essentials by ellen: april pin-sights challenge

Howdy!  I'm submitting this super last-minute card to the Pin-sights Challenge hosted by Essentials by Ellen.  Here's my card...

...which was inspired by this pretty mood board.

I was inspired by the color palette and the polka dots mostly.

I used the Congrats die that came with the Essential by Ellen zipper panel as well as the star dies from the Home and Hearth die set.

Fingers crossed that my card will be picked for the $50 gift card to Ellen Hutson.  I just saw the Essentials by Ellen spring release and I want everything!  Every darn thing! Ha!

Thanks for looking:)

Supplies:
Dies: Essentials by Ellen - Zipper Panel, Home and Hearth
Other: patterned paper

cas(e) this sketch #120

I've been focusing on Mother's Day cards for the past week, hoping to make a good head start so that I'm not rushing to make them at the last minute.  Here's my latest...

I used the "smooshing" technique I learned from Laura Bassen's blog, applying watercolor (in this case, distress inks) by using an acetate sheet.  

Totally love this technique...not only is it fun, but it helps me to achieve this free flowing, natural look.  I'm submitting this card to CAS(E) this Sketch, where we're using this as our inspiration.

Thank you for taking a look!

Supplies:

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Best Mom Ever

Dies: Simon Says Stamp Devonshire Butterfly

Inks: Tim Holtz Distress (peacock feathers, picked raspberry, squeezed lemonade)

Other: sequins

 

CASology: Ombre, Take 2

I had so much fun with the CASology's ombre theme, that I had to make another card.  I'm submitting this to CASology's challenge.  Here we go:

I was inspired by the card made by Cristina Kowalczyk a while back, and it just stuck in my memory...oh dear, as happy as I am for Cristina's success and an author (her latest book is fantastic!), I really do miss her blog.

I colored some strips of vellum with Copic markers in the same color family, embossed one of the strips with the sentiment, adhered them on the card panel, and added a few sequins.

My two ombre cards, side by side, all ready to go for mama's day.

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:
Stamps: Simon Says Stamp Best Mom Ever
Inks: Copic markers
Other: gold embossing powder, sequins

CASology: Ombre, Take 1

After learning my lesson from Christmas and Valentine's Day (that I should start making holiday cards waaay in advance, instead of procrastinating and rushing at the last minute), I decided to get a  start on Mother's Day cards well in advance.  Here's my first of what I'm sure will be many...

I'm entering this into CASology's challenge, where I cue word is Ombre.

It's a bit busier than I had wanted, mainly because I got some gluey blemishes on my card and had to cover them up with enamel accents and flowers.

And, here's a fun little glimpse of the madness before I finished up my card.  What a fun mess!

Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Stamps: Mama Elephant Happy Everything
Dies: Mama Elephant Happy Script
Inks: Tim Holtz Distress (tumbled glass, peacock feathers)
Other: white embossing powder, flower sequins, enamel accents

cas(e) this sketch #119

I was so moved by an image I saw on Instagram by @hannexstitch, where she made the most gorgeous banner with gold letters and gold-dipped wreaths.  Just breathtaking.  So, I asked what technique she used and she directed me to Danielle Flander's tutorial on gold-dipped die cuts...I was hooked, and made this...

I die cut some flowers from colored paper, brushed some of the petals with an embossing pad, and then heat embossed the tips in gold.  Its a bit hard to see, but up close, I find it quite pretty.

I'm entering this into CAS(E) this Sketch, where we used this sketch as our inspiration.

Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Stamps: Mama Elephant Many Thanks; Paper Smooches Reflections
Dies: Paper Smooches Reflections Flowers
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black; Versamark Champagne
Other: Patterned paper, gold embossing powder, sequins

wplus9 tbt #2

I just found a challenge that's new to me, so I decided to to give it a try.  Here is my card for WPlus9's Throwback Thursday Challenge.

We were challenged to use some of our older WPlus9 stamps, so I used Written on Ribbon and Fresh Cut Florals, along with their accompanying dies.

Thank you for taking a look:)

fusion card: cupcake inspiration

It has been a while since I participated in my first Fusion Card Challenge, so I decided to give it another go…especially since it’s a cupcake inspiration challengeJ  Here is the card I made to give to my mom on her birthday.

Here is the inspiration provided by the Fusion Card Challenge.  I was drawn to the photo and started out thinking I’d make a monochromatic yellow cupcake/bunny/balloon scene, but I remembered that my mom really likes bright colors, so I added spring colors to the mix.

Thank you for stopping by!

Supplies:

Stamps: Mama Elephant Carnival Cupcakes & Party Kit; Simon Says Stamp + Mama Elephant Summer Garden

Dies: Mama Elephant Creative Cuts: Carnival Cupcakes & Party Kit; Simon Says Stamp + Mama Elephant Summer Garden

Inks: Tim Holtz Distress Inks: peacock feathers, picked raspberry, squeezed lemonade; Versamark: onyx black

just wanted to say thank you

I had so much fun with the current CAS(E) this Sketch challenge that I decided to give it another try.  Here's my card:

I used the Simon Says Stamp Summer Garden set, designed by Mama Elephant, with the accompanying dies.  The sentiment is from Mama Elephant's Many Thanks, one of my most frequently used stamp sets.

I am entering the first card to CAS(E) this Sketch, where we are using this sketch as our inspiration:

Thank you for stopping by!  

Supplies:

Stamps: Mama Elephant Many Thanks; Simon Says Stamp + Mama Elephant Summer Garden

Dies: Simon Says Stamp + Mama Elephant Summer Garden

Inks: Gansai Tambi Watercolors, Versamark Onyx Black

Other: patterned paper, sequins