Pretty Kitty Birthday

 I made this card for a friend who has a tabby cat who is the love of her life.

The sweet kitty is a Vinyl Sticker from Kawaii Pens that I adhered to a die cut circle with clear dots. It is holographic so is really sparkly in the light.  The circle is adhered to the card base with foam dots.   This is a 4"x4" card.  

I'm sending my card to:

Try It On Tuesday

Oh So Sweet

Seize the Birthday

Layer It

I.D.E.A.S.

Week 2 - Dies

Paper: Whie, DP Bitty Big Lilac Grace - PTI

Other Supplies: Stitched Square and Circles dies - Penny Black, foam dots, glue dots, Cat vinyl sticker - The Stars and The Moon Dream - Kawaii Pens, computer generated sentiment, enamel dot - Altenew.

Vietnam Birthday

 A friend asked me to make a birthday card for her son who recently traveled to Vietnam.  So I Googled 'free images of Vietnam".  I printed a few on cardstock and cut them up to fit on the panels of the card.  I used some Stamperia DP behind the center and outer images that were too small to fill the panels.

This fold is called 'Flying Seagull Fold' and it folds up into a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" card for easy mailing - although it's a little thick - so I would put two stamps on it if mailed.  

This is a view from the back.

I didn't take a photo of this card laid down

but here is a pic of another card I made using the fold so you can see the 'flying seagull'.

The side panels fold either behind the square center panel - or over the square panel.  

I found this YouTube video showing how to create this fold.

I'm sending my card to:

Cardz4Guys

#370 Fancy Fold

Seize the Birthday

not sure if this would be considered layering so I'm just entering it as Anything Goes!

Stamps: Birthday Basics - PTI
Paper - White - PTI  DP- Stamperia - Around the World
Other Supplies: free computer images of Vietnam

Inkspirational Challenge #339 - Mood Board Decorated Eggs

 Hello everyone!  It's time for the newest Inkspirational Challenge #339 and, just in time for Easter and Spring - it's a lovely Mood Board of decorated eggs!

I was inspired by the red and blue eggs - using stamps from Nestie Eggs by Waltzingmouse (retired).

I stamped the large egg on red card with black ink and used blue and white POSCA pens to add those colors.  I stamped the smaller egg on Soft Stone card with Arctic Ink and added the pink with a POSCA pen. I die cut the eggs using Nested Eggs from Nestability.  I embossed the Soft Stone background using Feather Spiral Embossing Folder from Simon Says Stamp. All the die cuts are up on foam dots.

How do these decorated eggs inspire you?!  We'd love to see your inspired cards over at Inkspirational - where you'll find some lovely inspiration from the rest of the DT!

This challenge ends April 25.

Also sending my card to:

Double D Challenges

Easter   ends 4/13

Time Out Challenge

Floral and spots  ends 4/23

Tic Tac Toe

Center Horizontal - any color - Free - Embossing

 Ends 4/24

Addicted to Stamps and More

Stamps: Nestie Eggs - Waltzingmouse (retired.)

Ink:  Nocturne and Arctic - Versafine Clair.

Paper:  Soft Stone, Pure Poppy - Papertrey Ink.

Other Supplies:  Feather Spiral Embossing Folder - Simon Says Stamp, Nested Egg Dies - Nestabilities,  blue, white and pink POSCA pens, Oval Punch - Stampin' Up, foam dots.

Easter Eggs

 I went really CAS with my Easter Cards this year, using a 2" x 3" egg die from Nestability, rub-ons from Taperlogy and sentiments from Waltzingmouse. 

I'm sending my Chick card to:

Double D Challenges

Easter ends 4/13

Stamps: Spring Baskets - Waltzingmouse (retired).

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair

Paper:  White - PTI

Other Supplies:  Easter Rub-ons - Taperlogy, score tape.

March 2025 Card Chain Challenge Reveal

 Today is the day all of the cards sent around the world for the March Card Chain Challenge are revealed!  I sent my card to Linda in Minnesota and I received a card from Imke in Germany!

This month I used the theme: Stripes and Friendship and the Technique - Layers (layers of die cuts)

Would you like to join in on this fun monthly challenge?  Check out the details over at The Card Chain Challenge blog.

You need to sign up by April 6th for the April Challenge!

FYI -  I had surgery on my right shoulder for a torn rotator cuff on March 26th and I'm 6 weeks in a sling so can't stamp or leave lengthy comments on your blogs for a bit!  I have done all of my DT posts ahead for the next two months so I will have posts on my blog!

I'm also sending my card to:

NBUS

first time using this lovely Little Blooms die set from Spellbinders.

The Paper Players

vertical line on left - flowers, diecut, lavender

Paper:  white, Aqua Mist, Lilac Grace, Green Parakeet, Hibiscus Burst, Sweet Blush, True Black - PTI, DP Bitty Big Smokey Shadow - PTI.

Other Supplies:  Little Blooms Dies - Spellbinders, Mid Century Frame Die - Altenew, Label Stickers: Thoughts - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, enamel dots - Altenew.

Inkspirational Challenge #338 - Word Prompt/Sentiments 2 or More

Today I'm sharing my DT card for Inkspirational Challenge #338

I used 2 sentiments as the 'fortune' in the two die cut fortune cookies.    

I made this card for a friend who lost her 34 yr old youngest daughter a few weeks ago.  She had no health issues but died in her sleep from a pulmonary embolism.   

I've been sending encouragement cards to my friend every week since, as she comes to terms with this sudden terrible loss.

So please join us and create a card with at least 2 sentiments on it!  You'll find creative inspiration from the rest of the Ink team as well as Mr. Linky over at the Inkspirational Blog! 

This challenge ends on April 11!

FYI -  I had surgery on my right shoulder for a torn rotator cuff on March 26th and I'm 6 weeks in a sling so can't stamp or leave lengthy comments on your blogs for a bit!  I've made all my DT posts for the next two months ahead of time so you will see me on the blog! 

Also sending my card to:

Cardz 4 Gals

Spring ends 4/1

Love those Pretty Papers

ends 3/31

Paper: Water Color Paper - Canson Cold Press, White, DP Bitty Big Soft Stone - PTI, CP Morning Memories 6x6 - Paper Rose
Ink: Antique Linen Ranger Distress
Other Supplies: Coaster Die - The Greetery, Fortune Cookie Die - Ellen Hutson (retired), Metallic Stickers:Quotations - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, foam dots.

March Group of Seven Cardmakers Post - Product Focus: Embossing Pastes

The Group of Seven Cardmakers are playing with embossing pastes this month, either through stencils, creating backgrounds or maybe you have some creative ways to use it?  There are lots of embossing paste video links over at the GO7 blog as well as on YouTube to inspire you!

I decided to use a stencil with the texture embossing paste to create a rocky beach.

I used the Pool Water Stencil from Papertrey Ink and Granite Distress Texture Paste from Ranger. I stenciled over a piece of Robins Egg Bazzill card and let it dry overnight. 

Here are a few photos of the stenciling.

The Pool Water Stencil set has 2 layers, but I just used one of them for my background.  I laid the stencil over the Robins Egg card panel and put masking tape along all the edges to hold it in place.

I've had this Texture Paste for at least 6 months and never opened it - but I have found that pastes dry up if you've had them too long, even if they haven't been opened.  

SO this paste was pretty thick and dry looking - but I thought, what the heck, I'll dig out clumps and see if it will smooth out as I spread it - and it did!

 

(I also threw out about 6 other containers of pastes I've had too long and were completely dried up!) 

I kept adding more paste over the stencil until all the spaces were filled and it was as smooth as I could get it over each section of the stencil.   Smooth like stones! 

I removed the stencil and washed it and the palette knife immediately.  I left the panel to dry overnight.

The next day, I used a black POSCA pen for the splatter, a no brand die set for the ocean waves, and the Day at the Beach die set from Spellbinders for the woman on the towel. The die cuts are up on foam dots.  The sentiment is from Summer Sentiments Essentials by Ellen Hutson.

For my second card I used Clear Crackle Texture Paste on  die cut pieces of a rooster and a die cut fence instead of through a stencil.  I also sponged over the fence when the crackle was dry, with Lost Shadow Ranger Distress ink to make it look weathered along with the crackle.

The black streaks on the rooster were caused by some dried black paste that was on the very edge of my palette knife from long ago - but I left it as I think it added more visual texture to the 'feathers' of the chicken - happy accident(?)

This Clear Crackle texture paste was also a bit dried out but it was spreadable so off I went to spread it over all of the pieces!

I used colored card for the head and the feet dies. I used Tombow Glue to attach the pieces together, as it is thicker glue and grabbed the dry crackle.

We hope you will be inspired to play with your embossing pastes and if you create something, please link up your card over at the Group of 7 Cardmakers blog where you will also find inspiration from the rest of the GO7!  We'd love to come see what you make!

FYI -  I had surgery on my right shoulder for a torn rotator cuff on March 26th and I'm 6 weeks in a sling so can't stamp or leave comments on your blogs for a bit!

Also sending my beach card to:

NBUS  

First time using the ocean wave dies and .

Stencil Fun Challenge

with optional splatters  ends 3/30

Sending my Rooster card to:

Double D Challenges

Birds   ends 3/30

Girls Just Want to Have Sun
Stamps: Summer sentiments - Essentials by Ellen Hutson.(retired)
Ink: Nocturne - Versafine Clair.
Paper: Robins Egg - Bazzill, White - PTI, DP Beach Vibes 6x6 pad - Honey Bee.
Other Supplies: Pool Water stencil - PTI, Day at the Beach Die - Spellbinders, Ocean Wave dies - no brand/Amazon, Black POSCA Pen, foam dots, palette knife.

Not Enough Coffee

Stamps:  Big Grumpy Cat - Taylored Expressions.

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair, Ranger Distress Lost Shadow.

Paper:  White, Pure Poppy, True Black, Summer Sunrise - PTI, DP Brioche - Memory Box.

Other Supplies:  Feathered Friends 20 (Rooster), Picket Fence Die - PTI, Clear Crackle Texture Paste - Prima, palette knife, Enamel Dots - Altenew, Tombow Glue.