CAS Mix Up Jan. 2022 - Loose Watercoloring

Hello friends.  I'm checking in late again (seems to be my norm lately...grrrrrr!!), but did want to play along with the CAS Mix Up Challenge before it ends later today.  Jenny is hosting this month's challenge and she would like to see us use LOOSE WATERCOLORING on our CAS cards.

I have a very quick and easy card to share with you using VERY loose water coloring...

I started with a piece of TH watercolor paper and quite liberally wet the cardstock before swiping Fired Brick, Mustard Seed & Wilted Violet Distress Inks across it.  Because of all the water, the colors are quite muted, but I love the soft look.  

I used a large Gina K stamp (Just A Little) and stamped with black ink over my water coloring, and then used a stitched rectangle die (also Gina K - Master Layouts 2) to die cut just a portion of my  image.  I layered it with a black mat and then popped it up with foam tape before adhering it to a white card base.  I also added a leaf die cut from PTI (Songbird) in white to my white card base to give a bit of design to all the white surrounding the water-colored image, and the sentiment is from the Just A Little stamp set.  As I mentioned before, it's a very simple card, but it almost reminds me of stained glass and I'm really happy with the way this card came out!

I've been beating myself up this month for my lack of mojo, but after finishing this card, I realized I don't have a lack of mojo at all...it's a lack of energy!  I'd rather just sit and read or knit!  It is Winter though, and I've got the hibernating act down to a t!  Facebook told me yesterday that it's only 60 more days till Spring though, so there's light at the end of the tunnel and I'm ready!!  If you're in the same place I am, hang in there...we'll get through this!!  :0)  

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

Peace On Earth #8

Hello friends.  Had to have a play with a new snowman die and it fit perfectly with the new Peace On Earth Challenge.  Take a look at the mood board and see if you can tell where I was inspired...

Well obviously if I have a new snowman die, I was inspired by the upper right photo, but I was also inspired by the plaid in the upper left corner, and came up with this card:

Isn't the snowman just ADORABLE?!!  He's from Cottage Cutz (Winter Snowman) and I ink blended all the pieces with turquoise and green inks (Gina K) and the body with a little bit of blue ink.  I used what ink was left on my blending brush to make the stenciled plaid background (PFS - Diamond Plaid).

I used PFS Mini Slimline Stitched Scallop Rectangle die to create my frame and die cut and stacked 3 of them for some dimension.  The dimension of my mini slimline card is 6 1/4 x 3 1/4, and I just LOVE this size card!!  The die cut snowflake behind my snowman is from a tag die set from Gina K.

My sentiment is from MB (Let it Snow Posh Script) and I finished this card with a few PFS gems.  I'm not sure if I'll save this for next Christmas or use it as a Winter birthday card...we'll play that one by ear!

Lots of FABULOUS inspiration from the DT, and you can check it all out HERE to play along and get a head start on those Christmas cards!  This challenge is open till Feb. 3rd. 

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

CAS Christmas Reminder Jan. 2022 - Silver & Gold

Hello friends.  Just a reminder that there's still still time to play along with the SILVER & GOLD challenge over at CAS Christmas.

I have another quick and simple card to share with you today...

I used Poppystamps Noel Snowflake die and die cut it once in gold mirror cardstock, once in silver cardstock and cut off just the snowflake to glue over the gold snowflake, and then die cut twice from white cardstock just to add some dimension and sturdiness to this very fragile die cut.  (Have you all discovered Bearly Art Precision Craft Glue yet??  It has a precision tip that never seems to clog and is just perfect for gluing fine die cuts together...it has been one of my greatest finds of 2021!!)  

I dry embossed a snowflake background using SU!'s Winter Snow ef, and then matted it with a piece of gold mirror cardstock, and then attached both layers to a top folding white card base.  I added a single silver metallic pearl (PFS) to the center of my snowflake, and this card was finished.  

You have until the 24th to play along with this challenge, and if you need some inspiration, check out what the talented DT came up with using SILVER & GOLD right HERE.  

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

Color Hues Challenge #32 - Red & Purple

Hello friends.  Nothing like waiting till the last minute to play along with a challenge, but still sorta in the slump club here...anyone else like that here??  I did make a quick card for the Color Hues Challenge as I really needed to get going on some Valentine cards, and the RED and PURPLE seemed like a good way to get started!

 

And here's my simple Valentine card...

I made a background with red & purple inks using SSS's HEART TO HEART BACKGROUND stamp, and then covered it with a scalloped die cut circle (PFS) in red cardstock.  

The sweet little mouse is from CCC's Ever Thine stamp set and was colored with my Copics.  The sentiment is also from the same stamp set.  It still needed a little somethin somethin, so I added a few purple gems from PFS.

Not much time left to play in this challenge (ends on the 14th at 9:00AM), but there is FABULOUS inspiration from the DT and their Special GD, and you can check it all out right HERE. 

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

The Flower Challenge #64 - Monochrome

Hello friends.  Sorry for the lack of posting on my blog lately...been in a bit of a "after holiday slump", but I did watch a Jennifer McGuire video (HERE) for a tri-fold card that got me excited to try, and I came up with a card for The Flower Challenge.

Here's what I came up with:

I started with Altenew's Beautiful Bergenia 3D embossing folder, and inked up the inside of the folder (the raised side) with Broken China, Shaded Lilac, & Wilted Violet DOX inks with a Altenew flat bottomed ink blending brush to create a periwinkle color (Pantone Color of the year).  Once it was dry, I fussy cut from bottom to top around some of the flowers to create my flap.

For the middle flap I used MB's Pinpoint Leaf Plate and then added my embossed sentiment strips using stamps from Gina K's A Little Hello set.  The die cut "hello" on the front flap is also from Gina K (A Little Hello Bundle).

The middle section has a piece of SU!'s Highland Heather card that was the closest I had to a periwinkle color, and that's the area where I can write my message.

 So there you have my fun fold, tri-fold card using a monochrome color theme and Bergenia's for my flowers.  Something a little different and actually very fun to make!  Check out Jennifer's video (link above) for all the how to's...it's really very easy to do and you can use a variety of stamps/dies to create the front flap.

Check out all the beautiful inspiration from the DT and then play along with the challenge right HERE.  The challenge is open till the 25th.

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

CAS Christmas Jan. 2022 - SILVER & GOLD

Hello friends.  Welcome back to another year at CAS Christmas...the challenge where we try to help you get a head start on those Christmas cards!  Our hostess for this first challenge of the year is Julia, and she would like to see SILVER & GOLD on your CAS Christmas cards.  (Are you hearing Burl Ives in your head right now??  I sure am!!)

 

I have a super CAS card to share with you today, using just two die cut trees and a foiled sentiment, and I LOVE the way it turned out!  Take a look:

 I started by dry embossing a panel with SU!'s Subtle embossing folder, and then added my two die cut trees using Tim Holtz Woodlands dies.  I die cut one is gold mirror cardstock and the other one in silver holographic cardstock.  

My sentiment was foiled with gold using PFS's Perfect Sentiments: Holiday foil plate and die.  I also die cut a couple layers in just plain white cardstock to put behind the foiled sentiment to add a little dimension to the card.  I finished with 3 crystal gems.  

We hope you'll play along with us and get going on those cards for next December!  There's lots of BEAUTIFUL inspiration for you from our talented DT and also our special GD Lisa Elton, so check it all out right HERE, and then play along with us.  This challenge is open till the 24th. 

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

Peace On Earth Challenge #6

Hello friends.  Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!  Ours was was a small and quiet one as we had celebrated with all the girls and grandkids a week ago, but it was still a lovely day!  And with temps in the low 50's and even a little bit of sunshine...NOT your typical Christmas Day weather in Michigan!  One more Christmas card to share with you today (maybe...you know I love, LOVE making Christmas cards all year long!!) and I'm playing along with the Peace On Earth Challenge where I fell in love with all the greenery and berries on their mood board!

I especially fell in love with the bottom right photo of the red, white, & green mason jars filled with greenery, and came up with this card inspired by the photo...

I used PTI's Farm Fresh Trees stamp & die set to come up with the red, white, & green containers and the small trees.  I used The Greetery's Nordic Frame Dies to add a decorative edge to my card, and my sentiment was embossed with Altenew's Rose Gold embossing powder on vellum.  I finished this simple card with a few small die cut snowflakes (Impression Obsession), some twine bows, and a couple gold sequins.  

This challenge is still open for a couple more days, so check out all the beautiful inspiration from Diane and Darlene and their talented DT, and then play along to get a head start on next year's Christmas cards.  You can find all the details right HERE.  

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