Flowers and a Butterfly

Altenew April Inspiration Challenge has a beautiful color combo.  Once again I used my favorite Sweet Bouquet stamp/die/stencil products for an entry. 

The coloring was done with Rouge, Lime and Fresh Leaf inks brushed through the matching stencils.  I brushed Dew Drops in the center of the card front.  Sparkled Frame, another favorite, was embossed with matte clear powder so it would be more visible.  This card does have a different look from the others I've made with Sweet Bouquet because I added some Branches and Berries diecuts.  I really like this version.  Hard to see the Stickles in the flower centers and on the berries.  

The sentiment is from the same set and I used matching enamel dots.  I'm also entering WAW.

I combined Poppystamps and Color Hues challenges for my next card.  A friend recently gave me a sack of beautiful patterned paper sheets.  I picked out one with shades of green and used MB Texture Distressed Grid stencil with Distress Oxide Lucky Clover. 

I randomly inked and stamped an old woodblock text stamp with Distress Oxide Pine Needles.  It's subtle, but definitely changed the look.  I wanted just a bit more interest in the background, so used 2nd generation stamping of the flower from Poppystamps Friends and Flowers inked in Versafine Clair Grass Green.  Again, subtle, but visible in person.  If you enlarge the picture, you might be able to see that I used a PFS blanket stitch rectangle and splattered white gouache.  Poppystamps Dream Butterfly was die cut twice.  The outline layer on top was inked heavily with Distress Oxide Abandoned Coral.  I used a lighter hand for the bottom layer with the inside pieces kept in place and brushed with shimmer.  MB Just a Note Posh Script shadow was inked with the Coral and the words were die cut from the same patterned paper piece.  Finished off with white enamel dots.

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Butterflies

Here are my latest cards--both with one or more butterflies, thanks to the SSS IG Challenge theme for April.  First is the card I made using the piece of cardstock I embossed at the same time as the vellum card in my last post.  The folder is Altenew's Dreamy Daylilies.  

I messed up part of the panel, so switched gears and die cut a small rectangle from the center that was fine.  I ink blended with Altenew's Rose Quartz, Puffy Heart and Purple Wine.  The raised edges were swiped with Brilliance Starlite Black--a soft Pearlescent black.  I added silver splatters and attached it to a black mat.  Then I glued it in place--lining up the image on another embossed white panel.  Love the look of the wide white border.  The double vellum butterfly is from SSS Stitching Butterflies.  I added matching ink to the center and covered it with Silver Stickles.  The sentiment is from SSS Anna's Flowers and I added 3 silver glitter dots.  I'm entering DCD, WAW from Flickr and SSS Flickr.

Next is my card inspired by the new combo of Fuchsia and Navy at Color Hues.  Hopefully my Lindy's Magicals High Maintenance Magenta works for fuchsia. 😊

I silver embossed PFS Small Butterflies and die cut them.  Then I watercolored them with the Magical powder mixed with water.  After they dried, I added more color.  The shimmer is so beautiful, as seen in my IG video.  For the card front, I white embossed PFS Lush Vines, brushed on the Sapphire ink and then wiped ink off the embossing.  Lush Vines is definitely one of my favorite stamps!  The butterflies were glued to PFS Elongated Oval Blanket Stitch, stacked 2 high and brushed with the same ink--darkest on the edge.  The sentiment is from PFS Perfect Sentiments.  I added navy dots to the background and silver glitter dots to the butterflies.  I'm also entering Pinkfresh April Challenge and WAW.

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Easter Cards

I definitely waited too long to finish making Easter cards this year.  Should know to plan for unexpected delays, including a day sick in bed. 😞 So I ended up with some quick cards and put off making the card I had in mind when I first saw the Color Hues combo of Purple and Marigold.  I didn't pay attention to the challenge dates and it closed.  But luckily I combined it with JUGs Stencil Week and I'm also entering SSS Monday and WAW.  

A dear friend gave me TE My Redeemer Lives stamp/die/embossing folder years ago and I use it every Easter.  There are several crosses in different sizes, but I always seem to use this one.  I stamped the white diecut in Encore Metallic Purple and clear embossed.  Then I brushed it with PTI Amethyst Allure making the edges darker.  I stenciled TH Rays with PTI Summer Sunrise using a heavy hand at the top and lighter to the end of the rays.  I added small splatters of the ink and die cut with a Pinkfresh Diagonal Stitch Rectangle.  I had enough PTI matching cardstock to use for the mats and I remembered to cut out the centers.  A sentiment from the set was stamped in Amethyst Allure and cut with a small circle die.  A single purple gem finished off my card.  I'm glad to have this one ready for next year.

I'll share more of my Easter cards soon.  For now, here's one of the quick cards I made using one of Stamplorations beautiful card fronts.  

I embossed it with SSS Dibble Tile folder and rubbed over the raised edges with a white pigment ink pad.  I found just the right shade of blue cardstock in my stash and used it for the mat and Poppystamps Proper Happy Easter.  I'll enter SSS Monday from a different platform.

Basketball was my favorite spectator sport growing up and I still enjoy it.  We don't usually watch games, but this year it's a fun diversion from the sad times we're living in.  Would have loved to watch the Purdue men's exciting Sweet Sixteen win with my Dad.  He would have been so happy.  

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Easter Cards

I've made quite a few birthday cards and got behind on making Easter cards.  Here are 2 I finished in the last few days.  First is my entry for Pinkfresh March Challenge using Dainty Blossoms and Elongated Ovals die sets. 

I colored the bouquet with metallic pink and green watercolors.  The light pink cardstock panel was splattered with gold watercolor.  Love the tiny Heidi Swapp gold alpha stickers I've had forever. 

The shimmer and shine is really beautiful in person.  You can see it better in my IG video.  I'm also entering WAW.

A few years ago, my friend Betty gave me a couple cardstock panels covered with a beautiful wide washi--might be from The Ton.  I remember that she used the eclipse technique with a panel and I love the look.  Thought this large Penny Black butterfly die would be perfect and it was, in my opinion.  

I backed it with 2 additional layers and spritzed it with a shimmer spray before gluing it back in place.  The washi's foiling looks rose gold to me, so I pulled out my 2 embossing powders and one was an almost perfect match.  I used it for Poppystamps Proper Happy Easter outline and background diecuts and used white cardstock for the letters.  Finished off with a few pretty pink sequins.  I'm entering Allsorts Challenge. 

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Just a Note and Happy Birthday

Squeaking in with a last minute entry for JUGs Photo/Mood Board Challenge.  The first time I looked at it, I thought of pink tissue paper flowers.  

I die cut Poppystamps Layered Pointy Petals using 3 layers of pink tissue paper at once.  Then I pulled apart the layers and glued 2-3 different size flowers together.  Instead of the diecut centers, I used pink transluscent enamel dots.  Couldn't resist the recent 50% off flash sale at The Greetery and picked up 2 dies.  This is my first card using It's a Wrap: Mini Posy Pocket which I die cut from PTI printed paper.  Decided my flowers needed something, so I added Memory Box Garland Greenery die cut from vellum.  The embossed panel is SSS Dibble Tile and the sentiment stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist is from PFS Perfect Sentiments.  Glad I had enough Sweet Blush cardstock for the mat, which actually is just a frame.  I cut a smaller rectangle from the center to use for another card.  I'm also entering NBUS.  This is the first outing for the flower wrap, flowers and greenery.

Next is my card for Uniko's 14th BD Celebration.  I admire Beverley's designing skills and ability to run her own company.  And I'm happy to count her as one of my friends.  

I used CN9 inks for the floral image and Versafine Clair Nocturne for the sentiment.  The base stems/leaves layer of Beautiful Blooms III was stamped in Artichoke, the fill-in color in Parsley and the veins in Artichoke.  For the flower and berry I used Pink Lemonade and Dragonfruit.  I wasn't happy with the flower outline and didn't want to start over, so I carefully traced it using a Gelly Roll Clear Star pen.  Thankfully, that gave me a look I liked.  Floral Vines is another Uniko stamp set I really like, but this time I just used the birthday sentiment.  I splattered black ink and added 3 pearly white sequins.  The black dry embossed background was made with  Altenew's Angled Mosaic.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.

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Altenew, Stamplorations and Pinkfresh

The February Altenew Challenge has a beautiful color combo.  I used Altenew's Plants & Vases for my entry, along with their Nesting Oval dies.  

The inks I used are Altenew Blush and VersaMagic Oasis Green.  The cardstock is PTI Soft Stone.  I used a gold metallic pen to highlight the dots on the vase and randomly stamped little splatters using gold metallic watercolor.  You can see the shimmer in my IG video.

Next is my card for Stamplorations February Challenge.  I love the style of the Layered Vase stamp set.  There are solid images to use for adding color.  

I stamped the outline image in Versafine Clair Nocturne and used Altenew Blush Rose, Raspberry Sunset, Sagestone and Caribbean Sky for the color.  I stamped the water 3 times to get a slightly larger area colored.  The sentiment is from the same set.  I splattered black ink and added matching enamel dots.  Now I want to make another card with this fun set!  

My final card was made with the rest of my PFS butterflies that weren't used for the card in my last post.  The gold embossed Small Butterflies were stenciled with MFT Peach Bellini and PTI Tropical Teal. 

I cut off an inch of the card front and attached matching colored strips to the inside of the card.  The splatters were made with an old IO background stamp using the same inks and the butterflies were glued only in the middle. 

The sentiment is from PFS Sweet Friend Floral.  I'm entering PFS February Challenge and Color Hues Peach & Teal.

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Waffle Flower Valentine and PFS Friendship Card

I resisted the postage collage trend, although I love it.  Finally I used a WF gc to get a few of the products and made my first card.  

My sister loves blue and her hubby is a fan of green, so I often use that combo for their cards.  Thought they'd love a Valentine made with the Rose Stencil, as they grow roses, too.  The inks I used are Altenew Arctic, Caribbean Sky, Persian Blue and Just Green.  I used Heidi Swapp screen ink for the little accents on the last stencil.  It's like a paste, so gives texture and shimmer.  You can see it in my IG post video.  The little stamped images are from an old PB stamp set.  Now I'm anxious to make some more postage collage cards!  I'm entering JUGS.  

Love that the Pinkfresh Challenge is Anything Goes using mainly their products.  I pulled out three of my favorites:  Small Butterflies, Lush Vines and Perfect Sentiments.  Decided to use the Color Hues challenge of Peach and Teal with MFT Peach Bellini and PTI Tropical Teal ink cubes.

After gold embossing the one piece stamp containing 9 butterflies, I used the matching stencils to add the color.  I just used the 2 ink cubes varying the amount of ink to get some lighter areas and some darker.  The teal shows more contrast.  I used the one piece die and then picked out 3 butterflies for my card.  Couldn't resist brushing them with a shimmer pen--so beautiful in the light.  You can see it in my IG video.  Glad I remembered seeing cards I liked that had black and white backgrounds with colored focal points.  I stamped Lush Vines in Versafine Nocturne and die cut the old PTI dotted rectangle from the panel.  Gotta say, I love the look!  You may see more black and white backgrounds!  I triple layered the sentiment, glued the butterflies only in the centers and added 3 black enamel dots around the sentiment.  Now to make another card with the leftover butterflies.  There may be too much black and white for Color Hues, but I'll leave that up to them.  

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