Rudolph Days and more PTI Challenge Entries

I'm still posting mostly on IG, but did want to share a few recent cards with you.  First is my entry for Rudolph Days.  

Most of my cards are one of a kind, but I do make all the same for hubby's cousins.  I've loved this Avery Elle Winter Wreath since I first saw it.  

Usually I make one layer cards for the cousins, but decided to add a mat this year.  Very simple, but I'm happy with how they turned out.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.

Next is my entry for PTI challenge to make a card with a little sparkle. I finally inked up the 2018 freebie stamp set called Your Beautiful Birthday. I thought it looked intimidating, but actually it's easy & fun to use!

The inks are Hawaiian Shores, Tropical Teal, Smokey Shadow, Weathervane, Lemon Tart & Bright Buttercup.  I heat embossed the words & sprinkle layer in JudiKins Iridescent Sparkle ep.  

The image was die cut with Shape Shifter's Circle 3 & the Smokey Shadow panel was dry embossed with an Echo Park folder.  I have tons of ribbon & found this one that was a perfect match.  The dots are Shimmer Pico Embellisher.  I'm also entering NBUS.

I had such fun with that stamp set, I decided to use it again for PTI challenge to add Rainstones to a card.  Luckily, I still have a few Darnell gave me the first time we met in person.  

This time I stamped the cake layers in Hawaiian Shores, Limeade Ice & Berry Sorbet on a Soft Stone panel.  The cake plate & candles were stamped in Delicata Silvery Shimmer, the words were stamped in Hero Arts Shimmer & I used a Clear Star Gelly Roll pen on the sprinkles.  

The white Pierced Feature Frames die cut was splattered with gray ink & attached with foam tape.  I do love the look of Rainstones for embellishing cards.  I'm 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.

Penny Black Snowflakes & PFS Hello

I've had this card in mind ever since I saw the Christmas Kickstart White on White theme.  Neutrals & silver/gold are allowed, too.  I white embossed the beautiful Penny Black snowflakes I won a long time ago from Virginia on a Soft Stone panel. 

It's such a classy look, but couldn't get a very good picture.  The sentiment from Avery Elle was embossed with JudiKins Diamond Sparkle--so pretty in real life.  I added a dot of Silver Stickles to each snowflake.  

Think I'll make some one layer cards with this same design & a variety of ink colors for hubby's cousins.  I'm also entering Retro Rubber (snowflakes & sentiment from stamps I've had at least 2 years) & Rudolph Days.

I'm certainly getting a lot of use from my first PFS purchase: Hello with a Bouquet die.  Thought it'd look great with rainbow letters for the PFS September challenge.

I first die cut the Bouquet from white cardstock.  Then I die cut PFS Color Block Stripes from white cardstock & colored 5 of the strips with DO candied apple, spiced marmalade, fossilized amber, peeled paint & faded jeans.  I attached the strips to a scrap of white cardstock & taped it over the letters of the die.  Then I glued the white die cut to a panel of Soft Stone & glued the rainbow letters over the white ones.  Finished off with PPP clear dots.  I'm also entering Virgina's Show & Share & WAW.

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

Masked & Ink Blended

I'm purging a wide variety of products in my sale pages.  You might find a good deal!

One of my favorite designs includes masking an area for ink blending.  Usually the images I stamp are solid & often the masked area runs vertically.  Colleen brought an example to our Indiana retreat with an outline image & a horizontal masked strip.  I black embossed the beautiful floral image & brushed the masked area with DO abandoned coral, heaviest on the left.

After I got home I black embossed the PTI sentiment, matted it with a black panel & added black Pico Embellisher dots.
Unfortunately, one of hubby's first cousins just passed away.  We're so glad we got to meet him & his family in North Carolina a few years ago.  We met his sister who lives in another state at the first family reunion we went to after hubby discovered this side of his family.  I hadn't yet opened my GK HA collaboration set & thought it could be used the same as Colleen's stamp.

The DO I used is shaded lilac for a soft, feminine look & the sentiment is W&W.  This time I just used a black strip down the left side & decided against any embellishments.  I'm entering SSS Wednesday & WAW.

Here's the card I made for his wife & family using an old HA image.  As you can see, it's my usual design with a vertical blended strip.

I brushed DO spiced marmalade, fossilized amber & squeezed lemonade on kraft cardstock after brown embossing the image.  The die cut sentiment from AE (in my sale page) was stacked 3 high & also brown embossed.  Interesting how a few changes give a totally different look.  I'm entering ABNH & SSS Wednesday.

I entered the October Altenew challenge via IG since I finished my card at the last minute.  Thought you might like to see it.

The Altenew dies are Layered Floral Elements, Mid Century Frame & Fancy Hello.  The rectangle stitching was done with a Lil' Inker die.  I colored the blooms & sentiment die cut with Copics & used vellum for the leaves.

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

'Tis the Season

We've had an eventful week.  Fritz was diagnosed with pancreatitis--fortunately not severe.  He seems to be more like his old self & no vomiting, so that's a relief. May be on prescription food the rest of his life, so I'm looking for a job--just kidding!  Small price to pay to have a healthy puppy dog. Hubby located a man in his 90s who was on his dad's ship in WWII.  They didn't know each other, but hubby is going to meet him soon. Turns out he lives near a cousin, so hubby will see her as well. Fritz & I will hold down the fort & hopefully I'll get a lot done.  Still no laptop, but I plan to get it today one way or the other! Yesterday we actually had a few hours of rain--such a relief. 
It'd be crazy not to get a card done for EH Mix it Up with Avery Elle--$50 gc is the prize!  

I stamped AE Winter Wreath & the sentiment in Brilliance Pearlescent Ivy & covered the berries in Stickles Christmas Red.  

EH Leaping Deer is die cut from textured, shimmery dark beige cardstock & layered 3 high. Couldn't resist a few green splatters.  I'm also entering Christmas Card Challenges, Merry Monday Summer Link Up (#244 Use a Wreath), Penny Black & More & Word Art Wednesday. Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  I will catch up with you as soon as possible.

It's Been Awhile

Feels like forever since I made a card or wrote a post!  We're back from our first camping trip of the year, but I don't seem to be back in the swing of things yet.  

That elusive Blog Writing Genie would sure be helpful--haha! The weather was really good, especially for the Oregon coast. We took a drive & snapped this at a place with offshore rocks. 

I do have a couple cards to show you that I posted on Flickr recently--both just use die cuts. First is another sympathy card using SSS Birch Tree Window, Avery Elle sentiment & Zigs.  

My friend Rosemary inspired this one.   I used a gray blue textured cardstock to back the window & dark gray for the sentiment.  Got it mailed before we left since I couldn't go to the service.  I'm entering CropStop, Die Cut Divas & SSS Flickr #71.

Next is my card for the previous SSS Flickr challenge & Flickr Love Handmade Cards.  

The smooshed panel (DI mermaid lagoon, salty ocean, lucky clover, cracked pistachio) was left over from a previous project & is die cut with AJVD Polka Dot Backdrop Rectangle. I used the same inks to color SSS Floral Shapes dies using a lighter hand for the top flower. Tried out my new extra fine tip white Sharpie & brushed the blooms heavily with Spectrum Noir clear sparkle.  The sentiment is SSS Painted Thanks cut from black textured cardstock.  Gotta get this one in the mail to one of my sweet blogging friends.  I'm also entering HLS Anything Goes with Dies & Word Art Wednesday.  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by. I'll catch up with you as soon as I can.

Not Last Minute!

I seem to enter lots of challenges at the last minute, but today I have 2 projects done in plenty of time!  I actually had this idea for last month's Poppystamps challenge & never sat down to make it.  Now I'm glad I didn't since I probably wouldn't have thought to add the flowers--this month's theme.  

The gift card holder is made with a PTI die & a bit of DI tumbled glass watercoloring & splatters of DI victorian velvet. Poppystamps Frieda die was cut from Bristol paper, watercolored with 2 green Zigs, attached & trimmed.  I used Versafine Vintage Sepia for an old Flourishes sentiment.  

I'm really enjoying the Nuvo drops--quick & easy to use, but I do have to remember to put it far away from me to dry!  I'm also entering Dies R Us, HLS Watercolor, SSS Monday, SSS Wednesday & Word Art Wednesday.  

Just found out a blogger lost her mom recently, so wanted to send her a card.  I wanted to try out SSS Birch Tree Window die, but wasn't thinking & trimmed around the die before running it through my Big Shot.  Not how you use a window die, but I was determined not to waste the whole piece cut from Bristol paper.  

Ended up with this small piece which I colored with 3 green Zigs & attached to an ivory panel which had been splattered with the same watercolors.  The sentiment die from Avery Elle was cut a couple times from kraft cardstock which I also used for the card base.  I'm entering SSS Flickr #70 & SSS Monday.

Before I go, wanted to share another picture of my beautiful lilacs.  

Now that they've opened there's also a wonderful fragrance. Wish you were here to enjoy them with me!  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.