Garden Flowers

| Gayle Chrvala

Just Us Girls Challenge: Flowers

It’s word week with the Just Us Girls Challenge and the word of the week is FLOWERS.

Using my Taylored Expressions Triple Slim “In The Garden” Layering stencil to create my flowered background, I added TE’s Frame Script Hello die to complete my mini slim line die. I enjoy the TE create in quad layering stencils which creates 4 card fronts but this was a newer stencil that makes 3 mini slim card fronts. Clever concept.

Here are the other cards that this triple slim stencil created:

Hefty Doodle sentiment & shadow die as well as TE’s A2 Thin Frame cutting plate finished off the second card and….

Sentiment was from Gina K Designs’ Sketched Flowers stamp set for the 3rd card created from this stencil.

Thanks for stopping in for a peek. I appreciate you and your time. Take care and be safe.

singing birdie

| Gerry Morse

https://daranddiane.blogspot.com/2022/05/birdsbird-nestsbird-cagesbirdhouses.html

I found the idea for this card on Pinterest here https://dianebarnes.blogspot.com/2022/02/esad-blog-hop-birdhouse-friend-card.html.

Embossing folder used is Woodgrain by Cuttlebug, flourish dies are SU’s Flourish Thinlits, circle frame is Spellbinders Classic Circles. Bird is from an online coloring page, top circle is a small hand punch. Bird is colored with Copic’s and popped up.

Thanks for stopping by. Comments are greatly appreciated. Have a great day and stay healthy & safe.

Gerry

Floral Note

| Lisa K

I chose to create with the color pallet from The Paper Players, Fresh Freesia, Granny Apple Green, and Night of Navy.

http://thepaperplayers.blogspot.com/2022/05/pp590-colour-challenge-from-joanne.html

I used Spellbinders Glimmer Plates in this card. The flower is a peony illustrated by Yana Smakula. The greeting is also a Glimmer Plate. I used Hammermill paper for the Glimmer as it usually works well. When I used my Glimmer machine, I spend quite a bit of time and all I do is make Glimmer pieces and then let them sit until I want to use them. Today was a day to use a few of the pieces.

I took out the ink pads that match the colors in the challenge. I watercolored the peony using a water brush. I added a few gems and called it complete. It has a lot more shimmer in real life as I am not a great photographer with foil.

Thanks for spending time with me. I enjoyed the challenge.

My Star

| Gayle Chrvala

The Four Seasons Challenge – May Anything Spring

May is filled with a lot of things to celebrate: my hubby’s birthday, margaritas for Cinco de Mayo, our wedding anniversary, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, the official start of summer at the Jersey shore and Delaware beaches. But most importantly is Memorial Day in our family. A day to remember those who served our country. Our family church always has Memorial Day services in the church followed by services on the cemetery. It has been our family tradition for as long as I can remember to attend these services. Dad was a Ranger in WWII, landed in Normandy and survived capture and being a prisoner of war and now has his place in the Old Soldiers Home in Heaven. He passed the day before Memorial Day weekend 11 years ago so my card is representing his star among the skies. Enough personal stuff and onto my card.

I first created my cloud background using my “Bonnie” cloud stencil and blending lightly in blue and purple without reinking my brushes. Next I die cut my star and star frames from Spellbinders Star Nestabilities die set. The center white star is layered but the red and blue frames are inlaid. The sentiment is from Gina K Designs Stately Flowers 7 and surrounding the sentiment I used Taylored Expressions Little Bits – Stars die.

So much inspiration from the inspiration mood board. Thanks for another fun challenge. I always am very inspired by our Buddy Judy and her amazing patriotic cards.

Thanks for stopping in for a peek. I appreciate you and your time. Take care and be safe.

Tweet Friend

| Gayle Chrvala

Double D Challenges

Birds – Nests – Birdhouses/Cages is our challenge with Double D Challenges blog. There is a lot of spring activity with birds and their nests. Nests in trees, nests in wreaths on doors, nests being built almost everywhere; however, my card focuses on the birds next home The Bird House!!

I did find this idea on Pinterest and tried to make it my own. Using a Gina K Designs stamp set named Sweet Friend which may have been a mini or part of a kit, I stamped, colored and fussy cut my bird houses. Sentiment is from the same GKD set but I did some stamp surgery on the complete sentiment. To continue with the bird theme, my Cuttlebug embossing folder is called Birds & Swirls. Some strips of saved cardstock from my stash and Garden Greens die cuts from Tim Holtz Sizzix completes my card today.

I watched a video on Facebook on a Blue Jay building it’s nest. It was really cool but I would be totally exhausted what that little bird need to do for those little eggs.

Thanks for stopping in for a peek. I appreciate you and your time. Take care and be safe.

Pine Cone Greetings

| Gayle Chrvala

Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge #15

After seeing the inspiration mood board for the Challenge #15 with the Peace On Earth Christmas blog, I focused on the arrangement of pinecones and greens. I remembered and watched the YouTube video again from Amy R (Prairer Paper & Ink) using the SimonSaysStamp pinecone background stamp. Amy R made multiple cards but I only made two using this design. After stamping the background stamp and heat embossing using Taylored Expressions Copper embossing powder, I inked up Distress Ink in Iced Spruce to soften the white space in the panel.

The sentiment is Taylored Expressions Joyful Season sentiment with die layered on a piece of vellum. I thought it needed a little more so after stamping and die cuttting a pinecone and branches in Tim Holtz iced spruce and walnut stain Distress Ink to finish off my card. Not sure if I like the added pinecone…it may need to go the other direction but I didn’t want to take the chance of repositioning so it’s a keeper for me today.

Congratulations to our Johanna and her awesome card in her role as Guest Designer for this challenge.

Thanks for stopping in for a peek today. I appreciate you and your time. Happy Mother’s Day to all. Take care and be safe.

Pastel Embossing

| Lisa K

I decided to emboss flowers today.

https://cyhtp.blogspot.com/2022/04/anything-goes-embossing-with-twist-of_0267032586.html http://justusgirlschallenge.blogspot.com/2022/05/just-us-girls-challenge-631-word-week.html

I chose the Country Floral embossing folder by Stampin Up to emboss and color. It is a 3D folder so it has a lot of dimension. I embossed on Ranger Watercolor Paper, then proceeded to add color. I used Gina K Designs ink with a blender brush. I did come back and add a bit more color with pencils taking the pigment directly from the pencil with water. I chose a sentiment from Stippled Flowers from Gina K Designs. I added a bit of ribbon and a few gems.

I found my inspiration for the colors by searching the folder on Google. I found a SU demonstrator who shared exactly which colors she used and the card recipe. Her name is Cindy. Thank you Cindy for the inspiration and helpful blog post.

golden webs

| Gerry Morse

https://twooldbatshalloweenchallenge.blogspot.com/2022/05/may-anything-halloween.html

For this card I got my inspiration from the lower right section of the inspiration photo. For the gold webs I found a piece of gold vellum in my stash. Not knowing if embossing vellum would work, I thought why not give it a try. Looking at the embossed vellum it seemed a little too bright so I used a cotton ball and black stamp pad to soften it. Large spiders are an old Sizzix sisslet die, small spiders are from a Quick Cuts die. Looking at the cut spiders I had the brilliant idea to cover them with silver Wink of Stella then used stickles for creepy eyes on the large ones. All spiders are popped up with Dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by. Stay healthy and safe.

Gerry

Dinner Party!

| Gayle Chrvala

Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge – May

My most anticipated monthly challenge is live! It’s May Anything Halloween with the Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge blog. This month’s inspiration mood board seemed to focus on black and gold with a hint of orange. I was drawn to the dinner table place settings and decided that no respectable Halloween party can take place without a spooky chandelier!!

My card used a gold heat embossed chandelier from maybe Outlines/Hampton Arts. I did not have the original packaging any more on this older red rubber stamp. I stamped the image in verafine black onyx ink and then heat embossed using gold embossing powder. To me, I get a much better and less splotchy emboss than using veramark. And it was interesting that the black ink worked well with colored embossing powder. I popped up my panel with some fun foam and then decided to frame it with Hero Arts Wood Frame Infinity dies cut from black and gold patterened paper from my stash. The side of the frame cuts out slightly so I mounted it on an orange card base so a little orange peeks through the frame. And since crows were invited to the dinner party on the mood board I found Mr. Crow from a Recollections stamp set, gold heat emboss the guest of honor and fussy cut him out to oversee the activities.

Another fun challenge and inspiration mood board from the Two Old Bats.

Thanks for stopping in for a peek. I appreciate you and your time. Take care and be safe.