My Favorite Season.....

Hello dear blogging friends: I'm continuing my resolve to use my super old stamp sets, some 10 years old, giving them another chance to shine.

This card is made with a 2011 Flourishes set called "Zinnias".

I stamped this image on a piece of watercolor paper with Versafine black ink and clear heat embossed it, I colored with SU markers and shimmer paints.

All the pattern papers are from my stash, that's another promise I made to myself, I'm still not too comfortable about combining them, it took me a long time to decide on these papers, I actually had to leave my craft room, go do a load of laundry, check on a cake in the oven, load the dishwasher and watch a bit of tv. then, come back and make the decision. I hope they look good to you guys.

The sentiment is from the set.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

Sentiment and flower from the set.

I'm playing along with the following challenges.

My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge

Crafty Calendar Challenge "Make it Flowery"

Dare 2B Artzy January Challenge "Your Favorite Season"

My favorite season is Autumn.

Thank you for stopping by, I sure appreciate your kind comments.

XO

Maria.

RETRO RUBBER FIRST FOR 2019.....

Hello everyone: Well, after a nice Holiday break, the RETRO RUBBER team is back in action with a new and fun challenge for you. This time the theme is BLACK AND WHITE, so go and dig out your old and maybe forgotten stamps and join us in the gallery.

This image is from a very old Flourishes set called "Paper Whites" that came out back in November of  2010. These sweet and beautiful flowers are a relative of the Daffodil, they are fragrant and so very lovely.

I stamped it on a panel of Ninah Solar White card stock and colored with white and black Prismacolor pencils, easy peasy, the lace border is from a retired SU set called "Delicate Details" that came out back in the SAB catalog in 2017, the dotted ribbons from my stash.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

The border is also done with the "Delicate Details" stamp set, both sentiments, in the front and inside are from a Power Poppy set called "Dynamic Duos: Foxglove and Ranunculus" that came out back in 2016.

So I hope you come and play along with us at RETRO RUBBER, remember the stamps you use MUST BE A YEAR OLD OR OLDER, I'm sure you guys have plenty of those.

Thank you for stopping by, I sure appreciate your kind comments.

XO

Maria.

A Pink and Gray Reminder.....

Hello dear blogging friends: THE FLOWER CHALLENGE has reached it's halfway point so I'm here with a little reminder and hope you come and play along.

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to use my older stamps and to try not to buy to many new sets, I have a beautiful collection of old and retired sets that I haven't inked up in a long while, this image is from a Flourishes set called "Dahlias" which was released back in 2013.

I stamped it on a piece of watercolor paper with Stazon black ink and colored it with SU Markers and Prismacolor pencils.

I created the striped panel CASEing a technique my good friend BRIAN KING shared on his blog post and I thought it was really awesome, this is a great way to use your scraps.

The sentiment is from a Power Poppy set called Pure Prairie Spirit.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

I used one of the cutout pieces from the front stripped panel for the inside, I really like how it looks.

The sentiment is from a retired Stampin' Up! set called "Whimsical Words", which was on the 2010 Sale-a-bration brochure, see what I mean? this set is 9 years old and I neglect to use the awesome sentiments in it for my cards, sheeesh!! The corner image is part of a larger stamp but I just inked up this little flower vase with the Basic Gray and Melon Mambo Stampin' Up! markers.

For more inspiration, I hope you stop by THE FLOWER CHALLENGE blog to check out my teammates' amazing creations and come join us in our gallery.

Please remember to copy our banner on your post when you upload your card to the gallery, make sure your main image is FLOWERS and limit your other challenge participation to 6, including ours.

Thank you for stopping by, I sure appreciate your kind comments.

Until next time, happy stamping.

Hugs.

Not a Valentine.....

Hi there everybody: The SHOPPING OUR STASH has a new challenge for you to play with this coming week. The theme is HEARTS💕, create a card or project with hearts, it doesn't necessarily have to be a Valentine.

Here is my card, hope it inspires you to come and play along.

These little houses are from what I think, it's a Sizzix set, I say that I think it is because I just can't remember, the dies and stamps are in a plastic bag with no tags or names, sigh!! but they are cute, cute so that's why I used them for this card.

I stamped the houses on watercolor paper and colored them with SU markers, the pine trees in the back are from a retired SU set called "Lovely as a Tree" that dates back to 2002!! The sentiment is from an old Flourishes set called "On the Porch" (2012), the little hearts coming from the chimneys are from a retired SU punch called "Owl Builder" that came out I think back in 2010. 

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

The border was stamped with SU markers using the retired SU stamp set called "Bordering Blooms" and the sentiment is from the same Flourishes set.

I hope you come and join my teammates and me in the SHOPPING OUR STASH gallery. Visit their blogs for even more inspiration.

Thank you for stopping by, I sure appreciate your kind comments.
XO
Maria.

My First Twofer of 2019.....

Hello dear blogging friends: The first Twofer Card Challenge for 2019 is finally here. I've been participating since they started in January of last year, it's one of the best challenges out there, it's fun, challenging and it really gives your creativity a workout and, as an added bonus, my dear friend Leslie Miller from "Running With Scissors a new member of this awesome team, Congratulations Leslie.   The theme for this month is BIRDS and here are the cards I made to participate.

One of my 2019 resolutions is to use my totally neglected, beautiful older stamps. I don't mean the ones that are like a year old or two even, no.....these sets are at least 10 years old!!

This one is a Stampin' Up! set called "Nature Walk" and it came out back in the Occasions Mini in 2011, the images are so vintage and detailed, it's a shame I haven't used them in such a long time.

Here are the pictures of each card.

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Simple, I just stamped the Robin and the eggs on  watercolor paper, colored them with SU markers and fussy cut them, the flowers in the background are from another old stamp from Penny Black called "Aspire", no idea when I bought it, the pattern paper and ribbon and twine are from my stash, the sentiment from a Power Poppy set called Daffodils.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

The sentiment and image the same as in the front panel.

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This is my second card.

I stamped the Robin on watercolor paper and colored it with SU markers, the pattern paper is from my stash and the sentiment is from a Power Poppy set called Simply Camellias.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

The sentiment is from the same set as in the front panel, the little bee from "Nature Walk"

I would like to play with the following challenges.

Twofer Card Challenge #12

Crafty Catz Challenge #444 "Anything Goes/Birthdays"

Seize the Birthday Challenge #156 Anything Goes Birthday, optional Topping "Confetti"

Watercooler Wednesday #203 "All about Occasions"

Your Scrapbook Place "Anything Goes"

Thank you for stopping by, I sure appreciate your kind comments.

Hugs.

Maria.

On Dragonfly Wings.....

Hello everyone: I'm here again today with a new card created using an old stamp set, I feel like I'm on a mission to really use my old stuff and it feels so good, it's like I'm seeing old friends after many years apart, I'm having a wonderful time.

This Dragonfly image is from a Stampin' Up! set called "Nature's Nest" that came out back in the 2009-2010 catalog, another beautiful and neglected set, sigh!!

I stamped the Dragonfly with Stazon black ink on watercolor paper and colored it with an old set of Shimmer Paints, the sprigs of flowers are from another Stampin' Up! set called "Nature Walk" which came out in the Occasions Mini in 2011.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

I punched the design with an old Friskars punch, the sentiment both in front and inside are from a Unity Stamp Company, also super old (2012), called "Your Wings Exist", I stamped the Dragonfly on top of the sentiment with Stazon gray ink.

I'm keeping my resolution of using my old stuff, I'm really having an awesome time doing it.

I'm playing along with the following challenges.

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday "Sparkle and Shine"

The Sisterhood of Crafters "Make it Sparkle"

Words 2 Craft By "Hope"

2 Crafty Critter Crazies Anything goes with a Critter.

Daisy Chain Challenge #26 "Add Some Sparkle"

Thank you for stopping by, I sure appreciate your kind comments.

Happy Stamping.

XO

Maria.

Nap Time.....

Hello everyone: I'm sticking to my New Year's resolution of using my old stamps and dies this year.

I'm sure some of you guys are in the same boat as me, getting new stuff and neglecting your old sets that, at one point, you bought planning to use them and then, well.....here come some new stuff and there go the old stuff, put away on the shelf, drawer, closet, cabinet, box or whatever.

Not any more in THIS craft room, although I will most definitely use the few new sets I have, my emphasis will be to use the old ones. 

So here is this card, made with an old but beautiful SU set.

This sweet image is from a Stampin' Up! set called "Peace Within" that came out in the 2009-2010 catalog and I can't believe I haven't use this set in a very long time.

I stamped this image on a die cut piece of watercolor paper with Stazon black ink and colored with SU markers, don't you want to curl up with this kitty on your lap and read a book? 

Another one of my resolutions is to use pattern paper, I'm not fond of it mainly because I never know how to combine it or match it.  On this card, I'm not to comfortable with the patterns but maybe that is my lack of experience with this?? I don't know, you tell me if this patterns look ok to you, please.

The little bouquet is from a newer and never used SU set called "Beautiful Bouquet", that is still current but I haven't ink up, again.....shame on me!!!

The sentiment is from another old SU set called "Kindness Matters" (2011-2012 catalog).

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

I took a small piece of the pattern paper to decorate the inside, the sentiment is from another old SU set called "Heard from the Heart" (2008), I absolutely love the font on this sentiment, I don't know why I haven't used it before, sheeesh!!  The flower pot is from the same stamp but I only inked this portion with SU markers.

Thank you for stopping by, I sure appreciate your kind comments.

Till next time.

XO

Maria.