Lucky You

 Made a last minute Irish theme card inspired by a few challenges out there!  This could be for St. Patrick's Day or a congrats card or even a new home card maybe??!

I was happy to get out the Wood Grain Colorize dies from Sizzix .  I purchased them a long time ago and they've been sitting on my shelf!  This finished woodgrain strip is 4 layers and really gives a dimensional woodgrain look.

  

I rubbed Lost Shadow Distress Ink on my craft mat, spritzed with water and then rubbed a panel of water color paper over it.  Then I die cut all 4 pieces out of that so it was easier then cutting 4 different colors of gray.

I did the same thing with the shamrocks - rubbing Lucky Clover Distress Ink on the mat, spritzing with water, rubbing a water color paper panel over it, then die cutting the shamrocks.

Linking my card to:

Inspired By 

NBUS

first time using Wood Grain dies.

The Card Concept

clean layered inspired by colors

Tic Tac Toe Challenge

If 4 leaf clovers can be considered flowers?    I did the center horizontal row, 

if not - I did the top horizontal row!

Paper:  Water color - Canson Cold Press, EP Ink Drops Earth - Craft Consortium

Ink:  Lost Shadow and Lucky Clover - Ranger Distress

Accessories:  Woodgrain Colorize die, 3D Impresslits Lucky Love Die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Pink Copic, Big Chat Stickers - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, enamel dots - Altenew.

Pop Up Ballerina

 I have a Pop Up Birthday card to share today that I made for a friend's granddaughter, Lia, for her 8th birthday.  Lia takes dance lessons so I used ballerina die cuts on the 'stage'.  

They were a little oversized so I couldn't show the full length of their legs?!!  

I love personalizing cards for kids - they get such a kick out of having their name and age right on the card.

I used the Platform Pop up dies as well as the Platform Pop Up Add On (the back piece) for this card. (Both from Lawn Fawn.)  I die cut all of the decorative pieces out of Glitter Cardstock.

View from the back, with room for a written message from the giver.

This cute pop up does fold flat to mail.  

If you use just the base Platform Pop Up it fits in an A2 envelope.  

When you use the Platform Pop up Add On piece (the back of the stage) it fits into a 5" x 5" envelope.  

I added the PUSH stamp to help the receiver see how to  POP UP the card.  But I'm sure they'd figure it out without it!

I'm linking my card to:

Seize the Birthday

Card for a Child

Inkspirational

Stamps:  Interactive Labels - My Favorite Things.

Paper:  White - PTI, glitter cardstock - Recollections/Michaels

Ink:  True Black - PTI

Accessories:  Platform Pop Up and Platform Pop Up Add On Dies - Lawn Fawn, ballerina dies - Amazon, Number Dies - PTI, Alphanumeric Tiny Type Upper Dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Happy Birthday printed strip from stash.

The Number 90

 Welcome to the latest Inkspirational challenge  #285 -  it's a Word Prompt.

I made a 90th birthday card for a very dear church friend (who doesn't act or look 90!). We were on the  Altar Guild together for many years and she still attends church most Sundays.

I die cut, inked and sponged the edges on the mushrooms, acorns and tree rings and layered them over the patterned paper with foam dots.  I stamped the 90 on one of the acorns.

We are good enough friends that she will get a chuckle from the sentiment I put inside her card on the left!

So please show us how you use NUMBERS on your card design!  You'll find more inspiration from the rest of the Design Team over at Inkspirational!

You have until March 24th to get your Numbers card linked up!

I'm also linking my card to:

AAA Birthday

Stripes background and dots on the mushrooms!

Stamps: Forest Floor: Autumn - Papertrey Ink (retired), Latte in the Evening - Funny Bones: Riley and Company, Snap Stamps (90 and Doris) - Karen Fisher (retired) 

Paper:  Kraft, White - Papertrey Ink, DP - Simple Things - Parklane/JoAnn.

Ink: Gathered Twigs, Grand Espresso, Tea Dye - Ranger Distress, Cocoa Bean, Pure Poppy, Orange Zest - Papertrey Ink, Espresso -  Altenew.

Accessories:  Tree Tings Mini Die and Embossing Folder - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Forest Floor: Augumn Dies - PTI (retired), finger sponge, foam dots, Red acrylic hearts - Honey Bee, 1" circle punch.

St. Patrick's Day Bunny

I'm a mix of English, Irish and Scotch and bits of about  8 other European areas!

(Thank you - Ancestry.com!)

I always make cards to send to friends for St. Patrick's Day. Everyone's Irish on March 17th right?!!  

This year I made these little bunny cards, dressing them up for the wearing of the green!

The bunny die is Carrot Bunny and the hat die is from The Gent both sets Tim Holtz/Sizzix.  The tag die is Tear Strip Tags from The Greetery.  The sentiment and stamped shamrock are from Irish Blessings from Papertrey Ink (retired).  

I added shamrock stickers to the hat of the 'boy' and the ear of  the 'girl'.  

I die cut two bunnies for each card and glued them together along the ears and top of the head so they would stand up!  I cut slits in the hat so the ears would pop through the top.

I'm linking my St. Pat's Bunny cards to:

 Double D Challenges: All things Green

Die Cut Divas - Anything Goes

The Card Concept Lucky Charm

my card is clean layered die cuts

Thought I'd share the same bunny used for Valentine's this year too! 

Stamp from Tear Strip Tags: Valentine Stamp Set from The Greetery.

Stamps:  Irish Blessings - Papertrey Ink (retired), Tear Strip Tags: Valentine Stamp Set - The Greetery.

Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne.

Paper:  White,  New Leaf, True Black, Pale Peony - Papertrey Ink.

Accessories:  Carrot Bunny die , The Gent Die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Tear Strip Tags Die - The Greetery, thin green tape from stash (on hat), shamrock stickers - Michaels, heart punch, twine.

The Card Chain Challenge - February 2023 reveal

 Today is the day all of the cards exchanged over at the Card Chain Challenge in February are revealed.  This month I sent my card to Lia in The Netherlands and I received a card from Gail in Canada (who is a new participant!)

Each month we are given a sketch, colors and various suggested themes, we only have to use one of the suggestions.

This month I used the colors, two of the themes: hearts, friendship and the Technique:  layers!

Theme Options: Hearts / Tags / Friendship

Product / Technique Options: Burlap or Gauze / Layers

I used Tim Holtz/Sizzix fun Abstract Faces die set for my image.  I bought the die set over a year ago and this is the first time I've used it!  The sentiment was cut with one of the dies in the Bold Text #1 set also from Tim Holtz/Sizzix.

I brushed over the face with Clear Glitter Wink of Stella to lighten it up a bit and add some shimmer.  You may be able to see that on the close up below?  It does really sparkle in the light IRL!

If you'd like to join in this fun monthly challenge you have until March 6th to sign up for the next month!  Check out all the details over at The Card Chain Challenge!

I'm linking my card to:

NBUS

First time I have used the Abstract Faces die.

Paper:  White - PTI, Core-Dinations Distress Collection - Tim Holtz/Ranger, Patina Craft Papers - The Craft Consortium.

Ink:  Frayerd Burlap Distress Oxide - Ranger

Accessories:  Abstract Faces Dies, Bold Text #1 Dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, small heart punch - McGill, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella, finger dauber, foam dots.

February Group of Seven Cardmakers: Technique - Resist Debossed Background

It's time for the February Group of Seven Cardmakers post, playing with the Resist Debossed Background technique. 

Our group met for a zoom call in early February to try out a recent video tutorial from Splitcoaststampers (created by Anna-Karin Evaldsson).  

I love how this came out and I think blues and browns are my favorite colors to use with this technique!

So, basically, you lightly run a Versamark ink pad over the raised, inside, back of your embossing folder. (3D embossing folders seem to work best because they give a deeper impression).  

Take a piece of water color paper (or any water friendly paper like Mixed Media), rub over the paper with an Embossing Buddy (powder), put it in the embossing folder powder side down (over the Versamark inked side) and run it through your machine.

Take the panel out and cover the back side (the debossed side with the Versamark ink on it) with white embossing powder.  If the powder sticks to too much of your panel background, you can brush some off gently with a paint brush.  You want the powder to be on the design which is 'debossed' since you are using the back of your panel.

Then heat emboss the panel.  

To add color to the parts not white embossed on my panel, I pulled out two Distress Inks - Tumbled Glass and Frayed Burlap and two Distress Oxide Inks Salvaged Patina and Walnut Stain (DOX inks leave a darker color than the regular Distress inks).  You want to use water based inks.  I rubbed the inks (one at a time and do the Distress first, then the DOX since they are darker) onto my craft mat, spritzed with water and then pressed the panel randomly into the ink, then looking where there were open spaces and pressing that section into the ink.  

Notes: 

1.  You can just use one or two water based inks. 

2.  You should try several different embossing folders, as some work well and some not so well?!

A close up:

I added the die cut sentiment and some enamel dots to the panel.

I made a second card (below) using the same technique, embossing folder, white embossing powder and inks - and you can see it looks very different.  

The white embossing powder stuck to more of the card rather than just the debossed image and so just small bits of the panel absorbed the smooshed inks. (I didn't brush off the excess white powder on the flat bits!)  But it still makes for a pretty and interesting background I think?!

I'm linking my birthday card to:

Seize the Birthday

Three more cards I made using this technique.

Embossing folder:  Tree Rings - Tim Holtz/Sizzix.  White Embossing Powder/Distress Oxide Vintage Photo Ink.  The bird is Feathered Friends Thinlit dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix covered with strips of DP.

I'm linking my tree ring card to:

Can you Handle the Pressure

anything embossed - optional things with wings

Embossing Folder:  Vintage Button - Eileen Hull/Sizzix.  White Embossing Powder, Distress Tumbled Glass and Frayed Burlap Inks.  The horse is an old wooden stamp by Judith, colored with markers.

I'm linking my Baby card to:

We Love Stamping

Feb - anything stamped

Embossing Folder: Circuit - Tim Holtz/Sizzix.  White Embossing Powder/Distress Lost Shadow Ink. Die: Voltage Bigz Die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix

I'm linking my voltage card to:

NBUS

First time using both the circuit Emb Folder and the Voltage Die

For the full tutorial of this Resist Debossed Background and inspiring samples from the rest of the Seven Cardmakers, please pop over to the Group of Seven Cardmakers Blog.

We post a new technique on the 28th of each month that we hope will inspire you to try it out as well!

  We've added a Mr. Linky to the post - so you can link up your creations if you try this technique -  It's not a challenge, just a place you can put your card so everyone can see it and be inspired! 

Birthday Card

Paper:  Water color - Canson Cold Press, Tropical Teal - Papertrey Ink.

Ink:  Ranger Distress Tumbled Glass, Frayed Burlap, Ranger Distress Oxide Ink Salvaged Patina, Walnut Stain, Versamark.

Accessories:  Gracious Leaves Embossing Folder - Memory Box, white embossing powder, heat tool, water mister, craft mat, Happy Birthday Die - Simon Says Stamp, Happy Birthday Poe Script Die - Poppy Stamps, Enamel Dots - Altenew.

St. Paddy's Day with Stitches

 Time for a new challenge over at Inkspirational! #284

Pia is the Designer choosing the challenge this week and she wants to see Stitching - real or faux!

I went with the faux stitching option, using the Square Peek a Boo Window die from MFT.  

The front green panel is a textured cardstock so I stamped the sentiment on a  strip of plain green cardstock so it stamped cleanly.

Below is a close up so you can better see the colors on the patterned paper behind the shamrock.  The paper is Ink Drops: Earth from Craft Consortium.  

The Shamrock is 3D Impresslits Lucky Love from Sizzix and also includes a lovely heart die.  The shamrock is up on foam dots as well as the front green panel.

I added 3 gold Droplets from Idea-ology for a little sparkle

We can't wait to see what you create using real or faux stitching.  You'll find the challenge and lots of inspiration from the rest of the Design Team over at Inkspirational!

This challenge ends on March 10th so be sure to post your 'Stitching' card before then!

I'm also linking my card to:

Die Cut Divas February -  Add some Gold

I added gold metallic droplets

Krafty Chicks - All Occasions

mines St. Patrick's Day

Stamps: A Beary Good Year - The Cats Pajamas.(no longer available)
Paper: light green textured card - Parklane Precision Cardstock Pack - JoAnn, New Leaf, Pine Feathers - Papertrey Ink, DP Ink Drops Earth - Craft Consortium.
Ink: Versafine Clair Nocturne
Accessories: Square Peek a Boo Window Die - My Favorite Things, 3D Impresslits Lucky Love - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Skinny Strips Dies - Neat and Tangled, Droplets Metallic - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, foam dots and strips,