Guest Designing at Time Out Challenges

                                                       

I'm so honored to have been a winner at Time Out Challenges & to be guest designing with the talented team.  It's time for Inspired by Words and here's the quote from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.  "It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."  

I decided to make a scene with the sun shining while snow can still be seen in areas on the ground & the trees have green showing amidst the snow.  

I stamped & die cut the trees from PTI Enchanted Forest.  The snowy layer was made with Stampendous Puff & Sparkle embossing powder which gives great texture along with sparkle.  I also embossed the edge of my MFT snowdrift using the same powder.  The pictures don't capture how pretty it is.

I used a circle mask I made from a die & blended Distress Oxides in blues plus a bit of aged mahogany for my winter sky.  The sun was done with squeezed lemonade.  It didn't look wintry enough, so I decided to try giving it a light wash of white gouache.  Figured I might have to start over, but it actually gave just the look I wanted!  The mat is PTI Dark Indigo & I used the matching ink to stamp the sentiment from PTI Friendly Flowers.

Hope I've inspired you to join the gallery.  Top Flight Stamps is sponsoring the challenge.  The winner will get a $25.00 gift voucher to spend at Top Flight's store & an offer to Guest Design for a future challenge.  

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

Catching Up

As usual, I've made a lot of cards, but haven't posted them here.  I'll start with my entry for the March Poppystamps challenge to use only die cuts.  I embossed a white scrap with Stampendous Sparkle Puff 3D embossing powder & used it to diecut a bunch of rabbits.  It gives texture & sparkle--really pretty in person, but I couldn't get a decent picture to show it.  

I watercolored Flower Field Corner with Zigs, splattered white gouache & added Pico Embellisher black dots.  I tucked in Poppystamps Serene Rabbit & attached it to the blue panel die cut with one of Poppystamps Pierced Borders & splattered with gouache.  Poppystamps Scribble Thank You was die cut from a scrap covered in packing tape.  It gives the look of glaze with no mess or drying time.  A sweet Darice embossing folder was used for the background. 

Many of you know I really love elegant cards.  It was easy to make one for Easter using Altenew Floral Acanthus 3D folder embossed on PTI Vintage Cream cardstock. 

I carefully swiped over the raised edges with my Delicata Golden Glitz ink pad & splattered with gold watercolor.  The IO sentiment was die cut from SSS Gold Matte cardstock & I cut a strip for the edge of the card. 

Pearls are my favorite, but I seldom use them these days because of the needed extra postage.  But some cards just have to have them!  I'm entering Time Out Challenges via Flickr. 

I made another elegant card for Time Out Challenges using the same Altenew folder.  This time I embossed vellum, trimmed the panel down & attached it to cream cardstock. 

PFS Fancy Oval Frame was die cut from SSS matte gold cardstock.  I looked through all my ink pads & markers to find a purple that matched the Bazzill Concord Grape textured cardstock.  

Finally, I remembered to check my Versafine ink cubes & found Imperial Purple was just what I needed for the old wood mounted sentiment.  I gold embossed the edges of the oval & added Lucy's Iridescent jewels. 

My final card is for Just Us Girls Rainbow challenge.  I used rainbow foil for the Unity/ThermoWeb Wild Garden toner card front.  It's so beautiful in person as it changes color with every turn in the light.

I die cut The Stamp Market Just Vine from a scrap of PTI adhesive backed gold cardstock, leaving out some of the inner leaf pieces.  It's the same shade of gold as what's in the rainbow foil.  I took tons of pictures to try & show the beautiful colors & shine.  This one isn't bad, except that the red truly looks red in person.

Memory Box Hello Friend Posh Script was die cut from vellum & black cardstock scraps.  I used SSS Micro Dot Sheets to attach a couple layers of the words & to attach the words to the shadow.  I used the much stickier Ecstasy Crafts Sticky Specks to attach the sentiment to the card front.  The Sticky Specks don't work for delicate die cuts, in my experience, but are great for sturdier ones.  I finished off with 3 black sequins.  I'm also entering The Snippets Playground.

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

Almost March!

Wow--getting down to the wire for February challenges!  I finally came up with an idea for the Pinkfresh Studio Monthly challenge.  Most of the time I use the theme as I have trouble figuring out how to combine 4 or 5 colors on a card.  But using PFS Small Butterflies made it easy because they have 4 stencils for coloring. 

I pulled out pink, peach & 2 green inks for stenciling along with a soft yellow cardstock.  The butterflies were gold embossed before I stenciled & die cut them.  Decided to try my first grid card & finally got 6 of the butterflies laid out on the yellow panel. 

I stamped the 2 words from Delicate Wreath, covered the butterfly bodies with green Stickles & added tiny black gems to the antennae.  I'm also entering Die Cut Divas & SSS Monday.

Next is my entry for Memory Box Challenge 92.  I die cut the Pigment Craft Co cup from soft pink cardstock in the Memory Box Vintage Pastel Mirror pad & dry embossed it with Memory Box beautiful Blooming 3D folder.  

Poppystamps Scribble Hello was die cut from the the same mirror cardstock & white cardstock to give dimension.  The old MFT flourish was die cut from silver glitter paper.  

I scored a frame & brushed a bit of tan ink to ground the cup with the impression of a table.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.

My final card is made with another blue cardstock from a very old inexpensive paper pack.  This time I embossed with another favorite folder--SSS Refracted.  You can't really tell, but I swiped over the raised areas with a white dye ink pad.  It did slightly soften the look & I mounted it to a panel die cut with AJVD pierced rectangle.  

SSS Happy Birthday Brush Script is going to get a lot of use!  The size is perfect for cards & I love that the words come out in one piece, including the dot for the i!  I used the same blue cardstock & embossed with Hero Arts Sparkle ep.  That powder gives beautiful shine & shimmer without changing the color of the cardstock.  

I used white scraps for the shadow & SSS Etched Laurel Leaves.  Decided to add a vellum layer on top of the branch.  It looks lovely in person with glue just on the stems.  I love the look of clear drops for embellishments as they add something without being distracting.  I'm entering SSS Flickr 208 & 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.

A Few More Cards

First up I want to share my card for Time Out Challenges, Case the Designer.  I love Gina K's beautiful stenciled rainbow card.  I used her basic layout & also inked over a stencil in rainbow order.

My stencil is Stamplorations Petals 3 & the Distress Oxides are candied apple, spiced marmalade, fossilized amber, lucky clover, faded jeans & wilted violet.  The sentiment from PTI Scripted was stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne & I added black Pico Embellisher dots.  I sent this card to a friend going through difficult medical treatment.  A big surprise & honor to be chosen by the team as the winner! 

Next is my entry for Poppystamps February Challenge.  I heat embossed the intertwined hearts from Poppystamps Grateful Heart stamp set multiple times to get thick, shiny lines.  Then I colored with a very old red WOS pen which is a somewhat muted red rather than super bright.  That's what I wanted since this will be for hubby & he's not that big on red.  He did have a candy apple red car as a teenager & I think this is fairly close to that color. 

I hadn't planned to fussy cut the image, but managed to get a bit of color outside the lines of one heart, naturally!  Very easy to cut & I actually like it better because that let me attach it with foam tape to the background panel made with Poppystamps Heart Pattern Plate--a gift from a friend.  

I also covered the hearts with Shimmer Pico Embellisher for a lovely shimmery shine.  The little heart dot embellishment has been in my stash forever.  I also entered SSS Wednesday.

My newest embossing folder is Altenew's Rose Bouquet.  It is absolutely gorgeous whether you use colored or white cardstock.  I used to buy cheap packs of colored cardstock at a local store, but most of it never got used.  Many of the colors just weren't my favorite shades.  Recently I moved a blue pack so that I'd see it.  Thought it'd work for embossed panels I send with cards.  You should have seen my face when I took the first panel out of the folder.  I couldn't believe how beautiful it was with the embossed roses!  

I did several different colors & they all looked great, so this folder is a keeper!  For this card I swiped over the edges with my very old Brilliance Pearlescent Ice Blue ink pad giving a wonderful soft shimmer.  

The SSS Happy Birthday Brush Script die is also a recent purchase.  The size is great for cards & I love that the words come out in 1 piece, including the dot for the i!  I used vellum for the shadow & added a few white sequins.  I'm entering SSS Flickr, SSS Wednesday & Time Out Challenges. 

The rehab for my new total hip is going very well.  Only a couple more sessions with Physical Therapy & I'll be on my own continuing to build strength in that leg for about 6 months.  Thanks so much for all the well wishes.  I truly appreciate your taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Birthday & Hello Cards

Finally sitting down to post 3 cards.  I'll start with my second card for the Uniko 11th Birthday challenge.  This time I used the wonderful Nature's Treasures II stamp set for a masculine card.  

The inks are Pigment Craft Co Eucalyptus, Aloe & Balsam with Altenew Dusty Rose for the berries from Rustic Wreath & the sentiment from Floral Vines.  I haven't entered The Male Room in a very long time, so happy to see the current theme is Nature.

Next is the card I entered in the PTI Birthday Sweet challenge.  I only have 1 PTI stamp set that fits the theme & it's called Your Beautiful Birthday.  Such a unique, fun set I should pull out more often. 

I had someone in mind who loves blue, so I used Blueberry Sky & Enchanted Evening inks & cardstocks.  The cake plate & flames are stamped in Delicata Silvery Shimmer & Soft Stone.  I used a small paintbrush & diluted ink to connect the 2 cake layers.  Fun little sentiment from Scripted which fit perfectly.  I used Mix & Mat Flourishes die for the dots & backed the panel with silver metallic cardstock. 

The frame is Pierced Feature Frames & I used a Quickie Glue pen to add fine glitter to the dots & flames.  I also entered SSS Monday Frame It challenge & Time Out 9th BD challenge.

Next is my entry for the Altenew February Inspiration Challenge.  The photo this month is of a strikingly beautiful sky.   I decided to see if I could use the colors for my neglected Fantasy Floral dies.  I have tons of white cardstock scraps, so I just die cut a bunch of the flower layers & leaves.  After going through all my ink pads & markers, I finally decided on Copics R81, RV04 & RV19 for the flowers & C3 for the leaves.  After trying out all the layers in each color, I chose this one as my favorite.  

Some of the practice diecuts may still end up as flowers by using different colors for the other layers.  I splattered white gouache on the flowers & leaves which really does make a difference in the look.  Before putting the card together, I took time to do some foiling.  I couldn't wait to see if the new Poly Glaze sheets really do completely foil without missing areas which often happens with the toner sheet designs--at least in my experience.  Oh boy--what a game changer for those of us without foiling machines!  I did 2 of the designs & both came out perfectly.  As I was looking at the pink one, I realized it would be a great background for my roses.  

The beautiful Altenew Fancy Hello was die cut from white & silver metallic cardstock scraps so I could stack it 3 high.  When I first put the roses together, I wasn't sure that I liked them.  But now that the card is finished, I actually love it!  I'm also entering The Snippets Playground & TTTC 197 using the diagonal row of word die/pink/flowers.

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