Friendship Cards

PTI The Great Cover-Up challenge theme is to create a tone-on-tone card.  I noticed this old sheet of teal cardstock in a pack I bought years ago & saw that I have old MFT felt almost the same color.  I remember reading that a variety of textures is good to use for monochromatic cards, so that's where I started.  

PTI Herringbone die was cut from the teal cardstock & matted to a matching panel.  I inked the edges with Distress Ink peacock feathers & added black splatters.  My favorite flower dies from PTI Into the Blooms II were cut from the felt & layered.  I added White Blizzard Nuvo Drops to the tips.  The leaves were die cut from PTI vellum which I also inked with the peacock feathers. 

I already had PTI Hello Thick & Thin shadow die cut from vellum & the letters from black cardstock.  So I inked it with peacock feathers & added another layer of the black letters.  Black enamel dots finish it off.

Edited to add:  Also entering The Flower Challenge: Monochrome.

I recently saw Traci Pond's card on IG & it reminded me of Flourishes Letters in Bloom set I'd never used. I got to pick out some of their stamp sets when I was a GD shortly before they closed. I was also thinking about the wonderful sketch for FMS 517.

I began with a white scrap laying on my table & used SSS Grid Play Stencil with PTI Pale Peony ink.  Then I lined up the letters in my MISTI & stamped  in Versafine Clair Nocturne a couple times.  I used a white gel pen on the tiny leaves & a glitter pen on the blooms.  The letters were still in place, so I stamped again.  Then I added the little sentiment from PTI Scripted--love that set.  I trimmed a black scrap to size & matted the panel with Pale Peony cardstock.  Finished off with white Pico Embellisher dots.  I'm also entering Snippets Playground which has a brand new home & Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge 30, Circles.

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

ITP PTI Challenge Cards

We had fun yesterday with family visiting.  So wonderful to have that freedom with all of us vaccinated.  Here's a picture of one of my favorite roses, Chicago Peace.

ITP PTI has frequent challenges which I love to enter.  Thought I'd catch you up on some cards I haven't posted here.  First is a gratitude card made with the Bold Borders: Foliage die cut which I ink blended with a couple shades of green.  

The blooms are from Gathered Garden & the sentiment is from Counting my Blessings.  

Next is my entry for the challenge to leave the negative pieces in a border die. I colored Bold Borders: Yuletide using a Fantastix tool & Distress Oxides for my messy coloring.  

Then I used a waterbrush & Gansai Tambi Starry Colors Yellow Gold to color the negative areas.  The sentiment that comes with the border die was stacked 3 high & brushed with the gold paint--beautiful shimmer in person.  

I dry embossed the center area behind the sentiment & blended it with DO rustic wilderness.

It was challenging for me to make a layered sympathy card, as I generally make them pretty simple & often one layer.  

I kept my card monochromatic using 2 PTI printed papers a friend gave me along with Fine Linen, Vintage Cream & vellum.  The background panel is die cut with Scalloped Stackers: Small & behind the sentiment is Shape Shifters: Circle 3.  The sentiment from Through the Trees was stamped in Cocoa Bean on vellum backed with a strip of  Vintage Cream & embellished with Garden Gild die cuts & a KaiserCraft Chino pearl which goes perfectly with Fine Linen.  Finished by wrapping twine & tying a bow.   

My final card also uses Bold Borders: Yuletide, but looks entirely different than the card above.  This one is for another challenge to use embossing powder accents.  

I saw the white die cut on my table & thought it'd be fun to just add touches of color with embossing powder.  Worked great to use a Quickie Glue pen, which has a fine tip.  The embossing powders are glittery red & glittery gold.  I tried several card colors, but kept coming back to the white.  

The sentiment was cut from white & gold metallic cardstock with the white used for dimension & the shadow.  I kept the embellishments subtle, using PPP Marshmallow sequins.

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

ITP, HA, SSS

So far, I don't know anyone who really likes the new blogger.  Looks like using the old version is no longer an option, so I'm just not going to worry about the format.  It's not like I'm making money with my blog & I don't want to move to just using IG.

My sister's favorite color is blue & her birthday is almost here.  That gave me the inspiration for my ITP PTI Birthday Challenge entry. 

I've had Bold Blooms for quite awhile & finally the matching dies were available.  I wasn't sure I needed them, but now I'm glad I have them.  Love this vase from Vogue Vases & this time I die cut it from PTI dotted paper a friend gave me.  I also cut it from thick fun foam to get the look I wanted.  The branches were double stamped in Soft Stone & the flowers were stamped in Dark Indigo.  The mat is Enchanted Evening & the sentiment is from Simple Stems.  Needed a little something more, so I added Star Dust Stickles to the flowers & pearls to the vase.  

I really like how this turned out & think my sister will, too.  I'm also entering The Snippets Playground (branches, flowers & mat from scraps) & Virginia's Show & Share.

The current Stay Crafty with Hero challenge theme is critters.  I pulled out a 2011 Retailer Teaching Kit which was the prize I won in a HA Scramble.  It's a 6x8 stamp set composed of images & sentiments from a variety of stamp sets that were available at that time.  Decided to use the adorable reindeer & this sentiment which I thought was perfect for it.  

I put the stamps in my Mini MISTI & stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne.  That gave me the option of doing a little watercoloring, but I loved the look as stamped.  Clearly, though, that big nose was calling out to be red, right?!  That was easily accomplished with Christmas Red Stickles.  Then I added Silver Stickles to the snowflakes & dots on the sweater.  I debated about coloring the sweater trim, but was afraid I'd ruin it.  Instead I just added Frosted Lace Stickles.  

Thought about stamping some background snowflakes, but really don't think they're needed.  Only other thing I did was add black Pico Embellisher to the eyes.  This will be perfect for my sweet neighbors with 2 young kids.  I'm also entering ABNH & SSS Wednesday.

Sometimes you love a product, but end up hardly ever using it.  That isn't the case with my SSS Bouquet of Roses stencil.  This time I chose Fall colors of DI: aged mahogany, wild honey, peeled paint & forest moss.  

I inked through the stencil with blending sponges & no masking.  I didn't care if the greens got onto part of the blooms or the bloom colors got onto the leaves.  Then I covered everything with Versamark & heat embossed with HA Sparkle ep.  Loved the panel so much I could have just framed that 6x6 piece!  Instead I held my breath & added a light watercolor wash of weathered wood & love the change it made.  Decided to cut my piece into a 4x4 panel & then into 2 inch squares which I mounted to a navy mat.  

The sentiment from SSS Warm Wishes was embossed in SSS Antique Gold ep on a vellum strip before adding the panel to a Classic Kraft card.  I tried various sequins, but didn't like them, so no bling.  I'm entering SSS Flickr Challenge 158, Allsorts & WAW.

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

Variety of Cards

Prices lowered for many items in my sale pages.  Contact form doesn't seem to be working, so please leave a comment if you're interested. 

I've participated in The Card Chain Challenge for quite a few years.  Last month I signed up to send my card to Gail who keeps the chain going.

I stamped the old HA Starry Night in Brilliance Pearlescent Ice Blue to make a wintery friendship card.  The sentiment is W&W who sadly is going out of business.  I'm entering ABNH.

This week ITP has daily challenges.  Luckily you have 2 days to enter your project.  Not sure I'll have time to do all of them.  Here's my entry for The Joy of Card Making--Color Combo.

So glad I have PTI inks & cardstocks in the required colors: Scarlet Jewel, Olive Twist, Autumn Rose, Pure Poppy & Ripe Avocado.  The images are PTI The Sweet Life & Spruce & Sprigs with the sentiment from Framed Out #9.  My friend, Vikki, cut a bunch of Scallop Stackers: Large for me--perfect for this Christmas Rose card.  I added Stickles to the berries for a bit of sparkle & the flowers are mounted with foam tape.  I'm also entering SSS Monday.

Next is ITP The Joy of Card Making--Card Sets.  One of my last PTI purchases was Wildflower Garden--perfect for a card set. 

I really love having PTI inks & matching cardstock.  I decided on Spring Rain, Winter Wisteria, Limeade Ice & Pale Peony.

I used 3 different sentiments stamped in Smokey Shadow.  Hard to see, but each panel is splattered with the same ink used for the flower.

Thought something else was needed, so I added a narrow strip of black cardstock under the sentiment.  My friends make their own cards, so I'll probably use these myself.  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 as soon as I can.

Blue Christmas

I like all kinds of color combos for Christmas cards & I love poinsettias, including this beautiful image (H8301) by Impression Obsession.  Decided to use it for the new challenge, Feeling Blue?

I began by heat embossing the full poinsettia & just the center on watercolor paper.  Then I colored the piece using the smooshing technique with Distress Inks chipped sapphire, faded jeans & weathered wood and fussy cut the images. I spritzed them with Glitter Dust, added silver beads to the center & mounted it to the full flower with foam tape.  

The card front was stamped in the same 3 inks using IO CAC spatter.  I turned the stamp each time before going to the next color & this is the result. Looks neat, I think. The IO sentiment (B8767) was stamped in chipped sapphire on a white strip attached to the front.  I lightly bent up the petals before attaching the poinsettia with foam tape. Finished off with some PPP Sparkling Clear sequins. I'd love to make these in several colors, except for the fussy cutting--haha!  I'm also entering for fun at Pixies Snippets Playground. We're having lovely Fall weather--great for walking Fritz.  Thanks so much for stopping by.

Edited to add: Just realized my card works for the Christmas challenge at Happy Little Stampers, so this will be my first time entering one of their challenges.

Background into the Foreground

I've always liked using the same image for the background & the

foreground or focal point. Recently I saw a card done that way & have wanted to make one.  When I saw dark red is the challenge at Colour Me, I immediately thought of this beautiful Poinsettia Script Penny Black background.  I'd been thinking of using 2 printed papers for the Merry Monday sketch, but decided to see if I could combine the challenges.  I used Distress Ink fired 

brick & spritzed with Ink Potion No. 9 before stamping on watercolor paper.  The wooden star was colored with the same ink which was also used to stamp the sentiment from Penny Black's Crystalline set.  Stickles was added to the star for some sparkle to tie in with the sparkly red ribbon.  I actually finished the card with the die cut circle inlaid into the dry embossed panel. I tried to convince myself that it was OK, but this morning I carefully removed the star with the sentiment flag, the gems & the button so I could pop up the entire poinsettia over the partial image on the circle.  
The only thing ruined was the sentiment flag which was easily redone. It was worth the effort as I like the card much better now.  Since I used 5 gems I'm also entering SSS Monday.  
On another note, we found a great harness for Fritz.  It's easy to put on & since it attaches in the front instead of on the top of the dog's back, it also provides control without using a choke chain. Here's the link if anyone is interested: http://www.walkyourdogwithlove.com/
Hope you have a great weekend & Mother's Day & thank you for taking time to visit my blog.