Gather Together

 

Hello friends!  It's officially Autumn now!  Today's card is a 5.5 inch square card using one of our Product of the Week sets, Seasonal Wreaths (Fall/Winter).

The Fall/Winter Seasonal Wreaths set includes the pumpkins shown here as well as some lovely poinsettias.  The Spring set includes two lovely spring bouquets.  There are some sentiments in both sets that can be used interchangeably.  

I colored these with Copic markers, then added tea-dye distress ink to the edges, and spatters of distress oxide inks and white acrylic paint.  The image, placed atop a sheet of Grunge Light designer paper, is framed with narrow strips of paper from Ink Drops Sunset. I just love all these warm and vibrant Fall colors.

Here's the inside, another sheet of Grunge Light with a sentiment stamped directly on the designer paper and more of the spattering of colors just as there is on the card front.   

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Seasonal Wreaths, Fall/Winter Bundle
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Sunset 6x6
• Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
• Seam Binding Sampler - Rich Pastels - 40 yards
• Melissa Frances Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Cream
• Copic markers
• various distress oxides and white acrylic paint (spatters)

When we were up in upper Michigan last month, the leaves were just barely beginning to turn.  We had a wonderful time gathering with my husband's family, celebrating birthdays and simply enjoying our time together.  

We've been back home for a few weeks.  Even here in Florida there are a few trees whose colors are tinged with yellow and orange.  I find this time of year so inspiring...it makes me want to spin and knit all the things, make wreaths and brooms and baskets, and play with all the papers and stamps!  

Enjoy your week!  I'll look forward to seeing you again!    

Happy Birthday!

 

Hello friends!  Today is my husband's birthday!  I had a lot of fun making this card for him using this week's POTW from Stamp Simply.  

Patrick and I love going out for brunch on the weekend.  We have several favorite places that we alternate between, and one of them has the most delicious fresh squeezed orange juice, so I thought this was the perfect image/sentiment for his card.  

In his case, less is definitely more so I kept things really clean and simple using designer papers and splashes of distress oxide ink for some "Florida fresh" appeal for my main (only!) squeeze!  (At this point we have had many more birthdays together than not, and we will soon have another anniversary to celebrate!  ❤️)  

The inside has one of the punny sentiments from this set stamped at the bottom corner.  Couldn't resist splashing some juicy colors on the inside too.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Fruit Trio Bundle
• Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
• Stamp Simply Paper Pads - Coffee or Tea 6x6 (for tag)
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Gems
• button and cord from stash
• various distress oxide inks
• white acrylic paint
• Copic markers 

Fall Floral Bookmark Card

Hi y'all!  I'm here with a card made with a slight modification of Splitcoaststampers' bookmark card tutorial (I made my square 5.5 inches) using two of our current Product of the Week sets.  It was quick and easy and fun to make and I know that the intended recipient is gonna love it!    

Here's a look at the inside with the removable square bookmark still in place on the corner of the card front.  

Here you can see the bookmark in use.  Usually I use lots of dimensional adhesive on my cards but for this one the elements of the actual bookmark are all glued directly together to keep the layers from being bulky and marring the book when it's closed.  This particular book is one that belonged to Patrick's uncle so it is a beloved vintage, well on its way to becoming antique!

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Floral Cluster Fall Flowers
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Floral Cluster Spring Pansies (sentiments)
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Floral Cluster and Sprigs
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Farmhouse Pierced Nested Hearts
• Craft Consortium Ombre 6x6
• Seam Binding Sampler - Rich Pastels - 40 yards
• May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Kraft
• retired Spellbinders scallop border die 
• Copic markers
• various distress oxide inks
• button from stash

You are a blessing!

Hi friends!

I'm back today with another clean and simple card using designer paper that is just too pretty to cover up!  This one looks like a cool Summer pool (ha!  more wishful thinking!)  

A sweet home town friend of mine sent me some wonderful sock knitting books that she came across in an estate/garage sale.  That she took the time to box them up and send them my way meant the world to me, so I wanted to make a little thank you card for her to let her know what a treasure she is and how much she is appreciated!  Nothing elaborate, just something handmade but quick and easy that gets the heartfelt message across...a little thing means a lot.  ❤️ 

I love how the Craft Consortium papers work so well together.  The colors of this sheet from Grunge Light are a great match for the sheet of Ocean that is on the front of the card.  

I love these colors so much!  I just so happen to be spinning them too, as part of a set that has pinks and blues and pops of other colors.  I've finished the pinks and purples, currently have the pale blue-greens on the spindle with the brighter blue-greens yet to go. It has been the most enjoyable spin and I will hate to see it come to an end!  (The fiber and these next few photos are from Inglenook Fibers).  

The set was inspired by some of the architecture seen during Tour de France, the Casa Batlio on St. George's Day.    

But there is more lovely fiber in the queue!  The next up is some based on the Lacecap Hydrangea and it is gorgeous and just a tiny side-step on the color wheel!  

  

Ooops!  I got carried away!  ;)  Back to stamping!  Here's my supply list.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Pastor & Ministry Appreciation Gree...
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Ocean 6x6
• Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Rhinestones - Aqua
• satin ribbon
• Versamark ink
• gold fine detail embossing powder

But before you leave, be sure to visit Stamp Simply to check out the current Product of the Week!  

Give Thanks

 

Hi y'all!

I can hardly believe that it is already the end of August and that the holiday season is just around the corner, but schools around here started a week or so ago and the Fall season of chorale has started, so time is flying by!  

If you have been here during previous Falls, you might remember that this is one of my very most favorite stamp sets!  It is so simply elegant and imho can become a show stopper with very little effort. Here I stamped the image on watercolor card stock and painted it with distress inks using them water color style, urging the colors to blend together.    

And here is the inside...more of that beautiful CC Ink Drops Sunset designer paper and a beautiful verse.  I love this paper, couldn't stand to cover it up so I kept this card as CAS as possible, inside and out! 

Stamp Simply

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Give Thanks Bundle
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Sunset 6x6
• Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock - 4.25 x 5.5"
• Seam Binding Sampler - Rich Pastels - 40 yards
• distress oxides used as "watercolor"
• white acrylic paint spatters
• gold cord

Autumn Blessings

Hi y'all!

It is still hotter than heck here (yesterday we reached 100 degrees with a heat index of 115 F!) so you can imagine that we are truly yearning for Fall and the cooler temperatures it will bring!  

I was flipping through paper pads and came across this beautiful sheet from CC Ink Drops Midnight, so warm and rich and elegant!  I decided that it would be lovely for a JOY fold/tri-fold card.  

This is essentially a smaller card tucked inside a larger card with the folds opposite one another.  In this view you can see that about an inch is trimmed off the bottom of the larger card front to accommodate the placement of the smaller card inside.  

And full disclosure:  I had not intended to cut an oval out of the smaller card until the sentiment I stamped on the card front (light ink on dark paper) did not show up as well as I had envisioned it would...OOPSIE!  So this design was a "save" that ended up working out ok!  Whew!  I love it when cards "evolve" on their own that way!  

The dark distress oxide inks framing the focal image/sentiment also help to emphasize the rich, midnight mood of the designer paper.

Stamp Simply

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Autumn Blessings Bundle
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Midnight 6x6
• Seam Binding Sampler - Rich Pastels - 40 yards
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Champagne
• Spellbinders oval dies
• various distress oxide inks
• button and gold cord from stash

Deepest Sympathy

Hello friends!  

It seems that the older we get, the more often we need sympathy cards.  I really prefer making them before they're needed and having some stashed and ready in advance.  Occasionally I will make one specifically for a particular person and their loved ones but I find that emotionally much more difficult.  Either way, the process is always a thoughtful, prayer-filled one.  

For this week's project I used both of our Silhouette stamp sets (current product of the week)...the sea oats/wheat image from Autumn Silhouettes, and the sentiments from Eucalyptus Silhouettes.  I love how "Florida" the result turned out to be.    

I used an assortment of distress oxide inks to make a colorful focal image background that would harmonize with this beachy designer paper from Craft Consortium's Test of Time.  For many people, images of the ocean are timeless and soothing, bringing peace, calm and clarity to a troubled heart.  That makes them seem especially appropriate for acknowledging the loss of a loved one, especially here in Florida.  

The inside is another inked background with a beautiful, comforting verse.    

Supplies:

• Autumn & Eucalyptus Silhouettes
• Craft Consortium Test of Time 6x6
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Champagne
• May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Kraft
• various distress oxide inks
• white acrylic paint
• mother of pearl button

Autumn, warm & cozy!

Hi y'all!  Another busy week here in the Felts household!  There was a brief pause between Tour de Fleece and Tour de Fleece Femmes, but I'm still spinning and knitting and of course, stamping!  

This week's project is a 5.5 inch square card that uses BOTH of the sets in our  current Product of the Week.  These sets are a lot of fun because they feature stamps that are a little larger than usual, which makes them super quick and easy to use.  They take front & center as thē focal point and therefore do not require a lot of fuss with layouts or embellishments, etc.  There's also a great variety of sentiments (as either stamps or dies) to coordinate with the beautiful images.  Easy peasy!

For today's card I used a stamp positioner to stamp the leaf image onto the corners of a 5 inch square of card stock, then colored in the images with Copic markers in a variety of Fall colors.  I stamped, colored and die cut the pumpkins and placed them atop a square of card stock turned on the diagonal.  

On the inside, there's a die cut "Autumn" and stamped "Warm & Cozy."  Everything inside and out was spattered generously with distress oxide inks and white acrylic paint for a warm rustic, harvest/garden feel.  It definitely has apple cider/pumpkin pie kinda vibes!    

Supplies:

• Boho Leaves and Pumpkins
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Squares SM
• Seam Binding
• Melissa Frances Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Cream
• Copic markers
• various distress inks
• gold cording

You crossed my mind today...

Hi everyone!

We have got stamp sets from our Great Lakes Series on sale this week!  Since my husband is from Michigan (specifically the U.P.) I have especially enjoyed using these particular sets along with the rest of our Michigan series.    

The Great Lakes series includes two Lighthouse sets, the Edmund Fitzgerald set, and the Mackinac Bridge set.  

My project for today is a "Dutch door" card, shown here from an aerial view.  I've never been over the Mackinac Bridge but I thought that this designer paper made for a lovely snowy evening sky background where the lines between sky and water merge and seem to magically disappear.

I cut away the top half of the card front, adhered that beautiful Ombre designer paper to the card base inside and out, then die cut two bridges and sandwiched the top edge of the card front between them.  Since the card stock I used is not heavy duty I opted to cut a narrow brace to reinforce the piece right where the die and the card base come together on the inside (see the two photos below).    

The top left sentiment is visible from the front whether the card is opened or closed, but the card must be opened for the bottom right sentiment to be revealed.   

The verse stamped on the inside of the Dutch door is from the Edmund Fitzgerald set and fits the "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" theme perfectly.  🎶  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Mackinac Bridge Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Great Lakes Freighter - The Edmund Fitz...
• Craft Consortium Ombre 6x6
• Dritz Cheesecloth - 36" x 3 yards
• Seam Binding Sampler - Rich Pastels - 40 yards
• Melissa Frances Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Cream
• Copic markers
• white acrylic paint "snow"

Socks and Stockings!

 

Hi everyone!  It's July and I have been having a blast with all the crafty things!  I'm participating in several "Christmas in July" challenges and there is also "Tour de Fleece" so it has been extremely busy around here!  

Stamp Simply has an amazing Christmas in July promotion going on through July 25th, and when I was deciding upon what to stamp, my current Swan City Yarns self-striping socks pair-in-progress was obviously an influence!  

I die cut the stocking in white and used a ruler with some Copic markers to color the stocking in the same color way as my socks.  (If you decide to try it, I'd recommend that you have a baby wipe handy to clean the color from your ruler so that the colors stay pure and clean without muddying).  The cuff, heel, and toe are in a contrast color just as my socks IRL will be.  

The mats behind the stocking were die cut with Spellbinders rectangles.  I used the fishtail banner die for the sentiment which fit absolutely perfectly.  Embellishments include jeweled snowflakes, some white acrylic paint "snow" and a big ole turquoise bow!  These colors just make me so happy!  Definitely one of my favorite Christmas color combos!   

Here's the inside.  All of the stamps and sentiments are part of one stamp set bundle.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Christmas Stockings & Mittens Bundle
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Rectangles SM
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Rectangles LG
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• May Arts 1" Grosgrain w/Satin Edge - 30 Yard Spool - Turquoise
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Rhinestones - Aqua
• Copic markers
• white acrylic paint "snow"