Green, Green, Everywhere

I needed another birthday card, so I decided to use green and enter it in the Mod Squad Challenge - Green, Green Everywhere. We can only use the colour green, with a neutral as an accent, if necessary.

This was a fairly quick card to make. I only used one colour of ink and the same colour of cardstock - Jelly Bean Green. 

I stamped the flourish all over the background, and sponged around the edge with a sponge dauber. After stamping the sentiment on another piece of cardstock, I embossed it with clear embossing powder and cut it out with a stitched circle die. I also cut out another larger circle and sponged the outside of the circle. That way, when I layer the sentiment on top, it looks like a darker cardstock in behind.

I took a piece of twine, wrapped it around the background piece, threaded it through a button and tied it. I attached the background panel onto a white card base with some foam squares, and then added the sentiment pieces with some more foam squares.

I used the following supplies:

Gina K. Designs: Dazzling Dahlia, Made with Love Stamp sets
                             Jelly Bean Green ink
                             Jelly Bean Green, White cardstock 
Cottage Cutz Stitched Circle die set
Button, twine, sponge dauber, clear embossing powder, foam squares from my stash

Flowered Thank You

I needed a thank you card and decided to make one with flowers to enter into the Gina K. Designs March Monthly Mix Challenge - Flower Power. 

I started with a piece of white cardstock and stamped the flowers. After I stamped the purple one, I used a piece of masking paper to cover the flower and stamped the yellow flower on the left. Then I masked that one as well and stamped the pink, masked again and stamped the yellow one on the right. These are two step stamps, so the outline is in a darker ink than the main flower. I then stamped the leaves, again masking off the flowers so the leaves look like they are behind the flowers.

After stamping the sentiment, I heat embossed it in clear. I matted the panel with Wild Lilac card stock and attached it to a white card base.

I thought the flowers made it look a little more like Spring, as we had two snowfalls in three days this week. I am certainly looking forward to warmer temperatures and real flowers in the garden!


I used the following supplies:
Gina K. Designs: Painted Autumn, Dazzling Dahlia Stamp sets
                            Lovely Lavender, Wild Lilac, Lemon Drop, Wild Dandelion, Bubblegum Pink,                                               Dusty Rose, Grass Green ink
                            Wild Lilac, White cardstock 
Inkadinkado Stamping Mask paper

clear embossing powder from my stash

Coral Birthday Card

I have another card for the Gina K. Monthly Mix Challenge - Color of the Year (which is Coral). I am also entering it in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

I started with a piece of white cardstock and sponged Coral Reef ink over it, starting at the top and fading out toward the bottom. I stamped the sentiment, from the Massive Messages set, with Black Amalgam ink and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. I attached this front panel to a white card base.

I stamped the feathers, from the Stamper's Favorite set, in Moonlit Fog and heat embossed them in clear. Using a clear acrylic block, I tapped the Coral Reef ink pad a few times and used a waterbrush to pick up some of the colour and colour in the feathers. After cutting them out, I popped them onto the card front with some foam squares. 

For the Gina K. challenge, we have to show the inside of the card. I simply stamped the feather in Coral Reef and will add the verse when I am ready to give the card.

All of the stamps, ink and cardstock are from Gina K. Designs.

Stair Step Card

I was inspired by a card that Melanie Muenchinger made (HERE) and decided to make one to enter a couple of challenges: Scor-Pal More than One Score challenge #56 Anything Goes; and Gina K. Designs Monthly Mix challenge - Color of the Year (Coral). 

To make this card, start with a piece of cardstock that measures 5" x 10.5" and with your Scor-Pal, score along the long side at 1.25", 2.5", 4.25", 6" and 8.25". Fold accordion style, starting with a mountain fold. You will end up with this:

Stamp flowers and leaves and cut them out. I used the Gina K. Designs Dazzling Dahlia stamp set and coordinating dies. I stamped the flowers in Coral Reef, and for some of them I stamped again without re-inking, to give a lighter colour. I stamped the leaves in Lucky Clover.

Stamp a sentiment on the lowest part of the card (I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink) and add your flowers and leaves along the top edges of the 'steps' with some Scor-Tape. I also attached a flower to the back of the card and I will add a sentiment when I am ready to give the card to someone.

Thanks for taking a look and I hope you try this type of card. It is quite fun to make and still fits in a regular sized envelope (4.25" x 5.5") when folded.

Greet your Vellum

I wanted to make a birthday card for a friend, so I used a couple of challenges to determine my design and colour. The first challenge is Mod Squad - Greet your Vellum. We have to have our greeting on vellum. The second challenge is Gina K. Designs Monthly Mix - Color of the Year. We need to use the color Coral, and show a peek of the decorated inside of the card.

Here is a better look at the front and inside:  

I recently purchased the Butterfly Kisses Stamp n Foil set, which includes a stamp set, a set of Foil Mates detail sheets and coordinating dies. I first stamped the butterflies, in coral, over the foil mates detail images and then cut them out with the dies. I ran them through my laminator with gold foil, which transferred the foil to the detailed areas. I coloured over the body and antenna with a black marker.

To make the front background, I used a stencil and sponged the coral ink through. I also used this on the inside corner. I stamped and embossed the sentiment onto a piece of vellum and attached it to the stenciled background. I matted this with coral cardstock before adhering it to the white card base. I popped up the butterflies on the front with foam squares and added another butterfly inside.

I used the following supplies:
Gina K. Designs: Butterfly Kisses Stamp n Foil set
                            Coral Reef ink and cardstock 
                            Little Thoughts Mini Stamp set
Hampton Art stencil
VersaMark ink
Gold Therm O Web deco foil
white cardstock, black embossing powder, vellum, foam squares, black marker from my stash

Sponged Background

This is my last card for the Gina K. Designs Monthly Mix challenge - My Sentiments Exactly! The only stamped image we can use is the sentiment, and we also can't use any patterned paper.

I started by taping a piece of watercolour paper onto my work surface and spraying it with water. I tapped the ink pads onto an acrylic block to transfer some ink. Using a paintbrush, I picked up some of the ink and added it to the wet paper. I used yellow, blue and red, overlapping them to create the green and purple sections.

Once the paper had thoroughly dried, I stamped the sentiment with VersaMark ink, added silver embossing powder and heat set it. I attached the panel to a card base and added some sequins to finish it off.

Supplies used:
Gina K. Designs: Massive Messages stamp set
                            Wild Dandelion, Blue Lagoon, Red Hot ink
                            White cardstock
VersaMark ink
Canson XL Recycled Bristol paper
silver embossing powder, sequins from my stash

Have a Heart

This week, the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge is Have a Heart. I have a heart stencil that I thought would be perfect for the challenge.

I used two colours of red ink to stencil the heart background onto white cardstock. I stamped the sentiment over one of the hearts. So that I would be able to enter the Gina K. Designs Monthly Mix challenge - My Sentiments Exactly!, I didn't add any other stamped images or patterned paper. I matted the background in red and added it to a white card base.

To finish off the card, I added a bow, and some Glossy Accents to the tiny heart next to the sentiment.

I used the following supplies:
Gina K. Designs: Rose Bouquet stamp set
                            Lipstick, Red Hot ink
                            Black Amalgam ink
                            Lipstick, White cardstock 
ColorBox Art Screens - Lovely
Ranger Glossy Accents
ribbon from my stash 

Alcohol Ink Background

I'm entering this card in two challenges: Gina K. Designs Monthly Mix Challenge - My Sentiments Exactly! and Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Alcohol, Drinks or Inks.

I decided to go with Alcohol inks so I used my homemade inks made from Sharpie markers. I used the colours Magenta, Pink Lemonade, Violet, and Boysenberry on a foam pad, spritzed with alcohol and pounced on a piece of photo paper. I set this aside to dry.

I stamped the sentiment from the Massive Messages stamp set with  Black Amalgam ink on 
White cardstock, all from Gina K. Designs. I rounded the corners with the Kadomaru Pro corner rounder, using the middle size. I like this corner rounder because it has three different sizes. I then added ribbon and a butterfly charm from my stash and adhered it all to a white card base.

Die Embossing

I saw a technique on Jennifer McGuire's blog (click here to see) this week and I thought it would be perfect for the Gina K Designs Monthly Mix Challenge - My Sentiments Exactly! The only stamp we can use is for the sentiment.

For this technique you use a die to make an impression but not cut all the way through.

(All products are Gina K. Designs unless otherwise mentioned.)

I used the Cheery Lynn Designs Doily Die - Italian Flourish on a piece of white cardstock. I then die cut the shape from another piece of cardstock, used the negative as a mask and lightly sponged over the doily with Apple Mint ink.

I stamped the sentiment, from the By the Sea stamp set, with Grass Green ink and used clear embossing powder from my stash to emboss it. I matted this layer with Grass Green cardstock and adhered it to a white card base. I added a rhinestone, from my stash, to the middle of the doily to finish it off.

Birthday wishes

My first card of 2019 is for 3 challenges: Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - Party Time; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - Something New; and Mod Squad challenge - Patterned Paper Triple Time.

I received the Gina K. Designs Stampers Favorites stamp set for Christmas, so I thought that would be good for the Something New challenge. I made a birthday card for a birthday party and used 3 different patterned papers.

I stamped the hummingbird and sentiment with Gina K. Designs Amalgam ink onto Spectrum Noir Ultra Smooth Premium White Cardstock and coloured the hummingbird with Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers: TB6, BT8, GT2, VB1. I used a Spellbinders Nestabilities Big Scalloped Ovals Small die to cut it out and then fussy cut a black mat.

I cut 3 pieces from the Gina K. Designs Delicate Essentials patterned paper pack and arranged them on a piece of black cardstock that I had attached to a white card base. I adhered the focal image with some foam squares and added a couple of rhinestones to the two corners.