Valentine and Friendship

I enjoy watching the Olympics and hearing some of the athletes stories.  I'm happy for the winners, but hope all the competitors are proud of being Olympians.  I'm definitely cheering for Freestyle skier Hunter Hess.

Here's another Valentine I sent to a friend.  I came across my old Penny Black Stickeroos including a sheet that looked like Valentine's Day images.  

I just added the sticker to a cream panel already die cut, splattered it with Champagne Gold watercolor and glued it to the card front I had covered with matching red cardstock.  The colors aren't great in this picture--much prettier in person.  The very old MFT sentiment gets used every year.  I'm entering PBSC, SSS Monday and JUGS.

My friendship card is for the monochromatic challenge at Poppystamps.  The card is PTI Soft Stone, my favorite light gray.  Poppystamps Nordic Basket and the smaller MFT rectangle were die cut from Soft Stone.  

I brushed the sides and bottom of the basket with Soft Stone ink.  I die cut a bunch of Poppystamps Lucky Layered Flowers to try out my new Altenew Moonlit Twilight ink cubes.  To me, Glacier Iris and Dreamy Periwinkle go together and Celestial Mist and Twilight Sky go together, rather than mixing and matching all 4 colors.  For this card, I used 3 flowers made with Glacier Iris and Dreamy Periwinkle.  I took a bunch of pictures with a variety of backgrounds, but couldn't capture the true ink colors.  They definitely are purple and not blue.  I cut some of the individual Poppystamps Massa Leaf Frame branches from vellum and arranged everything in the basket which was glued to the smaller rectangle.  I brushed the next size up rectangle with Dreamy Periwinkle to match.  Poppystamps Scribble Hello was brushed with both inks going from light at the bottom to dark at the top.  The sentiment and the flower centers were covered with glaze.  Dreamy Periwinkle enamel dots were the finishing touch.  I'm also entering TTTC286 with Diecutting/Ink Blending/Friendship.

Truth is truth.  We choose what to believe and what not to believe.  Believing something doesn't make it true, just as disbelieving something doesn't make it false--not even if you're in a position of power.

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Valentine and Birthday cards

Slow going getting Valentines made this year, but I did make a sparkly one inspired by the All that Glitters challenge at Time Out.  I have tons of glitter products, including Elizabeth Craft Designs loose glitter in quite a few colors.  They're truly amazing as they become totally smooth, beautifully sparkly and non-shedding after you burnish them.

Balloons are fun for any occasion and I thought the cute very old little heart balloon die from Penny Black would work great.  I covered some cardstock with double sided adhesive and die cut the balloon 3 times with the adhesive layer on top.  Then I simply removed the adhesive liner and poured on Purple, Champagne and Ocean Spray glitter.  The Spellbinders Label and the sentiment strip were die cut from PTI Soft Stone.  The Tim Holtz bow was covered with Frosted Lace Stickles.  Decided to see if I could add the glitters to the edges of the mat using a Quickie Glue pen and a ruler.  

It actually worked pretty well.  My pen was juicy, so got a bit more glue than needed in a few spots.  I'm still happy with the look.  Check out the video in my IG post to get a much better idea of the beautiful sparkle.  I stamped the very old MFT sentiment in Versafine Clair Nocturne.

Love that Altenew continues to have the monthly inspiration challenges.  They push me to use some of their products in my stash.  The January color combo is right up my alley and worked great for the wonderful White Cap Peonies stencil set.  

The Altenew inks I used are Rose Quartz, Purple Wine, Cosmic Berry and Lime.  I love the Deck Planks embossing folder which I used with tan cardstock.  Hard to see in the pictures, but I lightly rubbed over the raised edges with a slightly darker ink pad.  It adds detail that is noticeable in person. 

The splatters are done with Altenew gold metallic watercolor which has gorgeous shine that you can see in my IG post video.  The gold embossed sentiment is from Sweet Bouquet and I was delighted to find old enamel dots in my stash that are a great match.  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.

Memory Box and Poppystamps

What a time to be an American.  RFK in charge of our health?!  I told myself even Trump wouldn't do that.  But turns out sometimes things really are going to be as bad as you think.  

The background of my card for the Memory Box Monthly challenge was an experiment with gesso and Lindy's Magicals using a brayer over a stencil.  Need to try again without a stencil, but I didn't want to waste the panel. 

I used a splatter stamp with Versamark ink and Wow! Sea Turtle embossing powder.  Really like the result.  I used the same powder for Memory Box Verdant Leaves.  The sentiment from PTI's Essential Sentiments was stamped in Versafine Clair Acorn.  Really like PTI Rustic Cream cardstock with the soft green.  Usually my sympathy cards are simpler, but I think this soft, monochromatic look also works.  I'm also entering WAW. 

Simple, elegant cards are my favorite, so this one makes me happy.  It's prettier in person, but this gives you the idea.

Memory Box Blooming embossing folder is definitely one of my favorites!  It's white here, in case you can't tell.  Poppystamps Dream Butterfly was die cut from cardstock covered with a double sided adhesive sheet so I could cover it with WOW! Celebration Sparkles--a bit chunkier, champagne glitter.  The butterfly needed something solid behind it and I ended up using Spellbinders Labels 18.  Instead of leaving them white, I brushed Altenew's Minty Mint ink on the larger one.  I used the next darker shade, Hunter Green, to stamp the PTI Scripted sentiment.  I'm entering Poppystamps and TTTC272 where my friend, Betty, developed the board.  I used Layers/Free/Floral-Foliage.

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Floral Cards

April Showers Bring May Flowers was in my mind as I looked for floral dies in my stash.  I came across SSS Umbrella Shaker that was gifted to me when a friend destashed.  Thought it'd be fun to fill the umbrella with flowers.  

I die cut Poppystamps Potpourri Flower Set from 3 peachy cardstocks plus white and vellum.  Glad it's a one piece die!  The green was made with May Green Faber Castell Pitt Artist pen, including inking the MFT Paint Splatter Background with it.  The die for the handle was missing, but luckily the j in an old MFT alpha set was a great replacement.  The card front is GKD Whisper cardstock--a soft gray.  Poppystamps Scribble Hello and beautiful iridescent gems finish off my card that is headed to a friend. 

Last year when I was lucky to design for an Altenew release, one of the products I received was Dynamic Duo: Modern Dahlia Bunch.  So versatile to be able to use the stencils with or without the die. 

For this card, I stenciled each flower one at a time, placing them where I wanted on the panel.  The Altenew inks are Fuchsia, Baby Pink, Maple Yellow, Fresh Lemon, Caribbean Sky and Arctic--colors for the Altenew May Inspiration Challenge.  I inked the flower centers in Versamark and embossed in Hero Arts Sparkle powder.  You can see the shine and sparkle in my IG post.  I wrapped white crochet thread under the sentiment from Altenew's Essential Sentiment Strips Die Set.  The darker 3 inks were splattered and 3 black enamel dots finish my card.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday and Just Us Girls stencil challenge.

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

Fun Floral Birthday Card

I'm finding that some of my old woodblock stamps no longer can give a good image--no matter how many times I stamp.  But this old Penny Black stamp from 2008 is a keeper!  My tastes in cardmaking have certainly changed over the past 20 plus years, but I still love this playful, unique design.  For one thing, you don't have to be a great colorist to use it.  

I clear embossed after stamping in Versafine Clair Blue Belle.  The centers were colored with Altenew's Persian Blue brush marker and the dots with Maple Yellow.  I have the same colors in ink pads, so I used them to get the matching MFT stitched rectangle mats.  Couldn't help but fill the dots with Yellow Stickles and then decided the centers needed Blue Bayou.  It really makes for a happy, sparkly card in person.  See the video in my IG post.  This Hero Arts sentiment from 2003 is timeless and still stamps great.  I'm entering Woodblock Wednesday (via IG), Color Hues 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.

Card Chain Challenge and Easter

My February CCC card went to Gundi in Germany.  I used my current favorite embossing folder, Blossom Field, by SSS.  The brushes I used for this card still had some CN9 Blueberry and Evergreen inks in them.  It was just enough to give the soft look I wanted.

I sprayed the panel with a light coating of Distress Spritz weathered wood for a bit of shimmer.  You can see it in my IG post video.  Memory Box Hello Friend Posh Script was die cut from white scraps.  I stacked the words 3 high and covered them with a shimmer pen.  The vellum leaves are Alex Syberia.  I'm entering SSS Wednesday.

I've had PTI Wild Blooms layering stencils on my wishlist a long time.  Finally, I got it--just in time for Easter cards.  

I used all PTI inks: Sweet Blush, Pale Peony, Melon Berry, Honey Nut, Simply Chartreuse, Spring Moss and Prairie Grass.  My white splatters turned out very subtle, but more visible in person.  The card is so much prettier than it looks here.  I die cut the completed panel with PTI Scallop Stackers: Small and used Pale Peony cardstock for the mat.  The vellum doily was cut with an old MFT die and the sentiment is IO.  I stacked the sentiment 3 high, brushed on the 3 pinkish inks, covered with a shimmer pen and added Sparkle Pico Embellisher. 

Birch Press Simple Butterfly Contour Layers were die cut from vellum and embellished with tiny clear gems.  I'm entering JUGS Stencil Challenge and Snippets Playground as I used vellum scraps and white scraps for the sentiment. 

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

Greta

Altenew and Poppystamps

So....who's a dictator?!  The nightmare of my country's leadership continues.  I try to concentrate on other things to push away my feelings of anger and hopelessness.  Things that would usually be a bother are now welcome distractions, like finally getting the printer to work and putting together documents to file taxes.  Always welcome is making cards!  

Here's what I came up with for the Altenew February Inspiration Challenge.  

I decided to use my neglected Dreamy Daylillies embossing folder and matching stencils.  I used PTI Vintage Cream cardstock with Altenew's Aqualicious and Sand Dunes inks.  The splatters were done with Teal Cave and Rocky Shore.  I added just a bit of Champagne Stickles on the flower stamens.  The gold embossed sentiment from Sweet Bouquet was added over a nest of gold thread.  Lately I've really liked the look of multiple mats.  Here I added a gold metallic one and one blended with Rocky Shore.  This will probably have an Easter sentiment inside.  I'm also entering WAW.

The February Poppystamps Challenge theme is Something Sweet.  Valentines were included in things that would meet the requirement, so that's what I made.  I sent quite a few this year and plan to do the same next year. 

Poppystamps Heart Pattern Plate was die cut from a panel of PTI Smoky Shadow.  I found a scrap of PTI Lovely Lady that I used for Poppystamps Capri Heart, the sentiment mat and a thin vertical strip.  Can't beat pink and gray/charcoal in my book!  Really love HA Translucent Enamel Dots.  Tiny pink ones were perfect for the centers of the hearts.  

The old MFT sentiment was stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.  Again I used multiple mats--this time for the sentiment.  Took me quite awhile to figure out exactly how I wanted the elements, but love the final result.  I'm also entering the 500th challenge at The Snippets Playground.  Now that's an accomplishment!  

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Happy WCMD!

I started a card yesterday and finished it up today.  Hope you had some crafting time.  I'm not big on Halloween, but I do like to send a few cards.  Couldn't resist Poppystamps Witches Shoe die for $1, but took me awhile to decide how to use it.  Here's what I came up with.  

The background was made by ink blending Distress Oxides crackling campfire, abandoned coral and spiced marmalade.  I brushed the edges with Distress Ink black soot which made a huge difference!  I splattered black ink and sprayed with Distress Spritz spiced marmalade.  Oh my goodness--so gorgeous in person!  Even the video I posted in IG doesn't do it justice.

I used Altenew purple glitter cardstock for the shoe and Memory Box Parker Lowercase Alphabet.  The old MFT pumpkins were colored with the ink left in my brushes and I used a purple Copic for the stems.  The shoe trim and Poppystamps cats (a freebie) were die cut from Memory Box black glossy cardstock.  I'm entering Poppystamps October challenge, Color Hues, DCD, WAW and SSS WCMD.

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