Make It Monday #281

I was excited to see the challenge at Make It Monday because it gave me a reason to use my Garden Gate set again.  Dawn has a video on putting patterns behind die cut windows and you may want to check it out.

I cut the opening with a PPP die and popped it up over the stencil that came with the Golden Gate Market Kit and I inked with Altenew Industrial Diamond.  I die cut the wisteria and stamped it with PTI inks.  The sentiment is from CB in the same gray as the trellis.

It's a rainy day her in Mid-Michigan so I hope to use the time to get a few more cards made.  I hope you have a little time in your day to get crafty.

The Flower Challenge #7

This month The Flower Challenge is a sketch and I think a fairly easy one to use.

I colored the flowers from Altenew's Smile More set with Zigs.  With all the flower stamps I have I don't know why I haven't gotten more cards made for this challenge.  Maybe I'll have time before the deadline to do another one.

Thanks for dropping by.

CAS Watercolor - April

Where does the time go?  April is going fast and I am just getting around to posting a card for the CAS Watercolor Challenge - pink and green.

It's a PB stamp colored with Zigs and a sentiment from PTI.

Thanks for dropping by.  I'd better get busy with a couple of other cards I've started before their deadlines are up.

The Card Concept #77

I love it when you get an idea immediately upon seeing the inspiration whether it be photo, sketch or word cue.  I had such a reaction to the photo at The Card Concept and it turned out just like I imagined - clean and simple.

It's difficult to see in this photo but what I call Queen Anne's Lace from PTI is white heat embossed.  Before stamping the stems, I softly inked with a Clarity brush and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink.  The butterfly from CP was heat embossed in black and colored with Zigs.  I wanted this to be for a bridal shower and I thought the sentiment from E by E would work beautifully.

Thanks for dropping by.  I hope your week is off to a good start.

CAS(E) This Sketch #317

I must admit the first thing I thought of when I saw the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch is Woody Woodpecker's topknot.  What do you think?

The more I thought about it I knew I could use a stamp set I HAD to have but haven't inked up yet.  

I love these multi-layered hollyhocks from PTI's Garden Gate Market Kit.  I used PTI Inks and a sentiment from the same set.  The front two are die cut and popped up.

Now that I've pulled out this set, I'm going to stamp some of the other images from it so stay tuned.

Thanks for dropping by.

Addicted to CAS #109

Doni is this week's host at Addicted to CAS and she chose 'rainbow' as her code word.

This is my card.

I backed the MFT Peekaboo Dots with strips of rainbow colors.  I used Distress Markers to color part of the sentiment in rainbow colors.

Since this is a Clean and Simple challenge, here is a reminder of what that means.

The winner of this week's challenge will receive A $15 gift certificate to Create a Smile.  We'd love to see your card in the gallery.

Just Us Girls #389

It's Color Week at Just Us Girls and I think Ina is in a Spring mood because she chose peach, lemon and pink.

Well they say Spring to me anyway.  Spring is the time for beautiful flowers and that's what I used for my card.

The SSS Artful Flowers were colored with Zigs, and placed on a background embossed with Floral Screen.  I used a neutral gray for the heat embossed sentiment from PTI.  

The Design Team has some fabulous cards using these colors for your inspiration.  If you make a card, you may be chosen Chic of the Week with a chance to be a guest designer in June.

I hope to see you in the gallery.

Addicted to Stamps and More #237

It's 'Make Your Mark' week at Addicted to Stamps and More.  I just reread the rules for this challenge and it says you can use just about anything to make your card.  If you have questions, check the tab at the top of the blog for the rules of each of the challenges.

I was inspired to buy this stamp and make this card by Jill Foster from Penny Black.  You can see her YouTube video here.  I placed the stamp in my MISTI and colored the individual sections  of the stamp with Distress Markers.  After each color I misted the stamp and then moved some of the color around with a brush.  I kept coloring and stamping until I liked the result.  I should have stopped there but went on to paint the background and that didn't quite go as I would have liked but I pressed on and splattered with Black Soot and white acrylic paint.

The Linky is now open so can we count on you to enter a card?  You can find inspiration from the Design Team on the Addicted to Stamps and More blog.

CAS(E) This Sketch #216

It took me several days to get an idea for the CAS(E) This Sketch challenge. I knew I wanted to make a prayer card but didn't know what to put with the word die until I came across the perfect die while looking for another card.

The leaves and berries are from PB watercolored with Zigs. The word die from SSS is cut from a bronze-y metallic paper and they're on a panel embossed with Forest Branches.  Does it look like the sketch to you?

Thanks for dropping by. 

Less Is More #323

I have a card today for Less Is More.  It's a one layer challenge with curves as the focus.

The first stamp that came to mind is this one from CP.  It's embossed in black sparkle and as you can see there are some residual specks but in this case I think it looks okay.  It's like butterfly dust. ;)  The butterfly is from the same set and his wings have been inked with Zigs.  The sentiment is from PB.
Here's a little close-up of the sparkle.

I have some friends who are in need of prayers and uplifting thoughts so this will go to one of them. I'll have a prayer card ready for tomorrow.

Thanks for dropping by.

Time Out #80

Time Out has a challenge that asks you to create a card inspired by the words "When it rains look for rainbows, when it's dark look for stars".  Who can resist making a rainbow card?

A little manipulating of Distress Inks and water gave me a rather drippy card - or does it look like colored lightening?  Either way it goes well with the sentiment from MFT.

ETA:  I just saw the HLS Watercolor Challenge for April and had to add my card, especially since it almost looks like their logo.

Thanks for dropping by.  I hope your week gets off to a great start.

Merry Monday #242

I'm back from vacation and having a hard time getting back into card making.  I stamped a lot of images and took my Zigs with me thinking I would have time to do some coloring but instead of spending time at the river, we spent it with my brother and sister-in-law and kept busy the entire time.  We had a lot of fun and I ended up with 5 antique quilts in the bargain.  Internet was sketchy so I only had time to comment for my Design Teams.  I'm trying to catch up on the over 500 emails but I won't be commenting on them all.  Rest assured I am looking at your wonderful creations and oohing and aahing, just not taking the time to write anything.

I did have time today to make a card for Merry Monday - use branches or twigs.  What better stamp to use that this one from PB.

I used a 3 x 7 format, cutting the watercolor paper slightly smaller and roughing up its edge.  Distress Markers were colored onto the stamp and then spritzed and repeated until I was satisfied with how it looked.  The white berries and the snow on the pine cone are acrylic paint as are some of the splatters added to the ones using Distress Ink.  The PB sentiment is embossed in Liquid Platinum and there is a little of it on the cone.  I was having trouble with the paint turning brown so I tried to emboss over it. Not the best idea but it's okay.

Maybe I'll get a chance to make a few more cards or color some of the stamping while I catch up on my TV shows on demand.  We didn't watch TV (except for March Madness) so my favorites are waiting for me.

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you are all doing well.

Just Us Girls #388 - Trend Week

I love my multi-layered stamps and Sue has chosen that as our trend this week at Just Us Girls.

Then the dilemma was which stamp set to use.  I was inspired by this card by Marika and pretty much CASEd her card.

The rose buds and sentiment are from Altenew's Remember This set.  I used their inks to stamp and some DI for the inking at the bottom.  This is going to a dear friend who lost her son recently.  He was a very talented man and I am honored to have some of his work.

Now it's your turn.  Head on over to Just Us Girls to see what the Design Team and our guest designer have for you to view and be inspired by.  Enter a card in the gallery and you may our next Chic of the Week.

Addicted to CAS #108

Susan is the host at Addicted to CAS and she's chosen the code word - Smile.

It took a while to come up with something because I didn't just want to use the word on my card.  This is what I used instead.

Don't you just love the smile on the MFT polar bear?  The background is smooshed with Distress Oxides and the bear colored with Zigs.

The winner of this challenge will get a $15 gift certificate from HLS.

We'd love to see what you make inspired by the word ' smile'.

Just Us Girls #387 - Word Week

It's Word Week at Just Us Girls and Nancy has chosen Sea.

I recently had to make a seaside card for another challenge that I filled with shells but went an entirely different way with this one using the same stamp set from MFT called Sea Life.

I used Distress Oxide for the background adding some misting and a bubble stamp dipped in water. The fish and seaweed were colored with Distress Ink markers directly on the stamp and then misted.  Again the "what sentiment do I use?" cropped up until I saw this one on the MFT Polynesian Paradise set and thought it was rather cute.

The Design Team has some wonderful sea inspired cards for you to see. Check them out and then make a card of your own.  You may be our next Chic of the Week.