Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Time Out Challenge #269

Here's my DT card for Time Out Challenges #269.  We're asking you to be inspired by the words from Lily Pulitzer:  "It's always summer somewhere."  Our generous sponsor is Varada Sharma. 
I used to buy lots of individual sheets of 12x12 printed paper, just because I liked it.  Most of it has not been used and I'm sure a lot of you can relate. 😀 Luckily, I found coordinating sheets I still love that were perfect for the challenge! 
Flying kites is a big thing at our beaches and many towns have kite stores.  No surprise since it's usually windy over there.  I've always liked kite images, but the reason I couldn't resist this paper is the beautiful glitter.  I didn't want to cover up much of the design, so I went with this simple layout that works great with pretty papers.  The Winnie and Walter word die was inked in PTI Pure Poppy, stacked and covered with glaze.  Celebrate is also from a W&W set and was white embossed on a black strip.  I can use this as a birthday or friendship card and it's mail friendly.  Hope you'll check out all the inspiration on the blog and play along.
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.


Altenew Friendship Card

My latest Altenew purchase was the Sweet Bouquet bundle of products which was greatly discounted.  Couldn't wait to use it, so made a last minute entry for the Altenew July Inspiration Challenge
After gold embossing the bouquet, I used the stencils with Altenew Coral Berry, Ruby Red, Firefly, Grass Field and Fresh Lemon inks along with PTI Summer Sunrise and Terracotta Tile.  For the small details near the flower centers, I used gold embossing paste.  Sparkled Frame, one of my favorite products, was lightly inked with Delicata Golden Glitz.  Love having beautiful fonts and useful sentiments included in a stamp set.  I may wear this one out--haha!  The card front was splattered with gold watercolor and I added gold and white sequins to the frame.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday and TTTC252 using the center vertical or horizontal row.
Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.



Monday, July 29, 2024

Christmas and Friendship

Here's my last Christmas in July card.  This one began by spreading fake plant Lunar Paste on a panel which I then embossed with Lumberjack folder.
The poinsettia is CN9 Fresh Cut Florals, retired.  I added red glitter to the petals and used vellum for the evergreen branches.  Thought Birch Press Merry Christmas Vintage Sentiment had just the right size and look for this card.  You can see the shimmer and sparkle in my IG post.
I totally switched gear for my friendship card and used beautiful Altenew inks called Persian Blue, Blush Rose and Forest Glades.  
The background was made by randomly pressing the inks through a stencil from a friend, spritzing with water and pressing another white panel on top.  You get 2 panels--one quite a bit lighter.  What I really love is the last step which is lining up the stencil on the panel and running it through a diecutting machine with an embossing pad.  It does change the look and add texture when you see it in person.  
The SSS floral dies are Alstroemeria Stem and Morning Blossom.  I stamped a sentiment from SSS Graceful Flowers in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.  Hard to see, but there's Stickles on the blooms.  I'm entering JUGS 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.


Monday, July 22, 2024

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.


Friday, July 19, 2024

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.


Wednesday, July 17, 2024

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.



Friday, July 12, 2024

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.


Tuesday, July 9, 2024

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.