Christmas and Friendship

I've really gotten into making Christmas cards this month and here's my latest. 

I used leftover Alex Syberia Winter Foliage diecuts.  I had enough of the panels watercolored with green Lindy's Magicals to cut a few more so I could make a nice, full swag.  I don't have Alex Syberia poinsettias, so I used one die from Mysterious Petals to cut white and red glitter cardstock making a fun Christmas flower!  Absolutely love the look of Impression Obsession Woodgrain Frame die cut from silver metallic cardstock.  You can see the sparkle, shine and shimmer in my IG post video.

The old PTI sentiment was stamped in Pure Poppy and I inked the card front to match.  Needed something, so I added green Zig splatters.  I'm entering Alex Syberia Christmas in July on IG, Color Hues (although may not have enough red and green), Christmas Kickstart (which I've been neglecting) and Inkspirational.

I switched gears for the Pinkfresh July Monthly Challenge.  The geometric theme got me to use the Nested Diamond stamp.  I just used the 3 smallest sections, stamping them in Altenew Arctic ink.  Since the new TH weathered wood Distress Spritz was on my table, I used it to get a beautifully shimmery diamond, which you see in my IG post video.  

The floral stems are from one of my favorite PFS products: Sweet Friend Floral.  I made 2 sets so I could have a very full arrangement on the side of the diamonds.  I stamped with Versafine Clair Morning Mist which I also used for the embossed sentiment from the set.  Love having coloring stencils which I used with these Altenew Fresh Dye Inks:  Dusty Pink, Blush Rose, Maple Yellow, Honey Drizzle, Firefly and Grass Field.  I brushed all the petals with Lawn Fawn shimmer pen and added yellow Stickles over the yellow inked centers.  

My focal point was attached to an embossed panel and I added a few pink sparkly gems.  I'm also entering SSS Monday, SSS Wednesday and TTTC 252 using the middle row vertically or horizontally.

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

Poppystamps and Alex Syberia

Took me awhile, but I did have fun making this scene for the Poppystamps July Challenge.  

I blended Distress Oxides pumice stone, lucky clover, prize ribbon and faded jeans with squeezed lemonade through a homemade stencil for the sun.  I lightly added a bit of white pigment ink to the sky.  The fence is Poppystamps Pointy Picket Double Gate and the sentiment is Scribble Hello.  Memory Box Backyard Floral Stems was die cut 3 times and inked with Oxides rustic wilderness, peeled paint, spun sugar, kitsch flamingo and saltwater taffy. 

I cut the one piece diecuts into the pieces and size I wanted.  I used a white gel pen to add a few dots and lines to the blooms.  The sentiment is covered with shimmer and glaze.   

Alex Syberia is hosting Christmas in July on IG.  Here's my first card using the beautifully unique Snowflake Layering die. 

The bottom layer was cut twice from white cardstock.  I brushed one with a shimmer pen and blended Distress Oxide prize ribbon on the other.  The top layer was cut from silver metallic cardstock.  

I found just the right blue dot to go in the center.  The background was made with the Sparkly Flakes cover die and the silver embossed sentiment is from Gina K's Festive Flowers.  The video in my IG post shows the shimmer and sparkle.

Here's my other Alex Syberia Christmas in July card.  

I began by watercoloring 3 pieces of mixed media paper with 2 green Lindy's Magicals and red Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists.  Then I die cut three of the Classic Foliage dies from both green sheets and the Winter Foliage berry branch from the red sheet.  The video in my IG post shows the shimmer.  SSS cream cardstock was used for the card and for the background panel which was dry embossed with Chevron Chic cover plate. 

Before adding the foliage, I splattered Gansai Tambi gold watercolor.  The gold embossed sentiment from Gina K's Festive Flowers was die cut with a circle and added with foam tape.  Debated about embellishments and decided they weren't needed.  I'm also entering Color Hues Red and Green and SSS Monday.  

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

Time Out Challenge #268

The theme for Time Out Challenge 268 is To Be On Vacation and our sponsor is Varada Sharma.  All the challenge details can be found in the blog post.

In the Pacific Northwest, a summer vacation means going to the beach for lots of people.  I'm actually more fond of the mountains and lakes, but I did grow up spending a lot of time at the beach.  I was lucky to have been a tagged friend for a Waffle Flower giveaway on IG.  The prize was their Beach Tote Die and Beach Tote Sentiments stamp set.  Just what I needed for my DT card!

I found a long neglected paper pack and chose 3 of the blue and green papers.  The tote was fun and easy to put together.  I used the stamp set for the blue towel stripes and used matching paper for the sunglasses.  The lenses are actually light blue paper covered with glaze, but they turned out to look white.  The sentiment from the stamp set was stamped directly on the tote using Versafine Clair Morning Mist.  Stamplorations cover plate of dotted circles made the perfect background.  My sister loves the beach, although she seldom gets there these days.  Think she'll enjoy this card.  

Hope I've inspired you to join the gallery.  You can find lots of inspiration from our guest designer and my teammates at Time Out.

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

White and Aqua

I had some extra SSS Dreamy Daisy Layers diecuts on my desk, so I just cut a few more to make a card for Color Hues White and Aqua challenge.  I finished the card a few days ago, but having to get a new phone slowed down everything!😄 Still learning the camera, but here it is.

I watercolored the detail layers with Altenew Aqualicious ink.  The tips of the white layers, the centers and SSS Painted Hugs have Frosted Lace Stickles and the aqua layers have Turquoise Stickles.  

The vellum leaves are SSS Etched Laurel Leaves.  I used a Pigment Craft Co cover plate and charcoal cardstock for the background.  The matching sequins were in my stash.  In case you're wondering, I purposely placed the sentiment left of center.  I was aiming for everything to flow from top left to bottom right.  Hope that makes sense.  I'm also entering The Snippets Playground, which I've been missing.  The blooms, leaves and sentiment were cut from scraps.

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

Altenew Challenge

For once, I'm not last minute with a card for the Altenew July Monthly Inspiration Challenge.  The color combo is beautiful and makes me think of sherbet!  If you know me, you won't be surprised that I used another 3D embossing folder. 

This is my newest one from Altenew and it's called Scalloped Flowers.  I watercolored a wc panel with Altenew Sunkissed wc marker, Coral Berry Crisp dye ink and Fresh Lemon Fresh dye ink.  After it was embossed, I swiped a white pigment pad across the raised edges.  Boy does that make the design stand out!  After splattering with Altenew Jet Black ink spray, I spritzed with Heidi Swapp white Color Shine.  There's a video showing the shimmer in my IG post.  

Love the contrast with the Mid-Century Frame diecut which doesn't cover up much of the design.  The sentiment from Modern Dahlia Bunch was black embossed and watercolored to match.  Finished with black enamel dots.  Always good to have a BD card ready to mail.  I'm also entering The Flower Challenge.

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

Time Out Challenge #267

Happy July 4th to everyone in the US.  Hoping everyone has a good time and stays safe.  There are already a lot of wildfires and we're grateful none are close to us.  

Time Out Challenge #267 has the theme of Seeing Stars.

We're sponsored by Picket Fence Studios with the winner's prize being a $25 store credit.  All the challenge details and lots of inspiration can be found in the Time Out Challenges Blog Post.  There are many possibilites, but it was easy for me to go with Christmas in July!  

I die cut Crafter's Companion Icy Snowflake die from 140 pound watercolor paper which I spritzed with blue and purple Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists--so beautiful in person!  After attaching the snowflake panel to the card front, I colored in the little stars with Pentel silver Color Pop gel pen which gives beautiful sparkle and shimmer.  

I added a white circle with a die cut star that was colored with the same pen and covered with Nuvo Crystal Glaze.  The old Hero Arts sentiment stamped beautifully my first try using Versafine Clair Blue Belle.  Hope to see you in the gallery.  
I'm entering SSS Monday and 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.

Pinkfresh

Here's a card for 3 challenges that are about to close.  I loved Pinkfresh's Folk Snowflake the first time I saw it.  Usually I debate forever before spending a gc, but this time I knew just what to get.  One reason I was drawn to this snowflake is that it can work as a medallion anytime of year.  Here's my card.

I used my latest Altenew ink cube set, Blushberry Bliss, to make my ombre card for the Pinkfresh June Monthly Challenge.  I stamped the image with Raspberry Sunset and used Strawberry, Dusty Pink and Blush Rose with the matching stencils.  The image was still in my MISTI, so I restamped when the stenciling was done.  I colored one diecut with the Raspberry Sunset and layered it offset behind the image.  A 3rd diecut added more dimension.  The smallest sections were colored over with a Gelly Roll Clear Star pen for a bit of sparkle and I added Hero Arts Translucent Pink enamel dots--my new favorite!  The sentiment from PFS Sweet Friend Floral was inked with Raspberry Sunset, darker across the top, on a panel of PTI Sweet Blush cardstock.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday and 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

I really like Altenew's Climbing Flowers die set and wanted to use them to fill a card front.  So I decided to try and make another entry for the Altenew June Inspiration Challenge.  Found the right shades of cardstock in my stash, along with Altenew's Mystic Purple Glitter Tape.  Love how it turned out!

Deck Planks embossing folder makes a wonderful background and it's one of my favorites.  

The glitter tape is very sparkly and works great for layered floral die cuts and sentiments.  It's narrow, but I just put 2 strips side by side on a piece of cardstock to use for the sentiment from Floral Acanthus.  The lightest enamel dots in the Sugar Plums set were just right for embellishment.  I'm also 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.