Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary to us!  30 years.  Time flies when you're having fun.  Just a quick post to share the card that I made for my hubby.  I used the Sealed Florals Betterpress plate, and the Say it with Everything Sentiment set.  I masked off my Cotton Card panel, and used a few Distress Oxide Inks to blend my background, then spattered it with water and a little ink.  I added a silver metallic wax seal and popped up the sentiment with 3D foam adhesive.

Here's to 30 more!

Poinsettia Wreath

I went a little die cut crazy with this one!  Yes, it's a lot of cutting, but I really love this look, so find that it's totally worth the effort.  I've pulled out the Spellbinders Poinsettia Spray die again, and this time instead of using the entire sprig, I just used the two poinsettias, gluing them together, along with the holly leaves.

I drew a pencil circle on the kraft cardstock, and figured out how many poinsettias I'd need to go around, then glued them down and tucked in the holly leaves.  I die cut two of the Merry sentiment, adhering them together so it was a bit more substantial, and then glued it down.

I pulled out my sewing machine to stitch the kraft panel down to the green mat, and added a little Wink of Stella to the yellow centers of the poinsettias.

You can find all the latest Spellbinders products at the Papercrafter's Workshop.

Dragonfly

 A very different card from me today!  Both in colour and style.  I haven't used either of these products in a while - both are from The Greetery.  I used several Distress Oxide inks to colour the Leaves All Around stencil set, and then stencilled and die cut out the Jumbo Curiosity Dragonfly die set.

The dragonfly's body was die cut from some dark silver glitter cardstock, that was also set behind a Verve shaped die that was cut in gingham paper.  A square of pink paper was added on top, with a sentiment from Pinkfresh Studio stamped in black.

Both the gingham shape and the dragonfly are adhered down with 3D foam adhesive for a little extra dimension, and I added tiny sparkles to all of the grape clusters.  All of the card edges were darkened with a little Speckled Egg ink.

Poinsettia Spray

I'm in Christmas card mode!  This is the beautiful Poinsettia Spray etched die from Spellbinders - and I am making cards that will be on display at the Papercrafter's Workshop.

I'm using a colour combo inspired by Yana Smakula, who often does a teal base, with darkened edges.  So after starting with the teal cardstock, I die cut the poinsettias out of a lighter shade, then used Mermaid Lagoon ink to darken their centers.  

The branch was cut in a deeper teal, and I left a sliver of it showing when I glued on my holly leaves, which gives them a bit of a shadow effect.  I used metallic gold cardstock for the flower centers, that are accented by the gold pearls and gold glitter embossing powder used on the sentiment.  The white flower centers and sentiment strip are navy cardstock, and the edge of the base was inked with Pinkfresh Studio's Stargazer ink.

More Fresh Picked!

 I have another colourway using two of the Fresh Picked die sets from Spellbinders.

These are the Fresh Picked Anemones and Fresh Picked Buttercups dies

Love this colour combo of two warm blush pink shades, with an icy blue/green on a navy base.  And a little silver glitter cardstock for some sparkle.

All sentiments are Betterpress on Porcelain cotton card panels.

Fresh Picked Anemones

I'm over the moon to have this die set in my hands!  I really love the Fresh Picked collection by Spellbinders, and have two cards today - made with the Fresh Picked Anemones dies:

Spellbinders dies are just so well thought out - the hardest part was picking my colour combo.  I've reached for my Concord & 9th Navy, which I seem to love for everything these days, along with some warm hues to create both of my cards.

Both sentiments are from Pinkfresh Studio.

All is Calm

 I am on a roll making some Christmas in July cards!  I don't usually do a lot in that regard, but if the opportunity presents itself to get a few Christmas cards made ahead of time - I take it.

This is the All is Calm Betterpress plate from Spellbinders - I bought it a few months ago, as it debuted last fall - and I didn't want it to disappear out of the stores... so I'd tucked it away in my craft room waiting for the chance to use it.  I had a couple of these pale pink poinsettias left over after making cards with Spellbinders Poinsettia Spray die set, along with the glittery gold cardstock arch - and realized that this press plate would just fit inside the smaller sized arch.

I've used Pinkfresh Studio's Stargazer ink on Neenah Solar White Classic Crest cardstock, which doesn't give the lovely embossed feeling that the Betterpress cotton card panels do... but the image stamps quite well.  I added on the poinsettias with glittery centers, and that was it!

You can find all things Betterpress & Spellbinders at the Papercrafter's Workshop!

Craft-A-Flower: Rose

I've had this beautiful Craft-A-Flower: Rose die for a while now, and this is only the second time I've used it!  

I wanted to try doing all the layers in different shades using my Gansai Tambei Watercolour set.  The rose and leaves were all cut out of Canson XL Watercolour Paper, and after they dried, I spattered them with both the dark green and white (for the leaves), and the rose tone on the flower.

I ink blended Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide ink onto a piece of pale yellow cardstock, concentrating the ink in the lower left corner, and fading it outwards.  Then I used the Dotted Tile cover die to give it the background design.  *All the dies are from Altenew.

I added a Betterpress sentiment and a few Pinkfresh jewels to finish it off.

Ai Fairies!

 

Hello Ai Watercolour fans!

I have two cards today, both featuring the recently released 5915 - Woodland Fairies Set.

I really love this sweet little sitting fairy, so I stamped her onto my Bristol Smooth Cardstock using Tombow #N57, then covered her with a mask and stamped the stump from 4871 - WC Rustic Container Set in #979/565, to have her perched upon it.  I added several of the rocks from 5055 - WC Sitting Places Set on either side of the stump, again using #N57, and added one of the squirrels from 5599 - Mini Mice & Squirrel Set in front of them.  Using my stamp positioner, I added the berries from 5795 - Berries Set in #603/565/177 tucked on either side, as well as the poppies and leaves from 5824 - Poppy Set in #743/177/126.  I touched them with a damp brush, and painted in the corresponding colours to darken them up.  The squirrel was painted with a mix of #947/969 and shaded with #565.  To add depth to the rocks, I added shaded areas using #N57/565/969.  The grass was hand drawn in, and the two shades of green were used as a wash to suggest a grassy floor.  

For the fairy, her skin tone is #850, her hair is shades of #993/969, and her dress is done with layers of #743.  #493 was painted into her wings, and as the sky.  On the tree stump are layers of #969/947/992, keeping the darkest areas in the crevices, and the lighter areas are where the sun would hit.  As a final touch - look closely, and you'll see that I painted some sparkles around her using the Bleed-proof white paint to suggest a little magic!  I die cut the image with 5065 - Oval Double Stitched Dies, and mounted it onto some dotted paper from 5873 - Mini Birthday PP.  The sentiment is from the Woodland Fairies Set.

My second card is featuring two sleepy fairies!  

I began by stamping the sitting fairy onto my Bristol Smooth Cardstock using #N57, and then stamped her on scrap paper which I cut out to create a mask.  With the mask in place, I used my stamp positioner to add the chair from 5360 - WC Rocking Chair Set in #N57, then added the fairy on the floor beside it.  I wanted to add a little extra colour to my scene, so stamped a pot from 4869 - WC Small Container Set using #N57, and painted it in with tones of #947.  Using the tall flowers and circle flowers from 4868 - WC Flower Set 2, I added them to the pot in #743/603/565/177 and the small green was done with #126.

The fairies' skin tones were painted with #850, hair is #879 and #993/947.  Their outfits are #743/603/565.  A pale shade of #493 was added to their wings, and a darker shade was used to paint in the chair.  #565 was added to the chair to create all the shadowy areas, and as the background.  A wash of #N57 was sporadically painted on the floor around and under the images.  The image was cut out using 5061 - Square Double Stitched Dies, and mounted on some dotted paper from 5873 - Mini Birthday PP.  I added a few irridescent blue gems for some sparkle.

Happy painting everyone!

Popsicle Cards

 Just something quick & fun tonight.  I wanted to do something summery - so pulled out some older product that I've had for ages.  This is the lovely Goldenrod paper by One Canoe Two, along with the Cool Treats stamp set from Stampin' Up.