A Creative Touch

Monday, February 25, 2019

Happy Monday and Some Cards

Happy Monday! Just dropping by to add a couple of cards.

The first card I used two challenges as my inspiration-CASE this Sketch #310 and Just Us Girls #476-Photo Challenge.

I had fun stamping a bunch of different colored roses on my day off last week using Altenew's Vintage Rose stamp set and die cutting them using the matching dies. I decided to use a couple of the purple ones on this card.

I embossed the pattern on the white Neenah Solar White Cardstock using a Darice embossing folder.

The sentiment is from my new favorite Memory Box stamp set "Best Life Typewriter Sentiments."

Again, I am entering them into two challenges.

My second card I created for Inkspirational Challenge: Use Your Stash.

I used Sugar Pea Designs "Birthday Balloons" Stamp set and and the MFT cloud stencil for the background.

I was also going to do a color challenge but could not get the colors right.

Well, that is all from me today. I hope you have a FABULOUS day!!

Sunday, February 24, 2019

A Crafty Weekend!!

Hello everyone!! Happy Sunday!! I hope you all have enjoyed your weekend. I have been crafting away, using a bunch of things from my stash that I have been wanting to play with for a while. I also have been using a bunch of SCRAPS from my patterned paper stash. I am trying to use it a bit more and this weekend I had a TON of success!!

The first two cards I created I used three challenges as my inspiration. I LOVE that I had time...and actual ideas (which don't always match up in my world!) to create these two cards.

I used a TON of patterned paper scraps, as well as some 6" by 6" paper to create this card. I even pulled out some stamp embellishments that I have had for YEARS to use on this card.

The sentiment was on one piece of the 6" by 6" pieces of paper. I had more then one piece so I cut it out and used foam adhesive to pop it up from the background. The stamps I used are the "Happy Thoughts," an older set from Simon Says Stamp.

The three challenges that inspired me were the photo from Inspired By..., the Time Out Challenge: Theme-Retro, and Inkspirational Challenge: Use Your Stash.

Can you see where I was inspired by in the photo? I loved the fun frame and the use of the hanging letters!! I inked around the edges for a retro, vintage look.

I had so much fun with the first that I created a SECOND card using all three challenges!!

I had the panels already die cut from my stash and I used some extra envelopes I had left over from the first card.

This version has a little too much white space for me and I think I might have to go back and add a little something later. I do need thank you cards, though, so I might just use it!!

One thing I will admit, though, it was darn fun to get inky again. I used to ink up my cards all the time but haven't done it in a while. It was fun!!

If that was not enough, I created two more cards for the Paper Craft Crew Challenge #337, which was a sketch.

Isn't this sketch so cute? I used a even more pattern paper scraps on the two cards I created for this challenge, as well as the same stamp set-"Foodie Friends"-from Simon Says Stamps.

Isn't that typewriter adorable? I masked the eyes on the paper to add a sentiment instead. The sentiment was from Memory Boxes "Best Life Typewriter Sentiments," which is now one of my new favorites.

I colored this typewriter in like the one I learned to type on. I added some Nuvo Clear Glitter Gloss over the keys, the spacebar and the rollers.

I went through my scrap box to find papers that had some kind of type on them to compliment the image.

For my second card, I used the same image but I masked out the faces on both the paper and typewriter.

I was less picky about finding print paper and was too lazy to look through my large amount of 6" by 6" paper pads. Sometimes the card just needs to be created!!

For this typewriter, I looked up images on the internet to find a color scheme.

This came out cute but I think I like my first version better!!

Well, that is all from me tonight. I thank you for stopping by. Tomorrow I have another card to show using yet another challenge. Have a FABULOUS night!

Saturday, February 23, 2019

Same Die, Four Different Cards

Happy Saturday!! I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. I am here with some cards I created using a new to me die that I bought in December but have not used. The dreary weather we have been having made me pull it out and play with it. Instead of making my one card I made four cards.

I used the Simon Says Stamp Sweet Tulip Die as my main inspiration. Then I did a couple of challenges to help me along.

My first card I created a birthday card.

I did some ink blending for the ombre behind the flower and then layered three die cuts to give the flower some dimension.

I stamped a sentiment from Memory Box's Best Life Typewriter Sentiments in black and die cut it using a PaperTrey Ink die.

I am entering this card in the Just Us Girls Challenge #476, which is a photo of an amethyst, hence the purple theme of my card.

My next card I created another purple card using the same die but die cut from black paper.

This card was really simple. I die cut a piece of pattern paper and adhered it to a Neenah Solar White, A2 card base. I then stamped the sentiment over the top.

I added the flower and covered it in Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Glitter Gloss.

I finished it off with some purple gems

My next two cards are a pink color and I am entering them into the Flower Challenge #29-Use Your Latest Stamps and Dies.

For my first pink card, I die cut the flower out of black and colored some of the pieces from the flower on my first card that I didn't use. I wanted ti give it a stained glass look

I then adhered them over a top folding, A2 pink card base that had a white die cut panel already on top.

Next I covered the flower with Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Glitter Gloss and added a sentiment from Altenew's Label Love.

To complete the card I added some pink confetti and a pink gem.

My next pink card was kind of a fluke. Again, I used Copic Markers to color in the inside of the flower.

I then adhered it to a card front that had some pink and kraft cardstock on top. I chose to leave out the background and let the kraft show through the back.

Again, I added some Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Glitter Gloss over the pink and green in the flower and then covered it with Ranger's Glossy Accents.

That is all from me today. I thank you for stopping by and will be here on the blog tomorrow with some other challenge cards I hope to create tonight.

Supplies:

(Affiliate links are used below at no extra cost to you)

Stamps: Memory Box "Best Life Typewriter Sentiments," Altenew "Label Love," My Favorite Things "Deepest Sympathy"

Dies: Simon Says Stamps "Sweet Tulip," PaperTrey Ink "Skinny Mini Banners Die," Lawn Fawn "Large Stitched Rectangles," Lawn Fawn "Small Stitched 4 Bar Rectangles," Avery Elle "Wonky Stitches"

Ink:Ranger Distres Inks in "Faded Lilac," "Seedless Preserves," and "Wilted Violet," Hero Arts "Bubblegum" dye ink, Hero Arts "Raspberry Jam" and Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink

Paper: Neenah Solar White, My Mind's Eye "Petal Pink," Lawn Fawn "Black Licorice," My Minds Eye "Kraft," Lawn Fawn "Sugarplum"

Other: Sizzix Big Shot, Glossy Accents, Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Glitter Gloss, Foam Adhesive, Purple Gems, Pink Sequins, Ranger Multi Matte Adhesive, Copic Markers

Sunday, February 17, 2019

Turning Fifty and a Card for a few Challenges

Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a FABULOUS Sunday.

This weekend has been eventful. On Friday I turned fifty.

I have to admit that this has not hit me well. I don't mind the wisdom that comes with age but I do not like the puffiness under the eyes, the crows feet or the forehead wrinkles. I can die the gray out but I cannot fix my slowing metabolism or how I want to still dress like I am younger than I am.

That said, I was pleasantly surprised by my day this year because I knew my husband would not be home to celebrate it. My day started with cupcakes made by one of my co-workers and a rendition of Happy Birthday with a lap dance by one of my crazy friends. (She is a hoot!!)

I received a TON of texts and when I got home, I had an edible arrangement on my door step from my best friend.

I then went to get a pedicure and it was so relaxing!! My husband came home a bit early from his meeting and we had cake that he had made me the night before. So the moral of the story is, my birthday was so much better then I thought it would be. I don't know what the rest of the year will hold but the actual day was pretty darn good!!

Now on to why I am REALLY posting today. I created a card for a couple of challenges. My inspiration was the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches #375 and this week's Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge-black/white/ and one other color.

Below is the card I created:

To be honest, this was NOT how I wanted this to turn out. I originally was going to keep the color scheme primarily white, with a touch of pink and black on the sentiment strip. HOWEVER, as things go, I messed the design up totally by adding the pink mist.

I was doing really well until I decided to actually spray it on rather then take the spray part on and use the bottom of it to "throw" it on my card like I usually do. Instead of throwing it away, I added some Tonic Clear Sparkle Marker over the top of the rose so it was visible.