Sunday, July 30, 2023

Color Throwdown #753

I'm entering a card to Color Throwdown #753 just under the wire, as always. 
Here's the challenge colors: pink, aqua, yellow and lime.
 

 The colors made me think about flowers and I pulled out The Greetery's
Spring Meadow Stencil which fit the bill.



I used inks from The Stamp Market and Altenew. I'm not really sure of the names
because I was just grabbing colors and stenciling as I went along.


I stamped the sentiment and used a set of matting dies to cut out the panel.
I adhered it to a light gray card base and finished off with some clear enamel dots.

I'd better link this before I miss another deadline. 
Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, July 9, 2023

The Flower Challenge #82 -- Clean and Simple

It's a new month--I can't believe we're into JULY!--and a new challenge over at
The Flower Challenge. This month the challenge theme is CAS, Clean and Simple,
one of my favorite card styles.

 


The background was made using Altenew's Organic Linen 3D Embossing Folder.
The coneflower petals were colored and assembled and I DIY'd a stem. The bloom was
adhered to the card and finished off with a gold embossed sentiment. I wish you could
see the shiny sentiment. I always struggle with capturing metallic embossing.
 
While the overall design is CAS, I'm wondering if all those layers make this a
"clean and layered" project? Well, either way, I'm off to link this up.
 
Thanks for stopping by!
 
 

Thursday, June 22, 2023

Bear Hugs

Waffle Flower's Intertwined Bear Hugs Dies just HAD to come home with me. I wasn't
going to wait for a blog hop to try and score one, and I'm glad I grabbed it right away 
because most craft sites are sold out, or there's a reserve/waiting list.
 
 After watching several You Tube videos for inspiration, I came up with this.


This set is ingenious and cute! When separated, the bears open up to share a hidden
message. I'm still waiting for my sentiment set to arrive so the inside is blank for now.


The sentiment is Waffle Flower's Classic Sentiments and part of the "h" went over 
the tummy fur but I can live with that. 
 
I have other ideas for this set, now I just have to find the time to put them down.
Thanks for stopping by!
 

Saturday, June 17, 2023

A Little Weekend Marketing

 
I'm so into die cutting now, more than coloring, and when I saw Concord & 9th's
Weekend Market Dies, I fell in love. Yes, the set has over 20 dies but I watched a video
by Jennifer McGuire and she shared tips and tricks for making the most out of
die cutting "en masse". 
 

Cutting multiples may seem daunting at first, but it's actually time saving and
you'll have a bunch of elements ready to choose from.
 

I wanted to give her a printed top and found some vintage MFT papers. Altenew's  
Organic Linen and Deck Planks 3D embossing folders helped to create the background 
and ground the image. I finished off the card with a sentiment from Altenew.

 
I'll be putting together a few more cards using this set. It's very relaxing to choose the 
outfits and pick out what she's carrying--it's just like playing with paper dolls!
 
Thanks, always, for stopping by!
 

Friday, June 9, 2023

The Flower Challenge #81 and SSS June Flickr Challenge #212

The Simon Says Stamp Flickr Challenge for June is Stencil It--use stencils on 
your project. I chose Poppy Field Stencils and went with red as the color choice
for the blooms.
 

 After stenciling the poppies, I die cut the piece with an arch shaped die and adhered it
to a light gray card base. I added a strip of dotted paper on the bottom and the
sentiment was cut from black card stock. Black enamel dots finished off the card.
 
 
 
While the poppy isn't a favorite flower, per se, I have fond memories of an elderly
neighbor who would pass out a Buddy Poppy at a local shopping center on Veteran's Day.
I would donate a few dollars and sometimes score TWO poppies and attached them 
to my purse straps.


Sadly during the pandemic, Buddy Poppies were no longer passed out and the 
neighbor has since passed away. But he always comes to mind whenever I see the red
poppy and I recall how lucky I was to have a Buddy Poppy. Or two.

Thanks for stopping by!

* * * * *


Edited to add: My poppies were chosen as Honorable Mention for June!
Thank you, The Flower Challenge!


Monday, May 29, 2023

SSS Flickr May Challenge -- Enticing Trio

The Simon Says Stamp Flickr Challenge theme for May is Enticing Trio--create a project
using three of anything.  Here's my card.


I used SSS Friendly Birds Embossing Folder and Dies to cut out three birds, then ran them
through the coordinating embossing folder.  I inked them up using dye inks and Copics.


I adhered a WPlus9 cover die on a card base and adhered the birds on top. 
CZ Design sentiments and clear sequins finished off the card.

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


Friday, May 19, 2023

Color Throwdown Challenge #743

This week's Color Throwdown Challenge 743 is pink, lime, and white.
 


Here's my card using Altenew's Blooming Flower Bed Stencil. Again. 

 

This time, stenciling was a breeze because there was only one color for the flowers 
and green for everything else. Stenciling was done directly on the card base and
I wanted to add a little something so I DIY'd a frame from two rectangle dies
and added the sentiment. Clear sequins finished off the card.

Off to link this up, early for once. Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, May 15, 2023

The Flower Challenge -- PRETTY PASTELS

I can't believe we're halfway through the month of May! A cold and flu bug made its
rounds in two households and now we're all slowly recovering. 
 
I finally found the energy to create again and using scrap pieces helped put this card 
together for this month's The Flower Challenge--PRETTY PASTELS.
 
 
 
Here's my card.


I had the dome shape in my scrap pile and embossed the magnolias on them. I used residual
ink on my brushes and applied the color over the piece. Some silver ink was spattered over
and adhered to an embossed card base. A scrap sentiment piece was added together with
some small iridescent drops.

Once again, I'm grateful for my scraps. Thanks so much for stopping by!


Sunday, April 30, 2023

Fluttering By With Freshly Made Sketches 583

The deadline for Freshly Made Sketches 583 is in a few hours and I'm entering
the challenge because it took me so long to put the card together. I refused to give up!
 
Here's the sketch.
 
And here's my card in its third and final design.
  
 
A rainbow seems like the most logical element as a focal point, but the Backyard Wren from
Memory Box arrived and I wanted to incorporate it on a card. I flipped the sketch since 
he's facing to the right, and perched him on a few branches. I also changed him into a
bluebird because a brown wren is pretty drab.


And about that sentiment....It's by Waffle Flower and meant for their butterfly collection.
I really like the mixed fonts and had to Google whether birds do flutter (or flitter?)
It's a toss up, depending on which expert you listen to. I'm sticking with fluttering
as a "means of courtship".

Off to link this up. Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, April 22, 2023

Inspired by Challenge 234

Inspired by Challenge 234 is all about RAINBOWS. Have you noticed that rainbows are
a popular challenge theme?
 
 

 
Here's my card using a rainbow wreath, inspired by the uber talented Mindy Eggen.
 
 

 I started stenciling the wreath during Online Card Classes' Stenciled 2 class but didn't
complete it until this week. And when I saw that IB234 was about rainbows, I stamped 
the sentiment and decided to enter it.

So how do you feel about rainbows? Are you a fan or not? One of my twin granddaughters
loves to line up her blocks and Cocomelon® friends in rainbow order. So it's safe to say that
she's a huge fan of rainbows!

Thanks so much for stopping by!