Cat Fish

 Aloha dear ones!

When I first saw this stamp set at Simon Says Stamp, it made me laugh! A cat-fish mermaid! What a sense of humor! 

Have you ever heard the Catfish Song by Jonny Boston? It incorporates a lot of song titles by Elvis. It's adorable and goes along "purrr-fectly" with this stamp image!

It's simple using a brushed background, a little stamping, paper piecing (umbrella) and die cutting. We have a sketch by Dirty Dozen gal Lisa using the monthly Jukebox theme at Splitcoaststampers. I used the colors and sketch to create the spliced umbrella. The edge of the sentiment oval is edged with Copic marker.

Thank you for your visit!

Stamp Set: "Cuddly Summer Critters" by SSS

Cardstock: Accent Opaque White 120#

Ink: Distress Oxide - Broken China, Evergreen Bough, Speckled Egg, Vintage Paper; Memento Rich Cocoa

Spellbinders Oval Die

Copic Markers

Adhesive Foam Tape

Stickles Diamond, Wink of Stella, Pearl for accent

Here is a little addition - "I wish I had."

I wish I had used a few brown dots for sand, a darker blue

sky, and some white ripples in the water 🎨 

Hug a Rawrus Today

 Aloha!

Ok. Isn't he a cutie pie? I wanted him ever since I laid eyes on him 🐱‍🐉 Look at how tiny his arms are!

And I found this coolio tutorial on YouTube by Lisa Curcio using a fun fold called "Curvy Pop Up." It isn't that hard. The front will have a bendy panel and the back is a regular card spine so it stands up. Even better, it lays flat and fits right into an A2 envelope. I'm going to cut out fun letters to spell the little girl's name across the bendy front.

I've been following a family whose two yr old little sweetie, Eliza, is going to lose her battle with a rare cancer. She loves dinosaurs, hence this cute card. I had to make it for her. She is still able to run around and have fun but she is on hospice at home. She also has had the company of a tan & white stuffed owl ever since she was a baby and chews on the little tag it came with. I have a couple of owl cards I would like to make for her, too. You can read about her and how uber sweet she is by googling Eliza Moore or her parents, Chance (he's a nurse) and Kate (a pharmacist). She has at least a gajillion followers on social media.

Stamp Set: T Rex Love by Fun Stampers Journey

Cardstock: Accent Opaque White, Stampin Up Old Olive

Pattern Paper: Gina K. Designs

Colored with Copics

Lime and purple gems

Thank you for stopping by!

Sweet hugs!

A Cat In The Heart

 Aloha!

I made this card yesterday. It's for an all grown up young lady I knew when she was much younger. We both love kitty cats. Recently I ordered this cool heart die from SSS and paired it with the MFT kitty cat stamp for a simple window card. I put the little cat on a sketched rug, wood floor and wall papered with teeny hearts. The die cuts a heart out while leaving the double stitched lines around the frame. I adhered the heart scene inside the card and the heart window is open to the kitty. Sorry the colors are off - I used two different editing sites.

Stamp Set: "Smitten Kitten" by MFT

Die: "Shimmer Heart" by SSS

Paper: Neenah 110# Solar White

Inks: Memento and Copics

Sparkly Ribbon by SU, Glossy Accents, Flat Sequins PPP

Thank you for looking!

Stuffed Tummy

Hi dear friends, 

I am learning how to operate a new phone. I really had no idea a camera could take clear pictures on a phone. This is only the second day I've had it so please be patient while I figure out all the stuff. It's a Samsung S10. I bought it used but with a little warranty to save some money. Sure beats the old Moto G6. I had to perform CPR on it so many times but now I can't get the microphone to work. I need a microphone in order to talk. I will need to perform some surgery on my laptop after parts get here. It's under warranty but the company is ignoring me so far. A story for another time. 

I have been coloring on the days I've felt really without mojo. Here is a sweet mouse that got inside a bird feeder and ate till he fell asleep. It's so adorable it makes both Bruce and me smile to look at him! 

I hope to enter this into House Mouse challenge but may be too late. I don't have gingham or plaid so I stamped stripes in two directions to create squares.  Then I added a pink dot in the corners of the squares to try and make it look gingham. 

Stamp Set: Feeder Friends by House Mouse; Diagonal Lines by MFT

Cardstock GKD

Ink: Memento

Copic Markers

PPP sequins

Multi Matte Medium

Thank you for coming over and taking a look - lots of love to you and yours! 

There's No Place Like Gnome

Aloha,

We found a super lawn care person! Living in a tropical jungle, good, dependable lawn care people are appreciated like gold - especially if they don't gouge you with charges! I just had to make a thank you card for our new guy!!!

I enjoyed making a very simple Lawn Fawn scene for our "lawn" guy. And what a surprise for me? I made it in time to give it to him as well as enter it into the September Lawn Fawnatics Challenge !!! Whootie whoooot! I usually miss a challenge deadline by a month or more. How I thought about making it into an interactive card, but I've been too tuckered out lately.

September Lawn Fawn Challenge

Stamp Set: Lawn Fawn "Gnome Sweet Gnome; sentiment from "Jump for Joy" Lawn Fawn
Cardstock: Lawn Fawn, Hammerhill Color Card
Dies: Lawn Fawn "Sitcthed Hillside Border"
Inks: Memento Sahara Sand (image outlines) and Blue Sky (sky)
Lawn Fawn Trimmings in "Peppermint"
SSS Cloud Stencil
Copic Markers; Color pencils in brown and dark gray
Ranger "Liquid Platinum" Embossing Powder
Crystalline Drops (over the bee's wings, mushroom windows and the little gnomey's belt buckle)
Corner Rounder; foam adhesive by Scotch

Thank you so much for stopping by!

May your week be filled with sunshine ♥

Living Hen and Chicks

Aloha!

It's a new month, a new week, a new day! Welcome!

Don't you love the sweet little succulent Hen and Chicks? I do! But here is a confession: I have killed every single one I've ever purchased. Why, oh, why? I love them.

I've tried leaving them alone, in indirect sunlight, in bright sunlight, in shade, with light water, no water, in nature, in the house, in the kitchen, ignoring, talking to, and begging it not to die. It's one plant I feel a total failure in trying to grow. Any hints?

I had a friend in central Oregon and she had one she completely ignored, rain, sun, snow. That thing was living in a dead oak barrel with millions (okay, hundreds) of little chick babies sprouting all over the thing. She even gave me some and I killed it right off. UGH.

This is the next best thing for me - color it. Marcella Hawley has this in her online, digital collection located here: Hen and Chicks in case you would like this one to print off and color!


Digital Stamp: Power Poppy, "Hen and Chicks"
Copic Markers (mostly G's, BG's, YG's and R's, and mostly lightest to mid colors)
Prismacolor White and Dark Brown Pencils
Cardstock: Hammerhill Color Copy 110 lb (white), GKD (color)
Crystalline Drops (GKD) for the water droplets on some of the little petals or leaves or whatever those are called on succulents :D
Corner Rounder

I cannot think of a sentiment to put on here yet.

Mahalo for stopping by ♥

Done Adulting

Aloha, friends,

I'm back. It's been rough for several months with Bruce's health. But he's better and back to work  🎉 !   And I'm here ♫ !!

Needless to say, there were plenty of days I felt done with adulting. Here is a little penguin just playing in sand, building igloos. May each of us have days when we don't have to adult.


Stamp Set: "Waddles Beach Fun," by Your Next Stamp
Cardstock: GKD (my favorite of all)
SSS Curved Border Die
MFT Diagonal Background Stamp (turquoise layer)
Stamped with Memento Desert Sand & Summer Sky (perfect for a beachy scene!)
Colored with Copic Markers
Foam Strips (to pop the umbrella and star fish)
Spectrum Noir Glitter Pen (water and shiny things)
Pretty Pink Posh sequins; sparkly mini stars; cut a curvy paper to sponge the clouds

I've sure missed playing.

Thank you for stopping in 😊

"Black Parrot" and "Green Wave" Tulips (Ugly version vs pretty version)

Aloha, all,

Part 1 of 2: The "Black Parrot" Tulips (or

as I view these: Ugly & Pretty)

Did you know there are tulips that are almost all black or deep, deep bluish purple? I've seen pictures but I don't recall seeing them growing. North of Seattle, Washington are tulip farms! Each spring, as far as your eyes can see, are rows and rows of solid colors - one row red, another yellow, another white. You can turn around in a circle and see colors, in perfect rows from anywhere you look. It is breathtaking!

I didn't want to just use blacks and navy to color flowers, so I added pinks and lavenders, too. First I Masked the bottom or first layer of flowers and using the new-to-me "Life Changing Blender Brushes" from Picket Fence Stamps. Yup, they are even easier to use than Clarity brushes or sponging tools. I sponged pink and blue distress inks into a rectangle, ever so slightly. Then I colored the flowers on the card base.

After printing another digi of the tulips onto cardstock, I colored and fussy cut the flowers and leaves. Finally, I popped them on fussy cut pieces of foam. It's sort of like the old decoupage 3D look. I regret adding the Spectrum Noir sparkle marker over the flowers but I'll just tuck that bit of experience into the deep cobwebs in my mind. I'll also add the "don't use super dark blues on flower edges even if they look black in real life" because they just take too much attention from the rest of the flower and scene.


Stamps: "Tulips" digital from Power Poppy (Tulips (and Peonies) are each on sale now for $2.49)
Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 110#
Copic Markers, Color Pencils, distress inks
Adhesive Foam, Scor Tape, Spectrum Noir Sparkle Marker, Sequins from Pretty Pink Posh

I'm sorry, these are ugly to me. But I'm posting them

just to show what not to do. Blech.

A ton of work ends up yucky.

Part 2 of 2: The "Green Wave" Tulips

So these turned out more eye pleasing. Seriously, what a long weekend of trying to capture realistic colors in a tulip LOLOLOL!

Same digi, different colors, Copic markers, no pencils, no sparkly marker. 

Don't say I'm not brave LOL. I'm even

posting ugly up there.

Mahalo for stopping by ♥

Panda Mail

Aloha!

Here is a card for our sweet, hardworking, never-complain mail lady ♥  I've been thinking about how long it's been since giving her any kind of recognition so today is the day.

Today is the first day I haven't needed to wear enough clothes to look like someone from the Yukon since last Friday. Low 70s is more like it for this time of year and that's what the scene is about. No brutal winds or downed trees, calm ocean with no white caps :)  Boy, do I feel for everyone who is covered over in snow, ice and darkness right now. Big hugs!!!


Stamp Set: "Incoming Mail" and the palm tree from "Summer Days," both by Mama Elephant: Starry Sky background by Hero Arts (embossed on the white layer)
Inks: Memento (sponging) and Copic markers; VersaMark
Cardstock by GKD
Spectrum Noir clear sparkle pen and Sharpie White paint marker
Hero Arts Clear embossing powder

Mahalo for coming by!!! ♥

Lots of Lavender

Aloha!

Here is another CAS card using an easy technique to get a bit of stained-glass look to any lined image. Just heat emboss it, preferably with a metal finish powder. Take any markers, (water or alcohol) and tap different colors inside each small area, just like a stained glass piece might have. You can create this on cardstock, acetate or vellum. If you use vellum, the colors will look best if you add them to the back side of the embossed layer. I used a scoring tool to create a border as well as a die to cut a zigzag finish.

I made several of this design, then embossed different sentiments to adhere when it's time.


Stamp Set: "Lots of Lavender" by Stampin' Up
Inks: Coloring with Copic Markers
Cardstock: GKD 120#
MFT zigzag die
Silver Embossing Powder; VersaMark; Corner Rounder Punch

Thank you for stopping by! Here's to an early spring for those

of you living in the bitter cold areas!

Hanging Garden

Aloha!

I'm in love with this stamp set. It has 3 different flower baskets. Hanging baskets of flowers are really miniature yards, aren't they? Long ago we lived in Europe and been back only once. When we saw the hanging baskets on the house corners and balconies, bursting with colors in giant round orbs, the houses looked more fitted for fairy tale books of long ago. And walking through little villages, baskets of flowers hanging everywhere, well, it felt like walking into those books, a dreamland.

A few days ago a neighbor brought up some of her Yellow Jasmine plant, root and all, for us to grow. She knew I admired hers and had trouble locating any for sale on this side of the island. She's very thoughtful and giving! The fragrance of Yellow Ginger is heavenly and stronger at night. We hope to plant it by our bedroom window and dream of even farther-away places! This is a very simple thank you card for her surprise gift.


Stamp Set: Hanging Garden by Stampin Up
Cardstock: GKD & Neenah; Yellow SU
Inks: Versafine Sepia
Colored with Copic Markers, with a sheer, hazy light blue of powdered color pencil around the top layer of the cardfront.
Cross-stitch Gina Marie Rectangle Die
White Foam for layering
Spectrum Noir Sparkle Glitter Pen (on the birds & flowers)
2 wood bird elements by Studio Calico (colored with Blue Copic Markers)
Tonic Clear Blue Drops; Viva Decor Gold Drops; Glossy Accents (on the birds and flowers)
Clear Sparkle Jelly Roll pen for the wiring on the basket


There is a lot of sparkle on the front, and another hanging basket waiting inside. 

Mahalo for stopping by!

Pomeranian

Aloha,

Have you ever used free online coloring pages? When I need a specific image, that's where I go. I found this Pomeranian for a friend's brother who had to put down his beloved pet, "Lil Tex."

The 30 Day Coloring Challenge

Online Coloring Pages
GKD Cardstock and Sunkissed Autumn pattern paper
Tonic Wood Embossing Folder
Rounded Corner Rectangle Die by Scrapbooking Made Simple
Colored with Copic Markers and a few Prismacolor Pencils
Sponging with Memento Potter's Clay
Nuvo Drops "Ebony Black" and Perfect Pearls "Pearlescent Bisque"
Adhesive Foam Tape
Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Glitter Gloss

Mahalo for Visiting ♥

Miss You Baaaaah-dly!

Aloha,

Here is a little fun - mountain goat way up on top of a mountain. I wanted to use a sentiment "High" for high up on the mountains, but you never know how someone might interpret that, so I stuck with "Hi." It was fun drawing the triangle mountains and making this a twilight time of a card. I will enter this into the Paper Smooches September Animals Challenge.

I would like to enter it into the September 2017 30 Day Coloring at The Daily Marker. Whenever Kathy Racoosin holds these 30-day Coloring Challenges, I try really hard to play, even if just for a few days of the month ☺

Stamp Set: Paper Smooches "Green Acres"
Cardstock: GKD White, Bazzill Black
Inks: Copic Markers for coloring; Memento for stamping and drawing; Versafine for sentiment
Stickles Diamond Glitter; Studio B Glitter in Yellow
Glossy Accents
Corner Rounder

Thank you for stopping by!

Wishing you and yours a blessed day, night and week ♥

Pastel Lotus

Aloha!

What a few weeks of natural disasters we have been having recently. My heart is just shattered for all those affected by flooding, hurricanes, loss of homes, lost lives, earthquakes, fires out west. I feel overwhelmed but strangely, I felt compelled to color something soft. I'm not a pastel person, but it's what my heart moved me to do.

Using Copic markers I colored an MFT lotus flower. I didn't care for the water I colored around it, so fussy cut it out and laid it up on foam. The Challenge is to make a CAS card. This takes much discipline for me not to keep on adding and adding elements - it's hard. This is going to a friend in the stamping community who is going through her own serious struggles with health and now the loss of a loved one.

Here is a link to the MFT Clean And Simple Genius Challenge. You still have time to get your entries in, but hurry!


Stamp Sets: MFT "IB Flowers 3" and "About Sympathy"
Cardstock: GKD 120# White
Inks: Image stamped in Memento Angel Pink, colored with Copic Markers, and the sentiment is stamped with VersaFine Smoke Gray (a little softer than black)
Sequins Pretty Pink Posh
Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle Pen (over the flower and leaf)
Corner Round Punch and Foam Sheet; Stays Put liquid glue

Mahalo for stopping by. 

I'll be continuing to pray for all those affected by natural disasters ♥

Throwing Hearts and Kisses

Aloha, everybody!

This is a card to thank one of my nurse friends.

Just like the other nurse cards, it's colored with Copic markers and decorated a bit with sequins and ribbon.  Had to add some little pink flowers to her dress and freckles to her face.

Stamp: My Favorite Things-Pure Innocence "Sending Big Hugs"
Cardstock GKD 120# White, mirrored hearts and swirls from stash, Neenah Solar White (for image)
Colored with Copic Markers and edged with Memento Lady Bug Red
Glossy Accents (on all the hearts and her shoes)
Sequins by Pretty Pink Posh
(Adhesive Foam, SMS liquid glue, ribbon from stash)

Thank you for stopping by!

Wishing you all the very best ♥

Trio of Nurse Cards

Aloha, everyone!

I hope your week has started off well ♥ Here is a trio of Mahalo cards I made for nurses who took such tender loving care of me. I still have a few more to make, so be "patient" with me LOL.

I kept these simple by coloring with Copic Markers. Then I used a variety of dies, sequins, ribbons, punches, Nuvo drops and cut/embossed papers to layer and place them on to the cards.

Stamp: My Favorite Things-Pure Innocence "Best Medicine"
Cardstock: GKD 120# White, Anna Griffin (pink shimmer), Mirror Heart swirls (found in stash) and Neenah Solar White (images)
Dies: Gina Marie Stitched Rectangles, Wonky Rectangles, SB stitched Ovals, SU Pennants
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black (stamping) and Copic Markers (edges sponged with Memento Inks)
Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug Peacock Feathers
Sequins "Pretty Pink Posh"
Fiskars Flower Punches; Corner Rounder Punch
Ribbons (stash)
Tonic Nuvo Transparent Drops
(SMS liquid glue, Adhesive Foam, Scor Tape, Multi Matte Medium)

Do you have a favorite color combination that you use often?

Blue:

Pink:

Purple & Yellow:

I have more Thank You cards for more caregivers-

Take good care and MAHALO for stopping by ♥

A Little Hula

Aloha!

Where have I been? Well, here - there, and coloring when possible ♥

I made a couple of little hula girl cards and here is one of them. It's a thank you for one of the nurses who has taken good care of me.

Using Copic markers, I colored the images and then fussy cut them out. The palm tree is a die though. See her little top? I fussy cut it lol! This gave me the thought to draw the flower shapes onto the other card, so that's what I did.

I cut a piece of paper into a hill and sponged the sandy beach and sky using the negative and positive pieces. You'll see Stickles and Glossy Accents on the ocean, hula skirt and bird beak, oh, and eyes. Finally, I used an Action Wobbler mini for the back of the hula girl and you got it, she SHAKES!! And the tree has heart coconuts!

Now my brain does not lean well towards sketch challenges. In fact, they tend to make me freeze up and itch all over! But I keep trying...

To be entered into MFT Sketch 343.

My Favorite Things Pure Innocence Hula Girl; Birds of Paradise; Palm Tree Die

Spellbinder Oval and Scallop Oval Dies

GKD 120# White card stock; Neenah 80# Solar White card stock; AC lime cardstock; GKD 

   pattern paper for her top

Copic Markers

Memento Inks (sponging)

Mini Action Wobbler from MFT

Heart Punch Fiskars

Glossy Accents (eyes, beak, hearts, ocean); Diamond Stickles (ocean, sand, skirt)

Adhesive Foam Squares

Mahalo for stopping by! Muaaah!

Another New Baby!

Aloha dear friends!


Boy, it's taking me longer and longer to get a card done, but I keep on trying lol!!!

Our nephew and his wife has a new baby named Wendy. I couldn't get my act together to enclose a gift card, but finally, it's ready. I think she is 3 months already.

It's really simple, colored with Copics and added pink pearls. I put the little buds and leaves, white dots on the onesie. And it should be on its way before the baby goes to college!!!



Stamp Set:  "Made With Love" by Stampin' Up
Ink: Memento Black; Copic Markers, Sakura Clear Glitter Pen, Sakura White Gel Pen
Cardstock: GKD 120# and 80# white
DP: I think it's Authentique but I'm too tired to go looking for it - please forgive me
Die: Simple oval by SB
Glossy Accents (over the heart on sentiment)
Gold mirror washi tape down side

Thank you for stopping by! Much love to you! ♥

It's Snowing! Somewhere :)

Aloha!

We saw the weather for the northern and northeastern parts of the country -- woooo. Snow! We get snow on our island, too. We have two mountains that make up most of the island which are around 14,000 feet high. So during January to around March, people can go up and snow board, ski, sled, then come down and lay out at the beaches and swim. It can be a 70 degree difference between up there and down here on the same day. But I do miss seeing a layer of thick, fresh, untouched snow for as far as the eye can see, and the deep sound of quiet. The cold part? Not so much ☺

This card is for one of our cardmaking buddies because I know life's been rough for so many of us. It is not for a challenge, just for the sheer enjoyment of coloring and throwing glitter on something and hoping it sticks. Yes, it gets all over the bed, me and Bruce, but he's ok with that. And we like to sparkle. I'll change the bedding tomorrow.

Stamp Set: "Eve Girl" by Unity
Cardstock: GKD 120# white, 80# white, Passionate Pink (I used some purple distress ink over it after embossing it so it doesn't look pink)

To answer questions about the inks and colors used, here is a list--

Inks: 

1. Distress inks sponged for the background (first dot with Molotow mask or rubber cement where you want all the snow fall kept white, let dry. After drying you can use sponge daubers to color the background.) Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry, Tumbled Glass, Chipped Sapphire, Dusty Concord, and on the edges Black Soot. After removing the dried mask for the snow fall, I made them extra white with Signo White Gel Pen and the Sharpie Pump Paint Marker.
2. Copic markers (knit hat has RVs, sweater has BVs, Gloves are YGs, hair has Y02 and Y21 for the highlights, and dark Browns for the rest of her hair)
3. Image stamped with Ranger Archival Black (just to try it out - I think I still prefer Memento Black but it was fun to try)

Embossing Folder: Darice "Paisley" (pink layer)
Glitters: Elizabeth Crafts "Warm Diamond" and American Crafts "Spark Tinsel" (bottom of card)
Silver Ribbon, Pink Twine (SU) I know it looks red, but it's bright pink
Signo White Gel Pen and Sharpie White Paint Pump Marker (for all the snow blobs)
Wink of Stella (on sweater, knit hat); Scor Tape and Dries Clear Adhesive

The inside sentiment says:

"We are like snowflakes,

all beautiful in our own way."

Mahalo for stopping by!

I am truly grateful for each and every one of you ♥

Aloha!

Fall Poppies

Aloha dear ones,

I'm still wrapping my head around November already. Just can't believe it. Ok, if I remember correctly, during the fall you can still see some poppies around the southern states. If not, here are a few!

These are very simple, just colored with Copics and a few color pencils. I have not used a ribbon in a long time and had to cover some space towards the bottom. There's some Spectrum Noir clear sparkle on the flower petals and little black drops scattered in the background. And it's done :)  I am so many anniversary cards behind that I'm sorry if I didn't send you one. I'll try for next year?  This is for a coupe close by so I think we can get it to them, late.

Remember, the Daily Marker 30-day Coloring Challenge. Color anything and enter it during November. Lots of prizes and fun video tutorials, all free.


Stamp Set: "Pleasant Poppies" by Stampin' Up
Cardstock: GKD White and AC Black
Gingham Ribbon, Black Liquid Pearls, SN glitter marker
Copic markers and Prismacolor Pencils

**Helpful Hints** You know how red alcohol inks love to bleed all over the place? At least for me they do. And if I use the blender pen, it just spreads more. So... here's what I do now. If red is spilling outside the lines, I take a white opaque color pencil and just color over it. I hope you can't tell which flowers bled all over lol. Well, it's a lot less visible anyhow.