"Show and Share" and Winner Announcement

Hello friends!

It gives me great pleasure to announce April Monthly Giveaway.

Each month, Altenew offers TWO monthly giveaway to my loyal blog followers who comment and support me and my blog. It is the last day of each month and it's time to announce the winners.
We had 55 great entries! Wow!
Please know that I appreciate that you take the time and link your cards, so I can check them out. 

The two lucky winners of February are....

from this post:  

from this post: 

 🌸🌹🌸🌹🌸🌹🌸🌹🌸🌹🌸🌹🌸🌹
My 4th month's of Show & Share is a huge success!
 I had so much fun checking out everyone's creation and left each participant some blog love!

The winner of April's Show and Share is......

#43 Karen Ladd
🌸🌹🌸🌹🌸🌹🌸🌹🌸🌹🌸🌹🌸🌹
👉👉👉The next one will start on May 9th (mark your calendar and start creating!)

Congratulations, Kathy, Meghan and Karen Ladd!
Please e-mail me at virginia@altenew.com asap to claim your prize!
BIG thanks to those who entered Show and Share.
Thank you for visiting this blog and shop through my affiliate links (located at my side bar).

Lastly, I want to point out that Spellbinders has a SUPER sale!

 This is one of the largest sales of the year and will run from April 29th through Thursday, May 9th. When you finish loading up your cart, please come back and click on this very link, so Spellbinders knows that I send you. I appreciate your support.


I totally enjoyed seeing your creations and be sure to come back for more on May 9th.
Thank you for stopping by!
The comment feature in this post has been disabled. 

Combining Solid Stamps and Outline Stamps (Take 2)

Hello friends!

I am popping in with a quick one layer card today! 

One layer cards are fun to create! All you need are some stamps and inks.
Of course, there are one layer cards that you can easily create with coloring and masking. 

Today's card was one of the demo card that I did during ScrapFest. 

I started out with stamping the solid images "A Study in Watercolor" in pink, purple and green.
Then I stamped the wreath image with "Weekend Doodles".

The key is to aim for a visual "triangle" and the design will make sense to the eyes.

 Although stamped images may look random, it really is not! 

After all the stamping (including the sentiment) were completed, I decided to add some shine!

This nearly transparent Brutus Monroe Snowflake Glitter Glaze is great as an embellishment.  I took out the Altenew Warp Speed Stencil and added the glitter paste around the sentiment.

At the end, I literally had to band-aid my card because I found a torn mark on bottom right corner! 
Peach Gold Washi Paper came to the rescue! It all worked out. The end.

I hope this post inspires you to try using solid stamps and outline stamps together.
You will be surprised with what you create!

In tomorrow's post, I will announce the lucky winners from Show and Share
AND
two monthly Altenew $15 gift certificate!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Check out the great sale over Altenew here

 The Peruvian Lily hereis now 45% off off!
See Clearance here
Thanks so much for stopping by!

Altenew Embossing Paste

Hello friends!


How are you?
 I am popping in with a quick post about using the new Altenew Embossing Paste. 
The paste is mainly used with stencils as it leaves a fine textures and is great for mixed media projects.

Product info: Altenew embossing paste is bright white in color and has a smooth texture that dries solid when left to air dry. Depending on the amount of paste and the thickness of the applied layer, the drying time will vary. This paste is perfect for adding texture to your projects. You may use it with stencils, die cuts or simply or simply apply it free-hand. You may mix it with our dye ink re-inkers or alcohol ink refills to add color to your paste.




I mixed the paste with Mountain Mist Metallic Shimmer Ink Spray and Lagoon Metallic Shimmer Ink Spray. I did my first try with Altenew Ink Spray and it is a SUCCESS! 



I then took out the Teal Shadow Washi Tape and applied it onto a piece of card stock and fussy cut the image. This step can be avoided if you have Floral Shadow Dies (I don't). Or, you can purchase the matching die with the Washi Tape!


The white paste can be easily blended with any types of ink. You can mix the paste with Distress Oxide, Distress Ink, Altenew Ink, glitter and metallic embossing powder. I love how the paste and Washi Tape work so beautifully together! They really makes it effortless for us to create! 

 

As you can see, you can totally fussy cut out the ( Floral Shadow) images without any problems. For the embellishments, I added  DMC silver strings and added Liquid Pearl droplets. All links are listed below. Affiliate links are applied at no additional cost to you. I appreciate your support.

Remember it is last day 20% off on all dies over Altenew!

On orders over $100, 
FREE US shipping code --->USFREE
$7 off International shipping code----> SHIP7OFF

Shop sales (up to 40% off)----->HERE

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scrapbook.com offers 7% site wide with code "APRIL7OFF"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Concord & 9th offers Last Chance Stamp sale--here 

 Turnabout Stamps turned TWO---sales---> here

• Gem die offer valid on all orders $60 and over (subtotal after discounts & before shipping).
• Gem Turnabout™ stamp set offer valid on all orders $120 and over (subtotal after discounts & before shipping). With $120 spend, you'll earn BOTH the Gem die and Gem Turnabout™ stamp set!
• All FREE items are while supplies last!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spellbinders Clearance Sales 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Virginia's Versatile Vases Series #5

Hello friends! 

I am glad to be back with another installment of Versatile Vases Series.

Today's card is focusing on the shape DIE!
You see, I didn't have to use the stamp from Versatile Vases at all.

FYI Altenew has a two-day sales on all dies!

As long as you compose your design with the theme in mind, you totally rely on the shape dies to make it work.

I started out with a DIY very colorful piece of card stock . It was colored with Altenew Watercolor Brush Marker on Bristol paper.

I then took a piece of Washi Paper (Monochrome Washi Tape--links below) on white card stock and ran the Versatile Vase Coordinating Die through the die cut machine.

I then took the same watercolor Brush Marker and stamped the branches (from Wallpaper Art Stamp) on top of the vase. 

The rest is the assembling time!
I added sequins in between the acetate ( Hot off the Press Acetate or packaging ) and foam strips and created a pocket for the shaker card!

I love how this turned out. With all the right products, you can easily create a little piece of ART!

The best thing about this card is postal-friendly and so easy on the eyes!

I hope you enjoy this series and I have one more to go!
 Remember it is 20% off on all dies over Altenew, including Versatile Vases Dies (please use link below).
On orders over $100
FREE US shipping code --->USFREE
$7 off International shipping code----> SHIP7OFF

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scrapbook.com offers 7% site wide with code "APRIL7OFF"

Thanks so much for stopping by!
ps: Altenew and Scrapbook.com have limited Versatile Vases Stamp/Dies/stencil back in stock. 
You must hurry if you want them.

You can check out the previous cards from this series.

An InLinkz Link-up

Altenew April 2019 Washi Tape/Embossing Paste Release Blog Hop + Giveaway

Hello friends!

Yay, it's the Altenew release of Washi Tape and Embossing Paste!

I am super excited to share my project with you.

If you've arrived from Ashlea Cornell 's blog, you are in the right place! For

all the details about this blog hop, please visit Altenew Card Blog and/or Altenew Scrapbook Blog.

For my project, I started out by applying the Botanical Rhapsody Washi Tape onto a piece of Altenew Parchment Card Stock. This Washi Tape is SO beautiful that it can be used on its own.

Coloring Washi Tape with Altenew Artist Markers Set D and Set E worked like a dream! 
Since Washi Tape is non-porous, it will not absorb the artist markers ink.
👉👉👉However, if you wipe/buff it off with a dry paper towel ( I just used my fingers!) it will leave a faint color! 💡 I colored part of the images with 2 shades of markers.
The more you repeat this process, the more intense the colors will become.
Imagine how you can incorporate this Washi Tape into your project with any colors!
 

I wish I could say that I came up with the brilliant idea of using the Geo Frame Die. But in reality, I made a boo-boo while coloring and there was no way I could wipe it off. 
Once the Artist Marker ink dries, it stays! 

 

That's when I decided that I needed to cut out the error and used the Geo Frame for this job! 
Yay, go me! 😁 I also applied a piece of Gold Trim Washi Tape with the Fancy Hello Die! 
That little bit of gold really made this card shine! 



Of course, I could not resist using the embossing paste and stencils. I took out Halftone Stencil and applied the new white embossing paste. A note about the paste: it came in the BIGGEST jar of paste that I have ever seen. It was soft and spreadable like butter!  Stay tuned for my upcoming post on using the new paste!


(Affiliate links are applied at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.)

Prizes: to celebrate this release, Altenew is giving away a $30 gift certificate to 6 lucky winners. Please leave a comment on the Altenew Card Blog and/or Altenew Scrapbook Blog by May 1st for a chance to win!

Extra Giveaway: Altenew will also draw a winner to receive a $15 gift certificate in each designer's blog (such as my/this blog ) in this release. All winners will be announced on May 4th, 2019.

Today's Blog Hop

Altenew Card Blog
Nicole Picadura
Therese Calvird
Laurie Willison
Galina Filippenko
Lilith Eeckels
Amanda Baldwin
🌺🌻🌼Virginia Lu🌺🌻🌼
Nathalie DeSousaLydia Evans
Maryam Perez
Vicky Papaioannou
Agnieszka Malyszek
Alex Syberia
Kymona Tracey
Zsoka Marko
Altenew Scrapbook Blog
Svitlana Shayevich
Olga Moss
Erum Tasneem
Hussena Calcuttawala
Sandra Dietrich
Anna Komenda
Sveta Fotinia
Kathleen Graumüller
Norine Borys
Mona Tóth
Jen Schow
Reiko Tsuchida Kelly Janes
Marie Nicole
Ilda Dias

Your next stop is the blog of Nathalie DeSousa

 I will be back tomorrow for Virginia's Versatile Vases (finally back in stock, hurry!) 
series!! Thanks for stopping by!   

Simple ( and Sleepy) Watercoloring!

Hello friends!

Has it ever happened to you? 

You woke up too early, but you can't quite fall back to sleep right away....

Well this happened to me a few weeks ago during ScrapFest.

Weekend Doodles

Perhaps the nerve was getting to me? Anyhow I had a hard time falling asleep again and decided to do a little coloring. I took out one of the 50 pre-stamped image for ScrapFest and started coloring! 

I thoroughly enjoyed this little coloring exercise since it was so relaxing.

Before you know it, I literally created a card in my sleep!

I went right back to bed and fell asleep after coloring and finished assembling the card after.

So, it all worked out!I used Watercolor Brush Markers on Bristol Paper.
I added the blue shading and even add a bit of blue on the sentiment strip.




edited: the sentiment is from "Delicate Flower Bed". Sorry I forgot to mention that.
All products links are listed below for your reference/shopping.
👉👉👉 Versatile Vases Stamps/Die Bundle are back in stock. Hurry!

LAST day!
Build-a-Flowers are 20 % off! Click here or logo to shop. 

 all sales are valid except BAF-Sweet Violet

Shop sales here
Thanks for stopping by!

My Mental Guideline for Masculine Cards

Hello friends!

I am popping in to share a simple masculine card with "Wild Fern" Stamp.

Today card was created as part of the sample card for "Make & Take" during ScrapFest.

This new-to-me stamp set is so fun to create with. 

When my daughter saw the stamps, she said: "Mom, Ferns are IN"! Stephanie was right! I now realize that there are numerous images about ferns if you check it out over Pinterest.

(all product links are listed at the end of this post)

When it comes to designing Masculine cards, I always keep the following in mind. I guess you can say that this is my "Mental Guideline for Masculine Cards".

1. choice of stamps/dies: obviously, nothing too frilly or fussy. Nature, animals, sea creatures, structures and monuments, transportation, everyday objects, space.... etc. are the popular themes.

2. choice of colors: multiple colors or/and monochromatic all work. You can either apply color contrast or similar color scheme

3. choice of pattern paper: shapes, stripes and bold prints are excellent for creating masculine cards.

4. embellishments: I tend to keep the embellishments minimal . Unless it's a shaker card, I almost never use any sequins.

5. choice of sentiment: bold font and simple text are always easy on the eyes and they make a great statement.  Depending on the them of your designs,  TEXT is another excellent way for background or focal point.

If you read the above "mental guideline for Masculine cards", you can see that my sample card "makes sense"!!? By the way, the black dots you see are not sequins...they are dotted with Black Enamel Accent.



I love love this stamp set and I only wish I have more time playing with this"Wild Fern" Stamp. There is just not enough time to ink up every possibility of each stamp set!!

It will be awesome if you find my "Mental Guidelines for Masculine Cards" helpful.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Altenew promotion (TWO Days only)

Build-a-Flowers are 20 % off! Click here or logo to shop. 

 all sales are valid except BAF-Sweet Violet

Shop sales here
edited--> Versatile Vases Stamps/Die Bundle are back in stock. Hurry!
Thank you for stopping by!