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!

Inspired by Challenge #271 -- MITTENS

 

The theme for this month's Inspired by Challenge is MITTENS. 

 

Here's how I was inspired.

Meet a 5-year old stamp and die set from Simon Says Stamp. I remember buying it and 

it never touched ink until recently when I watched some of Kristina Werner's Christmas

Card series on You Tube. I spotted Critter Sweaters from 2018 and dug through my

SSS Christmas stamps and found it! 

They appear to be snuggled in mittens, or is that just me? The stamp set is unique

because it's simply stamped on each die cut critter to resemble cozy sweaters.

The background uses MFT's Knitted Sweater Background, stamped on kraft with

Versamark for a tone on tone look. The stamped sentiment finished off the card.

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

SSS Wednesday Challenge--Something NEW

 

Happy New Year to you! I made this card for a friend and decided to enter it in 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge with a theme of Something NEW.

 

While the theme may be "new" the stamp itself is old and long retired. I used 

Birdie Brown's Warmest Wishes stamp and die set and had this cut and colored 

in my scrap bowl. She must have been waiting for a chance to make an appearance.

After die cutting a card base from Reverse Wonky Rectangles, I inked a sky, stamped

the sentiment, then ran the panel through a falling snowflake embossing folder. I used 

a sanding block to take away the color and leave the appearance of "snow" behind.

I grounded the girl with a torn bottom and finished off with some extra snowflakes.

The back panel was hinged so the card can stand to be displayed.

 

I'm off to enter this and mail it out, too! Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Guest Designer Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge #24 -- SNOWMAN

 

Me and my gnomies were chosen as the Top Pick for Caffeinated Christmas Card  

Challenge #22  and I was invited to guest for the last challenge of the year with the 

theme of SNOWMAN.

 

The prize sponsor for this month is Frantic Stamper. 

 

 

 Fran is generously offering this trio of goodies to the winner:

 

One (1) Frantic Stamper Precision Die -- Irish Coffee 

One (1) Frantic Stamper Precision Die -- Coffee Grinder

One (1) Frantic Stamper Precision Die -- I Love Chocolate and Coffee

My card uses one of my favorite snowpeople from Paper Smooches and all patterned 

paper is from  Catherine Pooler's Daily Grind which is sadly discontinued. 

I love his plaid attire!

The sentiment is from Catherine Pooler (also discontinued) and I stamped it 

before running the card through a falling snow embossing folder. To finish off the card, 

I added a mug from a Casual Fridays set and some snowflakes from my snowflake stash.

 

Kim Hughes closed her Paper Smooches shop and blog three years ago, but you can 

now find some of her products at Queen & Co and a few Catherine Pooler products 

can be found at Frantic Stamper.

* * *

Huge thanks to Amy and Lisa for the invite and we hope you'll join the last

challenge of the year. You have until 11:55PM PST on December 25th, 2023

to link up your caffeinated creations.

 

The Card Concept #201 -- Fall Leaves

I'll have to admit that the leaves drew me in to The Card Concept #201. 

Check out the gorgeous inspiration photo.

 

 

Here's how I was inspired--I may have been a bit too literal.

 

Assorted leaves from Honeybee Stamps were cut from Bristol card stock and inked with

Concord & 9th inks, then spattered with black ink. 

A black panel was embossed with Altenew's Organic Linen folder and adhered to a black

card base. The leaves were adhered to mimic the photo and finished off with a gold

embossed sentiment.

The card style is definitely Clean and Layered as i tried to follow the inspiration photo

with layering of the colorful leaves.

 

 Wishing those who celebrate a very Happy Thanksgiving and hope you snag some

Black Friday deals! Thanks so much for stopping by!

* * *

Edited to add: My card was chosen as the winner of the challenge!

Thank you to The Card Concept! 

 

 

A Kind and Magnificent Friend

My dear friend Michele Ferguson chose today, World Kindness Day, as our Playing Cards 

with Friends date and I accepted in a flash. 

 The "rules" for our play date is to make a card for someone who has done something 

kind. Not necessarily for me, nor does it have to be someone in our card making 

community. Just an act of kindness that deserves notice.

 

Well, duh, it was a no brainer to choose my playmate and creative card maker

as the inspiration for my card.

 

 

I'm not sure when I "met" Michele. I always wondered about this gal whose blog was called

"I Card Everyone". She would stop by and leave the sweetest comments on my blog.

 

 She has since sent me annual Christmas and birthday cards as well as "just because" cards

which are the very best kind. We managed to FaceTime just once, but it's an event 

I'll always cherish and hope to do it again!

For my card, I purchased Spellbinders Stitched Etched Alphabet Dies and didn't think I 

would be doing any stitching. But I did some for Michele. I watched Yana Smakula's video 

on Analogous Colors and found a color palette that reminds me of Michele.

 

The stamp set has matching adjectives for each alphabet and I only wish hers was

"kind hearted". But she's magnificent just the same.

 

She decided to keep photos of our cards a secret from each other so I'll join you over

at her blog to see her masterpiece. I can cross "playing cards with Michele" off of my

bucket list now. Thanks so much, kind friend--it was tons of fun!

* * * * *

If you want to learn more about World Kindness Day 2023, visit this helpful link.

Personally, I think there needs to be more kindness in the world, not only today, 

but every day 💗

Inspired by Challenge #262 -- GNOMES

When I saw that this week's Inspired by Challenge #262 was all about GNOMES, I was in.

And just look at the adorable inspiration!

 

There's even a sketch by Laurel.

 Here's how I was inspired.

I assembled two gnomes with (retired) Photoplay papers and added a red heart

 on each of their hats. A woodgrain embossing folder was used on the background 

panel and the gnomes were adhered over it. The card was finished off with a red 

die cut sentiment. 

I don't know why but gnomes always make me smile. Supposedly they're not the

cleanest in terms of hygiene, and have grumpy personalities. I guess they become

as cute as we can make 'em!

Thanks for stopping by!

* * *

Edited to add: My card was chosen as the winner of the challenge!

Thank you, Laurel!