Let Hope Anchor Your Soul

AAA Cards new game #59 is up. This time, the challenge is EMBOSSING. The winner will receive a $20.00 gift certificate from our wonderful sponsor:

I find that I often look at things with an eye for how I can transform what I see onto a card. Last summer I saw this beach bag behind someone's chair and snapped a pic. (My kids are horrified when I do this, but they are used to it).

It's been on my mind, and I decided to use it for my inspiration for this challenge.  I tried something new (to me) and used a stencil to emboss the red stripes. I masked a square on top of the stencil, on top of the Kraft card base and embossed with red EP.

The stitched square border is popped up to frame the embossed square. I embossed the ocean symbol in aqua EP and placed it on the banner die with the sentiment which is also popped up.  I needed something else in aqua color for balance, so I added the twine to the anchor.

I am linking to the following challenges:

As You See It #125. Highlight a sentiment that speaks to you. This one is so appropriate for so many situations. A message of hope and encouragement. I use it often.

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.

Materials used:
Paper: PTI Kraft, SU Not Quite Navy, SU Brushed Silver, Neenah Solar White.
Stamps: SSS Sail Away
Accessories: SSS Sail Away Dies, SSS Diagonal Stripe Stencil, WOW Cable Car Red EP, Zing Aqua EP, PTI Square Shaker Shapes, Paper Smooches Anchor Die, Twinery twine, 3M Foam Tape.
Ink: VersaMark, VersaFine Onyx Black.

Please head on over to the AAA Cards Challenge Blog and check out what my teammates have created to inspire you. Leave them a little love, then join us for our Embossing challenge.

Thank you for stopping by today. As always, your comments are truly appreciated.

A Birthday Hello

When I saw the February Pinterest Inspired Challenge, my new SSS Lattice Grid Background stamp came right to mind. I also added some Brushos to my stash recently, so I decided to combine them for my creation, and this is what happened:

Brushos are really fun! It's awesome to see what happens when they hit wet watercolor paper. It's like a kaleidoscope!!  I can't wait to use them some more and learn more about what you can do with them. I really love the way the watercolored panel came out.

I am also linking my card and playing the following challenges:

Seize The Birthday

The Friday Mashup 

The Mashup Challenge this week is:

Create a project with a birthday theme. 

Create a project using stencils. 

or Mash it Up!! and create a birthday themed project that uses stencils. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I so appreciate your comments.

Prayers Coming Your Way

Hello dear readers! I wanted to pass along a learning opportunity to you. Justine Hovey,  very talented paper crafter and administrator of AAA Cards Challenge Blog for which I am a DT Member, recently offered a FREE Stenciling for Card Making class on  her blog. The class is "over", but will remain accessible on her blog. Justine's videos, tutorials and projects are wonderful, and though I am somewhat of an experienced crafter, I learned many things from them. Do yourself a favor and go over to her blog and check out this free class. She is also currently running another free class: Water Color For The Non-Artistic Card Maker. Head over to Justine's blog and check them out!

The project below is one in which I used the ombre technique in the STENCILLING FOR CARDMAKING: THE BASICS session.

It's hard to see the shade changes in the picture, but I started from right to left with Ranger Mowed Lawn distress ink, then Crushed Olive and Bundled Sage. My stencil is Maidenhair Fern from Designs by Ryn. I die cut the top panel with Simon Says Stamp's Prayers die from SSS Prayers Stamps and Dies, and built it up with several black layers of the die cut. The stamped part of the sentiment is from the same set. To finish it off, I added a few red sequins for interest.

Thanks for coming by today, and as always, I appreciate your comments very much!

EWE Are Loved

Time for another AAA Cards game! The theme for Game #58 is Sequins! The winner of our challenge will receive a $20.00 gift certificate from our generous sponsor: Happy Little Stampers. 

I made this shaker card with sequins from Pretty Pink Posh. 

Please head over tp the AAA Cards Blog and check out the fabulous creations by my teammates. Then join us by creating your own sequin themed project.  Thanks so much for stopping in today, and Happy Valentine's Day!

I am also linking my card to the following challenges:

CASology : Week 184 - Valentine.

Sending Valentine Hugs

Game #57 is now up on the AAA Cards Blog. The theme is "Love Me Like You Do" - Love/Valentine. Our sponsor is Happy Little Stampers, and the winner will receive a $20.00 gift certificate to the HLS store.

Here is my take on the challenge:

I used 3 shades of red distress ink to tint the embossing paste I used with my stencil. I really love the way this simple card turned out.  Please head on over to the AAA Cards Challenge blog and see what my wonderful teammates have created, leave them a little love, then try your hand at a love themed project!

I am also linking this card to the following challenges:

ANYTHING GOES

SSS is  showcasing their very own SIMON SAYS STAMP PRODUCTS this week. 
I used SSS Mosaic Heart Stencil, SSS Sending Die and SSS Sending and Wishing Stamps.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR + USE RED 

As red is the color of love, use a hint of that in your creation. 
I used 3 shades of red distress ink to tint the embossing paste.

Thanks so much for your visit today.

Celebrate

The current Seize the Birthday Challenge is Anything Goes with an optional topping of Clean and Simple. I watched a video by Savannah O'Gwynn on the Paper Smooches Education Blog today about die cutting with washi tape. You can view it HERE. What a great idea! My card is a CASE of her card featured in the video.

Thanks for stopping in for a visit today.

Friends Forever

This week's inspiration for Tag You're It #39 is so adorable.  I love that little camper and many of the DT pieces had vehicles or homes on them, but I chose the sky as the inspiration for my creation.  Here is my take:

I love these Paper Smooches dies and they came to mind when I saw Erin's clouds. I wanted a sentiment that meant something like "no matter what the weather...". After a lot of digging, I found this sentiment from a Tailored Expressions set called "Branching Out" that was deep in my stash. Perfect.

I am also going to link this project to the current Simon Says Monday challenge, which is

BEST FRIENDS.

Thanks so much for stopping in today. As I type, there is a blizzard going on here in the northeastern part of the US. LOTS of snow, and lots of crafting time for me! Woot!  As always, I appreciate your taking the time to comment. Your feedback is wonderful.