Impression Obsession Watercolored BD Card

I was so glad to see a birthday theme for the Obsession Impression challenge this time.  It's been awhile since I had products to use for the theme.  However, Happy Birthday 2 was in my last order & has quickly become a favorite sentiment stamp!  Here's my second entry which also uses Spring Flowers that I watercolored with summer colors using Altenew wc markers.

I added some splatters & Stickles before attaching my panel to a black mat.  As you know, I love pink & soft colors, but this card really looks happy to me.  I hope the recipient will think so, too.

Even little moments of happiness are important as we deal with a world in turmoil.  Our governor has now ordered the wearing of masks in public, indoor places.  I can only imagine the outcry from many who say their rights are being violated.  If only we didn't accept that over 125,000 deaths in the USA is unavoidable.  Seems too many people only change their behavior if someone they love is sick or dies.  It's easy to do the right thing when it doesn't inconvenience you or require any sacrifice.  Times like this are when true character is revealed.  I hope you all stay safe.  I'm also entering Seize the Birthday.

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

I apologize for not keeping up on your blogs.  I certainly do appreciate your friendship, but right now spending time on the computer is more challenging than usual for me.  I'm using IG more & more to enter challenges--so much faster.
I recently gave in to the slimline craze & ordered the Slim Braided Circles die from PFS.  You can cut off the 3rd circle for a smaller card & I like that versatility.  That order also included the Color Block Stripes die.  I combined the new products with my favorite Dainty Blossoms dies & Delicate Wreath stamp set to make a card for the PFS June Challenge & SSS Wednesday.

The stripes & blossom die cuts were inked with DO fossilized amber, shaded lilac & twisted citron.

Here's a simple one layer card for a male family member dealing with very difficult medical issues.  I used a favorite design:  ink blend a masked strip & then stamp solid images that extend beyond the strip.  

The inks are DI festive berries, spiced marmalade & scattered straw.  I stamped the leaves & sentiment from the 2010 HA Leaf Prints in Versafine Clair Pinecone.  Splatters are done with a brown Zig.  I entered Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge #11 & SSS Wednesday.

Had to use my other new PFS product: Nested Diamond pop out stamp.  I used PTI inks Pure Poppy, Lovely Lady, Harvest Gold, Blueberry Sky & Enchanted Evening.  

I cut out the center with my craft knife so I could pop the panel up on a card with the sentiment from PFS Delicate Wreath.  The stems from PFS Dainty Blossoms were covered in Stickles & I added a crochet thread bow & Pico Embellisher white dots.  

May end up "needing" some more pop out stamps--haha!  I'm entering PFS June Challenge & SSS Wednesday.

Here's the card I made with the inside pieces of the Poppystamps Dream Butterfly that were left over from This Card.  I embossed a scrap of black cardstock with the die & fussy cut making it easy to see where to glue each little piece.  Actually went pretty fast. 

Then I exposed the fun foam adhesive & pressed on holographic foil.  It looks totally different depending on the angle & light--so cool!

The card front was embossed with a Poppystamps Double Stitch Scalloped Rectangle Frame die & I stamped a sentiment from Poppystamps Friends & Flowers.  I'm entering Poppystamps June Challenge, The Snippets Playground (black scrap & left over inside pieces) & SSS Wednesday.

One last simple card to enter Rudolph Days.  I saved a card from last year I wasn't happy with.  Finally cut off the front, trimmed it down a bit, added green splatters & attached it to a red mat.  I used a clear star gel pen to add some sparkle to the branch.  

Now it's a card I can mail, so I'm glad I didn't throw it out.  The stamps are Hero Arts, I'm pretty sure.

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

Tic Tac Toe Guest Designer

I'm so honored to be the Guest Designer for Tic Tac Toe Challenge #070.  Here's the board we're using & hope you'll play along.

There are several options I considered using, but in the end I choose the bottom row of Summer, Bird & Sparkle. 

The bird & sparkle are pretty obvious.  In case you're wondering how I included summer, the SSS bird die is called Bird of Roses & roses are a summer flower where I live.  Secondly, I used what I consider to be summer colors represented by PTI inks New Leaf, Green Parakeet, Melon Berry & Bright Buttercup.  I first used the green inks with the Altenew Wonderful Wreath stencil.  The berries are included in the center of the stencil, so you can put them wherever you want or leave them off.  I added the cluster of 3 using Melon Berry ink.  The bird was die cut a couple times & glued together.  Then I drew around the die so I could cut a solid area with my scissors to color & back the bird.  The decorative top was inked in Bright Buttercup & the solid piece in Melon Berry.  Both were covered in White Blizzard Nuvo Drops which I used like glitter glue & also added to the berries.

For the solid piece, I spread it with an old credit card like using embossing paste.  The sparkle is really beautiful in real life.  I decided the bird needed more than the wreath to perch on, so I first added some Elizabeth Craft branches inked in the 2 greens.  The sentiment from Altenew Floral Frame was stamped in New Leaf & I added yellow splatters using a Zig watercolor marker.  I have several summer birthday cards to send & this one will be mailed soon.  You'll find lots of inspiration from the DT.  I'm 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.

More Cards--surprise, surprise!

Last week I decided to move my dental cleaning out a month.  Just didn't feel it was worth the risk with higher Covid numbers in our state the last couple weeks.  Happily, our town doesn't have a spike & has very few cases. Wouldn't you know, on Friday I chipped a tooth!  So my week started at the dentist learning that I need a crown.  13 years ago when I first saw my current dentist, he charted this tooth is "a future crown" due to a big filling & cracks.  Glad it took 13 years, but honestly--couldn't it have waited until after the pandemic?--haha
The TTT challenge deadline always sneaks up on me.  Guess I need to write a post as soon as I finish a card, but that's never going to happen--haha!  Anyway, here's the board for TTT Challenge 069.

You probably guessed I'd choose a row including pink & you're right.  I used the middle horizontal row of pink, twine & gold.

I've been wanting to use my foil, so I die cut Poppystamps Dream Butterfly from self-adhesive fun foam & used just the outline which I covered in gold foil & mounted to a black panel.  I actually saved the inside pieces & made another card which I'll post later.  The sentiment from Poppystamps Friends & Flowers was stamped on my favorite pink textured cardstock in Versafine Clair Nocturne.  I tied on black twine & added a dot of black Pico Embellisher on the butterfly body.  I'm also entering Poppystamps June Clean & Simple challenge & WAW.

I've entered some challenges via IG or Flickr, so thought I'd show you a couple.  First is a pastel rainbow card made with DO worn lipstick, spiced marmalade, squeezed lemonade, cracked pistachio, broken china & shaded lilac.

The SSS Poinsettia Background is one of my favorite stamps as it can be used all year long.  The die cut sentiment is SSS Painted Thanks & the stamped words are from SSS Thoughtful Messages.

The background, die cut word & stamped words are gold embossed.  Finished off with black sequins.
Hero Arts Flickr Group used to have 90 minute scrambles I loved to do.  For this final card I had my own personal 30 minute scramble!  Yep--still had my jammies on when I found out that "free" on the Tic Tac Toe board meant you can choose your own element.

I grabbed the HA Tall Flowers & an old HA sentiment.  I masked the area for the sentiment, stamped the flowers & added the score lines.  I'm 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.

Another Scrape Painting

I made quite a few scrape painting panels the day I saw Karen's tutorial on SCS.  It's very simple & doesn't make a big mess, so I just made one to use for my Impression Obsession Birthday Wishes entry.  This time I used 2 colors of DecoArt acrylic paint: Turquoise & Citrus Green. 

For the first time I used the Dina Kowal designed leaf (D13816) which I stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.  Interestingly, Dina also has a scrape painting video on SCS where she made stripes instead of a circle.  I tried that, too, but will show you the card another day.  The sentiment stamp (D14779) was in my last IO order & has quickly become a favorite.  I stamped it in Versafine Clair Nocturne.  Finished off with a black mat & black Zig splatters.  Could add embellishments if I use it for a gal, but I'm thinking it may go to a guy.  I have a million ink pads, but this technique has got me shopping for more acrylic paint--haha!  Of course, that shopping is on-line or curbside pick up as Covid cases are on the rise in my state & many people are not wearing masks.  I support reopening the economy.  As one doctor said--unemployment & poverty are public health crises, too.  Not taking precautions to decrease cases & deaths is so selfish.  I get very discouraged hearing people say masks are tyranny & infringe on their rights.  Are you kidding me?!  

It's Father's Day & I'm missing my dad more than ever.  We didn't agree on everything, but I always knew he loved me.  He had strong convictions, but he wasn't arrogant.  When I was a teenager, he told me that he disagreed with one of the Oregon politicians on a particular issue.  However, he knew the man personally & that he had integrity.  Dad said that is more important & he would vote for him.  He also said "My view may be wrong."  

I'm also entering NBUS.

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

Birthday & an old Friendship card

I've been trying to come up with an entry for the Altenew June Inspiration Challenge.  The blue & brown color combo is one I've always loved.  Finally, a card came together!

I stencilled Altenew Wonderful Wreath stencil on a Classic Kraft panel using a dauber with DI brushed corduroy & vintage photo.  The berries were done with Memento Nautical Blue.  The die cut foliage & blooms are Altenew Layered Floral Elements & I colored them with the same inks.  The sentiment from Altenew Floral Frame was stamped in Versafine Clair Acorn & I splattered with a brown Zig.  Decided against adding sparkle, distressed the edges & sponged lightly with the brown ink.  I didn't glue down the ends of the leaves & added the big bloom with foam tape.  I'm also entering Stamplorations Stencil challenge & WAW.

The Card Chain Challenge is currently celebrating the 3000th card being exchanged.  Gail & Jo are also having some games.  The first one is to show one of the first cards you sent.  I don't know exactly when I started participating in the exchange, but I did find the card I sent to Brenda in Texas back in February 2011.  I hadn't started blogging yet.  I still have this Penny Black floral stamp & need to use it!

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