Live, Laugh, Love

Live, laugh and love:  a great way to experience life! I am fortunate to be retired from the work world and have the gift of leisure time to spend doing what I love ... stamping and playing with my crafty "stuff".

 

30-225 Petal Power;  51-029 Interlocking;  30-162 Eloquence

 

This time I chose to use a transparent set by Penny Black from the "Bloom" collection called Petal Power.  This set includes solid flowers as well as outline flowers.  I stamped the flowers and sentiment with Luxe ink Teal Zeal and the leaves with Distress ink.  The background is a diecut using Penny Black's Creative Die Interlocking placed over white cardstock.  I love the huge collection of flower stamps available from Penny Black!

 

I thought of my stamping/blogging friend Lin Brandyberry when I designed this card.  She uses flowers and the color blue to perfection!

 

I do love the sentiment.  Nowhere does it mention "clean house", "do laundry", "cook meals".  Perhaps that all falls in the category of "Live Fully"!

 

I want to spend more time with this set as there are other flowers that will be fun to work with.  But for now, the mop and bucket are beckoning and my ingrained work ethic is saying "work before play".  Perhaps I need to take this sentiment as my mantra and make it powerful enough to block out mops and buckets!!

 

Have great day ... whether it's working or playing!!

Polka-Dot Sprig by Penny Black

4304H Polka-Dot Sprig;  30-162 Eloquence

This is another of my favorite Penny Black woodblock stamps.  It is called Polka-dot Sprig.
  
I created the background by watercoloring with several colors of distress inks.  Then I stamped the image twice using VersaFine black ink.  I overstamped with Delicata Gold ink,  After carefully drying with a heat gun, I then stamped with VersaMark ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder.  I added the sentiment and a few sequins and used a white pen to create faux stitching.

There are some stamps that become classics and I think "element" type images are in that category.

I am having a lovely day but trying to shake off the disappointment of seeing one of my favorites get voted off "Dancing with the Stars" last night!!  I strongly felt that there were others who did not qualify to be in the finals!!  I keep telling myself it is just a tv show, but Charlie White should be in the finals!! 

Be sure to revisit some of your favorite stamps .. stamps need loving, too!

Berry Tree by Penny Black

Hello!!  Hope all the mothers had a day that made them feel very special!!  We were privileged to have a barbecue luncheon with dear friends who have become family.  We topped it off by going out to dinner at my favorite place for Chinese food.  Oh yes, and while dh mowed the lawn, I took a trip to Michael's just to browse and pick up a few "necessities"!

There was time for stamping, too!



4342K Berry Tree  30-162 Eloquence
 

I've been going through my collection of Penny Black stamps lately, especially the wood block stamps.  I understand the convenience and economy of cling stamps, but my wood block stamps feel like old friends. 
I love the Tiffany blue and tan combo, brightened up with a cheerful ribbon pinched with twine.  This was an easy card to make once I thought of blue accents.

The image is stamped with VersaFine black onyx ink and then embossed with clear embossing powder.    "Element" stamps such as these are so versatile and can be adapted to any occasion.

I hope your Monday is going well!!  Beautiful May is in full bloom here.  The grass hasn't turned crispy from too much sun yet and the Knock Out roses are in full bloom.  Be sure to take some time for yourself today. 

Penny Black Website Wonder Winnder!

 The winner of Penny Black's Website Wonder contest is featured on the Penny Black blog today.



 

 

Congratulations to Swarup Murthy, an amazing watercolor artist who also goes by the name Sanketi.  You can see the full reveal of this card on Penny Black's blog today.  And for more of her amazing work, visit her blog here.

Honestly, I gasped when I saw this beautiful card and was inspired to try my hand at sunflowers and watercolors. 



I used Penny Black's sunflower image from the transparent set Sunny Hello.  I used distress inks and a water brush.  The added leaves are from the Petal Power set, stamped with distress ink.  My style, I noticed, is much more careful and limited than Swarup's confident, flowing, transparent layering of colors!  I did manage to splash a few dots of color from my brush in a burst out of the box!!

My sentiment is a diecut from Penny Black's creative die set Hooray, painted with glossy accents.

Indeed, hooray for this very talented winner!!  Be sure to visit Penny Black's blog for the official announcement!

Garden Blooms by Penny Black

Mother's Day is this Sunday and flowers are a part of the celebration!

30-215 Garden Blooms;  40-310 Star Ivy

This delightful flower arrangement is an image included in the transparent Penny Black set "Garden Blooms".  I stamped and embossed the image on some deliciously smooth cardstock and then colored with Copics.  The really smooth coating on the cardstock allowed time to move the colors around until I was satisfied with the look.

I matted the smaller rectangle with cardstock on which I stamped the slapstick background stamp "Star Ivy".  The final matt was polka dotted patterned paper.  A pretty green bow and a few sequins finish the card. 

I am entering this card in the Simon Says challenge this week that is featuring Penny Black flower stamps.

This card will be given to a lovely woman who is not old enough to be my mother, but who has taken us into her family with motherly love! 

My wish is that all mothers everywhere are honored and spoiled this weekend.  And it is a time for all mothers to reflect on the privilege of being a Mom!! 

Thank you for stopping by!!  Enjoy the weekend, however you choose.

You Are My Sunshine

Deborah Nolan hosts a Card Chain Challenge every month and I love taking part.  Deborah always offers several options  in order to make it as welcoming as possible.  I chose to include an umbrella, used the three color combo and made a card with a friendship theme.  Since Deborah has posted all the cards here, I am free to share the card I sent to Helen in Ohio:

40-303 Sunshine

I used the Penny Black slapstick stamp Sunshine to make this cutie patootie.  I colored her with Copics and paper pieced her umbrella lining and her boots.  I'd happily walk through puddles with this little one!!

Deborah is always seeking more entrants to her Card Chain Challenge.  There are states and countries that have never been represented and you can check that out here.

Our April showers (and tornadoes) are behind us now and we are enjoying green grass, trees and blooming rose bushes!!  Hope you have put winter and gloom behind you, too!! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Backgrounds in Bloom

40-283 Floral Tapestry;  30-162 Eloquence;  51-035 Dots and Swirls

This week on the Penny Black blog the designers are featuring projects using some of the new backgrounds from the latest release, Bloom. I have my own favorite from this release and here's what I did with it.

 

This background stamp is called "Floral Tapestry" and it can take on different personalities depending on the color of ink used with it.  I chose a delicate pink and white theme this time.

 

I stamped the background on only three quarters of the card leaving some white space for sequins.  I used the Dots and Swirls die to create a swirly strip covering the "seam".  I stamped the sentiment in VersaFine Smokey Grey ink, to keep things delicate.  The dragon fly is stepping in for the little butterfly die that I can't find anywhere!!  I am thinking his curvy graceful lines are in tune with the delicate theme so it all works out!

 

The Bloom release is full of beautiful florals, background stamps and Creative Dies, just in time to welcome Spring. 

 

After some terrifying storms, we are enjoying lovely Spring days and the Knock Out rose bushes are in full bloom already!  Hope you are enjoying lovely weather and some time to spend crafting!