CAS Mix Up July Stencil Challenge Reminder

I'm back as one of the Guest Designers for CAS Mix Up July Stencil Challenge.  Here's another example of the Stencil Tracing technique & I hope you'll be inspired to play along.  This time I inked SSS Bouquet of Roses stencil using sponge daubers with Brilliance Pearlescent Poppy & Starlite Black.

Love the subtle shimmer of these inks.  My tracing was done with a dark gray Staedtler Triplus Fineliner pen I recently picked up curbside.  Actually, hubby picked it up.  I love being home making cards, but he gets a little stir crazy.  Always good to have errands for him to do!  Glad I got this pen--easy to use & perfect for stencil tracing.

The sentiment is SSS Painted Hugs die cut stacked a couple high & a Cosmo clear background sticker I attached to white cardstock & trimmed with scissors to the size I wanted.  Lately I'm liking a mat barely larger than my panel, so that's what I used here.  Finished off with clear sequins & another card ready to mail.  I also crossed one more thing off my to do list:  make a card with gray leaves.  I like it so much I'm going to try gray with other colors of flowers.  

I'm entering SSS Flickr Challenge 153 & Kathy's 30 Day Coloring Challenge. 

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

Leaves & Butterflies

I'm still playing with Yana's alcohol ink marker technique.  My version is simplified & more color block, I'd say.  This time I used my new PFS stamp called Lush Vines to make an entry for PFS July Challenge using the summer theme without the colors.  I stamped in Memento Toffee Crunch & colored with several green Copics & a deep pink one.  Then I white embossed the image slightly offset.  Such a fun look!

To me, lots of green & white says summer--plus the deep pink which I see in lots of hanging baskets in my neighborhood.  I decided on Soft Stone behind the panel & stamped the sentiment from Delicate Wreath in Versafine Morning Mist.  As you can see, I die cut a rectangle window & mounted the panel with fun foam.  The sentiment was a bit small for the opening, so I added the die cuts from Dainty Blooms & a crochet thread bow.  I'm also entering The 30 Day Coloring Challenge & Inkspirational.

I HAD to have MFT Brilliant Butterflies stamp set, but it was still unopened.  When I saw the Twofer Challenge theme is Butterflies, I was determined to use that set.

Here are my 2 very different cards--one for a birthday & one to say hello.  No bling on either one--just liked them as is.  Actually, I think they could both work for a guy or a gal.  Do you have a favorite?

I started with the birthday card as I also wanted to enter MFT Color Challenge.  I picked 2 shades of blue VersaMagic since pigment ink is best on colored cardstock.

The dark is Aegean Blue & the light is Sea Breeze.  The sentiment from MFT Totally Happy & the detailed butterfly layers were stamped in Versafine Clair Acorn.  I used a brown Zig for the splatters.  I'm also entering WAW.

The second card uses the same butterfly as the top one on the birthday card.  This time I stamped in Altenew Hydrangea & Wisteria.  The sentiment from PFS Delicate Wreath & the detailed butterfly layer were stamped in Versafine Clair Nocturne.

I doubled the PTI frame before adding it to the butterfly panel.  I didn't want the thickness of fun foam, so I added 3 layers of cardstock which gave just enough dimension.  No extra postage needed which is always nice.  I'm also entering NBUS & Virginia's Show & Share.

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

Christmas & Friendship

I was so glad to see the theme of Christmas in July for several challenges.  One of those is Gina K Monthly Mix, so I pulled out GK Mini Wreath Builder & Sketched Wreath Builder.

The inks are Brilliance Rocket Red & PTI Ripe Avocado, Simply Chartreuse & Prairie Grass.  It's tempting to keep adding images, but I think this was just enough.  Needed some sparkle, so I added Stickles to the flower centers & berries.

I used fun foam to add my wreath to the Spellbinders Lacey Square die cut & rounded the corners of the square card.  I'm also entering Die Cut Divas & Dies R Us.
Edited to add: Also entering Virginia's Show & Share.

Next is another friendship card & I actually pulled out my Copics!  I was immediately enthralled with Yana's no blend alcohol marker coloring.  She's done at least 3 different cards, but here's the first VIDEO I watched.  My first attempt ended up in the trash.  I probably didn't choose the best image, but my biggest problem was figuring out how to shape each area of color & how big to make each one.  So, I decided to try later & moved on to SSS Flickr Challenge 153.  The theme is coloring since there's currently a 30 Day Coloring Challenge going on.  I pulled out SSS Spring Flowers, thinking I'd use my Zigs.  Then I saw the lines of the images & thought I could use them for a modified version of Yana's technique--and it worked!

At least I love it & I've gotten the most likes for any of my cards on IG.  July happens to be watercolor month, so I pulled out a blue Altenew watercolor marker.   Tried the new to me technique of scribbling on a piece of acetate, spritzing with water & tapping on the panel.  It's like smooshing but with a bit more control.  I added splatters of Distress Stain tarnished brass to the die cuts & the background.

The sentiment from SSS Thoughtful Messages was double stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist & I added gold sequins.  The panel was mounted with fun foam to a white card.  I'm also entering WAW.

Covid cases continue to rise in many areas of the US, including ours.  Apparently 130,000 plus deaths isn't enough to make people change behavior, unless someone they love dies.  Very sad that doctors & scientists are being discounted as making mistakes, so we should listen to politicians for public health.  Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. 
Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Hello Cards

So glad ITP has another Melissa's Fab Friday challenge.  The "hello" theme is perfect right now since I'm mailing lots of cards to friends.  I have a pack of Fine Linen cardstock that I've barely used, so I started by die cutting a panel with ITP Border Bling: Tin Stitch.

Then I browsed my PTI color combos to get some ideas & pulled out my PTI cardstock scraps.  I used several PTI Gathered Garden dies with Enchanted Evening, Aqua Mist, Ocean Tides, Melon Berry & Sweet Blush.  I arranged the bouquet, added a blue twine bow, stamped the sentiment from PTI Scripted in Enchanted Evening & added Shimmer Pico Embellisher.  The Enchanted Evening mat made a big difference & only increased the card size 1/4 inch.  I'm also entering Double D Challenges & ModSquad.
 
Next is my homework for the Altenew Academy Quick & Simple Cards, Day 6.  We were to score a frame--something I like to do.  After I made the frame, I stamped the sentiment from Altenew Handpicked Bouquet in Versafine Vintage Sepia & added little splatters of DI peeled paint.

Instead of coloring & die cutting a flower like Laurie did, I finally used the Altenew Painted Fantasy Washi I got on sale along with coordinating dies.  Isn't it beautiful?  Finished off with Shimmer Pico Embellisher dots.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday & WAW.

Just in case you're wondering, the Corona Virus is NOT 99% harmless.  How is it we legislate that clothes must be worn in public, but legislating the wearing of masks in public is a violation of our rights?  Sad, depressing time in this country.  Very grateful for crafting & my crafting friends. 
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

The first slimline card I made was sent to Linda for the June CCC.  I used my new PFS Braided Circles slimline die & the Spellbinders Feb 2020 Small Die of the Month kit.

I purposely used purple since Linda & I were both born in February which has a birthstone of amethyst.  My first idea did not include using the Spellbinders dies, which were still unopened.  So glad I discovered they were just the right size circles.  Took some trial & error to come up with which paper to use for which layer. 

The PTI sentiment word was cut from the teal paper with vellum for the shadow.  I didn't add embellishments, but did use a shimmer pen on the foliage & Pico Embellisher on the word.  Glad Linda likes it.  I'm entering NBUS 16 & SSS Wednesday.

My next card combines 3 challenges:  ABNH, ModSquad & Retro Rubber.  I began by smooshing DI pumice stone & scattered straw using a piece of acetate.  Then I used an old JudiKins ep called Malachite for the leaves from HA Leaf Prints which  is a 2010 stamp set I still really like.  It also has a great selection of small sentiments. 

But the challenge at ABNH is to combine old & new, so I used a sentiment from the 2019 HA/GK collaboration set called Friendship Blooms.  I didn't want a bold sentiment, so I stamped in pumice stone on vellum & clear embossed.  That didn't show up enough, so I added another layer of vellum plus the same kraft I used for the narrow mat.

I also added an oval die cut from the same green I used on the card front & attached it to show only across the bottom.  The sentiment oval was attached with foam tape & I added some light brown sequins.  This could be for Thanksgiving if I don't mail it before then.

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

CAS Mix Up Guest Designer

I'm so honored to be one of the GDs for July's CAS Mix Up Challenge.  This month is the stencil challenge & the theme is Stencil Tracing.  I've seen some people do this technique, but hadn't really given it a try myself.  Gotta say--it's fun & easy!

I started with another of the Scrape Painting panels I made using DecoArt Acrylic Paint in Grape Taffy, Turquoise & Tutti Fruitti.  Then I laid SSS Square Dance Stencil over the panel & used a Uniball silver gel pen to trace around selected parts of the stencil.

I die cut a rectangle window in a silver panel & really love the look!  The PFS black die cut flower from Dainty Blossoms was stacked a couple high & glued in place.  The sentiment was made with clear stickers attached to a scrap of the silver paper & the only embellishment is a dot of black Pico Embellisher on the flower center.

I know lots of us have a collection of little used stencils, so why not pull them out & join the challenge!  You'll find all the details & lots of inspiration at CAS Mix Up.
Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.