SOS584: Black Cats

The new challenge at Shopping Our Stash is Halloween-themed and called, "Black Cats" so yes, one option is to include a black cat on your card; OR you could feature any other BLACK Halloween icon: bats, spiders, a witch... you get the picture, right? I focused on the cat, but there are a couple of spiders, too, as a bonus.

As soon as you say, "Black Cat" I immediately think of the adorable version in Wendy Vecchi's Halloween Add-On Stamp and Die Set from Spellbinders (btw, it's on sale!); and yes, I realize he could be any color, but my favorite way to piece him is with black sticky-back felt, as I've done here. The background is a pink spiderweb paper from Prima's Luna Collection of a few years ago; the spiders are part of Wendy's die set; the ghost is cut from a different Prima paper; and the sentiment stamp is so old I have no idea whence it came. I did a bit of machine-stitching on some of the web, as well as around the perimeter, which is very difficult to see in the photo, but pretty cool IRL.

Hop over to SOS to see the fab and funky Crew Cards, then start planning what you'll link up with us this fortnight. SOS584: Black Cats runs until the evening of Monday, October 19th.

SOS574: Congratulations

Graduation and wedding season is upon us, so the new challenge at Shopping Our Stash is especially timely. We'd like to see CONGRATULTIONS cards: for any occasion, in any style, using any items from your stash. Then you can congratulate yourself on being ready for the next big occasion!

I raided my stash of older Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi stamps, including Delightful Art; as well as some of my favorite shades from Wendy's signature Archival Ink collection. I found that cool green leafy overstamped panel AND the pale blue embossed piece in my box of leftover bits; the silver dragonfly brads are from The Ink Pad (♥♥♥!) years and years ago; the two yellow mats are from my stash. 

"SOS574: Congratulations" runs until the evening of Monday, June 1st. Hop over to SOS to see the inspiring Crew cards and start planning what you'll link up with us this time.

Rudolph the RED Nosed Reindeer

It's time for another new prompt at Jingle Belles and this time we're solidly IN THE RED... but in a *good* way! To be more specific: In honor of Valentine's Day, the brief is to make a card that's predominantly... you guessed it... RED! ♥

I love using the holly dies from Wendy Vecchi's Christmas Add-On Set for her Essential Envelopes to construct double-layer poinsettias. Then I added foliage and hearts from the same set and a couple of Eyelet Outlet Poinsettia Brads to the centers. I placed all of the above on top of a stacked-diamond background pattern made from lots of RED patterned paper scraps that I built on top of some ancient (RED!) My Mind's Eye patterned paper.

JB2604: Rudolph the RED Nosed Reindeer runs until the evening of Wednesday, February 25th. Hop over to Jingle Belles to see Stephanie's fabulous (RED!) card and link up one (or more!) of your own. ♥

Thank You Bouquet Doodles

I love how many ways there are to use Wendy Vecchi's Thank You Bouquet 3D Emboss and Cut Folder and Stencil Bundle from Spellbinders. You can (as the name implies) easily emboss, cut AND stencil; but you can also choose to do any of those options alone, for a different look. This time I used just the stencils with Wendy's Ranger Archival Inks and then added wonky outlines with a Letter It Fineliner.

The MAKE ART Stay-tion is ideal for effortlessly lining up layering stencils; the magnets hold them securely so there's no need for tape. For even more precision, I use Wendy's Tip Tuesday trick of employing the magnetic Perfect Stamp Positioner if I want to place the design on a smaller or oddly shaped panel. (That wasn't needed this time, though.)

 

Speaking of lining up... when I started to assemble the card the design panel was centered on the lacy diecut mat, and the whole thing neatly lined up in the center of my 5.5" square card. Then I accidentally bumped my table and everything slid a bit. Recognizing a Bob-Ross-style "happy accident" when I see one, I attached the layers crookedly, instead!

If, like me, you're in the path of the massive snowstorm brewing up here in the Mid-Atlantic region, I wish you a sturdy shovel, a strong back and accumulations lower than expected!

Five Faves: Very Vecchi Edition

Wendy Vecchi's newest collection for Spellbinders came out this October and not only is it brilliant on its own, it mixes beautifully with literally every previous thing she's designed! I had a lot of fun and made quiiiiite a few samples, so it was a challenge just to choose five, but here they are in no particular order. Click the linked text under each photo to go to the original blog or Instagram post for more info and direct links to all the products.

New Wendy Vecchi? (Yes, Please!)

I think I used every piece from the Everyday Add-Ons set along with the Tabbed In and Out Sentiment Stamps and Dies; as well as the original Essential Envelopes pocket, of course. 

So! Much! Texture!

I used the embossing folder from the Thank You Bouquet Bundle on my pumpkin layers (it's just five ovals of exactly the same size!) and the blooms are from there as well. I cut the background into squares which I embossed with the Polka Dot and Posy Duo Embossing Folder.

More Pink

I did some light stenciling with Thank You Bouquet Bundle before using the  Polka Dot and Posy Duo Embossing Folder on the background. The blooms are from the Thank You Bouquet set too, and I've added just a little bit of ink to emphasize their fabulous texture.

Freestyle Stencil Thank You

Apparently I only posted this on social and there wasn't a blog post? But the essential facts are: I tried Wendy's brilliant Tip Tuesday idea of using her Perfect Stamp Positioner and STAY-tion with the layered stencils from the Thank You Bouquet Bundle, which meant I could easily reposition the orientation of the blooms to make a fun all-over pattern. I did the stenciling on sticky-back canvas paper with Wendy's Archival Inks; the canvas makes the design a little less crisp, but has a fun vintage fabric flare to it!

Merci Bouquet

Features the Essential Envelopes pocket doing double duty as a vase; and the pocket cover adorned with the Build a Plaid Layered Stencils. Blossoms from the Everyday Add-Ons set and the Polka Dot and Posy Duo Embossing Folder singin' backup in two shades of purple.

(Note to self: the radiating pieces of cardstock are pretty cool as staging!)

For more inspo check out Wendy's Instagram @wendyvecchi (Tip Tuesdays are my fave!); the Make Art with Wendy Vecchi FB Group (everyone's welcome!); or click THIS LINK to see all my previous Wendycentric projects.

SOS563: My Sweet Embossable You

This fortnight at Shopping Our Stash we'd like to see cards and projects that feature pressure embossing, heat embossing or both. The can be any size, shape, theme or color, just make sure they've got a bit of whatever sort of embossing you like!

I couldn't decide which kind of embossing to do, so I compromised by doing both! I stamped Wendy Vecchi's Perfect Plaid with Ranger's clear Emboss It Ink, sprinkled on their White Embossing Powder, and then blended some of my favorite green Distress Oxide shades (Twisted Citron, Cracked Pistachio and Evergreen Bough) in a sort of mirror-image ombre effect. I used Wendy's Flowers and Foliage 3D Embossing Folder (it's on sale at Spellbinders!) then tore a section to put on top. Since I had everything out for heat embossing, I embossed the big floral bouquet from the Garden Party Stamp, Die and Stencil set and colored it with coordinating (Spun Sugar, Kitsch Flamingo and Picked Raspberry) Oxides.

SOS563: My Sweet Embossable You runs until the evening of Monday, December 29th. Hop over to Shopping Our Stash to see what the rest of the Crew have made and to link up your own Embossed creation!

JB2523: Holiday Leftovers

One of the best things about a big holiday meal is the LEFTOVERS, don't you agree?! For various Black Friday lunches (generally a Family Art Day at my house) we've made Turkey Panini (with Brie and cranberry obvs), Turkey Biscuit Bombs, Turkey Pizza and even Turkey Totchos. This year we're thinking about a Turkey version of Hot Dish! 

But in a cardmaking sense, when we Jingle Belles say Holiday Leftovers, it means we're creating cards using all those leftover offcuts and scraps of patterned paper, alphabet stickers, little snips of ribbon, extra diecuts that didn't get used the first time... you know, all of those tiny things we save because they're too pretty to throw away? Well this is the fortnight to drag them all out and see how many we can use on holiday cards! 

For this card, almost all my Leftovers are older Wendy Vecchi items. The poinsettia is from her MAKE ART Doodle Christmas Stamp Set (it was embossed but not colored); the small flowers (from Floral Doodles) were stamped AND colored on sticky-back canvas tape, I just needed to cut them out. The square panel of sheet music was attached to a 6" card base that for some reason didn't get used (no idea why); and the "MERRY" (from Wendy's Statements Chippies) had been white-embossed with her Perfectly Plaid Background Stamp, but the white embossing was not very prominent... (likely why it became a "leftover" instead of an element) ...though I discovered I liked it once it had a coat of Leaf Green Archival Ink. The additional sparkly foliage is newly cut, using the Xmas Add-On from Not Your Ordinary Card Collection; I also used the negative space from one of the branches to "stencil" some English Ivy underneath where I was going to place the branches. The washi tape is from an older roll that I *thought* I'd be finishing up but no, there's still some... wait for it... leftover! ;)

Head over to Jingle Belles to see Stephanie's beautiful card, then get our your box (or folder, or envelope) of Crafty Leftovers and start making a card. Link it up on the Holiday Leftovers post by 6pm (Eastern) on Wednesday, November 19th.

Merci Bouquet

I may have already mentioned how much I love Wendy Vecchi's new Tabbed Classics Collection from Spellbinders; and also that I (now) love stenciling on perforated paper. This time I used the Build a Plaid Layering Stencils (from Not Your Ordinary Card Collection) with Wendy's Archival Inks on the perforated, having cut the decorative pocket cover from the Essential Envelopes Everyday Add-On set and added more decorated stitching to the widest strip of plaid.

I decided the pocket shape was a bit like a vase (...just go with it...) and since I had a bunch of leftover blue and purple flowers (also from Everyday Add-Ons) from this post, I decided they'd be the perfect addition. I made a split background with the Polka Dot and Posy Duo Embossing Folder to set the scene. 

Check out the Make Art with Wendy Vecchi Facebook Group for lots more ideas, inspiration, tips, techniques and projects; you can thank me later!

Stenciling on Burlap? (YES!)

A while ago I saw Wendy Vecchi do some stenciling on burlap and it was kind of mind-blowing to me, I had never thought of that! Recently, I found half a roll of sticky-back burlap ribbon and I thought, "Aha! This is my chance!" so of course I broke out the six piece stencil set that comes in the Spellbinders' Thank You Bouquet Bundle from the Tabbed Classics Collection and had a go. I used Wendy's Archival Inks from Ranger. They're translucent, which means that the color of your substrate will subtly influence the color of your finished project. Since my burlap was about the same shade as kraft cardstock, that meant I chose darker shades of reds, greens and oranges, so they'd show up well and coordinate nicely. I used the awesome Tip Tuesday trick that Wendy demonstrated for us in this video, where she brilliantly used her MAKE ART Stay-tion and the magnetic corner square from her Perfect Stamp Positioner to line up the stencils perfectly, meaning that you can position them in ANY direction without having a hard time on subsequent layers.

I chose to mount my strip of burlap on a coordinating layer of Dina Wakley Kraft Cardstock that I had debossed with the Polka Dot and Posy Duo Embossing Folder. I used the one step Emboss and Cut feature of the Thank You Bouquet Folder to make a few textured blooms and added a bit of delicate foliage from the folder with my Christmas Add-On set; part of last year's Not Your Ordinary Card Collection. A super-skinny mat of ivory cardstock sets off the whole panel, and a bit of machine stitching ensures that my burlap won't fray or come loose. 

I'd write more, but I'm pretty sure that somewhere in my craft stash I have some colorful burlap and I suddenly NEED to go and find that!!! :)

It's a Tall Order

A giraffe collage, that is! Actually, this collage was easy and fun to make. The giraffes are from my Gina Is Arty Clip Art Book, as are the strips of numerals and the coral/pink gel print. athe sheet music, map and envelope are from my own stash of vintage goodies and the beautiful embossed diecut flowers are from Wendy Vecchi's Thank You Bouquet 3D Emboss and Cut set from Spellbinders; tinted lightly with Wendy's Archival Inks.

Not to brag, but this is instantly one of my favorite collages, so I'm especially pleased that I worked on it inside my Dina Wakley Ledger Journal from Ranger and thus I get to keep it forever!

More Pink? (YES, Of Course!)

I try not to use pink for EVERY project, even in October, but the fact is that Wendy Vecchi's Archival Ink collection from Ranger sported two of the best pinks ever: Pink Peony and Rosy Posey so it's hard to resist. For this card I made quite a loose background by "watercoloring" with Archival Ink and rubbing alcohol. 

I added some really rough stenciled flowers (also Rosy Posey, but with a heavier hand) using the stencils from Wendy's Thank You Bouquet Bundle from Spellbinders. Then I placed the dry panel, slantwise, into the Polka Dot and Posy Duo Embossing Folder and topped the whole thing off with the individual flowers from the Thank You Bouquet's emboss and cut feature. I added a soft swipe of Peachy Keen Archival and finished off with small dots of Rosy Posey Liquid Pearls in the centers. 

See the entire Tabbed Classics Collection and lots more awesome Wendy Vecchi goodies at Spellbinders!

Stenciling on Perforated Paper

One of the coolest ways Wendy Vecchi has been using her new Thank You Bouquet Bundle Stencils from Spellbinders is stenciling them on that perforated paper you can use for needlework. The question that raises is: HOW do you attach such a panel to your card? Of course you can use spray mount or any other invisible adhesive; or you can add a couple of diecuts on top of the design and hide a visible adhesive behind them. But... you can also "show your work" as they used to say in math class, and here are a couple of ideas for doing that:

Idea #1: Brads! I've added three Eyelet Outlet Dragonfly Brads, pretty evenly spaced, towards the center of this panel. I placed my stenciled flower panel on top of the pale blue mat, secured it very lightly with low-tack tape at the corners, then pierced holes through the holes of the perforated paper, threaded the brads through and opened the prongs at the back. Job done. Secure your thread ends at the back of the cardstock panel with tape.

Idea #2: Stitches! Perforated paper was literally designed to be used for stitching, and if you happen to have some laying around, chances are you have some embroidery floss, too. This time I didn't need to secure the corners because I had my brads in place, but if stitches are going to be your only attachment, you will want to keep the panel from wiggling while you pierce your holes.

Bonus Tip: How to pierce holes for stitching or brads if you don't have a paper piercer: A push pin is absolutely perfect for this, and you almost certainly already have one somewhere in your home or office. Pointed tweezers also work. Spellbinders' Tool n One (more commonly used for poking diecuts out of intricate dies) is good, as well. I actually have an ancient Heidi Swap Paper Piercer and I use it ALOT atop a piece of an old mouse mat that I saved especially, but any piece of semi-stiff foam or an old padded envelope works well to put underneath. 

(Just FYI: Yes, you really do need to pierce holes; a needle or the brads' prongs will probably not be able to go through your backing cardstock without bending or marring it. Ask me how I know!!!)

A few other ideas that I haven't shown here: Staples, either regular or decorative (especially cool with a grunge aesthetic); Eyelets; Machine stitching; and possibly... I haven't tested this but I suspect it will work... A wax seal applied on top of your design? Experiment and have fun!

So! Much! Texture!

If you haven't yet tried Spellbinders' 3D Embossing Folders, you have a treat in store because they really do live up to their name. There are two* in Wendy Vecchi's Tabbed Classics Collection, and I've used them both on this super-textural pumpkin greeting.

Ok, so, you may have noticed there are three distinct embossed patterns on this card, and you're correct about that. The ovals which make up my pumpkin (more on that in a minute) are embossed using the bouquet area of Thank You Bouquet Emboss and Cut Folder without the dies. The four small square background panels are courtesy of the Polka Dot and Posy Duo which, at 5.5 x 8.5" is big enough to emboss two A2 panels at the same time.

A few years ago I stumbled upon a social media post in which the artist showed a super-easy way to draw a pumpkin: basically, it's just five ovals. One in the center, two set behind the first one and just very slightly higher up; then two more flanking those and again a tiny bit higher up from the base line. When it comes to card-making, an even faster and easier way to do it is with five oval diecuts! I was a bit stumped for a pumpkin stem until I saw the candy corn outline dies in the Halloween Add-On set from last year's Not Your Ordinary Card Collection. It turns out, if you layer them behind and offset from each other, one large corn and two medium corns make a pretty flippin' awesome stem!

Back to the more traditional elements of the card: The large flowers are also from the Thank You Bouquet set, and YES, you really can emboss and cut at the same time, it's very cool! I added a little bit of Archival Ink to the centers and attached them to the pumpkin. The dark and medium green leaves are from the Essential Envelope Everyday Add-Ons Die Set. The pale green fronds are from The Christmas Add-On to Not Your Ordinary Card Collection; and the tiny blossoms are from the original Essential Envelopes set.

One final shot to show you the inspiration for this card, which was a super-fancy paper plate of all things... just goes to show that cool ideas can come from ANYWHERE! ♥

*There was a gorgeous 3D Embossing Folder in Wendy's last collection, too; it's called Flowers & Foliage, it's one of my alltime faves AND... it's on sale at Spellbinders. Just sayin'...

Hearts and Flowers

It's a Very Vecchi Mandala Monday! I'm using (somewhat non-traditionally) the stencils from the Thank You Bouquet 3D Emboss and Cut Bundle*, which is one of my favorite elements from the Tabbed Classics Collection that debuted on Friday from Wendy Vecchi and Spellbinders. For this creation, I used only the first three stencils in the set, because basically I just wanted the petals and the centers this time. I did, however, move the stencils a few times, so that I could have multiple repeats of each flower.

For this mandala, I "watercolored" a 12 x 6" panel of cardstock with Pink Peony Archival Ink and Isopropyl Alcohol; splashing on a little bit of Goldenrod Archival that was leftover from something else. After the panel dried, I used the Thank You Bouquet Stencils, as I mentioned above, quite selectively: coloring just the biggest flowers but giving them two sets of Rosy Posey petals, spread across the whole panel; finishing off with a coat of white gesso to make the centers pop. I filled in the non-floral areas with one of Wendy's older Studio 490 Polka Dot Backgrounds. At the end, I took a black Fineliner and added super-scribbly outlines. Then I cut out a large circle, and used the heart dies from last year's Heartfelt Thanks and Scallops set to make petals of various sizes, which I matted on bold brick red cardstock and attached around the edges of the circle.

As I said, it's not a very traditional piece in any way, but I absolutely LOVED making it and I think it shows how very flexible these sets are!

♥♥♥♥♥

*Just a reminder the Thank You Bouquet 3D Emboss and Cut Folder IS available without the stencils; but honestly... I cannot imagine NOT having the stencils, so I definitely recommend the Bundle!!!

Blue Bouquet (Blue-quet?!)

The last few days, I've been celebrating the awesome new release from Wendy Vecchi and Spellbinders; it's called the Tabbed Classics Collection, and not only is it outstanding on it's own, it builds on (and works beautifully with!) Wendy's FAB Not Your Ordinary Card Collection from last year!

One of my favorite items from the new release is the Thank You Bouquet 3D Emboss and Cut Folder Bundle. You can get JUST the Folder with Dies, but... the stencils take the whole thing to the next level, imo; so I highly recommend the Bundle!

For this card, I wanted to try using the stencils without the embossing folder or die, and I have to say I looooove the results. Since I wasn't going to incorporate any texture into the bouquet, I chose to use several shades of blue, green and yellow to add contrast to the various elements. I did add texture to the background layer, though, by embossing my pale blueish/greyish cardstock with the Polka Dot and Posy Duo 3D Embossing Folder. This folder is 5.5 x 8.5" which means you can emboss TWO A2 cardfronts at the same time; or, if you're like me and enjoy making BIG cards, you can place your panel in the center of the folder to get both dots and posies on the same piece. The sentiment is from the Thank You Bouquet set, and yes, it does emboss and cut in one step!

Be sure to check out the Make Art with Wendy Vecchi Facebook Group and Wendy's Instagram (@wendyvecchi) for lots more ideas and inspiration!

Embossed Bouquet (New Wendy Vecch!)

Yesterday saw the release of some brand new goodies from Wendy Vecchi and Spellbinders, which is always a good thing! This release is called the Tabbed Classics Collection, and I'll tell you about all of the elements in a minute, but first here's a super-textural card I made:

Ok, so the Tabbed Classics Collection consists of: the Essential Envelope Every Day Add-Ons Die Set (accessories developed to perfectly accent the Essential Envelope Die Set but honestly, all of the parts work on their own, too); the Tabbed In & Out Sentiments Stamps and Dies which give you LOTS of mix-n-match greetings perfectly sized to fit the tabs on the Add-On set; the outstanding Thank You Bouquet 3D Folder and Stencil Bundle (you can purchase just the 3D & Cut Folder on its own, but TRUST ME you definitely want the stencils!); and finally the Polka Dot & Posy Duo 3D Embossing Folder which is big enough to emboss A2-sized panels for TWO cards at the same time... or... you can split the panel to have a bit of each together, which is what I've done for the background of this card.

And now a bit more detail about the card: I embossed a square of Core'dinations Whitewashed cardstock with the Polka Dot & Posy e/f so that it was about 2/3 posies and 1/3 polka dots, then lightly sanded it to get the contrasting color. I mounted it on some gorgeous sunflower-colored felt and machine stitched onto a 5.5" square card. For the floral panel, I wanted to see if I could emboss the Thank You Bouquet on a small square without using the coordinating die to cut it out and YES, I could, and I love how it turned out. I did use the folder with the die in place to make my Thank You sentiment... I LOVE that you can emboss and cut in ONE step, and noooooo it doesn't move around once you've nestled the die, added your paper and closed the folder!

More about the embossed Thank You Bouquet: I used the 6 layering stencils that come in the Bundle and my Wendy Vecchi Archival Inks. There is a die that will cut out the whole bouquet, but I wanted to see if it would look good on a white panel (YES!) and if the stencils would allow for full coverage without getting ink outside the design (also YES!). I chose a palette of soft pink, peach, yellow and green that feels like a pastel version of autumn to me.

I've got a few more projects up my sleeve that involve the loose flowers from the 3D & Cut as well as more of the eponymous Tabs (& Sentiments) from the Tabbed Classics Collection, so be sure to stay tuned. Also, you should know that Wendy has made probably a hundred amazing samples and is revealing them bit by bit; you should definitely check out her Instagram (@wendyvecchi) and bookmark the Make Art with Wendy Vecchi Facebook Group which is a constant source of inspiration!

New Wendy Vecchi? Yes, Please!

It's time for some brand new goodies from Wendy Vecchi and Spellbinders, which is definitely cause for celebration! This release is called the Tabbed Classics Collection, and I'll explain all the elements in a minute, but first here's a couple of pocket cards I made pairing the new accessories with last year's Essential Envelope Die Set that I can't wait to show off:

Ok, so the Tabbed Classics Collection consists of: the Essential Envelope Every Day Add-Ons Die Set (accessories developed to perfectly accent the Essential Envelope Die Set but honestly, all of the parts work on their own, too); the Tabbed In & Out Sentiments Stamps and Dies which give you LOTS of mix-n-match greetings perfectly sized to fit the tabs on the Add-On set; the outstanding Thank You Bouquet 3D Folder and Stencil Bundle (you can purchase just the 3D & Cut Folder on its own, but TRUST ME you definitely want the stencils!); and finally the Polka Dot & Posy Duo 3D Embossing Folder.

For this dynamic duo of mini cards, I made pockets using the score-and-cut die from the original Essential Envelope Set, then worked in basically every accessory in the Essential Envelope Add-Ons Set to decorate them with envelope fronts, banners and lots of three-layer frilly flowers.

I used the tabbed card from the Add-On set, with mix and match greetings from Tabbed In & Out Sentiments Set. You can see the second part of the sentiments when you pull out the tabbed cards.

I love the way that literally ALL of the new items work perfectly with --and add seamlessly to-- the original collection; but the new stuff also stands on its own, and can be used separately. Oof, I nearly forgot to mention that I used the the Polka Dot & Posy Duo 3D Embossing Folder on the envelope fronts, one is embossed and one is debossed. Ok, I admit it, the latter was done ACCIDENTALLY, but it genuinely looks equally nice as such, so I left it!

I've got more projects up my sleeve, which I'll be showing off in the next few days, so be sure to stay tuned for that. In the meantime, you will most definitely want to check out the gorgeous samples Wendy has made... you can find her on Instagram as @wendyvecchi and in the Make Art with Wendy Vecchi Facebook Group.

I'm Dreaming of a PINK Christmas

It's early October and thus time for PINK CHRISTMAS at Jingle Belles; the annual event where we ask YOU to make and link up as many predominantly PINK holiday cards as you possibly can, because Stephanie and I are each going to donate $2 per card to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation! 

So what qualifies as a PINK CHRISTMAS card? It's pretty simple: the cards should be newly made, with a winter holiday theme, and they should feature PINK prominently. Does your whole card have to be pink? Certainly not. Can you combine other colors with the pink? Of course! 

Should you have more pink than say two or three baubles on your green tree set against a snowy white background? Well, yes... that would be good, lol. But other than that, we'll leave it to you to decide how much pink, what shade, and how to employ it! Can you link up more than one PINK CHRISTMAS card? Yes, indeed, please do!

Here's what I made this week. (Spoiler Alert: it's PINK!)

On a recent family art day, we made watercolor backgrounds and I remembered how much I love the technique in which you add salt to a wet panel of watercolor, and it makes a pattern/texture similar to Jack Frost painting our windows in the winter. This particular panel looked so pretty that I didn't want to cover it up very much, and thus I only added some Wendy Vecchi holly leaves (from last year's Christmas Add-On to her Not Your Ordinary Card Collection) cut from two luscious shades of self-adhesive felt paper; plus a few Eyelet Outlet Snowflake Brads and tiny Pearl Bling. A dark pink mat and a bit of machine stitching complete my A6 card design.

We'd love for you to join us in celebrating PINK CHRISTMAS at Jingle Belles; and of course it's for a very good cause, so start making and linking those PINK holiday cards today! JB2521: I'm Dreaming of a PINK Christmas runs until 6pm (Eastern) on Wednesday, October22nd.

SOS557: With Sympathy

The new challenge at Shopping Our Stash (#557) tackles one of the hardest types of card to make (imo); those expressing Sympathy or You're in My Thoughts/Prayers. So it's not a bad idea to have one or two on hand when you need them, right?

I started with a blank 5x7" piece of Simon Hurley Stark White Cardstock (my go-to) and added a torn piece of graph paper* that spans two opposing corners. Then I broke out quite an eclectic mix of stamps to make a collaged background: Wendy Vecchi's Studio 490 Botanical Register (stamped in Cobalt Archival); Stampendous Leaf Prints (in Sea Grass and Olive); and Stampendous Postage Creations (in Pebble Beach). Altenew's Paint-a-Flower Sweet Peas have center stage; they were embossed with Ranger's Bubbly e/p and watercolored with Tombows that I scribbled onto a mat and picked up with a waterbrush full of isopropyl alcohol**. When the flowers were dry, I added a bit of additional shading with my Prismacolor pencils. 

If you hop over to SOS you'll see the inspiring cards our Crew have made and you can link up your own. SOS557: With Sympathy runs until the evening of Monday, September 22nd.

*If I'm making a collage and suspect I might want to line some of the elements up neatly, it's super-helpful to add in an element that has fairly consistent horizontal lines: text paper, graph paper, sheet music, even patterned paper with subtle lines or checks is perfect for this; you can then stamp words, add alphabet stickers or line up strips of washi perfectly with NO measuring! ;) 

**One of my favorite tips from Wendy Vecchi is to use rubbing alcohol instead of water for watercoloring and smooshing, even when the inks are water-based. For some reason, the alcohol DOES NOT warp or pill cardstock the way water does. I assume this involves something sciencey, like the fact that alcohol dries and evaporates much more quickly...? (Honestly I have no idea WHY; I just know it works, lol!)

Flowers, Flowers, Everywhere!

Well not quite everywhere, but certainly all over this sweet little giftbag I made using the multi-layer flower dies from Wendy Vecchi's Essential Envelopes Die Set, part of her Not Your Ordinary Card Collection from Spellbinders.

I chose the colors to coordinate with a gift card and holder I made with the Essential Envelopes set last year when the collection first debuted from Spellbinders. You can read a bit more about it on the original post if you'd like.

The felt is of the self-adhesive variety, made for papercrafting, and comes in a set of 25 gorgeous rainbow shades from Peachy Keen Crafts. It's considerably thinner than ordinary felt, so it diecuts beautifully.

I added Eyelet Outlet Jewel Brads to the flower centers purely as decoration, because the self-adhesive felt sticks really well to both paper and to other pieces of the felt... making layered diecuts easy as pie! PS: That's some WV Washi under the flowers for a little extra color!

Wendy's brand new Spellbinders' release, featuring stamps, stencils, 3D embossing folders and additional coordinating accessories for the Essential Envelopes set, will be coming out on October 10th. Check out Wendy's Instagram Account or the Make Art with Wendy Vecchi Facebook Group for a sneak preview and stay tuned!