Blue and Yellow Beach Day

Today I'm joining in on the Color Hues Challenge.

I used several shades of blue and  one shade of yellow!

Color Hues

Ends June 14

Also linking my card to:

Double D Challenges  

ends 6/16

Something old - Nestability circle dies

Something New - All Star Burst Embossing Folder

Something Blue - blue flip flops

NBUS

First time using the Embossing folder and Postage Collage die  

Stamps: Beach Day - Technique Junkies
Paper: White, Lemon tart, Enchanted Evening - Papertrey Ink, DP Beach Vibes - Honey Bee
Ink: Nocturne - Versafine Clair
Accessories: Circle and Lacy Circle dies - Nestabilities, Postage Collage Die - Waffle Flower, Simple Strips - Straight Edge Die - Taylored Expressions, All Star Burst Embossing Folder - Simon Says Stamp, Yellow Enamel Dots - Altenew, Gloss Simply White Nuvo Drops., Flip Flops - Jolee's, foam dots.

Card Chain Challenge - May 2024 Reveal

 Today's the day all the cards exchanged in May over at the Card Chain Challenge are being revealed.  This month I sent a card to Mia in Greece and I received a lovely card from Jeanne in Minnesota!

This month I used the option of two of the themes: Men in Hats and Friendship and the sketch (sort of!)

Theme Options: Men in Hats / Cake / Friendship

Here's my card:

I purchased the elf/gnome die on Amazon, the sentiment is from Graduation Gnome from Unity, the DP is Forest by Stamperia.  I added black pearls for eyes and tuxedo hearts.

We hope you will join us for June - sign up to send and receive a card from someone anywhere in the world!   You'll find all the details on how to join in over at The Card Chain Challenge as well as seeing all the cards exchanged!   

You just sign up for one month at a time. You can join in whenever you like.  

You sign up on the Link - and you send to the person before you and the person signed up after you sends to you!

You have until June 6th to sign up for the June card exchange!

Linking my card to:

Krafty Chicks

ends 6/5

NBUS

First time using the gnome die and sentiment

Cut it Up

anything goes using dies  ends June 12

Stamps: sentiment from Graduation Gnome - Unity.

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair

Paper:  Cocoa Bean, True Black, Pine Feather, Soft Stone - Papertrey Ink, Hammered white - Amazon, Place Rose - Bazzill, DO Forest - Stamperia.

Accessories:  Elf/gnome die - Amazon, black pearls, Tuxedo Hearts - Honey Bee,  Copic W2.

Inkspirational #317 - Framed Birthday

 It's time for the newest biweekly Inkspirational Challenge - #317

And here is my framed sentiment Birthday Card I created for the challenge!

I stamped this lovely Happy Birthday Background stamp from Gummiapan onto the white die cut circle from Stitched Square and Circles from Penny Black.  I cut a  circle frame from the same die set out of metallic gold and layered it over the sentiment circle with foam dots.  Then I cut the purple frame using the Mid Century Frame die from Altenew and adhered that to the gold frame (it fit just perfectly!)

I splattered a panel of white hammered paper with a purple POSCA Pen.  When it was dry, I layered the white circle over the panel with foam dots.

A close up just to show how the metallic gold sparkles in the light!

We hope you will join us over at Inkspirational and show us how FRAME inspires you!  You will find Mr. Linky as well as lots of inspiration from the rest of the DT over at the blog!

You have until June 14th to link up!

I'm also linking my card to:

NBUS

First time using this Birthday Collage Stamp

Seize the Birthday

ends June 4

Just Us Girls

Casing Carol's card - inspired by white circle and purple color

ends June 4th

Krafty Chicks 

ends 6/5

Cut it Up

anything goes using dies  Ends 6/12

Stamps:  Happy Birthday Background - Gummiapan (Color Me Nordic US shop carrying it)

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair

Paper:  White, Amethist Allure - Papertrey Ink, Metalic Gold - Kraft Stack Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, hammered white - Amazon.

Accessories:  Mid Century Frame Die - Altenew, Stitched Square and Circles - Penny Black, foam dots, Purple POSCA pen.

Group of Seven Cardmakers - May 2024 Bokeh Technique

 This month, the Group of 7 Cardmakers are working with the Bokeh technique.

There is a link to a YouTube video on this technique as well as written instructions and supply list over at the G07 blog.

Here are two cards I created with my Bokeh backgrounds.

The beautiful trees are a stamp called Forest Scene from Lavinia.

Here is my second card using the same colors on my 2nd panel.  The stamps used here are Tall Dandelion (the stem is really straight on the stamp but I bent it a bit to turn into the center of the card) and Drooping Dandelion also from Lavinia.  I added White Nuvo drops to the dandelion bits.

Here is how I made my cards.

I chose 3 Distress Inks - Mermaid Lagoon, Twisted Cintron and Hickory Smoke.  I smooshed them on my craft mat (one color at a time going light to dark), spritzed with water and pressed a panel of white card stock into the colors.  I kept inking and smooshing until I got a coverage that I liked.  I made two panels in case I ruined one later!  Luckily both survived and I made two cards!

I put double sided removable tape on the back of my panel to hold it down on my glass mat, laid my White Orbs stencil from Lavinia over the panel and taped the edges to hold it.

I took a finger sponge, inked it on a White Pigment ink pad and then dabbed it over random circles.  My stencil was already a mix of big and small circles so I didn't have to move it around.  

Below are my two finished panels.  You can see that even though I used the same inks for smooshing- they look quite different.

NOTE:   I have to confess -  I hadn't gone back to the group instructions after reading it once - and I forgot the part about overlapping some of your circles to make it look more mystical -  probably because my stencil had all the different size circles and I didn't have to move it at all (that's my excuse anyway!)  -  so consider my cards as examples of how it looks if you don't overlap the circles!!??!!  I was afraid to go back when I was done - and try to overlap some -  we all know what happens when you try to fix or add something right??!

I also didn't really achieve darker white on small circles and lighter white on big circles although I tried!  My first panel may be better than the 2nd on this point.

So please check out the rest of the G07's beautiful Bokeh cards over at the Group of Seven Blog.  We hope to inspire you to try it out if you haven't yet, or even play with it again if you have!  You can link up your cards there so we can all see! 

I'm linking my dandelion card to:

NBUS

first time using the Tall Dandelion stamp

Stencil Fun

Girly theme -  Flowers  Ends 5/31

Double D Challenges

Polka Dots ends 6/2

Stamps:  Forest Scene, Tall Dandelion, Drooping Dandelion - Lavinia, Birthday Basics - PTI, Simple Strips - Sympathy - Taylored Expressions.

Paper:  White - PTI, Easter Grass - Bazzill.

Ink:  Twisted Cintron, Mermaid Lagoon, Hickory Smoke - Ranger Distress, White Pigment - Hampton Arts, Nocturne - Versafine Clair.

Accessories:  White Orbs Stencil - Lavinia, A2 Arches - The Greetery, Gloss Simply White Nuvo Drops, Simple Strips flag end and straight end dies - Taylored Expressions.

Loving a Fisherman

 I made this sympathy card for a neighbor who's husband passed recently.   He was an avid fisherman.

The background is DP - Ink Drop Earth from Craft Papers, the fisherman is from Technique Junkies and the sentiment is from Unity.

This is the sentiment I stamped inside the card by Dark Room Door - Part of You

I'm linking my card to:

Little Red Wagon challenge 757  

Just One Layer ends 5/29

Stamps: Fisherman Technique Junkies, sentiment from Unity, inside from Darkroom Door - Part of You
Paper: white card base - PTI, DP Ink Drop Earth - Craft Papers
Ink: Nocturne - Versafine Clair

The Roar of a Miniature Lion

 I'm joining in on the latest Try it on Tuesday challenge - Small Things.  

I made a miniature book on Lions - well 2 books actually so I could show the cover and the pages inside!  

This book measures 1" H x 3/4" W x 1/4" deep and has 11 pages in it, all different pictures of lions. Comparing to a US nickel in the photo.

I found the book patterns on ETSY -  at the shop Ever After Miniatures.  Look under the tab Openable Miniature books. 

She has lots of miniature patterns for all kinds of things!   

I have purchased the patterns for about 25 of her miniature books and am slowly making them all! They are all copies of old books, some are just photos, some have text, some have more pages than others.

She has one on Owls, Dinosaurs, Cats, Rocks and Minerals, Snakes, Witches, King Arthur, The Bible, Peter Rabbit, a Dessert Cook Book, Roses, Orchids, and Butterflies just to name a few!   They average $2-$4 and you get the file to save to your computer so you have it forever and you can make as many as you want! 

They are really easy to make and she includes instructions. You cut the page strips, adhere them end to end in a long strip, score and fold on the lines, glue the backs of the folded pages together and glue into the cover.  You print them on regular computer paper.  

I have always loved miniature things.  I sell the books at my church fair and at an occasional craft fair if I rent a table and gift some to friends, but mostly just enjoy making them and looking through them!!

Linking my miniature book to:

Try it on Tuesday - Small things  ends 5/28

Accessories:  Miniature Lion Book pattern - Ever After Miniatures shop on Etsy, glue, scoring tool, scissors, computer paper.

Inkspirational Challenge #316 - Spotlight Sympathy

 There's a new challenge over at Inkspirational today -  #316.  

It's Designers Choice and Pia has chosen:

I looked on Pinterest to find samples of spotlighting as well as YouTube. 

 

And this is my DT card for the challenge.

I used my Misti to stamp the leaves and bloom from an older Wallpaper Art stamp set from Altenew onto two panels of white card, stamping them in the exact same place on each panel.  

Then I die cut a rectangle out of the middle of one of them.  I colored the images on the full panel (at least the parts that would show!) and then adhered  the cut out frame panel over it.  I stamped the sentiment and added enamel dots.

I had an extra frame panel (I made a few errors in stamping during my creation journey!) and adhered  that on the inside of my card which just happened to perfectly frame the sentiment I had already stamped!?!  

It was an afterthought that I really like the look of - adds a little more interest to the inside.

So we hope you will check out the spotlight technique and create a card yourself -  we'd love to see it linked up over at Inkspirational!   

You'll also find some lovely inspiration using the technique by the rest of the Design Team!

You have until May 31 to link up your card!

Also linking my card to:

NBUS

the first time using this sentiment from the Columbine stamp and die set 

that I've had for at least 8 years??!!

Addicted to CAS  ends 5/24

The Flower Challenge ends 5/25

Stamps:  Wallpaper Art stamp set, sympathy sentiment from Build a Flower: Columbine - Altenew

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair

Paper:  White - Papertrey Ink

Accessories: Rectangle Die - Spellbinders, Copics YG95, R32, enamel dots - Altenew.