Friendship, Christmas, Birthday

I always loved the PTI Challenges and Blog Hops where customers could enter their cards.  So I was thrilled to see the August challenge.  Luckily, I have Pure Poppy, Tropical Teal and Green Parakeet ink cubes.  I used them with PTI Wild Blooms layering stencil set. 

As you can see, I gold embossed the flower details.  Hard to tell, but the Pure Poppy flower centers were embossed with clear sparkle powder.  Since Green Parakeet isn't very dark, I used Tropical Teal for the leaf details.  It worked great!  Love how the panel turned out, so I just die cut it with Scallop Stackers: Small and used Pure Poppy for the mat.  I added very small gold splatters and soft gold sequins.  The die cut PTI Scripted sentiment was stacked and gold embossed.  I've started keeping my favorite makes on display until I mail them.  Makes me happy each time I walk by.  I'm also entering JUGS and WAW.

I wasn't planning to make a Christmas card for Color Hues Navy and Teal challenge, but that's what I ended up with.  The Spellbinders Joy die didn't even get used last year and I really love it.

I tried to follow the directions for how to set your phone camera so it captures the color teal and doesn't turn it more blue.  No luck, but I wanted to enter the card anyway.  The cardstocks are really a navy blue and a teal about the same intensity.  I attached the diecut to a silver oval.  Stickles Glitter Glue that's a very close match to the teal cardstock was added to the flower centers and clear glaze was added to the holly leaves. 

I saved the teal glitter tape letters from the snowflake card in my previous post.  Glad to use them quickly.  I've sure gotten my money's worth from Altenew's Essential Sentiment Strips.  My camera captured this shade of teal without a problem.   

I attached the glitter tape to printer paper and then die cut SSS Stitching Butterflies.  I used a scrap of black cardstock for the bodies and lightly bent the wings forward.  Hadn't used the Altenew Flower Bed embossing folder for awhile and it was just the look I wanted for this card.  I'm entering DCD, SSS Monday and SSS Wednesday.

Edited:  Thanks, Linda.  You're right.  The glitter tape is more of a mint than a teal.  Guess that's why the color looks right in the picture.

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

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.

Catching Up

I've been making cards, but just haven't blogged them.  I'm finally done mailing Christmas cards, so I'll start catching up on blog reading.  Love having my Christmas decorations up with lots of lights.  It's been so dark, I have the lights plugged in all day!  Lots of terrible flooding in the Pacific Northwest, but no problems here.  We are expecting heavy rain this week, so I'm glad our river isn't high before it hits.

Here's a Thanksgiving card I made using PTI Text and Texture Leaves which I don't think I'd ever used. 

I stamped in brown Versafine Clair.  Then I brushed on the colors and finished by restamping in brown.  The sentiment is from the same set.  Really love the PTI frame.

So happy Shery of Stamplorations is able to reopen her shop!  I pulled out my nativity die that I've used many times.  

This year I die cut it from Alex Syberia black glitter cardstock.  I mounted it to the MFT square diecut that I ink blended with Altenew Persian Blue and Sapphire.  The white edge was done with a gel pen.  The background was made by debossing a panel I had lightly inked in blue with SSS Dimensional Stars folder.  Then I brushed more blue ink over the stars and tapped the edges on the ink pad.  Looked through all my Joy to the World sentiments and this one was what I had in mind.  Pretty sure my sister and brother-in-law will love this card.  I'm entering Die Cut Divas through Flickr.

One more card for this post and no surprise, it's another Christmas card. 

I white embossed SSS Poinsettia Background and sprayed with Peppermint Distress Mica Stain, I think.  Forgot to write it down.  I spritzed and brushed the Stain until the panel was completely covered.  The shimmer is gorgeous in person and you can get an idea from my IG post.  Really love this SSS sentiment die I got in January.  The card sat for days--needed something.  Finally I finished it with the tiny poinsettia on sprigs and the PTI sub-sentiment.  I'm entering Die Cut Divas 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.

Casing Donna

I love getting ideas from other cardmakers.  This card by Donna Mikassa caught my eye to use for one more entry into Case me a Christmas Card 2025.

I liked the shaped card, dry embossed background, focal point and small sentiment.  Here's my version using an old Spellbinders die set, PTI Vintage Cream cardstock, CN9 poinsettia, SSS embossing folder and Birch Press sentiment.  

I used Barn Door Distress Spritz on some red cardstock I wasn't fond of.  It made for a beautifully shimmery poinsettia!  The pine boughs were cut from a panel I made quite awhile ago.  Whatever I started with wasn't shimmery enough, so I brushed over it with Altenew metallic light green watercolor.  The gold branches from a TH wreath die set, flower center and  sentiment shadow were cut from SSS Matte Gold cardstock.  All the shimmer and shine can be seen in my IG post video.

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

Christmas in July--Plus!

As most of you know, I love making Christmas cards.  When I was a kid at summer camp one year, the girls in my cabin agreed with my suggestion of Christmas for the cabin decorating contest.  Can't remember if we won, but we sure had fun!  When I saw Tracey's combo of Red and White for Color Hues, Christmas was my first thought.  I die cut Spellbinders Poinsettia Bloom from white cardstock weeks ago.  Amazing I didn't loose any of the little pieces! 

The outline which includes a lot of solid design was brushed with Altenew white metallic watercolor.  It gives such beautiful shimmer and shine.  The little pieces were brushed with fired brick Distress Oxide ink first and then with fired brick Distress Spritz--more beautiful shimmer!  I didn't want the berries to compete with the petals.  Since they were first covered with white watercolor, I was able to add a layer of the Distress Spritz making them match, but with much less saturated color.  You can see the shimmer and shine in my IG post.  I love SSS Holiday Greenery embossing folder which I used with PTI Soft Stone cardstock for the background.  Another favorite is Birch Press Vintage Merry Christmas.  The letters were colored the same way I did the poinsettia petals.  I try to keep my cards pretty flat for mailing, but the white glittery dot was perfect for the center.  I'm also entering SSS Monday and SSS Wednesday.  

Next I just want to show you how I fixed what was bugging me about the card in my last post.  I rushed finishing it to meet the challenge deadline.  It's been laying on my table and I knew it'd never get sent as is.  The gold watercolor splatters are beautiful, but using that watercolor as emboss resist over the sentiment was way too bold.  Decided to add another layer of the sentiment diecut attaching it slightly down and to the right.  Now there's just a bit of the gold showing and I will actually send the card. 😊

I really miss the PTI blog hops and challenges, so was happy to see they're having a Summer Challenge requiring ink blending, die cut layering and stenciling.  Gave me the motivation to make a card using 3 of the products in my recent order:  Into the Blooms: Anemones dies, Delicate Circle die and Script Background stencil.

I blended Sweet Blush and Berry Sorbet on the pieces of the largest bloom and Aqua Mist and Hawaiian Shores on the smaller one.  Vintage Jadeite was brushed on all the branches.  The card front was stenciled with Soft Stone which I softened with a vellum overlay.  I used to add ribbon to most of my cards and now I seldom use it.  But sometimes it's worth the extra postage needed!  I actually threaded the ribbon through an opening in the beautiful circle diecut.  The sentiment from Scripted (a set I reach for often!) was stacked 2 high with the top layer cut from Soft Stone and clear embossed.  I've been hoarding my Rainstones until now--love them!  

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.

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

Sweet Friend

My long-time sweet friend, Lisa, is hosting the JUGS Challenge 740 with a beautiful summery moodboard.  It inspired me to use the wonderful SSS Dreamy Daisy Layers along with Spellbinders Sweet Honeycomb stencil and Sweet as Honey stamp set.

I began by randomly stenciling with Distress Oxide fossilized amber.  I brushed the edges of the panel with DO squeezed lemonade and then fossilized amber just on the outer edge.  

For the daisies I used 2 sheets of yellow cardstock already cut into.  Usually I off-set the top layer, but this time I lined them up and gently lifted the petals.  The white centers are brushed with shimmer.  

I know we need bees in order to grow food and flowers, but I can't say I'm fond of them.  I picked out the bee image in the stamp set that didn't make me squirm (silly, I know!) and let them peek out from behind the flowers.  Love the font of the sentiment which I heat embossed.  I don't use a lot of yellow, but I do like it for summery cards.  I'm also entering The Snippets Playground.

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