Friends Make Our Hearts Warm by Janet

 Hi everyone! I'm very excited to share a card made with a new line of stamps just released. They are called Woodland Christmas Foundations. This image is 6085-Woodland Snowman Scene. Isn't this snowman and his friends precious? The stamps are square in size so I created a square card for it. I used the 6047-Nested Scalloped Square dies for the layered background.

I first created the card base and the layers before I started on the stamped image. I wanted to make sure I knew exactly how large the focal point needed to be before I started it. I layered berry blue and white glitter cardstock to form the background.

Once done, I stamped the image on alcohol ink friendly paper and cut it out using one of the nested scallop dies. Then I got to work coloring it. To add a little sparkle, I coated the snowman with glitter ink using a Wink of Stella  pen from the Ai Store. It adds just the right amount of shine to snow!

As a finish, I tied a white satin bow and glued it to the top of the card. It's a charming image with an equally charming background.

Thanks for joining me on the blog today. As always, don't forget to find your favorite stamps, dies, papers, and accessories at the Ai Store! You'll always find something that calls to you. 

Happy Crafting!

Janet - YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest  

WILD about the ocean! by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

Welcome to my Wild About You post.
For the current Bi-Weekly challenge, we want to see your projects using
wild animals or animal prints on them.

For my wild animals, I chose to use ocean creatures.

The sub and animals are from 5397 – Submarine Cubbies.

With a finger sponge dauber I used several shades of green pigment

ink to sponge a watery background.

The matte around the sponged panel was cut using 
5063 – Rectangle A2 Double Stitched Dies.
Though you can't see it in the photo, the creatures all have Wink of Stella on them.

One great thing about this set is that it comes with coordinating dies so you don't have to fussy
cut all of those little critters. The sub also has a die which cuts out some of the windows

in case you want some of your cute little creatures swimming in and out of it.

I hope this has inspired you to get in touch with your WILD side.

You can win a free stamp set if you're selected as one of our 2 winners!

You CAN add sparkle and bling to masculine projects! by Reneé Matarese

Hello Ai fans!

You have just about a day left to enter our We 💚 Dads! challenge. Make a Father's Day project or something masculine. You might win a free stamp set! 

Today I've made a dies only card that shows you CAN use sparkle
and bling on a masculine card too!

I used Platinum Stickles and Diamond Dots in several different shades,

to add interest to my card. I also used gold paper on the #1 and the trophy,

and Wink of Stella on the sailboat.

I LOVE the new scalloped square dies to frame the nested squares and stitched squares.
They're so pretty!

The waves were created using a border die from 5543 – Journal Template Die Set.

I love this sort of rustic Americana color theme for guys. Especially since Father's Day usually falls near Flag Day which was my grampy's birthday. (Just so you know...Blogger wanted to autocorrect grampy's to grumpy's! lol!) My grampy was not grumpy!

 

To the Best Mom! by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

Today I'm sharing the card that I made my Mother-in-law this year.

Throughout all of the years that I've known her, over 33 now, cards have always meant a lot to her. She takes great care in choosing the perfect card for someone so she has always treasured my handmade cards.

I apologize for whatever is on the B. It's gone now but the card is in the mail and can't be re-photographed. I used Wink of Stella to give it the shimmer of real porcelain.

I framed the pretty sentiment and teacup with some oval dies from Art Impressions.

Everything is linked below.  I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day.

I used Copic markers to color my image.

BV000, BV000, BV20, BV31, G82, N1, Y15, R000, R20

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day. 

Just a Mermaid and Her Treasures! by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

I've loved this little mermaid since the moment I saw her.

How precious is this card for a little girl's birthday?

Or a big girl...we can all love mermaids!

I know we often hear about octopuses collecting little trinkets and sparkly things but I kind of feel like mermaids probably do that too. I made sure to deck out her space with all sorts of shells and treasures.

Even though my card has a lot going on, I feel like she is still the star. The dies that come with this set cut a little opening in her arms to hold her beloved conch shell or treasure chest or anything else you might think she'd enjoy.

I recently did an Easter craft at school and took one of my chalk palettes. It reignited my interest in them. I used them to add some subtle color to my embossing folder and die cuts.

Do you repurpose items from around your house for your cards? For the fish netting here, I used a sleeve that 3 heads of garlic came in.

This last photo is just for fun. When my daughter saw my card she remarked that it looked like our tissue box.  LOL! Maybe Joel uses Kleenex too and was inspired by the box for his paper! 

P.S. Let me tell you! I DID NOT SPEND ALMOST $9.00 on this tiny bag of shells that I added to my card. Over 10 years ago, these were gifted to me by a co-worker. I can't believe they're still available and I can't believe how expensive they are. Thank goodness for Art Impressions VERY reasonably priced 5329 – Beach Mini Dies. I can color those however I like and make as many as I want.

I made a second, slightly different version because I remembered that I had the nautical wax melt stamper and wanted to add that. I like this version too.

Copics used:

G40, BG02, BG07, E34, RV42, RV52, R000, R85, Y04, Y15

Marvy LePlume:

R810 IVORY, R812 APRICOT, OR821 BEIGE

For April Showers you'll need an umbrella! by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

I'm having some fun with the new challenge here on the blog.

As I flipped through my stamp book trying to decide what to do, the pheasant hat from 5404 – Miss Set
caught my eye.  I thought it looked a little like an umbrella.

If I could turn that hat into an umbrella that would be perfect for the challenge!
And, the way she's holding out her hand, she's just begging to hold something.

I Googled photos of pheasants and tried to color him somewhat realistically.

My trusty Dr. PH Martin's Bleed Proof White was perfect to add the white to his feathers.

I put the pole for the umbrella through the slit in the hat and made the handle out of a letter J die that I found to be just the right size.  Can you see the Wink of Stella on the rain drops?  I love sparkle anywhere I can add it!

I used 5543 – Journal Template Die Set to create the border.  It wasn't long enough for my card so I just cut it twice and pieced it together.  You can see it a little but it wasn't so obvious that I didn't want to use it.  I used the 5562 – Journal Letter Die Set for my April Showers phrase.

I love finding creative new ways to use my stamps.  Her hat probably would have been coverage from the rain all by itself but why not turn it into an umbrella for all of the April Showers?!

Copics used:

N0, N1, T4, C6, BG15, BG57, BV000, BV13,
E17, E35, E51, E84, E93

TwinTones used:

Yellow, Coral Pink, Pale Rose, Candy Pink,

Strawberry Red, Violet, Chocolate, Black

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Happy 3rd Birthday little one! by Reneé Matarese

 Hello Ai fans!

Little girls (and big girls)
just love their fairy tales!

I had a request for a pink card using either something girly or unicorn themed.

I sent her photos of the retired 5752 Floral Carousel Set and the 5225 – Castle Cubbies.

She thought her soon to be 3 year old niece would love the castle.



I used a piece of acetate to make one of the unicorns "fly."  I know that aren't known for flying but they're magical so I feel like if they really put their mind to it...lol!

The front is a shadowbox and I cut the opening and made the sparkly pink frame using 
5063 – Rectangle A2 Double Stitched Dies

Both castles were coated in a layer of WOSC Wink of Stella Glitter Clear Brush Pen – Clear and are so glittery though it's tough to see in the photos.

I decided to make a second version in blue.

This time I added dragons and made one of them fly.

The dragon wings were also done with Wink of Stella and the unicorns and torch flames have some Stickles for added sparkle.

Dawn Kuklewicz sent me some adorable little gems for my birthday so I added several of them for some extra bling.

The Critter Cubbies are possibly my favorite interactive series of all time with the Sub Cubbie,  Mushroom Cubbie and this Castle Cubbie being my favorites but PLEASE!  Don't make me choose!
Because then...the hen house,  the barn, the owls...I LOVE them ALL!

Twin Tone Markers:

Yellow

Sky Blue

Chocolate

Candy Pink

Raspberry

Copics used:

R32, R81
Y15

B41

G20, G43

N1, W5

E31, E42, E43, E51, E81