Pinkfresh Holiday 2023 Create & Connect

Hello friends.  Last weekend I had the joy and fun of participating in Pinkfresh Studio's Holiday Create & Connect event, where we attended 6 classes via Facebook with 6 AWESOME teachers!  This was my 3rd Create & Connect event I attended over the past 2 years and they just keep getting better and better!  This is a picture heavy post, so I'm not going to write much about the making of each card as you'd be here for a month or longer if I did!  None of the products you'll see are available to the public yet, but eventually they will release most of them (I think).  If you have any questions about any of the cards, feel free to contact me and I will try to answer as best I can.  Let's get started.

  Class one was taught by Lea Lawson with this sweet Holiday Spirit set.  Lea's slimline card (left) was regular size and I changed mine to a mini slimline...I just like this size better than the larger slimline.  Such a FUN set that I will use again and again and of course Lea is an amazing teacher!!

Class 2 (Holiday Gifts) was taught by Carissa Wiley and both these cards are interactive with pull features.  I always have a hard time keeping up with Carissa (I'm a slow stamper!!) but she sure is a talented card maker and I loved her cards too!  Especially that envelope...I just LOVE the stencil that creates the little lines around the edge of the envelope (card on left)!!

 Class 3 was taught by Amy Yingling of The Stamp Market and I was blown away by her creativity and the beautiful cards we made!  This set is called Festive Foliage.

Sorry for the poor lighting but this card is an easel card and just absolutely STUNNING in real life!!

Another poor lighting photo and I wish I could have gotten this one to stand up to get a better photo, but my leaves extended out farther than the card base and makes it hard to stand up.  It's a bi-fold card with the center circle/sentiment what holds the card closed.  Another stunner of a card!!

Class 4 was taught by Heather Hoffman and the set is called Folk Snowflake.  I wasn't too sure about this set at the beginning but it ended up being a favorite too!  Heather is an AWESOME teacher and so easy to follow!  The card on the left is a shaker card and just SO PRETTY!!  Love the vellum layer on the card on the right too!  A really FUN class!!

 

Class 5 was taught by Channin Pelletier and this was a 1st introduction to her for me and I just absolutely LOVED her teaching style!  Very laid back and easy going and the cards were just lovely!  The stamp set we used is called Ornaments & Foliage.  The background on the left card was water colored and I wasn't real sure about it when I first saw the pictures in the tutorial, but it ended up being one of the coolest backgrounds I've ever done...you use a straw!!  Fun, FUN!!

Class 6 was supposed to be taught by Jennifer McGuire, but because of shoulder surgery that got scheduled the day before, she had Kristina Werner teach the class and she is also an AMAZING teacher!!  These are both interactive cards where you pull a tab to see the gift card (on the left) or pull up to see the hidden message on the card on the right.  Don't you just LOVE the blue on the card on the right?  My sweet friend Loll enabled me to purchase this Audrey Blue cardstock from SSS...I love it!!

I had to play catch up most of this week finishing up these cards, but it was time so well spent as I just love ALL the cards!!  If you ever get the chance to do one of the Create & Connect events, go for it...so worth it!  Thanks so much for sticking with me this long, and again, if you have any questions about any of the cards, don't hesitate to ask!  

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

Double D- Birthday Balloons

Hello friends.  The Double D Challenge is hosting a new challenge with Birthday Balloons...

I only have a few balloon stamps and I think it's because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the little balloon holding bunny from Anita Jeram/Colorado Craft Co. (Birthday Wishing) soooooooo much that I just can't help but use him over and over again!  My birthday card stash is getting a little low, so I made two cards for today...one pink and one blue so that guy or gal is covered!!

 I started with a stenciled background using PFS's Geometric Tile and inks.  My bunnies were Copic colored and then added to an inner frame piece (PFS) that I embossed using SU!'s new Cheery Patterns folders.  A few silver sequins finished both of these cards off.

I feel much better having a couple birthday cards to add to my dwindling stash!!  The gals over at the Double D have lots of fabulous inspiration for you, so if you're in need of birthday cards like I was, go check them out right HERE.  This challenge is open till Sunday, Oct. 1st @ 8:00PM.

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

"TIS THE SEASON

Hello friends.  I know it's not really "the season" yet, but it will be here before we know it, so I'm really trying to keep up with my Christmas card making!  The Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge has a beautiful mood board (as always!) and has helped inspire my card today.

I was inspired by the snowy scenes, the trees and the window, and came up with this card...

I blended my background first with 3 shades of blue Gina K ink and then stamped the trees and bird from Penny Black's woodsy set in black ink.  I also splattered with white acrylic paint for snow, and then also sprayed the panel with Sheer Shimmer Mist in silver...very hard to see but in real life this really sparkles and shines!  To make my arched window die cut I used a couple different dies...Gina K's Master Layouts #5 and PFS's Terrarium die, and then put foam tape behind it for dimension.  The window was set against an embossed panel that is a retired SU! embossing folder called Winter Snow.

 My sentiment banner is from Spellbinder's Make It Merry Sentiments die set where the top layer has the sentiment cut out and then I backed it with a solid banner cut from silver sparkle cs.  I wish my photo would have shown it off better as it's really pretty when the light hits it!

How are you doing with your Christmas card stash?  Have you even started?  I don't mass produce, so I do need to really play all year long to have enough to send out.  The DT has BEAUTIFUL inspiration to help you get motivated if you need it and you can find it all right HERE.  This challenge is open till Thursday, September 28th @ 8:00PM.

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

Color Hues #72

Hello Crafters,

Today, we have a very special Challenge here at Color Hues!  

In conjunction with our normal Color Challenge, The Color Hues Design Team and a few guests, from our sister challenge Seize the Birthday, are participating in a Blog Hop! 

Collectively as a team, we are hopping in memory of our dear friend, fellow cardmaker, and Design Team member, Lindsey Martin-Penny, who sadly passed away last year from a rare and aggressive form of Ovarian Cancer. 

The purpose of this hop will be to honor Lindsey, celebrate her life and all that she loved, as well as spread the word to raise funds for Clear Cell Ovarian Cancer Research.  

How can you Help? You can find all the fabulous details and the start of the hop HERE!

In honor of Lindsey, the team has created a variety of cards using her favorite color combo of Purple and Red.

I didn't know Lindsey all that well except for comments she would leave when I used to play along with Tracey's 25 Days of Christmas Tags challenge each November , and Lindsey's tags would always inspire me, which in turn would have her leaving sweet and encouraging comments on my posts!

To honor Lindsey and her favorite color combination, I pulled out an older MFT stamp set called Pretty Poppies, which I thought was appropriate considering Poppies are connected with remembrance.  Take a look...

I started by inking my Poppies with Poppy ink (C&9th) and then used a dark Lilac ink (Gina K) around the edges of the Poppies.  I added the stems and leaves in Dove ink (C&9th) and then fussy cut the images out.  The Pretty Poppies stamp set also comes with a script stamp which I inked up with SU!'s Highland Heather half way up a strip of cardstock, and then tore both sides for a bit of interest before attaching to a panel of white that I had added texture to using SU!'s Subtle embossing folder.

To finish I added a sentiment from The Greetery's Sentiment Suite: Thinking of You and also a few purple gemstones from PFS.  

We hope you'll play along with us for the next 2 weeks using Lindsey's favorite colors and flood our gallery with all sorts red & purple cards.  We have lots of inspiration for you at our challenge site that you can find right HERE.  This challenge will be open till Thursday, September 28th @ 9:00AM.

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

A Couple More Letterpress Cards...

Hello friends.  Just a quick post today sharing a couple cards I made with Michele's Altenew and spellbinder's Letterpress plates.

My 1st card uses the Spellbinder's Pressed Bouquet letterpress plate...

The actual colors on this card are much deeper in real life, but my photo editing program wasn't playing nice with me and it looks a little washed out to me compared to the actual card.  So just imagine deeper pinks and brighter yellow/oranges.  I used my Copics to color and then used Spellbinders Hemstitched Dies to add the framing around the image before adding to a Lilac card base.  My sentiment is a pre-printed strip from Gina K and a few lilac gems from PFS finished off this pretty floral card.

My 2nd card uses Altenew's Floral Engravings letterpress plate...

I used my Copics in coral shades for this card and finished it simply with a birthday sentiment from Gina K that was embossed in gold on black cs and then die cut.  A few gold pearls (also Gina K) finished off this simple card.

There are more and more letterpress plates coming out for the holidays and they are all absolutely beautiful and I want them all!  Will I get them all?  Nope.  Not rich.  Maybe a few new ones though.  I know it's hard to see in the photos, but the deep etched look you get from using the letterpress technique is just sooooo pretty!!  They are definitely oooooooh and ahhhhhhhhh cards in real life!  Thanks you so much sweet Michele for sharing with me...I truly had fun coloring these up and making them into cards!!  Crafting friends truly are the best, aren't they?!!

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

Double D Challenge - FALL PLAIDS

Hello friends.  Playing along with the gals over at the Double D Challenge where it's all about the FALL PLAIDS!

Don't you just LOVE all the bright and warm colors of Fall?!  And to add in PLAID??  I mean, what's not to LOVE?!!  I started with a piece of plaid dsp from an older SU! 6 x 6 package for my background and went from there.  Here's what I came up with...

 Between the plaid, the colorful leaves and the pumpkin, I think I managed to portray what Fall looks like here in Michigan.  Most years it's absolutely BEAUTIFUL here in my state.  Every once in a while we get weather that just doesn't cooperate and then the colors don't seem quite as bright, but most years look just like my card!  My pumpkin comes from the Greetery's Plump Pumpkin Dies and was inked up with DOX inks and then splattered with a bit of white acrylic paint.  The branch and colorful leaves are also from The Greetery (BotaniCuts Mighty Oak) and were once again inked up with DOX inks.  I also splattered the leaves with a bit of water as DOX inks activate with it so perfectly!

I finished my card with a sentiment that I use every Fall from Clearly Besotted's Autumn Flowers because I love it so much, and also a couple Disco Ball Sequins from Gina K.  

Thank you Double D for putting together a challenge that uses two of my favorite things...FALL & PLAIDS!  You can check out all the beautiful inspiration from the DT right HERE and then play along!  This challenge is open till Sunday, Sept. 17th @ 8:00PM.

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

Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge #47

Hello friends.  Playing along with the gals over at the Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge where they have a beautiful AND fun mood board to inspire us!

I was inspired by the elves on the top right and the simple color combination of red & white on the top left, and came up with this fun card...

I fell in love with this little Peeking Elf from Hero Arts latest release...he reminds me of the elves from the old Rudolph movie that Burl Ives narrates.  The die is all one piece, so I cut it from white, red, very light pink, black, & white glitter cs, and then snipped apart the pieces and put it all back together like a puzzle.  Not difficult, just a little time consuming...but oh so cute when finished!!  

I used an old ef from Cuttlebug for the large dots background and the red & white strip is washi tape that I've had FOREVER!!  The sentiment (Sentimental Christmas by Reverse Confetti) was embossed in white and die cut with a couple Gina K circle dies.  I finished with a piece of red & white gingham ribbon and a few glitter dots from PFS.  

Lots of FABULOUS cards from the DT for inspiration, so if you need to get going on those Christmas cards, this is the perfect place to look!  You can find it all right HERE.  This challenge goes until Thursday, Sept. 14th @ 8:00PM.

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

The Flower Challenge #84 - Use a Die

Hello friends.  Playing along with The Flower Challenge today where they would like us to use a DIE this month.

It's too bad I don't have any dies...hahahaha!!  The timing for this challenge worked out perfectly for me as I had borrowed a ASD stamp, DIE, & stencil set from my sweet friend Michele called Tulips Treasure and came up with this...

I stamped the outline image first in black, and then stenciled the flower and leaves using Gina K red & green inks.  I love deep red tulips and think this came out so pretty!  After DIE cutting the flower, I went to work on the background using a couple retired SU! background stamps.  I started with the Script stamp with Smoky Slate ink, and then stamped over the script with the Print Pattern stamp also in the Smoky Slate ink.  LOVE the way the background turned out!  I foiled in silver the sentiment which is also from ASD and fussy cut the "love" part.  A few silver metallic pearls (PFS) and this card was finished.

LOTS of gorgeous cards from the DT for inspiration, so check it all out right HERE and then play along.  This challenge is open till September 25th @ 5:00PM.

On a personal note:  Our family is growing...we welcomed Isaiah Christopher to the family on August 15th and he's perfect!  This is our 4th grandchild and the best part...he's local!!  Yes, this nana has been going to visit every couple days and getting all kinds of snuggle time in!  Nothing sweeter than a grandbaby...we've been blessed!!  (He's 3 weeks old in this picture.)

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

Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge

Hello friends.  Got a little bit of a head start on a couple Halloween cards this morning for my youngest grandbabies and the Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge was the perfect place to enter them!

I loved the photo on the lower left, but I think that's a bit scary for my 3 week old grandson and 3 year old granddaughter, so I pulled out a couple fun images from CCC and Anita Jeram.

I had just received my Watercolor Plaid Stencils from the latest release at PTI, and had to try them out with a few Halloween colors!

I used Gina K inks for the plaid (Key Lime, Lucky Clover, Tangerine Twist & Tomato Soup) background and then used The Greetery's Crimped Rectangle Die to give some interest to edges of the plaid panel.  I also used The Greetery's Crimped Circle Die to stamp my greeting on and add the cute little mouse from CCC's Pumpkin Bucket mini stamp set.  A few Diso Ball Sequins (Gina K) and some black & white baker's twine finished off my first card.

Used the same Watercolor Plaid Stencil for this 2nd card, but just used residual ink left on my blending brushes for the colors.  I also used The Greetery's Postal Frame Dies on this card and then stamped and colored with my Copics the little bat carrying the pumpkin bucket from CCC's A Little Batty mini stamp set.

I took a closeup photo hoping you'd be able to see the WOS on the bats wings, but no such luck!  I added a few PFS orange sparkly gems to finish this one.

I would also like to enter these 2 cards into Darnell's NBUS #54 Challenge since I bought both of these mini Halloween stamp sets last year when they were on sale and just used them for the 1st time now.  Better late than never, right?  RIGHT??!!

The Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge is open till September 28, so check out all the fun inspiration and then play along! 

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

Color Hues Challenge #71 - TANGERINE & VIOLET

Hello friends.  Can you believe it's September already?!  Tracey is our hostess for this new challenge at Color Hues, and she would like to see Tangerine & Violet on our cards.

My first thought was Halloween when I saw this color combo, but I'm still trying to hold on to Summer, so I went with a floral theme.  Brought out an older PFS set called Cosmos Bunch and came up with this...

I stamped and stenciled the image with Tangerine Twist, Lovely Lavender, & Wild Lilac inks (Gina K), leaving the leaves plain.  My background was hot foiled using Spellbinder's Geometric Optical Background plate and Prism hot foil and then attached to my card base.  After die cutting the floral image, I added foam tape to the back before attaching to the foiled background.

 I finished by foiling my sentiment (Memory Box's Posh Hello) onto a scrap of violet cardstock with the Prism foil (much lighter in real life!) and also adding a few violet gemstones (PFS).  The Prism foil is more of an iridescent silver, but the light hitting it makes it look more gold!  LOVE the way this turned out!!

Make sure you check out what the rest of the DT came up with to inspire you right HERE, and then play along with us.  We'd love to see YOU in the gallery!!  This challenge is open till September 14th @ 9:00AM. 

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