Golden Wings.....

Hello everyone: I love stamp sales, don't you? I found this beautiful Butterfly stamp from So Suzy Stamps on Ebay a few months ago so I bought it and today, I inked it up for the first time with Versamark ink and heat embossed it in gold. I'm linking this card to several challenges, which I will list at the end of this post. Here's my card.

I stamped the image onto a piece of light brown card stock and fussy cut it after I heat embossed it. The die cut corners on this panel are done with Tim Holtz die set called "Mixed Media Dies".

I used the retired SU stamp called "En Francais" for the background, stamped with Versamark ink, heat emboss it and sponged lightly with Baked Brown Sugar. The word die is from Elizabeth Crafts.

Here's a close up of this pretty butterfly.

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And here's a picture of the finished inside of my card.

The sentiment is from a set by Unity Stamps called "Your Wings Exist".

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

Stamp, Ink, Paper "Wonderful Wings"

C.R.A.F.T Challenge #379, EMBOSSING.

Moo-Mania challenge "Nature's Beauty"

The Butterfly Challenge #61, use Kraft paper or a Kaleidoscope effect.

I chose the Kraft paper to heat emboss my butterfly.

Double D Challenge "Neutrals"

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

Hugs from Maria.

Never before.....Stickers!!!!!

Hello everyone: I'm safely sliding at home plate with this card for the "Less is More" Recipe Week challenge, this time is STICKERS. When I saw this challenge I was very excited because I had this beautiful Fall leaves stickers I bought a few years ago just because I couldn't resist the gorgeous colors and images of this leaves but, since I'm always stamping, I put them away and totally forgot about them, that is, until now, when I saw this challenge they immediately popped into my head but the problem was WHERE THE HECK DID I PUT THEM???!!!  I started looking for them every chance I had but, as the dead line for this challenge came closer I just gave up. Then yesterday, I was looking for a box where I had stored some colored sheets of printer paper to try my printer, which is acting up, and when I opened the box, well.....the stickers were just peeking from the side of the pile, how lucky am I? Anywho, here is my card that I'm so happy to share with several other challenges at the end of this post.

The only stamping I did on this card was the sentiment from the "Teeny, Tiny Wishes" from SU and some spots using the retired SU set called "Gorgeous Grunge". I did some score lines on two of the corners just for fun.

Here is a close up of this beautiful stickers. I did fussy cut around the leaves only to eliminate the edge.

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

The sentiment and leaf are from a Our Daily Bread set called "Autumn Blessings"

Here is one of the 4 sticker strips I still have, love these leaves.

How can I not buy this beauties?

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

The NBUS challenge #7

"Less is More" week #291.

Aud Sentiments Challenge #163 Anything Goes+a sentiment.

Crafting With An Attitude Anything Goes.

Craft Rocket Challenges #23 Anything Goes.

Crafty Ribbons Challenge #165 Anything Goes with a ribbon.

DL.ART Thankful Thursday Challenge #187 TAGS.

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

Hugs from Maria.

A Stitch (or maybe more) in Time.....

I have a card to share with you that has very little stamping and quite a bit of stitching, as complicated as it looks, I finished it yesterday afternoon. From transferring the pattern, to piercing it to stitching it, I did it while watching tv. with my hubby. I will link this card to several challenges posted at the end of this one, here is my card.

Like I said, it looks time consuming but it's really not. I think it's relaxing and, since I like doing stuff like this, I enjoyed every minute of the creation of this card.

The only stamping on this panel is from my stash of Thanksgiving stamps, the embossing was done with a Cuttlebug embossing folder.

Here is a close up off all the little holes and the stitching.

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

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

CASology 

The House that Cards Built "Anything Goes"

Crafts Galore Encore "Anything Goes"

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #87 "Anything Goes"

Crafting By Design September Challenge "Anything Goes"

Addicted to Stamps and More "Clean and Simple"

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

Hugs from Maria.

Just a Fairy.....

Hello everyone: I have a card to share with you made with another one of those 25 incredibly beautiful stamps my aunt gave me a couple of years ago, she found them at a thrift store, neglected, dirty, stained, abandoned, unloved. They were all in a cardboard box, she paid $10.00 for the entire lot. I never knew were they came from, there was no labels, no packaging, nothing to tell me what company made them. Later I found out they were sold by a company called "Sweet Pea Designs" but sadly, they closed their doors some time ago. I'm just incredibly lucky to have this stamps, after a good soak in hot, soapy water, they revealed their beauty to me and now, I'm totally enjoying coloring them. I will link this card to several challenges at the end of this post, here is my card.

I stamped this image onto Canson water color paper with Stazon black ink and colored it with SU markers and also, with the Pistachio Pudding ink pad, the aqua painters and did some highlights with my Prismacolor pencils. The Butterflies are from a stamp set that I think it's from Penny Black but I'm not totally sure of it.

The pattern paper is from a discontinued line from Lili of the Valley and the sentiment from a retired Flourishes set called "Botanical Bookplates"

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

The top border is from a retired SU set called "Bordering Blooms", the sentiment from Penny Black.

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

Just Us Girls Challenge #358, Inspiration Photo.

Through the Craft Room Door "Anything Goes" Challenge.

RETARTE #84 "Anything Goes.

Inky Chicks challenge #71 "Lots of Butterflies"

Everybody Art Challenge Theme "Butterflies"

Deep Ocean Challenge Challenge #136 "Things with Wings"

Ohh La La Creations Challenge #212 "Girlie"

Craft Your Passion #327 "Always Anything Goes"

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

Hugs from Maria.

Stamps I used.

All Critters, Big and Small.....

Hello everyone: It's time for another fun challenge over at RETRO RUBBER and this time it's all about CRITTERS, whether big or small, we want to see them. The Designer Team had a fun time deciding what constitutes a Critter, I Googled this question and the answer was "living creature" whether wild or domestic, so go and dig out your CRITTER stamps and share your creations in our gallery. When I think of the word CRITTER I think of little squirrels and chipmunks, hedgehogs and rabbits so, this is the card I made with this adorable image from the Penny Black set called "Hugs", which has been in my craft room for at least 3 years but the actual set dates from way back in 2009. You can easily find out the age of your stamps by checking either Pinterest or Splitcoaststampers, if you know the name of your set, you can find it there.

I stamped this little Hedgehogs onto a die cut panel of Canson water color paper and colored it with SU markers and the aqua painter, the pattern paper is from a retired line from Lili of the Valley. 

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

Here are some simple rules for this challenge: 

You can only link up your card to 10 challenges, including ours.

Please, make every effort to tell us the age of your stamps or at least, how long have you had them.

Just make sure your stamps are at least ONE YEAR OLD.

The purpose of our challenge is to give your old, in most cases, retired stamps a chance to shine again, we bought them for a reason and they need to have a chance to get inked up again.  Most of my stamps are bought after they have retired, I missed getting them when they were released but I've found them on the internet or through dear friends who know I'm going to give them a good home.

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

Hugs from Maria.

Triple Time Stamping.....

Hello everyone: There is a new challenge over at SHOPPING OUR STASH  for this week, this time we want you to make a card using a new to YOU technique, one that you might have wanted to try but never really quite gotten around to do it, this is your chance.
My card uses the TRIPLE TIME STAMPING technique, I've seen a lot of cards on Pinterest and watched a bunch of videos and it always looks so beautiful and fun so, here is the card I made using this technique, hope you like it.

Ok, the trick to making a card with this technique is precise measurements of the panels, then, picking a stamp that will either take the entire stamping area or one that can be repeatedly stamped, like in my card, there are several videos on this technique that are fun and easy to follow, one of them is THIS ONE by Dawn Olchefske. 

The image is from a Power Poppy set called Simply Camelias, I used the single stamp. Once I had the panels stamped, I just colored the flowers with SU markers and the aqua painter.

I assembled them making sure all the images matched and that was it, one tip I will give you is that you need to press a bit harder to stamp the image because you have to go through 3 panels.

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

Both the sentiments are from this set.

I hope you give this challenge a try, this is a great chance to make that card with that special technique you've been wanted to try so get to your craft rooms and get creative and then, come and share your creations with us in our gallery.

If you want to be totally inspired by all this awesome techniques, go check out my teammates blogs, you'll be amazed at their creations. 

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

Hugs from Maria.

Happiness is Homemade!!!!!

Hello everyone: One of the many things I remember about my maternal grandma is her amazing breads, cakes and cookies, our house was always smelling delicious and all of us enjoyed her fresh baked goodies. I learned a lot from her and now, I'm grateful I can pamper my own grandkids with the same delicious treats as my grandma did for me.
I have a card to share with you today with a baking theme, I will link it up to several challenges at the end of this post. Here is my card.

This image is from a retired Flourishes set called Fresh Baked and it has the cutest little images of homemade goodies. I stamped this apron onto a piece of Lili of the Valley pattern paper then, colored the string and sash with Pretty in Pink marker, the wooden spoon and the recipe on the pocket were stamped onto a piece of Strathmore multi media water color paper with Versafina Onix Black ink, I prefer this paper when I'm going to fussy cut my images, it's thinner than the 140lb. I normally use. I colored it and the little wooden spoon with SU markers. The pattern paper is from Lili of the Valley the ribbon, from my stash.

Here is a close up of this cute little apron.

It's just so pretty, you could get really inspired to make something delicious wearing it.

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

Both images and sentiment are from the same set.

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

Match the Sketch #139

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #373

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #40 "Anything Goes"

Lazy Sunshine's Color and Craft Your World "Anything Goes"

Crafting When We Can Challenge #126 "Show us your dies and punches", I die cut the panel behind the apron, with Spellbinders Decorative Labels 8.

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

Hugs from Maria.