Celebrate

Fun to get out my Zig Watercolor Brush Markers to make a sweet floral card for several challenges.  The stamp is from Poppystamps Friends and Flowers clear set.  I stamped it on Bristol paper in Versafine Clair Acorn.  Then I colored with Light Pink and Light Carmine using the blender brush and no water.  It doesn't show in the photo, but I also brushed the blooms with shimmer--so beautiful in person.  You can get an idea from my IG post. 

The sentiment from Altenew's Sweet Bouquet was stamped in Acorn and embossed with clear matte powder.  I used Elizabeth Craft Designs Dotted Scallop Rectangles to die cut the panels.  So glad I saw the light pink paper in my stash.  Hard to see, but it actually has very light white or pink polka dots.  The edges of the card front were brushed with vintage photo Distress Oxide.  Finished off with 3 PTI rainstones.  I'm entering JUGS Case a DT Week.  I was inspired by Lisa's card with scallops, stamped focal point, polka dots and pink/tan/white color combo.  I'm also entering Poppystamps Inspired by Nature, DCD Celebration, SSS Monday Feminine, SSS Wednesday ATG and WAW ATG.

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

Card Chain Challenge and Easter

I signed up to send my March CCC card to my friend, Mia.  Knowing it takes a long time for her to get mail from me, I sent it pretty early in the month.  So far, she hasn't gotten it, but hopefully she will soon.  

The card front is cardstock covered with a piece of rice paper from an older SSS kit.  All I did was splatter the beautiful paper with light gold watercolor.  I randomly brushed the Alexandra Renke wreath with the same watercolor.  

The Memory Box word shadow was lightly brushed with Distress Oxide vintage photo.  After I added the cream cardstock letters, I brushed the whole thing with the light gold watercolor.  I'm entering WAW.  

I made a couple of blue and white Easter cards this year.  When I was a kid, navy and white was a popular color combo for Easter.  The first card was made with the reverse piece after I foiled a Unity toner card front with a beautiful blue specialty foil.  It foiled perfectly to a white Poly-Glaze sheet.

I'm entering WAW from another platform.

My other card was made with SSS Cherry Blossom embossing folder.  I simply added a dot of blue Stickles to the center of each flower.  As you've probably noticed, Poppystamps Proper Happy Easter got a lot of use this year!

I'm entering SSS Monday.  

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  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.

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I will return the favor.

Valentines

I'm still working on Valentines.  Luckily, cardmaking friends appreciate happy mail whenever it arrives.

First is my card inspired by Color Hues Red and Pink Challenge.  Finally pulled out Uniko Layering Flower Fusion stencil set and I love it just as much as Picked Posies.  

My inks are CN9 Honeysuckle and Poppy plus PTI Weathervane.  I used Versamark through the flower centers stencil so I could silver emboss them.  SSS Layered Bird Bunch has just the right size little birds.  I colored one by brushing the pieces alternating with the red and pink inks--red being the head.  I used Stamplorations circles cover plate for added interest.  I flipped the cut down panel so the bird could be popped up on the branch next to the Alex Syberia die cut word.  I used vellum for the shadow and silver cardstock for the word.  The Valentine sentiment is inside.  I'm also entering SSS Monday and DCD, if I didn't use too much gray.

My next card was made with Gina K Wreath Builder Template and Sketched Wreath Builder stamp set.  Hadn't used the template in awhile and it really is such a fun technique.  

The inks are CN9 Sweet Pea, Ballet Slipper, Parsley and Sprout.  Even though I stamped the tiny hearts 3 times, they were barely visible.  So, I stamped over them twice using PTI Sweet Blush and got the look I wanted.  The embossed panel was done with a very old folder that has tiny hearts at each intersection of lines.  Love the difference it made compared to using a plain white panel.  I'm entering Time Out Challenges using the words Pink and Heart.  I have light pink hearts and darker pink flowers, plus the tiny white hearts in the embossed background.  

Last is another Valentine using a paper pad given to me long ago by my sweet friend, Cat.  I love the gold and kraft papers, but I struggle to use printed paper.  So glad I watched Juliana Michaels' Craft Your Stash video recently.  Again I used her basic sketch and this time covered the seam with a strip cut from one of the papers with the reverse side up.  

Couldn't come up with any additional colors I liked with these papers.  I found a yellow vellum that looked like gold and used that for the shadow of  SSS Simple Happy Valentine's Day.  The words were cut from the reverse side of the paper, like the strip.  Clear embossing the words let them stand out and perfectly match the card.  Gotta say, I love how this turned out, although I wasn't so sure in the beginning.  By the way, did you see the SSS tip to cut down a silicone basting brush to use with glue?  Check this out!  Someone recently gave me 2 of the brushes, so I tried it out.  Worked great to attach the words to the shadow.  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.

Christmas and Valentine's Day

Since pink is my favorite color, I couldn't miss Christmas Kickstart Dreaming of a Pink Christmas!  I've been wanting to use the little PTI angel in place of an O and here's the result. 

My sweet friend Maria gave me Poppystamps Seed Snowflake Joy a long time ago and I love how versatile it is.  The J and the Y can be used with the snowflake or separately.  I die cut the angel from CN9 pink glitter I've hoarded for years.  It's gorgeous when the light hits it!  You can get an idea from my IG video.  I brushed the white letters with Memento Angel Pink and stacked them 2 high.  I glued the angel to a vellum oval and then attached everything to a panel embossed with SSS Holiday Greenery folder.  The thin mat was inked to match.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.

Years ago another sweet friend, Cat, gave me a wonderful American Crafts Valentine pad.  I love the papers and have used some, but I struggle using printed papers.  A video by Juliana Michaels for the current Craft Your Stash event gave me just the inspiration I needed.

I pulled out 2 papers I liked together and cut them like she did.  The seam was covered with white and pink thin grosgrain ribbon--also in my stash for years.  Love SSS Simple Valentine's Day die and knew it would work for this design.  Tried a few options and decided on a shimmer vellum shadow with light pink letters stacked 2 high.  Then I pulled out various flower dies and thought the smaller one from SSS Dreamy Daisy Layers worked best.  The solid layers were inked light pink and the detail layers were die cut from the same shimmer vellum.  I attached the layers purposely not lined up and added the white centers brushed with a shimmer pen.  Really love how this one turned out!  I'm going to use some of the other papers while I remember what to do with them. 😊 I'm entering SSS Monday and Word Art Wednesday.

Edited:  Something was bothering me about this card.  I pulled it out 2 days later and immediately realized that the flower centers needed to be red to tie in with the text paper.  Easy fix and now I love it!

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Square and Z Fold

I'm grateful Your Paper Insider sent me Box 12 to use and show you.  I'll post my first card later.  Today's card was inspired by Freshly Made Sketches #700.  The first time I entered was November 2013, Challenge #111.  Here's that card:

This is really still my kind of card.  No surprise I used dry embossing for the background.  Those MFT rolled roses made from felt would be on my cards today if mailing costs weren't so high.  

Back to my current card.

I cut 4 squares of the beautiful White and Red Flowers: Yuzenshi paper and matted them with dark brown cardstock in my stash.  The little branches were die cut from the same brown paper.  To keep from covering up much of the background, I used a scrap of my vellum for the shadow of SSS Happy Autumn die.  The Gold Diamond Glitter paper in the box was perfect for the card front and letters.  You can see the sparkle and shine in my IG post.  And yes, I'm ready for Autumn's cooler weather!

Next is my first Z Fold card--yay!  I'm a slow cardmaker, so I don't usually make fun fold cards.  However, I watched a video recently and thought the simple version was something I could do.  Here's what I came up with using some favorite Altenew products.

I cut a white panel in 2 and lined the pieces back up in the Flower Bed embossing folder.  Sweet Bouquet was colored with the matching stencils using Rose Quartz, Puffy Heart, Cosmic Berry, Firefly, Forest Glades, Shadow Creek and Citrus Burst.  I splattered the bouquet with SSS Splatter Medium and added yellow Stickles to all the flower centers--focal point and background.  The sentiment from the stamp set fit perfectly inside.  I did add cardstock layers to the bouquet to make it sturdy enough to have only the left side attached.  You can see details and sparkle in my IG post.  This is another card for the Altenew August Challenge and I'm entering DCD where Altenew is the sponsor.

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