Time Out Challenge #256

We're back with a fun photo inspiration for Time Out Challenge #256.  Sarah Gray is a former DT member and the owner of our sponsor, Funky Fossil Design.  All you have to do is make a card inspired by the one Sarah made in the photo below.  In addition to the 25 pound gift certificate to Funky Fossil, the winner gets an invitation to guest design for a future challenge. 

I used a splatters stencil in the background, but mine is coffee splatters instead of paint.  My card is a rectangle, but I basically followed Sarah's layout.  There are lots of ways you can be inspired and I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with in the gallery.  Remember, we only allow cards entered in a total of no more than 5 challenges including ours.

I used Lawn Fawn Manatee ink with Tim Holtz Splatters stencil.  The Stampendous sentiment was stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne.The stitched rectangle is MFT, the cups are Trinity Stamps (freebie), the snowflake embossing folder is Darice and the little hearts are AJVD.  

I used a detail brush to add white pigment ink to the snowflakes before covering them and the word Friend with Shimmer Pico Embellisher.  Black enamel dots were just the right finishing touch.  I'm sending this card as a Valentine to a blogging friend, wishing we could meet for coffee.

I'm entering SSS Monday 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.

Joy to the World, The Lord is Come!

I was inspired to use my Stampendous nativity stamp & an Elizabeth Craft Designs oval die because of a beautiful card made by Claudia.  I black embossed the image & blended DO fossilized amber, vintage photo, faded jeans, prize ribbon & wilted violet.  The halo was colored with a gold glitter gel pen & covered with glaze.  The white sections on the robe & blanket were colored with a gray fineliner pen.  I carefully drew over the big star with a black glaze pen.  The little PB stars were stamped in Delicata Silvery Shimmer.  I stamped the HA sentiment in Versafine Clair Nocturne onto the PTI Rustic Cream card.  The edges were inked with DI old paper & antique linen.  Finished by tying on kraft colored hemp.

Almost forgot, I'm entering Christmas Kickstart. 

Wishing all of my dear blog friends a blessed Christmas and wonderful 2023.  Thank you so much for your continued friendship & support.

 

Christmas Cards

I had fun pulling out 2 green Altenew watercolor markers to brush onto the beautiful, old IO holly stamp.  I spritzed with water & stamped, repeating until I was happy.  

The silver berries were done with a GKD Holiday Tapestry stamp, Delicata Silvery Shimmer & Silver Stickles.  Really love the font of this HA sentiment from Christmas Rose.  

I still remember the first time I saw an embossed, stamped panel.  It totally changes the look.  Here I used SSS Refracted folder, but this is the debossed side.  Yes, it was an oops, but turns out I like it!  I entered challenges from Flickr. 

Dawn of WP9 makes the most beautiful cards!  I cased her Christmas card in February for a friendship card.

This time I made a Christmas card using Altenew watercolor markers like I did in the first card.  The pine branch is from a very old Stampendous set that I don't think I'd ever used.  The leafy branch is from PB's xmas sprig set.  

I used the same GKD berry stamp & added Christmas Red Stickles.  Love this Uniko sentiment from Season of Beauty.  I seldom use my cream colored cardstock, but glad I used it here.  Made a huge difference to sponge the edges with DO vintage photo which I also used to stamp the sentiment.  

I added a couple cardstock layers to give the sentiment dimension without needing extra postage.  It's interesting how different styles & designs appeal to all of us.  This one I can't get out of my mind & will be using again, for sure!  I'm 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.

Stars & a Wreath

The November challenge at Twofers is Stars.  Took awhile, but eventually I had an idea for a Christmas card & then for a friendship card.  

The Christmas card began by stamping Stampendous Manger Scene (minus the star) in VersaMagic Aegean Blue & clear embossed.  Then I brushed on Distress Inks & splattered with water.  The sentiment from AJVD was stamped in Versafine Clair Acorn & clear embossed.  Then I die cut the scene with the manger in the center of the CAS-ual Fridays star die.  The star was attached to fun foam before it was glued back in place.  I finished it off with a scored frame & added Stickles to the halo.

I've always sent a lot of friendship cards, so that's what I made for my second card.   I pulled out an old paper pack with large & small dots. 

The same CAS-ual Fridays star die was used with the large dotted papers & the smallest star in the set was used with the small dotted papers. The small stars were attached to fun foam, covered with Stickles & glued to the big star centers. I black embossed an old HA sentiment to the black panel before gluing on the stars.  

I also made a card for the November PFS Monthly challenge.  I love the Delicate Wreath stamp set & had fun inking it up with Distress Inks in 2 shades of purple & 2 shades of blue. 

The stamp was in my Mini MISTI so I could add some ink, spritz & stamp multiple times until I was happy.  The sentiment from the same set was stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne.  I added purple, blue & gold splatters.  

Ribbon used to be on most of my cards, but now I seldom use it because of the added postage cost.  Worth it sometimes & this beautiful gold ribbon was just what the card needed.  Finished off with dots of Champagne Stickles on the wreath & a thin black mat.  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.

Fun Making Cards

So much in the world has changed, but things seem normal when I sit down to make cards.  First is my entry for Stamplorations April Theme.  I had the idea to use a butterfly image after making my first card with flowers & leaves using acrylic paints.  The 4 paints were randomly arranged on a watercolor panel.  When it was dry I black embossed an image from Stamplorations Trendy Butterflies--one of my first Stamplorations sets.

I fussy cut all the butterflies & splattered them with white gouache paint.  Then I looked for an image to stamp behind the butterflies & discovered the beautiful Leaf Sprig by Stampendous which I don't think I'd ever used.

The sentiment is from Stamplorations Frames & Flowers.  Finished off with a black strip down the left side & white Pico Embellisher drops.  I'm also entering Stamplorations Never-Ending Anything Goes, Time Out & WAW.

ITP is doing a series of  challenges called Project Reach Out.  The latest one is called Keep Swimming & I don't see any product requirements.  Had to think for awhile before coming up with an idea, but I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I inked an image from PTI Watercolor Wonder in Spring Rain & added some Blueberry Sky at the top.  Then I stamped a very old Fred Mullett fish stamp in black & embossed in JudiKins Iridescent Sparkle.

The panel was die cut with PTI Scallop Stackers: Small & matted with Blueberry Sky cardstock.  Tim Holtz mini alpha stickers were used for the sentiment & I added PPP Sparkling Clear Confetti bubbles.  I'm also entering CASology--Zodiac for the first time in forever!  Pisces is actually 2 fish, so not sure this qualifies.
 
I always send a lot of cards, but now I'm mailing even more.  Handmade cards are always on display at my house & make me smile every day.
Hubby had to do a video appointment with his physician.  I managed to get the app on my phone & everything working in plenty of time.  Pretty proud of my non-IT self--haha!  Can't say video appointments are a good replacement for an actual doctor visit--we're old fashioned.  But in this case it worked great & we were glad to get the needed info from our wonderful doctor without putting anyone at risk.  There are no plans for hubby to get a smart phone--haha!
Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

ITP & MB

It's sunny & warm here today, so Fritz & I enjoyed our walk.  A few more people were out, so we just kept changing direction or stopped to be sure they got well ahead of us.  Neighbors behind us again had people over last night.  We've noticed the groups are smaller, so maybe some of the usuals are smarter than the people hosting & don't attend.  I got a little teary listening to Queen Elizabeth speaking to the people of The British Commonwealth & pretended it included me.  Refreshing, to say the least.
I was thrilled to see the challenges at Ink to Paper.  Still really miss all the ones I used to enter at PTI.  First up is Project Reach Out: Just a Little Thank You.  I started with one of the PTI scalloped die cuts a friend sent to me long ago.  She was very generous, so there's no reason to be hoarding them--haha!

Next I pulled out my only ITP stamp set--Bold Blooms.  I masked the bottom of the note card along the stitching line & then stamped 2 different leafy branches & a stem in Prairie Grass. The blooms were stamped in Scarlet Jewel & the sentiment in Cocoa Bean.  I used a white gel pen for the dots & tied on a crochet thread bow.  There are lots of people this could go to, so I'll decide & mail or deliver it this week.

For Melissa's Fab Friday Feature, we're to make a Thinking of You project & give it to someone special.  I've had PTI Fancy Foliage stamps & dies a long time, but have only used a couple of the images.  Now I've added the Thinking of You sentiment to that list.

I stamped a die cut in Versafine Vintage Sepia & attached it to a fun foam die cut since it's my focal point.  Fun to have some little matching leafy images in the set.  Here's a close up so you can see that the leaves were colored with a metallic Spellbinders Golden Age pen.

The PTI Pierced Feature Frame was die cut from Dark Chocolate cardstock.  I really had fun making the background.  An image from Bold Blooms was inked in Harvest Gold & edged with Summer Sunrise before stamping randomly on a white panel.  Then I splattered with a dark brown Zig & attached it to a panel of Harvest Gold.  This one goes to a special cardmaking friend.  I used white & gold scraps, so I'm also entering The Snippets Playground.

Finally, another Easter card with my left over Memory Box die cut eggs (Classic Egg & Filagree Egg) after making THIS card.  The grass is made with my new IO Grass Border die.  I wanted the eggs to provide the color, so I die cut the grass from white scraps.

I arranged the eggs in the 3 rows of grass & trimmed the excess from each side of the card.  Hard to see, but the top egg layer is brushed with a sparkle pen.

The sentiment from Stampendous was stamped in Versafine Morning Mist & I rounded the top corners.  I'm entering Memory Box Spring Fling, DRU & ModSquad.

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