Week 4 Guest Designing for JUGS

I've loved all the Just Us Girls challenge themes this month and am so grateful the team gave me this opportunity.  In case you missed some of them, here are the first 3 cards I made.

It turned out that all my cards were for Autumn.  Didn't see a reason to change that, so here's my final Autumn themed card as Guest Designer.  This time we have Anything Goes Stencil Week and that might be my favorite!

I got SSS Friendship Leafy Cluster last year after seeing so many great cards made with it.  No idea why I didn't use it before now.  Could be I have a few too many options in my stash!😄  

I positioned the larger branch in my MISTI so I could flip the paper to stamp opposite corners.  After gold embossing, I really had fun using the coloring stencils.  The inks are Altenew Maple Yellow, Sunkissed, Autumn Blaze and Forest Glades.  I splattered gold watercolor and attached the panel to SSS Matte Gold Metallic cardstock.  SSS Happy Autumn shadow was die cut from vellum and the words cut from the same gold cardstock were on my table waiting to be put on a card.  Haven't used my sequins for awhile, so was happy to see that my Satin Gold ones from Altenew were a great match.  I'll have a video showing the shimmer and shine in my IG post.  Head to the blog to see what stencils the DT used and then why not 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.

Cased Christmas Card

You've probably seen Michelle Lupton's Case me a Christmas Card event each year.  It's changed for 2025 and anyone can join in by making a Christmas card inspired by any card made by one of the designers participating in the hops.  I couldn't resist playing along and found a card that's just what I like made by Michelle Peckham and posted on IG in May.

Dry embossing is my favorite card element.  I love how Michelle just added a sentiment and some embellishments.  My card uses SSS Pine Bouquet 3D folder and Birch Press Handwritten Merry Christmas and Outlines dies.

The sentiment shadow was die cut from PTI Pure Poppy and was stacked 2 high.  I was tempted to add shimmer to the words, but decided against it.  The embossed berries were covered with Christmas Red Stickles.  Love the fresh, classic look of red and white.  I'm also entering Inkspirational, 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.

Week 3 Guest Designing for JUGS

It's definitely looking and feeling like Autumn in my neck of the woods.  I'm always glad to say goodbye to high temps and I enjoy seeing the leaves change color.  Not a big fan of leaves all over the ground and blowing into the garage, however.😒

Time for another great challenge at Just Us Girls.  Take a look at the wonderful mood board!

Really love the cute polka dot candle, but decided to use my unopened Birch Press Adornment Pumpkin die for a Thanksgiving card.

I picked out 2 shades of orange cardstock and used the lighter one for the top layer.  Not sure why it looks beige in the photo.  I blended some ink on the solid pumpkin under the outlines of the segments for more depth.  The stem and vine were die cut from 2 shades of green cardstock in my scrap box.  I also love the leaves in the mood board, so dry embossed a panel of PTI Classic Kraft.  The edges were inked with Classic Kraft and I attached the burlap ribbon before adhering the panel to a Classic Kraft card.  The PTI word was die cut from Classic Kraft scraps, stacked, inked with Classic Kraft and covered with shimmer.  There's a short video in my IG post.  I'm entering Snippets Playground 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 October Challenge

One thing I love about stamping is that we can make images any color we want.  So today I'm sharing my card with Fall colored morning glories for the Altenew October Inspiration Challenge.  I lean toward cool colors, so was surprised to end up with one of my favorite cards.  

I began by gold embossing the beautiful Altenew stamp and used the matching stencils to add color.  The inks are Altenew Firebrick, Maple Yellow and Firefly plus PTI Ripe Avocado.  The flower centers were colored with a gold gel pen.  I discovered a pack of  Terracotta cards I got years ago when Paper Zone closed.  Still miss that store.  Decided to cut one of the cards in half and emboss it with Altenew's Playful Leaves which I just got.  Inking the edges with Firebrick really added depth.  The panel and the focal point were splattered with gold watercolor which gives beautiful shine in person.  I gold embossed the sentiment from Altenew's Sweet Bouquet using the other piece of the Terracotta card.  I used a white diecut as a mat to help the sentiment stand out.  I'm also entering DCD, NBUS and WAW.

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

Week 2 Guest Designing for JUGS

I'm back as the October JUGS Guest Designer with my card for Word Week: Halloween.

I don't make many Halloween cards, but I really had fun with this one.  Plus, I used a couple dies for the first time--yay!  Reverse Confetti Halloween Bits die set was in a destash giveaway some time ago and I won Memory Box Happy Halloween Posh Script a few months ago.  I also pulled out SSS Birch Tree Window die that I used once in the past for a Halloween card. 

I started by covering the bat in WOW Regal Sparkles (glitter) and the ghost in Ice Pop.  The bat was outlined with a silver pen and the ghost with a black one.  I backed the bat eyes with a scrap colored with the silver pen and the ghost eyes and mouth with a scrap colored with the black.  I ink blended the background using Distress Oxides fossilized amber and spiced marmalade.  The cardfront was covered with MB glossy black cardstock for a nice contrast from the plain black cardstock I used to die cut the window.  

I ink blended the Happy Halloween shadow to match the background and stacked it 2 high.  The words were die cut from the glossy black cardstock.  There's a video showing the sparkle and shine in my IG post.  Be sure to check out all the wonderful creations by the JUGS team and I'd love to see you in the gallery!  I'm entering SSS WCMD and WAW. 

"And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise."  Luke 6:31  I'm so sick of the ongoing threats, name calling and retaliation.  By the way, Portland, Oregon is not "war ravaged" or a "burning hell hole."  

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

WCMD

I was so happy to see 2 companies sponsor challenges for WCMD:  Uniko and SSS.  Years ago there were quite a few.  Took awhile to come up with something that worked, but I did finally get a card made on Saturday. 

Therese's video on stencil techniques inspired my background.  I colored molding paste to get a soft brown which I spread through Uniko's Winter Foliage stencil.  The holly leaves and berries from the stamp of the same name were stamped in CN9 Clover and Poppy.  I used the matching dies and glued the leaves just at one end.  The berries are covered in Christmas Red Stickles and are slightly raised.  The sentiment from Season of Beauty was stamped in Versafine Clair Acorn.  I'm entering Uniko via IG, SSS WCMD and DCD.

On Sunday I made a birthday card using an embossed panel I made months ago with Memory Box Blooming folder and Saltwater Taffy Distress Oxide ink pad.  

I cut a 2 inch strip and matted it with black cardstock and white cardstock inked to match.  The sentiment from PTI Tuck it Sentiments was stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne.  Really love the size and font, so it will get lots of use.  I added clear drops for a subtle embellishment.  I'm entering SSS Wednesday, SSS WCMD via IG and DCD via Flickr.

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

Guest Designing for Just Us Girls

I'm delighted and honored to be the October Guest Designer for JUGS.  It's time for Die Week and the theme is Leaves.

I've had PTI On the Border: Fall for Foliage die set for several years without using it.  I'm happy to say that is no longer the case.  

It's a pretty busy frame design, which I think has been my problem.  Decided to use a plain background and soft colors.  The card was made with PTI Rustic White and the diecut was sprayed with Distress Spritz vintage photo and fossilized amber.  The shimmer is gorgeous, but it does rub off if you don't seal it.  I find cheap hairspray does the trick.  Really love the font of SSS Happy Autumn die set.  The shadow was cut from Rustic White and the letters from a dark, textured brown scrap.  I double stacked the letters and covered them with glaze.  You can see the shimmer and shine in my IG post.  Usually I think of deep colors for Autumn, but I really like how this turned out for a change.  I hope I've inspired you to check out all the wonderful DT cards and join the challenge.  I'm entering DCD, Snippets Playground and SSS Flickr.

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

Birthday and Christmas

Wanted to make another card for the Altenew Inspiration Challenge.  Again Therese inspired my card.  She mentioned in her Card Summit tutorial that a layered stamp set can be used for faux watercolor.

I pulled out Altenew's Majestic Bloom and inked the solid blossom layer in Hydrangea and spritzed heavily with water.  Then I stamped by rolling the stamp side to side--not straight down.  When it was dry, I stamped over it with the outline layer using Ultraviolet.  I added a bit more color with a brush and diluted ink in the centers and on the petal edges.  The leaves were done the same way using Grass Field.  My new Branches and Berries die set gave me just the right accent image for my bouquet.  I inked the diecuts in watered down PTI Canyon Clay.  The sentiment from Sweet Bouquet was stamped in Hydrangea and Canyon Clay.  I wasn't happy with the plain white background, so used a panel embossed with Deck Planks--huge difference!  Decided a bit of sparkle was needed, so covered the berries with Paprika Stickles and the flower centers have a dot of Starry Night.  See the video in my IG post.  Love how this turned out.  

My next birthday card is very different and uses an old, favorite techniques--emboss resist. 

I double heat embossed an image from SSS Warm Wishes.  Then I used direct to paper with VersaMagic ink pads in Red Brick, Purple Hydrangea and Gingerbread for a Fall look.  The PTI sentiment was also heat embossed and then swiped with the Gingerbread ink pad.  PTI Classic Kraft card front was splattered with black Altenew spray ink and I finished the card with CN9 black enamel dots.  I entered challenges via IG and Flickr.  

Christmas cards are my favorite to make and here's my latest using a couple new products.  

I'm always intrigued by seeing how people use stencils.  The technique I tried to use was simply to lay the stencil on a panel, spritz with shimmer mist and use a paintbrush to move the mist to color in the image before removing the stencil.  I used Paper Rose's Poinsettia stencil and crooked broomstick Distress Mica Stain Spray.  My attempt did not look like the one Katie Pertiet showed in a reel recently, so I'll have to try again.  Luckily, after removing the stencil and before cleaning it, I added a light spritz of the Mica spray and laid it on another panel--"stamping" with a stencil technique.  That one I loved and die cut with GK Master Layouts 2.  Altenew Fancy Peace was stacked 2 high and I added dark red gems to match the card front.  Such a simple card, but I always love classic and elegant.  You can see the shimmer and shine in my IG post.  By the way, the plate in the photo is an antique given to me by my grandmother.  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.