Saturday, February 29, 2020

Every Happiness Birthday

03/04/2020 Update: This card finished in the Top Three at AHSC #357.

Today I actually have a card made one day before the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #357 closes! Here is the sketch:


I started out with something quite different than this on my mind but as I developed the elements, things changed here and there. I tend to experiment with colors, layers, techniques, etc. so sometimes end up with a surprise or two. Sometimes they're desirable, other times, not so much.

I layered multiple colored panels onto a colored card base then topped the stack off with a panel of vellum to keep a soft look. The patterned paper was die cut into two coordinating shapes and each was matted with colored cardstock then adhered with foam tape. The sentiment was heat embossed with silver pearl powder, which I thought was soft silvery white but it picked up the pink from the patterned paper. I liked it so kept it that way. The flowers were added in place of the bow and hearts on the sketch. The inside was lined with a panel of white cardstock, decorated with patterned paper and stamped with, "Wishing you every happiness this special day will bring."


Be sure to drop by the AHSC blog to view the weekly challenges. This challenge ends on Sunday evening, March 1, but a new sketch will become available on Monday, March 2, 2020.

Materials
Stamps: Stampin' Up! "Peaceful Moments"
Ink: Versamark; Stampin' Up! Wisteria Wonder (inside card)
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Old Olive, Blushing Bride, Wisteria Wonder & Vellum
Patterned Paper: CTMH "Sweet Girl"
Dies: Reasonable "Stitched Curvy Rectangles"
Misc.: WOW! Silver Pearl EP, Prima Flowers, foam tape

Friday, February 28, 2020

Purple Poppies


The biweekly Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #383 is open today, Friday, February 28, and will end Wednesday evening, March 11, 2020. This challenge uses a Tic Tac Toe board, meaning you must use three colors in a row. In addition, once a row, column or diagonal trio of colors has been selected, you may add any additional colors on the board. Colors not on the board are not permitted. You may use any product to achieve the colors, as long as the colors are a close match. I selected the third column, Wisteria, Mint and Peach with neutrals of black and white. 


I decided to do a bit of water coloring, making this a genuine challenge. It goes against my grain to get sloppy but coloring outside of the lines is permitted so I rolled with it. The poppies were stamped using a masking technique so only one leaf and one pod are included. I used dye inks with an aqua painter. The lower portion of the card front was embossed for texture, the black strip die cut along one edge then adhered along with the punched butterflies. Wink of Stella and pearls were added to the butterflies. The card front was matted win black cardstock and adhered to a colored card base. The interior was lined with a panel of white, an accent of black and a few more punched butterflies. No sentiment has yet been added.


We welcome you to join our challenges. Every Friday there is a new biweekly color challenge, sometimes with a twist. Visit our Color My Heart Color Dare Blog for the guidelines.

Materials
Stamp: Stampin' Up! "Painted Poppies"
Ink: Staz-on Jet Black; Stampin' Up! Wisteria Wonder (sub for CTMH Wisteria), Mint Macaron (sub for CTMH Mint), Crisp Cantaloupe (sub for CTMH Peach)
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Basic Black, Crisp Cantaloupe
Die: Mama Elephant Stitched Zigzag Border Die
Punches: Stampin' Up! Itty Bitty Butterfly & Elegant Butterfly
Other: Stampin' Up! Embossing Folder, ZIG Wink of Stella (clear), pearls from stash

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Celebrate Theresa's Birthday


I was asked again to create an A7-sized (5" x 7") card for a member of my husband's Poker Club. The request was also made to try not to get too fancy because a large volume of club members would be handling the card. I decided on a technique that I had not used in a long time. It dishes up plenty of sparkle without adding a lot of stuff. 

In addition, I found my card suited the Joy of Sets Challenge #014 Tic Tac Toe Board requirements, column 3 - Die Cuts, Vellum and Floral as well as row 2 - Gold, Embossing and Vellum. What a happy coincidence!



A panel of cardstock was heat embossed in gold then painted using an aqua painter brush with a touch of coordinating dye inks.  Once dry, the sentiment was gold embossed onto vellum then added to the card front. The embossed panel was adhered to a white card base. The embossed, die cut flowers were added to the card front along with the gold sequins. The inside was stamped with a sentiment and decorated with a few embossed flowers. The envelope was also decorated.



If you enjoy challenges, you will really like Joy of Sets Tic Tac Toe Challenges!

Materials
Stamp: Close to My Heart "Color Your Life" (sentiment); Stampin' Up! "Forever Blossoms" & "Sending You Thoughts"
Inks: Versamark; Memento Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Up! Calypso Coral & Crisp Cantaloupe
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Crisp Cantaloupe, Vellum
Misc.: Hero Arts Embossing Powder (gold), Stampin' Up! Aqua Painter, Stickles (orange)

Good Luck

2/29/2020 Update: This "Good Luck" card brought some good luck! It was named Favorite of the Week in the Splitcoast Stamper Forum for the week ending 2/29/2020. 


Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #356 has been underway since Monday, February 17, and ends Sunday, February 23, 2020. This is a weekly sketch challenge and a personal favorite.


Using a recently acquired stamp set, I stamped this simple pagoda with navy blue ink, colored it with Copic markers, then placed the image so it would appear on the lower right side of the die cut rectangle. The rectangle was matted with two different colors of cardstock. Onto a card base, I adhered two layers of cardstock along with the patterned paper. Two thin strips of cardstock were added in keeping with the sketch. The die cut rectangle was adhered to the card front using foam tape. Instead of a bow, I added an image of an Asian fan that I downloaded from a free website, colored with Copic markers, fussy cut and matted in navy cardstock. The inside of the card was lined with a panel of white cardstock and decorated with scrap paper and another Copic-colored fan. The sentiment was matted with cardstock and adhered.


Be sure to visit the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge Blog and join in the challenge fun!

Materials
Stamp: Stampin' Up! "Power of Hope"
Inks: Stampin' Up! Night of Navy & Copic Markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Night of Navy, Peach Parfait (retired)
Patterned Paper: Photo Play "Kanji"
Die: Reasonable "Stitched Rounded Rectangles"
Misc.: foam tape

Monday, February 17, 2020

Tall & Skinny Birthday


It's time for another fun challenge at the Double Trouble blog. Challenge #50, "It's a Tall Order", begins on Monday, February 17, and ends on Sunday, March 1, 2020. There are three basic elements to the Double Trouble challenge:

Thing 1 (required): Trouble Maker is looking for tall and skinny projects.
Thing 2 (optional): Double Dare is asking you to partner with Try Stampin' on Tuesday #445 by using their sketch and submitting your card to their challenge. (This biweekly challenge begins on Tuesday, February 18, through Sunday, March 1, 2020.)
Thing 3 (optional): The Twisted Sisters hope you will include a tall stack of items on your tall and skinny card.




Onto the card base, I adhered a panel of cardstock, a panel of wood grain paper and a smaller panel of patterned paper. I used potted plants for the Thing 3 option. The flower pots came from a digital image that I downloaded, resized and printed five times on Copic cardstock. After coloring the images with Copic markers, I fussy cut them and added Wink of Stella for some shimmer. Four of the flower pots were adhered to the banner with foam tape. In place of the large circle on the sketch, I used a die cut bow embellished with Wink of Stella. The inside of the card was lined with a mat of colored cardstock and a panel of white, decorated with a few paper scraps, the fifth flower pot and a vertically-oriented birthday sentiment, also with Wink of Stella. 


My card has also been entered into the Heart to Heart Challenge, "Say It with Flowers", which begins on Monday, February 17, 2020. 

Be sure to check out these challenge blogs: DTC #50, TSOT #445, H2H, We hope you'll join us by playing along with both challenges.

Finished size: 4" x 8.25"

Materials
Stamp: Bugaboo Digital Stamps "Flower Pots"
Ink: Copic Alcohol Markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Lost Lagoon & Pale Plum; Copic cardstock
Paper: CTMH (wood grain); Stampin' Up! (purple brushed paper & dotted paper)
Dies: Reasonable Craft Dies "Fancy Bow" & "Vertical Happy Birthday"
Other: ZIG Wink of Stella (clear), WRMK Corner Chomper, foam tape, gel pen (white ink)

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Happy Birthday w/Metallics


The deadline for the weekly Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #355 is rapidly approaching and I have a card ready to post! I really like this sketch because of its simplicity and versatility and will probably use it again in the future. 

The card front was cut from heavy patterned paper using a die then I cut a rectangle to place just inside the stitches of the die cut, using a coordinating patterned paper. This paper has lovely silver metallic elements in the patterned design. The silver ribbon was added then the sentiment was heat embossed in silver on vellum. The card base, cut from white cardstock was trimmed to be slightly smaller than the scalloped front piece so the eyelets would remain unblocked. The card front was adhered to the base. The inside was decorated with coordinating scrap paper and a silver embossed birthday sentiment.


If you aren't familiar with AHSC, take a look at their challenge blog. You'll be glad you did!

Materials
Stamps: Verve "Poppy Birthday" (sentiments front and inside)
Ink: Versamark
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White & Vellum
Paper: Stampin' Up! Sweet Soiree
Die: Sunny Studio "Frilly Frames - Polka Dots"
Misc.: Recollections Embossing Powder (silver); Silver Metallic ribbon from stash

Friday, February 14, 2020

Happy Leap Year Birthday to Joyce


Born in a Leap Year, my friend, Joyce, celebrates her birthday on February 28 although it's actually on February 29. This year she can celebrate on her "real" birthday! The colors were inspired by Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #381. As long as the colors are a very close match to the grid provided they are acceptable. At least three colors must be used. Any additional colors included must also be on the grid. Black, white and defined neutrals are also acceptable. I used all six of the colors plus black and white.
I found a You Tube tutorial with measurements to create a 5" x 7" (A7) step card. After cutting and folding, I adhered black cardstock on the front surfaces. Patterned paper in Lemonade and Lagoon was added to the black layer. The sentiment was die cut from black cardstock. The image was stamped, colored with Copic markers then fussy cut right on the stamped lines. The coordinating die was used on black cardstock to provide a dark outline of the image. The cake was adhered with foam tape. Additional stamping, coloring and fussy cutting provided the variety of flowers added to the card using two depths of foam tape. The card front stands like an easel so a few gems were used as stops. Because the back of the card is used to write a message it was decorated with additional flowers.

The biweekly Color My Heart Challenge #381 begins on Friday, February 14, ending on Wednesday, February 26, 2020. Visit the blog and have some fun with our challenge!

Size: A7 (5" x 7")
Techniques: Stamping, coloring, fussy cutting, die cutting, fancy fold

Materials
Stamp: Stampin' Up! "Happy Birthday to You"
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black; Copic Alcohol Markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White & Basic Black; Copic cardstock
Patterned Paper: Close to My Heart "Mix-in" patterned paper
Dies: Stampin' Up! "Birthday" (cake); Paper Rose (sentiment)
Misc.: ZIG Wink of Stella (clear), foam tape, gems from stash