Easter Cards

I've made quite a few birthday cards and got behind on making Easter cards.  Here are 2 I finished in the last few days.  First is my entry for Pinkfresh March Challenge using Dainty Blossoms and Elongated Ovals die sets. 

I colored the bouquet with metallic pink and green watercolors.  The light pink cardstock panel was splattered with gold watercolor.  Love the tiny Heidi Swapp gold alpha stickers I've had forever. 

The shimmer and shine is really beautiful in person.  You can see it better in my IG video.  I'm also entering WAW.

A few years ago, my friend Betty gave me a couple cardstock panels covered with a beautiful wide washi--might be from The Ton.  I remember that she used the eclipse technique with a panel and I love the look.  Thought this large Penny Black butterfly die would be perfect and it was, in my opinion.  

I backed it with 2 additional layers and spritzed it with a shimmer spray before gluing it back in place.  The washi's foiling looks rose gold to me, so I pulled out my 2 embossing powders and one was an almost perfect match.  I used it for Poppystamps Proper Happy Easter outline and background diecuts and used white cardstock for the letters.  Finished off with a few pretty pink sequins.  I'm entering Allsorts Challenge. 

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Valentine and Friendship

I enjoy watching the Olympics and hearing some of the athletes stories.  I'm happy for the winners, but hope all the competitors are proud of being Olympians.  I'm definitely cheering for Freestyle skier Hunter Hess.

Here's another Valentine I sent to a friend.  I came across my old Penny Black Stickeroos including a sheet that looked like Valentine's Day images.  

I just added the sticker to a cream panel already die cut, splattered it with Champagne Gold watercolor and glued it to the card front I had covered with matching red cardstock.  The colors aren't great in this picture--much prettier in person.  The very old MFT sentiment gets used every year.  I'm entering PBSC, SSS Monday and JUGS.

My friendship card is for the monochromatic challenge at Poppystamps.  The card is PTI Soft Stone, my favorite light gray.  Poppystamps Nordic Basket and the smaller MFT rectangle were die cut from Soft Stone.  

I brushed the sides and bottom of the basket with Soft Stone ink.  I die cut a bunch of Poppystamps Lucky Layered Flowers to try out my new Altenew Moonlit Twilight ink cubes.  To me, Glacier Iris and Dreamy Periwinkle go together and Celestial Mist and Twilight Sky go together, rather than mixing and matching all 4 colors.  For this card, I used 3 flowers made with Glacier Iris and Dreamy Periwinkle.  I took a bunch of pictures with a variety of backgrounds, but couldn't capture the true ink colors.  They definitely are purple and not blue.  I cut some of the individual Poppystamps Massa Leaf Frame branches from vellum and arranged everything in the basket which was glued to the smaller rectangle.  I brushed the next size up rectangle with Dreamy Periwinkle to match.  Poppystamps Scribble Hello was brushed with both inks going from light at the bottom to dark at the top.  The sentiment and the flower centers were covered with glaze.  Dreamy Periwinkle enamel dots were the finishing touch.  I'm also entering TTTC286 with Diecutting/Ink Blending/Friendship.

Truth is truth.  We choose what to believe and what not to believe.  Believing something doesn't make it true, just as disbelieving something doesn't make it false--not even if you're in a position of power.

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Pinkfresh Studio, Altenew, Taylored Expressions

Hard to believe it's almost Christmas.  We're hunkered down with freezing rain outside, so thought I'd share some recent cards.

First is my entry for PFS December Challenge to make a holiday card.  I ended up using more of my hoarded PFS Christmas Wishes paper pack to make hubby's card.  

I used circle dies to cut out parts of 2 different papers & used the sketch at FMS to make my card.  One of the PFS Layered Snowflakes was die cut from super sparkly silver glitter paper & the sentiment was made with Heidi Swapp alpha stickers.  

The PTI Soft Stone panel was splattered with white gouache & I added tiny PPP iridescent stars.  Glad this one is staying at my house--haha!

Next is my entry for the Altenew December Challenge with a card based on the October 2022 inspiration photo & colors.  I began by using the Dotted Swirls Debossing plate on a green, textured panel.  

Then I die cut blooms & leaves from Climber Flowers die set using white cardstock scraps.  I colored the floral layers by brushing them with PTI Lovely Lady, varying the amount of ink to get 3 shades.  The leaves were colored with PTI Harvest Gold & Distress Ink fossilized amber.  The sentiment from Essential Sentiment Strips die set was cut from a black scrap & backed with a white strip inked in Lovely Lady.

I added a gold thread bow & light pink sequins.  The card is mailed, so can't try for better pictures.  The blooms are really pretty in person.  I'm also entering Snippets Playground.

Last time I had my laminator out, I foiled several Foil-It panels in the TE Modern Eucalyptus kit.  Thought the one I did using teal foil would make a pretty birthday card stenciled with shades of purple.  I used PTI Lavender Moon, Winter Wisteria & Lilac Grace. 

I used my old Lil' Inker stitched rectangle die to cut down the panel & added it to Winter Wisteria & black mats.

The kit includes Scripted Sentiments stamp set which I really love. I stamped the birthday sentiment in Versafine Clair Nocturne & added Hero Arts Ombre purple sequins, thanks to a sweet friend sharing with me.

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

Friendship Cards

Color Hues is remembering their teammate, Lindsey, who lost her battle with ovarian cancer.  I didn't know her, but I know the sorrow of loosing loved ones to cancer.  Here's the card I made to join in honoring Lindsey using her chosen colors of Blue & Purple for a CAS card.  

I recently got the Altenew Nesting Ovals in a sale with the idea of making a rainbow which I saw someone do months ago.  I added glitter to my old blue & purple ep.  The middle arch is embossed in Hero Arts Sparkle ep after covering it in white pigment ink.  The sparkle is so pretty in person.  

I die cut & embossed light gray cardstock with a Spellbinders square die.  The GKD sentiment was stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.

Poppystamps August challenge is to let the sentiment take center stage.  I decided to do that with a white on white background & a colored sentiment.  

I started by using Memory Box Texture Distressed Grid stencil with light molding paste not totally covering the stencil. Really love the look! Then I attached Poppystamps Flower Field Corner diecuts in opposite corners. I trimmed the large bloom from 2 more diecuts so I could add it on top for dimension. Poppystamps Luscious Script Hello is one of my favorite dies. I cut a couple shadows & a couple words from white cardstock scraps. The word was embossed in WOW BEE Kind & Spring Breeze powders--beautiful sparkle in person!

I used a Quickie Glue Pen to add the same powders to the blooms.  The secondary sentiment is Tim Holtz stickers on cardstock mounted with foam tape.  I added tiny gems to tie in the black.  

My final card is for JUGS Butterfly challenge.  I had several leftover diecuts I didn't want to store or throw away & now I have one of my favorite cards ready to send to a friend!  

The PFS gold embossed Small Butterflies were stenciled in Lawn Fawn Ballet Slippers & Peach Fuzz.  The background is made with Poppystamps Lattice Small Curve Border 2 high covered in Poppystamps Flower Field Corner diecuts--2 complete ones plus pieces left from the last card.  

Everything was attached to a beautiful Bazzill textured pink panel which I splattered with gold & white metallic watercolors. Love the font of the Mama Elephant sentiment which I stacked 3 high. I'm also 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.

Couple Cards

I finally got my idea to work for FMS, but just can't get a decent picture.  The embossed panel is hard to see, but is a pretty foliage design.  I borrowed it from one of the gals at the craft retreat.  

Ellen Hutson Hex Frames were die cut from silver cardstock & the solid section was mounted with fun foam.  The little branches are Alexandra Renke Myrtella die cuts covered in the beautiful WOW Sparkles Santorini, Ice Pop & Peachy Keen glitter.  Can't get enough of these glitters!  

The flower is Poppystamps Layered Lovely Flowers covered in the same glitters.  Love the little alpha stickers for a sentiment & finished with a black enamel dot.  I covered white cardstock scraps with double sided adhesive for the glittered die cuts.  Makes adding glitter so easy.

Next is the card I made for DRU & ABNH.  I started with a watercolor panel & brushed on 3 Altenew Metallic Watercolors.  They have a wonderful shimmer in person. 

Hero Arts border die was cut from heavy vellum & Poppystamps Happy Birthday Poe Script from silver glitter tape attached to cardstock.  I added pewter Distress Stain splatters, silver metallic thread & some clear gems. 

Lots of shimmer & sparkle in person.  I'm sending this one for a 1/2 birthday since I forgot to send a card in January 🙁 

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

PTI cards

The PTI Great Cover-Up Challenge Feb 9 was to freshen up a previous card using the same stamps & dies.  I chose to make a new version of this winter floral card.

I like the card, but with bulbs blooming & bushes budding, I wanted something looking toward Spring.  I started by die cutting Border Bling: Tin Stitch & Skinny Diagonals Frames from white cardstock this time.  

I used Soft Stone for the card front as I really love the look of white with soft gray.  I used scraps of Lovely Lady & Green Parakeet cardstock for die cutting the blooms & leaves from Into the Blooms II.  I brushed the ends of the blooms with Raspberry Fizz & the leaves with New Leaf ink.  The flower tips are covered with Pink Glam Stickles & the white dots are Pico Embellisher. 

This time I used Versafine Clair Morning Mist to stamp the sentiment from Essential Sentiments.  I have to say, this simpler, brighter, fresher look is my favorite.

The Feb 14 PTI What do I do with This Challenge is to make a Valentine.  I'm always happy to have cards ready ahead of time!  I knew I wanted to use the old PTI Love die, so that's where I started.  It fit great on Border Bling: Flower Frame I had already cut from white cardstock & never used.  The current challenge at Color Hues is Navy and Pink which happens to be one of my favorite combos.  

I used a scrap of PTI Dark Indigo to cut the word 3 times.  The top layer was covered in Shimmer Pico Embellisher which adds shine & makes the cardstock look darker.  Trust me, it really is navy--the same as the sheet under my card.  Most of what I had left of a piece of pink glitter paper was attached behind the flower frame.  It's a beautiful shade of pink, but is very difficult to die cut.  This was a great way to make use of it.  I dug through all my alpha stickers & found a sheet of white glitter ones that were the right size.  

I colored them with a dark pink Copic & then covered them in Pink Stickles--almost matches the glitter paper.  Decided to keep it pretty simple, so just added some old navy pearls from my stash.  I'm also entering The Snippets Playground.   

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