Spring

Hello -

I am avoiding the laundry and am creating today.  I might put a load in later...lol.

At AAA Cards, the prompt is 1 image with the option of spring; while Inky Paws challenge has colors--blue, pink and mint.  Together the challenges inspired me to make this card.

I stamped the image twice, once on masking paper.  I added some gray ink blended to the left of my image and left the right side without.  The image was colored with Copic markers.  The sentiment is by CTMH(Short and Sweet Sentiments); the main image is Newton's Nook (Loads of blooms).  I die cut the main panel and mounted it on a mint card base.

Thanks so much for visiting.

Scattered Seashells

Hello-


I loved this picture at The Card Concept, and knew it would make a lovely summer birthday card.

I used a set from Close to My Heart (Treasured Friendship) and some Stampin up pearls and wood plank embossing folder.  I would call my card clean and elegant in styling.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Gingham and Spring Lovelies

Hi there,

I have a card for two challenges to share.  The challenges are Inspired by and Double D.

I broke out a new spring flower set from Altenew - Hyacinths.  They are gorgeous though I had a bit of trouble lining them up.  I decided to just go with it even if it wasn't perfect.  I also used the new purple set of inks from Altenew.  My gingham paper is from Papertrey ink, its out of a AS sized package of 9 colors.

             

Thanks so much for visiting.  I appreciate that you took the time.

Balloons

Hi there-

Its been a great morning/afternoon catching up on challenges.   I have two cards to share.  They are going to Twofer - Balloons,  Just Us Girls Photo Week, Freshly Made Sketches and Shopping our Stash-Celebrating Friendship.

Both cards were made with the smallest Balloon die from a Paper Smooches Balloons set.  I cut 15 balloons.  Six in red, and the remainder in cool "guy" colors.  Here are the two cards together for the Twofer Challenge. One conventional and one unconventional.

For the unconventional, the balloons were folded lightly then glued down to make a flower with the balloon knot in the center. I covered it up with a gem.

 

Individually the birthday card will be entered to  Just Us Girls and Freshly Made Sketches.

   

And for the challenge at Shopping our Stash - Celebrating Friendship, whats better than giving a good friend a card just because?

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Ghosting

Hello-

Back with another challenge entry.  CAS Stencil's prompt is Ghosting.

I used two shades of distress oxide inks, peacock feathers and salty ocean along with SSS's Best Fishes stamp set and waves stencil.  I had some difficulties, because I couldn't let go of my idea.  I picked a bad stencil for this idea. Too much open space and too small lines.  My open areas kept bleeding beneath the lines of the stencil.  So finally, I just wet the stencil and laid it on my ink, blotted with a paper towel, then lifted the stencil and blotted again. It gave me the lines I wanted.

I finished it up by stamping my images in versafine onyx black ink.  I love those blues and greens and they kinda washed out on a white card, so I mounted the panel on black. Its much more cohesive and the colors look bolder.  I am happy with the end result.


Edited to Add, I am also adding this to Casology - Ocean.  I clicked publish too fast!

Thanks much for stopping by!

Begonia

Hello-

It is Saturday, and I am spending the day catching up on challenges.  Several are due soon and I want to make sure to play along.

Since January I've rediscovered the CAS suite of challenges (stencil, watercolor, Christmas and mixup)  I've come to love these, because I learn techniques and because of due dates, I have to play with that technique.  So it goes from oh that looks fun I'll have to try that sometime (some have been waiting years) to play soon or now.  So thanks Ladies, for the push!

This one is for CAS Watercolor, the challenge is watercolor on Vellum.  I stamped and embossed a begonia and a couple of leaves on some medium weight vellum. Then I turned them over and added color with artesia brush pens.  I bled the color out with a water brush.  Then I waited for it to dry.  I added a second layer of color and water and more waiting.

I wanted a dramatic card and I had quite a bit of warping of the vellum, so I used white card stock covered with stick it and attached the colored images.  I die cut them, and trimmed down the white edges.  I decided how to place the bloom and leaves, then added a gold embossed sentiment to a navy card base. The begonia and leaves were then adhered to the base.  I really love how the color pops on the dark base.

Thanks for visiting.

While those daisies were out

Hi

I decided that the colors at Just Us Girls were perfect for some daisy coloring.  So I kept out my Hero Arts Daisy and colored some vibrant blooms.

These brought some color to an otherwise gray day here in Maryland.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Playing with friends part 2

Hello -

This is the second part of  the challenge  Greta put forth to  Betty and me. We were to participate in Hero Arts' National Craft Month challenge. There were 4 criteria, and Greta picked out two. One was to color a flower, and one was to add "real" stitching to a card.



This one is my color a flower.  I used a Hero Arts Stamp and Cut set. Its got the daisy, three bugs, leaves and some sweet sentiments. (DC219)

I stamped the daisy twice, colored it both times, and then selectively cut out some petals.  I added stem and leaves, colored them. I mounted the cut piece on top of the panel stamped and colored daisy. This added dimension and gave that wonderful lush feel that Gerber Daisies have.  I framed it with a photo mat, added a sentiment and a little pollinator.

Greta, thanks once again for a fun challenge.

National Craft Month part one

Hello -

My friend Greta challenged Betty and I to participate in Hero Arts' National Craft Month challenge. There were 4 criteria, and Greta picked out two. One was to color a flower, and one was to add "real" stitching to a card.



I decided to go with the tougher one for me first.  I found these dotted flowers an old Hero Arts set that is cute and whimsical and I stamped the flowers. I colored them, then stitched the centers haphazardly just to give some texture to the bloom.

 I mounted the flowers around a triple stitched frame from Reverse Confettee and topped it with a simple Hero Arts sentiment.   I made two cards one for each of the girls, one has a light gray base the other a darker gray base.

I also decorated the envelopes, so I'll have two entries for this project to the Hero Arts challenge.


Thanks for stopping by.

Hoppy Together

I am playing with a new to me stamp set from Newton's Nook - Bitty Bunnies and they are sooooo cute.  I also took advantage of  my set of Paper Smooches Mirror Blocks.  This allowed me to face the bunnies.

I stamped the bunny, then its mirror on the card panel. Next I stamped them again and cut masks. After masking the bunnies I added some inks in blue and green for a soft backdrop to the pair.  The bunnies were colored with copics in a warm brown and a cooler brown.  I added eyelashes to the one on the left.  I usually leave the stamped images in my misty so I can stamp them again after coloring, but this time I had to outline them by hand.  I added a shadow under the the bunnies and added the sentiment.  A die cut border and the panel was adhered to a light gray card base.

I am submitting this to two challenges:  Addicted to Stamps and more and the Inky Paws Challenge.

 

Thanks for coming by.

Thanks

I loved the inspiration at these two challenges and I knew I had to play along.  I always need thank you cards and these challenges combined helped me add to my stash.

Freshly Made sketches provided the layout, and Inspired By gave me my details. 

         

Thanks much for stopping by.

It is a process

Hi There~

I've been crafting in a sporadic fashion lately.  I have my list of challenges and then I play with some. the challenge at Just Add Ink has wiggled its way into my head and its been bugging me since I read it knocking all mojo out of my head.  The challenge is Just at J.   J  yikes I had no idea of what to use until I looked at a couple of other challenges for the holidays...and they bring me joy.  Voila I had my J for Just add ink.  The additional inspirations are CAS Christmas Challenge - Deer, and Christmas Kickstart Challenge - Moves on Hooves.

I went through my stash and found a pretty sketch of a Deer, and a die of the word enjoy which had irregular lines.  I liked the two together.  I stamped the deer heat embossed it in Silver and prepared the die cut.  I cut the en off of the enjoy and heat embossed it in matching silver powder.

This was quick card and very suitable for making lots of cards.  I think I'll make a few more for my stash.

 

Thanks for coming by!

A days worth of cardmaking

Hi there -

This afternoon I checked out some challenges. I selected a new Penny Black stamp (Harmony) to play with, and made several cards with different mediums.  Its a photo heavy post with 4 cards for 7 challenges.  An afternoon well spent.

This card is for AAA Cards, 1 Sentiment + Die Cut, Coloring with Copic Pens,  stamped image.  It also goes to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge Anything Goes and Addicted to Stamps and More make your mark.

     

This one goes to CAS on Friday  prompt requires heat or dry embossing.  I stamped and heat embossed the image. Then colored with watercolor pens.  I thought it needed something more so I dry embossed the entire panel with an SU wood plank embossing folder.  It reminds me of a wood fence with a lovely flower mural painted on it.   This also goes to Time Out Challenge - Inspired by words.

    

This card goes to  The Flower Challenge - Anything Goes and to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge anything goes.

  

And my final card goes to If you give a crafter a cookie.  I loved the idea of the round cookie having all the bold colors.  So, I made a spotlight card with the round "cookie" being the spotlight.

Thanks so much for hanging in and stopping by.

Happy Purrthday

Hello ~

The challenge at Cupcake Inspiration this week is Plaid, and the challenge is sponsored by Newton's Nook.  I love NND stamps, so this was a definitely play along challenge for me.  My plaid element is a background stamp by Hero Arts, so I am also adding this to Just us Girls, this week.

I got this stamp last year and had only used it once, last month.  I decided to give it another play in a layered card.  Not my normal style, but I think its cute and festive.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.