Wax Paper Resist

I love trying new techniques--especially when they're easy!  My friend, Dawn, had a link to this Gina K video & I fell in love!  Before I started making cards, my favorite stationary was dry embossed.  The ability to do that is why I finally broke down & got a die cut machine.  Embossing folders take up a lot of my craft space as I'm always drawn to them.  
Our May quote for the challenge at Words 2 Craft By is from Tenneva Jordan.  It says, "A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." The background for my card is made using the Couture Creations Smooch folder I recently won at CropStop.  It was perfect for the resist technique which gives so much texture & yet is perfectly flat.  That made it possible to stamp MOM directly on the panel.  However, it really needed to be slightly thicker letters because of the busy background.  Luckily I had stickers that worked perfectly on top of the stamping--whew! The sweet silhouette (black embossed) & sentiment are from the Penny Black set called so blessed.  I used Distress Ink picked raspberry & some Stickles for sparkle.  The panel is mounted with fun foam over the card front covered with black cardstock & a strip of striped paper. Hope you'll check out the work of my teammates & join the gallery.  I'm also entering Word Art Wednesday, Penny Black & More, SSS Monday, Stamping Sensations & CropStop.  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.

Thinking of You--more orange!

I've had MFT Peaceful Wildflowers stamps & dies for a long time, but haven't used them very much. Decided they'd be perfect for another MFT Color Challenge card using the new MFT sketch.  I took time to die cut the images from scratch paper to use as a guide per Julee's video. So worth the time! The mini MISTI made stamping the flowers easy using Memento Grape Jelly & Lulu Lavender along with PTI Orange Zest & Limeade Ice. I brushed all of them with Wink of Stella.  

The sentiment is from the same set & I really like it stamped in color instead of a neutral for a change. The side strip is Geometric Grid BG--one of my newest & most loved MFT stamps! The orange was softened a bit by brushing with Perfect Pearls water. Betty has mentioned several times that she used Laurie's Press 'N Seal technique for bouquets.  I watched the video & must have paid better attention this time since it finally worked for me!  I saved a vellum envelope that came in the mail even though it had very little plain space.

Turns out there was enough to die cut MFT Vertical Greetings & I could put the glue where the flowers covered it. Finished with ink & Perfect Pearls splatters & PPP Sparkling Clear sequins given to me by my sweet friend, Rosemary. This was specially made for a blogging friend--hope she likes it!  I'm also entering The Playground, HLS Anything Goes & Word Art Wednesday. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Christmas Card for Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!  I volunteered to work so the nurse with little kids can be off.  I don't have kids, but I am a doggy momma.  It's been awhile, so thought you might enjoy seeing Fritz enjoying the sun while he's on Squirrel Watch.  My bird feeders have attracted a couple squirrels that drive him crazy!  He's so good, though, & stops barking when I tell him no.  We're having summer weather already & the roses love it!  Last night I saw the first rose of the season on my "Mother's Rose" tree rose--just in time for Mother's Day.  

The buds are gorgeous, although it's not my favorite once they open. Better get to my card which happen to be for Christmas.  Merry Monday's theme is Ombre & Glitter--which I actually did last week & was honored to get HM. As soon as I saw the theme I had an ombre glitter tree in mind--hoping I had 3 shades of green glitter.  Sure enough, I did, & the Impression Obsession tree was perfect for the technique.  I used self adhesive 

fun foam which works great for glitter or foil.  The background is done with SSS Falling Snow stencil & Heidi Swapp white Art Screen Ink--beautiful glimmer. The very old sentiment is stamped in Delicata Shimmery Silver which I also used to ink the circle frame.  A dark green scrap was cut for the card front & called it good.  I'm also entering Country View Challenges, Little Tangles & SSS Wednesday.  Thanks so much for stopping by.
  

Ombre Masculine Birthday Card

Time for a new challenge at Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  This month we want to see Penny Black products used for a masculine card.  A couple men in my family are fond of green & it gave me a chance to try out my new Hero Arts Ombre ink pad Mint to Green.  

I almost never use the Penny Black retro pattern background stamp which is great for masculine cards.  I used my favorite emboss resist technique--letting it be a bit distressed looking.  I sliced the panel & mounted it with fun foam to the white card which I stamped in the darkest color using a 2004 PB sentiment stamp--still one of my favorites. Just used some colored cardstock & a little wooden star to keep it simple & OK for a guy. Hope you'll check out the wonderful work of my teammates & join the gallery.  

I'm also entering Stamping Sensations. Thanks so much for taking time to visit my blog.

Watercolor Card Set

I loved Melissa's cards for this week's PTI MIM Challenge which is to make a watercolored card set.  Melissa used the Bold Blossom watercolor cards & it just so happens my friend, Betty, included some in the card she sent me for the CCC card exchange.  

I wanted to practice with my Zig markers, instead of blending inks like Melissa.  First I colored the blue one & then the pink & orange.  Yep--I'm embracing my new found appreciation of the color orange--haha!  

I stayed in the lines for the blue & let the color blend outside the lines for the other one.  The blue one has some text from Background Basics: Text Style stamped in Soft Stone.  I used my Mini Misti to stamp the sentiment from Friendly Flowers in Versafine Smokey Gray.  

The other one has a light stamping of leaves from Turning A New Leaf in Classic Kraft & the same sentiment is stamped in VersaMagic Gingerbread. The stitched edge is done with a PPP die.  The blue card front is Soft Stone & the other one is Classic Kraft.  Stickles in the flower centers, splatters & ribbon finish them off. Hopefully 2 counts as a set--haha!  I'm also entering Curtain Call, Stamplorations CAS Challenge & Word Art Wednesday.  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.

Another Friendship Card

Most of my non-Christmas cards are friendship cards I send to blogging friends.  Had fun last night using some of my Verve stamps & dies to make another card for the April Diva Inspirations Challenge (which is about to close) along with the first May sketch at Mojo Monday.  

The stamps are from Dream Big & New Beginnings.  I finally watched Julee's videos on how to line up the dies & boy does that work slick! Just got Distress Ink mermaid lagoon, so had to try it out for the flowers--using the mini Misti makes it possible.  The leaves are actually stamped in Brilliance Moonlight White--very subtle, but pretty in real life.  I used a PPP die for the scalloped gold edge & some pretty sequins finish it off.  I'm also entering Stamping Sensations.  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.

..And I Didn't Think I Liked Orange!

Interesting color combo for the MFT Color Challenge.  I always say orange is my least favorite color, but I discovered sometimes it's beautiful! The MFT Sketch provided my layout.  Lately I've been loving white embossed graphic images with watercoloring.  I used MFT Geometric Grid BG for the first time--just love it!  

My smooshing was done with PTI Orange Zest, Limeade Ice & Winter Wisteria.  You get shades with watercolor, so hopefully that counts for light & dark purple. The glitter strips were done with Score Tape & Elizabeth Craft Cool Highlight.  I wasn't happy with the look because it's so transparent.  Starting over wasn't really an option, so I grabbed the Champagne Stickles & started putting it over the other glitter.  It kind of globbed so I tried to wipe it off, which made it spread & I loved the look--happy accident!  The sentiment is from MFT Totally Happy & I stamped on the same watercolor paper so it would match.  When I checked my felt supply I discovered that I have Orange Fizz which I bought to use for pumpkins. Cut it with the gorgeous MFT Rolled Gardenia & oh wow--can't say I don't like orange anymore--haha! Found a piece of cream vellum I got in a close-out & had never cut--perfect for the MFT Layered Leaves.  I tried several colors for the card front & finally decided to use splatters of the same 3 inks on a watercolor panel.  Always good to try something new & fun to see colors in a new light. Pink is still my favorite, but that felt no longer has to wait for pumpkin season!  Speaking of pink, here are 2 more of my pink roses.

Just wish they'd last forever!  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday, CropStop & Word Art Wednesday. Thanks so much for taking time to stop by my blog.