Blue for Christmas and a Birthday

Just realized I never posted my entry for Color Hues Cream and Gold challenge.  You can see it on IG here.  Before that happens again, decided to blog the cards I've made for some challenges.

First is my entry for Poppystamps July Things with Wings and DCD Christmas in July.

I used Altenew inks Arctic, Persian Blue and Sapphire to color Poppystamps Nordic Doves--a gift from a friend.  The top row of holes was colored with a silver glitter pen and I used a white gel pen to highlight the eyes and tail.  The word die is BPD Confection Script, the stamped words are from W&W and the embossed panel is SSS Holiday Greenery.  My IG post has a video showing the Lindy's Gang Fairy Fluff Glitz Spritz I used on the embossed panel.

Next is my entry for the Pinkfresh July Challenge and SSS Wednesday.  This card was mailed to a sweet lady turning 100.  I made the flowers blue, since it's one of her favorite colors. 

I stamped PFS Botanical Bunch in Versafine Clair Morning Mist and used PTI inks Spring Rain, Blueberry Sky, Enchanted Evening, Mint Julep and Vintage Jadeite through the matching stencils.  Blue Bayoou Stickles add a bit of sparkle to the flower centers.  You can see the sparkle in my IG post.  The sentiment is from PFS Perfect Sentiments and I used PFS Diagonal Stitch Rectangle to die cut the panel.  A few white sequins were added for subtle embellishment.  I really love stamps with matching stencils.

The people in power here and their actions continue to horrify and depress me.  Crafting is an escape I am very thankful for.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Birthday and Easter

I seldom make shaker cards, but here's my second one this year!  Arlene recently posted a card made with a large balloon die.  That reminded me that I have an old one by Winnie and Walter.  I didn't use her design for this card, but that will be coming.  I got a wonderful surprise when I pulled out my die set.  Stuck to the back was a small poinsettia die set I lost at least 3 years ago.  I accepted that I'd never see it again and now it's back in my stasht!  I have several poinsettias, but I was really sad to loose this one because it's size is just right for many cards.

Anyway, my shaker is for Time Out's In the Clear Challenge.  I wanted more of an elegant look, so I die cut the balloon from SSS Matte Champagne cardstock. 

The background is a beautiful printed paper a friend gave to me.  I used an assortment of goodies for the shaker element and a piece of packaging for the cover.  

The bow and the Altenew Essential Sentiment Strip were cut from a scrap of the same printed paper.  Now to make something with the pretty metallic balloon diecut!

I'm also entering SSS Wednesday and WAW.

This is one of the quick Easter cards I made using the other panel of gorgeous Washi from The Ton that my friend Betty gave me long ago.  

I used a scalloped Elizabeth Craft Design rectangle die, SSS butterfly die cut from vellum and Poppystamps Proper Happy Easter.  I'm entering SSS Monday since I heat embossed the sentiment letters with Avery Elle Rose Gold powder.

Thank you for taking time to visit my blog.   If your blog address is in your profile or comment,

I will return the favor.

Friendship and Christmas

As soon as I saw Stef's inspiration card at Time Out Challenge 308, I thought of Altenew's Pink Star Tulip die, which I haven't used for awhile.  Decided to use the Altenew March Inspiration Challenge colors.  

I inked the bloom with Altenew Baby Pink and Fuchsia and the leaves with Mountain Pine.  The elements of Stef's card that I incorporated in mine are the large floral, dry embossing, splatters, small stamped/die cut sentiment and the mat just at the top and bottom.  Altenew's Deck Planks 3D embossing folder was used with white cardstock and I splattered it with Honey Drizzle ink.  The colored strips for the top and bottom of the card front were inked with Honey Drizzle.  I love shimmer and shine, so before attaching my focal point, I sprayed it with Lindy's Gang Pixie Dust Glitz Spritz.  Oh my goodness--it's so beautiful in the light.  Check out my IG post to see it.  I like using generic sentiments on the front of my cards so I can put whatever I need on the inside.  This one may be a birthday card or even for Easter.  Love the font of this sentiment from Altenew's Morning Glory stamp set.  I haven't been using embellishments much lately, but thought these beautiful iridescent gems were perfect.  They pick up the ink colors and are soft enough not to be distracting.  I'm also entering DCD, as flowers mean Spring to me.

Next is my entry for Christmas Kickstart: Out of the Woods.  During my recent foiling session, I cut a piece of blank toner paper the size needed to die cut my three IO deer.

I used bronze foil and it came out great!  Running everything through my laminator twice seemed to make a difference as the only things that didn't foil perfectly were small toner sentiments.  They never are perfect in my experience.  Anyway, finally got around to die cutting the deer and the shine is so beautiful!  

I used the old MB Garden Birch Landscape stencil, which I love.  The Altenew inks are Caribbean Sky, Persian Blue and Sapphire.  I added small white splatters and spread Snowfall Grit Paste at the bottom.  The sentiment combines the BP word die and W&W stamp.  Peace--what we all need, not just at Christmas.  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.

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.

Christmas Cards

I've been having fun making a variety of Christmas cards.  First is another one for Michelle Lupton's Case me a Christmas Card 2025.  I was inspired by these cards made by my friend, Tracey McNeely.

Her cards were made by ink blending Distress Oxides and then spraying the panels with DO ink through a stencil.  She used a large sentiment die and added some bling.  Here's the card I made.

I used Distress Oxides Fired Brick and Lucky Clover.  Uniko Winter Foliage stencil was laid on top and I sprayed with Distress Spritz Fired Brick and Mowed Lawn.  

I still love my old W&W Noel die which I stacked 2 high, brushed with shimmer and covered with glaze.  The embellishments are tiny black gems I've had forever.  The shimmer and shine can be seen better in my IG post. 

Next is my entry for JUGS CASE a DT.  There is a wide variety of cards to choose from--all wonderful!  I was drawn to this beautiful card made by Carol using dry embossing, patterned paper and ephemera. 

I was reminded of my old Christmas stickers, die cuts and chipboard still waiting to be used.  I'm not sure my card counts as a case, but I'm really glad Carol inspired me to finally use these festive, shiny die cuts.  

The embossed panel was made with SSS Holiday Greenery folder and I sprayed the panel with Heidi Swapp white Color Shine which gives a beautiful shimmer.  I added Christmas Red Stickles to the berries.  Quick festive card that won't need extra postage.  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.

Thanksgiving and Christmas

I've had this card in mind for several weeks.  The Stamp Market Mini Autumn Leaves and some Lindy's Magicals have been sitting on my table.

The die cut leaves were simply watercolored with Lindy's Magicals Ponderosa Pines Olive, Canna Lily Burnt Orange and Poutine Gold.  You can see the beautiful shimmer in my IG post.  Love the texture from SSS Refracted embossing folder on another of my newly discovered terra cotta note cards.  I brushed brown ink on the edges.  The SSS sentiment from Full of Thanks was stamped in Versafine Clair Pinecone and clear embossed.  Embellishments are SSS Mocha Java sequins.  I'm entering Time Out Challenges #300 with the Fall Thanksgiving Celebration in the US and TTTC282 using Leaves/Free/Die Cuts from my friend Betty's board.

Christmas Kickstart Snow Alert! challenge is about to close.  Again, I finally made a card that's been in the back of my mind for weeks.

Box 12 that Your Paper Insider generously sent to me contains a beautiful shimmery light blue cardstock called Aquamarine Curious Metallics.  I thought it'd be perfect embossed with SSS Fanciful Flurries folder.  It's really gorgeous in person!  I have several snowflake dies and purposely chose the one from Uniko because it has large enough sections to show off the Holographic More Dots cardstock.  Check out the video in my IG post.  I stamped the W&W sentiment in Versafine Clair Blue Belle and used the same ink to color the edges of the mats.   I'm also entering SSS Monday, 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.

Gift Bag

There's a beautiful Mood Board for Inkspirational.  The little town in the bottom right corner caught my attention.  

My friend, Susanne, made a card a year ago that I loved using a retired Poppystamps village die.  She's one of my many sweet friends who offer to send me diecuts when I admire their cards.  Here's what I did with one of them.  

I painted soft gold scraps to go behind the windows, covered the houses with a shimmer pen and added Distress Snowfall Grit Paste to the roofs and the torn white cardstock strip.  The little trees from SSS Village die set were cut from green scraps and covered with Peeled Paint Distress Stickles.  I cut the little stars from Simply Graphic Starry Arches--trimming them off the arch.  The snow on the black panel was done with a Posca white paint marker.  I've lost track of how many times I've used the little sentiment from an old Winnie and Walter set.  This time it's white embossed.  Hard to get decent pictures, but hopefully you get an idea of what I did.

I saved the beautiful black gift bag the jeweler put my new watch in earlier this year.  Think my little scene dresses it up perfectly for the holidays.  I'm also entering Poppystamps, Snippets Playground (stars, trees & torn strip are from scraps), 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.  I'm behind on mailing Christmas cards, so may be a little while.