Hello Notecards with Gold Embossing

It's been a minute since I gold heat embossed onto Bristol cardstock using Brandy's Altenew Starry Flowers stamp set.  I didn't exactly know what I intended to do with the card fronts, but I knew I wanted to try to make something with the products. 

Today I'm sharing the cards I made using my mission gold watercolors.  I kept the water to a minimum because Bristol won't tolerate a lot of water, but it works with a little bit of water and these  cards turned out to be soft and pretty because I did resist using lots of water

Simple cards, but oh so pretty.  Wishing everyone a happy leap day!  Do something special with your extra day this year!

Floral Notecards

Since I have been traveling for work, my crafting time is such a premium.  I came across a set of previously stamped flowers using my Papertrey Ink Farmer's Market Florals stamp and die set.   I think they were stamped more than a year ago during some Valentine's Day makes for this post.  These poor blooms have sat in a plastic baggie waiting to be loved. 

I opted for a simple die cut background and a simple sentiment flag so that the blooms remain the focus of the card.

I had forgotten how very much I enjoyed this stamp set.  So delightful to stamp, forgiving and beautiful!  Just the right touch for a limited creative session.

Hello - A Spring Inspired Set of Cards

I mentioned that I've recently had a bit of travel for work.  This takes me away from my crafty supplies.  I decided to take some stamped images and my Crayola colored pencils with me and this set of cards came out of those efforts.  The images were stamped onto Bristol cardstock using my SSS Look for the Rainbows stamp set.  I'm so pleased with how the coloring went - different than my Polychromos pencils, but I'm delighted.

The backgrounds are a combination of Brusho watercolor crystals and Glimmer Mist.  I added some Art Anthology Dimensional Medium with a stencil for added interst behind my blooms and butterflies.

Such a fun set of cards.  So rewarding for some simple colored images.

A Notecard Set of Fairy Good Friends

It's been a little while since I've played around with my Brusho watercolor crystals.  They are so fun that I really shouldn't have waited so long.  Guess that comes with having a variety of options - we get in a rut and use the same things over and over again.  Today, I'm sharing some fairies that I stamped with my MFT Fairy Good Friends stamp set onto Bristol cardstock.  I colored the images with a set of Crayola colored pencils.  I was traveling for work and didn't want to risk my Polychromos pencils on the traveling.  The Crayola pencils surprised me.  The technique needed is different and the result is different, but I am really pleased how these little girls turned out.

As I was looking for a backdrop for my fussy cut fairies, I thought of my Brushos and sat down (at home by this point) to play around in the primary colors I used to color the girls.   Some of them turned out better than others.  For the few that didn't meet my vision, I decided to get out my collection of Glimmer Mist.  The original shiny spray media, Glimmer Mist has sat unused in my stash for too long.  The photos don't do justice to the pretty shiny backdrop for my fairies!

However, I think the Brushos that turned out as I visioned were ultimately my favorite.  These two among my favorite.

Oh my I am ever so delighted with these cards.  Mainly, they represent creative renewal during a period of heavy work commitments.  Crafting has always been an outlet for stress for me.  That remains true and I am very pleased with how this turned out.

Just a Love Note

This card was super simple and easy to make.

I still subscribe to the Unity Stamp kit and this is the most recent stamp set they sent.  I simply stamped with VersaFine onyx black ink and heat embossed with clear powder. The heart was colored with a red pitt pen and glossy accents over the top.

It has probably been about 4 years since I last used my Glossy Accents. I have to admit I was worried it was going to be dried out,  but it wasn't! I did have to poke the nozzle with a needle, but once it got going it worked like a charm! Great product, I should use it more.

Metallic Gardenia's

 Last year I found a new to me stamp company called The Ton! I immediately fell in love with there stamps and new it was going to be a tough temptation to avoid. I picked up the Gardenia border cling background stamp.

I had some Prima watercolors out from another project, so I thought I would see how they looked on the gardenias.  I used Strathmore bristol smooth cardstock and heat embossed the images then painted with the metallic paints.  I will tell you photos DO NOT do this justice.  I do believe this worked out so well because of the Bristol paper.  So metallic, but not overly so.

The sentiments are all from Penny Black that I have had forever, but they are so pretty and seemed to fit just right.

I had some metallic card bases in the stash, probably from Hobby Lobby or Joanne's that were perfect to mount these on.

I plan to do more card using these supplies soon.

An I Love You Hamster Valentine

Whoops.  I forgot to share this card I made for my daughter.  She has a dwarf hamster pet whose name is J-Knaps and whom I call Chubbie.  This makes her partial to hamsters and you might have seen her Christmas cards using Waffle Flowers Winter Hamsters stamp and die set.  I recently acquired the Clearly Besotted It's a Celebration stamp set which includes hamsters for a wide variety of celebrations.

This little guy hugging a heart was so perfect that I quickly colored and fussy cut him out to add to some stamped and die cut embellishments stamped with Distress Oxide inks using my Papertrey Ink You Have My Heart stamps and dies.  Guess that is one of my go-to Valentine's Day stamp sets.

So cute, but mostly to remind her we love her.

You Are Loved - A Simple One-Layer Card

I had to save the share on this simple, one-layer card until after Valentine's Day so that my hubby didn't catch on.  I created this card with my Papertrey Ink You Have My Heart stamps and some Distress Oxide inks.  I have really enjoyed my Distress Oxides and this pattern created is perfect. 

It was extremely difficult to see, but I used some Glimmer Mist to spritz the card to create some shimmer, delicate and not too girly.

I just needed hubby to know that he is loved on the Day of Love, Valentine's Day!

I Love You - Valentine's Day Cards

Happy Valentine's Day!

Last month I shared a very simple card made using Crayola watercolors and in that post I explained that I like a more over-the-top Valentine's card and here it is.

I used dies from several different manufacturers to put this together.  The heart background and happy Valentine's sentiment are from Lawn Fawn. I used the Karen Burniston Heart pop-ups for the center of the card; which includes the hearts on the inside and back panel. The frame on the front and the heart with the arrow are from MFT, the XOXO I'd from The Ton, and last, but not least the "I love you" sentiment is from SSS. Other than the Lawn Fawn background and XOXO die, I have had all the dies and papers used for this card in my stash for years. 


I made the pocket on the back to hold a note card and a gift card if the giver of the card would like to include one.

Here's a couple more valentines I put together with some similar products.

I hope you all have a happy and loving Valentine's Day!

Just Like A Snowflake

One of the most charming things about handmade cards is that just like a snowflake no two are exactly alike. When you use alcohol ink for the background that is an absolute guarantee.

Like Andie I bought the SSS Stamp kit, but only used the sentiment stamps from the stamp set. We didn't get the patina or stream ink in our kits (disappointed), so Andie so graciously bought us the stream; which I used with some aqua I had previously purchased.

I used a Tim Holtz bigz die Ice Flake and a MFT banner die along with some miscellaneous thread and sequins from the stash.  Because I bought the SSS card kit, I can't say this is part of my use what you have mission for 2020 but l did use mostly products I already had.

It is only February, but here in AZ it feels like the winter season has passed, so these will most likely go into the stash.

Happy Valentine's Day - A Simple Card for a Son

I'm stopping by with a quick valentine I made for my son using my Papertrey Ink You Have My Heart stamps and dies.  I paired the die cut and stamped images on a Glimmer Misted background. 

I don't know why I don't use my Glimmer Mist more often, but I am glad that I made this background as it is pretty without be too cute for a grown son to know his mama thought of him. 

The day of love is fast approaching and I have at least one more valentine to make.  How about you?