Blue with Bright Green Leaves

Bright and summery with lots of color contrast and texture.  The rickrack grounds the die cut leaves and connects them to the leafy embossed background.

Card details:

• Card stock is Hero Arts azure (blue) and Papertrey Ink (PTI) new leaf (deeper green) and limeade ice (bright yellow-green). 
• Embossing folder is Darice vine background.
• Dies are Elizabeth Craft hello (retired), PTI XL rickrack border, and Savvy Stamps tall branches with leaves.  (I trimmed off the bottom leaves of the set's smaller die cut to make my short lower right branch.) 

(1356)

Bright Scene with Fence, Birds, and Cat

Small die cuts arranged for a summery scene.  I like the bright colors and the wood grain texture of the white fence. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Essentials by Ellen white woodgrain, Paper Source royal blue, and Papertrey Ink (PTI) spring rain (light blue), vintage jadeite (light green), canyon clay (orangey brown), hibiscus burst (pink), and bright buttercup (yellow). 
• Dies are from Paper Smooches silhouette flowers (retired), Impression Obsession cat set, Impression Obsession small bird set, PTI picket fence, and PTI ad sense (sun shape). 
• Bow punch is Martha Stewart bow.
• I used a brown Micron pen to add the cat's eyes and a Copic G14 (green) marker to color the flower stems.
  
• The sentiment "just a note to say hello" is from PTI banner sentiments (retired), stamped with PTI new leaf (green) ink.
  

(1270)

Blue-Gray Trees on Teal

I designed today's card using some tree trunk shapes left over from last week's tree card.  A short strip of card stock grounds my scene, and the small punched dots (light bulbs? fruit? leaves?) encourage the eye to move around the card.  The light blue-gray trees stand out against the deep teal and navy. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Paper Source hydrangea (light blue-gray) and cobalt (navy) and Papertrey Ink (PTI) tropical teal. 
• Dies are Elizabeth Craft hello (retired) and PTI mighty oak cover plate. 
• The dots are punched with my very old 1/4" circle punch.
  

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(1247)

Red Birds on Trees with Yellow

The stamped trees with die cut birds make a cheerful scene on light blue.  I don't often use a double mat, but here, the dark gray and red look good together.  I tried a red "thanks" instead of the dark gray, but it seemed to pull my eye away from the scene. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) spring rain (light blue), pure poppy (red), smokey shadow (dark gray), and lemon tart (light yellow). 
• Patterned paper is from PTI blueberry sky (medium blue) pattern pack (tone-on-tone prints - retired).
• Dies are Elizabeth Craft thanks and Impression Obsession small bird set. 
• The birds' eyes are dots of Copic 0.3 black multiliner.
  
• The tree image is from PTI through the trees (retiring), stamped with PTI smokey shadow ink.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(1208)

Deer with Leaf - Brown and Light Green

A small stamped scene with a deer.  The much larger-scale background leaf suggests a woodsy setting.  A strip of grid patterned paper adds some visual texture.

 Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) spring moss (light green), cocoa bean (brown), and rustic white (flecked off-white).
• Patterned paper is from PTI argyle socks 8x8" patterned paper (retiring).
• Die is from WPlus9 pinking squares (retired).
  
• The distressed-style images and the sentiment "thinking of you" are from PTI masculine motifs (retired), stamped with PTI spring moss and cocoa bean inks.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(1203)

Birds on Trees - Three Versions

(A)
 

Three versions of the same birds on trees, with different details and color schemes.  Card A is a bright and cheerful note card.  I adapted it with seasonal colors for two family anniversaries - autumn (B) and winter (C).  I like them all, but card B might be my favorite.  

 

(B)                                     (C)

Card details:

• Card stock is Paper Source spruce (dark green - C) and Papertrey Ink (PTI) classic kraft (all cards), pure poppy (red - A&C), bright buttercup (yellow - A&B), new leaf (bright green - A), canyon clay (orangey brown - B), and olive twist (dull green - B).
  
• Patterned papers are a polka dot print from PTI spring rain (light blue - A) pattern pack (tone-on-tone prints - retired) and bitty dot prints from PTI aqua mist (B) and soft stone (light gray - C) bitty big pattern pack.
• Embossing folder on the kraft trees (all cards) is Stampin' Up subtle.
• Dies are PTI cover plate: winter woods (all cards), Impression Obsession birds (all), PTI heart-2-heart #12 (leaves - A), My Favorite Things (MFT) winter wreath (retired - sprigs - B&C), MFT western star border duo (retired - star flowers - A).
• The birds' eyes are dots of Copic 0.5 black multiliner.
  
• I used a McGill 1/8" circle punch for the small dots (all cards).
  

Card A was created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(1191)

Scene on Kraft with Truck, Dog, and Cat

I've always enjoyed making scene cards, including today's with a truck, dog, and cat.  Embossed texture adds a nice touch to the fence and tree, and I was glad to find a good shape for the truck's load.  The scene makes me smile, and I hope it brings a smile to the recipient, too.

Card details:

• Card stock is Neenah desert storm (light kraft), Essentials by Ellen white woodgrain, and Papertrey Ink (PTI) new leaf (green), dark chocolate (brown), canyon clay (orangey brown), scarlet jewel (burgundy), and smokey shadow (dark gray). 
• Embossing folder for the tree is Sizzix chevrons (retired).
• Dies are from WPlus9 pretty patches: tree (retired), Poppystamps patient pup, PTI picket fence, Impression Obsession (IO) classic truck (truck body and tires), PTI eyelet lace (a short piece cut lengthwise for the truck's load), and IO cat set.
• I added details to the dog and cat with black Micron pen.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(1139)

Dotted Orange with Teal and White Scallops

Bright contrasting colors with dots and scallops.  I like the sun-shaped embellishment, which turns the card into a bit of a sunny landscape scene with a line of white clouds. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) orange zest and tropical teal.
• Patterned paper is from PTI orange zest pattern pack (tone-on-tone prints - retired).
• Dies are PTI edgers #3 and PTI ad sense (sun).  I used an EK Tools 3/16" circle punch for the teal center dot, which I inlaid into the sun shape.
• The scallop-edged white strip is from Doodlebug paper frills, lily white, discontinued.
• The sentiment "just a note to say hello" is from PTI banner sentiments (retired), stamped with PTI tropical teal ink.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(1027)

Landscape on Blue Stripes

A lovely stamped scene with grasses in green and purple, and dry-brushed strips of blue and tan for the ground and sky.  It works well with the peaceful script sentiment. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) plum pudding (muted purple) and stamper's select white.
• Patterned paper is from PTI blueberry sky (blue) pattern pack (tone-on-tone prints - retired).
• The images and the sentiment "May peace fill your soul this day." are from PTI peaceful garden (retired), stamped with PTI new leaf (green) and amethyst allure (purple) inks. 
• I masked the top and bottom of the white panel, then used a small brush (the larger one from a Perfect Pearls brush set) to add the tan and blue strips with PTI classic kraft and blueberry sky inks.  I was able to get a softer, smoother look for the sky, but I also like the rough, breezy effect on this example. 

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(1020)

Abstract Scene - Purple, Green, and White

 Purple, green, and white in a simple card layout with an abstract stamped scene.  I like the variety of interesting shapes and patterns in Papertrey Ink's grunge me (retired) stamp set, and it was fun using some to create my little scene.  The strip of eyelet lace works well with the many dots and circles in my stamping. 

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) new leaf (green), amethyst allure (purple), and stamper's select white.
• Die is PTI eyelet lace border.
• The sentiment "thanks" and the images are all from PTI grunge me (retired), stamped with PTI new leaf and amethyst allure ink cubes.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(991)

Cardinal with Green Rays

It was fun creating my winter scene for today's card.  I used three sets of corner sun rays, with two of them stamped in green to make foliage.  I like the color contrast of the bright yellow and red with the dark blue and greens.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) bright buttercup (yellow) and stamper's select white.
• Patterned paper is from PTI enchanted evening (dark blue) pattern pack (tone-on-tone prints - retired).
• Die is from PTI winter woods.
• The sentiment "sending you sunshine" is from PTI corner adorner: February, the bird is from winter woods, the yellow and green rays are from corner adorner: November, and the red berries are from tinsel & tags sprigs (retired).  They are stamped with PTI enchanted evening, pure poppy (red), true black, bright buttercup, new leaf (green), and pinefeather (dark green) ink cubes.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(980)

Yellow Bird and Sun on Lavender

A little scene with a bird perched on a white banner.  Though the sky is a wintry lavender, there's some aqua blue where the sun is shining.  That's my story, anyway  ;-)  and I do like the colors together.

Card details:

• Card stock is Neenah solar white and Papertrey Ink (PTI) winter wisteria (lavender) and summer sunrise (yellow-orange).
• Patterned paper is from PTI aqua mist pattern pack (tone-on-tone prints - retired).
• Dies are PTI heart-2-heart #9 (bird) and the large flower center from simple sunflower. 
• The banner is cut with Silhouette Cameo.  I edged the bottom with Copic marker Y19.
• The sentiment "just a note" is from PTI keep it simple: just a note, and the bird's eye is the smallest circle from confetti toss, stamped with PTI ocean tides (muted teal) ink cube.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(981)

Tree with Blue Bird, on Blue

A cheerful little scene with a blue bird.  I like the two colors of green for the leaves.  My tree trunk and leaves are inlaid into the light blue background.

Card details:

• Card stock is Paper Source royal blue (deep blue) and Papertrey Ink (PTI) spring rain (light blue), cocoa bean (brown), new leaf (deep green), and vintage jadeite (medium green).
• I used a black Copic 0.3 multiliner to add the bird's eye.
• Dies are PTI mighty oak, PTI heart-2-heart #9 (bird), and Birch Press sugar script hello.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(975)

Brown Bird and Branch with Green Leaves

A bird on a leafy branch makes a sweet stamped scene for this very simple card.  The branch forms a strong horizontal dividing line between the upper and lower sections, which are connected by green and rustic red colors above and below the branch.  

Normally when using two colors on a stamp, as with the leaves, I'd want to avoid the sharp lines and edges of deeper green - but in this case, I really like the effect, a bit like a printed fabric.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) stamper's select white.
• Patterned paper is bitty dot print from PTI new leaf (green) pattern pack (tone-on-tone prints - retired).
• The bird, branch, and sentiment "hello" are from PTI winter woods, and the leaves are from PTI turning a new leaf, stamped with PTI classic kraft (branch), Americana (rustic red - bird and branch details), fine linen (light tan - bird body), limeade ice (bright yellow green), and new leaf ink cubes.  The Americana details on the branch and the new leaf coloring on the "hello" and leaves are added with the edge of the ink cube and with a sponge finger dauber.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(924)

Kraft Tree Bark with Speckled Vine

A simple woodsy scene with an embossed forest background, a panel of tree bark, and a speckle-stamped vine.  I love how the multicolored speckles help pull the color scheme together.

Card details:

• Card stock is My Favorite Things chocolate brown and Papertrey Ink (PTI) classic kraft, prairie grass (green), and rustic cream. 
• Dies are PTI cover plate: winter woods (for the background embossing), garden garland, and double-ended banner.
• The tree bark is PTI background basics: birch, stamped with PTI cocoa bean (brown) ink cube, then turned and stamped from the other end with PTI Americana (rustic red) ink cube. 
• The vine speckles are from PTI gathered garden, stamped with PTI classic kraft, cocoa bean, prairie grass, and Americana ink cubes.
• The sentiment "hello" is from Stampabilities everyday expressions.  For the varied color effect, I stamped it lightly three times, once each with PTI classic kraft, Americana, and cocoa bean ink cubes.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(879)

Shimmer Vases on White

A trio of shimmery vases with bright flowers and foliage.  This card is a beauty, especially with that luminous Copic coloring on the leaves and flowers.  Oval shadows ground the vases to make a tabletop scene, instead of disconnected floating elements.  In real life, the ovals look more gray and less green.

Note: the gray border is background, not part of the card.

Card details:

• Card stock is Neenah solar white (flower and leaf die cuts) and Papertrey Ink (PTI) gold shimmer, blue shimmer, silver shimmer, and stamper's select white (card base). 
• Dies are PTI mega gracious vases, PTI gift card cozy bow, and Paper Smooches silhouette flowers. 
• From left to right, Copic markers are: 
• Iris - Y15, V04, leaves G12
• Fern leaf - YG05
• Leaf cluster - G14
• Flower cluster - upper flowers RV13 with RV14 centers, lower flowers RV14 with V04 centers, leaves YG05
• The oval shadows are from PTI in the shadows, stamped with PTI soft stone (light gray) ink cube.

(855)

Button Cards - Trees and Flowers

Two more button cards - above, brightly colored with a mix of button shapes, and below, monochromatic with simple round shapes.  I like the flowers growing from the "hello" word and the trees growing from the curving hillside.  These cards make me smile!  And I'll hope they bring a smile to the recipients, too.  Note:  The scanner captured my 3-D cards with out-of-focus backgrounds.  But the overall effect is true to life.

Card details:

• Card stock is Paper Source strawberry (light red - retired) and Papertrey Ink (PTI) new leaf (green), cocoa bean (brown), rustic cream, and stamper's select white.
• Patterned papers are the leaf and polka dot prints from PTI winter wisteria (light purple) and spring moss (light green) pattern packs (tone-on-tone prints - retired).
• Die is from My Favorite Things vertical stitched strips. 
• Buttons are from PTI vintage button assortments (retired), adhered with glue (Tombow green mono multi) and stitched with DMC #5 perle cotton in white and cream (ecru).
• Images are from PTI everyday button bits (retiring 2018), stamped with PTI new leaf, simply chartreuse (yellowish green), and cocoa bean ink cubes.
• The sentiment "hello" is from PTI polka dot parade #2 (retiring 2018), stamped with PTI new leaf ink cube.  The sentiment "thinking of you" is from PTI keep it simple: thinking of you, stamped with PTI cocoa bean ink cube.

Tree card created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(848)

Cardinal on Birch with Blue Dots

A bright cardinal on a birch tree trunk, with blue dotted sky for a simple scene.  The narrow red border strip helps to unify the design.  I'll enjoy using this birch pattern in different color combinations, but for my first time stamping with it, I stayed with natural colors.

I'm taking a bit of a card-making break in December, enjoying the season and also working on my annual Advent calendar.  It's posted here, with updates (at least weekly) as I complete my daily drawings.

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red) and vintage cream.
• Patterned paper is the polka dot print from PTI blueberry sky (blue) pattern pack (tone-on-tone prints - retired).
• Dies are My Favorite Things many thanks (retired) and PTI winter woods.
• The cardinal details are stamped with PTI winter woods, using PTI dark chocolate (dark brown) ink cube.  
• The birch pattern is stamped with PTI background basics: birch, using PTI cocoa bean (medium brown) ink cube.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(813)

Scene with Fence, Trees, and Cat - Before and After

My sweet scene today revisits this "before" card, one of my favorites from four years ago.  My "after" design is a bit simpler and uses some patterned papers instead of the Copic marker details. 

Usually when I revise a card, I prefer the newer version.  But in this case, I like them both.  The "before" has a more painterly, cozy feeling, and today's "after" is more crisp and graphic in style.  

Card details:

• Card stock is Papertrey Ink (PTI) pure poppy (red), aqua mist, cocoa bean (medium brown), summer sunrise (yellow-orange), and rustic cream.
• Patterned papers are the bitty dot, leaf, and stripe prints from PTI ripe avocado (green), summer sunrise, and classic kraft pattern packs (tone-on-tone prints - retired).
• Dies are PTI picket fence, PTI ad sense (sun), PTI polka dot parade #6, PTI star gazer (tiny sun shape on bow), Impression Obsession cat set, My Favorite Things fresh cut grass, and WPlus9 pretty patches: tree (retired).
• Punch is Martha Stewart bow.
• The cat's eyes are tiny dots of brown Micron pen.
• The sentiment "thinking of you" is from PTI keep it simple: thinking of you, stamped with PTI cocoa bean ink cube.

(329)

Light Green and Rustic Red Vines with Brown Trees

A woodsy scene with vines and tree trunks.  I like the light brown polka dot paper as a partial backdrop, with some of the green visible through the trees on each side.

Card details:

• Card stock is Paper Source sage (light green) and Papertrey Ink (PTI) dark chocolate (brown), Americana (rustic red), and stamper's select white.
• Patterned paper is from Pink Paislee pen pals 6 x 6" pad.
• Dies are PTI my mother, my friend (vine) and cover plate: winter woods. 
• The banner is notched with scissors.
• The sentiment "just a note" is from PTI winter woods, stamped with PTI Americana ink cube.

Created for Operation: Quiet Comfort.

(797)