Birthday and Easter

At a time when the world seems upside down, I was reminded that little moments matter.  A man using a walker was ahead of me as we headed to the post office door.  I got close enough to offer to get the door for him.  But he opened it for me, saying you have your hands full with that purse.  I smiled, said thank you and walked through.  He said thank you for that beautiful smile.  Just a few seconds of positive human contact between strangers.  He brightened my day and hopefully I brightened his.   

I recently watched Erica's video on 3D embossing folders.  Inking the edges of an embossed folder wasn't new to me, but it reminded me to do it.  Here's the masculine Spring birthday card I made. 

I began by diecutting SSS Happy Birthday Brush Script shadow from a panel of Altenew's Forest Glades cardstock.  Then I embossed the panel with SSS Tumbling Leaves.  I inked the edges with Altenew Olive Grove and inked the card front with VersaMagic Niagara Mist.  The words were inked with Olive Grove and double clear embossed.  No sparkle for a guy's card, but cute little Poppystamps butterflies inked to match finish it off.  I'm entering DCD (through Flickr) since green leaves are part of Spring.

Edited to add: Thanks to Julie B's comment, I'm also entering Cardz 4 Guyz for the first time.

I recently pulled out my laminator, foil and toner card fronts to make one for a friend.  While everything was out, I made quite a few panels.  3 years ago I used rainbow foil with Unity Wild Garden toner card front.  This time I used specialty gold foil--really eye-catching!  Check out my IG post.  Decided this was the perfect chance to try ink blending over the foil and I'm hooked!  

I used Altenew Just Green, heavier around the edges.  I added an old SSS frame diecut along with Poppystamps butterflies and Proper Happy Easter inked to match.  Now to make more of my foiled panels into cards!  I'm entering Color Hues and DCD.

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

Birthday Card

When I saw the theme at Time Out Challenges is Beginnings, I immediately thought of my old woodmounted PB sentiment stamp.  And then I thought of the Tim Holtz Rays stencil.  Here's the result.

In case you're wondering, I didn't check out the 2025 challenges before stepping down from the DT.  I first stenciled with Altenew's Maple Yellow and Fresh Lemon.  Then I stamped the sentiment in Versafine Clair Nocturne and die cut the panel with AJVD stitched rectangle.  I used very old PB dies for the balloons which I inked with the same yellows.  No bling or sparkle, so this can be for a guy.  I'm also entering JUGs and SSS Monday (if a new year of life qualifies).

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

Time Out Challenge #266

We have a great photo to inspire your creations for Time Out Challenge #266 which is sponsored by Lawn Fawn.  I've always enjoyed seeing the lighthouses along our state's coastline.  However, I only have one lighthouse product for cardmaking and almost didn't have that!  I gave Memory Box 2017 Oceanside Lighthouse and Waves die set to a friend several years ago.  Luckily, I made some diecuts for myself first and I've finally used some of them.

I seldom attempt to make scenes and thought keeping it small would be less intimidating.  Plus, I really like windows on cards and wanted to use MFT Peek-a-Boo die which I've neglected.  I used Distress Oxides pumice stone, broken china, faded jeans, speckled egg, abandoned coral, picked raspberry and a tiny bit of fossilized amber for the background.  I added Nuvo Crystal Glaze over the yellow Copic for the windows and the detail wave is covered with Frosted Lace Stickles. 

PTI Scripted's little companion sentiments are some of my most used.  No embellishments, as this is for a male relative's summer birthday.  

Hope you check out all the challenge details, including a larger version of the photo inspiration.  You'll also find lots of inspiration from my teammates and our guest designer.  

I'm entering AAA Cards and Allsorts.  It's been ages since I joined these 2 challenges and am happy to be able to with this card.

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

Challenges

Challenges are ending, so a quick post with my entries.

First is my card for Pinkfresh Studio Thanks challenge.  I've had the same great physical therapist for several courses of treatment over the past several years.  Decided to make a card for him, as hopefully he won't see me again! 

I used my favorite PFS Layered Wreath die cut from a panel of paper watercolored with Lindy's Magicals.  There's a short video in my IG post showing the beautiful shimmer.  The bottom wreath was die cut from a light green shimmer cardstock I've had for years.  The sentiment is from PFS Perfect Sentiments & the wooden dots are MME.

I mopped up the beautiful red shimmer mist I spilled with a panel of watercolor paper.  After it was dry, I embossed it with Altenew Perfect Poinsettias folder. 

For more definition, I rubbed the raised edges with Memento Rhubarb Stalk DewDrop ink pad & oh what a difference that made--love it!  I used my finger to add gold rush Lunar Paste to the flower centers. 

The Winnie & Walter Noel die was cut from a scrap also spread with the Lunar Paste.  I added red sequins with a dot of Christmas Red Stickles.  You can see the shimmer & sparkle in the video in my IG post.  I'm entering Color Hues: Red & Metallic Gold.

My last card is for the November Alex Syberia challenge.  I used the colors to make a birthday card with Spring Garden stamps, stencils & dies. 

The inks are CN9 Poppy, Cranberry, Clover & Evergreen.  For the blue I found an old textured cardstock & for the pink I used a marker to color the flower centers.  Star Dust Stickles & PFS gems add some sparkle. 

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  I'm working on catching up my blog reading.  

It's Been Awhile

I didn't intend to stop blogging, but that's just the way things worked out.  Luckily, Memory Box & Poppystamps challenges are monthly.  I already posted them on IG, as that's so much faster for me.  Before I get to the cards, thought I'd give you a brief update.  

I wouldn't even know I had a hip replacement 6 months ago.  I now am back to walking normally with no pain.  Unfortunately, my arthritic left shoulder pain has become much worse & steroid injections are no longer helpful.  So I will be having left reverse total shoulder replacement on July 31.  I'm so fortunate to be right handed, but I'm still dreading going through this.  Everyone is different, so hopefully I'll be one of the people with less discomfort & a faster recovery.  I'll be in a sling 99% of the time for 6 weeks--only allowed to do the prescribed exercises to prevent elbow, wrist & finger stiffness.  Then I'll begin going to physical therapy twice a week.  Typing will be challenging, but I plan to make a fresh start visiting your blogs.  There will be a few GD posts I've written before surgery, so my blog won't be totally quiet.

It worked out that I got to have a fun time before surgery, which I really needed.  5 years ago I met Betty Keefe in person when we went together to the Taylored Expressions Stamp Joy event in Iowa.  I just returned from seeing her again & we had a great time just visiting.  I embossed a lot of panels with her folders I don't have & she taught me how to make 2 different cards.  Such fun!  

Here's my entry for the Memory Box "It's Not Easy Being Green" challenge.  Wayfarer Leaves dies were cut from 4 different panels, each sprayed with a different green Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist.  The shimmer & shine is so beautiful in person.  I ended up only using the larger size leaves, so I've got a lot more diecuts ready for another card.  The embossed background panel was done with SSS Refracted Folder which I lightly rubbed with a green ink cube.  Poppystamps Happy Birthday Poe Script was stacked 2 high, covered with glaze & colored with a green Copic.  Always love using leaves for masculine cards & this one will be perfect for my plant loving brother-in-law.

I wanted to do something different for Poppystamps July "Rainbow" challenge.  It's been quite awhile since I made a shaped card & never one that was also a shaker.  

Finally, I decided to use Little Kindness stamp set from 2017 & stamped one of the very small flowers in a rainbow of inks:  CN9 Poppy, Buttercup, Clover, Blueberry & Fig with PTI Orange Zest.  The cute little bee in the stamp set fit perfectly in the center.  The panel was diecut with a circle & attached to the front of a card base made with the same die.  I used the same circle die & a smaller one to make the black frame.  The shaker bits are clear seed beads & 2 different kinds of glitter.  

Thought a simple "hi" went with the kinda funky floral background, so I stacked the letters from Memory Box Parker Lowercase Alphabet 3 high & covered them with glaze.  Simple little card to brighten someone's day.

Just had to use one of the beautiful SSS embossed snowflake panels I made at Betty's.  I sprayed the debossed side with Midnight Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist & boy is it gorgeous!  I'll have a video on IG soon, if you want to check it out. 

The Winnie & Walter word die & PFS snowflakes were cut from silver glitter cardstock scraps.  I already had a white Noel diecut with the die & really liked the look using it for a narrow shadow.  Finished off with tiny gems I colored blue with a Copic.  I'm entering The Snippets Playground & MFT Ready, Set Christmas.  

Thanks for catching up with me.  I'll do what I can to stay in touch.  Your friendship does mean a lot to me.

Birthday & Hello Cards

Finally sitting down to post 3 cards.  I'll start with my second card for the Uniko 11th Birthday challenge.  This time I used the wonderful Nature's Treasures II stamp set for a masculine card.  

The inks are Pigment Craft Co Eucalyptus, Aloe & Balsam with Altenew Dusty Rose for the berries from Rustic Wreath & the sentiment from Floral Vines.  I haven't entered The Male Room in a very long time, so happy to see the current theme is Nature.

Next is the card I entered in the PTI Birthday Sweet challenge.  I only have 1 PTI stamp set that fits the theme & it's called Your Beautiful Birthday.  Such a unique, fun set I should pull out more often. 

I had someone in mind who loves blue, so I used Blueberry Sky & Enchanted Evening inks & cardstocks.  The cake plate & flames are stamped in Delicata Silvery Shimmer & Soft Stone.  I used a small paintbrush & diluted ink to connect the 2 cake layers.  Fun little sentiment from Scripted which fit perfectly.  I used Mix & Mat Flourishes die for the dots & backed the panel with silver metallic cardstock. 

The frame is Pierced Feature Frames & I used a Quickie Glue pen to add fine glitter to the dots & flames.  I also entered SSS Monday Frame It challenge & Time Out 9th BD challenge.

Next is my entry for the Altenew February Inspiration Challenge.  The photo this month is of a strikingly beautiful sky.   I decided to see if I could use the colors for my neglected Fantasy Floral dies.  I have tons of white cardstock scraps, so I just die cut a bunch of the flower layers & leaves.  After going through all my ink pads & markers, I finally decided on Copics R81, RV04 & RV19 for the flowers & C3 for the leaves.  After trying out all the layers in each color, I chose this one as my favorite.  

Some of the practice diecuts may still end up as flowers by using different colors for the other layers.  I splattered white gouache on the flowers & leaves which really does make a difference in the look.  Before putting the card together, I took time to do some foiling.  I couldn't wait to see if the new Poly Glaze sheets really do completely foil without missing areas which often happens with the toner sheet designs--at least in my experience.  Oh boy--what a game changer for those of us without foiling machines!  I did 2 of the designs & both came out perfectly.  As I was looking at the pink one, I realized it would be a great background for my roses.  

The beautiful Altenew Fancy Hello was die cut from white & silver metallic cardstock scraps so I could stack it 3 high.  When I first put the roses together, I wasn't sure that I liked them.  But now that the card is finished, I actually love it!  I'm also entering The Snippets Playground & TTTC 197 using the diagonal row of word die/pink/flowers.

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