Catching Up

I've been making cards, but just haven't blogged them.  I'm finally done mailing Christmas cards, so I'll start catching up on blog reading.  Love having my Christmas decorations up with lots of lights.  It's been so dark, I have the lights plugged in all day!  Lots of terrible flooding in the Pacific Northwest, but no problems here.  We are expecting heavy rain this week, so I'm glad our river isn't high before it hits.

Here's a Thanksgiving card I made using PTI Text and Texture Leaves which I don't think I'd ever used. 

I stamped in brown Versafine Clair.  Then I brushed on the colors and finished by restamping in brown.  The sentiment is from the same set.  Really love the PTI frame.

So happy Shery of Stamplorations is able to reopen her shop!  I pulled out my nativity die that I've used many times.  

This year I die cut it from Alex Syberia black glitter cardstock.  I mounted it to the MFT square diecut that I ink blended with Altenew Persian Blue and Sapphire.  The white edge was done with a gel pen.  The background was made by debossing a panel I had lightly inked in blue with SSS Dimensional Stars folder.  Then I brushed more blue ink over the stars and tapped the edges on the ink pad.  Looked through all my Joy to the World sentiments and this one was what I had in mind.  Pretty sure my sister and brother-in-law will love this card.  I'm entering Die Cut Divas through Flickr.

One more card for this post and no surprise, it's another Christmas card. 

I white embossed SSS Poinsettia Background and sprayed with Peppermint Distress Mica Stain, I think.  Forgot to write it down.  I spritzed and brushed the Stain until the panel was completely covered.  The shimmer is gorgeous in person and you can get an idea from my IG post.  Really love this SSS sentiment die I got in January.  The card sat for days--needed something.  Finally I finished it with the tiny poinsettia on sprigs and the PTI sub-sentiment.  I'm entering Die Cut Divas 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.

Merry Christmas Stenciled Card

Quick post so I can enter the last JUGS challenge for 2025--Anything Goes Stencil Week.  Finally sat down and stenciled this fun neighborhood using Altenew Crimson, Minty Mint and Hunter Green inks.

I embossed the snowflakes, star and red tree balls with Sparkle embossing powder.  I used a larger panel for the stenciling, so I could use the corner guides.  Then I got it to A2 size with a die.  The beautiful Birch Press Handwritten Merry Christmas and Outline dies were cut from heavy weight vellum and white cardstock.  I inked the words with Hunter Green, stacked them 2 high and brushed them with a shimmer pen.  Will be fun to see what other color combos I can use.  I'm also entering SSS Monday, SSS Wednesday and WAW.

Edited to add:  Also entering DCD.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.  It may be awhile, as I'm once again behind on reading blogs.

Exchange Card

Here's the card I sent to Dee in Kenya for the November CCC.  It was actually the first card I made inspired by Brenda who also participates in the monthly exchange.  

I inked a maple leaf with Distress Oxides Crackling Campfire and Spiced Marmalade, spritzed with water, laid the cardstock panel on top and rubbed over it to transfer the ink.  I stamped the trees from Unity's Serene Silhouettes in Versafine Clair Pinecone.  The Mama Elephant die cut sentiment and the Gina K Master Layouts die cut mat were colored to match with the Pinecone ink pad.  The sentiment was stacked 2 high and clear embossed.  I added brown splatters using a Zig watercolor marker.

I'm entering SSS Monday and SSS Wednesday.

Edited to add: Also entering WAW.

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

Couple Challenges

I made a second wreath card using teal, silver, white and gray.  This time I specifically made it for Color Hues #122.  I like teal, but can't say I use it that often.  Considering this is one of my favorite cards, that may change!

I die cut a TH wreath from gray cardstock.  The little poinsettias were die cut from teal cardstock and the holly leaves from Your Paper Insider non-shedding silver glitter cardstock.  The PFS bow was die cut from the same.  All the teal cardstock pieces, including the mat, were covered with Turquoise Stickles.  The sparkle is absolutely gorgeous in person!  You can get an idea from my IG post.  I used an old TH brick embossing folder for the background.  The sentiment from PFS Folk Snowflake was stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.  Love using this sentiment on the outside of a card and Merry Christmas on the inside.  

Next is my entry for Altenew's November Inspiration Challenge.  This is one of those cards that was completed over several days. 

I knew I wanted to use the Delicate Magnolia die set for the first time, so I started by inking 3 blooms using Altenew Baby Pink, Fuchsia and Magenta.  I added Stickles to the centers for a touch of sparkle.  I looked through lots of leaf dies and finally decided to use the leafy branch from Sweet Bouquet inked with Altenew Firefly and Grass Field.  I die cut Altenew Branches and Berries from white cardstock and ended up using all but one.  Love what they add to my bouquet which is mounted to a panel inked with Baby Pink.  I've certainly got my money's worth from Altenew Essential Sentiment Strips die set.  I cut Happy Birthday from white and from black cardstock.  Decided for this card it looked best to use the black one backed with white.  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.

Woodblock Wednesday Guest Designer

I'm delighted to be a guest designer for Amy's Woodblock Wednesday November Challenge.  I still have a lot of my old wood mounted stamps.  If you've been stamping for over 25 years, you might recognize this wonderful 1998 DeNami stamp.  I used Versafine Clair Green Oasis and embossed with clear powder.

I love the design of the trees and that the sentiment is included.  Can't really remember the cards I made with it years ago, but I know they weren't watercolored!  I used green and brown Zigs and the Zig blender pen for the trees.  The background wash was done with blue Prima Confections watercolor.  Can't see in the photo, but I also added white gouache splatters.  I really like the look of using thin mats, so my Gina K Master Layouts 1 and 2 are getting a lot of use these days. 

I've seen a lot of colored card fronts lately and I do like them.  This one was made by brushing the green ink on the white card edges. Leftover red die cut dots covered in Christmas Red Stickles add some bling and tie in with the red mat.  If you have woodmounted stamps, why not join in the challenge?  It's always fun to see the variety in the gallery.  I'm entering Time Out (emboss, nature) and WAW.

Edited to add:  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.

Pinkfresh Christmas Card

Just realized the Pinkfresh Studio November Challenge is about to close and I haven't posted the card I made.  If you know me, you won't be surprised that I made a card with a wreath! 

PFS Layered Wreath die set is one of my favorites.  I cut it from white and teal cardstock.  The additional little leaf dies were cut from Your Paper Insider Non-shedding Silver Glitter Cardstock.  It truly doesn't shed and it has gorgeous sparkle.  I have a video in my IG post.  PFS Artistic Bow was die cut from white and teal.  I brushed the white with a shimmer pen.  The sentiment from Folk Snowflake was stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.  I'll stamp Merry Christmas on the inside.

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

Thanksgiving and Christmas

I was intrigued by Brenda's recent card using a real leaf as a "stamp."  Plenty of leaves laying on the ground, so I picked up a few and gave it a try.  My first attempt went in the trash--used way too much water.  I tried again with a smaller leaf and Distress Oxides spiced marmalade and crackling campfire on a cream panel.  

The very old PTI trees were stamped in Versafine Clair Pinecone--a very dark brown.  Added some small splatters and used gold metallic cardstock for the mat.  The sentiment is from SSS Full of Thanks.  I covered the card front with slightly lighter brown textured cardstock.  I'm entering Color Hues and WAW.

I love layering stencils and really had fun using the Miss Ink cups set.  Decided to make a red, teal and silver Christmas card.  

The inks are CN9 Poppy, Oceanside and Delicata Silvery Shimmer.  The little snowflakes and berries are Uniko.  The Precious Remembrance Shop sentiment was embossed with Sparkle powder and I added Stickles to the snowflake centers.  I'll put a Christmas sentiment on the inside.  I'm entering Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.

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

Poinsettia

I really liked Therese's dry embossed cards made with printed paper.  And more recently, my friend Brenda inspired me with her version.  So, I pulled out some very old BasicGrey paper and chose one called Dasher.  

Thought Altenew's poinsettia folder would look great, which it did.  For some reason, swiping with my white pigent ink pad didn't bring out the detail.  Maybe it isn't juicy enough.  Anyway, I switched to Versafine Clair Nocturne and that was so much better.  I used Brenda's idea of adding some sparkly embossing powder--really beautiful!  Probably not needed, but I did add white splatters.  My panel sat a few days because I couldn't figure out what to do with it.  Finally, I remembered that I have the Altenew poinsettia die, so cut it from more of the Dasher paper.  I brushed the petal edges with white pigment ink and sprinkled with the sparkly embossing powder.  I molded the petals with my fingers and added Christmas Red Stickles to the center. 

Also added the Stickles to the centers of the poinsettias in the background.  You can see some of the sparkle in my IG post.  Really glad I got the Birch Press Confections sentiment set when they last had a sale.  The words were die cut from Memory Box black glossy cardstock and the shadows from red cardstock.  Always a good feeling to end up with a card you like.  I'm entering JUGS Challenge #800!  That's a lot of challenges--congrats to JUGS!   

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

Casing Donna

I love getting ideas from other cardmakers.  This card by Donna Mikassa caught my eye to use for one more entry into Case me a Christmas Card 2025.

I liked the shaped card, dry embossed background, focal point and small sentiment.  Here's my version using an old Spellbinders die set, PTI Vintage Cream cardstock, CN9 poinsettia, SSS embossing folder and Birch Press sentiment.  

I used Barn Door Distress Spritz on some red cardstock I wasn't fond of.  It made for a beautifully shimmery poinsettia!  The pine boughs were cut from a panel I made quite awhile ago.  Whatever I started with wasn't shimmery enough, so I brushed over it with Altenew metallic light green watercolor.  The gold branches from a TH wreath die set, flower center and  sentiment shadow were cut from SSS Matte Gold cardstock.  All the shimmer and shine can be seen in my IG post video.

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