April 2026 Card Chain Challenge Reveal

 Today's the day for the Card Chain Challenge Reveal of all the cards sent and received in April.  I sent my card to Gail in Canada and received a beautiful tag-card from Dagmara in Poland!

This time I used two of the suggested themes in my card design -Long Ears and Spring!

I embossed the background and rubbed Scattered Straw ink pad over it.  I die cut the bunny pieces and sponged them with Scattered Straw and Brushed Corduroy adding a little Tattered Rose to the ears and nose and glued all the pieces together.  I  die cut the grasses (twice for more width and volume) and sponged them with Peeled Paint, adhered them to the bottom of the panel, spreading the tops out a bit so the bunny could be 'peeking' through them!  I stamped the sentiment on a white panel and adhered it across the top of the panel

We hope you will come and join us for the May Card Chain Challenge.  You'll find all the info on the challenge and how to sign up at the Card Chain Challenge blog here.

You have until May 6th to sign up!

Also sending my card to:

Tic, Tac, Toe

Die cut - Dry Emboss - Layers  ends 5/7

Crafty Gals Corner

Anything Goes - Optional: Spring

Stamps: Inside Greetings: Spring Blessings - Papertrey Ink.
Paper: Soft Stone, True Black, white - Papertrey Ink, water color paper - Better Press/Spellbinders.
Ink: Brushed Corduroy, Scattered Straw, Peeled Paint, Tattered Rose - Ranger Distress, Nocturne - Versafine Clair.
Other Supplies: 3D Plaster Embossing Folder - Spellbinders, Rabbit Die, Grass Die - Magnolia Ink Market, sponge daubers.

Inkspirational #312 - The White Bunny

 Inkspirational Challenge #312 has just gone live over at the blog.  It's a Designers Choice!  I am  the designer this time and my choice is use White on White!    

And here's my card - just in time for Easter which is SO early this year on 3/31/24!

I used only white with a touch of neutral black just for the eyes, nose and sentiment!  I recently purchased this wonderful layered bunny die from Magnolia Ink - a company in Germany.  I just love how this bunny looks with all his layers. I used a simple embossed frame background of white.  I popped the layers of the bunny up on foam for even more dimension, but it looks great without using foam too!

I hope you will join us in this fun White on White challenge!  You'll find inspiration from the rest of the DT and Mr Linky over at the Inkspirational blog.

This challenge ends 4/5/24

I'm also linking my card to:

NBUS

first time using the bunny die

AAA Cards

CAS/Spring  ends 3/30

Die Cut Divas

Anything goes using dies  ends 3/31

Krafty Chicks

CAS  ends 3/27

Stamps:  Mini Strips: Easter - Taylored Expressions

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair

Paper:  White, True Black - Papertrey Ink, hammered white - Amazon.

Accessories:  Rabbit Die - Magnolia Ink, Mini Strips Die - Taylored Expression,  Heritage Bundle Embossing Folder - Cutlebug, foam dots.

January Group of Seven Cardmakers - Alcohol Inks with Gilding Flakes

 It's time for the January post by the Group of Seven Cardmakers!   This month we are playing with Alcohol Inks and Gilding Flakes!

I used an 8"x10" piece of Yupo for the technique and so was able to cut 4 card panels 4"x5" to make my 4 cards below.

Here are a few photos of how I created my panel.

Supplies:  8"x10" Yupo Cardstock, Alcohol Inks: Latte, Pistachio, Sail Boat Blue, 91% Rubbing Alcohol, Ranger Ink Blower, heat tool that has a low or cool setting, gilding flakes

I applied quite a bit of 91% rubbing alcohol all over the Yupo Sheet.  Then I dropped Sailboat Blue AI into the alcohol and blew it around with the Ink Blower.

I added some more rubbing alcohol and dropped Pistachio AI onto the panel and blew the ink around again with the blower.  

(I wish I had stopped with this result below!)

I repeated the same steps adding Latte Alcohol Ink.  

I kept blowing the ink around, adding rubbing alcohol and more ink until I felt I was done.  Then I dried the panel with a cool setting on my heat tool.  You want to dry the AI but not where the colors have pooled because you want the Gilding Flakes to stick to those edges.

Then I spread Red Blaze Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flakes over the panel of Yupo and pressed it down onto the sheet with my fingers.   Then I let it sit for 20 minutes or so.  Then I brushed it off the panel with my fingers.

The Gilding Flakes didn't end up sticking to too many places  - but there is some on each of the panels I cut for cards.

Sorry, my post is going to be a bit longer!

I decided to make another panel using different Alcohol Inks - Stone Washed and Citrus and the gluing technique for the gilding flakes on the 2nd video.  

I dribbled the rubbing alcohol over the panel of Yupo and added one row of color and moved it around with the bulb, then added a row of the 2nd color and moved it around - alternating the 2 colors until I filled the panel.  I didn't drop more rubbing alcohol over the ink, just on empty areas as I moved along as I didn't want all the circles I created on the panel above.

I like the results of smoother swirls of color below. 

 (This photo was taken when the inks were still wet - some of the mixed colors are turning yellow

and check out how more pink showed up when it was dry on the third photo down!) 

I dried the panel with my heat tool (not too hot!) Then I added little beads of glue along some of the edges of colors and pressed some larger pieces of gilding flakes over the glue and let it sit overnight.

The next day, I rubbed over the flakes to get all the loose bits off - and I like the results.  I had more gilding flakes stuck on the panel using this technique than my first one above.

Notice how the blue and citrus created some areas of pink and yellow as it dried?

I cut the panel into 4 pieces.  Here is a card I've made with one of the panels so far. 

I just purchased the wonderful hot air balloon and clouds dies from Magnolia.

Below you can see the shiny look of the gilding flakes a little better.

Final impression:  Alcohol ink backgrounds are beautiful - the gilding flakes are really messy and it's a little hit or miss with them sticking - using glue seems to work better than trying to get it to stick to wet AI.  When it sticks - it looks wonderful!

Here are the two videos from the GO7 blog.  

Whispy Alcohol Inks Effects and Gilding Flakes by Tiffany Solorio (18:48)

Alcohol Inks + Gilding Flakes by Neat and Tangled (11:03)

So please check out the Group of Seven Cardmakers blog and see how the rest of the Group of 7 created using this technique! 

 

And we hope you'll try this out yourself - we'd love to see how the techniques work for you!  You can link up your creations over at the blog so we all can see them!

I'm linking my hot air balloon card to:

Die Cut Divas  

Never before Used Stuff

first time using the beautiful hot air balloon die.

ends 1/31

NBUS

First time using hot air balloon die

Hello Friend 

Paper:  Yupo - Ranger, White, Tropical Teal - PTI, metallic brass from stash.

Ink:  Alcohol Inks Sail Boat Blue, Pistachio, Latte - Ranger

Accessories:  Ink Blower - Ranger, 91% Rubbing Alcohol - CVS, heat tool, Red Blaze Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flakes - Creative Expressions, Hello Friend Posh Script die - Memory Box, Simple Stacks frame die - Penny Black, foam dots.

Happy Birthday

Paper:  Yupo - Ranger, White, True Black - PTI, metallic brass from stash.

Ink:  Alcohol Inks Sail Boat Blue, Pistachio, Latte - Ranger

Accessories:  Ink Blower - Ranger, 91% Rubbing Alcohol - CVS, heat tool, Red Blaze Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flakes - Creative Expressions, printed sentiment, Celebration Words Script die - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Nested Rectangle with Square Holes die - Rubbernecker, foam dots

Feel Better Soon

Paper:  Yupo - Ranger, White, Tropical Teal - PTI, metallic brass from stash.

Ink:  Alcohol Inks Sail Boat Blue, Pistachio, Latte - Ranger

Accessories:  Ink Blower - Ranger, 91% Rubbing Alcohol - CVS, heat tool, Red Blaze Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flakes - Creative Expressions, Mid Century Frame Die - Altenew, Nested Rectangle with Square Holes die - Rubbernecker, enamel dots - Altenew, printed sentiment, foam dots.

With Sympathy

Paper:  Yupo - Ranger, Hammered White - Amazon, metallic brass from stash.

Ink:  Alcohol Inks Sail Boat Blue, Pistachio, Latte - Ranger

Accessories:  Ink Blower - Ranger, 91% Rubbing Alcohol - CVS, heat tool, Red Blaze Cosmic Shimmer Gilding Flakes - Creative Expressions, With Sympathy die - Simon Says Stamp, enamel dots - Altenew, Lacey Frame - Gina Marie Designs, foam dots.

Be Fearless

Paper:  Yupo - Ranger, Hammered White - Amazon.

Ink:  Alcohol Inks Citrus and Stone Washed , Ranger Distress Oxide - Old Paper, Gold Pigment Ink - Color Box.

Accessories:  Ink Blower - Ranger, 91% Rubbing Alcohol - CVS, heat tool, Gilding Flakes from stash, Le Balloon and Basket Die, Le Balloon Clouds and Flowers Die - Magnolia Ink (UK), Small Talk Sticker - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, foam dots..

Top o' the Mornin' to You 2010!

Today Ardodd (Ann)was the Featured Stamper over on Split Coast - whoo hoo! she has lots of wonderful cards in her gallery! (ETA: click on the photo to see the detail of her pearl necklace and bracelet!)

I chose her technique Tilda card to CASE today because I wanted to try this 'out of the box' cutting technique and I also have tons of Tilda's that I haven't yet inked up! The sentiment and shamrock are from the Irish Blessings set by Waltzingmouse Stamps.

I changed the colors, used different stamps and also made mine an easel style card with a calendar on it. The Saturday Spotlight challenge this week was to put a calendar of some kind on your project.
Here's how the easel card looks from the side. If you'd like to make an easel card you can see my tutorial here.

Thanks for coming by today! Got to go help DH shovel snow - again.....!


Stamps: Sentiment & shamrock - Waltzimgmouse Stamps - Irish Blessings, Tilda - Magnolia, 2009 - Karen Foster Snap Stamps (retired)
Paper: ocean tides, vintage cream - PTI, DP Cosmo Cricket - Early Bird/Apron Strings
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ocean Tides - PTI
Accessories: foam dimensionals, scro tape, tag trio - spell binders, long scalloped rectangle, rectangles - Nestabilities, modern label punch - SU, basic grey brads, crop a dile, lace - from stash, saddle stitched ocean tides ribbon - PTI, cuttlebug, rhinestone stickers, Calendar - Taylored Expressions download

Cookin Up Some Love

I bet we've all been in the kitchen baking for the holidays in the past week or maybe we're going to be this week?!? So the Ways to Use It Challenge on Splitcoast was to make a card with a recipe on it!

I used this week's Taylored Expressions sketch for my card.

I attached my little cooking Tilda panel with thick foam tape just at the top and bottom so there was an open space in the middle that I could slip my recipe through. The heart and sentiment are also up on foam dimensionals to help hold the recipe in place.

I stamped a little Magnolia rolling pin in light ink over the recipe.

This is a great Biscotti recipe - my sister got it from her friend last year and she gave it to me. These biscotti are a little softer than the norm so you can actually eat them without dunking them in tea or milk!

Thanks for stopping by - let me know what you've been baking this week - any good recipes to share?!?

Stamps: Magnolia
Paper: white, pure poppy - PTI, DP Basic Grey Nook&Pantry
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Memories Soft Sage
Accessories: Martha Stewart Punch, foam tape, computer generated recipe, copics, vintage button - PTI, modern label punch - SU, heart punch

A Day of Card Making

Sit down with your cup of coffee for this one! I participated in the World Card Making Day over at Split Coast where they issued 12 challenges! Each challenge was posted by a Stamp Company that is affiliated with SCS. I was busy all day Saturday and couldn't stamp - so I had to get to work on Sunday - I only got 9 out of 12 done and posted by the midnight deadline - so here they are!

The Flourishes challenge was to use this sketch. I used stamps from the Halloween Party set by Waltzingmouse Stamps

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps: Halloween Party
Paper: Ripe Avocado, white: PTI, DP SU
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ripe Avocado: PTI
Accessories: foam dimensionals, circle punch scallop circle punch,, sponge, orange zest twill: PTI, rectangle nestability

The challenge from Hanna Stamps was also a sketch. I used Cupcake Riley for mine.

Stamps: Hanna Stamps: Cupcake Riley
Paper: Scarlet Jewel, White: PTI, DP Basic Grey Bittersweet
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Sweet Blush: PTI
Accessories: Prima flower, sponge, foam dimensionals, pinking circle nestibility, circle nestability, scarlet jewel ribbon: PTI

The Crafty Secrets World Card Making Day Challenge was to make something with dimension, to make it pop. I made a little journal book based on Lisa's tutorial here . The J in Journal, the glittery button and the inkwell are all popped up on foam dimensionals.

Stamps: Clear Art Stamps: Journaling
Paper: Vintage cream, scarlet jewel, DP Holiday Cheer: PTI
Ink: Chai: PTI, Memento Tuxedo black
Accessories: crop a dile, copics: G20, G21, R21, Y26, Y02, E51, E53, E35, BG10, Lacey punch: EK success, Scarlet Jewell Twill: PTI, Vintage button: PTI, Twine: PTI, glue dots, foam dimensionals

The Unity challenge was to use a quote on your card.

Stamps: Unity: Perfect in Every Way
Paper: Vintage cream, Rustic White: PTI, DP Cosmo Cricket/Earth Love Recycle
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Spring Moss: PTI
Accessories: Sponge, scor tape, glue dots, labels Eight Nestability, lace, twine: PTI, Vintage Button: PTI

This World Card Making Day challenge was from Stamping Bella and we had to show what we do with our girlfriends for fun - shopping of course!

Stamps: Charlotte Ketto: Stamping Bella
Paper: Pure Poppy, Ocean Tides, Vintage Cream: PTI, DP Cosmo Cricket/Early Bird Sunrise
Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black, Dandelion
Accessories: dotted satin summer sunrise ribbon: PTI, foam dimensionals, glue dots, fence punch: Marth Stewart, Sakura Black glaze pen, oval nestabilities, sponge, dew drops, copics: R37, E51, RU11, R20, C1

Jenn and Biate's Split Coast challenge was to use chocolate or other browns, their sketch and to make it a thank you card.

Stamps: Autumn Abundance: PTI
Paper: Rustic White, Dark Chocolate, DP Bitty Dot Basics: PTI
Ink: Dark Chocolate;PTI
Accessories: foam dimensionals, sponge, square nestability, Labels 3 Nestability, copics: Y38, E35, E13, E59, YR24

This challenge by Verve was to use the colors in a country's flag (they showed us a web site of flags) - I used blue and white which are on the flags of Greece, Israel, Honduras and Antarctica.

Stamps: Verve Winter Wonder
Paper: Pacific Point: SU, White, DP Bitty Box Basics: PTI
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, embossing pad
Accessories: argyle Cuttlebug folder, hot gun, white EP, Rhinestone stickers, circle punches, foam dimensionals.

This World Card Making Day Challenge from Magnolia Stamps was to make an ornament. I used a Magnolia Tree for mine, decorated it with dew drops and glittered it with Dazzling Diamonds - this really sparkles IRL! not so much on my pic here!

Stamps: Magnolia Tree
Paper: Bazzill Green, White: PTI
Ink: Brilliance Pearlescent Ivy, Colorbox Dark Brown
Accessories: Dazzling diamonds: SU, foam dimensionals, crop a dile, eyelet, dew drops, satin ribbon pure poppy: PTI, glue dots, quickie glue pen

And finally - the My Favotite Things challenge was to use pink, black, white and bling. I used silver ribbon and silver stickles for my bling.

Stamps: MFT: Flopsy FLowers
Paper: WHite: PTI, pretty in pink: SU, DP Black & White basics: PTI
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Silver ice stickles, silver ribbon: PTI, foam dimensionals, copiics: T2, R32, R20, ribbon tag trio spellbinders, rectangle nestabilities

Thanks for looking all the way to the end here today!

Thinking of You with Sparkle

Today's featured stamper on Split Coast was Sparkle (sparkplug17) and what a great gallery to get inspired by. She had a whole album of Tilda cards - and since I have several Tilda's that I love but have yet to use (!) I chose her pink Tilda Birthday to case today.

I used a different Tilda than Sparkle did, a thinking of you sentiment from PTI rather than Happy Birthday, and different designer paper - but it is basically the same layout. I distressed the edges of the sewn panel. Tilda, the flower and the sentiment are all up on foam dimensionals.

Well - I'm off to make some pecan banana bread using up some banana's that didn't get eaten this past week in my lunches!

Thanks for coming by today!

Stamps: Tilda: Magnolia, Thinking of You: Scattered Showers: PTI
Paper: Blush Blossom: SU, Ripe avocado: PTI, DP Cosmo Cricket - Girl Friday/Thursday
Ink: Pink Pirouette: SU, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: distresser: Heidi Swapp, Rhinestone brad: SU, sponge, sewing machine, Ripe avocado Twill: PTI, EK Sucess Curvy punch, foam dimensionals, Copics YG63, YG03, E11, E51, E11, BG11, BG13, YR61, R08, R20

Inspired Doubledog Rabbits

Spring is coming - really and truly!!! And we see some of it on the Inspiration Challenge web site this week which was Fitz & Floyd. I was inspired by these great rabbit candleholdersMy rabbits stamp is by 100 Proof Press which I stamped, then masked using Eclipse tape and stamped the fence by Magnolia over the mask. Then I colored the images with copics and prismacolor markers. I used my Labels One nestability for my image panel and my Swiss Dots cuttlebug folder for the 2nd panel. I used an oval punch from Stampin Up on the sentiment which is by Rubber Soul. I used some half gold beads, some tiny plastic flowers and some gold stickers to decorate the images.

This card also qualifies for the Doubledog Challenge I do each week with a group of friends on Split Coast - Francie G's challenge to us was to use a rabbit on our card. We'd love to have you join in on our Doubledog Challenges - just post your card in your gallery on SCS and use the keyword DDC.

You can see all the Doubledog Dare cards here - several new people have played along this week - why don't you??!

Hope you are having a nice weekend so far - thanks so much for stopping by!


Remember to come by tomorrow for the H&M Design Team Blog Hop - you'll just love all the fun spring projects we have to inspire you!

Stamps: Rabbits: 100 Proof Press, Fence: Magnolia, Sentiment: Rubber Soul
Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Certainly Celery: SU, White PTI
Ink: Onyx Black Versafine, Soft Sky, Certainly Celery: SU
Accessories: foam dimensionals, sponge, glue dots, oval punches: SU, Swiss dots cuttlebug folder, cuttlebug, labels one nestabilities, plastic flowers: unknown, rhinestone stickers, Eclipse tape, copics, prismacolor markers