January 2025 Card Chain Challenge Reveal

 Today's the day we can see all of the cards that were exchanged all over the world for the January Card Chain Challenge!    I sent a card to Carol in England and I received a card from Hilary - also in England!

Every month there are suggestions of colors, sketch, theme, product and technique options to inspired us.  

This month I just went with the theme of Friendship.

I used a recently purchased Gate Fold X Fence die from Mama Elephant along with the Dandelion Wish Embossing folder from Sizzix.  The stamps are from Dandelion Wishes Sentiments from Papertrey Ink (on sale!)

I embossed the dandelions onto a white panel and then rubbed over the panel with  Ranger Distress Ink - Scattered Straw ink pad to color the raised bits.  I adhered the fence tabs to the back of the panel

Since the fence will stand the card up I embossed and inked another white panel and adhered it to the back of the card panel which also covers the tabs from the fence.  I added a die cut scalloped trim and a white panel for the sentiment and message!

I adhered the oval sentiment to just one side of the fence and 3 yellow enamel dots on each side of the fence.

Have you been thinking of joining this fun monthly card exchange challenge?  You sign up each month - so you can just do it once and see if you enjoy it!  You'll find all the info you need to know about joining in over at The Card Chain Challenge!

I'm also sending my card to:

NBUS

First time using the fence and the sentiment stamps.

Time Out Challenge

layer, warm, love

Can You Handle the Pressure?

Anything goes with embossing

Stamps:  Dandelion Wishes Sentiments Mini Stamp Set - Papertrey Ink.

Paper:  White, Summer Sunrise - Papertrey Ink.

Ink:  Scattered Straw - Ranger Distress Ink, Nocturne - Versafine Clair.

Other Supplies:  Gatefold X Fence die - Mama Elephant, Scalloped Edge Die - unbranded, Oval and Scalloped Oval Punches - Stampin'Up, Zutter Corner Rounder, Yellow enamel dots - Altenew.

A Snarky Cat with a Valentine Balloon!

 Today, I'm sharing the Valentines that I made this year to send to my grandnieces and grandnephews.  I used pink metallic paper to emboss/die cut the hearts for the girls and red metallic paper for the boys, ages 14, 13, 12 and 10.  

These are mini slim line size 3"x 6".  I always include a $1 bill as a (very small!) treat but it adds a little fun when they open the card. 

I used a large eye sewing needle to 'sew' the balloon twine string through the cats hands.  I colored the Snarky cat with Distress Water Color Pencils and a water brush.  The hearts are die cut/embossed using Tim Holtz/Sizzix  3D Impresslits Lucky Love 

I'm sending my Valentine to the following challenges:

Time Out Challenges

used Stitch (balloon string), Heart, Love, Layer  ends 2/12

Inspired by Challenge

Red, heart, Valentine, animal ends 2/5

Can You Handle the Pressure

anything goes (embossed heart) ends 2/5

Tic Tac Toe #263

Used the top horizontal line -  Hearts, Designer Paper, Love Sentiment ends 2/13

Stamps:  Snarky Cat - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous, Love You from Mini Boxwood Heart set - The Greetery.

Paper:  Red and dark pink card bases from stash, DP Gosh I love You - Unity, Valentines Day - Recollections.

Other Supplies:  Crushed Olive and Wild Honey Distress Water Color Pencils - Tim Holtz, foam dots, water brush pen.

Group of 7 Cardmakers - January 2025 Technique

 Today the Group of 7 Cardmakers are playing with the technique of Dry Embossed Highlights over Ink Blending.

You'll find links to a couple of YouTube Videos over at the Group of Seven Blog.

I tried two of the techniques with varying success depending on the embossing folder and lighter colored ink I used over the panel.  

The instructions say to use a white pigment ink to rub over the embossing. All of my white ink pads seem to dry out by the time I go to use them?! I used the one I had on the heart card below this card - but it wasn't very 'juicy' and also picked up the pink from the background.

So, I used Antique Linen Distress Oxide over the embossing on the two cards below.  I used Distress Oxide Seedless Preserves, Squeezed Lemonade and Salvaged Patina on the backgrounds.

A few creation photos for these two using the same embossing folder.

I used an old Colorbox Frost White Ink rubbed over the embossed hearts on the card below -  the pad wasn't very 'juicy' and picked up some of the Festive Berries Distress Oxide ink so the white was not very 'white'!  But I liked the result.  This older embossing folder was not very deep. 

I rubbed my Squeezed Lemonade Distress Oxide ink pad over the embossing, using Speckled Egg Distress Oxide inside the rectangle.

Notes:  I decided to use light Distress Oxide Inks to rub over the embossing on 3 of my designs instead of white (accept on the Valentine) since I didn't have a 'fresh' White Pigment Ink.

I found if the embossing wasn't deep enough, the ink pad I rubbed over the embossing would also get ink onto the un-embossed areas of the card.

I tried 4 other embossing folders that didn't work out either with the colors I used on the background or the thinner depth of the embossing - so keep playing!

We'd love to see what you create using this technique.  You can link up your card over at the Group of Seven Cardmakers blog so we can all come and see them!

I'm linking my Thank You card

 to:

Can You Handle the Pressure

anything goes with embossing ends 2/5

Allsorts Challenge

optional: Close to Nature (flowers) ends 1/31

Thank You and Sympathy Cards

Paper:  White - Papertrey Ink, Gold foil, Silver Foil

Ink:  Ranger Distress Oxides - Seedless Preserves, Squeezed Lemonade, Salvaged Patina, Old Paper.

Other Supplies:  Masking Tape, Flowers and Leaves Embossing Folder - Altenew, Way with Words Hot Foil Stamps (Thank You) - Ellen Hutson, Classic Frame Foil Set (Sympathy)- Waffle Flower, foam dots, blender brushes.

Valentine Card

Paper:  White - Papertrey Ink, gold foil

Ink:  Ranger Distress Oxide - Festive Berries, Frost White - Color Box.

Other Supplies:  Masking Tape, Hearts 3D Embossing Folder - Sizzix, Way with Words Hot Foil Stamps (Love You) - Ellen Hutson, foam dots, masking tape, blender brushes.

Congratulations Card

Paper:  White - Papertrey Ink, gold foil

Ink:  Ranger Distress Oxides - Speckled Egg, Squeezed Lemonade.

Other Supplies:  All Star Burst Embossing Folder - Simon Says Stamp, masking tape, foam dots, blender brushes, Way with Words Hot Foil Stamps (Congratulations) - Ellen Hutson. 

Group Of Seven Cardmakers - July 2024 Kaleidoscope Technique

 For July, we - the Group of Seven Cardmakers - are playing with the Kaleidoscope Technique.

You will find instructions for this technique over at the Group of 7 blog, as well as my own step by step below.

I made this lobster card for my wonderful daughter-in-laws birthday - which is in December - but she LOVES lobster and always gets it when they visit us in MA in the summer, as the lobster in MD, where they live, isn't as good - and her name is Sunny -  so I created this very personalized card for her.

I'm taking great creative license here in saying my strips are like the bottom of the ocean or maybe its a map from MD to MA??!

I'll show you some photos of how I created my cards.

I gold embossed a Roses All Over background stamp from MFT  and a Crackle Stamp from Impression Obsession onto a panel of water color paper. 

I brushed water over the whole panel.  Then I brushed on random patches of watercolors.  

I dried the panels with my heat tool and cut the panels into 1/2" x 4 1/4" strips.  

This is how I finished the Anniversary Card

I embossed a frame (Simple Frame 3D - Altenew) onto a panel of Hammered White Paper.  I put some Rub 'N Buff Gold Leaf on my finger and rubbed it along the embossed frame so it matched the gold embossing on the strips.

   

I cut the strips to fit inside the frame and glued them  in random order onto the panel.

I added a printed sentiment along the base of the frame - like it was the title of this modern art painting!

I made this an Anniversary card for a friends' Son and Daughter-in-law so I added their names to the die cut hearts.

We hope you will give this technique a try and link up over at The Group of Seven so we can all see your creation!

I'm also linking my anniversary card to:

NBUS

First time using the frame embossing folder.

Can You Handle the Pressure

Anything Goes  ends 8/7

Linking my lobster card to:

Time Out Challenges

Tic Tac Toe ends 7/31

Middle Horizontal row - Die Cuts - Free - Any Sentiment

Anniversary Card:
Stamps: Roses All Over Background - My Favorite Things
Paper: Water color paper - Canson Cold Press, Hammered White Card - Amazon, Lavender Moon, Lemon Tart - PTI.
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, water, brushes, Winsor and Newton Water Color Paints, foam tape, printed sentiment strip, Heart Nestability, heart Punch, Computer generated names

Lobster Birthday

Stamps:  Crackle background stamp - Impression Obsession, sentiment from My Island set - Waltzingmouse (retired)

Paper:  Water color paper - Canson Cold Press, Pure Poppy, Spring Rain, Lemon Tart - PTI, Hammered white - Amazon.

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair, Versamark

Accessories:  Gold Embossing Powder, Heat tool, water, brushes, Winsor and Newton Water Color paints, form dots, Lobster die - Charlie and Paulchen, Sun die - Lil Inker Designs, cloud die - PTI, enamel dots and heart - Altenew

Group of Seven Cardmakers - July 2023 Coloring Dry Embossed Images

Bonnie chose the technique for us at the Group of Seven Cardmakers this month and that is Coloring Dry Embossed Images.  

The three techniques listed over at the blog are: sponging, water coloring and inkpad swipe.   There are also instructions and links to videos. 

I used ink pad swipe on one card and water coloring on two cards.

I  used the same 3D embossing folder on all my cards,  Rose Bouquet from Altenew,  so I could focus on the technique used and not different embossing folders.  It will be fun to try others though and see how they look!  

Tip: It is best to use 3D embossing folders as they give a deeper impression.

Tip: If you do the water coloring technique and the paint goes over the raised edge of the embossing, you can remove the paint with a clean damp paint brush if you do it right away.

For my first card, I embossed on Hammered White Cardstock and simply rubbed an Altenew Misty Morning mini ink pad over the raised embossing.  I stamped the sentiment and popped it up on foam dots.

For my 2nd card I embossed on watercolor paper.  Then I water colored the raised parts in blue and green, drying with my heat tool between colors.  Then I water colored the background with yellow.  When that was dry, I splattered over the panel with a White POSCA pen, then added the printed sentiment up on foam dots.

For my third sample - I embossed on black Mixed Media paper and then water colored with Niji Pearlescent Water Color paints.  These paints really show up and pop off the black background!

It's hard to appreciate the depth of the 3D embossing in the photos above -  so I took the photos below, with the cards laid down, to better show the wonderful dimension!  Makes you want to run your finger over it doesn't it?!

We hope you will try some of these coloring of  3D embossed panel techniques - you'll find lots more inspiration from the rest of the 7 over at The Group of Seven Cardmakers blog.

  

Mr. Linky is set up if you'd like to link up anything you create!  We'd love to see it!

I'm linking my Sympathy card to:

Crafting Happiness Challenges

anything goes

Linking my Anniversary card to:

Can You Handle The Pressure

Anything goes

Anniversary

Stamps:  sentiment from Damask Designs - PTI (retired)

Paper:  White hammered card - Amazon

Ink:  Misty Morning - Altenew, Ocean Tides - PTI

Accessories:  3D Embossing Folder Rose Bouquet - Altenew, foam dots.

Birthday

Paper:  water color paper - Canson Cold Press

Accessories: 3D Embossing Folder Rose Bouquet - Altenew, water color paints - Winsor and Newton, paint brush, water, white POSCA Pen, printed sentiment strip, foam dots.

Sympathy

Stamps: Simple Strips: Sympathy - Taylored Expressions.

Paper:  Black Strathmore Mixed Media Paper, white - PTI

Ink:  Brown - Altenew

Accessories:   3D Embossing Folder Rose Bouquet - Altenew, Niji Pearlescent Water Color paints, Simple Strips Die -  Taylored Expressions, foam dots.