Charming Delight Birthday

Hello everyone.  Today is a friend's birthday and I created a CAS (clean and simple) floral birthday card for her using the Charming Delight layering stencil set from Altenew (ALT)   Hope she's having a wonderful day and getting spoiled. 😉  

Trimmed Bristol paper to A2 size then ink blended ALT Enchanted Garden and Frosted Foliage fresh dye inks over the stencil layers for the flowers and foliage. For the center, used distress inks (Squeezed Leminade, Scattered Straw, Fossilized Amber) and purple ink remaining from the Enchanted Garden detail blending brush.

Was going for a soft watercolour look, so had to add splatters with diluted white gouache paint.  Die cut the Spellbinders Layered Happy Birthday sentiment from silver foil paper and its shadow from vellum.  Assembled the card onto a white card base to finish. Easy peasy! 

Main products used for my card are linked below for your convenience.  Please note compensated affiliate product links have  been used in this post when possible at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase through them. Your support is much appreciated. Thank you for stopping in. .   

Challenges:

Stencil Fun - AG stencils + optional CAS design style 

Time Out - #319 Choose Two (CAS-Floral-Birthday)  

Simply Clean and Simple - AG CAS + optional theme Nature 

Beautiful Blossoms - AG Florals + optional Mood Board #43 

AAA Birthday - #88 Flowers 

Jolly Snowman

Hello there.  It's still Christmas in July, and I have a CAS (clean and simple) Christmas card to share using an oldie, but goodie stamp from Purple Onion Designs (POD).   For those not familiar with this cutie, meet Jolly (snowman looking up).  

Jolly was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on X-Press It paper, coloured with Copic Sketch markers then masked.  Ink blended Water Hyacinth fresh dye ink from Altenew (ALT) then die cut the panel down with the Blanket Stitched Rectangle from Pinkfresh Studio (PFS) for a decorative edge.  

Copic markers used:

carrot nose - YR12/16/23/27, E08 

scarf/pocket - B60/63/66 

twig arms - E31/25/29 

buttons - N7 

snow/shading - B0000/000/00, C00/0/1

And I couldn't think of a more appropriate greeting wish (retired Poppy Stamps) from Jolly. 😉  It was black heat embossed using Versafine Onyx Black ink and clear glitter embossing powder for a bit of sparkle.  Adhered the panel onto a white card base then added falling snow with a white gel pen to finish. 

Please note compensated affiliate links are used in this post at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase through them.  I appreciate your support.  Thank you for stopping by. 

  

Challenges:

CAS Christmas - July 2026: Snowman 

Inkspirational - #372 Word Prompt: Christmas in July 

BYSCH - Christmas in July 2026 Linky Party 

Peace on Earth - #116 AG Christmas 

Simply Clean & Simple - AG CAS + optional Birthday (creative licence - Jesus' birthday? 😁)

Addicted to Stamps and More - #522 Christmas 

CRAFT - #785 Christmas  

Birthday Majestic Roses

Hello everyone.  I’ve been commissioned to create birthday cards, and since it’s May (you know the saying April showers bring May flowers 😉), it had to be a floral card.  And it was the perfect opportunity to finally break out the gorgeous Majestic Roses stencil set from Altenew (ALT) and use their current monthly challenge as inspiration to create my card. 

3 gradient ALT Rock Collection gray colour inks were used to stencil the white roses, while only one green colour dye ink was used for the foliage.  The green colour was brighter than I wanted, so diluted gesso was applied over top to desaturate the colour. The stencil gives an image with two roses and foliage, but for design purposes (odd numbers being more pleasing to the eye), a third rose (bottom right front) was added first, then masked with a DIY fussy cut mask created from masking paper.

The sentiment from ALT Pocket Sentiments was white heat embossed  on a paper strip that was coloured with a RV17 Copic Sketch marker.  A fishtail was then die cut from it using a Fishtail Banner die (currently on sale) from Sunny Studio Stamps.  Die cut the panel next with a stitched rectangle die (out-of-business).  Assembled the card onto a white card base and embellished with some clear Moonshine sequins from Simon Says Stamp to finish. 

I couldn’t stop playing with the stencils and somehow ended up creating two more cards. 😆   For these cards, heat embossing with clear embossing powder was used for masking instead of creating more DIY masks before ink blending a light green colour for the background. 

On this final card, three gradient ALT Cherry Blossom ink colours were used for the pink rose. 

Please note compensated affiliate links were used in this post when possible at no extra cost to you.  I appreciate your support.  Thank you for stopping by. . 

Challenges:

Altenew Inspiration - May 2026: Host Bridget Casey 

Beautiful Blossoms - AG Florals + optional Mood Board #41 

Just Add Ink - #785 Stencils/Dies 

Just Us Girls. - #823 Word Week: Flowers 

Tic Tac Toe - #292 Featured Designer Betty (middle row- Floral, Free, White/Cream)

Make My Monday - $278 Say It With Flowers 

Happy Birthday Mom

Hello there.  My mom’s birthday is this Thursday, and there was a gorgeous card or stock photo (not sure which) that has stuck with me ever since I saw it.  Unfortunately, my search for it again has come up empty.  Anyway, so when I received my order with the beautiful Magnolia Ballerina 3D embossing folder (EF) with the coordinating coloring stencils by Altenew, I couldn’t wait to CASE it.  Here’s my card. 

Started by stamping the sentiment from Hero Arts (HA) Let’s Celebrate stamp set with Something Borrowed premium dye ink from Catherine Pooler onto a Bristol panel, then heat embossed it with clear glitter embossing powder.  Next, spritz each side of the panel with water (this helps prevent the paper from cracking) before inserting it into the EF leaving the sentiment hanging outside the EF.  To avoid getting the edge impressed onto the panel, the cutting pad was placed only over the EF right to the EF edge when running it through the die cutting machine.  I guess that’s partial embossing? 🤔 

Removed the panel from the EF and used the stencils with a foam blending tool and/or blender brush to add gray dye ink to the embossed image to give a bit of shading on these white flowers.  For the flower centres, CP Something Borrowed ink was applied to them with a detailed blending tool and then heat embossed with clear glitter embossing powder as well. The butterfly (retired) was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on alcohol marker friendly card stock, coloured in with Copic Sketch markers, then die cut out with the matching die.  Assembled the card onto a white card base, then added clear shimmer and white dot details with a gelly roll pen to the butterfly to fimish.

If anyone happens to come across the card I’m CASEing, please send me the link so I can give proper credit.  That does it for my card today.  Thank you for stopping by.

Challenges:

Can You Handle the Pressure - AG Embossing Folder optional Butterflies  

Seize the Birthday - #239 Stencil   

AAA Birthday - #38 Flowers 

Addicted to Stamps and More - #430 Die Cuts and/or Stencils 

The Four Seasons - June AG Sumner 

Double D - White with One Other Color Only  

Second Birthday

Hello there.  I have a nephew who turns 2 today and this is the CAS (clean and simple) birthday card I made for him using new/unused (NBUS) Monkeys stamp/die set from C.C. Designs.  

The monkey was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Xpress It cardstock, coloured with Copic Sketch markers then die cut out with the matching die.

browns - E30, E31, E23, E25, E29

reds - R35, R39)

The Impact Alphabet letters from My Favorite Things (MFT) were die cut from a scrap of white cardstock that had been inked with Black Soot distress ink.  For some shine, covered them with VersaMark ink then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  The MFT Impact Number 2 was die cut from Nebula washi tape by Altenew.  It was in my stash and had been adhered to cardstock, covered with a coat of clear gesso and splattered with white gouache paint.  It was also heat embossed with clear embossing powder for shine.  Assembled the card onto a Bristol A2 stitched panel and added shading below the monkey with cool gray Copic markers to finish.

This monkey image is so fun. 😂  Thank you for stopping by.  Have a wonderful day. 

Challenges:

Crafty Animals - #61 AG Animals 

Addicted to Stamps and More - # 429 Any Occasion  

Critter Crazy - #62 AG with a Featured Critter  

Sweet Stampers - #68 Birthday 

NBUS #38 - new stamp/die set 

Guest Designer for Color Hues Challenge #20 - Aqua and Black

Hello there.  I’m excited to be guest designing (GD) today at The Color Hues (TCH) for their challenge #20 - Aqua and Black. 

This is such a versatile and beautiful colour combo.  I used a new stamp set from Altenew (ALT) called Fairy Tales Florals stamp set along with their Caps Bold Alphabet and Bold Numbers die sets to create my card.

Started by stamping the floral images with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on a stitched rectangle panel die cut from Xpress It cardstock.  Did some “loose” colouring with Copic markers (by loose I mean I didn’t bother with blending). 😂  I then filled in the background with a black Copic marker.  I wish I had the coordinating die for this step because it would have been a lot easier and more ink efficient to die cut out the florals, colour the white border black, then adhere onto a black panel.  Oh wel. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

Next, the letters and numbers were die cut three times from Stampin’ Up! (SU!) Pool Party cardstock to be stacked for dimension.  Black ink was lightly applied to the bottom of the top layer before covering them with VersaMark ink and heat embossing with clear glitter embossing powder.  Love me some sparkle. 😉  Assembled the card onto a white card base to finish.

I want to thank Nancy and TCH team for having me GD.  To check out the cards the team have created to inspire you, head to the challenge post HERE.  Hope to see you in the gallery.  Thank you for stopping by. 

Challenges:

AAA Birthday - #26 Flowers 

Die Cut Divas - Birthdays 

Seize the Birthday - #Anything Goes Birthday or Nautical topping 

Uniko - #65 Anything Goes + optional twist Use Die Cuts 

Mother’s Day Peony

Hello and happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, grandmas and mother figures.  One of my many favourite flowers is the peony, and after years of it collecting dust in my drawer, I finally pulled out the Peony Duo stamp set by The Ton Stamps to create my mom’s Mother’s Day card.  No surprise blue is my favourite colour... BUT it turns out, it’s my mom’s favourite colour, too!  Bonus! 😂

So the peony and leaves were stamped with VersaMark ink onto hot press watercolor paper and heat embossed with Wow! Silver Pearl embossing powder.  Watercoloured them with Karin PRO Brushmarkers, then fussy cut them out (there are coordinating dies, which I don’t have). 

Next, a piece of Bristol paper was dry embossed with a new 3D embossing folder from Altenew called Rows of Squares.  White heat embossed the sentiment from the same stamp set on black cardstock, then assembled the card onto a white card base.  Added clear shimmer to the peony and a few jewel rhinestones for some sparkle to finish.  

With my dad’s recent passing two weeks ago, I really wish I could be there in person today to spoil my mom.  I may be bias, but my mom’s pretty amazing!  Hope she is enjoying her day.  Thank you for dropping by.  Enjoy your day.

Challenges:

The Flower Challenge - #56 Use Your Favourite Flower 

Global Design Project - #290 Sketch 

Watercooler Wednesday - #315 Marsha’s Challenge All Things Feminine 

Stamping Sensations - May Beautiful Blooms 

Inspired By - #173 Celebrate Her 

Cupcake Inspirations - #518 Mother’s Day