Be Merry

Last minute entry for the Pinkfresh Studio September Challenge, Layer it Up.  I used some of my favorite PFS products: Christmas Wishes printed paper, Layered Wreath die set & Classic Holiday Words die set.  Felt can be used for lots of images, but I tend to get mine out for Fall & Winter cards. 

This wreath die cut beautifully from the white TE felt.  The little layering pieces were die cut from a white cardstock scrap & then brushed with InkOn 3 Liquid Pixie Dust.  I think this is the first time I've used the word die without the shadow.  Love having that option.  Here I die cut the words 3 times from a white scrap, inked the top layer with an aqua pad & covered it with glaze.  The little red gems tie in with the red stars in the background.  I'll have a short video on IG showing the sparkle & shine. So fun when a card turns out to be one you love!  I'm also entering Rudolph Days, The Snippets Playground, SSS Monday & DCD. 

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.                                                                 

Update and two cards

I'm happy to report that I'm no longer in the sling & have begun physical therapy twice a week.  It's wonderful to be able to use my left hand, although I'm not allowed to have anything in my hand when it's above shoulder level.  Long way to go before I have the strength & range of motion I need. 

The September Poppystamps challenge theme is Old School.  I went OLD old school!  

Years ago I loved to use Liquid Applique instead of ink with leaf stamps.  This time I used what was left in my tubes to color the 2016 Poppystamps Majestic Maple diecut.  The texture is very unique when you carefully use your heat gun.

Then I sprayed the leaf with adhesive & used my old Tim Holtz Glitter Duster filled with Distress Glitter Dust Vintage Platinum.  So pretty in real life & it doesn't rub off.  I stamped the very old PTI Text Style on a Rustic Cream card front & trimmed down a couple 2011 Memory Box Woodland Branch diecuts to attach behind the leaf.  The sentiment from SSS Full of Thanks was stamped in Versafine Clair Pinecone.  I finished off with gold sequins.  I'm also entering FMS 604. 

I also made a Fall birthday card using CN9 Give Thanks branches stamped in Distress Oxides aged mahogany, fossilized amber & prize ribbon. 

The veins were gold embossed & I added gold splatters.  You can see the shine in my IG post.  SSS Happy Birthday Brush Script was die cut from vellum and gold metallic cardstock.  I'm entering Seize the Birthday & DCD.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  I hope to soon begin again to regularly read blogs & leave comments.  Thanks for your patience & understanding.

Alex Syberia Designs

I was fortunate to win a gift certificate for Alex Syberia Designs before my shoulder surgery.  I've mostly used diecuts to make my one handed cards, so this time I decided to see if I could make something with my new stamp set using the MISTI.  I'm not great at layering stamps, but these fun blossoms are pretty forgiving, I think. 

The CN9 inks are Ballet Slippers, Sweet Pea & Dragonfly.  I used the coordinating dies, lightly inked the edges & stacked them 3 high.  I added silver Stickles & shimmer which you can see in my IG post.  The gray ink is Versafine Clair Morning Mist, the pink scalloped rectangle is Elizabeth Craft Designs & the silver dotted rectangle is AJVD.  Instead of using the inside leaf stamps, I stamped the outside image on gray cardstock.  Made a big difference to brush the edges with gray ink.  I wasn't happy with the plain background, so added gray splatters & silver gems.  The sentiment is from the same set.  I'm entering Die Cut Divas.

Thank you so much for taking time to stop by.  I really appreciate it & will hopefully soon be back to commenting on your blogs.

Final August Challenges

Decided to make one more card for August challenges.  This one definitely took some patience, which I've been learning with one arm in a sling.  I love the colors for the August Altenew challenge.  Turned out I have some beautiful greener teal cardstock in a container of old 8 1/2 x 11sheets I bought years ago.  Unfortunately, in spite of numerous attempts, I can't get a picture to show the deep greenish blue color.   

Love Altenew Leafy Border die, but haven't used it much.  Thought it would be pretty to have the tan & beige behind it.  Pulled out several ink pads & decided Memento Peanut Brittle & Altenew Pink Sand were very close to the challenge colors.  I smooshed them onto a piece of mixed media paper with one ink across the bottom part that would show & the other across the top with just a bit of overlap.  I did the same thing to the scrap I used for Altenew Essential Sentiment Strips die.  The foliage was brushed with a shimmer pen & I added tiny old gems that were just the right color.  You can see the shimmer & sparkle in the IG video HERE.  I'm also entering SSS Monday challenge.

Thank you so much for taking time to stop by.  I really appreciate it & will hopefully soon be back to commenting on your blogs.

Fall Leaves

I had leftover Memory Box Wayfarer Leaves already spritzed with several green Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists.  But I wanted to make a Fall card for Freshly Made Sketches 600th Challenge & Memory Box August Fall challenge.  I simply added dark green, red, bronze & copper mists to turn them into beautiful shimmery Fall leaves.

For a bit of sparkle, I mixed copper & champagne Stickles to apply randomly on the leaves.  The background strip was made with an old wood mounted Magenta splatter stamp using white pigment ink.  

I used direct to paper with Versafine Clair Pinecone on a kraft scrap to use for Poppystamps Scribble Hello which I stacked 3 high.  I love pearls & thought these old brown ones were just what this card needed.  Another one handed card, but less than 3 weeks until the sling comes off.  There will still be restrictions, but I'm hoping life will be a lot easier.  

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by & for all the well wishes.

Final GD Card at JUGS

Prescheduled post:

I want to thank the JUGS DT for having me guest design with them this month.  I hope you've enjoyed my cards so far.  This is CAS week with the theme of Baby.  

I very seldom make baby cards, but I did keep a boy and a girl chipboard collection by Crate Paper that I won years ago.  The stork is so cute & I love the sentiment flag with the gold glitter end.  

I found the light pink speckled cardstock in a tub of old paper I'm trying to use up & it was just the right shade for the background.  I die cut it with Elizabeth Craft Dotted Scallop Rectangle which I love & need to use more often.  Gold metallic cardstock was used for the mat which was mounted to a Soft Stone card.  Hard to tell, but I added a dot of pink Stickles to the stork cheek & finished off with pink gems.  

Fun to use chipboard, for a change.  Have I inspired you to join the challenge?  Be sure to check out all the great cards from the DT.  

Thank you all for the kind words and wishes for healing after my shoulder surgery.  

Pinkfresh and Poppystamps

I'm glad my friend, Betty, showed me how to make a picket fence card when I visited her before my surgery.  I came home with a card base which I made into my entry for PFS August Sparkle & Shine Challenge.  

Hubby removed the lids from my newest Lindy's Magicals powders & I did everything else.  I painted the powders on pieces of mixed media paper & used them to die cut 3 of the PFS Dainty Blossoms.  So glad I can die cut by pushing a button!  Tried to figure out a way to use a trimmer, but that was a failure.  I managed to add one-handed black splatters--the hardest part of making this card as I like to tap the brush on a skewer.  The sentiment from PFS Perfect Sentiments was already done & fit perfectly.  Just finished with my favorite CN9 black enamel dots.  There's a video in my IG post that shows the shimmer & shine.

I was also able to make a card for Poppystamps CAS August challenge.  The rectangle diecut was leftover from making my JUGS Bee card as I didn't want to waste any paint made from Lindy's Bikini Magicals powder.

I used a scrap of Memory Box black glossy cardstock for Poppystamps Dream Butterfly.  Isn't it striking against the golden shimmery background?  I'll have a short video in my IG post soon.  Very proud of myself for managing to score a 1/2 sheet of cream cardstock that was on my table.  Had to go slow & keep pushing it back into place, but it worked!  I was also able to stamp the sentiment from Poppystamps Hope and Thanks in Versafine Clair Nocturne using my Mini MISTI with a sticky sheet.  I truly thank all of you for your support & well wishes.  To finish my card, I added 3 Memory Box Fairy Jewels in just the right color to tie into the background.  I'm also entering Snippets Playground & SSS Wednesday challenge.

Typing only with my right hand takes forever, as does pretty much everything else these days.  But I know it's temporary & hopefully will be well worth it.  I'm progressing as expected.  Thank you for your continued visits, but I totally understand those who don't.  I'll leave comments as I can, but realistically, most will be after I heal.

JUGS August Guest Designer, Week 3 card

Prescheduled post:

I'm back with another card as the August GD for JUGS.  This is Photo/Mood Board Week and there are lots of ways to be inspired.

Here's a larger picture so you can see more details.  There's clearly a summery, beachy feel, but I went in a different direction.

The card or notebook under the sunglasses caught my eye with the 6 different patterned squares.  I thought it'd be the perfect design to make use of a beautiful Prima paper pad I've had a long time.  I'm not good at putting patterns together, but experts always say it's done for you when you use papers from a coordinated pad.

I really had fun choosing 6 of the designs & what part of each one I wanted to cut with a small square die.  I did use some of the colors in the inspiration photo: gray, blue, pinkish & light tan.  Took me awhile to decide on the order & then I mounted the squares on a PTI Weathervane rectangle.  Another paper from the Prima pad had a soft textured look & I thought the color worked great for the mat.  Poppystamps Scribble Hello was die cut from Weathervane & the printed paper, stacked and covered with glaze.  

Wasn't planning to add gems, but these tiny ivory irridescent ones seemed to give just the right little sparkle.  Really fun to step outside my comfort zone & end up with a notecard I like!  You can find lots more inspiration from the DT and I hope to see you in the gallery.  

Update:  I'm still counting the days which are passing at a snail's pace!  I'm sure hubby feels the same with so much on him until I'm released from the sling.  Hopefully all worth it in the end.  I cannot catch up with commenting, but am determined to start fresh when I can use both hands.  Thank you for your patience & sticking with me. 

JUGS Guest Designer, Take 2

Prescheduled post:

This is Word Week at the JUGS Challenge & the word is BEE.  I had to put on my thinking cap for this one.  

Luckily, someone gave me Spellbinders Sweet as Honey stamp set & Sweet Honeycomb Stencil--just what I needed.  Martina's mixed media ATCs always inspire me & I also love the look of a wide border around the focal point panel of a card.  Here's what I came up with. 

I stamped the honeycomb in Versafine Clair Nocturne & white embossed the cone flowers on watercolor paper.  Then I black embossed the words & the bee.  I mixed a little Bikini Lindy's Magicals powder with water & painted over the entire panel, randomly adding more color until I was happy with the look.  It softened the look of the honeycomb images, which is what I wanted.  Of course, the heat embossing resisted the paint--so fun!  The shimmer is absolutely gorgeous in person & I added sparkle with little lines & spots of gold glitter.  Plus, the wings are painted with clear shimmer, so this is a pretty blingy card!

The edges were lightly brushed with black ink before I wrapped the panel with gold thread & added 3 black enamel dots.  The thin mat was painted to match & the black card front was stenciled with VersaMark Dazzle using a finger dauber.  You might see the honeycomb image if you enlarge the photo.  So happy this challenge got me to use the stamp, stencil & Lindy's powder for the first time.  Be sure to check out all the wonderful DT cards.  Why not play along?!
My recovery from total shoulder surgery is progressing.  Only 4 weeks to go wearing the sling constantly--yay!  

August Guest Designer at Just Us Girls Challenge

Prescheduled post:

I'm so honored the JUGS team chose my July Color Week card as the winner, giving me the opportunity to guest with them for the month of August.  It's time for another JUGS Color Week.  I found this combo perfect for a summery birthday card, but it could be used for any kind of card you like.  

I love wreaths, so decided to use my Gina K Wreath Builder Template with a leaf & flower from her Autumn Wreath Builder stamp set.  

I began by stamping the sentiment from GKD Sketched Wreath Builder in the center of the square using Versafine Clair Nocturne.  Then I stamped my wreath using CN9 Harbor & Clover.  I added white details with a gel pen & filled each flower center with Yellow Stickles.  I cut a thin, black mat & used a couple cardstock layers for a bit of dimension without needing extra postage.  Be sure to check out all the wonderful DT projects & I hope to see you in the gallery.

I'm recovering from left shoulder replacement surgery, but may be able to leave short comments soon.  Right now I'm pretty uncomfortable.  Thank you for all the positive thoughts, prayers and well wishes.

July Challenges

One last post before my shoulder replacement surgery.  I realized our anniversary is early in September & I needed to make hubby's card while I can still use both arms. 

Woodblock Wednesday inspired me to use an old favorite heart stamp which still has the price tag, but no indication of what company made it.  I white embossed it several times using my old fashioned stamp positioner.  In the same stamp drawer I saw the love stamp made by an Oregon Company, Embossing Arts.  They've been out of business for years.  I black embossed that stamp, scored a frame & taped it off.  

I ink blended Distress Oxides lucky clover & broken china, as hubby's favorite color combo is blue & green.  The little heart was "colored" with a Gelly Roll Clear Star pen & I added black splatters.  Simple one layer card I think hubby will like.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday & WAW. 

The July Pinkfresh Studio challenge theme is Go Geometric.  Circles & half circles are considered geometric, so gave me a chance to use Slim Braided Circles Panel.  I knew I wanted to use my favorite Lush Vines background stamp and thought this textured green cardstock would be perfect.  It's actually a brighter kelly green in person--so pretty.  I white embossed on Bristol paper so I could use Zigs for the loose watercoloring.  This stamp is perfect for that technique, in my opinion.

The 3 sprigs from Dainty Blossoms were die cut from a white scrap embossed with HA Sparkle powder.  The sending hugs diecut from Perfect Sentiments was already black embossed & fit perfectly on this card.

Decided not to add any embellishments & just tied on a white crochet thread bow.  I'm also entering SSS Wed via IG. 

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  Hopefully, I'll get back into a routine of leaving comments when I'm released to use my left arm.