Sponged Dry Embossed Card

Hi, everyone!

During my break at work today, I started imagining card ideas, and thought, "Wouldn't it be great if I can add a touch of color to dry embossed images?"

Hmmm.  Why not?  I couldn't wait to try it out when I got home (and of course, I was also working late today, of all days!).

I am so excited, I  just couldn't wait to share this card with all of you.  I snapped a photo as soon as I finished the card, I don't think the ink was even dry yet...

I ran my embossed my cardstock with an embossing folder and Big Shot, and used a sponge dauber and some distress inks to color the embossed images.

My sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp.

Not bad for my first try, right?  This card reminds me of spring, which is around the corner (I have to keep telling myself that, especially since we are buried in snow and it's freezing cold here).

I am entering this card to the following challenges:

Less is More (Challenge Week 211 - 1 layer card)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge (Add a Litte Texture, using Simon Says Stamp products)

I used these products (with links to where you can buy them) on my card:
White cardstock (Georgia Pacific)
Spring Tulip embossing folder (Darice)
You stamp set (Simon Says Stamp)
Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko)
Worn Lipstick distress ink (Ranger)
Mustard Seed distress ink (Ranger)
Mowed Lawn distress ink (Ranger)
Sponge dauber (Tsukineko)

Thanks for looking, and have a great day!

Bright Pink and Gray Card

It's been a while since I joined challenges, but I just couldn't pass up this challenge from Less Is More and Simon Says Stamp.

The Less Is More blog is celebrating its 4th anniversary, and the challenge this week is to make a card with pink and gray.

Meanwhile, the challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge blog is "All things bright and beautiful," highlighting Hero Arts products.

I am excited for this challenge, because I have a lot of Hero Arts stamps.  They were one of the first stamps I bought when I first started stamping five years ago.

Here is my card:

I used this Hero Arts stamp set for the different splashes of pink.

The image and the sentiment came from two different stamp sets.  The bicycle was from this set.

The sentiment was from this set.  I love how the two stamps complemented each other perfectly.  I embossed both the bicycle and the sentiment using silver/gray embossing powder.

I love how this card turned out.  I am working on having a stash of handmade cards that I can readily pull out for different occasions, and this card definitely fits the bill.

Here is a complete list of products (and links to where you can find them):
White cardstock (Georgia Pacific)
Dark and light gray cardstock (my stash)
Brush Strokes (Hero Arts)
Joy Ride stamp set (Hero Arts)
Friendship Messages stamp set (Hero Arts)
Rose Bud ink (Memento)
Angel Pink ink (Memento)
Pixie Dust ink (Versamagic)
Pink Petunia ink (Versamagic)
Versamark ink pad (Tsukineko)
Heat gun (Nicole)
Embossing powder (Stampin' Up!)
Embossing powder tool (Inkadinkado)
ATG gun (Scotch)

Thanks for looking, and have a bright and cheery day!

Gamer Birthday Card

Happy new year, everyone!

What better way to start the year than making cards and participating in challenges?

I made this card for my nephew, who just turned twenty-one.  Like most males in my family, he loves video games, so I know this stamp set from Papertrey Ink is just perfect for his card (and for other cards that I will make for my other male family members, of course).  I struggle with masculine cards, mostly because I find myself out of ideas/inspiration for them, but I'm glad I did not have too much trouble with this one.  The right stamp set does help sometimes. :)

Yup, it's a video game controller.  And I love, love, love the sentiment.

Here is the actual card.

I'm entering this card to the Less is More challenge for the end of the year, which is to repeat any challenge from the past year.  I am repeating Week 7's challenge:  Masculine Cards.

I used the following products for my card:
Blue cardstock (Coredinations)
White cardstock (Recollections)
Midnight Black chalk ink (Versamagic)
Aegean Blue chalk ink (Versamagic)
Game On stamp set (Papertrey Ink)

Thanks for looking, and have a great day (and a fantastic new year)!

One is Fun Birthday Card

Hi, everyone!  I hope everyone is having a great week so far.  One more day and it's Friday!

And one more day, and it's almost my niece's birthday!  One of my nieces is turning one on Saturday, and we're going to a birthday party!  Here is the card I made for her, to come with our gift:

I'm entering this card to this week's Less is More challenge:  to use a metallic element plus one color on the card.

Since it's my niece's first birthday, I cut the number one with my Cricut in light pink cardstock, then used a darker pink cardstock for contrast.

Here is my metallic element, silver glimmer brads from Stampin' Up, on each end of my sentiment banner:

I embossed the light pink card mat using with the Happy Birthday embossing folder from Cuttlebug.

Do you think it's still a clean and simple card?  I think so, and I hope the Less is More challenge hosts agree. ;)  Check out the rest of the cards here

Here are the products I used for this card:
Light and dark pink cardstock (The Paper Company)
White cardstock (scraps)
Cricut catridge (Mini Monograms for the cirles and number)
Cuttlebug embossing folder (Happy Birthday)
Memento Rose Bud ink

Sentiment stamp from Pink by Design (Age is a Number)

Stampin' Up glimmer brads
Stampin' Dimensionals

Thanks for looking, and have a great day!

Christmas Sparkle Card

Hi, everyone!  I hope you all had a great holiday.

This week's theme at the Less is More blog is "Sparkle."

Here is my interpretation of the challenge:

The sparkle elements are the Christmas trees, which I embossed in gold glitter.

The sentiment "Merry Christmas" is stamped in red ink, and then stamped offset in Versamark.  I then used clear embossing powder for that shadow effect.

Here is a list of the materials that I used for this card:
Kraft card base (Recollections)
Very Vanilla card stock (Stampin' Up)
Tree (Happy Winter, Stampin' Up)
Merry Christmas sentiment (Greetings 4 U, Stampin Up)
Versamark ink
Riding Hood Red ink (Stampin' Up)
Clear embossing powder (Stampin' Up)
Gold embossing glitter (Stampendous)

I'm entering this card to the Less is More Week 148 challenge.  The rest of the entries are here.

Edited to add:
I'm also entering this card to the Crafty Cardmakers challenge, at the suggestion of Viv, the challenge host. :) (Thanks, Viv!).  Check out the other awesome clean and simple cards here.

Thanks for looking, and have a great, and sparkling, day!

Get Well Sooner!

When I was a student, the secretary of our program's director was very kind to me.  She let me bend her ear as I whined about my coursework, the countless exams and presentations that I had to prepare for, in addition to my regular coursework.  I talked to her about the stresses in my life as a lowly student, and she listened, offered advice and friendship, despite being busy with the demands of her own job.

I've climbed a few steps up the career ladder since then, and she still remains to be very kind to me.

I recently found out that she's been sick and is undergoing a barrage of tests in order for her doctors to arrive at a diagnosis.  I know she's a strong person, and she will rally through this, but I made her this card to let her know that she's in my thoughts, and that I wish for her to have a speedy recovery:

The three little flowers were die cut, and were adhered to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals for a little lift.

I used the following products on this card:
Turquoise card stock base (Recollections)
Whisper white card stock mat (Stampin' Up!)
Designer paper (DCWV, Nana's Nursery Baby Boy)
Background stamp (Hero Arts Shadow Stamps)
Sentiment (Stampin' Up! Sweetly Said)
Bahama Blue ink (Memento)
Sea Breeze ink (Versamagic)
Stampin' Up! Sizzlit Floral Fusion
Turquoise rhinestones

I'm entering this to the Less is More challenge this week, 146 - to use a designer paper in a clean and simple way.

I'm looking forward to checking out the other entries here.

ShowCASed!

Oh, my goodness.  I could not believe it.  The card I made for my cousin's bridal shower was showCASed at the Less is More blog!

And now I can proudly display the badge here, and on my sidebar:

I saw the other cards that were showcased, and they blew me away!  They are just beautiful!  I feel very honored that my card is displayed with theirs. :)

Thank you, ladies (fellow LIMettes), for being constant sources of inspiration.  And to the blog creators, Mandi and Chrissie, and to Jen, who is their designer, thank you for coming up with awesome challenges that make us push the creativity envelope further.

Hugs to everyone, and thanks for stopping by!

Less is More Bridal Shower Card

One of my cousins is getting married in the next few months, and her bridal shower will be held this Sunday.

What an awesome reason to make a card!  I've been meaning to make a card with a black background -- I think it will be so elegant.  I know black is not your typical bridal shower color, but it really makes the color pop.

See?

Here's a close-up view of the lattice die cut and the red hearts:

The sentiment is stamped in white chalk ink:

I used the following on this card:
Basic Black cardstock (Stampin' Up)
Real Red cardstock (Stampin' Up)
Whisper White cardstock (Stampin' Up)
Lattice die (Stampin' Up)
Heart to Heart Punch (Stampin' Up)
Cloud White chalk ink (Versamagic)

I'm entering this card into this week's Less Is More challenge (Week 144).  The challenge this week is to make a card with a dark background with a splash of color (or colors).

Dark background (black cardstock)?  Check.
Splash of color (red hearts)?  Check.

There are so many inspiring cards in the challenge blog.  It's a treat for the eyes.  Check them out!

Thanks for looking, and have a great day!

Happy Everything "Twined" Card

I must be going for a record.  I went on for weeks without posting anything, and now I'm up to post #3.  In one day.

My only excuse is, I had some time today, and inspiration struck.  Don't you love it when it happens?

I've been loving clean and simple (CAS) cards lately (please don't get me wrong -- I love me some embellisments, too!), but there is something visually appealing about all that "white" space.

I came across the "Less Is More" challenge blog, and now I've found a great reason to make clean and simple cards.

The challenge this week (Week 143) is to make card using string or twine.

Here is my entry to the challenge:

I used Stampin' Up's butterfly punch on a piece of white cardstock, and stamped the butterfly antennae (Butterfly Prints, Stampin' Up) and the sentiment "Happy Everything" (Hero Arts) in Tuxedo Black (Memento).  Then I wrapped turquoise twine on the card base, and used Stampin' Dimensionals to adhere my white layer to the base.  Lots and lots of dimensionals, to make sure everything is held securely in place.

I also made a coordinating envelope:

The stamped butterfly image on the envelope is from Stampin' Up's Flight of the Butterfly stamp set, in Tempting Turquoise.  The antennae is from Butterfly Prints stamp set, again, from Stampin' Up.

There are so many great entries -- please check them out here.

Thanks for looking, and have a great day!