Dry Brushing

Please scroll down to see my CAS on Sunday GD post.

I intended to try dry brushing months ago after getting instructions from a designer--even bought a new brush. Layered dry brushing is the theme for PTI MIM, so I was determined to finally give it a go.  

I mixed pearl white acrylic paint with Distress Stain tarnished brass.  First I tried using 140 lb wc paper, but it was too textured & I didn't brush enough of the paint out of my brush. Today I tried using Bristol paper instead & like it much better. My second layer is made by adding a little Crimson Color Burst powder to the mixture.  Instead of stamping on the panel, I die cut it into a frame with Lil' Inker Stitched Rectangles.  My latest PTI order included Spruce & Sprigs--so glad to finally have this beautiful stamp set.  The dies were out of stock, but Nancy sent me some to use until I can get them.  My inks are Pinefeather, Mint Julep, New Leaf, Saffron Spice & Pale Peony.  The center rectangle is Fine Linen cardstock lightly sponged with Saffron Spice.  I stamped the sentiment from Snowflake Flurries in Pinefeather & the mat is a piece of Pinefeather cardstock.  
I'm also entering SSS Wednesday & Word Art Wednesday. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Guest Designing!

I was so honored to have my card chosen as the winner for CAS on Sunday Challenge #93.  Here's my Guest Designer card for Challenge #95, Flowers. As many of you know, I love using felt.

Before cutting the MFT poinsettia flower & leaves, I attached the felt to cardstock using my xyron.  The edges of the kraft panel were sponged with Distress Ink vintage photo.  I used my Mini MISTI to stamp the sentiment words from PTI Wreath for All Seasons.  This flower is off-white felt & I decided to make another one with white felt.  

This time I die cut the center & mounted the panel with fun foam. Love having 2 more Christmas cards ready to mail & hope I've inspired you to play along.  I'm entering my first card in these challenges: Allsorts, Christmas Card Challenges, HLS Anything Goes with Dies & Word Art Wednesday.  A big thank you to the DT at CAS on Sunday & to all of you for taking time to stop by.

Hop to Stop & Another Christmas Card

I finally got to Becca's Blog to check in on this year's Hop to Stop Domestic Violence.  She wrote a beautiful post & made a stunning project.  The link-up is about to close so after dinner I got out my 3 purple Tattered Angels mists & colored a panel of watercolor paper.  I stamped 2 images from Stamplorations Distressed Floral Swirls in Brilliance lavender & 3 Stamplorations Trendy Butterflies in Memento Grape Jelly. The sentiment from Verve Simply Amazing is white embossed, trimmed into a flag & mounted with foam tape. Finished off with a sprinkling of sequins.
I'm also entering Inkspirational, SSS Wednesday, Stamplorations Theme & Sketch (sketch) & Stamplorations Anything Goes.

Today was another Scramble at the Hero Arts Flickr Group & I had such fun making my card.  The stamps are all Hero Arts & I used Distress Inks for the watercolored panel.  I just realized this fits for the Always Use Rubber challenge.
Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.

Cards for Family

Still looking for that Blog Writing Genie--haha!  Haven't posted for several days, but I have made some cards.  Here are 2 going to family members.  

First is a sympathy card for one of hubby's cousins who just lost her 44 yr old son.  Apparently he had medical problems after his military service.  I used Penny Black verdant, music background & eloquence with a Distress Ink blended background.  I'm entering CropStop, SSS Wednesday, Stamplorations Theme & Sketch (sponging) & Word Art Wednesday. 

My sister & I both love to watch the birds at our feeders, so think she'll enjoy my card for Where Creativity Meets C9. A blogging friend sent me some C&9 die cuts & another friend sent me the Love You Mean It stamp set.  

I used distress markers & a waterbrush to color the die cut, added Stickles to the wings & pearls for the eyes.  It's mounted slightly off-set to another die cut colored with Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate. The background is made by stamping the circles image from the stamp set in kraft ink on kraft cardstock.  I cut apart one of the sentiments so I could use just the word Smile which is stamped in Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate.  I die cut the panel with AJVD Polka Dot Backdrop, spritzed with gold Perfect Pearls spray & mounted it to 2 more panels to give just a bit of dimension.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday & ATSM. Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.

Papertrey Ink October Blog Hop Challenge

Hurrah--it's time for the PTI Blog Hop! I have to work today & tomorrow, but fortunately I was able to get my card made yesterday.  The inspiration this month is beautiful & gave me a chance to use my new PTI Fancy Foliage. I began by debossing a panel of watercolor paper with a Darice leafy embossing folder to try out Nina-Marie's technique. I smooshed it with Distress Inks dried marigold, wild honey, peeled paint & forest moss.  Then I sprayed with water to blend the inks & gold mist for a gorgeous metallic shine.  

The sentiment is stamped in Ripe Avocado & cut with the coordinating die.  I covered the card front with Ripe Avocado, trimmed the panel, tied on a bow & added gold PPP sequins. There's always lots of inspiration--enjoy the hop! I'm also entering Allsorts, CropStop, Dies R Us & SSS Monday. 
  

Blessed with Friends

I began making cards because I fell in love with stamping.  Little did I know it would add so many friends to my life. For that I'm truly grateful & here's a Thanksgiving card for one of them. Recently I bought the SSS Fall Mix sequins & I used them to come up with my color combo.  The printed paper is BoBunny & the dies are Memory Box.  I cut the frame from self-adhesive fun foam so I could cover it with Elizabeth Craft Ocean Spray glitter.  The solid part of the flower is covered with Wink of Stella--so hard to capture in a picture.

The sentiment is made from 2 different SSS stamp sets.  I'm entering these challenges:  Allsorts, ATSM, Dies R Us, HLS Anything Goes with Dies & Outside the Box. Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.

W&W and Poppystamps

Made by Gayaytri

I loved Gayatri's card set for Winnie & Walter Rerun No. 15. Thought it'd be fun to do a row of rainbow leaves using an image from In Bloom: Renee's Leaves.  

I white embossed the leaves on Bristol paper so I could color them with Zigs.  The sentiment is from Big, Bold, Seasons with the die cut word cut from glitter cardstock mounted with a black shadow.  The word is stamped in Brilliance Graphite Black & sequins with seed beads provide embellishment. I'm also entering ATSM & HLS Anything Goes with Dies.

  

When I met my friend, Brenda, in Indy, she gave me a bag of goodies including the Poppystamps Majestic Maple die.  It's really beautiful & now I can enter the Poppystamps challenge to make a black & white project.  

Decided to use my newest embossing folder (Woodgrain by The Paper Studio) for the background.  I stacked 3 die cut leaves & covered the top one with Stickles Frosted Lace--so pretty in real life. The tag & sentiment are from PTI Tiny Tags stamps & dies. I love how Brilliance Graphite Black seems to work well on every kind of stamp.  In fact, all my old Brilliance pads stamp beautifully.  I'm also entering CropStop.  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.