Fancy Butterfly Hugs

Good morning!  I used the Layered Mixed Butterfly stencil from A Colorful Life Designs with some pink and purple inks to create this sweet feminine card.  It's a little hard to see, but the sentiment is cut from white glitter paper and I added some tiny white glitter circles here and there.  I wanted to share this before we get into the bold bright colors of summer tomorrow.  :-)

Please feel free to use this code, HollyFan10, when you shop for stencils at A Colorful Life Designs.  You'll save 10% off your entire order and you'll have some great new stencils to play with.  Be sure to check back tomorrow when I share a fun mermaid card for the new release.  Have a great day!

 

Camo Soldier

The soldiers in the armed forces are on my mind today, and this new stamp set from Technique Junkies, Thank You For Your Service, is perfect for creating cards for them.  I stamped the soldier with a kraft ink right onto some kraft cardstock, and then I stamped the sentiment with a black ink on top of the stamped soldier.  

The background was created by using the Layered Camouflage stencils from A Colorful Life Designs (use code HollyFan10 to save).  I used a combination of kraft, olive green, and black inks with the three stencils to create that camo background.

Please feel free to use this code, TJ10Holly, when you shop at Technique Junkies.  You will find hundreds of wonderful stamps, stencils, and Shimmering Bliss sprays for your crafting projects.  To all those who have served and are currently serving, thank you.

 

Daffodil Hugs

Hi sweet friends!  I'm back with another post today because I just finished this card for the new Power Poppy challenge.  Yes, Power Poppy challenges are back!!  This month they want us to use May Flowers, so I went searching through my stash of clear Power Poppy stamps and found this one that has some daffodils in it.  This is from the Daffodils set (see note below) and the sentiment is from the Nice Things to Say set.  I colored the flowers with Copic markers in some soft spring-like pastel colors and then cut it out with an arch die.  I added some ribbon and some glittery dots from a hodgepodge stash that my mom gave me.

It was so much fun to pull out my Power Poppy stamps and breathe some life into them again.  I can't wait to see what the next challenge will be!

Edited to add:  Hmmmm... I can't find Daffodils in the store, but there is a digital stamp called Dancing with Daffodils that looks just like this clear stamp.  The bonus of digital stamps is that you can make the image as big as you want it.  As you can see, the actual stamped image is pretty darn tiny and I had to be extra careful while I was coloring those teeny little leaves and petals.  Time for me to go shopping!!  LOL

 

Purple Spring Dragonflies

Good morning!  Technically, it's still spring, even though the temps are going to be close to 100F this weekend.  I thought I'd share this spring card before summer rolls in.

I used the fun new Airy Dragonflies stencil from A Colorful Life Designs with some purple ink on some soft lavender patterned paper.  I love the motion of the dragonflies in this stencil - so fun and "swoop-y." The sentiment is from Honey Bee Stamps.

Please feel free to use this code, HollyFan10, when you shop at A Colorful Life Designs.  You'll save 10% off your entire order, so pick up these Airy Dragonflies and some butterflies and whatever else catches your eye.  Have a great weekend!

 

Grunge-style Drippy Butterfly

Good morning!  I'm here with a grunge-style card featuring the Drippy Butterfly stencil from A Colorful Life Designs.  I used the mask (the solid butterfly that is cut out from the center of the stencil) and placed it some patterned paper.  Then I brushed some brown ink around the mask so you can see the outline of the drippy butterfly.  Isn't that a cool effect?

I added the sentiment from Honey Bee Stamps and then I decided to add some seam binding to the side.  I wanted it to be a brownish color, so I used the same ink that I brushed around the butterfly and smooshed it onto my glass mat.  I spritzed the seam binding with water first, and then I dragged it through the puddle of brown ink on the glass mat.  After I scrunched it up in my hands, I set it aside to dry.  I like that rustic, grungy, distressed look.

Please feel free to use this code, HollyFan10, when you shop for stencils at A Colorful Life Designs.  There's hundreds of great stencils ready for you to play with, including this wonderful Drippy Butterfly that I used today.  Have a wonderful day!

 

Bloom with Happiness

Good morning!  I'm popping in to share this floral brick wall card with you today.  I used the new Layered Vines stencil from A Colorful Life Designs with some Distress Oxide inks and a kraft card base.  That's right - there's no layers on this card except for the sentiment.  I used oxide inks because they show up better on colored cardstocks.  If I had used a pale pink dye ink on this, you would not be able to see the pale pink flowers at all.

After I stenciled all the leaves and flowers, I used a brick embossing folder to add that texture to the card.  The sentiment is from Honey Bee Stamps and I used the same pink oxide inks on that.  The ink actually oxidized when I used it on the "bloom" die cut, so it has that hazy, white-ish cast on it.

Please feel free to use this code, HollyFan10, when you shop at A Colorful Life Designs.  You'll save 10% off your entire order, and you can grab this Layered Vines stencil as well as hundreds of others that catch your eye.  I honestly love all the stencils from A Colorful Life Designs!  Have a wonderful day!

 

Pink Magnolia Frame

Good morning!  Today I'm sharing this sweet floral card that I created with stamps from Technique Junkies.  Have you seen the new Magnolia Branch Border stamp?  It's beautiful! 

For this card, I started by lightly brushing some pink ink all around the edges of some white cardstock with a Colorful Blending Brush.  Then I inked up the Magnolia Branch Border with the same pink ink, and I just stamped the blossoms around the edge of the white cardstock.  The sentiment, from the In Full Bloom set, was stamped with the same pink ink and then die cut with an oval die.  I cut the fancy oval frame from a pink cardstock and glued the sentiment onto that, and then I added a sweet little pink organza bow.

If you're in the mood to shop at Technique Junkies, you can use this code, TJ10Holly, to save 10% off your order.  Have fun browsing through the stamps, the Shimmering Bliss sprays, and the stencils in the store.  Have a wonderful day!

 

 

You've Totally Got This Daisies

I was working on this card last night for my "homework" for the first day of Spring Card Camp at Online Card Classes, and I I love how it turned out!  So fun and easy!

I used the Daisies Two Ways stencil from A Colorful Life Designs and some distress inks to create the colorful background.  The sentiment is from Power Poppy (M-Powering Words set).  If you go shopping at A Colorful Life Designs, be sure to use this code, HollyFan10, to save 10% off your entire order.  Have a great week!

 

Sunflowers: Three Versions

Good morning!  Today I thought I would share three different ways to color the gorgeous Sunflowers with Text stamp from Technique Junkies.  This is a beautiful stamp, and it's really easy to color.  In the first card above, I stamped the sunflowers with a brown dye ink and then I used Copic markers to color the entire piece.  I love the contrast of the bright blue and warm yellows and browns.  But I have two other options for using this stamp that don't require detailed coloring.  

For this brown and yellow card, I used some Colorful Blending Brushes and some distress inks to color the flowers and the background.  I stamped the Sunflowers with Text with Pinecone Versafine Clair ink, which is a permanent pigment ink that will not bleed when blending with dye/distress inks.  After this ink dried completely, I started by brushing some yellow ink over the center where the flowers are.  Then I used another brush and slowly built up some brown ink on the edges, stopping short of the yellow on the flowers.  I love that soft glow around the flower petals!  The sentiment is from the Inside Out: Young At Heart set.

For this third card, I stamped the sunflowers with Nocturne Versafine Clair ink.  This is another permanent ink, and I let it dry completely.  Then I used some scratch paper and some washi tape to mask off the top half of the sunflower panel.  Here's the fun and easy part - I used the mustard distress ink pad and pressed it directly onto the bottom half of the sunflowers and swiped the ink back and forth.  I repeated until the bottom half was covered with yellow ink.  

Then I carefully lifted up the scratch paper/washi tape and repositioned it to cover up the bottom half that I just covered with yellow ink.  This time, I used a blue distress ink and swiped it all over the top half until it was covered.  I carefully removed the scratch paper and washi tape and let the piece dry while I stamped the sentiment with the same blue ink.  This sentiment is from the Love, Faith, and Peace set.  

There you have it - three fun and easy ways to color this gorgeous Sunflowers with Text stamp.  Which one is your favorite - the Copic colored flowers, the ink blended flowers, or the direct-to-paper solid ink flowers?  

Please feel free to use this code, TJ10Holly, when you shop at Technique Junkies.  You can save 10% on your order, so you can get the stamps and the brushes I used on these cards.  You can also grab some stencils, glitter paint, and Shimmering Bliss sprays with this discount.  Have a wonderful day!

 

Frilly Orange Butterfly

Good morning!  Here's a bright and frilly butterfly to help you start your day on a happy note.  I sprayed the gorgeous new Tat Work Butterfly stencil from A Colorful Life Designs with some Pixie spray and let it dry.  Then I placed the stencil sticky-side down onto some white cardstock.  I pulled out some pink, yellow, and orange Dylusions sprays and just had a blast spraying all over.  I carefully peeled the stencil off and let the piece dry.

For the sentiment, I sprayed a small piece of white cardstock with the just the pink Dylusions spray and let it dry.  Then I cut out the sentiment from Honey Bee Stamps and some tiny circles from this pink piece.  You will see those tiny circles in the wings and the head of the butterfly.  

This card was just so much fun to make.  Please feel free to use this code, HollyFan10, to save 10% off your order when you shop at A Colorful Life Designs.  You can pick up this Tat Work Butterfly as well as any of the other wonderful new stencils from the May 2022 release.  You can also click on the SHOP ALL button to scroll through all the stencils and find some new ones that strike your fancy.  Have a wonderful day!

 

Glittery Dragonfly Birthday

I love dragonflies, and I love them even more when they're glittery.  Who can resist adding glitter to dragonfly wings??  :-)

I used the new Dragonfly Flight stencil from A Colorful Life Designs and brushed some orange ink over the stencil onto some orange cardstock.  Then I added some Star Dust Stickles to the wings and let it dry before adding the patterned paper and the sentiment.  Those wings just HAVE to have glitter, don't they?

You are welcome to use this code, HollyFan10, when you shop at A Colorful Life Designs.  You'll save 10% off your entire order, and there are hundreds of wonderful stencils to choose from.  You can see this month's release HERE and you can browse through all of the stencils by using the SHOP ALL button.  Have a great day!!

 

Spring Flowers on Strips

Good morning!  Today I'm sharing this spring flowers card that I created with the Summer Flowers stencil from A Colorful Life Designs.  Yes, a spring card made with summer flowers... seems contradictory, doesn't it??  LOL  

I started by cutting some strips of colored cardstock in shades of green and peach, and then I glued them down onto a card front.  Then I placed the Summer Flowers stencil over the strips and used a sponge dauber to apply some Versamark ink over the stencil.  After I lifted the stencil, I covered the piece with white embossing powder and melted it with my heat tool.  Finally, I added the sentiment from Honey Bee Stamps in the lower right corner.

I love this beautiful stencil and this is one that I will use a lot.  I already have more ideas swirling around in my head.  Please feel free to use this code, HollyFan10, to save 10% off your order when you shop at A Colorful Life Designs.  There are so many wonderful stencils to choose from, so click on the SHOP ALL button to browse.  Have a wonderful day!

Spring Magnolia Blossoms

Happy Mother's Day!  I thought I'd share some pretty flowers for all the women out there today.  I stamped the gorgeous Magnolia Branch Border from Technique Junkies with a brown dye ink, colored the flowers and leaves with Copic markers, and then brushed some Antique Linen Distress ink around the edges of the white cardstock.  I went with a pink and brown color combo for a sort of vintage, antique feel.  The sentiment is from the In Full Bloom Sentiments set, and I tied some brown twine around the bottom of the card.

Please feel free to use this code, TJ10Holly, when you shop at Technique Junkies.  You'll save 10% off your order and you can stock up on stamps, stencils, glitter paint, and Shimmering Bliss sprays.  Have a wonderful day!

 

Folk Flowers in Bloom

Good morning!  I'm back with this bright and sunny card I created using the new Folk Flowers stencil from A Colorful Life Designs.  Isn't that cute?  I used a blending brush and distress inks to apply the yellow and green colors through the Folk Flowers stencil and then I added some white buttons to the centers of the flowers.  The sentiment is from Honey Bee Stamps.

Please feel free to use this code, HollyFan10, when you shop at A Colorful Life Designs.  You can see all of the new May release stencils HERE and you can see all of the stencils in the store by clicking on the SHOP ALL button.  Have a wonderful day!

 

Fairy Flowers and Dragonfly

Good morning!  Here is a fun card I made using some new stencils from A Colorful Life Designs.  I placed the Fairy Flowers stencil over some white cardstock, and then I brushed some pink inks over the flower petals.  Then I very carefully brushed some green ink over the flower stems and lifted the stencil off.  I used the same green ink on the large dragonfly from the Dragonflies stencil.  I lifted the Dragonflies stencil off the paper and then covered the green dragonfly with some Star Dust Stickles.  I used the same Star Dust Stickles in the centers of the two flowers.  After this glitter glue dried, I stamped the sentiment with some black ink and then added this panel to a bright pink card base.

I love these fun whimsical flowers!  You can save 10% when you shop at A Colorful Life Designs by using this code, HollyFan10.  You can pick up these fabulous Fairy Flowers and the Dragonflies stencils as well as many other wonderful stencils.  Have a lovely day!!

 

Technique Junkies May 2022 release

Happy May 2022 Release Day!

We have new stamps in the Technique Junkies store today.  All of the May 2022 release stamps are 15% off through May 8.  No codes needed - just add the stamps to your cart and the discount will be applied at checkout.

You can save 10% off everything else in the store by using my code, TJ10Holly.  Stock up on some previously released stamps, Shimmering Bliss sprays, stencils, ink pads, and more.

This month has some gorgeous floral stamps, some great Father's Day stamps, and a wonderful set for the soldier(s) in your life.  If you're like me and you "Gotta Have it All," here is a great deal for you.  You can get all of the May release stamps for just $98.64.  What a great price for all of these stamps!  Here's a little picture of all of the release stamps: 

For my first card today, I used the beautiful new Magnolia Branch stamp.  I stamped it three times with a yellow ink right onto a yellow cardstock, slightly changing the placement for a diagonal effect.  Then I stamped the sentiment from In Full Bloom (previously released) with a dark brown ink right on top of my stamped magnolias.

For my second card, I started by cutting some rectangles from four different colors of cardstock.  I glued them down onto some scrap paper, making sure the edges of each color were tight and flush.  Then I stamped the Delicate Bouquet with black ink onto the four colors.  I love this fun look!  The sentiment is from the Inside Out: Young at Heart set (previously released).

For my third card today, I created a faux woodgrain panel with chalk paint and acrylic paint and let it dry.  Then I stamped the No Woman To Hear onto some vanilla cardstock and added a dark brown mat behind that.  Now I'm pondering the answer to that question.... hmmmmm.....  LOL!

Looking for more inspiration?  Check out what the rest of the Design Team has created with these new release stamps:

TJ Blog

Tracy Fear

Christine

Pam Stang

Holly Brown

Patti Gilliam

Tracy Schulz

Judy Jackson

Pat Huntoon

Remember, you can use my code, TJ10Holly, to save 10% when you shop at Technique Junkies.  Have a wonderful day!

 

Bold Floral Butterfly Hello

Good morning!  Today is the first of a new month, and there are brand new stencils ready for you in the A Colorful Life Designs store.  I used the gorgeous new Layered Mixed Butterfly (set of two stencils) on my card above.  Isn't that just beautiful?!  I love the mixture of the butterfly wing and the flowers - it's so elegant!

I started by brushing some yellow ink over the large open area stencil.  Then I placed the intricate butterfly stencil inside that opening, leaving the first stencil in place, and I brushed some orange and red inks over the wings and the flowers and butterfly body.  I love the vibrant colors on this gorgeous stenciled butterfly.

All of the new stencils this month are just beautiful, and if you're like me and you gotta have em all, you can buy them all with the click of one button - the Master Creator Bundle for May 2022.  You can get all of the May 2022 stencils for only $88.68, which is a great deal.  You can see all the stencils below:

Don't forget, you can always use my code, HollyFan10, to save 10% on your entire order at A Colorful Life Designs.  Come on back tomorrow to see what I've created with the Fairy Flowers and the Dragonflies stencils.  :-)