Paper Piecing Christmas Mousy.....

Hello everyone: As many of you know, I love making Christmas cards during the year, I participate in this challenges because, by the time the Holidays are here, I have a good stash of cards ready to mail to family and friends.
This time I'm entering my card  on the following challenges: Christmas Cards All Year Round "Anything Goes", the Fab Friday color challenge and the Just Add Ink "Just add.....Paper Piecing", here is my card.

This sweet little images are from a set from Close to my Heart called "Merry Little Christmas". This adorable set was gifted to me by my dear friend and card swap buddy Lisa Poe, so thank you so much Lisa, you were right, I'm loving this sweet little mice family.

The "Just Us Girls" challenge calls for paper piecing in your creation so, I stamped this images first on the water color panel, colored them with SU markers and then, fussy cut the little star on top of the Christmas Tree, the popcorn hanging from it, the little thimble where the tree is standing, the arm of Mrs. Mouse holding the popcorn and her fluffy bunny sleepers, those are adorable.

Here are some pictures of all of this little pieces.

Lots of fussy cutting but totally worth it.

Here is a picture of the inside of my card.

The sentiments both in front and inside are from the set, as well as the delicious cup of cocoa with marshmallows and the aromatic piece of cheese.

Here are the banners that inspired my card.

Just add.....Paper Piecing.

Anything Goes Christmas or Holiday.

Here is a picture of the adorable stamp set I used for my card.

Thank you for stopping by, I read and appreciate your comments and will reply to you every time. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask, ok?

Until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.

Black and White.....

When I saw challenge #57 "BLACK AND WHITE" over at Stamp Ink Paper I immediately knew what image I was going to use but I had ordered it a few days ago and only yesterday it finally arrived. It's the gorgeous image from the Power Poppy stamp set Everything's Even Rosier by the awesome Marcella Hawley.
I'm also linking this card to the Power Poppy B Happy July Challenge where Kathy Jones is our host, and is asking to create a card with things that begin with the letter "B", I used only BLACK to color my card and I have the BUTTERFLY fluttering around.   Here is my card.

I stamped the image onto a panel of white card stock with Versafine Onix Black ink and colored it with my black Prismacolor pencil, I finished this card in just over 30 min. The sentiment is from this set but I heat embossed it with clear embossing powder, I did the same with the butterfly, which sadly, I don't know where this set I have had for years came from. I didn't do this to the roses and cups because I was going to colored them with the pencil and a paper stump dipped lightly in baby oil and the embossed parts kind of peel off when you rub them, don't ask me how I know, LOL!!

This image looks gorgeous in bright colors, I've seen it but I think coloring just the roses in black and white makes it look very elegant and a bit sophisticated, to me at least.

I got my inspiration from this beautiful card I found on Pinterest made by Jessie Banks she colored it with Copics but I don't have any, believe me, I've tried with no success, I trust my SU markers, my Crayola markers and my Prismacolor pencils better.

This card is so lovely and believe me, I will stamp this images again and I will color it but, for this SIP challenge, I left it Black and White.

Here is a picture of the finished inside of my card.

Here is the banners that inspired my card.

Thank you for stopping by, until next time, happy stamping.

Primroses.....

Hello everyone: I found a new challenge blog (well new to me) called Tuesday Throwdown, this week's challenge is to use your favorite embellishment but that's not all, the sponsor for this week is non other than POWER POPPY, by Marcella Hawley so, as soon as I saw this name, I jump in, I love this stamp company, Marcella has the most gorgeous images, always a joy to color. Here is my card.

This image is from the set Potted Primroses, from Power Poppy by Marcella Howley.  I stamped it onto Canson water color paper with Stazon Jet Black in and colored it with SU markers and the aqua painter. I die cut the image with the retired SU Labels Collection framelits, the flourish in the corner is from Cherry Lynn "Corner Lace Deco Dies" set, the pattern paper is from Lili of the Valley.

The challenge asked to use our favorite embellishments and mine is bling, love the sparkle of Rhine Stones.

Here is a picture of the finished inside of my card.

Thank you for stopping by, until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.

Sponsored by

Warm Hamster Greetings.....

Hello everyone: I love participating in Christmas cards challenges because, by the time the Holidays are here, I have a fabulous stash of cards for my entire family and all of my friends, besides.....it's fun to make Winter cards in the middle of Summer, like today, July 21st. we are expecting temperatures in the upper 90s.!!! YIKES!! so, I hope I can take a little brake and go to the club house pool with my grandkids.
I have a card to share with you to join in the fun over at the Muse Christmas Visions challenge #54, where the fabulous Cornelia Wenokor is our Muse for this week, the Addicted to Stamps and More challenge #203 HOLIDAY, the Sweet Stamping Christmas "Anything Goes" challenge. Here is my card.

This super cute image is from Whimsy Stamps and it's called Xmas Hamster, this little sweetie couldn't be anymore adorable.

I stamped it onto a panel of Canson water color paper with Stazon Jet Black ink then, I stamped him again onto a scrap of white card stock and fussy cut around him just inside the line, I applied a bit of two way glue, let it dry and placed in on top of my image to be able to sponge the colors, then I just colored it with SU markers and the aqua painter. 

I cut a panel of white card stock and die cut this ornament image with the Sparkle and Sprinkle Nesties Ornaments stamp and die set, I bought this bundle a looooong time ago, I looked and looked and they still have this stamps but not the dies. 

The little sentiment is from the fabulous Power Poppy Merry Littles, a stamp set with lots of whimsical and beautiful images and sentiments.

Here is a picture of the finished inside of my card. As of January of 2016, I made a resolution to finish the inside of all of my cards so, when it comes the time to send them on their merry way to family and friends, they are completely ready.

The sentiment is from another wonderful Power Poppy, by Marcella Howley set called Poinsettia, the little heart ornament and the snow flake are from a Penny Black set called A Bright Tomorrow.

Here is Cornelia's Muse card that inspired mine.

Thank you for stopping by, until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.

A Friend Indeed.....

Hello everyone: Once again, I'm late posting, lately I've been busier than other Summers but it's the sweetest kind of busy I could possibly ask for, because my grandkids have been here, we've taken them to the pool, arcades, mini golf, etc. plus, I get to spoil them to my heart's content.
But anywho, my card today is for the Try Stamping On Tuesday sketch challenge, I hope you like it.

This sweet and adorable image is from the new Stampin Up! set called Bella & Friends, I love this doggie, such a perfect images for any occasion. 

I stamped the image onto a piece of Strathmore water color paper, with Stazon Jet Black ink and colored it with SU markers, the aqua painter and gave Bella and her friend some highlights with Prismacolor pencils. The balloons are die cut out of Glassine paper in different colors, I love cutting balloons out of this paper because they look transparent and real.

The punched out sentiment is from a super old punch of (sadly) unknown origins, I have no idea where it came from but I suspect it was from one of my local craft stores, it's really nice, it punches and emboss at the same time, pretty cool.

The pattern paper is from a discontinued line from Lili of the Valley, I was able to grab the last of the pads and packages of this pretty paper. 

Here is a picture of the finished inside of my card.

Both the sentiment and the sweet little parrot are from this set.

Here is the sketch that inspired my card.

Thank you so much for stopping by, until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.

Fairy Tale Matchbook.....

Hello everyone and welcome to another challenge at Shopping Our Stash. This challenge blog encourages you to dig deep into your stash of old, at times, neglected, stamp sets and give them some love and ink. This week we want you to make a card with a MATCHBOX FOLD or create a MATCH BOX, it can be any size and can be decorated any which way you want to, we can't wait to see what you come up with.
Here is my card and, for added inspiration, please stop by my team mates' blogs and leave some inky, crafty love.

This picture was taken by my 18 y/o granddaughter Vanessa because my camera was acting up, it's not focusing right so luckily she was here and came to her grammy's rescue.

The image of this beautiful Fairy is from a collection of plain rubber stamps my aunt found at a thrift store a couple of years ago. Some of this stamps were terribly stained and dirty, covered in dust at the bottom of a cardboard box so, knowing how much I love Fairies and stamping, she bought the entire stash of about 25 stamps for $10.00 and gave it to me, she said: "when I saw this stamps, I immediately knew you would love them....." and believe me, I adore them. They were in a very pathetic state so I soaked all of them in a pail of warm, soapy water and left them there overnight, the next day, I gently scrubbed, rinsed, dried them and grabbed one, put some double sided tape in the back and using an acrylic block, ink it up and I was astonished at the image I saw. I did the same with the rest and one by one, this lovely, magical images started appearing and I was getting more and more amazed. 

There was NO information about where they came from, what company made them, etc. I tried to find out with no luck until, just recently, I came across one of this images on Pinterest and that is how I found out they were made by a company named Sweet Pea Rubber Stamps that, sadly, has closed it's on line store. So I'm double lucky because now I have all of this lovely images of magical Fairies to work with making cards for family and friends.

Here is a picture of the finished inside of my match box card.

The little silhouette of the Fairy is from Studio G, both sentiments are from the retired Flourishes set called "Orchids".  

I hope you join us in the gallery, we'd love to see what you create. Don't forget to stop my my team mates' blogs, for some more inspiration.

Thank you for stopping by my blog, I hope you liked my very first Matchbox card, until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.

Summer Time Memories.....

Hello everyone: It's time for another fun challenge over at the Retro Rubber, for this one we would love to see cards with anything and everything SUMMER!!!!!
My card is made based on the sweet memories my hubby and I have of trips to the beaches of Mexico and Florida with our grandchildren, walking with them and seeing them picking up sea shells and running to us to show them of to us. We and them will treasure this memories for ever.
Here is my card.

This stamp is at least 8 years old, I remember buying it at my local Hobby Lobby craft store after coming home from one of those fabulous and fun trip with the kids, this image of this little girl picking up sea shells just melts my heart, that is how I remember this little kids on those unforgettable vacations.

The stamp is from a company called Stamps Happen but I think it's discontinued because I could only find a picture of it on Ebay. 

I stamped this image onto a panel of Canson water color paper with Stazon Jet Black ink and water colored with SU markers and the aqua painter. The shells to the left are from a retired Flourishes set called "Seaside Life", stamped, colored and fussy cut.

I apologize that I don't have a picture of the inside of my card, my only excuse is that the kids have been here all week and I've been busier than usual. I will update this post soon.

UP DATE.....

I was finally able to finish the inside of the card and take a picture, very simple but I've been super busy with this kiddos.

Here is the Retro Rubber Summer photo that inspired my card.

I hope you play along with us and remember that the stamps you use need to be at least one year old. For more inspiration, please hop over my team mates blogs.

We can't wait to see your "Anything Goes Summer" creations, you can link them up HERE 

I'm also linking this card to the Cup Cake Inspirations Challenge #367 "TROPICAL"

And The Paper Players Challenge #304 "USE WATER COLORING" on your CAS project. This card might not be all that CAS but I'm taking a chance.

Thank you for stopping by, until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.