAUTIFULLY HANDMADE BY LIS ROBSON, and green handmade by me(!), and SU Early Espresso, MS Lace Heart Edge.

Lis has an amazing paper-making business, incorporating every technique, texture, and natural element imaginable! Here are the three I used:

I also made some paper. The texture was accomplished by pressing between pieces of old, old, rubbery, lacy shelf/drawer liner "paper" (do you remember those shelf liners?) Like mulberry paper, a wet brush was utilized to "tear it apart to the desired size.

Here are the unassembled pieces:

The fun interior, using a "flipped" squirrel, gathering more nuts:

Finished Creation:

Products: Bugaboo Digital Squirrel, Copic Markers Spellbinders S4-306 Wonky Rectangles, [Oxides in lucky clover, twisted citron, vintage photo, salty ocean] Brilliance Ink in Tri-Mineral, Teresa Collins Love Triangles Craftwell EF, home-made digital sentiments, PAPERS: BEAUTIFULLY HANDMADE BY LIS ROBSON, and green handmade by me(!), and SU Early Espresso, MS Lace Heart Edge.

Challenges:

1. Crafty Animals #97 (AG with animals) 8/28
2. Critter Crazy Challenge #101 (AG with animals) 9/1
3. Ally's Angels #97 AG 09/12
4. Heart's Quest for Love Challenges Blog HQCOLCB #8 "BEWAS themes" Mine is an Anniversary for hubby 8-31, (9/7)
5. Neglected Stuff Challenge (Aug 3) Use at least one neglected item (handmade papers which have not been used for 15 years or more.) ends 8-28 (9/7)
6. A Perfect Time to Craft Open Challenge #8-2025 AG ends 8/28 (9/30)
7. Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2533 AG 8/25
8. Crafters Cafe Challenge #322 AG using Patterned Papers 9/23

Wishing you a beautiful day, filled with ordinary moments that comprise a life well-lived.

hugs,

"Remembering You" Dry Embossed Butterfly

Hi, everyone! Welcome to my little blog, and Come on into the cool Air Conditioning, have a seat, and prepare to be entertained by a myriad of butterflies, hummingbirds, and a host of pollinators just outside my window!

Recently, the incredible duo Darlene and Diane had a challenge on their "Can You Handle the Pressure" challenge blog involving dry embossed butterflies. Thoroughly inspired, I set about creating a card especially for a friend who lost her husband 4 years ago this month - as a remembrance of his dear life, (but was unable to finish in time to play in the challenge). Still, I thank them for their inspiration! Since the EF was at least 10 years old and had never been used before, it qualified for their Neglected Stuff Challenge instead. 

The challenge at the time was "BUTTERFLIES" and dry embossing. This 4"x6" butterfly is the single element on this Craft Stash Limited embossing folder. Four white images were the result after running it through the machine. 

Next, Spun Sugar Oxide was smooshed atop the embossed areas. Because the design did not have clearly-defined areas to fussy cut specific layers, I made my own cut design, carefully applying clear glitter in some of the design and on the edge of each layer. 

After the glitter was dry, Kitsch Flamingo pink DI was applied along each edge of the wing layers, for a little dimension. On the two top layers, Black Soot Oxide was also applied along the edges.

A black "shadow" of black vellum was also fussy-cut for dimension:

Incidentals: "dry" distressing the edges of the "designer paper", an edge punched on one side, ink distressing the edges and here-and-there, a few pearls.

On the inside: The same color cardstock (vintage pink) for the VERSES STAMP, and a larger "PNG" of the scanned background. The card is 5"x7".

I'm thankful to the designers at "Can You Handle the Pressure" challenge blog - as I am to all of the design team members who inspire us.

I know you all are marvelous chefs in your kitchens. Never take for granted being able to cook! Usually Jack needs to help me, or finish what I start.  Recently I was able to bake brunch - and do it all by myself from start to finish LOL Normally fatigue and symptoms prevent me from doing any project unless I work on it a few minutes at a time. It's surprising how much can still be accomplished doing things in one-to-three minute increments! The crust is pretty ugly, but the quiche was yummy with spinach, garden-grown scallions and cherry tomatoes! I used Feta in place of heavier cheeses. It was good!

UGLY CRUST QUICHE:

Products: Large Butterfly Embossing Folder from Craft Stash Limited EFOB0007 (2015) (I see that Craft Stash is closing this year, but that many of their products can be purchased on Craft World), Inks: Spun Sugar Oxide, Kitsch flamingo DI, Black Soot Oxide, Nocturne VersaFine Clair Other: Clear Glitter, Pearls, home-made designer paper, black vellum, black & vintage pink papers, MS Arch Lattice Edge punch. The "designer paper" is from a book I saved particularly for this purpose. A smaller PNG is on the front, and a larger rendition is inside. Interior Stamp is from VERSES RUBBER STAMPS SY0521-E "Embrace a Memory".

Playing in these fun challenges:

1. Neglected Stuff Challenge (July 6) Use at least one neglected item (virginal embossing folder, a forsaken interior sentiment stamp, a book I had saved specifically to use in card making since 1992, and has never been utilized.) ends 7-28 (8/4)
2. Crafty Animals Challenge #96 "AG with animals or teddy bears" 7/28 (8/1)
3. Heart's Quest for Love Challenges Blog HQCOLCB #7 "BEWAS themes" Mine is a Sympathy Anniversary for a dear friend, ends 7-31, (8/7)
4. Creative Fingers Challenge #305 (sep post) Anything goes - Thank you for sharing such a positive message on your blog! (8/2 sep post)
5. Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday (June 4) Anything goes - 7/31
6. Creations in Pink #82  Anything Goes Mainly in Pink 7/13 (7/15)
7. A Perfect Time to craft Challenge #7-2025 7/28
8. Triple B Birds, Butterflies & Blooms Challenge July 3 - Birds, Blooms or Butterflies using inspiration tile 7/31 (8/6)

Stamping Hugs,

Sweet Baby Shower - Nitwit Designs

Greetings to all my blogging buddies! Recently, a friend asked if I would make a baby shower card for her to give to her granddaughter. She is about to become a great-grandma!

Would you believe, as long as I've been stamping, I didn't have any appropriate items in my stash? So I dashed off to Nitwit Designs where they were offering a 50% off site-wide, and found the cutest little "Just Ducky" set. At least 60 separate items were offered in this set, including embellishments, digital stamps, borders, papers, sentiments and more! What a deal LOL

The granddaughter's favorite color is purple. While the papers in the set offered lots of pastel options, we liked this darker version. Using my Mac, each panel was outlined, shadowed, framed, and layered into place. In order to brighten some of the borders, a burgundy shadow was added rather than the purple used elsewhere. (the white lace border is from Creative Market digitals).

The folded (closed) project is 5.5 inches square. 

In my stash from Marcos Papers aeons ago (25 years?) is cardstock that is 7" tall and 25" long - perfect for creating 5x7 accordion cards. So I cut it down to accommodate this card. While the pattern papers were printed at 5.25" size, the card base was cut to score at 5.5" and 11", leaving a little space for flat folding. A Purple Copic Marker chisel tip (the same color as the background papers) was used on all the edges and creases, so white background would not show through. 

When the card is untied, and the first flap is opened, a scalloped sentiment appears, outlined with purple glitter. Even the fine, metal tip glue didn't help my shaky fingers, but it still adds sparkle. I also dotted the background of both these papers, adding the same purple glitter to make the paper a little more festive. 

The white circle is for a private note from Grandma to Granddaughter.

When the 2nd fold is open, the 3-page interior looks like this:

There is also glitter around the baby's name on the right. The font used is called "Blossoms" and can be found on Creative Market.

Flipped, the back of the card (center) is plain. The ribbon is adhered under the front panel (on the right) and goes behind the middle (back) panel. The panel on the left is what became visible when the card was first opened. AND YES, two ribbons were used. The organza ribbon was a good 25 years old, and the 1/8" satin ribbon was from Great Aunt Agnes' notions stash. Interestingly, it was $1.25 in the 50s! Both ribbons were made in the USA and are still made in the USA, but actually cost less these days in comparison to the 1950s and 1990s!

This is what the card interior looks like when it is completely opened.

Thanks for stopping by! 

A personal note to my friends:

We pulled up two gigantic Podocarpus bushes that were becoming extremely cumbersome to maintain. (Don'tcha hate when you have to do that? It's like losing friends who have grown by your side)  My passion is gardening, (including weeding, planting, pruning, caring for) which is no longer feasible health-wise, so that has fallen onto Jack's shoulders. While he enjoys vegetable gardening, hydroponic gardening, and maintaining our acreage, he's not wild about pruning the landscape bushes near the house. We found some fabulous azalea bushes on line, and pulled out the giant podocarpus bushes with the help of a tractor and Jack's brute strength. Jack has planted 13 new azaleas in their place around that corner of the pool cage, and is putting in a custom drip system for them. At age 82, I cannot help but admire how hardworking and strong he is - truly a Jack of All Trades. Now he'll visit the sod farm on the other side of the county and fill grass-sod in where the tractor decimated the grass. 

😆😄😄

Oh! The azaleas arrived in pristine condition via FEDEX, and well worth the money. We purchased them through Lowe's on-line and they arrived from Alabama and Florida (we live in Florida). The actual "nursery" is called ENCORE AZALEAS. Their website shows a zone map, and which azaleas (or rhododendrons) will grow in your area - whether they need shade or can take full sun. AND, the plants arrived guaranteed for several months.

These days, I mostly read an assortment of books, including scientific, anthropologic, philosophical, and fun cozy mysteries - and lots more! Every 2 weeks, a friend keeps our home vacuumed, dusted, and bathrooms clean. I try to do the "deep cleaning" that no one else notices. You know what I mean, right? I love listening to audible books throughout the night. CFS/ME means interrupted sleep, so I only sleep in 20-40 minute increments. I love coming into my crafting room, even when it's not possible to accomplish anything. 

Some of the people who enlighten my heart when I visit my crafty place are Connie Griffin, Leslie Miller, and Verna Angerhofer. 

QUESTION:

When you craft, do you think of the person for whom you are creating the card? Those thoughts usually guide me through the design process. Or perhaps do you think of several individuals (crafty buddies), feeling inspired by their friendship and influence in your life? I do both, MAKING ME so grateful for you all!

May I play in the following challenges please?

1. CD Sunday Plus #160 Anything Goes (using "Just Ducky" Digital set, and Creative Market lacy border and fonts. My Mac helped with embellishing the digital sets. 6/22
2. Crafty Animals #95 Animal 6/28
3. Critter Crazy Challenges #99 Animal as main Feature 6/25
4. Creative Creases Challenge #104 AG with Fun Fold (ribbon closed-tri fold creation) 7/1

Stamping Love,