My New Lindy's Flat Fabio Sprays

I couldn't resist the recent one day sale at Lindy's Gang.  I've been wanting some spray inks that don't have shimmer or sparkle.  Only let myself get one set and I finally decided on Carribean Cruise.  Now I may HAVE to get a few more bottles! 😆
Emboss resist has always been one of my favorite techniques, so that's what I did for my first card.

SSS Kaleidoscope Background was white embossed on watercolor paper.  Then I spritzed in sort of rainbow order starting at the top.  The sentiment is SSS Happy Birthday Brush Script and the butterflies are SSS Stitching Butterflies.  I die cut the sentiment shadow from the panel and the words and butterfly bodies were die cut from gold metallic cardstock.  The vellum butterflies were brushed with Delicata Golden Glitz.  I'm entering SSS Flickr, DCD and WAW, via Flickr.

My second card came about because I didn't want to waste the sentiment shadow cut from the emboss resist panel.  So, I die cut the words from it and mounted it to the shadow cut from a green, textured scrap.

I sprayed a strip of white, heavy weight cardstock in the same order as the first card.  They don't look quite the same, since I didn't spray nearly as heavily.  When it dried, I die cut 3 old Penny Black balloons.  I found Distress Oxides that were a close match to brush the edges, giving more definition.  Amazing the difference that made.  For a more festive look, I sprayed the balloons with Lindy's Gang Pixie Dust.  It gives a beautiful shimmer.  I tied white crochet thread to the balloons and arranged everything on a gold, metallic panel.  I'm entering DCD, WAW and Snippets Playground.  Everything but the card itself is from scraps.

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April CCC

It's reveal day for April CCC.  I'd been wanting to use my CN9 Turnabout stamps, so pulled out the one called Botanical.  I often use only the friendship option, but this time the color combo was right up my alley with Peony/White/Leaf.  For the pink I used Altenew Blush and for the green I used their Seashore set of 4 cubes.  

I have the dies that go with this Turnabout, but not sure I had ever used them.  The triangle cuts the thin frame as well as the center.  I used vellum and matte gold cardstock.  I stamped and die cut 2 flowers and brushed them with Rouge, darker on the tips.  I wasn't happy with the white lines and edges, so I added a light brushing of the diecuts with ink left in the brush--much better.  The sentiment was made with an Alex Syberia die.  I had penpals when I was a kid and CCC makes me think of that.  I'm one of the old timers and am very grateful to Gail and Jo for keeping CCC going.  Check it out if you'd like to make and receive a card each month.  There's no commitment--just sign up any month you want to participate.  I'm entering 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.

Easter and Birthday

Happy Easter Sunday.  I have many happy memories of Easter's growing up.  Often it would rain, so my folks would send the 3 of us to the basement while they hid the eggs inside our house.  Our church youth group always went to the community-wide sunrise service together.  Then we met at one kid's house for Easter breakfast prepared and served by the parents before church.  Such love I probably didn't really appreciate at the time.  Today, I wake to an unhinged rant including an expletive by the US president.  I can only pray that God opens the eyes of my fellow Christians.  The character of our president does matter.

A friend recently sent me a card she made using multiple thin Washi tape strips.  That inspired me to pull out my box of tapes I pretty much never use.  I didn't find a variety like she used, but I did see 3 beautiful ones with gold foil.  So I switched gears and made a card with my new SSS Nested Eggs.

I covered a scrap of cardstock alternating the 3 designs.  I had already planned which egg dies I wanted to use for the focal point, knowing the Washi egg would be the top layer.  I dry embossed the white egg and cut the largest one from a soft gold glitter paper.  The very old sentiment was gold embossed, including the top and bottom edges of the strip.  I can't wait to make some more cards with this die set and be ahead for next year.  I'm entering JUGs, SSS Monday, WAW and SSS Flickr.

I watched Jo Simons video a long time ago, thanks to someone referring to it in their blog post.  Unfortunately, I can't remember who it was.  Finally decided to make a card using her technique of embossing cardstock and vellum at the same time.  It truly did work perfectly.  Here's one of the cards I made using Altenew's Dreamy Daylilies folder with a satin vellum.  Soon I'll show you what I did with the cardstock embossed in the same run through my machine.

I used the matching lily stencils and very lightly brushed on pink, green and yellow inks.  I added Champagne Stickles to the ends of the stamens and used a PTI frame diecut.  Altenew's Essential Sentiment strip was die cut from matte champagne and white cardstocks.  Another Spring BD card ready to mail.  I'm entering DCD and WAW.

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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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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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Year End

2026 is almost here.  I'm thinking about how to more consistently blog my cards.  I find posting on IG to be quicker, but I don't like not being able to search my cards like I can on my blog.  Maybe I'll finally just write very short descriptions. 

I'll start with the 2 cards I made for my Altenew Christmas Card Exchange Partners.  Unfortunately, I didn't get great pictures.  Once again they look better on IG.  I used the same Altenew Products for both: Poinsettia 3D Die Set, Perfect Poinsettia 3D Embossing Folder and fancy Peace Die.

I rubbed the raised edges of the green panel with Versamark and embossed with Sparkle Powder.  I brushed some darker red ink on the poinsettia petals and used the same ep on the tips and center.  The word was also ink blended to be darker across the top before embossing with the ep.  I'm entering SSS Wednesday.

For the other card, I used the folder with SSS Rich Red Metallic cardstock--so beautiful in person! 

I rubbed the edges with a black ink pad.  The poinsettia was cut from vellum and the word and flower center were cut from glossy black cardstock.  

I've wanted a cardinal die for a long time and finally have one just in time for hubby's Christmas card. 

SSS Cute Cardinal was actually colored with Copics R29, R59, YR04 and black.  I don't have confidence coloring, so was really pleased it turned out good.  Poppystamps Pine Needle Shoots die was cut from 3 MB green cardstocks.  I attached the shoots to MB Woodland Branch.  The blended background was done with Altenew Caribbean Sky.  Love my very old Savvy Stamps sentiment which I stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne.  The snow is white gouache splatters.  I'm entering Christmas Kickstart.

My last card is for the Altenew Year in Review Challenge. 

I was inspired by the April challenge photo of beautiful pink flowers against a backdrop of green leaves.  

I used these Altenew products:  Fresh Flowers die set, Sweet Bouquet sentiment stamp, ink colors Rose Quartz, Puffy Heart, Purple Wine, Citrus Burst, Shadow Creek and Mountain Pine plus Versafine Clair Nocturne.  I couldn't resist adding sparkle with Lindy's Gang Fairy Fluff spray.  You can see it in my IG post.  I'm also entering SSS Monday and Word Art Wednesday.  

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