Ink Blended Columbines

Hello! Happy June!! The Group of Seven Cardmakers always inspires and for the May 28th technique they have featured ink blending on colored cardstock. I've not had a chance to play along with them yet - it's past time! So I got busy this morning with a fave Hero Arts outline flower stamp:

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio A2 card &

Paint Shop cardstock

Stamps - Hero Arts Wild Columbine Bundle

Inks - Tim Holtz Distress Inks: Salty Ocean, Broken China, 

Chipped Sapphire, & Black Soot; Versamark; Memento Blue Danube

Other - Ranger Princess Gold ep; Darice sequins;

Hero Arts White Iridescent Shimmer Mist

I had a piece of blue card with a subtle water splotch print on it. Thought it would be perfect for this technique. Prepped it with a powder tool, stamped my outline florals twice with Versamark, and gold embossed. Next I ink blended the edges and toward the center with blues, then finished with black. Flicked some shimmer spray on there - hard to tell in photo. Adhered the panel to an A2 card base. Stamped and fussy cut a sentiment from the Columbine stamp set; popped it onto card. Added some sequins - done!

They have a linky up to share so I'll add there. And since I used a flower, I'll link up to the Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero's Dance of the Flowers Challenge too.

Thanks for stopping & have a crafty day!!

Unusual Colors for Christmas - Gorgeous!

Hey there - I'm not posting too much these days but I had to remember to enter the May Christmas Kickstart Challenge. I missed the April one despite having stuff at my Dad's that would fit, oh well... This month Jo and her elf Gundi have a gorgeous color palette to use - right up my alley!!

Supplies: Paper - MFT vellum; Paper Studio solids & patterns;

BoBunny Double Dotted

Dies - Hero Arts Paper Layering Poinsettia &

Nesting Oval Infinity Dies;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop;

Birch Press Design Merry Christmas Sugar Script and Outline

Other - Recollections gems

Here's the inspiration photo and palette:

A couple of my shades may be a bit lighter than the inspiration photo but hopefully I came close enough. I have my favorite poinsettia die set available and thought it would be gorgeous in the challenge palette. Hard to see in the photo but there's a patterned grey paper behind the vellum oval. The background paper has a gold foil running through it but we'll call it a neutral. :)

Thanks for a fun challenge, Jo & Gundi!! Have a wonderful weekend and I hope you stop back on Sunday when I'll be sharing some inspiration for our May Die Cut Diva Challenge!!

I'm also linking up to A Blog Named Hero's May Dance of the Flowers Challenge. Any flowers are welcome - doesn't have to be Spring ones.

Happy crafting!

Striped Tree

TGIF and Happy Veterans Day to all those veterans who serve(d) our country, including my Dad and brother! I'm back with a third and final entry to the current Christmas Kickstart Challenge Trees, Trees, Trees!. And it also fits at the November Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero where they're doing The Great Outdoors. My tree is outside on its little glittery snowbank!

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders A2 card; Paper Studio Brights,

A Country Christmas, and Holiday; Hero Arts Glitter Paper Basics

Stamps - Hero Arts Holiday Sentiment Strips

Dies - Hero Arts Sentiment Strips & Fir Trees Infinity Dies;

Taylored Expressions Easy Strips 1/4"

Other - various gems; Jolee's star

I created my tree using quarter inch die cut strips. You can see a card I made during the Holiday Stamp Along (Laura Bassen class 9) HERE if you missed it. In anticipation of that class, I'd die cut a bunch of the stripes and made an extra panel. The TE die cuts 8 strips at a time and I cut it from 5 different colors so I had plenty ot them! Here's a shot of the panel & of the die cut trees I got from it:

 

I made the jumbo tree into a tag; you can see it HERE if you missed it.

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!!

Hero Arts Holiday Stamp Along - Day 2

Hi all - back with another quick share of today's card from Day 2 of the Hero Arts Holiday Stamp Along, plus a few extras. I enjoyed the weekend soooo much! *Warning - photo heavy post ahead!

Last night during the bonus session with Jenn Shurkus (using a digi download), I made a couple of cards using extra stuff from Jennifer McGuire's class and a stamped ornament. My printer is down so I couldn't do Jenn's cards but I watched the LIVE while I was doing my own thing. I can rewatch her amazing Copic coloring once I'm able to print the digis. 

Supplies: Paper - Neenah white; Paper Studio Holiday;

Hero Arts glitter paper (white & gold)

Dies - Hero Arts Holly Berries Stamp & Cut XL

Foil Plate - Hero Arts Ornament Border (used for embossing)

Stamps - Hero Arts Holiday Borders and Icons (sentiment on right),

Snowflake Messages (sentiment on left),

& Winter Sparkle (retired)

Here are today's 5 cards in a group shot:

Here's a closer look at each, starting with Class 6 with Libby Hickson - poinsettias on cranberry cardstock painted with Hero Wax - love!

Supplies: Paper - Neenah white; Paper Studio Holiday 

Dies - Hero Arts Holiday Words

Stamps - Hero Arts Holiday Borders and Icons &

Poinsettia Flowers Bold Prints

Other - Hero Arts Berry Hero Wax & Earth glitter; 

white & gold embossing powders; Ranger Plum Archival ink

Class 7 with Lydia Fiedler - watercolored scene with stencil - so sweet!

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio grey A2 card; Neenah white;

Hero Arts Watercolor paper

Stencil - Hero Arts Birch Trees

Stamps & Dies - Hero Arts Winter Critters Bundle

Other - Distress Inks & Hero Arts Fog Reactive Ink;

Hero Arts clear sparkle lacquer; W Copics on owl

Class 8 with Robin Marshall Clark - fabulous stars!

Supplies: Paper - Neenah white; Paper Studio glitter & vellum

Stamps with Dies - Hero Arts Holiday Sparkles Bundle and 

Holly Berries Stamp & Cut XL (holiday word)

Dies - Hero Arts Holiday Words & Bulb Ornament Infinity Dies )

Other - various water reactive inks; silver ep; embossing ink; 

Salty Water Taffy Distress Spray; silver pen

Class 9 with Laura Bassen - fun stripes! She made a pine card; I used a primary blue.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah White; Paper Studio Holiday, Brights & vellum

Stamps - Hero Arts Holiday Borders and Icons 

Dies - Hero Arts Holly Berries Stamp & Cut XL; 

Taylored Expressions Easy Strips 1/4" (in class they used a paper trimmer) 

Other - white embossing power & embossing ink

Class 10 with Channin Peltier - amazing rainbow stars!

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts black; Neenah white

Stamps with Dies - Hero Arts Holiday Sparkles Bundle 

Stamps - Hero Arts Holiday Borders and Icons 

Other - various water reactive inks; clear ep (over embossing & black ink)

I'm adding one card to Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero's October Challenge Merry Everything since they only allow one card per post. These cards, or a similar version, will go to the HeroFest Holiday Cheer Card Drive.

Thanks again for stopping by and enjoying my Holiday Stamp Along cards! Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

  

Hero Arts Holiday Stamp Along - Day One

Hi all - thought I'd do a quick share of today's card from the Hero Arts Holiday Stamp Along. So much fun!!! We're having a dinner break then there's a bonus session tonight with Jenn Shurkus using a digi download to benefit Hurrican Ian relief. I bought the digi but don't have a working printer right now. Will have to find something else to create :)

Meanwhile, here are today's 5 cards plus an extra I did while foiling the ornament plate (the blue card bottom center). *Warning - photo heavy post ahead!

Getting late here so sorry for bad lighting on the group photo! Here's a closer look at each, except the twofer. I will update at some point with supplies...

Class one with Daniel West - poinsettias on black - love!

Class two with Mindy Eggen - foiling - fabulous!

Class three with Jessica Frost-Ballas - darling bunny & fox!

Class four with Jennifer McGuire (yes, she was live & did amazing!!) - gorgeous ornament!

The vellum ornament swings & here's what's under (sorry - photo while still sitting in my MISTI):

Class 5 with Nichol Spor - gorgeous pair of ornaments (forgot to put my bow on the big one...).

Oh, and last night Libby Hickson from Hero Arts had an informal tag session as a kick-off. I made this tag:

 

I'm adding my foiled ornament card to Darnell's November NBUS Challenge since my foil plate is new, and also to Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero's October Challenge Merry Everything. They only allow one card per post so I'll just do the one (could upload them all to my Flickr account and share from there but no...). These cards, or a similar version, will go to the HeroFest Holiday Cheer Card Drive.

I'll be back doing the Stamp Along tomorrow and will try to post those cards afterwards.

Thanks for hanging in there for this long post! Happy crafting!!

 

A Bunch of Christmas Cards!

Miss me? My final Storytelling class and story performance went well yesterday! I told my bee phobia story, complete with buzzing sound effects! I shared a few bee incidents & described the hair salon I use; it just remodeled & changed its name to Hair Hive (ouch). People got a laugh from it! I'm glad the class is over, since I have so many other things going on, but I'll miss my classmates. Some of them plan to stay in touch, though, so that'll be nice.

On to cards - I have Wednesday's, Thursday's and today's HeroFest Holiday Cheer Card Drive cards to share, plus some I made for my own stash while I was at it. **Warning - photo heavy post ahead!** First - Wednesday's cards, using some fun new Tim Holtz Christmas stuff I got at JoAnn's on Monday:

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card;

Poptone Black Licorice;

Tim Holtz Worn Wallpaper Scraps

Other - Tim Holtz Christmas Label Stickers;

Hero Arts Clear Glitter Lacquer

I embellished the village here and there (tree, rooftops) with some glitter lacquer - so pretty in real life! Next - a slimline card for my own stash using more TH Wallpaper (the poinsettias are included in the package!). I added some gold pearls to the flowers as well as some glitter lacquer:

For Thursday, I made a card for my own stash that would work at the November Christmas Kickstart Challenge where Jo and her Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers are doing cards with trees. I still had the embossing folder out that I used for Jo & Gail's October Let's Squash It! Challenge card so used it again.

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders A2 card; Paper Studio vellum & Holiday;

Poptone Black Licorice; Hero Arts Glitter Basics

Dies - Hero Arts Fir Trees Infinity Dies 

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Embossing Folder - Sizzix Christmas Tree Pattern

Other - Tim Holtz Christmas Label Stickers

While I was at it, I embossed another panel & made a different version for the card drive, this time adding an Authentique stag ephemera piece that I double matted. I glittered the antlers - very quick and easy!

Today for the card drive I played with a fave Hero Arts Paper Layering Santa Tag die (retired). I cut him from Hero Arts Handmade Watercolor paper and watercolored with the Altenew 24 pan set (still sitting there from my October Diva cards). I used more of the TH wallpaper and another label sticker.

I die cut and watercolored a second Santa for my own stash. But when I went to flatten out those little bumps made by the die holes, he stuck to the Vagabound plate and ripped. Oh well. Moving on... I used a new Hero Arts stamp set Wishing You Tree. You may recall I used a leaf die from the coordinating die set HERE but hadn't used the stamps. I stamped and embossed two - one on plum and one on watercolor (saved for future). I rubbed some unicorn ink to lighten up the plum card and it dulled my embossing, despite wiping and reheating the ep. Oh well... I still like it! Added some sparkle lacquer to the star & a sentiment. Another quick and easy one. The ombre card base is from a pack of heavyweight  watercolor print paper I found at Hobby Lobby - love it!!

I'm adding my tree card to Darnell's November NBUS Challenge since my stamp is new, and also to Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero's October Challenge Merry Everything. They only allow one card per post; I supposed I could upload them all to my Flickr account and share from there but I'm too lazy!

I'm very excited to be doing the Hero Arts Holiday Stamp Along this weekend! I'll be busy creating on Saturday and Sunday but hope to be able to post those cards in future.

Thanks for hanging in there for this long post! Happy crafting!!

 

More Christmas Cards!!

Happy Tuesday everyone! Did you have a fun night of trick-or-treating yesterday? We had a little costume party during chorus with treats at the end. I missed seeing all my little neighbor kids in their costumes, darn it!

Since I had a Die Cut Diva post, I saved yesterday's HeroFest Holiday Cheer Card Drive card to share with today's. Yesterday I played with MFT sketch #617 using stamped and die cut images from the BB Holiday Penguins set. I had a bunch left over from my second ever box card - very handy! Love these little guys. This time one of my fave oval shadow die cuts served as a rug for my tree. I made this an A7 card so I'd have room for my falling penguins in the sketch. 

Supplies: Paper - Neenah solar white & blue cut to A7; 

My Favorite Things Colorful Christmas 6x6

Stamps with dies - My Favorite Things BB Holiday Penguins (dies HERE);

Hero Arts North Pole Express Bundle

Dies - Hero Arts Nesting Oval Infinity Dies;

My Favorite Things Oval Shadows

Other - Copic Markers; Hero Arts Sparkle clear lacquer;

SSS sentiment strip cut into an oval

Colored everything with Copics and added some sparkle clear lacquer - so pretty in person!!  The gift bearing penguin's stomach didn't turn out so great so I covered it with a Joy sentiment :) - good save, eh? Assembled - done!

For today's card I used the Hero Arts North Pole Express train for the first time - isn't it darling? Don't ask me how many train sets I have, be it dies or stamps, but this one came in the October MMH add-on bundle and I was eager to try it! Colored with Copics and this came together quickly!

Supplies: Paper - Lawn Fawn Snow Day Remix; Park Lane A2 card;

Neenah Solar White

Stamps with dies - Hero Arts North Pole Express Bundle 

Other - Copic Markers; white gel pen; foam tape

I'm adding my cards to Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero's October Challenge Merry Everything. My train card will go to Darnell's November NBUS Challenge since my train is used for the first time here and my penguins will go the the My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge!

Thanks for stopping by! Tomorrow is a Card Chain Challenge reveal so I'll hold tomorrow's card for later in the week. Probably won't be able to post again til Friday due to a busy day on Thursday. It'll be my final storytelling class and we're performing for the rest of the class & anyone we invite. 

Happy crafting!!