Yesterday was a wonderful break from the heat, but summer isn't over yet. I'm totally out of my routine these days--feels like I'll never catch up. I have made some cards & finally I'm getting them posted.
First is another one commissioned by my neighbor. She wanted something special to send to her sister who is turning 80 & she wanted "80" to be included. I was struggling until I remembered seeing balloons used that way, so pulled out my Penny Black balloon dies.
For a color scheme I turned to one from Lexi Daly: Hawaiian Shores, Green Parakeet & Harvest Gold. It's really beautiful in person, but I couldn't get a very accurate photo. The cover plate is Lil' Inker (purchase enabled by the die cuts my friend, Cat, sent to me!) & the sentiment is SSS Painted Happy Birthday. The sentiment & balloons were brushed with WOS.
I added Nuvo Glaze to the sentiment & glued down the floss with Distress Collage Medium. The numbers are white glittery stickers which I colored with a teal COPIC. My neighbor was pleased & hopefully her sister will be, too. I entered 2 Flickr challenges: SSS & Love Handmade Cards. I'm also entering Seize the Birthday & HLS Anything Goes with Dies.
Next is my entry for PTI MIM: Petite Pattern Play. I loved Michelle's example using the Take 3 die & I remembered the tiny stamps included in Autumn Adornments. I didn't think about the 3 images not being exactly the same size, so took me 3 attempts to get something that worked.
As you can see, in the end I cut each one out, so the squares are all the same size. Next time I'll try using the same image in each opening of my mask & see if I can get a 1 layer card. The stamping on Classic Kraft is done with Canyon Clay, Simply Chartreuse & Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate. I gold embossed the sentiment from the same set. The squares are matted with Dark Chocolate (as is the panel) & mounted with foam tape. I added tiny brown splatters & decided against any embellishments. I'm also entering WAW.
Last is a fun CAS card using Stamplorations Coffee for all Seasons. I was inspired by Freshly Made Sketches. Hoping it's OK to flip the sketch.
After heat embossing all 4 images, I masked around the summer square & blended with Distress Inks abandoned coral, carved pumpkin & fossilized amber. Then I brushed on Wink of Stella--so pretty in person.
The sentiment is from the same set & is also heat embossed. Thinking this will go to a friend with a Starbuck's card inside. I'm also entering SSS Wednesday, Stamplorations CAS, Stamplorations Anything Goes & Time Out. Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.
We're not having a usual week, although no comparison to the people dealing with wildfires & floods. I'm very grateful to be where I am. Fritz had an IV to have his teeth cleaned & a couple days later wouldn't stop licking the shaved area on his leg. That means I had to watch him every minute or put on the cone. He actually doesn't fight the cone, but I feel terrible making him wear it. Then hubby had a hernia repair that turned out to be 5 hernias! It was done laparoscopically, but that's still a big surgery. He was in surgery way longer than expected & took awhile to get his post op pain controlled. Luckily, we're only 10 minutes from the hospital & nothing I could do for him, so I spent most of the day watching Fritz & waiting for the phone to ring. Both are doing better, but we're all still catching up on sleep. Since they're both napping I'm taking the chance to post my PTI cards.
The first one is for MIM: Mixed Background Texture. I used one of The Sweet Life die cuts I stamped awhile back when I had the 2 layers lined up in my Mini MISTI.
I used Lemon Tart & Berry Sorbet on Sweet Blush cardstock. The berry spray from Spruce & Sprigs was also die cut from Sweet Blush & stamped with the matching ink. The leaves were die cut from vellum & stamped in Lemon Tart. A Lemon Tart panel was dry embossed on the top & stamped with Text Style in Summer Sunrise on the bottom. The bouquet was mounted to a panel of Berry Sorbet with a sentiment from Gathered Garden stamped multiple times in the matching ink. The little dots are done with a Versamark pen. I'm also entering WAW.
Next is my Transformation Tuesday card which is an anniversary version of a birthday card I really liked. My neighbor asked me to make a card for her daughter's 21st anniversary & I'll see if she wants this one.
I did a better job lining up the strips this time using 2 cuts of the Mix & Mat: Flourishes die. The panel was supposed to be shades of peach sponging with SSS Apricot & HA Soft Cantaloupe. It looks pretty orange to me, but maybe she'll like it since they went to Oregon State University. The sponged panel has lots of shimmer & I used sparkle embossing powder for the Penny Black sentiment which I first inked ombre in the 2 colors & then used Versamark over the top.
The little hearts were punched, stacked 3 high & covered with Stickles. The first card had the white die cut layer glued flat, but this time I used foam tape. The card front was also sponged with the same inks. My neighbor will be hand delivering a card, so I added the grosgrain ribbon--not too girly & keeps it from being so plain, I think. I'll probably make at least 1 more card to give her options. Still working on getting to all your blogs--don't think I've forgotten you. Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.
