MORE POPPIES

Same song - new words.  Had another piece of watercolored paper so white embossed the poppies and fussy cut. 

Will enter this in CAS-ual Friday's current challenge - I chose the black, chevron and sequin theme.  The little bit of green was added with a distress marker.  The inside of the card will have whatever occasion it suits when the time comes.  As in my previous post, the patterned paper was from my stash and sequins from my Mom ages ago.

Supplies:
Stamps: HA CL449; PTI "Celebrate"
Other: HA white embossing powder

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

POPPIES

I made this card for Judy's scramble on the Hero Arts discussion group.  The theme was to use pastels and a touch of black.  It will also be entered in CAS-ual Friday's tic-tac-toe challenge and I chose chevrons, black and sequins.  I used Jennifer Rzaza idea for the poppies although instead of white embossing the poppies and then watercoloring, I used a piece of paper I had previously watercolored and white embossed the poppies on that and then cut them out.  The little bit of green was added with a distress marker.  The chevron patterned paper was a scrap and the sequins are very, very, very old - from my Mom when she used to make those sequined Christmas ornaments in the 60's!

Again, a sentiment will be added when needed.

Supplies:
HA CL449 and HA white embossing powder

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

PAINTED FLOWERS

Had a little play around with Altenew's "painted flowers" today - the printed "help" sheet that is on their web site is so helpful, but I still had to do some practicing to get the positioning right - but even if the stamping is a little off the end result still looks ok, I think. 

Will enter this in Fusion's current challenge (sketch and colors) and also Curtain Call challenge (colors). 

Supplies:
Paper: Pink Paislee "color wash"
Stamps: Altenew; PTI
Ink: HA pool, soft pool, passion flower; PTI sweet blush, melon berry
Other: very old HA sequins

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

JULY CARD CHAIN CHALLENGE

Every month Deb Nolan sponsors Card Chain Challenge - sign up, follow a sketch, colors or theme and send your card to the person above you on the list - a fun way to meet new friends all over the world.  This month Deb even has a random prize as an added bonus.   I roughly followed the sketch and the colors (theme was fish, flags or friends) and you know the first two were not in my comfort zone!!  This is the card I made for Chris in Texas.

There's a little spica glitter on the flowers but as usual not apparent in the photo.  My friend, Barb, send me the "hello" sentiment and I really love the way it looks against the light grey background.

Supplies:
Stamps: PTI "Rosie Posie"
Paper: PTI soft stone
Inks: HA soft pool and tide pool

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

CAS(E) THIS SKETCH #85

Had the idea for this card when my friend, Barb, sent me the MFT dies a few weeks ago.  Then along came the challenge sketch and it seemed to fit pretty well (even tho I turned it on its side).

To make the filagree corners, I inked a piece of cardstock with versamark and then embossed it - then die cut the pieces - figured it would be easier than the other way around - and it was!! 

There are actually two layers of die cuts to give a little texture to a card with a lot of white space!

Supplies:
Dies:  MFT Four Corners
Stamp: PTI
Paper: SU very vanilla
Other: Ranger liquid platinum embossing powder; Memento tuxedo black ink

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments are always appreciated.  Betty

CARDS FOR MY DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY

My daughter has a birthday coming up this week and wanted an assortment of cards - among the requests were congratulation cards for guys (she teaches voice and music at a university) - when students give recitals she needs cards.

I just die cut a bunch of hexagons from a variety of patterned papers and played around with them.

Thanks for stopping by.  Betty

LITTLE PURPLE FLOWERS

Spent the afternoon today playing around with some dies and will enter this in Virginia's View challenge which features die cuts this go around.

I first die cut the leaves and then embossed the background which I then adhered to the card base.  Cut more leaves and inlaid them.  Cut out the stem and made it a bit darker with a distress marker.  Punched the little flowers - added them and the bow.  Will wait for a sentiment when I need it for whatever occasion.  My friend Barb sent me the leaf die and I don't know who the manufacturer is.

Supplies:
MB winterberry sprig; MS hydrangea punch; HA medallion embossing folder; May Arts silk ribbon

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAG

I made this card for three challenges today - Tag You're It, Curtain Call and since it has die cuts also Virginia's View.

I used the colors from Curtain Call inspiration photo.

Supplies:
Stamps: HA (sentiment); PTI (Rosie Posie)
Inks: HA shadow soft pool & pool
Other: PTI pp; Wplus9 dies (Timeless Tags & Happy Trio); SU candy dots

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

GORGEOUS GARDENIA

Have been playing with my new gardenia die and for this card I cut it apart to follow the sketch on CAS(E) this sketch challenge #84.  Also will enter this is Virginia's View Challenge to use die cuts.

It went together pretty quickly after figuring out the placement of the flowers.

Supplies:
Stamp: HA
Other: MB "Gorgeous Gardenia"

Thanks for looking and your kind comments.  Betty

HERO ARTS SCRAMBLE

The scramble theme today is floral plus stripes.  I used the sketch from Deb's card chain challenge.  Stamped the sunflower on yellow paper and then colored with copics, adding black seed beads to the center with glossy accents. 

I fussy cut the flower, but die cut the leaves (not sure what kind of leaves they are) and added lines along the edges to make it look like it was stamped.  In real life the background stripes are straight but somehow look crooked in the photo.  That's what happens when one is in a hurry!!

Supplies:
Stamp: HA
Other: SU large polka dot embossing folder

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

SNOWFLAKES

Merry Monday has a white on white challenge and Virginia's View and Moxie Fab World both have die cut challenges so made a card to fit all three.  First I die cut the snowflake from glossy paper and then embossed.  Then put glitter paper behind and repositioned the snowflake die cut only attaching it  in the center.  There are 4 layers of the word "peace" adhered together to give it more dimension.  Added a "diamond" in the center and done and dusted!

Supplies:
Dies: MB sentiment; Impression Obsession snowflake
Other: Tim Holtz embossing folder

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Made this card for two challenges - Paper Players and Freshly Made Sketches #142.   The Paper Players was a tic-tac-toe and I chose embossing, any shade of green and birthday which I combined with the sketch.  There is spica glitter on the flower and leaves which doesn''t show very well in the photo.  Card base is 4" to allow the leaf to be off the side.  Flower is popped up a bit.

Supplies:
Stamps: PTI "Rosie Posie"; Technique Tuesday sentiment
Inks: HA dark quartz and soft cantaloupe

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

4TH OF JULY

Made this card today for Hero Arts 90 minute scramble challenge by Laura - stars for a theme.

Blue background was stenciled.  I used Ranger liquid platinum for the sentiment and made a little sheet of all embossed cardstock for punching out the little stars to match.

Stamps: HA498
Other: HA SA019 stencil; HA unicorn white ink

Thanks for visiting today.  Betty

FUSION & CTS CHALLENGES

This week the challenge is from both Fusion and Case this Sketch.  I followed both the inspiration photo for colors and the sketch for my card.  I am also going to enter in PTI's MIM #169, where the challenge was to use a vellum overlay.

The lovely butterfly die cut was a gift from my friend, Barb G. - I embossed it with liquid platinum twice.  I found the little glass bead in my stash and thought it echoed the glass in the photo so nicely.  Gold metallic thread was in my sewing drawer from a long ago project.  I think it turned out quite nicely - and can be used for several different occasions -always a good thing!

Supplies:

Paper: PTI card and vellum; Making Memories "Wedding"

Stamp: HA CL498

Other: SSS Leanna butterfly; Ranger embossing powder

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

HERO ARTS SCRAMBLE #86

Today Linda challenged us to use "dots & spots" on a card along with a hero arts stamp and get it all done and posted in 90 minutes. 

I stenciled the background with distress inks, stamped the flower and colored it with copics, cut it out, popped it up, added the bow, seed beads, and sentiment.  Done!!

Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts
Stencil: SSS "falling snow"

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

MORE POPPIES

I made this card with the leftovers from the previous post.  Made the strip of sponged ink by taping off the section with post-it tape.  Otherwise, pretty simple.

Supplies:
Ink:  HA dark quartz shadow ink
Die: Poppystamps/MB arched poppies
Stamp: Technique Tuesday

Thanks for stopping by and your kind comments.  Betty

VIRGINIA'S VIEW CHALLENGE

This month Virginia has challenged us to do create a scrapling or tag and use something recycled. 

For starters, the card itself is a recycle.  I had some blue ink smudges on the left side and really couldn't come up with a way to disguise them.  So just cut it off into scrapling size.  I taped off the card to do the background, used distress inks to color and then spritzed it with water and perfect pearls.  I had seen this card by Viv and that was my inspiration.  The pink and green of the flower are from leftover watercolored pieces from the online watercolor class.  I think it looks rather art deco.  Maybe now I'll make another one and try not to mess it up!

Supplies:
Die: Poppystamps/Memory Box arched poppies
Stamp: Technique Tuesday

Thanks for visiting today and your kind comments.  Betty

WHERE I CREATE

Moxie Fab asked for pics of craft spaces today - so even tho I took these pics awhile back the space is still the same (only today it was not fit to photograph - definitely lacking in neatness to put it mildly!)

 This is my workspace looking very neat.

My craft area is in the lower level of my townhouse.  Most of the items I use are antiques - table, chairs, boxes, tall filing cabinets where inks, tools, ribbons, etc. etc. are stored in labeled drawers.  On the table are old sewing machine drawers where I keep embossing folders, misc. stamp sets, etc.  The grey box is from Ikea and blank cards are in that.  My sewing machine is on an old treadle base.  The vagabond in right across from it - there is an old swivel desk chair there that doubles as sitting place for it and the sewing machine.  I now have an old oak file cabinet under the table on my left which has all my cardstock filed by color in it.

This is the area right behind my work chair.  The cabinets are not new nor the cubby (Pottery Barn) on the wall - lots of stamps are stored in the CD cases in that.  The cupboards have baskets with 6x6 papers, misc. wood stamps, and all the other paraphernalia etc. of stamping.

This a very long room and at the other end is a sitting area with TV that I can watch while stamping (altho I tend not to do that very much).  There is a bathroom close by for other necessities - great for the fresh water during the recent watercolor class.

Thanks for visiting me today.   Betty

PLAYING WITH SPLOTCHES AND SPLATTERS

I have seen watercolor cards done sort of like this (unfortunately can't find one at the moment) - anyway a stamped flower and then just a blob of color on part of it.  Just got this new stamp set from Hero Arts and decided to have a go. 

I had a lot of fun with this - used several distress inks and just let the water do the work.  There are tiny seed beads in the flower centers for a little texture.  Will put this in the gallery for the online watercolor class even tho I don't think there was a day where this was done.  Also will enter it Simon Says Stamp: Botanical, The Paper Players: Floral, Cas-ology: Flower and A2Z Scrapbooking Supplies.  Lots of flower challenges this month!

Supplies:
Stamps: HA CL779
Ink:  Ranger Distress
Paper: Strathmore cold press

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty

LORELEI LEAF

This past week in The Classroom, Julie Ebersole demonstrated a technique that really intrigued me.  So this afternoon I gave it a try.  I didn't do it exactly the way she did tho.  Instead of cutting strips of paper, I used some washi tape (I had tried one earlier with the strips of paper and found it way too fussy getting it straight).  The washi was easy peezy.  I mounted it on regular cardstock.  Since I was using a clear stamp I didn't have to use the stamp positioner either.  As usual, this card will await a suitable greeting inside when needed.  My washi panel is 3" wide.

Supplies:
Die: MB Lorelei Leaf
Stamp: Technique Tuesday
Washi: freebie from Archivers ages ago

Thanks for visiting and your kind comments.  Betty