Distress Inking and Copic Coloring for Some Challenges

Happy Tuesday everyone!! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday weekend. 

Chris and I are in full fledged empty nest and we actually were social for a change. We had my Dad and Stepmother over for a cookout on Sunday and went to a friend's house to spend time with my girls on Monday. We hadn't been all together for over a year. It was so refreshing!!

That said, I know we probably should have not gone anywhere. However, I am tired of being the only one staying home and socially distancing. I am vaccinated, I have been masking EVERYWHERE for months, and I needed these visits for my mental health.

I also had some fun making a couple cards for some challenges. 

I created my first card for the Color Hues Challenge #TCH #25, Sunday Stamps #265, a color challenge,  Addicted to CAS #205-Nature and The Four Seasons Challenge.

I started off my card using a rectangle die to die cut a mask. I placed the mask over an A2, top folding, white card base. 

I then blended Ranger Distress Ink in Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Dried Marigold and Carved Pumpkin through the mask. I then used Tim Holtz Distressed Mica Stain-Set 1, over the top.

While the stain was drying, I die cut Prima Moroccan Foliage Dies out of white cardstock and used the same colored Distress Ink blend over the top. 

I tied the three leaves together with 49 and Market Jute and adhered them to my card front.

My next card I created using this weeks Color Throwdown #658 and Freshly Made Sketches #501 as my inspiration. However, I missed the deadline for both. I am also going to enter this into the Inspired By Card Challenge #IB185, which is to use scraps on a card. I used PLENTY of scraps on this card!!

I started off using the Hero Arts Bold Script Prints background stamp using Hero Arts Charcoal Dye Ink on a Neenah White card base. I then stamped it again using Hero Arts Navy ink.

I then a scrap of light gray cardstock over the top. I then adhered a light blue rectangle scrap that I embossed with a polka dot embossing folder and a strip of blue pattern paper. I stamped a sentiment from MFT at the bottom of the blue rectangle.

I die cut some Pink Fresh Curvy Leaves out of vellum and Neenah White cardstock and layered it over the top of the card.

I then used a Pink Fresh butterfly from Little Butterflies that I had stamped with Tuxedo Black ink. I colored in the image with Copic Markers and then heat embossed with Ranger Super Fine Gold embossing powder. I die cut it using the matching Small Butterflies die. 

I adhered it to my card front using foam adhesive. My last step was to use some SB.com Clear Shimmer Pen.

Well that is all from me today. I want to thank you all for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!!

A Christmas Card for Freshly Made Sketch Challenge #460

 Hello everyone!! It has been an echo chamber here lately. I have not had a ton of energy to create these days. Between stressing about work, the election and the increase in Covid in the schools, my mojo has flown out the window. Does anyone else have a hard time creating when they are stressed?

It also doesn't help that my crown is disintegrating on a tooth and I have been experiencing terrible tooth pain. I am having a temporary crown put on the tooth on Tuesday and I cannot wait!! I never thought I would be excited to go to the dentist!!!

This morning I had a great walk and some snuggles with my neighbor's dog so I sat down to my desk to see if I could get some of my creative juices flowing. I watched a video Jennifer McGuire posted on using embossing folders so I tried the technique in my own way.

I used a Richard Garay embossing folder with some Ranger Pine Needle and Evergreen Bough Distress ink for the banner. I then used the same colors with an Altenew Watercolor Stripes stencil on a piece of Neenah Solar White cardstock that I had cut down to an A2, top folding card. 

The Altenew Brilliant Baubles were stamped with Ranger Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, and Abandoned Coral Oxide Ink. 

I used Versmark Ink and Ranger Gold Embossing Powder to heat emboss the gold accents on the ornaments. I then used some Scrapbook.com Double Sided Roll Adhesive to pop up the ornaments on the embossed banner.  I had been using the big rolls of 3M tape but they have made it so sticky that it tears my paper if I don't get it just right the first time. 

I die cut the CAS-ual Fridays "Merry" from some Tonic Gold Mirrored Gloss cardstock. This was a leftover on my desk and I knew I had to use it on this card!! 

The embossed sentiment is from MFT's Snow Globe Sentiments (retired)-one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES for Christmas sentiment stamp sets. I added a tiny bit of Gold Stickles for some sparkle on areas of the ornaments. 

This card was inspired by this week's Freshly Made Sketch Challenge #460. I am so glad that I was able to play this week!

I used the die cut and the sentiment strip in lieu of the sentiment strip that spanned the top of the sketch. 

Well, that is all from me tonight. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS evening!!

A CAS-ual Fridays Critter Blog Hop

Hello everyone. Crickets here on the blog. I have been crafting slowly but not posting much.

I hope you are all doing well. It has been tough here sheltering in place this week but I am happy to do so to keep people safe. I have been finding things to do that I neglect on a daily basis, like washing curtains and making meals to freeze. I have also been teaching my daughter how to cook-something I am not bad at but HATE to do.

Today I am here with with a card I created for the CAS-ual Fridays Crafting With Hue Blog Hop. The design team all made critter cards!!

For my card, I used the Little Huggables Stamp Set and the Little Critter Fri-dies for my card.

I chose to use the cat image from the stamp set because I wanted to use the sentiment, "Meow you doing?" because I have a certain someone I am going to send it to.

I colored the cat with Copic markers and die cut it with the Little Critters die.

I used foam adhesive to adhere my kitty to an A2 card front.

I blended Ranger Wilted Violet and Twisted Citron onto this panel before placing the cat, and used Hero Arts White Iridescent Shimmer over it for a little sparkle.

The purple gems were adhered at the end around the sentiment to give it some emphasis.

To celebrate this blog hop, CAS-ual Fridays is having a sale!!! All Critters are 20% off!

To get an extra 15% off, please use my code NORASENTME.

That is all from me today. I hope you all have a FABULOUS weekend and try to destress during these trying times.

Happy Sunday and a Bunch of Challenge Cards

Hello everyone!! I hope you are all having a nice day. It is rainy and dreary here so it has been a low key day here.

Charlotte is home and we went to the gym together this morning. I am trying to instill some healthy habits for her now that she is home from college. It doesn't hurt that it is nice to have a workout partner!!

Since this weekend has been so gray, it was a good time to stay in and make some cards for some challenges.

I actually got to play a bit with some new stuff this weekend, which was fun. For my first card, I used Carta Bella's "Kite Stripe" stencil, and Altenew's "Wallpaper Art" stamp set and matching dies.

My inspiration for this card was the sketch #335 from the Paper Craft Crew Challenge Blog and Just Add Ink's Sympathy.

Instead of the circle, I chose to use one of the flowers from the Altenew stamp set. I also chose to stamp on some patterned paper from Bo Bunny's "Harmony Collection." I used Shaded Lilac Distress Ink and an eyeshadow applicator to shade some depth into the flower. I used the same technique with Bundled Sage and Shabby Shutters Distress Ink for the leaves.

I added some Mustard Seed in the middle of the flower and then went over the little stamens with some white gel pen. When I finished, I covered the leaves and flower with a clear Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Glitter Gloss marker.

The background was done with the "Kite Stripe" stencil and Memento Tuxedo Black. Let me tell you, that made a MESS!!!

For my second card, I used Freshly Made Sketches #386 and the Flower Challenge #32, which was to heat or dry emboss, as the inspiration for my card.

I started off by using the "Kite Stripe" stencil once again but instead of using ink, I chose to use Gina K Designs Glitter Glitz Gel in white on Neenah Solar White cardstock. This was my first time using this product and it was FUN!!!

Once the panel was dry, I die cut the bottom using a Pretty Pink Posh Scallop Border die. I then adhered it to an A2, top folding card base with an embossed polka dot pattern.

On the point of the border, I adhered a pinked circle. Over the top of that, I used foam adhesive to adhere a white circle.

Next I adhered an extra piece of a lacy MFT die cut and a WPlus9 image from the stamp set "Hello and Thanks" that I had colored in using Copic Markers.

I added some Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Glitter Gloss marker and Glossy Accents on top of the flower image.

My last step was to adhere a sentiment from Altenew's "Leaf Canopy" stamp set to finish off the card.

My last two cards I am posting today I used CASology's Week #341 cue card: Turquoise as my inspiration.

These cards were so fun to make!! I used Pinkfresh Studio's "Dainty Blossom" dies on both cards. I received these dies on Thursday and HAD TO USE THEM!!  I also used an Impression Obsession "French Text" stamp on both cards, which has been sitting in my stash for over a year.

I blended Peacock Feathers Distress Ink onto the stems, making sure the top was darkest part of the flower. I then added Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Glitter Gloss over the top to give it a bit of sparkle.

On my second card, I adhered the white panel over a turquoise under panel that I had stamped and heat embossed.

I was not sure if this was clean and simple enough so the first card is the card I made second.

I actually like this card better as it has a bit more interest.

Well, that is all from me today. Finally, right? I thank you for stopping by. I hope you all have a FABULOUS night!!

Supplies:

(All links are affiliate links at no extra cost to you)

Card #1
Paper: Neenah Solar White, Bo Bunny 6" by 6" "Harmony Collection" paper, MFT Stripe
Stamps: Altenew "Wallpaper Art" and Paper Trey Ink ""Words of Comfort"
Dies: Altenew "Wallpaper Art"
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Shaded Lilac, Shabby Shutters, Bundled Sage and Mustard Seed Distress Ink
Other: Carta Bella "Kite Stripe" stencil, Ranger Ink Blending Tool, Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Glitter Gloss, Scotch Adhesive, Ranger Multi Matte, White Gel Pen, Adhesive Foam, Pretty Pink Posh Sequins and Sizzix Big Shot

Card #2
Paper: Neenah Solar White cardstock, Die Cuts With a View
Dies: MFT, Paper Trey Ink "Limitless Layers," Pretty Pink Posh "Scallop Border" WPlus9 "Hello and Thanks"
Stamps: WPlus9 "Hello and Thanks" stamp set, Altenew "Leaf Canopy" (sentiment)
Other: We R Memory Keepers Embossing Folder, Adhesive Foam, Carta Bella "Kite Stripe" stencil, Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Glitter , Gina K Designs Glitter Glitz Gel, Sizzix Big Shot, Memento Tuxedo Black, Glossy Accents

Card #3 and #4
Paper: Neenah Solar White, Simon Says Stamp glitter paper
Stamps: Impression Obsession "French Text" background stamp, My Favorite Things "Marble Background," Simon Says Stamp "Tiny Words," and Memory Box "Best Life Typewriter" stamps
Dies: Pinkfresh "Dainty Blossoms"
Ink: Ranger Peacock Feathers and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink
Other: Ranger Ink Blending Tool, Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Glitter Gloss, Ranger Multi Matte, Adhesive Foam, Sizzix Big Shot, Ranger Clear Embossing Powder, Wagner Heat Tool, Versamark Ink