Sparkly Wallflower

I really love Jennifer McGuire, and am always excited about her tips and ideas. I recently watched her video on using patterned paper in a new way . I made a couple of cards using her technique of using patterned paper as a background when stamping in lieu of coloring. Both cards use Altenew's Leaf Canopy Stamp and Die set . The top card was stamped exclusively on patterned paper that I ink blended with some distressed ink. I also stamped the Leaf Canopy outline with green ink and embossed the with a clear embossing powder. I also stamped the dark green paper with the same stamp in a green stamp for a tone-on-tone effect. I went back with Gansai Tambi Starry Colors set and used the white gold water color on the dark green background paper to paint the leaves, and flicked some on the leaves in the foreground. I then went back and started to assemble the card.I first affixed the two leaf clusters--the smaller I popped up with foam tape and placed on top of the larger cluster o

The Fusion challenge theme is Valentine's Day: I had fun making a few Valentine's card for the hubby and the girls (shhhh... it's a secret). I had fun pulling some different papers out of my stash. Most of the papers were a page from an old magazine that I had painted over with some glittery watercolors a long time ago and then had put them to the side. I also used some scraps of a variety of other papers. Basically I cut some of the painted magazine papers into a rectangle using a die, then decorated each with some combination of paper scraps and washi tape. I then popped up two different hearts that I hole punched out of a variety of papers--a larger scalloped heart and a smaller plain heart. I glued the two hearts together and then popped them onto the card using foam tape. To meet the suggestions of the challenge, I put most of the hearts towards the lower right part of each rectangle. I then placed some gems or sequins around each card. What do you think? Which

What a pretty combination of colors--blue, navy, white and pink! Color Throwdown #579 asked us to work with these 4 colors together: Here are my two cards using these colors--  I used the  Leaf Canopy stamp and die set from Altenew for the leafy background, first by stamping with rose gold and embossing the outlines leaves, and then using Altenew watercolors to color them in. I then used Altenew's Starry Flower stamp and die set to create the flowers. I used the rose gold ink and embossed the outlines of the starry flowers and then used a combination of pinks--both Distress Ink markers and Zig markers to color in the flowers. I then used some navy and light blue papers from my stash to use as a background and then popped up the leaves and starry flowers using foam tape and finally used some clear gems to finish up the cards. Again, it was really fun to try something new!

So I made a couple of cards to reflect the Cas(e) this sketch challenge #358:  This first card features some scrap papers I had lying around, including a page from a magazine that I altered. I then stamped and die cut Altenew's Dot Botanicals set, first stamping the plant in Mermaid Lagoon Distress Oxide with a little bit of some green on the edges, and then went back in with some rose gold ink with the second layer of the stamp set (the dots) and then embossed it. I then attached some sequins. This second example is a little bit of a deviation on the challenge, but I liked the card anyway. This card started out with the second plant from the Dot Botanicals set from above, stamped and embossed in the exact same way.  I then went back and die cut out a white background die using Honey Bee Stamps' Winter Prism Cover Plates die set . This set comes with 3 cover plates that can make a dimensional, layered die cut. I used the top plate for this card using white waterc

So I didn't get to submit my submission in time, but I still wanted to share (what would have been) my submission for the Color Throwdown Countdown #578. Here was the color palate that we were asked to work with: Here is my entry: I really appreciated the opportunity to work with colors that I wouldn't have put together. I also had to get out my Gina K foils in both silver and red and go to town. It was wonderful how the red and greys really worked together. Thanks Color Thowdown Challenge. Maybe next time I will have my act together and get it done before the deadline.

Altenew has such wonderful products and ideas. Their monthly inspiration challenge is no exception. The February 2020 challenge allowed me to play with a color combination that I usually don't use--green and yellow. Now we are in Oregon, so that combo is immediately associated with the University of Oregon, so if you are a Beaver fan, please forgive the colors. Here is the inspiration photo from Altenew: At first I was playing with some card stock that was too harsh, but settled on playing with some patterned papers in my stash, a strip of green paper with a white pattern from an old magazine, and then a stamp set and die from Altenew. Here is my card: I used the Leaf Canopy stamp and die set from Altenew, and double stamped both the outline and the silhouette in two shades of green, clear embossed them, and then colored in the outline stamp with some different green inks. I added some gold watercolor from my Gansai Tambi Starry Color set.Finally I die cut out both.  I

I had been playing with my Nuvo Shimmer Powders in Cherry Bomb and Lilac Waterfall. I really liked how the paper looked, and wanted to highlight it in a card. This beautiful die is the Graceful Heart Frame from Poppy Stamps, cut out of watercolor paper that was painted with white gold Gansi Tambi Starry Colors . 

I am really enjoying my new Cuddles and Hugs die set from Concord and 9th. Sadly, this card was made to cheer someone up who just lost someone, but I can't imagine something that is more cheery than this card! I also got to play with Nuvo Shimmer Powder in both Blue Blitz and Lilac Waterfall. I then splattered my (new-to-me) Gansi Tambi Starry Colors set in yellow gold. There is some white gold on the white watercolor paper backing of the hugs die. 

I really enjoyed making another card for the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge. Challenge 420 features a circle in the center of the card with a strip for a sentiment or rectangular element on the bottom right. Here is my card! It is hard to see in the picture, but there is a ink blended stencil design around the flower--starting in the circlular center in Picked Raspberry Distress Ink and then blends into Dried Marigold Distress Ink.