Positively Pampered!!!!!

Hello everyone: Well, it's a very gray and drizzling day up here in NW Indiana but I have a sweet card that totally brightened my morning as I was coloring and putting it together. I'm linking this card to several challenges that I will list at the end of this post. In the mean time, here is my card.

This card took me a while to finish, I was just going to stamp it but this adorable Lili of the Valley little Fairy is obviously sitting in her little bedroom totally pampering herself so I decided to create the wall with this gorgeous pattern paper from the sadly discontinued line from Lili of the Valley, to me it looks like wall paper. So I stamped my sweetie onto a piece of Strathmore multi media water color paper because I had decided to fussy cut it and this paper is perfect for that. After I stamped the image with Versafine Onix black ink I colored it but I just didn't like the harsh, black lines on her wings so, I stamped them again but this time with Antique Linen distress ink and I did the "no line" coloring technique and I absolutely loved the way they look, more realistic and soft, just like a Fairy's wings should look like. Here is a close up of them I hope you can see the Wink of Stella shimmer.

Oh, so much better!!! I also fussy cut the image, her puff and perfume bottle were hard to fussy cut, thank goodness for my very sharp scissors, I used an exacto knife to cut the space between her shoes.

The frame is left over from another die cut, I always position the dies on the paper carefully so I can save the negative to use later, like I did here.

This is a picture of the finished inside.

The sentiment comes with this Fairy image and it's the name of this stamp.

Here are the challenges I will like to participate in.

The Alphabet Challenge "M is for Mythical"

The Creative Corner Challenges 3 Layer Card.

Jo's Scrap Shack #151 "Anything Goes"

Art by Mirian #65 "Anything Goes"

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge Week 20 "Anything Goes"

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

Hugs from Maria.

It's not Autumn but.....

Hello everyone: Well, like the title says, I know it's not Autumn yet but, I just realized I don't have one single Fall/Autumn or Thanksgiving card made, probably you guys don't have any either so, trying to get a jump on my Fall/Autumn card making, here is this card that I made with the Match the Sketch fabulous sketch.

I love Autumn, to me, it's the most gorgeous Season of the year, the colors are always magnificent, such deep, rich shades of burgundy, gold, orange, rust, green.  I can't wait for this fabulous show Mother Nature gifts us with every year.

This image is a beloved one from a retired Flourishes set called A Season of Thanks, this is one of the images on this set. I stamped it onto Canson water color paper with Stazon Jet Black ink and colored it with SU markers and the aqua painter, the die cut leaves and acorns are fro Our Daily Bread and so is the sentiment, the pattern paper is from Lili of the Valley.

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

This sentiment is also from the ODB set, I love it.

Here is the sketch that inspired my card, I just turned it vertically.

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

Hugs from Maria.

Tuscan Vineyard.....La Dolce Vita.....

Hello everyone: When I saw the Tuscan Vineyard on the new catalog I literally gasped, I fell in love with it immediately, I counted the days until I could get my hands on it and ink it up.
So here is a card I made with it that I will link up to several challenges, the list is at the end of this post.

All the images have a beautiful vintage feel, I just love the sketchy look on all of them.

I stamped all three of this images onto a piece of Ninah Solar White card stock with Versafine black ink and colored them with my Prismacolor pencils, I added a bit of gold gel pen to the seal at the bottom. The pattern paper on the background is from Lili of the Valley (retired line) and the piece going across is from my stash. I added this tiny, tiny keys I found at an antique store last week, the lady at this booth had a 75% off sale so I literally grabbed ALL OF THEM, 35 total for about $10.00

There are several adorable designs on this keys.

Here is a close up of them.

They could belong to an old cabinet full of old, dusty wine bottles, don't you agree? 

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

The sentiment is from a retired Flourishes set called Dreaming of Florence and the line of corks from the Tuscan Vineyard. 

I would like to enter this card onto the following challenges.

The Pals Paper Arts#314, sketch challenge by Amy Lazzell.

The Creative Moments Challenge#100 "Anything Goes"

The Inspiration Destination Challenge#99 "Anything Goes"

The Sisterhood of Crafters "Close to Nature" challenge.

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

Hugs from Maria.

Oh Snap!!!!!

Hello my friends: It's been a bit busy up here this past few days, our grandchildren were still on Summer Brake and my hubby took some days off to take advantage of good weather to do some sprucing up in the yard. Today I have a card to share with you that I will link up to several challenge listed at the end of this post. Here is my card.

Ok so, for the Power Poppy challenge, I looked for a card to CASE, since that is the purpose of this challenge, that was made by any of the gorgeous images from Power Poppy by Marcella Hawley and, I encountered a lot of them on Pinterest and Splitcoaststampers, but I picked this one made by Tosha Legendekker, I just gave it my own twist.

I stamped the image from the Power Poppy set called Best Day Ever onto Strathmore multi media water color paper because it's thinner and it makes fussy cutting a lot easier. I used Stazon Jet Black ink and colored with SU markers and the aqua painter. The pattern paper is from a retired line from Lili of the Valley, (I'm hoarding this beautiful paper) and I embossed the bottom with a brick embossing folder from Sizzix, the sentiment is from the same set.

Here is a close up of all of that fussy cutting, thank goodness for sharp paper snipping scissors!!

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

The sentiment is from the same "Best Day Ever" set and the little flower pot is from another Power Poppy set called Potted Primroses.

I would like to enter this card onto the following challenges:

Power Poppy "Power and Spark" challenge.

Deep Ocean Challenge "Seaside/Beach" theme.

Ike's World "Travel or Holidays" theme.

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #22 "Anything Goes"

RETARTE 83 "Anything Goes"

Tuesday Throwdown "Anything Goes"

Addicted to Stamps and More "Make Your Mark"(I used water colors)

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

Hugs from Maria.

Retro Rubber #45.....Lets get Sketchy.....

Hello everyone: It's time once again for another fun challenge over at Retro Rubber, for the next week we have a fun sketch for you to play with, provided by our awesome teammate Claire. This sketch has tons of possibilities so we all hope you come along and play and show us your creations in our gallery, we can't wait to see them. Here is mine, hope you like it.

This image is from the Stampin Up! Hostess set called "Summer Afternoon", from the 2012-2013 catalog and it has the most adorable images, I couldn't tell you if I love one more than the other, all 3 are simply beautiful. 

I bought this set from my dear friend and teammate Katy McGloin along with a bunch of others equally beautiful, she still has a ton of sets so go check them out, maybe you can find the one that got away, like me.

I stamped this image onto Canson water color paper with Stazon Jet Black ink and colored with SU markers and the aqua painter, the sky and grass were sponged with distress inks in Broken China and Peeled Paint, the pattern paper is from my stash and the sentiment from a retired Flourishes set called "From the Garden".

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

Both the sentiment and the image are from the same Flourishes set.

For more inspiration hop over to my teammates blogs to see their fabulous creations and join us in the gallery, we can't wait to see you there.

Please remember that the stamps you use must be at least ONE YEAR OLD, if you know the name of your stamp or stamp set, a good place to find out their age is Pinterest or Splitcoaststampers. 

You can link up your creation to up to 10 challenges including RETRO RUBBER.

The purpose of this challenge is to give your old, retired and sometimes, forgotten stamp sets a chance to shine again so, go dig them out and create something awesome to share with us.

Here is the sketch that inspired my card.

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

Hugs from Maria.

Stamps I used.

What's the Word.....

Hello everyone: Well, this week there is a new challenge over at SHOPPING OUR STASH that I'm sure you'll enjoy. I'm pretty sure everyone has word dies in your stash so, for the next week we would love to see you create a card using word dies, whether is for a Birthday or Christmas, just a Hello or Congratulations, look in your dies stash and play along, we can't wait to see what you create.
Here is my card, hope you like it.

This image is from an old Elizabeth Craft stamp I've had for a long while but never used, sometimes there are stamps we buy and just plain forgot about them which is a shame because, like in this case, they are really beautiful.

The image is stamped onto Canson water color paper with Stazon Jet Black ink and colored with SU markers, the glow of the candles is sponged with Hello Honey. I added a bit of sparkle to the Poinsettias and the berries with the same gold glitter paper I used to die cut the word "Peace".

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

The sentiment and the candles are from a retired Flourishes set called Christmas Candles, I love this images. 

So, come and join us in this week challenge, get ready, get set.....GO!!! We can't wait to see what you create. For more inspiration, please go check out my teammates' blogs and leave them some crafty love.  One more thing.....Starting in September, we are going to have a Guest Designer spot on the challenge so, if you want to be considered for this, please add "DT" after your name when you link up your creation to the challenge.

Thank you for stopping by, hope to see you in our gallery.

Until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.