Orchid Sympathy

Unfortunately, I needed a sympathy card and worked on this one over the weekend.  It's a combination of a new-to-me Altenew stamp and products from my stash.  The stamp is Oriental Orchid, a layering stamp set from Altenew.  I bought it used because I don't have any other flowers like this in my collection.

To create the look I wanted, I had to search my stash for a pot or container and used PTI's Vase Collection 7 Mini stamp set with Speckled Egg and Broken China Distress inks.  I decided to heat emboss the flowers so I could keep them white and watercolored them with Spun Sugar, Pickled Raspberry, and Twisted Citron.  I didn't use all four steps of the layering stamps - and had to remember "let the water do the work". I came in with the last step and Picked Raspberry when the paper was still damp so the color would be vibrant, but the water still pulled the ink.  The yellow centers are done with Prismacolor pencils after the flowers were dried. The leaves are a combination of Peeled Paint, Crushed Olive, and Rustic Wilderness.  I needed to bend the stem to give it the angle you see here and all of the elements of the flowers, leaves, bucket and stem are fussy cut and layered together.  The flowers are popped out on foam squares and the leaves, vase, stem, and buds are glued right onto the background.  

I have been playing with foiling lately, so I got out my laminator and heat embossed my MFT's  Lined By Hand  background stamp and then foiled over the top.  It is hard to see in the photo, but only parts of the lines picked up the foiling.  I ended up ink blending the edges and actually love the look.  The sentiment is an old red rubber stamp from Verve - which I foiled as well. Pinkfresh Studio's Essential Blanket Stitch Slimline Die Set (mini slimline die).

I love how this card turned out, even though it took a lot of "playing around" and time to think/plan for me! I have enough leftover flowers and leaves to make another card - which is a side benefit from being willing to "play around." Thanks for stopping by my blog.                                                                   In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

613 Avenue Create-July / AG with optional twist/Black and White

NBUS #40/

Use Your Stuff #451 / Flowers

There's A Stamp for That FB Group Challenge #41/ Monochromatic; Brads/eyelets; flowers

BYSHC - Sketch 23/ Card 2

Back with my second card for BYSHC Cardmakers Sketch #23.  For this one, I focused on using some of the Taylored Expressions goodies I have in my stash.  The Garden Party embossing folder was a perfect background because of its border. added some visual interest and texture around the card.  I knew I wanted to use the Festive Fir Die as my main image - and I cut a second tree from Vicki Boutin's Warm Wishes paper, and a third tree from TE's Gold Foil Cardstock in my stash.  I pieced them together and used the same gold foil for the Noel Script sentiment (which is no longer available).  Scraps of gold went back into the embossing folder for the flags, along with some glitter paper.  Clear jewels accent the card along with the gold dots from the die!  This card was a little putsy, but the result was worth it.  The gold and white gives it such an elegant look!  Hope you join BYSHC Cardmakers this month and add a card to Sketch #23 album!

Thanks for stopping by my blog.                                           In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

Christmas Craft Creations June /Trees

Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge- June / AG/optional snow globe

The 12 Months of Christmas June / AG/optional twist of plaid

PPC&F - The Cat's Pajamas

How cute is this digital image, Wheel Love, from PPC&F sponsor, The Cat's Pajamas?!?  It comes with the main image and five sentiments.  I chose "Thanks Bunches" and used some Reverse Confetti papers from my stash and Lawn Fawn's Reverse Stitched Scalloped Die for the window. The bunny is colored with my Copics and the bike has a layer of Stickles for some added sparkle.  

Pop by the Passionate Paper Creations & Friends FB Group long enough for the special discount this weekend and a little DT inspiration before you go shopping at The Cat's Pajamas.  

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

Make My Monday #177 / Coloring -Any Medium

Die Cut Divas June / Summer Fun

Make the Cards #57 / Any Shade of Blue

As You Like It June 23 / Masculine or Feminine and why- I tend toward feminine card styles because of the bright/pastel color choices and sparkly embellishments.

Shaking with PPC&F and CC Designs

Back with another PPC&F sponsor card - this one is CC Designs and images from her totally adorable new release called, Mermaid Inchies.  My youngest grandchild just finished kindergarten and we are going to be pen pals this summer, so I created my card with her in mind as our first pen pal letter.  Playing around with the design morphed into the idea of making it a shaker. How can I miss - mermaids, sparkle, and a shaker?!?! She will LOVE it!

Truth be told - this card kicked my butt a bunch of times - first, PTI's On the Border: Leaf Die would not cut cleanly through in some spots, despite me adding shims.  That didn't stop me because I was determined to have these cuties swimming in a bed of seaweed, so I figured it out.  The paper is a light blue and sponged with a variety of  Taylored Expressions green inks from my collection.  The background is a Pinkfresh hot foil plate from the the May Stamp and Create event.  It called Geo Arches and I bet they will be releasing it soon.  It's inked with some blues and browns to give the underwater feel and Copic dots for sand.  All of the Inchies and shells are colored with Copics and then have a layer or two of BG000 over the top to give them an underwater look and then fussy cut.  Next came making the shaker.  Another 'kick butt" moment - because I didn't plan for it at the beginning, so in some spots I didn't have enough edge to use a strip of foam tape!!  Then, I added the foam strips BEFORE the acetate layer (GRRRR!!) I recommend TE's acetate for shakers - the thickness is perfect!  The photo doesn't pick up the extra sparkle I added to the on the background and Inchies (TE's Iridescent Glitter Gel), but IRL the sparkle is there! Despite all of the setbacks, the card is super cute!  These CC Designs Mermaid Inchies are adorable!  They were mermaid to be on a card and shared!!  

As always, there is a special CC Designs discount code waiting for you on the Passionate Paper Creations and Friends FB Group page.  If you are not a member yet - just ask to join.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.  

In kindness,  Cathy

Challenges Entered:

Die Cut Divas June - Summer

Make My Monday Challenge #176 / Summer

NBUS #39/

Little Red Wagon #657/ Something Fishy Here

As You Like It  June 9 / Blonde or Brunette (Blonde - I can change my mind and make it brunette if it starts getting too dark!!)

Can You Handle the Pressure/

Down the Foiling Rabbit Hole . . .

 I have finally taken the plunge into foiling.  I've dipped my toe into the mix in the past 6 months, but thanks to the Taylored Expressions Modern Eucalyptus Cardmaking Kit, I dove in straight the pool!  The kit comes with toner cards, which work with Deco Foil and a laminator.  It looked so pretty foiled, I stopped resisting and bought a Royal Sovereign laminator and a couple of rolls of Deco Foil (and a few other things!!) - but if you don't count the kit, it's been less than $50.  That's the cost of a dinner out - and the food is gone in an hour!

I am in love with this card and the way it looks.  There are a few different kind of foil products - the stems are stenciled using Deco Foil Transfer Gel Duo and then foiled with gold Deco Foil; the sentiment is Deco Foil Adhesive Transfer Design by Unity; the gold frame is Taylored Expressions gold foiled cardstock.  TE's Pierced Lattice Cutting Plate gives texture to the background and the card is finished with some TE Drip Drops and a bow with ribbon from my stash.

I am on a tear figuring out all of the ways I can foil using my new tools.  After watching a couple of videos, I tried it with heat embossing a sentiment and then foiling - SUCCESS!! This card uses Erin Lee's Sentiment Stamp and it foiled beautifully.  The photo doesn't capture the smooth shine that is seen on the card.  I heat embossed first (I used gold embossing powder so I could see right away when it melted and then ran it through the laminator and foiled it. 

I have a blog post with a third card and turquoise foil.  I "inked" up an old SU red rubber background stamp with the Deco Gel and then foiled.  The dots have a grunge look, but that is the stamp.  I am delighted to have taken the plunge and happy I can get many of the looks I want from foiling without spending a fortune.  

Thanks for stopping by my blog! If you are interested, I hope you will "follow" my blog and stay updated with my journey! 

In kindness, Cathy

BYSHC Sketch #23 - Card #1

 Lots of open white space in Crystal's BYSHC sketch this month!!  I don't have any tall images, so I needed to improvise a bit.  Remembering that I bought CCC's Berry Much Slimline stamp, I thought by cropping the image, it could be a perfect fit for the sketch.

I inked up the stamp and colored it to look like red berries (maybe cranberries?) with my Copics.  I masked the stamp and used my old, trusty SU red-rubber French Script in the background and then distressed the edges.  The sentiment is cut from a Kaisercraft die and gold foiled cardstock.  I wrapped DMC gold thread as an accent as a final touch to finish the card.

Hope you can play along with us this month!  Add your card to the sketch album HERE and post your card on the BYSHC FB page!

Challenges Entered:

NBUS #39

Peace On Earth Challenge #17/

12 Months of Christmas #89/AG + optional plaid

Merry Little Christmas #44 /AG

Thanks for stopping by my blog

 In kindness, Cathy

PPC&F- Lili of the Valley

 

Back with a sweet image from PPC&F's sponsor, Lili of the Valley.  This one is a digital image, called Little Mermaid Friends and is available in LOTV's Etsy Shop.  I colored these cuties with my Copics, die cut them with a stitched oval die (leaving part of the tail outside of the oval), and finished off with some embellishments and glitter.  The background is my first attempt at foiling with a laminator and Deco Foil Transfer Gel Duo using an old SU rustic polka dot red rubber background stamp. 

As always, you will want to take advantage of the special discount LOTV is offering members of the Passionate Paper Creations & Friends FB Group.  Pop over and check it out - or simply ask to join if you aren't a member yet. Thanks for stopping by my blog.                                                                                                              In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

Make My Monday #176 / Summer Fun

Use Your Stuff #449 / AG

TicTacToe #164/ 1st row across top (stripe or dots, friendship, embellishment)

Crafty Catz #598 /AG

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends- #183 / AG

PPC&F and Dr. Digi

 Dr. Digi is the current sponsor of the Passionate Paper Creations & Friends FB group.  There's a great discount through June 5th for folks who are PPC&F members on his website.  If you aren't a member yet, all you have to do is ask to join!

This image is called Cuddly Critters- Cow.  I colored this one up with my Copics and die cut some letters from my stash for the sentiment - which may be a little nostalgic for some of you! Pop over to PPC&F for the discount code and you can make one too - or snag one of his other fun images! Thanks for stopping by my blog.                      In kindness, Cathy

Challenges Entered:

Dream Valley #271 ~ Summer colors

Use Your Stuff #449 ~ AG

Shopping Our Stash #471- Slimline/ Mini-slim 

TicTacToe #164~ Far Right Column (embellishment, animal, free)

PPC&F and Conie Fong

 

Conie Fong is this week's Passionate Paper Creations & Friends FB Group sponsor.  My card features her adorable image, Just Like Daddy. The digital image comes with or without that little sprinkling of freckles. 

I combined her image with a couple of Papertrey Ink dies from my stash and some patterned paper from last month's  Catherine Pooler's release.  I used Copics to color him.

If you are a fan of Conie Fong's images, now is the time to buy!  Pop over the the PPC&F FB Group and take advantage of the discount!

Thanks for stopping by my blog.                                            In kindness, Cathy 

PPC&F- Di's Digi Stamps

 Di's Digi Stamps is sponsoring the Passionate Paper Creations and Friends FB Group; this cute image is called Hedgehog's Sunflower Friend.  All of Di's digital images are on sale for 35% off in her Etsy shop - and she has a ton of cute stamps to choose from! 

The background uses Picket Fence Studios' Peek-A-Boo Flower Stencil.  The image is die cut with CC Designs Scalloped Rectangle Metal Die along with an old curved border die.  Some Taylored Expressions Drip Drops and one of the sentiments from her Simple Strips in Reverse Everyday Sentiments collection finish off the card.

Hope you will pop by the PPC&F FB group to see what is in store as we celebrate Di's Digi Stamps sponsorship!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.  

In kindness, Cathy

BYSHC May Challenge - Sketch #22

I hope you were able to play along with the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Linky Party last week - lots of fun and festivities all week long!! We are back to a quieter pace of sketch challenges and I can't believe it's May already!  Crystal, our masterful sketch designer has a new kind of challenge this month - creating a mini-slimline card!  I really like this size card, so it was fun to work with this sketch.

I was babysitting my grandkids last week and the next town over has an actual scrapbook shop in it, called Creek Water Memories.  I did a little shopping while they were in school and picked up some gorgeous Maja Designs papers from Sweden along with Pinkfresh Studios Poinsettia Washi Tape and coordinating die.  The Maja Designs papers come in beautiful patterns, muted colors, and a heavy weight cardstock. (Here's hoping the link leads to a store in your area so you can check them out yourself!) 

The papers and washi are so pretty, this card practically made itself!!  After taking a deep breath and cutting into my treasured new papers, I used Pinkfresh's Blanket Stitch die and then layered the card base with other paper from my stash.  I have a collection of shimmery cardstock I bought a few years ago and used that for the reddish color.  It has just a slight shimmer and is perfect with this washi tape. I used the washi wreath and just layered some of the other die cuts on top, added an organza bow with some twine behind it from my stash, and then popped on a gold foiled sentiment and Pinkfresh Sparkling Champagne Metallic Pearls.  I think the whole card took less than an hour - and I never finish that fast!!  You can bet I will be making more of these cards!  

After you make your card, link it up in Album #22 of the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers FB Group.  Thanks for stopping by my blog!                                                                                                  In kindness, Cathy. 

Challenges Entered:

Die Cut Divas - April 30 ~ AG

Peace On Earth #15 ~Anything Christmas

Creative Fingers #230~AG

12 Months of Christmas #88 ~AG