Christmas in July--Plus!

As most of you know, I love making Christmas cards.  When I was a kid at summer camp one year, the girls in my cabin agreed with my suggestion of Christmas for the cabin decorating contest.  Can't remember if we won, but we sure had fun!  When I saw Tracey's combo of Red and White for Color Hues, Christmas was my first thought.  I die cut Spellbinders Poinsettia Bloom from white cardstock weeks ago.  Amazing I didn't loose any of the little pieces! 

The outline which includes a lot of solid design was brushed with Altenew white metallic watercolor.  It gives such beautiful shimmer and shine.  The little pieces were brushed with fired brick Distress Oxide ink first and then with fired brick Distress Spritz--more beautiful shimmer!  I didn't want the berries to compete with the petals.  Since they were first covered with white watercolor, I was able to add a layer of the Distress Spritz making them match, but with much less saturated color.  You can see the shimmer and shine in my IG post.  I love SSS Holiday Greenery embossing folder which I used with PTI Soft Stone cardstock for the background.  Another favorite is Birch Press Vintage Merry Christmas.  The letters were colored the same way I did the poinsettia petals.  I try to keep my cards pretty flat for mailing, but the white glittery dot was perfect for the center.  I'm also entering SSS Monday and SSS Wednesday.  

Next I just want to show you how I fixed what was bugging me about the card in my last post.  I rushed finishing it to meet the challenge deadline.  It's been laying on my table and I knew it'd never get sent as is.  The gold watercolor splatters are beautiful, but using that watercolor as emboss resist over the sentiment was way too bold.  Decided to add another layer of the sentiment diecut attaching it slightly down and to the right.  Now there's just a bit of the gold showing and I will actually send the card. 😊

I really miss the PTI blog hops and challenges, so was happy to see they're having a Summer Challenge requiring ink blending, die cut layering and stenciling.  Gave me the motivation to make a card using 3 of the products in my recent order:  Into the Blooms: Anemones dies, Delicate Circle die and Script Background stencil.

I blended Sweet Blush and Berry Sorbet on the pieces of the largest bloom and Aqua Mist and Hawaiian Shores on the smaller one.  Vintage Jadeite was brushed on all the branches.  The card front was stenciled with Soft Stone which I softened with a vellum overlay.  I used to add ribbon to most of my cards and now I seldom use it.  But sometimes it's worth the extra postage needed!  I actually threaded the ribbon through an opening in the beautiful circle diecut.  The sentiment from Scripted (a set I reach for often!) was stacked 2 high with the top layer cut from Soft Stone and clear embossed.  I've been hoarding my Rainstones until now--love them!  

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

Altenew June Challenge

So happy to report that my strained muscle has greatly improved!  It's no longer affecting what I can do.  Here's the second card I made for the Altenew June Inspiration Challenge.  I've been wanting to add color to kraft cardstock by first using white pigment ink.  I used the same stamp with matching stencils as my first entry, Altenew's Sweet Bouquet.  

This time I stamped in Versafine Clair Pinecone in opposite corners and used a sponge dauber to apply the white ink through the stencils.  I heat set it and then began adding these Altenew inks:  Fresh Lemon, Honey Drizzle, Orange Cream, Firebrick, Forest Glades and Hunter Green.  Then I restamped to darken the lines softened by the white ink and splattered Altenew gold metallic watercolor.  Hello Friend from the same set was stamped in Pinecone and clear embossed.  Then I used the gold watercolor for emboss resist.  The sentiment strip, also from the set, was stamped in Pinecone.  I covered the flower centers in scattered straw Distress Stickles and added Altenew Antique Gold sequins.  Think I'll save this for a Fall birthday.  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.

Three Cards

I'm not big on orange, but I do love peach combined with pink.  Color Hues challenge #112 gave me a chance to try it with Cobalt.  Must say, I really like that combo, too! 

I used direct to paper with MFT Peach Bellini and Versafine Clair Blue Belle.  Prima blue watercolor was used for the center rectangle.  I love IO Woodgrain Frame and it was the perfect size for SSS Bright Blossoms diecut.  I stacked the frame 2 high and left the center flat.  The sentiment is from PTI Scripted.  The petals are stacked 2 high and covered with Shimmer Pico Embellisher.  Finished with MB clear Fairy Drops.  You can see the beautiful shimmer and shine in my IG video.  

Next is my entry for Stay Crafty with Hero and Woodblock Wednesday.  I used the words ...in the park... from the HA challenge song along with their 2010 Wild Flowers and 2004 Sketch Butterflies woodmounted stamps.  

The flowers were gold embossed and the butterflies were white embossed.  I used the emboss resist technique with old favorite Brilliance Pearlescent ink pads to represent grass, lake/river and sun.  The flowers have clear dots in their centers and the butterflies have Frosted Lace Stickles.  You can see the shimmer and shine in my IG video.  The mat was also gold embossed.  The little white dots represent Cottonwoods which are abundant in our parks this month.  Decided against a sentiment and will use this for a notecard.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.

I've been wanting to make a pastel rainbow card and here's the result using Lawn Fawn ballet slippers and peach fuzz along with Altenew Citrus Burst, Sweet Leaf and Wisteria.

I die cut my panel with PFS Slim Braided Circles and added 2 additional layers to the inside circles before gluing them in place.  Gold splatters are always good, in my book!  PFS Small Butterflies were gold embossed and the bodies were colored with the same inks using the matching stencil.  I gently lifted the wings and added the gold embossed sentiment from Sweet Friend Floral.  I'm entering PFS June Challenge via Flickr.

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 Anniversary

I used a favorite Altenew stamp/die/stencils set to make a card for the Altenew June Inspiration Challenge.

The Altenew inks are Fresh Lemon, Maple Yellow and Sunkisseed.  I also used Distress Oxide crackling campfire, Memento Pistachio and CN9 Artichoke.  The cardstocks are cream and Classic Kraft.  I stacked the bouquet 3 high and Altenew Essential Sentiment Strips Happy Birthday was stacked 2 high.  The background has a light coating of Distress Spritz Vintage Photo and the focal point has brown splatters.  You can get a better look in my IG video.  I finished off with yellow gems and green pearls.  I'm also entering SSS Monday.

My next card was inspired by 2 challenges:  Time Out photo inspiration and Die Cut Divas color challenge.  Instead of seashells, my heart was made with Poppystamps Potpourri Flower Set and I filled the center with SSS Leaf Tumble embossing folder.  

DCD requires the use of at least 3 of the colors.  I used 4 starting with the card, PFS Nested Diagonal Stitch Square and embossed square done with GKD Whisper cardstock.  I made my own colored cardstock for the flowers by using direct to paper (Bristol) with VersaMagic Pink Petunia and Red Brick plus Altenew Velvet.  The sentiment from Altenew Sweet Bouquet was stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.  I added tiny clear gems in roughly a heart shape to help your eye see the heart.  What do you think? 😊 It was fun to make an anniversary card that's a little different. 

Edited to add:  Also entering Tic Tac Toe 273 using anniversary, free, square. 

I'm improving, but the strained muscle is still slowing me down.  Sometimes it doesn't bother me and other times I just have to lay back in my recliner.  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Cheerful Birthday Card

Bold are not my go-to colors, but thought I'd try them for a cheerful birthday card.  

The SSS Cherry Blossom embossing folder comes with 3 individual blossom dies--so fun!  It was actually very easy to emboss them without needing to tape them in place.  I love the font of PFS Perfect Sentiments and thought it worked great for this card.  You can see sparkle from Stickles on the colored blossoms and shine from clear embossing on the sentiment in my IG post.  I'm entering Time Out Challenge: Pick 2 using bold/repeat and The Flower Challenge.

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

Thanksgiving in June

I know it's a little weird to make a Thanksgiving card in June, but that's what came to my mind for the Coral and Green challenge at Color Hues.  Definitely a non-traditional look, but I actually like it.

I used Gina K Wreath Builder template with her Autumn Wreath Builder stamp set.  The sentiment is clear embossed, which you can see in my IG post.  The second sentiment is from SSS Full of Thanks.  I used Altenew Rouge and Forest Glades inks.  I inked the Rouge mats and used matching cardstock for the green one.  Stardust Stickles in the flower centers adds some sparkle.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday and WAW.

I've been dealing with a strained muscle for over a week.  It has improved, but I'm still having to spend time doing nothing.  Makes it hard to keep up!  I do appreciate your visits and will return the favor when I can, if I have your blog address.

Memory Box and Poppystamps

What a time to be an American.  RFK in charge of our health?!  I told myself even Trump wouldn't do that.  But turns out sometimes things really are going to be as bad as you think.  

The background of my card for the Memory Box Monthly challenge was an experiment with gesso and Lindy's Magicals using a brayer over a stencil.  Need to try again without a stencil, but I didn't want to waste the panel. 

I used a splatter stamp with Versamark ink and Wow! Sea Turtle embossing powder.  Really like the result.  I used the same powder for Memory Box Verdant Leaves.  The sentiment from PTI's Essential Sentiments was stamped in Versafine Clair Acorn.  Really like PTI Rustic Cream cardstock with the soft green.  Usually my sympathy cards are simpler, but I think this soft, monochromatic look also works.  I'm also entering WAW. 

Simple, elegant cards are my favorite, so this one makes me happy.  It's prettier in person, but this gives you the idea.

Memory Box Blooming embossing folder is definitely one of my favorites!  It's white here, in case you can't tell.  Poppystamps Dream Butterfly was die cut from cardstock covered with a double sided adhesive sheet so I could cover it with WOW! Celebration Sparkles--a bit chunkier, champagne glitter.  The butterfly needed something solid behind it and I ended up using Spellbinders Labels 18.  Instead of leaving them white, I brushed Altenew's Minty Mint ink on the larger one.  I used the next darker shade, Hunter Green, to stamp the PTI Scripted sentiment.  I'm entering Poppystamps and TTTC272 where my friend, Betty, developed the board.  I used Layers/Free/Floral-Foliage.

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