Froggie Went a-Courtin' - Get Well Card

I just couldn't resist this adorable bicycle-riding frog when I saw him recently at my local Michaels store.  He's so dapper and is sure to bring cheer in any number of ways.  Today, he's gracing a get well card that I'm sending to someone having surgery.

Froggie was stamped on whisper white cardstock and colored with Prismacolor pencils.  The patterned papers by Bazzill are in a color called intense kiwi.  Indeed!

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great day!

Supplies:
Purple and white cardstock by Bazzill; patterned papers by Bazzill; whisper white cardstock from Stampin' Up; frog image by Inkadinkado; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; oval and scalloped oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders; Martha Stewart border punch; corner rounder punch.

Be Yourself - Scrap Card

Oh my gosh!  It's been almost two months since I blogged.  There's been a lot going on and although I have been making things occasionally, I've been in kind of a slump the last few months.  Some days I have felt extreme guilt for not using my time more productively and for not keeping up with life's events.  It's not a good feeling.  But the advent of the holidays has lightened my mood and I feel ready to jump back into the mosh pit and create something.

Whenever I need to push the reset button, I go back to my roots and create a card using rubber stamps.  This one came together fairly quickly.  All of the papers are from my scrap pile.  The focal image was stamped on vanilla cardstock and colored with Prismacolor pencils. 

"Mack"

I'm sending this card to my friend Stu, who recently got a new puppy.  His name is Mack and he's adorable.  Little does Mack know that his Auntie Iowa is including a special treat for him:  a squeaky Sock Monkey!  Won't his daddy appreciate that?  Probably not.  But what are friends for?

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful day.

Supplies:
Black and red cardstock by Bazzill; patterned papers by Tim Holtz (bingo) and unknown (polka dot); vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; focal image by American Art Stamp; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; antique linen and gathered twigs distress ink; splatter pattern stamp by All Night Media; oval and scalloped oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders; border punch by Martha Stewart; pop-dots.

New Job - Thank You

I interviewed for a job last week and planned to send a thank you card to the manager.  Before I could even mail the card, she called to offer me the job!  I start next week and I'm excited to try something new after being in the same field for many years.

I started with the patterned papers by Teresa Collins.  The flapper image by Hampton Art Stamps was stamped on vanilla cardstock and colored with Prismacolor Premier pencils to coordinate with the violet and yellow color scheme.  The card needed a little bling and after digging around in my stash, I found this black rhinestone flourish by Recollections.  I cut it into three pieces before adhering it.

I can't believe October is here already!  It still feels like summer because it's been unusually dry and warm here in the Midwest.  For once, I'm kind of ready for autumn.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Black cardstock by Bazzill; naturals ivory and very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; patterned papers by Teresa Collins; woman by Hampton Art Stamps; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; antique linen distress ink; scallop border punch by EK Success; adhesive rhinestone flourish by Recollections (Michaels); foam tape.

Hello, Friend - Rooster Greeting Card

Hello, hello!  I hope you're having a good week.  I spent all of yesterday with my mom and a friend of hers who is visiting from out of state.  We took a short road trip to a neighboring county which has numerous boutiques and antique shops in and around a small town with a substantial Amish community.  At the "English" owned shops, I found a few vintage paper and alterable items to use in artwork.  At the Amish grocery store, I stocked up on things like basmati rice, couscous, and spices, as they charge much less for them than our local grocery stores do.

Sisters' Garden outside Kalona, Iowa

Being in a rural area, we saw a lot of rooster and chicken decorative items (both new and antique).  This made us think of another friend of my mom's, who is decorating her new kitchen with roosters.  My mom texted her several photos of things to ask if she was interested in any of them (some rather jokingly, like a large rooster cut out of sheet metal which was displayed on the door of a former outhouse!).  And thus roosters became the unexpected theme of the day; so much so that I ended up buying her something rooster-related at one particular store.  I think she will appreciate some unexpected happy mail, as her husband was diagnosed with cancer in the spring and their entire summer has been spent "doctoring."

To accompany her gift I created this card featuring, what else, a rooster!  I used a variety of patterned papers from my stash that go with the color scheme of her kitchen.  The rooster from Oxford Impressions was stamped on vanilla cardstock and colored with Prismacolor pencils and distress inks.  The sentiment is from Red Lead Paperworks.

I'll leave you with more photos from our day trip.

My mom and her friend at Sisters' Garden

My beautiful mom

A fall vignette at Sisters' Garden

Have you ever seen so many old wash tubs in one place?  They mostly held potpourri and other dry goods for decorating.  Iowa Farmhouse and Barntiques outside Iowa City

Iowa Farmhouse and Barntiques

Iowa Farmhouse and Barntiques

Thanks for popping in! 

Supplies:
Red cardstock from Stampin' Up; miscellaneous patterned papers from my stash; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; rooster from Oxford Impressions; sentiment from Red Lead Paperworks; splatter background stamp by All Night Media; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; antique linen and vintage photo distress ink; round and scalloped round dies by Sizzix; oval and scalloped oval punches from Stampin' Up; border punch by Martha Stewart; pop-dots.

Poppy Packet Thank You

When I make a greeting card, I usually have a plan for it.  That is, I know who the card is for and the occasion (birthday, get well, etc.).  I like to work this way because it allows me to customize the card for the individual.  I choose images that suit the recipient, or I use a color scheme that I know s/he will like.  This method works pretty well for me most of the time, but occasionally a card will take off in a different direction and end up somewhere I didn't envision at the start.  This was one of those cards. 

So instead of being a birthday card for a friend, this became a thank you card for my cousin.  She and her husband recently traveled to Egypt where she purchased some postcards for me.  They are reproductions of old black and white postcards that will make great collage fodder.  She also sent me some vintage ephemera that she found while doing spring cleaning.

The Crosman's seed packet image is from Artistic Outpost.  The center of the stamp is actually blank, so you can add any vegetable or flower image you want.  I chose this poppy by Oxford Impressions and stamped it on a light green patterned paper.  I colored it with Prismacolor pencils and coated it with Glossy Accents for a little shine.  And here's where the card took a left turn:  I used too heavy of a hand in one spot while I was sponging gathered twigs distress ink around the edges.  The only way to save it was to keep going in that direction, which forced me to change the color scheme and therefore my plans for the final card.

The rust patterned paper is by K and Company.  The cream paper is from the same collection; I embossed it, trimmed one side with a scalloped border punch, and highlighted the embossing with my gathered twigs distress ink to tie everything together.  The sentiment from Artistic Outpost was stamped on the same cream paper and mounted on pop-dots for dimension.  My cousin has a lovely garden with a lot of pretty flowers, so I know she will appreciate the poppy as well as the sentiment.  But now I have to come up with a different birthday card idea for my friend!

Thanks for "poppyng" by!  Have a wonderful day.

Supplies:
Black cardstock by Bazzill; patterned paper by K and Company; stamps from Artistic Outpost and Oxford Impressions; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; gathered twigs distress ink; Glossy Accents; geometric rings embossing folder by Cricut Cuttlebug; EK Success border punches; small oval and small scalloped oval punches from Stampin' Up; pop-dots.

Home Run Hitter

A friend of my parents was recently diagnosed with cancer and has begun treatments.  We just went through a similar ordeal with my dad, and I remember how grateful we were to have the support of our friends and extended family.  A fun piece of mail was also a welcome treat.

Since Al played softball with my dad in Arizona, I pulled out my Cracker Jack stamps from Artistic Outpost to make a card for him.  The color scheme was set by the vibrant piece of teal cardstock that I selected for the base.  The background was created by stamping the stadium names in watering can ink and then over-stamping the baseball in a ColorBox ink called sapphire silk.  My home run hitter was stamped in black and colored with Prismacolor pencils.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a grand slam day.

Supplies:
Teal and aqua cardstock by Bazzill; whisper white cardstock from Stampin' Up; Ranger black Archival Ink; Ranger watering can Archival Ink; ColorBox sapphire silk ink; Cracker Jack stamps from Artistic Outpost; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits.

Dream Weaver and Watch - Moo Houses

I've continued to make mini houses this weekend.  They are so much fun!  It's also a good way to use up those smaller scraps that are just too precious to throw away.  And because I was using scraps, I ended up making a bunch of single moo houses rather than coordinating pairs or trios.

These two started out with the same background paper, but then diverged.  No. 6, Dreamweaver, was made especially for someone who requested a woman in "my style."  I used one of my favorite images from Artistic Outpost that I colored with Prismacolor Premier pencils.  The 6 is a rub-on and the word on the roof is a word sticker from Tim Holtz.

No. 7, Watch, features a watch stamped on tissue paper.  It was adhered to the background using matte gel medium, which dries clear and allows the background to show through.  The eye and number 7 are both rub-ons.  I added color to the eyelid using a marker and Prismacolor pencil.  The word watch was cut from a reproduction 1900 Sears and Roebuck Catalog.  You wouldn't believe how cheaply you could buy a nice pocket watch back then.  Plain ones cost as little as 98 cents, while the most expensive men's watch, gold-filled, was only $9.60.  A fancy one made with Alaskan silver and featuring a "corrugated" pattern on the case cost $2.65.  I wonder what they would be worth now?

I still have more moo houses to make, so I better get cracking!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

(S)heroes - Moo Houses

I created this trio of mini (moo) houses for a marathon on ATCs for All this weekend.  A mini house is simply a "moo" (a piece of art that is 1 x 2.75 inches), with some type of roof on top.  The optional theme for the first day of the marathon is Women, so I selected these three women from the She-roes plate by Artistic Outpost.

For my substrate, I adhered Tim Holtz patterned paper to 140 lb watercolor paper, dry brushed it with titanium white acrylic paint, and stamped on a crackle pattern.  The women were stamped separately on vanilla cardstock and colored with Prismacolor Premier pencils and distress inks before being cut out and adhered.  Additional papers and scraps of book text were layered on to fill in the composition.  The roofs feature the same patterned papers and rub-ons by 7 Gypsies.  The edges were all tipped with tarnished brass acrylic paint.

I really enjoy making these little houses.  The small size is definitely a challenge, but they can really pack a big punch if you do them right.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great weekend. 

Supplies: 

Strathmore 140 lb watercolor paper; patterned papers by Tim Holtz; titanium white acrylic paint; crackle background stamp by Stampin’ Up; gathered twigs distress ink; women images from Artistic Outpost; very vanilla cardstock; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; Derwent light charcoal pencil; vintage book text;  rub-ons by 7 Gypsies; tarnished brass acrylic paint by Ranger.

Vintage Tricycle Thanks

This is the thank you card I sent to my mom's cousin after we visited them last month (see this blog post).  Because most of the family lives in our vicinity, this cousin and her husband always have to drive here for reunions, funerals, or just to get together for fun.  But the road goes in both directions, as the saying goes, and we decided it had been too long since we had been to their place.  After a delicious lunch, we had a wonderful afternoon exploring their neck of the woods.

For this card I started with the vintage tricycle image by Deep Red Stamps.  I heat-embossed the tricycle in black and after selecting the patterned paper for the background, I lightly colored the trike with Prismacolor pencils to coordinate.  The sheet music and book text are both vintage scraps from my stash.  To integrate the new papers with the old, I sponged old paper distress ink around all the edges, stamped on a splatter pattern and randomly stenciled gathered twigs distress ink through a piece of punchinella.

Thanks for popping in!  Have a fabulous day.

Supplies:
Blue cardstock (unknown); very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; patterned paper by Making Memories; Versafine watermark ink; black embossing powder; tricycle image from Deep Red; vintage sheet music and book text; Prismacolor Premier pencils; old paper and gathered twigs distress ink; splatter pattern background stamp by All Night Media; round and scalloped round Nestabilities by Spellbinders; sentiment diecut by Little Yellow Bicycle; black cardstock by Bazzill; punchinella.

A Sympathy Card and a Public Service Announcement

It is with a heavy heart that I share this card with you.  Regular readers of my blog may remember that just last week, I created this card to send to my great uncle, who had had a fall at home and was rehabbing a broken leg at a local health care facility.  I mailed that card immediately and last Thursday evening my mom and I had a wonderful visit with him for more than two hours.  He was doing so well and was even talking about the new flooring he planned to install in the bathroom once he was healed.  So imagine our shock when we received a call that he was taken to the hospital Monday night and passed away Tuesday morning!  I'm just heartsick for my cousins who were not expecting anything like this.  Although their mother is still living, she has advanced Alzheimer's and is in a memory care unit in a nearby town.  They certainly have their hands full.

For this sympathy card I stamped the robin from Artistic Outpost on a patterned paper by K and Company, then colored the image with Prismacolor pencils.  I sponged scattered straw distress ink around all the edges and stenciled frayed burlap through a piece of punchinella.

Now, for the public service announcement.  My uncle's cause of death was not a broken leg.  It was kidney failure (and an infection?) due to dehydration.  It's important for all of us to stay hydrated and the best way to do that is to drink adequate amounts of water every day.  It's especially critical for the elderly, who tend to take more medications.  So please, please, please, if you have an older person in your life, make sure they are drinking plenty of water (or other good liquids).  Ask them how much they've had to drink today.  Provide them with water even if they say they're not thirsty.  Nag them if you have to (like we have to do with my dad sometimes).  Don't take any excuses.  Their life may depend on it.

Thanks for dropping by.  Have a wonderful day and...drink some water!

Supplies:
Green and cream cardstock from Stampin' Up; patterned papers by K and Company; bird from Artistic Outpost; Ranger Archival jet black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; scattered straw and frayed burlap distress ink; oval and lacy oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders; corner rounder punch; punchinella; Scotch foam tape.

Your Future is Bright

Hello there!  Today I'm sharing with you a card I created for a friend who recently celebrated her birthday.

I used several images from the Fortune Teller set by Artistic Outpost (the set may have been discontinued; I don't see it on their website).  For the background, I stamped the images onto vanilla cardstock which I then sponged with distress inks.  It was still too clean looking so I grunged it up by stamping on a crackle pattern and some spatters.

The swami and hand images were stamped on the same vanilla cardstock and colored with Prismacolor pencils and distress inks.  To dress up my swami, I added a jewel to his turban and accented his beaded necklaces with Glossy Accents.

I love the color combination of this card.  It reminds me of some jewelry I made for myself (several years ago) that included turquoise, red coral, and black stones.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a fabulous day.

Supplies:
Red and black cardstock by Bazzill; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; images from Artistic Outpost; Adirondack Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; peacock feathers, antique linen, scattered straw, gathered twigs and black soot distress ink; antique crackle background stamp by Stampin' Up; splatter background stamp by All Night Media; Derwent peat charcoal pencil; oval and scalloped oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders; yellow rhinestones by Studio 18; Glossy Accents; pop dots.

Happy 80th Birthday!

Today is my dad's 80th birthday.  Considering the year he has had health-wise, we are super happy to be celebrating this milestone.

For the past 15 years, my parents have been fortunate enough to spend their winters in the warm and sunny climes of Arizona.  This has allowed my dad to wear shorts nearly year-round, something that brings him great joy.  And fortunately he has the legs for it!

I think my dad is much better looking than this "Golden Oldie" by Hampton Art stamps, but you can see why I bought these stamps with him in mind.  Even the little dog reminds me of our Honey, who used to sit up and beg like that whenever a bag of Cheetos appeared.

Thanks for popping in!  Have a great day.

Supplies:
Gray cardstock by Bazzill; patterned papers by My Mind's Eye; whisper white cardstock from Stampin' Up; stamps by Hampton Art; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; gathered twigs distress ink; rectangle and scalloped rectangle Nestabilities by Spellbinders, border punch by Martha Stewart; pop-dots.

Farm Boy Sympathy

I made this card to send to some childhood friends whose father recently passed.  Their dad farmed most of his life so I wanted to use these stamps from Oxford Impressions.

The tractor was stamped on a patterned paper by Cosmo Cricket before being die cut.  I stamped the little boy and the bucket on vanilla cardstock, colored them with Prismacolor Premier pencils and trimmed them closely.  The picket fence was cut from another piece of patterned paper and border punched.  The fence and the little boy were adhered with pop dots to make them stand out against the background.  The papers on this card are actually brighter than this picture would have you believe; I had a difficult time getting a decent photo due to lighting issues.

Thanks for dropping by!  Have a grand day.

Supplies:
Espresso cardstock by Bazzill; patterned papers by Cosmo Cricket; stamps from Oxford Impressions; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; grand circle and scalloped circle Nestabilities by Spellbinders; gathered twigs distress ink; Martha Stewart border punch; pop-dots.

Still Young at Heart...

I created this birthday card for a friend of mine, and giggled the entire time.  I giggled as I colored the red stripe on the old guy's socks.  I giggled as I added the hair on his chest (and shoulders, and arms, and legs!).  I giggled as I thought about my friend's reaction when he opens it.

The old coot is part of a stamp set by Art Impressions called His and Hers Camper.  I originally bought these stamps thinking I'd use them on some cards for my parents, but (sad to say) my friends and I are getting old enough that we can appreciate them, also.  I stamped the old guy on white cardstock and colored him with Prismacolor Premier pencils.  His "hair" was dotted on using a brown Pigma Micron pen, size 01.  After cutting him out, I adhered him to the card front using pop-dots.

The sentiment comes from the same stamp set, but it wasn't working for me in its original size and shape.  So I printed a version on my computer that could be cut (or punched) how I wanted it.  You can find the easel card tutorial on Splitcoaststampers.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you find something to make you giggle today.

Supplies:
Black cardstock by Bazzill; whisper white cardstock from Stampin' Up; patterned paper by Graphic 45; stamps by Art Impressions (Hampton Art Stamps); Ranger Archival black ink; pumice stone distress ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; 01 brown Pigma Micro pen; small oval and scalloped oval punches from Stampin' Up; border punch by Martha Stewart; corner rounder punch; pop-dots.

Playing with Pencils - Rutabaga

My mom and I had a garage sale last weekend.  Several old gardening books that my dad had acquired somewhere did not sell, and I kept one that had a lot of simple (but very well done) color botanical illustrations that would be good for collage or for sketch practice.

I drew a rutabaga based on an illustration in that book, then colored it with Prismacolor pencils.  I like how the bottom section and the stem turned out, but I had trouble getting the purple section to blend the way I wanted it to.  I like to use odorless mineral spirits to blend my Prismacolors, but since I was working on this in the living room I had just my pencils and an eraser.  It was a relaxing way to end my Saturday.

I hope you're enjoying your weekend.  Thanks for popping in.

Supplies:
Sketch book; Prismacolor Premier pencils; Staedtler eraser.

Flowers in Your Hair - Envelope Mail Art

By now my April partner should have received the altered envelope I sent to her, so I've decided to share it with you all before my memory fails me.  I started with a handmade #10 envelope on which I had painted an abstract design using acrylics.

On the back I stamped this large (5x8 inch) female image by Prima Marketing.  I applied white acrylic paint over it to obscure my painted background (which was quite busy), but I could still see a faint outline.  I then used Prismacolor Premier pencils to color the image, using odorless mineral spirits to blend the pencils.  I was happily surprised with how well the pencils and mineral spirits worked on top of the white acrylic paint.  I added some outlining and the song lyrics with a black Sharpie pen.

On the address side, I drew a simple tulip, painted it with white acrylic, and then colored it with pencils using the same technique described above.  You can see more of the original background on this side.  I love how fun and "springy" the colors are; it's a change of pace from the muted, vintage color palette I tend to use.

Thanks for popping by!  Have a great Friday.

Supplies:
Strathmore bristol paper; Golden gel medium; "Jing" stamp by Prima Marketing; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; Sharpie black pen; mail art stamp from Red Lead.

Adventure is Worthwhile

Hello All!  Sorry for the long absence.  I haven't had much time for creative pursuits this month due to obligations on the home and work fronts.  Now that things have settled down a bit, I'm trying to get my artistic mojo back on track.  I started by creating this card for a male colleague who is retiring.

I selected the focal image by Artistic Outpost and some patterned papers by Cosmo Cricket that I bought at Tuesday Morning a while ago.  (Tuesday Morning is a great place to find name-brand craft supplies at rock bottom prices!)  I decided the papers were a little bright so I worked my magic on them and ended up with this very vintage-looking design.  Since it's unclear exactly what my colleague plans to do after he leaves our organization, I think the adventure theme is appropriate.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a fabulous day!

Supplies:
Gray cardstock by Bazzill; patterned papers by Cosmo Cricket; vintage book text; stamped images from Artistic Outpost; titanium white acrylic paint; gathered twigs and black soot distress ink; Ranger Archival black ink; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; Derwent peat charcoal pencil; splatter background stamp by All Night Media; crackle background stamp (unknown); oval and scalloped oval Nestabilities by Spellbinders; foam tape.

Men in Hats - Moos

After spending quite a few hours cleaning in the basement on Saturday, I was ready to sit down and play for a while.  I decided to make a trio of moo cards using paper scraps left over from other projects.

I started by adhering patterned paper to watercolor paper cut to moo size (1 x 2.75 inches).  I altered the background by dry-brushing on titanium white acrylic paint and adding a background stamp.  My three gents in hats are by Artistic Outpost.  I stamped them on smooth vanilla cardstock and colored them with Prismacolor pencils before adhering them to the background.

I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with my gents.  I'm thinking of mounting them on a solid substrate such as the cover of an old book.  And I may use the dictionary page that I used to make this scan, because the page has some fun words including cranky and crapulent, which means sick by intemperance (i.e., drunk!).  I just love old dictionaries.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day.

Supplies:
Strathmore 140 lb. watercolor paper; patterned paper; titanium white acrylic paint; wild honey, gathered twigs, pumice stone and vintage photo distress ink; French script background stamp by Stampin' Up; scratched grid background stamp by Cornish Heritage Farms; antique crackle background stamp unknown; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; men in hats images from Artistic Outpost; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; Tim Holtz rub-ons; Adirondack espresso acrylic paint dabber; Derwent peat charcoal pencils; vintage book text.

Precious Penguin Cards

I had two more penguin images already stamped, so I made two more cards and sent them on their way.

Christmas is just one week away!  Are you ready?

Supplies:
Lilac cardstock by Bazzill; green and whisper white cardstock by Stampin' Up; penguins by Stampendous; sentiment by My Sentiments Exactly; Ranger Archival jet black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; Sizzix falling snow embossing folder; round, lacy round and banner die-cuts by Spellbinders; corner rounder punch; Stickles; Glossy Accents; Scotch foam tape.

More Penguin Cards

A few more colorful Christmas cards started their journeys yesterday.  I don't think I mentioned before that I am making duplicates of all of these (two of each color scheme).  I kind of "assemble line" the process by doing all of the stamping first and then cutting all of the papers (including the pieces for the inside of the card).  That way when I'm done coloring, I have everything I need to assemble the cards toot sweet.

One copy of this card went to a cousin who attended Iowa State.  Their school colors are cardinal and gold; I figure the colors I used on the large penguin are close enough. 

This card has the unusual combination of a light aqua blue and a dark apricot.  I had extra fun coloring this card as I had to blend more than one pencil to get the hues I wanted on the scarves and hats.  I really do love to color and have gotten my money's worth from my Prisma pencils.

Have a fabulous day!

Supplies:
Colored cardstock and whisper white cardstock from Stampin' Up; penguin image by Stampendous; sentiment by My Sentiments Exactly; Ranger Archival black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; circle, lacy circle and banner die cuts by Spellbinders; Stickles; Glossy Accents; embossing folder by Sizzix; corner rounder punch; foam tape.