Christmas Kickstart #30 - Winter Wonderland (Create A Scene)

Hello friends.  Playing along with this month's Christmas Kickstart Challenge where they are looking for us to create a WINTER WONDERLAND scene.

I feel like I cheated a little since my die cut created the whole scene for me, but my mojo has been sadly lacking this past month or so, so I was happy to let the die do the work!  And simple as this card may be, I really like the way it turned out...

The die is from Gina Marie Designs and I love how she created the whole Winter scene in one round opening!  I started with a blended background using Stormy Sky and Salty Ocean Distress Inks and then splattered a little bit with some water to resemble falling snow.  I was not able to capture it with my camera, but I also added some Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist to the background and it really does shimmer IRL!

I die cut a circle opening in my top layer to fit the die cut, and then stamped my sentiment (The Greetery's Christmas Eve) before running the piece through my Big Shot with the Subtle EF (SU!).  I assembled the layers onto a white top folding card base and finished!  CAS and I actually love how it turned out!  (Isn't it funny how some of our simplest and easiest cards turn out to be the prettiest and ones that we've worked hours and hours on are just...meh?!)

Make sure you check out Jo and her special GD Jane's inspiration, and then play along with the Christmas Kickstart Challenge to get a head start on those Christmas cards!    

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

Twofer Challenge #26 - Rain/Umbrella

Hello friends.  Welcome to a new Twofer Challenge!  This month we're looking for RAIN and/or UMBRELLA'S...

I used both prompts for my cards using a new SU! set called Under My Umbrella and came up with these:

Have you ever made a stair step card?  I hadn't made one in years and decided it was time to try one again.

I followed directions and a video from Angie Juda HERE  to make my card.  The DSP is from an older SSS kit where they give you a partial 6 x 6 pad, so I'm afraid I can't tell you who the manufactuer is, but isn't the paper with the rainboots so cute?!  The umbrella was stamped from the backside of the DSP and then I used a coordinating punch to cut it out.  The boots and the flowers were stamped (flowers colored with Copics) and then fussy cut.

  
Here's a side view so you can see the folds better.  I admit it did take me a few tries to do the folding the right way so it would actually stand up, so I'm glad I practiced first with a piece of plain white cardstock!  Once I figured it out though, it was really easy to put together and fun to decorate!!  Figured this card would work great as an encouragement card with all that's going on in the world today!

My 2nd card is a friendship card and I used the same umbrella but turned it around so it would look like what happens when the wind is so strong that it turns your umbrella inside out!  I started with a water colored background and then added a bunny from Penny Black (Flying By) that was holding a flower that I surgically removed (I didn't hurt the bunny, I promise!!) so I could have him hold the umbrella!

The bunny was stamped and colored with Copics and then fussy cut before adding to my background.  I used several pop dots behind the umbrella in the middle to give it a bit more definition and then finished by adding the raindrops and sentiment, both of which come from the SU! set Under My Umbrella.

So there you have my 2 different cards using the same umbrella and raindrops.  You can check out what the rest of the DT did right HERE and then play along with us.  Don't forget that you need to show both your cards in one photo and they both need to be for different occasions and be of a different design.  We're looking forward to seeing you in the gallery with your cards using RAIN and/or UMBRELLA'S!  This challenge is open till the 24th.  

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

CAS Mix Up April 2020 - Bleaching

Hello friends.  Playing along with the CAS Mix Up Challenge today and they are looking for BLEACHING on our cards.

I love the bleaching technique but it's been awhile since I've done it and my card did NOT turn out the way I had envisioned it in my head!  My vision was to use a light green cardstock and then use the bleach to remove the green on the blossoms and then water color them a light pink like Cherry Blossoms.  Only problem is that when you start with a light green cardstock, you don't end up with white once you add the bleach...grrrrrr!  Nope, it turned a pale yellow!  So after it dried I added some more bleach thinking it might take the yellow away...NOPE, it turned the yellow even brighter!!  I was going to throw it away and start again, but the more I looked at it, the more I kinda liked it!  Take a look...

I used PB's First Blush stamp and stamped with Versafine Black Onyx ink and then heat embossed over it with clear embossing powder on Certainly Celery (SU!) cardstock.  After both coats of bleach had dried (and I decided I liked it after all!) I used a couple Copics to color in the leaves and then fussy cut along the one edge so I could add it to a white card base.  (The white card base was dry embossed with SU!'s Subtle embossing folder.)  It still needed something to ground it so I added a thin black strip of cardstock to the left side of the card.

My sentiment is from SSS's Sketched Flowers which I stamped before embossing.  I added a simple small yellow enamel dot to finish off my card.

There are so many BEAUTIFUL examples of bleaching from the DT that you can check out right HERE and then play along.  This challenge is open till the 24th.

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

Inspired By Challenge #118 - Here Comes Easter

Hello friends.  Playing along with the Inspired By challenge where this week they have a photo that inspired my card for my granddaughter and grandson for Easter...

I was definitely inspired by the bunnies and also some of the color...I switched up the blue in the photo for pink for my granddaughter...she LOVES pink!

I started with a kraft card base and added a white stamped with kraft ink panel using The Greetery's Windowpane Plaid Background Stamp and also die cut with The Greetery's Postal Frame Dies.  The two bunnies (I unfortunately do not know the manufacturer of these dies...if anyone does, please let me know!!) were die cut from PTI's Sweet Blush and Kraft Bitty Big PP's.  Here's a closer up so you can see how the bunnies have their arms around each other...

Awwwwww...isn't it so sweet that they're hugging each other?!!   I know, I know...in real life there's not much hugging between my grandbabies (they are 5 and almost 3), but they really do play well together most of the time!!  I added a tiny pink bow to the girl bunny and they both got a soft white pom pom for their tails. (Of which I'm sure my grandson will rip off!)  My sentiment strip is stamped with a Michael's dollar spot stamp that I've had for years and years and years...it's an oldie but a goody!!  I finished off my card with a bit of twine and a couple enamel dots.

This challenge is open for a couple more days, so check it all out right HERE.    

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

CAS Christmas April 2020 - Christmas Song

Hello friends.  I am thrilled to announce that I am now a part of the CAS Christmas DT, and if you've followed me for any length of time, you know I LOVE to make Christmas cards...all year long!  So this is a perfect fit for me and I couldn't be happier!  This month the challenge is to make your cards using the theme CHRISTMAS SONG.

Not only do I LOVE making Christmas cards, but I also LOVE Christmas Carols!!  (well actually I LOVE everything about Christmas!!)  My favorite carol is O Holy Night, but I went in a different direction and used my favorite tree die from Tim Holtz called Woodlands...

I found an ugly piece of Alcohol Ink paper in my scrap bin because suddenly it didn't look so ugly when I thought about how it might look cut out as a Christmas tree...and I was right!  I think it looks just perfect with all the green shades and touches of blue (think snow).  I made a frame using the 2 smaller dies from The Greetery's Nordic Frame Dies and then marked off the edges on my background layer with the frame so I would know where to stamp the O'Tannenbaum from PTI's O'Tannenbaum set.  I used my MISTI to help me stamp the song title straight in a light gray ink, and then added the Nordic frame with foam tape on the back for some dimension.

I added my background layer and frame to a white card base and then lastly added my Christmas tree.  I thought about stamping the song title again in a darker ink to add to the card, but then thought that I really liked how it looked with it just being there subtly in the background.  So there you have my CAS Christmas card featuring the SONG O'Tannenbaum.

What's your favorite CHRISTMAS SONG and how will YOU make it into a Christmas card?  We can't wait to see YOU in the gallery!  Make sure you start by checking out all the FABULOUS inspiration from the rest of the DT and then play along with us right HERE.  Remember to keep your cards CAS and have fun showing us your favorite CHRISTMAS SONG!!

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

CAS Watercolour April 2020 - Spring Flowers

Hello friends.  This months challenge at CAS Watercolour is being hosted by Susan and she would like to see SPRING FLOWERS.  So not just any flowers like roses, daisies, etc., but SPRING flowers!  Think Snowdrops, Daffodils, Tulips, Crocuses, Dogwood, Cherry Blossoms, etc.

One of my favorite Spring flowers are Lilacs.  Not only their wonderful smell, but I just love the beautiful purple colors and the tiny, petite little blossoms all clustered together with the green foliage!  Here's what I came up with using an Impression Obsession stamp (H8731):

I started by stamping the image in black Versafine and then heat embossing in clear.  I used Highland Heather and Gorgeous Grape inks and my Aqua Painter to water color the flowers and then used a Polychromos pencil to add a little detail to the centers of the flowers.  The leaves were water colored with Old Olive ink.

My sentiment is a 2 part die from Pinkfresh Studios called Sentiment suite: hello and I used vellum for the back piece and black for the top piece.  A few clear sequins finished off my CAS Spring card.

Make sure you check out all the beautiful inspiration from the rest of the DT and our Special GD right HERE, and then play along with us!  We'd love to see the gallery flooded with SPRING FLOWERS!  This challenge is open till the 24th.

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

Inspired By #117 - Yellow Makes Me Happy

Hello friends.  Playing along with the Inspired By challenge where it's all about YELLOW!

I love yellow and it always makes me think of Daffodils.  I have some little peeks of green leaves poking up through the ground in my front yard, so hopefully I'll have some bright yellow Daffodils to enjoy soon!

For my background I tried a new (to me) technique called Bubble Painting that I learned about from Karen, one of my teammates at CAS Watercolour.  I'm not sure mine really turned out the way it is supposed to look, but I still really like it!  I used Daffodil Delight re-inker for this technique and taped off all four of my edges before putting the cardstock into the colored bubbles.   Here's a closer up:

I stamped and masked the Daffodils from SSS's Friendship Blooms in black ink, and then added my sentiment on vellum so you could still see the stems and leaves underneath.  A very simple card, but I really like how it turned out!

Only a couple days left to play with this challenge, but I think we could all use some sunshine in our lives right now, so this is a good one to play along with!  You can check it all out right HERE to play along.

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