Peace at Christmas

Hi again.  This is my second post for today because I made two cards I wanted to enter into Merry Monday's Challenge #152.

And I'm posting both of my cards into the ATS&M #138 - Holiday Challenge.

I started this card the same as my earlier card posted HERE.  I used some of my homemade sprays to create the turquoise and lime backdrop.  Then I stamped a pine branch a few times and the Peace sentiment in Versamark ink and heat embossed in white.  I was happy with how the card looked, but thought it was a little flat.  So I went back with my Dazzling Details clear glitter glue (LOVE this stuff!) to add in some sparkle. So pretty in real life.  I've included a close-up so hopefully you can see a bit of the sparkle.

Two more Christmas cards for my stash - YAY!!

Stamps:  Watercolor Winter (SU!); Peace (Anita's)
Paper:  White card base (Neenah); Watercolour (Arches 140 lb. cold press)
Ink:  Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Yellow and Green (to make Lime), plus Turquoise Liquid Watercolor Concentrate (Dick Blick), mister bottles, water, Frost white paint (Tsukineko), white embossing powder, heat tool, dazzling details clear glitter glue(SU!)

Challenges:

Merry Monday #152
ATS&M #138 - Holiday

Sparkle Christmas

Hi everyone.  Today I'm posting two Christmas cards for the Merry Monday #152 Challenge.  I have to have them on separate posts, so please check out my later post HERE, to see the second card.

And I'm posting both cards into the ATS&M #138 - Holiday Challenge.


I'm so excited to be using some homemade spray mists.  I watched this video tutorial by the Frugal Crafter and was hooked.  I bought the smallest quantity of spray bottles from Paper Mart (100 --- yes 100!).  Such a great deal, it made more sense for me to buy a lot and then I can make lots of sprays ... and use the bottles (they come with caps ... the sprayers are sold separately) to store little things like sequins, etc.  I used liquid watercolour concentrate (Dick Blick) mixed with water and then added in some frost paint (Tsukineko) for the shimmer.  The frost paint doesn't dissolve very well so I have to shake up the bottles each time I want to use them.  I'm have also used the pearl w/c concentrate and it's pretty, but not as frosty as the other.  Still more experimenting to do, but I'm having lots of fun! :)

I used two mists for my background of this card (Lime ... made by mixing two parts yellow and one part green; and turquoise).  It's so pretty and shimmery in real life, but doesn't show up in the photo well.  I wanted to have some falling snow, so splattered the sky with diluted white acrylic paint.  I added two die-cut snowbanks and a five-tier die-cut tree that I coated in dazzling details clear glitter glue for even more sparkle.  Oh, and I added a thin line of the glitter along the tops of the snow banks. :)

Here's a close up and hopefully you can see the sparkle a bit better ...

Hope you are all enjoying your Easter long weekend.  We are having the family for dinner tomorrow for a joint celebration of Easter and hubby's birthday!  Some of you know that I fell back in January and had surgery to repair my torn quadracept tendon. The healing has gone really well and so has rehab.  I'm now able to get around using a cane.  So I'll be in the kitchen tomorrow cooking the glazed ham and baking a green bean casserole.  My energy is limited and thankfully the family is helping out with bringing the rest of the meal .. I'm so lucky! :)

Happy Easter!

Stamps:  Snowman Sayings (Amy R)
Paper:  White card base (Neehan); Watercolour (Arches 140 lb. cold press)
Ink:  Smoky Slate (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Yellow, green and turquoise liquid watercolour concentrate (Dick Blick), spray bottle, water, white acrylic paint, paintbrush, Snow Drifts dies (My Favorite Things), Snow Covered Stacker Tree dies (Dee's Distinctively), dazzling details clear glitter glue (SU!)

Challenges

Merry Monday #152
ATS&M #138 - Holiday

HLS April CAS Challenge - Stenciling

Hi everyone.  Time for the April CAS Challenge at Happy Little Stampers.  This month we are playing with stencils!  Don't have any stencils??  You can make your own with dies, punches or even hot glue! :)  Check out the challenge where there are links to video tutorials on how to make your own.

I made this card for my DDIL's birthday, which was just a few days ago.  I started this card by spraying a yellow frost on the background.  Embossing paste was then added over top of a stencil to get a little bit of pattern in the center of the card, which brings focus inward to the layered and sponged daisy. :)  The daisy is die-cut (three layers), sponged on the edges, and shaped with tweezers, stylus and mat. The center is seven small sun punches that have been sponged, cut and rolled.  I sprayed it with a sparkle mist, which is so pretty in real life. :)

Even though this card has a lot going on, it is still CAS in my opinion, and follows the CAS definition for the Happy Little Stampers challenge.  There is lots of yellow area (open space with no pattern), one main focal point (the daisy), minimal layers and embellishments. :)

This month we are welcoming Nancy as our Guest Designer.  Nancy makes the most wonderful cards, and she also is an avid supporter of Happy Little Stampers.  Thanks so much for joining us this month Nancy!! :)  Click HERE to check out the amazing card Nancy made for the HLS CAS Stenciling Challenge.

I hope you'll join us for this fun challenge.  There are lots of ways to add stenciling to a card, and I'll be adding more cards throughout the month of April, showing different stenciling techniques.  I hope you'll be inspired to playing along!!


This is also a reminder of the April Mixed Media Card Challenge - Flowers, which runs until April 25th.  Come check it out! :)

And I'm going to enter this into the new challenge at Virginia's View #14 - Layers and Dimension.

And into Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Happy Birthday.

Stamps:  A Little Sentimental (Clearly Besotted)
Paper:  White (Neenah); Arches Watercolour paper 140 lb. cold press
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon (Tim Holtz); Pear Pizzazz (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Homemade Yellow Spray (using yellow Liquid Watercolour concentrate from Dick Blick),  Starburst stencil (cut with my Silhouette Cameo), embossing paste (Dreamweaver), palette knife, Acrylic White paint, Lovely Aster die (Memory Box), Sun punch (Punch Bunch), sponges, stylus and mat for shaping, champagne mist acrylic paint (Tsukineko) mixed with water to add sparkle to the flower.

Challenges:

HLS April CAS Challenge - Stenciling
Mixed Media Card Challenge - April - Flowers
Virginia's View #14 - Layers and Dimension
Simon Says Stamp - Happy Birthday

Golden Daisy

Hi everyone.  Time for the April Mixed Media Card Challenge - Flowers with optional element:  Basket.

The wreath is a free cut file of hand-drawn circles from Daniela Dobson.  Thanks Daniela.  I added a couple of white die-cut leaf sprigs and adorned it with an orange daisy with gold leaves.

The wreath is placed over a circle aperture on my card front, that I lined with more gold ... this time gold mirror card stock that has added lines of gold glitter embossing using my brayer and rubber bands (rubber band embossing technique).  Sorry for the poor quality of the photo, hard to capture the shine of the gold and have it clear. :)

I hope you'll join us for this fun challenge.  Please click HERE to see the cards from the rest of the very talented design team.  Come play along ... make a mixed media card following our simple rules ...

A card that has stamps and inks PLUS at least two products, embellishments, OR techniques that add texture and dimension.

Hope to see you in the gallery!

Stamps:  A Little Sentiment (Clearly Besotted)
Paper:  White (Neenah); Gold Foil and Pumpkin Pie (SU!)
Ink:  Versamark; Tangerine Tango (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  brayer, elastic bands, gold glitter embossing powder, Circle Nestability (Spellbinders), Little Leaves die (Sizzix), Scribbled Circle cut file (Daniella Dobson), Silhouette Cameo, Small Daisy punch (Punch Bunch), gold leaves, gold stickles, sponges

Challenges:
April Mixed Media Card Challenge - Flowers