A Few Cards

Uniko just had a stencil release & I really want to get the layered butterfly & the rose.  Decided to make a card for the May June Challenge using their Gerbera stencil.  Helps justify buying new ones if I've used what I have--haha!  

I began by inking a white panel with Distress Inks squeezed lemonade, candied apple & abandoned coral.  Then I started playing by adding more ink through the stencil & spreading a thin layer of white Liquid Pearls.  Nothing was turning out like I wanted, but I didn't want to start over.  I die cut the panel with the SSS thin frame, taped the pieces in place on the back & removed the frame.  Then I inked through the stencil with Versamark & embossed with Hero Arts Sparkle ep.  That was what it needed!  

The sentiment from Uniko Simply Said Blocks was matted & popped up.  I can't get most Nuvo Drops to make round drops, but recently I discovered that the Jewel Drops work fine for me.  The Limoncello drops were the perfect finishing touch.  I'm also entering WAW. 

Next is the card I sent for May CCC.  I had such fun using the Tim Holtz wreath dies & the little daisies that were included in a card I received previously from a CCC partner.  

The sentiment is from HA/GK Friendship Blooms & I used white gouache for the splatters.  Hard to tell, but the flower centers are covered in Stickles.

Here's the card I made for the ITP PTI challenge to use cardstock scraps.  I save even very small scraps of my PTI cardstock & it's amazing how often I am able to die cut from them.  For this card I die cut scraps of Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores, Tropical Teal, Weathervane & Smokey Shadow.  

The products are Feathered Friends 8, Twig Wreath, Harvest Berries (flower centers), Bold Blooms & Essential Sentiments.  The card base is Soft Stone & I stamped the leaves in Weathervane, the flowers in Soft Stone & the flower centers in Tropical Teal.  I added Smokey Shadow splatters, Star Dust Stickles (flower centers) & Hero Arts Blue Ombre sequins.  Amazing the difference with just rounding the corners!  I'm also entering The Snippets Playground.

I'll finish with a card for the June GK Monthly Mix Challenge.  It's been a long time since I used Karen Dunbrook's acrylic paint technique & it's always fun to see how the background turns out.  

The sentiment from GK A Big Hello was stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne.  The die cut butterfly from the set was heat embossed with JudiKins Black Diamond ep.  

Finished off with a strip of printed paper, black & white splatters and black & white Pico Embellisher dots.

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

CAS Mix Up Guest Designer

I'm so honored to be one of the GDs for July's CAS Mix Up Challenge.  This month is the stencil challenge & the theme is Stencil Tracing.  I've seen some people do this technique, but hadn't really given it a try myself.  Gotta say--it's fun & easy!

I started with another of the Scrape Painting panels I made using DecoArt Acrylic Paint in Grape Taffy, Turquoise & Tutti Fruitti.  Then I laid SSS Square Dance Stencil over the panel & used a Uniball silver gel pen to trace around selected parts of the stencil.

I die cut a rectangle window in a silver panel & really love the look!  The PFS black die cut flower from Dainty Blossoms was stacked a couple high & glued in place.  The sentiment was made with clear stickers attached to a scrap of the silver paper & the only embellishment is a dot of black Pico Embellisher on the flower center.

I know lots of us have a collection of little used stencils, so why not pull them out & join the challenge!  You'll find all the details & lots of inspiration at CAS Mix Up.
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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.

Friendship, Birthday, Easter

How are you doing?  Thank goodness for crafting--one thing that's normal!
I have 3 cards to share & the first one is my entry for the Altenew March Inspiration challenge.  I love the soft, soothing colors which I interpreted with DI milled lavender, tumbled glass & bundled sage.

The free shipping sales often get me since it's a chance to just buy a single inexpensive item--like the Altenew Bursting Dahlia stencil.  After blending on the inks, I applied Versamark & embossed with HA Sparkle ep.

The Altenew Fancy Hello die cut was also embossed with that ep & attached to a dark gray shadow.  Hard to see, but there are splatters of the 3 inks.  I didn't want anything flashy, so added Pico Embellisher shimmer dots.  I'm also entering Virginia's Show & Share & SSS Monday.
Edited to add: Also entering CAS Stencil--thanks, Cat!

Next is another card using SSS Spring Flowers.  This time I added color to the gold embossed die cuts with Zigs & spritzed with water.

The dots & sentiment are PTI.  I embellished with gold Pico Embellisher.

I'm entering SSS Flickr 145, Kathy's 30 Day Coloring Challenge & Time Out.

And finally another Easter card.  A long time ago a friend sent me a gorgeous card with multicolored flowers & leaves.  She was kind enough to explain it was made with acrylic paints.  I found a set of 4 paints in colors I love.  They were still unopened until the other day, sad to say.  My friend, Betty, is GD for Cas Mix Up & the challenge just happens to be Acrylic Paint!  So glad I finally gave the technique a try.  I also used stamping & die cuts. 

I randomly applied the colors (much deeper & prettier in real life) next to each other on a panel of watercolor paper.  Then I stamped MFT Fantasy Florals images multiple times using Versafine Clair Nocturne.  I had a different design in mind, but ended up liking them arranged closely together across the top of a card covered with black & white striped paper.  I added some white gauche splatters--hard to see.  The IO black sentiment die cut was stacked 2 high & covered in Nuvo Glaze.  It didn't look right directly on the stripes, so I first attached a doubled strip of vellum.  The dots are black Pico Embellisher.  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.