Color Hues - Aqua and Black

As soon as I saw Karen W's design team entry for the current Color Hues challenge, I knew exactly what stamps to use for the color combo. I've not purchased many MFT products but the Brilliant Butterflies set recently lured me to their store. It's an ideal set for two color themes and hopefully my card will inspire you to create something for this challenge.

I used another new purchase, the mini slim line die set bundle from Pink Fresh Studio. This is an ideal size in my opinion and even fits in a standard sized envelope. The happy sentiment is an older PTI die cut from black sparkly fun foam. A trio of iridescent stars finishes the card.

Here's a second card in A2 size which suits this larger butterfly. 

                                                 

Nordic Frame die cut panel (The Greetery)

Life is Beautiful sentiment (PTI) 

As the photos show another card is in the works using die cuts supplied by my friend Greta.                    

Two Rennie Rose (Altenew) cards

Recently our good blogging friend, Darnell Knauss, sent a reminder for the January Twofer Card Challenge #34 - Flowers. It's not difficult to find a set of floral stamps on our shelves, right? I chose an older Altenew set, Rennie Roses, for my flowers and also two differently sized cards, a slimline for encouragement and an A2 birthday card. 

Card #1

First I stenciled (Altenew Classy Stripes) a light yellow diagonal stripe on the upper two thirds of the white panel. Three Beautiful Day foliage die sprigs fan out around the flowers adding texture and visual interest. The orange blooms were each stamped in VersaMark ink and gold embossed on an watercolored panel (Altenew Watercolor 36 Pan set). The green leaves were each stamped in green DI, clear embossed, and tucked around the modern roses. More green was added with the Beautiful Day clear embossed sentiment. The white panel was glued to a kraft slimline card which fits nicely in my Paper Source slimline envelope.

Card #2

My dramatic black card focuses on a stamped background. I set up several stamps in the corner on the white panel and with the Misti stamped in black, rotated the panel and stamped the opposite corner. I repeated this with another group of stamps completing the panel with smaller images to fill the background.  Pink Fresh Studio's Lea's Ornate Uppercase Alphabet helped create the focal sentiment cut from black glitter foam. A small sentiment from SS Sentiment Strips was inked with DI to match the small Rennie Rose die cut. The inside of the black card was lined with a white panel for a message. Such a fun card to create.

Both cards fit the Twofer Challenge. Card #2 is also linked to SS - Make Your Own Background. 

                         

I'll see you around the blogs and always on Instagram @vikkispapertrailetc

Color Hues: TCH #7

Happy holidays on the first of December! I'm delighted to join the Color Hues 7th challenge today as the guest designer. This bi-monthly challenge focuses on a two color palette in your card design. 

The two colors selected this session work well

 for winter themes, don't you agree?

Card #1

My first card sparkles with starry blue holographic paper on one ornament and magenta shimmer paper decorating the second. The blue ball dangles via a scored line from the pine needles. Both ornaments and pine spray were directly glued on a die cut panel which was then adhered to a top-folding white card front. 

Card Menu: Nordic Frames die (The Greetery)

Pine Needle Trio dies (SSS)

What the Doodle: Ornament die (PTI) first time to use this one

December Typed Words (PTI)

Card #2

I hate to discard negative die cuts especially when they serendipitously all line up. After a trim the white rectangle was directly glued to a blue panel to create the blue needles. The winter sentiment will let me use this for Christmas or other occasions.

Card Menu:

Pine Needle Trio dies (SSS)

an old HA monthly kit sentiment

vellum banner (The Greetery)

The Color Hues team have beautiful ideas that you can see on the blog. They would love for you to play along with their new challenge.

My cards are also linked to the SSSW challenge: Anything Goes

Thank you for your visit!

October SSS Card Kit Fun

This summer I subscribed to the Simon Says Stamp Monthly Card Kit. I like the variety of products and also the option to pass on a month that does not interest me or if I'm traveling. The October kit contains a darling bear, owl, fall props, a fabulous large sentiment plus more. I made three cards yesterday from the kit supplies and several Christmas cards. It helped that my husband was away bird watching at the coast.

 

The first card is a slimline birthday card for married friends whose birthdays are in October. I used a new PFS slimline die to cut the windows from white card stock which was inked with Antique Linen DI. The panel was backed with pattern paper from the kit and popped up with foam tape on the kraft card. The figures were colored with copics, color pencils or stamped on color cardstock before I fussy cut them. The envelope was stamped with more of the same items from the kit and lightly colored with pencils. Linking this card to the current SSSW challenge - Make a Card and Envelope.

Two more kit cards

A PTI circle was inked up with the newest Distress Oxide Crackling Campfire ink after embossing the wonderful sentiment. A few leftover die cuts from The Greetery's BotaniCuts Oak were added for interest.

Frankly this cute bear and the owl were my reason to purchase the kit. Using Gina K masking paper simplified stamping this scene. A SSS wonky rectangle die finished the panel edges which was mounted on a pattern paper card front. I left off a sentiment until it's mailed.

CAS(E) this Sketch #394

I grabbed the latest sketch from CAS(E) #394 and made two almost single 

layer cards this afternoon, one for a birthday and the other for Christmas. 

Birthday Card

Card Menu: PTI card stock, Vicki Boutin Let's Wander pattern paper,

Concord & 9th Simple Serif Alphabet, Dymo tape sentiment

Christmas Card

Card Menu:
Hero Arts Small Surprise Packages stamps (retired), Heidi Swapp washi tape, Dymo tape sentiment, Michaels Cozy Lodge paper pad (old), Tombow markers

Stop by the CAS(E) website and be inspired by the design team entries!

Birthday duo

Today's post includes two birthday cards using many products and colors. 

 

Card #1: The panel was first white embossed with an older Hero Arts Friends background stamp. Four different Distress Oxide inks were blended over the embossed letters. A SSS Wonky Rectangles die trimmed the panel which was glued to a deep rose card front. Two PTI Leaf Prints leaves and a two-layered PTI Leaf Silhouette leaf were grouped together with a string bow in the upper third of the card. A longer SSS sentiment strip phrase was cut apart and stacked below the leaves. This card was recently entered on Virginia's Show and Share challenge via Instagram.

Card #2 uses seven of the new Concord & 9 inks with the smile sentiment cut from an eighth Cn9 colored card stock. The design die cuts are from PTI's Fresh Bouquet and Words to Live by: Smile sets along with a small ink-blended SSS Sentiment strip. The card front was stamped with the PTI Cover Up: Grid stamp. A trio of old Hero Arts circle shadow stamps add extra spots of color and clear rainstones complete the card. Must say that this was a fun card to create!! I'll link this to this week's SSSW Challenge: Anything Goes.

Hope Your Birthday is the Best!

Several birthdays this month so I've been busy! Now that one card has been received I'll share it. You can create a rainbow card with stamps, dies, paper, paint etc and I chose watercolors, specifically the Altenew 36 watercolors pan set. Using a panel of Ranger water color paper and a wide brush, I painted and blended each new color diagonally across the panel. Between the three color groups I painted a thin strip in silver. The panel was left to dry overnight. Next step: taping a PTI Woodblock Prints stencil over the panel and smearing a thin coat of Nuvo Glimmer paste over it. I carefully removed the stencil, quickly rinsed it, and again left the panel to dry. This was trimmed with a SSS Stitched Rectangle die and taped on a PTI Lavender Moon card front. A small pre-printed SSS sentiment was framed in black and foam mounted over the center area. Voila! I enjoy mixing products from several companies and a bit of glitter never hurts a project either!

I'm adding this card to July's Show & Share challenge.

My Imaginary Neighborhood

I've been waiting to share my neighborhood card made earlier this month for a friend in our former city. Having moved after 46 years in the same area, Concord & 9ths City Stacks set has sat on my desk lately. When I stopped by Joyce's blog today, I saw my chance. Not only had she used the same sentiment on her card but my color choices matched the Color Throwdown challenge she was inspired by. 

I'm glad to have moved within a mile of our grandsons but do miss our old friends. New friendships have been put mostly on hold as we've quarantined in our new home. The neighbors are friendly and as the warmer summer days settle in we'll be able to share our backyard with them as we have our son's family.

Also entering this card at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

Hello Friend

One of my goals this spring has been to use my older stuff along with the new. Most of the time I completely forget about stencils and my handy notebook where they are kept in clear page protector sheets. I found a Heidi Swapp 3 stencils set: a geometric pattern, a large butterfly and its mask to add color on the background. I taped a panel of Bristol paper to the mat, added the butterfly and blended a light yellow ink. Next I placed the geometric pattern stencil on top of the butterfly stencil and added a darker yellow ink. I should have stopped there but later added the aqua spots.  A Concord & 9 Serif alphabet set spells out the "hello" with the smaller friend stamped below. The panel was cut with the largest SS Wonky Rectangle die and added to an aqua card front.

Linking this to AAA Birthday
I missed by 2 minutes the CAS Layered Stencil challenge. 

Hello Gorgeous

 A "Hello" card for this post was created after receiving a "Zoom" virtual 60th birthday invitation. Anne was scheduled to celebrate the event in Hawaii with her family but had to cancel for you know what. Big, big disappointment, right? Immediately I thought of an older set "Some Like It Hot" (PTI) to recreate the paradise of Hawaii for Anne. Extra leaves were added from Palm Prints (PTI) and the sentiment from Infinity Frames (PTI). 

 

Inside sentiment and tropical decor

Incidentally the party was a huge success with over 50 
of us toasting her with favorite beverages and dessert!

Linking this card to AAA Birthday #13: Things with Wings 

and  Seize the Birthday: Totally Tropical

Flowers and Wings

Have you tried Altenew's metallic watercolors? They are dreamy colors. I recently brushed sky blue, aqua and gold on Bristol paper with the idea that their glow would beautifully support a simple floral line image. I used the Altenew Beautiful Day stamps for the focus and added a gold embossed PTI Walk by Faith sentiment. The panel was directly glued to a kraft card front.

It's one of my favorite cards this spring. Linked to Addicted to CAS: #184 - Flower

The next card uses all PTI products: Songbirds, Swoosh and a Linen impression plate. After impressing a piece of lavender card stock with the linen plate, I die cut the spray of leaves from the panel and replaced it with a Bitty Big Lilac spray of the same leaves. A nest of silver thread holds a small Songbird stamped in yellow. Linked to AAA Birthday #13: Things with Wings

Happy Birthday - hello spring

With our move this winter to another city and a new yard, I have been enjoying my daily walks with my husband. There is a small private school down the street with a great track to mark our daily miles but the neighborhood with narrow streets and large trees intrigues me more. We're amazed to see huge magnolia and cherry trees covering entire front yards, camellias taller than cottage roofs, and gigantic old growth firs with their rough trunks and sweeping branches. 

This has been a beautiful, yet strange spring with our quarantine. Like many bloggers I come and go with energy to create something but my neighborhood has helped immensely.  The Card Concept's latest challenge with flowers in an array of rainbow shades in a vase with text and a bird, prompted me to create a rainbow colored wreath of leaves with a sparkly birdie singing "happy birthday" to the reader. Luckily, the PTI Songbirds set had all I needed for my birthday card. I would define the card as clean and layered. 

Thanks for the visit. 

Here are a few scenes from the neighborhood.