7/20/21

919 Days Later


 Wow! 

919 Days since I have posted a Blog Message!
It is time to re-start sharing my love and passion for card crafting!

What I have been trying to learn and improve is

Watercoloring

Since as we all know last year the idea of a 
person to person class was not possible I was on the computer.

 Blogs, On-Line Card Class and Facebook.
I am still trying to get the blending of the watercolors a bit more perfected.


Below is a list of watercolors I have been practicing with:

Ink Pads
Distress Ink
Distress Oxide

Watercolor Markers
Marvy LePlume Markers
Zig Clean Clear Markers
Arteza Real Brush Pen

Watercolor Tubes
Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolors
Mission Gold Class Watercolor
Windsor & Newton Cotman Water Colours
Windsor & Newton Professional Water Colours

Watercolor Pan
Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors
Fine Tec Pearlescent Colours

The card below I used Distress Inks!


I colored the stamp from Power Poppy Dahlia X using
 Distress Ink and Distress Oxide.
The comparison was that the Distress Inks were bolder in color.


Dahlia's are one of my favorite flowers in my garden!

1/12/19

Hello



One of the colors I am always drawn to is Orange!

Bright Orange
 Soft Orange
 Peach Orange
 Rusty Orange
Also, Denver Bronco Orange!
(Not a good year for my hometown football team!)


Card finished from Sneak Preview!

A few years ago I posted my Top Ten Flowers!
Now, number 11 - Geraniums!

ZIG Clear Color Real Brushes: 052 Bright Yellow, 070 Orange
The petals on Geraniums are so beautifully formed.
 The petals flow so gracefully in a pot.
Or scale down in a window box.




 The scalloped circled edge Die from Lawn Fawn
matched the look of the geranium petals.


As I begin the planning my floral garden
Geraniums will be on my list!
Of course in Orange!

Supplies:
Stamps - Geraniums Take Two - Power Poppy
Coloring - ZIG Clear Color Real Brushes: 052 Bright Yellow, 070 Orange, 043 Olive Green, 046 Mid Green, 302 Haze Blue,      
                                                                    075 Brick Beige, 901 Gray Tint and 068 Deep Brown
Dies - Lawn Fawn - Outside In Scalloped Circle Stackables, Taylored Expressions - Banner Stacklets 2,
          Technique Tuesday - Straight Talk Hello

1/10/19

New Year - New Beginnings!


It has been over a year since I have blogged.
I am going to call it my "gap" year!

A few things I did celebrate last year...

Spent the Summer with Taeko my Mother-in-law who I adore
Two little ones Zoey and Hank celebrated their first birthday
Have a healthy left foot after surgery - took 11 months
Lead Creative Living and STREAM team at the Oregon State Fair for a successful year

Most important...

Transition time! 
Time for myself, family and friends.
Some people call this retirement.

However not from exploring, learning and enjoying my bucket list!


Artist Bouquet from Power Poppy.
Colored with ZIG Clean Color Brushes.

At the top of my bucket list is Papercrafting!
I love to create Cards
Especially COLORING!

Sneak Preview - Time to sketch and embellish!

From Copic Markers, Watercolor Tubes and Markers, 
Colored Pencils, Inks and Chalk.

Simply...I love to COLOR!

Join me this year as I contiune to learn and grow my skills.
As I share them on my blog - bouquets northwest!

1/25/17

Yes, Christmas Tags!

What do you do with all of those tiny little 
stamps in the sets that we all have?

My answers - Tags!!!
Christmas Tags!


My niece Kate once made a scroll for 
each family member as our Christmas gift.

Ten Things I like about Aunt Elaine...

Number Seven read -
She always had the perfect present, in the perfect wrapping paper.

This has always been important to me...
presenting gifts beautifully wrapped!


Every November my sister Lori and myself
plan a day and shop for Christmas Paper and Ribbons.

I choose paper for the person that is receiving the present.


For three years I have been creating
Christmas Tags that coordinate to 
the wrapped package.

One of my favorites was the new baby tag!
In 2017 we are celebrating the birth
of three (3) babies to join our family!


My friend Janet gave me the sweet
little decorated person
made from clay.

This little person went on all the Children's packages.


For 2016 Christmas Tags 
I went back to the what I first loved about papercrafting.

Simply...stamping!

The stamps were used from many companies...


As you can see I have many Christmas Stamps
I did not have the time to color.

During this year I am going to make time each month
to craft and color Christmas Cards.

Which gives me the time to think about what
Christmas means to me...
sharing, kindness and being thoughtful!











1/22/17

The Art of Display

Many years ago my career was in retail.
One of the favorite positions I held was an

Special Event Coordinator

I worked with our display team
It was such fun to plan our events and tie together the display.
From choosing the color scheme, tablescaping,
 floral arrangements and painted murals.
I loved that part of my retail career with Nordstrom!

Now that we are in our forever home
my roots took me back to

The Art of Display!!!


There is a wall that just spoke to me!
So... I created my Craft Display Wall!

First display is focused on what we have had inches of this winter
SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!



The Christmas Blueprint Stamp from
Tim Holtz with Stampers Anonymous was perfect!



The 2017 Calendar I found at Paper Source!
Every month I will chose a stamp that
is appropriate for that month.

I have circled the Special Birthdays...
as a reminder for me.



The Frames and Display Boxes are from
Two of my favorite retail stores!



The Christmas Blueprints were perfect
since we looked at blueprints many times
while building our new home!


Patterned Craft Paper and Embossing Folder
were both from Carta Bella - Snow Fun by Steven Duncan!


Let it Snow!












1/18/17

Word for 2017!

Happy Anniversary

bouquets northwest - 7 years!!!

For the past 6 years I have chosen
one key word for an entire Year!
12 Months!
365 days!

Let's start by reviewing my past words -

2016 - Traditions
2015 - Nourish
2014 - Spontaneity
2013 - Dream
2012 - Imagination
2011 - Enjoy

Now...words that have a special meaning for myself

Kindness, Blessing, Abundance, Home,
 Discover, Compass, Believe, Present, Moment, Enrich, Significant
Out of all the words listed above one just feels right...

Moment
 Word for 2017!

There was a sentence I read the confirmed my choice
“Excellence is a combination of passion and focus. When you have passion for what you are doing and get your focus in the right place, everything else will follow. Embrace the moment.”
—  Terry Orlick

 I will take my passions and focus
embrace the moment whether they are -
magical moment
 quite moment
exciting moment
 special moment

Let me share a quite moment I had last week...
Portland Oregon had a deep snowstorm last week.
I woke up very early in the morning 
looked out the window and watched it snow...
so peaceful and beautiful on the evergreen trees in the golf course.
It was a quite moment just for myself!

As I begin the seventh year of 
bouquets northwest
Moments will be shared with you thru out the year!













,



11/28/16

Cyber Monday = Craft Coloring Day

How many people are on their phone, i-pad, 
notebook and desktop shopping?
Most of us!

First I read all the emails I received for Cyber Monday.
Oh my the amount of emails!!

Once I placed my orders Cyber Monday turned into
Craft Coloring Day!

Then next week it will be getting on the rain boots 
and Brick-n-morter shopping.


Tromping thru the water and leaves!

When adding the embellishments - ribbons, bead and trim
I have a choice to make... what ribbon to choose?

Love the Container Store for ribbons during the Holiday Season!
I slept on making the decision.
When I woke up I went with my first choice...
burlap and black with khaki trim.

So slightly on the sides!


I added a bit of Wink of Stella Brush...
one of my favorite tools!

Power Poppy Feeling Fall Stamp!
The leaves and buckle are glistening in the light!

Now, that it is officially the Christmas Season
what should I color today?


Check back and find out this week!


Supplies:
Cardstock: Kraft - Paper Source, Black - Bazzill
Printed Cardstock: Graphic 45 - Running Cats & Dogs Collection
Ink: Adirondack Espresso
Stamps: Power Poppy - Feeling Fall
Coloring: Copic Sketch Markers: R24, R27, R29, YR04, YR09, YR18, YR23, YR24, YR27,YR65,
                                                      YG93, YG95, YG97, YG99,W3, W5, W8, E81, E19, YR65, BOOO,Y28
Die Cutting: Spellbinders Small Classic Rectangles, Cuttlebug
Embellishments: Burlap Ribbon - My Stash, Black with Khaki - Container Store, Therm-o-web 3D Foam Squares
Tools: Fiskars Cutting Board, Tomboy Adhesive