Split 4 Stamping - Christmas Thank You's

Hello friends.  So I'm still a bit hooked on the Split 4 Technique (which you can watch a video HERE on how to do), and thought I would share a set of Christmas Thank You's I made using this fun technique.

Using SU!'s Forever Fern stamp set, here's what my 8 x 10 1/2 sheet looked like after stamping and before cutting into quarters.

And here they are after trimming, adding my sentiment (Gina K's Vibrant Blooms), and adhering to a Cherry Cobbler panel and a cream colored card base.

Besides using the red & green (and Peacock Blue) inks, I also used Gold Delicata ink for the little dotted splatters...makes the cards a little more festive!

I usually do pretty well getting my Christmas cards done ahead of time each year, but I do scramble when it comes time to making some Christmas Thank You's, so I'm thrilled to have a few done already this year!  I guess that's one good thing I can say about this pandemic, although not much else!!  Hope you are all doing well and staying safe...the numbers sure are getting scary again! 

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

Christmas Kickstart #34 - Starry, Starry Night

Hello friends.  The Christmas Kickstart Challenge is back to running their challenges every fortnight (every two weeks) to help us all get our cards done in time for Christmas, and for this challenge they are looking for cards with the theme of Starry, Starry Night.

And here's what I came up with using MFT's Merry Moments...

I started by embossing some gold stars (The Greetery's Pinwheel Party) on a white panel and then blended Stormy Sky and Faded Jeans Distress Inks all over the panel.  Next I splattered some white paint for a little falling snow, and then added the darling image of a Polar Bear and Santa having a little chat!  They were both Copic colored and die cut along with the ice covered mountains.

The sentiment also comes from the Merry Moments stamp set.  So there you have my bear and Santa sitting underneath the starry, starry sky, and I'm pretty tickled with the way this card turned out!  You can head over to the Christmas Kickstart site to see more inspiration and play along.

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

Just For Fun Part III

Hello friends.  Hope you all are doing well, staying safe, and finding things to do at home that bring you joy and not boredom!  I'm still stamping away and need to warn you ahead of time that this is a picture heavy post!  These cards are not associated with any challenges...just playing cards for fun!  So let's get started!

My first cards are a set of four using a FABULOUS new stamp from Penny Black called Illustrious. 

The 1st card I made used more of Summer colors, and then I got to thinking that I'd make a set of four using colors that matched up with the 4 seasons.  I stamped all of the images in Versafine Black Onyx ink and then heat embossed with clear before coloring with Prisma colored pencils and Gamsol.  I tried to channel my inner Jill Foster (designer for Penny Black) with the Christmas/Winter (top left) and Fall (bottom right) cards by using a rectangular mask and blending some background color in.  The sentiments are all Penny Black as well.

This card uses a fun technique from Gina K where you use thin washi tape down and across your center and then around the outside edges before blending rainbow colors.  Once you remove the washi tape you have a window look to your card and can decorate anyway you like.  I chose to do a wreath using Gina's Wreath Builder Template and black ink to make a silhouetted wreath.  The smile die cut was done 3 times for a little dimension and attached to a piece of vellum to make it stand out a bit more.

This card was done as a Mystery Stamping Card with my Tuesday night ZOOM girlfriends, and we were given the dimensions of cardstock and dsp to cut ahead of time, but didn't know how to assemble until we all got together.  (Sure provided some laughs at first!!)  You can see better in my next photo that the card is held together by the rectangle piece that has the ribbon on it.

Sorry for the lighting, but I do better with flat lay photography!  Anyhow, you get a better idea how this card is assembled where the rectangle piece holds the top and bottom segments of the card together.  Everything other than the ribbon is from SU!'s Forever Fern stamp set.

On my last Just For Fun post I showed you a set of four cards using the Split 4 Technique (Split 4 Technique), and my sweet friend Loll encouraged me to try the technique with a stencil as opposed to stamps, so using a stencil Loll sent me (Magenta Berry Branch) I made a set of 4 Christmas cards.

My sentiment are Penny Black and Gina K.  There should have been 2 horizontal and 2 vertical cards, but I messed up on the Winter Wishes card and stamped it vertically rather than horizontally...oops!!

This was another Gina K technique called Reverse Stenciling and it is so much FUN!  You start by blending multiple ink colors on your cardstock (I did mine in a stripe pattern starting at the top and blending my way down), and then place your stencil over the blending and using another blending brush, blend black ink all over the top of the stencil.  It will look gray until you remove the stencil, and then the black definitely shows up along with all the color!  I used Gina's Daisy Chain Stencil for this card.  Fun, fun, FUN!!!

My last card is using a fun new set from SU! called Whale Done!  I am totally in LOVE with the DSP that coordinates with this set and used it on the outside of card, and then die cut a circle window to you can see the inside where I used the coordinating embossing folder and the whale image.  My 3 year old grandson is gong to LOVE this one!!

If you stuck with me to the very end...YAY to you!!  I know this was a long post, but much simpler than making up a bunch of different posts!  So thanks for sticking with me and hope you enjoyed seeing what I've been up to!  :0)

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

CAS Mix Up July 2020 - Stencil Tracing

Hello friends.  I'm playing along with the gals over at CAS Mix Up today and the challenge this month is a FUN and new one to me...tracing along the insides of your stencils.

I had just received a new stencil from SSS called Poppy Bouquet and thought I would try it out for this challenge.  It seems a little busy to me so I'm not sure if it qualifies as CAS, but I LOVE the way it turned out, so decided to share it anyway!  Take a look:

Most of you that follow me know I LOVE ink blending, and that's exactly how I started this card.  I used Gina K inks (Tangerine Twist, Red Velvet, Cherry Red, & Grass Green) and started with the Tangerine Twist and then just kept blending out until I had all 3 orange and reds blended together, and then did the tricky part of adding the green into all those tight spaces for the stems.  Leaving the stencil still in place, I then used my Pigma Micron 02 black pen to outline all the spaces.  Using Pixie Spray for a light tack on the back of the stencil is a real must do for this technique, so that the stencil doesn't move around while you're tracing.

I trimmed my panel down to 3 1/2 x 4 3/4 and added a black mat before adhering to a white card base, and then added a black with white embossed banner for my sentiment (SU! - Honey Bee).

This really was a FUN challenge and I can't wait to try it again with different stencils.  Lot's of great inspiration from the DT that you can check out HERE if you'd like to check this cool technique out and play along.  Challenge is open till the 24th.

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

CAS Christmas Reminder - Nativity

Hello friends.  Just a friendly reminder that the CAS Christmas Challenge is still open to play along with until the 24th of this month.  We are looking for a NATIVITY on your Christmas cards this time around.

I used a Papertrey Ink stamp and die set to create my card...take a look:

Most of my card is die cut from the Petite Places: Nativity set, only the image of the holy family is stamped.  I used black, gray, and light gray to die cut the night sky, the town of Bethlehem, and the palm trees, and then the stable and behind the black layer is gold cardstock.

I mounted my die cut images to a white panel and then stamped my greeting from PTI's O Holy Night stamp set.  I finished with a layer of black cardstock and attached both to a top folding white card base.  Very CAS and I love the way this turned out!

Make sure you check out all the beautiful cards from our DT and our Special GD Jane for more inspiration, and then play along with us right HERE.

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

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #33 - HATTY CHRISTMAS

Hello friends.  Playing along with the new Christmas Kickstart Challenge where this month they are looking for Christmas cards with HATS!

I knew right away that I wanted to use SugarPea Designs Hey Winter stamp set from last year because of the COOL hat that goes on the bear!  Take a look:

I started with my background where I used MFT's Cloud Stencil and then used an older Darice embossing folder to add the snowflakes.  I used PTI's In The Meadow Die Collection to add my snowy hills at the bottom, and then added my Copic colored and die cut bear and trees.  The hat and gift are both pop dotted for some dimension.  My sentiment comes from MFT's Sweet Holiday Penguins.

So there you have my HATTY CHRISTMAS card!  You can join in the fun too and get a head start on those Christmas cards right HERE.  This challenge is open till July 20th.

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

The Flower Challenge #46 - Summer/Winter

Hello friends.  Playing along with The Flower Challenge where this month they are looking for Summer or Winter (depending on which hemisphere you live in) flowers on our cards.

Well it is definitely SUMMER in my neck of the woods...temps have been in the 90's for the past two weeks and looks like this week will be no different!  So I have a twofer for you today because I just received Pinkfresh Studio's Modern Layered Floral stamp set, and couldn't put it down after just one card.  I'll show you my most Summer looking one first...

The whole flower bouquet is a 4 step stamping process (that lines up SO easily too!), and after inking each layer, I spritzed with water to give the faux water colored look. 

After die cutting the bouquet, I added it to a card base where I also added PTI's Bold Border: Polka Dot Die (I love the look of white on white!).  I also added the little die cut envelope from The Greetery's Signed & Sealed stamp set and a pink bow from The Greetery's Fit To Be Tied.  A few sequins and some white crochet thread finished off my bright and Summery card.

My 2nd card isn't as bright and colorful as my first, but the peachy orange colors remind me of my Daylily's that are blooming right now.  My 5 year old granddaughter picked all of the ones in our backyard over the 4th and I thought her mother was going to have a heart attack!  But how could I be mad with that sweet little face offering me the bouquet of flowers...it just melted my heart!! 

The only thing I really changed on this 2nd card was the Ocean Tides card base and the die cut Hello (also from Pinkfresh Studio's).

Absolutely GORGEOUS cards from the DT this month, so check it all out HERE and play along!

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

The Twofer Challenge #29 - Butterflies

Hello friends.  It's time for a new challenge at The Twofer Challenge and this month we are looking for BUTTERFLIES!

Here's what I came up with using Penny Blacks Butterfly Garden stamp set:

I made a sympathy card and a birthday card using the same butterfly image from the set.

For my sympathy card I die cut a circle out of a piece of lightweight cs and then placed it over a white panel and adhered it with a little washi tape and then did some ink blending with Salty Ocean, Dusty Concord, and Worn Lipstick Distress Inks.  Leaving my circle mask still in place, I stamped the butterfly image with my Versafine Black Onyx ink.  Then came the exciting part of removing the mask...I always love how crisp and clean the circle image looks after removing the mask!  I added my sentiment (PTI's Keep It Simple: Sympathy) and then decided to add another partial butterfly from the same stamp set as the one in the circle.  I matted with a piece of black and then adhered both layers to a white card base.

For my 2nd card, I used a bunch of the stamps that come with the Butterfly Garden set and stamped them along the bottom in black ink and then did some Copic coloring.  To ground my card a bit more I also added some blending at the bottom using Peeled Paint Distress Ink.  Next I stamped my sentiment using a new stamp set from The Greetery called Birthday Blooms and then stamped the butterfly that I used on the first card off to the right side of my card.  I matted this layer to an Old Olive card base, added a few clear sequins, and thought I was done.  The butterfly just seemed too plain to me though.  Hmmmmmm...  I thought about coloring it because well, butterflies are colorful!  But it wasn't working in my head, so I stared at it awhile, and then decided to add some Dazzling Diamonds Glitter.  When the light hits it it shines in all different colors, but so subtly that it doesn't take away from the coloring at the bottom of the card.  Yep, I'm happy now!!  :0)

So there you have my Twofer...a sympathy card and a birthday card both using the same butterfly from Penny Black's Butterfly Garden.  Make sure you check out all the beautiful inspiration from the DT and our Special GD's (Barb Ghig and TK) this month, and then play along with us right HERE.  We can't wait to see what YOU come up with using the same BUTTERFLY stamp, die or stencil on your 2 DIFFERENT cards!  This challenge is open till the 24th.  Have fun!! 

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

Print Making Coloring

Hello friends.  So Kathy Racoosin has another 30 Day Coloring Challenge going on right now, and she did an awesome video for Day 1 showing how to do what she calls PRINT MAKING COLORING.

I obviously need to watch the video AGAIN as my card turned out nothing like Kathy's, but at the same time I still like it, so decided to share it anyway!

My background is supposed to show more of the outline of the Daisy's and leaves, and obviously it doesn't, but I still like the soft colors (Flirty Flamingo, Old Olive, & Mossy Meadow...SU!) and how they look with the die cut Daisy's (Poppystamps - Delightful Daisy). 

My sentiment comes from the Stamp Simply's Fear Not stamp set, and I used a few clear sequins (PPP) to finish off my encouragement card.

This challenge is open all month (time enough for me to try again!) and you can check it out right HERE.

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

Inspired By #131 - SUMMER PLEASE

Hello friends.  HAD to play along with the new Inspired By Challenge because, well, LOOK at this inspiration photo...

If you've been following me lately either here on my blog or on Instagram, then you know I am head over heels in LOVE with the pinwheel stamps, dies, and stencils from The Greetery!  So after looking at the inspiration photo, the pinwheels and streamers, and all the bright colors said let's make another CELEBRATION card!!

I started by using the Pinwheel Party Stencils and lots of bright colored inks to stencil my background, and also added a little light yellow shading with a blender brush.  Next I die cut some streamers using the Twisted Crepe Dies (also The Greetery) and glued them down over the background.

I stamped and die cut the "celebration" from The Greetery's Birthday Blooms set and added foam tape to the back for some dimension.  The "Summer" stamp comes from The Greetery too...the Lemon Blossom set.  I matted my top layer with a piece of Crushed Curry cs (SU!) and then adhered both layers to a white card base.  Some clear sequins from PPP finished off my Summer celebration card.

Check out all the wonderful Summertime inspired cards from the DT HERE and then play along.  The challenge is still open for a few more days and is the perfect opportunity to get some of those Summertime birthday or other celebration type cards done.

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