Happy Birthday for Sunday Stamps

Hello, friends!  It's time for a new challenge at Sunday Stamps and this time we have a terrific sketch created by Heather.

Sunday Stamps

As you'll see if you pop over to the challenge blog, there are a variety of interpretations of this sketch.  I opted to go with a rectangle rather than a square card, as it worked best for my design.

I was totally smitten by the Hero Arts release a while back and just had to have this cute Fancy Die kite set!  For the three background elements on the sketch, I used a cloud stencil with Concord & 9th's Aqua Sky ink to create three sets of clouds. The panel was trimmed down and added directly to the card base.

The kite elements were die cut from Stampin' Up Real Red, Black and Daffodil Delight cardstock.  After adding the frame to the kite, it was popped up on the panel with foam tape.  The tail was aligned below then I added the four bows and topped them with mini pearls from my stash.  The sentiment is from a long retired SU Sale-A-Bration stamp set.  I was planning on stamping it directly on card front, but it's a cling stamp and I was afraid I wouldn't get it straight, so I opted for stamping on a separate piece of cardstock, die cut it with an oval then added it with foam tape.  I thought I was finished but the sky seemed a bit empty, so the birds were added after die cutting using a different HA Fancy die set and that was it!

Thanks for visiting! I hope you'll take a moment to visit the challenge blog and see the wonderful inspireation the other DT members have to share, and hopefully be inpsired to play along with us.

Take care!

Stef

Stamps:  Ret. SU Sky is the Limit

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, SU Real Red, Black, Daffodil Delight

Ink:  Concord & 9th Aqua Sky, Versafine Clair Nocturne

Dies:  Hero Arts Fancy Kite and Fancy Cloudy Sky Scene dies, Ellen Hutson Essential Ovals

Stencil:  MFT Mini Cloud Edges

Festive Noel for Christmas Craft Creations

Hello and welcome!  It's time for my reminder card for Christmas Craft Creations, where this month the challenge is no stamping - none, nada, zip!  So many things you can do instead of stamping - stenciling, ephemera, or as I've done here, use all dies for my card.

Christmas Craft Creations

I bought this Spellbinders die set on sale over a year ago and now it appears to be discontinued, but there are others that spell out different holiday words.  I have another one that spells out Joy and it is still available on their website.

I just love how this turned out! All the sparkle from the glitter paper die cuts is sooo pretty!  I started out by using the Simon Says Stamp Snowflake Visions embossing folder with a panel of SSS Sea Glass paper, which was adhered directly to the white cardbase.  The noel base was die cut from SSS Silver Matte, then everything else was die cut from Simon's White Glitter and Assortment Glitter paper packs.  

After adhering the silver base to the card front, the letters were mounted on foam strips so the small pieces could be tucked underneath if needed.  The die cutting was the most consuming part timewise; once that was done, adding all the tiny bits went quickly and I had such a great time putting it together, I plan on making a few more. 

So now it's your turn to add to your 2023 holiday card stash!  I hope you'll join us, the challenge is open until 9 am EDT on June 13th.  In the meantime, be sure to pop over to the CCC blog, the inspiration by our talented DT and guest designer, Heather, is fantastic!

Take care!

Stef

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, SSS Sea Glass, Matte Silver, White and Assorted Color paper packs

Dies:  Spellbinders Festive Noel Shapeabilities dies

Embossing folder:  SSS Snowflake Visions

Vintage Birthday for Color Hues

Welcome back, friends!  It's time for a new Color Hues challenge and the lovely Julie Beech has chosen the combo of orange and slate gray.

Color Hues Challenge

When I saw this color combo I knew exactly what I wanted to use for my card.  Let me take us back a few decades....

...back to those ancient times before computers lol!  I've had this MFT Typewriter die and sentiment set for a while and was more than ready to play with it.  All the parts/components were die cut, some  multiple times, with orange, slate gray, white, black and silver card stock. Of course that meant I had enough for two typewriters and two cards.  The dies include one for the sheet of paper to be inserted in the typewriter, so I stamped in black ink the two different sentiments on white cardstock, then die cut them out.

For the remainder of the card, I wanted kind of a graphic background.  First I stamped the Sketchy Lines Background stamp in gray ink, then die cut that panel and the orange panel with dies from Altenew's Mix and Match Frames die set.  Both layers were adhered to the white card base, the sheet of "typed" paper inserted in the typewriter and adhered on the back, then I used foam tape under the top part of the typewriter and glue for the lower part to add them to the card fronts and I was done.

Thanks for stopping by! And if you're looking for more inspiration with these colors, head on over to the challenge blog, where the endlessly talented design team will not disappoint.  I hope to see your card in the gallery - you have until 9 am May 28th to play along. 

Take care!

Stef

Products used today:

Stamps - MFT Typewriter Sentiments:  Friendship, Simon Says Stamp Sketchy Lines Background

Paper - Neenah Solar White, SSS Slate Gray, Black and Matte Silver, SU Pumpkin Pie, Concord & 9th Clementine

Ink - Altenew Obsidian pigment ink, SSS Charcoal

Dies - MFT Typewriter, Altenew Mix and Match Frames

Pastel Peonies for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  It's mid-May and time for my reminder post for The Flower Challenge, where this month we are enjoying Pretty Pastels!

The Flower Challenge

At the beginning of the month I shared my dogwood card here in pastel pinks and blues and for this card I decided to use peach and mint.  I have really enjoyed using peach this year as nice change up from pink.

Last month, Altenew celebrated it's 9th birthday and their special stamp set for that occasion was Billowing Peonies, and I totally fell in love with the beautiful images.  They are huge - the peonies used on my 5"x 7" card today are from the smaller stamp! (I hope to use the larger peonies on a card sometime in the near future).  I loved coloring these beautiful flowers in pastels using my Copic markers, and then the image was die cut with the coordinating die.  Two additional layers were die cut from white then adhered to the back for some dimension.

Moving on to the card base, I layered the Top and Base Plaid A7 Cover plate dies from Honey Bee Stamps on a 5"x 7" panel of Simon Says Stamp Mint cardstock, then adhered that to a white card base.  The sentiment from Altenew's Everyday Sentiments Hot Foil Plate set was foiled using Spellbinders Matte Gold Hot Foil and die cut with a circle die.  The flowers and sentiment were then adhered and I added a few Altenew Antique Gold sequins for the final touch.

I'm so please you took time to stop by!  Now I hope you'll take a couple more minutes to pop over to the challenge blog where the design team has some incredibly beautiful inspiration for you - and hopefully you'll have time to join us, the challenge remains open until May 25th.

Take care!

Stef

Copics:  R32, 11, E00, G16, 02, 00, Y15, 13, 11

Sending Hugs for Sunday Stamps

Hello, my friends!  We have a new challenge over at Sunday Stamps and this time it is a color challenge with some bold, vibrant colors!

Sunday Stamps

Originally I was going to use the purple, blue and yellow but ended up using the gray and didn't find a way that I liked to use the blue.  

I used the Altenew Casual Bouquets stamp and die set for my florals.  I like this set because it has mirror images of each floral so if you wanted to they could offset in a wreath or on opposite sides of the card.  But I couldn't decide which one I want to use, to I colored them with my Copics and ended up with one of each style on this card.  I ended up making a second card with the other two images, which is the last photo of the post.

Next I die cut the flowers plus two additional layers out of white and adhered them for some dimension.  I used an Altenew cover die for the background then added the flowers after determining where to put the sentiment, which is a handy dandy SSS Reverse Sentiment strip.  It was also added to a couple layers of scrap cardstock before adding to the front.  Lastly I added a few silver pearls for a little bling.

Below is the second card I made, but I layered the flowers and sentiment on top of an embossed panel that was splattered with just a little bit of Jet Black ink spray.

Thanks for taking time to stop by.  Now I hope you'll head on over to the challenge blog where the other DT members have some fabulous cards that will hopefully inspire you to join us for this color challenge!

Take care!

Stef

Stamps, Dies and embossing folder  Altenew Craft Your Life Project Kit:  Casual Bouquets

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Lawn Fawn Pearescent Vellum, SU Rich Razzleberry, SSS Thinking of You Reverse Sentiment Strip

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

Other Dies:  Altenew Scallops Cover Die and Versatile Greetings die set

Other:  Altenew Jet Black Ink Spray, Lucy's Cards Silver Mix Pearls

Copics:  RV69, 63, 55, 52, C3,1,0, Y26, 15

Hello Friend for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  I hope the first part of May brings flowers your way and it's also bringing us a new challenge at The Flower Challenge!  This month we are using our pretty pastels.

The Flower Challenge

There are several flowers that bloom in pastel colors this time of year and one of my favorites is from the dogwood tree.  When I saw that Honey Bee Stamps came out with their beautiful Lovely Layers: Dogwood dies and coordinating products, well let's just say I was totally smitten!

I started by die cutting all the dogwood branch components from white cardstock, then used my Copic markers to color them.  Next I followed the layering guide and put together all the pieces/parts.  It really didn't take an enormous amount of time and the branches are so, so pretty!  I put those aside and then worked on the card base.

Next, Seafoam and Surf inks were blended on a portion of a panel of white cardstock, then embossed with the coordinating Dogwood Blooms 3D embossing folder.  I trimmed it down and added to the card base.  Next I die cut the Spring Vine Layering Frame dies twice, took apart the various pieces and just used the frame and the interior.  Those were all added to the card before adding the dogwood branches.  The sentiment was stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist, a nice soft gray, die cut and added to the center.  The last step was to scatter about a few Ocean Wave Crystals from Studio Katia and the card was complete.

So what florals in your stash are calling out to be used for this challenge?  I know you have some lol!  In the meantime, for some amazing inspiration, be sure to drop by the challenge blog and see what my fabulously talented teammates have created.

Take care!

Stef

Copics:  RV23, 21, 10, E47, 44, YG17, G43, 40

Abstract Birthday for Color Hues

Hello and welcome!  Another month rolls around (it's May already?) and it's time for a new challenge at Color Hues.  This time, the fabulous Hannelie has chosen the yummy combo of hot pink and cyan.

Color Hues

I'm also joining Anne Marie's Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge at The Paper Players. My three in a row go from top left to bottom right - bright colors (two hot pinks), die cut (Modern rectangle die), and birthday.

PP638

Well, I had some fun making this card using a geometric layering stencil.

The stencil I used is the Abstract Patterns stencil from Altenew.  For the first layer I used two hot pinks from Altenew, Fuchsia and Magenta, the latter of which is the darker of the two.  However, after the inks dried, the color difference wasn't markedly different, but that was okay.  Next came Sea Breeze and then for the last layer, I used Jet Black.  I am so smitten with this stencil design, I'm already planning a few birthday cards in different colors for some of the male family members.  This card will probably go to a niece that will like something other than flowers lol!

A fun design deserves a fun rectangle cut, right?  I used MFT's Stitched Modern Rectangle Stax die to cut down the panel, then adhered it to a white base with thin foam tape for just a little bit of dimension.  I decided that bling would get lost in this design, so I used a silver gel pen to add silver dots in the middle of the small black dots.  I also laid the first stencil back over the panel and used the gel pen to trace around the interior of the large magenta circles.  With that complete, the last step was to add a sentiment strip from the Simon Says Stamp/CZ Design Reverse Birthday Sentiment Strips.  Oh, so quick and easy!

These are some fun colors to play with and my fellow design team members have cretaed a stunning variety of cards for your inspiration (link above)!  I hope to see your card in the gallery!  The challenge will remain open until 9 am EST on May 14th.

Take care!

Stef