Altenew Inspiration Challenge February 2022

While I had those Anemones out, I decided to attempt another, much different take on Jenny's Inspiration Challenge at Altenew!  

Altenew's Rounded Rectangle dies are a go-to in my stash.  This time, I stamped

a bit of 'linen' to a green and yellow card stock with their Rustic Linen stamp before cutting the frames, and for fun the leaves in the Build a Flower Anemone.  Here are the inks I used today:

Are you playing along, too?  There's plenty of time!

=] Michele

 

Yeti for Christmas? CAS Christmas Card Challenge can help!

 

I love this little Yeti from the Beast Friends set from MFT - it took forever for me to buy it, then promptly ignore it - until today!  CAS Christmas' Winter Scene challenge made me use it at long last!

Here was my inspiration:  

Believe it or not, this is our small lighthouse on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the 

channel into Muskegon Lake!  Surely looks like a Yeti to me!

So.  Are YOU Yeti to start your 2022 Christmas stash?  Here's my first:

Inside:

You're the only person I know who is YETI for Christmas in October!

My Yeti was white heat embossed, water colored with distress inks, and then perked up a bit with colored pencil.  The window was created with a VERY old c.2015 SSS Stitched Rectangle die which stitches both the inside and outside of the cut.  I then added a little trail using another oldie SSS Stitched Slopes and Hills c.2014!  

Gee.  I sure hope it qualifies if I didn't mention Christmas on the outside of my card? LOL That's okay - I'm only here for the fun!

=] Michele

Color Hues #34 Red and Black

I'm a firm believer that a Valentine doesn't necessarily require hearts and flowers - especially when one lives with such a fungi!  But red and black?  Color Hues #34 sure does say Valentine to me.

Inside: How did I get so lucky to have such a fungi for my Valentine?

These little 'shrooms were borrowed from another fun set - SSS Chillin' Gnomes!

They were stamped/masked and Copic colored, die cut with a well-loved Wplus9 4 Bar die, and embellished with a sweet little SugarPea stencil from a friend!  I added the 'roots' with a marker and a sentiment from EH's Snailed it [retired].

Off I go to plant these in the Color Hues #34 gallery!  Thanks for stopping by!

=] Michele

The Flower Challenge #65 - Occasions

 

I'm happy to have the occasion to Celebrate for my DT card at The Flower Challenge #65 - we have TWO new designers added to our team! Welcome to Dhruvika, and Stef!!  I am happy to count you both among my friends and thrilled to now call you both teammates, too!  You will surely offer gorgeous inspiration to our players!

Ready for my card??  Here you go...

If these flowers look familiar to you, it's because it is my second time using The Stamp Market's Bell Flower layering set.  I love to stamp it lots to get used to those layers in a new set and I also had more of these die-cut ovals, and sentiments, from Pinkfresh Studio.  I found one of the plain ovals from my Spellbinder Hemstitch ovals set of dies was just big enough to sit comfortably behind that pretty oval.

I'm celebrating our newest teammates today, but this card is easy to customize for any occasion on the inside.

Now let's go see the gorgeous inspiration that my wonderful team, and our guest Trina, has to offer at The Flower Challenge blog!

=] Michele

Inks: from lightest to darkest pink - TSM Blush, CP Party Dress & Peppermint Scrub.  TSM Leafy and Mossy greens 

Cloisonné anyone?

 A funny thing happened on the way to making a card - while digging in my stash, I came upon a piece of Yupo paper with dots of pearly alcohol inks.  First, I noticed that the colors fit in the Altenew February 2022 Inspiration Challenge 

Then I reimagined it as a pretty cloisonné flower for the February CAS Mix Up Challenge!

Our host, Susan, has shared a few techniques for creating cloisonné on paper.  I took my own path and just hope they will be okay with it... 

I just love the shiny, pearly, 'enameled' look of it!

Mixed Media: Stamping, heat embossing in gold, and alcohol inks

I found this example of cloisonne on the interweb...

Okay, off I go to deliver this card to the appropriate galleries... hope you are having a great week!

=] Michele

Altenew:  Build-a-flower Anemone and dies, and Fresh Bloom layering stamp for sentiment.

MFT Jumbo Dot coverup

Happy 10th Uniko!

Happy 10th birthday to Uniko, and Bev Brown the owner!  What an accomplishment!  I have a few FAVORITE Uniko sets - you may remember my love affair with her Gerberas?  But today calls for a birthday card, and a play with a new set - a gift at Christmas from a dear friend!

You are, yes you!  and its darling little bloom was used to create a custom

background paper for my panel.  They were water colored with dye inks.

I'm so sorry that I don't have Uniko's numbers, so these oldies from 

The Cat's Pajamas have gotten the job done for me.

Congratulations were found in their Chrysanthemum set.

Congratulation to Bev, and all of her wonderful design team members - present, and past!

=] Michele

Playing Cards with Friends - a Gal-entine!

I'm back with the February edition of Playing Cards with Friends, and I'm so glad you've stopped by!  

Elizabeth Stewart of Paper Sweetness is a long-time blogging friend since back in the Muse days, right Elizabeth?  She has a wonderful card-making design style, can see inspiration in a challenge photo so beautifully, and is one of the newest members of the JUGS [Just us Girls] design team - yay!

February is known for Valentine giving and receiving - so I couldn't help celebrating our gal pals, too!  Here is our assignment:

• Make a Gal-entine for a friend
• NO red, or pink
• Die cuts are approved, and stamping is, too!

Not too tough, right?  well... here is [my second attempt] for Elizabeth:

Seconds? If you haven't guessed, silly me used pink on the first attempt!

Isn't this SSS Floral Field embossing folder a stunner inked in C&9th Parsley ink?

This is such an easy technique - just ink up the raised side of the folder with the ink pad add paper and run it through your die-cut machine.   

My gal-entine message began with the Inline Alphas from Altenew that I cut from C&9th Parsley cardstock and hyphenated with an Altenew enamel heart.  

The die-cut circle is one from Pinkfresh Studio's Essential Mini Slimline set. 

An ages old set from SSS is where I managed to find the 'entine' with a simple snip of my scissors - Hey there was found there, too, along with the sweet little coordinating quote die to cut it out.

Elizabeth, it has been such fun playing cards and creating a gal-entine just for you!  I can't wait another moment to tell you how much I love your card!  Though it was torture not opening it before today - here I come, ready or not!  I hope all my other gal-entines will stop by, too!  

=] Michele