Followers

1/21/2014

Penny Black Tokens of Love Valentine

Good afternoon, and in Upstate South Carolina, we have sunshine, whistling wind and dropping temperatures. I just read on MSN about our northern & midwest states expecting this ferocious storm that apparently is moving fast enough that evening commuters may have a difficult trip home tonight. If you're in the path of this extreme weather, I hope you will be safe & warm. We were out about 2 hours earlier & the temperature had dropped about 10 degrees from when we left home just before noon, until we drove back in our garage.

Let me welcome some new followers:  Andrea of Andrea's Work;  sheharper and PippaP.   I'm sorry I can't provide a name or link for sheharper (if you would, please let me know this info, so I can provide your link so my readers can get to your site) and also PippaP, for whom I don't have a link. Saw the numbers in the followers listing change, so went looking for names not on my database list. If you sweet followers will leave a comment and provide the information, I'll list it. Everyone likes to visit new sites and enjoy the blogger's work.

Here's the card for today, and I was inspired by this card at Susie's My Little Sanctuary. I loved her neutrals on this card and wanted to try the look. I have the stamp Susie used, but {ahem} couldn't put my hands on it, and the one I used on this card was where I could grab it fast.




- PB Tokens of Love wooden stamp, copic coloring, Oval S/B diecut. Clear Wink of Stella on balloons & tiny heart on the letter. DI Antique Linen smudged around the edges, with a light touch of Spun Sugar over top of the Antique Linen.

 
- VOS from the paper stash - & I mean this was really VOS! - to diecut with one of the fancy S/B rectangle shapes, then another S/B on the darker piece for the mat under the rectangle. If anyone wants the die specifics, please let me know, & I'll provide it.The mats are each on dimensional foam.
 
White cardbase sprayed with Copics E35 & 55 using (1)piece of lace which didn't give enough color; (2)then used a plastic small heart stencil to add some heart shapes. Still didn't like the look that was happening, so (3) finally used a heavy paper border stencil that had found its way into the stencil box...just moving it around vertically, horizontally & diagonally until I got a look that pleased me. Then embossed the front with a tiny heart EF* (*that should have been debossed, 'cause I had the folder wrong way round when I ran it through the Big Shot!)
 
Why did I go to all this spraying bother? I didn't have any papers that looked 'right' with the colors of the other tans/beiges. Can you believe that? I couldn't, but I fiddled for a long time trying to find something that pleased my eye & decided that's why I have sprays & airbrush supplies.
 
Nylon seam binding dyed with E35 copic reinker to get a 'matchy' color. Thought about going for the pink-y/brown in the balloons, but I was working hard to stay in the fairly neutral-tan colors. Susie, thank you for the fantastic inspiration!
 
The Penny Black and More January Challenge of Love Is In the Air is still open, so I'm going to link up this card. It says "Love" to me!
 
Thanks for visiting this afternoon, stay warm & cozy if possible, and big Hugs from me.
 
PS:  I have a sweet blogger who is trying to become a follower through Google Friend connect. She is not seeing the block of faces at the top of my blog, just a big white space. She's not seeing the icon above the Follower list either. Does anyone have any idea what causes this? She has tried different computers, I'm not sure what her browser is, but I don't know a fix. Thought maybe some of you blogger & computer experts might have some suggestions for her to try. Thanks!

27 comments:

  1. Hello, hope you are safe from the storm. We have really heavy rain, very windy, further north they have been forecast some snow.
    Your card is wonderful, I love how all your beautiful colours tone.
    Great image, fantastic colouring and a great design.
    Hugs

    Patricia xx

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  2. Fabulous card Mary. Hope the storm passes without causing damage. Keep Safe my friend. Your followers are all there on my PC. Hugs Rita xxx

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  3. Sorry, I have no idea with Google Friend connect. I like this card you made with the neutral colors. I can see why you inspired so by Susie's card. Your card is great but my goodness that was a lot of fiddly work to get the colors just so. Your effort was worth it though.

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  4. The card is adorable and I do like those colors...very much. The little hearts all over are just so sweet, as is the teddy bear.

    I see you have a wonderful new photo. Lookin' good! Very nice photo.

    Wish I could help the blogger with the "follow" problem, but can't. Sorry.

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  5. Hi Mary Card is lovely, gorgeous colours. I'm not seeing your followers either but I think blogger is having a few hissy fits lately a lot of my friends are having trouble as well lets hope it gets put right soon, huggles Sue xx

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  6. Love the golds and browns, Mary, with just a pop of extra colour on the balloons that sweet little bear is carrying. The tiny hearts embossing in the background looks great and the gold ribbon is just perfect. x

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  7. No idea as I don't do Google Friend connect. I see the little pics of the followers though.

    Love your card Mary! It looks wonderful in the neutral colors and just the right touch of color for the balloons! Very nice.

    Also just noticed your new profile picture - GREAT!

    Lynn

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  8. Love the colors. Awesome job with the sprays.

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  9. First of all, that's a great updated photo of yourself! Love the card with those dies, borders and adorable characters! Those little heart negatives are really cute! I wish I could help your friend with the google issues, but I've been having my own google issues lately too - different ones, but issues and lots of them too! Does anyone else have any "kill pages" box pop up when they're trying to leave comments? I can't even type a comment on a pop-up comment box without that window popping up every 15 seconds the entire time I'm trying to type a comment! Frustrating!!

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  10. Cute card Mary and love this image so much....onto Paint Shop Pro...go to this site and download the free trial of Paint Shop Pro x 6, the latest version....there is a month free trial...a help centre is also available. It is not easy to use but give it a go....http://www.corel.com/corel/category.jsp?cat=cat3970071&rootCat=cat3520077 luv annie

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  11. Hi there dear Mary wow do love the multi layering as well as the colours used well done on inventiveness, clever Mary!!

    ... re the blogger issue could be she is using Google Friends connect and it is not same as blogger, even with Google being the provider... my only vague idea.. has she Googled the issue?

    it could also possibly be also her Internet security as I have Kaspersky and is playing up something fierce with my Firefox (after FF updated two weeks ago) and blogger...
    I thought it was blogger but Google search found it is was KIS and new FF update clashing. Shaz in Oz.x

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  12. A really sweet card Mary and perfect for our theme.

    Thanks so much for sharing your creativity with us at Penny Black and More challenge.

    I do hope the storm was not as bad as predicted and all are safe.

    B x

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  13. Good morning Mary, l am so thrilled that my card inspired you. Love your card this morning the stamp is so sweet and the colours you have used work very well together, the heart background looks wonderful too. Thank you for joining the Penny Black & More Love is in the Air challenge and good luck x Susan x

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  14. sweet card, Mary. He's carrying heart shaped balloons....how adorable is that! We're having an unusually sunny day too... all we need now is some heat! :-)
    hugs, Asha - Sunny Summer Crafts

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  15. Adorable card!!! Love the colors Love your updated photo

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  16. What a cute, cute card Momma Mary! I love the color combo-looks much like your inspiration card, I also love that cute image of the teddy with his balloons and card, ready to give to his sweetheart, so cute!! Love your shapes you used on this card and love that seam binding! I can see your followers, but I know one day I couldn't see where to comment on one person's blog and I've commented there a lot! The next day when I went in it was there in plane view. So I think some of it has to do with blogger issues. I wish I knew more to tell you, but I'm as bad as you with knowing what to do. Hugs!

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  17. Hi Mary,
    love your design card, and so much work you have done on the wonderful background.
    The weather you described sound awful.
    I do hope you are safe a keeping nice and warm.
    Lots of crafty love. Jenny L.

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  18. This is such a sweet card and I love the little hearts in the background.
    Thank you for sharing it with us at Penny Black and More and we hope you will join us again soon.

    Shirley

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  19. Love this sweet card. The little hearts in the background are so cute and the different dies you used are so pretty together. Love your new picture. You look so different from the other one. Haircut looks so breezy and easy to do. I tried for a long time to follow Cathy in Austrailia and the same thing happened. It would just disappear. Finally, one day it appeared and I could follow. The blogger fairy is a strange one.

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  20. Sorry Mary, I don't understand Google Connect so I am unable to help. Love your card today, that little bear is just adorable and I love the colour combination you used, it suits the bear so well!

    Please stay safe and keep warm my friend. Love your new photo! Hugs, Anne x

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  21. This is so gorgeous, Mary!! What a sweet image!! You colored it so beautifully!! And the hearts are so awesome!! Your new picture is so beautiful!! I'm not sure what the problem could be with blogger...there always seems to be some issue with it. My only guess would be the browser...I used to have so many problems with Internet Explorer. I switched to Firefox and it is so much better. Happy Wednesday my friend :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  22. hi mary, i don't use google friend connect so can't help you with any suggestions.

    i can see how susan's card inspired you and yours turned out beautifully; i love the pop of colour in the balloons. thank you so much for sharing another cute creation with us this month at penny black and more.
    linda

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  23. Sweet image Mary ... and your coloring is perfect (as always)! Love the neutral shades for the backdrop - really makes the image stand out. Loll xx

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  24. Annnnd I'm in!!!!
    Blogger made a mistake, and showed the followers first thing, and I signed up!
    It's gone now, but I should appear!
    Great card BTW!
    I really like the colors you have used!

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  25. Mary , I love that image and it's so beautifully coloured, I have managed to become a follower no problem. Hazel

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  26. cute card!! Stay warm! waving hi from the hills of North Carolina ♥

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  27. I love all the layers, the neutrals and this adorable image! Too cute!

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