In the Woods

Hello, Friends.  It's time to share an image based on winter.  It's a Just For Fun image and I'm entering it into their January challenge.  I have two versions to share today.  I made the background papers at one time using white gesso, blue, blue-purple, and blue-green acrylic paints.

The second one has a silver shadow effect that I thought was pleasing.

Glitter Leaf

I am happy to share one of the cards

I have been working on.

The pile is high but I have had no time to post.

This background paper I made has been "upped" 

a notch with loose glitter.

I like the look, but there was no way to catch all the glittery shine.

I used a Just For Fun Rubber Stamp and a new die cut.

Decided later I wanted to send it as a fall card so I added a 

hand-lettered sentiment.

I will share my card with my friends at these challenges:

The Crafty Addicts 

Just for Fun Rubber Stamps

Sparkle n Sprinkle

WordArt Wednesdays 

Set the Table for Fall

Fall means a new color scheme for table settings at our house.

I can hardly wait until it is time to put out the leaf placemats.

This year I decided to make napkin rings using the

JFF Stamptangle Elm Leaf that I love dearly.

I dry embossed and sponged strips with Distress Inks for the "ring."  

Then I white embossed the imaged

and sponged again.

Now for some comfort food like stews, soups, and such!

Join us for fall fun this month on the JFF Stamps Blog!

Purse Notes

"Anything Other Than a Card"  and Fall is the theme

at the JFF Stamps challenge this month.

When I think AOTAC, I think of the gift items I make for friends.

One tried-and-true standby for me is a purse notes set that you've probably seen before.

The JFF Stamptangle Elm Leaf shines again

with heat embossing and Distress Inks in vibrant colors.

Add some dry embossing to the front flap 

and your Purse Note Set is complete.

You still have time to join us for the challenge

this month!

Life Is a Journey

Who can resist a beach scene?  Not me!

This month I have been using vellum on top of brightly

colored images and framing them several ways.

And here is my card hoping to encourage you to enter our challenge.

Hammock in Palms G3650Sunset at the Seashore G3652Sentiments 3  UMS 7020

Every Day Is a Gift

Hope you are considering joining our challenge this month because 

August is a perfect time to make ocean and beach-themed cards.

JFF Rubber Stamps has some wonderful images for you to use.

As a native Floridian, I have never tired of palm trees

so it was natural for me to think of the palm tree silhouette image.

Consider today a wonderful gift!

Sunset at the Seashore G3652
Windswept Palms Silhouette G3649
Sentiments 3 UMS 7020

Sending Warm Thoughts

It's a hot, hot summer and I am sending you warm thoughts.

Imagine your Adirondack chair in the sand

gazing out at the beautiful water and sky.

It's time to think ocean and beach for the

JFF Rubber Stamps Blog Challenge for August.

Here's my card:

Sunset at the Seashore G3652Adirondack Chair B3392Sentiments 3 UMS 7020

Holiday Magic

Hello, Friends.  It's kReN here again to share 

a JFF Stamps card with you.

It's time for you to enter our 

Christmas in July challenge.

See you there!

I created a special designer paper background by

dry brushing purple, pink, and blue and green 

Twinkling H20's and acrylic paints on white card stock.

Oh, the shine! 

My photographer husband could capture it, 
but, alas, I could not.

I stamped the Stamptangle Pattern Block onto

white card stock with black ink. Then I painted it with 

Twinkling H20's in sections and die cut

ornament shapes with dies.

I used Holiday Magic from UMS 7020 as my sentiment because

in person, the glitter and shine is truly magical!

Do You See What I See?

Hello, Friends!
Here is a Christmas in Florida card.
Floridians love Christmas but with palm trees instead of fir trees
and beach sand or grass instead of snow,
we have to use our imaginations to get into the holiday spirit.

Today is my day to feature my projects on the JFF Stamps Blog!

I am showcasing Christmas in July cards with the images 

Hammock in the Palms and Dasher, and Favorite Spot by JFF Stamps.
The stormy sky reminds me a night beach scenes on the gulf in Florida.

Hop on over to the JFF Stamps Blog

for more information about our challenge this month. 

Be sure to add shimmer, glitter, or shine to your project.

Hammock in Palms, Dasher

This second card is a little more traditional
 because the leaves are of the trees
which wouldn't be the case in Florida.
I love that the cat seems to be watching Santa's sleigh
in the moonlight.

Favorite Spot

I will share my project with my friends at:

ABC Christmas

A Bit More Time to Craft

CardzTV

Christmas Card

Christmas Cards All Year Round

Come and Get It

Crafty Boots

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra

Creatalicious

Crimbo Crackers

Digistamps 4 Joy

Di's Digi Designs

Ike's World

Open-Minded Crafting Fun

Robyn's Fetish

Word Art Wednesdays

Christmas in July at JFF Stamps

Hello, Friends!  It's time to share a card for the JFF Stamps

July Challenge entitled Christmas in July.

Get out your sparkles to add some glitter or shimmer 

to your holiday cards

and join us at the challenge.

The background paper started off as white card stock

with brush marks in blues and red acrylic paints.  

Then it was totally covered with a clear silver glitter paint.

I embossed the sentiment (UMS Sentiment 1 7018)

and Stamptangle Teardrop Ornament in silver

and added a silver ribbon bow.

It's mounted on Recollections blue card stock.

You should see it shine!

Falalalala in July!

Tea Parties with a Child

Our challenge this month reminded me of something I did as a child.

My next door neighbor was a teenager and took time with me

to teach me how to make fudge and

to have make believe tea parties.

She had the tiniest little teacups and teapot

and we would sip sugared water and eat dainty sandwiches.

There were no other little girls on our block 

and I will always remember those special moments with Teddy!

You can imagine my husband's surprise when I came home

from a flea market one day with the tiniest of tea sets

and with the biggest smile on my face.

When there is a little girl wishing she had a friend,

I may schedule a special tea party in honor of my friend.

Here are some cards inspired by this memory.

So to my friend Teddy wherever you may be,

I made a special card for you!

Cuppa Joe

Coffee.  Cuppa Joe. Caffe.  Espresso.

Cappuccino.   Breakfast Blend.  Latte. 

Iced. With or without sugar and cream.

Love them all!

I used:

JFF Stamps Coffee Background Stamp H2955

Acrylic Dry-Brushed Card Stock

Colorbok Card Stock

Impression Obsession Dies

Darice Embossing Folder

Cuttlebug Embossing Folder

Tuxedo Black Momento Ink

Tombow Adhesives

I will share my card at the:

Tea Time

It's time to join in on the fun at the

Summer Coffee Lovers Blogshop.

Here's my card:

I used Just For Fun Stamps

Tea Background H2959

Tea Pot D2999

I only have until the  24th to upload summer coffee/tea/cocoa projects!

I guess I'd better get a move on!

Til Her Daddy Takes the Tbird Away

 When my Dad bought a Tbird, 

he was in his eighties.   

Imagine that!  In his eighties!

When my Dad bought me cars for living at home and commuting to college, 

he was always concerned with price and safety.     

He bought me huge, hulking vehicles like a '49 Dodge.  

The coolest car he ever bought me was a Ranchero, so when I think of cool cars, 

I pass by the expensive exotics 

because a vintage Tbird would suit me just fine.  

When I saw this JFF Stamps image, I just had to have it.
It is called '57 Tbird from the JFF Stamps store.  

With the theme of the fifties for the challenge ending tomorrow, 

I just had to make you a card with this image.  

Sigh.

Music You Can Dance To

                                                                             The JFF Stamps Blog Challenge has a cool
theme for June--the Fifties.  

Feeling retro? Thinking oldies but goodies?  

I have had so much fun making cards with JFF Stamp images for this fifties theme.  

I hope you will look through your
images and papers and see if you can
capture the 50's spirit with a project
for our challenge.  You have all month
to relive retro memories.


Use the provided  sketch and give your project a fifties feel.

Join us, won't you?

Beach Party Girl

Keeping with the challenge theme at JFF Stamps this month, I have an image that just yells fun, fun, fun in the sun.  This girl knows how to party at the beach! I can almost hear the Beach Boys singing about surfing, can't you?

Here in the south, we've already had pretty high temperatures and people are going out kayaking, canoeing, and in their boats.  We don't live near the beach, but with these temperatures, I know the sun-lovers are out there soaking up the rays.

My paddle boarder is riding the waves on a sunny day with palm trees on the shore.  She is thinking big--maybe big wave-- and is ready for fun.

With Love...

Hello, Friends!  Recently, my stamping group played "pass the brayer" and created a dozen or so brayer backgrounds.  The ladies at my table chuckled when I saved my work surface and said I was going to use it for backgrounds.  The card I have to share with you today uses one of those quarters. It also uses a wonderful image and sentiment from Just For Fun Stamps--To My Friend Word Block and Drama Queen.  Growing up, you might have gone through the pensive, drama queen period when you were trying to figure it all out.
I like this image for that reason.

And, by the way, here are 3 of the other sheets I gleaned from my overruns of the brayer. I like the mix and jumble of the colors and the white corners on some. So when you are getting "inky" and if you are working on a white piece of card stock or copy paper, take a look at when you are done for the day.  You just may have several background papers waiting for an image!

Let's Hear It For the Girls

Just For Fun Stamps is having a May challenge titled "Let's Hear It For the Girls" so you can expect lots of wonderful female-oriented inspiration from the design team.  

So here is my inspiration card for you today.  My mother was quite a seamstress and when I was growing up, all my clothes came from her loving hands.  This stamp image reminds me of those days.  

I'm imagining a little girl, anticipating her birthday party, and her mother brings her the party dress she has been wishing for.  Can you guess her favorite colors?

I wish you would join us for our challenge this month.  Anything that you think says female, feminine, girly girl, girl power....you get the idea!

Beautiful Butterflies

It's kReN here again. Are you feeling the change of seasons where you live?

I love to use spring colors and love to watch the butterflies in my back yard.

We purposely have plantings for butterflies-- milkweed, butterfly bushes, 

Porter Weed, and the list goes on and on.  It seems fitting that today I should share butterfly cards.  I used Two Sided Butterfly H3872 and E3873 Butterfly Trail.

I created a background with a technique I am calling "colorful bokeh" 

and I am liking the look.  When you are applying the distress inks to your card stock, set your applicator down and twist it to create you circle.  Then flick with water droplets.  Fun and easy!

As you can see, one was not enough.  I changed up the embellishments and  bling, added Wink of Stella, and deemed them "done."

Three Ways to Wish Big

Hello again, friends.  

Today I am using JFF Stamps sets Birdhouse Row H3853 and
Unmounted Sentiments 1 with several different techniques.

Don't you just love the sounds of all the birds in the spring?
We are having glorious weather here 
and the birds are amazing and I was inspired by all their activity.

But before I share my cards with you, don't forget we are having
a spring-themed challenge at Just For Fun Stamps.
It runs all of March and you will want to enter your
own spring card into the mix.

The first card is heat embossed with black embossing powder

and colored in with Twinkling H20's. 

I love the shimmer they give a card.
It's a bold, defined look but give you that "adult coloring book" therapy.

The second card is heat embossed with white embossing powder

and distress inks are rubbed in and around the card.

The third card is heat embossed with white embossing powder

and I created a watercolor wash around on the image.
Then I ironed off the white EP for a dreamy blurred look.
Just remember not to iron off the EP on your sentiment
or your sentiment will be dreamy blurry too!

Well, that's it for today.  Three techniques and uses of different media
with one terrific stamp image.

See you soon!

kReN