Butterflys and flowers #685 Just add ink

 

I love making cards using flowers.  And this week Just Add Ink's challenge is to do just that.   Find them here.

I for some reason, have a lot of precut cards of many sizes I had bought at some time. This is an A2 card that already had the watercolor wash. 

I added an embossing folder for texture, and had been waiting for a chance to use one of the border dies I recently purchased.  After stamping, cutting and coloring my flower, I decided I needed a bit more and found just the right little butterfly die. I put a piece of the purple paper over the right side of the inside to bring it all together. 

Thank you so much for looking. 

Freshly Made Sketches #589, Thank you card

 

Hubby has finally had his surgery and is recouping, so I can finally feel free from the very large amount of stress I've felt and get back to some crafting. 

I'm pretty rusty, haven't done much of anything since last dec, but I decided to get back to it with Linda's challenge.  I'm needing to make cards for so many nurses and Dr's at UCLA for the fantastic jobs that were done and the very wonderful way we were treated there. 

Thanks to FMS for all the wonderful examples.  Check them out here.

I used an Altanew stamp and die set, one of the new incolors for this year.  BTW, that color, Boho Blue was one brought back. I moved in 2010 and it was one that came with me. So happy to have  it come back, it was one of my favorites. 

The stamp was die cut from a colored cardstock.  What a quick and beautiful way to make a card. Hope you give it a try. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

SU Christmas Card, #jai616, Poinsettia and Silver

 

 It's Christmas time. Well, it's close and if I want to get all my cards together I had better start now.  

I used the great sketch for my inspiration for this. It's always more fun to make my cards, when I join a challenge. So, here it is.

I got into the habit of making each of my cards different. I used to just design one card and make them all the same, but will all the awesome available product it's just more fun to make a lot of cards. 

This one uses mostly retire SU, except for the sentiment, it just all fit what I needed.   I used a die from Swirly Bird, And several from the Poinsettia Petals set from a few years ago.   Colors  are all red and silver, however I did use Cherry Cobbler for the base card and real red for the poinsettia, I just like the bit of contrast. 

I hope I've given you some ideas.  Thanks for stopping by.

Christmas in July, #fms544

 

I really enjoyed this sketch from Freshly Made sketches, it was easy and fun. Head on over and check it out for yourself.         

 As usually I have started my Christmas cards, I've had ideas running through my head since I got my new sets from SU.  Otherwise, I really have not been doing many cards.  Anyway, I was pretty happy with this one!

Very simple and easy.  I used Evening Evergreen and Soft Succulent along with DSP from Lights Aglow 6x6. This is very quickly becoming a favorite paper for me for Christmas.  

Hope you enjoy and get an idea or two of your own, or feel free to copy if you so desire. 

Merry Christmas

Beachy Birthday card, Just Add Ink challenge

 

Yes, it's been a while, I can't believe I haven't posted since Apr. That's about to change, I really get going once I have new Christmas stuff, and it's here now.  

Anyway, it's hubby's birthday in a few and for him it has to be beachy or patriotic, I have so many beachy sets, I went that way.

Inspiration for this is from Just add Ink, love this weeks sketch.  

Hop on over and see what the team did too. 

So, colors for this are Tahitian Tide, Starry Sky, Crumb Cake, Pool Party and Fresh Freesia.  Tahitian Tide is my new favorite of the current incolors, it reminds me so much of Tempting Turquoise, and I loved that one. 

The embossing folder is Seabed, of course from SU. 

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful week.

Freshly Made Sketches #530, Easter card, Stampin Up

 

I've been away from stamping for a time, as I've gotten more into another hobby, playing with fabric. But I just felt like I wanted to do some cards for Easter.  I do know that cards going out in these times are helping people cope, I know the feeling, I love getting cards in my mailbox.  

FMS#530 is a simple and fun sketch. I didn't do perfect as altho starting with it I wasn't really liking this one off center, so I hope this works. 

 Check out the lovely projects done by the team.

 

The stamp and die set with this cross was a set inspired by one of our Million dollar sales demo's.  Many of us have held onto it.   I have used it different then I have in the past in this card. 

I kept it simple as that is just how I saw it.  The texture embossing folder added just the right amount of extra, along with a few bits of bling.   

I'm adding a little surprise in with the card, I hope everyone enjoys it.  Thanks for stopping by.
 

Birthday card for #Freshly Made Sketches 522

  

 My inspiration for this one is from #fms522, a sketch challenge. 

Be sure to stop over at FMS to see what the team and all the other contestents have done.

Yes, it's been a pretty long time sense I've uploaded a card. My mind has been elsewhere, and we did some time at Quartzsite this year. 

I can't say enough great things about the New Horizons DSP! There are several different type scenes, adaptable to what every you see in them.  

I see my car driving alongside a pond with marshes in the front and trees on the other side.   A happy ride to a birthday party.  

I used the new free set Driving By, what cute fun cars, also open to your own ideas.  I had to cut away the stamped on balloons because I wanted them different colors. I had a small balloon punch leftover from long, long ago that I used to replace them, then I used a gold pen to put in the string. 

A very quick and easy card and would make up for masculine or feminine. 

I hope this gives you some ideas of your own, thanks for stopping by.

 

 

Abundance of Joy, #fms510, A Christmas card

 

I'm getting behind on my Christmas cards.  I started out strong with all the new product that SU brought out this year, it was hard to limit myself. For some reason I buy more Christmas stuff then anything else.  Maybe it's because I make more Christmas cards then any other kind, right? 

Plus, I've been busy with some of my other hobbies. Mostly Machine Embroidery right now. Normally I'm making quilt goodies.

So, here we are with another wed sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.   I seem to gravitate a lot over there.  SU had a nice pack of silver foil stock this year, I got that and some of the beautiful gold that we had.  Please use the link and head over to see the lovely projects the team and other posters have made. 

 I used the Silver foil, Evening Evergreen, Silver ribbon retired, and Pale Papaya. With gold embossing on the trike.  The Music embossing folder seemed perfect for this card.

 

Thanks for taking a look.

 

Gorgeous Leaves, Thank you card, #fms508

 

A stranger did something very nice for us, so a special thank you card was in need.  I'm a little late getting this set, but I just saw so many gorgeous cards made using it and had to have it. 

My inspiration for this is this weeks card challenge at Freshly Made Sketches. 

 

So much can be done with this! I also just got the Stitched Greenery embossing plate, it's kind of half embossing and half die cut, I just love it and this was the perfect use.

My colors are:  Cinnamon Cider, Soft Succulent, Pale Papaya, and basic white. Plus a bit of Blackberry Bliss, I just had to stick that in there. 

The leaf set is Gorgeous Leaves bundle, and the sentiment Inspired Thoughts stamps.  Cut out with the Rectanglar stitched dies.

Thanks so much for stopping in. 

Cat and Dog Nativity, #FF0095, a Christmas card.

 

I found this stamp set a while back and since I am a huge animal person it spoke to me. It was a no brainer to use it for this challenge.

 I don't often see a challenge that actually asks for cats! See all the wonderful projects here.

 I used my SU watercolor pencils for this, I just did a light coverage and then my water brush to blend it a bit, the sentiment and star is on vellum. And a pretty SU ribbon to tie it all together. 

Very simple, I did use the snowflake embossing folder on the gray.

Thanks for taking a look. 

 

Merry and Bright, Freshly Made Sketches #506

 

Inspiration this week comes from the fms#506 challenge. Be sure to check out the team and other players projects!  Go here to do that.

 

Such a fun sketch! So many possibilities.  I'm currently in love with these ornament dies so I just had to use one, this called for it.

My colors are from the Tidings of Christmas DSP, I used Evening Evergreen for the ornament and the shimmer gold in the Holiday mini catalog currently out. A  little gold cording and some Holiday Rhinestone basic jewels finish it off, so simple.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by, hope I've given you some ideas.

 

Red, white and Gold Christmas, #PP560

 

I looked at the Paper Players challenge this week and it just called to me, what fun this one was. 

First, here is the Challenge, check it out, look at all the beautiful projects.

So many possibilities.  I choose the Merry Melody embossing folder to start with, then added a piece from the Tidings of Christmas DSP.  I put a little piece of the Be Dazzling paper (free from the SAB). 

I cut the squares using the retired Layering squares dies, then stamped and die cut my poinsettias using Merriest Moments stamps and dies. I used Itty Bitty Greetings for my sentiment.

Colors are White, Cherry Cobbler, and some gold foil.  A few tiny red rhinestones finished it up.

I hope you get some inspiration from this, thanks for stopping by.

 

Fall sympathy, JAI#573.

 

Fortunately I don't have a use right now for this kind of card, but it always helps to have one ready.  I am in love with this DSP and I paired it with Crumb cake and Merry Merlot, with a strip of silver that I think brings out the blues.

Inspiration for this is from Just add ink #573.  Check out the site for many more lovely projects.

This is one of my favorite challenges, I do it as often as I can.

 I'm finding so many useful extra items in the new sets in the mini catalog right now. The tree was cut from the other side of the same DSP, and popped up, just to add a little something.  

I hope you enjoy. Thanks for stopping by.

Merry and Bright ornament, Just Add Ink #572

 

I am in love with this set of ornament dies! I spent an evening making cards using it. So many ways to do them.  If you cut the background piece at the same time as the ornament, you get an extra frame around it, other wise you cut it alone and it becomes a background.   

You can have some fun cutting it out in different colors or papers and exchange the frame around.   

I used the Just add Ink challenge for this week as inspiration.  

 This inspired the colors I used.  Misty Moonlight, Soft Succulent, and Polished pink.

The die set is Delicate Baubles and it does come in a bundle with a stamp set if you like. 

I cut the ivy piece out using a masking paper and put that down to do my sponging around it, then replaced it with the stamped piece. 

The Merry and bright has one of the gold foils from the set in the Mini catalog.  

I hope I've given you some inspiration too, happy stampin.

Snowflake ornament, Christmas Blessings. JAI#571

 

Inspiration for this card comes from the Just Add Ink challenge for this week.  Just add lines. 

Be sure to head over to Just add Ink and check out all the wonderful post. 

What a fun die set this is! I've been having so much fun with it.  It's called Delicate Baubbles, there are so many ideas for these.  My brain just went crazy after this first one.  So, I used the free Be Dazzling paper in the SAB for my piece on top of my card base, then the DSP on top of that and then I cut strips to be my lines out of the Be Dazzling paper.  It doesn't look nearly as wonderful in a photo as it does it person, it sparkles like crazy.

I cut the snowflake ornament out with out the outside edge/ which used separately is also the outside ring or background piece.  I used gold foil and then used that background piece to cut the Coastal Cabana background out of. 

The gold bow ribbon is also in the die set. It's hard to see but I stuck a square vellum doily under the dies. Then I stamped and cut the sentiment.

I hope you enjoy. Thanks for stopping. 

Playing with Chalks, Global Design Project #307

 

Good monday morning to you all.   Today I took inspiration from the Global Design Project challenge, I haven't done that one in quite a long while.

This week it is a Word play theme, the words are Thank you.

 I have put off play with the new chalks for a bit, but decided this was the time.  It's been a very long time since SU has had chalks and now I remember how much fun they were.  

All I did for this one was  use a Versa mark pad, stamp my images, then pick up color that I had scraped off the lengths of chalk, and wipe over the stamped image gently with some of each color.

I then die cut.  Sorry to say, this set is long retired. But I had a Fall card to do and I don't have many fall sets, sometimes I regret that, but I am such a nut over Christmas, that is where I end up putting my money. 

After die cutting I used a die to cut my Cinnamon Cider piece, did a bit of splatter stamping on both my Evening Evergreen and my CC, and put down one of the Vellum doilies then layered on top of that. 

I hope you will try out the chalks and have some fun doing it. Thanks for stopping by. 

 

Poinsettia Joy, JAI#568

 

This sketch from Just Add Ink leaves it wide open for any fun you'd like to have with it.  

 I can't help but make Christmas cards with all the new fun stuff right now.   Lots of great cards from the team and other players, so be sure to click the link and check it all out.

I paired a retired, flocked vellum paper with the new Merriest Moments bundle.   

It's done in Merry Merlot, Evening Evergreen and while with a bit of gold foil.

Stitched Sweetly Dies frame the sentiment.   Pretty simple, although the dies can take a bit of time to cut them all out.  

Thanks for taking a look.  

Flowers, flowers everywhere. Paper Players #553

 

I've been thinking about a card using these 2 sets like this since I first saw the Meadow dies that match the Quiet Meadow stamps.  Bundle priced this year in the 2021-2022 Annual catalog.  

When I saw the colors for the Paper players challenge I thought it was a good time to give it a try. 

 I colored in using my Watercolor pencils after die cutting all my flowers. I just die cut using white then colored the stems green and flowers however I wanted.  I then used the new Shimmery Crystal Effects on the flowers.  I also used the Tasteful Textures 3D embossing folder on my yellow layer.  

I hope you enjoy and maybe I've given you an idea or two.

 

Christmas Rose, #FMS497

 

Merry Christmas.   I know you think it's early, but I make everyone a different card each year. I just love making them, so It takes me months to get done. There are just so many gorgeous, fun sets to use.

This one is done with a challenge from Freshly made sketches.  Hop on over and check out all the lovely cards from the team.

 I just love the traditonal  colors of Christmas, occasionally I'll use something a bit different and toss in a bit of purple or? But mostly I love the greens, reds and metallics. And I love this new embossing folder, it can be used all year long, but is especially neat for Christmas I think. 

 The stamp set here is retired, put I never got the chance to use it enough and it's one of a kind I think.  It seemed the perfect set for this card, it's called Christmas Rose.  

I used Real red, Soft succulent, white and gold embossing. I also used little pieces of the new free glimmer paper, it's called Be Dazzling and comes in 6x6,  in the SAB right now, it was the perfect framing for my flower.

 

The embossing folder is new and is  in the Holiday Mini, it's called Merry Melody 3D embossing folder. 

I considered sponging some color around the rose group on the embossing folder, and altho I love that look, it just seemed perfect without. 

I hope I was able to get you some ideas. Thanks for stopping. 

Heartfelt sympathy, JAI#565

 

This week I am joining in to the Just add ink color challenge. 

 

 The polished Pink and Pale Papaya are both brand new incolors for this year.  Stunning colors. So, it was a lot of fun coming up with a card for this week. I tried out several ways of embossing the flower, and ended up with this. 

The Dahlia is a 2 step stamp, for this I only used the outline and embossed, if you did it on a lighter paper, you could use the 2nd part, the fill in stamp, or simple color in if you like.   This set is called Delicate Dahlias and is free in the SAB catalog starting on the 3rd along with the new Holiday one.   It's got more pieces to it as well, but I decided for this to keep it very simple.

None of us really enjoy the reason for making these sympathy cards, but it does become necessary especially as we get older.  I usually put it off, this time it's going into my stash, with the hope it's not needed for a good long time.

Happy stamping.