Southern Magnolia Sympathy Card

One of my cousins lost a good friend recently, so I wanted to make her a special sympathy card. I die cut one of the flowers from Altenew's Craft-A-Flower: Southern Magnolia set using water color card stock I had ink smooshed, water colored, and/or sprayed and a stem and leaves from Altenew's Craft-A-Flower: Cosmos set using Yuppo paper I had colored with alcohol inks. 

For the background, I trimmed a white panel to fit an A2 card base, and then I embossed the panel using Altenew's Garden Harmony 3D embossing folder. I ink smooshed some water color inks I had added to a piece of acetate using Altenew's water color brush markers. Once that was dry, I added the flower, stem, and leaves using Art Glitter glue and foam tape. 

For the sentiment, I heat embossed "with deepest sympathy" from Altenew's Build-A-Flower: Columbine onto vellum and then adhered the sides of the vellum behind the panel. Then I adhered the panel to an A2 card base. 

To finish the card, I added three little hearts onto the vellum strip. 

Close ups:

These are the colors I used for the ink smooshing on the background:

 Challenges I'm entering:

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): Flowers (3/3; ends 8/4/24) C10

Can You Handle The Pressure? (cyhtp.blogspot.com): ATG with an embossing folder (optional twist of things with wings) (1/3; ends 8/9/24)

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com): ATG (3/4; ends 8/9/24)

Tic Tac Toe Challenge - Inspiring creativity 8-ways each week: Middle row vertical: Die cuts, free, any sentiment

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (3/5 for week 2; ends 7/31/24)

simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Beautiful Blooms (3/5; ends 7/31/24)

A Place To Start (hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com): ATG (ends at the end of the month) Rising Star July 29-August 2

613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com): ATG (ends at the end of the month) Top Rocker July 28-August 4; July Honors 8/4/24

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: ATG with flowers as the focus (6/6; ends 8/12/24)

You're Incredible Southern Magnolia Card

Recently I needed a card for a special woman who made all the pies for my daughter's wedding. Pam not only made all the pies for free, but she also helped with set up and clean up for the wedding. She's like a second mom to my son-in-law and was just a joy to get to know as we worked together on wedding stuff. 

To make Pam's card, I decided to use the colors in Altenew's monthly challenge because I just love the combination this month so much! I recently purchased Altenew's Craft-A-Flower: Southern Magnolia set, and I die cut the leaves and flower centers out of some yellow card stock I had colored with a shimmer spray. Then I die cut the flower petals out Yuppo paper I had used a few shades of pink alcohol inks on. I assembled the flowers and used some foam tape for dimension in a few layers.

For the background, I trimmed some paper I had done some ink smooshing and spraying on with shades of orange to fit an A2 card base, and then I embossed the panel using Altenew's Garden Harmony embossing folder. Then I did a little tone-on-tone taco stamping with a rubber stamp that has French script on it. I think if I try that again I will use a darker shade of ink because it's barely visible, but there's already a lot going on here, so it's ok that the script is subtle.

 

To finish the card, I stamped "You're incredible" from Altenew's Paint-A-Flower: China Rose and fussy cut it then adhered it with foam tape. 

Challenges I'm entering:

Easy DIY Greeting Card with Tropical Vibes (altenew.com): 

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): Flowers (2/3; ends 8/4/24) C10

Can You Handle The Pressure? (cyhtp.blogspot.com): ATG with an embossing folder (optional twist of things with wings) (2/3; ends 8/9/24)

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com): ATG (ends 8/9/24)

Tic Tac Toe Challenge - Inspiring creativity 8-ways each week: Middle row vertical: Die cuts, free, any sentiment

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (2/5 for week 2; ends 7/31/24)

simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Beautiful Blooms (2/5; ends 7/31/24)

A Place To Start (hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com): ATG (ends at the end of the month)

613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com): ATG (ends at the end of the month)

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: ATG with flowers as the focus (ends 8/12/24)

No more challenges. 

 

Praying for You Southern Magnolia Card

One of my husband's aunts recently was diagnosed with lymphoma, and I wanted to make a card to let her know we are praying for her in this cancer journey. 

To make the card, I die cut the petals and leaves from Altenew's Craft-A-Flower: Southern Magnolia set as well as some foliage from Altenew's Craft-A-Flower: Cosmos set using different card stocks I had watercolored and sprayed, Yuppo papers I had used alcohol inks on, and glitter card stock for the die cuts. Then I stamped "praying for" and "you" on two of the leaves from Altenew's Craft-Your-Life Casual Bouquets set. Origianally all the leaves were die cut from some yellow card stock I had sprayed with Hero Arts Bright Yellow + Copper Metallic Spray (I love this stuff!), but the ones on the yellow background didn't show up very well, so I ink blended some of Altenew's Orange Cream ink over the yellow leaves. 

For the background, I ink blended some Altenew inks onto an A2 panel and then sprayed some shimmer spray onto the panel and let it dry. Then I decided where I wanted to arrange all the elements onto the panel and adhered them using Art Glitter glue and some foam tape. 

Challenges I'm entering: 

 Easy DIY Greeting Card with Tropical Vibes (altenew.com): 

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): Flowers (1/3; ends 8/4/24) C10

Can You Handle The Pressure? (cyhtp.blogspot.com): ATG with an embossing folder (optional twist of things with wings) (2/3; ends 8/9/24)

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com): ATG (ends 8/9/24)

Tic Tac Toe Challenge - Inspiring creativity 8-ways each week: Middle row vertical: Die cuts, free, any sentiment

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (2/5 for week 2; ends 7/31/24)

simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Beautiful Blooms (2/5; ends 7/31/24)

A Place To Start (hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com): ATG (ends at the end of the month)

613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com): ATG (ends at the end of the month) Top Rocker July 28-August 4

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: ATG with flowers as the focus (ends 8/12/24)

No more challenges. 

 

Thinking of You Ombré Card

To make this "thinking of you" card, I embossed an A2 panel with Altenew's Linen embossing folder after doing some ink blending with shades of pink. I stamped the "thinking of you" and "consider this card a big hug" sentiments (from Altenew's Craft Your Life: Flourishing Garden set) in a dark pink and trimmed the sentiment strips to fit on a diagonal. I also die cut a tiny butterfly and ink blended it to add to the top left of the card.

For the floral focal point, I used Altenew's Watercolor Roses stencil and die set. I adhered the flowers with foam tape and added 3 gems to complete the card.  

Challenges I'm entering:

Crazy is our fame - STENCILS are our game! (stencilfun.blogspot.com): ATG with stencils (I used a stencil for the Watercolor Roses) (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

A Place To Start (hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com): ATG (ends at the end of the month)

simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Lots of layers (4/5; ends 7/22/24)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (4/5 for the week; 4/10 for the challenge; ends 7/31/24)

simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Add sparkle (I have used sparkly gem embellishments) (2/5; ends 7/25/24)

Double D Challenges (daranddiane.blogspot.com): Basket full of posies (3/3; ends 7/31/24)

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: ATG with flowers as the focus (3/6; ends 8/12/24)

Allsorts challenge blog: Flowers (3/3; ends 7/26/24)

613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com): ATG with twist of floral delight (ends at the end of the month)

Can You Handle The Pressure? (cyhtp.blogspot.com): ATG with an embossing folder (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com): ATG (2/3; ends 7/26/24)

The Paper Funday Challenges: ATG with option of critter crazy (2/4; ends at the end of the  month)

You Are Tree-Mendous Card

 I wanted to create a special thank you card for the mother of one of my good friends who baked some frosted sugar cookies for me recently. I should have taken a picture of the red, white, and blue popsicle shaped cookies she made because they were so beautiful, but I forgot and ate all the cookies before it occurred to me! 

For the card, I started by choosing some pink, orange, and yellow water color card stock that I had ink smooshed, sprayed, and/or watercolored. I know those aren't traditional colors for trees, but they are the challenge colors this month over on the Altenew blog, and I thought they would be very pretty and feminine for this card. I used Altenew's Chestnut Tree layering die set to die cut the tree. After I die cut all the layers, including some ink smooshed browns for the trunk, I assembled the tree and then embossed a panel using Altenew's Rolling Hills 3D embossing folder and trimmed it for an A2 card. I had an A2 card base in my stash that has just the right colors to match the tree, so I adhered the embossed panel to the card base and then added the tree with foam tape for dimension. For the "You aer tree-mendous" sentiment, I used my Silhouette Design Studio software to create a print and cut of the sentiment and then added it to the tree with Art Glitter glue. 

Challenges I'm entering: 

Easy DIY Greeting Card with Tropical Vibes (altenew.com): 

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG (3/3; ends 7/22/24) C10

A Place To Start (hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com): ATG (ends at the end of the month)

simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Lots of layers (3/5; ends 7/22/24)

Can You Handle The Pressure? (cyhtp.blogspot.com): ATG with an embossing folder (1/3; ends at the end of the month)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (3/5 for the week; 3/10 for the challenge; ends 7/31/24)

Allsorts challenge blog: Flowers or ATG (2/3; ends 7/26/24) Top 5 Pick 7/26/24

613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com): ATG with twist of floral delight (ends at the end of the month)

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com): ATG (1/3; ends 7/26/24)

The Paper Funday Challenges: ATG with option of critter crazy (1/4; ends at the end of the  month)

No more challenges. 

Craft-A-Flower: Cosmos Slimline Card

I recently purchased Altenew's Craft-A-Flower: Cosmos layering die set, and I've been having fun playing with it! I just love the Craft-A-Flower series, and these Cosmos flowers are so pretty and easy to put together.

For this slimline card, I started by making a slimline card base and then trimming a panel of pink card stock for a base layer and a panel of white card stock to add the flowers to. I splattered the panel with pink, yellow, and orange water colors using my Altenew water color brush markers and let the panel dry. Then I die cut all the layers for three Cosmos flowers and their stems and leaves. I also die cut the word "Hugs" from Altenew's Watercolor Roses set, die cutting 4 layers of the word and glueing them together to add some dimension. For the flowers, I added foam tape between the first and second layer of the flowers and really like how that turned out. The card stocks I used for the flowers and foliage were ones I had made with ink smooshing, sprays, and water coloring, so they have some fun textures. 

When the splattered panel was dry, I arranged the flowers how I wanted them and glued everything down. Then I added the sentiment. I glued all the layers to the card base. 

Close ups:

These are the colors I used for the background splatter:

Challenges I'm entering: 

Easy DIY Greeting Card with Tropical Vibes (altenew.com): 

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: ATG with flowers as the focus (2/6; ends 8/12/24)

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG (2/3; ends 7/22/24) C10

A Place To Start (hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com): ATG (ends at the end of the month)

simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Lots of layers (2/5; ends 7/22/24)

 Word Art Wednesday: ATG (2/5 for the week; 2/10 for the challenge; ends 7/31/24)

Double D Challenges (daranddiane.blogspot.com): Basket full of posies (2/3; ends 7/31/24)

Creative Inspiration Challenges: ATG (2/2; ends at the end of the month)

Allsorts challenge blog: Flowers (1/3; ends 7/26/24)

613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com): ATG with twist of floral delight (ends at the end of the month)

No more challenges. 

Tri-fold Birthday Card for Creative Creases #87

It's time for a new challenge over at the Creative Creases Challenge blog, and I thought I would make a fun fold card with a shaker panel to add a little extra fun to this birthday card! I hope you'll join the fun over at Creative Creases Challenge with a fun fold project of your own! Here's the link to the new challenge: Anything Goes with a Fun Fold for Creative Creases #87 (secretstamper.com)

My youngest daughter just left on her first deployment last week, and her birthday is coming up next month, so I wanted to send out a card with plenty of time to get to her. I'm hoping to have her first care package mailed out this week. My oldest son was in the Marines, so I'm familiar with deployments, and something that always lifted my spirits was making up care packages. That helps me feel like I'm doing something tangible to help support and encourage my children.

The idea for this card started with Altenew's monthly color challenge combined with the daily challenges in the Altenew Fan Group FB page. The colors were from the monthly challenge and the use of splatter on some of the panels was from the FB group challenge to use splatter on a background. Then I also wanted to use some shaker pouches I had purchased a year ago. They are made to fit a slimline card, so I created the slimline shaker element for the inside of the card and then decided on a tri-fold card design for the rest of the card. I added some beads to the shaker pouch and then die cut Altenew's Craft-A-Flower: Cosmos and added that to the front of the panel. I die cut several layers of the sentiment die "hugs" from Altenew's Watercolor Roses set and adhered those together and then onto the shaker pouch. I adhered the shaker pouch to pink card stock and then adhered that to the inside of the yellow card base.

For the front panel of the card, I did some tone-on-tone stamping with Altenew's Crafted with Love stamp. Then I stamped and trimmed the "Sending you birthday wishes" sentiment strips using Altenew's Bewitching Rose set. 

For the next panel, I did tone-on-tone stamping using Altenew's Billowing Peonies stamp and adhered that to the yellow card base.

The next panel was also splattered with the same watercolors I used for the shaker panel. Using foam tape, I added Altenew's Watercolor Roses set that I stenciled and die cut. I added a stamped sentiment from Altenew's Proud of You set that I had die cut with a Gina Marie Designs stitched banner die. 

Then the panel with the shaker element is next, and finally the back of the card features Altenew's Bold Bouquet stamped as a background for the die cut "You" (also from Altenew) and the sentiments "are loved, are incredible, are cherished" from the Bold Bouquet stamp set. I adhered the orange panel to a layer of pink cardstock and then adhered that to the yellow card base. 

Close ups with labels of which Altenew products I used:

Craft-A-Flower: Cosmos layering die set with "Hugs" die from Watercolor Roses set

Billowing Peonies stamp set

Watercolor Roses (stencil and die set)

Sentiment from Proud of You stamp set (dies are from Gina Marie Designs)

Billowing Peonies stamped on the background and Wood Flower layering die set

Challenges I'm entering:

Easy DIY Greeting Card with Tropical Vibes (altenew.com): 

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge: ATG with flowers as the focus (2/6; ends 8/12/24)

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG (2/3; ends 7/22/24)

A Place To Start (hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com): ATG (ends at the end of the month)

simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Lots of layers (2/5; ends 7/22/24)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (1/5 for the week; 1/10 for the challenge; ends 7/31/24)

simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Add sparkle (I have used sparkly butterflies on the back panel of the card and some sparkle on my die cut flowers from alcohol ink pearls and card stock I've sprayed with shimmer sprays) (1/5; ends 7/25/24)

Double D Challenges (daranddiane.blogspot.com): Basket full of posies (1/3; ends 7/31/24)

Creative Inspiration Challenges: ATG (1/2; ends at the end of the month)

https://stencilfun.blogspot.com/2024/07/july-2024-stencil-fun-challenge.html?m=1: ATG with a stencil (the yellow Watercolor Roses were made with a stencil from Altenew) (1/3; ends at the end of the month)

No more challenges. 

Double-Fronted Easel Card for Creative Creases #86

It's time for another fun challenge on the Creative Creases Challenge blog today where it's always anything goes with a fun fold project! I'm thrilled to be back as a Guest Designer again this time! We'd love to have you join the fun! Here's the link to Challenge #86: Anything Goes with a Fun Fold for Creative Creases #86 (secretstamper.com)

My father-in-law has a birthday coming up, so I thought I'd make a special card for him using a new-to-me fold called a Double Fronted Easel Card. The instructions came from Di's Den Stamping, and the YouTube video is here: #248 (24) Double Fronted Easel Card (youtube.com)

Once I chose the card design, I then went about deciding on a theme. I recently purchased the Garden Reverie Ensemble at Altenew, and it include a beautiful Chestnut tree layering die set as well as a birdbath set with several layered bird dies. I thought a couple of the birds would look nice sitting in my tree, so I set about die cutting everything and assembling the pieces. I used some water color paper I had done some spraying, splattering, and ink smooshing on with various shades of green for the 3 layers of foliage in the tree die set. For the tree trunk, I used some dark brown metallic card stock scraps I had in my stash. The birds were made of scraps of white card stock that I then colored using my Ohuhu alcohol ink markers. 

I chose some fun card stock with an outdoor theme that has a lot of foliage as well as pinecones and adorable mushrooms on it to decorate the card. My other layers used coordinating colors of cardstock. I adhered all the layers and assembled the card base before deciding I wanted something behind the tree to help it stand out better and not get lost with that pattern paper directly behind it. I die cut a frame and oval from SU!'s retired Framed Florets set and popped the oval up on foam tape. Then I popped the tree up on more foam tape and added in my two little birds. 

For the "Have a Tree-mendous birthday" sentiment, I created a print and cut using my Silhouette Design Studio software. I cut out the sentiment using my Silhouette Cameo 4 and then adhered it to the card using foam tape. 

For the back of the card, I added some woodgrain washi tape to the top part and then trimmed a piece of green card stock and stamped some foliage from SU!'s retired Forever Fern set using tone-on-tone so that my sentiment would stand out. The "No one deserves a happier birthday than you" sentiment is from SU!'s retired Flowering Tulips set. If you are interested in some great deals on retired Stampin' Up products, my friend Debbie Mageed has quite a few for sale here: My 2024 Secret Sale - Google Docs.

To finish the back of the card, I added 2 wooden birds that I colored with my Ohuhu markers and adhered using glue dots. 

Front view of the card: 

Close up of the tree and birds:

Side view:

View of the back:

What the card looks like when fully unfolded:

What the card looks like when folded flat to mail:

 Challenges I'm entering: 

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (1/5 for the week; 1/10 for the challenge; ends 7/17/24)

A Place To Start (hereisaplacetostart.blogspot.com): ATG (ends at the end of the month)

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG (ends 7/7/24) C10

Inspiration Station (inspirationstationchallenge.blogspot.com): The inspiration photo includes trees, and my card features a tree as the focal point 

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge: ATG

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog (cardsgalorechallenges.blogspot.com): ATG