Christmas & Valentine

I so appreciate everyone's sympathy & caring as we grieve the loss of my little brother.  Hard to believe he's gone.  It is comforting to look at pictures & remember him when he wasn't sick.  Here's one I found that Mom must have taken when my Dad's mother came to help with the new baby.  

I'm on Dad's lap & my sister is behind Grandmother.  My parents were sure the baby would be another girl, so they hadn't even picked out boy names.  Took about a week to decide on Lance.   
I used SSS Snowflake Block die to make a simple Christmas card.  The die cut was spritzed heavily with glitter spray & put back into place in the white panel which I backed with silver cardstock.  

The sentiment from W&W Snowy Holiday was stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne & I added some matte silver sequins.  Edited to add: almost forgot to enter Rudolph Days.

I made a pink Valentine using Stamplorations Heart Tumbled stencil.  

I started by blending Distress Oxide spun sugar & worn lipstick onto a white panel.  Then I inked through the stencil using picked raspberry & stamped the old MFT sentiment in Versafine Clair Nocturne.  I inked the AJVD die cut hearts using the same inks.  I'm entering Stamplorations January stencil challenge, The Snippets Playground & WAW.  

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

 

Three Cards

One of the family members I mentioned in my last post was my little brother.  I always adored him--5 years younger than me.  This week he worsened & we lost him.  My heart is broken.  Just have to take a day at a time & treasure the happy memories.  So glad my nephews are with their mom.

Thought I'd share my last 3 cards posted on IG.  First is a Valentine for a friend made with Poppystamps Grateful Heart & Double Stitch Scalloped Rectangle Frames. 

The Distress Oxides are spun sugar, worn lipstick & picked raspberry.  I used white gauche for splatters & added some Shimmer Pico Embellisher dots.  

I added a couple layers of cardstock for just a bit of dimension under the heart panel.  I'm entering Poppystamps January challenge & DRU.

Next is my entry for Gina K January Monthly Mix.  I used 2 GK sets:  A Big Hello & Sketched Wreath Builder.  I never think to stamp flowers in black on colored cardstock, but I do love the result.  

The embossing folder is Cuttlebug Anna Griffin's Rosa--one of my favorites.  I'm also entering The Flower Challenge & Time Out.  Time Out wants a card that shows something about yourself.  I have lots of rose bushes & bought my first die cutting machine when I learned they could be used for dry embossing.  At the time I said I wouldn't buy any dies, but we know how that turned out!

My last card is for ITP PTI Sending Love challenge.  I stamped PTI Corner Adorner: February in Berry Sorbet, Melon Berry, Green Parakeet, Hawaiian Shores & Cocoa Bean.  

I stamped 2 words of the included sentiment & then Love from Poppystamps Grateful Heart.  The frame is PTI & I added splatters using several of the inks instead of my usual brown or black. 

Stardust Stickles covers the flower center & the tiny heart in the sentiment.  So glad I had already made this card.  It was just what I needed to send a note to my sister-in-law & nephews. 

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

Hearts

Difficult times for everyone.  I'm relieved that we will have a decent man in the White House, but I'm depressed that people/organizations I grew up admiring continue to promote lies, division & violence.  I'm also heartbroken that 2 family members are seriously ill.  They don't have Covid, but are extremely high risk.  Their medical care is negatively affected by Covid.  I can't see either one because of Covid.  Thankfully, making cards is a distraction & it makes me happy to think people enjoy receiving them.

First is a card made with Memory Box Bingham Heart die.  The top was brushed with DO Worn Lipstick & the bottom with Cracked Pistachio.

I attached it to a kraft card & added dots of Stickles.  Rounding the corners completely changed the look.  

SSS Painted Hugs was die cut from a kraft scrap, stacked 2 high, brushed with a shimmer pen & covered with Nuvo Glaze.  I love this color combo.  I'm entering The Snippets Playground.

Next is my entry for the January Memory Box Hearts Challenge.  I used MB Grand Heart die cut from a painted scrap with blues, greens & gold.  

Bingham Heart was die cut from a gold scrap & embellished with Champagne Stickles.  

The die cut word is from Poppystamps Happy Easter Egg & the gold embossed sentiment is from PTI Scripted.

Edited to add:  Also entering DRU.

My last card also features a heart, but this time I created one by stamping flowers & leaves in the shape of a heart. I lightly traced the heart using the negative space of a heart die.  Using my Mini MISTI let me line up a stamp & then erase where I was about to stamp. I like not having to erase after stamping. 

The images are Ink to Paper & Papertrey Ink Turning a New Leaf, Bold Blooms, & Essential Sentiments.  The inks are Autumn Rose, Prairie Grass, Ripe Avocado, Simply Chartreuse & Cocoa Bean.  I tried to do a little shading which you might see on the flowers & stems with 2 leaves.  I used a white gel pen to make dots in the flower centers & splattered watered down Prairie Grass.  I love dies, but I'm a stamper at heart.  This card definitely makes me smile.  I'm entering Melissa's Fab Friday & WAW.

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

How Did This Happen

No one is perfect.  No political party is perfect.  There is right & wrong.  Trump & his allies attempting to overturn the United States of America's free election is WRONG.  Sad day in America.  

Joy & Love

The current Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge is to make a card inspired by a HA team member.  Most of you won't be surprised that I chose a Christmas card.  I love Seeka's gorgeous card with non-traditional colors & splatters--see card at end of post.  For my version I colored the Greenery Medallion Fancy die with a gray Copic & used my 2 new Stickles, True Blue & Gunsmoke, on the berries.  

The PB joy die cut was stacked a couple high & covered in the True Blue Stickles.  The little sentiment from W&W was stamped in Delicata Silvery Shimmer & attached with foam tape.  

I darkened the corners & edges of a gray panel with Distress Ink pumice stone & splattered with white gouache.  Gotta say, the color combo, sparkle & simplicity of this card makes me smile.  Hate to save this one for next year--haha!  I'm also entering ABNH, CAS Mix Up & SSS Wednesday via IG.

Here's my card for the ITP PTI With Love Challenge.  I chose one of the papers in the PTI Garden Gild kit & trimmed it with an old SSS die to fit in the corner of a Spring Rain panel.  

The sentiment from the kit was stamped in Delicata Silvery Shimmer.  I added some individual vellum die cuts that coordinate with the paper & used blue gems for embellishment.  Now maybe I'll use the other beautiful papers in the kit!  Thinking this could be an anniversary or birthday card.

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