Christmas in July plus

As you might guess, Christmas in July is one of my favorite themes!  Couldn't wait to make a card for DCD using my new Taylored Expressions Modern Eucalyptus Wreath kit.  I very seldom buy kits, but immediately fell in love with this one.  Couldn't get it out of my mind & it wasn't sold out days later when I checked.  Luckily, I discovered that I could get a good discount using my reward points.  That did it & I'm not at all sorry--haha!  The stencils line up just using the corner of a MISTI.  

I brushed on PTI Ripe Avocado, Simply Chartreuse, Ocean Tides & Pinefeather.  After using the coordinating dies, I decided to add them to the Tim Holtz Funky Wreaths image cut from shiny, silver cardstock.  The berries die from PFS Layered Wreath was used with leftover pieces of cardstock covered with double sided adhesive.  I removed the release paper & dipped them into WOW Peachy Keen Sparkles using tweezers.  Makes adding glitter so easy. 

This Sparkles looks like a mix of pink & silver to me.  At any rate, it is gorgeous with lots of sparkle & I love how it doesn't rub off.  I'll have to try using it with glue & see if it's just as secure.  The sentiment is PFS Classic Holiday Words & the panel is die cut with PFS Blanket Stitched Rectangle.  

I seldom make baby cards, so don't really have stamps & dies designed for them.  But I wanted to welcome a baby boy, so put on my thinking cap.  Decided PTI Spring Rain makes a nice baby blue, so started by embossing a panel with a Tim Holtz faded stars folder.  

I had FMS challenge in mind, so die cut CAS-ual Fridays stars from PTI Blueberry Sky cardstock.  The edges were brushed with a shimmer pen--pretty in person.  Hard coming up with a sentiment, but finally decided on these 2 words from PTI Tiny Tags.  

Color Hues is calling for Red & Blue, so I made red my accent color using Christmas Red Stickles on the little heart & random dots in the background.

I also seldom make wedding cards, but had fun making this simple one for a family member.  

I got as close as I could to the bride's colors of navy, dusty blue & gold.  The hearts are AJVD, the letters are Flourishes & the die cut rectangle is Gina Marie. 

I'm entering SSS Wednesday & WAW.

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

Memory Box and Poppystamps

Often I seem to put off getting entries made for monthly challenges.  Glad to have 2 done for January, so no rushing at the last minute.  Of course, there are others I now need to start working on!

First is a Valentine for a 97 year old lady in an Assisted Living facility.  Darnell requested cards for her at the beginning of the pandemic.  Her mind is clear & she enjoys getting cards.  I send one about monthly.  Such a little thing to brighten her day.  Hope she'll enjoy this one with her first initial.  

It's from the same Flourishes Letters in Bloom set I used for a card in this post.  The heart die cuts are Memory Box Grand Heart & Bingham Heart.  I did some partial embossing using a Echo Park Random Dots folder.  Years ago my friend, Rosemary, used the technique of embossing by tapping the folder with a mallet instead of using a die cut machine.  It let's you put the embossing just where you want it & you can vary the dimension by tapping lighter or harder.  I really like how it filled in the empty space.  

The V is colored with a Spellbinders silver shimmer pen--so gorgeous in person.  I also used a glitter pen on the outline heart.  I'm entering Memory Box Alphabets challenge & Dies R Us.

I have a huge collection of spray mists--mostly Tattered Angels.  The shimmer is so gorgeous in person.  When I saw JUGs challenge theme, I pulled out Caribbean Blue & Meadow Green to use for my entry.  Before spraying the panel, I black heat embossed the images from Poppystamps Little Kindness.  

When the sprays dried, I used Gelly Roll Stardust pen to color the flower centers & added black splatters.  

Really love my new Poppystamps Happy Birthday Poe Script die cuts which are stacked 2 high.  I'm also entering Poppystamps Birthday challenge & ModSquad.

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

Friendship Cards

PTI The Great Cover-Up challenge theme is to create a tone-on-tone card.  I noticed this old sheet of teal cardstock in a pack I bought years ago & saw that I have old MFT felt almost the same color.  I remember reading that a variety of textures is good to use for monochromatic cards, so that's where I started.  

PTI Herringbone die was cut from the teal cardstock & matted to a matching panel.  I inked the edges with Distress Ink peacock feathers & added black splatters.  My favorite flower dies from PTI Into the Blooms II were cut from the felt & layered.  I added White Blizzard Nuvo Drops to the tips.  The leaves were die cut from PTI vellum which I also inked with the peacock feathers. 

I already had PTI Hello Thick & Thin shadow die cut from vellum & the letters from black cardstock.  So I inked it with peacock feathers & added another layer of the black letters.  Black enamel dots finish it off.

Edited to add:  Also entering The Flower Challenge: Monochrome.

I recently saw Traci Pond's card on IG & it reminded me of Flourishes Letters in Bloom set I'd never used. I got to pick out some of their stamp sets when I was a GD shortly before they closed. I was also thinking about the wonderful sketch for FMS 517.

I began with a white scrap laying on my table & used SSS Grid Play Stencil with PTI Pale Peony ink.  Then I lined up the letters in my MISTI & stamped  in Versafine Clair Nocturne a couple times.  I used a white gel pen on the tiny leaves & a glitter pen on the blooms.  The letters were still in place, so I stamped again.  Then I added the little sentiment from PTI Scripted--love that set.  I trimmed a black scrap to size & matted the panel with Pale Peony cardstock.  Finished off with white Pico Embellisher dots.  I'm also entering Snippets Playground which has a brand new home & Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge 30, Circles.

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

SSS, Stamplorations, PFS

I'm writing this as we watch the hurricane approach the US.  My heart goes out to everyone dealing with this disaster. 
This is my 3rd sympathy card in the last few weeks.  For this one I started with SSS Bouquet of Roses stencil on kraft cardstock & blended with DI aged mahogany & brushed corduroy. 

Then I dry embossed the panel & eventually cut it down & attached it to a Fine Linen mat.  The very old Flourishes sentiment was stamped in my new Avery Elle Kraft pigment ink.  It stamped beautifully & dried very quickly.  Love having another shade of tan ink!  I used a Lawn Fawn circle die & attached it with foam tape.  I'm entering SSS Monday from IG.

Next is my first card using Stamplorations Leafy stamp set designed by Deepti.  I love using evergreen branches or leaves to make a frame, so that's what I did. 

It may look like only 2 leaf images, but actually, it's 3. The Altenew inks are Limeade, Lime & Fresh Leaf.  This is also my first time using the Impression Obsession sentiment, Love and Kindness are never wasted, stamped in VersaMagic Gingerbread.  I trimmed the panel down & mounted it with fun foam.  The white dots are Wedding Dress Pico Embellisher.  I'm entering Stamplorations Never Ending challenge, Stamplorations Summer challenge, SSS Monday & SSS Wednesday.

I've been wanting to make a card using a single die cut in various colors.  This wasn't the original design I had in mind, but I like it anyway. 

I used a die from PFS Dainty Blossoms & 5 different textured cardstock scraps.  I trimmed off the stems, covered them in shimmer & attached them to a strip of Soft Stone using glue only at the bottom so the tops could be gently bent forward.  The sentiment from PFS Delicate Wreath was stamped in Weathervane.  Finished off with Shimmer Pico Embellisher drops.  I'm entering PFS August challenge, SSS Monday, SSS Wednesday & The Snippets Playground.

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

Fancy Joy

Thinking of everyone dealing with Hurricane Irma. Hard to believe it's happening again so soon after Harvey.  
I love using the word Joy on Christmas cards & remembered a Flourishes stamp set I've hardly used. Just have time to enter the challenge at Merry Monday.  

Finally opened my Ranger Liquid Platinum embossing powder--so beautiful! The color comes from a green Zig & Autumn Red Nuvo drops. I didn't want to add another color, so watercolored the word & the oval frame with Platinum Pearl Liquid Pearls.  

I'm also entering ATSM, HLS Christmas, SSS Monday & SSS Wednesday. Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.