Wild Blooms

Loosing myself in cardmaking, as much as possible.  It's been quite awhile since I used PTI Wild Blooms layering stencil set, so pulled it out for stencil week at JUGS.  

I used a cream panel laying on my table with Altenew inks Blush Rose, Wisteria and Sagestone plus CN9 inks Pink Lemonade and Artichoke.  It was night when I finished stenciling and I wasn't sure I liked it enough to use it for a card.  Decided to leave it overnight and see what I thought in the daylight.  Next day I cut it down and brushed the edges with the Sagestone ink.  Then I used my finger to apply gold wax through the stencil for the flower centers--so beautiful!  Now the panel was growing on me, so I mixed a bit of water with some of the wax and splattered it over the panel.  I picked up the leftover with a small brush and went around the edges.  The mat was brushed with Blush Rose to match and I attached the panels to the center of a cream card.  Debated about the sentiment and decided on an old Winnie and Walter stamp/die set.  The little word was stamped in Artichoke and spring was die cut twice and brushed with a shimmer pen.  Pulled out the new to me Poppystamps Bunches o' Butterflies.  I chose one, inked it with Pink Lemonade, dabbed a bit of gold wax on the tips of the wings and attached a gold glitter dot to the body.  You can see the shine and shimmer in my IG post.  Glad I didn't toss the stenciled panel as I ended up with a card I really like.  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.

Spring Mood Board

Squeaking in at the last minute with an entry for JUGS Spring Moodboard challenge.  Lots of options, but I was drawn to the butterfly with green, black and a touch of pink. 

Thought it'd be fun to use Birch Press Eloquent Butterfly Layers A, B and C.  The back layer was inked in Brilliance Graphite, the next in Altenew Rose Quartz and the top in Altenew Firefly.  I added a Hero Arts green translucent enamel dot to the center.  

I brushed the Firefly ink onto a PFS Postage Stamp diecut, focusing on the edges and leaving the center white.  That was added to the largest Postage Stamp diecut, with an extra cardstock layer, after I stamped an IO branch around the edges in Firefly.  I purposely didn't press firmly over the whole image to get an almost first and second generation stamping look.  The branch reminds me of the foliage making up the heart in the mood board.  I decided to just add a sentiment to the inside.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday and WAW.

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

Floral Birthday Cards

Mass firings with the employee notices stating the firing was due to poor performance when the real reason was to decrease costs is not fighting abuse.  It IS abuse.   

I needed some cards for March birthdays, so made a couple that will work for challenges.  First up is my entry for Time Out Challenges 11th Birthday!  Couldn't miss the chance to join in the celebration with my former teammates.  We're to case the beautiful card made by Donna Mikasa, a previous Time Out winner.  

She used stencils and an embossing folder, which happen to be 2 of my favorite products for cardmaking.  I used a similar, but different layout and different colors.  I also debossed instead of  embossing.

SSS Layered Flowers stencil set was used with CN9 Oceanside, Tidepool, Clover and Sea Glass plus Altenew Jet Black and Memento London Fog for the flower centers.  I die cut the panel with SSS A2 Curved Edge and debossed it and a white panel with SSS Dibble Tile.  I die cut a thin white strip to match the curved edge and inked it in Oceanside.  SSS Happy Birthday Brush Script was die cut a couple times from white scraps and the shadow from vellum.  I found blue and green gems to match in my stash and added quite a few.  This card is going to my sweet sister-in-law.  I'm also entering SSS Flickr, Just Us Girls and SSS Monday.

Next is my second card for Altenew's Crafting with the Seasons contest.  This time I was inspired by a few days of beautiful sunny weather to make another Spring birthday card.  

The images are from Botanical Wreath Builder, the word diecut is from Floral Acanthus and the sub-sentiment is from Sweet Bouquet.  The Altenew inks are Wisteria, Hydrangea, Rose Quartz, Puffy Heart, Firefly, Grass Field and Jet Black.  I really liked the look of the panel with just the solid images, but decided to add the outlines offset using ink one shade darker.  That gave a whole different look and I really like it.  I splattered Grass Field and spritzed with Heidi Swapp white Color Shine for a gorgeous shimmer.  You can see it in my IG video.  Hugs was covered with Shimmer Pico Embellisher and glued to the vellum shadow.  I inked the card front edges in Firefly and tied on crochet thread.  This one goes to a cardmaking friend.  

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

More Cards

I plan to write a post about every week so I don't loose touch my friends.  I know I won't do it more often as I can enter most challenges through IG.  Speaking of which, here's a card I entered for an ITP PTI challenge to use old & new products. 

I featured yellow to enter the April color challenge at Piece Craft Love.  Pink is still my favorite color, but I do like this cheery friendship card.

Here's another card with yellow.  I made it to enter the ModSquad challenge to use the Pantone Colors of yellow & gray.  

It also qualifies for the Piece Craft Love color challenge & Color Hues which is a challenge I don't think I've ever entered.  The stamp set is Gina K A Big Hello, the stamping was done with Versafine Clair Morning Mist & the splatters are from a gray Zig.  Haven't sliced a panel like this in a long time--fun for a different look.

Here's a card for the monthly challenge at PFS.  The theme is gold, which I love.  However, it's taken me almost all month to come up with an entry.  

I found a scrap of beautiful gold glitter paper, so I started by die cutting the PFS Circle Frame with Botanicals. That die was a gift from a friend & it happens to be on sale right now, if you're interested. This is my favorite paper in the old PFS Felicity paper pack, but it isn't doing any good in my drawer--haha!  

I used a gold gel pen to color the centers of some of the flowers & added gold Stickles to the flower centers on the sentiment sticker from the collection. The wooden heart from the collection was inked in Delicata Golden Glitz & I added gold thread to the side. 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.

Butterflies and Flowers

Got my second vaccine dose & it hit me hard.  Fortunately, only lasted 24 hours.  Already it's given me peace of mind knowing I have some protection against Covid.

My first card is for Memory Box Beautiful Backgrounds, Day of the Month Club, Butterflies & DRU.  I did a watercolor wash & then stenciled with MB Texture Distressed Grid stencil & spritzed with shimmer mist.  

The inks are PTI Blueberry Sky & Enchanted Evening.  MB Moonlight Butterfly was die cut from pink glitter tape & vellum.  

The sentiment is Stampendous, the mat is Enchanted Evening & the dots are white Pico Embellisher. 

I wasn't very happy with the results when I first tried Kathy Racoosin's Print Making with Die Cuts technique.  But seeing all the great cards people are making for CAS Mix Up inspired me to try again.  

This time I used Altenew Watercolor Markers & a water brush to color Pinkfresh Studio Delicate Blossoms die cuts & blotted them on a watercolor panel.  I picked my favorite part of the panel to use behind the die cuts.  

The sentiment is from Pinkfresh Studio Delicate Wreath & I added Shimmer Pico Embellisher dots to the flower centers.  I'm also entering PFS March Challenge, Flowers & The Snippets Playground (flowers die cut from white scraps).

My last card is for ITP PTI The Great Cover Up, Floral card.  I gold embossed ITP Framed in Florals & a sentiment from PTI Wreath for all Seasons on a Bristol panel.  Then I watercolored with Zigs & a water brush for a soft, pastel look.

I debated about splatters, but decided to spritz with gold shimmer mist instead.  When it dried, I again stamped & gold embossed.  Love the bolder, gold lines.

I added light green Nuvo drops & attached the panel to an off white card.  I'm also entering Craftlandia Challenge 6 & WAW. 

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

  

SSS and Winnie & Walter

I haven't used the SSS Kaleidoscope Background stamp very much, but I really love the design.  For this card I gold embossed the image & colored with Ocean Blue & Mint Green Liquid Pearls, adding just a bit of water.  The metallic sheen is gorgeous in person.  I die cut a square window in a black panel & gold embossed the sentiment from SSS Thoughtful Messages.  I'm entering SSS Flickr #117 & Kathy's 30 Day Coloring Challenge. 

Next is my entry for W&W 5th Birthday Bash Layering Die Cuts.  I used watercolor paper & stamped images from W&W In Bloom: Eva's Favorite Flowers using Distress Inks mowed lawn, lucky clover & twisted citron.  Then I added water with a brush & restamped until I liked the look.  For fun, a white gel pen was used to add little details.  The same inks were used for splatters & I lightly distressed the edges.  In a Word: Hello was die cut from a smooshed panel done in the same colors.  I discovered you can add color with a damp brush to make the smooshing deeper colors.  I used a white shadow stacked 5 high.  The word layered on top from The Big, the Bold & Seasons was stacked 3 high, brushed with shimmer & covered with Nuvo Glaze.  I matted the panel with a light gray cardstock & added Wedding dress Pico Embellisher drops.  I'm also entering 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.

Spring and Easter

Great challenge this week for PTI MIM using solid & outline stamps.  My outline stamps are limited, but decided the large blossom from Garden Guild might work. 

I made something of a wreath using stamps from Corner Adorner February & Twig Wreath stamped in Lilac Grace, Amethyst Allure & Lemon Tart.  The outline blossom was stamped in Smokey Shadow.  I added splatters of Amethyst Allure & spritzed with Wedding Dress Irrestible texture spray. 

Wonderful Words: Hello was die cut from the center of the stamped panel, attached to a black fun foam die cut & set back into the negative space.  To make the word stand out a bit more, it was covered with Wink of Stella & Nuvo Glaze.  I send lots of friendship cards & this springy one will soon go in the mail.  I'm also entering CASual Fridays & Die Cut Divas.

I sent quite a few Easter cards & didn't get them all posted.  Hope you don't mind seeing them now.

I'm entering the last one in CAS on Friday & Stamplorations Anything Goes.  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  I've gotten behind on blog reading, but I'll see you soon.