random reflections

Sending Birthday Hugs

I have a card to share for a couple of challenges. First off, Addicted to CAS: Pink. I debated whether or not this was CAS enough, but in looking at the Design Team's cards, I think it's just fine. This is the first embossing folder/stencil combination I've ever purchased, and the first time I've used it, so I'll be adding it to the NBUS collection for August.

When I first saw the Altenew "Victorian Lace" Embossing folder with accompanying stencil, I knew right away I wanted to give it a try. I'm not totally pleased with this first attempt, but I know what I want to try next time. I think the stenciling could be a bit more subtle. Although the Altenew stencils work well, they're not as easy to use as those by Pinkfresh Studio. Now that I've tried them, I have a better idea of how to used them.

Altenew's 3-D embossing folders, however, are one of my favorites, and I love that I have a main image and the beautiful textured background with one pass through the die-cutting machine.

We've been home from our trip for about a week now. I've done the first round edit of the 800+ photos the two of us took, and deleted over 300 of them. Now Tracy and I need to go through them and decide which ones we want to share and which ones we'll keep just for the record. Our goal for sharing is no more than 120 which you can flip through relatively quickly. Those, however, all need captions, so that's the next big project. 

I've also been busy at the crafting table, but much of what's been created can't be shared here quite yet. I do have a list of challenges I want to participate in, and my week has opened up a bit. Last week there were multiple committee meetings and appointments--plus jet lag to contend with. Hopefully, this week I can get back to a more regular schedule of creating, reading, and walking every day. It's hard to believe that August will end in just two more days!

 

 

Color Hues #47

Color Hues has a fun combination for you this time:  Chocolate and Mint.

It was the candy mints that inspired me this time around, and like last round, I had a never before used product waiting in the wings to be put on stage.

I just love the Anita Jeram stamps from Colorado Craft and don't use them as much as I should. They're all filed together in my boxes, and I tend to forget they are there. It was so much fund to color these cute little mice with Copic markers.

The coordinating die cuts work perfectly and that made it easy to arrange these critters on a white panel die cut with the Gina K "Master Layout 7" dies which create a mini-slimline card.

The sentiment is from the "So Sweet Slimline" set from Colorado Craft and was stamped in Dark Chocolate ink. The card base is Papertrey's Mint Julep.

We'd love to have you come join us in the Color Hues Gallery. Be sure to check out the wonderful variety of cards by the Design Team and Guest Designer.

Seize the Birthday: No Stamping

I'm a huge fan of die cuts so this no stamping challenge from Seize the Birthday is right up my alley. I have a card that went to one of our male family members a week or so ago, but it's never made the blog.

It's another card that features hot foiling. I'm so happy I got the Glimmer Foiling system for Christmas. I've won a fair share of hot foil plates, and foiling plates represent a good portion of the products I've purchased since the holidays. This one features the Pinkfresh Studio Abstract Triangles--one of my wins from Pinkfresh.

Lots of folks have reported difficulties foiling on colored cardstock but the papers from Paper Source foil beautifully. This Night cardstock is a lovely navy, and I used silver foil.

The sentiment is a Simon Says' die, It's Your Birthday. The words were die cut from the same navy cardstock, and I used a textured silver for the shadow die. The last touch was to add a few sparkly star stickers. 

 

Less is More: Butterflies

The Less is More Challenge is one I always enjoy, but rarely seem to find time to participate. Last night I had some free time, and decided to play around with some butterflies that were already die cut. 

I found both a shimmery black butterfly and a gold metallic butterfly die cut with Papertrey Ink's Life Is Beautiful set. I used the frame portion of one of Ellen Hutson's Essential Square die cuts as a backdrop, and offset the two butterflies before adding them to the card.

All that was left to do was add a sentiment by Pink and Main from the Special Day set which I embossed in gold on black cardstock and die cut with a My Favorite Things Itty Bitty Strips die. Simple and definitely CAS!

I'm also entering this in the brand new challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More: Die Cuts and Stencils.

Color Hues #46

Sadly, today's Color Hues Challenge brings with it the news that one of our teammates has died after a long, hard-fought battle with cancer. Lindsey was a design team member for several challenges and a warm, supportive, and creative human being. She will be missed by many, many friends as well as the crafting community. 

This round of colors - Blue and Purple - were chosen by Lindsey, and we're honoring her with cards focused on some of the things she loved:  humor, cats, gardening/flowers, love of reading, friendship, wine and tea.

After several attempts at a card in honor of Lindsey, I finally ended up with a floral card created with a new hot foil plate from Pinkfresh Studio, Folk Floral Stem. I used the coordinating stencils to color it with some Pinkfresh inks (Candy Violet & Lavender), Sea Glass by Gina K, and for the leaves Delicata Silvery Shimmer with highlights from a set of metallic rub-ons I found in my stash. Let me just say, photographing this card was as big a challenge as coming up with a card design!

After die cutting the floral stem, I added it to a panel of purple paper from Paper Source that I dry embossed with a very old embossing folder by Quickutz. I'm not even sure the company exists any more. I added that to a card base of light gray to mimic the leaves on the floral. 

It was hard to find a sentiment that fit in with the floral stem which fills the card front. I had an already hot foiled sentiment by Spellbinders that I was able to tuck in among the flowers and leaves. I added some gold pearls as the final touch.

I hope you'll join us for this Color Hues Challenge, and be sure to check out the wonderful cards created in Lindsey's memory by the Design Team and our guests.