Lilac- I Will Never Leave You

Hi Friends!

I am sharing another card today that uses one of my neglected stamp sets- Lilac from Technique Tuesday along with a verse sentiment from Fear Not (Stamp Simply).

I have owned the Lilac set for at least a year or more and this is the first time that I have had a chance to ink it up.  My mother loved lilacs and when I saw this image, I knew I would have to add it to my stamp “collection”. 

I am still working through the Splitcoaststampers’ Sketch Challenges and used the SC183 Sketch for the layout on this card.  I decided to create a portrait version and my layer for #4 is a bit smaller so you can see more of the lilac image :-)  Plus I added a ribbon/bow at the bottom to balance out the card.

I am also participating with the Double “D” 05/06 “Lavender-Lilac-Purple” InspirationChallenge (I was inspired by all of the beautiful flowers and especially the lilacs) and the Word Art Wednesday #438-#439 “Anything Goes” Challenge.

The lilac image was heat embossed with clear embossing powder and colored with water-based markers. Distress Oxide ink was used for the background and the panel was die cut with a stitched rectangle die.

The sentiment was heat embossed with white embossing powder onto black cardstock and die cut with a stitched rectangle die.

The background panel of white cardstock was embossed with a script embossing folder and all of the layers were mounted onto black cardstock.

A bow of black seam binding was added before mounting the main focal image panel was adhered to the card front with dimensional foam.

A clear glitter pen was used to add shimmer to the petals and an extra fine white paint pen to add a few highlights to finish off the card.

Stamp Sets: Lilac (Technique Tuesday), Fear Not (Stamp Simply)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black, Stampin’ Write Markers- Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather, Old Olive; Tim Holtz™ Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide;  Spectrum Noir™ Clear Glitter Pen, Extra Fine White Paint Pen

Cardstock/Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black, retired This and That Epic Day Designer Series Paper

Accessories: Gemini, Jr™, My Favorite Things Stitched Rectangle A2 STAX Set 1 Dies, Darice™ Script Embossing Folder, Embossing Buddy®, Clear and White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, AquaPainter™, ½” Black Seam Binding

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit- I hope you will stop by again soon!  Hugs, sweet friends!

Phil 4:13 I Can Do All Things Through Christ

Hi Friends!!

I am sharing one more card this morning (before retiring to get some beauty sleep, lol!) that I designed with the Cosmo stamp set (Technique Tuesday) along with the Scripture sentiment from Words of Encouragement (Stamp Simply).

I have owned the Cosmo stamp set for a few years (love the floral image) and this is the first time I have had a chance to create a card- I think I have too many stamps, don't you?

I decided to use the Splitcoaststampers SC311 Sketch Challenge  for the layout (FYI- this sketch is from 2011- so glad that they do not expire :-))  and am also playing along with the Color My Heart Color Dare #382 Purple Monochromatic Challenge and the StampingSensations “Spring Florals” Challenge.

To create this card:

De-static a piece of white cardstock with an embossing powder tool, ink the Cosmo floral image with Versafine™ Onyx Black Ink and stamp onto the panel.  Apply clear embossing powder and heat set with a heat tool. 

Repeat the same steps as above with the sentiment from Words of Encouragement. Trim the sentiment and mount onto a piece of black cardstock.

Using water-based markers and watercolor pencils, color the flowers on the floral image (being careful with the pencil points around the embossing).  Once you are satisfied with the coloring, die cut the image with a stitched rectangle die, mount onto black cardstock and trim close to the die cut.

Emboss a piece of concord designer paper with a flourish embossing folder, lightly sand the surface with a sanding block, trim the panel and mount onto a piece of black cardstock. 

Die cut another piece of white cardstock with a larger stitched rectangle die for the background panel, mount onto black cardstock and adhere to a white card base.

Add the embossed purple panel directly to the card front and mount the focal image and sentiment with dimensional foam (lately,  I prefer using chipboard).

Use a clear glitter pen to add shimmer to the petals and an extra fine white paint pen to add a few highlights to the flower centers.

Add a few pearls to the corners of the sentiment as well as the floral panel to finish off the card.

Stamp Sets: Cosmo (Technique Tuesday), Words of Encouragement (Stamp Simply)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black; Stampin’ Write Markers- Wisteria Wonder, Gorgeous Grape, Concord Crush; Derwent™ Watercolor Pencils- shades of purple, Spectrum Noir™ Clear Glitter Pen, Sharpie™ Extra Fine White Paint Pen

Cardstock/Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black; retired Concord Crush Designer Series Paper (Hostess Level I Pack)

Accessories: MISTI™, Embossing Buddy®, Clear EP, Heat Tool, Gemini Jr™, MFT Stitched Rectangle A2 STAX Set 1 & 2 Dies, Crafters Companion™ Swirl 3D Embossing Folder, Sanding Block, Pearls

I hope I have inspired you to create something this week and I will be posting my Design Team card for The Card Concept at 8 am (so stay tuned, lol!)!

Thanks again for taking the time to visit my blog- have a blessed week, sweet friends!

TCC118 When I Need A Friend

Hi Friends!

Welcome to The Card Concept #118 {Cacti Clusters}Challenge!  I was inspired by the colors of the succulents as well as the images to pull out the Sweet Succulents Stamp Set (Technique Tuesday) and create a Classy and Elegant/Mixed Media card!

This will be the last challenge at The Card Concept until September.  We take a break over the summer to give our Designers time to spend with their families as well as take a vacation or two :-).  We will be back in the beginning of September with another round of inspiration photos for sure!

I paired the Sweet Succulents Stamp Set (Technique Tuesday) with a sentiment from Choose Happiness (Stampin’ Up!).    I have owned the Sweet Succulents set for a while and this is the first time I have had a chance to ink it up (still working on goal of giving all of my stamps some “love”).

I will also be linking this card to the Try Stamping On Tuesday #413 Sketch Challenge along with the Word Art Wednesday #392-#393 “Anything Goes” Challenge.

If you have not had a chance to visit us at The Card Concept or the other challenge sites yet, I hope you will find time to do so- gorgeous inspiration from all!

To create this card:

1). De-static a piece of white cardstock with an embossing powder tool, stamp the succulent images from Sweet Succulents with Versafine™ Onyx Black, apply clear embossing powder and heat set with the heat tool.  Once the embossing has cooled, color the images with water-based markers, colored pencils and distress oxide inks.  Once you are satisfied with the coloring, fussy-cut the images and set aside.

2). Using a stitched rectangle die, die cut another piece of white cardstock for the middle frame, use the next smaller stitched rectangle die to die cut a piece of green designer paper, a stitched circle die to die cut a piece of white cardstock and the same size circle die to die cut two pieces of blackberry cardstock.

3). Layer the white and green die cut rectangles together, add the lace strip along with the wide blackberry satin grosgrain ribbon (wrap the ends of the ribbon behind the back of the panel).  Mount the panel onto a piece of blackberry cardstock and adhere to the white card base.

4). Overlap the two blackberry stitched circle dies to create a small border for the white stitched circle die cut.  Layer together and mount onto the card front with dimensional foam.

5).  Mount the fussy cut image onto the die cut circle using dimensional foam and use a clear shimmer pen to add shimmer to the succulent images.

6). Using the same steps as in Step #1, stamp the sentiment from the retired Stampin’ Up! Set, Choose Happiness using Versafine™ Onyx Black ink, emboss with clear embossing powder, trim and mount onto blackberry cardstock and adhere to the card front.

7). Add a few pearls to the upper right hand corner to finish off the card.

Stamp Sets:  Sweet Succulents (Technique Tuesday), Choose Happiness (Stampin’ Up!)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black, Tim Holtz™ Distress Oxide Inks-Bundled Sage, Seedless Preserves; Stampin’ Write Markers (all retired)-Sage Shadow, Orchid Opulence, Bordering Blue, Mellow Moss; Zig® Clean Color Real Brush Markers- Violet, Pale Green, Olive Green; Spectrum Noir™ Clear Glitter Pen

Cardstock/Paper: Whisper White, Blackberry Bliss (Stampin’ Up!); misc. designer paper- from my stash, not sure of manufacturer

Tools/Accessories: Big Shot™;  My Favorite Things™ Dies- Stitched A2 Rectangle Sets 1 & 2, Stitched Circles; AquaPainter™, Embossing Buddy®, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, White Lace and 1 ¼” Wine Grosgrain Satin Ribbon (from my stash), Pearls

Thanks again for taking the time to visit! I hope I have inspired you to create your own card based on our {Cacti Clusters}  photo and link up to our gallery at The Card Concept- we would love to see your interpretation!! The challenge is open until Monday, July 8^th at noon (EDT).

Update: My hubby, Dave is still recovering in the hospital and after a few very rough days, but he seems to be doing so much better!  We found out that he did have Stage 1 prostate cancer as well, so we are so blessed that he no longer has to worry about bladder cancer or prostate cancer :-)  

He still has the rare Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia (Waldenstroms or WM for  short).  He had several years of chemo/immunotherapy from 2014-2018, so while there is no cure for WM, he had a positive response to the treatment and his numbers for the WM look good so far! 

Hugs and thanks for all of your prayers and well wishes!  Praise the Lord, He is answering the prayers!!

TCC90 The Lord Directs His Steps

Hi Friends!!

Woohoo! It’s time for the new #90 Sweet Treat Challenge at The Card Concept!   Look at those gorgeous cupcakes- the flowers look so real, don’t they? 

I was inspired by the bright spring colors of berry, yellow ad blue as well as the pretty flowers to create a Mixed Media card.  

Don't be frightened of Mixed Media- usually it is a card using two different inks  and/or mediums (in this case archival ink, distress inks and markers, white paint pen, glitter pen) plus other mediums (I used heat embossing and stenciling on this card). 

Since I add heat embossing to almost every one of my cards lately, they all qualify as Mixed Media :-)

Just a reminder that The Card Concept is a bi-weekly challenge that has an inspiration photo along with a number of design styles that you can choose from to create your card- Clean and Simple, Clean and Graphic, Clean and Layered, Shabby Chic, Freestyle Collage, Classy and Elegant and Mixed Media (or you can combine several styles for your own style).

I am also linking this card to the Hand Stamped Sentiments #286 Sketch Challenge, the Double “D” “Twine” Challenge and the CAS-ual Fridays #196 "Spring Fever" Challenge.

If you have not had a chance to check out the rest of the Design Team cards at The Card Concept or visit the other challenge sites yet, I hope you will find time to do so- wonderful inspiration from all!

To create this card:

1). Ink the floral image from Rhododendron (Technique Tuesday) with archival black ink, stamp onto a piece of white cardstock, apply clear embossing powder and heat set with a heat tool.  Once the embossing has cooled, color the flowers with distress inks, markers and other water-based markers (colors noted in card recipe below).  Add a few highlights to the flower centers with an extra fine white paint marker. Fussy-cut and set aside.

2). Stamp the verse sentiment from Scripture Medley 3 (Verve Stamps) with archival black ink, stamp onto a piece of white cardstock, apply clear embossing powder and heat set with a heat tool.  Once the embossing has cooled, die cut with a stitched rectangle die, mount onto a piece of berry cardstock.

3). For the panels on the background, die cut various rectangles from yellow and white cardstock (dies are listed below), layer onto berry cardstock, add the hemp twine strands (wrapping the ends behind the panel) before mounting onto the white card base.

4). Add the sentiment panel and the fussy cut floral image with dimensional foam to the card front.

5).  Use a stencil with a stencil brush to add distress ink over all the panels.

6). Adhere the hemp twine bow with button.  Add pearls to the corner of the sentiment and upper right-hand corner of the card.

7). Use a clear glitter pen to add shimmer to the flowers to finish off the card.

Stamp Sets: Rhododendron (Technique Tuesday), Scripture Medley 3 (Verve Stamps)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black, Tim Holtz® Distress Markers- Picked Raspberry, Mowed Lawn; Tim Holtz® Picked Raspberry Distress Ink, Zig© Clean Real Color Markers- Light Pink, Green; SU! Markers- Blush Blossom, Berry Burst; Spectrum Noir® Clear Glitter Pen, Sharpie® Extra Fine White Paint Pen

Cardstock/Paper: Whisper White, Berry Burst; retired So Saffron and Soft Sky Designer Series Paper (all Stampin’ Up!)

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot™, My Favorite Things™ Dies- A2 Stitched Rectangles STAX Set 1 & 2, Horizontal Stitched Strips STAX, Stitched Square STAX; Embossing Buddy®, Heat Tool, Clear Embossing Powder, Claritystamps™ Stencil Brush, Memory Box™ Heartwood Stencil, Polished Hemp Twine, retired SU! Button, Pearls

Thanks again for stopping by! I had fun designing this card and hope you will have a chance to come play along with us at The Card Concept!!