Flowers

I had fun making this card for a friend using SSS Long Stem Florals watercolored with Magicals from Lindy's Victorian Bouquet set.  

I black embossed and die cut 3 of the florals from watercolor paper.  Four of the Magicals were mixed with water and used to color the blooms and leaves.  I also splattered the Magicals on a white panel matted with glossy black.  Both panels were die cut with Gina K Master Layouts. 

Love the shimmer and shine from the Magicals.  It show up better in my IG post video.  I tied on white crochet thread and attached them to a white card.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set.  I'm entering JUGS 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.

Spring Cards

I love the color combo of pink and green, so definitely had to make a card for the May Altenew Inspiration Challenge.

It's been awhile since I made a card with Altenew's Climber Flowers die set.  It's not one of the newer keyhole designs, but the diecuts are fairly easy to put together by looking at the guide.  

I brushed the white diecut flowers with PTI Raspberry Fizz and the white leaves with Altenew Frayed Leaf and Lime inks.  I dabbed the flower centers with ink left in a brush for yellow inks.  Before gluing the pieces together, I splattered them with Altenew's gold metallic watercolor.  I dry embossed a 4x5 1/4 white panel using Altenew's Playful Leaves 3D folder and attached it to a white card.  Then I tried several layouts and decided on this one.  Using the slightly smaller background panel let me arrange the focal point going over the edge, but still inside the card edges.  I seldom put sentiments near the top of  a card, but really liked the look for this one.  So glad I have Altenew's Essential Sentiment Strips die set.  It gives me a die cut option that's smaller than most of my others and was just what I wanted for this card.  I die cut the birthday sentiment from white and gold cardstocks.  The gold frame competed with the flowers, so I used the white frame and inserted the gold letters.  Finished off with gold sequins.  I'm also entering Just Us Girls, DCD, TTTC (Floral/Free/White) and WAW.

Stamplorations is having a Spring Fling Linky Party and the May ATG Challenge, which can be combined.  Here's the card I made using Stamplorations Blossom Sprays #1 and Bloomfully: Thankful stamp sets. 

I began by ink blending a panel of Bristol paper with Lawn Fawn Ballet Slippers and Peach Fuzz plus PTI Lemon Tart.  I hadn't blended a panel like that for awhile and had forgotten how much I like the look.  After it was dry, I white embossed the floral image using my MISTI.  That let me just turn the panel to get the same stamping in each corner.  I used a shimmer pen to "color" just the blooms--so pretty in the light.  

The sentiment was white embossed on a vellum strip which I wrapped around the panel and attached in the back.  I came across these sweet little floral gem stickers given to me a long time ago.  The colors included the 3 I used and they were just what I wanted for a little embellishment.  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.

Guest Designing for Color Hues

I was thrilled to win Color Hues Fuchsia and Navy challenge and now I get to guest design for Color Hues #132 Yellow and Blue.  

A good friend recently gave me Taylored Expressions Petal Party Layering Stencils.  You can make 6 panels at a time, but I just used the section that includes a vase.  What do you think?  I'm really happy with the fun, modern look.

I used these Altenew inks:  Citrus Burst, Fresh Lemon, Caribbean Sky, Persian Blue and Sapphire.   I inked the edges of the mat with Sapphire and used it for the sentiment from PPP/SSS.   Love SSS Dibble Tile embossing folder and thought it worked great with my focal point.  I love to add splatters and sparkle, but decided this card should be left as is.  Hopefully it will brighten my friend's day.  I'd love for you to check out all the great inspiration from the Color Hues team and then enter the gallery.  I'm entering SSS Wednesday and WAW.

Edited to add:  First time using the stencils, so I'm entering Darnell's NBUS.

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

Hello Friend

I don't usually make more than 1 card for the Altenew Monthly Inspiration Challenge, but the April color combo is one I love.  Plus I wanted to use my Fresh Flowers die set that hasn't been used since last year.  

The inks are the same as my first card, but this time there's just a bit of green (Lime and Fresh Leaf) leaves showing and a lot of Rouge blended blooms.  Again I added foliage with white Branches and Berries diecuts.  The background was made with Deck Planks embossing folder and Dew Drops ink cube swiped over the edges.  

The sentiment from Sweet Bouquet was stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist, a dark gray.  I added Stardust Stickles to the flower centers and finished with 3 matching enamel dots.  

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

I like to have some birthday cards made ahead in my stash and most of the ones left I don't really like.  So, I'm working on fixing that.  I seldom make shakers, but really had fun making this one for Poppystamps January Challenge.  Think my sister-in-law will enjoy something different than I've sent her in the past. 

Poppystamps Soaring Tree Frame was die cut from white cardstock and colored with a gold sparkle pen and green and brown Faber-Castell markers.  The leaves were covered in Peeled Paint Distress Stickles.  I ink blended Altenew's Just Green and Persian Blue for the background which was covered with clear packaging and filled with Shaved Ice and a brown bead mix.  You can see the shaker in action in my IG video.  Poppystamps Nordic Bunny Trio was in my last order and think this cute fellow was the perfect addition to my card.  I added a tiny bit of color to his ears and feet.  The sweater was colored with blue ink left in my brush and a dot of Stickles was put on his tail.  The gold foil chipboard sentiment is from Memory Box.  SSS Dibble Tile folder gave me just the texture I wanted.  I'm also entering Word Art Wednesday. 

Recently a friend gifted me PFS Botanical Bunch stamp/die/stencils.  I was in the mood for a monochromatic card--maybe because of my new Altenew Sea Shore ink cubes.  

I first gold heat embossed the image and then used all the inks in the ink set with the stencils.  I added small gold splatters.  The darkest ink was used for the sentiment from PFS Perfect Sentiments.  The panel was die cut with PFS Postage Edge Rectangle and matted with gold metallic cardstock.  I attached the sentiment over a nest of gold thread and added a few Sea Shore enamel dots.  So happy with how this turned out.  I'm entering PFS January Challenge using April Floral Frenzy and September Monochromatic Magic.  Coloring stencils for stamps and embossing folders are lifesavers for me, as coloring is not one of my talents.  Using matching stencils has become one of my favorite techniques, so I'm also entering my card at Time Out Challenge 305.

Edited to add:  Also entering NBUS since this is the first card made with the floral stamp, coloring stencils, ink cubes and enamel dots.  

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

Year End

2026 is almost here.  I'm thinking about how to more consistently blog my cards.  I find posting on IG to be quicker, but I don't like not being able to search my cards like I can on my blog.  Maybe I'll finally just write very short descriptions. 

I'll start with the 2 cards I made for my Altenew Christmas Card Exchange Partners.  Unfortunately, I didn't get great pictures.  Once again they look better on IG.  I used the same Altenew Products for both: Poinsettia 3D Die Set, Perfect Poinsettia 3D Embossing Folder and fancy Peace Die.

I rubbed the raised edges of the green panel with Versamark and embossed with Sparkle Powder.  I brushed some darker red ink on the poinsettia petals and used the same ep on the tips and center.  The word was also ink blended to be darker across the top before embossing with the ep.  I'm entering SSS Wednesday.

For the other card, I used the folder with SSS Rich Red Metallic cardstock--so beautiful in person! 

I rubbed the edges with a black ink pad.  The poinsettia was cut from vellum and the word and flower center were cut from glossy black cardstock.  

I've wanted a cardinal die for a long time and finally have one just in time for hubby's Christmas card. 

SSS Cute Cardinal was actually colored with Copics R29, R59, YR04 and black.  I don't have confidence coloring, so was really pleased it turned out good.  Poppystamps Pine Needle Shoots die was cut from 3 MB green cardstocks.  I attached the shoots to MB Woodland Branch.  The blended background was done with Altenew Caribbean Sky.  Love my very old Savvy Stamps sentiment which I stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne.  The snow is white gouache splatters.  I'm entering Christmas Kickstart.

My last card is for the Altenew Year in Review Challenge. 

I was inspired by the April challenge photo of beautiful pink flowers against a backdrop of green leaves.  

I used these Altenew products:  Fresh Flowers die set, Sweet Bouquet sentiment stamp, ink colors Rose Quartz, Puffy Heart, Purple Wine, Citrus Burst, Shadow Creek and Mountain Pine plus Versafine Clair Nocturne.  I couldn't resist adding sparkle with Lindy's Gang Fairy Fluff spray.  You can see it in my IG post.  I'm also entering SSS Monday and Word Art Wednesday.  

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