Happy Anniversary and Thankful

Very grateful it's feeling like Fall now.  We even had a few rainy days, which we really needed.  Still lots of dangerous weather in many places.  I hope things are OK where you are.

I like masking a frame, which I haven't done for quite awhile.  That's how my card for Color Hues Dusty Blue and Brown began.  

I only found 2 dusty blue inks in my huge stash of ink pads and one of them was SSS Hybrid Steel Blue.  Not every ink lets the details show with more solid stamps like SSS Anna's Flowers, but this one stamped perfectly.  It's a richer color than shows in the photo and I need to remember to use it.  The little branches from an old Gina K set were stamped in Altenew Rocky Shore--a lovely shade of brown.  I splattered both inks before adding the Winnie and Walter sentiment.  If you look closely, you can see 2 tiny white hearts above the h.  They're Gina K embellishments which I covered with shimmer.  Glad to have this card ready for my sister's anniversary next month.  I entered WAW via IG.

I'm truly thankful for my sweet cardmaking friends around the world.  One of them gave me CN9 Autumn Splendor stamp set and dies.  JUGS Die Week: Thanks gave me the motivation to use these products for the first time.  

I pulled out a variety of cardstock colors.  Decided to use a different green for each type of leaf and 2 shades of rose for the flowers.  The berries were die cut from a soft gold glitter cardstock and I added gold splatters.  You can see the shimmer and shine in my IG post.  Pearls were my favorite embellishment years ago and I was happy I still had some of the Latte ones to use for the flower centers.  It was a lot of diecutting, but so fun to see the card come to life.  Of course the look can be totally different by changing up the colors.  You can also use the images without the background piece, so I may try that next.  I'm also entering WAW.

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 Challenges Reminder

You still have time to enter the NEW challenge at Time Out.  

I made a very CAS card using my newest Gina K stamp set, Autumn Wreath Builder.  Gina K is sponsoring the challenge and the winner also gets an invitation to guest design with us.  

Instead of a wreath, I stamped three of the foliage images over the area I masked and ink blended with Pigment Craft Co Aloe and Balsam. 

I splattered the Balsam ink before removing the masking tape & stamping the old Hero Arts sentiment from Leaf Prints.  

Be sure to check out How to Play in the sidebar of the Time Out Challenges blog.  I was inspired by the sketch at AAA Cards Challenge, so will enter the gallery.

Thank you for all the sweet comments about my joining the Time Out DT.  Hope 2024 is starting out good for you.

July Challenges

One last post before my shoulder replacement surgery.  I realized our anniversary is early in September & I needed to make hubby's card while I can still use both arms. 

Woodblock Wednesday inspired me to use an old favorite heart stamp which still has the price tag, but no indication of what company made it.  I white embossed it several times using my old fashioned stamp positioner.  In the same stamp drawer I saw the love stamp made by an Oregon Company, Embossing Arts.  They've been out of business for years.  I black embossed that stamp, scored a frame & taped it off.  

I ink blended Distress Oxides lucky clover & broken china, as hubby's favorite color combo is blue & green.  The little heart was "colored" with a Gelly Roll Clear Star pen & I added black splatters.  Simple one layer card I think hubby will like.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday & WAW. 

The July Pinkfresh Studio challenge theme is Go Geometric.  Circles & half circles are considered geometric, so gave me a chance to use Slim Braided Circles Panel.  I knew I wanted to use my favorite Lush Vines background stamp and thought this textured green cardstock would be perfect.  It's actually a brighter kelly green in person--so pretty.  I white embossed on Bristol paper so I could use Zigs for the loose watercoloring.  This stamp is perfect for that technique, in my opinion.

The 3 sprigs from Dainty Blossoms were die cut from a white scrap embossed with HA Sparkle powder.  The sending hugs diecut from Perfect Sentiments was already black embossed & fit perfectly on this card.

Decided not to add any embellishments & just tied on a white crochet thread bow.  I'm also entering SSS Wed via IG. 

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  Hopefully, I'll get back into a routine of leaving comments when I'm released to use my left arm.  

Guest Designing at Time Out Challenges

                                                       

I'm so honored to have been a winner at Time Out Challenges & to be guest designing with the talented team.  It's time for Inspired by Words and here's the quote from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.  "It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."  

I decided to make a scene with the sun shining while snow can still be seen in areas on the ground & the trees have green showing amidst the snow.  

I stamped & die cut the trees from PTI Enchanted Forest.  The snowy layer was made with Stampendous Puff & Sparkle embossing powder which gives great texture along with sparkle.  I also embossed the edge of my MFT snowdrift using the same powder.  The pictures don't capture how pretty it is.

I used a circle mask I made from a die & blended Distress Oxides in blues plus a bit of aged mahogany for my winter sky.  The sun was done with squeezed lemonade.  It didn't look wintry enough, so I decided to try giving it a light wash of white gouache.  Figured I might have to start over, but it actually gave just the look I wanted!  The mat is PTI Dark Indigo & I used the matching ink to stamp the sentiment from PTI Friendly Flowers.

Hope I've inspired you to join the gallery.  Top Flight Stamps is sponsoring the challenge.  The winner will get a $25.00 gift voucher to spend at Top Flight's store & an offer to Guest Design for a future challenge.  

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

2 Challenge Cards

Finally came up with a card for the PFS March Challenge.  I used 3 favorite PFS products:  Fancy Oval Frame die, Dainty Blossoms die set & Delicate Wreath stamp set.  

My card started by die cutting the frame from SSS Champagne glitter cardstock & 2 cardstock layers.  Then I looked for cardstock to go with the frame which has little bits of pink & green when you hold it in the light.  Just wasn't happy using either color, so luckily I found this beautiful Bazzill Vanilla textured cardstock in my stash.  It's a great match & a beautiful option when I want an off white.  It doesn't have a yellow cast to it at all. 

The flower was simply colored with alcohol markers & I added an extra layer to make it a bit more sturdy.  Used my Misti to stamp the word in Versafine Clair Acorn thinking it might have to be restamped.  Actually, it stamped great even with the textured cardstock.  Looked at adding pink gems, but ended up liking the Rainstones best.  Plan to put an Easter sentiment inside.  I'm also entering CAS on Sunday.

Here's my card for the sketch challenge for Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine Spring Issue release.  I started with a panel of Bristol die cut with the Spellbinders rectangle die in the Circular Stitch Background die set.  Using Bristol makes it so easy to brush on Distress Ink blueprint sketch inside the masked area. 

I used Lawn Fawn Manatee ink (soft gray) to stamp an old text stamp & images from PTI Prominent Petals.  Then I added texture with a PTI embossing plate which makes such a difference in the look.  The die cuts are PTI Into the Blooms II die cut from 2 shades of blue, 2 shades of green & gray cardstock in a small pack from Hobby Lobby. 

The sentiment from Winnie & Walter is stamped in Versafine Clair nocturne & die cut with a PTI flag die. Finished off with Shimmer Pico Embellisher dots in the flower center & navy 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.

Altenew, PTI, AJVD

I totally fell in love with This Project on IG & decided to use the same basic idea to enter the January Altenew Challenge & FMS.  I used painter's tape to mask a rectangle on a white panel & blended Distress Oxides fossilized amber, peeled paint & abandoned coral.  

The images from Altenew Wildflower Doodles were stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne & I splattered with Gansai Tambi Yellow Gold watercolor which has a gorgeous shimmer in person.  

I removed the tape, stamped the sentiment from Altenew Painted Greetings & added a black mat.  

Next is my entry for the PTI challenge to make a love birds card.  Rosemary's white die cut bird is beautiful, but I decided my PTI Feathered Friends 8 needed more definition.  Brushing on Distress Ink pumice stone gave me the look I wanted.  

Into the Blooms II foliage & flower were also brushed with Distress Inks.  For the background, I scored a kraft panel & inked it with 2 different brown pads.  Love the font of the sentiment from PTI Framed in Florals which was stamped in Versafine Clair Acorn.  To make this a winter card, I added snow by splattering white gouache.

The Stamp Market constantly inspires me & recently This Card caught my eye.  To make my version, I  die cut a small heart in the center of a larger one using an AJVD die set gifted to me by my friend, Rosemary.  

After coloring with a rainbow of Copics, I covered them in Stickles.  Oh what beautiful sparkle in person!  

Love Taylored Expressions Swiss Hearts embossing folder & the PTI sentiment from Prominent Petals.  The light gray mat & sentiment strip are SSS Fog cardstock.  Now I'm using the little hearts from the centers to make another card.
Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Fall Cards--Totally Different

I've seen lots of Fall cards using non-traditional colors.  That inspired me to use the GK Foil-Mates Bountiful Flourish which I foiled in Rose Gold a few weeks ago.  

A stacked Hero Arts Autumn Icons outline pumpkin die cut was left over from a previous project.  Love the aqua color, plus it's covered with beautiful sparkle from Inkon 3 Liquid Pixie Dust.  Couldn't let that go to waste!  I found a darker aqua cardstock & die cut the pumpkin again so I could inlay the pieces.  I used the same cardstock for the Spellbinders sentiment from the October 2020 Small Die Kit.  Needed something else & I've had felt on my mind with finally having cooler temperatures here.  Pulled out my old MFT dies--Small Rolled Rose & Prima Donna Petals.  

I remember my friend, Rosemary, used pink with rose gold & I just happen to have a shimmery pink cardstock, thanks to my friend, Vikki.  I entered the instagram ABNH texture challenge & I'm entering ModSquad & WAW.

PTI The Great Cover-Up challenge is to make a Halloween card. I don't have a lot of Halloween products, so had to get creative. I started by masking a rectangle--one of my favorite designs.

Then I black embossed the tree from Trendy Tree Tops.  The ink blending was done with Olive Twist, Saffron Spice, Canyon Clay & Amethyst Allure.  The sentiment from Taylored Expressions Boo to You was black embossed & I added 3 black Pico Embellisher dots.

I have a lot of talented on-line friends.  Mia does many things including painting, writing poetry & sewing.  Recently she sent me this beautiful zippered pouch she made!  

I'm using it to keep my current stitching project by my chair, so I can pick it up anytime.  Thanks so much, Mia!
I appreciate you taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.