Valentine and Christmas Card

Continuing to escape the awful reality of my country's leaders by making and sending cards.  Here's my second Valentine and this time I used AJVD hearts.  

I inked them with Altenew's Rose Quartz, Puffy Heart and Purple Wine.  Love their ink sets, so I don't have to guess about shades that go together.  Couldn't resist brushing the hearts with a shimmer pen--so beautiful in person.  You can see the shimmer in my IG post.  Taylored Expressions Swiss Hearts embossing folder was used for the background.  I inked a gray panel and Alex Syberia Friend diecut with Versafine Clair Morning Mist.

I'm entering WAW.

The JUGS Mood Board challenge inspired me to stamp an Evergreen forest using three Trinity Stamps silhouette trees with Altenew Hunter Green and Fresh Leaf ink pads.  The photo second from the left in the bottom row of the mood board is what caught my eye.    

I spread Tim Holtz Snowfall Grit Paste at the base of the trees and added snow with a white paint pen.  My new Waffle Flower sentiment shadow was die cut from vellum and the words were die cut twice from white cardstock.  Hard to see, but they were layered so that the lighter green is visible on the left side of the letters.  The top layer was covered with glaze. 

I finished the card with a variety of translucent green enamel dots.  A simple card that is just my style! 

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

Christmas, Anniversary and Birthday

I decided to make a card from a leftover 2024 tag.  I added a gold glitter layer to the poinsettias from TH Seasonal Sketch dies.  I removed a green cord bow and left the TH Funky Wreath on vellum with Scrapbook.com words as it was. 

The focal point was attached to a circle dry embossed with TH Texture Fades Poinsettia folder.  That was attached to a slightly larger circle card.  Have to say, I like the card much better than the tag because of the glitter poinsettia layer and the dry embossing.  There's still time to join Jo and me at Christmas Kickstart: Wreath it Up.  I'm entering Word Art Wednesday.

Our 46th anniversary is next week and I wanted to make something different for hubby's card this year.  I HAD to have TE Create in Quads: Mistletoe, but hadn't yet opened the package. 😊 Thought mistletoe in his favorite colors would be perfect!  

The Altenew inks are Grass Field, Mountain Pine, Caribbean Sky and Sapphire.  I die cut AJVD "love" die from a vellum panel to use as a guide for where to place the die on my stenciled panel.  The word was stacked 3 high, covered with glaze and glued in place.  I die cut MB Parker Lowercase Alphabet letters to spell "you" and stacked them 3 high.  The card front edges were inked to match.  If you look close, you'll see 2 tiny Gina K white heart embellishments where a bow often goes.  Fresh and simple with interest, so I'm happy and think hubby will like it, too.  I'm entering Just Us Girls and SSS Wednesday.

I saw that my cardmaking friend, Linda, is the hostess at Seize the Birthday.  Her theme is Black & White, which I haven't done in quite awhile.  Always fun to combine challenges and FMS gave me a great layout.

The black and white mats were die cut with Gina K Master Layouts 1 & 2.  I used partial diecutting with a long stitched AJVD rectangle die to get the size I needed for my flowers which are from PTI Simple Stems.  I actually used acrylic blocks and Versafine Clair Nocturne ink for the stamping and had no problem.  The card looks very crisp and clean in person.  Took a bit, but I finally found exactly the sentiment I wanted in Uniko's Simply Said Blocks.  I added a tiny clear gem at the base of each bloom. 

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

Friendship and Anniversary

I was delighted to find PFS Artistic Bows die set at a bargain price from someone purging supplies.  Thought it'd work great with a small bouquet made from SSS Cosmos Stem and Beautiful Buttercup die sets.  

The inks are CN9 Nectar and Grapefruit with Altenew Pink Sand for the stems.  Love the font of PTI Essential Sentiments and the hello word fit perfectly.  So glad I got SSS Dibble Tile embossing folder.  It adds interest and texture, but more subtly than some others I have.  I'll probably cry if I ever run out of Lucy's Iridescent Gems--so beautiful!  I entered SSS Wednesday via Flickr.

Next is my entry for Time Out Challenge #287.  Here's the photo to use for inspiration.

I did have to think about this one for awhile, but I kept coming back to the costume on the right.  I see shiny green fabric with pink flowers that have burgundy centers and green leaves.  The pink card display board made me think of a very old Sizzix embossing folder I have.  

I began by covering white cardstock with Fake Plant Lunar Paste.  When it was completely dry, I used the embossing folder--came out great!  I found some green cardstock just a bit lighter than the background and used it to die cut the branch from Altenew's Fresh Flowers.  PTI Into the Blooms II had the perfect bloom and center to use with textured light pink cardstock and plain burgundy cardstock.  Took a ton of pictures and couldn't get the flowers to look very pink, but they truly are not white!  Memory Box Hello Friend Posh Script was die cut from the same pink and burgundy cardstocks.  I covered the words with a shimmer pen.  You can see the shimmer and sparkle in my IG post.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.

I wanted to enter the stencil challenge at Just Us Girls and I need an anniversary card next month.  SSS Heart Mandala stencil caught my eye.  It's really beautiful, but I've had trouble coming up with how to use it.  This time I thought it could work to just ink blend a circle, starting in the middle of the stencil.  Really love how it turned out!  

The Distress Oxide inks are aged mahogany, fired brick and candied apple.  Boy does Bristol smooth cardstock make blending so much easier!  I did cut the panel down so it would be framed by the white card front.  I also couldn't help but give it a spray of Distress Spritz fired brick.  The shimmer is really beautiful and you can see it a bit in my IG post.  I used AJVD heart dies and a sentiment from Altenew's Flower Vine stamp set.  A couple cardstock layers raised the panel off the card.  I may end up making something like this for hubby, as I really love the look.

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

Birthday Card

When I saw the theme at Time Out Challenges is Beginnings, I immediately thought of my old woodmounted PB sentiment stamp.  And then I thought of the Tim Holtz Rays stencil.  Here's the result.

In case you're wondering, I didn't check out the 2025 challenges before stepping down from the DT.  I first stenciled with Altenew's Maple Yellow and Fresh Lemon.  Then I stamped the sentiment in Versafine Clair Nocturne and die cut the panel with AJVD stitched rectangle.  I used very old PB dies for the balloons which I inked with the same yellows.  No bling or sparkle, so this can be for a guy.  I'm also entering JUGs and SSS Monday (if a new year of life qualifies).

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

Another Quilt for Valentine's Day

After making my red and kraft quilt card, I saw Inkspirational Challenge #332, Pretty Quilt.  I couldn't add my card without exceeding the allowed challenges for SSS Flickr.  Just as well, since it "made" me use my CN9 Poinsettia Quilt Top die for another card!😊 

This time I used pink and aqua Heidi Swapp glitter tape and Bazzill Diamond shimmer cardstock.  The little heart is AJVD and the sentiment is SSS Simple Valentine's Day.  Instead of using the backing die, I fussy cut my quilt and glued it to a white card.  There's a video showing the sparkle and shimmer on my IG post.  

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

Time Out Challenge #256

We're back with a fun photo inspiration for Time Out Challenge #256.  Sarah Gray is a former DT member and the owner of our sponsor, Funky Fossil Design.  All you have to do is make a card inspired by the one Sarah made in the photo below.  In addition to the 25 pound gift certificate to Funky Fossil, the winner gets an invitation to guest design for a future challenge. 

I used a splatters stencil in the background, but mine is coffee splatters instead of paint.  My card is a rectangle, but I basically followed Sarah's layout.  There are lots of ways you can be inspired and I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with in the gallery.  Remember, we only allow cards entered in a total of no more than 5 challenges including ours.

I used Lawn Fawn Manatee ink with Tim Holtz Splatters stencil.  The Stampendous sentiment was stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne.The stitched rectangle is MFT, the cups are Trinity Stamps (freebie), the snowflake embossing folder is Darice and the little hearts are AJVD.  

I used a detail brush to add white pigment ink to the snowflakes before covering them and the word Friend with Shimmer Pico Embellisher.  Black enamel dots were just the right finishing touch.  I'm sending this card as a Valentine to a blogging friend, wishing we could meet for coffee.

I'm entering 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.

Birthday Card and Valentine

A couple of my in person friends are on the DT for Seize the Birthday and one of them, Colleen, picked the current topping of Kraft and One Other Color.  I'm very fond of kraft with pink and I finally got the CN9 Poinsettia Quilt Top die set.  Decided this color combo was perfect for my first quilt. 

I've admired this die set for a long time.  It doesn't have to be for Christmas cards.  In fact, I'm not sure you'd even think of a poinsettia, if it wasn't part of the name.  There are advantages over other quilt dies including a separate outline die, a separate stitching lines die and 3 dies for the inside pieces.  Plus it includes the word Joy and a shadow for it.  I found the beautiful darker pink floral paper in an old pad and the pink textured cardstock in my scraps.  I used PTI Classic Kraft (my favorite kraft cardstock) for the card front and the corners.  The little pieces were covered with Versamark Shimmer ink to make them slightly darker than the card. 

The sentiment and layered banners are from PTI, as is the bloom.  I used a floral center from AJVD and little leafy branches from Alexandra Renke.  The flower center is covered in pink jewel Nuvo Drops.  I'm also entering Die Cut Divas.

Last January I had my hip replaced, so I didn't make Valentines.  This year I'm having so much fun being able to make them again.  

For this card I used AJVD hearts, Large Hepburn Couture Creations embossing folder and SSS Simple Valentine's Day sentiment.  I think black, white, silver and red makes for a classic, clean and fresh Valentine for a blog friend. 

This one went to a friend who didn't get the Christmas card I sent, thanks to me sending it to her old address!  Boy did I feel dumb when it came back to me.  I had her new address, but grabbed an envelope I'd addressed long ago.  Hopefully she'll be surprised and happy when she finds this card in her mailbox.  I'm entering SSS Monday and TTTC239 using Heart, Red, Die Cut. 

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

Sparkle to the Max!

Poppystamps January challenge is Sparkle.  You will have to admit--no doubt my card qualifies--haha!  

This is the first time I've attached a cardstock panel to a double sided adhesive sheet so I could cover it with glitter.  Before removing the adhesive liner, I die cut Poppystamps Triple Heart Twirl 3 times, as you can see.  Then I poured on WOW Regal Sparkles which is just stunning in real life!  And it doesn't rub off, in case you're wondering.  There's a short video in my IG post.  

I attached the hearts panel to a white card without gluing down the hearts.  Took several tries to come up with how to add a birthday sentiment.  Finally, I thought to stamp the words on AJVD stitched hearts using parts of 2 PTI sentiments from Simple Stems.  Looks so much better than the die cut happy birthday I almost put across the middle.  I'm also entering The Snippets Playground where we're celebrating Di's 12th anniversary trying to keep everyone in order--haha!  I'm also entering SSS Monday and Seize the Birthday.

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