Week 4 Guest Designing for JUGS

I've loved all the Just Us Girls challenge themes this month and am so grateful the team gave me this opportunity.  In case you missed some of them, here are the first 3 cards I made.

It turned out that all my cards were for Autumn.  Didn't see a reason to change that, so here's my final Autumn themed card as Guest Designer.  This time we have Anything Goes Stencil Week and that might be my favorite!

I got SSS Friendship Leafy Cluster last year after seeing so many great cards made with it.  No idea why I didn't use it before now.  Could be I have a few too many options in my stash!😄  

I positioned the larger branch in my MISTI so I could flip the paper to stamp opposite corners.  After gold embossing, I really had fun using the coloring stencils.  The inks are Altenew Maple Yellow, Sunkissed, Autumn Blaze and Forest Glades.  I splattered gold watercolor and attached the panel to SSS Matte Gold Metallic cardstock.  SSS Happy Autumn shadow was die cut from vellum and the words cut from the same gold cardstock were on my table waiting to be put on a card.  Haven't used my sequins for awhile, so was happy to see that my Satin Gold ones from Altenew were a great match.  I'll have a video showing the shimmer and shine in my IG post.  Head to the blog to see what stencils the DT used and then why not play along?  I'm entering SSS Wednesday. 

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Square and Z Fold

I'm grateful Your Paper Insider sent me Box 12 to use and show you.  I'll post my first card later.  Today's card was inspired by Freshly Made Sketches #700.  The first time I entered was November 2013, Challenge #111.  Here's that card:

This is really still my kind of card.  No surprise I used dry embossing for the background.  Those MFT rolled roses made from felt would be on my cards today if mailing costs weren't so high.  

Back to my current card.

I cut 4 squares of the beautiful White and Red Flowers: Yuzenshi paper and matted them with dark brown cardstock in my stash.  The little branches were die cut from the same brown paper.  To keep from covering up much of the background, I used a scrap of my vellum for the shadow of SSS Happy Autumn die.  The Gold Diamond Glitter paper in the box was perfect for the card front and letters.  You can see the sparkle and shine in my IG post.  And yes, I'm ready for Autumn's cooler weather!

Next is my first Z Fold card--yay!  I'm a slow cardmaker, so I don't usually make fun fold cards.  However, I watched a video recently and thought the simple version was something I could do.  Here's what I came up with using some favorite Altenew products.

I cut a white panel in 2 and lined the pieces back up in the Flower Bed embossing folder.  Sweet Bouquet was colored with the matching stencils using Rose Quartz, Puffy Heart, Cosmic Berry, Firefly, Forest Glades, Shadow Creek and Citrus Burst.  I splattered the bouquet with SSS Splatter Medium and added yellow Stickles to all the flower centers--focal point and background.  The sentiment from the stamp set fit perfectly inside.  I did add cardstock layers to the bouquet to make it sturdy enough to have only the left side attached.  You can see details and sparkle in my IG post.  This is another card for the Altenew August Challenge and I'm entering DCD where Altenew is the sponsor.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Pinkfresh and Hero Arts

Here's my ink blended card for the October Pinkfresh Monthly Challenge.  I used CN9 Peacock, Fig and Sweet Pea inks for my circular blended background. 

PFS Folk Snowflake was stamped in black, but I decided to go for a sparkly snowflake instead.  I stamped again in Versamark and embossed with WOW White Twinkle powder.  The sparkle is just beautiful in person and I like the bit of black showing through.  You can check it out in my IG video.

Love the mixed font sentiments in the set.  I picked this one because it works for any winter occasion.

I love wreaths and the Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero challenge gave me a good reason to finally use the old Autumn Wreath set.  I bronze embossed and die cut the wreath.  Then I smooshed with Distress Oxides peeled paint, fossilized amber, crackling campfire and fired brick.  Probably should have done another layer of the colors--next time!  I sprayed Distress Spritz and Distess Mica Stain for some shimmer.

Every Fall I pull out my old Kaleidacolor Autumn Leaves ink pad and brayer the ink for a background.  I added brown splatters which show in my IG video.  

The Greetery diecut bow (from my friend, Rosemary) was embossed with the copper powder, as was the sentiment from another old HA set, Find Joy.  Hero Arts translucent enamel dots are some of my favorite embellishments and I used a green one in the center of the bow.  

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Update and two cards

I'm happy to report that I'm no longer in the sling & have begun physical therapy twice a week.  It's wonderful to be able to use my left hand, although I'm not allowed to have anything in my hand when it's above shoulder level.  Long way to go before I have the strength & range of motion I need. 

The September Poppystamps challenge theme is Old School.  I went OLD old school!  

Years ago I loved to use Liquid Applique instead of ink with leaf stamps.  This time I used what was left in my tubes to color the 2016 Poppystamps Majestic Maple diecut.  The texture is very unique when you carefully use your heat gun.

Then I sprayed the leaf with adhesive & used my old Tim Holtz Glitter Duster filled with Distress Glitter Dust Vintage Platinum.  So pretty in real life & it doesn't rub off.  I stamped the very old PTI Text Style on a Rustic Cream card front & trimmed down a couple 2011 Memory Box Woodland Branch diecuts to attach behind the leaf.  The sentiment from SSS Full of Thanks was stamped in Versafine Clair Pinecone.  I finished off with gold sequins.  I'm also entering FMS 604. 

I also made a Fall birthday card using CN9 Give Thanks branches stamped in Distress Oxides aged mahogany, fossilized amber & prize ribbon. 

The veins were gold embossed & I added gold splatters.  You can see the shine in my IG post.  SSS Happy Birthday Brush Script was die cut from vellum and gold metallic cardstock.  I'm entering Seize the Birthday & DCD.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  I hope to soon begin again to regularly read blogs & leave comments.  Thanks for your patience & understanding.

Fall Leaves

I had leftover Memory Box Wayfarer Leaves already spritzed with several green Tattered Angels Glimmer Mists.  But I wanted to make a Fall card for Freshly Made Sketches 600th Challenge & Memory Box August Fall challenge.  I simply added dark green, red, bronze & copper mists to turn them into beautiful shimmery Fall leaves.

For a bit of sparkle, I mixed copper & champagne Stickles to apply randomly on the leaves.  The background strip was made with an old wood mounted Magenta splatter stamp using white pigment ink.  

I used direct to paper with Versafine Clair Pinecone on a kraft scrap to use for Poppystamps Scribble Hello which I stacked 3 high.  I love pearls & thought these old brown ones were just what this card needed.  Another one handed card, but less than 3 weeks until the sling comes off.  There will still be restrictions, but I'm hoping life will be a lot easier.  

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by & for all the well wishes.

Fall Cards--Totally Different

I've seen lots of Fall cards using non-traditional colors.  That inspired me to use the GK Foil-Mates Bountiful Flourish which I foiled in Rose Gold a few weeks ago.  

A stacked Hero Arts Autumn Icons outline pumpkin die cut was left over from a previous project.  Love the aqua color, plus it's covered with beautiful sparkle from Inkon 3 Liquid Pixie Dust.  Couldn't let that go to waste!  I found a darker aqua cardstock & die cut the pumpkin again so I could inlay the pieces.  I used the same cardstock for the Spellbinders sentiment from the October 2020 Small Die Kit.  Needed something else & I've had felt on my mind with finally having cooler temperatures here.  Pulled out my old MFT dies--Small Rolled Rose & Prima Donna Petals.  

I remember my friend, Rosemary, used pink with rose gold & I just happen to have a shimmery pink cardstock, thanks to my friend, Vikki.  I entered the instagram ABNH texture challenge & I'm entering ModSquad & WAW.

PTI The Great Cover-Up challenge is to make a Halloween card. I don't have a lot of Halloween products, so had to get creative. I started by masking a rectangle--one of my favorite designs.

Then I black embossed the tree from Trendy Tree Tops.  The ink blending was done with Olive Twist, Saffron Spice, Canyon Clay & Amethyst Allure.  The sentiment from Taylored Expressions Boo to You was black embossed & I added 3 black Pico Embellisher dots.

I have a lot of talented on-line friends.  Mia does many things including painting, writing poetry & sewing.  Recently she sent me this beautiful zippered pouch she made!  

I'm using it to keep my current stitching project by my chair, so I can pick it up anytime.  Thanks so much, Mia!
I appreciate you taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Couple of Cards

My friend, Betty, designed TTTC 132 board.  I used copper foil for the ThermoWeb Toner Card Front.  I didn't get complete coverage which I find tends to happen with big, solid areas.  

Actually, I like the distressed look.  The Stamp Market Just Vine die was cut from copper & black cardstock.  I stacked the leaves 3 high.  

For the sentiment I stacked the word die from W&W Big, Bold, Seasons 5 high, covered it with Nuvo Glaze & added a black shadow.  The companion words from the same set were white embossed on black cardstock.  Finished off with black enamel dots.  I used the diagonal row of Die Cut, Free (foil), Fall.

Next is the card I made for the Pinkfresh Studio September Challenge.  I had forgotten about the beautiful Lush Vines stamp which I black embossed.  I wanted a look transitioning to Fall, so I loosely colored with Zigs in 2 shades of green & mustard.  

Finally opened my Small Butterflies & gold embossed them.  I picked one & colored it with the same Zigs.  The green butterfly body was covered in gold Stickles.  

The sentiment from Delicate Wreath was stamped on a vellum strip & a black strip was added to the left side of the panel.  I finished off with yellow gems that pick up the colors in the light. 

We finally are getting some much needed rain.  I'm happy to have cooler temperatures.  The roses will soon finish blooming, but this one was so beautiful I snapped a picture before it rained.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.