Birthday and Thanksgiving

Don't forget to check my sale pages.  New items are being added.

I've always liked the idea behind FMS where cards are to be fresh & clean--not necessarily simple.  This is the 400th sketch & I managed to get a card done in time!

Decided to make my last September BD card using SSS Peeking Daisy die which I cut from a silver die cut circle.  The square was made by smooshing multiple layers of DIs peacock feathers & evergreen bough on wc paper.  I stamped the PRS sentiment in Versafine Clair Morning Mist & cut it into a flag.  The rectangle mat is gray cardstock dry embossed with a Darice folder.  I used Silver Pico Embellisher on the center of the daisy & made 3 little dots.  I'm also entering SSS Monday (S is for SSS & stripes) & SSS Wednesday.

It never crossed my mind to watercolor on vellum, but that's what Laurie did for this week's ITP LFF challenge.  Couldn't wait to give it a try using PTI  Bold Borders: Foliage with PTI heavy weight vellum. 

Pulled out my barely used Prima Confection wc set & started painting.  Now that was fun!  Yes, the vellum warped a lot, but I flattened it with 2 heavy books since I was too lazy to pull out my laminator as recommended by Jennifer McGuire.  The kraft card wasn't quite the shade I wanted, so I sponged on some DIs--still not it.  Then I used a flat brush to add a wash of the same brown wc used on the die cut edges.  Not only did it give me the right color, but it also kind of looks like woodgrain & I love it!  The sentiment from PTI Texture & Text: Leaves was embossed in SSS Antique Gold.  Thanksgiving always sneaks up on me, so at least I have one card ready!  I'm also entering ModSquad.


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

Christmas Puppy Dogs

I'm a doggy person through & through, but seldom use my 2 very old wood mounted doggy stamps.  The Christmas Kickstart theme made me get this one out & finally a card came together.

I also used one of my first stamps from 20+ years ago--the Denami branch--still a favorite!  I love red & kraft for Christmas, so stamped the dogs in Versafine Clair Acorn on PTI Classic Kraft.  The branch was stamped 1st, 2nd & 3rd generation using Delicata Emerald Green.  The sentiment from W&W was stamped in Brilliance Rocket Red & I added Christmas Red Stickles.  The dogs didn't show up enough, so I very carefully added some Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate with a Fantastix tool & darkened the eyes with a brown marker.  Still needed something, so I added distressing with the brown ink around the edges.  Finished off with red & white metallic twine & mounted the panel with fun foam to the red textured card front.  The reds are bright & pretty in person.  I'm also entering Rudolph Days.
My puppy dog is having stomach issues again & we're expecting 100 degrees, so this is likely going to be a long day.

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

Shades of Pink for Birthdays

Before I switch to Fall colors, I wanted to make a couple more girly birthday cards.  I love pink & so do some of my blogging friends.  First up is my entry for SSS Flickr 130 & Allsorts.

I gold embossed SSS Spring Flowers & colored with Zigs Light Carmine, May Green & Pale Green.  The background wash was done with watered down Light Blue Zig.  The gold embossed sentiment is from PTI Meadow Greens.  Luckily I had a sheet of textured cardstock that matched the bloom.  I've been hoarding the gold glitter C&9 cardstock--gorgeous sparkle in person!  Finished with gems & sequins.

Next is my entry for ITP LFF.  I was inspired by Kelly's card on Day 2 of the release.  It would never have occurred to me to add an oval for a sentiment when using a frame die cut.  My PTI Garden Guild die has seldom been used as it's not easy to cut.  However, I discovered the experts are right--much better to run it through the machine with cut edges facing up! 

The cardstocks are Lovely Lady, Dark Indigo & Soft Stone.  Wasn't totally happy with the look until I embossed the blue panel with a woodgrain folder--such a difference!  The sentiment is made of stamps from PTI Your Beautiful Birthday & Simple Stems stamped in Dark Indigo.  Garden Guild also includes some individual dies, so I cut a flower & leaves from vellum.  I gave them a bit of color by adding Lovely Lady ink to the back of the die cuts & added a blue pearl to the flower center.  The sentiment oval was attached with foam tape. 

A friend & I split the Altenew medium Amour Decals so we could decorate our laptops.  Oh what fun!

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

Fun at Camp!

Hurrah for earning all 5 badges for MFT Camp Create Session 2!

Day 1: Inlaid Made Easy

Think I've overlapped dies one other time, but it was long ago.  Maybe I used the MFT sun one time, but never the clouds.  Finally found these papers in a pad of MME that had small enough designs & think they're perfect for the sun & clouds.  Oh what fun to see the scene emerge with each cutting--if you can call a sun & 2 clouds a scene--haha!  The sentiment is one I cut apart from MFT Totally Happy.  I'm also entering The Snippets Playground.

Day 2: Magnificent Masking

I tried to do Stephanie's technique, but couldn't get a good inking of my masked area using the thin lined MFT Geometric Grid BG stamp.  The tree mask was made by die cutting MFT Trim the Tree from masking paper.  While the mask was still in place, I used direct to paper with white ink & white heat embossed.  You actually can see the grid design from having clear embossed it first, but it doesn't show in the photo.  The MFT sentiment dies were a prize from Christmas Kickstart.  I stacked the words & covered them with the same gold ink I used for the background--Delicata Golden Glitz.  Fun to use some old glitter sticker dots in my stash.  The green textured frame was made with PTI dies & mounted with foam tape.

Day 3: Background Bonanza

I used MFT WSC 450 for my layout & watercolor crayons to make the rainbow background.  The MFT Scalloped Cross Stitch Tag was die cut & then put back in place so I could dry emboss with the beautiful floral folder.  The tag was backed with black fun foam & glued into place.  I lightly rubbed a small white ink pad over the raised areas to add some contrast & interest.  Finished off with the sentiment strip, bow & black dots.  I'm also entering DCD.

Day 4: Monochromatic Magic

A friend once told me that all greens go together, so decided to try that out for my monochromatic card.  I stamped the foliage images from MFT Desert Bouquet in PTI Limeade Ice, Green Parakeet & Simply Chartreuse and the sentiment from MFT Totally Happy in PTI New Leaf.  The mat is the same cardstock which I clear embossed to make it a shade darker.  I added splatters & Key Lime Nuvo Jewel Drops before mounting the panel with fun foam.

 

Day 5: Awesome Ombre

MFT Flashy Florals came to my house in 2016 & I've hardly used them.  Thought they'd work great with my new Altenew inks Baby Pink, Fuchsia, Magenta and Sweet Leaf & Just Green.  The images were easy to line up & have a fresh, fun look, I think.  The white embossed sentiment is from Altenew's Painted Greetings.  I added white & black splatters plus White Nuvo Drops.  I'm also entering Retro Rubber, Stamplorations Theme & Sketch & Uniko.

Thanks so much for making it to the end of this long post.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Christmas in July extended!

2 challenges I like to enter are calling for 1 layer cards, so gave me a good reason to ink up my newest SSS stamp called Poinsettia Background.  Loved it as soon as I saw it, so couldn't resist the recent sale.

Before stamping in Brilliance Pearlescent Poppy, I masked a rectangle in the center of my cardstock.  Purple tape was actually a little too thick for a mask, but I made it work with repeated stamping & extra pressure in that area.  I bought the Altenew Mini Christmas stamp after the holidays, so this is it's first inking.  I used Brilliance Pearlescent Ivy & then went over the letters with Shimmer Pico Embellisher.  Love how that worked--no worry about stray embossing powder or warping the cardstock.

I dry embossed the rectangle with my scoring board, but decided it needed sparkle.  I covered the score lines with Star Dust Stickles & added a dot of Christmas Red Stickles to the center of each poinsettia--oh what a difference!  This is actually one of my favorite cards--so pretty in person.  I'm entering ModSquad & SSS Flickr 129.

Next is my entry for ITP LFF Sparkle, Glitter & Shine.  Couldn't help myself--had to make another Christmas card!

I used the Mix & Mat die cut a friend sent to me quite awhile ago.  The edges were brushed with DI evergreen bough & covered in Star Dust Stickles.  I used red gems for the berries & mounted it to a red panel.  The sentiment from PTI Bold Borders: Yuletide was stacked 4 or 5 high using up several scraps of white cardstock.

The top layer was inked with evergreen bough & covered with Stardust Stickles.  Again--really pretty in person.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday & WAW.


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

Altenew and Memory Box

I've been wanting to use my very old watercolor crayons ever since I saw THIS card by Anne Thompson last month.  I didn't do her kind of stripes, although I still want to try that.

I scribbled red, orange & yellow on a watercolor panel & blended with a wet brush.  I stamped the sentiment from Poppystamps Hope and Thanks in Versafine Clair Pinecone.  Turns out the ink sits on top of watercolor done with crayons.  Good thing I took a picture before I smeared it with my finger!  Next time I'll heat emboss--live & learn.  I used antique bronze Distress Stain for the little gold splatters & die cut Memory Box Prim Poppy from gold metallic paper--shiny & beautiful in person.  I'm entering Memory Box Challenge, DRU, SSS Wednesday & Die Cut Divas.

Next is my entry for the August Altenew Challenge.  The inspiration photo & colors are just gorgeous & right up my alley.  My newest Altenew Floral set is Handpicked Bouquet & right now it's my favorite!

I white heat embossed the image & used 2 of my new Altenew inks to stamp the bloom layers:  Baby Pink & Magenta.  The leaf layers were stamped in Frayed Leaf & Forest Glades.  Luckily I had one sheet of cardstock the right deep purple which I die cut with the Altenew Watercolor Stripes Cover die.  I masked off part of the sentiment from the same set & stamped it in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.  Decided to add some dimension by adding 2 cardstock layers to the die cut which is covered with shimmer mist.

The dots are Shimmer Pico Embellisher which look different depending on the color of cardstock under them.  I'm also entering The Flower Challenge, SSS Wednesday & Uniko.

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