While Waiting.....

Hello everyone: Yesterday, January 11th. were were gifted with a very unusually warm day for this first month of 2018, the temperatures actually went up to 60!!! so, needless to say, all the snow is gone so everything looks kind of yucky and muddy. Well, today we are back to reality with a temperature of 22 degrees as I write this post, oh well.....after all, it's still Winter.

Anyway, I made a card today that has all the colors of Spring, maybe it's because I desperately want to see flowers and butterflies and humming birds. I will play along with a few challenges at the end of this post.

This image is from a Power Poppy set called Spring Time Love, stamped it on watercolor paper with Stazon black ink and colored it with some SU markers and Sakura Koi watercolors.

The pattern papers are from Lili of the Valley and my stash.

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I've made a resolution last January of finishing the inside of my cards, I've kept it up and I love it. This saves me time when I mail them and they look really nice.

The sentiment is from the same set and the little Tulips are from an old Flourishes set called "From the Garden"

I'm playing along with the following challenges.

Power Poppy "Power and Spark" Challenge

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie Challenge #85 (use the colors on the inspiration photo)

 

Moving Along With the Times Challenge #62 "Flowers"

As You Like It "Anything Goes"

4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #385, "No Winter Blues" Don't use BLUE"

Thank you for stopping by, I always read every single comment you so kindly leave on my posts, I want you to know I appreciate them more than words can express.

Until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.

Something Old, Something New.....

Hello dear blogging friends: My teammates and I over at SHOPPING OUR STASH
have a new challenge for you to play with that I'm sure you'll like.  This time we want you to use something very old and something very new on your cards.  I know for a fact that all of us have a bunch of old stamp sets, die sets, paper, etc. in our stashes and, I also know that most of us got some new goodies from Santa this past Christmas, so lets play with all of this stuff and join us in our gallery.

Here is my card, hope you like it.

I've been waiting for the chance to open this brand new set from My Favorite Things called Magical Dragons, which I've been after for a long time. I finally caved in and bought it just after Christmas and it arrived 3 days ago. This sweet little images are just about the cutest and I love them all.

I die cut a panel of Strathmore watercolor paper with a postage stamp die set that is about 2 years old, then I stamped my images with Versafine black ink and clear heat embossed them then I colored them using my Sakura Koi watercolors.  The clouds were cut with a die set that is maybe 3 years old and the sentiment, which is from the set, was stamped and die cut with a super old Spellbinders banner set and, with the paper still in the die, I sponged a bit of Broken Glass distress ink.

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Finishing the inside of my cards has become a really great habit, it saves me a lot of time when I mail my cards. 

The sentiment is from a Power Poppy set called Sassy Succulents, this stamp set made it's debut in May of 2014, super adorable little images.  The flourish and butterflies are just a few months old.

So we hope you ink up your brand new stamps and also, go dig out some old favorites and come and play with us at SHOPPING OUR STASH, we can't wait to see what you create.

Thank you for stopping by, I always read every single comment you so kindly leave on my posts, I want you to know I appreciate them more than words can express.

Until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.

Power Poppy January Challenge.....

Hello dear blogging friends: I've been a hard core fan of Marcella Hawley for a very, very long time, she is the fabulous owner and creator of Power Poppy, her amazing illustrations are a delight to color and you can create beautiful cards with them.  The January Power and Spark challenge hosted by Julie Koerber, is providing a bunch of fabulous "CARD MAPS" for us to play with.  This is the card I made for this challenge and I will play along with a few other challenges at the end of this post.

This image is from a Power Poppy set called Under Glass Christmas Traditions, both sentiments are from the set. I stamped the image on some watercolor paper with Stazon black ink and colored it with Sakura Koi watercolors. I added some Diamond Dust to the puffy embellishments on the top. This stuff is so cool, it sparkles really beautifully in real life.

The little bow on the sentiment was found on my little box where I keep die cuts that I didn't use, it really came in handy this time.  The little hearts are punched with a retired SU corner punch.

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I always finish the inside of all my cards, saves a lot of time when I mail them.

The sentiment is from another Power Poppy set called Poinsettia and the little gift on the bottom corner from Merry Littles, also from Power Poppy.

I'm playing along with the following challenges.

Power and Spark from Power Poppy, I used this Card Map.

Dare2BArtzy "Winter Wonderland"

Fashionable Stamping Challenge Theme "Celebrate"

A Gem of a Challenge #210 "Happy Anything" 

heARTful Stamping

Thank you for stopping by, I always read every single comment you so kindly leave on my posts, I want you to know I appreciate them more than words can express.

Until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.

A Beautiful Season.....

Hello dear blogging friends: In my efforts to have a good stash of Holiday cards by at least November, here I am with another Christmas card that I hope you'll enjoy. I will play along with a few challenges at the end of this post.

This image is from one of my very first Stampin' Up! sets called "Beautiful Season" which came out in the 2011-2012 idea book and catalog, it's indeed BEAUTIFUL, love the sweet Chickadee perched on that lovely Holly branch.

I stamped it onto a piece of Arches 90lb. cold press watercolor paper, which was a gift from my granddaughter Vanessa, I love this paper, it's rough surface makes your image really stand out and the colors blend beautifully.

I colored it with SU markers and also a bit of Sakura Koi watercolors, the pattern papers are from a retired Lili of the Valley line, the sentiment is from the set and the Poinsettia flower from Power Poppy's Merry Littles.

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Finishing the inside of my cards is a great way to save time when I mail them. 

The sentiment is also from the "A Beautiful Season" set.

I'm playing along with the following challenges.

Inspired by all the Little Things Challenge #77 featuring Linda Snodgrass.

The House that Stamps Built DCC13, "Things with Wings"

Craftaholics R Us Challenge #1 "Celebrations"

The Crafty Addicts Challenge #44 "Anything Goes/optional Winter Blues"

Just Us Girls

Thank you for stopping by, I always read every single comment you so kindly leave on my posts, I want you to know I appreciate them more than words can express.

Until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs from Maria.