Grateful Beyond Measure

Hello! It's Sunday and time for another AAA Cards Challenge! The theme of this week's game #47 is Spectacular Embossing. 

em·boss

imˈbôs/

verb

gerund or present participle: embossing

1. carve, mold, or stamp a design on (a surface) so that it stands out in relief.

   "an embossed brass dish"

   • carve, mold, or stamp (a design) in relief on a surface or object.

     "a dull gold casing with the logo embossed on the front"

     
     

     So, get out your embossing folders, embossing powders, embossing plates, heat guns, styluses, and all the tools that go along with the embossing technique of your choice, and create something.  Then head over the the AAA Cards Challenge Blog and join the design team by linking up and showcasing your spectacular embossed project!

     
     

     Here's my take on Game $47:

     
     

     

     
     

     This card is incredibly simple, but it really gave me a hard time. I won't bore you with the details, but I am grateful to have completed it.  I started out in a VERY different direction, and this is how I ended the journey.  

     
     

     Supplies for this project:

     Paper ~ PTI Summer Sunrise, Vintage Cream Linen

     Stamps ~ Penny Black Damask Pattern, PTI Counting My Blessings

     Ink ~ VersaMark, VersaFine Vintage Sepia, PTI Terracotta Tile

     Accessories ~ PTI Counting My Blessings Die Set, Ranger Platinum EP, Timeless Twine, Ranger Muti Medium Matte

     
     

     Thanks so much for visiting my blog today. Thank you for your comments - they make my day!

     
     

     
     

     
     

Lucky To Know You!

Lots of fun stuff today. I bought a MISTI a while back and for some reason I was intimidated by it.  I finally cracked it open, watched a few videos, and now I wonder why I was so silly in not using it as soon as it got to my door. It is AWESOME! And I keep thinking of all of the zillions of cards I did over because of wonky stamping. I can't wait to explore its capabilities. This thing is awesome.  Get one!!

I had a beautiful scrap of watercolored panel which I die cut as above, but I stamped it by eyeballing and it was WONKY!!!! So, I made a new watercolor piece and did the same thing, but this time I used the MISTI, and voila! Perfect placement.  I added a little stitching with Paper Smooches Stitched die, some embossing with Tim Holtz's Speckles stencil, some gold thread and some sequins.

I am linking this card to the following challenges:

Less Is More - Week 238 Sketch.

Freshly Made Sketches #200 - A Celebration!

CAS(E) this Sketch #137

FM222 It's a Wild Card!!

Create a Birthday Themed project.

Create a project using any kind of Technique you'd like.

or Mash it Up! and created a Birthday themed project and any Technique. 

I combined 4 techniques of Watercoloring, Heat Embossing, Die Cutting, and Stenciling.

Thanks so much for coming by today!

Supplies for this project:
Stamps: PTI Wonderful Words Additions.
Paper:  Gine K Pure Luxury White Card Stock, Tim Holtz Distress WaterColor Cardstock.
Ink: VersaFile Onyx Black, Tsukineko Delicata Golden Glitz.
Accessories: SU Clear EP, Heat Gun, Paper Smooches Stitched Dies, Tim Holtz Speckles Stencil, PTI Wonderful Words Dies, Kuretake Gansai Tanbi 36 Water Colors, DMC Metallic Thread, Shiny Gold Sequins, MISTI.

Welcome Baby

I have so much trouble photographing tags. This is take #too-many-to-count and I just had to quit! 

We have a new baby coming on our family. My beautiful niece is going to be a mama. I found the sweetest gift for her and her baby, Thomas Flynn. It is a book called Letters To My Baby. It contains 12 fold-and-mail letters, each letter bearing a prompt for moms to reflect on their hopes and dreams for their little ones. The letters can be postdated, sealed, and gifted for the years to come. In the future, their children get to break the seals to receive the greatest gift imaginable: a tangible expression of their mother's love. I am getting a bit misty just typing this!

To make a tag for this wonderful gift, I got some inspiration from the current Tag You're It Challenge. I pulled out Baby Party Animals stamps and dies from SSS, and Paper Smooches Quote Tag and Gift Tag Dies and came up with this creation. 

I can't wait to meet this little guy, who should be here very soon. Wishing him a safe journey and arrival. Thank you so much for stopping by today. Wishing YOU a wonderful day.

Hello Friend

I love the gorgeous images from Designs By Ryn, and I have used three of them for this card. To create it, I pressed distress inks on crumpled foil and laid on wet watercolor paper. You can see this technique in THIS by CraftyPaws:
Distress Ink Watercoloring Tutorial: Collaboration w/Justine Hovey.

I stamped the fish image in Versafine Onyx Black and embossed with SU Clear EP. I masked the fish and stamped the coral image with VersaMark ink and embossed it with Adirondack Lettuce EP. I then stamped the Sea Bubbles image with VersaFine Onyx Black and embossed it with SU clear EP. I partially die cut the bottom of the watercolored panel with one of the dies from PTI's Wet Paint set and stamped Friend from the coordinating stamp set beneath it. I layered four hello die cuts and inlaid them on the die cut panel, added a few sequins and voila!

I am linking this card to the following challenges:

Happy Little Stampers: Masking

Mod Squad : Heat Emboss your focal image.

And

Paper Players #258 : Beach Theme

Thank so much for coming by today. Thanks as always, for your kind comments as well.

Wishing

It's time for AAA Cards Game #46 : 

“MASK-erade”

MASK: hide, conceal, disguise, cover up, obscure, screen, cloak, camouflage, veil.

Get your MASK on and create a project using one, some, or all of the following:

·      Masking technique.

·      Masquerade Theme.

·      Inspiration from the Game #46 inspiration photo above.

Here is my take on the game:

I wanted to make a beautiful sunset scene on a card to send to my dear far away friend for her birthday. Though this is not a traditional birthday card, it is perfect for her. It puts me so in mind of the gorgeous sunsets on Barnegat Bay from our roof deck on Long Beach Island.  I used THIS tutorial by Theresa Momber to help me get that beautiful richness of color. Theresa is a sponging rock star. All of the the inks I used are Ranger distress inks except for the sentiment, which is VersaFine Onyx Black.  The stamped image is from Penny Black : Winter Sky. The die cut and stamped sentiments are Simon Says Stamp.

I am also linking this creation to the following:

Addicted To Stamps Challenge #157: MAKE YOUR MARK - Use anything that will make a mark on your project. Markers, paints, sponges etc.

Seize The Birthday Challenge : Anything that Flies.  Although this is a non-traditional birthday card, it is a birthday card, and there are birds on it!

Thank you so much for stopping in today. Your comments make my day!

Happy Anniversary!

This card ended up so differently than the original idea I had.  I love it when that happens, especially when I end up with extra bits and pieces to use on another card!!  I will get to that one later. For now, here is my creation for Paper Smooches SPARKS August Anything Goes (wk1) challenge!

Thank you so much for coming by today. I appreciate your visit, and I love your comments.

Recipe:

Stamps- Paper Smooches Blossoming Buds and Good Gab.

Ink - VersaFine Onyx Black, PTI True Black and Berry Sorbet.

Paper - PTI Berry Sorbet and Fresh Snow Linen Cardstock, Tim Holtz Distress Watercolor Cardstock.

Accessories- Paper Smooches Chains and Blossom Icons Dies, Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors,

Yasutomo Niji Waterbrush, Dimensionals.

CHEERS!

The theme for this game is "It's SO Hot" - think summer activities, food, weather, beaches - whatever! 

Please head on over to the AAA Cards blog to check out the inspiration from the AAA Cards Team....

More news from AAA Cards - DT Call!

It is time for AAA Cards to add FOUR new members to the AAA Cards team :) If you are interested in becoming a member please write DT next to your name on your submission for this challenge.

Requirements:

1 CAS card creation every two weeks fitting the challenge theme

Ability to take a good photo with good lighting 

Comment on challenge entries

Winners will be contacted by Friday, August 21st!

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As for me, the Game #45 theme is near and dear to my heart, and when I thought about it, the adorable little penguins in MFT's PENGUINS IN PARADISE set immediately came to mind. This little one holding a colorful cocktail beneath a palm tree is the coolest!!! 

 Get your coolness on, and create something fun for AAA Cards Challenge #45, head on over to the AAA Cards blog, link up and play with us.

I am also linking this creation to the following challenges:

Muse Challenge #126

Inkspirational Challenge #88

Thanks so much for coming by today.  Your comments bring a smile to my face.