Noel for Christmas Craft Creations

Hello and welcome!  Today the card I'm sharing is for the reminder post for this month's Christmas Craft Creations, where the theme is metallics.

Christmas Craft Creations

 

For my card, I combined some new and older products.

I started with the beautiful Leaves and Berries Background stamp from Simon Says Stamp, which they released either last year or the year before.  It was gold heat embossed on a panel of C&9 Evergreen cardstock, then die cut with an Altenew Ornate Nesting rectangle die and layered on a larger white die cut panel.

Next came the sentiment and die cut foliage.  The sentiment is from the new SSS Elegantly Modern Christmas stamp, die and foiling bundle.  It was gold heat embossed then die cut with the coordinating die.  The leafy branches were die cut from SSS Matte Gold and C&9 Parsley using MFT's Fab Foliage dies, which are no longer available, but any small foliage dies would work.  The ornate panels were adhered directly to the SSS Schoolhouse Red card base, the the branches and sentiment added to the embossed panel.  To finish things off I added three red gems from my stash.

I love adding metallics to Christmas cards and if you do too, it would be marvelous to see your card in the CCC gallery!  Please us the link above to take a peek at what both the Launch and Reminder teams have created for inspiration and hopefully you'll be inspired to play along!

Take care!

Stef

Happy Halloween for Sunday Stamps

Hello again!  It's time for a new challenge at Sunday Stamps and this time the lovely Claire has created a wonderful sketch for our crafty inspiration.

Sunday Stamps

I got a little creative with the sketch and essentially flipped it on the side and it worked well for the Halloween scene I created, using clouds for the banners and a pumpkin for the scallop circle.  Take a look!

I adore this fun pumpkin named Edison!  One could make him a bit more spooky looking but I wanted something more playful than scary.  I used my Distress Mica Stain Sprays along with a couple colors of regular Distress Spray Stain.  The pumpkin, the clouds and the back panel were all die cut from Distress Watercolor paper, then I put them all in my "splat" box and sprayed away.  

When the layers dried, the pumpkin was glued together and the back panel embossed with the Tim Holtz Cracked 3D Texture Fade, then all the scene components were adhered to the panel.  The bats are from different die set and were cut from plain black cardstock.  Finally, the sentiment strips were added then the panel adhered directly to the black card base.  Another one completed for my Halloween stash!

So what are you inspired to make with this sketch?  Be sure to pop over to the challenge blog to see how my talented teammates have created and hopefully join us!

Take care!

Stef

Paper:  Distress Watercolor, Hero Arts Pitch Black, Simon Says Stamp Reverse Halloween sentiment strips

Dies:  Tim Holtz Sizzix Edison dies, Memory Box Haunted Entrance bat dies, SSS Sentiment Labels die

Embossing:  Tim Holtz Cracked 3D Texture Fade

Mica Spray Stain Sprays:  Specimen, Frozen Fog, Phantom Mist, Fresh Balsam, Hollybranch, Fallen Acorn, Crooked Broomstick, Jack-O-Lantern, Flickering Candlestick

Distress Mica Stain Sprays:  Fossilized Amber, Rusty Hinge

Here for You for The Flower Challenge

Hello, friends!  I'm back with my mid-month reminder card for The Flower Challenge, where this month we're asking participants to use a die.  

The Flower Challenge

If you're looking for my Color Hues post (we started our challenge there a day early for a very special reason!), you can find it here.

I decided to pull out two floral dies that have rarely been used since they arrived in my craft room last year.  And after using them, I had to ask myself why, because they are so pretty and easy to put together.

I started by die cutting the floral images in white cardstock, then used two of each of yellow, orange and green to ink blend them.  Once the ink dried, adding the layers was super easy.  Next a panel of white was die cut with the Memory Box Pinpoint Leaf Plate, then cut again with the Altenew's Ornate Nesting die.

After determining the layout, the flowers were adhered, using a thin foam square under each of the smaller ones.  The sentiment was stamped in Simon Says Stamp Cappuccino ink, die cut and added to the front.  Before adding the panel to a Neenah Desert Storm card base, I lightly inked Hero Arts White Unicorn ink around the edges to have it a softer look.  For the final touch, I added some pretty apricot pearls.

If you haven't joined us thus far this month, or want to add another card to the gallery, you still have plenty of time, as the challenge remains open through the 25th of the month.  We'd love to see your card in the gallery!  In the meantime, be sure to head over to the challenge blog where my talented teammates and our wonderful GD Sonja have some beautiful inspiration to share with you!

Take care!

Stef

Stamps:  Altenew Sentiment Strips

Paper:  Neenah Solar White and Desert Storm

Ink:  Hero Arts Unicorn White, SSS Cappuccino, Lemonade, Citrine, Cantalope, Sherbet, Limelicious and Pearfection

Dies:  SSS Alstroemeria and Blossom Vine, Memory Box Pinpoint Leaf Plate, Altenew Ornate Nesting and Featured Sentiment dies

Other:  Lucy's Cards Soft Jellybean Mix pearls

Hugs for Color Hues and a Blog Hop

Hello friends and welcome!  Today, we have a very special Challenge here at Color Hues that we are bringing a day earlier than our normal schedule!  

In conjunction with our normal Color Challenge, The Color Hues Design Team and a few guests, from our sister challenge Seize the Birthday, are participating in a Blog Hop! 

Collectively as a team, we are hopping in memory of our dear friend, fellow cardmaker, and Design Team member, Lindsey Martin-Penny, who sadly passed away last year from a rare and aggressive form of Ovarian Cancer. 

The purpose of this hop will be to honor Lindsey, celebrate her life and all that she loved, as well as spread the word to raise funds for Clear Cell Ovarian Cancer Research.  

How can you Help? You can find all the fabulous details and the start of the hop at Emily's Blog HERE!

In honor of Lindsey, the team has created a variety of cards using her favorite color combo of Purple and Red.

Color Hues

For my card, I wanted to do something different that would made the red and purple colors that Lindsey loved stand out.  I didn't have the privilege of knowing Lindsey, but my teammates and others that knew her make me think she would have been my kind of person; a smart, funny, loving and kind human.

While my favorite flowers are peonies, coneflowers and sunflowers run a close second, so decided to use my new Brilliant Coneflower embossing folder from Simon Says Stamp.  I started by embossing an A2 panel of Stonehenge black watercolor paper.  Next, I dusted off my Altenew Metallic watercolors and painted the flower petals in Amethyst and Garnet.  For the stems I used a dark red called Rhodolite, which I chose because it almost looks like a reddish brown.  For the cones, I used the side of my paintbrush to try to add the Gold Pearl just on the embossed portion so the black could show through.  When that was done I lightly splattered the panel with the same gold paint.

After the paint dried, the panel was trimmed down to 4" x 5.25" then adhered to a black card base.  The sentiment was die cut from SSS Matte Gold cardstock with the SSS Big Scripty Hugs die and adhered to the front.  At this point I toyed with the idea of adding an embellishment but decided the splatter was sufficient.

We would love to have you join us in honoring Lindsey!  The challenge will remain open until 9 am September 28th.  Please take a moment to pop over to the challenge blog, where my incredibly talented teammates and our wonderful guests, Barb and Glenda, have created some stunning inspiration with this color combination.  

Also, more details about the blog hop and a link to the next stop can be found there.

Thanks for taking time to stop by and if you have a chance, I'd love to have you drop back by in an hour when my reminder post for The Flower Challenge goes live!

Take care!

Stef

Fragrant Peony for The Flower Challenge

Hello friends!  It's the fourth of the month, which brings a new challenge over at The Flower Challenge!  This month we are asking everyone to use a die.

http://theflowerchallenge.blogspot.com/

I'm also playing along with Addicted to Stamps and More where the challenge is to make a birthday card.

ATSM #453

Finally, I'm also joining the Anything Goes Challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

For my card, I went all in with dies, using the lovely Fragrant Peony dies from Altenew, along with a couple others.

I recently decided to buy a few of the new Altenew Fresh Dye inks and this card was the perfect way to test them out, and quite honestly, they are wonderful.  I love my Crisp Dye inks and they work fine, but I did see a bit brighter results from ink blending and a clearer image when stamping the sentiment.

I started by ink blending the lightest blue, Water Hyacinth and the lightest green, Silver Sage, on white cardstock, then die cut the petals and leaves.  I then used the next two darkest inks from both ink families to add shading to the die cuts.  The center was die cut separately from a scrap of white and blended with Sunray and Yellow Ochre.  Putting the flowers together is easy with Altenew's keyhole design for lining up the layers.

With the flowers and leaves ready to go, I die cut the Waffle Flower Ring Panel die from white and layered it on a panel of Simon Says Stamp Fog cardstock, which was then added to a white card base.  The sentiment, from MFT's Stylish Sentiments stamp set, was stamped in Indigo Skies, the darkest blue, then die cut with label die.  The flowers were arranged around the sentiment and I was done.

No doubt you have a die in your collection and we'd love to see what you create with it.  But before you head off to your crafty place, be sure to check out the stunning array of cards the design team has created over at the challenge blog!

Take care!

Stef

Stamps:  MFT Stylish Sentiments

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, SSS Fog

Ink:  Altenew Yellow Ochre Crisp Dye ink, Sunray, Water Hyacinth, Alpine Aster, Crystal Violet, Indigo Skies, Silver Sage, Jade and Eucalyptus Fresh Dye inks

Dies: Altenew Fragrant Peony and Featured Sentiment dies, Waffle Flower Ring Panel die

Seas the Day for Sunday Stamps

Hello friends!  Wow, didn't August just blow by?  I can't believe it's time for kids to be back in school and autumn just around the corner. At Sunday Stamps our new color challenge presents a palette that can be used for a summer card if you're not ready for fall!  Either way, I hope you're inspired to join us!

Sunday Stamps

I'm also joining the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, where this week's theme is Anything Goes.

I fussed around trying to make a mountain scene with these colors, but then decided the coast was calling and ended up with this fun little vignette on my card.

This gull trying to retrieve a sea star cracked me up and the sentiment went so perfectly.  I stamped the gull and starfish on the peer and did some easy Copic coloring.  Next I used Simon Says Stamp Morning ink to blend in the sky and Uncharted Mariner Distress Oxide ink for the ocean, then going over it with my B97 and 93 Copic markers to even out the color.  A white gel pen was the perfect tool to create small waves and ripples in the water.  

Next I used that same Morning ink, blending it all around the edges of a white panel, then cutting it down used a deckled edge die .  It was wrapped with some hemp twine and added to the white card base.  The main image was then popped up with more foam tape to finish off the card.  Pretty simple card but I think using dimension adds more interest.

So what are you inspired to make with these colors?  I hope to see your card in the gallery, but in the meantime, be sure to visit the challenge blog where my talented teammates have some fabulous cards.

Take care!

Stef

Stamps:  Colorado Craft Company Seas The Day

Paper:  Neenah Solar White

Inks:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Clair Nocturne, SSS Morning, Uncharted Mariner DOX

Dies:  Altenew Mix and Match Frames

Other:  Sakura White Gelly Roll pen, Lawn Fawn Hemp Twine

Copics:  E37, 35, 33, 31, Y28, 26, 35, 32, Black100, C6, 4, 2, 0, B97, 93

Something Wicked for Color Hues

Hello and welcome!  Another month rolls by and here we are at the beginning of September and a new challenge at Color Hues begins.  This month, the lovely Tracey has chosen the fabulous combination of Tangerine and Violet.

Color Hues

I'm also playing along with Inkspirational, where the theme is clothing/closet.

Inkspirational #297

And finally, I'm joining the Anything Goes challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

For me, these colors could only mean one thing - a Halloween card!  I used the now retired Colorado Craft Company Sitting Witch set from their Lovely Legs series.

I started with a sheet of Tim Holtz Distress Black Heavystock, which has a matte, almost velvety texture to it.  I used it because it is the blackest of black papers.  I used the stamps to figure out my layout, white heat embossed the sentiment, then trimmed down the panel.  The witch was stamped on white, colored with my Copic markers then die cut with the matching die.  However, the die shifted (or more likely it was user error lol!), so I ended up fussy cutting it.  When it came to the spider, which is part of the stamp, I cut as close as I could, covered the stamped portion with white gel pen, then used a black sharpie to color the negative space so there wasn't a white outline.  That was touch and go but phew, it worked out!  When that was done, she was adhered directly to the black panel, then I used a gold gel pen for the buckles on her shoes and belt, then added some sparkle to her shoes, belt and gloves with a shimmer pen.

Next, I created an ink blended layer using Wilted Violet and Black Soot Distress Inks.  I'm disappointed that in the photo it came out looking more blue than violet, but I retook the photo a couple times using different lighting and it turns out to be my camera. Sigh.  So the panel was ink blended, the ends trimmed down using MFT's Torn Paper Edges border dies, then everything was added to a black card base.  Almost impossible to see in the photos, but I did add a few obsidian rhinestones for sparkle - IRL it looks fabulous!

Okay, your turn!  What will you make with this color combination?  Before you decide, pop over to the challenge blog where my talented teammates have made a variety of card styles with these colors for your inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by - take care!

Stef

Stamps:  Colorado Craft Company Lovely Legs:  Sitting Witch

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Hero Arts Pitch Black, Tim Holtz Distress Black Heavystock

Ink:  Versamark, Memento Tuxedo Black, Wilted Violet and Black Soot Distress

Dies:  CCC Sitting Witch, MFT Torn Paper Edges

Other: SSS Fine Detail White ep, Altenew Gold Gel pen, Sakura White Gelly Roll pen, Black Sharpie, Tonic Nuvo Aqua Shimmer pen, Honey Bee Obsidian Rhinestones

Copics:  V09, 06, 04, 01, YR09, 16, Y38, 17, E04, 11, 21,00

Friends Like You for Christmas Craft Creations

Hello and welcome!  I'm back with my reminder card for Christmas Craft Creations.  This month our theme is CAS and my goodness, both the launch and reminder design teams have some beautiful samples to inspire you!

CCC August - CAS

For my card, I used a sweet little Bundle Girl from Stamping Bella.

It's easy to keep my cards clean and simple using the Bundle Girl stamps, as they are just so adorable on their own.  This cutie and her friend the blue bird were colored with Copic markers.  I also used a white gel pen to add highlights on the berries and polka dots on her scarf.

Next, I searched through my Christmas sentiment stamps and was so pleased that this one from Poppystamps couldn't be more perfect.  I centered it and stamped in black pigment ink, then the panel was die cut with the stitched modern rectangle die for a nice bit of additional interest.  I cut two more panels with the same die, layered them up and adhered it to the cardbase to finish things off.

Now that it's getting to be time to get serious about making holiday cards, we'd love to have you join us and add to your stash at the same time!  The challenge is open until September 12th, so there's still plenty of time to play along.

Take care!  

Stef

Stamps:  Stamping Bella Bundle Girl with a Winter Branch, Poppystamps Christmas Sparkle

Paper:  Neenah Solar White

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Clair Nocturne

Other:  MFT Stitched Modern Rectangle STAX die, Sakura White Gelly Roll pen

Copics:  R89, 59, 29, 27, 21, 20, W3, 1, 0, G28, 09, 05, 02, E11, 21, 00, B26, 24, 21, 91, Y38, BG000, 0000

Just a Note for Sunday Stamps

Hello friends!  It's time again for a new Sunday Stamp Challenge.  This time Heidi has created a wonderful sketch for our inspiration.

Sunday Stamps

For my card I tried to create something CAS (at least by my standards lol!) so I'm also joining the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge where the theme is CAS.

I started by creating the flower image, coloring with Copic markers then die cutting with the companion die.  Next I used a rectangle stencil and ink blended a rectangle on the white card base to represent the smaller rectangle in the sketch.  However, I used a pretty light hand with the light aqua ink and the left side was sooo light the camera didn't pick it up.  But I promise you it's there!

I chose to use a foiled and die cut sentiment that I'd made some time back, so I decided to add some gold metallic splatter to bring the gold foiling into the design.  I splattered the card base and the floral image separately before adhering together.  While that dried, I used the companion die to cut two more layers of the floral image, then when everything was ready, added them to the colored image, which was then adhered to the card base, along with the sentiment.

Thanks for taking time to stop by.  Please use the link above to see the lovely cards my fellow DT members created and hopefully are inspired to play along!

Take care!

Stef

Stamps:  Altenew Blossom & Bloom 

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Hammermill

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Clair Nocturne, Salvaged Patina

Foiling:  Spelbinders Everyday Sentiments II Hot Foil plate and Matte Gold Glimmer Hot Foil

Dies:  Blossom & Bloom, Altenew Featured Sentiment die

Other:  Gansi Tambi Starry Colors Gold Metallic paint

Copics:  YR27, 24, 16, Y38, 17, 15, 11, YG67, 17, 03, BG78, 75, 72, 11

Hello, Sunshine for Color Hues

Hi friends, welcome back!  It's time for a new challenge at Color Hues and this time I chose the combination of red and yellow because it is just so summery.  However, as you'll see if you pop over to the challenge blog, my amazing teammates used these colors in a wonderful array of designs!  

Color Hues

I had many possibilities running through my mind when I chose these colors, but ultimately I just had to go with sunflowers!

When Simon Says Stamp released both the Bountiful Sunflower and the Little Sunflower Bloom in June, I knew that's what I'd be using for this card.  The flowers were die cut from Distress Watercolor paper, then colored with Distress Watercolor pencils.  However, the colors just weren't vibrant enough for me, so I added color and shading using Copic markers.

After toying with various different options for the background, I ended up using a trellis cover plate die cut in white over a panel of dark brown card stock that was adhered to a white card base.  Before adhering the background together, the panel of brown along with the three sunflowers were lightly splattered with gold metallic paint.  While the paint dried, the sentiment was die cut from matte gold paper and added to a white shadow die that had been layered on two additional die cuts.  The card was then assembled and I called it done!

So what will you be inspired to create with these colors?  I hope to see your card in the gallery - the challenge remains open until 9:00 a.m. Monday, August 28th.

Take care!

Stef

Dies:  Simon Says Stamps Bountiful Sunflower Blossom, Little Sunflower Bloom and Hello, Sunshine sentiment dies; Altenew Garden Trellis Cover die

Paper:  Distress Watercolor, Neenah Solar White, SSS Dark Chocolate and Matte Gold

Distress Watercolor Pencils:  Mustard Seed, Fossilized Amber, Lumberjack Red

Copics:  YR27, 24, Y15, 11, R59, 46, 27, E59, 47

Other:  Gansi Tambi Starry Colors Metallic paints

Mondo Hydrangea for The Flower Challenge

Hi friends!  It's mid-month and time for our reminder post at The Flower Challenge.  This month we're asking you to add spots or stripes to your floral card.

The Flower Challenge

For my lily card at the beginning of the month, I used spots on the lilies.  This time I'm adding strips with an oldie but goodie cover die.  In fact, all of the card elements used are items I've had for probably two or more years.  

I started off by using my Copics to color that beautiful Mondo Hydrangea from Ellen Hutson, using purplish blue colors for the flower petals and a light green for the center.  The leaves are a separate stamp, which I stamped twice and colored with yellow-greens, then everything was die cut with companion dies.

The cover die cut from white was left unused from another project and I thought it would work great for the stripe theme.  The word thanks was already die cut from white and I simply die cut the shadow die twice from a light green and layered them together.  Rather than have white on white, I wanted a colored cardstock panel under the striped cover die, so I tried a variety of colors and settled on the pretty light blue.  After everything was adhered to the card base, the final step was to add drops of Stardust Stickles to the flower centers.  You might be able to see the little bit of sparkle in the photo below.

I love how this card turned out (can't always say that about every card I make lol!) and I hope you do to!  Please be sure to take a minute to see how the other DT members used this theme on their stunning cards and hopefully find time to join us - the challenge is open until the 25th of August.

Take care!

Stef

Stamps:  Ellen Hutson Mondo Hydrangea

Paper:  Neenah Solar White, Concord & 9th Sprout and Powder

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Clair Nocturne (restamped the images after the coloring was done)

Dies:  Mondo Hydrangea, MFT Bold Strips Cover-Up die, Hero Arts Nested Rectangle die, Simon Says Stamp Script Thanks dies

Other:  Stickles

Copics:  B69, 66, 63, YG67, 17, 05, 03, 01

Super Sunflowers

Hi, friends!  Thought I'd pop in with a quick post sharing my card for the current challenge at Color Throwdown.

CTD 755

These colors worked perfectly for a new die set I received earlier this week!

I am so smitten with the delightful Simon Says Stamp Super Sunflower Plate.  Love all those cute sunflowers!  Initially I planned to use Distress Watercolor pencils for coloring the sunflowers, so I die cut a panel from Distress Watercolor cardstock.  But after testing the colors on a scrap, I just wasn't achieving the vibrance that I wanted, so I ended up using my Copic markers, which work fine on w/c paper.

 

For the background, I ended up die cutting a trellis cover plate from Neenah Desert Storm (sorry, it looks gray in the photos), adhered that to the card base then added the sunflower panel.  I then used the Super Sunflower die to cut another panel from white cardstock, snipped off everything (which I saved), leaving just the frame.  It and the die cut sentiment were colored with a red Copic marker, then the frame was stacked on card front.  Glossy Accents was added to both the frame and sentiment, and when dry, the sentiment was added to the card front atop a vellum shadow.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you're having a great weekend.  I'd love for you to come back on both Wednesday, where I'll have a reminder card for The Flower Challenge, and Thursday, where I'll share another sunflower card for the new challenge at Color Hues!  Hope to see you then!

Take care!

Stef

Dies:  Simon Says Stamp Super Sunflower Plate and Hello, Sunshine dies; Altenew Garden Trellis Cover die

Paper:  Neenah Solar White and Desert Storm, Distress Watercolor, Lawn Fawn Pearlescent Vellum

Other:  Ranger Glossy Accents

Copics:  R46, YR27, 24, Y15, 11, E59, 37, YG67, 17, 03