Birthdays and Christmas

Sometimes I make wintry themed cards for December birthdays, but here's one that looks more summery. 

Thought my friend might enjoy a break from the weather--in a card, at least!  I gold embossed Alex Syberia's Spring Garden & used the coloring stencils with PTI Summer Sunrise, Harvest Gold, Honey Nut, Simply Chartreuse & Ripe Avocado.  The PTI Essential Sentiments word fit perfectly.  I made the card from PTI Classic Kraft & splattered with gold Gansai Tambi watercolor.

I like the softness from the kraft & the Altenew matte gold sequins.  Fun to get a different look from the same stamp by changing colors.  I'm entering Die Cut Divas & The Flower Challenge. 

My hubby's birthday is also in December & I knew I wanted to use SSS Forest Border embossing folder.  I started by inking a panel in DO prize ribbon, lucky clover & vintage photo.  After using the folder, I lightly rubbed the raised edges with white pigment ink & heat embossed with WOW White Twinkle powder. 

You can see the beautiful sparkle in the short video below or in my IG post.

I added TH Snowfall Grit Paste to the bottom of the panel & splattered white gouache.  The Uniko sentiment was double embossed on vellum with Versafine Clair Blue Belle & clear ep.   I really like how the blue frame makes the tree panel stand out & hubby loves his "fancy" card.  I'm entering Time Out & Inkspirational.

I fell in love with Poppystamps Pine Needle Shoots die as soon as I saw a wreath made with it.  I wanted to put my own spin on it & this is what I came up with. 

I die cut the one piece die with 5 shoots from 2 shades of green cardstock.  All but the smallest diecuts were arranged on a PTI Twig Wreath die cut from brown cardstock.  The little red dots were in my stash. 

I stamped HA sentiment on a Memory Box white woodgrain panel using Versafine Clair Nocturne.  Turned out to be one of my favorite cards!  I'm entering Poppystamps Cool Yule, Christmas Kickstart & TTTC238 using December Holiday/Winter Foliage/Red or Green.

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

2 More Cards

Again I have a friendship card & a Christmas card to share.  First up is the card I sent for the monthly card exchange I participate in.  Wasn't sure how TE Create in Quads: Ever Bloom would look using only shades of purple, which was one of the challenge options. 

I only used the part of the stencils that make a center bouquet and daubed on Altenew inks Wisteria, Hydrangea, Ultraviolet & Andromeda.  Turns out I like the look & can't wait to try some other colors.  I added details with a white gel pen & used pearls for embellishment. 

The black mat was embossed with SSS Refracted folder & the sentiment was stamped in the darkest purple.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.

I love Birch Press products & can't resist a good sale with free shipping!  I also broke my "no more poinsettias" rule, but I'm not sorry!😊The top layers were brushed with Distress Oxides aged mahogany & pumice stone and were brushed with a shimmer pen. 

You can see the gorgeous shimmer in my IG post.  Kelly Lunceford inspires me with cards that have lots of elements without looking cluttered.  That's what made me add the CN9 branches die cut from vellum.  Amazing what a difference it made!  The stamen was colored dark gray, covered with Nuvo Glaze & topped with a silver dot. 

Everything was glued only in the middle for a lot of dimension.  Birch Press Handwritten Christmas & Outline was die cut from vellum & silver metallic cardstock.  The PTI Smokey Shadow mat was die cut with AJVD rectangle.  I'm entering Color Hues, SSS Wednesday, Snippets Playground (vellum scraps used) & Time Out.

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

Friendship and Christmas

Last minute entry for the Altenew November challenge using Dreamy Daylillies embossing folder & stencils, plus the word die in the bundle.  

Whoever came up with stencils to color embossing folders is a genius in my book--haha!  I picked out inks that were as close as I could get to the challenge colors:  PTI Autumn Rose, Altenew Fuschia & Hydrangea.  I covered the ends of the stamens in Nuvo Glaze & added silver splatters.

The embossing is so beautiful, I kept it simple with just a silver strip & word.  Can't wait to use this folder again with different colors.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.

I participate in a Christmas card exchange each year.  This time I used CN9 Tiny Trees Turnabout with a different color combo for each card.  This one has been received, so I'll post it here & enter Christmas Kickstart, Rudolph Days, SSS Monday & SSS Wednesday. 

Three turns were stamped in PTI Lilac Grace, Lavender Moon & Amethyst Allure, with the 4th turn silver embossed.  One of the separate trees in the set was also silver embossed with Amethyst for the trunk.  To make the tree stand out from the background, I die cut a vellum oval & brushed the back with the Amethyst ink. 

I added Silver Stickles & a sequin to the tree, stamped the sentiment from the set to match & used Amethyst Allure cardstock for the mat.  I knew the recipient loved purple & I'm happy to say she likes her card.

Sorry to do 2 posts so close together, but challenges are closing.  Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.

Challenges

Challenges are ending, so a quick post with my entries.

First is my card for Pinkfresh Studio Thanks challenge.  I've had the same great physical therapist for several courses of treatment over the past several years.  Decided to make a card for him, as hopefully he won't see me again! 

I used my favorite PFS Layered Wreath die cut from a panel of paper watercolored with Lindy's Magicals.  There's a short video in my IG post showing the beautiful shimmer.  The bottom wreath was die cut from a light green shimmer cardstock I've had for years.  The sentiment is from PFS Perfect Sentiments & the wooden dots are MME.

I mopped up the beautiful red shimmer mist I spilled with a panel of watercolor paper.  After it was dry, I embossed it with Altenew Perfect Poinsettias folder. 

For more definition, I rubbed the raised edges with Memento Rhubarb Stalk DewDrop ink pad & oh what a difference that made--love it!  I used my finger to add gold rush Lunar Paste to the flower centers. 

The Winnie & Walter Noel die was cut from a scrap also spread with the Lunar Paste.  I added red sequins with a dot of Christmas Red Stickles.  You can see the shimmer & sparkle in the video in my IG post.  I'm entering Color Hues: Red & Metallic Gold.

My last card is for the November Alex Syberia challenge.  I used the colors to make a birthday card with Spring Garden stamps, stencils & dies. 

The inks are CN9 Poppy, Cranberry, Clover & Evergreen.  For the blue I found an old textured cardstock & for the pink I used a marker to color the flower centers.  Star Dust Stickles & PFS gems add some sparkle. 

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  I'm working on catching up my blog reading.  

Three Cards

My October CCC card went to the UK, so I used my first Alex Syberia (a UK company) stamp/die set called For You.  

The background was made with Lindy's Magicals & the frame is Reverse Confetti.  Since it's Fall, I used more peachy pinks for the 3 layers of the bloom: CN9 Nectar & Grapefruit plus PTI Pale Peony.  The top layer of dots was silver embossed.  Versafine Clair Morning Mist & Lawn Fawn Manatee were used for the stem, leaves & sentiment from the set.

The gallery for Coffee Lovers Blog Hop is about to close.  There are hundreds of entries & now there's one more--haha!  It's not my usual style, but I had fun making it & like the final result.  

I began by stamping Stamplorations Coffee for All Seasons Autumn image 3 times in Versafine Clair Pinecone.  I used the same ink, randomly applied to a Precious Remembrance Shop Fall Colors image--purposely not inking it entirely.  I picked up watered down spiced marmalade & peeled paint Distress Oxides with a piece of acetate & added it to my panel, repeating until I was happy with the look.  I used molding paste through Tim Holtz Splatters stencil, added Stampendous Moonstone ep & heated for a wonderful textured effect.  

The sentiment from SSS Full of Thanks was stamped in the Pinecone ink.  It just needed something more & finally I decided to add the Elizabeth Craft pumpkin diecut brushed with the same DOs.  The edges were darkened with DO vintage photo before adding the panel to a PTI Classic Kraft card base.  

My last card was made for JUGs Color Week: Red & Green.  I like some non-traditional Christmas color combos, but not to the exclusion of red & green.  I'm not one of the people who can never have enough floral images, but I am a sucker for poinsettias.  I keep telling myself I don't need another one.  However, last year I finally gave in & got CN9 Fresh Cut Florals Edition 4 before it was gone for good.  The sprigs that come in the set are beautiful, too. 

I used 2 red shimmer mists & 2 green ones on panels I then die cut.  A recent Altenew order included the Deck Planks embossing folder which I used with a panel of cream cardstock.  I lightly rubbed over the raised areas with a Delicata Golden Glitz ink pad & brushed the edges with DO antique linen.  

The Birch Press sentiment die is a new favorite I'll use over & over.  I cut the words from the same cream cardstock & stacked them 2 high.  The shadow was cut from vellum.  The flower center was covered in Champagne Stickles & I added a TE matte gold enamel dot.  Hopefully the recipient will love this card as much as I do.    

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.  I'm continuing with my post-op shoulder therapy, but am able to function quite well even if I don't gain additional range of motion.  Thanks for all the caring thoughts.

Alex Syberia Floral

After not posting for over a month, I have 2 in 2 days!  I was fortunate to win a couple Alex Syberia gift certificates recently.  You'll see the first card in a few days, but here's the one I made for the October challenge using the embossing powder option.  

I used the beautiful Spring Garden stamp/stencil set.  Gotta say, the image stamped perfectly the first time!  I gold embossed with SSS Antique Gold powder & used CN9 Ballet Slipper, Sorbet, Buttercup, Sumflower, Sprout & Parsley to add color through the stencils.  I also embossed the accent layers of the floral centers with HA Sparkle ep.  You can never go wrong with gold splatters, in my book!  

The sentiment from the set was stamped in Sorbet & I embossed the mat with the gold ep.  I tried a black mat, but in the end decided on a gold embossed one.  Gold sequins were too bright, but fortunately I also have Altenew matte gold ones.  Can't wait to use this set with other colors.  I'm also entering SSS Monday & 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 as soon as I can.