You Are...by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

Though Mother's Day has passed, I still wanted to share the card that I made for my mom.

I feel like it's appropriate for so many other occasions.

I love these little butterflies and have used them often.
This time, I paired them with a sentiment stamp that sums up my mom perfectly.

I used the hexagon die to cut it out and mounted it on foam tape to add some dimension.

I also popped up the butterfly wings to give the illusion that they're flying.

I used some little dots of gold gel pen and spattered some gold paint on it as well.

Pretty Peonies by Janet

I love peonies. They are so pretty but unfortunately so fleeting. They bloom for such a short time, usually no more than about 2 weeks. Yet peonies have captured our imaginations. That's pretty amazing for a flower that comes and goes so quickly. Good thing we can make the magic and beauty of peonies last a long time in images like the 6164 Peony Margin Set from Art Impressions!

I made my card by stamping the ornate and beautiful margin stamps on a single piece of alcohol friendly cardstock. I left enough room in the middle so that I could put the golden words of loved and grace in the center. These beautiful scripted words come from the 6155 - Ornate Margin Dies set. 

I colored the peonies in dark pinks and reds. I filled in the delicate scrollwork around the peony images with a gold Signo Pigment Ink Gel Pen from the Ai Store. Then I used the most pale pink marker in my collection to create the light pink background on the panel. I used a very pale blue marker to apply the background surrounding the peonies. 

Although lovely, I thought a splash of gold over the panel was a nice final touch. To do that, I added water to Winsor Newton Gold Ink and flicked it on the panel with a brush. After drying, I cut out the words from gold metallic cardstock and applied them in the middle. I used the same gold cardstock as a mat as well and then applied the two pieces on my dark pink card base. Finally, I used a white Signo Pigment Ink Gel to add highlights to the peonies. I used it liberally and it makes the flowers seem to glisten. 

Thanks for joining me on the blog today. As always, find your favorite stamps, dies, papers, and accessories at the Ai Store!

Happy Crafting!

Let the shenanigans BEGIN! by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

Today I'm sharing the card that I made for the current Drink Up! challenge.

You all know that I'm obsessed with the Ai shaker domes.

I couldn't wait to put some green and gold bits in this one for St. Patrick's Day.

I made my card a little on the masculine side but most women would love this too. The little beer mug is what makes it fit the Drink Up challenge.

Copics used:

W3, E84, YR21, Y000, Y04, Y35