Anniversary Card

Playing Music is the current theme for Time Out Challenges.  It inspired this anniversary card.

I die cut a panel of old sheet music my neighbor gave me using GK Master Layouts 1.  The edges were brushed with Distress Oxide vintage photo and I matted it with a glossy black rectangle also die cut with the GK set.  Alex Syberia Quirky Hearts dies were cut a couple times to get the narrow outlines.  The flowers are Poppystamps Little Layered Asters. The hearts were brushed with Distress Oxide aged mahogany.  I layered the flowers putting one brushed with aged mahogany on top of one brushed with vintage photo.  The centers are black enamel dots.  The Alex Syberia word shadow was die cut from PTI Classic Kraft and the letters from glossy black.  Happy Anniversary is stamped inside the Classic Kraft card.  The husband this card went to plays music and the wife loves gardening, so that was the idea behind this design.  I'm also entering SSS Monday and WAW.

Our almost 13 yr old Standard Schnauzer, Fritz, had sudden neurological symptoms a few days ago.  He spent 3 days at the vet.  We're hoping it's Old Dog Vestibular Syndrome which has a great prognosis with full or nearly full recovery.  He is improving, so we are hopeful.  He has to be in his crate or one of us is next to him with the leash attached at all times.  Otherwise, he can try to move and hurt himself.  His walking is improving, but he still looses his balance easily, so we have to hold the leash of his harness taut to keep him from getting hurt.  We take turns getting the basics done.  I sleep in my recliner with his crate next to me.  Very grateful he's handling that well.  I had this post mostly done before we brought him home.  I'm not on-line much and not sure when I'll be able to do any cardmaking.  Thank you for your thoughts and understanding.

Christmas Cardinal

I always loved seeing cardinals when we visited family in Indianapolis.  One of my grandmothers always sent Christmas cards with cardinals.  Now I can, too!  After last Christmas I got the Waffle Flower Cardinal Duo Die-n-Stencil.  Here's my first card.

I used PTI Pure Poppy and Smokey Shadow through the stencil which was very easy to line up.  I used a white gel pen to highlight the details.  Poppystamps Shasta Twigs were colored with PTI Pinefeather.  The embossed background was made with Honey Bee Snowy Pines folder which I sprayed with Lindy's Pixie Dust for a beautiful gold shimmer.

Birch Press Design Merry Christmas Vintage Sentiment was leftover from last year and was just right with the beautiful gold glitter letters.  Can't wait to make some more cardinal cards.  I'm entering Christmas Kickstart, DCD 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.

Flowers

I had fun making this card for a friend using SSS Long Stem Florals watercolored with Magicals from Lindy's Victorian Bouquet set.  

I black embossed and die cut 3 of the florals from watercolor paper.  Four of the Magicals were mixed with water and used to color the blooms and leaves.  I also splattered the Magicals on a white panel matted with glossy black.  Both panels were die cut with Gina K Master Layouts. 

Love the shimmer and shine from the Magicals.  It show up better in my IG post video.  I tied on white crochet thread and attached them to a white card.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set.  I'm entering JUGS and WAW.

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

Spring Cards

I love the color combo of pink and green, so definitely had to make a card for the May Altenew Inspiration Challenge.

It's been awhile since I made a card with Altenew's Climber Flowers die set.  It's not one of the newer keyhole designs, but the diecuts are fairly easy to put together by looking at the guide.  

I brushed the white diecut flowers with PTI Raspberry Fizz and the white leaves with Altenew Frayed Leaf and Lime inks.  I dabbed the flower centers with ink left in a brush for yellow inks.  Before gluing the pieces together, I splattered them with Altenew's gold metallic watercolor.  I dry embossed a 4x5 1/4 white panel using Altenew's Playful Leaves 3D folder and attached it to a white card.  Then I tried several layouts and decided on this one.  Using the slightly smaller background panel let me arrange the focal point going over the edge, but still inside the card edges.  I seldom put sentiments near the top of  a card, but really liked the look for this one.  So glad I have Altenew's Essential Sentiment Strips die set.  It gives me a die cut option that's smaller than most of my others and was just what I wanted for this card.  I die cut the birthday sentiment from white and gold cardstocks.  The gold frame competed with the flowers, so I used the white frame and inserted the gold letters.  Finished off with gold sequins.  I'm also entering Just Us Girls, DCD, TTTC (Floral/Free/White) and WAW.

Stamplorations is having a Spring Fling Linky Party and the May ATG Challenge, which can be combined.  Here's the card I made using Stamplorations Blossom Sprays #1 and Bloomfully: Thankful stamp sets. 

I began by ink blending a panel of Bristol paper with Lawn Fawn Ballet Slippers and Peach Fuzz plus PTI Lemon Tart.  I hadn't blended a panel like that for awhile and had forgotten how much I like the look.  After it was dry, I white embossed the floral image using my MISTI.  That let me just turn the panel to get the same stamping in each corner.  I used a shimmer pen to "color" just the blooms--so pretty in the light.  

The sentiment was white embossed on a vellum strip which I wrapped around the panel and attached in the back.  I came across these sweet little floral gem stickers given to me a long time ago.  The colors included the 3 I used and they were just what I wanted for a little embellishment.  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.

My New Lindy's Flat Fabio Sprays

I couldn't resist the recent one day sale at Lindy's Gang.  I've been wanting some spray inks that don't have shimmer or sparkle.  Only let myself get one set and I finally decided on Carribean Cruise.  Now I may HAVE to get a few more bottles! 😆
Emboss resist has always been one of my favorite techniques, so that's what I did for my first card.

SSS Kaleidoscope Background was white embossed on watercolor paper.  Then I spritzed in sort of rainbow order starting at the top.  The sentiment is SSS Happy Birthday Brush Script and the butterflies are SSS Stitching Butterflies.  I die cut the sentiment shadow from the panel and the words and butterfly bodies were die cut from gold metallic cardstock.  The vellum butterflies were brushed with Delicata Golden Glitz.  I'm entering SSS Flickr, DCD and WAW, via Flickr.

My second card came about because I didn't want to waste the sentiment shadow cut from the emboss resist panel.  So, I die cut the words from it and mounted it to the shadow cut from a green, textured scrap.

I sprayed a strip of white, heavy weight cardstock in the same order as the first card.  They don't look quite the same, since I didn't spray nearly as heavily.  When it dried, I die cut 3 old Penny Black balloons.  I found Distress Oxides that were a close match to brush the edges, giving more definition.  Amazing the difference that made.  For a more festive look, I sprayed the balloons with Lindy's Gang Pixie Dust.  It gives a beautiful shimmer.  I tied white crochet thread to the balloons and arranged everything on a gold, metallic panel.  I'm entering DCD, WAW and Snippets Playground.  Everything but the card itself is from scraps.

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

Celebrate

Fun to get out my Zig Watercolor Brush Markers to make a sweet floral card for several challenges.  The stamp is from Poppystamps Friends and Flowers clear set.  I stamped it on Bristol paper in Versafine Clair Acorn.  Then I colored with Light Pink and Light Carmine using the blender brush and no water.  It doesn't show in the photo, but I also brushed the blooms with shimmer--so beautiful in person.  You can get an idea from my IG post. 

The sentiment from Altenew's Sweet Bouquet was stamped in Acorn and embossed with clear matte powder.  I used Elizabeth Craft Designs Dotted Scallop Rectangles to die cut the panels.  So glad I saw the light pink paper in my stash.  Hard to see, but it actually has very light white or pink polka dots.  The edges of the card front were brushed with vintage photo Distress Oxide.  Finished off with 3 PTI rainstones.  I'm entering JUGS Case a DT Week.  I was inspired by Lisa's card with scallops, stamped focal point, polka dots and pink/tan/white color combo.  I'm also entering Poppystamps Inspired by Nature, DCD Celebration, SSS Monday Feminine, SSS Wednesday ATG and WAW ATG.

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

April CCC

It's reveal day for April CCC.  I'd been wanting to use my CN9 Turnabout stamps, so pulled out the one called Botanical.  I often use only the friendship option, but this time the color combo was right up my alley with Peony/White/Leaf.  For the pink I used Altenew Blush and for the green I used their Seashore set of 4 cubes.  

I have the dies that go with this Turnabout, but not sure I had ever used them.  The triangle cuts the thin frame as well as the center.  I used vellum and matte gold cardstock.  I stamped and die cut 2 flowers and brushed them with Rouge, darker on the tips.  I wasn't happy with the white lines and edges, so I added a light brushing of the diecuts with ink left in the brush--much better.  The sentiment was made with an Alex Syberia die.  I had penpals when I was a kid and CCC makes me think of that.  I'm one of the old timers and am very grateful to Gail and Jo for keeping CCC going.  Check it out if you'd like to make and receive a card each month.  There's no commitment--just sign up any month you want to participate.  I'm entering SSS Wednesday and WAW.

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