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!

I HAD to do it....

 Princess Bride card?  Thank Inigo Montoya...

Hi all!

It's that time again...CAS on Friday has a new challenge today!  Thank you everyone that has played along with us so far, we love seeing your creations there!  The challenge them this time around is HELLO...you can get creative on what type of card, but be sure to keep it CAS in design.

When I saw the challenge for this fortnight, I thought of the many, many hello stamp sets and dies I had on hand.  I even went through all my scrap sentiments during the search.  While thumbing through all the stamp sets, I came across a set I had never used before.  As a matter of fact, it's been in my stash for over 8 years and has never seen a touch of ink...

All my Gen Xers will appreciate this set!!  This stamp is from The Ink Roads As You Wish set with a quote from the movie The Princess Bride!  It is one of the best movies ever made, my hubby and I quote it often in our conversations.  It even had a resurgence during Covid, many Hollywood actors were recreating scenes from the movie when quarantined, they were quite hysterical...

This set is unfortunately retired...but they do have a ton of sassy and sweet stamp sets and lots sets based on movies if you like a to make cards with a good giggle!

It was stamped with Altenew Crimson and Permanent Black inks with a little bit of masking to get both colors on the image.  It was then fussy cut and added to a card front with a foam strip.  It's finished off with a few black enamel dots, and viola!  A super easy, CAS hello card.  Now, go make your CAS cards and share them to the gallery...we'd love to see them!

I think I'll go and whip out a few more cards to make my hubby smile...have a colorful day!

A Twist on a Class Project

 NEW PinkFresh from their Create & Connect event!

Hi all!

I had the absolute pleasure of being a participant in the Create & Connect event this past weekend!  It was the first one I have ever done with them, and I must say I am IMPRESSED!!!  The product arrived far in advance, the booklet explaining the projects and products was thorough and well thought out, finally the classes were tons of fun with lots of ideas and instruction.  Have you ever attended one of their events before?  If not...sign up for one...seriously.  They have posted their upcoming card classes for the year, and unfortunately I am out of town for two...  I may just sign up and watch the videos on my own time, I'm that excited about it!

This is a card I made using the new products from the classes.  For this card, I sort of follow one for the classes with the layout and shadowbox technique...which is SO cool... but I used my own colors and a different stamp and die set.  The colors are a perfect match for the current Inkspirational color challenge and I'm all about them...  And since all these products are new and never used before this weekend, I'm sharing with NBUS too!

How yummy is this?!?  I love the layout and the technique featured by Anett Gelencser...she's a smarty-pants that lady!  I will be using this more often for sure.  They haven't released the items from the classes except for one...which I'll share on another post... but they said they will come out in the near future, so if you like anything you see, keep your eyes peeled in the coming months.  The card started with die cutting several border panels, including the window box using the Notched Corner Frame.  It has a total of 10 dies for multiple options.  A fancy little zigzag fold was used to make the window box.  Let me know if you the instructions aren't on her site and I'll share them if you're interested.  

Next the flowers and strawberries are from the new Berries and Blossoms stamp set, which also has a coordinating die and a press plate!  The images were stamped, heat embossed with antique gold embossing powder and the coordinating stencil was used to add my peach, pink and mint colors.  I don't have a single Pink Fresh ink pad...which I just rectified with a purchase today...so I used my Altenew Pink Pearl and Coral Bliss ink pads for the flowers and the strawberries.  Minty Mint for the leaves and Sunray for the touches of yellow flowers finished off the colors for the card.  

Finally, the sentiment came from the new Extra Special Sentiments stamp and die set.  I opted not to use any embellies for this, I felt it had a LOT going on, and sometimes you just have to refrain from adding another element....or not...

That's it!  Check out all that Pink Fresh has to offer...I think they may have converted me...

Have a colorful day!

Curvy Stripes and Dots

Join me for the Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge!

Hi all!

Welcome to another Sisterhood of Crafters challenge!  The challenge this time is Dots and/or Stripes, what will you create?

I've felt like I've been in a creative slump lately, but this card brings me hope my mojo is returning!  Slim line cards are not a go-to for me, but each one I've made, I really like...so I will have to make them more often!  As I was creating, the current Tic Tac Toe challenge in the back of my mind as well, Flowers, Stripes/Dots and Green.  

Altenew's Double Rainbow Slim stencil was an alternative to the traditional vertical/horizontal stripe, it gives off stripes still, right?  The panel was first ink blended with Minty Mint Crisp Dye ink to make the paper a pale green.  Then the stencil was placed on top and ink blended with Sweet Leaf.  It didn't have the punch I was looking for, so I spritz it with some Fresh Leaf Metallic Shimmer Spray.  That definitely made the stripes pop!

Next, the flowers are from Altenew's Wildly Loved mini set.  If you haven't tried their mini sets, I highly recommend!  They usually a layered stamp set with coordinating dies and a die sentiment.  They're adorable!  Keeping in the same color family, the lighter flowers are stamped with Minty Mint, Sweet Leaf, and Just Green, while the darker flower was stamped without the Minty Mint, and finished with Hunter Green.  These flowers definitely give me Greenbriar vibes...  The leaves in green would have blended in, so instead Dew Drops, Aqualicious and Teal Cave to give a subtle contrast but keep the card as green as possible.

The sentiment is from the Wildly Loved set and so sweet.  'Loved' was die cut from some of the scrap of my ink blended paper with a little bit of Aqualicious and Hunter Green was added to the base to make it stand out.  The coordinating stamp was stamped in Hunter Green as well.  Finally, I've had these glitter gems in my stash forever and had to use them for my dots!!  How pretty are they?!

Now go make your card with stripes or dots, and if your a double challenge maker like myself, you could even head over to Tic Tac Toe...Hope to see you in our gallery!

Have a colorful day!

Minty Lavender goodness...

 Minty Lavender Color Throwdown Challenge accepted!

Hi all!

Do you stamp or make multiples of things as you're working?  Like extra sentiments or extra die cuts?  I ALWAYS make multiples of my extra pieces for my cards.  I have 4 different, organized scrap bins filled with my extras to be used whenever I need them.  As I was creating for a DT card...more on that on Sunday, so come back...I made a plethora of extra flowers and leaves.  Since they were Minty Mint Crisp Dye ink was one of the colors, I thought I'd make something for the Color Hues challenge, which then morphed into including the Tic Tac Toe challenge this go around as well...

 

I did use some other green inks in the Altenew Green Meadows family, like Sweet Leaf, Just Green and Hunter Green to make these flowers.  The leaves were the challenge...how to make green leaves stand out with green flowers?

I opted for some colors from the Sweet Dreams family with Dew Drops, Aqualicious and Teal cave.  It kept collection on the green side, but gave it enough contrast to be a little different.

The lavender shimmer paper was found in my scrap papers and I opted to use the Radial Circle cover die.  It was my first time using it, and you may be seeing more if it in the future...it's really fun!  AND since it's dots with green AND flowers, it fits in the Tic Tac Toe challenge as well!

The 'hello' was made from Sweet Sentiments and came out of my sentiment scrap bin...like I said, I have a ton of scrap pieces...so I added black enamel dots and a very small black border around the edge to bring it all together.

Keep those scraps around peeps, they do come in handy!  Have a colorful day!!!

Rebound heart...HAND STAMPED CHALLENGE ARTISTS PIC!

 Spellbinders Monthly Die Club take 2!

Hi all!

I had to rebound from my last card...it was killing me!  Since I had another die cut heart just sitting there, I decided to make a CAS card with it.

 

I've redeemed my self confidence and am entering this card in the Inkspirational, Hand Stamped Sentiments, AAA Birthday Cards, Simply Clean and Simple and the Flower Challenge challenges...there are little tiny flowers on the heart...can you see them?  

It was very simple to make, just a little pink and peach watercolor paint blobbed onto the bottom right corner of my card front panel.  This is a new cardstock brand for me and I'm experimenting with different techniques to see how it holds up.  Water is a no go...the results are only ok, and it took forever to dry since it's 140 lb paper.

After the initial paint dried, I added a few splatters of the colors I used along with copper metallic watercolor paint.  Can you see the shine?

Since I added the metallic splatters, a copper colored sentiment was called for.  Altenew's Sweet Sentiment was small enough and gave me a birthday theme as well.  It was finished off with some Copper Stickles.

I feel better having whipped this one out and officially consider myself kicked off the struggle bus for the day!

Have a colorful, struggle-free day!

Have a heart...

 My very first Spellbinders Monthly Small Die!

Hi all!

What do you do when you're having a hard time while creating?  Do you keep going through it, no matter what?  Do you set it aside and save for another day?  Do you toss it and start over?  If I set it aside, I'll think about it constantly.  Throwing away something that isn't working feels like throwing away a piece of time...and my time in my studio is valuable, so I can't to that!  I generally power through...not with great results most times, like today....

 

 

I'm trying to again make challenges a priority in my creating, and with February being the month of love there are MANY heart challenges happening right now!  With the inspiration from Inkspirational, Hand Stamped Sentiments, Just add Ink and the Flower Challenge; I decided to use my very first Spellbinders Monthly Small Die, a Lotta Heart.  It's no longer available, but it's new to me and is totally cute. 

I was riding the struggle bus with this one...front row...seat belt fastened.  I am not a fancy fold kind of card maker, but this die is perfect for creating a gate folded card so I had to try it.  I may have been a little distracted while making this so I overlooked the fact the paper moved on the die cut until after I started glueing down the pieces...and you can't really see the ink blending done on the pink paper behind the die cut ones it was assembled.  ***sigh***

Coloring the center floral die was also a struggle...What is your favorite coloring medium for little intricut die pieces?  Watercolors and beautiful and soft, but they're hard to control on small spaces.  Alcohol markers are wonderful with saturated colors, but can seep outside of where I want them to go since I tend to be a bit heavy handed.  Altenew's new Acrylic Markers are FANTASTIC, but the tips were too large for my little spaces.  So, colored pencils were the choice for this project...still up in the air about the results.

The sentiment was from my sentiment scrap bin and is from Altenew's Essential Sentiments foil set.  I cranked a bunch out and just have them in my bin for cards like this one.  It was finished off with my favorite satin gold sequins.  

So.....struggles are real...keep working through them.  It gives you a sense of accomplishment if you push through them...even if you don't like the results all that much.

Have a colorful day!

End of winter? - FESTIVE FRIDAY FAVORITE!

 Die cutting shaped cards for the end of winter...

Hi all!

Is it truly almost the end of winter?  Did Puxatawny Phil really predict that spring will come early?  It seems that way here in Northwest Ohio...40-60's predicted all week long!  It was a little hard to create this winter themed card with the gorgeous weather here today!  Usually we're bundled up until the end of March, just hoping for sun in an otherwise grey season. 

 

The challenges for Triple B and Four Seasons inspired the winter theme of this card, but the Festive Friday challenge had me add a few elements I wouldn't have normally tried.  For example...

A shaped card is NOT in my wheel house at all!  That is the point of challenges...to push you to create something that is yours but in a way that is completely different.  Creating a card not in a rectangle shape was simple enough using the Spellbinders Essential Four Petals Label die, and I may end up doing them more often...we shall see where the mood takes me.

To keep with the winter theme, and the 'white' & 'embossing' elements for the Festive Friday challenge, the inside die cut panel was embossed with Altenew's Starry Pattern embossing folder which has a subtle snowflake pattern.  The bird as a nod to the Triple B challenge, was stamped using Altenew's Birds of the Season stamp and die set.  The main body of the bird was inked using Morning Frost Crisp Dye ink and a blending brush to give it a touch of color so it still looked like a white bird.  The next two layers were stamped with Crimson and Permanent Black inks, then the bird was die cut.

During the holidays, I did a fair bit of die cutting and found the ginko leaves by The Greetery in my floral scrap bin.  The sentiment from Altenew's Sweet Sentiments was also in my sentiment scrap bin...yes, I organize my scraps, I'm kind of crazy about that...  Inspired by the Four Seasons photo the card is finished off with a few red enamel dots from Pink Fresh.   Adding some gold metallic splatters, as well as a little bit of sparkle using Icicle Stickles, for the 'glimmer' element with Festive Friday.

Whew!  That was a ton of information!  I hope you too are having unseasonably lovely weather to finish off your winter season, have a colorful, sun filled day!

Foil Fix

Figuring out Foiling hacks!

Hi all!

I'm beefing up my birthday stash and decided to use foils for a few of them.  I have to admit, I do tend to have some issues with foiling.   Sometimes it just doesn't want to play along with me.  With trial and LOTS of error, I think I may be on the right path for foiling perfection, but wanted to share the process of how I fixed some issues instead of just tossing the problems in the circular filing bin.  What tricks have you found work best for your foiling?  Please share them in the comments...we all love to learn!

Since I am in birthday card making mode, it's a perfect project for the Time Out Challenge since it's their 10th birthday!!!  Thanks for all the challenges and inspiration over the years!

I have found that using a heavier 110-140 lb white card stock works best for me, but my 80 lb colored cardstocks have little or no issues with the foiling process.  Not sure why that is since I've used the same weight papers, but I'm not one to upset the crafting Gods, so I just go with it.   For the Altenew Golden Days foil die, I did try using my 80 lb white cardstock with a shim, but alas...but I got over foiling in the negative spaces.  Instead of tossing the panel, fussy cutting the parts off that had the issue is a good solution.  Since the flower was cut before it was inked...I won't make that mistake again... it was smaller than the coordinating Golden Days #1 stencil, so it was not used.  Instead the flower was inked with the remaining stencils using Pink Pearl, Coral Bliss and Crimson Crisp Dye inks.

The background panel was foiled onto colored cardstock with zero issues using Spellbinders Simon Hurley Geo Snowflakes foil die with their Glimmer Opal foil.  It gives a very subtle shimmer while maintaining the background color.  A little ink blending of Coral Bliss behind the flower helps to make it pop off the background.

Finally, left over foil from a previous card using my trusted Versatile Greetings 2 was used for the sentiment...it pays to save scraps....  The flat Essential Glimmer Solid Rectangle hot foil plate allows the negative foil pieces to be used a second time...it's the beauty of using foil.  Those left over pieces come in handy in all sorts of ways!  They were then die cut and added to the card.  Finally, my favorite sequins from Altenew were added for even more sparkle!

Have a colorful day!

Birthday Love

 Ink Blending with Altenew's NEW Dainty Hearts!

Hi all!

It has been a CRAZY February so far.  LOTS of traveling by plane and car this week alone.  Part of my travel included a weekend in NYC for fashion week!!!  EEEKKK!!!  I'm obsessed with fashion, though my mom bod isn't 'high fashion' shaped, I swoon over the beautiful clothes.  I will say, shoes, bags and jewelry always fit and I did pick up my share of both over the weekend...can you blame me??

  

Although I was only home for 3 days this week, I was fortunate to spend one of those days in the studio getting out some of my creative energy.  Leaping off from Altenew's February Challenge colors and the arrival of my newest purchase from them, this card came together perfectly!  

The new Dainty Hearts foil plate and stencil combo was SO easy...they make a stunning background! The stencil is genius, it has 3 stencils, but when you flip them, it's like having 6...Altenew is so flippin' smart...  Using their mini blending and detail blending brushes with the Crisp Dye Inks Sweet Leaf, Pink Diamond, Pinkalicious, Sunkissed, Orange Cream and Wisteria, I was able to create this background in no time at all!  I'm excited to explore some new color combos with this set.  

This gorgeous panel needed a foiled sentiment!  Since I am very low on my birthday stash of cards, I opted to use the Versatile Greetings 2 foil and die set.  Keeping the sentiment simple allows the background to really shine.  The card was finished off with some pearl dots to highlight the flower centers of the hearts.

The gorgeous pattern from the Dainty Hearts would make a beautiful quilt dont' you think?  I wish I knew how to quilt,  maybe some crafty sewer could re-create this pattern?  Once this card was finished, I knew I had to add it to the Inspired By challenge as well.

That's it for me!  Have a colorful day!!