Color Hues Challenge #46 - Special Tribute

Hello friends.  Today I am playing along with the Color Hues Challenge where they are paying special tribute to their teammate and friend Lindsey M-P who sadly passed away way too young from Ovarian Cancer 2 weeks ago.  Lindsey had already chosen the colors of BLUE & PURPLE for this challenge, so they decided to keep the colors in memory of her.

Before I show my card, I thought I'd share the reason why I made a Christmas card for this challenge.  Fellow Design Team member Tracey McNeely used to run a 25 Days of Christmas Tags challenge that I loved to play in each November, and Lindsey was one of the designers for this challenge that I was consistently inspired by!  I can't tell you how many tags I made that were inspired by Lindsey, and she ALWAYS left the sweetest comments!  She will definitely leave a big hole in the stamping world and be missed by so many!!

I decided the best way for me to pay tribute to Lindsey's sweet memory was to share a Christmas card, as it was definitely a holiday we both LOVED crafting for!

  I started by making my background using the new PFS Dainty Plaid stamp and stencil using BLUE & PURPLE inks (Gina K).  The stamp was embossed with white embossing powder and heat set, and then I used the stencils to add the color.

 My snowman and cat images are both from Gina K's Hygge Time stamp set and were colored with my Copics and then die cut with the coordinating dies.  I know a napping kitty is not too realistic next to a freezing cold snowman, but I thought it was a cute nod to Lindsey's love of cats!  Before I added my snowman and kitty, I added an iridescent snowflake from SU! (Wonderful Snowflakes), and then I finished my card with a Gina K pre-printed sentiment strip, a few Trinity Stamps Crystal Ball Dewdrop Baubles and a bit of glitter on the snowman and his pom-pom on his cap.

There is a LOT of inspiration to play along with this challenge right HERE, so check it out and play along.  This challenge is open till the 14th at 9:00AM.

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

Krafty Chicks Challenge - The Stamp Act

Hello friends.  I'm honored to be Guest Designing this month for the Krafty Chicks Challenge.  This is a weekly challenge, and week one is called The Stamp Act...simply meaning you must use a stamp or digi image on your card.

Since we're definitely in the depth of Summertime here in my "neck of the woods" (Michigan), I thought a Summer themed card would be appropriate, and what better than this cutie from MFT called Drink Up The Sunshine.  Take a look...

Isn't she ADORABLE?!!  I colored her with my Copics, and then die cut her out with the coordinating die, before attaching her to a wobbler...I hope she won't spill her drink with all that wobbling going on!!  My background was done with a stencil from PTI called Pool Water Stencils, and then the sentiment is from another MFT set called Sunny Days Ahead.  My stenciled layer is adhered to an Aqua Mist piece of cs die cut with The Greetery's Postal Frame Die, and then both layers are adhered to a white card base.  A little bit of WOS was added to the pool floaty, and then done.

Check out what the rest of the Design Team has made to inspire you right HERE, and then play along!

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

CAS Christmas August 2022 - PINE

Hello friends.  It's time for a new challenge at CAS Christmas, and our hostess Trina would like to see PINE (tree, branch, sprig??) on our CAS Christmas cards this month.

                                                 

I used an older Penny Black cling stamp (red rubber) and came up with this...

I used my SU! markers and colored directly onto the Berry Speckled stamp, small areas at a time, huffed on the stamp to moisten up the ink on the stamp, and then pressed onto my cardstock.  Once I had the whole image colored, I spritzed lightly with water onto the stamp to release the rest of the ink still on the stamp, and then pressed into my cardstock again, which left me with more of a water colored look.

Next I trimmed my layer down a bit and then used Spellbinders Essential Dual Lines foiling plates to add the gold foiled framing around my image.

A little hard to tell in my photo, but I also gold foiled my sentiment which is from Yana's Christmas Sentiments (Spellbinders), and then die cut the sentiment shape 3 extra times to stack my sentiment on so it would stand out a bit on the card.

We have all kinds of beautiful inspiration for you from our talented DT and Special GD that you can check out right HERE, and then play along with us and get those Christmas cards started!  Remember to keep your cards CAS!!  This challenge is open till the 24th, and we can't wait to see YOU in the gallery!! 

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

Playing with Purple, Blue & Green

Hello friends.  I'm playing along with a couple challenges today that are color challenges using PURPLE, BLUE & GREEN.  Both the Double D Challenge and the Seize The Birthday Challenge are looking for these colors on our cards.

It's such a pretty color combination, that I have 2 cards to share with you today.  My first card uses a new die set from Reverse Confetti called simply Flower Builder.  Take a look:

I started by ink blending my background on a white piece of cs using Gina K inks in the 3 colors, and then ran the piece through my Altenew Waffled Diamonds embossing folder before attaching to a white card base.

Next I die cut my flower and leaf from more white cs and then ink blended the flower with the purple and then blue ink, and obviously green for the leaf and flower center.  I also added a tiny bit of glitter to the edges of the leaf and flower center, and then adhered to a white die cut circle, so they wouldn't disappear against the same colored background.  My sentiment was stamped and die cut using The Greetery's Birthday Blooms, and I finished with a few clear gems from Trinity Stamps.  

My 2nd card is a very simple one using a Gina K style where I ink blended the background and then stamped a silhouette.  Take a look:

  This is such an easy style card to make and always turns out beautiful!  Great technique for when you need a card fast!  I ink blended the background using Jelly Bean Green, Blue Raspberry, & Wild Wisteria inks (Gina K) and then stamped my silhouette image from Gina's Wild Blossoms stamp set.  I masked off my edges with skinny washi tape before I started the ink blending, and then when finished, matted this layer to a black piece of cs and a white card base.  My "Thinking of You" sentiment is a pre-printed sentiment strip from Gina K and has a piece of foam tape behind it for a bit of added dimension.  I finished this card with a few Disco Ball sequins (also Gina K).  And although you can't see it, before I adhered my stamped layer to the black layer, I sprayed some Sheer Sparkle Shimmer Spritz to it for a very subtle sparkle to the card.

You can check out all the beautiful inspiration from both teams right HERE (Double D Challenge) and also HERE (Seize the Birthday Challenge) to play along. 

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

Color Hues #45 - PEACH & GRAY

Hello friends.  Playing along with the Color Hues Challenge today, where they are looking for PEACH & GRAY on our cards.

When I saw the colors for this challenge, I immediately thought of actual peaches (which are just hitting the fruit stands here in Michigan) and decided to go in that direction for my card.  Here's what I came up with...

I started my card with MB's Pinpoint Leaf Plate for my background, and then added a strip of stenciled plaid using PFS's Diamond Plaid Stencil and SU!'s Smokey Slate ink down the middle of my card.  I also layered a piece of Smokey Slate cs behind the plaid that was just a little bit wider than the plaid piece.  

I stamped and die cut my peaches using Pale Papaya and Grapefruit Grove inks (SU!) and the leaves in Smokey Gray ink.  I stamped my sentiment in Smokey Slate ink on the center peach, and then added the leaves that I also added Rock Candy Glitter (TH) to, to add a bit of sparkle to my card.  I also pop dotted my leaves to add a bit of dimension, and then finished with a few PFS Clear Drops: Iridescent, and a piece of gray & white baker's twine.

Check out all the fabulous inspiration from the DT and then play along right HERE.  This challenge is open till the 28th at 9:00AM.  

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

Christmas Kickstart #64 - SHOW US YOUR SNOWFOLK

Hello friends.  Playing along with the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where they want us to SHOW YOUR SNOWFOLK.

SNOWFOLK immediately made me think of a SSS stamp set I received for my birthday this past Winter called Warmest Wishes and has the most ADORABLE snowmen in it!  And have you seen all the ROCKER cards out in blogland lately??!!  I had never heard of a rocker card before, but after seeing Lisa's card, and then Loll's card, I just HAD to try one out for myself!  I combined the snowfolk and rocker card ideas and came up with this...

The base of the card is just a die cut circle (the largest circle from the Lil Inker set) that is scored in the middle and then folded in half.  When you set it up on the curved part, it rocks!  I used an older die cut tree line and adhered it to the back of the circle with score tape.  (This was a die that I never kept the original packaging, so I'm not sure any more who the maker is...maybe Gina Marie Designs??)

  I die cut another smaller circle in red cs, cut it in half, and then embossed my sentiment from PTI's Stylish Sentiments: Holiday in white.  After adhering it to my white card base, I added the snow couple from the Warmest Wishes (SSS) stamp set.  I colored them with my Copics and then fussy cut them out, added some glitter, and then adhered them to my base.  I originally put them to the left of the card base, but then the card didn't stand up straight...grrrr!!  So I carefully removed them and re-attached them to the center of the card...rocks perfectly now!

 This style of card was really so easy to make, and I will definitely be making more!!  Not sure what size envelope this is going to fit into, but I'll figure that out later.  It just may get hand delivered!  :0)

This challenge is open till the end of the month, so still plenty of time to play along!  You can check out Jo's card and her special elf Helen's SNOWFOLK card for inspiration and info on how to play along right HERE.

 

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

CAS Christmas July 2022 Reminder Post - SANTA

Hello friends.  Just a friendly reminder that there's still time to play along with us at the CAS Christmas Challenge where our hostess Barb would like to see a SANTA on your card.

 

I have a very simple card to share with you using another older wooden stamp from Paper Inspirations called Telling Santa.  Take a look...

Doesn't that image just make you feel all warm inside?!!  I stamped the image in Basic Gray ink (SU!) and then layered it to a Basic Gray panel and a Matte Silver cs layer (Gina K).  

I embossed the front of my card base with a FSJ Evergreen ef, and then added a sparkling white ribbon (SU!) before attaching my stamped image, which is raised up on foam strips.  I finished by simply adding 3 red gemstones to add just a tiny pop of color to my card.  I left off a sentiment on the front of my card as I felt the image was busy enough as is, and I don't think anyone will mistake it for anything other than a Christmas card!  :0)

There's still a week left to play along with us, so check out all the fabulous inspiration from our DT and Special GD, and then play along with us right HERE.  This challenge is open till the 24th. 

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