Final GD Card at JUGS

Prescheduled post:

I want to thank the JUGS DT for having me guest design with them this month.  I hope you've enjoyed my cards so far.  This is CAS week with the theme of Baby.  

I very seldom make baby cards, but I did keep a boy and a girl chipboard collection by Crate Paper that I won years ago.  The stork is so cute & I love the sentiment flag with the gold glitter end.  

I found the light pink speckled cardstock in a tub of old paper I'm trying to use up & it was just the right shade for the background.  I die cut it with Elizabeth Craft Dotted Scallop Rectangle which I love & need to use more often.  Gold metallic cardstock was used for the mat which was mounted to a Soft Stone card.  Hard to tell, but I added a dot of pink Stickles to the stork cheek & finished off with pink gems.  

Fun to use chipboard, for a change.  Have I inspired you to join the challenge?  Be sure to check out all the great cards from the DT.  

Thank you all for the kind words and wishes for healing after my shoulder surgery.  

JUGS August Guest Designer, Week 3 card

Prescheduled post:

I'm back with another card as the August GD for JUGS.  This is Photo/Mood Board Week and there are lots of ways to be inspired.

Here's a larger picture so you can see more details.  There's clearly a summery, beachy feel, but I went in a different direction.

The card or notebook under the sunglasses caught my eye with the 6 different patterned squares.  I thought it'd be the perfect design to make use of a beautiful Prima paper pad I've had a long time.  I'm not good at putting patterns together, but experts always say it's done for you when you use papers from a coordinated pad.

I really had fun choosing 6 of the designs & what part of each one I wanted to cut with a small square die.  I did use some of the colors in the inspiration photo: gray, blue, pinkish & light tan.  Took me awhile to decide on the order & then I mounted the squares on a PTI Weathervane rectangle.  Another paper from the Prima pad had a soft textured look & I thought the color worked great for the mat.  Poppystamps Scribble Hello was die cut from Weathervane & the printed paper, stacked and covered with glaze.  

Wasn't planning to add gems, but these tiny ivory irridescent ones seemed to give just the right little sparkle.  Really fun to step outside my comfort zone & end up with a notecard I like!  You can find lots more inspiration from the DT and I hope to see you in the gallery.  

Update:  I'm still counting the days which are passing at a snail's pace!  I'm sure hubby feels the same with so much on him until I'm released from the sling.  Hopefully all worth it in the end.  I cannot catch up with commenting, but am determined to start fresh when I can use both hands.  Thank you for your patience & sticking with me. 

JUGS Guest Designer, Take 2

Prescheduled post:

This is Word Week at the JUGS Challenge & the word is BEE.  I had to put on my thinking cap for this one.  

Luckily, someone gave me Spellbinders Sweet as Honey stamp set & Sweet Honeycomb Stencil--just what I needed.  Martina's mixed media ATCs always inspire me & I also love the look of a wide border around the focal point panel of a card.  Here's what I came up with. 

I stamped the honeycomb in Versafine Clair Nocturne & white embossed the cone flowers on watercolor paper.  Then I black embossed the words & the bee.  I mixed a little Bikini Lindy's Magicals powder with water & painted over the entire panel, randomly adding more color until I was happy with the look.  It softened the look of the honeycomb images, which is what I wanted.  Of course, the heat embossing resisted the paint--so fun!  The shimmer is absolutely gorgeous in person & I added sparkle with little lines & spots of gold glitter.  Plus, the wings are painted with clear shimmer, so this is a pretty blingy card!

The edges were lightly brushed with black ink before I wrapped the panel with gold thread & added 3 black enamel dots.  The thin mat was painted to match & the black card front was stenciled with VersaMark Dazzle using a finger dauber.  You might see the honeycomb image if you enlarge the photo.  So happy this challenge got me to use the stamp, stencil & Lindy's powder for the first time.  Be sure to check out all the wonderful DT cards.  Why not play along?!
My recovery from total shoulder surgery is progressing.  Only 4 weeks to go wearing the sling constantly--yay!  

August Guest Designer at Just Us Girls Challenge

Prescheduled post:

I'm so honored the JUGS team chose my July Color Week card as the winner, giving me the opportunity to guest with them for the month of August.  It's time for another JUGS Color Week.  I found this combo perfect for a summery birthday card, but it could be used for any kind of card you like.  

I love wreaths, so decided to use my Gina K Wreath Builder Template with a leaf & flower from her Autumn Wreath Builder stamp set.  

I began by stamping the sentiment from GKD Sketched Wreath Builder in the center of the square using Versafine Clair Nocturne.  Then I stamped my wreath using CN9 Harbor & Clover.  I added white details with a gel pen & filled each flower center with Yellow Stickles.  I cut a thin, black mat & used a couple cardstock layers for a bit of dimension without needing extra postage.  Be sure to check out all the wonderful DT projects & I hope to see you in the gallery.

I'm recovering from left shoulder replacement surgery, but may be able to leave short comments soon.  Right now I'm pretty uncomfortable.  Thank you for all the positive thoughts, prayers and well wishes.

JUGs GD Take 5

Hard to believe--March is almost over!  It's time for my last card as the Guest Designer at JUGs.  This week the challenge is embossing folders--something I love.

I resisted getting a die cutting machine when they first became available, as I thought dies were too expensive.  However, I've always loved dry embossing.  My local stamp store showed me how the machines work with embossing folders which cost a lot less than most dies.  That did it--got a machine when I saw one for 1/2 price & said "I'm only using it for embossing."  Famous last words--haha!  That same store had a sample with a stamped panel that was also embossed.  I still love that look, so brought it back for this card.

I stamped images from PTI Meadow Greens & Gathered Garden using PTI inks Simply Chartreuse, Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, Limeade Ice & Cocoa Bean.  The embossing folder is from a WRMK set of 2 that I got for $4 at Tuesday Morning long ago.

Green & gold is one of my favorite color combos, so had to use my Distress Stain burnished brass to add splatters & little streaks.  Nice to have a card that works for a guy or a gal.  I'm entering SSS Wednesday & WAW.

I can't thank the JUGs DT enough for choosing my card & inviting me to join them this month.  It's been a great honor & lots of fun!

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 JUGs Take 4

I'm back with my 4th card as the March Guest Designer for JUGs.  This week we have a fun photo inspiration with lots of possibilites.

I need a masculine birthday card in a couple weeks and thought a rainbow of  balloons would be perfect.  The Penny Black Uplifting dies include 5 different shapes & sizes of balloons.  I tend to use a variety to make a balloon bouquet, but this time I wanted to do something different.

I picked out an old 2004 Print Works sentiment stamp I've always loved.  Then I decided on the medium size balloon as it allowed me to use 5 die cuts for my design.  I applied Distress Inks candied apple, carved pumpkin, squeezed lemonade, mermaid lagoon & lucky clover using direct to paper technique on white cardstock scraps.  I added water drops for more interest which really shows up on the blue & green balloons.  Each die cut was backed with another white one for a bit of dimension without needing foam tape.  I also covered them in 2 coats of Nuvo Glaze for a fun, shiny surface & tied on white crochet thread. 

The plain white cardstock was too stark for me, but tiny black splatters using a Zig solved that problem.  Always great to have a card with interest that's flat to mail.  You can get lots more inspiration when you check out the work of the talented DT & I hope to see you in the gallery.  I'm entering ModSquad & 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.

Guest Designing for JUGs Take 3

I'm happy to be back with another card as the March GD for Just Us Girls.  It's Color Week with the beautiful combo of Yellow, Purple & Teal  You're also allowed to use neutrals.

I immediately thought of Easter, but wanted to use my still unopened SSS Sweet Tulip die rather than eggs.  My background has shades of purple & teal that are a bit darker to make the die cut really stand out. 

I used a favorite Copic marker technique I learned years ago from Nicole Heady.  You simply make stripes of each color & go back to blend where they  meet until you're happy with the result.  The colors I used are Amethyst & Blue Green.  I cut the panel down & attached it to a white card.  The tulip die cut was stacked 2 high & white heat embossed.  I removed the top layer inside pieces, covered them in Art Institute Banana glitter & glued them back into place.  

The white heat embossing gives a neat look & the glitter is really beautiful in person.  Hero Arts yellow sequins provide embellisment & the Easter sentiment is on the inside of the card.  Think I'll make more of these in other colors.  Hope you'll check out the wonderful cards made by the DT & play along in the challenge.  I'm entering Virginia's Show & Share challenge.

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 JUGs Take 2

It's time for another Just Us Girls challenge & my second card as the Guest Designer for March.  This is Trend Week: Use a Background Stamp.  Now that is one thing I have plenty of--haha!

I actually used 2 different background stamps:  Impression Obsession Boxwood & Hero Arts Envelope Pattern.  I'd been wanting to try the Distress monoprint technique I saw in a Jennifer McGuire video, so pulled out 3 Distress inks:  mowed lawn, lucky clover & twisted citron.

After heavily blending on the inks & letting the panel dry (helped with a heat gun), I clear embossed IO Boxwood.  Then I spritzed fairly heavily with water, laid a white cardstock panel on top & ran it through my die cut machine.  Some of the ink transfers onto the white piece giving a beautiful softly colored image.  For this card, I just used my original panel which I trimmed down & die cut with the PTI Mix & Mat: Flourishes dotted die.  The bird on a branch IO die was cut from a soft gold shimmery cardstock.  The sentiment is SSS Painted Hugs which I stacked, blended with the same inks & covered with Nuvo Glaze.  The kraft card front was stamped with Hero Arts Envelope Pattern wood mounted stamp from 2011.  Hope I've given you some inspiration & maybe thoughts of Spring!  I'd love for you to join in the challenge this week.
I'm entering SSS Flickr Challenge 118 & ModSquad.

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

I'm so honored to be the March Guest Designer at Just Us Girls.  This is Word Week and bet you'll want to play along.  Who doesn't need another birthday card?!

With Spring around the corner, I pulled out the beautiful Penny Black tulips called First Waltz & a panel of watercolor paper.  It's been ages since I used markers to color directly onto a rubber stamp.  I love the ability to put the color just where you want it. 

The Distress Markers I used are aged mahogany, worn lipstick, spun sugar, peeled paint, bundled sage & wild honey.  I used a stamp positioner so I could color, spritz & stamp over & over until I was happy with the result.  I added script in opposite corners using Distress Ink pumice stone & a very old stamp.  The gold splatters were done with my favorite tarnished brass Distress Stain & I lightly distressed the panel edges.

The sentiment from Impression Obsession's Greetings Top Edgers was stacked 3 high & colored with Faber-Castell Nougat PITT Big Brush.  I added the panel to a green textured mat & decided against any embellishments.  I'm looking forward to seeing your creations in the gallery.  I'm 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.