Silly Squirrels

September 1, 2017September 1, 2017 linda5 Comments

i’m playing along with the Impression Obsession challenge and its ‘so very thankful’ theme.

i used the IO Dies: leafy branch DIE055-N (pretend it’s a tree), and squirrel set DIE213-D and painted everything with twinkling H2Os. the squirrels and acorns are popped on foam tape and the sentiment is from the More Basic Greetings CL549 clear set. i attached the watercolour paper panel to an A2 card base and this card goes to my husband.

we have these silly squirrels racing around our back yard to find hiding spots for food only i’m not sure they’re the same squirrels that find it.

i’m also submitting this card to Simon Says Stamp, where Anything Goes and Shopping Our Stash #318 Your Favorite Season – mine is fall for the cooler temperatures, the colours, hot chocolate and baking comfort food. :)

thanks for popping by.

This Is Huge

August 27, 2017 linda4 Comments

i made this card for my daughter, who i’m so proud of; she’s worked hard to reach a goal that will enable her to continue her studies because she was way above the cut off mark.

i painted this happy Art Impressions stamp, appropriately called this is huge with twinkling H2Os and also painted the background after i stamped the hero arts stamp and heat embossed it. i used one of the sentiments on the front and the other on the inside – you did it!

Thanks for popping by.

Santa Hedgy For Rudolph Days

August 25, 2017January 20, 2018 linda11 Comments

it’s time for the august rudolph days challenge to make at least one christmas card on the 25th of every month so you’ll avoid that last minute rush to create holiday cards; ‘anything goes’ is always the theme.

this penny black hedgy is having fun playing santa. i painted with twinkling H2Os, added flower soft to his hat, stickles for snow and some memory box lower case alphabet letters. the snowflake paper is printed paper. another fun to make holiday card for my stash.

the challenge runs until the end of the month so be sure to visit the blog for more inspiration and to check out the simple rules.

i’m also submitting this to the penny black Holiday Head Start Challenge.

thanks for popping by.

Back To School Supplies

August 24, 2017August 24, 2017 linda6 Comments

today i’m sharing a little card that holds some extra goodies.

i die cut the paper smooches lights die from purple mirri, added some yellow twinkling H2O and stamped the sentiment from the christmas sampler clear set. i’m submitting this card to the Paper Smooches challenge where anything goes for July and August.

i used the paper smooches bookmarks dies to create some coordinating bookmarks.

i’m playing along with the August Scor-Pal More than One Score Challenge #40 to create 3D cards. i used my scor pal and my scor buddy to create this tent card and to custom design the box on the back to hold a small pencil and the bookmarks.

and, since this is for my daughter heading back to school, i’m also submitting this to the back to school challenge at simon says wednesday along with the anything goes theme at Dies R Us #79

thanks for popping by.

Cute Koala

August 21, 2017August 21, 2017 linda2 Comments

i had fun creating this card for the reverse confetti challenge and its august sketch for you to try:

i painted the background, cute koala and tree branches with twinkling H2Os and then fussy cut the branches and popped the image on foam tape. i stamped the small flowers from the same set, die cut with circle dies and also painted them with twinks. i finished it off with stickles to the flower centres.

thanks for popping by.

Penny Black And More Mid August All Creatures

August 18, 2017August 18, 2017 linda8 Comments

i’m sharing my mid month DT card for the august penny black and more challenge.

i painted with twinkling H2Os, used the adorable penny black hugs! mice and two penny black dies: heart string and sending love. i rarely make cards this bright, but it’s summer and i was in the mood to use my least favourite colour – orange, usually reserved for autumn card making.

remember, you can use any company’s stamp for your focal point – just no digis please; a future guest designer will be selected from those who use a PB image and as always, you’ll love the prizes to be won from: Penny Black, Crafts U Love, Sizzix.

visit the blog for some creative inspiration by my teamies.

thanks for popping by.

IO Sailboats and IO Sale

August 17, 2017August 17, 2017 linda7 Comments

i’m playing along with the Impression Obsession challenge and this was a tough one for me: orange and turquoise. wow. after a couple of failed attempts, i managed to complete a card.

i painted washes with orange and turquoise twinkling H2Os, cut and painted the IO sailboats and stamped the IO take time sentiment.

i was happy to have won the gift certificate from the last challenge and i found some fabulous sentiment sets in the 50% clearance sale; it’s worth checking out.

i’m also playing along with these challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Add a Sentiment
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – NAUTICAL
Dies R Us #79 – Anything Goes

thanks for popping by.

Christmas Trees

August 11, 2017 linda1 Comment

i had some trees that wouldn’t quite fit on the christmas card so i used them to create a christmas tag.

i painted the sky and trees from the Essentials by Ellen Home & Hearth die set by Julie with twinkling H2Os and stamped the sentiment from the Avery Elle Retro Ornaments set. to finish it off, i added stickles to the stars and centres of the snowflakes in the sentiment.

i’m also submitting this to the august mix it up challenge at ellen hutson to pair EH with Avery Elle products.

thanks for popping by.

Christmas Lights

August 11, 2017August 11, 2017 linda2 Comments

i’m working on my christmas cards; i know it’s a bit early, but i’m a slow card maker.

i’m playing along with the august mix it up challenge at ellen hutson – this time the challenge is to pair EH with Avery Elle products. i used the lights and sentiment from the Avery Elle Retro Ornaments stamp set and the houses and stars from the Essentials by Ellen Home & Hearth die set by Julie.

i was inspired by the colourful houses in newfoundland and of course i painted the sky, houses and lights with twinkling H2Os and added some stickles to the stars.

thanks for popping by.

All Creatures At Penny Black And More

August 6, 2017August 6, 2017 linda9 Comments

it’s time for a new theme for august at the penny black and more challenge and this time we’d like to see all creatures great and small.

i had a lot of fun painting these little mice; the penny black image, 1649k surprise, is a wood mount stamp. of course i painted everything with twinkling H2Os and added bits of yellow stickles.

to play along, you can use any company’s hand stamped image for your focal point; a future guest designer will be selected from those who use a PB image and as always, you’ll love the prizes to be won from: Penny Black, Crafts U Love, and Sizzix.

visit the blog to see what kind of creatures the rest of the team used.

thanks for popping by.

Painted Poinsettia

August 4, 2017November 14, 2019 linda10 Comments

it feels so good to have a bit of time to relax, paint and create.

i used one of my favourite poinsettia stamps for the christmas in july theme for the Impression Obsession challenge : i love this IO Poinsettia (H8301) because it’s so open and i paired it with a new IO sentiment stamp Warmest Wishes (D14682).

the image was stamped three times, painted with twinkling h2os, fussy cut and attached to a splattered background, sponged with distress inks; to finish it off i added some nuvo crystal drops.

i’m also playing along with:
Little Red Wagon – Use Favorite Products: twinkling H2Os, my favourite red twink, paint brushes, watercolour paper, poinsettia stamp.
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday – Splatter it
Happy Little Stampers Christmas August – Poinsettia
Craft Stamper Take It, Make It Challenge – Anything Goes

thanks for popping by.

Penny Black And More Mid July For The Boys

July 18, 2017July 17, 2017 linda6 Comments

all of a sudden, time is passing so quickly; how does that happen?! we’re mid way through July but there’s still time to join us for the penny black and more challenge.

this adorable teddy image from the penny black ‘eat cake’ stamp set is one of my favourite penny black images to use when i need a masculine card. i’ve painted the sky and image with twinkling H2Os as usual.

see some creative inspiration by my teamies at the blog.

thanks for popping by.

So Thankful

July 7, 2017July 7, 2017 linda7 Comments

it’s now been one month since my new hip and for the first time since surgery, i got out today! even if it was only to my follow up doctor’s appointment. :)

i wanted to thank the home visiting nurse who followed up with my unexpected severe reaction to adhesive so i created this card for her, mostly in blues just like her uniform.

i painted the adorable mouse and envelope with twinkling H2Os, both from the mama elephant page huggers stamp set, die cut with the coordinating dies, and popped the die cut box on foam tape; both it and the sentiment were die cut from blue corrugated paper. finally, i die cut the scallop frame and attached it to a white base.

i’m playing along with these challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – RED WHITE AND/OR BLUE
Cut it Up– Must have Die Cuts No. 125 – Patriotic Red, White, and Blue

thanks for popping by.

Penny Black And More For The Boys

July 2, 2017July 17, 2017 linda14 Comments

since it’s the first sunday in july, it’s time for a new theme at the penny black and more challenge: this month we’re creating ‘for the boys.’

i painted this cute image from the penny black clear set, ‘a bear of all trades’ with twinkling H2Os and added one of the sentiments from the same set; the background was made by stamping a magenta stencil with distress inks.

i hope you’ll come and play along – remember, you can use any company’s stamp for your focal point, just no digis please; a future guest designer will be selected from those who use a PB image and as always, you’ll love the prizes to be won from: Penny Black, Marianne Design, Stamp Addicts, Sizzix.

visit the blog for some creative inspiration by my teamies.

i’d like to submit this card to these challenges:
Allsorts: A Question of Sport
Simon Says Monday: Stencil It

thanks for popping by.

Double Double, Eh?

June 27, 2017June 27, 2017 linda4 Comments

if you follow me, you know that i got a new hip the first week of june so i have really missed playing and making a paper mess. it has taken me most of the week to do a little each day, but i managed to create this card for my husband and the Paper Smooches Challenge – men!

i found this coffee cup die at www.papersmooches.net and it’s perfect for thanking my hubby for bringing my timmys double doubles to the hospital. i die cut the red and white from a tims commemorative paper cup celebrating canada’s 150th with canadian icons, fussy cut the inukshuk, and die cut the corrugated paper from the tims commemorative sleeve.

i die cut the beans and painted them with twinkling H2Os and albrecht durer watercolour pencils.

thanks for popping by.

Happy Rudolph Days June

June 25, 2017June 25, 2017 linda15 Comments

while i’m recuperating with my new hip, my crafting and computer time is limited so this is a scheduled post.

this is my DT card for scrappymo’s rudolph days challenge in june where we make a card, or more, on the 25th of the month but the challenge runs until the end of the month. and, you have a chance to win a fabulous prize.

i love snowmen and i have quite a collection of stamps but i had to have this one because it’s a family of four. i painted this Wild Rose Studio Snowmen image with twinkling H2Os, added white flocking and some stickles for the snow on the ground.

i’d like to submit this card to these challenges:
ABC Christmas Challenge: L & M are for Love and More than one
Simon Says Wednesday: Use Patterned Paper
Jingle Belles: Stars or Stripes or Both

thanks for popping by.

In Loving Memory

June 18, 2017June 18, 2017 linda7 Comments

This is a scheduled post while I recuperate with my new hip.

It’s now been eight years since my son passed away from cancer. so many memories, but i like to choose one every year and create a card around it.

when my son was four he decided he wanted to be a clown for halloween but there weren’t many choices in the remote area we lived in so i sewed his costume, ruffle and pointed hat from some very bright print fabric. needless to say, he loved it and, in retrospect, it suited his personality and sense of humour.

i painted these cute penny black clowns with sennelier watercolour paints and twinkling H2Os.

since we’re halfway through this month’s ‘anything goes’ theme at the penny black and more challenge you still have time to join us as we mark the 7th birthday of the challenge blog and be entered to win one of two amazing prizes.

visit the blog to see the prizes on offer this month and for some creative inspiration by my teamies.

thanks for popping by.

Blogging Break

June 6, 2017June 6, 2017 linda10 Comments

i’ll be off again for a bit while i get a new hip, but i managed to find time to make one more card to post before i’m off.

i’m playing along with the as you like it challenge to share your Favourite Reason to make Cards (and why). it’s difficult to choose – i love making christmas cards and i love painting whimsical images that make me smile regardless of the occasion. i love finding images that i can use to personalize a card and i hope they make the recipients smile too.

i’m taking this one with me for the hospital physiotherapist; i think they’re close on the list to dentists that people do not want to see. :) painted with twinkling H2Os and the stamping bella sentiment comes with the stamp.

even though i was slow to comment and email because of my new knee, i’ll be behind again. as soon as i’m up to it, i hope to get around to visit.

thanks for popping by.

Penny Black And More Is 7 Years Old!

June 4, 2017June 3, 2017 linda11 Comments

there are two very special prizes on offer this month as we celebrate the 7th birthday of the penny black and more challenge!

check out these prizes:

for a chance to win one of these two amazing prizes just create a project that adheres to this month’s anything goes theme and then leave a comment to let us know which prize you would like to have a chance to win.

i masked and used a couple of images from the penny black party time clear stamp set to create this long and narrow birthday card and, as usual, i painted with twinkling H2Os.

remember, you can use any company’s stamp for your focal point, just no digis please; a future guest designer will be selected from those who use a PB image.

visit the blog for full details and some creative inspiration by my teamies.

thanks for popping by.

Product Review – Tonic Studios Scissors

May 30, 2017May 30, 2017 linda3 Comments

Paper Crafting With RA

Cutting paper and fussy cutting images are tasks that I usually avoid because of the strain and subsequent pain in my hands so I was eager to test the scissors Tonic Studios USA sent to me.

For the past couple of weeks, I cut a variety of materials with each of the scissors as listed below.

Spring-Cut Multi-Purpose Scissors 10″

9 sheets of 9″ x 12″ felt in half and in half again; also cut through two sheets at once
12″ x 12″ scrapbook paper into smaller pieces
140 lb. hot press watercolour paper sheets into smaller pieces
poster board
glitter paper
copy paper
fabric

I like these scissors! The blades are sharp, they fit comfortably in my hand and I love the spring action – it makes them easy to operate and they are perfect for when a longer scissor blade is needed. The locking mechanism opens effortlessly with my thumbnail and just as easily locks back in place. The protective blade cover is also easy to remove and replace.

Spring-Cut Fine Tip Detail Scissors 6.5″

140 lb. hot press watercolour paper azalea petals and leaves
90 lb. cold press watercolour paper doodle flowers and leaves
170 gsm heavyweight printed cardstock paper doodle flowers and leaves

I like these scissors too! Like the larger scissors, they fit comfortably in my hand and the spring action is easy to operate so cutting is more enjoyable and less painful. I stamped the azaleas below twice on 140 lb. hot press watercolour paper, painted with sennelier watercolour paints, cut the leaves and attached them to the card base; then I cut the petals and adhered them. I also used these to cut the 90 lb. cold press watercolour paper flowers and the heavyweight printed cardstock that I stamped the flowers on. These will be my go to scissors for fussy cutting. The locking mechanism easily opens and locks back in place and the protective blade cover is easy to remove and replace.

170 gsm heavyweight printed cardstock flowers

Decoupage Scissors

140 lb. hot press watercolour paper azalea petals and leaves
90 lb. cold press watercolour paper doodle flowers and leaves
170 gsm heavyweight printed cardstock paper doodle flowers and leaves

Because of the smaller size, these required more finger grip strength and dexterity than I have. Both the 140 lb. hot press and 90 lb. cold press watercolour paper flowers were difficult to cut through. Although they worked best when i cut the doodle flowers above from the 170 gsm heavyweight printed cardstock, I preferred the 6.5″ spring cut detail scissors.

Tim Holtz 7″ Non-Stick Titanium Scissors

double sided sticky paper
foam tape
cut ‘n dry foam
ez mount foam
wire edged ribbon
glitter paper
cardboard
chipboard
lightweight aluminum

I was pleasantly surprised with these scissors because I really like the spring action of the others. The blades are very sharp, the handles are comfortable and these scissors are especially useful when cutting double sided adhesive sheets and foam tape. In addition to the materials listed above, I also fussy cut some shapes from a cardboard box with ease. The blade cover snaps in place but i could only remove it with the use of a rubber gripper.

Try before you buy! My local stamp store owner lets me test a product to see if it suits my hands; she has opened brand new products for me to try but sometimes there’s a model that is used for classes anyway.

Thanks to Tonic Studios for allowing me the opportunity to discover useable products that make my paper crafting time more enjoyable and thank you for popping by.

Jingle All The Way

May 29, 2017 linda10 Comments

i’ve been a bit slow so far this year with my holiday card making so a couple of christmas card challenges provided me with the perfect inspiration.

i painted with twinkling H2Os, which you probably already guessed, and i added the penny black jingle die and some Bo Bunny Christmas papers that have been discontinued; i should’ve stocked up.

these are the challenges i’m playing along with:

Rudolph Days at Maureen’s (scrappymo)
ABC Christmas Challenge – J – jingle bells

thanks for popping by.

Bear Hugs

May 26, 2017May 26, 2017 linda5 Comments

i made another card using an adorable Reverse Confetti koala but this time i’m playing along with the Reverse Confetti sketch for you to try challenge:

I painted this little cutie from the Reverse Confetti bear hug stamp set with twinkling H2Os and added two of the sentiments from the same set. i finished this card earlier in the week but my love/hate view on technology peaked: my camera kept acting up, bought a new one that won’t connect to my outdated modem so my provider will ship me a new one.

i’d also like to submit this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – Furry Friends.

thanks for popping by.

Happy Birthday

May 23, 2017May 27, 2017 linda12 Comments

i made another tag with this mama elephant die, but this time using one of the cute penny black cat images.

i painted with twinkling H2Os and attached the front of the tag to some printed paper.

i’m playing along with these challenges:

Allsorts – Happy 8th Birthday!
Cutie Pie Challenge – #111 Cute + Ribbon and Rubber
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – LITTLE CRITTERS
Really Reasonable Ribbon – No.164 Anything But A Card with ribbon/trim
As You Like It Challenge – Favourite Skin or Fur Color Combo (and Why); i love painting the penny black cat and hedgie images black/white/pink because the colours coordinate with any other colour.

thanks for popping by.

Penny Black And More Mid May Reminder

May 18, 2017May 17, 2017 linda5 Comments

today i’m sharing the DT creation i made for the penny black and more challenge mid month post and this is the beautiful photo and/or colour inspiration we have for you this month:

i used one of the penny black hedgie images from the party time clear set on a mama elephant die and coloured it with colour pencils. the inside sentiment is from the penny black special wishes sentiment set.

you have until may 31 to play along – remember, you can use any company’s stamp for your focal point – just no digis please; a future guest designer will be selected from those who use a PB image. as always, visit the blog for some creative inspiration by my teamies and take a peek at the prizes from: Penny Black, Crafts U Love, Sizzix.

thanks for popping by.

Hi There

May 15, 2017 linda4 Comments

i’m playing along with this month’s ellen hutson mix it up challenge; they’re mixing it up with reverse confetti.

i used one of the cute koala images from the reverse confetti bear hug stamp set, painted everything with twinkling H2Os and added the hi there sentiment from the essentials by ellen all inside stamp set. the image panel is popped on foam tape and i have another clean and simple card for my stash.

i’m also playing along with the little red wagon challenge #393 – punny projects.

thanks for popping by.

Penny Black And More May

May 7, 2017May 7, 2017 linda9 Comments

oh my goodness, it’s may already! and since it’s the first sunday of the month, it’s time for me to share my DT card for the monthly penny black and more challenge. we have a beautiful photo and/or colour inspiration for you:

i was inspired to use this sweet Penny Black stamp, ‘A Tender Hug.’ i painted the sky and image with twinkling H2Os and added yellow stickles to the flower centres.

you have until may 31 to play along – remember, you can use any company’s stamp for your focal point – just no digis please; a future guest designer will be selected from those who use a PB image and as always, you’ll love the prizes to be won from: Penny Black, Crafts U Love, Sizzix.

visit the blog for some creative inspiration by my teamies.

thanks for popping by.

Yeti To Party

May 2, 2017 linda5 Comments

i created this card for someone who enjoys yeti shows and has a milestone to celebrate.

this cute Darcie’s yeti stamp was painted with twinkling H2Os and i thought the sentiment from the same stamp set was perfect.

i’m submitting this card to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – The Great Outdoors. you never know if you might spot a yeti out there. :)

thanks for popping by.

Rudolph Reindeer Treat Box

April 27, 2017 linda10 Comments

i’m playing along with the poppy stamps challenge #31; the theme is ‘gift it’.

design team member Pam Simpson created a beautiful and elegant pillow box, so i was inspired to make one too only mine is much simpler; and, if you know me, i chose a cute and whimsical image. i painted the poppy stamps rudolph reindeer with twinkling H2Os, cut it with the matching die and attached it to a tiny pillow box made from birch tree print christmas paper.

thanks for popping by.

Happy Rudolph Days And Twinkling H2O Tips

April 25, 2017April 25, 2017 linda12 Comments

it’s the 25th so i’m sharing my DT card for the monthly rudolph days challenge, which runs until the last day of the month. visit scrappymo’s blog to be inspired and have fun!

as usual, i painted the sky and this adorable Darcie’s reindeer with twinkling H2Os, added some snow, a snow drift and a die cut sentiment covered in stickles.

i’ve painted most of my images with twinkling H2Os for years; i love these shimmery watercolour paints! if you haven’t tried them yet, i’d like to share some tips to show you just how easy they are to use.

Twinkling H2O Tips:

Activate: spritz the paint pot(s) to activate.
Wait: put the kettle on and wait at least 5 minutes for the paint to get to a syrup consistency.
Stamp: heat embossed images will help contain the paint in each section of an image. for best results, use watercolour paper and a waterproof ink although twinks do blend well on kraft cardstock with a damp brush; too much water and the kraft paper will pill. the small image below measures 1″ wide by 2 1/4″ long and i painted it from dried palette paints that i reactivated.
Mix: the paint in the pot needs to be evenly blended with the water.
Paint: either direct from pot method for more intense colour or from a palette where you can add water and/or mix colours. A little goes a long way!
Any unused paint on a palette (disposable palette paper, plastic, or my preference – a white corelle sandwich plate used solely for my paints) can be covered (with a paper towel, wax paper or teflon sheet) when dry and reactivated later with a damp paint brush.
Store: if you do want to keep the lids on for storage, let the paint completely dry in the pot; otherwise the lids will glue shut.

Twinkling H2Os Sale at Colourarte: 20% off small jars for the month of April. No coupon required; discount will be applied at checkout.

Twinkling H2Os videos at Colourarte.

if you have any questions, let me know. thanks for popping by.

April Showers

April 21, 2017April 21, 2017 linda6 Comments

the paper smooches april 2017 challenge is showers, something we’ve had a lot of lately. i know the farmers need it, but i need sunshine!

last month i used the paper smooches paint palette die to create birthday candles for this tag. this month i’m using the same die set to create raindrops; everything is painted with twinkling H2Os.

i’m also playing along with these challenges:
simon says work it wednesday – April showers bring May Flowers!
Little Red Wagon – #390 – April Showers

thanks for popping by.

Still Celebrating Spring At Penny Black And More

April 18, 2017April 18, 2017 linda10 Comments

just a reminder that you still have plenty of time to play along with the ‘spring’ theme this month at the penny black and more challenge blog.

i thought i’d use this adorable Penny Black wood stamp known as Plimsoll Pete wearing some cute boots. everything is painted with twinkling H2Os and i added a sentiment from the penny black clear set, garden friends.

visit the blog for some creative inspiration by my teamies.

thanks for popping by.

Product Review – Ink Pads

April 15, 2017April 25, 2017 linda5 Comments

Paper Crafting With RA

this month i’m reviewing ink pads. i usually use black ink to stamp images to watercolour but regardless of ink colour, an ink pad must be useable.

ink review snailzpace.wordpress.com the first ink pad i bought ten years ago remains my favourite: Tsukinenko’s Versafine onyx black.

ink review snailzpace.wordpress.com.2 i like the thumb indent and the hinged lid easily flips to the bottom so it’s one unit; the depth of the lid and bottom are equal, which makes it easier to hold a larger surface that measures just under 3/4″.

ink review snailzpace.wordpress.com.6 the overhanging lid of Tsukinenko’s memento luxe ink pad is easy to remove and the curved design, allowing for finger placement, helps somewhat ease the pressure and grip strength needed to hold the 1/8″ surface.

ink review snailzpace.wordpress.com.3 Tsukinenko’s smaller dew drop ink pads require more pinching and grasping, which becomes painful with frequent use so i don’t use these very often.

ink review snailzpace.wordpress.com.4 the thumb/finger indents on Ranger’s archival ink pads make it easy to open and remove the lid.

ink review snailzpace.wordpress.com.5 but the straight edged design of the bottom requires more grip strength to hold its 1/8″ edge surface.

ink review snailzpace.wordpress.com.7 the lids and bottom surfaces of the smaller cubes that i have are equal; most have a 3/8″ bottom surface to hold so there is less pinching and grasping required than the 1/8″surface of some of the larger pads.

ink review snailzpace.wordpress.com.9 the recessed lids of Ranger’s distress ink pads are very difficult to grasp and remove; i can’t open most of them so i rarely use them now.

in 2010, i let tim holtz know that due to severe rheumatoid arthritis the distress ink pads are difficult to open and any plans to change the design to make them more accessible to people with disabilities would be greatly appreciated.

tim holtz responded: “sorry linda, the design of the pad has been the same for the past 5 years. the 2 part ink pad we’ve found is the easiest to open in fact. hinged lids are the most difficult to handle. the lid has to be somewhat snug in order to keep the ink pad airtight or it would dry up too quickly. perhaps you should open your pads, and store them in air tight zip bags to make it easier to access. hope this tip helps!”

no, zip bags would not help since they are always difficult for me to open.

as i mentioned, the hinged versafine ink pad is my favourite so i’ll just purchase those paper crafting products that are useable by me.

thanks for popping by.

Easter Treat Boxes

April 12, 2017August 12, 2017 linda8 Comments

i made some more treat boxes with the taylored expressions matchbox die and some cute memory box bunnies.

i painted with twinkling H2Os and fussy cut the bow to attach to the pot and then covered it in clear wink of stella.

i’d like to submit these to the following challenges:

Little Red Wagon – Easter
Cutie Pie Challenge – #110 Cute + Bunnies and Chicks
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – Hip Hop!

thanks for popping by.

Green And Gold

April 4, 2017 linda3 Comments

i’m cutting it close to the deadline for the Essentials by Ellen March Pin-Sights Challenge but that’s because i scrapped my first card – an idea that only looked good in my mind’s eye.

this is the beautiful collection of photos for inspiration:

and here’s my quickly made card, inspired by all the green and gold:

i splattered with twinkling H2Os, die cut the pretty pink posh border and added the essentials by ellen many thanks die cut sentiment.

thanks for popping by.

All Things Spring At Penny Black And More

April 2, 2017November 14, 2019 linda21 Comments

wow, it’s the first sunday of april already but that means it’s time for a fun new theme at the penny black and more challenge blog; this month we’d like to see all things spring.

i love this happy bunny, a penny black wood stamp called spring joy! as usual, i painted with twinkling H2Os, stamped the spring sentiment from the penny black clear set, garden friends, and added the die cut wishes from the penny black die set of the same name.

visit the blog for some creative inspiration from the team and to welcome our newest team member, Daniela.

remember, you can use any company’s stamp for your focal point, just no digis please; a future guest designer will be selected from those who use a PB image and you’ll love the prizes to be won from: Penny Black, Crafty Ribbons, Tattered Lace, Stix 2.

i’d like to submit this card to these challenges:
happy little stampers watercolour challenge: anything goes with an optional twist- rainbows
Sweet Stampers #5 – Easter or Spring
Little Red Wagon – #387 – Something that Hops
Alphabet Challenge – B for Bunnies
Simon Says Work it Wednesday March 2017 – Spring Has Sprung
As You Like It Challenge – Favourite Colouring Medium (and Why): my favourite are watercolour paints, especially twinkling H2Os; i love the shimmer, i love mixing colours, and i love losing myself in the painting process.