A Unicorn Birthday for Madelyn

Today is my sweet youngest Grand Niece, Madelyn's birthday.  She is 5 years old and she shares her birthday with my maternal grandmother Lilla May Mulryan Chase who was born in 1887! (Madelyn's Great Great Grandmother!)

As part of her birthday presents from Kent and me,  I made her a reveal wheel card and a little die cut felt Unicorn (her favorite creature at the moment!)

I used the Unicorn die from Neat and Tangled for my little stuffed unicorn.  I die cut the pieces out of felt, used a running stitch to sew the pieces together and stuffed it with little pieces of cotton balls! 

Below you can see the sparkle added to the unicorn where I brushed over the colors with Clear Glitter Wink of Stella.  I used Tombow Markers to color the areas.

I used the Reveal Wheel dies from Lawn Fawn to cut all the wheel pieces.  Lawn Fawn has a great tutorial on YouTube showing all the simple steps in putting the pieces together.

The words in the windows are from Reveal Wheel Sentiments.

The unicorn and MAGICALsentiment along the bottom are from Magical Day by Neat and Tangled. The Wishing You and Birthday are from the Reveal Wheel Sentiments set.  

I used the Magical Day die to cut the unicorn and popped her up on foam dots. 

Here are the 4 words revealed as Madelyn turned the wheel.

I used my Brother Label maker for the personalization.

I'm linking my card to:

Inkspirational

I used pop dots on the unicorn and on the reveal wheel

Happy Little Stampers

I used a two unicorn dies and a reveal wheel die

Stamps:  Magical Day - Neat and Tangled, Reveal Wheel Sentiments - Lawn Fawn
Paper:  white, Hibiscus Burst, DP Bitty Big Berry Sorbet - PTI
Ink:  Hero Hues Black
Accessories:  Unicorn Die and Magical Day die - Neat and Tangled, Reveal wheel Die - Lawn Fawn, foam dots, tiny brad, Tombow Markers, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella.

Framed Poppies

Today I have a card to share that I made for two challenges -  Sunday's Featured Stamper challenge over at Splitcoaststampers and the April CAS Watercolour Card Challenge.

I CASEd a card of Angie's (stampinhappy on SCS) that had a poppies image on it and the CAS Watercolour challenge is to use poppies - so I hit two challenges with one card!

It seems I only have two poppy stamps in my vast array of floral stamps in my craft room!??

Today I used a two stamp set from Rubbernecker aptly called Watercolor Poppies for my card.  I put the flower piece in my Stamp Platform and colored the areas on the stamp with Ranger Distress Markers -Festive Berries on the poppies, Forest Moss on the leaves and Gathered Twigs on the stems.  I spritzed the stamp with water and pressed it against a panel of watercolor paper.

I dried the panel with my heat tool and then positioned the outline stamp over the colored image, put the outline stamp on the Stamp Platform, inked it in black and pressed it over the panel.

This is a great way to watercolor a stamp if your not adept at regular watercoloring ie. with water and paint (which I am NOT although I'm trying to learn!) 

I die cut the panel using the medium frame from Pierced Feature Frames: Rectangles from PTI (they are presently on sale!).  Then I layered the outer frame on foam dots onto a white card base and adhered the inside panel inside the frame.

Also Linking my card to:

CAS Watercolour Card Challenge

Double D Challenges

watercolors

Die Cut Divas

Use some kind of Water

I 'inked' my stamp with Distress Markers and spritzed with water

Stamps:  Water Color Poppies - Rubbernecker
Ink:  Hero Hues Black
Paper:  Water color - Canson, White - PTI
Accessories:  Ranger Distress Markers Festive Berries, Forest Moss, Gathered Twigs,  Stamp Platform - Tonic, water mister, heat tool, Pierced Feature Frames: Rectangles - PTI, foam dots.

Consider the Lilies

There's a fun technique challenge over on the CAS Mix Up Card Challenge blog this month!  

I was intrigued as I don't think I have ever heard of Layered Stamping with Heat Embossing??!! 

I used the technique Jennifer McGuire shows on this video that was linked to over on the CAS Mix Up Blog:  Layered Heat Embossing.  There are other links posted at CAS Mix Up as well.

I just purchased the older PTI stamp and die sets called Lilies of the Field and it just happened to have 4 stamps for each lily - so it was perfect for this challenge!

 I die cut the lily and stem out of kraft card.  I white embossed the first layer of stamp, then I used yellow on the 2nd layer and tree branch on the third little center piece there.   I stamped the final stamp (the stamens) in black ink .

I die cut the PTI oval frame out of Kraft card as well as a dotted vellum (the inside of the circle - can you see the dots?  It's pretty subtle.).   I gold embossed the sentiment from Garden of Faith Sentiments.  I popped up the outside frame as well as the lily blossom on foam dots.

ETA:  Another photo I took with my phone in the sunlight - hopefully showing the dotted vellum?!

Inside I stamped:  

& how much more he cares for you - from the Lilies of the Field set

HAPPY Easter -  from  Easter Alleluias 

So this was a fun new technique learned and now I want to try it out with other stamps I have that have multiple layers!

I'm linking my card to:

CAS Mix Up Card Challenge

Country View Challenges

April Easter/Spring

Stamps:  Lilies of the Field, Garden of Faith Sentiments - PTI
Paper:  White, Kraft, Sheer Basics Pattern Pack Vellum - PTI
Ink:  Versamark, Classic Kraft - PTI, Black Hero Hues.
Accessories:  Pierced Feature Frames: Ovals, Lilies of the Field Die Set - PTI, foam dots, Antique Gold Embossing Powder - Altenew.

April CAS Stencil Card Challenge - Pastes and Gels

Wow - how did April get here so fast -  although isn't it great to be coming into spring and saying goodbye to winter?!  

It's also time for the April CAS Stencil Card Challenge!  Barb is our creative host this month and she would like us to use pastes or gels with our stencils! 

I was excited to get out my recently purchased Nuvo Expanding Mousse paste and try it out for this challenge.  When you dry it with your heat tool, it puffs up!  If you leave it to dry naturally - it's still thick but flat. 

I decided to make Easter cards since I will be needing them to send out in a couple of weeks!

I used my old Nestability Egg die to cut a Pale Peony egg.  I laid it under the Abstract Petals Stencil (older from MFT) and spread the Worn Linen Expanding Mousse over the stencil with a plastic spatula.  Here's how it looked when I lifted off the stencil.  (wash your stencil and spatula immediately!)

I dried the mousse with my heat tool and it puffed right up, see below (if left to dry naturally, it dries flat, pretty much like it looks above.)   I sponged the edges of my eggs (I cut another one out of Blueberry Sky) with the matching inks to give them a little depth.

I added 2 thick (3/16th") foam dots just to the center of the back of the eggs and I curved the edges of the egg down a bit.

I adhered the die cut frame (Papertrey Ink) flat on the card base, then added the egg (with just the foam dots as shown above)  I stamped and die cut the sentiment banner (Waltzingmouse retired) and layered it over the egg with regular thin foam dots.

And here's the blue one!

So please join us in April - and show us how you use paste or gels with your stencils.  Link up your CAS designs at CAS Stencil - where you will find links to technique videos and wonderful inspiration from the creative Design Team!   

You have until April 24th.

We also have a wonderful Guest Designer joining us this month:  Bobby (Bits & Pieces)

I'm also linking my cards to:
Country View Challenges
Easter/Spring

Stamps:  Good Egg - Waltzingmouse (retired)
Paper:  White, Blueberry Sky, Pale Peony - PTI
Ink:  Pale Peony, Blueberry Sky - PTI
Accessories:  Nested Eggs - Nestabilities, Good Egg Dies - Waltzingmouse (retired), Pierced Feature Frames: Rectangles - PTI, thick foam dots, foam dots, plastic spatula, heat tool, Nuvo Expanding Mousse Worn Linen, Abstract Petals Stencil - My Favorite Things (retired).

Morning Glory

Today I made a card using the colors for the Color Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers - 2 purples and a green.

I used lots of recently purchased items from Altenew -  the Layered Plaid Cover Die A, Build A Flower: Morning Glory and the Morning Glory die set.  I love when I use something new right away!  So often I put new purchases in a drawer and then forget I bought them!

I brushed the flowers and the leafy stems with Clear Glitter Wink of Stella which you can hopefully see in the photo above?!

I'm also linking my card to:

Country View Challenges - Easter or Spring

Words to Craft by

Happiness held is the Seed

Happiness Shared is the flower

Altenew is celebrating it's 5th Anniversay with a give away

and I'm linking my card to their blog.

Stamps:  Build a Flower: Morning Glory - Altenew
Paper:  White - PTI
Ink:  Wisteria, Hydrangea Ultraviolet, Bamboo, Olive - Altenew 
Accessories:  Layered Plaid Cover Die A, Morning Glory Die - Altenew, foam dots, Clear Glitter wink of Stella Brush.

A Vintage Journey - March Tag Friday

Whenever there is a 5th Friday in the month, we celebrate with Tag Friday over at A Vintage Journey!

I'm already in Easter mode so I decided to make Easter Tags!

First I gathered supplies I wanted to use to create my tags.  Critters Dies, Tag Sale Quilted die, Nestability Egg die (discontinued), Wall Flowers Paper Stash, Gold Gansai Watercolor paint, Happy Easter sentiment stamp and die from A Good Egg by Waltzingmouse (retired), Distress Inks in Gathered Twigs, Spun Sugar and Weathered Wood.

 To create an aged vintage look, I sponged the edges of the patterned paper and tags cut from Rustic Cream with Gathered Twigs

I die cut the bunny head from both blue and pink Kraft Core-dinations, sponged the edges with Gathered Twigs and assembled the pieces. 

I die cut eggs out of Rustic Cream card and sponged them with either Gathered Twigs, Spun Sugar or Weathered Wood.  I sponged the edges of the eggs with Gathered Twigs then flicked water on them.  They look so pretty - I love just looking at them!

 I loosely painted the edges of the tags and patterned papers with Gold paint, then splattered some on the eggs and papers by flicking the paint brush over them.

So then I adhered all the pieces together - popping up the bunny head and sentiment banner on foam dots.  I brushed over the bunnies and the sentiment with Clear Glitter Wink of Stella - so there is a little shimmer IRL (doesn't show in photos)

I added bright satin ribbons to the top and a square of patterned paper to the back to give it a finished look.

The most time consuming bit was putting all the pieces of the bunny heads together!

They look so pretty all laid out!

 

I made a total of 11 tags and will hopefully sell most of them at my church Easter sale.

The tags can be tied on the handle of a basket, placed inside a basket, or given as a card by itself!

So please hop over to A Vintage Journey and be inspired by all the beautiful tags the Creative Guides have created this month!   We'd love for you to link up a tag that you've created recently as well!

I'm linking my card/tag to:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Stamps:  A Good Egg - Waltzingmouse (retired)

Paper:  Rustic Cream - Papertrey Ink,  Kraft Core Core-dinations, Wall Flowers Paper Stash - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.

Ink:  True Black - Papertrey Ink, Ranger Distress Gathered Twigs, Spun Sugar, Weathered Wood.

Accessories: Critters Side Kick Dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Nestability Egg Die, Good Egg sentiment strip die - Waltzingmouse (retired), Tag Sale Quilted Die - Papertrey Ink, Gold Gansai Water color paint, foam dots, Tombow Glue, blue and pink Satin Ribbon, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella.

Spring Tulips

Well, we can always hope for Spring right?!!   I do have two little crocus' blooming in my front garden and my daffodils are coming up in the sunny spot near my side door!  I also have spring on my card today!  

I hit 4 of the weekly challenges over at Splitcoaststampers with this design  - 

Ways to use it: Something to plant in your garden, 

Free 4 All - use some of your favorite colors,   

Wednesday sketch and 

Mix-Ability Challenge - use tulips, daffodils or pansies with at least 2 mixed media.

I stenciled my background with a FABULOUS stencil from Altenew called Weave Builder - I sponged over the stencil with one color - flipped the stencil over - lined it up with what was already colored and sponged with another color and it actually looks like 3D cubes (do you see them?)!

I put 4 1/2" wide Dotted washi tape from Altenew over a panel then die cut the oval from it. I die cut the tulip, stem and leaves, also from Altenew - Exotic Tulip - then stamped them. The tulip stamp set comes with three layers to stamp and the leaves come with 2 layers - I just used one on my tulip today but I did use 2 layers on the stems.

I put it all together layering a lot of it on foam dots. I white embossed the sentiment from PTI on black. I brushed over the tulip and leaves with Clear Glitter Wink of Stella - which I hope you can see on the close up below?!

I'm also linking my card to:

Happy Little Stampers

 The Flower Challenge

Stamps:  Exotic Tulip - Altenew, Sentiment Staples: Thinking of You - PTI 
Paper: White, True Black, Lavender Moon - PTI 
Ink:  Purple Wine, Bamboo, Olive, Puffy Heart, Rose Quartz - Altenew, Versamark  
Accessories:  Weave Builder Stencil - Altenew, Exotic Tulip Dies - Altenew, Pierced Feature Frame: Ovals - PTI, white embossing powder, Dotted 4 1/2" wide washi tape - Altenew, foam dots, white embossing powder, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella