Taylored Expressions Share Joy Challenge #22

Today, I’m playing along with the Share Joy Challenge #22 at Taylored Expressions.

TEChallenge22

I used both the sketch and the inspiration to create an encouragement/friendship card:

TE Share Joy Challenge #22

The focal point of the card is the die-cut coffee machine created with the Koffee Time Stamp & Die Combo set. The sentiment is from the same set. I used the large tag from Build a Tag 4 for the background. I found patterned papers in my stash for the card base.

TE Share Joy Challenge #22

Be sure to head over to the Share Joy Challenge Blog to see more inspiration and to link up your entry!

Penny Black Simplicity Floral Valentine

Today, I’m sharing a Valentine’s Day card created with Penny Black stamps and dies. Valentine’s Day seems to have arrived quickly this year!

VellumHeart

I applied a combination of pink Distress Inks to the 40-389 Bramble stamp, stamping in both the lower-right and upper-left corners of the card base. I die-cut the 51-182 Fancy Heart from white cardstock and adhered it over a piece of vellum cut in the heart shape, to soften the stamped portion underneath it. To finish, I heat-embossed a sentiment from the 30-229 Special Wishes stamp set and added hearts cut with the 51-100 Tree of Love die.

AEI♥U Challenge #33 – Friendship

It’s time for a new AEI♥U Challenge!! This month’s theme is friendship – a perfect theme given that Valentine’s Day is less than two weeks away!

Avery Elle Challenge 33

Here’s my take on the challenge theme:

Jean Manis Avery Elle Challenge #33

I couldn’t resist pairing the whales in the Whale Hello set. At some point, when my sons were much younger, we had several whale books, and I could identify one from another. But I’ve forgotten a lot of that stuff (along with all of the different dinosaurs)! I do know that in the PNW, there are a lot of Orca whales, which we occasionally see traveling in their pods.

I created the card background using the smooshing technique with a variety of Distress Inks. I watercolored the whales using watercolor pencils, Distress Inks, and once dry, I added more shading with colored pencils.

There’s no limit to how you can interpret this challenge! Check out the inspiration from the rest of the Design Team over on the AEI♥U Challenge Blog!  You’ll also find the InLinkz tool to link up YOUR take on the challenge – we’d love to see your beautiful work in our gallery! There are two $25 Avery Elle Gift Certificates up for grabs for the two best entries!  You have until  February 24, 2016 to link up your take on the challenge!

Supplies: Avery Elle Pinked Elle-ments

Penny Black Simplicity CAS Valentine

Today, I’m sharing a CAS Valentine’s Day card created with Penny Black stamps and dies.

CAS Valentine

To begin, I cut the window using the Penny Black 51-135 ironwork window die inside a cardstock rectangle. (The side edges of the window do not get cut, providing lots of flexibility on how to use the die.) I heat-embossed a sentiment from the 30-269 so very much set on the bottom of the panel with silver embossing powder.

I backed the panel with yellow cardstock and attached hearts to the front of the window. The hearts were cut with the 51-100 tree of love die from watercolor paper, which I had colored with Ranger Barn Door Distress Spray.

To finish, I attached the frame to a dry-embossed panel.

Taylored Expressions Share Joy Challenge #19

Today, I’m playing along with the Share Joy Challenge #19 at Taylored Expressions.

SJC19Jan21

I used the sketch to create a Valentine’s Day card created with die cuts:

Jean Manis Taylored Expressions SJC19

I used the Little Bits penguin die to create a boy and a girl penguin. I sized down the skating pond so that it would fit on the stitched heart. I cut it once, and then re-positioned the die on one end and cut again. Then I re-positioned the die on the other end and cut again.

Jean Manis Taylored Expressions SJC19

I used the stitched rectangle die to create the Sugar Cube stitched piece joining the patterned papers by cutting once with the die and then again, leaving the stitched center.

Be sure to head over to the Share Joy Challenge Blog to see more inspiration and to link up your entry!