Grateful Hearts - CTMH papers

This card uses some paper from the Grateful Hearts paper pack that will become available September 1st!  Autumn papers are almost always my favorite ones!  I had the hand-dyed crinkle seam binding in my stash, and the card is one of those I hand colored while waiting in the airport. Finally - I was inspired to use it with these autumn colors!  

Tis the Season - Card 3

This one uses more of the Tis the Season papers along with a ribbon and sequins from my stash.  The santa you've seen before!

Tis the Season - Card 2

Another card made with paper from the new Holiday catalog - Tis the Season.  This simple card used one of the sheet of design cards.  The polka dot kraft paper is from my stash!

The design papers are Tis the Season from CTMH - this new paper pack is being released September 1st in the Holiday catalog!  They are lovely!

I used a VERY old JRL Design Co. stamp for the front image - this little angel saw "first ink" after all these years!  The inside sentiment is from a new (upcoming) Stamp of The Month that you will want!  I used a bit of CTMH red glitter tape also.  The type of card you will recognize *wink*.  

The last of our guests (fishing, this time) left today.  I'm actually pretty tired!  Perhaps I'll have some extra studio time!  

Unity Hedgehog - Inspired by Maria Fischer!

I saw Maria's post here and was inspired to make the same design with my Unity Stamps Hedgehog! I hope Maria knows that this is just for my own enjoyment!  You really need to go to her site and see how she did her hedgie!  

I used Momento Espresso Truffle ink for the hedgehog outline.  I colored the face with Derwent Inktense pencil Amber, the body with Saddle Brown, and the spikes with Dark Chocolate.  The red heart with Hot Red.  The sentiment is a die cut - I cut two from Champagne cardstock and two from white.  The darker ones are on the bottom.  The top white one I taped to my work surface and then using a stipple brush I applied Toffee ink.  I used a micro-glue pen to create the stack.  As you can see in the photo this is not a standard A2 card - but rather it is 4 x 6 1/2 inches.  So, a little more postage (if I can bear to give it away).  

Another Christmas Card

I saw the most stunning watercolored card last year that used this stamp set from Whimsey Stamps.  I decided to order the set, and see if I could make some for my Christmas cards this year!  I'm getting better with the watercolors - but still not where I want to be.  Although I made 4 cards - this one was probably my favorite because I drew light lines away from the stars in all directions and then hit them lightly with water.  They blended some and retained the line as well.  My splatters got a little heavy-handed.  But overall it is quite acceptable.  The design papers are retired CTMH items and I used CTMH watercolor paper for the focal image, and white daisy cardstock for the card base.  

Our opera singers are still with us.  They are such a joy to have around - they are polite and helpful, grateful for any small thing, and easy to talk to.  And when they are practicing, I feel like I'm getting a private show for free!!  Lucky me!!  It's going to be a sad day Sunday when they go!

Little Saint Nick

I fell in love with Little Saint Nick when Becca Whitham used it to make the most wonderful CAS card!  For the top image, I used the shiny side of the New England Ivy Fundamentals paper (retired) and for the 2nd card used the paper flipped over!  The red glitter tape is CTMH - it has it's own adhesive.  The green ribbon is CTMH as well.  The little white glitter diamonds were leftovers from a die cutting project (snowflakes, I believe).  I glued a few in place but the rest are free to roam inside the new CTMH shaker window foam items.  The one with the sequins, same idea - some sequins are glued down but most are free to move.  I just wanted the cards to look good stand up.  For the 1st card I made my own shaker using my circle dies.  I used a slightly smaller die, and next time will die cut a design paper rather than trying to color it myself!  

We have been SO busy!  We have hosted three musicians this month - the ones here currently are Opera singers!  I can't describe how beautiful and relaxing it is to hear them practicing and warming up their vocal cords.  I told the female she was welcome to just live with us!  They are both so delightful!   We have had instrumentalists before - never someone whose voice is their instrument - so this is a change!  I'm loving every minute!

Thank Ewe

I love sheet and lambs - in real life and in stamped images, photographs, stained glass - you name it!  So, I had to add this stamp from Unity to my collection.  I stamped my sweet things onto the focal piece (3 x 3 1/2) and stamped again onto a post it note.  I cut out the sheep on the post-it-note to use for a mask.  I masked 10 cards using the one set of masks.  Sponging Sky blue on top and Sweet Leaf on the bottom,  Once the masks were removed, I used my watercolor pencils to add just a tab of pink and gray.  The Sentiment (Thank ewe) was stamped in Pewter.  

You all know about those CHAPTA thingies that want you to prove you are human?  Well here you go, we now know, once and for all - - - that I'm human. (scroll down)

Fishes!

My hubby tells me that they are probably stripped bass.  I have no idea what color to make them so we're going to claim artistic license today!!

I was inspired by a post but the artist (another CTMH consultant) didn't watermark her photo.  I must admit, I don't either since I moved to using the Mac and don't know how to add the watermark.  

So, I stamped these fishes in Momento Tuxedo Black, colored them with my Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils, added a little from the shimmer brush on their tummies and liquid glass on their eyes and the lure.  It's a very satisfying card in person.  If you know someone who loves to fish, this set is available until August 1, then it's gone.  

Wonder Woman!

The Wonder Woman images are very easy to color!  I thought it would be a huge project but I achieved this look with 4 pencils.  Yellow, Skintone, Red, and Blue.  The paper is from the Beautiful Friendship pack and a piece of Fundamentals in Sapphire (Outdoor Denim?).  I made a blonde and a red-head - one with the ground that is on the stamp and one without, one with each of the two sentiments that come with the stamp, and I made others of these styles just because I couldn't stop!

I really loved the Wonder Woman movie that came out early 2017.  The Women's March already had me fired up and then a super hero movie where the person had real size thighs - well, I was quite impressed!  I had been writing postcards to my Congressional Representatives so I figured I needed to mail those cards with a Wonder Woman Stamp!  Then Halloween came around and I found a costume to use!  Then I found it could be used in my protesting to get more attention!  The day I was wearing it last winter, Kelly Fryer, brand new candidate to become Arizona's BEST EVER GOVERNOR came by our little protest group!  We took a few photos together but this is one of my favorites!  If you're in AZ - PLEASE VOTE!!!  

SO, you've forgive me for buying the WonderWoman stamp even though it is red-rubber and not made by Close-to-My-Heart.  I forgot to mention I also used the Shimmer Brush.