Playing Cards With Friends

 Hey Friends!!!

Today I am popping in with some cards that I created with a technique that I tried while playing cards with my friend Michele Ferguson from the I Card Everyone Blog. We both saw a reel on the  Altenew Instagram by Michelle Short where you emboss on black cardstock, shade the embossed image in blue and then give it some shine with some gold embossing powder. We decided to try it.

Instead of a tag like Michelle Short created, I embossed a whole piece of black cardstock with the Scenic Poinsettia 3D Embossing Folder by Spellbinders. I then shaded in the poinsettias with Stormy Sky Distress Oxide. 

I brushed on some Versamark Ink and added some Silver embossing ink by Ranger Ink.

I then added it to a card base and used a Birch Press Design sentiment die covered in silver embossing powder. Some blue pearls were added for a finishing touch.

My next card I decided to use an embossing folder by the Stamp Market on a forest green cardstock. I used two green oxide inks to shade the eucalyptus-Evergreen Bough and Lucky Clover.

I used some gold embossing powder on this card. 

The sentiment is a die from Simon Says Stamp and the sentiment strip is stamped with a sentiment from The Stamp Market.

The gold sequins were added last. 

For my last card, I went bold. Not my favorite, if I am honest, but I decided I would show it anyway.

I used an embossing folder by Altenew this time. I shaded it in with Picked Raspberry, Kitsch Flamingo and Wilted Violet Distress Oxide Ink. 

I brushed on Versamark ink and covered it with Ranger Gold Embossing Powder.

I added a sentiment from Memory Box and some gold pearls.

All in all, I had fun using this technique. I think it is more dramatic if I could have partially embossed my images but the folders were too big for me to arrange the paper the way I wanted. I am not sure I would do this technique again but it was fun to try.

That is all for me today. It is now it is time for you to hop on over to Michele Ferguson's Blog to see her completed cards.

I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!!

Nora

New Challenge at Cupcake Inspirations Challenge Blog!

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Hello everyone!!! 

I cannot believe a week has gone by in the new year. I am so hoping that 2023 is better than 2022 was. I have some resolutions this year but keeping them quiet until I form a habit. Maybe I will tell you next month!!

Today I am popping in with the detail for Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #560. It is a theme challenge this time. Get your thinking hat on and create a card with the theme of "winter fun." 

I am not going to lie, this was hard for me. I do not see winter as fun. I LOVE the cold but HATE snow. I decided to create my first Christmas card for 2023. 

I treated myself to some fabulous products this December, one being the Spellbinder's *"Tiered Tray Decor." I HAD to use the little gnome that came with it. Isn't it so cute?

Below is the badge for Cupcake Inspirations biweekly challenge.

Source 

I paired the little guy with some trees that I die cut using the "Tall Trees" dies from The Stamp Market.

To be truthful, I have no idea what stamp I used for the sentiment. I cleaned up my stash and put it away before I posted my card. 

Are you ready to play with use over at Cupcake Inspirations Challenge Blog? I cannot wait to see what you create!!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!!

Nora

A Belated Birthday Using the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #531-Week 2

 Hey Crafty Friends!! I hope you are all doing well.

Today I am back with a belated birthday card I created using this weeks Cupcake Inspirations Color Challenge #531.

We were to use the colors Tangerine, Brown and Blue.

I started off by die cutting blue cardstock with a Stamp Market Die.

I layered a jar and flowers from The Greetery. I used Kat Scrappiness Sparkling Snow Pearls for the middle of the flowers of the hydrangeas.

The little bird is from Paper Trey Ink. I printed the sentiment out myself from the computer.

I hope you come and play with us this week at the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #531. I cannot wait to see what you create.

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

Just Us Girls Challenge #605

Some links in this post are affiliate links. Please see my affiliate policy.  

Hey everyone!! 

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend. I am once again Guest Designing on the Just Us Girls Challenge for my second post of the month. This week, the JUGS Challenge is to use an embossing folder or heat embossing on a card. I chose to use BOTH!!!

I used the Altenew *Perfect Poinsettia embossing folder to emboss a piece of red cardstock. I then used Ranger Distress Ink in *Festive Berries and *Fired Brick to shade the poinsettias in using a blending brush.

I adhered my panel to a white A2, top folding card base and added some gold gems for the center of the poinsettias.

I stamped the sentiment from The Stamp Market with *Versmark Clear Ink and heat embossed it with Ranger *Superfine Gold embossing powder. 

I adhered the sentiment to the front of my card and it was done. 

This photo does not do it justice and I apologize. It was incredibly hard to photograph!!

So hop on over to the Just Us Girls Challenge #605 this week and play with us. I cannot wait to see what you create!!

Thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!!

Some Challenge Cards

Happy Sunday everyone!! 

This week has been so BEAUTIFUL, not like a normal New England August at all. It makes me smile!! I have not been able to enjoy much of it, though, as I have been shopping to get Charlotte back to college. She has her first apartment (on her parents dime 😬) and she needs quite a few things to fill it. I have been on the prowl to find her another set of dishes, a stock pot and I did finally find her new bedding. 

I have been able to make some cards, though, for some challenges. This first card is for this weeks *Color Throwdown Challenge #354. It was to use the colors gray, brown and white. 

Below is the badge for this weeks ctd654 challenge.

I am not going to lie, I always have difficulty doing color challenges. I am also NOT a neutral person. I decided to go through my scrap drawer which contains my neutral colors, get out some of the pattern paper and cut it into strips. I then made a few backgrounds.

I die cut this background twice, one to create the striped rectangle for this card, and to make a frame for my next card, with my Lawn Fawn *Stitched Rectangles. I adhered it to a *Kraft background using *foam adhesive. 

I used the Tim Holtz *Wildflower Stems 2 to die cut some leaves from *Neenah Solar White Cardstock. I adhered the leaves over the striped rectangle.

I then adhered the sentiment that was stamped and die cut using the Thinking of You Sentiment Suite from The Greetery. I LOVE how this card came out and intend to use this as a Sympathy card. I will add a nice sentiment inside for the recipient.

For my second card, I used the remainder of my striped paper as a frame for my card.

I decided to create a shaker card, using an ocean theme. I shaded the inside using *Salty Ocean Distress Ink.

I added a kraft paper net that was die cut using a Tutti Fruitti die and some shells from the Hero Arts *Fancy Sea Shells die set. Can I tell you how I LOVE these dies? I get no money from saying this but I adore them!!

The last thing I adhered was a sentiment from my stash. I am not sure who the company is that created it. I intend for this to be yet another retirement card and will add a nice sentiment inside for whoever I send it to.

I am entering this card into the Just Add Ink Challenge #566-Just Add a Frame. 

The last card I created just because. I used a Stamp Market Paper Hug die (retired) with The Greetery's Alpha Buds Floral Detail stamps and dies. 

The sentiment is one from my stash and I am not sure who created it. 

I shaded in the white rectangle using *Squeezed Lemonade Distress Ink and used a piece of yellow pattern paper underneath.

I love how all my cards came out. I have been having so much fun in my craft room creating things again and using my supplies!!

I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by today. I hope you have a GREAT night!!!!

A Successful Sunday With Cards for Some Challenges

 Hello everyone!! Just popping in to post a couple of cards I created for some challenges. 

I had a bit of time today to create. My mojo has been a bit spotty and my energy low so I have not been getting into my craft room as of late. It doesn't help that I really need TO CLEAN because it sure is a mess!!!

For my first card, I used this weeks sketch from the Paper Craft Crew for my card. Please excuse the photo. I could not fix the lighting on it no matter how hard I tried!

Below is the sketch that inspired me. 

I was a little bit liberal with the elements on my card because they wound up being a bit bigger then what is represented in the sketch.

I literally used elements that were previously stamped or die cut for other projects to put this card together.

The flowers are from Altenew and Paper Trey Ink, the circle is from MFT, the envelope was cut from a die from Mama Elephant and the sentiment was from Hello Bluebird. 

This was one of the EASIEST cards I have created in a long time and will be sent out tomorrow to a member of the Union I belong to.

My second card I created using this weeks The Color Throwdown #619 and Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #297.

I knew when I saw the badge for the Color Throwdown that I wanted to use my new Tall Tree dies I bought from The Stamp Market and my Skinny Postage Frames from PTI. These were some of my new toys I bought to try to get my mojo going!!

I created the blue background on this with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink and watered down white acrylic paint.

The sentiment is from a stamp set that was gifted to me from Stamplorations.

I absolutely LOVE how this card came out!!! 

My next card was inspired by this weeks Freshly Made Sketches #461 and once again, I used the Color Throwdown colors. 

This card was one I originally designed for The Color Throwdown but I liked the one above better.

I used some paper from my scrap drawer for the background and the greenery is from The Greetery.

The poinsettia is from the Layered Poinsettia from Spellbinders. I used Copic markers to shade it in BUT as I was doing it, I failed to do a color test with my background paper. I wound up having to fix my mistake by using more colors than I wanted so it is more blue than white.

The middle of the flower got muddled too because I was impatient for the Silver Stickles to dry. They were supposed to resemble the tiny flower in the middle of the poinsettia but when I was doing my layers, I didn't let the previous one dry enough!!! 

I will fix it by layering some more over it once the first layer dries.

My last card I created using the Inspired By Challenge #150 and the sketch as my inspiration.

I used a Santa image from Simple Stories Simple Vintage North Pole Collection. 

I keep buying these darn pre made die cuts and never use them but this image was PERFECT for this challenge. 

I actually altered the die cut by cutting some things off this side that just didn't go with this aesthetic. I also covered the fur and hat with a Scrapbook.com Clear Glitter Marker and the hat with some Glossy Accents. 

The snowflakes are from a huge amount I die cut last winter and the sentiment is from Uniko Stamps.

Well, I think that is enough from me today. I thank you for taking your time to stop by and I hope you have a FABULOUS night!!