I really enjoy taking classes at Impress Cards and Crafts in Tukwila (Seattle), especially classes by Jean Okimoto who is on the Memory Box Design Team. Using a Memory Box die, she designed this card for us to make. I loved it so much that I made my own version for my nephew's 50th birthday. This is Jean's card . . . And this is my version . . . The Memory Box die is "Wave Ribbon Collage" (#94005). Jean's version snipped the frame off to create the horizontal lines. The verti

My grandniece turns 18 tomorrow and we enjoyed a family celebration. Her gift money was enclosed in her birthday card. It's been a while since I've used the Zig Clean Real Color Brush Markers, by Kuretake. They're water-based and very nice to color with. After heat embossing with gold embossing powder, the floral image was colored with the brush markers. The stamped panel was then cut down to fit onto a 6.5" x 5" white rectangular card base. The "18!" was die cut out of the s

I just learned that a young lady we know is celebrating her 14th birthday. She's far more mature than her 14 years; she's a hard worker and member of a champion cheer team. A quickly made birthday card was needed. Altenew stamps and dies to the rescue! For the base card and top layer panel, I used heavy linen card stock in cream. I stamped the image with Distress Ink onto white card stock, and used the same ink and color to watercolor with. Once the images were stamped, I bru

I have been waiting and waiting to use this stamp from Mama Elephant. Putting aside the household chores, I made two cards. Why only two? Because I had to finish what I put off earlier. I will be making more cards with this stamp . . . it's now made my Top 5 Stamps I Love list. Mama Elephant: Botanic Hello (stamp design and sentiment) VersaFine Ink in Onyx Black Zig Clean Color Real Brush Watercolor Markers Tim Holtz Stamp Platform ATG with double-sided adhesive tape Base Ca

Last night, I started watching "Homeland" from the very beginning. I had to color something during some of the tense scenes that I couldn't just sit and watch. I quickly stamped this floral bouquet from Magenta and colored it with watercolor markers. Today, I figured out how I wanted to finish the card design. Magenta: Beautiful Bouquet 14.598.N May Life Always Allow You to Fly High 14.598.N Peel-off's in black (0751) Spellbinders' "Fleur de Elegance" Nestabilities S4-475 Mem

I've taken three wonderful stencil classes today and yesterday. Much to my dismay, I need to do a little more cleaning around my workspace before I can delve back into what I learned from Lynell Harlow, creator and former owner of Dreamweaver Stencils. I did manage to make a quick card using a floral design and sentiment stamp from Magenta, one of my all-time favorite stamp lines. Magenta also makes template and stencil designs; since I had just taken stencil classes, I decid

I just love the beautiful floral bouquet stamp designs from Penny Black. "Sweet Perfume" is one I think I'll be using quite often. Coloring it gave me the opportunity to become reacquainted with my Copic markers. Penny Black: Sweet Perfume 40-464 Magenta: Sending You Sunshine 07.952.F Memory Box Craft Dies: Distressed Windham Collage 30041 Memento ink in Tuxedo Black Ranger Archival Ink in Black Copic Alcohol Markers Sakura Glaze Pen (black) White 110# smooth card stock Nee

I've worked and worked using this stamp from Penny Black, "Berry Kissed". I love solid-image stamps. I think they offer opportunities to use various mediums. This particular one keeps challenging me, and I welcome the challenge because it's an excuse to keep playing. Berry Kissed 40-492 stamped with the MISTI With this first card, I stamped with VersaFine ink in Toffee on the smooth side of watercolor card stock. Caron d'Ache Luminance colored pencils were then used to color

Know what happens when you bury yourself in the studio to continue with the ongoing never-ending clean-out, purge and organize task? Nothing real creative. It's Halloween month and as I unbury more and more Halloween stuff, I am working to resist the want to stop the organizing and start the Halloween fun. I have managed to organize all of my dies from Memory Box, PoppyStamps, Elizabeth Craft Designs and most of the Spellbinder dies. I still have the dies from Savvy, Penny Bl

It doesn't seem possible that my last posting was in late July, just before I left on the 3-week trip to England, France and Italy with my sister-in-law and nieces. We had a fabulous time. That long of a trip really set my body clock on the wrong time, almost on a semi-permanent basis. I'm still going to bed early and getting up early, but perhaps that's a good thing. I've kept saying "tomorrow" I'll post to the blog for the last few weeks; however, I've not been home much. I

It seems like "forever" since I've posted. A lot is going on in my life right now, including a trip to Europe that starts this Thursday night. You've heard me talk about my membership in the RubberMoon Mail Club. This is a swap that I received earlier this year from the owner of RubberMoon Stamps, Kristen Powers, aka Kae Pea. It's on Stampboard and I love it! I've just about finished my extra card for the MoonMail swap; it will go to the same person I sent the postcard to. I'

I hope all of you enjoyed the Fourth of July Celebration with your family and friends. We were fairly low-key since we'd hosted a birthday dinner party of 15 for my husband the night before. The view from our deck took in many, many fireworks displays all over the skies, nearby and afar. It was awesome! My stepson's birthday is today; he celebrates his 44th birthday. The number "44" is a favorite number in the family. His sister's first boyfriend was on the football team and

I am staying with the Penny Black Stamp set, "Bouquets." Yesterday, I featured one of 4 bouquets in the set. Today's bouquet is my favorite of the four. I stamped it onto an Inchie Arts' art board and used watercolor brush markers. The art board accepts the watercolor markers exceptionally well. This was my first attempt. What's nice about the brush markers is that the fine point of the real brush applies color in very tight corners and crevices. Those teeny spots are sometim

It's been a fun and a dramatic weekend. With two of my high school girlfriends, we saw Motown, The Musical, in Seattle . . . fabulous music, even more fabulous singing talent. Then I drove to Olympia/Tumwater for my 45th high school reunion; it's true, you see them as you remember them in school and not what they look like now. Sunday started out slowly and then I was horrified to see the television news about the mass shooting in Orlando. And I continued my ongoing prayers f

My husband's cataract eye surgery this morning seems to have been a success. Upon returning home, I immediately escaped to my studio to make up for the lack of time in it yesterday. Stamped on 140 lb. watercolor card stock (smooth side - 4.5x4.5) with Memento's Bahama Blue. With a wet watercolor brush, moved the color into the petals. For darker accent areas, used Teal Zeal and Elderberry (sparingly). Die cut 2 frames, smaller opening with linen card stock; larger opening wit

More time in the studio today to clean up my workspace, as best I could. Then I was ready to make something with this Impression Obsession stamp designed by Dina Kowal. I've always thought that this silhouette of a young girl with an umbrella is so sweet. I had this piece of left-over watercolor card stock that had been colored with one of Magenta's Nuance watercolor powders. I stamped the image with Memento ink. Then I die-cut around the image with the raindrops die. The sta

I'm loving the five new colors in the Nuance watercolor powders from Magenta. I've posted a card previously using the new colors, and I've made another card using only the new colors and one of the new Magenta stamp designs. My cousin, who is like a sister to me, celebrated her birthday the other day; unfortunately, she was quite under the weather and is just coming back to life. I hope this will brighten her day. Stamped with VersaMark and embossed with gold embossing powder

It was a not-so-wild weekend in Las Vegas. We arrived at 9:30 in the morning on Saturday and we immediately hit the gambling tables. I'm not a big gambler; so, I felt quite proud that from a $10 deposit into the video machine, I cashed out with $18. It was time for lunch! I'm lately finding myself drawn to butterflies and fish. When I returned home yesterday afternoon, I dug out some butterfly dies and started in. Die cut butterfly frame on white linen card stock with Stick I

The day started when my husband skyped our granddaughters in London. Can't miss that opportunity of love! The rest of the day was spent preparing the house for the pet sitter and packing for our Las Vegas trip beginning tomorrow morning at 4:45 a.m. Ouch! I've been wanting to use the dragon fly stamp from Magenta. And today was the day! On the card panel, I used the stencil with Pan Pastels. After applying a spray fixative, I stamped the dragon fly 3 times using different Kal

It's been a busy two days. I hosted a home jewelry dinner party last night. I reluctantly signed up for this duty at a friend's party last fall; it was a weak emotional moment I'm sure. And then I was going to prepare a birthday lunch for my sister-in-law today but the number attending kept growing, so we met at a restaurant instead. All I had to do was bring the cake . . . Costco cheesecake with huge fresh blackberries. Ta dah! We leave for Las Vegas at o'dark thirty Saturda