Happy Valentine’s Day!

 Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

I have a few cards to share that fit the theme a little.  What I have been doing when creating is making a card, and then kindof going with a variation on that theme for a few cards.  So I either make a card set, or just use some of the same supplies that are out, or the same colors, etc.  It has helped me to start rebuilding my card stash. 

The pinky red cardstock is lumiere shimmer cardstock.  

Hero Arts Protea Flowers

Hero Arts Eucalyptus Bold Prints background stamp

Technique Junkies Owls

Owl Sentiment is from a very old Club Scrap rubber stamp set, some Scandinavian themed one…

*The Owl Card is getting entered in the Cardz 4 Guys Challenge - Love 

That card went out to a boy!

*The Sympathy Card will be entered in the Blog Named Hero Do You Believe In  Love challenge

*And the first LOVE card with the Swiss Dots embossing

Will be entered into the Unicorn Challenge - Dots and Stripes

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Heidi

Cleaning My Craft Desk: Owl Always Love You

 I have been working to clean off my craft desk again.  You know how this happens, you see something and have to work on it. In my case, a lot of what is on my desk is partially finished, even to the point of being 75% finished.  Or, you have stamps out on your desk you just have to work with.

So this is my new blog series, what I made when cleaning my craft desk…

This is a super cute and simple card.  

I cut the heart from the patterned paper and then just flipped it over to the other side to get the tree print.  I popped it up instead of inlaying it.  I LOVE this burrowing owl image!  They have so much personality.  I just used Versafine Ink cubes to ink them up in two colors and then added a touch more color with markers.

Technique Junkies Owl stamp

Echo Park Happy Camper 6x6 paper pad

A Little Birdie Told me, It’s Your birthday!

  If you have been reading my blog for a while, you already know I love birds. In fact, I was just out at a park looking at them.  So many cute baby birds, learning the ropes, this time of year!  So I always am drawn to the great bird stamps!

This card using stamps from three different sets that I will link below.  The bird and branch were stamped in brown ink and colored in with pencils and markers.  The blue circle behind them is die cut from my sheet of paper that I brayered all the extra acrylic paint on when I was doing some gelli prints.  Finally, the background was done with a stencil and the shaving cream/reinker technique.  They all happened to get pulled together with the stamps!

Flower & Bird Sketches Stamp Set (From Blank Page Muse shop)

Bird Sheet 141A and Bird Sheet 141B (From I Brake for Stamps shop)

Save 15% off your order at either shop, using my affiliate code BPMHeidi.

I hope you might be inspired to mix and match your stamp sets!  Have a wonderful day!

You can also find more inspiration at the links below:

The Blank Page Muse- https://blankpagemuse.com/

FB Fan Page- https://www.facebook.com/groups/blankpagemuse/

Instagram Shop- https://www.instagram.com/blankpagemuse/

Instagram Blog- https://www.instagram.com/blankpagemuseblog/

Twitter- https://twitter.com/BlankPageMuse

Pintrest- https://www.pinterest.com/blankpagemuse/boards/

New Home Card with Peg Stamps and Alcohol Inks

 Hello everyone!  This will be my first post for a blog challenge in AGES!  I mentally haven’t been able to keep up with all the challenges, but I am feeling a lot more organized in the past couple weeks and am ready to start creating for challenges again.  

I also needed to make a new home card for a stamping friend!  It was important to me that I use alcohol inks on this card, as she is a big fan of them and I know she will enjoy them.

I used NBUS items on this card.  The alcohol ink cardstock for the background is the brushed silver variety, and I had not tried that before.  That did give a fun look and it is kindof a matte finish, which is neat!  

I also used some old and some NBUS peg stamps.  

Rubber Stamp Tapestry Robin’s Nest

Rubber Stamp Tapestry Strawberry Delight (NBUS)

Close to My Heart Scandinavian Folk Art Greetings

I would love to enter the following challenges:

NBUS May 2022

Double D Challenge - Birds Nests Birdcages

SimonSaysStamp Wednesday Challenge - Feminine

THANK YOU FOR VISITING!  Please leave a comment so I know you were here!

Nesting Birds Card

 It’s almost time for nesting season! As an avid birder, I am so excited about this. As soon as the days began getting longer, the birds have started singing their spring songs.  

Anyhow, here is a card to celebrate nesting season using a stamp from I Brake for Stamps.  I stamped in brown dye ink over a glossy cardstock that I brayered with a Kaleidacolor inkpad.  This background went so well with the Cyan Consortium paper pack.  However, I wanted to bring in more brown, so I sponged Tea Dye distress ink around all of the pieces. 

Please consider using my affiliate code BPMHeidi to save 15% off your order at both the I Brake for Stamps and Blank Page Muse stores.  There is a lot of variety to tempt you, including these items:

Pam Bray Designs Cyan Consortium papers

Stampinback Sheet 141B Bird Nests

Other items used today:

Spellbinders Fancy Edge Rectangle Dies

Thank you for visiting!  See you again soon!

Be One With Nature

 Hello!  I have another design team post for sister stores Blank Page Muse and I Brake for Stamps.

Today I would like to share a nature themed card. 

This card using stamps and a stencil from the Woodlands Stamp and Stencil bundle designed by Donna Gray.  You can use my affiliate code BPMHeidi to save 15% at both stores.

I first stenciled over top of some patterned paper using brown Distress inks.  This piece of 12x12 patterned paper is super duper duper old.  I recently cut it up into card size pieces in an effort to use it up.  

Then I stamped my tree right over top. I used all Versafine inks for the stamping here.  I stamped, color and fussy cut out the owl and placed him near the tree. I really like the sentiments in this set. I think a walk in the woods is really great therapy.

I hope you have a wonderful day, less stress, craft more…

Bird Love Card

 Hello again.  Here is a card that I made with my online stamping group recently on zoom. 

 I thought that the bird stamp (Our Daily Bread Designs) would look cute in a heart die cut.  However, in order to make this fancy fold, I needed the die cut to be longer to get enough adhesive on the card base to secure it.  So I just put a label die cut behind this.  The paper is from Prima.

Here is the view from the side.  This card will fold flat in and envelope, but it does not open up, instead you can write your message on the back, and it stands up very easily to display it.  

Thanks for visiting.  Hope you are ver well.

Bird House - Housewarming Card

My friend is moving to a new apartment soon and I wanted to make her a card for her housewarming gift.  I decided to work with this bird set, which includes this cute “Home Tweet Home” sentiment.

I simply stamped, colored and cut out the bird house and the little bird.  I popped the bird up over top, and they layered it over some scraps of pretty patterned paper I had.  I cut a die cut banner for the sentiment and added some cute enamel dots to the card.  

Here is a link to the stamp set I used - Bird Nests Sheet 141B.  (Save 10% on your order using my code SAVE10HEIDI).  The dies are Avery Elle and Gina Marie, both Wonky Stitched borders.  The pack is an older Recollections one called Backyard Table.  

Thanks for visiting today and keep on stamping!

Heidi @MyLittleStampingBlog 

Spring Bird Cards

Hello!  We have been having such a lovely spring.  I have been watching outside my kitchen window as the birds are gathering nesting material, and I have seen larger birds, like crows, flying around carrying large sticks.  This made me think of a set of my favorite bird stamps.

I first made my backgrounds with a stencil and three colors of distress ink.  I found this pretty pastel blue cardstock and decided to stamp my images in dark brown ink.  I did some sponging with brown distress ink but otherwise left these simply stamped. I am quite pleased with these cards.  They will be part of the package of cards I send to the local assisted living center, as they shelter in place.  

These stamps are all from I Brake for Stamps Birds Stamp Sheet 141A (save 10% using my code SAVE10HEIDI), A Colorful Life Designs stencil, Distress Inks Tumbled Glass, Broken China and Vintage photo, Gina K Dark Chocolate Iink.

I’d love to enter Mod Squad Challenge Blog Bird Challenge and Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes challenge.

Thank you for visiting the blog today!  Happy Stamping!

Mixed Media Background - with a more Clean and Simple Look

Hello!  I was trying to clean up my craft desk this morning, and I totally got some inspiration to make a card, and made an even bigger mess!  How about that?  Lol.  

I used a very old, old background that I don’t exactly remember how I made. I think there is a technique called Floating Alcohol inks and that is what I did.  

Anyhow, a stamping friend challenged us to use Partial Stamping on an old background and then make a card from this.  Here is the inspiration video.  I used a variety of stamps in black and orange ink.  When it was finished, I cut the background down to ATC size and sponged the edges with brown distress ink.  

I then paper pieced my Scribbly bird over top.  So another half done project made into a card!  I kind of like how it turned out.  Mixed media in the focal point but CAS otherwise.  

I’d love to enter Mod Squad Challenge - Birds, Cute Card Thursday Challenge - Wings, and Word Art Wednesday - Anything Goes.

I hope that you will leave a comment and let me know how you are doing.  It is a bit chilly and rainy today but it feels like a Saturday.  We are getting into a better routine for cyber schooling and that helps.  Have a good day!

Heidi

Chickadee Thank You Card

ETA (2/5/20):  Thank you to the Card Concept for choosing my card as an Honorable Mention!

Hello everyone!  I have had a busy week and it is just going too fast.  We painted the kitchen and family room on Monday, and there is a lot of work to finish up for that project (touch up + the putting away stuff + all the trim work I will need to be working on) and then all the normal stuff too!

I was thinking this morning on how to use of some of the 12 x 12 Plaid paper pad I got at Michaels, and I had an idea that “just worked.”  This card came together so fast!

I stamped the branches using a green inkpad and a brown marker.  The pinecones were stamped with marker too, and the wee chickadee was just barely colored in.  My Versafine ink had a hard time drying on the green cardstock, even with heating it. It must be some type of coated cardstock that I grabbed out of my scrap bin.  

Supplies: Close to My Heart Spruced Up stamp/die set, Memento and Versafine Black ink, Hero Arts Forever Green ink, Tombow markers, Recollections Christmas Plaid 12x12 paper pad, Gina K Designs Dark Chocolate cardstock.

I’d love to participate in Freshly Made Sketches #419, And The Card Concept Cozy Cabin Challenge (I used the blanket and woodsy setting for my inspiration). And the ModSquad Challenge Animal Stamps.

Thanks for visiting today!

Merry Christmas Bird Houses!

Hello! It has been so dreary recently, in my neck of the woods.  This morning we have a tiny covering of snow outside, but the streets were clear.  I was worried it would be too dark to photograph my card, but I think it turned out okay. 

I’ve noticed that some of you are crafting and posting, at a usual rate. While I have really slowed down. I find that I actually craft more right around Christmas, than the beginning of the month.  We will see if that pans out this year, as well.  

I made a card this morning with a charming stamp that takes up the whole card front.  This makes Christmas cards easier, as I just needed to add some matting to finish off the card.

I colored the image, Merry Christmas Bird Houses, with alcohol markers, and then I added the details and shading with colored pencils. I find that this helps speed up the coloring process.

As always, you can save 10% off this stamp, and your whole stamp order at I Brake for Stamps using my code SAVE10HEIDI.

Thank you for visiting and have a crafty day!

Bird Thank You - textured cardstock

Hello!  Today, I worked on a Thank You card.  First, I sponged light blue Distress ink over textured white cardstock.  I then stamped my bird image onto this, and a second time onto plain white cardstock.

I simply filled in the color with alcohol markers, then fussy cut out the plain bird and glued it over top of the textured paper.  I like the tiny bit of dimension this gives, as I would have lost a lot of the bird detail on the textured cardstock.  

Oh, and I almost forgot! I did add a touch of white gel pen to accent the eye.  I often find that makes a big difference!

The image is from I Brake for Stamps Sheet 141A Birds, and the sentiment is from Florals Sheet.  Ink is Gina K Dark Chocolate.  I am always happy to offer a coupon code that gives you 10% off your entire stamp purchase at I Brake for Stamps: SAVE10HEIDI.

Thank you for visiting today! Happy Stamping!

~~Heidi

Ombré Watercolor Background

Hello everyone! I hope you had a good Monday.  Mine was filled with some cardmaking, but also a bunch of errands and cleaning.  It was really nice summer weather.  Not too hot and not too humid.  Can’t complain about that!  

I have been admiring the stamps that Technique Junkies makes, as I am a long time reader of one of their Design Team member, Beth. I finally decided to make a purchase, and used this gorgeous bird stamp first!

I first created an Ombré Watercolor background with my pan watercolors.  These can be fun to do. You start with a lot of color, and then use more and more water as you go.  After it dried, I stamped right over top.  I then used watercolor markers to fill in the colors, and I blended the colors with a water brush.

The sentiment is one from Power Poppy.  I thought it went right along with this image.  

Supplies: Technique Junkies Watercolor Birds, Power Poppy Woodland Carpet stamp set, Versafine Onyx Black ink, Koi Pan watercolor travel set, watercolor paper, Tombow Water Based markers.

Thanks for visiting today!  I feel like I am back in the swing of things.  How about you?  Have you had time for crafting lately?

Birdhouse Mother’s Day Cards

Hello stamping friends!  I would like to share these cards which I recently made for Mother’s Day.  This stamp is large, measuring almost 6 inches by 3.5 inches.  It would be great for 5x7 cards, but today I cropped it to fit a standard A2 card. 

I colored the image with alcohol markers, adding some detail with a white gel pen. I decided to color the birds as a family of Eastern Bluebirds, as these are my Grandma’s favorite.  I colored a second image and framed it out slightly differently to suit my mom’s tastes.

Supplies:  I Brake for Stamps Large Summer Time Birdhouse, Dahlia Quarter Sheet and Bird Sheet 141A, Memento and Versafine Black inks, Gina Marie x stitched rectangle dies, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers. 

(You can always save 10% on your entire purchase at I Brake for Stamps using my code SAVE10HEIDI)

Thanks for visiting today! Hope you have time for stamping and creativity today!

Hero Arts Layering Birds - Two Cards

Hello!  I saw a neat color combo for this bird layering stamp set and had to try it. While I had the set out, I went ahead and tried another combination too.

Supplies: CL866 Layering Birds and Branches, CL748 You’re So Kind sets.

Bird 1 color combo: Gina K Innocent Pink, Avery Elle Kraft Pigment, Avery Elle Truffle Pigment, Versafine Onyx Black

Bird 2 color combo: Avery Elle Daisy, Kraft (with some residue of red ink on the stamp) Truffle all pigment inks

Leaves all done with Avery Elle Jungle with Truffle layer

Gina K Dark Chocolate cardstock, Cuttlebug embossing folder

I would love to enter A Blog Named Hero’s Clean and Simple Challenge.

Do you have a preference for either card?

Thanks for visiting today! I will be back with another post tomorrow!

American Goldfinch Notecard

Hello!  How are you today?  When I recently saw that the American Goldfinches in my yard were molting into their beautiful breeding plumage, I had to get out this stamp!

These birds reside in my area all year round, but are a drab color in winter.  If you catch one in the middle of its molt, it will look strange and patchy, as they do not molt all their feathers evenly.  Another interesting fact about them is that they breed later in the Spring than other songbirds, as their food of choice, the thistle, is in bloom in late Spring/Early Summer, so that is when they want those eggs to hatch!

 I colored this bird with alcohol markers.  A male American Goldfinch’s breeding plumage is a lovely bright yellow color all over, but I wanted to add a bit of shadow and texture so I added some light grey marker here and there.  

Supplies: I Brake for Stamps Goldfinch stamp, Sentiment is from Quarter Sheet Dahlia, Memento and Versafine Black inks, Avery Elle Wonky Stitched rectangle dies, other items from my stash.

Like this stamp?  Use Coupon code SAVE10HEIDI to save 10% off your entire orders at the I Brake for Stamps Store.

Thanks for visiting today!

Hand Stamped Bird card with the Drapery Fold

Hello everyone!  It is very cold this morning, but I want you to know that as I was walking in from taking my child to carpool, I heard the birds singing their SPRING songs.  Not just chirping like they do all winter, this was the actual defending their territory song. YAY!  Spring is coming!

Bird stamps are some of my favorite stamps, as I might be a bird nerd, and this stamp is no exception!

I stamped the bird with brown ink and colored it lightly with chalk pastels.  This may be an “old” way of coloring, but it is still really effective, not to mention, fast and easy!  I then fussy cut out the bird.  

I used the drapery fold again for this card.  You may remember the Valentines I made earlier. You can find instructions on how to do this here, although there are a lot of different ways to do this.  I love the elegant look.  

I then used some scraps of the same pattered paper, and a couple small stamps from the same set, and decorated the inside of my card.  I don’t have a formal blog challenge for myself this year, but I have been trying to decorate the insides of cards!  I am not doing every card, but I have been able to do quite a few!

Supplies: I Brake for Stamps Bird Sheet 141A, Gina K Designs Dark Chocolate ink, Hero Arts Soft Sand Shadow Ink, Close to My Heart paper, other items from my stash.

Use my code SAVE10HEIDI to save 10% off your order at the I Brake for Stamps store.

Thank you for your kind visit and all your encouraging comments!

Faux Postage Winter Cardinal

Hello!  Hope you are well today!

Do you know about Just for Fun’s Faux Postage stamps and stencils?  They are made to work together to make some unique stamping projects.  I love any kind of tool that helps me do something different with the stamps I already have, and this definitely is fun and different!

First, I stamped the grid stamp, then I placed the coordinating stencil over top. I sponged light blue distress ink over the stencil and then, with the stencil still in place, stamped a pine branch all around.  The final step for the background was flicking some Perfect Pearls mixed with water over top to add some shine and the idea of snow.

 I decided to use the grid as a representation of a window reflection, and popped my fussy cut cardinal over top.  

Supplies: Just for Fun Rubber Stamps 3 + 1 Faux Post Stamp, 3 + 1 Faux Post Stencil, Large Cardinal Stamp, Pine Branch Sketch Stamp, Distress Ink Tumbled Glass, Green Pigment ink, Perfect Pearls, Versafine Black Ink, Darice Snowflake Embossing folder, Prismacolor Colored Pencils.

Thank you for your visit! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Winter Birds

Hello!  I am sharing a Christmas card that I made using a non-Christmas stamp set.  I love this bird,  although I do not know which species it is supposed to be. It looks so fluffed up, like the birds at my feeders look in winter, trying to stay warm.

I first stamped the bird and branch in brown in and colored it with pencils.  I was thinking of a House Finch when I was coloring this bird, as it is a frequent visitor to my feeders.  I die cut the branch and fussy cut the bird.  I decided to add Christmas colors using scraps of cardstock in my layout and then perched the bird on the branch. I added some Nuvo Crystal Drops just for a touch of sparkle.

Supplies: I Brake for Stamps Bird Sheet 141A, Gina K Dark Chocolate ink, Prismacolor pencils, Gina Marie X Stitched Circle dies, cardstock from my stash, Sizzix Poinsettia Embossing Folder, Nuvo Crystal Drops Blizzard

You can save 10% on every order at I Brake for Stamps with my code SAVE10HEIDI. 

I’d love to enter these challenges.  Thank you for hosting!
SimonSaysStamp’s Wednesday Challenge - Christmas
Cute Card Thursday - Embossing
Tuesday Throwdown - anything goes

Thank you for your kind visit today!  I really appreciate every encouraging comment on my blog and look forward to visiting your blog soon!