Hello Crafty Friend

This week at Just Us Girls Challenge #762 it is Word Week: Friend. This "Hello" edger die set by Penny Black from Hero Arts is so easy to use and quite versatile. The companion Hello Builder stamp set has 12 sentiments and a Hello, too. I used the dies for my New Year bottle tag and now a card. I may "need" other edger dies.

All I had to do for my card was die cut the word and its shadow, die cut a white flower from my Sizzix Geo Floral Frame die set, and punch out a gold center for it. I used my current favorite foil printed paper pad by Park Lane called Amersterdam Big Deal for the background.  I popped the flower up on foam squares and used my Altenew Obsidian black ink pad to stamp the sub sentiment. I like that I have this stamp for cards to send to my crafty friends!

Will you join us this week with a friend sentiment card? We hope so!

Carol

go girl, go

The latest Time Out Challenges #282 is a Photo challenge. It runs from February 13th-26th and is generously sponsored by Kim Heggins of Running Stitch Designs. Kim is offering a beautiful handmade bag to the winner of our challenge, and that person will be invited to be a future guest designer with Time Out. Here is my card which was inspired by the bag!

I went with patterns in black and red like the bag. All stamps and dies are from Waffle Flower under the name Go Girl. It is like playing with paper dolls, die cutting and choosing haircuts, clothing and accessories. Fun! The embossing folder is from Stampin' Up!

Be sure to check out all of the cards made by our team for your inspiration. We also have our guest Arlene Rose of Sundaystamper Papercrafts joining us with her inspired card!

We can't wait to see your cards in our gallery, inspired by the photo.

See you soon,

Carol

Floral Valentine Heart

I have had this die set for a little while and saved it for Valentine's Day. I think it is my last Valentine of the year. There is a visual on the back of the package that really helps know what to cut out and which colors to repeat. I made this for the Color Throwdown Challenge ctd826 using pink, brown and white. I have seen this set used with so many great color combinations in colors that are not what we think of for leaves and flower centers, so I decided to try it out with the CTD colors this week.

Products I used:

Spellbinders -  Blooming Heart die set (December 2022 Large Die of the month)

Stampin' Up! - Leaves embossing folder

Scraps of cardstock

My medium pink is a sparkle cardstock. I found this brown in my stash that reminded me of the brown on their graphic and then I grabbed two other pinks and a dark brown. The cookies in the graphic have been gnawing at my stomach all day...but being Superbowl Sunday I am not wanting to go to the crowded store to get ingredients. Don't they look yummy?

Hoping your Valentines are made and sent...the rest of mine go in the mail tomorrow. It is such a fun holiday for me for cardmaking.

See you soon,

Carol

Love Shaker Card

I love shaker cards but 98% of the time I make a mistake in the process...this time was no different. In the end, it all worked out. (It's in the mechanics) I made it for a very special person and I know it will bring a smile. I couldn't resist using a favorite Valentine candy in my photo, cinnamon hearts. I am playing along with the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Bright and Cheerful as well as the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Love is in the Air.

Products I used:

Honeybee Stamps - Love A2 Cover Plate, Hearts in Bloom Layering stencils

Picket Fence Studios - Diva Hearts shaker embellishments

Ranger - Distress Oxide ink pads

Concord and 9th - Mini ink pads

Reverse Confetti - You tag die

I made a card with the letters from this card that were die cut out of the frame. I am saving it for next week, so come back by to take a look!

Carol

"Love" Post card

I am in the midst of making more Valentines so they can get in the mail ASAP. My sweet daughter gave me some amazing crafty tools for Christmas and I wanted to use them right away! I came up with this post card "card" using the Waffle Flower Postage Collage Love stamp set, WF Postage Collage die, and The Greetery Postal Frames die. I also cut the heart for the postage stamp on the post card and the little hearts from my Pretty Pink Posh Valentine Mug Additions die set. 

I am sharing it over at the Paper Players Challenge #PP723 where the theme is Love is in the Air.

I used gold glitter paper as well as some gold paper that feels like thick vellum. I picked Distress ink pads in Spun Sugar, Kitsch Flamingo, Worn Lipstick and Abandoned Coral for my stenciling. I stamped with my trusty Altenew Obisidan Black ink pad. The best thing about this card is that the P.O. machines should leave it alone and not mangle it. It has very low layered "stuff" on it.

Hoping you are having fun with Valentine cards. I have loved making and getting them since elementary school when we got to make them at school and exchange them into boxes or bags that we decorated in class.

Happy February!!!

Carol

be my valentine

I forgot to get out this pretty heart last year and made sure I did for this year's Valentines Day. Lisa is our hostess for Just Us Girls Die Week #761: Use a Heart and I knew that this Greetery die set was perfect for the challenge. It only takes a minute to die cut once you choose your papers! Do get out your heart dies and join us this week! Check out all of the team cards as well as that of our new February guest, Stephanie Severin. I am also playing along  with this card over at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Bright and Cheerful and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Love is in the Air.

Products I used:

The Greetery: Heart Arrow Die set

Simon Says Stamp: Wonky Rectangles die set

Stampin; Up!: P.S. I Love You stamp set

Concord and 9th: Mushroom mini ink pad

Park Lane: Foil Printed Paper Pad - Amsterdam Big Deal

Gold vellum sheet

White cardstock

The patterned paper sheet that I chose for my background is just one of many fun and pretty patterns in this paper pad and it matched my gold arrow! I stamped my sentiment on a scrap of this paper and fussy cut it into a rectangle. I chose this stitched rectangle die to cut the rectangle in order to keep the swirly pattern theme going. I plan to make more of this card design because it is simple and quick! I channeled my friend Karen Walker's sleek style (Instagram post) when making this card. 

I decided to also play over at The Paper Players Love is in the Air. Lots of Valentine fun over there!

Will we see your heart die creations in our Just Us Girls gallery this week? Hope so!

Carol

Baby, It's Cold Outside

I am hosting the Just Us Girls CASE (Copy And Selectively Edit aka: Copy And Share Everything)) a Design Team Member Week. We have a variety of ideas for you to be inspired by and hopefully will encourage you to participate. We look forward to you playing along and mentioning who you CASEd and how you made it your own.These little birds are having fun in the snow but are ready for the 70's by next weekend. Check out all of the team blogs to see how they made their cards, then join us!

I put the card on a flat surface so you might see the sparkly papers better.

Except for the sentiment, I used many of Your Paper Insider's beautiful specialty papers. The snow is a gorgeous glitter cardstock with flecks of the peachy pink and aqua colors in it that you also see in my die cut birds. The sky is a super shimmery aqua vellum that coordinates well with their teal cardstock that I used for the boots and hats. Next, I chose a glimmery peachy pink cardstock for the birds' bodies. The scarf, hat pompom and cheeks are a soft pink cardstock and the star garland and crown are cut from an irridescent sparkly cardstock that is a party all on its own! 

Other Products I used:

Sizzix: Robins in Hats die set

Altenew: Obsidian pigment ink pad

Pretty Pink Posh: Winter Wonderland stamp set

My card is pretty much all die cut and pieced together. I play with the accessories for the birds like I did with paper dolls as a child.

We sure hope to see you in our gallery!

Carol