CutCardStock - Birthday Flowers

I'm up on the CutCardStock blog today with a project featuring the best vellum I have ever used. Even PTI vellum of a similar weight that I've found to be a bit brittle and cracks when 3D embossed can now suck it.

I've listed the products used below.  You can find some of these products at the affiliate shops linked in the graphics. If you use these links to shop I may earn a small commission at NO cost to you.

• Lessebo Colors Premium Blossom Pink cardstock
• Lessebo Colors Premium Sweet Mint cardstock
• Lessebo Colors Premium Bubble Gum Pink cardstock
• Curious Translucent Clear cardstock
• Pop Tone Banana Split cardstock
• Pop Tone Lemon Drop cardstock
• Pop Tone Grapesicle cardstock
• Pop Tone Sour Apple cardstock
• Pop Tone Gumdrop Green cardstock
• Pop Tone Spearmint cardstock
• Bazzill Marble Robin's Egg cardstock
• Environment Desert Storm cardstock
• Discount Sand Castle Tan cardstock
• Blank Cougar White A2 Folded Discount Card Stock 110lb base
• Waffle Flower Sweet Birthday Sentiments with Dies
• Honey Bee Lovely Layers: Wildflowers
• Honey Bee Lovely Layers: Spring Greenery
• Honey Bee Wooden Crate
• Spellbinders Tufted 3D Embossing Folder
• Versamark
• Ranger Gold Embossing Powder

Crackerbox Stamps - Minion Valentine

My first Valentine of the season for Crackerbox Stamps.  I love the unconventional color combo!

I've listed the products used below.  You can find some of these products at the affiliate shops linked in the graphics. If you use these links to shop I may earn a small commission at NO cost to you.

• Crackerbox Stamps Bride Kevin
• Crackerbox Stamps Frankin Bob
• Crackerbox Stamps Minion 1
• Lawn Fawn Lacy Heart Stackables
• Lawn Fawn Outside In Stitched Heart Stackables
• Lawn Fawn Everyday Sentiment Banners
• Avery Elle The Zen Collection 6x6 Paper
• Avery Elle The Sorbet Collection 6x6 Paper
• Copics:  E23, C1, C3, N1, N2, N4, N6, R24, R27, Y11, Y13, Y15
• Versamark
• Ranger Detail Fine White Embossing Powder

CAS on Friday - #267 Wedding

I've joined the CAS on Friday design team and am so excited to be able to provide inspiration along with my fellow designers who are absolutely brilliant. Woo hoo!  I hope you'll take some time out and join us for our latest challenge #267 Wedding.

I've had Christmas on my mind so thought I would work up a holiday wedding card using mistletoe and a very simple, modern sentiment.

I've listed select affiliate links below.  If you use these links to buy something I may earn a small commission at NO cost to you.

• Taylored Expressions Mistletoe Create-in-Quads Layering Stencils
• Altenew Happy Holidays (ALT)
• Ranger Distress Oxide Festive Berries, Lumberjack Plaid, Cracked Pistachio, Evergreen Bough (SBC | ACOT | SBP | Ranger)
• Versafine Clair Nocturne (SBC | ACOT | SBP)

ATCAS #162 - Wedding

The new Addicted to CAS #162 Challenge is all about weddings.  I chose to go ultra cute. Duh. LOL.

I stamped the MFT SY Piggy Pebbles image onto Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper using Versafine Onyx Black.  I colored those adorable pigs with Zig Real Brush Watercolor Pens 072, 021, 047, 060, 082, 220, and 069.

I added grass from the MFT SY Scene Builder set using Distress Oxide Mowed Lawn; the heart is stamped with DO Spun Sugar. The sentiment is stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.

TFS - Best of Your Life

I'm up on the Topflight Stamps blog today!

The Details:  Aall and Create Twigs and Leaves, Aall and Create Quadrilaterals Stencil, PaperArtsy Infusions Sage, Katzelkraft Dreamer, Distress Oxide Worn Lipstick, Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Rich Cocoa, Copics, Stamplorations Wonky Stitched Rectangle die

Cards in Envy Blowing in the Wind

We're kicking off October at Cards in Envy with a leaf-themed challenge.  How very perfect for October!  Come play along, why don't you?!

I made a fall-themed wedding card for a couple marrying this month.  I incorporated leaves and Autumnal colors as well as the three kitties they have.  Adorable!

I'm entering this in Addicted to Stamps and More #261 Anything Goes, Mod Squad Fall Colors, Fab n Funky #364 Fall Colors, Simon Says Wednesday Anything Goes

The Details:  Lawn Fawn Bicycle Built for You, Grassy Hillside dies, Portrait tree die, Simple Road Border die, Stitched Cloud Landscape die, Distress Ink Mowed Lawn, Twisted Citron, Picked Raspberry, Mustard Seed, Mermaid Lagoon, VersaFine Vintage Sepia

June Wedding

Today marks the second week of The Heart Desires Challenge #13.  Hope you'll play along!

I stamped the C9 bouquet on Ranger watercolor paper then crossed my fingers.  I tend to muddy watercolor--I admit I don't usually wait for it to dry between layers--but had a backup image stamped on my regular Copic paper. Good thing too. The central flower looked like donkey's butt originally so I colored it up again with Copics then fussy cut and adhered it over the ugly one. The pop of the white makes me happy sigh. I added dots of white enamel for texture and framed the piece for a bit of simple frou.

You can pick up these products and more at The Heart Desires!

I'm entering this in The Flower Challenge #9 Anything Goes, Simon Says Wednesday Emboss It, Addicted to Stamps and More #246 Anything Goes

The Details: Concord & 9th Hello Lovely and Happy Day, Gina Marie Scalloped Stitched Rectangle Dies, Ranger Watercolor Paper, Multi Medium Matte and White Enamel Accents, Versafine Onyx Black, Distress Oxide Ink Peeled Paint, Fossilized Amber, and Cracked Pistachio, Distress Ink Picked Raspberry, Squeezed Lemonade and Worn Lipstick,Versamark, Stampendous Detail Fine White Embossing Powder, Copics for the central flower

Concord & 9th Happy Day	Gina Marie Scalloped Stitched Rectangle Dies	Distress Oxide Ink Peeled Paint	Distress Oxide Ink Fossilized Amber
Distress Oxide Ink Cracked Pistachio	Distress Ink Squeezed Lemonade	Distress Ink Picked Raspberry	Distress Ink Mowed Lawn
VersaFine Onyx Black	Ranger Multi Medium Matte	Ranger Distress Specialty Stamping Paper

InLinkz.com

Beautiful Day

We're about midway through The Heart Desires Challenge #4 so come join in!  You can choose to use the colors, (sun)flowers, and/or the sketch so lots to choose from.

I chose flowers for both of my cards but went in totally different directions with them.  I am loving Concord & 9th, aren't you?  Classy yet fresh, and very versatile.  I colored the first card with Copics and went really bold with this wedding card with the black.  Sigh.  So much POP!

I'm entering this in Curtain Call Fall Florals,  Addicted to Stamps and More #212 Make Your Mark, Simon Says Wednesday Gift It

For the second card, I used the flowers again and went monochromatic with gold.  Mmm, gold.  I stamped and embossed the wildflowers, then stamped and embossed the sentiment over the top of it.  Love how tactile it is.  A strip of washi on the cardbase and voila!

I'm entering this card in Allsorts #381 Black and White Plus One   

The Details:  Concord and 9th Beautiful Words, Wildflower, Happy Day, VersaFine Onyx Black, Doodlebug black/white striped washi, Stampendous black detail fine embossing powder, Versamark, Ranger gold embossing powder

Concord & 9th Wildflower

Concord & 9th Beautiful Words

Doodlebug B/W Stripe Washi

VersaFine Onyx Black

InLinkz.com

Roses, Mixed Media and Press n' Seal

Have you heard of using Press n' Seal with your dies?  It makes these cards so much easier!

No surprise that I borrowed this SU set from Tonya.  She's like having my own crafty store--LOL.  We're drawing ever closer to the SU party.  Time is flying!  Again, if you care to use it, the hostess code is 9HZBDHKP which you enter in a new field under the special offers section of the online order shopping bag.  Thanks!

On the first card I diecut the SU Rose out of a smooshed watercolored panel, stuck the Press n' Seal to the front then carefully peeled off the rose outline before gluing down the remaining pieces in one go.  I did the same with an extra set of leaves (this time out of a Gelli-print) and part of a rose.  I then embossed the sentiment.  I wish you could feel the texture--the smoothness of the white, the slight dryness of the acrylic paint and the slickness of the sentiment.  It's so cool!

The Details:  SU Rose Garden Thinlits and Rose Wonder sentiment, Liquitex Basics acrylic paint, Distress Inks, VersaMark, Ranger gold embossing powder, Tim Holtz watercolor paper, Recollections 110lb white cardstock

I'm entering this in Loll's and Bonnie's inaugarul CAS Mix Up challenge, Mixed Media Mojo Spring with the Optional Twist of Watercoloring

 

On the second card I stamped the rose then colored it with Copics and a white watercolor pencil for highlights.  Before using the rose die, I mounted the yellow rose on Scor-Tape so I could just peel it off and mount on a piece of plain cardstock.  I quickly fussy cut that out.  I then cut out the leaves and positioned them.  I used the PnS to keep the leaves and rose together so I could glue it down as I had arranged it.  Lovely.  For the black stripes, I cut strips of 3/4" cardstock and adhered them to the card front.  The sentiment is embossed.

The Details:  SU Rose Garden Thinlits, Rose Wonder, Stampin' Up Sale-a-Bration Botanicals for You, VersaMark, Stampendous detail fine white embossing powder, Recollections 110lb white and black cardstock, Memory Box Botanical Stem, Bazzill green linen cardstock, Hammermill 80lb color copy cardstock

I'm entering this in Seize the Birthday Anything Goes, Little Tangles #66 Ombre 

Rose Wonder

Rose Garden Thinlets

Tree of Love

For this wedding card I wanted to go gender-neutral, modern and yet traditional at the same time for a couple who are getting married next week. 

I spattered a variety of Distress Inks in the general shape of a tree top, used a bit of ink and clear water to create the idea of leaves then added a few limbs and the trunk.  The sentiment I stamped in two shades of Memento.  I then mounted the image on a pale gray cardstock and mounted that on a darker gray-green A7 cardstock which is a style of photo matting that I love.

The Details:  Tim Holtz Distress Inks and watercolor paper, PTI Soft Stone cardstock and Mighty Oak sentiment, Memento Rich Cocoa and Love Letter, Stampin' Up Versatile Verses sentiment inside, Bazzill Basics Rock Candy cardstock

I'm entering this in Allsorts #270 Favorite Things (watercolor!!!),  Time Out #11 Celebrations, AAA #14 Watercolors  

Go-To Winter Card

I worked this card up with Christmas in mind but looking at it in Blogger I can now see it also used for a winter wedding, christening or birthday.  It's soft and vintage without being too frou.

I first embossed the grayish/creamish designer paper then tucked the ribbon beneath before I rounded the corner.  I then rubbed ink over the snowflakes to draw them out more and to tie in the blue iridescent ribbon.  I like doing a double-bow on my Bow Easy when the ribbon is sheer to give it more oomph.  I ran the snowflake through the x-shaped Xyron sticker machine then covered it with glitter, followed by hemp and glue dots.

The Details:  cream ribbon from my Victorian costuming days, Martha Stewart snowflake punch, hemp, Craft Smart blue ribbon, Paper Studio embossing folder, Versamark Sea Breeze, Pop Tone card stock for base, BasicGrey Nordic Holiday designer paper, Martha Stewart corner rounder, Bow Easy, Sugar Coating lily white glitter.

I'm entering this in CASology #73 Ribbon, Keep it simple! #28 Snow, Crazy for CAS #33 Blue/Grey, Freshly Made Sketches #115, BasicGrey #109 Happy Christmas, Seize the Birthday Winter Topping, and Sweet Stampin' Ribbon.

Mod Tree Card

I took a break from Christmas cards to work this up.  I intended it as a wedding card but it would work as a Valentine card too.  I love its modern sensibility.

For the card, I die-cut the tree out of the thin packaging cardboard then sponged the trunk.  Because it's a 5x7 card (rather than the A2 size the die is meant for) I extended the trunk by scooting the template up 1/2 inch as I sponged.  I then stamped one of the more angular leaves (there are a ton to choose from in this set!), eyeballing the placement because I didn't want to muck around with creating a leaf template based on the die.

I've also included a pic of my prototype card.  The design is too busy given the leaf choice and my decision to include the sentiment.  Even the grain of the trunk lends to the visual crowding of the card front.  The final card is way more focused. 

The Details:  PTI white card stock, PTI Mighty Oak stamps and die, Memento Tuxedo Black and Love Letter, Memory Box Resting Birds die, red card stock scrap, Hero Arts sentiment inside

I'm entering this in Addicted to Stamps and More #74 CAS, Papercraft Star #169 Tree Image, Loves Rubberstamps #81 Anything Goes, Crafty Creations #251 Anything but Christmas, Cards for Men #24 Anything Goes, Crafty Cardmakers #105 CAS, CAS-ual Fridays #CFC122 Out on a Limb, Sweet Stampin' Black White & One Other Color.