Balloons Galore!!!!!

Hello everyone: It's Twofer Time again!!! Woo Hoo!! so here are the cards I created to play along.

These cards are so very special for me because they are for my two older grandchildren.  Vanessa will be 21 on May 24th. and Gabriel will graduate from High School in June.  I'm amazed at how time has flown and how these beautiful children have grown into amazing, healthy, sweet, talented, and loving young adults, we couldn't be more proud of them and feel so fortunate and blessed to have them in our lives since the day they were born.

I created these cards with very little stamping and hardly any coloring.  I used the retired SU die set called "Balloon Pop-Up Thinlits Dies", I've used it a couple of times before but I don't think I've shared any cards made with it.

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Ok, so this is Vanessa's card.  The balloons are cut from silver foil card stock, I wish they would show up right but you know how difficult is to photograph foil paper. I fussy cut red foil paper to put in the back of the balloons so it would show through. I also die cut the "strings" from scraps of the red foil paper.

The sentiment was stamped on a die cut piece of white card stock using one of the dies from a retired SU set called "Itty Bitty Banners", the word and number were stamped using some of the stamps from a Concord & 9th. called "Happy Day", thank goodness for the MISTI, I finished it off with a pretty red bow.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

The sentiment is from my stash and the little cupcake from a Penny Black set called "CUPCAKES".

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This is Gabriel's (18) Graduation card.

I used the pop-up die to cut this panel but I used the "Wonky Stitched dies" from Gina Marie to just make a front for my card with black card stock, the balloons and strings were die cut separately from scraps of the red foil paper and then glued to the black balloon base, it took some doing but I'm happy with the results.  I wanted to heat emboss the sentiment in gold but I didn't like it how it looked with the black banner so using a scrap piece of red card stock, I die cut just the banner and cut the strings and then, heat embossed the sentiment, I hope you can see the shine.

The Cap and Diploma I'm not sure I remember where I got them but they sure come in handy for really cool graduation cards.

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This is how the INSIDE of this card looks like.

I kept the inside pretty simple, you know how it is with young men's cards, the front is fine with the only bling coming from the red foil card stock.

The stamped frame, the little diploma, and the sentiment are from a bargain bin stamp set from Fiskars, bought some years ago for $1.00, love the fabulous stuff you can find in those bins if you are willing to kind of rummage around a little.

Anyway, there they are, these cards for my grandbabies (sniff, sniff) all grown up now but still, sweet as pie.

I'm playing along with the following challenges.

Twofer Card Challenge #14

Simply Create Too Challenge #147

Anything Goes/Anything for a Male.

The second card is for my Grandson.

Through The Craft Room Door

Thank you for stopping by, your comments always make my day.

XO

Maria.

Vellum Embossed Iris.....

Hello everyone: So we've arrived at the halfway point on our "Anything Goes" Challenge so here's a little reminder to inspire you to come and play along.

These pretty flowers are from the Altenew set called Enchanted Iris and it's beautiful.  I love these flowers, in real life, their petals are almost transparent so that's why I decided to stamp them on Vellum. But Vellum can be difficult at times, especially if you wet it, (don't ask me how I know, tee hee!!)

After a few futile attempts, I decided to heat emboss it hoping that the raised edges would help a bit with the warping.  

To my delight, they did, still had a little bit of twisting, especially on the petals and the leaves but, after the watercolor was dried, I used my bone folder to gently straighten them up.

I used my Sakura Koi watercolors, a bit of water and a very thin brush, I die cut the frame with THIS Spellbinders die set.

I added a few sparkly enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

The sentiment is from a Power Poppy set called Dynamic Duos: Peonies and Tulips, the frame is from an old Flourishes set called "Country Charm Labels" (2011), the butterfly is from THIS Stampendous clear stamp set.

I hope you find some time to come and play along with us over at THE FLOWER CHALLENGE, this challenge will close on the 25th. of March.

I'm playing along with the following challenges.

As You Like It Challenge

Favorite Dies or Stencils and Why.

Love these dies for the Iris, it cuts perfectly on the edge of the image.

CRAFT ROCKET CHALLENGES

Challenge #57 FLOWERS

Addicted to Stamps and More

I used Sakura Koi watercolors.

Ellibelle"s Corner

March Challenge: "Think Spring or add some Green"

Sisterhood of Crafters

One for the Ladies/Girls

Thank you for stopping by, your comments always make my day.

XO

Maria.

Trouble, Trouble.....

Hi there, everyone: I know it's too early for Halloween but I just couldn't resist playing with yet another NBUS stamp/die set. I resisted for a long time getting this bundle but alas!! I couldn't resist any longer so here's my very first card using this adorable and sadly retired Halloween set.

I stamped the little Witch and the super adorable Ghost on a piece of white card stock with Stazon black ink and colored them with my Prismacolor pencils. The little Froggy is stamped on a piece of green card stock, such a cutie, love it.

The purple pattern paper is from my stash, I added some stars with the die from the set, I hope it still a bit CAS for some challenges I'll enter at the end of the post. The sentiment is stamped with Versamark ink and heat embossed with silver glitter embossing powder.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

The starry border is done with one of the stamps on the set, the sentiment and the Witch's Hat are from an old SU set called "Tee Hee Hee" (2014 Holiday Catalog)

I'm playing along with the following challenges.

Freshly Made Sketches

Addicted to Stamps and More!

I used my Prismacolor pencils.

The Sisterhood of Crafters 

One for the Ladies or Girls.

Thank you for stopping by, your comments always make my day.

XO
Maria.

Beach Babes.....

Hello everyone: My teammates and I at the SHOPPING OUR STASH challenge blog, have a fun challenge for you to play with and it's all about FRIENDSHIP so I hope this card inspires you to come and play along in our gallery.

These sweet and beautiful gals look like they've been friends for years and what can be more fun than to take a vacation to someplace warm with your friends.

Heck, I wish I was sitting there, holding a refreshing beverage, getting a tan and turning heads, LOL!!

This image is from Art Impressions and it's called BEACH BABES, love it.

I stamped it on watercolor paper with Versafine black ink and then clear heat emboss it, I wanted to watercolor it and, as you can see, there are a lot of small areas that might bleed into one another if it wasn't for the little wells that heat embossing creates. I used a set of fine line markers my granddaughter gave me the other day, I love the colors, they are super vibrant.

The yellow background paper was heat embossed in white using one of the stamps on the retired SU set called "Peaceful Petals", the green paper is from my stash. The sentiment is from the AI set, I added a couple of enamel dots from Gina Marie Designs.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

The border is from a retired SU set called "Bordering Blooms", the sentiment is from a Power Poppy set called "Sassy Succulents". I masked the little glass at the bottom from the fun image on the front of the "Beach Babes" set.

Please stop by the SHOPPING OUR STASH blog to see my teammates' beautiful creations and come and play along in our gallery.

I'm playing along with the following challenges.

Path of Positivity "Friendship"

Simon Says Stamp

Feminine or Girly.

The Paper Players

Taking a Leap of Faith  here, I think

I have all the Rainbow colors represented.😉 

Crafty Friends Challenge #105

Ladies/Girls

Thank you for stopping by, your comments always make my day.

XO

Maria.

Tea For Two or Three.....

Hello dear blogging friends: It's time for another fun challenge over at the RETRO RUBBER Challenge Blog and it's all about STRIPES, hope you can come and play along with my teammates and me in our gallery.

Here's my inspiration card.

These pretty teacups are from a very old Flourishes set called "Christmas Tea" and it's from back in 2010, love these elegant and beautiful cups.

I stamped them on watercolor paper with Stazon black ink (I finally got a re-inker) and colored them with some shimmer paint. Just the Cardinal is colored with SU "Real Red" marker.

The DSP is also from SU but it's very old and I only had a few scraps, love it, this panel is die cut with a Cross Stitch die from Gina Marie Designs.

The sentiment is from the set. I added some enamel dots for a bit of bling.

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This is how the INSIDE of my card looks like.

The border is a leftover piece from that pretty DSP, the sentiment and the row of cups are from the set.

I hope you find a bit of time to come and play along with us in the gallery of the RETRO RUBBER challenge and don't forget to stop by the blog to check out my teamies awesome creations.

Remember that at least one of your stamps should be OLDER THAN A YEAR and if you could provide an approximate age that would be wonderful.

I'm playing along with the following challenges.

Simon Says Stamp "Feminine/Girly"

Use Your Stuff

Challenge #350 "Stitching real or faux"

Sunday Stamps

Challenge #200 "Sketchy"

Thank you for stopping by, your comments always make my day.

XO

Maria.