Spring Cards

I love the color combo of pink and green, so definitely had to make a card for the May Altenew Inspiration Challenge.

It's been awhile since I made a card with Altenew's Climber Flowers die set.  It's not one of the newer keyhole designs, but the diecuts are fairly easy to put together by looking at the guide.  

I brushed the white diecut flowers with PTI Raspberry Fizz and the white leaves with Altenew Frayed Leaf and Lime inks.  I dabbed the flower centers with ink left in a brush for yellow inks.  Before gluing the pieces together, I splattered them with Altenew's gold metallic watercolor.  I dry embossed a 4x5 1/4 white panel using Altenew's Playful Leaves 3D folder and attached it to a white card.  Then I tried several layouts and decided on this one.  Using the slightly smaller background panel let me arrange the focal point going over the edge, but still inside the card edges.  I seldom put sentiments near the top of  a card, but really liked the look for this one.  So glad I have Altenew's Essential Sentiment Strips die set.  It gives me a die cut option that's smaller than most of my others and was just what I wanted for this card.  I die cut the birthday sentiment from white and gold cardstocks.  The gold frame competed with the flowers, so I used the white frame and inserted the gold letters.  Finished off with gold sequins.  I'm also entering Just Us Girls, DCD, TTTC (Floral/Free/White) and WAW.

Stamplorations is having a Spring Fling Linky Party and the May ATG Challenge, which can be combined.  Here's the card I made using Stamplorations Blossom Sprays #1 and Bloomfully: Thankful stamp sets. 

I began by ink blending a panel of Bristol paper with Lawn Fawn Ballet Slippers and Peach Fuzz plus PTI Lemon Tart.  I hadn't blended a panel like that for awhile and had forgotten how much I like the look.  After it was dry, I white embossed the floral image using my MISTI.  That let me just turn the panel to get the same stamping in each corner.  I used a shimmer pen to "color" just the blooms--so pretty in the light.  

The sentiment was white embossed on a vellum strip which I wrapped around the panel and attached in the back.  I came across these sweet little floral gem stickers given to me a long time ago.  The colors included the 3 I used and they were just what I wanted for a little embellishment.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.

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My New Lindy's Flat Fabio Sprays

I couldn't resist the recent one day sale at Lindy's Gang.  I've been wanting some spray inks that don't have shimmer or sparkle.  Only let myself get one set and I finally decided on Carribean Cruise.  Now I may HAVE to get a few more bottles! 😆
Emboss resist has always been one of my favorite techniques, so that's what I did for my first card.

SSS Kaleidoscope Background was white embossed on watercolor paper.  Then I spritzed in sort of rainbow order starting at the top.  The sentiment is SSS Happy Birthday Brush Script and the butterflies are SSS Stitching Butterflies.  I die cut the sentiment shadow from the panel and the words and butterfly bodies were die cut from gold metallic cardstock.  The vellum butterflies were brushed with Delicata Golden Glitz.  I'm entering SSS Flickr, DCD and WAW, via Flickr.

My second card came about because I didn't want to waste the sentiment shadow cut from the emboss resist panel.  So, I die cut the words from it and mounted it to the shadow cut from a green, textured scrap.

I sprayed a strip of white, heavy weight cardstock in the same order as the first card.  They don't look quite the same, since I didn't spray nearly as heavily.  When it dried, I die cut 3 old Penny Black balloons.  I found Distress Oxides that were a close match to brush the edges, giving more definition.  Amazing the difference that made.  For a more festive look, I sprayed the balloons with Lindy's Gang Pixie Dust.  It gives a beautiful shimmer.  I tied white crochet thread to the balloons and arranged everything on a gold, metallic panel.  I'm entering DCD, WAW and Snippets Playground.  Everything but the card itself is from scraps.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Celebrate

Fun to get out my Zig Watercolor Brush Markers to make a sweet floral card for several challenges.  The stamp is from Poppystamps Friends and Flowers clear set.  I stamped it on Bristol paper in Versafine Clair Acorn.  Then I colored with Light Pink and Light Carmine using the blender brush and no water.  It doesn't show in the photo, but I also brushed the blooms with shimmer--so beautiful in person.  You can get an idea from my IG post. 

The sentiment from Altenew's Sweet Bouquet was stamped in Acorn and embossed with clear matte powder.  I used Elizabeth Craft Designs Dotted Scallop Rectangles to die cut the panels.  So glad I saw the light pink paper in my stash.  Hard to see, but it actually has very light white or pink polka dots.  The edges of the card front were brushed with vintage photo Distress Oxide.  Finished off with 3 PTI rainstones.  I'm entering JUGS Case a DT Week.  I was inspired by Lisa's card with scallops, stamped focal point, polka dots and pink/tan/white color combo.  I'm also entering Poppystamps Inspired by Nature, DCD Celebration, SSS Monday Feminine, SSS Wednesday ATG and WAW ATG.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

April CCC

It's reveal day for April CCC.  I'd been wanting to use my CN9 Turnabout stamps, so pulled out the one called Botanical.  I often use only the friendship option, but this time the color combo was right up my alley with Peony/White/Leaf.  For the pink I used Altenew Blush and for the green I used their Seashore set of 4 cubes.  

I have the dies that go with this Turnabout, but not sure I had ever used them.  The triangle cuts the thin frame as well as the center.  I used vellum and matte gold cardstock.  I stamped and die cut 2 flowers and brushed them with Rouge, darker on the tips.  I wasn't happy with the white lines and edges, so I added a light brushing of the diecuts with ink left in the brush--much better.  The sentiment was made with an Alex Syberia die.  I had penpals when I was a kid and CCC makes me think of that.  I'm one of the old timers and am very grateful to Gail and Jo for keeping CCC going.  Check it out if you'd like to make and receive a card each month.  There's no commitment--just sign up any month you want to participate.  I'm entering SSS Wednesday and WAW.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Guest Designing for Color Hues

I was thrilled to win Color Hues Fuchsia and Navy challenge and now I get to guest design for Color Hues #132 Yellow and Blue.  

A good friend recently gave me Taylored Expressions Petal Party Layering Stencils.  You can make 6 panels at a time, but I just used the section that includes a vase.  What do you think?  I'm really happy with the fun, modern look.

I used these Altenew inks:  Citrus Burst, Fresh Lemon, Caribbean Sky, Persian Blue and Sapphire.   I inked the edges of the mat with Sapphire and used it for the sentiment from PPP/SSS.   Love SSS Dibble Tile embossing folder and thought it worked great with my focal point.  I love to add splatters and sparkle, but decided this card should be left as is.  Hopefully it will brighten my friend's day.  I'd love for you to check out all the great inspiration from the Color Hues team and then enter the gallery.  I'm entering SSS Wednesday and WAW.

Edited to add:  First time using the stencils, so I'm entering Darnell's NBUS.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Hello Friend

I don't usually make more than 1 card for the Altenew Monthly Inspiration Challenge, but the April color combo is one I love.  Plus I wanted to use my Fresh Flowers die set that hasn't been used since last year.  

The inks are the same as my first card, but this time there's just a bit of green (Lime and Fresh Leaf) leaves showing and a lot of Rouge blended blooms.  Again I added foliage with white Branches and Berries diecuts.  The background was made with Deck Planks embossing folder and Dew Drops ink cube swiped over the edges.  

The sentiment from Sweet Bouquet was stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist, a dark gray.  I added Stardust Stickles to the flower centers and finished with 3 matching enamel dots.  

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Birthday Cards

I embossed white cardstock and yellow vellum at the same time using SSS Blossom Swag folder.  The pieces were attached together and trimmed with scissors to fit on the card.  

There's Yellow Stickles in the flower centers and Frosted Lace on the berries.  The birds from Poppystamps Nordic Majestic Bloom were inked with PTI Spring Rain and Blueberry Sky.  I brushed the wings with shimmer.  You can see the sparkle and shimmer in my IG post.  Fun to use the PTI patterned paper for a different look.  The sentiment from Altenew Modern Dahlia Bunch was stamped in Versafine Clair Blue Belle and embossed with matte clear ep.  I brushed the sentiment diecut and the card front edges with PTI Lemon Tart.  Finished with a few tiny blue pearls that matched.  I'm entering Die Cut Divas, SSS Wednesday via IG and SSS Flickr.

I often use generic sentiments on the outside of cards, like the Hello from PTI Essential Sentiments.  That way I can use the card for any occasion.

In this case, I knew it would be a birthday card, but none of those sentiments fit as well as Hello.  Stencil Week for JUGs inspired me to get out my favorite Taylored Expressions Modern Eucalyptus.  I have Foil-It cards that go with the stencils, but I've used up the one with circles.  Decided to see if I could make my own using a circle die and Sparkle Pop gold pen.  Have to say, I love the result!  I also used the pen on the darkest green sprigs and the flower centers.  You can see the gorgeous sparkle in my IG post.  The inks brushed through the 4 stencils are Altenew Silver Sprout, Sagestone, Olive Grove and Mossy Granite.  Poppystamps Little Layered Asters were brushed with Altenew Strawberry and Dusty Pink.  Hello was stamped in Olive Grove, die cut and stacked 2 high.  I brushed the card front edges with the Olive Grove.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday and Color Hues.  I'll let the CH team decide if my flowers are close enough to a soft coral. 

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.