Valentine & Birthday Cards

I had one of those "why didn't I think of that" moments when TE released the Laurie Willison masking stencils.  Not in my budget right now, so I made one out of thin acetate & a rectangle die.  I attached it to a white panel that had a white embossed heart & sentiment from IO Valentine Hearts.

Then I brushed on a rainbow of Distress Inks: candied apple, abandoned coral, scattered straw, mowed lawn, blueprint sketch & dusty concord.  I added water & Perfect Pearl mist droplets.  I'm entering IO Have a Heart Challenge & SSS Wednesday.
 
Next is my entry for the Altenew January Inspiration Challenge.  I've been wanting to use my Altenew Tropical Fiesta watercolor markers.  Hopefully the colors are close enough to qualify.

I used a silver satin embossing powder with the Handpicked Bouquet image.  Then I dabbed on color with markers, spritzed with water & added more color until I was happy.  I backed it with a vellum die cut before attaching it to the gray panel die cut with Dotted Swirls Debossing Cover Plate.

The sentiment from Floral Frame was stamped several times in Versafine Clair Morning Mist & I added black sequins which my friend, Rosemary, gave me.  I'm hoping the beautifully vibrant colors brighten the day for a friend's winter birthday.
Edited to add:  Also entering DRU.

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Hearts

Lots of items available in my sale pages.  Just leave me a comment if you're interested.

I sent Valentines to my family before I started stamping.  Now they're one of my favorites to make & today I have hubby's to show you.  The Twofer Challenge wants hearts, so I used the same stamp for another occasion as well.

Hubby's not really big on the color red, but he does like purple.  I silver embossed the row of hearts from Poppystamps Grateful Heart stamp set & colored with dusty concord Distress Marker.

Then I covered the hearts with shimmer Pico Embellisher.  The sentiment from the same set was stamped in dusty concord--also used for splatters.

I silver embossed the edges of the card front & added the panel with fun foam.  No embellishments for hubby & actually I don't think they're needed anyway.  I'm entering this one at WAW.

The other card is for a fellow cardmaker--not someone I know.  I just found out she & her husband lost basically everything in the 2018 California Camp Fire.  The same row of hearts was stamped 4 times in Delicata Rose Gold.

Haven't fussy cut in a long time & it's not perfect.  Then again, I don't think she'll mind & I really wanted to make a frame.  I used a shimmer pen to "color" the hearts.  SSS Painted Hugs is die cut 3 times & inked with the Rose Gold--so beautiful in person.

I stacked them with one as a shadow & added a few rose gold sequins.  Very simple, but I really love the rose gold paired with gray.  I'm entering this one at Poppystamps From the Heart Challenge & SSS Flickr Challenge 141.

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Flowers x 3

I have 3 cards to show you, starting with one I entered via IG & Flickr for several challenges.  SSS Heart of Flowers die was cut from thin acetate to make a stencil. 

I added Versamark ink with a sponge dauber & clear embossed the images.  Then I brushed on DO candied apple in the center & blended with worn lipstick on the edges.  Hard to tell, but the heart was spritzed with shimmer mist before being mounted with fun foam.

The SSS die doesn't cut an outside edge, so I used Memory Box Grand Heart to cut the heart shape.  The sentiment is a very old Art Impressions stamp that's made with the curve which fits around the top of a heart.  The 3 little strips were a white scrap I inked with DI candied apple.  I'm entering The Snippets Playground.

Next is another Valentine which is my entry for the January Memory Box Friendship Challenge.  I pulled out a paper pad given to me some time ago by my sweet friend, Cat.

I used the pink glitter paper for the solid piece of the MB Arianna Sprig die & for the panel behind the Loopy Rectangle Gina Marie die cut.  This time I remembered to cut out the center of the panel that doesn't show.  In fact, I did it for the printed paper panel, too.

The sentiment is the main reason I got the Poppystamps Friends & Flowers set.  I just wasn't happy with the stark white panel, so added some DO picked raspberry splatters--just what it needed in my eyes. 

Hubby wanted to send a card to a cousin who just had a knee replacement.  She's doing really well, so he decided on the uplifting Sugar Pea sentiment which I stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.  I've been wanting to use my new Pinkfresh Dainty Blossoms dies & this was the perfect occasion.  I'm entering the PF January Challenge with inspiration from the 2019 March Florals Challenge.

I used watercolor paper for the die cuts & watercolored with DI victorian velvet, fossilized amber, blueprint sketch & twisted citron.  I used a Stamplorations stencil & lightly brushed blueprint sketch for the background.

The bouquet elements were all attached with liquid glue giving nice dimension where they overlap--no foam tape needed.  I finished off with clear Pico Embellisher dots & rounded the corners.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.

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Yes, I'm Still Here!

Maybe I'll get back into the swing of things with writing blog posts & keeping up on reading them.  I have made some cards & I'm sharing 2 of them today.
First is the card inspired by the previous MFT Color Challenge.  I've never used green & red with snowflakes, but why not?! 

The MFT Snowflake Window is a really fun die & I totally love the MFT Joy.  I used part of a W&W sentiment stamp for the 2 stamped words. 

Both the light green & the die cut Joy are sparkly.

I happened to come across the Gina K Monthly Mix Challenge.  The theme is to remake a card from last year.  I've actually been wanting to use the beautiful GK/HA collaboration set again, so this was just what I needed.  Here's the first card I made inspired by Colleen's cards at the Indiana retreat I went to in October.

Card Made November 2019

It's always amazing to see what a totally different look you can get with the same image.  This time I embossed in SSS Antique Gold on Bristol paper & watercolored with 2 purple & 2 green Zigs.  

The sentiment from the same set was stamped in Versafine Clair Pinecone.  I added purple, green & gold splatters along with gold Pico Embellisher dots.  A friend of mine just had foot surgery, so this is already in the mail to hopefully give her a smile.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday & WAW. 

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Christmas Die Cuts

My sweet friend, Rosemary, loaned me her SSS Christmas Foliage die set.  I cut the dies from several different papers, so I have lots to play with. 

For my first card I used C&9 green foil (new last month) & gold glitter paper plus white cardstock colored with a red sparkle pen. 

The word is a favorite MFT die & the background is HA Bold Graphic Confetti die.  I'm entering ABC Christmas & SSS Wednesday.


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Happy New Year's Eve or New Year's Day!

Still a lot of great deals in my sale pages.  Leave a comment on this post if you're interested.

Sending wishes to everyone for joy & peace in 2020.  We're spending the holiday at home--nice & quiet, as usual!  Here's my last minute entry for the IO Challenge: Quick & Easy Holiday Cards. 

I silver embossed IO Crochet Snowflake 2 (E13064) on a medium blue cardstock.  Actually, I first used a sparkle ep that came out too dark, so I reinked & used silver ep on top.  It worked perfectly & in person you can actually see some sparkle. 

Love the beautiful font of IO Merry Bright & Cozy (D8307) which was embossed with the same silver ep.  I splattered Distress Stain brushed pewter for a beautiful "snowy" background.  Rather than take a chance on messing up the stamped panel, I silver embossed the edges of the card front.  Finished off with a very old blue RainDot which isn't high enough to require extra postage.

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Christmas Cards for next year!

As most of you know, I make Christmas cards all year.  When it's time to mail cards, I always find some that I'm just not happy with.  Don't think that will happen with these as I love both looks.
A recent sale got me to buy the green & red C&9 Foil paper pack.  Now I'm wishing I'd bought 2!  It is absolutely gorgeous & cuts beautifully. 

The HA Layering Poinsettia is beautiful no matter what paper is used, but this is one of my favorites.  I used C&9 silver glitter cardstock for the center & the MFT word die.  The glitter cardstock cuts great & has gorgeous sparkle.  I bought the HA Bold Graphic Confetti die because I saw it used for a monochromatic background.  This time I used 2 layers since I got liquid glue that doesn't dry clear on the first one.  Actually, I like it better with a bit more dimension, so that worked out.  Will probably have to give this to a local friend since I used foam tape to layer the poinsettia.  I'm entering ABNH & Christmas Kickstart.

Still hard to believe I was the lucky winner of Uniko's fabulous December release.  Here's my first card & entry for the Uniko Christmas Party. 

The branch from Winter Foliage & sentiment from Season of Beauty were stamped a couple times in Altenew Forest Glades & Ruby Red.  I die cut the SSS thin frame from the panel & from C&9 silver Glitter paper so I could inlay the glittery frame.  I used black cardstock for the mat & added 3 black Pico Embellisher dots.  I'm also entering Virginia's Show & Share.

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