Ellie Valentine

Hello - thanks for coming by for a visit. Tis the season for Valentine cards, but I'll try to intersperse some St. Pat's Days among these. I need to do some of both holidays. So here goes with another Valentine card, using backgrounds created from playing with Gel medium, transparent paste, Lindys Magicals powder, and sprays. This one is a more traditional 'in the pink' one.

Sparkle n Sprinkle Ellie the Elephant set 553 colored with copics, die cut with a S/B classic circle. Searched, but couldn't find this available as a digi **- but it might be. I'm not an 'elephant person' per se, (more into Hedgies) - but I think Ellies are just too cute. Must be the big blue eyes!

- created background paper embossed with a hearts EF, and small hearts were made using the very smallest of the S/B Heart die set. This was done with the portion of created paper trimmed off in making the card front.

- S/B Scalloped Square die cut the black & white hearts DP.

- white snippet punched with a Fiskars hand punch, just because the shape fit the stamped sentiment which was done by an old tiny wooden block stamp.

Remembered there was a VOS sheet of dimensional heart stickers tucked away, so hunted up, and used to add a little more dimension.

This was a fun card to do. Had the image colored earlier, had made the background (fun to do) and just hunted around for bits & pieces to make a card. My usual method of making a card! Hope you like it.

Big hugs and have a wonderful afternoon. Blessings.

**Edit: A sweet blogger sent me the link for this digi: http://www.beccysplace.com/ellie-and-tippy.
Thanks  for this digi link Kitty.

Hedgie Valentine

Good evening. Hope you're all set for a fabulous weekend. It was a beautiful day here in Upstate SC, even had some warmer temps outside...just sunny & bright all day long. Then had a lovely dinner out with some friends, so now time to do a post.

Just like many others, I've lost some followers. Guess it's the Blogger Thing that is going on if people don't have the Blogger accounts. Anyway, on to the card:

PB Hedgie Postman came from a transparent set, and was fun to color. Hedgie is my favorite of all images to color. Die die cut with a S/B classic circle, then added an outer S/B scallop circle using a snippet of black glitter paper. (the inner part of this circle removed for another time).

Background created using some Lindy's Magical powder, some gel medium, Ranger Transparent paste - mix on the craft mat - and dragged the serrated part of a plastic knife over it for the striations. After this dried, spritzed some gold Tattered Angels and then some dark blue Lindy's Stamp Gang spray. Used the Ranger spritz tool to blow the dark blue splats around. Looks very textured.  This is quite fun to do these backgrounds.

Embossed this with a folder to get the hearts & sentiment. Debated on sanding to get the raised surface to show better, then decided to just go over this with the Pentel Gold Slicci pen. Looks ok, but ....the ink can smudge off on your hand, and I got some on Hedgie's white circle. Fortunately had colored 2 of these, die cut, so just popped #2 effort over the 1st circle. Had tried to scrape the smudges off, go over with a white pen...Nah, that wasn't working at all.

- the banner is a piece of natural color muslin fabric. Used DI Candy Apple ink pad, rubbing ink pad directly onto the banner. Colored, but not as intensely as I wanted - so used Dylusions Post Box red and gave a couple of spray spritz. Got a nicer dark red, and I like the fabric texture.

- Stripe piece covering the join of the fat banner & thin banner, is a snippet of c/stock, and thought it added a little 'something' with the red. Tiny gold hearts, punched from white snippet,  four layers glued together, and colored with the gold Slicci pen.

I like the elements on this card, but was not totally happy with the finished card. Not sure what to do to 'fix it', and not sure if it will be mailed. But there you have it...possibly a Wart!

Hope ya'll had a great day, and looking forward to a super weekend. Thanks for stopping in. Hugs

Rudolph Day - Snowflake in Blue

Good Morning and welcome. After posting the snowfall pics yesterday, I'm happy to say lots of melting. We still have some patchy white places, but the worst of it has gone into the ground. Don't think it will disappear that fast in the hard-hit Northern states. Also prayers for my UK buddies who are having some bad storms today.

Yesterday was the opening of January's Rudolph Day. For anyone who doesn't know about this challenge, all you need do, is make a card with a Christmas theme. The challenge opens the 25th of each month, closes at the end of that month- has some great prizes (usually a yummy Memory Box die of some kind - BUT Not Always - so do check it out!) I'll bet you find that lots of your blogger friends will already be playing!

Here goes:

The American Crafts glitter paper was die cut with Memory Box Dazzling Snowflake. Placed a thin sheet of white fun foam behind it, used the Sizzix Precision Plate, several back 'n' forth rolls through the Big Shot, and it cut very nicely. Wasn't sure if this would be a big mess, with the foam behind the paper. I did have to do some poking, but the bits came out very easily. Me doing the Happy Dance. Placed some turquoise hologram dp behind this VOS Paper Studio brand, but it's very shimmery.

Trimmed this piece to size, and dang it! Got the bottom too short. Added a thin sliver of the turquoise  to glitter paper, trimmed to fit. This piece doesn't have the foam backing so it is a bit flatter, but looks ok IRL.

- Tried to cut the Die-Versions sentiment from the hologram paper, which has a plastic backing on it. It cut ok, but the top layer of the paper separated from the heavier backing. Tried to reglue it, made a mess! Cute the sentiment from white c/s, colored with various BG copics trying to get as close to the turquoise of the hologram paper as possible. Added a couple coats of clear WoS over the top. That's it. I kind of like this one. However, this is one of the 'looks like this will be a really simple card' that ends up not being that way! (for me, anyway. All the problems on THIS one, were definitely Operator Error!).

Please join us at January Rudolph Day, you've still got time. And thanks for popping in this morning. Blessings.

PSX Heart for Valentine's Day

Good afternoon on a sunny Monday afternoon. We are still melting from the Exciting Big Snow of 2016! (that's said tongue in cheek). Our area of South Carolina seldom gets much snow, and when it happens, most things shut down. Here's a few pictures, but we had _nothing_ so bad as what our poor Northern States had. We had supplies laid in, our power stayed on, so we just cozied down and tried to enjoy the pretty.

Back Deck

Front lawn & street in front of our house

 

 

Side lawn



Friday evening's sunset

 

Now for today's card:

 

 

 

 

 

- PSX G-553 (old wooden mount) colored with copics, die cut with a S/B scallop heart that best fit the image. Edged with DI Bundled Sage. (was not in the mood to do 'pinks' at the time!)

 

- Yellow background is a mop up piece. Had used some Sunflower Silk (acrylic paint in a little pot, a bit thick-ish). Dabbed a few blobs on the 98# weight mixed media c/s, watered down using a wet brush. Then while still wet sprinkled in some Lindy's Magical powders in a yellow tone, let it spread around. This was pretty wet, so used _this_ piece to blot up the runs. This piece turned out much paler, but a nice soft yellow. The main piece will be in a later project, cause I got happy with paste, some more Magical colors, a stencil, and {ahem} tried again with frantage. That stuff just doesn't like me!

 

- Cheery Lyn Celtic Fire Doily is extra white die cut from this card   The white doily was too white to use with this twig heart, so spritzed it with some Lindy's Stampgang Starburst in a green color until I got the look I wanted.

 

- Sentiment cut from a snippet from another spray play with Dylusions, and don't recall what else...., but thought this bit looked ok with the green doily. Had a piece of glossy, lightweight package chipboard, so die cut another love sentiment from that- sorry, don't remember the die company.   Copics from the Yellow shades colored this glossy piece, (many coats) -  tried to do a 'shadow' effect with the sentiments. The chipboard made a nice dimension without having to glue so many layers.

 

- Thought it still needed 'something' at the top; S/B plain heart, smallest die, cut 4 times from the green Dylusions snippet...glued it together...and Robert's your uncle.

 

Felt a bit hesitant about a green & yellow Valentine. Then saw this card in greens & yellows by my friend, Donna, whose artistry I so admire, and that made me feel - hey, these colors are OK! What do you think????

 

Ya'll stay warm if it's nasty weather where you are this afternoon. Several of my blog friends are having some tough times health wise, just now, or else caring for a loved one who is. Prayers go out to all of you! Don't forget: Rudolph Day opened today! My card is partially done...

 

Jumping Cross the Pond to the Snippets Playground, for Week  213. (Yes, there are too some snippets on this card!)  I understand there's some High Jinks Going On! It's been so long since I visited, Parsnip may not recognize me & let me in. But I'm gonna try! Ya'll wanna join me? Safety in numbers, donchaya know? All your card needs is to have Just One Single Snippet on it, and it qualifies. ALL of us have snippets, right?

 

Big hugs, and thanks for popping in.