Color Hues Challenge #91 -- Red and Green

I'm joining the latest Color Hues Challenge to use hues of RED and GREEN.

 

 

I tried NOT to think of Christmas using other card ideas, but in the end I caved 

and went all in for the holiday.

 

 I reached for The Greetery's BotaniCuts Mistletoe and shaded the branch and 

berries using the same colored ink as the card stock. I assembled the branch

and found an embossed panel that was the perfect piece for the background.

I adhered the mistletoe branch and added the loopy bow cut from gold glitter card 

stock. I tried a white glitter bow (underwhelming) and a red bow (overwhelming)

and in the end the gold won. A simple sentiment from Altenew finished off the card.

I have about a week left to enter another card and I really want to try a non

Christmas theme. We shall see. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Color Throwdown Challenge #802

I'm entering Color Throwdown Challenge #802 although I'm not 100% happy

with the colors I chose. Especially the blue.

 

 I wanted to use Pinkfresh Studio's Built on Dreams set but could not find a closer

shade of blue as in the graphic. Then I just decided to go for it since what I used IS 

a shade of blue--just more on the aqua side. 

 

Here's my first attempt, which is perhaps closer in color value to the graphic.

 

But the card seems "blah" to me, which is why I did the aqua one. I loved playing

with the Pinkfresh set. The sentiments can be used for different occasions and 

I'm a huge fan of shaped cards. So there it is.

Thanks for stopping by!

Inspired by Challenge #297 -- SEASHELLS

 

The challenge theme for this week's Inspired by Challenge is SEASHELLS.

 Here's the challenge graphic and Laurel's sketch.

And here's my card, with inspiration from both the sketch and colors.

I've been having fun with C&9th's latest release. Putting together these mini

Poolside sunbathers was challenging because of their size, and in the end I chose 

three of them per the sketch.

 

I adhered them onto a sandy, torn edge panel and stamped the sentiment.

Clear drops finished off the card.

 

I have about a dozen more of the sunbathers and hope I can use them up on a

future project They're so cute! Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

 

Color Throwdown #801

It seems I've found a little more time to craft since preschool has ended for

our granddaughters. It was a great year as we head into summer with hopefully

 some crafting time for Grandma.

 

I decided to join Color Throwdown #801 since some Concord & 9th goodies

arrived and I was looking forward to playing with them.

And here's my card using Poolside Dies.

I realize that's a lot of blue in the background so I may be disqualified even though

it's a shade of blue. I tried embossing the waves on white and it just didn't look good,

so blue it was. 

I assembled the girl and popped her up on the inner tube. The sentiment was stamped

before embossing and I'm glad it's readable. Clear drops finished off the card.

My next project is to make her interactive. A task for when I have more time.

Thanks so much for stopping by, I'm off to link this up--if I remember how to do it.

Freshly Made Sketches #641

Hello, hello! Well it's been a month since I've last posted or even entered a challenge.

To show you how crazy it's been, I have several cards that never made it to "publish"

on the blog. Yes it's summertime and we've been busy.

And I finally managed to finish a card for this week's Freshly Made Sketches because

I used the same set in FMS #640.

 

And here's my take on the sketch using Waffle Flower's new Beach Umbrella set.

 

Two umbrellas were stenciled on colored card stock and cut with two sizes of

the umbrella dies. I tore the edge of a kraft panel and dabbed the edge with 

Versamark ink and applied white embossing powder to resemble sea foam.

 

Brown watered down ink was spattered on the panel to resemble a sandy

surface then adhered to a blue card base. The umbrellas were adhered per the

sketch and a discontinued MFT sentiment was white embossed on the water. Clear 

dots finished off the card.

And for those with inquiring minds, here's my delinquent card for FMS #640. 

I was just a few hours past the deadline.

Thanks so much for stopping  by after my hiatus! Off to link up my entry.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Color Throwdown #793

Playing along with the latest from Color Throwdown #793 being drawn to the 

unique color palette: orange, purple, and aqua.

 

 And here's my card featuring new mushrooms from Papertrey Ink.

 

 

I'm a huge fan of mushrooms and I liked the shapes and sizes in the set. I know that 

the colors are uncommon, but I think they give them a whimsical touch.

All of the mushroom parts and leaves were cut from Concord & 9th card stock

and inked to give them more dimension.

A panel was cut from Reverse Wonky Rectangles (again!) and ran through Memory

Box's Pinpoint Leaves Cover Die. I arranged the pieces and finished off with the

sentiment from MFT. 

Ok, I'm off to link this up. Thanks for stopping by!

 

One More for Color Throwdown 790

 It's not often I enter a second card for a challenge, but since some of my Concord & 9th

goodies were already out, a second card was born.

I remember wanting the Weekend Market Dies so badly when it first debuted. And I only

made ONE card. I had the body parts cut out and just had to "dress" her and accessorize

in the challenge colors. 

I assembled her on Altenew's Masonry Wall and cut out the sentiment with 

Oceanside card stock, and finished off the card.

Ok, off to enter my second card. Hope you're having a great weekend!

Color Throwdown Challenge #790

While playing with some older dies, I saw that I'm using the challenge colors 

for Color Throwdown 790 -- yellow, green, and aqua. 

 

Here's my card using Concord & 9th's Triple Step HI Dies and their card stock, too.

 

 

 After die cutting the letters from Oceanside card stock, I inlaid the flowers and leaves

with Buttercup and Parsley card stock, respectively. I found the sentiment, colored in

gradient greens and adhered everything to a panel that was embossed with

Altenew's Organic Linen 3D embossing folder. 

The leaves looked a little flat so I added some color with a YG03 Copic marker.

I'm off to link up this card. Thanks for stopping by!

The Flower Challenge #90 -- ADD LAYERS

 

The current challenge theme over at The Flower Challenge is ADD LAYERS.

 

 

We were in Tokyo last month, hoping to see some cherry blossoms but there was a cold spell

which brought temps down to the 30's. We were freezing! And this naturally delayed the

cherry blossoms' appearance which started blooming AFTER we left. Darn climate change!

So I'm paying homage to what we missed with Pinkfresh Studio's Cherry Blossoms Die

and Stencil Set and its many layers.

 

 

The background is Altenew's Organic Linen Embossing Folder which reminds me of

Japanese kanji, or characters with its vertical design.

The flowers alone have several layers and I decided to add a frame for even more

depth and dimension. A sentiment from Papertrey Ink completed the card.

Off to submit this to TFC, Thanks for stopping by!

* * * * *

Edited to add: Honored that my card was chosen as the winner for Challenge #90!

Thanks so much, TFC!

Guest Designer for Color Hues Challenge #84 -- Peach & Green

 

My card for Color Hues Challenge #82 was chosen as the winner and I was invited to

guest for TCH84. And as luck would have it, I got to play with my favorite colors!

 

 

Here are the challenge colors for the first half of the month of April.

 

 

Here's my card using some older products that I needed to give some love to

and I also knew that I wanted to make a shaped card.

 

 

I first stenciled Pinkfresh Studio's Bougainvillea Print, using only Stencils 1 and 2

and inks from Concord & 9th. 

A base was cut twice from a rounded arch die and the back piece was adhered to the 

front to form a hinge. The stenciled piece was cut from a smaller arch, then run through 

a floral 3D embossing folder and adhered to the base. A sentiment was added and the 

card was finished off with some gems. 

I hope you'll play along with THC 84's colors. The deadline is April 14, 2024 at

9am EST. Thanks to the Color Hues team for the kind invitation to join you!

Time Out Challenges + JUGS Collaboration Challenge

 

Blogging friend Michele directed me to a collaborative challenge between

Time Out Challenges and (new to me) JUGS, the acronym for Just Us Girls.

 

And the cue word for both challenges is BIRDS.  I'm a huge fan of birds and I feel that I was 

destined to enter the challenge. Here's my rather busy entry.

I just received Papertrey Ink's Into the Blooms Spring Nest Die and quickly put one together. 

I have several of their Feathered Friends cut, colored, and assembled in a "bird box" and chose

 a blue one that matched the eggs.

 

I unsuccessfully researched birds' egg colors and I believe blue colored birds don't lay 

blue eggs. I don't even know what species of bird this is but I was short on time to color 

a beige/brown bird. 

The nest and eggs were assembled and flowers and leaves were added, together with

the bird and a white embossed sentiment. Yes, it's the same sentiment that I used a 

few cards back that's a fave.

Ok, off to link this up! Thanks so much for stopping by and to Michele for

introducing me to the challenge.

* * *

 

Edited to add: I've just returned from an overseas trip a few days ago and feeling a bit 

jet lagged when I read in some comments that I won the collaborative challenge!

 Many thanks to the gals at Time Out Challenges and JUGS for the honor!

 

 

Color Hues #82 --Turquoise & Green

 

I haven't played in a Color Hues Challenge in quite a while and when I found some

  Greetery dragonflies that were already cut and colored, I decided to enter a card.

 

Here's Tracey's color palette for Challenge #82. 

 

And here's my card. 

I colored them quite a while ago and I think I used Zig makers and a waterbrush.

I adhered him to an embossed panel and added the white embossed Honeybee Stamps

sentiment. Some Pretty Pink Posh jewels finished off the card.

 

Earlier I added some vellum leaves but took them off and decided simple is best.

Besides, I don't think dragonflies ever land on greenery--they're much too busy flitting.

Off to link this up with a few days to spare. Thanks so much for stopping by!

* * *

 

Edited to add: My card was chosen as the winner! Thank you Color Hues!

 

 

 

The Flower Challenge #89 -- Make a Square Card

 

This month's challenge theme at The Flower Challenge is to make a SQUARE card.

 

 Here's my little square number.

 

I  just received my Greetery order of BotaniCuts Lilacs. I thought they'd be a pain to assemble

but I watched Betsy create hers about a dozen times and I was sold on the set.

 

Betsy used daubers to color her lilacs but I took the lazy route and smooshed whatever

purple inks I had and picked up the colors on watercolor card stock, then cut them out.

The leaves were ink blended on white die cuts and I used the residual ink to color the

tops of the clusters. 

I added a frame to a 4.25" card base and sponged in a blue background. I spattered water

and blue ink then added the blooms and leaves when the panel was dry. The sentiment

is from Honeybee Stamps Be Still stamp and die set. Sequins finished off the card.

All in all it was fast and easy to assemble the lilacs and I'd like to try and make some

 white ones that Betsy shared. But that's for another day. 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Color Throwdown #781

 

I'm squeezing in a card to Color Throwdown Challenge #781. Here's the challenge graphic.

 

And here's my card using mostly Altenew products.

Flowers and leaves from the Mini Flower Cluster Layering Die Set were cut from

white card stock and colored with peachy/pink colors from The Stamp Market.

Two white card stock panels were cut from Reverse Wonky Rectangles then embossed

with a Sizzix 3D Lace Embossing Folder.

The panels were adhered together by a hinge and the flowers and leaves were

assembled on a slight diagonal. The sentiment and shadow were adhered below

the flowers and the card was finished off with sequins.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Hope you're having a good weekend!

The Flower Challenge #88 -- Add a Heart

 

I'm so happy to see The Flower Challenge back from a well deserved hiatus.

This month's challenge theme is to Add a Heart and it gave me a chance to use

some (two year old) Greetery products that were still in their packaging. Oh my!

 

 

Here's my card and I'm hoping that the heart isn't too overwhelming.

The heart wood slice was assembled and spattered then topped with Forget-Me-Nots that

were colored with Zig markers. I had no idea what color forget-me-nots were until I looked 

it up, so I apologize for these bright pink ones.

 

 

I added the love word and popped up the heart on Altenew's Masonry Wall. At the last 

minute I decided to add the sub sentiment to balance out the design.

I might redeem myself and color these blooms again in their "proper" color.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

* * * 

 

Edited to add: 

Many thanks to The Flower Challenge ladies for choosing my card as the  

winner for Challenge 88! Honored to display this badge.

 

 

Simon Says Stamp January Flickr Challenge -- Anything Goes

 The theme for Simon Says Stamp's January 2024 Flickr Challenge is Anything Goes 

so I decided to enter a card made with some new Simon Says Stamp goodies.

 

I ordered the Printmaking Hearts Stamp and Die set which has layered stamping on

9 hearts. Feeling a bit lazy, I decided to cut out the hearts from several alcohol ink

panels that I've accumulated.
 

 The hearts were spritzed with alcohol, some gold Kuretake watercolors and I found

my ancient set of metallic rub ons that all added touches of gold. The hearts were

adhered to a kraft card base and a popped up sentiment finished off the card.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

Freshly Made Sketches #620

I decided to enter Freshly Made Sketches #620 after my Concord & 9th order arrived and 

I pictured the knitted heart as the main element in the sketch.

 

 And here's my card with a simplified take on the sketch.

 

After watching Jennifer McGuire go through her stash of AI backgrounds, I went through

mine and looked for the most appropriate ones for a heart. All of the dies were cut from

one inked piece and assembled with the "stray" yarn coming off on the side.

 

I stamped the sentiment before running the card base through Waffle Flower's

Quilting Texture Die. In hindsight, I didn't have to add the extra stitches over the

heart because it looks super variegated even without it. But I do love the texture.

I'm off to link this up with a few days to spare. Thanks for stopping by!