Glittery Ornament Trio

Hey everyone - hope you're having a lovely weekend! I finished another card yesterday for the February Christmas Kickstart Challenge to use baubles (aka ornaments in the great US of A). 

Supplies: Paper - Authentique Christmas Essentials 12x12;

Paper Studio green and glitter cardstock;

Neenah black and Solar White (distressed with Antique Linen Distress Ink)

Dies - Memory Box Newbury Ornament Vignette (retired);

Sentiment Stamp - Hero Arts MMH kit 11/19

My apologies - I used a bunch of retired products here! With this card I made the effort to use some of my 12x12 papers as Dawn (Dawn's World) did in her posts (here and here). I have the other 5 panels I chopped from this collage patterned paper by Authentique (a 2015 collection) but just haven't had a chance to use them yet. More to come....

I distressed the patterned paper edges with a Tim Holtz tool. Adhered to A2 card. Die cut 3 of the smallest ornament outlines from the vingette in black, trimmed them and glued to the patterened paper. I had the glittery innards left from a bunch of cards I made last fall like this one where I just used the outline. Inlaid those into the outlines. Added a stamped and fussy cut sentiment - done! Very quick and easy.

Thanks again to Jo and her elf Bridget for a fun challenge! And thanks to you for stopping by!

Happy crafting!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hey everyone - it's that special day for romance, candy & flowers. Yes, Valentine's Day! It's also my birthday & that of my friend, Lynn. I made her this card to celebrate: 

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

Tim Holtz Kraft Stock Metallic Classics gold cardstock; 

Lawn Fawn Watercolor Wishes Petite

Dies - Hero Arts Heart Flourish Cover Plate &

Nesting Hearts Infinity Dies

Stamps - Hero Arts All Occasion Messages (retired)

Other - Hero Arts Hugs and Kisses Hero Transfers

Process: Die cut background from gold cardstock. Trim & mat onto A2 card. Die cut 3 hearts (5th one in the Infinity set) - one in lilac, two in heavy white cardstock. Trim the rub-on to leave off "day" and one heart; apply to lilac heart. Stamp Birthday below the rub-on and apply the trimmed off heart, plus one more (it has an outline square on the sheet but I trimmed that off too).  Adhere to gold heart.

Had to laugh, the rub-ons work so well, I dropped the little trimmed heart onto the diecut heart and it stuck at a wonky angle! Oh well...there it stayed! A tip from years ago: Use the backing paper from the rub-on to help "set" it. Place it over the rub-on you've applied, slippery side down and gently rub over it. Stack the lilac heart onto the white ones for dimension and add to the heart on the cover plate - done! 

Very quick and easy, yet so elegant! We're doing GOLD for our February challenge over at Die Cut Divas (hope to see you there!!) so Lynn had to get something with gold on it - LOL. I'm adding this to Darnell's February NBUS Challenge since my cover plate got first use here. If you're just here for the card, you can skip the rest of this photo-heavy post with birthday stuff.

Our friend Linda (birthday on the 7th), Lynn & I enjoyed a fun lunch at a Red Lobster restaurant on the 10th. Here we are sipping our celebration margaritas:

The sweet server (she took our photo) also has a February bday! She treated us to a jumbo sundae in a margarita glass:

I received many birthday cards, including from card-making friends around the world; here's a quick photo as of the 13th's mail delivery:

Special thanks to Cindy and to Gundi for some extras in the package - oh my, what bounty - thank you!

Thanks everyone for making my birthday special; I loved all the cards and goodies!! If you stop back for my Diva post on the 21st you can see what I gave Linda and Lynn. 😍 I'm off to enjoy lunch with my friend Connie later today and will probably find more cards in the mailbox!

Happy Valentine's Day & Happy Crafting!

Gold on Cream Ornament Vignette

Happy Monday everyone! Extremely happy for me since the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl last night, despite being predicted to lose! Being from Wisconsin I'm a Packer-backer and living in Minnesota I have to cheer the Vikings (except when playing the Packers). Once both of those teams were out of the running, I had to throw my support somewhere & it went to the Chiefs. They are so fun to watch! The game was in Arizona and the planes flying over the stadium also flew over my sister's house - she loved it but said they were extremely LOUD!

On to a card... today I made a quick one for the February Christmas Kickstart Challenge to use baubles or, as we call them here, ornaments. Thanks to Jo and her elf Bridget for a fun challenge!

Supplies: Paper - BoBunny Winter Wishes 6x6;

Paper Studio cream and glitter cardstock

Dies - Memory Box Newbury Ornament Vignette (retired);

My Favorite Things Torn Paper Edges

Other - Taylored Expressions sentiment strip

I'm so behind on my Christmas card production that I turned to an ornament vignette die I used a few times last year, including on a card that won the final CAS Christmas Challenge last September. I didn't want to duplicate that design but did want to keep just the outline. Decided to put a gold glitter vignette on a cream panel that I trimmed using MFT's torn paper die - love this edger die! Added to a A2 card covered with a piece of BoBunny pine cone paper -such a pretty cream/taupe combo. I distressed the patterned paper with a Tim Holtz tool. A TE sentiment strip popped up with foam tape finished it off. Very quick and easy - I'll probably make a few more!

I was going to try using some of my 12x12 papers as Dawn (Dawn's World) did in some recent posts (here and here) but I remembered the BoBunny paper. Went for that instead this time but I'm still going to search the 12x12 papers & try that technique!

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful day!!

Sending Love!

Happy Super Bowl Sunday everyone! After the big Spellbinders/Altenew event the past few days, I spent this morning doing some crafty clean-up so I could do a Hero Arts Make-Along this afternoon. Once a month HA offers a free LIVE (Facebook - watch the replay HERE - or YouTube) session doing a project using the previous month's kit. So after my crafty clean-up, I pulled out the January 2023 My Monthly Hero Kit (still available as of this writing) and separated all the ganged dies to get ready. They offer a pdf of the steps so I knew to get out certain kit stamps, plus my Copic markers. Here's my card:

Simply die cutting, stamping, ink blending, coloring & embossing - done in about an hour. Perfect for an anniversary or Valentines Day! Love the little faux matchbox with the emblem and the coordinating die cut doves! Channin Pelletier created for the LIVE. Had to laugh - she's in AZ and didn't even know which teams are playing in the big Bowl tonight! Must not be a football fan :)

Here's what you get in the kit - such a great value at only $36.99.

Speaking of Hero Arts, they are sponsoring the February Die Cut Divas Challenge! Pop over and check it out - we're using GOLD on those projects so don't confuse today with that - LOL! I'll add my card over at Darnell's February NBUS Challenge since I'm newly using my January 2023 MMH set.

Thanks for visiting and I'm trying to catch up on all I missed on my friends' blogs these past few days! Happy crafting and Go Kansas City!!

Fun with Florals - a Spellbinders/Altenew Collaboration event

Hey everyone - I've been busy the past few days with an online event co-sponsored by Spellbinders and Altenew. Four classes (2 Thursday and 2 Friday) were done with pre-recorded video so you could take them any time. Then today we met on Zoom for a LIVE with Kim Kesti from Spellbinders and Lydia Evans from Altenew. A detailed handout came with each of the classes but nothing for the LIVE yet. Sadly, there were some access issues with the LIVE today so hope you weren't one of those affected - I wasn't, thankfully.

I thought I'd share my versions of the class cards, plus the card I made using what Lydia Evans taught in the LIVE today; I'll try to make Kim's cards later. Just five cards to share so not too photo heavy, I hope! We used new supplies from both companies - Spellbinders has added them to their store now but Altenew's aren't on their site yet. I added links where available.

Class one with Yana Smakula - Monachrome Florals! Purple - my fave!!

Supplies: Paper - various Spellbinders

Stamps - Altenew Folk Art Flowers (sentiment)

Dies - Spellbinders Four Petal Bloom Reflection

Embossing Folder - Altenew Folk Art Flowers 3D

Other - Versamark ink, gold ep, foam tape

Yana loves dimension so loads of foam tape here! Such a gorgeous die set - it cuts one of the background panels and all the topper flowers - this card features two cuts of everything. The flower centers were cut from a little piece of Spellbinders glitter foam cardstock included in the kit package - so fun & it cuts like butter! 

An A2 purple panel was partially embossed at top then flipped and partially embossed at bottom - a bit tricky since the embossing folder is a big square and I was using a Platinum 6. Then assemble all your die cuts - a bit confusing the first time through but much easier once you know what goes where. The supply kit came with a bitty label which I messed up while embossing. Fixed it by embossing on Lawn Fawn paper and die cutting into a circle which I glued over my boo-boo,

Class two with Lydia Evans - Double Colored Die Cuts!

Same supplies for this one but we also used the coordinating die for the Folk Art Flower. Die cut three of the flower, then embossed each one and adhered them atop an A2 card to create the background. Lydia used white cardstock to die cut all her 4 Petal Bloom Reflection pieces, then inked/shaded them. I did that for some but mostly used Jennifer McGuire's trick of starting with colored cardstock, then shading. I used different colors than she did & also added a golden shadow layer to the green base.

Class three with Jen Rzasa - Regal and Radiant!

Jen had us do the angled embossing on an A2 panel then fussy cut it. Used the coordinating stencil to color before popping onto the card base. I found these stencils confusing at first use - hope to improve! I stamped birthday from the Altenew set and die cut happy with vellum shadow from the new Spellbinders Thanks Enclosed Sentiments. My dots are some extra glitter foam flower centers I die cut - love!!

Class three with Carissa Wiley - Bold and Opulent Colors to Create a Statement!

I photographed this on my Valentine candy box so the delicate peach card would show up better - so gorgeous with the teal panel stamped tone-on-tone with the Altenew Folk Art Flower. I cut my teal on 3 edges with the deckle die from Altenew's Mix and Match Frame Set - Carissa left hers straight. I also changed up my flower colors.

Card I made from today's LIVE with Lydia Evans:

We did a shaker with the base layer embossed, then stenciled. I inked the edges of my top layer to soften the white but mainly to cover a nick of purple from my finger - lol. Shaker bits were included in the supply kit they coordinated. I used a different sentiment from the Spellbinders die set - such a fab new set.

That's it! Whew - a lot; time for a nap! I'll share card one at Darnell's February NBUS Challenge since my Four Petal Bloom Reflection set got first use there.

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!!

January 2023 Card Chain Reveal!

Welcome to the January 2023 Card Chain Challenge reveal - we're celebrating January cards that headed around the world! Twenty-five people participated this time & you can see the full reveal HERE. I sent the card below to Patricia (Pineywoods Papercrafter) in Texas USA:

Supplies: Paper - Lawn Fawn All the Dots Petite;

Pink and Main Enchanted Garden 6x6; 

Paper Studio glitter; Poptone Black Licorice

pink card base by unk

Stamps - Hero Arts Fun in the Rain 

& Newspaper Eiffel Tower (both retired)

Dies - My Favorite Things CHEERS

Other - Hero Arts Taffy Reactive ink;

Recollections cocktail sticker; Copic Marker C2

I used the sketch, a couple theme elements & one technique option:

Sketch Option

Theme Options: Cocktails / Elephants / Friendship

Product / Technique Options: Distress Ink/ Oxide / Ombre

I started out with a candy floss pink card base but skipped the other two colors (bubblegum & mulberry) from this month's color option. I masked off all but the upper left diagonal and blended taffy ink in an ombre fashion. Next, I stamped the newsprint using the same ink. Then I stamped the elephant on Lawn Fawn dotted paper, shaded with a C2 Copic & cut out. He's actually raising an umbrella on the stamp but I trimmed that part off and added the cocktail sticker in its place. Cut a strip of Pink & Main paper for the sketch element and to ground Mr. Ellie. Die cut the CHEERS twice and used the black layer as a shadow. Made the sentiment wonky since Mr. E has imbibed a few already - LOL.

I'm still waiting on a fabulous card from the amazing Joanne (Ambrosia & Iron) in the UK; sadly Royal Mail had some issues in January. When I rejoined the Card Chain back in 2020, Joanne was the first person I sent to - Feb 2020. Then she mailed a card to me in March 2020 and I'm looking forward to the day her January 2023 card arrives! **Update - rec'd it on February 13th and well worth the wait - so fun and colorful; thanks Joanne!!**

You have until February 6th to sign up for the February chain - go HERE for all the details.

Thanks for stopping and have a crafty day!!

Inspired by the Hero Arts Valentine Stamp-Along

Hey everyone - you might have spotted my Saturday post sharing my cards from the Hero Arts Valentine Stamp-Along. Such fun with many great tips! Along the way, be it during the homework session (held on a Facebook Live last Wednesday) or the event, I stamped, die cut and foiled extra items. Plus there were leftover bits from some class cards. Anyway, I created five more cards on Sunday & yesterday so thought I'd share them.

First up, a card using the negative from Erica A-B's class. We had stenciled the columbines, then die cut the word LOVE out of the stenciled area. I used a full A2 panel so had a lovely negative to use. I die cut it with a stitched rectangle and adhered it to an A2 card. I had foiled an extra red panel with hearts during the class so die cut LOVE from that panel, along with a heart for a future project. Inlaid the LOVE and added a sentiment strip that I'd stamped, white embossed & fussy cut. Left the rest plain.

Next I have three cards using concepts from Laurie Willison's class. In homework she had us stamp 4 colombine panels for the class - I stamped 8 so I'd have extras. I'll probably do another birthday card similar to the 3rd card below with my 4th extra panel. The heart on the thank you card was left over from the class; we had die cut it from one of the panels and stamped within the negative space. I added some inking on the white edge, lined it up with the outline and popped it up with foam tape. The middle card has simple masking and the 3rd card has the flowers die cut and then backed with 2 more die cuts for dimension after the masked inking. Then just pop it back into the outline & add a sentiment - so quick and fun!

And finally, another watercolored columbine inspired by Channin Pelletier's class. I flipped the panel and used more pinks; I felt my watercolor dribbles were more successful this time. After spritzing with water you blow the puddles with a straw to move them around.

You can't buy the columbine set in the Hero Arts store yet; it was first available to Valentine Stamp-Along attendees. I believe it's coming out with the spring release on Feb 20th. The Love You Stamp and Cut XL set was used constantly in the session, along with the Nesting Hearts Infinity Dies and Hearts Hot Foil Plate.

Hero Arts is our fabulous sponsor at Die Cut Divas this month! Check out our February Challenge HERE - we're using gold! I'll be doing my usual Diva post on the 21st but you'll see me back here before then. Meantime, please be inspired by my Diva teamies at the challenge link!

Thanks for stopping and I hope I didn't bore you with more versions from the Stamp-Along! I'm adding card one to the current Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero Challenge to do Crazy Love.