AEI♥︎U #1 + RIC#54 & Cardstock Comparisons

Avery Elle has a new blog for the AEI♥︎U Challenge and Challenge #1: Birthdays is happening now. I created this card using stamps from several Avery Elle sets and taking my color palette from the Runway Inspired Challenge #54.

I took the Happy Birthday stamp from Simply Tags: Everyday and stamped it multipe times to create the background panel framed by the Oh Yeah die (the red image was stamped first to get it in the right spot).

The small speech bubbles are inked after being stamped and heat embossed with sentiments from Thanks a Bunch and To The Point stamp sets. 

The main panel is cut slightly narrower than the card base so that a sliver of Harvest Gold shows on each side.

I want to give a huge thank you to a couple of bloggers that have provided a great service to their fellow papercrafters!

About a month ago Kara at KandRdesigns had a great post comparing white cardstocks - as you can see, she covers quality, weight, price & color. Well, Heather, from Housesbuiltofcards, was inspired by Kara's post and took it a step further. A picture is truly worth a thousand words when you are trying to find the exact right shade of green (or blue, or red, or pink, etc.) and Heather has given us those pictures in this fantastic post.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I won Heather's cardstock giveaway, but my linking to her post is only because I don't want anyone to miss this terrific information.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Papertrey Ink February 2014 Blog Hop + MIM #153: Watercolored Backgrounds with Heat Embossed Sentiments

I couldn't resist combining the Papertrey Ink February 2014 Blog Hop challenge to create a spring themed project with the Make it Monday #153 challenge to combine a watercolored background with heat embossed sentiments.

The sweet hyacinths inspired my card.

I started with a white cardstock panel, stamped the "thanks" with Versamark and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. A soft blue is watercolored over this sentiment using a combination of Dawn's techniques - some long strokes and a little dappling for more intense color.

I used Distress Markers to color two flower images from the Life stamp set and the smaller, matching image from the Larger than Life stamp set and stamped them on the watercolored panel. I love that the embossed sentiment resists the markers.

To ground the flowers, a bit of green ink is watercolored along the bottom of the panel.

I'm off to check out what everyone else has been up to!

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

More Quilts for CTD280 and Curtain Call: Cozy Quilts

Once I finished the card I posted yesterday, I couldn't resist using up most of the Taylored Expressions Circles Cutting Plate pieces sitting on my desk. These cards are being entered in the Color Throwdown #280 challenge and the Curtain Call February 15: Cozy Quilt challenge.

This first one is the same card design as yesterday's, but with a different quilt pattern and another great Avery Elle sentiment that can be used for a multitude of occasions.

I wasn't really planning on making this third card, but when I laid the partially used dark blue die cut on top of the partially used light blue one I was intrigued by the design that was created. Instead of cutting another white base, I used the green base I already had.

These quilted panels were not that time consuming to make. I popped all the pieces out of a white die cut and then adhered it to a panel that is a smidge smaller. This rectangular panel is run through a Xyron first, so completely covered with adhesive.

One at a time, I lay the colored die cuts over the white one and poke the pieces I want to adher directly onto the panel.

My favorite is still the "thank you" card I posted yesterday, but it was fun to play around with the patterns.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

CTD280 + Curtain Call: Cozy Quilt + Avery Elle April GD Search

This may be my quickest post ever!

The Avery Elle April Guest Designer Search, Color Throwdown #280 and Curtain Call: Cozy Quilt inspired this card.

I paired a Taylored Expressions cutting plate with a favorite Avery Elle sentiment for this card.

I'll be back tomorrow to show you what I did with the rest of the quilt pieces, right now the girls are gathering and I'm taking them down to San Diego for dinner & a concert.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

CAS(E) this Sketch #65+ CTD280 + Seize the Birthday & Card Concept #4 + Wplus9 Trend Watch

I have a couple of cards to share today. This first one was inspired by the CAS(E) this Sketch #65, Color Throwdown #280 and Seize the Birtthday Anything Goes challenges.

I thought the sketch was perfect for using these Elizabeth Crafts candles dies I picked up last fall when visiting my parents in Victoria. I used white cardstock and inked the candles after they were die cut.

The candles are popped up and tied with a piece of navy twine. A little selective masking allowed me to use the Throwndown colors in the sentiment.

This next card combines the Card Concept Challenge #4: Use a Floral Theme with Wplus9 Birthday Celebration Week 3: Trend Watch.

I tried my hand at a Clean & Layered card using Fresh Cut Florals and a few Memento VersaMagic inks.

For the Trend Watch, I used a little piece of washi tape to ground my mason jar and a number of sequins scattered throughout the bouquet.

I love that these iridescent sequins take on the colors around them.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

MIM#152: Layering Dye & Pigment Inks + Seize the Birthday

I played around with the Make It Monday #152: Layered Dye & Pigment Inks technique earlier in the week and had time today to turn the panel into a card.

I stamped a couple of images from Turning a New Leaf with white pigment ink on the white panel and on the green card base. Once this panel dried, I stamped the flowers from Happiness in Bloom and have to admit I really like the way it turned out!

A small scalloped border and birthday sentiment finish the card off.

I am also linking this one to Seize the Birthday under the Anything Goes option.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Wplus9: Trend Watch + Curtain Call: Cozy Quilt + Muse #55

This is another one of those cards that came together from a few different inspiration sources. Wplus9 is have a birthday celebration this month and running a number of challenges, including the current Trend Watch. I had this in mind when I saw the Curtain Call inspiration photo for the February 15: Cozy Quilt challenge. I pulled out my Wplus9 quilt stamps and dies to sit on my desk while I thought about it a bit.

Then I saw Marion Vagg's card for Muse #55 and I started playing around with the idea of creating a watercolored rainbow quilt, ending up with this card.

The image from Quilt Prints was stamped with Versamark several times and heat embossed before being watercolored.

A few sequins and a sentiment from Fresh Cut Florals finishes the card off.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Muse #54 & CAS(E) this Sketch! #64 + Simon Says Get Krafty

I had time for a quick couple of cards today. This first one was inspired by the Muse Challenge #54 card from Therese Calvird. I love her watercolored flowers but don't have any stamps that echoed the feel of them, so went in a slightly different direction.

I am always in need of birthday cards, so pulled out a few of my Tim Holtz Mini-Blueprint stamps to heat emboss and watercolor.

On of my favorite details on Therese's card is the small flower stamp next to the sentiment, which led to my little streamers tucked under the stamped panel.

I really loved the way Therese's stamped panel was wider the the card base, so trimmed my card base to 3 3/4" wide and keep the panel at 4 1/4" so it will still fit in a regular envelope.

As soon as I saw the CAS(E) this Sketch #64, I thought of these hat & glasses brads that I picked up at a local stamp store last year (and sadly Stamping Details is closing at the end of this month). I had stored them on a tag along with a bow tie created with a slight trimming of an Avery Elle bow die.

As I flipped through my stamps, this great sentiment from Technique Tuesday jumped out and just seemed to be perfect.

I am also linking this card up to the Simon Says Get Krafty challenge at the Simons Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Happy Valentine's Day!

I didn't get any crafting time today, but after looking through the current challenges I realized this card works for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge to Get Krafty.

I needed a few Valentine cards that were not about romance and love - this Avery Elle sentiment is perfect.

The framed panel is popped up to give the sequins a bit of room to move. I made a rectangular version of this card too, but was under pressure to get it in the mail and didn't get photos. With a lifetime supply of sequins begging to be used, I plan to use the design again.

I am also linking this card to the Avery Elle April Guest Designer Search.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

Papertrey Ink 7th Anniversary Building Blocks of Design Challenge

The anniversary celebrations continue at Papertrey Ink and today's challenge is called Building Blocks of Design. A roll of the dice told us which design elements to include.

Mine were:

• Color #1 - Hawaiian Shores
• Color # 2 - Raspberry Fizz
• Color #3 - Aqua Mist
• Neutral - Vintage Cream
• Occassion - Congratulations
• Technique - Spray Mist (noooooooooooooo)
• Embellishment: Brad
• Fiber: Thread
• Sketch: 5

Spray mists are my kryptonite - I don't have many and really don't know how to use them or control them, but since one of the colors I do have (Heidi Swapp Primrose) seemed to be close enough to Rasberry Fizz, I played along and sprayed the card base.

I realize as I post this that I added a couple of elements, using an embossing folder on the Aqua Mist panel and a few streamer die cuts that have been sitting in the pile of unused die cuts for a little too long.

I loosely tucked the thread behind the sentiment flag - a detail that I have seen around quite a bit lately and really like.

I am hoping to be back with at least one more card later tonight.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie

The Card Concept Take Two + Papertrey Ink 7th Anniversary Striped Challenge

This card is for both the Papertrey Ink 7th Anniversary Striped Challenge and Card Concept #3: Use Monochromatic Pink.

I wanted to make a Clean & Layered card, so started by inking a striped embossing folder and then embossing a piece of white cardstock  to make my base panel.

The sentiment combines a stamp from Friendship Jar with Modern Alphabet dies.

A few vellum leaves and enamel dots finish the card off. Yes, I brushed clear Wink of Stella on the letters - it helped balance the glitter & sparkle of the MME Heirloom enamel dots.

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie 

Avery Elle April Guest Designer Search + Card Concept #3 + CASology: Bold

I love when a few different challenges help pull a card together. This card started as a submission for the Avery Elle April Guest Designer Search and, based on the dies and stamps I wanted to work with,  is also perfect for incorporating the elements of The Card Concept #3: Use Monochromatic Pink and CASology Week 82: Bold challenges.

I cut three rectangles with the Avery Elle Pinked Dies from white cardstock and used a Fill in the Blank stamp to heat emboss on two of them. These panels were then inked with Picked Rasberry Distress Ink. The third panel is inked with Spun Sugar Distress Ink and the pinked circle and heart die cut layered on top.

A sheer ribbon is wrapped around the flags and they are all adhered to the card base with foam squares.

The heart was a little flat, so clear Wink of Stella is brushed on - now it has a similar finish to the embossed letters.

I always have a little trouble determing which category I fit in with the Card Concept challenge - Clean & Simple or Clean & Graphic? What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by,

Jacquie