Square and Z Fold

I'm grateful Your Paper Insider sent me Box 12 to use and show you.  I'll post my first card later.  Today's card was inspired by Freshly Made Sketches #700.  The first time I entered was November 2013, Challenge #111.  Here's that card:

This is really still my kind of card.  No surprise I used dry embossing for the background.  Those MFT rolled roses made from felt would be on my cards today if mailing costs weren't so high.  

Back to my current card.

I cut 4 squares of the beautiful White and Red Flowers: Yuzenshi paper and matted them with dark brown cardstock in my stash.  The little branches were die cut from the same brown paper.  To keep from covering up much of the background, I used a scrap of my vellum for the shadow of SSS Happy Autumn die.  The Gold Diamond Glitter paper in the box was perfect for the card front and letters.  You can see the sparkle and shine in my IG post.  And yes, I'm ready for Autumn's cooler weather!

Next is my first Z Fold card--yay!  I'm a slow cardmaker, so I don't usually make fun fold cards.  However, I watched a video recently and thought the simple version was something I could do.  Here's what I came up with using some favorite Altenew products.

I cut a white panel in 2 and lined the pieces back up in the Flower Bed embossing folder.  Sweet Bouquet was colored with the matching stencils using Rose Quartz, Puffy Heart, Cosmic Berry, Firefly, Forest Glades, Shadow Creek and Citrus Burst.  I splattered the bouquet with SSS Splatter Medium and added yellow Stickles to all the flower centers--focal point and background.  The sentiment from the stamp set fit perfectly inside.  I did add cardstock layers to the bouquet to make it sturdy enough to have only the left side attached.  You can see details and sparkle in my IG post.  This is another card for the Altenew August Challenge and I'm entering DCD where Altenew is the sponsor.

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

Memory Box, Altenew and Stamps Happen

I just could not make my first idea for the Memory Box August Animal Themed Cards Challenge work.  Luckily, I realized birds are in the animal kingdom!  That let me use the wonderful Backyard Wren die. 

First I ink blended Distress Oxides bundled sage, lucky clover, speckled egg and broken china.  Then I smooshed over the blended areas with lucky clover and broken china to add more texture.  Love the look.  Instead of a tree branch, I decided to put my bird in a bush using MB Tall Frilly Leaf Stems brushed with several green metallic sprays.  Many of my old spray bottles clogged, so I just pour some out and use a paintbrush.  You can see the sparkle in my IG post.  I brushed the bird diecuts with DO vintage photo, fossilized amber and antique linen.  The oval frame was made with Elizabeth Craft dies and I inked it with DO antique linen and a touch of vintage photo--purposely not making it a solid color.  Poppystamps Scribble Hello was stacked and inked with the vintage photo.  Not sure about embellishments, so left them off for now.  I'm also entering Tic Tac Toe 276 using Any Color/Free/Sentiment.  

My next card is for the August Altenew Inspiration Challenge.  I had fun using some of their older products along with a new one. 

The Fresh Flowers diecuts were ink blended with Puffy Heart, Rose Quartz, Citrus Burst, Maple Yellow, Forest Glades and Frayed Leaf Altenew inks.  Watercolor Stripes Cover Die was cut from vellum and attached to a soft yellow textured cardstock panel.  The sentiment letters from Essential Sentiment Strips were ink blended to match and inlaid into the vellum base which was matted with the same yellow cardstock.  I finished off with tiny yellow gems.  I'm also entering JUGS.

I finally made a card with this beautiful woodblock stamp called Rose Parade.  It's by Stamps Happen and I bought it over 20 years ago at a stamp convention.  

The image was embossed in SSS Rose Gold powder before I watercolored with Distress Oxides kitsch flamingo, picked raspberry and pumice stone.  I failed to leave enough lighter areas, so I added a bit of white metallic watercolor.  That helped, I think.  You can see the shimmer and shine in my IG post.  I added a very soft watercolor wash around the image using kitsch flamingo and finished off with pink sequins.  I entered the last Woodblock Wednesday challenge and I'm entering Color Hues Pink and Gray.

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

Altenew

Decided to squeak in with one more entry before the Altenew Inspiration Challenge ends.  I used some of their products I really love.

I've used the Flower Bed embossing folder a lot.  One of my favorite techniques is to add color to white cardstock before embossing.  I put the panel into the folder so I can see approximately where the flowers and leaves will be.  Then I add my colors, but not precisely.  For this card I blended Persian Blue and Fresh Leaf until the entire panel was inked.  After embossing, I experimented with lightly rubbing an off white pad across the raised areas.  Didn't like the result, so just wiped it mostly off with a paper towel.  Then I did the same thing with a gold pad.  It was subtle, but pretty.  Decided to add gold embossing powder--just wanting a bit here and there.  A lot of powder stuck!  So I used a small paintbrush to remove a lot of it.  Still ended up with more gold embossing than I'd planned, but I actually like it.  Sparkled Frame is another favorite product.  I used the same beige cardstock as my first entry, since it's very close to the color in the graphic.  Most of the time I use the Happy Birthday die from Essential Sentiment Strips, so it was nice to make use of a different one for this card.  I inked the card front and sentiment strip in the Persian Blue and used the same SSS Antique Gold embossing powder for the letters.  The medium shade of Deep Sea Sapphire Gem Sparkles finished off the card. You can see the sparkle and shine in my IG post.  I'm also entering SSS Monday, SSS Wednesday and WAW.

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

Birthday Cards

Yana's post for SSS reminded me of the one she did in 2020 using SSS Anna's Flowers.  In fact, that's why I bought the set!  Happy to have been inspired to use it for this card.  

I was going to do something closer to Yana's cards, but wasn't happy with my first attempt using a very light pink.  So I turned the panel over and filled it with overlapping flowers using Altenew's Puffy Heart, Purple Wine and Cosmic Berry.  Now it looks like printed paper and I really like it.  Of course, pink being my favorite color may have something to do with it.😀  I did add some white gouache splatters that came out pretty subtle.  This is a sentiment I think works for lots of occasions, including birthdays.  I stacked it and used a shimmer pen which you can see in my IG video.  The subsentiment is from PTI Scripted and I added TE silver sparkly gems.  I'm entering SSS Monday, SSS Wednesday and Seize the Birthday.  

I don't want to miss the Pinkfresh Studio July Challenge, so decided to combine it with Color Hues: Yellow and Green.  Yellow isn't a color I reach for very often, but it is a happy color--perfect for a birthday card. 

I stamped PFS Modern Layered Florals in Altenew Fresh Lemon, Maple Yellow, Grass Green and Shadow Creek.  I added some details with a white gel pen.  PFS Lush Vines was clear embossed on soft green textured cardstock and I glued the bouquet to Fancy Oval Frame.  The sentiment is from the same set and I added yellow gems.  Turned out to be a card I really like, so that's a win! 😊 The colors look more accurate on my phone, unfortunately.  I'm also entering Inkspirational.

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

Uniko, Altenew, Memory Box

Sharing 4 recent cards, so feel free to just scroll down and look at the pictures.  First up is a card that made me sooo happy!  I've struggled to use Uniko's Ink N Flip stencils, but finally made a panel that didn't go in the trash!

The Layering Flower stencil was used with CN9 Aqua Sky, Harbor, Tidepool, Grapefruit and Pink Lemonade.  The sentiment from Simply Said Blocks was stamped in Versafine Morning Mist.  I used 3 clear low profile dots for embellishment.  Please don't buy Ink N Flip stencils from any company but Uniko.  Beverley came up with this concept and designs all her own products.  I'm hoping the American company who plans to offer their version this summer will think better of it.

Next is my entry for Uniko's 12 Days of Christmas Challenge.  I used the branch from Season of Beauty with GKD Wreath Builder Template and tiny berries from Rustic Wreath.  

The inks are Versafine Clair Green Oasis, Grass Green and Strawberry.  The background was made with Heidi Swapp white Art Screen Ink through the Winter Foliage stencil.  Love the beautiful shimmery texture which you can see in my IG video.  

When I saw the colors for Altenew's July Inspiration Challenge are blue, green and beige, I decided to make an anniversary card for my sister and her hubby.  She loves blue and he's fond of green.  

I do love wreaths, including Altenew's Wonderful Wreath stencil.  This time I did 4 layers for the top wreath and 2 for the bottom one.  The Altenew inks are Lime, Limeade and Persian Blue, with Lime also being used for the splatters.  The little flowers from Layered Floral Elements die set were brushed with the blue ink darkest in the centers.  I added Stardust Stickles to the petal tips and the darkest Deep Sea Sapphire Gem Sparkles to the centers.  You can see the sparkle in my IG video.  The sentiments are from Flower Vine.  Really love the look of the beige cardstock panel on the white card.  

My final card is for the July Memory Box Challenge: Summer Vibes.  I used MB Backyard Floral Stems for the focal point along with Friends and Family stamp set for the sentiment.  The vellum butterfly is the smallest one in Birch Press Simple Butterfly Contour Layers. 

I purposely used one of my white cardstocks that give this somewhat textured look when brushed with any inks.  Here I used Distress Oxide Prize Ribbon with the MFT rectangle stencil to represent a summer sky.  Fun to use Altenew Tropical Fiesta Watercolor Brush Markers to color the focal point.  I used 2 greens, red, purple, yellow and orange--summery colors to me.  The sentiment was stamped in Versafine Clair Blue Belle.  I added little blue gems and tiny white pearls.  I'm entering Word Art Wednesday and TTTC274 as my card fits several rows, including Die Cut/Free/Butterfly.

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

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.

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

I will visit you.