SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW...

Our challenge this month at A Blog Named Hero is "something old, something new" - in other words, use an old Hero Arts stamp with a newer one.  The stamp I chose is a sunflower from back in the 90's - I took it off the wood block so I could use it in my stamp positioner.

I used masking to create the background sunflowers and had to fussy cut the main flower along with cutting a smaller area to give it dimension.  Since the stamp didn't come with leaves, I found some from another set that worked.  Gave the piece a black mat and added to a white card base.  The sentiment comes from a set I bought last fall.  Added a few yellow enamel dots for a little color and done!

You certainly have something old and something new in your stash for creating a card for this month's challenge - two great prizes are there to be won!

Supplies:

Stamps: Peonies (sentiment)

Ink: Intense Black 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

POPPY

Today's card is for three challenges - Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge  (polka dots, coloring and sparkle or polka dots, sequins and summer), Seize the Birthday (watercoloring) and Festive Friday (birthday, floral, CAS and single image).

I stamped my poppy on watercolor paper and used DI inks (worn lipstick, wild honey, abandoned coral, peeled paint and shabby shutters) to color my flower. The background "polka dot" piece was mounted on a champagne metallic card base (part of my sparkle altho difficult to see in the photo) and I stamped and embossed the sentiment.  I have no idea where the dotted background piece came from - have had it in my stash and was sort of "saving" it 'cause it was "too nice to use".  If anyone knows about this background die, I'd love to know who manufactured it or who sent it to me.  Anyway, finally attached the poppy to the card - and then remembered I was going to ink blend some color around it - too late:-(  So this morning, I used some DI speckled egg ink and did a little watercolor wash around it.  Added a few sequins with a dab of glossy accents in their centers - and done!

Thanks for visiting today.

JINGLE BELLS

When CAS Christmas announced their June theme, I was sure I had bells somewhere in my collection - alas, none to be found!  Then last week, Linda posted her cards with some really cute bells.  I bemoaned in my comment how cute they were and that I had no bells anywhere - a few days later there was an assortment of bells in my mailbox.  Managed to create two cards before getting them in under the deadline.

This card is pretty self-explanatory - layered the die cut circles with the copper bell on top - added a little copper thread and a Nuvo drop to attach to the top of the card.  I first stamped in black a small sentiment, but it smeared on the metallic cardstock - hence another small sentiment heat embossed in copper.  I really like the simplicity and the copper on this card.

Started this card by die cutting some dark green boughs and and a silver bell and it just wasn't talking to me - so tried black boughs and a gold bell on the silver metallic cardstock and it worked for me. Tied the bell onto the bough with some gold thread.  Had the sentiment still in my MISTI and just went with that embossed in gold.  A few gold sequins finished it off.

Thanks for visiting today.

 

HUGS

Today I watched Yana demo an alcohol marker technique for coloring flowers and had to give it a try.

I colored the florals with rouge, coral berry and velvet Altenew markers.  Framed this in gold and mounted on a tan card base.  Added the twine, tag sentiment and some gold sequins and done.

I am entering this in the Tic Tac Toe Challenge (pink, gold and twine) and also SSS Flickr Challenge (friendship).

Thanks for stopping by.

 

BLUE BUTTERFLY

I haven't played in the Fusion Challenge for ages - look at all the challenges, think I must join in, the days go by and it doesn't happen.  This week tho they had me at the blue butterfly - such a gorgeous inspiration photo.

I reworked an alcohol inked background to achieve a pale wispy look - die cut the butterfly from the original background.  When I redid the background I used some celestial pearl ink - so pretty in real life.  The card base is a champagne metallic - you can kind of see the shine on the top of the card.  I really wanted the focus to be on the butterfly and the ethereal background, so just used a tiny sentiment.  Added a little gold thread to my butterfly for some glam and done.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

CARD CHAIN CHALLENGE

The Card Chain Challenge participants have exchanged 3000 cards since it began a little over ten years ago.  Jo and Gail have asked those of us who have ever joined in to post the first card we sent.  I remember I started my Flickr photostream precisely so I could join in this challenge.  I'm not sure if this is the first card I sent but it's the oldest one I have in my photostream.  

 

In September 2010, I sent this card to Lin Brandyberry.  Don't know what the particular theme was but I knew Lin was a quilter so made a patchwork background with paper actually stitched.  Those were real leaves that I preserved by coating them with glossy accents.

 

Gail and Jo have also asked us to post some of our favorite cards that we've sent over the years.  Here are a few of mine:

 

 

If you want to join in a fun challenge where all you have to do is send a card and as a bonus meet new friends from all over the world, go to the Card Chain Challenge and sign up for July. 

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

CIRCLES AND BUBBLES

Darnell's Twofer Challenge this month is using circles and bubbles - and just happened to have a stencil called "bubbles".  So used it as a background with two different techniques and for two different occasions.

On the flower card, I embossed a piece of vellum with white pearl embossing powder and framed it in gold.  White embossed the flower and leaves also on vellum and colored with copics.  The flamingo card background was made with Jennifer Mcguire's stencil/baby wipe technique using various shades of distress inks.  The leaves were die cut from a piece of alcohol inked paper.  The feather on the flamingo is an idea from Bonnie Klass.  

Vellum is the challenge at CAS Mix-Up and AAA Birthday this month so am entering the flower card there also. 

Thanks for stopping by!

BLACK AND WHITE

Again, the Tic Tac Toe challenge really challenged my brain to come up with something I liked.  Chose the black and white, single layer and free across the bottom.  And did I ever want to add a pop of color somewhere!!  Maybe I'll make another one and do just that!!

I began by stamping the large flowers on the card base and filling in with the smaller flowers.  Then added the black frame and the sentiment.  Used some Nuvo drops to accent the flower centers and a light gray marker to do a little shading on the center flowers.  I considered the die cuts as my free choice - it's really a very flat card!! 

Supplies:

Stamp: Avery Elle

Thanks for stopping by.

 

SENDING WELL WISHES

Just a pretty card today which I hope will cheer up a friend who is going through some very difficult medical problems.  

I first blended worn lipstick, squeezed lemonade and abandoned coral DO on a piece of white card stock.  Die cut with the floral die and adhered to a pink card base.  Then I sprayed it with some shimmer spray (you can kind of see it on the top of the card).  Put some gold thread and sequins around the sentiment and done.

A new challenge begins tomorrow at A Blog Named Hero so be sure to check it out, enter and have a chance at two gift cards from Hero Arts.

Supplies:
Die: Hero Arts
Stamp: Hero Arts
Sequins: Hero Arts
Cardstock: Hero Arts

Thanks for visiting today.

TWO CHALLENGES

Just have a quick post today with cards for two challenges - Christmas Kickstart (tag) and The Flower Challenge (navy+another color).

I smooshed watercolored a piece of bristol cardstock and then die cut the various parts of my layered flower.  The leaves and the sentiment strip are vellum.  Also dry embossed the circles behind the flower.

The tag is a revision of one I made ages ago - have kept the original because I liked it so much I didn't want to give it away - I have favorite cards like that too that I want to keep.  Anyway, die cut the base of the "sled" with a tag die from some wood grain paper on which I added a lot of distress ink.  Rest is pretty evident on how it was made.  Wonder if I'll be able to part with this one????

All for now - have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

 

 

RAINBOW HUGS

I am not a rainbow girl, but have had this piece of rainbow paper on my desk (in the mess) and decided to use it in this week's Tic Tac Toe Challenge - went straight across the top with hugs, heat embossing and rainbow.  I am also entering in Simon Says Stamp Flickr Challenge "anything goes" and The Paper Players "sunshine and rainbows".

Stamped and embossed the flowers both on the rainbow paper and a piece of white cardstock.  Put them together with a narrow black strip, added the sentiment, a few black enamel hearts and foam mounted onto card base.

Supplies:

Stamps: Tiny Words;  Sketched Flowers

Thanks for stopping by.

 

VELLUM AND EMBOSSING

My card today is totally different from what was in my mind's eye when I began it - but think it turned out ok.  I am going to enter it in three challenges - CAS Mix-Up (embossed vellum, stamping and copic coloring), AAA Birthday (vellum) and The Paper Players (flowers, embossing and die cutting).

The base of my card is heavy weight vellum as are the flowers and leaves which I heat embossed and colored with copics.  I die cut a rectangle and adhered to the front and also added same size on the inside for writing a message.  Arranged the bouquet and attached to the top, added the sentiment and some enamel dots and done.

Supplies:

Stamps & Dies: Altenew 

Dies: Hero Arts 

Embossing Powder: Hero Arts

Vellum: Hero Arts

Thanks for visiting today - hope you all are well and safe.