Casing Donna

I love getting ideas from other cardmakers.  This card by Donna Mikassa caught my eye to use for one more entry into Case me a Christmas Card 2025.

I liked the shaped card, dry embossed background, focal point and small sentiment.  Here's my version using an old Spellbinders die set, PTI Vintage Cream cardstock, CN9 poinsettia, SSS embossing folder and Birch Press sentiment.  

I used Barn Door Distress Spritz on some red cardstock I wasn't fond of.  It made for a beautifully shimmery poinsettia!  The pine boughs were cut from a panel I made quite awhile ago.  Whatever I started with wasn't shimmery enough, so I brushed over it with Altenew metallic light green watercolor.  The gold branches from a TH wreath die set, flower center and  sentiment shadow were cut from SSS Matte Gold cardstock.  All the shimmer and shine can be seen in my IG post video.

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

Christmas Cards

I've been having fun making a variety of Christmas cards.  First is another one for Michelle Lupton's Case me a Christmas Card 2025.  I was inspired by these cards made by my friend, Tracey McNeely.

Her cards were made by ink blending Distress Oxides and then spraying the panels with DO ink through a stencil.  She used a large sentiment die and added some bling.  Here's the card I made.

I used Distress Oxides Fired Brick and Lucky Clover.  Uniko Winter Foliage stencil was laid on top and I sprayed with Distress Spritz Fired Brick and Mowed Lawn.  

I still love my old W&W Noel die which I stacked 2 high, brushed with shimmer and covered with glaze.  The embellishments are tiny black gems I've had forever.  The shimmer and shine can be seen better in my IG post. 

Next is my entry for JUGS CASE a DT.  There is a wide variety of cards to choose from--all wonderful!  I was drawn to this beautiful card made by Carol using dry embossing, patterned paper and ephemera. 

I was reminded of my old Christmas stickers, die cuts and chipboard still waiting to be used.  I'm not sure my card counts as a case, but I'm really glad Carol inspired me to finally use these festive, shiny die cuts.  

The embossed panel was made with SSS Holiday Greenery folder and I sprayed the panel with Heidi Swapp white Color Shine which gives a beautiful shimmer.  I added Christmas Red Stickles to the berries.  Quick festive card that won't need extra postage.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.

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

Thanksgiving and Christmas

I've had this card in mind for several weeks.  The Stamp Market Mini Autumn Leaves and some Lindy's Magicals have been sitting on my table.

The die cut leaves were simply watercolored with Lindy's Magicals Ponderosa Pines Olive, Canna Lily Burnt Orange and Poutine Gold.  You can see the beautiful shimmer in my IG post.  Love the texture from SSS Refracted embossing folder on another of my newly discovered terra cotta note cards.  I brushed brown ink on the edges.  The SSS sentiment from Full of Thanks was stamped in Versafine Clair Pinecone and clear embossed.  Embellishments are SSS Mocha Java sequins.  I'm entering Time Out Challenges #300 with the Fall Thanksgiving Celebration in the US and TTTC282 using Leaves/Free/Die Cuts from my friend Betty's board.

Christmas Kickstart Snow Alert! challenge is about to close.  Again, I finally made a card that's been in the back of my mind for weeks.

Box 12 that Your Paper Insider generously sent to me contains a beautiful shimmery light blue cardstock called Aquamarine Curious Metallics.  I thought it'd be perfect embossed with SSS Fanciful Flurries folder.  It's really gorgeous in person!  I have several snowflake dies and purposely chose the one from Uniko because it has large enough sections to show off the Holographic More Dots cardstock.  Check out the video in my IG post.  I stamped the W&W sentiment in Versafine Clair Blue Belle and used the same ink to color the edges of the mats.   I'm also entering SSS Monday, 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.

Christmas and Thanksgiving

The Pinkfresh Studio October Challenge is about to close.  My card was inspired by Michelle Lupton's card for Case me a Christmas Card 2025-Hop 1. 

I love the look of stamping off the edge and raising the negative die cut panel over the image.  I was also inspired by her use of black in the sentiment. 

PFS Delicate Wreath remains one of my favorites.  I stamped in Altenew Hunter Green and then again with pigment ink so I could randomly sprinkle WOW Spring Breeze embossing powder.  It adds just the right bit of sparkle which you can see in my IG post.  The red die cut berries were leftovers and love what they add to the card.  PFS Classic Holiday words were die cut from vellum and black glossy cardstock.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday and WAW.  

I entered Amy's Woodblock Wednesday through IG, but wanted to also share my Thanksgiving card here.  

So glad I discovered the old terra cotta card pack I've had for years.  Really love the look of it dry embossed with my old leaves folder.  Isn't the Art Impressions Wheat Shaft image beautiful?  I got it many years ago for 75 cents at the stampers garage sale my LSS had twice a year.  I embossed it with SSS Antique Gold powder--so beautiful in person.  Love the Impression Obsession sentiment which I stamped in Versafine Clair Acorn.  I used the same ink on the edges of the 2 mats.  

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

Week 4 Guest Designing for JUGS

I've loved all the Just Us Girls challenge themes this month and am so grateful the team gave me this opportunity.  In case you missed some of them, here are the first 3 cards I made.

It turned out that all my cards were for Autumn.  Didn't see a reason to change that, so here's my final Autumn themed card as Guest Designer.  This time we have Anything Goes Stencil Week and that might be my favorite!

I got SSS Friendship Leafy Cluster last year after seeing so many great cards made with it.  No idea why I didn't use it before now.  Could be I have a few too many options in my stash!😄  

I positioned the larger branch in my MISTI so I could flip the paper to stamp opposite corners.  After gold embossing, I really had fun using the coloring stencils.  The inks are Altenew Maple Yellow, Sunkissed, Autumn Blaze and Forest Glades.  I splattered gold watercolor and attached the panel to SSS Matte Gold Metallic cardstock.  SSS Happy Autumn shadow was die cut from vellum and the words cut from the same gold cardstock were on my table waiting to be put on a card.  Haven't used my sequins for awhile, so was happy to see that my Satin Gold ones from Altenew were a great match.  I'll have a video showing the shimmer and shine in my IG post.  Head to the blog to see what stencils the DT used and then why not play along?  I'm entering SSS Wednesday. 

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

Cased Christmas Card

You've probably seen Michelle Lupton's Case me a Christmas Card event each year.  It's changed for 2025 and anyone can join in by making a Christmas card inspired by any card made by one of the designers participating in the hops.  I couldn't resist playing along and found a card that's just what I like made by Michelle Peckham and posted on IG in May.

Dry embossing is my favorite card element.  I love how Michelle just added a sentiment and some embellishments.  My card uses SSS Pine Bouquet 3D folder and Birch Press Handwritten Merry Christmas and Outlines dies.

The sentiment shadow was die cut from PTI Pure Poppy and was stacked 2 high.  I was tempted to add shimmer to the words, but decided against it.  The embossed berries were covered with Christmas Red Stickles.  Love the fresh, classic look of red and white.  I'm also entering Inkspirational, 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.

Week 3 Guest Designing for JUGS

It's definitely looking and feeling like Autumn in my neck of the woods.  I'm always glad to say goodbye to high temps and I enjoy seeing the leaves change color.  Not a big fan of leaves all over the ground and blowing into the garage, however.😒

Time for another great challenge at Just Us Girls.  Take a look at the wonderful mood board!

Really love the cute polka dot candle, but decided to use my unopened Birch Press Adornment Pumpkin die for a Thanksgiving card.

I picked out 2 shades of orange cardstock and used the lighter one for the top layer.  Not sure why it looks beige in the photo.  I blended some ink on the solid pumpkin under the outlines of the segments for more depth.  The stem and vine were die cut from 2 shades of green cardstock in my scrap box.  I also love the leaves in the mood board, so dry embossed a panel of PTI Classic Kraft.  The edges were inked with Classic Kraft and I attached the burlap ribbon before adhering the panel to a Classic Kraft card.  The PTI word was die cut from Classic Kraft scraps, stacked, inked with Classic Kraft and covered with shimmer.  There's a short video in my IG post.  I'm entering Snippets Playground 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.