I love a Green Gnome? and a freebie sentiment

Hello, everyone! 

Back in December 2025 (yikes!) I enjoyed a wonderful playdate with my friend Ana. She brought this cute Woodware Gnome Stamp which she had won. Hoping to make some St. Patrick's Day cards for friends, I stamped off a few and got to coloring. Then Life happened, and the cards were not completed until mid April! LOL But I'd still like to share them. No reference to St. Patty's Day, so they COULD be used for other occasions, but they are pretty green! I DO enjoy monochromatic cards, so these were fun to make. First, I colored with Copic Markers:

Then a visit to the scrap box was in order for layering. For the first card, I used a couple Martha Stewart edge bunches. I really do miss EK Success and Martha Stewart! 

After flocking the beard, a heart of gold was glittered up, because after all, it is a person's heart that is so beautiful, not the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Products: Stamps: Woodware Gnome Rainbow set, Dies: Tutti Stitched Rectangles, MS Traditional Scallop Edge, MS Daisy Edge, MS embossable Zig-Zag Edger,Other: White Flocking (beard), Glitter (clear mixed with green for the sky), Gold mixed with green for the rainbow and heart, Inks: DO mowed lawn, Copic Markers, Cardstock - 3 greens, 110lb Neenah Classic Crest CS white, My Favorite Things Cloud stencil.

Next came two cards made with more scraps and Spellbinders Grand Labels Four. A stencil helped create a fun background. To sparkle the clouds up, I applied Art Institutes fine point glue and added clear glitter mixed with pale green. Even the horizontal pieces have been glittered:

In real life, they are quite sparkly!

(Honk! if you love glitter!) giggle

Products: Dies: SB Labels Four Grands, Tutti Stitched Rectangles, MS Lace Heart Edger, MS embossable Zig-Zag Edger, Other: White Flocking (beard), Glitter (clear mixed with green for the sky), Green, Gold mixed with green for the rainbow and heart, Inks: DO mowed lawn, DI rustic wilderness Copic Markers, Cardstock - Bazzill green, K&Company pattern, 110lb Neenah Classic Crest CS white, My Favorite Things Cloud stencil.

A couple more using the same techniques, but with different scraps, and SB Grand Scallop Ovals:

With all the "old beloved goodies" from my stash, I also stamped a cute leafy image to complement the sequined cardstock. The dots were colored after running through an embossing folder.

Products: Dies: Tutti Stitched Rectangles, SB Big Scallop Ovals Grands, Leafy Image Starving Artistamps (2004) stamped with Mowed Lawn DO, MS embossable Zig-Zag Edger, MS Lace Heart Edger, Darice 5x7 dot EF, Green Sequin cardstock, My Favorite Things Cloud stencil.

Thanks for enjoying my 5 cards that took 5 months to put together! LOL Slowly but surely, right? In the meantime, here is the interior sentiment if you would like a digital (click to make full size before saving):

Challenges I would like to play in please:

1. Paper Funday Challenges #86 AG with die cuts and punches (I have used both on each card - the products are listed beneath the photos) 5/4 (sep post)
2. All Sorts Challenge #847 AG in the Garden - the products used are listed under each card with Woodware Stamps being the main feature 4/24 (sep post)
3. Heart's Quest Fantasy Challenge #4 AG Fantasy 5/2
4. Crafty Catz #711 AG 4/23
5. Craft Rocket Challenges #135 Layer it Up 4/28
6. Shopping Our Stash Weekly #571 "I don't sweat, I SPARKLE 4/21 (the sky background is hand glittered, the rainbows are hand glittered, the hearts are hand glittered, some of the layers are glittered, some of the layers are sequin paper, very sparkly in person!) sep post.
7. A Perfect Time To Craft April 1 #4 - 4/26
8. Heart's Quest Challenge Blog #84 Anything with a heart - this rainbow protects a heart of gold rather than leading to a pot of gold! Thanks for the fun challenge. 4/27
9. Inspiration Station Challenge #84 AG with inspiration photo below (green, "shoes/feet", flowers) 5/4

On the Homestead here in Florida:

Like the rest of you, we have been experiencing strange weather. Here in central Florida, an early winter blasted its way through last Autumn, bringing unusual freezing temps down in the low 20s. The farmers had a rough time of it. Then we had early hot weather this Spring, breaking records with the 90s in March! 

Do you know what a staghorn fern looks like? Ours were a good 6-8 feet wide when the freezes hit. This is what happened after the awful blizzards made their way to Florida:

This is the east part of our front pasture, coated in ice. The grass matches the hues found in the hanging Spanish Moss and the gray dirt of the drive way coming up from the gate!

Normally, all that gray stuff is bright green (west front pasture)

I know these scenes are trivial compared to what most of you endured this past winter. Nevertheless, it severely impacts the wildlife (especially migrating species), the environment, and economic endeavors for the state.

Hoping you are doing well this spring. I am completely homebound except for doctor appointments. Wishing you Beauty, Love, and Patience always...

Kitties for a Friend

 Hello, dear blogging friends. Wishing you all a Happy Mother's Day - and for those of you who did not raise children of your own, thank you for the nurturing impact you have had in our world - in all our communities - where life would not be the same without your specialness.

A kitty-loving friend's birthday is coming up, and I've made a card for her, in addition to some extras for her personal use later.

Having lost some abilities, I chose to use forgiving techniques by using Versafine Clair ink, Distress inks for coloring, clear EP to make those shiny eyes, and lots of scraps including OLD OLD OLD designer papers.

First is a vellum strip, dry-embossed on the edges and heat embossed with gold EP for the sentiment. Eyes, ears, etc were colored with Prismacolor Pencils.

The black sentiment is from my Brother Label Marker, using black background and white font:

Products: Starving Artistamps Kitty Cat, Warm Breeze Versafine Clair, Scattered Straw & Wild Honey DIs, Versafine Marker for eyes which were clear embossed. Tutti scalloped stitched rectangles, Martha Stewart border punch (black), stash designer & glitter papers. Eyes, ears, etc were colored with Prismacolor Pencils.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE:

Please forgive my inability to visit and leave comments as I once did to your dear blogs. One of my diseases has progressed into the severe stage. Cognitive abilities are crippled as a result. If I "think too hard" it throws me into a severe body-wide flare and can cause me to be "bedridden" for weeks with the strangest of symptoms. Thank you for understanding that it's beyond my abilities, and NOT because I don't care.

Here is a fun puzzle we recently put together. Check out the book titles this snoozing kitty loves! (click on the photo to enlarge LOL)

Sending you my love and best wishes for a beautiful and safe May.

Challenges:

1. Crafty Animals #94 (AG with animals) 5/28
2. Critter Crazy Challenge #98 (AG with animals) 6/1
3. Love Those Pretty Papers (May 3) AG with pretty pattern papers 6/7 sep post

hugs,

Here Kitty Kitty Kitty! {Cardz 4 Galz}

Greetings to the best blogging buddies EVER! (smile)
and welcome to my little corner of Blog Land.

Today's projects are all about GREEN KITTIES!
(no they are not from Outer Space, and they are not "little green alien kitties").
'Just doing something a little different.
Instead of a "horse of a different color", it is "Kitties of a Different Color".

Time for a new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz Challenges today!

Badges are awarded for the Spotlight Winner and Top Picks.

Challenge #54 is chosen by guest designer Jan - and the theme is:

  CATS OR KITTENS  

show us your Kitty Paper Crafting projects using any technique and medium!
Challenge ends on August 30th.

Onward to my cards depicting "Kitties of a Different Color".

Had SO MUCH FUN making these cards.

Used a virginal stamp by Starving Artistamps. According to the internet, they are still in business, but I don't think the same artist owns the company because the styles are completely different than the few stamps in my stash. This one is copyrighted 2003 and I got it NEW in the same year AND IT HAS NEVER SEEN INK! eeek! or should I say MEOW! Hanging head in shame.

Stamped with VersaFine Olympia Green, and colored with Copic markers, my kitty is delighted to be placed on VIRGINAL papers by DCWV Latte Stack copyrighted 2009 LOL OLD AND NEGLECTED! Vintage "Great Aunt Agnes Lace" shares the limelight with black die cuts from friend KT Fit Kitty. They have been embossed with my own hand-blended green embossing powder mixed with a little greenish mica powder and some goldish glitter.

CAN YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE?



Kitty eyes have been CLEAR EMBOSSED with detail EP. It enriches the blue color, however, the photos show up a bit red (the traditional camera red eye) because of the EP. See the difference between the two images? One without EP, one with:

Heated and then dipped into the same custom-blended EP twice, are these OLD, OLD JUMBO BRADS. Why did I purchase so many brads?

I love this kitty stamp!



Another "wonky frames" card, I used the external "negative" left overs of the Tonic English Picnic Layering Die Set and coated it with Old Navy Embellishment Mousse to contrast against the detailed frame distressed with Memento Paris Dusk. It is difficult to NOT use Embellishment Mousse because it is SO PRETTY and easy to use. FAST drying.

Love the DLArt Crinkle Ribbon which always provides wonderful texture!

The papers have been distressed with Tumbled Glass DI and Memento Paris Dusk with a touch of Lemon Sorbet Embellishment Mousse. Was able to partially capture a little shine below:

5.5" x 7.5"

Not sure why I added the brads. Guess I thought "more is more" giggle.

6" x 6"



Are you GREEN WITH ENVY over my little GREEN KITTIES?
not everyone can have green kitties, after all...
(more giggling)

Products Used:

• Tonic English Picnic Layering Die Set (rectangular card)
• Tonic Embellishment Mousse (Powder Blue, Lemon Sorbet, Old Navy) Distressing
• SB Scallop Labels Twenty-two, cats from KT (square card)
• SB Rolled Roses, Cottage Cutz Greenery, Cats from KT (rectangle card)
• INKs: VersaFine Olympia Green (stamped images), Memento Paris Dusk, Tumbled Glass, Forest Moss Bundled Sage, Several Green Copic Markers.
• Hand blended green-mica-glitter EP, vintage lace, brads
• DLArt crinkle ribbon (green)
• Papers: Express-it White, DCWV Latte Pack, Green, Blue-Gray, Green Vellum, Pale Blue

Cards are entered in the following wonderful challenges:

1. A Bit More Time to Create #50 Anything Goes 9/1
2. Show Us Your Pussies - Cats #21 Furrything Goes 9/4?
3. Dragonfly Dreams (Aug 6) Animals 9/3
4. Making Memories Crafting #8 Anything Goes 9/1
5. Retro Rubber Challenges #69 Sketch with Old Rubber (as mentioned above, the rubber stamp is at least 10 years old but I think I purchased it when it first came out in 2003 - thanks for the fabulous sketch!) 8/27  sep post
6. As You Like It Challenge "What's Your Favorite Embellishment and Why" (my two favorite all-time embellishments are (1) the gorgeous rolled flowers -- my favorite of those is the SB rolled roses - I enjoy making them, embellishing them, customizing them, and adorning projects with them. The sad day of my life was when the U.S. Postal Service changed regulations to 1/4" thickness for the mail, making it costly to mail projects using the roses. (2) embossing powder - I love altering papers, embellishments, die cuts, anything that can stand heat - with embossing powder - it's inexpensive and transforming -- like my cat die cuts here, and the brads! 8/25 sep post
7. Craft Rocket Challenges #40 Animal Kingdom #40 9/4 (sep post b4 new chal)
8. DLArt August Linky Challenge Anything Goes 9/1 (used DLArt crinkle ribbon)
9. Crafty Animals #5 Anything Animals 9/1
10. Country View Challenges (Aug 2017) Blues and Greens 9/1 (sep post)

Thanks for stopping by, my friends!

hugs,