LOST AND FOUND - "Unfinished Stuff" from my Oldie Stash

 Hello, Blogging Friends! I hope you are staying warm. Even here in central Florida, we've been in the mid 30s - and that's very cold for us WIMPY Floridians!

Taken from my "unfinished stuff stash", combining left-overs with new goodies, these 3 images were from an older company no longer in business called Just For Fun. The owners have coordinated Stampfest Florida Conventions for as long as I can remember. Back in the day... there would be more than 100 vendors with tons of free make 'n takes, lots of samples, and at least one technique demonstration at every booth. I remember those days fondly (giggle). I put together these 3 stamped pieces after coloring them with Copic Markers. The die cut heart was dry embossed and distressed with brown inks. 

PRODUCT QUESTION:

Has anyone else discovered that the reinkers for Tim Holtz AGED MAHOGANY ink ruin the consistency of the pad? I complained to Ranger WAY BACK WHEN (circa 2004?) that the reinker ink would separate and good images and distress-techniques were impossible to achieve. They acknowledged that there were issues with that color, and that they were working on it. I threw the pad and reinker away, and purchased a new pad 4 years ago more than 15 years after the first pad's formulation. The consistency of the new pad's ink formulation is also different from all my other Distress Inks. What is your experience with this color? Thanks for your feedback.

Products: Images (I think these are stamps from a defunct company called "Just For Fun". Back then (2004?), I did not keep very good records for unmounted stamps. These images were already stamped with black ink). Sentiment is from SU "Sweet Little Sentiments" (set of 8 at least 10 years old) Dies: Spellbinders Classic Hearts. Embossing Folders: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots, Apple Blossom Basket Weave & Roses, Inks: DI Aged Mahogany, Rusty Hinge, Worn Lipstick, Nocturne VersaFine Clair, Colored with Copic Markers as shown above.

May I please play in the following challenges?

1. Crafty Gals Corner #252 Feb 14  (SECOND ENTRY) Add a Heart  3/13 (sep post) 
2. Dragonfly Dreams Challenges Feb 4 - (SECOND ENTRY) Hearts  3/3 (check 3/10)
3. Moving Along With the Times #163 Feb 1 (SECOND ENTRY) - Love/Hearts 3/1 (scroll down in post)
4. Sparkles Forum Challenge #173 Hearts and Flowers (roses in the square images) 3/14
5. Creations in Pink #67 AG Mostly Pink - must have more pink than any other colors - 3/13 (sep post)

hugs,

Inspiration Station's "BE KIND" board and freebies

Hello, blogging friends! 

You are cordially invited to play in the latest challenge at

Inspiration Station

NOT just "another" inspiration board. 

It's entirely YOUR take as to what inspires you - 

it could be emotional, thematic, color, texture. 

What ignites your imagination today?

My imagination immediately flew to KIND FRIENDS, such as yourselves.

I am inspired by the words and monochrome technique. The first card has two butterflies. They are covering up boo-boos from where I dropped my ink:

The next is my favorite. The white frame is popped up, and woven with pretty lavender satin ribbon:

Next is some thinner, dark purple satin ribbon woven around the frame:

Finally, I punched out a white glitter butterfly and colored it with purple copic markers to customize the look. You can also color the bodies and edges for dimension:

Interior:

Come on over and share what you are inspired to make!

Inspiration Station

My gift to you - A sentiment for use on the inside or outside of your projects. Please do not sell the Sentiment. Use on any of your projects, including projects involving any design teams you might be on.

Click on the image to bring it to full size. Because of the changes Google Made with Blogger in June 2020, your image will appear to be solid black. Don’t panic. Right click and do a SAVE. Once it is saved on your hard drive, you can open it and it will have a transparent background. I create PNGs instead of JPGs so they can be placed anywhere on a scene or project, and so backgrounds can be made using them. Please let me know if you have any problems. I hope they serve you well!

Enjoy!

This option is great for a card interior:

This option is better for centering in a die for a card front:

Two more sentiments, one with and one without the author's name:

Products Used: Dies: SB Floral Ovals, SB Classic Ovals Large, Tonic Studios Verdi's Waves Flourish, Memory Box Meridian Border 98134, Sue Wilson Australian "Background" CED8101, MS Butterfly Punch Papers: Purple Vellum, Lavender & White Glitter, Lavender, Purple, White, Stamps: (interior FSS Violets), Hero Arts C4210 Flourish Billow (background), Inks: DI Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord & Wilted Violet - Sentiments: by me - gifted above

Challenges I would like to play in please:

1. Paper Funday Challenges #30 AG with Sparkle and/or Shine (glittery butterflies and satiny-shiny ribbons) 7/4
2. Dies R Us #171 "AG with dies DRU sells" (I used SB Floral Ovals, SB Classic Ovals Large, Tonic Studios Verdi's Waves Flourish, Memory Box Meridian Border 98134, Sue Wilson Australian "Background" CED8101) 6/28 (sep post below)
3. Love to Craft Challenges #59 AG 7/1 (sep post 7/10)
4. NBUS #27 Never Before Used Schtuff - my SW Australian Background die set and my lavender satin ribbon 7/1 (comment on 3)
5. Love to Craft Challenges #59 Anything Goes (sep post on 5th) 7/5
6. A Bit More Time to Craft #142 Anything Goes (sep post) 7/1

Stamping Hugs,

Lavinia World - Woodland Dancing

Hello, sweet friends and followers!
Will you dance with me?
Today's card reminds me of the 60s when we had slumber parties and danced until we were out of breath - kind of like Christina and Meredith in Grey's Anatomy. (giggle)

Today's card is about friendship, and the magic that results from being with our dearest friends.

Today begins a new Lavinia World Challenge!

Store -- Facebook -- Challenge -- Instagram

Details of our Lavinia World Challenge: An ANYTHING GOES theme using ANY brand clear or rubber stamp - no digitals. Winner receives
a $15 gift certificate to the Lavinia World store.

While "our" Lavinia World store is located in the US, it ships worldwide. In the US, buy $25 and get free shipping! Lavinia World carries other crafting supplies for your convenience. If you use Lavinia World products, your chances of winning double.

I "cheated" again, using one of the beautiful background papers called
A Woodland Walk.



I prepared the page by first using a finger dauber and blending lots of Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink, shading certain areas, and turning the panel to a bluer cast. Then more leaves were stamped from Creeping Vine LAV295 in Iced Spruce and Shaded Lilac Oxide Distress Inks. The Dancing Till Dawn LAV273 fairies was stamped in VersaFine Clair Nocturne and heat set with clear EP:



Using a finger dauber and VersaMark Ink, the edges of the panel were distressed and heat set with a black embossing powder containing glitter:



My stash did not have the size die needed for the lacy frame, so I pulled out an old punch and cut it in half down the center:


That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
Thanks for dropping by and dancing with me today!

Products Used:

• Lavinia World - Stars Mini LAV152
• Lavinia World - Dancing Till Dawn LAV273
• Lavinia World - Creeping Vine LAV295
• Lavinia World - Fairy Dust is Like Love LAV024
• Lavinia World - A Woodland Walk Paper
• Lavinia World - VersaFine Clair Nocturne
• Lavinia World - Iced Spruce Distress Oxide
• Lavinia World - Shaded Lilac Distress Oxide
• Lavinia World - Uni-Ball Pen Signo Gel-white
• Other: MS Doily Lace Trim punch, Midnight Madness Glittered EP, Clear Detail EP, Cracked Pistachio Distress Ink, VersaFine (around edges)

Challenges I'd like to play in please:

1. Make My Monday Challenges #102 "Friendship" my friends are dancing and enjoying being together! 8/18
2. Cute Card Thursday #595 "Add A Quote" The quote on my card is from William Shakespeare 8/22

Stamping Hugs,

My Besties - Get Well

Waving "Hello" to each of you, and wishing you a great week.
Today's card share is a sweet image from the Get Well Besties line, for a card swap - theme was to have a person on the front.

The card is 5.5" x 7" with a woven die cut frame and glittered leaves:

She is so cute! I also colored this image in bright green and pink on an oval shaped card here.

The sentiment is heat embossed. A rectangle containing the image was distressed and then popped up on another distressed die cut:

Thanks for stopping by!

Products:

• Dies: SB Bow Elegance S6-017, SB Mega Class Long Scallop Rectangles Nestabilities, SB Leaves So Very Gorgeous S5-353,
• Stamp: Get Well Besties, SU Sweet Little Sentiments set
• Ink: Distress Milled Lavender and Spun Sugar, VersaFine Clair Monarch
• Coloring Medium: Caran d'Ache Luminance 6901 Color Pencils with Gamsol and  Copic Markers
• Satin Ribbon, Flower, Glitter, Clear embossing powder

Challenges I'd like to play in please:

1. Mybesties3DdecoBlog Challenges #8 AG with a Bestie 9/1
2. My Besties Aussie's Challenge #8 AG with a Bestie 9/1
3. My Besties International Challenge (Aug 1) 
4. Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenges #1931 Anything Goes 8/11
5. Crafty Gals Corner #197 More than 3 layers (2nd entry) has 5 layers 8/14

Stamping Hugs,

A little Shabby Chic - Moving Along With The Times Challenge

Hello, dear blogging friends!
To spice things up, I have a colorful take on the Shabby Chic theme.

(taking a few cues from my color-loving friend Sue Drees)

My wishes for you all...

And now... 

It's time to share a Project for the new Moving Along With The Times Challenge!

Challenge #91's theme is A LITTLE SHABBY - for the next 2 weeks upload your creations that feature Shabby Chic style in some way!

Verses Rubber Stamp "Today" is the star of today's show. Sigh. I just love this sentiment and would use it very often if I could. Perfect inside or out!

The edges of the blue frame are painted with glue and coated with Ultrafine Navy Glitter. The sentiment is popped up on top, after being stamped with Blue Belle VersaFine Clair ink and heat set with Satin Velvet Embossing Powder.

PERSONAL NOTE: The antique lace is at least 75 years old, from my Great Aunt Agnes's Stash - the lace is from the 1930s when she worked in a hospital as a registered nurse. Because of her skills, friends and neighbors came to her home for help during the Depression. They paid her with all kinds of barter and goods when they were able.

Along with my fingers, I died the lace with Blue Print Distress reinker.

BOO-BOO CONFESSION:
For the interior, I dropped my distress ink applicator tool and smudged ink near the top of the insert. When picking the applicator up, I dropped it AGAIN, so I deliberately smooshed more ink on the panel, and stamped this lovely Penny Black Stamp rose "When I love you". 




I loved making this card! Hope you will join us this fortnight!

Some of the Products Used:

Verses Rubber Stamp "Today"
Penny Black Stamp rose "When I love you"
Darice Nested Ornate Rectangles
Spellinders Curved Borders Two, Bitty Blossoms Two, Foliage

MS borner punch

SNS Satin Velvet Embossing Powder EP209

SNS Blue Belle VersaFine Clair ink
SNS Ultrafine Navy Glitter

Bo Bunny Genevieve Paper

Blue Print Distress ink and reinker (for lace), Scattered Straw
Spellinders Curved Borders Two

Challenges I'd like to play in please:

1. Scrapy Land Challenges #107 AG SL dies (Spellbinders, Darice) (2/20 sep post)
2. Stamping Sensations "All things bright and BEAUTIFUL" 3/1 sep post
3. Classic DT Challenge #2 AG DT 3/1 sep post
4. Sparkle N Sprinkle Creative Challenges (Feb) Embossed Sentiment, Glittered Frame
5. A Perfect Time to Craft #2 AG 3/1 (sep post)
6. Crafting With an Attitude #48 AG 3/1 (sep post)

Stamping Hugs,

Friends are like Fine Wine {Sparkle N Sprinkle}

Hello, Blogging Friends! Welcome to today's fruitful post. I hope you enjoy it.

Featuring the pretty Wine Tableau stamp set, the sentiments are perfect for most all-occasion greetings.

republished from 12-27-11

It's a gorgeous stamp set by artist Rosiland Solomon. Lovely sayings made it impossible to choose just one for my card, so I slightly altered the oval triplet aspect of the sketch to rectangles, accommodating as many of the sayings as possible.

Stunning and easy to color, these images avail themselves to any coloring medium! Are you wondering why the background of the image seems muted? It's stamped on kraft cardstock, outlined with white Prismacolor pencil.




This time I used yet another neglected art supply. High on the top shelf the Derwent Water Color Pencils were "whining" (sorry, couldn't resist the play on words). Popped open the large tin of beautiful colors, and decided to make things easy by using a blender pen instead of water for control on kraft cardstock.

The image is heat embossed with Cerulean embossing powder, part of the Shades and Stars of Tuscany EP collection.

Cerulean embossing powder

A strip of ribbon is shown on each panel - one with a strip of Tear-ific Tape holding Navy Glitter. Clear EP has been applied to the cheese knife, wine glass, vase and wine bottle.

Navy Glitter

Have you checked out Sparkle N Sprinkle's monthly Face Book Challenge?

SNS Products Used:
Stamps: Wine Tableau rubber stamp set 00-449P4
Embossing Powders: Cerulean embossing powder, Shades and Stars of Tuscany EP (excellent for detail work)
Glitter: Navy Ultrafine Opaque Glitter G1079
Dies: Creatopia by Xyron and Spellbinders exclusive Badge Nesting Dies frames the scene, Spellbinders Petite Scalloped Rectangles


Thanks for taking time to visit my blog today!
Stamping Hugs,
de

Song of Spring Becomes an Autumnal Beauty in Fantasy {Fairy Tangles}

Greetings, Sweet Blogging Friends!

(and yes! I do mean SWEET, because you always are to me!)

Autumn has finally arrived in central Florida!
Our evening lows now dip into the 60s (15-17C), and our highs are in the mid 80's (29ishC).
Last week-end we actually had a few nights dip into the 40s!
And yes, those "highs" are in the shade in the middle of the day.

Autumn in Florida is unlike any other place in the USA. Bewitchingly blue skies, decreased humidity, the magic of tree leaves beginning to trade their emerald green for a lovely olive complexion, the enhanced blue-gray of the swaying Spanish Moss, and the decrease of green fungi on tree trunks bringing out their natural lovely caramel, cocoa and latte colors... these are my Florida's Autumnal shades.

We live in an oak hammock, so my card today depicts the colors I see from late October until mid January, spiced with small amounts of the olive green in the oak trees.

And...

Oh yes! It's time for a new Cardz 4 Galz challenge!

This challenge blog is dear to me because it is all about sharing what's in your stash!

Badges are awarded for the Spotlight Winner and Top Picks.

This fortnight's challenge, 
put your imaginative daydreams on paper!

The theme is Fairytale/Fantasy - 
so get crafting and show us your 
fantastical, 
whimsical, 
fanciful, 
fun creations!

I am featuring a beautiful Vintage rendition of an image in my stash longing to be used:

She is actually called THE SONG OF SPRING - but because it is Autumn, I exchanged the spring colors to become an "Autumn Vintage meets Sparkle" style.

IS THERE SUCH A THING?

One of the SIMPLEST images EVER to color, so I will purchase more in the future!

Then again, maybe it is actually ugly, and I only think it was simple LOL

My close blogging buddies know what I mean by the word "ugly" - so rest assured I'm not being derogatory of my artwork LOL

My card started out as a pretty colored image, to be mounted very simply;

HOWEVER...

 one calamity after another caused me to alter the design. It's always a journey, isn't it?

So here is how I covered up my many boo-boos:

First, create custom sized mats and frames:

Next - I won't even tell you how I blundered here, but my card ended up WAY-LARGER than I had planned LOL. It is 8.5" tall and 6.66" wide - I can't even convey how that happened, because it surprised me as well. Still, it is a pretty card (giggle - I almost said MONSTROSITY in place of the word "card" more giggling!)

The finished interior uses the "ugly" original frame from the front, and a punched border along the white panel that matches the front (sorry for the blurry sentiment photo, but you get the idea, right?):

And that's two ways of fixing boo-boos.

Feathers were added... JUST BECAUSE... they seemed appropriate since she has wings, after all.

I'm partial to the Mediterranean STARS embossing powders at Sparkle N Sprinkle.

They really do contain a lot of glitter, and I'm sad that they do not photograph as beautifully as they look in person. It added a touch of sparkle to this matte vintage creation.

The hint of "olive" greenery in the scroll work picks up the leaf colors elsewhere.

I had so much fun coloring this image, that I really do want to create more using the artist's fabulously imaginative stamps and pages!

Thanks for visiting today!

Hoping you will join us at Cardz 4 Galz!

Products Used:

• Image: Fairy Tangles - Song of Spring
• Copic Markers, Sharpie Metallic Copper
• Spellbinders 5x7 matting basics, (mat and frame)
• Sue Wilson pierced rectangles  (in mat)
• Sparkle N Sprinkle Sienna Star EP425 embossing powder (frame)
• Martha Stewart Laurel Leaf punch (frame and border)
• Embossaliscious Floral Wonder (Crafters Comp) embossing folder (mat)

The Path of Positivity Challenge this month is "Friendship". 

Friendship means Relationship, a Close Attachment, a Mutual Caring Deeply for another, a Supportive Companionship, Mutual Affection, A Kindredness -

As I pondered what friendship means the past few weeks, I think it goes much further. Some people are a True Friend to others, without it being reciprocated. It's a Gift freely given, a selfless Graciousness which is not demanding, but rather, given liberally.

But even more, I believe Friendship begins within.
     We must befriend ourselves first,
          caring about ourselves,
               respecting ourselves,
                   enjoying ourselves,
                         in order to be that true Graciousness and Friendship toward another.

Friendship with Nature,
     the deep love for The Creation,
          and for the Life we are granted,
                must also be deeply inhaled,
                       breathed into our lungs and hearts,
                             and breathed back out into the world through our

actions,
     thoughts,
          and lifestyles.

To be uncaring about the Earth,
    to be negligent toward wildlife,
          to be disrespectful about other humans,
               is not only an Unfriendly Gesture,
                    but it harms the Friendship within our Souls -

- for those who believe in God, it harms the Companion who resides within -
- for those who do not believe in God as a Being, it harms the Companionship of Self.

So my card today is about The Friendship Within - with Self, Creator, and Creation -

to see our lives as the threads of
    Loving Companionship/Friendship that have woven all History,
        bringing us to this point in our lives.

It is about recognizing ourselves,
     appreciating ourselves,
           yet reaching out to our polar opposite

(hence, the title of my blog post: Song of Spring becoming the Beauty of Autumn).

Thanks to the Path of Positivity for October's Theme.

I would love to know your thoughts as well on this little discussed topic.


Challenges I'd like to support with this card:

1. Addicted to Stamps Challenge #134 Lots of Layers + a Stamp 11/7 (sep post)
2. Crafting with Friends Challenges (Oct 21 - #29 or #30?) Anything goes 11/4
3. Dream Valley Challenges "For The Girls" 11/6
4. Fussy and Fancy #175 Shades of Autumn 11/4  please see Autumnal description above (sep post 11/11)
5. Path of Positivity (Oct) #42 "Friendship" 11/7 (please see my written thoughts about Friendship just above this section) (sep post)
6. Stamping Sensations (October) Autumn (please see my write up at top) 11/8 (sep post)
7. World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #15 Oct15-Nov14 Anything Goes 11/15 (2nd entry)

Stamping Hugs,