Friendship and Christmas

As soon as I saw Stef's inspiration card at Time Out Challenge 308, I thought of Altenew's Pink Star Tulip die, which I haven't used for awhile.  Decided to use the Altenew March Inspiration Challenge colors.  

I inked the bloom with Altenew Baby Pink and Fuchsia and the leaves with Mountain Pine.  The elements of Stef's card that I incorporated in mine are the large floral, dry embossing, splatters, small stamped/die cut sentiment and the mat just at the top and bottom.  Altenew's Deck Planks 3D embossing folder was used with white cardstock and I splattered it with Honey Drizzle ink.  The colored strips for the top and bottom of the card front were inked with Honey Drizzle.  I love shimmer and shine, so before attaching my focal point, I sprayed it with Lindy's Gang Pixie Dust Glitz Spritz.  Oh my goodness--it's so beautiful in the light.  Check out my IG post to see it.  I like using generic sentiments on the front of my cards so I can put whatever I need on the inside.  This one may be a birthday card or even for Easter.  Love the font of this sentiment from Altenew's Morning Glory stamp set.  I haven't been using embellishments much lately, but thought these beautiful iridescent gems were perfect.  They pick up the ink colors and are soft enough not to be distracting.  I'm also entering DCD, as flowers mean Spring to me.

Next is my entry for Christmas Kickstart: Out of the Woods.  During my recent foiling session, I cut a piece of blank toner paper the size needed to die cut my three IO deer.

I used bronze foil and it came out great!  Running everything through my laminator twice seemed to make a difference as the only things that didn't foil perfectly were small toner sentiments.  They never are perfect in my experience.  Anyway, finally got around to die cutting the deer and the shine is so beautiful!  

I used the old MB Garden Birch Landscape stencil, which I love.  The Altenew inks are Caribbean Sky, Persian Blue and Sapphire.  I added small white splatters and spread Snowfall Grit Paste at the bottom.  The sentiment combines the BP word die and W&W stamp.  Peace--what we all need, not just at Christmas.  I'm also entering 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 TTTC

I was delighted to be asked to guest design for TTTC288.  The board has lots of options that let you make any kind of card.

I chose the last vertical row of Splatter/Smooshing, Die Cut Shapes and Embellishment.  Since I'm working on Easter cards, that's what I made.

I smooshed Altenew Just Green ink and splattered it with Hunter Green.  Poppystamps Proper Happy Easter shadow was inked in Just Green and I used white cardstock for the letters.  The cute Easter eggs from Memory Box were die cut from watercolor paper I painted with Lindy's Magicals.  The shimmer is so beautiful in person. 

I kept the detail layers white and added little clear gems.  There's lots of inspiration from the DT and I'd love to see you in the gallery.  I'm entering DCD, WAW and 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.

Birthday and Easter

At a time when the world seems upside down, I was reminded that little moments matter.  A man using a walker was ahead of me as we headed to the post office door.  I got close enough to offer to get the door for him.  But he opened it for me, saying you have your hands full with that purse.  I smiled, said thank you and walked through.  He said thank you for that beautiful smile.  Just a few seconds of positive human contact between strangers.  He brightened my day and hopefully I brightened his.   

I recently watched Erica's video on 3D embossing folders.  Inking the edges of an embossed folder wasn't new to me, but it reminded me to do it.  Here's the masculine Spring birthday card I made. 

I began by diecutting SSS Happy Birthday Brush Script shadow from a panel of Altenew's Forest Glades cardstock.  Then I embossed the panel with SSS Tumbling Leaves.  I inked the edges with Altenew Olive Grove and inked the card front with VersaMagic Niagara Mist.  The words were inked with Olive Grove and double clear embossed.  No sparkle for a guy's card, but cute little Poppystamps butterflies inked to match finish it off.  I'm entering DCD (through Flickr) since green leaves are part of Spring.

Edited to add: Thanks to Julie B's comment, I'm also entering Cardz 4 Guyz for the first time.

I recently pulled out my laminator, foil and toner card fronts to make one for a friend.  While everything was out, I made quite a few panels.  3 years ago I used rainbow foil with Unity Wild Garden toner card front.  This time I used specialty gold foil--really eye-catching!  Check out my IG post.  Decided this was the perfect chance to try ink blending over the foil and I'm hooked!  

I used Altenew Just Green, heavier around the edges.  I added an old SSS frame diecut along with Poppystamps butterflies and Proper Happy Easter inked to match.  Now to make more of my foiled panels into cards!  I'm entering Color Hues and DCD.

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

Wild Blooms

Loosing myself in cardmaking, as much as possible.  It's been quite awhile since I used PTI Wild Blooms layering stencil set, so pulled it out for stencil week at JUGS.  

I used a cream panel laying on my table with Altenew inks Blush Rose, Wisteria and Sagestone plus CN9 inks Pink Lemonade and Artichoke.  It was night when I finished stenciling and I wasn't sure I liked it enough to use it for a card.  Decided to leave it overnight and see what I thought in the daylight.  Next day I cut it down and brushed the edges with the Sagestone ink.  Then I used my finger to apply gold wax through the stencil for the flower centers--so beautiful!  Now the panel was growing on me, so I mixed a bit of water with some of the wax and splattered it over the panel.  I picked up the leftover with a small brush and went around the edges.  The mat was brushed with Blush Rose to match and I attached the panels to the center of a cream card.  Debated about the sentiment and decided on an old Winnie and Walter stamp/die set.  The little word was stamped in Artichoke and spring was die cut twice and brushed with a shimmer pen.  Pulled out the new to me Poppystamps Bunches o' Butterflies.  I chose one, inked it with Pink Lemonade, dabbed a bit of gold wax on the tips of the wings and attached a gold glitter dot to the body.  You can see the shine and shimmer in my IG post.  Glad I didn't toss the stenciled panel as I ended up with a card I really like.  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.

Christmas and Birthday

I came across some beautiful deep green cardstock in my box of 8 1/2x11 sheets, so I made a couple Christmas cards.  Both of them started by embossing a green panel with SSS Holiday Greenery 3D folder.  I posted them in Flickr for challenges, so thought I'd show them here.

First is the card I entered for Christmas Kickstart inspired by the song White Christmas.  

I rubbed a white pigment pad on the raised edges and added Frosted Lace Stickles to the berries.  The new to me CN9 sentiment shadow was cut from vellum and the words from matte silver cardstock.

I swiped the other embossed panel with a gold ink pad using a fairly heavy hand.  That meant some of the ink also got on the areas not raised.

I added satin gold embossing powder and decided I kind of liked the look.  The edges were distressed and gold embossed.  SSS Peace, Love, Hope, Joy was stacked 2 high and double gold embossed with the same powder.  I added it to a vellum oval before attaching it to the panel.

Last is my entry for Woodblock Wednesday.  Karen's card using an old Stampington image reminded me that I have one of their butterflies.  It's Debbie Mumm's 2000 Grand Butterfly.  

Making this card was so much fun and just the distraction I needed.  I used Pentel Milky Pop pink and orange gel pens plus Pentel silver Sparkle Pop.  Sometimes I forget that it's OK to leave some areas white.  For me, that really makes this card.  The silver shimmer/sparkle is gorgeous and you can see it in my IG video.  The sentiment is an old favorite from Penny Black.  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.

Just a Note and Happy Birthday

Squeaking in with a last minute entry for JUGs Photo/Mood Board Challenge.  The first time I looked at it, I thought of pink tissue paper flowers.  

I die cut Poppystamps Layered Pointy Petals using 3 layers of pink tissue paper at once.  Then I pulled apart the layers and glued 2-3 different size flowers together.  Instead of the diecut centers, I used pink transluscent enamel dots.  Couldn't resist the recent 50% off flash sale at The Greetery and picked up 2 dies.  This is my first card using It's a Wrap: Mini Posy Pocket which I die cut from PTI printed paper.  Decided my flowers needed something, so I added Memory Box Garland Greenery die cut from vellum.  The embossed panel is SSS Dibble Tile and the sentiment stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist is from PFS Perfect Sentiments.  Glad I had enough Sweet Blush cardstock for the mat, which actually is just a frame.  I cut a smaller rectangle from the center to use for another card.  I'm also entering NBUS.  This is the first outing for the flower wrap, flowers and greenery.

Next is my card for Uniko's 14th BD Celebration.  I admire Beverley's designing skills and ability to run her own company.  And I'm happy to count her as one of my friends.  

I used CN9 inks for the floral image and Versafine Clair Nocturne for the sentiment.  The base stems/leaves layer of Beautiful Blooms III was stamped in Artichoke, the fill-in color in Parsley and the veins in Artichoke.  For the flower and berry I used Pink Lemonade and Dragonfruit.  I wasn't happy with the flower outline and didn't want to start over, so I carefully traced it using a Gelly Roll Clear Star pen.  Thankfully, that gave me a look I liked.  Floral Vines is another Uniko stamp set I really like, but this time I just used the birthday sentiment.  I splattered black ink and added 3 pearly white sequins.  The black dry embossed background was made with  Altenew's Angled Mosaic.  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.

Altenew, Stamplorations and Pinkfresh

The February Altenew Challenge has a beautiful color combo.  I used Altenew's Plants & Vases for my entry, along with their Nesting Oval dies.  

The inks I used are Altenew Blush and VersaMagic Oasis Green.  The cardstock is PTI Soft Stone.  I used a gold metallic pen to highlight the dots on the vase and randomly stamped little splatters using gold metallic watercolor.  You can see the shimmer in my IG video.

Next is my card for Stamplorations February Challenge.  I love the style of the Layered Vase stamp set.  There are solid images to use for adding color.  

I stamped the outline image in Versafine Clair Nocturne and used Altenew Blush Rose, Raspberry Sunset, Sagestone and Caribbean Sky for the color.  I stamped the water 3 times to get a slightly larger area colored.  The sentiment is from the same set.  I splattered black ink and added matching enamel dots.  Now I want to make another card with this fun set!  

My final card was made with the rest of my PFS butterflies that weren't used for the card in my last post.  The gold embossed Small Butterflies were stenciled with MFT Peach Bellini and PTI Tropical Teal. 

I cut off an inch of the card front and attached matching colored strips to the inside of the card.  The splatters were made with an old IO background stamp using the same inks and the butterflies were glued only in the middle. 

The sentiment is from PFS Sweet Friend Floral.  I'm entering PFS February Challenge and Color Hues Peach & Teal.

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