My New Lindy's Flat Fabio Sprays

I couldn't resist the recent one day sale at Lindy's Gang.  I've been wanting some spray inks that don't have shimmer or sparkle.  Only let myself get one set and I finally decided on Carribean Cruise.  Now I may HAVE to get a few more bottles! 😆
Emboss resist has always been one of my favorite techniques, so that's what I did for my first card.

SSS Kaleidoscope Background was white embossed on watercolor paper.  Then I spritzed in sort of rainbow order starting at the top.  The sentiment is SSS Happy Birthday Brush Script and the butterflies are SSS Stitching Butterflies.  I die cut the sentiment shadow from the panel and the words and butterfly bodies were die cut from gold metallic cardstock.  The vellum butterflies were brushed with Delicata Golden Glitz.  I'm entering SSS Flickr, DCD and WAW, via Flickr.

My second card came about because I didn't want to waste the sentiment shadow cut from the emboss resist panel.  So, I die cut the words from it and mounted it to the shadow cut from a green, textured scrap.

I sprayed a strip of white, heavy weight cardstock in the same order as the first card.  They don't look quite the same, since I didn't spray nearly as heavily.  When it dried, I die cut 3 old Penny Black balloons.  I found Distress Oxides that were a close match to brush the edges, giving more definition.  Amazing the difference that made.  For a more festive look, I sprayed the balloons with Lindy's Gang Pixie Dust.  It gives a beautiful shimmer.  I tied white crochet thread to the balloons and arranged everything on a gold, metallic panel.  I'm entering DCD, WAW and Snippets Playground.  Everything but the card itself is from scraps.

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Butterflies

Here are my latest cards--both with one or more butterflies, thanks to the SSS IG Challenge theme for April.  First is the card I made using the piece of cardstock I embossed at the same time as the vellum card in my last post.  The folder is Altenew's Dreamy Daylilies.  

I messed up part of the panel, so switched gears and die cut a small rectangle from the center that was fine.  I ink blended with Altenew's Rose Quartz, Puffy Heart and Purple Wine.  The raised edges were swiped with Brilliance Starlite Black--a soft Pearlescent black.  I added silver splatters and attached it to a black mat.  Then I glued it in place--lining up the image on another embossed white panel.  Love the look of the wide white border.  The double vellum butterfly is from SSS Stitching Butterflies.  I added matching ink to the center and covered it with Silver Stickles.  The sentiment is from SSS Anna's Flowers and I added 3 silver glitter dots.  I'm entering DCD, WAW from Flickr and SSS Flickr.

Next is my card inspired by the new combo of Fuchsia and Navy at Color Hues.  Hopefully my Lindy's Magicals High Maintenance Magenta works for fuchsia. 😊

I silver embossed PFS Small Butterflies and die cut them.  Then I watercolored them with the Magical powder mixed with water.  After they dried, I added more color.  The shimmer is so beautiful, as seen in my IG video.  For the card front, I white embossed PFS Lush Vines, brushed on the Sapphire ink and then wiped ink off the embossing.  Lush Vines is definitely one of my favorite stamps!  The butterflies were glued to PFS Elongated Oval Blanket Stitch, stacked 2 high and brushed with the same ink--darkest on the edge.  The sentiment is from PFS Perfect Sentiments.  I added navy dots to the background and silver glitter dots to the butterflies.  I'm also entering Pinkfresh April Challenge and WAW.

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Easter Cards

I definitely waited too long to finish making Easter cards this year.  Should know to plan for unexpected delays, including a day sick in bed. 😞 So I ended up with some quick cards and put off making the card I had in mind when I first saw the Color Hues combo of Purple and Marigold.  I didn't pay attention to the challenge dates and it closed.  But luckily I combined it with JUGs Stencil Week and I'm also entering SSS Monday and WAW.  

A dear friend gave me TE My Redeemer Lives stamp/die/embossing folder years ago and I use it every Easter.  There are several crosses in different sizes, but I always seem to use this one.  I stamped the white diecut in Encore Metallic Purple and clear embossed.  Then I brushed it with PTI Amethyst Allure making the edges darker.  I stenciled TH Rays with PTI Summer Sunrise using a heavy hand at the top and lighter to the end of the rays.  I added small splatters of the ink and die cut with a Pinkfresh Diagonal Stitch Rectangle.  I had enough PTI matching cardstock to use for the mats and I remembered to cut out the centers.  A sentiment from the set was stamped in Amethyst Allure and cut with a small circle die.  A single purple gem finished off my card.  I'm glad to have this one ready for next year.

I'll share more of my Easter cards soon.  For now, here's one of the quick cards I made using one of Stamplorations beautiful card fronts.  

I embossed it with SSS Dibble Tile folder and rubbed over the raised edges with a white pigment ink pad.  I found just the right shade of blue cardstock in my stash and used it for the mat and Poppystamps Proper Happy Easter.  I'll enter SSS Monday from a different platform.

Basketball was my favorite spectator sport growing up and I still enjoy it.  We don't usually watch games, but this year it's a fun diversion from the sad times we're living in.  Would have loved to watch the Purdue men's exciting Sweet Sixteen win with my Dad.  He would have been so happy.  

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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.

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.

More Christmas in July

Emboss resist was one of the first techniques I learned and I still love it.  I started by white embossing and diecutting the fun circles tree from SSS Color Me Trees.  

Then I ink blended them with Distress Oxide Pine Needle and Peacock Feathers.  The ink wipes right off the white embossing.  I colored the center circles with Pentel silver Sparkle Pop pen which gives gorgeous sparkle you can see in my IG post video.  The embossed panel was made with SSS Dibble Tile folder and I attached it to a metallic silver mat.  Versafine Clair Morning Mist was used to stamp the sentiment from an old Honey Bee set.  I raised the center tree and the sentiment strip, but should still just need one stamp.  I'm entering Christmas Kickstart Challenge 100 and sending my congratulations to Jo!

Next is my card for the Poppystamps July Challenge: Red White & Bloom.  I began with a red cardstock panel that I covered in Distress Spritz fired brick.  The sparkle is just gorgeous! 

I die cut Poppystamps Poinsettia Background from the red panel and a white one.  I attached the white outline to a panel of GKD Whisper cardstock.  The white petals were glued in place and then the red ones were glued on top for a bit of dimension.  The white leaves were brushed with white metallic watercolor before being glued in place.  Poppystamps Merry Christmas Poe Script was brushed with the same watercolor and glued over the vellum strip.  Check out my IG video to see the beautiful sparkle and shimmer.

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Altenew June Challenge

So happy to report that my strained muscle has greatly improved!  It's no longer affecting what I can do.  Here's the second card I made for the Altenew June Inspiration Challenge.  I've been wanting to add color to kraft cardstock by first using white pigment ink.  I used the same stamp with matching stencils as my first entry, Altenew's Sweet Bouquet.  

This time I stamped in Versafine Clair Pinecone in opposite corners and used a sponge dauber to apply the white ink through the stencils.  I heat set it and then began adding these Altenew inks:  Fresh Lemon, Honey Drizzle, Orange Cream, Firebrick, Forest Glades and Hunter Green.  Then I restamped to darken the lines softened by the white ink and splattered Altenew gold metallic watercolor.  Hello Friend from the same set was stamped in Pinecone and clear embossed.  Then I used the gold watercolor for emboss resist.  The sentiment strip, also from the set, was stamped in Pinecone.  I covered the flower centers in scattered straw Distress Stickles and added Altenew Antique Gold sequins.  Think I'll save this for a Fall birthday.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.

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Three Cards

I'm not big on orange, but I do love peach combined with pink.  Color Hues challenge #112 gave me a chance to try it with Cobalt.  Must say, I really like that combo, too! 

I used direct to paper with MFT Peach Bellini and Versafine Clair Blue Belle.  Prima blue watercolor was used for the center rectangle.  I love IO Woodgrain Frame and it was the perfect size for SSS Bright Blossoms diecut.  I stacked the frame 2 high and left the center flat.  The sentiment is from PTI Scripted.  The petals are stacked 2 high and covered with Shimmer Pico Embellisher.  Finished with MB clear Fairy Drops.  You can see the beautiful shimmer and shine in my IG video.  

Next is my entry for Stay Crafty with Hero and Woodblock Wednesday.  I used the words ...in the park... from the HA challenge song along with their 2010 Wild Flowers and 2004 Sketch Butterflies woodmounted stamps.  

The flowers were gold embossed and the butterflies were white embossed.  I used the emboss resist technique with old favorite Brilliance Pearlescent ink pads to represent grass, lake/river and sun.  The flowers have clear dots in their centers and the butterflies have Frosted Lace Stickles.  You can see the shimmer and shine in my IG video.  The mat was also gold embossed.  The little white dots represent Cottonwoods which are abundant in our parks this month.  Decided against a sentiment and will use this for a notecard.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.

I've been wanting to make a pastel rainbow card and here's the result using Lawn Fawn ballet slippers and peach fuzz along with Altenew Citrus Burst, Sweet Leaf and Wisteria.

I die cut my panel with PFS Slim Braided Circles and added 2 additional layers to the inside circles before gluing them in place.  Gold splatters are always good, in my book!  PFS Small Butterflies were gold embossed and the bodies were colored with the same inks using the matching stencil.  I gently lifted the wings and added the gold embossed sentiment from Sweet Friend Floral.  I'm entering PFS June Challenge via Flickr.

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I will visit you.