AAA Cards Challenge 4-14

Glimmer Hotfoil with a BetterPress plate for the AAACards Challenge!

Hi all!

Thanks for joining me today for another AAA Cards Challenge!  The challenge this time around is Anything Goes, but you can make a wedding or anniversary-themed card if you'd like.  I chose to follow the theme and thought continuing with some foil accents would be a perfect fit!

The sentiment strip was found in my scrap bin which was heat embossed on this beautiful pale blush shimmer paper left over from my own wedding.  The stamp is from Altenew Leaf Canopy, it's a great basic set to have on hand if you don't already have it.

The window die and the image inside it came from Spellbinders Floral View BetterPress plate set.  It's great that press plates can be used in the Glimmer system!  It extends the use of my supplies, a bonus in my book.  The extreme detail on that image is so beautiful...it would be lovely to color in....next time!

 It is a very simple yet elegant card that took only a few minutes to assemble!  I am also entering this in the Triple B challenge, it only has one of the B's, but the color is spot on in their inspiration photo.

Now head over to AAA Cards Challenge and share your creation with us!  Have a colorful day!

Hummmmm...TIC TAC TOE #242 TEAM PICK!!

 New Challenge with AAA Cards Challenge, Join us!

Hi all!

Welcome to another challenge with AAA Cards Challenge!  This time, we have a sketch to help guide you, join us won't you?

 

For this card, I used a new Pretty Pink Posh set I received from the recent Pink Fresh Create and Connect event.  This little stamp set comes from the Hummingbird Florals and is very simple and sweet, I had to use her for this sketch.  This set will be released by Pretty Pink Posh sometime soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

Did you know that hummingbirds are different colors?  Just like we have different colors of hair, hummingbird feathers have different shades as well.  Up close they are so incredibly beautiful and don't weigh anything in your hand!  We had one fly into our sunroom one day and it kept bopping itself against the windows until I could catch it...I'm so glad it didn't get harmed too terribly.

These little birds were colored with alcohol markers in the same 4 shades, Dew Drops, Citrus Burst, Pink Pearl and Frayed Leaf.  All four of these are my favorite colors, so I thought I'd add this to the current Tic Tac Toe challenge using the diagonal, CAS, Free and Favorite Colors.  They were then die cut so they could be arranged at different angles.

The sentiment is included in this set, and I adore the script used!  A perfect ending to a sweet CAS card!  Now go create your own card based on the sketch and share it with us in the AAA Cards gallery, we look forward to seeing it!

Have a colorful day!

Birthday Bokeh

 A Bokeh Birthday with The Stamp Market

Hi all!

It's time for a new challenge over at AAA Cards Challenge blog!  The theme this time is Birthday themed Anything Goes.  So as long as its a CAS birthday card, you're in!  

I have to apologize for my photos, I have a new phone and new editing software I'm trying to figure out, so the photos aren't as crisp as I like them.  You'll get the general idea with them...I hope.  Any suggestions on editing software for an IMac?  I'm on the struggle bus here...

Any hoo...the card front was ink blended using The Stamp Markets Bokeh stencil set with Altenew's Frosty Pink, Sunkissed, Citrus Burst and Dew Drops Crisp Dye Inks using their fantastic mini blending brushes.  A background of the colors were added first, then repeated inking the colors using the 2 stencils in the set to create the colored panel on the card front.

The birthday sentiment is from one of my most favorite Simon Says Stamp sentiment sets, called Elegantly Modern Greeting.  It's a great basic set for any card maker, highly recommend.  It was stamped and heat embossed with Altenew gold embossing powder, then the 'birthday' was die cut with the coordinating die to create the window.  5 more pieces of card stock were cut and glued together to create the shaker element.  It's not how I would normally create a shaker card, but I thought I'd give it a go with this...don't think I'll do it this way again however.  Close up you can see the layers through the window, so I think I'll stick to my traditional foam core technique.  It also gives the shaker elements space to move more freely.

The sequin shaker pieces are iridescent in the same colors of the inks making it the perfect addition to the card.  The sentiment is finished off with a stamp from the same SSS set and a few confetti bits were added for more sparkle.

Now go whip up a CAS birthday card for your stash, and be sure to share it with us over at AAA Cards for a chance to be a guest designer!  Give those DT's some love too while you're at it...

Have a colorful day!

Home is where my heart is...

 AAA Cards Challenge with NEW stamp sets!

Hi all!

Its time for another fabulous challenge at AAA Cards!  This time we have a sketch...what will be your take on it?

I used this adorable set from Simon Says Stamp called European Streets.  The background was masked to fit the challenge sketch, then stamped with the snow and brick images in the coordinating set.  It was then heat embossed with Altenew white powder.  Altenew's Fresh Dye inks in Dew Drops, Teal Cave and Navy were ink blended for the background to make the embossing pop.

Attempting to make the townhouse look 'snowy', the window image from the 3 layer stamp set was heat embossed with white powder.  Going along with this month's Simply Clean and Simple challenge, using a little pink, I opted to make the house my favorite color...well, one of them anyway.  The first and second layers were then stamped in Altenew Rose Quartz and Puffy Heart, with the awning colored with the coordinating alcohol markers from that color group, Cosmic Berry and Purple Wine.

To help take the 'snowy' effect home, glitter Stickles were added along the windows, awing, snow piles a few of the snowflakes and top of the building.  The card was finished with the sentiment from the set.  Easy CAS card with PINK for the challenges!

Now...show me your creation using the sketch, and be sure to visit the DT and show them some love as well.

Have a colorful day!

Forgetful XOXO - TIC TOCK CHALLENGE 239 TEAM PICK!

 Hi all!

It's time for another AAA Cards Challenge!  This time we have a photo inspiration for you and it's beautiful in its simplicity.

See what I mean?  I love the texture from the white hearts against the red color of the 2 hearts.  It's a great inspiration for a CAS card, don't you agree?

Here is my take on the photo.  The new Simon Says Stamp Puppy Love stencil is ADORABLE!!  Look at those little toe beans...  Used with a swipe of some Altenew Embossing Paste and the perfect background to match the photo was made.  SO FUN!

The 'XO' die for the main sentiment has been floating around my studio for...well, years I guess?  During one of my 're-organization' days, it fell out of my old die storage case and I since I used to throw away packaging, I'm clueless...I don't do that anymore...any idea?  I'd be forever grateful for your brilliance...I've Google searched and get nada.  Anyway, it's really pretty cut Red Spinel glitter card stock from the Altenew Gradient Glitter Cardstock Red collection, against the texture behind it.

The added sentiment was stamped on a piece of card stock die cut with Altenew's Featured Sentiments Die set.  Using one of their sentiment strip dies is so handy for these little stamp sentiments.  This one stamp is from Simon Says Stamp Elegantly Modern Greeting.  I'm eager to use this set more, its a fantastic basic set with beautiful fonts...highly recommend!

I'm also entering this in the Inspirational challenge USE STENCILS and the Tic Tac Toe challenge, down the left side of the board; heart, red and die/punch.

 

Be sure to visit all our DT and give them some love, have a colorful day!!

While I had the supplies out...

  Hi all!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!  We are back at AAA Cards design this week for first challenge of the year...it's a great sketch and I hope you will join us!

I traveled after Christmas and returned just Tuesday with a horrible case of the stomach flu.  Because of that I have not started my annual re-organization of the studio, with many of my Christmas items still out.  I guess I have a start on this years Christmas cards!

The background is made with Altenew's Starbust stencil used twice with 2 different colors of green ink, and masked off to created my panel of color.

I added the cute little mouse from an old set I have called London Mouse from My Favorite Things.  It's long been retired, but still one I reach for when I need an animal stamp.

Now, check out the other DTs adorable creations for inspiration and join in our challenge!  I hope to see you there!

Have a colorful week...

Winter Wishes

 Hi all!

Welcome to another challenge with AAA Cards!  This time we have a sketch to inspire you.  I know it’s a busy time of year, but take some time out of your day to be crafty!

Although the sketch is simple, I decided to bump it up a bit by making it a shaker card.

The background paper is made with layers of embossing and ink blending. Starting with the snowflakes from Altenew’s Snowy Delight, the image was stamped on white paper, and embossed with clear embossing powder. The paper was then ink blended with a light blue.  The process with the heat embossing, ink blending and stamping was repeated 2 more times with darker shades of blue ink.

The acetate was stamped And heat embossed with white embossing powder with the sentiments included in the stamp set.  They were heat embossed with white embossing powder with the sentiments included in the stamp set.

Finally, the shaker card was assembled with ice crystal type gems to keep with the winter theme.

New AAA Cards Challenge! - LESS IS MORE #496 WINNER!

 Hi all!

Welcome back here at Paperfiori...I'm eager to share with you the next challenge with AAA Cards Challenge blog.  We are starting to wind down the fall season here in NW Ohio, most of the be beautiful colors are now gone and the trees are becoming bare.  But this challenge will give you the chance to hold on to those beautiful colors a little longer!

    

This creation sticks with the colors of the current mood board, using the all the fall colors along with the magenta/pinky color.  The intense colors of fall really speak to me...bold and jewel like. 

Keeping this card CAS with lots of white space, so I'm also going to enter this card in the Less is More Challenge this week.  Also in keeping the card CAS, the colors used are minimal but very saturated.  The paper was tapped with water, then with a brush with orange, yellow, red and pink pigment.  Using a heat gun to speed up the drying process, helps to create the neat little pockets of color surrounded by crisp organic lines.

Vellum leaves have been all over my creations this season....my old PTI Leaf Prints set has served me well.  The soft leaves with the crisp veining is reminiscent of skeleton leaves which are simply beautiful in my opinion.  I would occasionally find one in nature when I was a child in puddles during the fall and attempt to save them and put them in books to press.  Gold embossing powder helps to create that look with these vellum leaves.

How are you sending fall on it's way this year?  I'd love to see you finish the season with some intense color in your creations, please share them with us at the AAA Cards Challenge blog won't you?