Hero Arts

I intended to combine Woodblock Wednesday and Stay Crafty with ABNH.  Happy the gallery is still open for Hero Arts.

The fancy tree was stamped in Versafine Clair Green Oasis.  I colored over the berries with a red pen and added Star Dust Stickles.  Amazing the difference when I used a fine point white Posca marker to make the white flower centers stand out. 

Pinkfresh Elongated Ovals dies were used for the tree panel and a HA Cherry Red mat.  Years ago, my LSS opened the HA containers of small stamps and sold them individually.  That's how I got the beautiful JOY that I stamped in CN9 Poppy, edged with Oasis Green and layered 3 high.  Simple and classic, which I love.  I'm also entering WAW.

Hope all of you had a lovely Christmas and I wish you peace and joy in the year ahead.  Thank you for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Pinkfresh and Altenew

I have a couple cards for December monthly challenges.  First up is my entry for the Pinkfresh December Monthly Challenge.  I love that this challenge lets you use the theme or colors or both.  Generally, I use the theme and that's what I did this time.  

I like leaves with a design, so decided to make my own printed paper using a PFS stamp and the emboss resist technique.  PFS Folk Snowflake was stamped multiple times without overlapping until I covered a white cardstock square.  After gold embossing, I brushed the square with blue and green Altenew watercolor markers.  When it dried, I die cut PFS Layered Wreath--love the look!  The additional leaf dies were cut from a gold embossed scrap and glued to the wreath. 

The sentiment was made from PFS Classic Holiday Word dies cut from the same cream cardstock as the card base.  The words were stacked 3 high, brushed with shimmer and covered with glaze.  I splattered the card with gold watercolor and tied on a twine bow.  I'm also entering Christmas Kickstart.  

I used 2 of my favorite Altenew dies, Pink Star Tulip and Sparkled Frame, to make a card for the Altenew Year in Review challenge.  I chose January's beautiful, fresh color combo of blue, green and tan.  I die cut all the pieces from white cardstock scraps.  The bloom pieces were brushed with Altenew Caribbean Sky and the leaves with Grass Field.  Then I splattered white gesso.  

The frame was brushed with Rocky Shore--darkest on the outer edge.  I wanted a little color in the background, so smooshed a panel with Arctic and Caribbean Sky.  I did a little molding of the petals and leaves and added a pearl.  The sentiment from Altenew's Build a Garden: Morning Glory was stamped in Rocky Shore, die cut and stacked.  Definitely not a flat card, but I love it!  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday, WAW and Snippets Playground.

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

Color Hues

I hadn't yet opened my Taylored Expressions Create in Quads Mistletoe stencils and I wanted to enter the Blue and Purple challenge at Color Hues. 

I got this stencil set partly because I thought it could be used year round.  I wanted the all over background panel design, so just used those sections of the stencils.  The Altenew inks are Caribbean Sky, Persian Blue, Wisteria and Ultraviolet.  I added some white details with a fine tip Posca marker.  The fun die was a freebie from Scrapbook.com.  I inked with the 2 lighter colors and added the darker ones on the edges.  I covered the whole diecut with Versamark and embossed in Hero Arts Sparkle powder--so beautiful in person!  The card needed something, so I made the white layered flowers from Poppystamps Potpourri Flower Set.  The tiny pearls keep the card flat enough for one stamp and it's already in the mail.  Now I can't wait to use the full stencils for a start on next year's Christmas cards.  I'm also entering Inkspirational.  

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

  

Gift Bag

There's a beautiful Mood Board for Inkspirational.  The little town in the bottom right corner caught my attention.  

My friend, Susanne, made a card a year ago that I loved using a retired Poppystamps village die.  She's one of my many sweet friends who offer to send me diecuts when I admire their cards.  Here's what I did with one of them.  

I painted soft gold scraps to go behind the windows, covered the houses with a shimmer pen and added Distress Snowfall Grit Paste to the roofs and the torn white cardstock strip.  The little trees from SSS Village die set were cut from green scraps and covered with Peeled Paint Distress Stickles.  I cut the little stars from Simply Graphic Starry Arches--trimming them off the arch.  The snow on the black panel was done with a Posca white paint marker.  I've lost track of how many times I've used the little sentiment from an old Winnie and Walter set.  This time it's white embossed.  Hard to get decent pictures, but hopefully you get an idea of what I did.

I saved the beautiful black gift bag the jeweler put my new watch in earlier this year.  Think my little scene dresses it up perfectly for the holidays.  I'm also entering Poppystamps, Snippets Playground (stars, trees & torn strip are from scraps), 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.  I'm behind on mailing Christmas cards, so may be a little while.  

Time Out Challenge #278

Hard to believe I've been on the Time Out Challenge DT for a year!  I still remember how surprised and honored I felt when Nonni told me I was selected to join the team.  This is our last challenge for 2024 and it is my last post as a member of the team.  I have decided to step down, but I do treasure the opportunity I had to work with these talented ladies.  I'll definitely be a player next year!

We have a fun holiday photo with plenty to inspire you for Time Out Challenge #278.  Check out the blog for a close up.

If you know me, you won't be surprised that the wreath inspired my card.  I do love wreaths!  I used an old woodblock Art Impressions stamp that I still love as much as the first time I saw it.  

The wreath in the photo has a couple shades of green and I actually used 3 CN9 inks:  Clover, Evergreen and Artichoke.  I inked, spritzed with water and stamped on watercolor paper multiple times, until I was happy with the look.  Luckily I still have an old fashioned stamp positioner.  I used the same inks to color the circle mat and added Christmas Red Stickles to the berries.  The little PPP bows were cut from a beautiful red cardstock and I attached them just in the center.  The red cardstock is almost gone, but there was enough for the red mat die cut with a MFT rectangle.  I die cut a tiny gold circle for the center of the bow to tie in with the mat and the Birch Press Merry Christmas Vintage Sentiment.  You can find lots of inspiration from our guest designer and my teammates on the blog, along with all the challenge details.  Our sponsor is Gina K, so better check it out!

I'm entering SSS Monday (Stickles) 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.

A Couple Cards

Here's the card I sent to the UK for the November CCC.  I chose the option of making a white on white wreath card.  This was such fun to make, as I do love wreaths!  

I used branch dies from several different sets.  Each type was die cut from a different white paper and one was clear embossed, another was left plain, another had shimmery watercolor added and another had some glitter.  

The bow is Impression Obsession and the sentiment is from Pinkfresh Studio Folk Snowflake.  I used light molding paste and a Magenta brick stencil for the background.  I'm entering SSS Wednesday 

I actually forgot that I bought The Greetery Peaceful Olive stamp/stencils/dies last year.  So glad I finally used these products to make a card.  Luckily, there is an instruction sheet with the stamp set.

You start with the stencils and then stamp the details using the one piece stamp.  The inks for the leaves are Altenew Fresh Leaf, Grass Field and Shadow Creek.  Couldn't get a picture showing the true color of the lightest green.  Trust me, it's not yellow.  The inks for the olives are PTI Autumn Rose and Scarlet Jewel.  I stamped the branch in Altenew Rocky Shore. 

"Wishing You" was stamped in Versafine Clair Acorn and "Peace" was inked with Scarlet Jewel at the bottom, Autumn Rose at the top and was stacked 3 high.  I added soft gold watercolor splatters and carefully drug my brush around the edges of the panel.  The letters were covered with Shimmer Pico Embellisher.  The mat is SSS Matt Champagne metallic cardstock.  I'm entering JUGS and Christmas Kickstart.

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