Christmas Thank You with Penny Black

Yay! .... I just discovered a new challenge and the best thing about it is that it features stamps from my favorite company Penny Black.  Thanks to my fellow card making friend, Greta for giving me the information.  Today's card is for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  The challenge of the group this month is to create a thank you card using a Penny Black product as the main focus.

For my trees I pulled out an oldie that is still available "Robin's Kingdom" 30-056.  The trees were embossed with white embossing powder.  I used Distress Inks in "Tumbled Glass" and "Stormy Sky" to sponge in a sky over a masked hillside that I created using post it notes. I didn't bother with masking the trees before adding the sky.  It was easy to just add the color over the top of the blue, which I did with a waterbrush and distress ink used as watercolor. My little Penny Black skating mouse is from the "Jolly Critters" 30-264 set and colored with Prismacolor pencils. To give the illusion of ice or snow I again used the distress ink with my waterbrush to add some lines and a touch of color.  The sentiment is also a die from Penny Black "Wishes" 51-036.  For a bit of sparkle I added some glossy accents and applied a some crystal glitter to it while it was still wet. 
I know that I always need thank you cards around the holidays.  This one may be going to my mail carrier.  Hope you find the card inspiring and that you may also check out the lovely challenge with the Penny Black Saturday Challenge group.
Thanks for dropping by my blog.  Your comments, questions and suggestions are always most welcome.

Penny Black Christmas / Colored Pencils

The fall has been so busy that my poor blog has been really neglected.   Even though I have been doing loads of creative things finding the time to add a few to my blog has been an afterthought.

Today I am sharing some cards that I created using my Prismacolor Pencils.  The coloring was a perfect thing for me to work on while we were having some remodeling done.  I pre-stamped the images so that I could simply color away while things were in a state of confusion all around me. 

The stamps are all Penny Black, 30-386 "Wintertime Cheer" , 30-040 "The Wonder" , 30-439 "Gather Around".   I created a background by drawing lines for the flooring and wall which I lighted shaded around my images.

Thanks for dropping by to check out my blog.  Your comments, questions and suggestions are always very welcome.

Celebrate the Wonder

Today I have another Christmas card because I couldn't just stop with one of the new Penny Black stamps for Christmas 2017.   When this "Hedgy Joy" 30-447 stamp arrived I knew it was going to be a favorite.

 

I also pulled out a couple of my favorite older releases from my Penny Black collection to create the background for the hedgy.  The trees and star are from "Robin's Kingdom" 30-056 and the sentiment is from "The Wonder" 30-040. 

The hedgy is colored using Copic Markers.  The masking I did for my background used a combination of full adhesive Post-It notes and Pebeo drawing gum.  There was a very slight bleeding of the red copic marker with the drawing gum so if I were doing it again I would use the Post-It on the hedgy or color him in after the background. The snowy effect was created by splattering the sky with drawing gum, letting it completely dry and sponging over the splatters with Distress Inks.  The drawing gum works beautifully with Distress as a resist that you simply remove with your finger or an eraser to reveal the snowy sky.    I added some fine glitter to the star and the snowy hill for a finishing touch.

Thanks for dropping by my blog.  Making cards is my greatest joy second only to sharing them with others who might get inspiration for their own creations.  Your comments, questions or suggestions are always very welcome.

Christmas Cards In August?

Yes, I know it is August but my card making friends will totally understand why my thoughts are turning to the Christmas season.  The Penny Black release for the 2017 season is available and I couldn't wait to get started on this years cards.

These two cards are my first made with my new Penny Black 40-574 "Adornments" cling stamp.  I used Hero Arts pigment inks cubes applied directly to the stamp and my Misti to ink the ornaments.  You could use masks to help with the inking, but I just applied the ink to directly to the stamp and wiped off any ink in areas that I didn't want with a baby wipe.  The beauty of the Misti is the ability to add layers of color to an image.  To add back the color for the ornament hooks I used a Micron Pen to draw over the detail.  After I was happy with the inking, I stamped over the image one last time wit Versa Mark ink and heat embossed with a clear embossing powder.  The background is created by taping off an edge with Micro Pore tape and sponging in Distress Oxide inks in "Iced Spruce" and "Antique Linen".

I made a second card on watercolor paper.  The ornaments are colored using the same method as my first card but for this one I painted in a watercolor background.  After it was totally dry I added some glittery snow to the card using my Simon Says Stamp SSST121324 "Falling Snow" stencil and Faber Castell "Glass Bead Glitter Gel".

Thanks for dropping by to check out my cards.  I hope you found my technique inspiring and gives you an idea of how I worked with this stamp.  I always welcome any comments, questions and suggestions you may have.

Trio of Cards from One Image

For my post today I have used the same floral image from Penny Black to make three different cards.  The image is a from the most recent release and is a cling stamp named "Awaken"  40-507.

The first card is rather simply done.  I stamped the flower using Archival Ink onto watercolor paper.  I then used my Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors to paint a vivid yellow background in the negative space.  After the initial layer of watercolor was dry, I added a wash of "Red Gold No.902" from the "Starry Colors" set which gave it a beautiful shimmer which is hard to capture here.

The panel was cut to 4"X 5 1/2" and then framed with a layer of black CS measuring 4 1/4" X 5 3/4".  This is then adhered to my A-6 size card 6" X 9".  Then sentiment is computer generated.  The font is CapriHMK.   I added a few sequins from my stash as a finishing touch.

For my second card I used watercolor again but I was going for a softer spring look.   I used my Avery Elle " Wonky Stitches" die to create the focal panel.   I used micro pore tape to hold the panel in place on a cutting board which creates the white border and keeps the piece flat.   The blue background wash was the first step.   Once the background was dry I applied light touches of color to my flowers.  The stems of the flowers was the final step in my flowers.  I watered down the same green from the stems and used that to do the splatter, blotting off any unwanted splatter on the flowers with a paper towel.

The sentiment is from Penny Black "Special Wishes" 30-229.  I also added a few drops of Nuvo Crystal Drops "Clear"

My third card uses the same technique as the second but for this one I went for a bolder color palette.  

The sentiment is from Penny Black "Eloquence" set.  The dies are from Lil" Inker Designs "Stitched Rectangles" and  Whitelotous Cutting Dies.

There you have it ... one image with three different looks.

Thanks for dropping by my blog.  Your comments, questions and suggestions are always very welcome.

Supplies:

Bee Watercolor Paper	Penny Black Awaken 40-507	Penny Black Clear Stamps, Special Wishes	Penny Black Clear Stamps ELOQUENCE	Kuretake Watercolor
Gansai Tambi Starry Colors	Scor-Tape 1/4" Crafting Tape	Misti Stamp Tool	Archival Ink Black	Whitelotous Cutting Dies 8pc frame
Lil Inkers Designs Dies	Avery Elle Wonky Stitches	Cuttlebug Die-Cut & Emboss Machine

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Time to Celebrate Cards

For today's post I thought I would share a card I created using my new stamp set from Penny Black.  This set is called "Time to Celebrate" 30-414.  I love the combination of cats, dogs and hedgehogs all in the one set.

This card is a Box Card or Explosion Card that I made using a couple of the images from the set.  The base for my card is adapted from a cut file by Amanda McGee "A2 Box Gift Card"  Design ID # 69048 found in the Silhouette Studio.  The celebrate sentiment is also a part of that cut file for the Silhouette.

1. Assemble the card box shape.
2. Use Distress Ink to sponge in a background for the images on the inside back panel and the outside front panels of the box card.
3. Cut out and apply patterned paper for the front (2 1/2" X 2") & side(2 1/2" X 1 1/2")  pop out panels of the box.
4. The cat, dog and balloon are colored with Copic markers.
5. Cut the image to remove the strings from the balloons and added Glossy Accents to the balloons.  Set aside to dry.Then I cut a length of multi strand silver thread and use Scor tape to adhere it to the backside of the balloons.
6. The cat is adhered to the internal panel just in front of the back using multi medium matte.
7. The balloon element is then attached to the back panel.  Used a piece of score tape with only one side of the protective coating remove to adhere the strings to the backside of the cat.
8. Used multi medium matte to place the inside greeting and the Dog and sentiment to the flat side of the card.

       I think I probably did this reveal in reverse but I thought the pop up was more fun for the top of my page.  So... this is the flat closed image of the same card.

For this background I used a cloud cut out and lightly applied Distress Inks, Tumbled Glass for the sky and Peeled Paint for the ground.  The sentiment is one that I had already pre-stamped in my stash.  The sentiment is from an older Just Rite set "Birthday Sentiments Set 1" that fits nicely in a round stitched die that is part of Simon Says Stamp " Bundle of Stitched Shapes" SSSD111412.

Here are a couple more of the cards I made using this stamp set.

 Thanks for dropping by my blog.  Your comments, questions or suggestions are always very welcome. 

Supplies:

PB Time to Celebrate	*Copic SKETCH Markers	TH Distress Peeled Paint	Distress Tumbled Glass	MFT Plaid Paper
Scor-Tape 1/4" Crafting Tape	Multi Meduim Matte	SSS Bundle of Stitched Shapes	Silhouette CAMEO

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Fun Christmas Critter Cards

If you follow my work at all you know I love using whimsical image on my cards. No surprise that among my top favorite stamp companies is Penny Black.  I thought I would share with you a few of my latest cards for this season using Penny Black stamps, some old and some new.

This first one is made using "Snowy"  who is both old and new again.  I am not sure what year he was first released but this year PB came out with a new matching die set.  The die set called "Frosty's Snow" also includes two snowflakes.  Who ever has enough snowflake dies? Not me.  The sentiment is from Echo Park.

Staying with my plaid theme here.  This one uses one of my new stamp images from Penny Black called "Wintertime Cheer".  The sentiment is an oldie from 2009 called "Joyous".  

How about this cute image.... it is also one include in the Wintertime Cheer set.  I couldn't wait to color him and bring him to life.  This sentiment is a combination made using the new "Festive Snippets" set.   I used copics to color the focal image and added the background afterwards using Distress Inks.   To create the frame around the image I masked the edge using strips of micro-pore tape.   It is easy to do and I think it adds a nice touch.

Just love this cute little owl as well.  I know I will use him over and over again in combination with many other Penny Black images but I thought he deserved his very own card.   He is a perfect fit for this small tag from the "Die-namics Tag Builder 5" set.  He is also in the "Wintertime Cheer" set and the sentiments are from "Festive Snippets" again.  The snowflakes are from the "Frosty's Snow" die set.  I added the white stitching around the edges with my favorite Uni-Ball Signo Gel pen.

As you can plainly see I really had some fun with this new set. This one is just another treatment of the cute puppy decked out for Christmas. I added the sweet little bird friend and the Joyous sentiment.   Of course... glitter for that holiday festive sparkle that I love.  Speaking of glitter.... here another glittery "Snowy" card that I made a few days ago. 

This post probably breaks all guidelines and suggestions for length but I wanted to share a glimpse of what I did over the weekend.
I did take time out to watch our Chicago Cubs make history. Only 4 wins to go! 

Thank you for dropping in. Your comments, suggestions and questions are always most welcome. I hope that you have enjoyed checking out my latest creations using my Penny Black stamps. 

Supplies:

Penny Black Snowy	PB Frosty's Snow 51-266	PB Wintertime Cheer	PB Joyous 30-037	FESTIVE SNIPPETS 30-387	Lil Inkers Anytime Tags BO2-53578179
Echo Park Christmas Sentiments	Distress Weathered Wood	TH Distress Ink Stormy Sky	Distress Tumbled Glass	micro pore tape	Scor-Tape 1/4" Crafting Tape
LARGE Multi Fine CRYSTAL GLITTER	Distress Dry Glitter Rock Candy	Die-namics Tag Builder #5	Lil Inkers Designs Dies	*Copic SKETCH Markers	Multi Meduim Matte
Uni-Ball Signo White Gel Pen

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