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.

My Monthly Blog Post

Boy have I gotten lazy--haha!  Didn't even realize it's been over a month since I posted here.  I have been making cards & they're on IG.  My shoulder no longer interferes with cardmaking or doing my hair--yay!  My home exercises & therapy sessions do take up a fair amount of time.  Hopefully it will be worth my efforts.  Strength & range of motion have a long way to go, but pain is not an issue.

I had fun making a Halloween card with Poppystamps Whittle Flamingo.  They're trick or treating in orange & purple costumes--haha! 

I've had the DCWV foil paper pad a long time.  The shine is really pretty in person.  

Memory Box Parker Lowercase Alphabet letters were die cut from MB black glossy cardstock & stacked 2 high.  Good to use some more of my old Echo Park Halloween paper pad.  I'm entering Poppystamps Get Your Boo On challenge.

Next is my entry for Pinkfresh October Ombre or Tone on Tone challenge.  I stamped on kraft to make the card have more of a Fall feel to it & stamped in multiple green Distress Oxides.  

It looks much prettier in person than in the pictures.  One of my favorite uses of the MISTI is to use multiple colors one at a time on an image like the PFS Delicate Wreath.  

I added brown splatters, stamped the sentiment from the same set in Versafine Clair Pinecone & added a mix of green sequins.  I'll use this as a Thanksgiving card for a friend.

So fun to pull out Hero Arts 2005 solid & outline Watercolor Holly stamps.  Good thing I kept my old stamp positioner tool for woodblock stamps.  The inks are CN9 Clover, Evergreen, Poppy & Cranberry.  I tried to leave the white space, but splatters won out--haha! 

The very old PrintWorks sentiment was stamped in Evergreen.  Card could have been done, but decided it'd be fun to add The Stamp Market Holly & Berries.

Luckily, I had red & green cardstock in my stash that matched the inks.  Love Christmas Red Stickles which I added to the berries.  I'm entering ABNH, Rudolph Days & Woodblock Wednesday.  

My final card is for Die Cut Divas & Memory Box.  I got MB Layered Narrow Pines too late to use for last years cards.  I die cut the full tree in DCWV green foil cardstock & the top layer in light green glitter tape I've had forever.  

I wasn't sure about using foil & glitter together like this, but oh boy do I love it!  Hard to tell, but the trees are attached to a MB woodgrain panel.  

I carefully used my MISTI & was able to stamp the old HA sentiment in Versafine Clair Pinecone, even with the cardstock texture.  

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  My goal is to begin again visiting blogs & leaving comments starting in November.  

Be Merry

Last minute entry for the Pinkfresh Studio September Challenge, Layer it Up.  I used some of my favorite PFS products: Christmas Wishes printed paper, Layered Wreath die set & Classic Holiday Words die set.  Felt can be used for lots of images, but I tend to get mine out for Fall & Winter cards. 

This wreath die cut beautifully from the white TE felt.  The little layering pieces were die cut from a white cardstock scrap & then brushed with InkOn 3 Liquid Pixie Dust.  I think this is the first time I've used the word die without the shadow.  Love having that option.  Here I die cut the words 3 times from a white scrap, inked the top layer with an aqua pad & covered it with glaze.  The little red gems tie in with the red stars in the background.  I'll have a short video on IG showing the sparkle & shine. So fun when a card turns out to be one you love!  I'm also entering Rudolph Days, The Snippets Playground, SSS Monday & DCD. 

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.                                                                 

Update and two cards

I'm happy to report that I'm no longer in the sling & have begun physical therapy twice a week.  It's wonderful to be able to use my left hand, although I'm not allowed to have anything in my hand when it's above shoulder level.  Long way to go before I have the strength & range of motion I need. 

The September Poppystamps challenge theme is Old School.  I went OLD old school!  

Years ago I loved to use Liquid Applique instead of ink with leaf stamps.  This time I used what was left in my tubes to color the 2016 Poppystamps Majestic Maple diecut.  The texture is very unique when you carefully use your heat gun.

Then I sprayed the leaf with adhesive & used my old Tim Holtz Glitter Duster filled with Distress Glitter Dust Vintage Platinum.  So pretty in real life & it doesn't rub off.  I stamped the very old PTI Text Style on a Rustic Cream card front & trimmed down a couple 2011 Memory Box Woodland Branch diecuts to attach behind the leaf.  The sentiment from SSS Full of Thanks was stamped in Versafine Clair Pinecone.  I finished off with gold sequins.  I'm also entering FMS 604. 

I also made a Fall birthday card using CN9 Give Thanks branches stamped in Distress Oxides aged mahogany, fossilized amber & prize ribbon. 

The veins were gold embossed & I added gold splatters.  You can see the shine in my IG post.  SSS Happy Birthday Brush Script was die cut from vellum and gold metallic cardstock.  I'm entering Seize the Birthday & DCD.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  I hope to soon begin again to regularly read blogs & leave comments.  Thanks for your patience & understanding.

Alex Syberia Designs

I was fortunate to win a gift certificate for Alex Syberia Designs before my shoulder surgery.  I've mostly used diecuts to make my one handed cards, so this time I decided to see if I could make something with my new stamp set using the MISTI.  I'm not great at layering stamps, but these fun blossoms are pretty forgiving, I think. 

The CN9 inks are Ballet Slippers, Sweet Pea & Dragonfly.  I used the coordinating dies, lightly inked the edges & stacked them 3 high.  I added silver Stickles & shimmer which you can see in my IG post.  The gray ink is Versafine Clair Morning Mist, the pink scalloped rectangle is Elizabeth Craft Designs & the silver dotted rectangle is AJVD.  Instead of using the inside leaf stamps, I stamped the outside image on gray cardstock.  Made a big difference to brush the edges with gray ink.  I wasn't happy with the plain background, so added gray splatters & silver gems.  The sentiment is from the same set.  I'm entering Die Cut Divas.

Thank you so much for taking time to stop by.  I really appreciate it & will hopefully soon be back to commenting on your blogs.

Final August Challenges

Decided to make one more card for August challenges.  This one definitely took some patience, which I've been learning with one arm in a sling.  I love the colors for the August Altenew challenge.  Turned out I have some beautiful greener teal cardstock in a container of old 8 1/2 x 11sheets I bought years ago.  Unfortunately, in spite of numerous attempts, I can't get a picture to show the deep greenish blue color.   

Love Altenew Leafy Border die, but haven't used it much.  Thought it would be pretty to have the tan & beige behind it.  Pulled out several ink pads & decided Memento Peanut Brittle & Altenew Pink Sand were very close to the challenge colors.  I smooshed them onto a piece of mixed media paper with one ink across the bottom part that would show & the other across the top with just a bit of overlap.  I did the same thing to the scrap I used for Altenew Essential Sentiment Strips die.  The foliage was brushed with a shimmer pen & I added tiny old gems that were just the right color.  You can see the shimmer & sparkle in the IG video HERE.  I'm also entering SSS Monday challenge.

Thank you so much for taking time to stop by.  I really appreciate it & will hopefully soon be back to commenting on your blogs.

Fall Leaves

I had leftover Memory Box Wayfarer Leaves already spritzed with several green Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists.  But I wanted to make a Fall card for Freshly Made Sketches 600th Challenge & Memory Box August Fall challenge.  I simply added dark green, red, bronze & copper mists to turn them into beautiful shimmery Fall leaves.

For a bit of sparkle, I mixed copper & champagne Stickles to apply randomly on the leaves.  The background strip was made with an old wood mounted Magenta splatter stamp using white pigment ink.  

I used direct to paper with Versafine Clair Pinecone on a kraft scrap to use for Poppystamps Scribble Hello which I stacked 3 high.  I love pearls & thought these old brown ones were just what this card needed.  Another one handed card, but less than 3 weeks until the sling comes off.  There will still be restrictions, but I'm hoping life will be a lot easier.  

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by & for all the well wishes.