Thank You, With Gratitude

I had a regular dental check-up last week (yay for clean, healthy teeth!) and they gave me a bag of dental "goodies" so I immediately thought of recycling it.  If you're looking for a project that is super fast and easy, then this is IT!  

This border stamp was just perfect for this project and made a beautifully bright, colorful accent for this basic kraft paper bag.  It took just a few minutes to color with Copics.  The "with GRATITUDE" sentiment was stamped directly onto the bag, carefully aligning it to avoid the bumpy handle attachments and the bottom-of-the-bag folds so that it would stamp clearly and cleanly.  

I used a Tim Holtz tag stamped with a sentiment from the same stamp set, set atop a Spellbinder's heart die cut from Craft Consortium's Ink Drops Sunset designer paper.  I love that this die looks pretty even from the wrong side!  The kraft colored seam binding and jute thread allow the heart and the leaf border to remain the star of the show but still balance the color scheme.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Falling Leaves Border Strip
• Craft Consortium Ink Drops Sunset 6x6
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Tuxedo Black
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Classic Hearts
• Sizzix Thinlits Dies by Tim Holtz - Tag Collection
• Seam Binding Sampler - Vintage Neutrals - 40 yards
• May Arts Baker's Twine - 110 Yard Spool - Kraft
• Copic markers
• tea dye distress ink 
• recycled kraft bag (from the dentist!)

Please say a prayer for those in the path of Hurricane Helene!  We have done as much hurricane preparation as possible as we "Plan for the worst and hope for the best!"  Now all we can do is "hurry up and wait!"  

Deepest Sympathy

Hi y'all!  I'm here this week with a soft, simple version of a sympathy card.  Sometimes I make sympathy cards in advance because it is emotionally a bit easier that way, but this one was made after the loss of a dear sweet friend.  She was a calm, serene, wise, lovely soul who really "walked her talk" and she is already terribly missed. Patrick and I were in Michigan/Wisconsin at the time of her passing and her services were held while we were still away.  Honestly I'm still trying to wrap my heart around the idea that she's gone...she and her family were constantly in my thoughts and prayers as I created this card.

I used a combination of green and blue-green distress oxide inks topped with Delicata copper to stamp the eucalyptus branches and then die-cut them with their coordinating dies.    

They peek through the opening made from Spellbinders classic circles cut from the card front.  I used the "positive" circle of designer paper on the card's inside so none of that lovely paper would go to waste.  

Then when the card is opened, the "forever in our hearts" sentiment is revealed.  The heart was die-cut from another beautiful sheet from the same designer paper pad.  I love these papers so much!  This particular color combo especially!  If I had had some ice blue or aqua rhinestones or bliss pearls, I certainly would have used them!  I need to re-stock my sparkly things!       

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Eucalyptus Silhouettes Bundle
• Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles SM
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Standard Circles LG
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Classic Hearts
• May Arts 1" Grosgrain w/Satin Edge - 30 Yard Spool - Turquoise
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Celestial Copper
• various distress oxide inks (greens, blue-greens)

Love and miss you, dear Miss Anne!  

Boho Fall Gatefold Card

Hello friends!  It has thankfully been a little cooler the last several days, and Fall is officially just around the corner; the date for Autumn Equinox is September 22nd.  These lovely Fall colors have been calling to me and making their appearance not just in card-making but in some of my other crafting as well!  

In this project, the Beach Hut "barn wood" print had just a hint of peachy tones which harmonized really well with one of the papers in Grunge Light.  

This is a gatefold card, using a standard 5.5 x 8.5 inch piece of card stock, with score lines 2 1/8 inches from each end.  The belly band is about 2 inches wide and is scored with about 1/8 of an inch of depth on the sides to allow the band to be more easily removed.  (Remember to adhere your focal image only to the belly band and to avoid adding embellishments to the card base that would interfere with its sliding!)

I don't normally use kraft paper for coloring with Copic markers but decided to try it for a more muted, nearly monochromatic look for today's project.  I painted over the Copics with diluted Delicata copper ink but since it's been rainy and overcast here I couldn't really get the sparkle to show in my photos.  I also splashed and splattered diluted ink to the card front and inside, so IRL it is quite lustrous!  The addition of a double-ribbon bow brings a bright pop of color!    

Here's what the inside looks like with the belly band removed.  Simple and easy.   

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Boho Fall Leaves Bundle
• Craft Consortium Beach Hut 6x6
• Craft Consortium Grunge Light 6x6
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Espresso Truffle
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Celestial Copper
• Seam Binding Sampler - Rich Pastels - 40 yards
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Latte

See what I mean?!  These colors!  ❤️   This is fiber I purchased in 2022 and have revisited each year during September/October.  Maybe this year will be the one where it is finally finished!  It's a wool-free blend of black baby llama, mulberry silk, bamboo and bio-nylon so whatever it becomes will be really soft and warm.  It really wants to spin thin so I should end up with some decent yardage.  

Thanks for visiting!  Have a great week!

Cool & Crisp Fall

Hello again friends!  It's one of those high white hazy days in Florida, threatening rain but thankfully a little cooler than it has been recently, and I'm still dreaming of Fall!  

I had made this center-step-fold card base a while back, so when I sat down to stamp this week's project I had a little bit of a head start.  I thought the images and sentiments from our new Fall sets would work well with this layout, so I pulled out an Autumn paper pad and got to work.  

I love the way the gingham and striped papers accentuate the folds of the card.  The color palette from the papers set the stage for the Copic marker colors used for the focal image as well.  

Delicata ink splashes and sparkly accents were applied with diluted ink and a skinny paintbrush.  I wish you could see how pretty it is IRL; unfortunately it is so hard to capture with a camera. And a confession:  that green pearl is there because my ink pads are getting rather old and I ended up with a "canvas ink blob" that begged to be covered up!    

The plaid paper and this leaf from one of our older stamp sets help to bring the color palette from the front to the inside of the card.  It fits nicely in that little niche at the top of the card and draws attention to those little details.  

Supplies:

• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Boho Pumpkins Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Harvest Bundle
• Stamp Simply Clear Stamps - Boho Fall Leaves
• Stamp Simply Steel Dies - Fishtail Sentiment Banners
• Carta Bella Welcome Autumn 6x6
• Memento Full Size Dye Ink Pad - Espresso Truffle
• Delicata Non-Tarnishing Ink Pad - Celestial Copper
• Kaisercraft Self-Adhesive Round Pearls - Green