SPRUCE AND SPRIGS

A one-layer card is the challenge for this week on Merry Monday - and oh how hard that is to do when I love adding little bits and bobs or adding a frame or whatever!!  But I gave it a go for what it's worth!

 

I stamped and layered branches, leaves and sprigs in various green inks which I had spritzed with a bit of water.  Added the sentiment which is embossed with clear over black ink.  For a little texture I dry embossed a frame around the edge of the card. Finally took my glossy accents and added little "snowdrops" here and there.

 

Thanks for dropping by today and love to read your comments.  Betty

 

CONCORD & 9TH AND HERO ARTS

Today I have a collaboration post over at A Blog Named Hero.  All during January we are teaming up with Concord & 9th to create one-layer cards.  Concord & 9th offers a great variety of clear stamps - something for everyone.  Today I am using their Tree Hugs and Tree Ring stamps to create quite a masculine card.

Hop over to A Blog Named Hero and check out my card.  Remember there is still time to make a one-layer card and enter A Blog Named Hero's January one-layer challenge.

As always, thanks for stopping by and your kind comments. 

RED ANEMONE

This week the challenge word at Addicted to CAS is "red".  I just received the PTI Bold Blossoms coloring cards this week and have pretty much been a coloring fool!!  So far have used Zigs (work great on the watercolor paper), Kuretake Gamsai (some warping but an ironing will take care of that) and copics on the regular paper which is used on this card.

Pretty easy card to make as I just colored the two flowers and left the leaves, die cut it, mounted it on a bit of black and added some seed beads in the centers of the flowers to add a little texture.  Added the little sentiment and done.

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

CARD CHAIN CHALLENGE

A new year and a new challenge from Deb on the Card Chain Challenge - this is such a great challenge where you send a card and also receive a card.  This year Deb has the challenge even more organized giving us the sketch, theme and colors for the whole year so you can make cards way ahead of time.  This month my card went to Jerrie in Wisconsin.  Used the sketch, colors and winter theme.

The snowflakes are from WPlus9, the frame is from MFT and the sequins are from Lucy Abrams.  The card base is SU sahara sand and the frame is PTI soft stone.

If you'd like to join in this fun card exchange, sign up for February here.

Thanks for visiting today - love to read your comments.  Betty

 

SHAKER LOVE

The challenge word for this week at CAS-ology is "clear".  Also planned on entering at Paper Players "clean and simple valentine" but procrastinated too long and missed the deadline.

I wanted to make a shaker card with the MFT "love die" but since the ends were open, the only way I could figure out how to do that was to enclose it in a frame.  After that the card came together quickly.  I used my Fuse tool to create the pocket for the sequins from Lucy Abrams in the Hero Arts January monthly kit.  Added the little gold hearts and mounted it all on soft stone card.  

I'm also adding this to LOVE group on flickr whose challenge this month is "new beginnings" - the love die is new to me as are the sequins.

Thanks for stopping by and really enjoy all your kind comments.  Betty

MERRY MONDAY PLAID

It only took me all week to think of an idea for a Christmas card with plaid for Merry Monday.  Thought there must be some plaid paper somewhere in my stash and found this cute green stuff from Authentique that was ages old.  So cut it out with my stocking die, stitched it with some red floss, stamped on the sentiment and finally put a backing on it so it could be a gift card holder - used strong tape on the edges to hold it together and left the top open.  Added a bow and done!

Just getting this in under the wire.  I know the sentiment is crooked - was in too much of a hurry to finish:-( 

Thanks for stopping by and all your kind comments.  Betty

PEONIES

The Fusion Challenge this week has a gorgeous photo, beautiful colors and a great sketch for their second anniversary.

For my card I colored Alternew's Peony Scrolls with pink and yellow Zig watercolor markers and then blended with WOS clear shimmer - I didn't clean the brush and so the two colors blended into kind of a orangey color.  For the background I "quilt embossed" with the PTI chevron coverplate.  The yellow/white paper behind the flowers is just a scrap from my stash of patterned paper. The sandwich I used on my Cuttlebug to dry emboss was A, B, tan mat, cardstock, coverplate/die face down, B.

Thanks for visiting today and love reading your kind comments.  Betty

A BLOG NAMED HERO

Today is my first post as designer for A Blog Named Hero.  When I received My Monthly Hero Kit the other day, Hero Arts included two stamps from their new 2016 catalog - so just HAD to use one of them!  This is the first of their kits I have ordered and was so impressed - 2 day delivery, great packaging - wrapped in clear plastic wrap tied with red ribbon and a little red heart.  Can't wait to start making those valentines!

A little peek at my card - hop over and check out my post.

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

HERO ARTS 90 MINUTE SCRAMBLE

Janet is hosting a 24 hour scramble over at the Hero Arts discussion group here - it's open until 2 pm CST today - use her theme and time yourself to make a card and post it in 90 minutes.  Here's the card I created in about 45 minutes.

The theme is a play on the year 2016 - 2 colors, 0 die cuts, 1 stamp and 6 embellishments.  I used distress peacock feathers and peeled paint for the colors, no die cut, 1 stamp from HA Stamp Your Own Plant and 6 clear sequins.  After masking off the front of the card I just sponged on the color and spattered with water for a little added interest - quick and easy.

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

MERRY

First card of the year for Merry Monday where the theme is "white on white".  Also had Ellen Hutson's challenge in mind as their theme is "mix it up" with EH and MFT.

The frame die is from MFT and the pine boughs and sentiment are from EH.  Embossed the pine boughs with HA silver and the sequins are from Lucy Abrams.  I used my Fuse tool to make the pocket for the sequins.

Thanks for visiting today - love reading your kind comments!  Betty

FAVORITES OF 2015

Happy 2016 - a little late.  I was visiting my son and family in London for three weeks over Christmas and got home late Monday night - have been pretty much useless since with jet lag - wake up at 3 am and can't go back to sleep, hungry at weird times of the day - body clock is 6 hours off and they say it takes one day for every hour off - this morning I slept until 5:30 - so tomorrow hopefully I'll be back to normal!

2016 is the beginning of my third year of blogging and so am doing a simple post today of my favorite cards from 2015.

Looking forward to another year of creating - have my first post for A Blog Named Hero design team on 13 January, am hosting the Hero Arts discussion group 90 minute scramble on 6 February and have to get going on those valentines since I didn't get around to sending Christmas cards before I left in December!!

Many blessings to you all in the coming year - I so appreciate all the kind comments.  Hugs,  Betty