Sometimes an idea pops into my head and just won’t leave until I make a card. This is one of those ideas and the inspiration came from a theatre program advertisement. It always astonishes me where ideas can come from.

I started with a white piece and cut it into the shape you see here. I then stamped the various flowers using a set called Fabulous Flowers by Melanie Muenchinger at GKD. I used the solid stamps with different Distress Oxides. Then added the leaves here and there. Added this piece to some gold Washi background paper and added it to the card front. Added a strip of Washi at the bottom and a couple of gems for bling. I went over the flowers with a little metallic watercolour paint to give it more depth but that doesn’t really show on a photograph. Stamped the sentiment twice using an incentive set called Fancy Flowers by GKD. Added some thick clear embossing powder on top for added depth and shine. Added a few white dots to disguise my messy embossing. With the white card stock left over I made a second card in a similar style.

Another of my stacked die creations as I sort of got on a kick with them the other day. This too is created for the Modsquad challenge: http://modsquadchallenge.com/spring-flowers/

The diagonal die is an unbranded die I purchased in 2017. I cut three different colour pieces and glued them together each time off setting slightly. I cut it down slightly so it would fit on the background Warm Cocoa by GKD CS easily.

Then it sat on my desk for a few days while I thought about how to continue. In the end I used a die set called Tiny Tattered by Sissix to create the flowers. I’ve had the set for ages and probably only used it once. Used up scraps of paper in 2 colours to create the flowers and leaves. I glued them on and then used the sentiment stamp from Massive Messages by GKD which I hand cut out as I didn’t like the size initially. I popped this up on a strip of foam. It is quite striking in real life.

Made for the Modsquad challenge this week using spring flowers. http://modsquadchallenge.com/spring-flowers/

Basically I had the corners left over from another frame I had die cut and I wanted to use them somehow. I really liked how the colours worked on the Blue Raspberry GKD CS as they are so bright on top. Glued them on first.

Then I took another small piece of card stock and die cut it with the Spellbinder set called distressed rectangle dies. I used a sakura gold pen on the edges to add a bit more interest. Then I stamped the dogwood flower using a set from Kitchen Sink stamps that I won last year and had not yet used. Its one of those layering stamp sets and I started with the scattered straw then mustard seed and finally crushed olive Distress Inks. The sentiment is two stamps from the Fabulous Flowers set by Melanie Muenchinger – GKD. I just thought they worked together. Added the corner gems for a bit of bling.

My second card for today came about because of a photo project my hubby is working on. He needed a mermaid so I created one for him. Once he had done his photo I got the mermaid back to use on a card. She’s been sitting on my desk for a week and I was getting concerned I would damage her so made the card to prevent that. Also used up some bits and pieces sitting around at the same time.

I had the blue circle ring left over from another project and decided to use it here. I brushed some blues through a wave stencil for the background piece. Then I stamped a few seaweed strands and some reeds. Stamps used are from Under the Sea set by Theresa Momber at GKD. I popped up the blue circle ring on top of the stencilled background for dimension and I added the sentiment to tuck in slightly behind the mermaid. Added some Nuvo Crystal dots for more dimension.

We thought we had managed to dodge winter so far, but the last couple of days have proven us wrong. We have a lot of snow and in a city ill prepared for this kind of weather – everything shuts down. Kind of funny to the rest of our country as they deal with it all the time. Anyway a perfect time to spend indoors crafting which is what I’ve been doing.

As I need some additional birthday cards that could be used for a man as well as a woman I thought the new ones I’m uploading today would fit the bill.

In organizing my dies I found the Memory box Sketchy rings die, temporarily forgotten about, and the Koi fish that I had recently bought but not yet used. Using the same technique of stacking dies that Jennifer McGuire recently did I cut 3 sets using different colour CS and stacked them together slightly offsetting each layer. Did the Koi and then brushed on some colour and added the gold lines to give him some depth. Used a scalloped EB folder that I pre inked with Tumbled Glass ink and got the look of ocean waves. Added the die cuts to the top and popped up the fish for dimension. Stamped the small circle with sentiment from Framescapes Enchanted Forest by Theresa Momber at GKD. Added some blue to edges with a Sakura gelly roll pen along with hand drawn hearts. Also added some Nuvo Crystal dots for extra interest and I’m loving how it turned out.

Made for two challenges – this weeks Modsquad http://modsquadchallenge.com/greet-your-vellum/, Greet your Vellum and Double D Month of Hearts – http://daranddiane.blogspot.com/

I used the technique shown by Jennifer McGuire this week called Faux Layered Die Cuts – https://www.jennifermcguireink.com/2019/02/faux-layered-die-cuts-giveaway.html and an unbranded die to create this card. 3 Layers of different coloured card stock (red, innocent pink and dark burgundy) slightly offset. Then I cut a vellum heart with a stitched edge and stamped the word love on it. Made a small hole and added the silver cord which I tied to the die cut. I used a liquid chrome Molotow pen to go over the word in silver and also around the edge of the vellum.

Another card for both the Gina K Designs challenge and the Modsquad challenge – http://modsquadchallenge.com/foiled-fun/

This is basically the same idea as the Striped Valentine but I used a Crafters Companion emboss /die cut as well. First I added the tape for where I wanted the foiled stripes to be, then I brush inked the entire panel with Abandoned Coral ink. Peeled off the backing from the ScorTape, added the gold foil and burnished until stuck on. Peeled off excess. Used a foam glitter piece to mount the front, so I had some glittery hearts, but cut out a portion so I had room for sentiment in middle section. Stamped sentiment and then glued whole panel to card front. I used the tiny leftover hearts to decorate the inside and finally figured out how to put 2 photos into one so you can see the inside at bottom left. Stamps used were Art from the Heart, Wreath Builder from GKD and the valentine stamp is from a Simon Says set. Can’t believe this is the only Valentine sentiment stamp I have, so I must get one or two more.

This was made for the new monthly challenge at Gina K. Designs and also for the Modsquad challenge this week. At GKD we are to use the colour Coral and also decorate the inside. For the Modsquad it is to use foil. Link to Modsquad: http://modsquadchallenge.com/foiled-fun/

I started by adding scortape in stripes and then added the sweet mango foil over the top. Then I used my bone folder to press down on the taped parts to ensure foil transferred onto it. Peeled off the excess and got the striped panel. I then stamped the heart discs onto some scrap card stock using VersaMark which I then heat embossed in gold. Hand cut them out and popped up onto the front. Clear heat embossed the Coral Think Happy added a small black oval offset and popped up in lower corner. This was then glued to some black paper to get a border which was then glued to copper card front. All GKD products except for oval die cut & inks. Stamps used: Art from the Heart, Mandela Maker & Spring Fling. Ink used is a Distress Oxide called Abandoned Coral. It turned out much better than I expected.

Another one for the Modsquad challenge of using multiple images. http://modsquadchallenge.com/pinkmain_circus/

The harlequin pattern came from a lovely stencil that a great and treasured friend made for me recently. I had such fun using it with my new ink brushes as they work great with stencils. The larger hearts down the side came from another stencil (can’t remember where I got this one). The tiny hearts and sentiment are from the same Simon Says set mentioned in my other post today. I used Distress Oxides for the inks. Inked the edges of the sentiment panel to match the tiny red stripe separating the hearts and diamond shapes and I bent the sentiment strip so it would pop up in the middle. Used dimensionals to hold it in place but I glued down the ends so it stays bent. It still needed something so I added Nuvo Crystal glaze to all the hearts and was then satisfied with the look. This is my first Valentine of the year now to the rest.

Made for the Modsquad challenge – using multiple images, this week, one of two I managed to finish and am happy with. http://modsquadchallenge.com/pinkmain_circus/

Had no clue where I was going with this card when I started it, but am happy that I stuck with it as I quite like how it came about. Started with the die cut background and glued onto Gina K. ocean mist card stock. Dug out the Simon Says Showers and Flowers set and stamped the duckling image, fussy cut out and then coloured with Prisma Pencils and Gamsol. Placed this image to look as if splashing in a puddle but it still needed more so I used the Pelican image from a set by Inspired by stamping called Seaside. Also used the little piper bird from that set. The sentiment stamp in upper left corner came from a GKD set called Happy Spring but the word Sing was created on the computer. I also added the following to the inside: “go splash in puddles”.