Just Us Girls #695 - Color Week

Hi friends!  The new Just Us Girls challenge is up and this week it's our Color Week challenge.  Lisa E. is our hostess and she has chosen AQUA and APRICOT.  I love these colors!

 

I had so many ideas running in my head, mostly pumpkins, but I instead went with a floral design.  I chose this stencil set from Pink Fresh.  I used only aqua and apricot inks.  I used a lighter hand for the lighter color then a stronger hand to get the darker colors.  I spotted another stencil on my desk, this time a script one.  I decided to stencil over the floral design with a very light gray ink for a different look.  I have to say I love it.  So for the sentiment, I used a sympathy die with a shadow companion die and used a light gray for the shadow.  I added a secondary sentiment with another gray ink.  Crystals were added for sparkle.

You can see more from the JUGs design team and our new September (how is it September already?) guest, Stephanie Lanzalotto, on the JUGs blog. 

Welcome Stephanie!  So happy to have you joining us this month!

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Stamps:  Moments of Grace (SSS)

Ink:  Versafine onyx black, apricot, ocean breeze, misty coast, rocky slope

Paper:  White, apricot, gray

Accessories:  Seamless Floral Panel stencils (PF), Script stencil (Hero Arts), With Sympathy die (SSS), stitched rectangle die (MFT), sentence strips die (Gina K), crystals

Just Us Girls #673 - Color Week

 Hello friends!  Bobby is the hostess for this week's Just Us Girls Color Challenge.  She has chosen terracotta and green.

I initially thought of a plant in a pot (I see some of the other designers had the same idea) but I needed a quick sympathy card.  My good friend's brother passed away suddenly and I had to go to the wake/funeral yesterday.  Stencils make for a quick card, so I chose this turnabout stencil and used the two challenge colors.  After stenciling, I cut it on the diagonal, added the die cut sentiment and the black strip and some crystals and was done.  I really like the way the colors worked and how the card came out.  

You can see more from the JUGs design team and our new guest for April, Joanne James, on the JUGs blog.  Welcome Joanne!  I'm looking forward to seeing your creations this month!

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Paper:  White, black

Ink:  Peeled paint and tea dye oxide 

Accessories:  Retro Petals turnabout stencil (Concord & 9th), stitched rectangle (MFT), With Sympathy die (Dee's), crystals

Just Us Girls #575 - Trend Week

Hello!  It's Saturday and that means a new Just Us Girls challenge is live!  This week, Bobby has chosen embossing folders for the Trend Week challenge.

I have so many embossing folders that I purchased when the Cuttlebug came on the horizon.  Remember that?  It was definitely before dies came on the scene.  And right on cue, Jennifer McGuire has been posting some videos using them.  I cased one of her ideas with the two cards I have here today.  I started by pulling out my 3-D embossing folders.  I just have a few of those.  I chose this floral one and created two embossed panels with it.  One in this peach color and one in blue (below).  I then took a white pigment ink pad and highlighted the embossed parts by lightly running it over them.  On this one, I added Perfect Pearls to the wet ink (very difficult to see).  For the white piece, I first die cut the oval then put that panel into a regular embossing folder with a frame detail and embossed it.  I adhered that to the floral piece and added it to the base.  I die cut the sentiment twice from white cardstock and once from silver glitter cardstock and stacked them.  The silver crystals were added for shimmer.

I created this card in the same manner as the one above.  I used a different embossing folder for the frame, a different sentiment, and made this card landscape.

You can see more from the JUGs design team and our March guest on the JUGs blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Paper:  Recollections white, peach, blue, silver glitter

Ink:  Unicorn white

Accessories:  Floral Field folder (SSS), Frame folders (Cuttlebug), with sympathy die (Dee's Distinctively), Big Basics Birthday die (PTI), perfect pearls, crystals, craft foam

Just Us Girls #559 - Photo Week

Hi friends!  Nancy chose a really great picture for our Just Us Girls Photo Week challenge.  I just love the colors and design!

I pulled out some Altenew products to create this card.  I started by die cutting the vase from some ivory cardstock then used frayed burlap distress ink and a blending brush to get the texture look similar to the vase in the photo.  Then I stamped the pink flowers and made a mask for it.  I put the mask over the flowers and stamped the fern in spruce ink.  This was a second generation stamping because I wanted the color to be lighter.  I adhered the vase to the panel that was die cut with a stitched rectangle die.  The mat panel behind it was created the same way as the vase and also die cut with a stitched rectangle die.  I added clear sequins to finish it off.  The sentiment was die cut three times and stacked.

You can see more from the JUGs design team and our October guest on the JUGs blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe

Stamps:  Vase Fillers & Mod Vases (Altenew)

Paper:  Recollections white, black, ivory

Ink:  Polished, spruce, frayed burlap

Accessories:  Mod Vases die (Altenew), stitched rectangle dies (MFT), sentiment die (Dee's Distinctively), crstals, masking magic, craft foam

Just Us Girls #542 - Photo Week

Hi there!  It's Photo Week at Just Us Girls and Angie has chosen this great sunset photo.  It reminds me of the sunsets I saw in Hawaii.  So pretty!

 

I remembered when Kristina Werner played around with ink blending combinations, so I found her video for inspiration.  I chose this combination of carved pumpkin, peacock feathers, and chipped sapphire for my background.  Looking at the photo, I should have swapped out peacock feathers for one of the pinks in the Distress Oxide line.  Oh well, I'm happy with this.  After blending, I heat set it then stamped this silhouette image using Nocturne Versa Claire ink.  This panel was die cut with a stitched rectangle.  I die cut the sentiment and outline layer and adhered it to the panel as well as clear sequins.  Unfortunately, I needed another sympathy card.

 

You can see more from the JUGs design team and our June guest on the JUGs blog.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Recipe

Stamps:  Wildflowers (SSS)

Paper:  Recollections white, black

Ink:  Nocturne Versa Claire; carved pumpkin, peacock feathers, chipped sapphire distress oxide

Accessories:  Stitched rectangle (MFT), with sympathy die (SSS), sequins, craft foam 



Just Us Girls #536 - Color Week

Hello friends!  This week over at Just Us Girls, I'm the hostess for our Color Week.  I chose some fun, bright and cheery colors. 

 

I received this lovely gift from Altenew the other day.  I was pleasantly surprised and decided it would be a great image to use for this week's challenge.

 

I first stamped the image and colored it with copic markers.  Then I used an oval masking stencil over the image and blended some spun sugar ink over the panel, heavier around the image and lighter towards the edges.  Then I die cut it with a scalloped edge die.  I added the sentiment (it's crooked, ugh!) and some sequins.  That panel was popped up with craft foam and added to the base. 

 

You can see more from the JUGs design team and our May guest on the JUGs blog.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Recipe

Stamps:  Floral image (Altenew), sentiment (Hero Arts)

Paper:  Recollections white, X-Press It

Ink:  Amalgam black, Versafine onyx black, spun sugar, copic markers

Accessories:  Audry Cutaways die (Winnie & Walter), masking oval stencil (TE), sequins, shimmer, star dust stickles, craft foam 



Just Us Girls #529 - Photo Week

Hi friends!  It's Photo Week at Just Us Girls and I'm the hostess for this challenge.  I chose this landscape covered with pretty tulips.  I think tulips are the ultimate sign of Spring.

I was so happy to get my hands on this layering stencil set from Simon Says Stamp.  There is a layering stamp set to go along with it as well, but I only used the stencils.  I used distress oxide inks with the stencils and actually started with a larger piece of cardstock and used the stencils twice side-by-side to get a fuller bunch of flowers.  Once I was done stenciling, I die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle and added the die cut sentiment (die cut and stacked three times for dimension).  I added shimmer to the sentiment and flowers then added the clear sequins.  I have many birthday cards on hand and decided to get some sympathy cards done. I made this yesterday, and today I found out my former co-worker’s father passed away from Covid-19. I didn’t think I’d need this card this soon. Stay safe everyone!

You can see more from our JUGs design team and our guest for this month, Vicky, on the JUGs blog.  This is Vicky's last week with us, and I'd like to thank her for her beautiful cards this month.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe



Paper:  Recollections white, black

Ink:  Squeezed lemonade, fossilized amber, worn lipstick, picked raspberry, forest moss

Accessories:  Layered Tulips stencils (SSS), sentiment die (Dee's Distinctively), stitched rectangle (MFT), sequins, shimmer, craft foam 



Just Us Girls #526 - Word Week

Hi all!  The word for this week's Word Week challenge over at Just Us Girls is HEAL.

 

I thought about creating some get well cards, but I really needed to bump up my sympathy card stash because I hate making these last minute, which is usually when you need them.  So I found some great sentiments that indicate healing and made four similar cards.  All of them use the Peony Bouquet stencil.

 

This one is ironically my favorite.  I say ironically because of the colors I chose.  I started by spraying the back of the stencil with Pixie spray to make it tacky so it stays put while adding the ink.  The first color I used was antique linen distress oxide (all inks used were distress oxides).  Then I used vintage photo to give the flowers some darker shading.  The leaves were done with peeled paint and forest moss (the leaves were done with the same colors on all cards).  The sentiments on all the cards are from an old set by Verve.  I thought they fit well with the challenge word.  I mounted this on kraft cardstock before mounting it on a white base.  White Nuvo Drops were used on the flower centers.

 

On this card, I used spun sugar and picked raspberry and mounted it on some bright pink cardstock.  A different sentiment from the same Verve set and star dust stickles in the flower centers.

 

This one was done with scattered straw and fossilized amber and mounted on some crushed curry cardstock from SU (I think!).  White Nuvo Drops finish off the flower centers.

 

And last but not least, this was done with milled lavender and wilted violet mounted on purple cardstock and I used star dust stickles for the flower centers.

 

You can see more from the JUGs design team and our March guest on the JUGs blog.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Recipe

Stamps:  Forever in Our Hearts (Verve)

Paper:  Recollections white, kraft, yellow, pink, orchid

Ink:  Versafine onyx black, Distress Oxide: spun sugar, picked raspberry, antique linen, vintage photo, scattered straw, fossilized amber, milled lavender, wilted violet, peeled paint, forest moss

Accessories:  Peony Bouquet stencil (SSS), stitched rectangle dies (MFT), star dust stickles, white Nuvo drops 



Just Us Girls #502 - Photo Inspiration

He friends!  It's Photo Inspiration week at Just Us Girls.  Look at this pretty picture Bobby chose. So many options!

 

My eyes went to that green jar and the purple flowers.  I pulled out some older Papertrey Ink stamps for this.  I stamped and die cut the flowers then watercolored them with distress inks.  I then die cut a scalloped panel and stamped the jar.  I "filled" it with some green ink that is second generation stamping (it's a little darker than I anticipated).  The flowers are mounted on craft foam I die cut with the flower die and the panel is mounted on craft foam as well.  I mounted that on some plaid pattern paper and added sequins and shimmer.  The center of the flowers were dotted with a white gel pen.

 

You can see more from our JUGs design team and our August guest on the JUGs blog.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Recipe

Stamps:  Friendship Jar, Friendship Jar Summer Fillers (PTI); Bouquet of Flowers (SSS)

Paper: Recollections white, Neenah, watercolor, Plaid Patterns (MFT)

Ink:  Versafine onyx black, peeled paint, wilted violet distress inks, sage (C. Pooler)

Accessories:  Friendship Jar Hydrangea die (PTI), Audrey cutaways (W&W), sequins, craft foam, spectrum noir shimmer 



Just Us Girls #497 - Color Week

Hi friends!  Nancy chose a very feminine and pretty color combination for this week's Just Us Girls color week challenge.

 

This was an easy challenge for me.  These colors scream flowers!  And what better stamp company to choose for that than Altenew?  This Pomander stamp set is just so pretty.  I stamped the flowers in light and dark pink Altenew inks then the leaves in green ink from MFT.  The outline of the image was first stamped in Memento tuxedo black ink.  I stamped the sentiment then die cut the main panel and the black panel with stitched rectangle dies.  I added star dust stickles to the flowers and random crystals to the background.  I thought it would make a nice sympathy card (something I like to have on hand).

 

You can see more from our JUGs design team and our July guest on the JUGs blog.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Recipe

Stamps:  Prettiest Pomander (Altenew), Moments of Grace (SSS)

Paper:  Recollections white, black

Ink:  Memento tuxedo black, Versafine onyx black, MFT field green, Altenew pink diamond, pinkalicious, rubellite, razzleberry

Accessories:   Stitched rectangle dies (MFT), crystals, star dust stickles, craft foam 



Time Out #136 - Home Sweet Home Challenge

Hi friends!  The current Time Out challenge is in its second week, and I have a reminder card for you.

 

We are sponsored by Stamplorations for this challenge, and I'm using this very pretty stamp set called Frames & Flowers.  I used the colors from the inspiration photo and tried to emulate the rectangular design on the wall with my grid stencil and glimmer paste.  I stamped the flowers and leaves inside the rectangle frame.  I needed a sympathy card, so I added this sending prayers sentiment.

 

You can see more from the Time Out design team and our current guest, Greta, on the Time Out blog.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Recipes



Stamps:  Frames & Flowers (Stamplorations), Deepest Sympathy (MFT)
Paper:  Recollection white, black, pacific point
Ink:  Versafine onyx black, rouge, lemongrass, sage (CP)
Accessories:  Large grid stencil (MFT), Nuvo glimmer mist paste, craft foam



Time Out #132 - Home Sweet Home Challenge

Hey everyone!  It's time for a new Time Out challenge.  This time, it's our Home Sweet Home challenge.  We have this photo to inspire us.  We are sponsored by Altenew (one of my favorite stamp companies for flowers!). 

 

My eyes went to the striped pillow, pink flowers, and all the gold accents.  The stripes reminded me of a gift card at Hobby Lobby I saw a while back (see a picture of it below).  I knew I had the Gradient Stripes set and lots of different floral sets.  I went with the Watercolor Wonder set.  I stamped the flowers in pink and yellow and some leaves and arranged them on the top part of the cardstock.  The stripes were stamped about three times in Versafine onyx black to get a true dark black.  I had to wait a while to emboss the sentiment.  The stripes took long to dry and I used a heat tool as well to speed things up.  Even with that, there was still some powder sticking to the black ink when I embossed the sentiment.  I added this panel to a shiny gold mat and added some gold sequins.

 

Here is the other inspiration I used to make this card. 

You can see more from our Time Out design team and our guest for this challenge, my JUGs teammate Bobby on the Time Out blog!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 Recipe
Stamps:  Watercolor Wonder and Gradient Stripes (Altenew), Jumbo Stripes (SSS)
Paper:  Recollections white, gold shiny (MFT)
Ink:  Versafine onyx black, Versamark; it's a gir, party dress, shea butter, sauna, seafoam, spruce (CPooler)
Accessories:  Watercolor Wonder dies (Altenew), white embossing powder, sequins, dimensionals



Just Us Girls #475 - Color Week

Hi friends!  I had some things going on (Valentine's Day celebrations with friends) this weekend and had trouble getting this blog done!  But the card was done, so that's all that matters, I guess!  Maria chose a pretty and timely color palette for our Color Week at Just Us Girls!

I was done making Valentine cards, and I've been trying to keep up with my sympathy card making.  Seems I always need these.  I just sent out three.  :-(  This pretty die from Memory Box was die cut from white cardstock, then I just put some scraps of white cardstock to die cut the heart again.  I colored them with red copic markers and stacked them back into the die.  I chose some pretty pink gingham paper to put behind it.  The sentiment was die cut three times from white and stacked as well.  The stamped sentiment was stamped in a dark gray ink.  I added some shimmer on the heart and sentiment and some crystals to finish it off.  This is a square 4.25 x 4.25 card.

 

You can see more from our JUGs design team and our February guest on the JUGs blog.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Recipe

Stamps:  Prayers (SSS)

Paper:  Recollections white, Gingham-linen (Doodlebug)

Ink:  Black jack (CP designs)

Accessories:  Woodland heart frame (Memory Box), prayers die (SSS), Spectrum noir shimmer, craft foam



30 Day Coloring Challenge - Entry #2

I've decided that I have to start coloring more.  I used to color all the time, but got away from it with all the layering stamps and such I've purchased.  The 30 Day Coloring Challenge is the perfect time to get on this.

 

I like these types of images because the shading is already identified on the image which makes it easy.  I'm not good at shading.  I stamped this in GinaK amalgam ink and colored it with copic markers.  The sentiment was stamped in Versafine onyx black ink and embossed with clear powder.  I just added sequins for some sparkle.  I did color another image today, but haven't made it into a card yet.  That's on tomorrow's agenda!

Here's a link to the coloring challenge.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Recipe

Stamps:  Beautiful Flowers 2 and Moments of Grace (SSS)

Paper:  Recollections white, copic express, ballet blue

Ink:  GinaK amalgam black, Versafine onyx black, copic markers (YG13, 06, 09; B21, 24, 28; R32, 35; RV14; N2)

Accessories:  Clear embossing powder, sequins, Spectrum Noir shimmer



Sending Condolences

Hello everyone!  I had some time in my craft room yesterday and pulled out the new Faceted Turnabout stencil from Concord & 9th.  I pulled the colors from the MFT challenge (I realized later  it was an MFT challenge and I wasn't using MFT products!).  I love the stencil and the soft colors of distress inks I chose.  I decided to make this a sympathy card and increase my stash of these because I hate to make these last minute.  I think I'll do more in different colors.  The sentiment was die cut three times and stacked.  I didn't add any embellishments to keep it simple.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Recipe

Stamps:  The Big, the Bold and Greetings (Winnie & Walter)

Paper:  Recollections white, black

Ink:  Versafine onyx black, pumice stone, spun sugar, shaded lilac, and black soot distress inks

Accessories:  The Big, the Bold and Greetings die (W&W), stitched rectangle die (MFT), Faceted TAB stencil (C&9th)