Prima Princess Alexis - Bloom With Grace

There is nothing in nature that blooms all year long, so don't expect yourself to do so either. 

Prima Princess Alexis stamp, Copic markers, Anna Griffin background die, Cricut cutting and writing feature, gold leafing pen, white gel pen, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, blue card stock, mini flower die cuts with Nuvo centers

Hey there,

Prima Princess stamped images are an absolute delight to color with  Copic markers!  My stamps  sometimes get lonely hanging out in their stamp storage because it's faster for me to print a digi image precisely sized to fit my card.  THIS large stamp fits a 5 x 7 card perfectly and I think she's  absolutely dazzling.  I was happy for the much-needed practice coloring flowers on this elegant image.  My challenge was to create a subtle background to accentuate her lovely, coquettish pose.

I die cut an Anna Griffin swirly background four times and glued the dies together to create dimension for my background.  With all the fabulous detail in this image, my sentiment was enough to complete my design. I printed and cut the sentiment on a label shape using my Cricut Maker.  I edged it with a gold leafing pen and added a bejeweled punched butterfly.   I embellished the foreground bouquet with a few mini flower die cuts with Nuvo drop centers. One of the large blooms is adhered with mounting tape for dimension.  I added details to the flowers and berries with a white gel pen. 

This card will be sent with love and paper hugs to my friend in California.  Birthday cards are my fave!

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and bloom gracefully.

Nancy

Playing along with:

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #410

Fab 'N' Funky Challenge #516

The Sisterhood of Crafters Easter/Spring

Passion for Markers Challenge #584

Unicorn Challenge #63

Retro Rubber Challenge #154 (stamp approximately 5 years old)

Classic Design Challenge #3

Morgan's ArtWorld Challenge #3

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #142

Allsorts Challenge Week 616

Creating Handmade Flowers - Tim Holtz and Heartfelt Creations

Surround yourself with people who allow you to blossom. 

Hey there,

I have to admit...I'm a little obsessed with YouTube crafting and quilting videos and spend hours exploring the new products and techniques people so generously share there.  Another passionate obsession of mine is creating handmade flowers.  I just love coloring them, arranging their petals, and adding bling accents like gems and glitter.  So when I happened upon THIS Tim Holtz video and realized I already had the inks and Sizzix dies he was demonstrating, I got busy last weekend creating some pretty embellishments to have on hand for my cards.  I'm not much for messy techniques, but I actually took out my Distress Oxides and water color paper, and created the background paper I used with Tim's dies to make these layered blooms.

I have several Tim Holtz wildflower die sets and I don't use them enough because I can never decide how to color them.  I usually cut them out of white card stock and color them with  Copics.  This time I used water colors and I really like how easy it was to get this pretty painterly look.  I plan to add details with colored pencils when I attach them to my cards.

My favorite Heartfelt Creations flowers are shown in THIS video from my tutorial menu.  They are a delight to create and they turn out beautifully.  So much fabulous texture for so little effort. They are created by sponging ink on the stamped images, die cutting them, adding them to a mold and running them through a high profile die cutting machine like the Big Shot.

I added micro beads and glitter to the centers of these flowers and stickles to the edges of the petals. So subtle and elegant. 

These flowers were created using vellum instead of card stock for a more delicate look.  I used white holographic embossing powder to stamp and emboss the flowers and then colored them with Copics on the back.  I die cut them and molded them the same as the regular flowers, but they need to be handled with a little more care because they are easier to tear when they're wet.  They add a frilly,  classy elegance to my cards.. 

These are a little too large for most of my cards, but I know I'll find a use for them on other projects. I played with adding complimentary colored gems to their centers so they really are quite eye-catching in person.  

I also enjoy creating textured leaves with Heartfelt Creations "Leafy Accents".  They add beautiful texture to all my flowers and can be torn apart to fit my arrangements. 

I die cut tiny flowers, leaves and insect accents to add personality to my flower creations.  Small gems and Nuvo drops give them a little interest and dimension.   I keep them in bead trays I find at Walmart so I always have them close at hand.

I don't have any affiliation with Tim Holtz or Heartfelt Creations...I just really love the layered flowers I can create with their products.  There are a million ways to make lovely flowers just waiting for me to discover out there on the www.  So many blossoms...so little time.

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and produce a patch of  pulchritudinous paper posies. 

Nancy

Miss You All Time - Digi Doodle Studios Coffee Confidential

Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other is gold.
 A circle is round, it has no end. That's how long, I will be your friend.

Digi Doodle Studios digi, Copic markers, Spellbinders frame die, glossy gold card stock,
 Sizzix layered label dies, assorted gems, sentiment stamp, white gel pen

Hey there,

I'm loving a very rare snowfall outside my window this morning in my new desert home and I'm thinking about the lunches I've been missing with one of my sweetest friends back in my previous  home.  We used to visit for hours and solve all the woes of the world over a sandwich and coke.  I enjoyed an equally delightful lunch this week with a friend I've known for years who lives here in my new town.  I'm so blessed to have amazing friends who lift me up and make the world a better place for everyone around them.  

I thought the cute ladies in  THIS Digidoodle digital image were perfect for a card to tell my friend  how much I miss her. On the inside, I beseeched her to come for a visit soon since we and our hubbies are all fully vaccinated. Yay!!!  I'm so excited things are opening up now and we can enjoy new adventures together. 

I used a 6 x 6 card base for this card and framed the image with glossy gold card stock before mounting it to my favorite daisy Spellbinders frame.  I added gems to the daisies in the frame and some small ones to my image. My ladies' accessories are embellished with white gel pen dots and stripes.  I cut my sentiment stamp to fit a layered Sizzix label die.

I can't wait to see my friend sans masks in the near future.  I'm going to squeeze her like a bear and then we'll be off for one of our epic chattering sessions in a new place I've discovered that I know she'll love!

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and show your friends how much you appreciate and adore them.

Nancy

Playing along with:

Colour Crazy Challenge Wk 10

Creative Fingers Challenge #203

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #590

The Paper Shelter Challenge #460

Watercooler Wednesday WWC311

Crafty Sentiments March Challenge

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #153

Polkadoodles Challenge Wk11

Fairy Wishes - Ching-Chou Kuit Field of Red Poppies

 The radiance in some places is so great as to be fairly dazzling...every crystal, every flower a window opening into heaven, a mirror reflecting the Creator.    John Muir

Ching-Chou Kuit digital stamp, Copic markers, Tattered Lace frame dies,
corner dies,red gems, white gel pen, origami paper for piecing, gold gem

Hey there,

Spring is in the air here in beautiful Southern Utah and  I couldn't be more excited to take some exhilarating walks through the exquisite landscapes around my new home.  The temperature is in the 70's today and is predicted to continue next week with the sky as blue as the dress on THIS lovely Ching-Chou Kuit fairy.  I might not see many fields of red poppies here in the desert, but I'm beginning to see lots of gorgeous greenery blooming against the red clay hills and lavender mountains. If you have ever visited Zion National Park, you know how utterly stunning it is here.  

I chose to accentuate the beautiful layers in this fairy's elegant dress with pleats and origami paper piecing.  Tattered Lace die frames surround my image and  swirly floral die cuts accentuate the corners.  I added some red gems to the corner dies and dotted the centers of my poppies with a white gel pen.  A gold gem garnishes the adornment on her dress.  I chose a generic "wish" die cut sentiment.

Thank you for visiting.

Go forth and enjoy all the dazzling delights of spring.

Nancy

Playing along with:

Aud Sentments #269

Moving Along With The Times #128

Crafty Creations Challenge #419

Try it on Tuesday - Say it With Flowers

The Unicorn Challenge #63

Ching-Chou Kuit - Easter or Floral

Challenge Up Your Life #133

Classic Design Challenge #3 - March

Dream Valley Challenge #242