Monday, March 18, 2024

Time Out Challenge #259 & Just Us Girls #718

Hello friends.  Today I'm playing along with both the  Time Out Challenge and the Just Us Girls challenge where they are both collaborating with each other and are looking for BIRDS on our cards.


I'm always in need of birthday cards and hadn't played with my Concord & 9th Tweet Life stamp and stencil set in quite awhile, so that's how this card started out.  Take a look...


Aren't they cuties?!  I love how big they are...makes it easy to fill up a card!!  I started by simply stenciling the two birds in pinks & oranges and turquoise blues & greens and then stamped the details in black.


I ran my panel through with an older Cuttlebug dotted ef before adding it to an Audrey Blue panel (SSS) that I die cut using The Greetery's Crimped Rectangle Die and then attached both panels to a white card base.


I finished with a sentiment strip that I embossed in white on black and added a bit of bakers twine to the one end and then popped up on foam tape for a bit of dimension.  I used a white gel pen to add the accents to the party hats and also added tiny coordinating pom poms (SU!) to their hats.  A couple Disco Ball sequins finished off my card.

LOTS of inspiration from both challenges and you can play in these challenges till Wednesday, March 27th.

P.S.  All the origami birds were made by one of my daughters when she was in middle school (she's almost 33 now) and she must have made thousands of them...of course I had to keep a few! :0) 


Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!



Saturday, March 16, 2024

Color Hues Challenge #83 - CREAM & BLUE

Hello friends.  It's time for another Color Hues Challenge and our sweet hostess Carol has chosen for us to work with the hues of Cream & Blue.


I have 2 cards to share with you today, both using the same images but in different layouts.  Here's the 1st one...


My floral image is from SU!'s Inspirational Sketches stamp set and was stamped in Boho Blue ink (SU!) onto a cream colored cs.  I framed it with PFS's Scalloped Circle Die (also in the cream colored cs) and then layered it onto a piece of Boho Blue cs stamped with the same ink using The Greetery's Big Plans Background Stamp.  It may seem a little goofy to put a floral image on a blueprint background, but I really kinda like the look...something different!


I attached both layers to a cream card base and then added a hot foiled sentiment using Prism foil and Spellbinders Essential Glimmer Sentiments.  


For my 2nd card I used all the same elements but did a Z Fold card.  I used the cream colored cs again for my card base and scored it at 4 1/4" and 6 3/8" for the Z fold.


 My sentiment is a better press one from my sweet friend Michele (I think it's Spellbinder's but could be Altenew also...) and this one was finished with a few blue glitter gems (SU!) and a piece of blue ribbon (also SU!).



And here they both are together.  I love this soft and subtle color combination and hope you all will too!  We have LOTS of inspiration from our DT and also our Special GD Steph, and you can find it all right HERE.  This challenge is open till Thursday, March 29th @ 9:00AM.


Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!


Friday, March 15, 2024

The Flower Challenge #89 Reminder

Hello friends.  Just a friendly reminder that there's still time to play along with us this month at The Flower Challenge where we are looking for SQUARE cards.


I actually have a trio of cards to share with you today using PFS's Floral Round Frame Press Plate.  These were so easy to put together and will make great Thank You cards.  Take a look...


I used black ink to letter press the floral circle and then colored it with several Copics in shades of blue and then die cut the circle out.  I added it to a square of Boho Blue cs (SU!) that I had embossed with SU!'s Layered Florals ef, and then layered that to a panel of silver mirror cs before attaching to a square white card base.  I used MB's Classic Upper Alphabet Dies to die cut my "M" also from the silver mirror cs, and also added a few white die cut "M"'s beneath to give it a more bold look.


These next two were done basically the same way, but I used multiple colors of ink when inking up my letter press plates, and then added squares of Audrey Blue cs behind them.


For the card on the left I used HB's Dogwood Blooms 3D ef  and SSS's Lumen ef for the card on the right.  I added the same "M" in silver mirror cs to both cards and a few silver gems to the card on the right.  All 3 of these cards are 4 1/4 x 4 1/4, so they'll fit into a regular A2 envelope and not cost anything extra to mail.  Easy peasy and nice to have a few thank you's in my stash!

Lots more inspiration for you from the DT, so check it all out right HERE, and then make a SQUARE card (or two) to share with us in the gallery...we'd love to see YOU there!!  This challenge is open till the 25th @ 5:00PM
  

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!


Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge # 59

Hello friends.  Playing along with the Peace On Earth Challenge so I can keep up with my Christmas card stash.  Take a look at their gorgeous mood board...


Aren't ALL those GREENS gorgeous?!!  I pulled out a stamp and stencil set from PFS called Winter Foliage and had so much fun I created two cards.  Here's the first one...


I started by embossing the background stamp with gold embossing powder, and then used the coordinating stencils to color in the leaves and berries.  I foiled my sentiment in gold using PFS's Holly Jolly foil plate, and because it didn't really stand out much from the background, I added a die cut vellum circle behind it (SU!'s Everyday Detail Dies).


 In this close up you can see the gold foiling better and the colors of the stenciled leaves.  I added this panel to a Gumball Green (SU! - retired) card base and finished off with a few gold metallic pearls (PFS) and a piece of gold cording at the top.


Because I had so much fun stenciling the first card, I decided to make a 2nd card with similar greens for the leaves and red this time for the berries.  My Postage Collage Die (WF) had been sitting out, so I decided to cut the stenciled panel with it, and then again using Shaded Spruce cs (SU!).  I fussy cut the stenciled and die cut panel following the stitched lines so it would fit onto the Shaded Spruce die cut piece, and then adhered to a white piece of cs and then a Shaded Spruce card base. I used a few sentiments from WF's Triangle Tree and also Postage Collage stamp sets.  A few red gems finished off this 2nd card.

Lots of wonderful inspiration from the DT that you can check out right HERE and then play along if like me you want to stay ahead with your Christmas card stash.  This challenge is open till Thursday, March 14th @ 8:00PM

EDITED TO ADD: I am also sending these cards over to the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where they are looking for us to get our "GRINCH" on by using GREEN on our Christmas cards.



Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!



Monday, March 11, 2024

Double D - First Signs of Spring

Hello friends.  I'm playing along with the Double D Challenge where they are looking for cards depicting the first signs of Spring.


Isn't that just the prettiest mood board?!  Oh how I am longing for color outside!  I shouldn't be complaining though as we have had a pretty mild Winter here in Michigan, but it's the up and down of having a few nice and mild sun shiny days and then cold & wet! But anyway, one of the first signs of Spring in my yard is the Snowdrops, and as pretty as they are, my favorite is my big Lilac bush with all the wonderful fragrance and the beautiful purple blooms!  The Greetery just had a new release and put out a new die set called BotaniCuts: Lilacs and it practically jumped right into my cart...HAD TO HAVE IT!!  Here's what I came up with for my card...


 I started with a softly stenciled plaid (The Greetery) in light gray for my background and then added my focal point...the Lilacs.  I ink blended several shades of Lilac inks from Gina K over my die cut flowers and then assembled them...very easy to put together!!  The leaves were ink blended with Peeled Paint & Rustic Wilderness DOX inks. (And then splattered with a bit of water.)


I added my Lilacs to one of my favorite Greetery stamp & die sets...Sprinkled With Kindness.  I think the Lilacs fit beautifully in the watering can!


I had also just gotten a few new dies from Poppystamps and one of them was this bunny from their Thoughtful Bunny Duo set, and I thought he looked right at home sniffing at those Lilacs!  A little hard to tell in my photos, but I did add a bit of glitter to the Lilacs to add some sparkle and shine.  I left a sentiment off the outside as I'm not sure what I'll use it for yet, and also the card is busy enough as it is.

The DT has once again WOW'd with all their inspiration cards, so check it all out right HERE and then play along with what your 1st signs of Spring are where you live!  This challenge is open till Sunday, March 17th @ 8:00PM.

I am also adding this card to Darnell's NBUS Challenge as this is the 1st time using the Lilac dies and the bunny die.



Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!



Monday, March 4, 2024

The Flower Challenge #89 - MAKE A SQUARE CARD

Hello friends.  It's time for another Flower Challenge and this month we're looking for SQUARE cards...and flowers of course!

Here's what I came up with using a new (to me!) stencil from The Ton called Gentle Peonies...


 
This is a large 6x6 stencil and after inking it all up in shades of lilac (Gina K) I used a 3 3/4" square die (Gina K - Master Layouts 3) to cut out the center.  I matted the square with a piece of black and added foam tape to the back before adding it back to the center of the 6x6 piece.  


  I went a little rogue at this point and stenciled just the center of the stencils again and then used a circle die instead of a square to add my sentiment to (Penny Black - Better with Age).  A few PFS gems and a sparkly white ribbon finished off my square card.  Think I'll be giving this one to my mom whose 92nd birthday is coming up next month, and by hand delivering it, I won't have to pay the extra postage required of square cards!  

The DT has outdone themselves once again to inspire you, and you can check it all out right HERE.  You have until March 25th @ 5:00PM to play along with us and we'd love to see all of you and your SQUARE FLORAL cards in the gallery!!

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!



Friday, March 1, 2024

Color Hues #82 - Turquoise & Green

Hello friends.  A new month and a new challenge at Color Hues and for the next two weeks our hostess Tracey would like to see TURQUOISE and GREEN on our cards.  Sounds like SPRING to me!!

I had found a piece of cs that I had used Lindy's Magicals on in Tibetan Poppy Teal and Ponderosa Pine Olive in the package that my Jumbo Curiosity Dragonfly Die (The Greetery) was in, so it was an easy choice to die cut it out since the colors were exactly what I needed for this challenge!  Here's what I came up with...


For my background I did some smooshing with a piece of acetate and Turquoise Sea and Lucky Clover inks (Gina K), and then when dry added the Script (retired SU! background stamp) over the top with Delicata Silver Shimmer ink.  I used an oval die on my top panel and then ran it through my machine with SU!'s Subtle embossing folder, before adding foam strips to the back and adding to my card base.


 This close up shows the shimmer a bit better of the Magicals on the dragonfly and the silver Delicata ink in the background.  I added a few PFS Iridescent Clear Gems and a silver foiled sentiment to finish off this CAS card.

We have lots of beautiful inspiration to share with you from the DT and our Special GD Tenia using these colors, so check it all out right HERE and then play along with us...we'd love to see YOU in the gallery!  This challenge is open till Thursday, March 14th @ 9:00AM.

Thanks for stopping by today ... I love it when you do!