Easter Blessings

Hi all and welcome! I have 2 Easter Blessings cards inspired by the soft pastel rainbow colors in the current Inspiration Station Challenge #26 - Rainbow:

and 2 other challenges, as well:

I had some mixed media fun making these Easter cards and wanted to share how easy it is to change the look of a simple stencil in 3 easy steps. Starting with this 3" X 6" stencil (my NBUS) from A Colorful Life Designs called Church Window:

Step #1 - I ink-blended 2 panels with Ranger's Distress Ink in a pink, yellow and violet. For me, I almost always use Scrapbook.com's Foam Blending Tools and Wendy Vecchi's Make Art-Stay-tion for ease of use.

I let them dry thoroughly because the next step (#2) is to white heat emboss a background stamp over the entire page, including the ink-blended stencil image. If they are not totally dry, your embossing powder will stick to the ink blended portions. The background stamp used is MFT Stamps' background stamp called Romantic Script. - I just wanted the hint of words, not really legible.

Lastly, Step #3 - add a layer of glaze over the stenciled area. In my case, I used Brutus Monroe's Glitter Glaze - Fallen Snow. It leaves a beautiful sparkle and yet I can still see the wording through it. A scraper tool is very handy to get a nice even layer - I used Scrapbook.com's All Purpose Craft Scraper:

You could also use an old credit/gift card, but this tool is wider and fits all sizes of stencils. For about $2.00 it is worth the investment!

For one of the cards I cut out the stencil and mounted it on Fun Foam. Then I added it to a white embossed panel created with the embossing folder by Pink and Main called Garden Gate. If you follow me, you've seen me use this a lot lately. I love both sides of the designs and the texture and movement it give the background.

The other panel I left alone, just mounted it to a heavy white card base. Both have an "Easter Blessings" sentiment from a retired set from Poppy Stamps called Springtime Fun. I heat embossed the sentiments with Altenew's Caribbean Sky Crisp Embossing Powder. I very seldom used colored embossing powder, but I like the softness of the blue with these pastel cards. A few Honey Bee Stamps Gem Stickers and we are all set!

Not sure which one I like best, but I do love taking stencils, ink, embossing and glaze and mixing them up to create soft ethereal cards! Thanks for joining me today and thank you to the challenge hosts for their inspiration, too.

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Shark! The Herald Angels Sing

Hi crafty friends! Today I am playing along with the Jingle Belles Challenge called: Holiday Melody. Something musical must be on the card.

I used the Avery Elle Santa Jaws Stamp & Die Set and A Colorful Life Designs Stencil called Whirlpool. The shark was colored with alcohol markers and the stencil was ink blended with Ranger's Distress Ink Salty Ocean and again with Prize Ribbon.

The little music notes comes from a set in my stash from Your Next Stamp called Birthday Song.

Do you like the Wink of Stella? Nothing like a sparkly shark! So Shark! The Herald Angels Sing is my musical ode to Christmas...

Thank you for joining me today. I will also be submitting to NBUS for I have never used the stamp/die set or the stencil before.

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Happy Easter with BB Spring Gnomes

Hi friends, Happy Friday...today I am playing along with 2 challenges - Freshly Made Sketches #527:

and Tic, Tac, Toe Challenge #153: Die Cuts, Coloring and Easter Bunny:

My "Easter Bunnies" are actually 2 Easter Gnomes so hopefully they still meet the challenge!

These cuties from MFT Stamps called BB Spring Gnomes started on Ranger's Ink Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Paper stamped with Altenew's Obsidian Black Ink.

I colored the images with my Kuretake Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers. I like to use these for their bright colors and also the point of the brush gets into tiny spaces.

The center was cut with Honey Bee Stamps Rectangle Window Trio (now discontinued) and I ink blended the bottom halves with various Distress Inks of  green, yellow, orange and pinks. The background is  6" X 6" embossing folder from Pink and Main called the Garden Gate. I just love it for a clean white on white card. It gives texture and interest to the background.

No sentiment on the inside, but a nice little colored Easter Basket for a little somethin' somethin'.

Happy Easter to all and thank you to the challenges for their inspiration!

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

BB Spring Gnomes

Greetings, friends and welcome to my Easter Card for the Facebook March 2022 color challenge with A Colorful Life Designs Fan Group:

These 4 lovely spring colors were perfect for the card I had in mind:

I am also submitting to NBUS for I have not used this stencil before.

I started with this stencil from A Colorful Life Designs called 4 Mid Century Shadow:

I ink blended 4 Ranger Distress Inks for the bars in the colors of the challenge. I like using Scrapbook.com's Foam Blending Tools to ink blend. I knew I could use these off kilter blocks as a base for the MFT Stamps BB Spring Gnomes and coordinating dies:

These images are so much fun to create cards! I've made several and enjoy it every time.

The sentiments come from Gerda Steiner's Brush Bunny set which is also NBUS. I've had this for years and not sure why I have never used it.

Here is a second card made with the same set:

How cute is this guy?

Thank you for joining me today and thank you to the challenge sponsors for the inspiration!*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

Charcuterie for my Daughter

Hi friends and yes, more NBUS! I have plenty and I'd like to work my way through it all and then start again!

Also playing along with Colour Crazy Challenge - All the charcuterie dies cuts were colored with alcohol markers.

As some of you may know, my daughter Kristin has a "side-hustle" at The Cotton Company in Wake Forest, North Carolina. She actually has 5 booths there for her 2 different businesses. OplusV is her Olive Oil and Vinegar shop for which she also sells reclaimed olive wood. These pieces are handmade in Tunisia from the wood of olive trees that no longer bear fruit. It is gorgeous wood, with beautiful graining, and she has a whole line of charcuterie products to go along with the boards.

The building is over 100 years old and has such charm.

Isn't this wood graining amazing?

No, it's not beer but brittle in a beer can!

When I saw Honey Bee Stamps line of products called Char-CUTE-rie, I just wanted to make cards to go along with Kristin's products. I do sell cards at her shops and try to work together with her products to coordinate.

Look at the graining on this wood- spectacular!

I used all different cover plates and embossing folders with white cardstock for that clean look, but interest.

I found some paper in my stash with knives and forks -perfect for these food cards.

Here are all the cards put together:

Do you have a favorite? Making this cards was so much fun. If you are every in the Wake Forest, NC area stop by The Cotton Company and visit!

*Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.