Power Poppy Fully Stocked Card

Picked up Power Poppy’s Fully Stocked Clear stamp set last year (only available in these digital forms this year). It is so freaking cute and fun to watercolor. Because I wanted to preserve the image lines, this time I used gray archival ink to stamp the images onto watercolor paper. I used my Schmincke's watercolors and tried to stick to just a gold/green/red palette. When I was done, I used some pens and pencils to differentiate shadows and lines a bit.

I fussy cut out the stockings. Knowing they couldn't all fit on a smaller card size, I decided to try making a slim line card with them. I had cut out an image from a holiday magazine last year. I thought I could use it as background paper or in journaling, but then decided I could use it as a backdrop for this Kraft slim line card. (I had cut down and folded Kraft paper to make the card base/.)

To highlight the images, I used circle dies on Kraft card stock and paper from Moda Scrap, Suditrol. I stamped the sentiment from the kit on white paper. I added color to make it blend into the background with pens and pencils and added some needles from another stamp in the kit. I die cut another circle, backing that with Kraft paper too. 

Busy card, but I had so much fun coloring these cute images.

November Artist Trading Cards

As you know, I’m a member of an ATC swap group. As always, I enjoy playing with this little ATC format every month, and sending out and receiving, in return, very creative ATCs in the mail. More importantly, though, belonging to a group of fellow crafters has been life affirming, as we share life stories, our ups and downs, crafty news and ideas, and generally supporting one another! So, I had a couple messages to send to this wonderful group in November.

The FB groups have been abuzz about ‘that’ paper and how beautiful it is. I picked up a sheet of it at Hobby Lobby. And I must admit, being a watercolorist, I too have been totally mesmerized by how pretty it is. (And I have an urge to recreate it in my style... on my task list for a later date.) However, feeling a little stressed this month with life events, I decided to recreate a very messy, but somehow totally freeing version of it for the background of this very special sentiment, from the Specially Warm kit. I used a combo of acrylic paints and paint pens and just free handed painting on a sheet of Bristol paper. So, fun... felt like I was back in nursery school! I then used a dotted stamp from A Good Life kit to add a lime green color to bare areas. I cut down the sheet and stamped and die cut the sentiments. Added a little leaves from another kit to the edges of the sentiments and used pens on it. Final touch to the ATCs was to add rustic ribbon. For my ATC friends, I cut down my sheet and included a 4x4 piece along with the ATCs for them to play with. Hope they find and create that special day!

The second ATC was inspired by a few things. I’m really feeling like a mushroom, lately, with the explosion of Covid around me and the shut down my state is experiencing, I’m hunkering down, hiding away, not going out much, not seeing the light - trying to avoid getting sick. Also, my yard gets full of mushrooms this time of year. And third, felt the need to use my pencils and pens on a great stamp! So, I pulled out the Change The World KOTM kit and stamped the mushroom using a gray archival ink. I love the Cozy Evening paper from Mintay, so I used a piece of it for the background and as my color inspiration. I stamped the sentiment from the Trust It Will Be Okay kit and added matching color to it and used Washi tape, a button and sequins to embellish the card.

Well, that’s it for these 2. One more card for today and then I’m done sharing! So, on to the next post! Happy crafting!

Friends of Unity December Blog Hop

Welcome back to a Friends of Unity Blog Hop, where, this month, we get to choose Our Favorite Things. As usual, comment on each blog for a chance to win some Unity stamps. This month, because it’s our anniversary month, all bloggers are hosting a giveaway, so lots of opportunity to win! Speaking of, I’d like to announce my winner from last month - congratulations....

Linda Abel

Please PM me with your address and I’ll get your stamps out to you!

Now, on to some of my favorite things - girlfriends for one, Angie girl stamps for another, paper piecing, Christmas cards, and, this very sparkly older Cozy Christmas patterned paper pad from My Mind’s Eye! Paper piecing always takes me back to playing paper dolls as a kid and designing my own clothes for my dolls. So, given all that... here’s my cards!

To makes these cards, I stamped the image from Kara and Melissa Girls 4 times on white paper using Antique Linen Oxide ink and on 4 different coordinating papers from the pad using a gray archival ink. I then fussy cut all the patterned paper wardrobe pieces (of course, including the fab shoes). I colored the skin, hair and jewelry of all the girls using colored pencils and pens. I then glued on all the apparel, keeping each girl to 2 patterns. I added shading and filled in any gaps with pencils and pens.

I then selected 4 other background papers I could back the girl papers with and die cut all 8 pieces to fit an A6 card. I used the friend stamp from November’s Whit Kit, Everything in Between, and a sentiment from Warm Wishes for Your Home. I also added different ribbons and ephemera from the Cozy Christmas collection to adorn each card. Because the paper is so sparkly, I felt the cards were embellished enough.

Spent a bit of time on this, but I believe they returned out pretty cute and make lovely friend cards. 

So, hope you enjoyed my take on Favorite Things. Now, on to the next blog (don’t forget to leave a comment before you go):

Bobbie Sue

or, you can start from the top:

Crystal