Rainbow Card Challenge

 Hello card makers.

Welcome to my blog. I can't believe it's September already. And our color for this month is this gorgeous mix of amber!!! Beautiful for the Fall season, isn't it??? I am from Lithuania. We came to America when I was 10. The gem Amber is our national Gem. It comes from the Baltic sea, which borders our country and is easily found there. It actually is the sap that comes down from the trees into the water and forms this gem. That's why there are so many different colors, shades and little bits of "stuff" in the gem, as the sap drips and collects bits and pieces. Also, Amber is very soft and does not withstand a lot of abuse (like an opal). So it's not expensive like hard stones. It's used a lot in their paintings and crafts.

Now that I've given you your lesson for today. Let me show you the card that I made with this color. 

I used Bristol paper, and stamped the background with Simon Says "Poppies Background" stamp with Versamark ink. I love, love that stamp. It is gorgeous!!! Then embossed it with Queen's Gold embossing powder.

From there, I wanted to use a new die I bought (Simon Says again), these delicate beautiful leaves called "Eucalyptus". I really had trouble with these. The gold glittery papers that I thought would work beautifully, did not. They were a thin layer of gold on shiny white and they separate. I had to glue them together while they twisted and turned in every direction... Maybe one of you reading this has a good gold paper that you like to use????

Anyway, then I cut the words from a normal gold paper and adhered the front to a kraft paper. I know it looks gray in here, but it's not, it's kraft. The glittery thin frame was cut from a different kind of paper, but it would not have worked for the leaves. 

Oh, and I also make an envelope from papers that I have collected over the years. It feels so special when a person receives a card that is in a beautiful matching paper. If you don't do that, give it a try. Your lovely card deserves a great presentation!!!

So there you have it. 

I really enjoyed making the card, but I spent a lot of time and frustration getting it together. Most cards come together in a day.... but then there's that one, that just won't let you off easily... Do you have those???

Please join us this month using this beautiful color.

Write me a comment and let me know how it goes...

Thanks for visiting me,

For My Friend...

Hello again,
I guess I'm on a roll. I have another card that is ready to post, and I'm going to get that done while I have the chance.

The funny thing about this card is that I started out not liking it at all. I had seen a design using that lacy half of a circle and I really liked it so I thought I would give it a try. I bought my Gemini Junior not too long ago and that lace design came with it. So it was a perfect time to make that card.

I'm not sure I have ever made a gray card before. It seemed kind of dreary to me. And I actually like the color gray, but in a card it just wasn't doing it for me!!! I wasn't happy with it until I got all the pieces cut out, colored and laid out on the card front.  At first, the word "Friend" was cut out from holographic paper. Somehow, that just didn't fit, so I cut it in white (to go with the lace) and that was the right thing to do!!!  I liked it YAY!!!

So here's my card:

>  The rainbow background was made a while ago when I was trying different distress ink backgrounds.
>  The lace piece was cut on my Gemini Junior. I cut two and glued them together.
>  The flower is from Altenew Flower Garden. I really like that set because it has several different designs of flowers in different sizes. Perfect!!! I colored it with my watercolors and then added that darker shade of orange with my chromo pencils.
>  The center of the flower is black micro beads. I LOVE that. It is so striking against the orange background. I've done all kinds of flower centers before, but I think I like the micro beads the best!!!
>  The greenery at the bottom is a Tim Holtz die of different ferns. Love that die. Does not have to be used just for winter.
>  And the "Friend" is cut on my Cameo. (I cut it in triplicate and glued together for extra thickness.) Mine is still the original Cameo and I had to update it because it stopped working with my Windows 10. But the update worked great and it's up and running  again!!! Whew!!! I would hate to have to purchase another one right now....

I am entering this card into these challenges:
https://rainbowcardchallenge.blogspot.com/ pastel rainbow
http://pennyblackatallsorts.blogspot.com/  favorite stamp (Altenew flower)
https://timeoutchallenges.blogspot.com/  photo challenge

So there you have it...
I hope you enjoyed my ramblings and my attempt to make a pretty card for my friend. She's the one I have alphabet challenges with and this one is for "F".

Please leave me a comment. I would love to know you were here,