Christmas Card 2021

 

      Today, I would like to share my Christmas card with you. I know I've not shared here in a long while. I've been busy working on my writing projects. More coming on that soon. I'm having so much fun writing, but I had to take a day off so that I could play with my paper, ink, stamps and dies. A girl can only go so long without making a card. 

     The basket is heat-embossed in gold (Divinity Designs). The ivy and bow are die-cuts (Spellbinders Paper Arts). The sentiment also heat-embossed in black (Fiskars).

     Look at the detail in the bow. Isn't it gorgeous!?! The red layer is a kind of leather-like and is full of texture (the Paper Studio). The bottom layer is bright, metallic gold. They look so pretty together. 

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Designer Tip:  Don't feel like you must create cards or other paper projects using only stamps and dies from one company. So many stamps and dies work beautifully together. There is one exception to keep in mind. If you are entering a challenge on a website, sometimes you must use only that company's products.

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     Thanks so much for stopping in. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas surrounded by all those you love most. 

    Pamela 

Ink Cube Challenge - Gina K Designs

 

     I created this card for the monthly challenge at Gina K Designs. Our task this time was to use ink cubes directly to cardstock.

     I touched the cardstock with just one edge of the cube and then rocked it gently around to the each of the other sides. I  used very gentle pressure. Next, I stamped little hello's in each block (stamp collections below). I trimmed and matted this panel to fit the card base as you see above. I love how this turned out! I like how part of the surface of the cube left a little impression here and there. I finished the card with stacked flowers.

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 Designer Tip: 

     This is a great card if you want to make several cards at once or maybe a gift-set. You could stamp the cube on a whole sheet of cardstock. Trim the size of front panels to fit your card. The card would also look good without the flowers. A quick ten-minute card!

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Products used: 

     cardstock - Gina K Designs, white base weight, passionate pink

     stamp & die collections - Gina K Designs, A Happy Hello, Stippled Flowers,

                 Boho Flowers

     ink cube - Gina K Designs, passionate pink

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     There is still plenty of time if you want to join the fun. Here's a link to the rules -September 2021 Monthly Mix Challenge - Gina K Designs

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     Thanks so much for stopping in to see my card. Hope you are having a great day. 

Pamela    

Sentiment Strip Challenge - Gina K Designs

     I made this card for the monthly challenge at Gina K Designs. The challenge calls for using multiple strip sentiments on our cards.

                                                

     I really like finding new ways to expand the use of stamps, stencils, etc. For this card, I used Gina K Designs' SNOWFLAKE MANDALA STENCIL to make my circle embellishments. First, I taped off some of the small areas on the stencil. I brushed those areas with ink onto white cardstock, then punched 1.25" and 1.5" circles. 

 

     I randomly adhered some circles with double-stick tape and others with foam tape. I added some matching strips of cardstock, then stamped and adhered the sentiment strips. I rounded the top right corner of the card. The strips are about 1/4" and 1/8" wide. 

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Designer Tip: One way to add interest to a card, is to add small strips of cardstock like I have on this card. Sometimes it seems your card just needs something else. That's how I felt with this card. I added the strips and rounded the corner. This is a great way to use up scraps!

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GINA K DESIGNS PRODUCTS USED

white cardstock

ink and matching cardstock - blue lagoon, lipstick, grass green

stencil - snowflake mandala 

sentiments - Watt's Up, Forever Flowers 

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     There is still plenty of time to join in the fun. You can find a link to the rules here: Home - Gina K Designs . Once you are there, click on "Community" and you will find the challenge.

     Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. Hope you are having a great day,

Pamela 

 

Email Delivery of My Posts

If you are following my blog by email, you will need to re-sign up by adding your email to the "FOLLOW BY EMAIL" box on the upper left box. If you are using your phone only to see my posts, you can click on "view web version" at the bottom of your screen. That will bring up the web version where you can sign up again. Feed Burner will no longer be supplying links to blog posts. You will now see posts arriving from "FOLLOW-IT". I'm working to migrate your emails over there, but it requires a little more computer knowledge than I can manage today. 

I hope you will continue to follow along with me. Sorry for any inconvenience. 

Hope you are having a great day, Pam

All About the Background Challenge - Gina K Designs

 

     Thanks so much for stopping in today. I've been playing with plaids lately. I created this card for the monthly challenge at Gina K Designs. This month's challenge is to create a background. 

     I cut 1/4", 3/8" and 5/8" strips and arranged them until I liked the look. I used Gina K Designs cardstock in these colors:

        Passionate Pink

        Bubblegum Pink

        Blue Lagoon

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     Designer Tip:  I used three colors of cardstock to weave my plaids to create a more balanced design. I do think using only one color with different sized strips or different textures would look nice too. This is also a great idea to use up scraps of cardstock.

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     I used Gina K Designs - FOREVER FLOWERS collection to heat-emboss and then die-cut my flower. I made two sizes of the blooms and adhered them to each other with foam tape. Then I adhered the bloom to the card with more foam tape. I heat-embossed the sentiment with a stamp from the BOLD & BLOOMING collection. I used matching Passionate Pink dye ink and clear embossing powder.

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Designer Tip:  I usually use pigment ink when heat-embossing the images I use. The pigment stays wet longer allowing me more time to pour on the powder before it dries. Here I used Gina K Designs dye ink here since it matched. It worked, but I had to work fast.

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     I added a few pearls to finish off the card. 

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     There is still plenty of time if you want to join in the fun with your own card. Here's a link to the rules. Hope you have a great day, 

Pamela 

Stenciled Background Challenge - Gina K Designs

 

     I have a card today for the monthly challenge at Gina K Designs. The challenge asks us to create a background using stencils. 

          First, I created a full sheet of design be moving my stencil around. I used Gina K Designs' SNOWFLAKE MANDALA stencil to create a floral kind of background on white cardstock. I can make several cards by cutting a few panels from this sheet. I used PASSIONATE PINK cardstock and ink to create my card. 

     I heat-embossed and die cut two sizes of flowers from the FOREVER FLOWERS collection and adhered them to each other and to the card using foam tape. I used GRASS GREEN ink to stamp the foliage. 

      This sentiment is from the INSPIRING POPPIES in black ink.

     Thanks so much for taking time to see my card. There is still plenty of time to enter the Gina K Designs challenge. Here's a link to the rules. Home - Gina K Designs

    Hope you are having a great day, 

Pamela

Gray & Yellow Color Challenge - Gina K Designs

 

     I have a card today for the weekly-color-challenge on the Gina K Designs & Stamp TV page on Facebook. This weeks colors are gray and yellow. They are the new Pantone colors of the year. There is a new challenge every Tuesday.

   

     I heat-embossed the flowers and stacked three sizes and layers with foam tape. I die-cut the sentiment using Lemon Drop cardstock. The sentiment is from the FOREVER FLOWERS collection. The flowers are from the BOLD & BLOOMING collection.

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     Designer Tip: To make my front panel pop, I ran all four edges across a black  ink pad. I used a pigment ink pad because the sponge is softer than a dye ink pad. Both make dark edges, but I like the look of the softer pad better.

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     Thanks so much for stopping by today. Hope you have a wonderful day,

Pamela 

Lotus Encouragement Card

 

     Thanks for joining me today! I made these two cards using the LOVELY LOTUS stamp and die collection from Gina K Designs.   

     To create the background on my pink card, I used the "stem" stamp from the collection. I did not set out to make any particular design, and I did not measure anything. Kind of like a little miracle for me because my perfectionist side really wanted to measure everything. It felt kind of nice to just willy-nilly stamp the design. I digress. The cardstock is Bubblegum Pink from Gina K Designs.

     The background of my ivory card was a sheet of  patterned-cardstock (Ivory & Black -Canvas Home Basics). I picked the plaid background thinking I might use this card for a man.

     I stamped the lotus onto white cardstock. I did a bit of ink blending using two inks on each image (Bubblegum Pink and Blue Lagoon- Gina K Designs). I used a very light hand when inking to keep the color more subtle. 

     

     DESIGNER TIP: If you ever have trouble with your black images smearing, you should try "amalgam" ink. It is not supposed to smear when you use alcohol markers, watercolor paints, etc. I've not had any smearing at all when using black amalgam. I got mine from Gina K Designs. Others may sell it.

     One of the other sentiment stamps in the collection says -

Be like the lotus.

Trust the light.

    Grow through the dirt.

Believe in new beginnings.

      Isn't that beautiful!?!

          Hope you find a few peaceful moments in this beautiful day. May the Lord be glorified by the work of my hands,

Pamela

Die Cut Sentiment Challenge 3 - Gina K Designs

     I created this card for the monthly challenge over at Gina K Designs. The challenge this month is to use die cut sentiments. I used stamps and dies from the FOREVER FLOWERS collection. 

     First, I stamped and heat embossed the flower in white onto a white cardstock panel. Next, I blended blue and purple pigment inks across the panel including the stamped area. Then, I wiped away the ink from the embossed area with a paper towel and adhered the sentiment. Being the bit of a rebel that I am 😉, I stamped an added sentiment to run up the side of the card instead of across like everyone else. 

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     Designer Tip: Because I can't seem to part with even the smallest scraps, I had little bits to add between the stamped panel and the matting panel where I might have put sequins or gems.    

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     Thanks so much for joining me today. There is still plenty of time to play along if you want to add your card to the list. Here is the link to the rules.

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     Hope you are having a great day. May the Lord be glorified by the work of my hands, Pamela

Die Cut Sentiment Challenge - 2 Gina K Designs

     Looking forward to summer, I decided to create a bikini card (my own hand cut design). One of my favorite things to do is to find new, unexpected ways to use my stamps. To create a printed-fabric look, I used a lotus stamp upside down (Gina K Designs Lovely Lotus). 

     Designer Tip: My perfectionist side, which I don't always enjoy insists on my design being perfectly centered. So, first I stamped my lotus onto cardstock (Passionate Pink and matching ink Gina K Designs). Then, I cut out the top and bottom of the bikini as you see here.

          I stamped a bow in black and die cut the sentiment. 

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I'm entering this card in the monthly card challenge over at Gina K Designs. There is still plenty of time to enter your own card. Here is the link to the rules. At least go look at all the cards. Some amazing artists there.

          Inside sentiment is from Forever Flowers collection (Gina K Designs). 

     Thanks so much for stopping by today. Hope you have a great day.

     May the Lord be glorified by the work of my hands,

Pamela

 

Die-Cut Sentiment Challenge - Gina K Designs

     Today, I have a card for the monthly challenge at Gina K Designs. The challenge here is to use a die cut sentiment. I used the sentiment and flower stamps and dies from the FOREVER FLOWERS collection. 

     This is also my take on using vellum panels that Gina demonstrated recently. I cut an oval "window" in my card base. Then using a scoring board, I scored lines every 1/4" across the vellum. I cut another matching windowed-panel to adhere inside the card to cover the edges of the vellum (although I think it would look fine with the edges showing).

     I stamped the flowers on Gina K cardstock in Bubblegum Pink. I made my card base from Gina K heavyweight white cardstock and blended a little pink pigment around the edges with a sponge. (I really need those new brushes of hers! Guess I better do a little shopping this afternoon.)

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     There is still time to join in the fun. Here's a link to the Gina K Designs blog where you can see the rules.

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     Thanks so much for stopping in today. May the Lord be glorified by the work of my hands.

     Pamela 

Fairy Tale Castle Easel Card

 

     Today, I have a card to share that I made using a die-cut collection from Anna Griffin. I discovered it one day when HSN was having an all-day-crafting event. They sold out so quickly that I didn't get one. They re-ordered,  and now I've got one of them. I love Anna Griffin dies! They are always the best quality. This large collection (and another I have of Anna's) came with it's own magnetic sheet.

     No sentiments came with it, so I used one of my faves from My Sentiments Exactly. 

Designer Tip: 

         This card did take quiet a long time for me to die-cut. I knew it would, so I die-cut enough pieces to make several cards. That turned out to be a great idea. I tucked each card away with enough matching scraps of cardstock so that I could stamp whatever sentiment I want to use when I'm ready to send one of them out.

     Thanks so much for stopping by again today. Hope you have a beautiful, sunshiny day! May the Lord be glorified by the work of my hands.

Pamela 

Here Comes the Sun Challenge - GinaK Designs

     Today, I have a card for the GinaK Designs Blog Challenge. The challenge is to mask off an area (see my masking below) and then blend inks to represent a sunrise. Nothing in the rules said the sunrise had to go in any particular direction, so I'm going sideways. I used yellow, orange and pink inks. 

     I blended inks on another piece of white cardstock as well. Then, I die cut my "you"  using the opposite flow of colors to make the die cut stand out. 

     

     Designer Tip: I use washi tape for masking. I suggest pulling the tape off very slowly after you finish inking so that you don't tear your cardstock or paper. I find sticky notes work well too.

     This is my first ink-blending try. Actually, it is my second time. The first time didn't turn out all that well. I'm fairly pleased with this one though. It's fun to try new things! So, come over to GinaK's and play with us. I'll post a link below to the challenge rules.       

I used the following GinaK Designs stamps and dies to make my card.

"You" die

foliage "Sending Love"

sentiment "Boho Flowers"

Click here to join in on the fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. Hope you have a great day. And may the Lord be pleased by the work of my hands.

Pamela

Love in the Air Challenge - GinaK Designs

 

     Thanks for stopping in today! I created this card for the Love-in-the-Air challenge at GinaK Designs. I used the Boho Flowers stamp and die collection to create my flowers. I used two sizes and used foam tape to adhere them to each other.

     The sentiment stamp is in the Sending Love collection.

     As you no doubt know about me by now, I tend to save the smallest scraps of paper and cardstock. But, look at the fun way I used them on this card and the one below. I like playing around with the panels that I use on my cards. Anything to make them a little different and interesting. 

     I used GinaK Designs cardstock in Lemon Drop and Wisteria to make my card bases and flowers on these two cards. The panel on the card above is also a scarp that I created when I was brushing on ink to some die cuts recently. Pretty, no? I created the panel on the card below by placing a little chip of watercolor paint and water into a spray bottle and spritzing white cardstock. I'll try to make a post soon about some of my background fun. 

     Here is a link to the GinaK Designs blog if you want to play along. Home - Gina K Designs Still plenty of time left before the deadline. 

     Enjoy our day and stay warm and safe out there. May the Lord be glorified by the work of my hands, 

Pamela 

A Masked Card

     Thanks for stopping in today to see my new card. This one was lots of fun to make. I stamped the background first. Using a few sticky-notes, I masked off the squares that I wanted to keep clear. I stamped my flourishes and then removed the masks. So easy to do, but you surely must agree that it looks more difficult that that!?! 😉

    I used a white card base and several layers of matting. I've used this background stamp from GinaK Designs (Inspiration Mosaic) so many times. It's one of my all-time favorites. The sentiment is part of the Inspiration Mosaic collection. The flourish stamp is from Inkadinkado.

 

     I love matching envelopes, so I always fancy them up if I have time. 

     Enjoy your day and stay safe out there. May the Lord be glorified by the work of my hands.

Pamela 

Come See the Magic Card

A Magical Card

Could it be magic? Pull the tab and find out.

     Pull the tab and see the magic happen. 

Keep pulling.

Pull it further until the bees are completely colored. Push the tab back down and the color vanishes.

I stamped the bees with stamps from Reverse Confetti. The sentiment tag stamped from Stampendous and I die-cut the frame with a Spellbinders Paper Arts die. THe beautiful cardstock is from the Paper Studio.

Thanks for stopping by today. 

     Enjoy your day and stay safe out there. May the Lord be glorified by the work of my hands,

 Pamela

Put on Your Red Dress Challenge, Card 2, Gina K Designs

      

     Thanks for stopping by today! I created this card for the Put-On-Your-Red-Dress challenge at GinaK Designs. The challenge this month is to use red as the main color on your card and to have a celebratory sentiment. 

     This mosaic background stamp (Inspiration Mosaic) in one of my faves. I use it a lot. I stamped it in red and matted it with red cardstock. I used foam tape to secure it to the card base. The sentiment is from the Sending Love collection. I used A Happy Hello stamp set to make the roses and leaves. I love matching envelopes so of course, I did a bit of stamping there.  

     I fussy-cut the roses and leaves and secured the large rose and some of the leaves with foam tape. There is still plenty of time to get your cards into the challenge. Here's a link to the GinaK Designs blog - Gina K. Designs Blog - Gina K Designs

     Enjoy your day and stay safe out there. May the Lord be glorified by the work of my hands,

 Pamela

Put Your Red Dress On Challenge - Gina K Designs

     Thanks for stopping by my blog today. 

     I created this card for the Put-On-Your-Red-Dress Challenge over on Gina K Designs blog. I heat-embossed the flowers using watermark ink and clear embossing powder. I created the patterned cardstock using just the watermark ink. I adhered my front panel flush with the upper left corner. I used foam tape between the two sizes of flowers and added white pearls to finish it off. The little trim on the right hand side I made from scraps. Hard for me to throw out even the tiniest pieces of cardstock. 

     I love matching envelopes so I used red chalk ink on my envelope.

     I used Gina K BOHO FLOWERS and STIPLLED FLOWERS stamp and dies sets.

     Hope you have a safe and fabulous day, Pamela