Festive Friday Challenge

I'm playing along with a new (to me) challenge called Festive Friday! The inspiration board asks us to choose 3 things from the list and I chose hearts, pink,  flowers and red. I ended up with 4 things, so hope the challenge police will give me some leniency - lol!

I used stamps and dies from the latest release at The Greetery. This tiny envelope is so much fun to fill up and create a collage focal point!

  
I stamped the base with the large floral spray image from the Sketchbook Roses set and Memento Tuxedo Black ink (inked up 3 times using my MISTI). The black frame is a Pierced Feature Frame die by Papertrey Ink. Elements of the envelope are from two sets called Signed and Sealed and Signed and Sealed With A Kiss. The sentiment is from Sentiment Suite Love. 

DIES: Postal Frames, Signed and Sealed, Signed and Sealed With A Kiss, Sentiment Suite Basics (all by The Greetery); Pierced Feature Frame (PTI). 
PAPER: Kraft, True Black, White (Papertrey Ink); Blowing Kisses 6x6" pad by Echo Park.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! Go Chiefs!  ~Wanda

{PIN}spirational Challenge

I love the beautiful birthday cake photo that the {PIN}spirational challenge has for our inspiration and knew I wanted to create another birthday card using this fabulous Cake Creations stamp/die set from Ink To Paper!  I focused on the pink and yellow colors and stamped the elements for a three layer cake decorated with florals. The sentiment is from the Sentiment Suite Birthday set from The Greetery. I love the teeny, skinny option that doesn't cover up much of the cake.

STAMPS: Cake Creations (Ink to Paper); Sentiment Suite Birthday (The Greetery).
PAPER: Lemon Tart, White, Bitty Big Smoky Shadow patterned paper (Papertrey Ink).
DIES: Border Bling Tin Stitch, Cake Creations (Ink To Paper); Pierced Feature Frames (Papertrey Ink).

Botanicuts Roses

It's been snowing all day here in VA, but thankfully it's coming down lightly and is very wet and not sticking much to the ground! It gave me a good excuse to hibernate in my "she shed" and finally use the BotaniCuts Rose dies I ordered from the recent release at The Greetery. Betsy Veldman's video on Tuesday's blog post was very helpful and inspired me to emboss and watercolor the text in my background. You can see the video HERE.

There are definitely a LOT of die pieces with this set and it took me as long to cut apart the dies as it did to create the card - lol! I used blending brushes to color blend the distress oxide inks instead of the tiny sponge daubers that were used in the video. 

STAMPS: Pretty Postmarks, Sentiment Suite Birthday (The Greetery).
PAPER: Ranger water color paper; White (Papertrey Ink).
INK: Mowed Lawn, Peacock Feathers, Worn Lipstick, Abandoned Coral, Barn Door, Candied Apple, Faded Jeans, Peeled Paint, Bundled Sage, Crushed Olive distress oxide inks.
DIES: Postal Frames, Sentiment Suite Basics, Botanicuts Roses (The Greetery).

That's it for now...thanks for stopping by!        ~Wanda

Freshly Made SketchesI

There's a new Freshly Made Sketches challenge happening and it's perfect for another Valentine card that I'm needing! I started with patterned paper from Reverse Confetti's Sweet As Sugar 6x6" pad and paired it with a white scalloped frame.

Instead of a circle, I opted to use RC's new heart die and fussy cut around the edges. The sentiment was layered over their arrow die.

STAMPS: Patterned Hearts (Reverse Confetti).
PAPER: Sweet as Sugar 6x6 pad, Brick CS (Reverse Confetti); White CS (Papertrey Ink).
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black.
DIES: Hearts, Arrow, Scalloped Squares (Reverse Confetti).

And there you have an easy, peasy Valentine!     ~Wanda

Color Throwdown #578

Lynn is hosting the Color Throwdown Challenge this week and has some awesome colors for us: red, dark gray, light gray and white! I knew I wanted to portray a lot of love "spilling out" of an envelope using new stamps and dies from The Greetery. This last release is the best one yet IMO and I can't stop using them, so reader beware - lol! 

I started with two narrow strips of washi tape that have some gold designs on them (they don't show up well in the photo). I added the dark gray by using a charcoal gray colored pencil for highlights on the berries and leaves.

STAMPS: Sentiment Suite Love, Signed and Sealed, Signed and Sealed With A Kiss (The Greetery).
INK: Real Red, Smoky Slate (Stampin' Up).  
DIES: Signed and Sealed, Signed and Sealed With A Kiss (The Greetery).

For more inspiration, check out the rest of the design team samples below:                                                           Amy Rohl
                                                                  Amy Rysavy 
                                                              Barbara Anders 
                                                              Broni Holcombe  
                                                                 Jodi Collins  
                                                                 Lisa Henke   
                                                                 Lori Tecler 
                                                                  Lynn Put   
                                                            Vickie Zimmer   
                                             Wanda Cullen (you are here)

We hope to see you in the gallery!                           ~Wanda

Just Add Ink

I'm playing along with the current Just Add Ink challenge which happens to be a color challenge. We are to pick out 3 colors, so I went with the bottom row - navy, yellow, and green. Love this combo and thought it would work well with some new goodies from The Greetery.

I started with my favorite navy blue cardstock by Reverse Confetti (it's not as dark as most navy paper) and white embossed using the newly released Windowpane Plaid Background stamp from The Greetery. I'll have to confess I got too many white specks on a portion of the panel - in spite of using an anti-static cling tool - so I cut it in half and went with a new layout plan - lol! Next goof was with the sentiment when I stamped directly onto the white base with "Have A" and "Day" and proceeded to get it crooked...even with my MISTI. On to Plan B where I stamped it again and cut out tiny rectangles.  I love how this Sketchbook Roses (The Greetery) stamp set looks like you labored intensively with coloring and instead, it was just two or three step stamping! I embellished with some clear dew drops. I was happy with the end result even though my initial plan was altered thanks to errors! Hey, life gives you lemons...make lemonade! :-)

STAMPS: Sketchbook Roses, Windowpane Plaid Background (The Greetery).
PAPER: Navy Blue (Reverse Confetti); White (Papertrey Ink).
INK: Navy Blue, Buttercup, Sunshine (Reverse Confetti); Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky, Green Parakeet, New Leaf, Vintage Jadeite (Papertrey Ink).
DIES: Sketchbook Roses (The Greetery).

Thanks so much for stopping by!            ~Wanda

Going Postal

 
I had a happy mail day yesterday late afternoon when my box of newly released The Greetery items arrived! So many great stamps and dies in this recent release and I hardly knew where to begin! I went postal and created a vintage looking postal collage with that adorable envelope for starters. As a really young girl, I loved when my mom's lily of the valley flowers would bloom because they were not only a sweet delicate flower but they smelled SOOO heavenly! Hers were white but I went with a pale pink color for my card.

I will get right down to my enabler's list with a warning that I used a boat load of ink cubes - lol!

STAMPS: Pretty Postmarks, Signed and Sealed, Signed and Sealed With A Kiss (The Greetery).
PAPER: Fine Linen, Vintage Cream, Barely Banana (Papertrey Ink).
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black; Sand, Lead by Reverse Confetti (sponging and script); Smoky Slate by Stampin' Up (cancelled stamp); Green Parakeet, New Leaf, Sweet Blush, Pale Peony by Papertrey Ink (lily of the valley spray); Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse by PTI (berry spray); Hibiscus Burst (hearts) and Aqua Mist (envie liner) both by PTI.
DIES: Fit To Be Tied, Postal Frames, Signed and Sealed, Signed and Sealed With A Kiss (The Greetery).

I accented with Limoncello Nuvo Jewel Drops.
I will definitely be in my crafty space a lot this weekend! 
Thanks for your comments...they mean a lot to me!    ~Wanda

Fusion Card Challenge

It's time again for a new Fusion Card Challenge and this time, I went with a very clean and simple design! I loosely used the sketch format but primarily was inspired by the photo. I went with an older digi image from A Day With Daisies called "On Top of the World". I colored with Copics then fussy cut. The background was water colored using two different greens from my Pelikan paints. 

STAMPS: On Top of the World (A Day With Daisies); Simple Strips: Friendship (Taylored Expressions).
DIES: Blueprint 27 and Stitched Circle STAX Die-Namics (My Favorite Things); Simple Strips (Taylored Expressions).
COPICS: Y15, Y19, Y38, E31, E35, E57 (flower); YG11, YG13, YG17 (leaves); YR15, YR68, BG11, BG32, BG34 (snail). 

We'd love to have you play along with us! Remember, you have two weeks since this challenge runs every other week!
                                                                              ~Wanda

Color Throwdown #577

We have a fabulous color combo happening - thanks to Lori who is hosting this week - over on the Color Throwdown Challenge blog! Navy, pink and green...ahhh...so many great possibilities! I am also playing along with Julie's awesome new Mojo Monday sketch! She gave very helpful measurements in her photo for a tall, skinny layout that still fits into an A2 envelope (see below).

My card came together quickly since I already had this floral spray stamped from before Christmas. I love when I can go to my leftover stash and whip up a card really fast!

STAMPS: With Love at Christmas (The Greetery).

PAPER: Oxford Lane from the Kate and Co series (My Mind's Eye); Raspberry Fizz, White (Papertrey Ink). 
INK: Smoky Slate (SU) and Frost White (pigment ink by ColorBox) used on the seal; unsure of the floral colors but they were from ink cubes by Papertrey Ink and Reverse Confetti.
DIES: With Love at Christmas (The Greetery); Stitched Flags STAX (My Favorite Things). 

If you noticed, I intentionally omitted a sentiment. I like having cards in my stash that are blank so I can add one as needed at the last minute. Thanks so much for stopping by!
                                                                            ~Wanda

CAS(E) This Sketch

I'm playing along with one of my favorite weekly challenges and that is CAS(E) This Sketch! I love corner collage sketches, so this one couldn't be passed up! It's a retro sketch (#171) that is being revived for the current #355.

I found both the sentiment rectangle die and the florals in my leftover box, so all I added was a quick watercolor wash in the background using the light green in the Pelikan paint set then splattered some black paint over it when it was dry.

STAMPS: Hibiscus Bouquet (Altenew).
DIES: Hibiscus Bouquet (Altenew); Thankful Pretty Panel (Reverse Confetti); Crimped Frame (The Greetery).

Seize the Birthday Challenge

The current Seize the Birthday challenge is to use a stencil and this was a perfect opportunity to use a new plaid stencil recently released by The Stamp Market. I've had the Spellbinders truck die set on my wish list for some time and it was finally in stock for me to indulge and have something new for masculine recipients. My BIL turns 80 this month and he's a vintage car/truck lover, so these dies were put to good use!

STAMPS: Simple Strips Background (Taylored Expressions).
PAPER: Surprise! 6x6" pad by Bo Bunny; White, True Black  (Papertrey Ink); Burgundy (? source); Brushed silver metallic (SU). 
DIES: Truck (large die of the month in October at Spellbinders); Crimped Frame (The Greetery); Stitched Circle STAX (My Favorite Things); Simple Strips Background (Taylored Expressions).

Thanks so much for stopping by!               ~Wanda

Freshly Made Sketches

This was such a quick and easy Valentine card to complete and it uses the fun sketch for the new Freshly Made Sketches challenge!

PAPER: Blowing Kisses 6x6" pad by Echo Park; Vintage Cream by Papertrey Ink; Brushed metallic silver by SU.
DIES: Scripty Heart (The Stamp Market); Arrow (Reverse Confetti); Stitched Basic Edges (My Favorite Things).

No stamps or ink used which is a rarity for me!
                                                                         ~Wanda

Color Throwdown #576

Are you ready for another great Color Throwdown Challenge? Lisa is hosting this week and has chosen navy, teal and mustard! I wanted to create a non-mushy masculine Valentine card and think these colors got the job done! I started with scribbling some diagonal stripes using Zig watercolor markers on Ranger water color paper. I blended the lines with a wet brush then die cut a number of small hearts. I actually CASEd an old card of mine when I was guest designing for The Cat's Pajamas in January 2016. You can see that card HERE.

I frequently grab the Crimped Frame dies by The Greetery when I want to add a bit of texture to a design. I love the timeless, classic look of the the crimped edges! The navy sentiment looks black in the photo but truly is navy cardstock and navy ink. I offset the "always" die with a layer of mustard cardstock behind the navy.
I finished it off with some clear sequins.

STAMPS: Conversation Hearts (The Cat's Pajamas).
DIES: Nested Hearts Cutups, Always Cutup (The Cat's Pajamas).

For more inspiration, check out the rest of the design team samples below:

  Amy Rohl

 Amy Rysavy
Barbara Anders

 Broni Holcombe  

Jodi Collins 

 Lisa Henke 

Lori Tecler

Lynn Put 

Vickie Zimmer 

Wanda Cullen (you are here)

We hope to see you in the gallery!

~Wanda

CAS(E) This Sketch

I needed a birthday card for a girl who is turning 18 soon, and this CAS(E) This Sketch layout was a perfect way to get it done! I couldn't resist using this Cake Creations stamp set from Ink To Paper (formerly Papertrey Ink). The matching dies make it so nice not to have to fussy cut all the many images! The diagonal stitched background is a cover plate die from Reverse Confetti and adds an element of texture to the card.

The sentiment was gold embossed on heavy weight vellum to coordinate with the matte brushed gold cardstock used in the design.

STAMPS: Cake Creations (Ink To Paper).
INK: Green Parakeet, Spring Moss, Simply Chartreuse, Lavender Moon, Plum Pudding, Bright Buttercup, Summer Sunrise - dye inks by Papertrey Ink; Memento Tuxedo Black; Versamark.
DIES: Cake Creations (Ink To Paper); Stitched Diagonal Cover Plate (Reverse Confetti).

It's a rainy Saturday and I'm slowly getting my house back to normal mode after the holidays. A few non-Christmasy snowmen remain out, but otherwise things are packed away. Thanks so much for stopping in!                                               ~Wanda

Fusion Card Challenge

It's the first new Fusion Card Challenge of 2020 and we've got an awesome winter theme photo to inspire us! I looked at the neutrals and the pine cones and thought right away of using the Botanicuts Pine Bough dies from The Greetery. I didn't use glitter on them like I did with my Christmas versions and liked the results better when I could see the sponged edges of the layers. 

STAMPS: Sentiment Suite: Thinking of You (The Greetery).
PAPER: Stationer's Desk by Prima Marketing; Kraft, True Black, Rustic Cream (Papertrey Ink); Certainly Celery, Always Artichoke (Stampin' Up).
INK: Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Soft Suede (SU); Memento Tuxedo Black.
DIES: Botanicuts Pine Bough, Sentiment Suite Basics, Nordic Frames (The Greetery); Stitched Circle STAX Die-Namics (My Favorite Things).

My youngest brother had a birthday on New Year's Eve, so this card was sent to him! We hope you'll be able to play along with us this year if you haven't joined us before! For more inspiration you can check out the challenge blog HERE to see what the rest of the designers created!                                     ~Wanda

Color Throwdown #575

Are you ready for another great color combo? Jodi is hosting this week's Color Throwdown Challenge and has chosen some really yummy colors: kraft, green, gold and white!

This was perfect to create a little winter nosegay of florals using stamps/dies from The Greetery! Snow was coming down fast and furiously as I was creating this card yesterday! I was watching two grands and put a pot of beef stew on the stove to simmer while we watched God's handiwork outdoors! This is when I'm so thankful I'm retired and don't have to truck off to work no matter what kind of weather is occurring! But I digress. :-)

STAMPS: Budding Beauties: Autumn and Sentiment Suite: Thank You - both by The Greetery.
PAPER: Kraft (Papertrey Ink); Smooth White (My Favorite Things); kraft patterned paper (Recollections).
INK: Early Espresso, Old Olive, Crumb Cake (SU); Mustard Seed, Wild Honey, Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn distress inks by Ranger.
DIES: Nordic Frames, Cozy Cup Coaster, Inside and Out Berry Branch, Budding Beauties: Autumn, Sentiment Suite: Thank You - all by The Greetery.

For more inspiration, check out the rest of the design team samples below:

  Amy Rohl

 Amy Rysavy
Barbara Anders

 Broni Holcombe  

Jodi Collins 

 Lisa Henke 

Lori Tecler

Lynn Put 

Vickie Zimmer 

Wanda Cullen (you are here)

We hope to see you in the gallery!

~Wanda

The Paper Players

I'm playing along with the sweet gals at The Paper Players challenge where Jaydee has a "something new" theme challenge using this photo collage board to spark our imagination! I literally went with the "spark" photo (lower right) and lit up this birthday cake for my stash. I also was inspired by the blue/green/yellow backgrounds of three other photos and pulled these colors into the design by ink blending with distress inks.

My newest stamp set is this Cake Creations stamp set by Ink to Paper. I was recently a guest designer for them and they generously gifted this set along with the coordinating dies. It's a very versatile set and since I can in no way decorate a real life cake, I can sure have fun doing it with paper!  The cake layers are in black and white with dark blue candles, yellow flames and florals in distress inks: Shaded Lilac, Blueprint Sketch, Squeezed Lemonade, Wild Honey, Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn. The sentiment is from The Greetery's Sentiment Suite: Birthday stamp set. The large die overlay is Papertrey Ink's Quatrefoil Cover Plate.

That's it for now. We have some snow in the forecast here in VA so I'm hoping it will hold off until my morning appointment is over. I'm just not into the white stuff anymore though my grandchildren would LOVE to see it cover the ground!
                                                                          ~Wanda