Anniversary Card with Floral Screen Embossing

Hello and welcome! I'm playing along at Let's Squash It! Challenge 24 where Jo, Gail and guest designer Jenny have asked for cards containing 2/3rds embossing and 1/3 white space. No rulers will be used thankfully!

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card;

Momenta watercolor print

Embossing folder - Cuttlebug Floral Screen (retired

but I saw it on Etsy here if you want to view it better)

Dies - Taylored Expressions Easy Strips 1/8" & Simple Strips; 

Poppystamps Floral Cake Pop Up Easel (flower);

My Favorite Things Stitched Flowers (leaves)

Other - Taylored Expressions Simple Strips in Reverse - Love

Very simple card! I embossed a panel of the watercolor print paper but it was in the folder backwards! Didn't want to use the debossed side so I just used the white side and ran some pinkish ink over the raised bits. I trimmed it to a 4x4" square & cut it on the diagonal. Added a black strip to each diagonal and adhered into the corners. I had a sentiment strip, flower and leaves already in my bits box; decided to add them at the angle too.

Thanks for stopping!

Vintage Home Scene

Hi all - I'm back with another home themed Christmas card for the September Christmas Kickstart Challenge. I was inspired by Elf Tina (Treebug) & her vintage inspiration card.

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card; Neenah white:

Paper Studio Glitter; BoBunnySnowfall

Stamps - Hero Arts From the Vault Winter Joy &

MMH 11/2019 (sentiment)

Dies - Spellbinders Fancy Edged Ovals (retired);

Hero Arts Layering Snow Globe

Other - Park Lane gems;

Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Antique Linen & Tea Dye

I started by stamping two of the images from the Winter Joy set onto a white A2 sized panel. I connected the two by drawing hills between them with a Sharpie. Decided to cut the panel into an oval. I was set to use it in white with a grey scalloped mat when some brown snowflake paper from BoBunny called to me. The white oval was too stark so I vintaged it up with some Distress Ink and matted on a glittery brown scalloped layer. The "sky" needed something so I added a snowflake cluster from the snow globe die set. Stamped & fussy cut the sentiment, then distressed it too. Added some gems - done!

Another Christmas card for the stash - yay! Thanks for stopping & happy crafting!

From Our Home to Yours

Happy Saturday - at least in my neck of the woods! I received an order from Sunny Studio Stamps and owner Mendi will be shocked that I actually started creating already! One of the sets works perfectly for the September Christmas Kickstart Challenge with a home related theme - houses, city scapes, fireside scenes, etc. I got busy yesterday and this morning & created this card:

Supplies: Paper - BoBunny dots; Neenah White

Stamps - Sunny Studio Scenic Route (with dies) &

Penguin Party (with dies);

Hero Arts Gingerbread House (sentiment)

Other - Copic Markers; Star Dust Stickles

I shopped Sunny's 7th birthday sale and picked up the set with trees and houses, along with some other fun images. My main goal was to snag the new Penguin Party set. Who can resist those darling penguins?! Ok, maybe my friend Betty (created by bjk) but I certainly can't!

When I get my crafty orders, I process any dies that need snipping and create a template for quick stamping in the MISTI. Here's an example:

I've tried doing more than one image at a time but it works best to focus on one image. I simply pop the diecut into the negative. I often have scraps of 110lb Neenah white that I can use up with some diecutting. Usually, though, I use the diecuts from the template plus cut another couple full 4.25x5.5" sheets of them. Today I ending up using just one penguin in my scene but I'll have plenty for other projects by the time I'm done!! 

I stamped and die cut the houses (just does the top border) but my die cutting went a bit wonky so I trimmed it with a scissors. Next I stamped the trees/hills below the houses. You can also die cut this and pop for dimension but I chose simple stamping. Colored everything with Copics and added some Stickles. Stamped a sentiment & assembled, using a scrap of dotted blue as my sky. I put a bit of foam behind the houses so they'd stand out a bit. Done!

Will also add to Darnell's September NBUS Challenge since my scene and penguin stamps are new.

Thanks for stopping and have a crafty weekend!!

 

Butterfly with Gesso Dots

Hey everyone - I hope you're having a great week! After the holiday weekend, I'm struggling to remember what day it is - does that happen to you? Anyway, I'm glad it's only Thursday!

The talented Hilary (Fiddling About) hosts this month at CAS Mix Up and asks for stencils & gesso. Since I know Hilary through the Card Chain Challenge, I thought I'd make the effort to play along! If I ever had any gesso, I can't find it in the stash so I went out and bought some. I got it in the art area at JoAnn's and it's very thin - oh well, live & learn....

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card; Neenah white;

Poptone Black Licorice

Stencil - Hero Arts Chevron Stencil Pair

Stamp with die - Hero Arts Color Layering Monarch Butterfly

Die - A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Artsmith Gesso, Tim Holtz Mustard Seed Distress Ink

Taylored Expressions Simple Strips in Reverse - Everyday Occasions

I've had this Hero Arts stencil set for ages and decided to give it some love. I had a thought to do a border for another butterfly I had sitting here. I applied the gesso through the stencil onto a white stitched rectangle and left to dry. Came back later and blended Distress Ink slightly off to further off the dots - sorta hard to see in the photo. Matted it in black and glued to an A2 card. Cut a TE sentiment strip into 4 bits and added going down the border. Curled the wings up on a monarch and popped up with some foam tape - done!

Thanks to Hilary and the CAS Mix Up Team for a fun challenge! Since it was out on the craft table, I also used some gesso with a new stencil for an upcoming Die Cut Divas project. Please watch for it on the 21st and if you have an Anything Goes project, be sure to upload it to our September gallery.

Thanks for stopping!

Sparkly Ornament Vignette

Hey everyone - Happy Labor Day weekend if you're celebrating in the USA. Thought I make a quick card before I get too immersed in the Twins vs White Sox game coming up this afternoon! CAS Christmas just announced their September Challenge yesterday (Sparkle &/or Shine) and I decided to play along this morning with an extremely quick and easy card.

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders white A2 card;

Paper Studio Glitter Cardstock

Die - Memory Box Newbury Ornament Vignette (retired)

Stamp - Elizabeth Craft Designs Classic Christmas Special Kit

Other - Hero Arts Navy Ink; 

Tim Holtz Tumbled Glass Distress Stain

I die cut the ornament vignette from glitter paper. Laid it on the A2 card to stamp the sentiment where I wanted it and to eyeball where to do a wash. Took my Distress Stain and swiped the card. Glued down the diecut - done! Since I'm so behind on Christmas cards, I'm going to make a bunch more of these in various colors. I saved the pieces that popped out of this outline to do an inlaid version later.

The sentiment stamp comes from last year's wonderful Elizabeth Craft Designs Classic Christmas Special Kit. I bought it when ECD sponsored us for Die Cut Divas but hadn't had a chance to use it until now. So I'm adding this card to Darnell's September NBUS Challenge too! 

PS - ECD is having a Labor Day Sale with 25% off & no, they've offered me nothing to say this :) They also have a bunch of stamps & dies in my "practically free" category under the SALE tab. I'm sure to be headed there before the holiday weekend ends.

Thanks for stopping and enjoy your day whatever you do!!

Another Stained Glass Window

Holiday weekend here in the USA and instead of enjoying the last summer weather & the State Fair, I'm indoors making cards. Oh well... Went to Hobby Lobby yesterday - it's nextdoor to Goodwill where I was donating some clothes. I thought I'd reward myself :)

Supplies: Paper - Spellbinders white A2 card;

Neenah White; Poptone black; scrap of grey & metallic

Embossing folder - Sizzix Tim Holtz Arched

Stamps - Taylored Expressions O Holy Night (retired)

Dies - Taylored Expressions Label Stacklets 5 (retired); 

Simon Says Stamp Peace Love Hope Joy

Other - Copic Markers; Stickles

I found this batch of items on clearance and my total with tax was less than the regular price of the floral die set! You know me & the "practically free"? Well, the little princess stamp set was under $2!! I decided to use the Arched embossing folder first because I had a stained glass window stamped from when I made a window shaped card in August. I used ink on the ef's inside but messed up - it ended up on the debossed side (good idea for next time). So I swiped a cube of whitish ink over the raised bits, then trimmed it to layer on an A2 card. 

I fussy cut the stamped window, then die cut a white label layer for a narrow border and the next larger layer in a gold metallic with a coppery tinge. I colored the window with Copics and was edging it in black marker when the pen slipped and I nicked the bottom with the little C, tried to remove it with alcohol, then cover it up with white - ugh. Finally put a peace sentiment over it - covered it perfectly - yay! The peace was trimmed from a larger diecut that says peace/love/hope/joy. I started with a grey piece I already had in the cut box but it blended in too much so I added the black one, leaving grey as a shadow. Just love how the arched embossed background echoes the arched window!

I'll add the card to Darnell's September NBUS Challenge since my embossing folder is getting first play. She'll see me again when I get around to using those other newbies!!

Thanks for visiting & enjoy your weekend!!

August 2022 Card Chain Reveal

Hey crafty friends - another month has flown by and it's time to reveal cards that zipped (or sometimes crawled) around the world via snail mail. Twenty-nine people participated in the August Card Chain Challenge - you can see the full reveal HERE. My card found its way across the pond to dear Jo (Jo's Blogs) who, like me, had Covid 19 this summer. Thankfully we both recovered quickly!

Supplies: Paper - Parklane A2 card, Neenah white:

My Mind's Eye The Sweetest Thing; Michael's green

Stamps - Sunny Studio Captivating Camellias;

Hero Arts Hero Greetings Mini Messages & Friends

Dies - Sunny Studio Frilly Frames Eyelet Lace &

Captivating Camellias;

A Jillian Vance Design Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - enamel heart from a Hero Arts kit; various inks

Colour Palette Option

Sketch Option

Big surprise - NOT - I went with the colors, sketch, and theme of friendship. I even popped some flowers on there (one of the other themes) but no fruit. I was eager to use - finally - the Sunny Studio Captivating Camellias color layering stamp set I bought when it was released January 2021. Not bad, a year and a half to use something....sorry, Mendi!

As usual, I die cut a bunch of white flowers and leaves and popped them into the negatives to stamp with my MISTI - makes a great assembly line for each layer. I stamped my flowers in various shades of purple for the color grape - one was even named Grape Juice. That color was pretty dark so I stamped the final layer in silver to get a softer look in those spots. I used three shades of green for the leaves, including Lime Green. Really liked how these turned out and, like many examples I saw at Sunny Studio, I skipped stamping the yellow flower center layer - just left it white.

The sketch seemed to include a mat layer so, to make it extra feminine, I used a fave Sunny Studio Frilly Frames Eyelet Lace. I found the perfect kumquat card base & floral patterned paper to echo my camellias and used a scrap of lime green for my sentiment label.

I received this darling card from Joanne in California. Aren't those little fishes the cutest?! Such a fun, decorated envelope too - thanks, Joanne!!

That's it for today. If you haven't already signed up for the September Card Chain, you can still link up by September 6th.

Thanks for stopping by and have a crafty day!!