A LATE Post for The Flower Challenge #59

Hello friends.  Slowly getting back into making cards and playing in challenges again, but apparently I'm getting back into playing a little TOO SLOWLY!!  The Flower Challenge closed 2 days ago...oops!!  I had made 2 cards and couldn't decide which one I liked better, so my indecision cost me playing along with the challenge, but I decided they were both too pretty to not share with you anyway!  The challenge was to use die cuts, and one of my favorite flower dies right now is The Greetery's BotaniCuts Geranium, so here is my first card...

  I started by using Ken Oliver's Fuchsia Color Burst powder and water, and when dry, die cut all the pieces to make a full container of the Geraniums.  I just love the speckles and variations in the color you get from using these powders!  Here's a closer up...

 I love too how you can make the flowers dimensional with the extra petals and the way the die cuts some of the petals in the main piece so you can lift them up!  The leaves and the pot were die cut on white cardstock and then colored with a sponge dauber and DOX inks.  The background was smooshed with some Salty Ocean distress ink and water, and when dry, die cut using The Greetery's Deco Frame Dies.  I attached everything to a top folding white card base, and then decided to leave a sentiment off the card and leave as is.

My 2nd card uses Altenew's Fantasy Floral Die which I've had for forever and never used...another oops!!  Take a look...

The flower consists of 3 die cut pieces, and the middle layer is from a piece of cardstock that I had used Merlot Color Burst on, and the top and bottom die cut pieces are from SU!'s Rose Red cardstock.

The leaves were cut from a scrap of cardstock that I had used Ponderosa Pine Lindy's Magicals on, and it's so hard to capture on camera, but the mica flakes in this powder are SO shimmery and pretty, and really makes these leaves stand out!  

There is also gold in the leaves, so to compliment them, I used gold mirror cardstock for my die cut sentiment (SSS - With Sympathy) and also a layer of the gold mirror cardstock behind my white layer that I also used Spellbinders Hemstitch Die on.  I love how CAS and yet elegant this card turned out!

So there you have my two Flower Challenge cards that didn't make it into the challenge on time!  Hopefully I get back into the swing of things a little more quickly next time!  There were some absolutely BEAUTIFUL cards using dies from the DT and in the gallery that you should take a look at if you're looking for inspiration right HERE.  

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

Color Hues #24 - Turquoise & Coral

Hello friends.  Today I'm playing along with the Color Hues Challenge where they are looking for our cards to use TURQUOISE & CORAL.

I used some new goodies from The Greetery and came up with this...

I started by using the Deco Triangles Stencils for my background with Turquoise Sea ink (Gina K), and then mounted it to a piece of Coral Reef cs before attaching both to a top folding white card base.  Next I stamped and die cut my floral bouquet using The Greetery's Floral Delicacy set with the same Turquoise Sea and Coral Reef inks.  I used foam dots behind the bouquet to give a bit of dimension, and also added Distress Glitter to all the leaves...really sparkles a LOT in real life!!  My sentiment is also a new stamp and die set from The Greetery called Everyday Labels, and I also pop dotted that up for dimension.  A few turquoise gems (Pinkfresh Studios) finished off my TURQUOISE & CORAL card.

Lots and lots of beautiful cards from the DT and in the gallery already using these two lovely colors, so check it out and play along right HERE.    

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

CAS Mix Up Stencil Challenge - August 2021

Hello friends.  Long time no see!  Other than scheduled design team posts, I haven't been around much this Summer.  I'd like to say it was just a busy and fun Summer, but I had a cancer scare that pretty much knocked me on my behind!  My faith is VERY strong, but between all the tests and biopsies and appointments and waiting, waiting, waiting, and then the dreaded walk into the cancer center to meet with an oncologist...well it definitely was NOT a fun Summer!  But I'm happy to finally say that it was a false alarm, and after a small surgical procedure, I am healing and good to go!  And on another positive note, my husband and I are FINALLY empty nesters AGAIN!!  Please tell me we're not the only ones who have had their children move out, only to move back home again, then move out again, and then move back home yet AGAIN?!  Our youngest finally bought her own place though, so I think we're empty nesters for good now (knock on wood!!)!  I like a clean and picked up house (other than my stamping desk that is!), and our youngest was notorious for leaving a trail of crap everywhere she went in our house...I don't miss it at all!!  Well, maybe I miss her a little bit.  :0)

OK, now onto the CAS Mix Up Challenge I am playing in today...they are challenging us to stamp through a stencil!

I love, LOVE stencils, so this was a fun challenge to play in!  I started with a Gina K stencil (Crazy Daisy Stencil) and here's what I came up with...

I stenciled with Sweet Corn ink and then lightly went over the stencil edges with some Prickly Pear ink (both Gina K inks) to deepen the outside edges.  While leaving the stencil in place, next I used The Greetery's Big Plans Background Stamp with Coral Reef ink (also Gina K) and stamped through the stencil.  Some areas didn't ink up as well as others, so I cut the piece down and added a black mat layer, and then added both those layers to a piece of white cardstock that I used a MB Pinpoint Leaf Plate on.  Also added a black mat layer to that and then mounted all 4 layers to a top folding white card base.  I finished with a die cut sentiment using MB's Big Hugs Posh Script die.  Not too bad for not stamping for a couple months...felt good to get back into it!!

There's still time to play along with this challenge, (open till the 24th) so check out all the amazing inspiration from the DT and their special GD right HERE.

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

CAS Christmas Reminder - DECORATIONS

Hello friends.  Just a friendly reminder that there's still time to play along with us at the CAS Christmas Challenge where our hostess Cathy is looking for DECORATIONS on your CAS Christmas cards.

I used an older PTI set called Brilliant Baubles to come up with this bright and non-traditional colored Christmas card.  Take a look:

I used Catherine Pooler inks (Party Dress, Grass Skirt, & Aquatini) to stamp the 3 baubles, starting with the middle ornament, and then masking it before stamping the pink and aqua ones.  I added a fun die cut sentiment from SSS (Fa La La) in black and then matted with a black layer before attaching to a white card base.  A few Pinkfresh Studio gems finished off this fun and bright CAS card!

 We'd love to have you join us this month, so check out what the DT and our Special GD have come up with for you for inspiration, and then play along right HERE.  This challenge is open till the 24th.

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

Twofer Challenge #41 - DOG/CAT

Hello friends.  A bit of news first...due to family health problems and a change in priorities, our fearless and FABULOUS leader Darnell has decided to discontinue The Twofer Challenge.  Don't be sad though...this challenge has had a great run and we've all learned how to stretch our stamps and dies and stencils into twofers and even threefers sometimes!!  So let's make this last challenge go out with a bark or meow, and how better than with a super FUN Twofer Challenge??  This month is for all you DOG/CAT lovers out there!!

 

We are DOG lovers in this house, so of course my twofer this month a couple DOG cards...a pet sympathy card and a birthday card, both using the same die cut dog from SU!'s Pampered Pets stamp and die set.

Let's take a closer look at each one individually...

This was a doggone simple card to make, and it's always good to have a pet sympathy card on hand for when our furry friends pass over the rainbow bridge!  I framed a piece of the DSP that matches the stamp and die set with MFT's Rectangle Peek-a-Boo Window Die and then added the cute little pup that is also on one of the DSP papers using the die that comes with the set.  I actually cut two of the dogs from plain white cardstock to give a bit of dimension to the pup as he sits over the die cut window.  The sentiment is also from the Pampered Pets set.  I matted my top layer with a piece of Real Red cardstock and then adhered to a top folding white card base. 

My birthday card is a fun one where I stamped the dog image multiple times without re-inking to make him look like he's running towards the tree...because, well, look what's up in the tree!!

Yep, one of those gosh darn SQUIRRELS!!  Our first dog Brinkley used to charge to the tree in the back yard and then sit literally for HOURS waiting for the squirrel to come down!!  Too funny!!  I stamped the dog image in Soft Suede ink on kraft cardstock and then used the same die as my first card to cut him out and place him over the stamped running images on my card panel.  My tree was stamped from The Greetery's Fir & Foliage stamp set, and that little squirrel is from a CP Christmas set called Here We Come A - Caroling and he's been pop dotted to stand out a bit.  The sentiment is from the Pampered Pets set.  I think this card will be going to my hubby later this month for his birthday as he used to LOVE watching Brinkley treeing a squirrel!  Our dog Daisy now barks at the squirrels from the comfort of the recliner in the living room, but doesn't bother expending any energy chasing them around outside...she thinks she's a diva!!  Haha!!

So there you have my two dog cards both using the same dog die, but for 2 different occasions.  We can't wait to see YOU in the gallery with all your DOG/CAT cards, and feel free to add some photos of your pets if so inclined!  If you need some more inspiration, make sure you check out what our talented DT and Special GD's have come up with, 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!

CAS Christmas August 2021 - DECORATIONS

Hello friends.  It's time for another challenge at CAS Christmas, and this month our hostess is Cathy and she is looking for DECORATIONS on our Christmas cards.

 

I have a twofer for you today because I used a Birch Press Designs die set (Radiant Ornament) as a stencil for my first card, and then used the leftover die cuts to make my 2nd card.  Take a look:

There are 3 dies in this set, so I had 3 stencils to work with and used 3 different shades of Aqua inks (Gina K's Ocean Mist, Blue Lagoon, & Tranquil Teal) to blend over each stencil layer.  After blending on each color, I used one of the dies and a rubber mat to deboss the image and give a bit of dimension.  Here's a closer up:

I layered a white mat with the ornament shape cut out over my blended and debossed ornament, and then added a layer of Ocean Mist cardstock behind the white layer and attached both to a white card base.  I finished with a few Pinkfresh Studio gems and a sentiment from and older PTI set (Christmas Blessings).

Because the leftover ink blended stencils (the actual die cuts) were too pretty to throw away, I made a 2nd card...

Same basic layout and very CAS!!  Here's another close up...

I used some silver glitter cardstock for the ornament topper piece and then added a Tiny Tag (PTI) for my sentiment.

The DT and our Special GD have some AWESOME cards to share with you this month to inspire you, so play along with us right HERE and get a head start on those Christmas cards...it really will be here before you know it!  Remember to keep your cards CAS and we can't wait to see YOU in the gallery!  This challenge is open till the 24th.  

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