As soon as I saw the Altenew “Magnolia Ballerina” I knew I would find a home for it. When Ellen Hutson had a sale a week or so ago on all Altenew products, I put the embossing folder (and the accompanying stamp set) in the cart. I’m not disappointed. Altenew’s 3-D embossing folders are just gorgeous. I ran this one through my die cutter with watercolor paper, and with the March Altenew Challenge in mind. Here’s the inspiration photo. It’s definitely a CASE of Therese at Lost in Paper with a change in orientation, size, and sentiment.

Watercoloring a white flower on white paper is, needless to say, a bit of a challenge. Looking at the light purple in the color triad, I used the lavender in my Daniel Smith palette. The palette is not one I use too often, but it included all three of the colors in the challenge, and required no mixing. It’s hard to see the watercolor on the petals, but I think that’s the point.

The embossing folder is larger than a standard card, so this was cut down considerably to make a square card. You can see the folder here.

The sentiment is from The Ton’s “Easy Expressions: Birthday.” I keep a collection of these sentiments ready to go in a small basket, and it’s amazing how often they work.

After cutting the image down, I cut a very narrow mat from Gina K Asparagus cardstock, and added it to a card made with Simon Says “Ivory” cardstock. Some time ago I read that Ivory almost always is a good match for watercolor paper, which I’ve found to be true.

In addition to the March Altenew Challenge I’m entering this in the new Paper Players Challenge for CAS Blooms. Despite the large image, this fits my definition of CAS since the majority of the image is white.

I’m on a mission to get cards created for the challenges I’ve been thinking about all month. Today’s card is for the Pinkfresh Studio Monthly Challenge, and the emphasis is on frames. In addition there is a color palette to use as well.

I knew right away I wanted to use one of my new hot foiling plates, and it’s thanks to two big wins at Pinkfresh Studio that I have the foiling plates to design with! “Lush Vines” is one of my favorites. Although I’ve foiled previously, I’ve never tried to color with Copic markers on the Hammermill paper I use for foiling. Turns out it’s easy as can be.

The first step was to create the oval frame with one of Ellen Hutson’s Essential Ovals. After marking where it would go, I colored jus the parts of the design that would show through the frame. Once that was done I die cut the next largest oval in gold and adhered just the frame around the oval. Then I attached that piece to the foiled piece with dimensional tape.

Up to that point everything was going as planned, but I hadn’t decided on a sentiment. It was clear that part of the sentiment needed to go on top of the oval and I had a collection of Pinkfresh “Brushed Sentiments” already foiled. The “You” fit in perfectly, and I finished the sentiment with a phrase from Altenew’s “Build a Flower: Magnolia” which I embossed in gold and cut with an “Itty Bitty Strip” from My Favorite Things.

There have times recently when the finished card is totally unlike my original vision, but this time it’s just about perfect!

I keep a running list of current card challenges that I follow regularly. Just Us Girls is one of my favorites, but because it is a one week challenge, I often miss the opportunity to play along. When I saw the current challenge was their Trend Week and Embossing folders was the challenge, I wanted to find time to create a card for it.

I’ve done a pretty good job recently of using products that have been in my collection for awhile, but never used. There was only one embossing folder that hadn’t seen the light of day, and it was Altenew’s  “Decorative Florals.” 

The embossing folder is a large one with multiple blooms. I started out with a card that used the whole embossing folder, but switched gears after my husband (who rarely has a suggestion) felt that the foiled sentiment and gold embellishments detracted from the beautiful embossed flowers. 

I switched then to a tag, embossing it with only one of the florals. Then I lightly tapped a white pigment ink pad over the embossed elements. I used this technique for the first time last year on a Christmas card and loved it, and I like it here as well

The trick then was to decide how to add the sentiment, and I chose a Pinkfresh Studio die cut from their “Scripted Greetings,” using some vellum for the shadow die. I’m adding this to the NBUS Challenge since my embossing folder fits the category perfectly.

I have two more challenges I’d like to enter this week. We’ll see how the time goes. Tomorrow I’ll be back with the new Color Hues Challenge which features some wonderful spring colors.

Pinkfresh Studio’s “Mirrored Triangles” offers multiple design options. I had my first opportunity to play with it this week, and know I’ll be returning to it with different color combinations, and different configurations. 

Although my first idea was to create an ombre effect, I ended up cutting the design in half and using the two sections for separate cards. For sure, it created a much more CAS design which I like a lot. 

As you can see in the photo above, the design is created with just one stencil that you rotate for each new color.

After cutting the stenciled design in half I cut two very narrow borders of black and mounted the piece on a white card with dimensional foam.

A simple banner (MFT’s “Itty Bitty Strips”} with a white embossed sentiment was all the cards needed. Two cards for the stash with guys in mind!

I’m sending these off to three challenges:

About 90% of the snow in our front yard has melted, and there are a couple of buds on the hydrangeas, but according to the meteorologist winter is not gone! Not that I expect it to be in early March. Yesterday we were nearly blown off the sidewalk with gusts of winds clocked at 60mph, but the record high temperature of 73° was a very welcome change. The Paper Players has a springtime challenge, and I had time to play yesterday. I needed a note for a new church member and this fit the bill. 

I started by using the Pinkfresh Studio hot foiling plate, “Lush Vine” to emboss a piece of white cardstock. I love the result! Then I finally broke out the Pinkfresh “In the Meadow” Washi tape and accompanying die. I now have a lovely pile of blooms die cut and used two of them on the card.

The two-piece sentiment is from The Greetery’s “Opposites Attract.” 

In addition to The Paper Players, I’m adding this to the Addicted to Stamps and More gallery where “Any Occasion” is the challenge, and to NBUS for using the Washi tape.

There are often times when my blog is quiet for quite a few days in a row. It is unusual, however, for me to post twice in one day. My son’s birthday post was scheduled over the weekend, and I had hoped to find time on the weekend to create a card for the current sketch at Freshly Made Sketches. I’m a huge fan of Cécile’s designs, so didn’t want to miss this opportunity to take on one of her sketches. The challenge closes later today, so I’m getting this in just under the wire! I’m also adding this to the galleries for Addicted to Stamps and More and Time Out Challenge where “birthday” is the prompt.

I started by hunting for some specialty papers I’ve had for years, but I know I didn’t see them when I did my huge January reorganization and purge. That left just a couple of places to look, but I didn’t find them. In the process, however, I found this beautiful piece of vellum.

I die cut the vellum with one of Ellen Hutson’s Essential Rectanges, and using the next biggest one cut apiece of dark gray cardstock from my scrap folder. I already had the silver diecut in the envelope with My Favorite Things “Leafy Greens.”

I added them to a card base made with Concord and 9th’s Dove cardstock. All that was left was to stamp the sentiment from Sugar Pea’s “Everyday Sentiments” and add the silver pearls.

My hope today is to get even more time for crafting. I have a couple errands to run this morning, and then should have plenty of time to get back to the crafting desk. I have a stack of hot foil plates I want to play with. I recently won a second big prize from Pinkfresh Studio, and they sent me four beautiful foiling plates and a die cut. The luck involved with these wins is just amazing as they are a random pick from all the comments left on blog posts or YouTube videos. Given how popular Pinkfresh Studio is it’s amazing to have won two big prizes in just four months, but I am very grateful!

Edited to add: When I came back to my desk this afternoon, the card above was laying there, and it just felt like something was a little “off” about it. I die cut a second vine from another scrap of dark brown cardstock, and layered it so the silver became a shadow. I’m much happier with this version!

Here’s a closer look:

Too late to change it for the challenges, but I’m happier!