have a great day

 Hello hello and happy Monday!! 

I found a little time this weekend to play with some new Stamp Market supplies and used this week’s Freshly Made Sketches sketch as inspiration…

Freshly Made Sketches 623

I started with an Avery Elle pierced rounded frame background panel. I then stamped a plaid background in black then cut that panel at an angle and layered it over the pierced panel. I inked a thin cardstock strip in red and adhered it over the angle and tied a bakers twine bow. I stamped and die cut the flowers, leaves, and sentiment and adhered them to a die cut square. Finally I added some sequins for sparkly fun :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

xoxo ~ rae

love

 'tis the season for glorious pinks and reds.... yay!

I was inspired by the latest Freshly Made Sketches sketch #621 when designing my bold and graphic card.

Thanks for stopping by, truly appreciated!!

xoxo ~ rae

Supply List:

Simon Says Stamp - boho chain die

Pinkfresh Studio - stitched diamonds cover plate

The Greetery - love word die

The Stamp Market - pink/red cardstock

Other Supplies: rose gold metallic cardstock; white, black, red cardstock

Techniques: die cutting

love you

 hello!!

Here to share a card inspired by two challenges…

Color Throwdown #777

Freshly Made Sketches #620

Here is my card…

Such a FUN color combo!! Been loving creating with navy/blue lately and was eager to use it again here. 

I stamped the background with chipped sapphire distress oxide ink using The Stamp Market simply plaid background stamp. I die cut the large heart(s) (Hero Arts nesting heart infinity dies) and paper pieced the inner heart with die cut strips using The Stamp Market pink cardstock. Added some additional embellishing to finish the card off. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

xoxo  ~ rae

warm wishes

Hello!!

So it has been COLD here in Alabama, perfect time to make a wintery card!

 I used an old Simon Says Stamp sweater pattern cling background stamp to emboss a panel of Concord & 9th dove cardstock. Added a few snowflakes die cut from white glitter cardstock, a die cut heart, some clear sequins, and a fitting 'think warm' sentiment.

I was inspired by the following challenges:

the card layout was inspired by Freshly Made Sketches #619

  

and the color scheme was inspired by the mood board at Just Us Girls - #710

(specifically, the grey sweater with snowflake pattern and the cat's eyes pop of color)

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

xoxo ~ rae

Supply List:

Cardstock: Concord & 9th dove; white glitter cardstock; Neenah white cardstock

Stamp: SSS sweater pattern rubber cling stamp

Stamp/Die: Pinkfresh Studio - Basic Banners: Christmas

Dies: Pinkfresh Studio - large snowflakes

Dies: The Stamp Market - heart die

Other: May Arts natural jute twine; The Stamp Market - clear sequins

Techniques: heat embossing, stamping, die cutting

I love you

Hey there!

Playing along with the latest sketch at Freshly Made Sketches #617

Although it took a bit of trial and error to get this card just right, the creative process was SO much fun!!!!

In the end I was pleased with the simplicity of the design, peppered with all the texture.

The 'loops' embossing folder I chose for the background panel reminded me of hearts :)

The heart panels were made from Concord & 9th cardstock embossed with Altenew's cross stitch canvas coverplate. I used Pinkfresh Studio dainty plaid to stamp/emboss the cardstock from which I die cut the hearts. 

The sentiment was stamped and heat embossed in white and the black strip was matted with white glitter cardstock.

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

xoxo ~ rae

Supply List:

Cardstock: Concord & 9th (ballet slipper, honeysuckle)

Dies: Hero Arts Nesting Hearts Infinity dies; Altenew cross stitch canvas cover plate

Stamps: Dainty Plaid - Pinkfresh Studio; sentiment - Simon Says Stamp Love Messages

Embossing Powder - Brutus Monroe alabaster

Embossing Folder - Spellbinders loops

Embellishments - This Calls for Confetti sequins

Other: white, black cardstock; white glitter cardstock

Freshly Made Sketches #610

 Playing along with Freshly Made Sketches #610!

I took a little liberty with the sketch by flipping it and staggering the position of the shapes....

Although hard to capture in a photo, the snowflakes are a pretty white glitter :)

I started with the embossed background, inked the folk art frame in pale pink and adhered to the card front, then added the layered inked cardstock/glitter strips and snowflakes, then added the heat embossed sentiment and some clear sequins (that also did not photograph well!).

Supply List:

Spellbinders diamond plaid embossing folder

Pinkfresh Studios folk edge rectangle die; ink - ballet slipper

Simon Says Stamp snowflake dies

Waffle Flower Essential Sentiments stamp and die

Other supplies: silver embossing powder; clear sequins; white cardstock; white, silver glitter cardstock; foam tape

Thanks for stopping by!!

xoxo - rae

You are strong

Hello there!

Playing along with the latest sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches #586

and was inspired by the photo prompt at Inspired By

Here is what I came up with....

I started by heat embossing the floral image on vellum, layered some yellow patterned paper over an embossed white panel, and another yellow layer. I added the bold embossed sentiment and the black butterfly from my ancient stash of embellishments.

Love how bright and cheery this one turned out :)

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

rae

let's celebrate | freshly made sketches

Hi there! Got some crafty time in this weekend, and decided to play along with some of my favorite challenges to keep the creative juices flowing ;)

First challenge I worked on was Freshly Made Sketches #574

Here is the card design I came up with....

I started with a white card base and added some cardstock strips from Altenew's Sea Shore gradient cardstock set. Then I ran the panel through Spellbinders diamond plaid embossing folder, taking special care to align the stripes of the panel with the plaid pattern of the embossing folder.

Next I stamped the sentiments and adhered them to the card base, the larger sentiment was adhered with foam tape for dimension/interest. I'm not much of an 'embellisher', so I just added some die cut hearts and a few dew drops.

This was a good challenge for me, since I don't typically put sentiments on the diagonal - I felt that the small sub-sentiment strip worked well diagonally with the focal sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo - rae

Supplies:

Altenew: Sea Shore gradient cardstock set

Spellbinders: diamond plaid embossing folder

Simon Says Stamp: XL Birthday Greetings stamp & die

the Greetery: Sentiment Suite: birthday stamp & die

Concord & 9th: Big on You heart die

Other: Tsukineko onyx black ink; white cardstock; Studio katia dew drops; white heart puffy sticker; foam tape

hello

 Playing along with the latest challenge at Freshly Made Sketches #572

Here is my take on the sketch

I used Altenew's Statement Flower stamp set for this one - I watercolored the flowers and leaves with Altenew watercolors. I fussy cut the flower, then layered and adhered them with foam tape to an embossed leaf paper strip edged with a piece of metallic gold cardstock. The card base is an embossed plaid. The sentiment was embossed in gold, and some gold sequins were added for interest. 

I don't watercolor much, I really enjoyed it, but definitely need some practice LOL.

Supply List

Altenew: Statement Flowers stamp; watercolors; brushed gold metallic cardstock

Pink Fresh: Perfect Sentiments stamp and die

Spellbinders: leafy and diamond plaid embossing folders; gold sequins

Brutus Monroe: gilded embossing powder

Other: black, white cardstock; foam tape

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo ~ rae

carry on with courage | Freshly Made Sketches 571

Back with a card made for Freshly Made Sketches #571

Tried my hand at a light, pastel-y palette on this card. 

I embossed the butterfly on vellum using gold embossing powder, then adhered that over a die cut butterfly that I ink blended with pastel colored inks (ballet slipper, peach fuzz, coral reef). The card base is a Spellbinders embossed panel. I inked the scalloped rectangle die cut with coral reef ink.  The sentiment was stamped, die cut, then adhered to the panel with foam tape. I added some metallic pearls in matte gold on the card front as well.

Supply List:

Pink Fresh Studio Butterflies stamp/stencil/dies

Pink Fresh Studio Wonderful sentiments - sentiment and die

Pink Fresh Studio stitched scallop rectangles

Pink Fresh Studio metallic pearls - matte gold

Pink Fresh Studio inks: ballet slipper, peach fuzz, coral reef, ocean breeze

Spellbinders embossing folder - orange peel quilt

Pretty Pink Posh simple strips dies

Brutus Monroe embossing powder  - onyx

Tsukineko onyx black ink

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

rae

 

hello | Altenew January 2023 Inspiration Challenge

hey there!

Time for another awesome Altenew Inspiration Challenge

Altenew's January 2023 Inspiration Challenge | spring inspired card

Who wouldn't be inspired by these colors?! This is one of my all-time favorite color combinations, so I was eager to get creating! Since I don't own any stargazer lily stamps... note to self, get some!!... I chose a flower that had a similar petal shape... can't help my literal interpretation of photo prompts sometimes! LOL

I chose Altenew ink colors that I thought most resembled those in the lily, and kept one of the flowers solid light pink as a nod to the pretty rose in the inspiration photo. 

The card layout is courtesy of the latest sketch at Freshly Made Sketches #570 - love the sketch, it made the card design come together easily!

I finished the card off with a bold black embossed sentiment - I'm always a sucker for bright, bold colors paired with crisp white and bold black... I'm all about that color pop ;)

Also entering this card in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes :)

Altenew Supplies:

Stamps/Dies: Fabulous Florets stamps; Hello & Hugs stamp and die

3D Embossing Folder: checkered diamonds

Inks: baby pink, pinkalicious, rubellite, limeaid, lime, chamomile, marigold

Other Supplies:

PinkFresh Studios: stitched scallop rectangles

Brutus Monroe: raven ultra fine embossing powder

Spellbinders: gold sequins

Tsukineko: onyx black ink

Other: white cardstock, foam tape

Thanks so much for stopping by today, appreciate your visit!!

xoxo

rae

Real Growth

 hello hello!

Here today to share a card that I absolutely LOVED creating...

I played along with Pink Fresh Studio's January 2023 Challenge | Year in Review

.... which meant that I had a year's worth of challenges to choose from, so I chose June | Rainbow 

I was excited about the 'rainbow' prompt as I knew I wanted to do work with my new Pink Fresh Studio supplies that coincidentally arrived on my doorstep just yesterday :)

Lately I've been motivated to create CAS cards with meaningful and inspirational sentiments, and my new Pink Fresh Butterflies stamp/die/stencil set allowed me to do just that, take a peek...

|

I used gobs of Pink Fresh goodies on this card... layer upon layer of yummy die cuts. Although I added texture for interest, my goal was to keep the layered card base crisp, clean and all white so that the bold rainbow color ink blended butterfly would pop off the card. I added black for a strong bold contrast as well.

I did not use all of the stencils in the Butterfly set, choosing to just use the larger stencils and freely ink blending the colors in a rainbow color theme. The butterfly and sentiment strip were adhered to the card with foam tape for dimension.

The card layout came courtesy of the latest sketch at Freshly Made Sketches | FMS 569

I cannot tell you how much I truly enjoyed working on this challenge card, and look forward to making many more butterfly cards thanks to this great set! 

Supply List:

Pink Fresh Studio Supplies: 

Butterflies stamps/dies/stencils

Radiating Background die

Ornate Medallions coverplate

Fancy Oval frame

Inks: berrylicious, clementine, sweet mustard, grassy knoll, mermaid cove, regal kiss

Simon Says Stamp: stitched rectangles dies

Misc supplies: cardstock: white, black; Tsukineko onyx black ink; foam tape

Thank you for stopping by today, appreciate your visit!

xoxo

rae

love you like crazy

Hello!

Played along with the latest sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches | sketch 568

And Just Us Girls challenge #662

So apparently this weekend I had some major creative mojo issues... yesterday, my first attempt at this sketch challenge resulted in a very disappointing card, I literally laughed at the end result! 

And while making said ugly card, my tape gun ran out of tape and when I went to reload the tape (which I have done HOW many times over the years?!) ... I could not for the life of me remember how to do it?! lol After much head scratching, frustration, and a minor swearing fit, thanks to a kind soul with an ATG gun tape reloading YouTube video - I was finally able to figure it out and was back in business - but alas the creative juices were completely gone by that point!

Fast forward to today.... took a new stab at the sketch with a brand new concept and set of supplies, and voilà, here she is:

Much better than the scary card from the previous day! A simple card with lots of technique, this was a fun one to put together! I ended up flipping the sketch because I thought this sentiment would look better on the left side of the card.

I started with an embossed panel as the card base layer. I die cut the tag, stamped and embossed it with clear embossing powder - it's hard to see, but I used PinkFresh Studio's dainty plaid stamp because I thought it would go well with the 'basic plaid' (Altenew) embossed background. I then die cut the hearts and inked them with some Altenew inks (frosty pink, coral berry, ruby red). I die cut strips and adhered them diagonally across the tag and popped the hearts on top of the strips with foam tape. For a pop of bold black, I added the black and white striped ribbon, the fun bold sentiment, and small black enamel heart.

Supply List:

Altenew: Ink: frosty pink, coral berry, ruby red

Altenew: 3D embossing folder - basic plaid

Altenew: tag from Terrific Tags die set

Concord & 9th: Big on You stamps and dies

Pretty Pink Posh: simple strip dies

Hero Arts: heart die

Tsukineko: onyx black ink

Other Supplies: black & white striped ribbon, May Arts jute twine, black enamel heart, white cardstock, clear embossing powder

eta: also submitted this card for the Color Hues latest challenge 

Thanks for stopping by today!

xoxo

rae

thankful

 Played along with another fabulous sketch at Freshly Made Sketches

I really enjoyed interpreting this sketch... here is my card:

Ok, so can I tell you how much I really enjoyed ink blending this panel? Ink blending is not something I do, like ever... lol... but after making this card, I think I've changed my mind, I want to ink blend all the things now!!

I ink blended the pierced panel using Distress Oxide Inks (mustard seed, spiced marmalade, fired brick). I also lightly inked the sentiment background before stamping the sentiment with aged mahogany distress oxide ink. The rest of the card parts were made from an autumn-themed patterned paper pack - I die cut the circles and fussy cut the pumpkins and gourds and adhered them with foam tape.  

Really enjoyed creating this card, glad to have had another great FMS sketch as the inspiration!

Thanks for stopping by!!

xoxo

rae

Supply List:

Pink Fresh: hexagon tile cover plate, diagonal stitched circles

Simon Says Stamp: CZ Design Clean line Gratitude stamp and die

Distress Oxide Inks: mustard seed, spiced marmalade, fired brick, aged mahogany

Recollections patterned paper

May Arts jute twine

Other: white cardstock, foam tape

happy autumn

happy autumn indeed.... I just love this time of year :)

played along with the latest sketch at Freshly Made Sketches

And here is my card.....

This sketch was a great excuse to use my new Fall Foliage stamps and dies from The Greetery! The leaves and sentiment were stamped with Distress Oxide Inks (mustard seed, spiced marmalade, crackling campfire, ground espresso), then adhered with foam tape to a pattered paper panel. I used the diagonal stitched plaid cover plate from Pink Fresh Studio to create the card front panel. 

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

rae

Freshly Made Sketches #555

Another fabulous sketch is up at Freshly Made Sketches, so of course I had to play along, being World Cardmaking Day (weekend) and all....

So, initially I was a little stumped about the rectangle element of the sketch ... me, with my literal interpretation of everything... lol. After digging through my supplies I came across the Celebrate Us Altenew/Pink Fresh Studio stamp and die and thought, voilà, there's my 'rectangular' element! The rest of the card just sort of fell in to place after that!

I used Pinkfresh Studio plaid background stamp and gold embossing powder to create the circle background, matted with kraft cardstock. The flower element was also heat embossed in gold. I added some cardstock strips to ground the circle element. Being a berry fanatic, I added some die cut berries from the same colored cardstock. The sentiment was stamped in vintage sepia.

This was a fun one to create, grateful for another great FMS sketch to get me started!!

Supply List:

Pinkfresh Studio products: diagonal stitched circles dies; modern script sentiments and die; dainty plaid rubber background stamp; Pinkfresh/Altenew Celebrate Us stamp and die

Altenew branches and berries die set

American Craft gold embossing powder

Echo Park colored cardstock

Simon Says Stamp white woodgrain cardstock

Other supplies: kraft cardstock, May Arts jute twine, Versafine vintage sepia ink, foam tape

Thanks for stopping by!!

xoxo ~rae

sending hugs

 Another awesome sketch challenge is up at Freshly Made Sketches...

I flipped the sketch and also followed the color scheme from the latest Color Throwdown challenge to create my card.

This was a treat to create, I'm always so inspired by the sketches at Freshly Made Sketches and refer to them often when making my cards!

Supply List:

Altenew: Extra Special stamp set and die, Deck Planks 3D embossing folder, Mini Inks: sunray, chamomile, dark chocolate, frayed leaf, forest glades

Pink Fresh: Perfect sentiments stamp set

The Greetery: crimped frame die

Other supplies: Versafine onyx black ink, Ranger black diamond stickles, cardstock (brown, white). patterned paper, white enamel dots, foam tape

Thanks for stopping by!!

xoxo- rae

You're the best

 I was inspired by the latest sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches

Here's my card...

I was excited to try out my new Pepperberry embossing folder and dies from Simon Says Stamp for this card. I used the embossing folder to create the background panel and the berries were die cut from cardstock and patterned paper. I also used a sentiment from my new Pinkfresh Modern Script Sentiments stamp & coordinating die set - I just love this unique font/set!

Other card elements: some random kraft cardstock tags from my stash, thin burlap-esque ribbon, and some twine.

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

rae

I love you so, so much

For today's card I played along with the latest sketch challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches

I have always loved square card sketches! I decided to make my card Valentine-themed, take a look...

Other than the stenciling, the basic technique here is pretty old school, but hey, after a one year card making hiatus, it's hard to break old habits!! Long live pretty bows LOL!!

I've always enjoyed the sketches at Freshly Made Sketches, and this sketch was no exception. I went with a love/Valentine theme, chose a cheery color palette, did some stenciling, die cutting and stamping, and voilà.

Thanks for stopping by!!

xoxo

rae

you are powerful

 Another fabulous sketch is up at Freshly Made Sketches... and you know I just had to play along!

Here is what I came up with...

I was in the mood for vivid, bold and simple... and I think that's what I ended up with!

The background is a striped patterned paper with a pink cardstock strip adhered diagonally down the middle. I stamped the image on a 3" white cardstock panel matted with pink cardstock. The sentiment was stamped on white cardstock and matted with pink cardstock. I added a few small pink flowers in the hair of the stamped image and added a few small pink pearls.

Simple, but bold... this was a fun one to create!

Thanks for stopping by!!

xoxo

rae