Friendship, Birthday and Christmas

We've been fortunate not to have any wildfires close to us.  So heartbreaking to see the destruction.  The smoke did finally make our air unhealthy the last few days and it's been too hot for me.  Fritz doesn't understand why I won't let him lay on the deck like usual.  I also had a sick day and haven't been motivated to blog.  But today I feel better, so here are a couple cards on my way to catching up.

First is the card I sent to Julia for the CCC July exchange.  I used the beautiful color combo of kraft, pink and gold.

SSS Leaf Tumble embossing folder was used with gold metallic cardstock.  It really gives a beautiful result and I've never had issues with cracking.  The flowers are a set from Pigment Craft Co that I've hardly used.  I stamped in Brilliance Pearlescent Brown and added gold Stickles to the centers.  You can see the beautiful sparkle in my IG post.  The sentiment is from Alex Syberia and I can't remember which branches I used.  The tiny pink butterfly is Poppystamps.

Next is a winter birthday card using 2 Waffle Flower dies for the first time:  Frosty Texture and Small Snowflake.  

I inked the snowflake with Altenew Volcano Lake which is a close match to the beautiful teal glitter tape I've had for years.  I attached the tape to cardstock and then die cut the dots and Altenew Essential Sentiment Strip Happy Birthday.  I usually think of navy blue for snowflakes, but really like the soft, pretty look of the teal.  These products will be great for Christmas cards, but I enjoyed making a birthday card first.  I'm entering SSS Monday via IG, SSS Wednesday, NBUS and DCD.

Here's the last card I made for Christmas in July.  Didn't get nearly enough done, so I'm also planning to do Christmas in August.😀 Actually, I usually make Christmas cards every month, as they're my favorites. 

This one uses the wonderful CN9 Boughs and Holly stencil pack.  The inks are Altenew Firefly, Grass Field, Cherry Sweet and Coral Red.  I inked the branches from a CN9 die set to match and added red and green splatters.  Waffle Flower Cardinal Duo diecut was colored using the matching stencil with Altenew Rhodolite, Cherry Sweet, Coral Red, black and PTI Honey Nut and Weathervane.  I used a glue pen to add touches of fine glitter to the bird, berries and branches.  You can see the sparkle in my IG post.  Birch Press Vintage Sentiment letters were stacked 2 high and inked with Cherry Sweet before being glued in place on the vellum shadow.

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.

Valentine and Birthday cards

Slow going getting Valentines made this year, but I did make a sparkly one inspired by the All that Glitters challenge at Time Out.  I have tons of glitter products, including Elizabeth Craft Designs loose glitter in quite a few colors.  They're truly amazing as they become totally smooth, beautifully sparkly and non-shedding after you burnish them.

Balloons are fun for any occasion and I thought the cute very old little heart balloon die from Penny Black would work great.  I covered some cardstock with double sided adhesive and die cut the balloon 3 times with the adhesive layer on top.  Then I simply removed the adhesive liner and poured on Purple, Champagne and Ocean Spray glitter.  The Spellbinders Label and the sentiment strip were die cut from PTI Soft Stone.  The Tim Holtz bow was covered with Frosted Lace Stickles.  Decided to see if I could add the glitters to the edges of the mat using a Quickie Glue pen and a ruler.  

It actually worked pretty well.  My pen was juicy, so got a bit more glue than needed in a few spots.  I'm still happy with the look.  Check out the video in my IG post to get a much better idea of the beautiful sparkle.  I stamped the very old MFT sentiment in Versafine Clair Nocturne.

Love that Altenew continues to have the monthly inspiration challenges.  They push me to use some of their products in my stash.  The January color combo is right up my alley and worked great for the wonderful White Cap Peonies stencil set.  

The Altenew inks I used are Rose Quartz, Purple Wine, Cosmic Berry and Lime.  I love the Deck Planks embossing folder which I used with tan cardstock.  Hard to see in the pictures, but I lightly rubbed over the raised edges with a slightly darker ink pad.  It adds detail that is noticeable in person. 

The splatters are done with Altenew gold metallic watercolor which has gorgeous shine that you can see in my IG post video.  The gold embossed sentiment is from Sweet Bouquet and I was delighted to find old enamel dots in my stash that are a great match.  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.

Elf Duties--Reminder Post

I'm back to remind you that there's still time to play along with Jo and me at Christmas Kickstart: Wreath it Up.  The gallery is filling up with such wonderful cards and it's amazing how many have wreaths that are also in my stash!  

My first card was made with stencils, so this time I wanted to use one of my wreath stamps.  I settled on a much loved 2004 Art Impressions woodblock stamp.  Luckily, I still have an old fashioned stamp positioner.  

I started by inking the entire stamp in Altenew Misty Mint.  Then I used a sponge dauber to randomly add Mountain Pine.  I went back and forth until I was happy with the results.  I used an old set of circle dies to cut my wreath, a red cardstock circle and a circle inked in Mountain Pine.  I attached everything to a circle card made with the same die as the green mat.  One of my favorite sentiment stamps is a little 2003 Hero Arts woodblock stamp and it was just the right size for the center of my wreath.  Decided I needed a bow, so die cut 2 old PPP bows from red and white.  They're so thin, I stacked both colors 2 high.  Amazing how much better they looked!  I added Christmas Red Stickles to the berries and the center of the bow.  Be sure to stop by the blog to check out Jo's card and why not join the gallery?!

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

Fun Floral Birthday Card

I'm finding that some of my old woodblock stamps no longer can give a good image--no matter how many times I stamp.  But this old Penny Black stamp from 2008 is a keeper!  My tastes in cardmaking have certainly changed over the past 20 plus years, but I still love this playful, unique design.  For one thing, you don't have to be a great colorist to use it.  

I clear embossed after stamping in Versafine Clair Blue Belle.  The centers were colored with Altenew's Persian Blue brush marker and the dots with Maple Yellow.  I have the same colors in ink pads, so I used them to get the matching MFT stitched rectangle mats.  Couldn't help but fill the dots with Yellow Stickles and then decided the centers needed Blue Bayou.  It really makes for a happy, sparkly card in person.  See the video in my IG post.  This Hero Arts sentiment from 2003 is timeless and still stamps great.  I'm entering Woodblock Wednesday (via IG), Color Hues 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.

Time Out Challenge #278

Hard to believe I've been on the Time Out Challenge DT for a year!  I still remember how surprised and honored I felt when Nonni told me I was selected to join the team.  This is our last challenge for 2024 and it is my last post as a member of the team.  I have decided to step down, but I do treasure the opportunity I had to work with these talented ladies.  I'll definitely be a player next year!

We have a fun holiday photo with plenty to inspire you for Time Out Challenge #278.  Check out the blog for a close up.

If you know me, you won't be surprised that the wreath inspired my card.  I do love wreaths!  I used an old woodblock Art Impressions stamp that I still love as much as the first time I saw it.  

The wreath in the photo has a couple shades of green and I actually used 3 CN9 inks:  Clover, Evergreen and Artichoke.  I inked, spritzed with water and stamped on watercolor paper multiple times, until I was happy with the look.  Luckily I still have an old fashioned stamp positioner.  I used the same inks to color the circle mat and added Christmas Red Stickles to the berries.  The little PPP bows were cut from a beautiful red cardstock and I attached them just in the center.  The red cardstock is almost gone, but there was enough for the red mat die cut with a MFT rectangle.  I die cut a tiny gold circle for the center of the bow to tie in with the mat and the Birch Press Merry Christmas Vintage Sentiment.  You can find lots of inspiration from our guest designer and my teammates on the blog, along with all the challenge details.  Our sponsor is Gina K, so better check it out!

I'm entering SSS Monday (Stickles) 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.

White and Aqua

I had some extra SSS Dreamy Daisy Layers diecuts on my desk, so I just cut a few more to make a card for Color Hues White and Aqua challenge.  I finished the card a few days ago, but having to get a new phone slowed down everything!😄 Still learning the camera, but here it is.

I watercolored the detail layers with Altenew Aqualicious ink.  The tips of the white layers, the centers and SSS Painted Hugs have Frosted Lace Stickles and the aqua layers have Turquoise Stickles.  

The vellum leaves are SSS Etched Laurel Leaves.  I used a Pigment Craft Co cover plate and charcoal cardstock for the background.  The matching sequins were in my stash.  In case you're wondering, I purposely placed the sentiment left of center.  I was aiming for everything to flow from top left to bottom right.  Hope that makes sense.  I'm also entering The Snippets Playground, which I've been missing.  The blooms, leaves and sentiment were cut from scraps.

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

Guest Designing at Color Hues Challenge

I'm delighted to be the Guest Designer for Color Hues, thanks to winning their Pink and Silver Challenge with my poinsettia card.  Such a surprise and honor!  

I think you're going to really like Challenge #79:  Copper and Green.  Remember, you can use any hues of the two colors and neutrals are welcome.  

I started by embossing one of my favorite background stamps, PFS Lush Vines, on black watercolor paper using my very old JudiKins Metallic Copper embossing powder.  Then I painted the leaves with Altenew Metallic watercolors.  I used one of the green watercolors as is and mixed a lighter one with a color I thought would give it a copper tinge.  The little dots were glittered using a Quickie Glue Pen and Elizabeth Crafts Sweet Basil.  I gave up trying for a better picture after what seemed like 100 attempts--haha!  Hopefully, you can get an idea of the look in this angled shot.  You can see the shimmer and shine in my IG post.

I painted a vellum scrap for the branches from PFS Dainty Blossoms diecuts, as well as an oval cardstock diecut, also from a scrap.  The edges of the card front and a sentiment from PFS Perfect Sentiments were copper embossed to match.  Hope I've inspired you to join the challenge.  Check out the blog for lots of inspiration from the talented DT.  I'm entering PFS January Challenge using the August challenge theme of Sparkle and Shine and 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.