Hugs & Be Merry

Back in 2011 a friend from the HA Flickr Group sent me a miniature card which I still keep on display in the room where I store my craft supplies.  I haven't made one in a long time, but decided it'd be fun to play along in the JUGs Mini Challenge.  It also gave me a chance to use the good part of a card I messed up for the Poppystamps May Challenge Winged Things.

Poppy Freida Curve was inked with Brilliance Pearlescent Jade & attached to a panel inked with Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue.  The sentiment from Poppy Grateful Heart was stamped in Brilliance Starlite Black.

I trimmed butterflies from Poppy Hampstead Butterfly Stem, stacked them 2 high & covered them with Nuvo Glitter Drops.  The card is 3 1/2 x 2 3/4.

The Pinkfresh May Challenge is to be inspired by a DT project.  I love Ivana's fresh, modern style.  Back in November, I was the lucky winner of Ivana's Christmas With Pinkfresh Kit giveaway.  I've taken out the contents several times, but didn't want to ruin anything, so just put everything back in the envelope.  Silly, I know.  Thanks to the challenge, I made a card inspired by the kit samples & THIS POST.

I really love the PFS Layered Wreath & Classic Holiday Words.  One day those dies will probably end up at my house!  Here's a shot from an angle so you can see the silver sparkly elements.  Hard to capture the beautiful soft pink of the panel, but lovely in person.

I love the scalloped edge, silver glittery strip & bow, sequins & tiny gems--all in the kit.  Lots of texture & dimension without foam tape, so it's flat for mailing.  I'm also entering Christmas Kickstart.

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

Happy Mother's Day

Wishing all the mothers a very happy day, in spite of the pandemic.  This card's for all of you.

I stamped PTI Friendship Jar Flowers images in Simply Chartreuse, Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores, Hibiscus Burst & Berry Sorbet.  Thought about adding splatters, but instead just added some details with a white gel pen.  I die cut the panel with PTI Vertical Splits smaller die & used the larger one with a piece of Simply Chartreuse cardstock.  I just have a couple sheets from a sampler pack, so I cut out the middle of the die cut & filled it in with cheap white cardstock.  Always proud of myself when I remember to do that!  I'm on a shimmer kick right now, so before attaching the stamped panel I spritzed with shimmer spray.

Finished off with a sheer white bow & mounted the panel to a card front with the sentiment from PTI Simple Stems.  I'm entering ITP Melissa's Fab Friday, ModSquad, Allsorts & Retro Rubber.  I've had the flowers stamp set for well over 2 years.
Edited to add: Also entering Virginia's Show & Share.
Edited to add:  Also entering Time Out thanks to Sandie saying Flower Arranging is an art!

I keep missing the HA Stay Crafty challenges, but I was determined to make a card for Challenge #7 Essential Kindness.  This time we're to make a card for an essential worker.  I've been meaning to send one to our wonderful PCP.  She's continuing to see patients, like so many doctors.  Even with proper PPE, the more people you're around, the greater the risk.

I love pastels & Brilliance Pearlescent inks are some of my favorite ink pads.  I used purple tape to mask sections of a panel & used direct to paper with Lavender, Coral, Jade & Sky Blue.  Then I stamped the panel with HA Magical Background in Delicata Silvery Shimmer.

The sentiment from HA Made with Love was stamped in silver ink & embossed with a satin powder, rather than silver.  That made a softer silver look that went with the stamped panel.  I added a couple layers of cardstock for just a bit of dimension before adding the panel.  I had gray/white twine on my table which finished it off.

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

3 Floral Cards for Friends

Over the past week I've made several cards & here are 3 of them.  First up is a last minute entry for Inky Paws Challenge #122.  Finally spent the gift certificate I won a long time ago & got Newton's Nook Blooming Botanicals.  You may want to sit down--I colored with Copics!  Well, not a lot of coloring, but it's a start.

This is Take 2 & I'll try again, but not before the challenge deadline.  Luckily I have sweet friends who won't mind my beginner skills.  I used Elizabeth Craft's oval dies for the first time.  After I finished coloring & adding sparkle, I restamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne to get nice dark lines.

The PTI Mint Julep cardstock was dry embossed with an old Cuttlebug folder.  I used circle dies for the sentiment & mounted it with foam tape.  I'm also entering NBUS 14.

Next is my entry for Memory Box May Challenge--Floral Cards.  I inked a white panel with DO Broken China & Cracked Pistachio.

Then I inked again with MB Texture Distressed Grid stencil in place & spritzed with a shimmer spray.  The sentiment from Poppystamps Hope and Thanks was stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist.

MB Tall Poppy Left Corner was die cut from gray cardstock, stacked 3 high & covered with shimmer.  Finished off with Pico Embellisher Shimmer dots.

My last card is for Altenew May Inspiration Challenge.  I gold embossed flowers from Altenew Lotus & colored them with Tropical Fiesta Watercolor Markers.  I used Erum's technique of scribbling & spritzing with water.  I added more color & spritzed again until I got the look I wanted.

After they were dried, I die cut & splattered with the darkest marker, white gauche paint & Distress Stain tarnished brass.  Brilliance Mediterranean Blue was used for a watercolor wash on the card front.

I attached the Gradient Stripes Cover die cut given to me by a friend & splattered with the tarnished brass.  The Altenew Fancy Hello die was cut from white & a piece of cardstock I colored with the blue ink.  Finished off with gold sequins.  I'm also entering Stamping Sensations.

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

Guest Designer for Word Art Wednesday

I haven't been a GD for awhile, but that changes this month.  Thanks for all the sweet comments on my last post.  Today I'm delighted to let you know I'm the May GD at Word Art Wednesday. 

The sponsor for this challenge is Pink & Main.  They're giving the random winner a prize package worth over $25, so you might want to play along.  I kept my card pretty simple with the verse taking center stage.

The PTI frame die was cut from black cardstock & I slipped it into the die cut Pinkfresh Studio Circle Frame with Botanicals which was lightly sponged with DI fossilized amber.  3 MFT felt rolled roses add color & dimension.  Love the look of the Altenew Dotted Swirls Debossing cover plate which I used on the deep yellow card front.  Thanks so much to Karen for inviting me to join the team this month.  Wishing all you mothers a very Happy Mother's Day, in spite of the pandemic.
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 CAS Stencil Card Challenge

I was honored to win the March CAS Stencil challenge with THIS card.  Today I'm joining the team as their Guest Designer for the May CAS Stencil Card challenge.  The theme is Layered Stenciling--lots of possibilites.  Hope you'll be inspired to play along.

There are links to videos on the blog & you won't want to miss the DT projects.  My card uses a heart stencil I previously made with a MB heart die & TCP stencil sheet layered with SSS Falling Snow stencil.

I began by blending DI mermaid lagoon & lucky clover with the heart stencil in place.  Then I carefully positioned the Falling Snow stencil under the heart stencil & used a dauber to heavily ink the 2 colors.  Decided some sparkle & shine would be good.  I added Versamark with only the heart stencil in place & embossed with HA Sparkle ep.  It really is beautiful in person.

I used both ink colors for the little splatters before attaching the Mama Elephant die cut sentiment.  Can't believe I've had that die for so long & this is the first time I've used it.  A big thank you to the CAS Stencil DT for choosing my card & inviting me to guest design with them.  Hope to see you in the gallery.  I'm entering NBUS & Stamplorations May Stencil Challenge.

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

Ink to Paper Project Reach Out

I'm so glad ITP is doing the Project Reach Out challenges to inspire us to create & spread some joy.  It's a lot more fun than leaving a bunch of comments to be in the running for a gift certificate--at least for me!
Wreaths of all kinds are some of my favorite images, so decided to use PTI Twig Wreath & ITP Bold Blooms for a little different look.  This card is for Project Reach Out: Sending Love.

I used a scrap of PTI Classic Kraft & PTI inks Classic Kraft, Ocean Tides, Aqua Mist, Lovely Lady, Autumn Rose, Scarlet Jewel, Winter Wisteria & Vintage Cream.  I used the Rock & Roll inking method for the leaves & big blooms.  At first I thought it might end up in the trash, but I just kept going.  I added splatters of Distress Stain Antiqued Bronze & brown Zig.

The sentiment from PTI Take 3 Summer was stamped in Versafine Clair Acorn.  Then the PTI love die was cut from the panel & attached to 2 more die cuts before being glued into place.  I used Vintage Cream cardstock for the mat & added a few dots of Stickles Rose Gold for a bit of sparkle.  Gotta say--I love how how this turned out!  I'm also entering The Snippets Playground.

For Project Reach Out: Gratitude, I began by masking the bottom of a white panel & blending the exposed area with DO faded jeans & cracked pistachio.  I also added splatters of each color, but they are pretty subtle.  Then I stamped foliage images from ITP Bold Blooms & Twig Wreath in Versafine Clair Morning Mist--a dark gray.

The sentiment from Bold Blooms was also stamped in Morning Mist & I used a white gel pen for the little dots.  I really like the muted, chalky look contrasted with the white strip.  I'm also entering Addicted to CAS.

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