Category: Holidays & Seasons

Snowy | Penny Black

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HEY FRIENDS! Halloween is over! We had 234 trick-or-treaters in just two hours this year. I thought two large bags of candy from Costco would be enough, but we ran out for the first time. Now it’s a new day, and I’m turning to holiday cards. Today I’m featuring Penny Black’s Snowy rubber stamp.

I’ve linked supplies with compensated affiliate links used where possible at no cost to you.

Rowhouse Greetings | Snowy by Penny Black

Featured Supplies

Snowy is a wood-block rubber stamp. I was hesitant to use it because I’ve grown so reliant on my stamp positioner for a clear image. But I’d forgotten how easy rubber stamping can be with a well-inked stamp. I stamped Snowy on OLO Marker Paper with Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black, colored it with Copic markers (see below), and cut it out with the coordinating Frosty’s Snow Dies.

I like the white cardstock in my card layers to match, so I used Accent Opaque White cardstock for both the card base and background panel. With a stencil from the Background Basics Stencils set, I inked a circular background in Pawsitively Saturated Ink in Cadette. Keeping the stencil in place, I stamped a tree background image from Winter Magic with VersaFine Clair in Nocturne. Then I removed the stencil and stamped a sentiment from Jolly Snippets.

That’s all for today!

Rowhouse Greetings | Nancy Sheads

Supplies

COPICS: B000, B60, R20 (snowman); R17, R29, B23* [hat & scarf]; R20 (cheeks and carrot); B000, B60 (hat trim)
* Used for underpainting under R29

Rowhouse Greetings | Snowy by Penny Black | Color Map

[Compensated affiliate links used when possible. In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Items marked with an asterisk (*) were provided by a store or the manufacturer. All other items were personally purchased.]

A Very Special Halloween Project

Published on by Rowhouse Greetings4 Comments

HEY FRIENDS! I know it may seem as though I disappeared again after announcing my return to crafting, but I’ve been busy with a very special Halloween project. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been creating a Halloween surprise for the staff and residents at my parents’ assisted living community. Take a look at the pictures below!

Halloween Project Part 1 — Trick-or-Treat Bags

First, I made 60 trick-or-treat bags for the staff and residents. I shopped at BJ’s and Costco for bulk packages of individually wrapped cookies and candy to fill each one. The residents seem to have quite a sweet tooth, so I think the bags will be a big hit!

Halloween Project Part 1 -- Trick-or-Treat Bags

Halloween Project Part 2 — Halloween Ornaments

Next, I created Halloween ornaments for all the residents. Rather than use scarier themes like skeletons and cemeteries, I chose a cheerful Disney theme featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse die sets from Spellbinders.

To complete the designs, I incorporated a few additional die sets from Tim Holtz Sizzix and Simon Says Stamp.

Halloween Project Part 2 -- Halloween Ornaments

Working in Batches

Since I needed to make 30 ornaments, I worked in batches of five for each design. This approach helped me organize and keep track of all the pieces.For the solid colors, I used Spellbinders ColorWheel cardstock. I selected patterned paper from my stash for the backgrounds. Listed below are the various die sets.

I’ve linked supplies with compensated affiliate links used where possible at no cost to you.

  • Classic Mouse Wedding by Spellbinders [ SSS ] — I already had the Steamboat Willie set but you need the wedding set since the tuxedo and parts of the dress are needed for the corresponding Halloween set.
  • Classic Mouse Costume Party by Spellbinders [ SSS ] — This set creates the Halloween costumes.
  • Classic Mouse Trick or Treat Accessories by Spellbinders [ SSS ] — This set adds the pumpkin, spider, and treat bag.
  • Vault Gothic Portraits by Tim Holtz Sizzix [ AZ ] — For the “BOO” sentiment
  • Vault Fright Night by Tim Holtz Sizzix — For the spider web on two of the rosettes. This is the die I used but it’s no longer available at Simon Says Stamp, Scrapbook.com or Amazon. You might find a similar die in your stash that you could use.
  • Vault Rosettes by Tim Holtz Sizzix [ SSS ] — Obviously for the rosette!
  • Chunky Scallop Circles Wafer Dies by Simon Says Stamp [ SSS ] — For the scalloped background behind the rosette. Not necessary but I liked it for something different.

There are ways of making the rosette without a die — check out YouTube — but I didn’t want to take the time to score all the cardstock. The Vault Rosettes die adds the necessary score lines so the process went much faster.

I was proud of myself for successfully using a hot glue gun without burning my fingers. i was not so lucky the last few times I made so many rosettes so this was a marked improvement!

Why It Matters

Why did I take on this project? This month marks a year since my parents moved to assisted living. During my visits I’ve noticed that very few residents receive visits from family or friends. My parents have outlived all their friends so that’s probably the case for some. And a few have family but they are not local. I hate to think that any of them have been forgotten, but well, people get busy ….

Because the community is relatively small, doing something for everyone feels possible. I often stop at Costco on my way there to pick up a tray of cookies or a few packs of cupcakes. It’s a small gesture that lets residents know they’re remembered, brightens their day, and makes the effort worthwhile. I’m now known as the cupcake lady and there are always hopeful faces when I come in the dining room! I also make sure that I bring enough for the staff on duty because they certainly work hard to keep everyone safe.

And Thank YOU!

Thanks for stopping by today! I appreciate each and every one of you who takes the time to visit. Now it’s time to move onto holiday cards. Stay tuned!

Rowhouse Greetings | Nancy Sheads

Supplies

[Compensated affiliate links used when possible. In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Items marked with an asterisk (*) were provided by a store or the manufacturer. All other items were personally purchased.]

Craft Your Stash – Halloween Card | Tim Holtz Sizzix

Published on by Rowhouse Greetings4 Comments

HEY, FRIENDS! I’m back—or at least I think I am! It’s been quite a while since my last post. Over the past year, we moved Mom and Dad into assisted living, prepared their house for sale, and sold it. Thankfully, they weren’t hoarders, but they still had a lot of belongings to pack. We brought several boxes home, and I’m slowly sorting through family photos, memorabilia, and paperwork. We’ve also been trying to decompress while managing a few health issues. I had to step away from crafting for a while, but all the fun supplies in my studio keep calling me back, so I’m easing into it again. We’ll see how it goes….

Today’s Halloween card blends old and new: a few recent purchases paired with longtime favorites from my stash. The card features dies from Tim Holtz and Sizzix. Most of the supplies came from my stash, while two die sets are from the recent Vault release.

I’ve linked supplies with compensated affiliate links used where possible at no cost to you.

Today’s Project – Halloween Card featuring Tim Holtz Sizzix

Halloween card featuring Vault Frights and Bones, Vault Fright Night, and Vault Moonlight Scare by Tim Holtz Sizzix

Featured Products

I created a video to show you how to put the card together, but dexterity is not my strong point. Most of the footage showed me gluing my fingers together and trying to get them unstuck. Honestly, this was not that hard, but not something to do while people are watching! Since Mr. Bones utilizes several small die cuts, you’ll want to use a craft pick up tool or reverse tweezers aid in gluing and placement.

Instead, here’s the official video from Tim Holtz Sizzix showing you how to put the skeleton together.

The dies are inscribed with the suggested colors. I used the following cardstock from Spellbinders Colorwheel Collection:

Skeleton “Mr. Bones” – Frights and Bones

  • BEIGE: Spellbinders Colorwheel Cardstock in Fawn. I cut out two of the main body and glued them together to give more stability to the die cut.
  • BLACK: Spellbinders Colorwheel Cardstock in Raven
  • GREY: Spellbinders Colorwheel Cardstock in Anchor
  • CREAM: Spellbinders Colorwheel Cardstock in Alabaster
  • WHITE: Spellbinders Colorwheel Cardstock in Classic White

Additional Die Cuts

  • SENTIMENT EEK from the Fright Night Die Set: Spellbinders Colorwheel Cardstock in Classic White. I cut two and combined them for added dimension.
  • SENTIMENT SHADOW from the Fright Night Die Set: Spellbinders Colorwheel Cardstock in Raven
  • CEMETERY from the Fright Night Die Set: Spellbinders Colorwheel Cardstock in Anchor
  • SPIDER from the Fright Night Die Set: Spellbinders Colorwheel Cardstock in Raven
  • BATS from the Moonlight Scare Die Set: Spellbinders Colorwheel Cardstock in Raven

Background

First, I cut an A2 panel from Spellbinders Colorwheel Cardstock in Poppy. Next I lined up the dripping blood die from Frights and Bones approximately 1.5 inches from the bottom. I held the die in place using Mint Low Tack Tape and rang the cardstock and die through my die machine. The bottom will automatically come free, leaving the edge.

Next, I use a cloud stencil to create the background. I used a discontinued stencil from My Favorite Things, but use what you have in your stash. I created the initial outline of clouds using Distrss Ink in Black Soot. Then I blended out the line using Distress Ink in Weathered Wood. Finally I brightened the clouds using Distress Ink in Lumberjack Plaid.

After all the elements (diecuts, background and sentiments) were created, I assembled the card as shown.

Hope you enjoyed today’s project. Thanks for sticking with me to the end!

Rowhouse Greetings | Nancy Sheads

Supplies

Supplies for today’s project are linked to multiple sources at the end of this post. Product links may also be displayed in the brackets following the product name. Where available, I use compensated affiliate links at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Spellbinders Colorwheel Cardstock - Fawn, Raven, Anchor, Alabaster, Classic White, Poppy

Mistletoe | Penny Black

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HEY FRIENDS! I’m off to the hospital shortly to check in on my mom and discuss her care plan with staff. Another day on the road and not in the studio, but what are you going do?!? My washer decided to flood the kitchen yesterday adding to the chaos in my life right now. Repair scheduled for 9/27 so I’ll be adding the laundromat to my already crazy schedule.

Today I’m featuring one of the images from the Mistletoe stamp set by Penny Black. Another favorite of mine! And if you keep scrolling, you’ll see that I have a Copic coloring video for you!

I’ve linked supplies with compensated affiliate links used where possible at no cost to you.

Copic Marker Video

If video is not displayed below, use THIS LINK.

Featured Supplies

That’s all for today!

Rowhouse Greetings | Nancy Sheads

Supplies

COPICS: R20, E000, E00, E11, E13 (skin); E74 (hair); YG03, YG17, YG67, G29 (girl’s coat); W1, W3 (fur); W1, W3, R81, R85 (girl’s hat & gloves); C3, C5, C7, W3, W5 (shoes); YG03, YG17, YG67, G29 (boy’s hat, boots & gloves); E70, E71, E74 (pants); W1, W3, W5, R24, R27, R39, RV69 (boy’s scarf); C3, C5, C7 (boy’s coat); YG93, YG97, W1 (mistletoe); R24, R27, R39, RV69 (ribbon)

Rowhouse Greetings | Mistletoe by Penny Black | Color Map

[Compensated affiliate links used when possible. In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Items marked with an asterisk (*) were provided by a store or the manufacturer. All other items were personally purchased.]

Bundled | Penny Black

Published on by Rowhouse Greetings2 Comments

Photo of Rowhouse Greetings

HEY FRIENDS! We had a quiet New Year’s Day so I spent it in the studio for a little coloring session. As many of you know, I’m immersed in elder care. Mom and Dad are doing OK right now and we’ve been blessed with a wonderful caregiver for them. So my spare time these past weeks were spent getting ready for the holidays. We put up a tree this year and I did all of the gift shopping and wrapping. We managed to fit in a quick getaway this past weekend to St. Michael’s where my husband marched in the Christmas parade. Somehow in the midst of all of this, we completed a major renovation on the front of the house — the rowhouse of Rowhouse Greetings — and redecorated the living room and dining room with new rugs and slipcovers. Still needs fresh paint but that’s for another day. We had twelve at the house for Christmas Eve and took my parents out to dinner on Christmas Day. Holiday cards fell through the cracks this year and none were sent. Better luck next year!

To be honest, I don’t have the mental bandwidth right now to create cards. I’ve decided to skip cardmaking and just color up some images. Today I’m coloring an image from the Bundled stamp set by Penny Black. I turned on the camera and recorded a new Copic coloring video for this image. You’ll see that I’ve been experimenting with underpainting and I’ve gone back to using X-Press It Blending Card. I realized that I picked up some bad habits coloring on Hammermill so I’m working on improving my technique while also introducing new skills into my coloring.

I’ve linked supplies with compensated affiliate links used where possible at no cost to you.

Today’s Project

Rowhouse Greetings | Bundled by Penny Black

Featured Supplies

  • Bundled by Penny Black [ SBC | SSS ]
  • X-Press It Blending Card [ AZ ]
  • Intense Black Ink by Hero Arts [ SBC | SSS ]
  • Copic markers (listed below)

I stamped the image on a piece of X-Press It Blending Card using Hero Arts Intense Black ink. The image was colored with Copic markers as shown in the video below.

Coloring Video

If video is not displayed below, use THIS LINK.

That’s all for today!

Rowhouse Greetings | Nancy Sheads

Supplies

COPICS: V20, R20, E000, E00, E21 (skin); C00, C0, C3, C5 (fur trim); V25, R35, R46 (coat, mittens, bow); BV23, BV25, BV29 (purse); YR24, E21, BV23, BV25, BV29 (skates); C1, C3 (blades); YR24, E21, E23, E25 (dog); YG03, YG17, YG67 (leash); Y35, YR04, YG03, YG17, YG67 (green bag); BV20 (shadows)

Rowhouse Greetings | Bundled by Penny Black | Color Map

[Compensated affiliate links used when possible. In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Items marked with an asterisk (*) were provided by a store or the manufacturer. All other items were personally purchased.]