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.

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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."  

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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.  

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Altenew and Pinkfresh

I loved the first card I saw by Hannelie using Altenew's White Cap Peonies stencils.  Finally added it to my stash and made an entry for the September Inspiration Challenge.  

The Altenew inks are Wisteria, Hydrangea, Ultraviolet, Andromeda, Sunkissed, Orange Cream, Forest Glades and Jet Black.  I splattered Altenew Jet Black ink spray and used their wonderful Dotted Swirls Debossing Cover Die.  I used Gina K Master Layouts 1 to die cut the rectangles.  The sentiment is from Sweet Bouquet and I added a few black enamel dots.  Already sent it off to a friend with major challenges right now.

 

Love that the Pinkfresh Monthly Challenge now has an Anything Goes option.  That let me pull out my 2018 Hello with a Bouquet die.  I've used it quite a bit, but don't remember ever using Fall colors. 

Thought about ink blending a background, but decided to smoosh Distress Oxides on a cream panel instead.  The colors are fossilized amber, wilted violet, peeled paint and vintage photo.  I was really happy with the look of my panel, especially after spraying it with fossilized amber Distress Spritz.  You can get an idea of the beautiful shimmer in my IG post.  The letters are stacked and covered with glaze.  Couldn't resist adding Golden Rod Stickles to the flower centers.  Think this could be for a birthday or maybe even Thanksgiving.  I'm also entering SSS Monday and DCD.

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Memory Box and Poppystamps

I used my favorite paper from Your Paper Insider Box 12 to make an entry for Memory Box I Can't Be- "Leaf "It Is Fall!  You can see the gold shimmer in my IG post. 

I used Memory Box Tall Frilly Leaf Stems I'd previously die cut and brushed with green metallic sprays.  I cut some more and brushed them with gold metallic watercolor.  I left the ends of the stems free for movement when I glued them to the top of the card.  Memory Box Just a Note Posh Script shadow was die cut from the panel.  The words were die cut from the same cardstock, stacked, covered with glaze and glued in place.  I added the smallest Birch Press Simple Butterfly Contour Layers die cut from vellum and some gold dots.  I'm also entering DCD and SSS Wed.

I made another notecard without a sentiment to enter Poppystamps Keep it Simple, JUGS, Time Out (Fall is my favorite season) and SSS Wed. I recently got Poppystamps Nordic Basket die and decided to make it into a basket for Fall leaves and flowers.  

I die cut it from kraft cardstock and trimmed off the handle so it wouldn't look like an Easter basket.  I added a couple extra diecuts to make it more like chipboard and inked the edges with Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate.  The smallest flowers from Poppystamps Potpourri Flower Set were inked with PTI Harvest Gold and Summer Sunrise.  The bigger flowers were inked with Amethyst Allure.  The leaves from Poppystamps Orchard Leaves were inked with PTI Ripe Avocado and Simply Chartreuse.  I glued the bottom of the basket to Pinkfresh Nested Hexagons: Double Stitch.  Then I arranged and glued the leaves and flowers, gently lifting the ends.  

Decided against embellishments and just added dots of Goldenrod Stickles to the little blooms. 

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I will visit you.

Orange and Green

I wasn't planning to make orange flowers for Color Hues #17, as I generally use orange for leaves and pumpkins.  But I wanted to make a card using SSS stamps to try Therese's faux watercolor technique from a Card Summit tutorial.  Thought it might work with SSS Spring Flowers.  

You ink up the wrong side of the clear stamp, spritz heavily with water and stamp.  You really want the ink to move and not just make a solid blob, which happens if you don't use enough water.  When it's dry, stamp over the area using the right side of the stamp and die cut the image.  I used Altenew Orange Cream, Autumn Blaze, Firefly and Grass Field inks.  I added white and black splatters.  The Soft Stone and black rectangles were die cut with Gina K Master Layouts 2.  Poppystamps Scribble Hello fit my design perfectly.  I'm also entering Die Cut Divas. 

So frustrating that we haven't been able to get our Covid 19 vaccine yet.  As I said before, I'll never forgive Trump for giving RFK power over our health care system.  Total dangerous disaster!

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