Cards for Ukraine - Sunflowers

Yesterday on IG cardmakers were asked to post Cards for Ukraine.  I took a little time in the stamp cave to go through my stash and found some leftovers from previous projects to put this card together.  The sunflower and flowers are die cuts from The Greetery.  The blue and yellow background papers - in the colors of the Ukrainian flag - were amongst many yellow and blue papers that I had used for our daughter's graduation scrapbook as they were her college colors.

I posted the start of my mini sunflower canvasses the other day.  I took the basic flower on the right and added linework with my Posca pens to make them more realistic.  

The squares are 4 x 4 and the rectangles are 4 x 6.  I'm debating whether to add any splatter to them before I package them up for Art and Found Day.  They've already been sealed with fixative but I can do that again if needed.  There's still time to decide.  

And whilst I was going through my stuff I found another blue and white card that was a duplicate of a card I used for Rachel a couple of years ago.  

I collect words, quotations, poems, etc. in a notebook and yesterday I added this with a little illustration.

I've been following Max from Dancing With the Stars fame on IG as I had seen that he was in Ukraine working as a judge on their DWTS show when this horror began.  It has been very eye opening to see what he and his friends are seeing and have been through - unedited.  Our news programs are very sanitized and they show you the bombs going off in the distance and the remains of buildings that were fired upon but they don't show you the carnage in the streets or the blood-stained faces of children.  And I'm sure that there are many that say that we don't have to see that.  But I think that this just contributes to a disconnect with reality.  It's not like a video game or a movie.   

Max talked about how it took 31 hours for him to get to Poland by train and how guilty he felt taking up space as a healthy man who was leaving to return to his home in the US amongst an overstuffed carload of mostly women and children who had to leave their homes and husbands behind.  How he watched the mothers try to comfort their children, especially those that were old enough to realize what was happening.  He talks about a dancing friend of his from Poland who has been transporting people from the Ukraine to Poland in his personal vehicle.  He has thanked the Polish people over and over again for their sacrifices to help the people of Ukraine.  And he has warned that if they take Ukraine they could also go after Latvia, Moldova, Lithuania, any country nearby.  

I made the cards and painted the pictures as a response to this trying time.  But that was for me to feel like I was doing something.  I've (we've) also made a monetary donation to help with gas and medical supplies for the refugees in the hope that it will actually help in some way.  And I continue to pray. 

Not All Raspberries are Alike

I love raspberries.  I have since I was a child. We lived upstairs from my grandparents and we had a decent sized yard that my grandfather took pride in.  In the back corner of our yard was a raspberry bush - the source of my love of raspberries.  Raspberry season in NJ is very brief and having only one bush doesn't provide many berries so lucky was the person who remembered to go check the berry bush.  Fresh, warm berries were a delight.  Store-bough raspberries were very, as my grandmother would say "dear".  And for many years I considered them an extravagance and usually passed the fresh berries up in the supermarket, opting for less expensive frozen ones.  But raspberries have become more reasonably priced for the last few years enabling me to partake almost daily.  Sometimes they have no taste though.  And sometimes they are very tasty.  And I love when I get some that taste exactly like those berries from the bush in my grandfather's back yard.  

They say that our senses help with memories.  We have smell memory and taste memory and each of those can be good or bad.  It's our way of knowing/remembering what to eat and what not to eat, what we like and what will make us sick.  

I was reminded of that raspberry bush eating breakfast this week when the berries tasted just like those berries from long ago.  And I was brought back to our yard again and the sweet smell of roses blooming when a parent brought in these sweet tussy-mussy's for us during this last week of school.

The roses gave me the inspiration for this card that I made for my office co-worker who is being transferred this summer.  I know that she will have no problem acclimating to her new job and I hope that my new co-worker and I will quickly find a rhythm together.  She has not worked in a busy school office before and will have a lot to take in before school starts back up in September. 

At home we're still not quite done with the stamp cave renovation and I'm still sorting things out. One of my goals I think I've mentioned is to use up scraps this summer whether it be on cards, or in journals or what not.  So here is another card that has a bunch of scrap elements on it for no particular occasion.

Today was the last day with staff and students and I have two more days this week and then I'm off for 10 glorious days which I hope to use both relaxing and finishing this room project.  Keeping my fingers crossed it will all work out.

Oh yes, and I'm so far behind on my Christmas cards that I don't know if I'll ever catch up, but I'll have to make a dent in that too!

A Little Experimentation in Shading

I recently read a post on Lydia's blog Understand Blue about a technique using white pencil for shading an image stamped on dark paper.  So........ I decided to give it a try.  Of course I think I found the smallest possible image to work with and should have kept looking but I made do.  (This is a recent Stamp of the Week from Unity.) 

So I cut a few pieces of black and a few pieces of navy cardstock and stamped the image on them in white craft ink.  

After I let that dry for a while I went back with a white Prismacolor pencil and added some shading and reinforced some of the image, like the dots, that appeared too light.

Here's the same image on Night of Navy cardstock.  

I was going for a simple card and took out a white card base and added a panel of dsp.  The pink you see is some washi tape that I had out on my work table.  The problem I ran into with that was that it was too opaque to successfully just adhere it to the panel on it's own.  So I cut a strip of white cardstock and put the washi tape on that.  Then I cut the strip into three strips and the rest is pretty obvious.  

I'll finish the other images and make them into cards also, sooner or later.  But I think I should look for a larger image to work with next time.  

So let me ask, what would you use this card for?  Birthday, sympathy, or would you think it might make a nice bridal shower card?  The sentiment will go in the upper left corner.  Inquiring minds would like to know.

Snarky Birds and Some Observations

A combination of crazy birds and snarky sentiments.  

I used my Zig markers to color the birds.  I stamped 2 of each and just colored the parts to be die cut on the second one. Those pieces were popped up on the original bird.  

I added a little bit of background stamping in various colors behind the birds and then the sentiments.  HWNSNBP loved the birds but wondered who I would be able to send these cards to.  I told him to fear not, for there were peeps out there who would appreciate them (and they did!).  

Speaking of peeps, well of a different sort, birds that I'm still not sure of the variety.  I had noticed over the years, that while I was in the pool in the evening, there came a certain time when flocks of birds would fly over me from the SW to the NE.  Every night.  Sometimes they would make a brief stop in one of the trees in the yard and when they did, the sound of their simultaneous take-off was awesome.  Like a very loud whoosh.  Well I accidentally happened upon their next "stop-over" not too far from our house when I was trying to get a last glimpse of the sunset that night.  There's a little industrial park not too far away - one road with a cul-de-sac that's a little more elevated than our property and unfortunately the trees have grown so much that they obscured the sunset just about as much as our trees would have.  However, I happened to glance up and noting the time, I have to assume that these are the birds that regularly fly overhead in the evening.  They were very suspicious of me and my camera and there were tons more than you see in the picture.

I have no good segway to this next picture of two bracelets.  It just struck me as funny recently thinking about old things being new again.  The bracelet on the left is one of the current brands of these wire charm bracelets that Rachel gave me for Mother's Day.  The bracelet on the right - with my name on it - was given to me by my grandparents when I was very young (with much smaller wrists too I must add).  The design of the wire is the same except the older one adjusts on the back and the charms are added to the adjusting part on the newer ones.  Two beautiful and cherished gifts.

I had two other cards that I made last week for two anniversaries and being as rushed and tired as I've been the last couple of weeks getting ready for the start of school I totally forgot to photograph them before I mailed them.  It was more important to get them in the mail so the recipients would have them in time (which they hopefully did).  I used another new bird stamp for them and luckily colored a third set so I'll be able to share something like them soon.  

I've got to get back to regular posting soon.  Actually, I've got to get back to my creative routine also.  The start of school is a very busy time for me and I've been crashing when I get home these last two weeks.  But it's calming down a little so I should have a bit more energy soon.  

Using More Leftovers - CAS and Not So CAS - PP236

Using up some more of those leftovers I found on my craft table.  A couple of Clean and Simple Flower cards for the Paper Players challenge and one a little more involved..

All these cards are made with leftover scraps - even the card bases were already cut and ready.  This one's just a couple of pieces of dsp and a Susan's Garden daisy.

I had been playing around with this new Essentials by Ellen Blossom set stamping the flower in VersaMark and embossing with clear EP, then daubering on some ink to match the colors of the base and dry embossed panel.  I threw on a couple of leaves too.  Just left them flat this time.

This one is not so simple.  I took the leftover scrap from that Massa Leaf die cut because, even though it was not planned, it came out pretty well centered on that piece of Wild Wasabi cardstock. On the white underneath I used one of the stamps from the Essentials by Ellen stamp set - it's part of a flower - and stamped that in Wild Wasabi ink where the openings would be so the leaves had some interest. Again, the back of the purple flowers was three shades of ink schwooshed around on some white cardstock and then die cut with the darker die cut over it.

Because I wanted those dotted leaves not to be in competition with the leaves that came with the die set I just didn't add any.  Instead I used some little flower heads from another Susan's Garden die in So Saffron cardstock with some pan pastel centers to spice it up a little.  

Yeah, those colors above are really not what I see IRL even with doctoring but I hope you get the idea.  

I've got a few more, {who am I kidding?}, a lot more leftovers to put to good use.  Stay tuned.

When Life Gives You Lemons....Make it a Happy Thing

There's something about the smell of lemons! That clean and refreshing citrus zing.  Sweet Melissa and Lemon Thyme are two of my favorite herbs with that wonderful lemony scent.   And I love to roast my chicken with sliced lemon and Rosemary under the skin and usually toss some halved lemons in the cavity also.   Yikes, I'm making myself hungry.  

Well, I had to have this new SU set A Happy Thing that contains this lovely lemon image (there's a bird in the set too which makes it an even more alluring purchase).   I paired the lemon up with some new Painted Blooms dsp (also SU), the new Spring Flowers embossing folder, and some sweet Crushed Curry polyester ribbon.  

I colored the image with my Blendabilities and added some Crystal Effects to give it sheen.

And then I did another card another way.  

I take my tea in the morning and evening with lemon and to make sure that I have enough on hand, HWNSNBP will pick up a whole bag of them at Costco.  

What I'll usually do with the whole bag is wash them, dry them, and then, using my kitchen planer, I'll zest them all.  I keep the zest in a container in the refrigerator and have lately been adding it to my tiny crockpot that I have simmering with some spices and orange slices to naturally scent the kitchen.

Then I use this juicer that I got many moons ago when I was a teenager believe it or not.  It was a promotion in a woman's magazine at that time and came with a citrus peeler and a mini grater that I think I also still have.  All of them yellow of course.  I think I had to send in a dollar for it.  I'm dating myself, but does anyone remember also being able to collect Oneida spoons for 25 cents with a coupon from a ladies magazine in the late 60's early 70's?  I remember picking the pattern and then taping a quarter to an index card and sending it in.  That was a real "Happy Thing" to receive in the mail.  This is why I have a bunch of single different-patterned spoons in the drawer.  But I digress........I juice all the lemons and put the juice in.........

a dedicated "lemon" cube tray.  Once they're frozen, I put them in a zip lock bag in the freezer and I can pop one out for my tea or to use in a recipe when needed.  Each cube is about the juice of 1/2 a lemon.  (You don't want to do this if you have a paper cut or any kind of cut on your hands!!!)

There's nothing like fresh lemon, but frozen lemon is pretty good too!

Dogwood and Pu**ywillows

I saw this card by Kecia Waters on Pinterest and fell in love with the Pu**ywillow stamp immediately.  It is by Repeat Impressions.  (If you're wondering why I added asterisks to the word, it is just to avoid being spammed.  I'm already getting too many anonymous comments on a daily basis that are bogus, I just don't want to stir up any more.)  I tried the out-of-the-box die cutting like she did on her card with no success, so I did it my way.  

I remembered that I had a single Pu**ywillow stamp from Picture Show and used that on the card base.  Both of the stamps were stamped in Basic Gray ink and then colored with my Prismacolor pencils. Don't you love the way they pop on the Crumb Cake paper!  I didn't use any blending agent, just the pencils themselves.  

The card was looking a little in need of something and I just happened to have my dogwood blossoms sitting there on the table.  I think the addition of the dogwood makes it look very Springy.  

I was able to order the liquid paper to add the dimensional "dots" to the stamens - makes it a bit more realistic, don't you think?  Ha, I've got cats and dogs on the same card!  

I splurged a bit and ordered some more of the flower dies that I hope to be playing around with some this weekend.  Forsythia and mini lilies.  

And let me share the Zentangle from Monday which just happens to be called Dugwud - a play on....... you guessed it.  Right?  Not a great picture, but if you click on it, you will see the pattern a little clearer.

With a quote from Anne Morrow Lindbergh - "After all, I don't see why I am always asking for private, individual, selfish miracles when every year there are miracles like white dogwood."  

The pink dogwood outside the office window is in full bloom and I have to remember to get some close-ups of those blossoms so I can try to make some of those too.

I've finished up April's tangles in my calendar book but I'll save that for another day.  

The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful

I brought the better camera today and I was rewarded.  Of course, I'm sure they think I'm nuts.  It's not like I sit there staring out the window.  There's no time for that.  Plus, I can tell you that any daydreaming that I do would be shortlived with all the interruptions that go on during the course of the day. 

I did get to take a couple of steps further forward this time before he flew off, but aha, I saw where he went.  Almost right on top of me.  Right to the top of the flagpole!

That was the good.  Here comes the bad. 

A very little card I sent to a couple of co-workers who have been under a lot of pressure this last month since school opened.  Oh - it's been anything but paradise.  But I'll stop there or I might get myself in trouble.

This is the beautiful.  These came from the yard of one of our teachers and she put them on my counter so I get to enjoy them all day!

Just Bliss

I had these colors still hanging around from my Jingle Belles card this week and decided to ink up my new set Bliss.  I made my own background paper by repeating the flower image freehand.  That little bird just had to find a place on this as did the butterfly. 

I think this is the first time I've made a card using all of the images from one set.  Hmmm, maybe I should try that with some of the other sets that haven't met up with ink yet!

All A Flutter

While I was on vacation a couple of weeks ago I tossed some supplies together quickly to bring along and played around with some of the new colors.  I used the single All A Flutter stamp and the masking technique to stamp these butterflies.  The colors are Daffodil Delight and Poppy Parade, Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz, Marina Mist and Concord Crush, and Peach Parfait and Cajun Craze.   

This card was stamped with Pear Pizzazz and Blushing Bride.  A little surprise was added with the new Petal Punch in Blushing Bride.

Inside is a little message from the hostess set Cute by the Inch.

I didn't add any sentiments to these cards.  I'll be keeping them in my desk at work for any quick ocassion.

Inspired By......

The Inspiration Challenge on Splitcoast today was to find some article of clothing or an outfit on the Boden USA website and create a card.

I chose a long brown skirt that had oval shapes outlined in white along the hemline. The ovals were in Elegant Eggplant, Not Quite Navy and Basic Gray.

This is what I came up with. I have to say that I didn't use one stamp. I punched the ovals and sponged white ink on the edges of them. I added strips of the same colors on the right edge, also highlighted with white ink. The Not Quite Navy brads helped to fasten down the Basic Gray taffeta ribbon.

These colors are a little bit out of my comfort zone but I think this would make a good masculine card or a basic notecard for anyone. What do you think?

You can find the skirt here. You have to click on the brown box at the bottom of the picture to see the brown skirt.

Decorative Circle Medallion

The technique challenge on Splitcoast today was to make a circle medallion using a decorative corner punch. There's a great tutorial here on Becca's blog. When I was looking at the gallery for the challenge, I saw this card by Julsianna and that's when I got this idea. I liked the way she added the different shape pieces through the holes that she had punched. I thought that you could add stamped shapes to the slits and wedge others in between. I was trying all different combinations which reminded me of a kaleidoscope - so I would call this a Kaleidoscope Medallion.

I have to tell you that when I was in high school my grandmother asked me to pick out yarn so she could crochet me an afghan. These were the colors that I chose - Bashful Blue, Ballet Blue, Brilliant Blue and Orchid Opulence. I remember that she made a face when I showed her the colors - you know the kind I mean - the kind that implies "are you sure?" When she was done it turned out so pretty that my cousin asked her to make one exactly like it.

The stamp set I used here is Snow Swirled. I punched 3/4" circles and squares that had been stamped with the smallest snowflake stamps from the set. I wrapped silver stretch cording around Shimmery White CS and added that to the Brilliant Blue card base. The medallion is popped up two layers to accommodate the snowflake in the middle which is popped up once.

I'm really liking how this turned out. Let me know what you think.

An Accordian of Another Kind

Somewhere down in our basement is an accordian. The instrument that HWNSNBP played when he was younger. We've been married 31 years and I can only recall him taking it out of the case once when the kids were very, very young to show them. He actually remembered a little something of it. Now you would think that someone who played the accordian would possibly love to polka, but no. Oh, he can do it if he tries, but I couldn't get him out of his seat at the wedding we attended this past weekend (and they only played one polka). Am I dating myself - nah, my mother's family is Polish. The town we grew up in was mostly Polish. You couldn't escape knowing how to do at least one polka. Well, it probably was for the better that we sat that one out. God only knows who we would have knocked over!

What brought all this up? Well it wasn't the dancing, it was the Technique Challenge on Splitcoast that I saw today. The challenge was to use the Stair-Step Technique, aka "Accordian Fold" to create a card. They looked pretty cool and so I took the challenge. Here is my Accordian of Another Kind...............

I used four stamp sets for this card: Lots of Thoughts, Give Thanks, Season of Friendship, and Itty Bitty Backgrounds. The pumpkin and the basket of leaves were watercolored, the leaves were done with markers. The base is Kiwi Kiss - maybe a little bright, but it really pops the colors. You know what's missing from this scene? A rake!

Asian Ladybug

Yesterday we dropped our van off for an oil change at the Ford Dealership - we had a coupon. Today and $800 later we have our van back. Expensive oil change, no! Of course they called this morning to say that there was a safety issue with the brakes and the serpentine belt was cracking and the air filter needed to be changed and they wanted to change the air in the tires for nitrogen (this is not a blonde joke - apparently nitrogen in the tires is supposed to be better on gas mileage but we opted not to do it). We're going on vacation in a couple of weeks so the car has to be in tip top shape.

Anyway, the story behind the card does involve the car. You see as I was waiting in the truck while HWNSNBP was dropping off the keys inside the dealership, I saw this woman standing at the counter next to him. She had on a red blouse with some black flowers and a muted background I couldn't make out through the window. She also had black pants on. I thought she looked like a giant ladybug!

So, she became the inspiration for this card. If you imagine this behind a sheet of plateglass maybe you'll see a ladybug too!

BTW - this has got to have been the hardest card to photograph that I've made. I tried my best.

Balloon Inspiration

The stages of a balloon flower opening.

Did you ever see a floating strawberry? I did. Last week we did some balloon chasing on the Saturday morning of the local balloon fest. You can see more pictures of the balloons in the post below - there's a slide show for ya!

Anyway, I was inspired to make the card below by the floating strawberry. I used my Tart & Tangy strawberry, masked it to then add the clouds and sky with a sponge and a scallop punch using Soft Sky and Baja Breeze. I drew in the basket in Creamy Caramel and added the ropes and lines (and the heads of the people). Then I used the fern from the Touch of Nature set to add trees in Old Olive and Always Artichoke.