BE MY VALENTINE

Just a quick post today - trying to get some valentines done since I wasn't able to send out Christmas cards this year. 

Didn't really have a plan when I made the background - just that I had never used the stitched heart die - so randomly die cut and then pieced them back into place for the background.  Had the painted flowers already done so arranged my bouquet and added the little sentiment.  Used my white gel pen for the little added dots in the centers of the flowers.  Must admit adding the white dots was influenced by Joan's post today and really am amazed how much they add.

Thanks for stopping by and love to read your kind comments.

 

CRAFTER'S CHOICE VALENTINE

Valentine's Day is fast approaching! Since the current challenge at A Blog Named Hero is anything you choose, here's my inspiration for you

I stamped the pretty heart from the January 2017 My Monthly Hero Kit and colored it with my Zigs.  Die cut it (also a piece of matching fun foam) and added it to the patterned paper background.  Stamped the little sentiment in HA gold embossing powder and done!  A quick and easy design - these HA hearts would work equally as well.

Join the challenge at A Blog Named Hero (you have until February 10th) for a chance to win a $50 or $25 gift certificate from Hero Arts.

Thanks for stopping by and love to read your kind comments.

ALL ABOUT LAYERING

Have been taking the Altenew class "All About Layering 3" all this past week and finally managed to get a couple of cards for homework accomplished!  This is a great class and Lydia not only has a video on layering the actual stamps, but also then creating a card.

I stamped and die cut the Peony Blossom stamps and then put them on a background of the Leaf Frame die.  Added the little sentiment and done.  Basically I used the same card design as Lydia did for her card 'cause I liked it so much.

For my next card, I used my very first Altenew stamp set - Painted Flowers.  Love, love this stamp set but I have always had difficulty layering it.  I know it isn't supposed to be perfect so decided to use it again and practice.  Lydia used a very large single letter die cut with flowers around it for her card.  I used some skinnier letters and arranged my flowers around them to make a card I could use for Valentine's day.

All for today friends - thanks for stopping by.

PINK BOKEH

The January challenge at CAS Mix-Up is to use the bokeh technique - check out the above link for more info and ideas for using this fun technique.

I have had the Concord & 9th notecards (on sale now at a fantastic price) in my stash for awhile and used one of them for my base by watercoloring over the embossed dots.  I next made myself an acetate stencil using Hero Arts circle dies and used it to sponge bokeh dots over the background with HA unicorn white pigment ink.  Mounted this on a white card base, stamped the little "with" sentiment and added the die cut "sympathy", a few sequins and done.  Besides bokeh there is watercolouring, stamping and die cutting on my card.

I am also entering my card at a2z Scrapbooking challenge for "anything goes".

Thanks for visiting today and love to read your kind comments.

FUSION BUTTERFLY

The Fusion Challenge features butterflies this time and I haven't done a butterfly card in ages!

When I took out my PTI Life is Beautiful stamps there was a butterfly already die cut that I had smooshed in some bright pink watercolors.  So I took my copics and added some shading in the colors from the challenge photo.  I created the background on soft gray cardstock by stamping various butterflies in clear embossing powder and put it on the same color card base.  Added a silver thread nest behind my butterfly and done!

I like the way the watercolored part of my butterfly is sort of spattered and gives some added texture.

Thanks for stopping by - love to read your kind comments.

MESSY SNOWFLAKE BLIZZARD

Awhile back Dawn from WPlus9 had a video using snowflakes and heat embossing - and I thought it was such a cool look.  So did a CASE of her card.

I stamped a variety of HA snowflake stamps with Versafine ink on navy cardstock and heat embossed them with HA silver embossing powder.  Then I sprinkled more embossing powder around and heat embossed starting on the back so the powder didn't blow all over the place!!  Trimmed my panel down to 4x5.25 and added to a soft gray card base.  Added the silver sentiment and some blue sequins and done.  Trying to capture all the shine in the photo was difficult, but you get the idea I'm sure.

As a side note - if you are in the market for an embossing gun, this one from Hero Arts is worth every penny - I have had mine for over twenty years and it still works like a charm!!

A new challenge starts tomorrow at A Blog Named Hero so be sure to check it out. 

Thanks for stopping by.

STENCILING + SPONGING

CAS Stencil is a new challenge that just began this January and had a go at it with these cards.

I used Altenew's Sketchy Floral stamp and the coordinating Floral Drape stencil for both cards.  The stamp and stencil are very large and I was able to get two cards out of the piece.  After stamping on white cardstock, I used the stencil and sponged in the color with a small dauber.  I added the gray shadow on the first card with a small flat brush.  The card base on both cards is a soft gray.

I am entering my card in CAS Stencil (sponging) and The Flower Challenge (pink and gray). 

 

Thanks for visiting today and your kind comments make my day!

SNOWFLAKES

One of my goals for this year is to enter more challenges and today I have a card that fits into several.

My card is also quite appropriate for today here in Lincoln as we had our first snowstorm of 2019 with about 6" of snow.  Good reason to stay inside and make cards!!

I used emboss resist in silver on watercolor paper for my snowflakes and then dropped shades of blue watercolors onto wet paper.  I die cut the piece with a stitched frame with the outer part popped up with some foam tape on a gray card base.  

I am entering my card in Addicted to CAS (snowflake), CAS Christmas (blue and silver), CAS Watercolour (winter) and CASology  (frozen).

Thanks for stopping by and always love to read your kind comments.

MASCULINE BIRTHDAY CARD

Needed a guy birthday card and this deer and the birch trees fit the bill pretty well.

Quite fast and easy and really liked the idea of all the "whiteness".  Although this isn't a Christmas card with a different sentiment it could easily be one.  I probably should have just left the sentiment off and then photographed it for the challenges but...oh well.

Dotty Jo has started a new Christmas challenge and the current theme is "Rudolph and Friends" and Happy Little Stampers Christmas challenge is "Anything Goes with an optional twist of Reindeer" - so this will be an entry for both.

Thanks for stopping and always enjoy your kind comments.

2018 FAVES

In 2014 when I began my blog adventure, my first post was my favorite cards from 2013.  So today I am writing my 554th post with my 2018 faves.  Link on the captions to go to the original posts. 

Happy Birthday

Butterfly

Bicycle

Wonderful Day

Blue Sakura

Happy Everything

Blue Iris

Lovely

Joy

Red Bird

The bicycle card was a winner on Inspired by All the Little Things challenge and the blue iris was for my Casology guest designer spot.

As always, thanks for visiting today and all the other days of the year - have a wonderful 2019.

SNOWFLAKES

The theme this month at A Blog Named Hero is "winter" and what could be more wintery that lots of snowflakes!  Especially here in Nebraska!!!

I made my own background with individual stamps, but this one would be much easier as it's a wonderful snowflake background stamp.  My background was stamped in Versamark and clear embossed.  Then I die cut the large snowflake (sorry it's discontinued) and made my card into a shaker using some iridescent sequins.  There is silver foil paper behind the die cut so the whole card is quite shiny.  I didn't add a sentiment as I thought it would distract from the design.

Be sure to enter a winter card in our challenge this month - there's a prize for two winners - $50 and $25 prizes are up for grabs!

I am entering my card in the A2Z December challenge - Winter Wonderland.

Thanks for visiting today and keep warm!

HOLLY DAYS

One more Christmas card and I hope I'm done!  Also needed a card for my A Blog Named Hero post today.

 

 

I used an older Hero Arts holly set for my card, but this one would also work well.  I stamped the holly with black ink and colored with alcohol markers - fussy cut it.  Then used the same stamp to make a background using Versamark ink and clear heat embossing.  The sentiment was done the same way so it's all a shiny background.  Cut down the panel to 5x3.75", backed with fun foam and added to a soft grey base.  Adhered the holly and a few red enamel dots for berries and done!

A new challenge begins tomorrow at A Blog Named Hero - be sure to check it out!!

I am entering my card in the Happy Little Stampers December CAS challenge - emboss.

Thanks for stopping by today and happy holly days!