Peace On Earth Challenge #52

Hello friends.  Still trying to finish up these last few Christmas cards, so I'm playing along with the gals over at the Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge where they have an absolutely STUNNING mood board for inspiration!

The snow and wintry scenes are so pretty looking when you're viewing from inside your nice warm house, aren't they??!!  I love making wintry scenes on my cards too and have been seeing a lot of cards out in blogland recently where they are using torn paper as a masking edge to make snow banks, so I thought I would give it a try.  Big fail for me...my snow banks looked more like a gray and cloudy sky!  I ended up cutting my paper with gently sloping hills and used that as a mask, and had much better luck!  I have 2 cards to share with you and here's the 1st one...

I started by ink blending at the top of my card with blue ink and worked down to a bit of purple and pink (very lightly).  At this point I did some splattering for snow with white acrylic paint and then added my snow banks with Soft Stone ink (Gina K).  For a first try, I didn't think it looked too bad.

Next I stamped a tree line twice using Gina K's Christmas Greenery stamp set in black for a silhouetted look and also stamped my sentiment from the same stamp set.  A pretty simple card but I really like the way it turned out!

My 2nd card I did basically the same way except in a vertical format and using Lavinia stamps.

I used the following stamps to create my silhouette scene: Christmas Tree Group, Forest Hares, & Forest Scene.  I love the bit of orange blending in this sunset scene...it really adds a pop of color!  These types of cards are very addicting to make, so there just might be a few more coming!

There is a lot of BEAUTIFUL inspiration from the DT for this challenge, and you can find it all right HERE.  This challenge is open till Thursday, Nov. 30th @ 8:00PM.
 

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

Double D Challenge - Stripes and/or Dots

Hello friends.  Playing along with the Double D Challenge where they are looking for DOTS and/or STRIPES.  

I know I had mentioned a week or so ago that I had finished making all my Christmas cards for this year, but I just ended up selling a bunch...I mean how do you say no to family?!!  So anyway, I have another Christmas card to share using both stripes & dots.  Take a look...

Isn't he a cutie?!  I've had this Penny Black image (beaming) for a couple years and this is the first time I've inked him up!  I stamped him in black and then clear heat embossed so I could color him up with my Copics.

After fussy cutting him out, I attached him with foam tape to a panel that I die cut a window opening using MFT's Peek-A-Boo rectangle die, and added a piece of polka dotted dsp from PTI.  My sentiment is also PTI.  I added a little WOS to all the lights and then put a drop of glossy accents over the top of that to make my lights sparkle & shine.  Easy peasy and I used both stripes (his hat and shirt) and dots (background panel).

Lots of awesome inspiration from the DT and you can find it all right HERE if you'd like to play along.  This challenge is open till Sunday, Dec. 3rd @ 8:00PM.

I'm also entering this over at Darnell's NBUS Challenge as this is the first time I've used this sweet little elf.

 

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

Color Hues #76 - Red & Metallic Gold

Hello friends.  Time for a new challenge here at The Color Hues Challenge and our hostess Jules would love to see Red & Metallic Gold on our cards.

My first thought was Christmas with these 2 colors, but I was in need of birthday cards right now, so here's my take on the red & gold theme...

This was my starting point with a piece of Real Red cs that I embossed with Altenew's Flowers & Leaves 3D EF.  Next I inked up my brayer with Cherry Cobbler ink and lightly brayered over the raised portion of my panel to give a bit more definition to the flowers and leaves.  I also sprayed the panel at this point with Sheer Shimmer Glimmer Mist that gives the whole card front such a pretty shimmer.

 I did some partial die cutting with a strip of black cs and used Honey Bee's Bitty Buzzwords dies for the "birthday" using the shadow die on the black strip and then the word die on gold metallic cs.  I used a coordinating word stamp for the "greetings" and embossed it in metallic gold.  

  I used foam tape on the back of the black strip for some dimension and then finished with a few gold metallic pearls from PFS.  Pretty simple card really, but I love how elegantly it turned out!

You can check out all the beautiful inspiration from the rest of the DT and our Special GD Claire right HERE and then play along with us!  We'd love to see what YOU come up with using this color combination!  This challenge is open till November 28th @ 9:00AM.

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

The Flower Challenge #86 - Reminder

Hello friends.  Just a friendly reminder that there's still time to play along with us at The Flower Challenge where this month is a color challenge...using black, white & yellow.

I pulled out my RC Flower Builder Dies to come up with this bold card...

I started with a Waffle Flower coverplate die called Woven Pattern, die cut in black and attached to a white card base.  My flowers were die cut from white cs and then ink blended with Squeezed Lemonade & Mustard Seed DOX inks.

I also added a bit of rock candy glitter (TH) to the top edges of the flowers for a bit of sparkle and then attached them to my background panel along with the stems and leaves that I chose to leave white.  My sentiment is a pre-printed strip from Gina K.

 A pretty bold and graphic card, but I'm really happy with the way this one turned out!  Hope it gives you some inspiration to play along with us using these colors, and there's also a LOT more inspiration from my talented teammates right HERE!  We hope to see YOU in the gallery soon!  This challenge closes on the 25th @ 5:00PM.

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

Peace On Earth #51

Hello friends.  I've finished my Christmas cards for THIS year, but am still making them to get a head start on next year.  And before you think I'm just showing off here, you should know that the hardest part for me isn't making the cards...that's the easy part!  The hard part is taking the time to write in each card and address them and actually get them in the mailbox on time!  But anyway, playing along with the gals over at the Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge where they have another fabulous mood board for inspiration.

See if you can guess what I was inspired by...

Yep, the stockings and the Poinsettia.  I am still loving this Waffle Flower Postage Collage Die that my sweet friend Michele has let me cut multiples of, and that was my starting point for this card.  I used post it notes to mask off each square and lightly blended red ink onto them.  The stockings were made using WF's Little Stocking Die (a freebie with one of my orders) and the Poinsettia's were made using WF's Layered Poinsettia Die and polka dotted dsp from PTI.

The tree and sentiments all come from WF's Triangle Tree stamp and stencil set, and although hard to tell in the photo, the star on top of the tree is gold embossed.  I finished with a few Disco Ball sequins (Gina K), some GA's on the Poinsettia centers, and then attached to a red card base.  Pretty simple card but I'm loving how bright and festive it is!

Lots of awesome inspiration from the DT if you need to still get going on your cards, and you can check it all out right HERE.  This challenge is open till Thursday, Nov. 16th @ 8:00PM.

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

Stenciling Over Heat Embossing

Hello friends.  I'm playing along with the gals over at the Group of Seven Cardmakers where they are playing with the Stenciling Over Heat Embossing Technique.  It's been awhile since I've done this technique and had forgotten how fun it is to mix and match background stamps with stencils!  I have 3 cards to share with you, so let's get to it!

My 1st card started with SSS's Holiday Background stamp and white embossing powder, and then using a very light hand I used leftover residual ink from my turquoise blending brush to cover the whole panel.  Next I added Gina K's Stellar Snowflake Stencil over my embossed panel and used a bit heavier hand with the turquoise ink and then added Tranquil Teal ink and Medium Lilac ink (Gina K), starting from the inside of the snowflake and blending out to the edges.  I added a thin strip of Tranquil Teal cs to the left edge of the card and my sentiment is MB's Let it Snow Posh Script die (die cut 4 times and stacked for dimension.  A couple Disco Ball sequins finished off this card.

My 2nd card started with gold embossing using retired SU!'s En Francais background stamp, and then used Impression Obsession's Poinsettia stencil with yellow, red & green inks (all Gina K).  This is a new (to me) 6x6 stencil and I'm loving it...so easy to use!  I did trim off about a third of the bottom and added a piece of white that I embossed with SSS's Holiday Greenery embossing folder with a thin strip of gold mirror cs between the 2 layers.  I used MB's Special Merry Christmas die cut in black for my sentiment.

One of my favorite color combinations is pink & orange, and even though this 3rd card is a rather simple layout, I think it's my favorite of the 3!  I started with SSS's Friendship Text Background stamp and embossed it in white for my background and then used Gina K's Bold Bouquet stencil and lots of masking off to keep the colors separated as I did my ink blending.

This is just a single stencil, so you do have to be careful to keep the colors separate unless you don't mind pink or orange leaves.  I cut it down a bit and added a Passionate Pink panel behind it before attaching both to a white card base, and then added a sentiment strip using a couple small stamps from Gina.  A couple silver dots finished off this sweet birthday card.

There are so many AWESOME cards from this talented group of cardmakers that you can check out right HERE...it is definitely a FUN technique to try and also very addicting!  :0)

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

Happy Birthday Michele

Hello friends.  Today is a special day...it's my sweet friend Michele's birthday and I have a card to share that I sent her using one of her BetterPress plates from Spellbinders...Corner Sunflowers.

Isn't that such a pretty image?!  I love coloring these images with my Copics and they water color up beautifully too!  

Once I finished coloring the image I used Sheer Shimmer Mist over the entire panel and it really shimmers in the light!  The sentiment is also from Spellbinders and is a BetterPress plate too.  You just can't match the deep etching you get from a BetterPress, so if you've been on the fence about whether you need a BetterPress system, you won't be sorry if you spend the money!

I'm going to send this over to the gals at the Triple B Challenge where they have a beautiful mood board to inspire you and you also have the whole month to play along!

I hope you'll all join me in wishing Michele a very Happy Birthday today!  She is just one of the sweetest people I know and I truly treasure our friendship...all brought together because of stamping!  Have a wonderful day Michele from start to finish and I hope you get spoiled like crazy!!  Love ya!!

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

Double D Challenge - Oh Deer

Hello friends.  Still making Christmas cards over here even though I think I have enough...but you just never know who might surprise you with one, so it's good to have a few extra on hand.  Plus I just really, really like making Christmas cards!!  So playing along with the gals over at the Double D Challenge where they are looking for DEER on our cards.

Not much stamping on this card, but it worked out so well with just die cuts and a really OLD Carta Bella 6 x 6 paper pad that other than the sentiment, it really didn't need anything else.  Take a look...

I loved the deep earth tones in the dsp, and it worked perfectly with the deer and tree from PTI's Winter Wonder stamp and die set.  I used one of the coordinating dsp's from the pad for the tree and border layer, and the deer was die cut from kraft and used Walnut Stain Distress Ink to blend around the edges to make him stand out a bit more.  My snow hill layers (PTI's In The Meadow Die Collection) were cut from some cream colored speckled cs that I've had for ages from a store that used to sell this cs by the pound.  I've only a few sheets left and use it very sparingly as the store has been out of business for years now.

Although it doesn't show up too well in my photo, the sentiment (from the Winter Wonder set) was embossed in gold, and I finished with a bit of glitter on the snow hill edges and the tree, and foam tape behind the deer to give him a bit of dimension.  Pretty easy card with the dsp doing all the work, but I still really like the way it came out and really do need to start using more of my dsp instead of hoarding it!  I know, I know,...I'm the only one who does that, right?  Right??!!

You can play along with this challenge right HERE and the DT has oodles of inspiration to get you started.  This challenge is open till Sunday, Nov. 12th @ 8:00PM.

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

The Flower Challenge #86 - Black, White & Yellow

Hello friends.  I am beyond excited to share with you that I am the newest DT member of The Flower Challenge, and feel like I have won the challenge lottery as flowers are my favorite cards to make (with Christmas being a close 2nd!)!!  For those of you who have followed me for any length of time, you also know I love color challenges, so how perfect that my first challenge as a DT member is a color challenge...Black, White & Yellow.

 

Lately I've been having fun with Spellbinder's Betterpress Letterpress system, and my card today uses the letterpress plate that comes with the system...

If you're not familiar with the letterpress technique, it leaves a very deeply etched impression into your cardstock (a special cotton cardstock works best) that is so cool looking...I may have uttered a few squeals after my first try because it was so cool!  I ran the plate through twice and then colored the flowers with Y15, Y18 & Y17 Copics, and the leaves just very lightly using a C1 Copic.  

My sentiment is from Penny Black's special sentiments set and I finished off this CAS card with a few Clear Drops: Iridescent from PFS.

Make sure you check out all the FABULOUS inspiration from the rest of the DT right HERE, and then play along with us...we'd love to see YOU in the gallery!  This challenge is open till the 25th.

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

Color Hues #75 - Light Blue & Purple

Hello friends.  WOW!!  Can you believe it's November already?!  This year has flown by for me and I'm getting excited to start decorating for Christmas!  Still want to enjoy my turkey and pilgrim decorations for a bit longer though, so will table those urges for holiday decorating!  For the next 2 weeks our hostess is Julie B, and she has chosen Light Blue & Purple for us to play with here at The Color Hues Challenge.

I may not be decorating for Christmas yet, but I am still finishing up those last minute Christmas cards, and thought this non-traditional color combo would be perfect for a snowflake card!  I participated in this year's Holiday Create & Connect event from PFS, and one of the stamp, stencil & die sets we received was the Folk Snowflake set which worked perfectly for my card today.  Take a look...

I started with an embossed background using SSS's Filigree Snowflakes embossing folder.  Next I embossed the Folk Snowflake image in silver and then used the coordinating stencils in shades of blue and purple.  After die cutting the snowflake, I cut it in half and then did the same thing with another white embossed snowflake (on vellum).  I offset the two layers a bit and then added them to my embossed card base on the top left and bottom right hand sides.  

  I embossed my sentiment in black on a vellum strip (PB's feeling of christmas) and wrapped it around the middle of my card, and then finished with a few purple and clear gems from PFS.  

Make sure you check out all the wonderful inspiration from our DT and Special GD (Linda Snodgrass) right HERE and then play along with us...we'd love to see YOU in the gallery!  This challenge is open till November 14th @ 9:00AM. 

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

Poppystamps - WOODLAND WONDER

Hello friends.  My sweet friend Lisa Elton who is a DT Member for the poppystamps blog, asked me to be a Guest Designer for their November Challenge called WOODLAND WONDER...and of course I said YES!!

The WOODLAND WONDER title had me all excited as I've just recently discovered all their Whittle dies and am head over heels in LOVE with them all!!  I made a shaker card with the Whittle Birds, Whittle Squirrel & Whittle Oak Leaf dies and the Garden Lantern die and came up with this...

Isn't that lantern and all the critters just the sweetest?!  When I had ordered the dies, Poppystamps sent me a gift of card bases and envelopes made with beautiful shimmery paper.  I die cut the lantern from one of the envelopes that was made with a lovely bronzed shimmery metallic paper and I think it turned out so pretty!  (Those envelopes may never get used as envelopes as the paper is just too pretty!) One of the card bases they sent was a shimmery dark red/burgundy color and it worked perfectly for one of the whittle leaves and that sweet whittle squirrel too!  

The other 2 leaves and the whittle birds were die cut from some scraps I had water colored on ages ago (it pays sometimes to keep all those "whittle" scraps!!).  I used a little strip of dsp behind the lantern to ground the image, and then constructed the shaker element with gold sequins inside it.  My sentiment (Simple Thank You die from Poppystamps) is from one of the envelopes too, as was the layering panel behind the image panel.  I wish my photography skills captured all the shimmer from the envelope and card base paper Poppystamps sent that I used on this card...it really takes it next level!

Make sure you check out what Lisa made for this challenge right HERE and then play along this month!  Thank you, THANK YOU Lisa for inviting me to play along with you this month...soooooo FUN!!  Stamping friends truly are the BEST!! 

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