Sunday Stamps Guest Designer for SSC23

I'm very excited to be a guest designer for Sunday Stamps this week--a site that I recently found and love!  It is a color challenge:

The closest colors that I have that match these are from Close To My Heart.  I used Cocoa, Autumn Terracotta and Goldrush.  It was a lot of fun to play with these fall colors which gave me so many wonderful ideas that I couldn't decide what I liked best so I made 3 cards.

Card #1--leaf cut is from Art Philosophy cartridge (page 43 branch 1 cut at 2.5") and the center panel is raised using 3M foam tape  as in the second photo.  The greeting is from Card Chatter--Sympathy and is embossed with Gold Tinsel Embossing Powder (retired CTMH)

Card #2 is a design from Jeanette Lynton's Wishes Book.  The stamps are from the Harvest Happiness set.

Card #3 has clear embossed leaves on the colored portion which adds some texture.  The greeting is also from Harvest Happiness by CTMH.

Do you have a favorite?  We would love to see what designs you come up with--please join us!
:) Marie

"Wicked" Halloween for Numerous Challenges

I was initially inspired to use this sassy witch from Close To My Heart when I saw the latest Cupcake Inspirations photo of  witch decorated cupcakes--very cool!  The card is a little bit larger --6.5 x 5--so I could have the witch placed in the side panel and have room for the greeting. The witch and the greeting were clear embossed using versamark ink first and then black ink.  The products I used are all retired from Close To My Heart except for the Art Philosophy cut label and layer (page 55 rectangle 7 and layer cut at 2.25"). The stamps are from the Wicked stamp set which was a stamp of the month in 2011 and the papers are from Hooligans paper pack which was available in 2010. 

The adorable cupcakes that inspired me:





I am entering this card into the following challenges:
Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #183--Witch
Exploring Cricut--Happy Halloween
Heart 2 Heart--Halloween/Pumpkin
Fantabulous Cricut #134--Orange and Black
Top Tip Challenge #88--Halloween
Friday Favorite Things--Anything
Sweet Stampin'--Halloween
Crafty Mess Challenge #20--Halloween

Flourished Blessings with Clear Embossing Technique

Here are two cards that I made using a clear embossing technique over Splendor paper.  First I stamped the leaf image (D1379 Flourished Blessings) onto the patterned paper with Versamark Ink.  Next I applied CTMH Clear Embossing Powder and heat set with our craft heater. After that I used a sponge dauber with either Chocolate stamp pad or Topiary stamp pad to rub ink into the grooves of the stamped image and around the stamped image to provide contrast from the original paper print which shows in the leaf image.  The first card uses Colonial White as the base with Goldrush and Pansy Purple cardstock and Chocolate ink.  The second card uses Colonial White as the base with Garden Green and Autumn Terracotta cardstock and Topiary Ink.  Close To My Heart has such beautiful patterned papers that this technique can be used with--let your imagination run free with this easy yet stunning technique!