Friendship, Birthday and Christmas

We've been fortunate not to have any wildfires close to us.  So heartbreaking to see the destruction.  The smoke did finally make our air unhealthy the last few days and it's been too hot for me.  Fritz doesn't understand why I won't let him lay on the deck like usual.  I also had a sick day and haven't been motivated to blog.  But today I feel better, so here are a couple cards on my way to catching up.

First is the card I sent to Julia for the CCC July exchange.  I used the beautiful color combo of kraft, pink and gold.

SSS Leaf Tumble embossing folder was used with gold metallic cardstock.  It really gives a beautiful result and I've never had issues with cracking.  The flowers are a set from Pigment Craft Co that I've hardly used.  I stamped in Brilliance Pearlescent Brown and added gold Stickles to the centers.  You can see the beautiful sparkle in my IG post.  The sentiment is from Alex Syberia and I can't remember which branches I used.  The tiny pink butterfly is Poppystamps.

Next is a winter birthday card using 2 Waffle Flower dies for the first time:  Frosty Texture and Small Snowflake.  

I inked the snowflake with Altenew Volcano Lake which is a close match to the beautiful teal glitter tape I've had for years.  I attached the tape to cardstock and then die cut the dots and Altenew Essential Sentiment Strip Happy Birthday.  I usually think of navy blue for snowflakes, but really like the soft, pretty look of the teal.  These products will be great for Christmas cards, but I enjoyed making a birthday card first.  I'm entering SSS Monday via IG, SSS Wednesday, NBUS and DCD.

Here's the last card I made for Christmas in July.  Didn't get nearly enough done, so I'm also planning to do Christmas in August.😀 Actually, I usually make Christmas cards every month, as they're my favorites. 

This one uses the wonderful CN9 Boughs and Holly stencil pack.  The inks are Altenew Firefly, Grass Field, Cherry Sweet and Coral Red.  I inked the branches from a CN9 die set to match and added red and green splatters.  Waffle Flower Cardinal Duo diecut was colored using the matching stencil with Altenew Rhodolite, Cherry Sweet, Coral Red, black and PTI Honey Nut and Weathervane.  I used a glue pen to add touches of fine glitter to the bird, berries and branches.  You can see the sparkle in my IG post.  Birch Press Vintage Sentiment letters were stacked 2 high and inked with Cherry Sweet before being glued in place on the vellum shadow.

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

Altenew and Waffle Flower

Pinks, green and metallics are in the photo for the July Altenew Monthly Challenge.  I've been wanting to use Altenew's Plants & Vases stamp/die set again and I love metallic vases.  

Decided to use the light pink for my background.  I cut a panel of Bristol paper and ink blended Altenew Rose Quartz in the center.  It's hard to see in the photo, but is very obvious in person.  The vases were embossed with a mix of Gold and Moonstone powders to look more like those in the photo.  I used CN9 Sweet Pea and Altenew Firefly and Grass Field to stamp the branches.  The sentiment from the set was stamped in Versafine Clair Acorn.  Decided on a strip embossed with Altenew Angled Mosaic folder to ground the vases.  I didn't want it stark white, so I lightly brushed the raised areas with Distress Oxide Antique Linen.  I did the same for the sentiment to make it match.  The thin mat was embossed with the same powders.  The background looked too plain, so I added Antique Linen splatters.  Made a big difference in person.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.

My niece just got a new job, so wanted to surprise her with a card.  I was also debating about what to make for Color Hues Black and Red Challenge.  Since my niece likes red, her card works for the challenge.

I finally got some Waffle Flower Postage Collage products after Christmas and the only card I've made was a Valentine using the Rose stencil.  Now I've also used the Wild Flower Silhouettes stamp set and I love it!  I first die cut the panel from Bristol paper.  Luckily, a piece with a goof on one side was just the right size.  With the stencil in place, I blended Altenew Cherry Sweet and Coral Red--2 of my new red inks.  It did take me quite awhile to decide which images to stamp in which openings, but finally I had stamps in place in my MISTI.  Then came the scary part--stamping in Versafine Clair Nocturne!  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the images stamped great--right up to the edge of the stencil.  I removed the stamps and added others to fill in where I thought it was needed.  The tiny butterflies and dragonfly were stamped after I removed the stencil to allow some of them to stamp outside the openings.  Really happy with how it turned out and decided to leave it alone--no splatters or glitter.  PFS Perfect Sentiments Congrats! was the perfect size and I love the font.  Hard to see, but I added one tiny Poppystamps butterfly with a red gem just above the letter C.  I'm also entering JUGS Stencil Week, WAW and Time Out. 

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

Blue for Christmas and a Birthday

Just realized I never posted my entry for Color Hues Cream and Gold challenge.  You can see it on IG here.  Before that happens again, decided to blog the cards I've made for some challenges.

First is my entry for Poppystamps July Things with Wings and DCD Christmas in July.

I used Altenew inks Arctic, Persian Blue and Sapphire to color Poppystamps Nordic Doves--a gift from a friend.  The top row of holes was colored with a silver glitter pen and I used a white gel pen to highlight the eyes and tail.  The word die is BPD Confection Script, the stamped words are from W&W and the embossed panel is SSS Holiday Greenery.  My IG post has a video showing the Lindy's Gang Fairy Fluff Glitz Spritz I used on the embossed panel.

Next is my entry for the Pinkfresh July Challenge and SSS Wednesday.  This card was mailed to a sweet lady turning 100.  I made the flowers blue, since it's one of her favorite colors. 

I stamped PFS Botanical Bunch in Versafine Clair Morning Mist and used PTI inks Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky, Enchanted Evening, Mint Julep and Vintage Jadeite through the matching stencils.  Blue Bayoou Stickles add a bit of sparkle to the flower centers.  You can see the sparkle in my IG post.  The sentiment is from PFS Perfect Sentiments and I used PFS Diagonal Stitch Rectangle to die cut the panel.  A few white sequins were added for subtle embellishment.  I really love stamps with matching stencils.

The people in power here and their actions continue to horrify and depress me.  Crafting is an escape I am very thankful for.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Forgotten Dies

Thanks to the theme at JUGS, I found just what I needed to make my brother-in-law's birthday card.  In 2017 a friend sent me several dies when she was destashing.  Among them was Penny Black's Fancy Fish which is still available and on sale!  

I was delighted to get these unique and wonderful dies.  My brother-in-law spent every day fishing when our 2 families vacationed together at Shasta Lake.  I used the top fish for his 2017 card and then forgot about the dies.  This is the first time I've used the bottom fish.  Both of them were stacked 2 high making them more like chipboard.  The printed paper was in a stack of similar designs of different colors recently given to me by a friend.  This sheet made me think of  the ocean.  I searched for the right sentiment and finally realized I could use just the letters from the birthday die in Altenew's Essential Sentiment Strips.  Perfect size for my vertical greeting.  Pretty sure my BIL (and my sister) are going to like this card.  So fun to have something come together in the end like you want.  I'm also entering NBUS.

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

June CCC

So much fun to make my stenciled card for June CCC.  I was inspired by Erica's recent YouTube video.

Took a ton of pictures and this was the best I could do.  It's much better in real life.  The stencil set is Altenew's Chateau Blooms and the inks are Brilliance Starlite Black and Pearlescent Poppy.  After I finished with the inks, I replaced the stencil and used glitter paste over the flowers.  The sentiment is MB Hello Friend Posh Script die cut from vellum for the shadow and glossy black cardstock for the words.  I added a few Altenew Gem Sparkles for embellishment.  

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

Birthday, Friendship and Thank You

Here's my entry for JUGS Stencil Week. I used SSS Peony Bouquet stencil with Distress Oxides tattered rose, saltwater taffy, bundled sage and fossilized amber.

I laid the stencil over a watercolor panel, pressed the ink pads on the stencil, spritzed with water, laid another panel on top and pressed everything together with a brayer.  I just kept playing with inks and water.  When it was dry, I put the stencil back in place and ran it through my die cut machine with a rubber mat.  Decided to add a pink spray, but it was too much.  I saved the panel by doing a white metallic watercolor wash and now I love it!  SSS Happy Birthday Brush Script and Stitching Butterfly, plus gold splatters were added.  The sentiment, flower centers and butterfly body were colored with a gold glitter pen.  I'll post the card made with the other panel later.  I entered DCD and TTTC via Flickr.

Edited to add:  Entering Seize the Birthday without the topping.

Next is the card I made with my leftover PFS Small Butterflies and it's my last pink and turquoise card. 😊

In case you didn't see the other cards, the inks I used were VersaMagic Pink Petunia and Turquoise Gem.  The embossed panel was made with Memory Box Blooming folder and the sentiment is from TE Scripted Sentiments.  Finished off with a few white sequins.  

I'm so happy Shery has been able to reopen Stamplorations and now it's their 13th birthday!  For someone who doesn't color much, the Stamplorations Card Fronts make it easy to come up with a beautiful card.  

I thought the multi-colored bouquet of this one was perfect to say thank you.  All I did was use ECD scalloped rectangle to die cut the panel, stamp the sentiment from Stamplorations Bloomfully: Thankful, add black splatters and mat and use Stickles for the flower centers.  I'm entering Stamplorations Never-Ending Anything Goes Challenge.

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

Be Merry

Poppystamps June challenge is about to close and I just finished my card.  Luckily, our new printer works so much better.  

I matted the photo of Fritz with some very old PTI Pure Poppy printed paper and attached it to a card sprayed with Distress Spritz Fired Brick--beautiful shimmer.  The background in the photo was green grass, so I used a blue Copic to cover it--worked great. The little Popppystamps Shasta Twigs were brushed with New Leaf and Poppystamps Small Blooming Poinsettia was brushed with Pure Poppy.  The flower center was colored with a silver glitter pen.  Poppystamps Be Merry letters were brushed with Pure Poppy to match.  This will be our vet's Christmas card.  We're so grateful for his care of Fritz when he got vestibular syndrome.  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.