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,