Many Thanks... May giveaway starts next Sunday!

 Hello and welcome!

I've had four days off in a row and have been catching up on a lot at home! This is just a quick post about some thank you cards I made with embellishments I found a thrift store!

I found these "thanks" embellishments and knew I probably had card stock to match to make some quick thank you cards for sale (at Friday Fling if you're in downtown Palmer, Alaska this summer!). I rummaged through my paper and found some close matches although these pictures DON'T show the colors matching very well! They match better in real life! I rarely use patterned paper so don't faint when you see the brown card with the flowered paper! I did a technique learned from Jennifer McGuire in that I stamped in VersaMark ink onto the cardstock to do a tone on tone effect. I used a couple of different background stamps from Impression Obsession. I added some bling or pearls around the "thanks" or scattered here and there depending on the card! I made a dozen cards rather quickly! I'll show the other half dozen thank you cards on next Sunday's giveaway post!

I wanted to remind you that my May giveaway starts May 1st... that's less than a week! I'll have to make it a shorter giveaway time since I leave in the middle of the month to head south to see my girls, grandson and brother and sisters (I can't wait!) and I want to mail the prize before I leave!

Since the April giveaway had a rain theme stamp set in it I'm going to try to have May's giveaway include flowers so that... "April showers bring May flowers"! ;0) I know, I'm silly... as my sister keeps saying!

So stay tuned next Sunday for the giveaway to start... you'll see the prize then too!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless you!
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CHALLENGES:
STAMPlorations: Anything Goes CAS with Spring Green
Happy Little Stampers: Mixed Media Challenge-Wings!

April Giveaway Winner... Butterfly & Creativity

Hello and welcome!

Just a quick blog post today! I decided to photograph my cards outside to get more natural light on them instead of fake light like all winter long! It's finally warming up here (in the 50's during the day... yes, that's warm to Alaskans!) and I'm doing a lot more outside chores!

I got this Ranger kit (on sale and with a coupon!) that included the new Distress crayons, the stamp set and some watercolor card stock and made this card! I was just testing the crayons on this piece of card stock and blending them with a brush (I find your finger works better for this but that will be a different post!). After playing around with them in rainbow order I decided to stamp the butterfly from the stamp set and the sentiment in Versafine black ink. I spattered some ink over it as well for that artsy look! I mounted a piece of blue card stock on a Gina K Designs white heavy base weight card stock and adhered the colored piece to black card stock and then to the base. Adding black pearls finished the piece nicely!

And now the winner of the April giveaway is

MOOSEYMARES on Instagram

Since Mooseymares doesn't live in the USA they have opted to "gift" the giveaway to a friend in Minnesota! What a superb idea! So since my giveaway is for USA only and you comment, like or tag the giveaway post and win I'll send it to someone you want in the USA! Sweet idea, Gabriel!

I'll start my May giveaway on May 1st so stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless!
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CHALLENGES:
Creative with Stamps Challenge #1: Butterfly
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Butterfly Beauty
Happy Little Stampers: Wings

April Giveaway Ends April 15th... and Wine Diva!

My older sisters birthday card: Art Impressions "Wine Diva" stamps, Zig Clean Color Real Brush on Ranger watercolor paper. Sentiment embossed with Hero Arts white powder on My Favorite Things Die-Namics Blueprints #26 ribbon die. Wink of Stella glimmer pen and Glossy Accents on wine glass.

Hello and welcome!

Just a quick post to remind you that the April giveaway ends this Thursday at midnight, Alaska time! Here's what you can win:

Waffle Flower "RAIN CHECK" stamps, Freckled Fawn FUN paper clips and FRAMES wood chips embellishments, October Afternoon SUMMERTIME pillow puffy stickers, and Sizzix BRANCH WITH LEAVES die.

I'll be announcing the winner on Saturday, April 16th! You can enter in four different ways so go to this blog post to see how!

My card is for my OLDEST sister's birthday tomorrow. I really LOVE these sets from Art Impressions that have the older ladies laughing it up! It reminds me of my two sisters and I when we get together... which we are doing next month and I'm so excited to see them! I'm enjoying watercoloring even though I'm not very good at it (practice makes perfect... right!?). This piece turned out better than I thought it would and I'm learning the way the Zig brushes work and I really like how easy they are to work with compared to Copics. I just can't seem to get the blending down well with Copics! Maybe they aren't my thing and I need to realize that! But watercolor is very forgiving so I think my Copics may be in one of my giveaways this year (or I'll be selling them)!

Thanks so much for stopping by and don't forget to enter to win the April giveaway!

God bless your day!
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CHALLENGES:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Happy Birthday
Seize the Birthday: Anything Goes (no topping)
AAA Cards Game #62: Anything Goes
Addicted To Stamping Challenge #189: CAS

APRIL GIVEAWAY... Brushos and Birds

Hello and welcome! Happy April Fool's Day!

For Christmas I buy my own card making supplies and my husband buys his own books or art supplies... it's a win-win situation... we both get what we really want! I got some Brushos and they are FABULOUS to work with and fun to watch! Such fine powders and heavy pigments mean you'll never get the same look twice!

First, I used a large sheet of watercolor paper and lightly tapped some Brushos in turquoise, ultramarine blue and purple and then sprayed with a mister filled with Perfect Pearls spray for shimmer. I let dry and cut the panel in half to use on two cards.

On the first card, I used a large bird die from Memory Box "Birds of a Feather" set and cut from Gina K Designs layering weight black card stock several times and adhered them together to make a thick embellishment. I stamped with Stampin' Up "Delight in Life" using my MISTI to get it clearly seen on the textured watercolor paper. I also used a couple of Hero Arts hearts from the "Prayers" set to stamp over the dot in the "i" and off to the side and below in the music staff. Then I die cut music notes from Die-Namics "Musical Notes" set out of black foam. I adhered these with Ranger multi medium in matte finish. I used Wink of Stella pen all over the bird diecut for sparkle.

For my second card, I diecut the bird from black craft foam and used it as a stamp, a la Jennifer McGuire, again using my MISTI stamp tool to get a good impression by stamping several times in the exact same place. (I love my MISTI!!) You can see the difference in cards in that the stamped bird image has some of the Brushos showing through it although not much. I didn't use the Wink of Stella pen for shimmer... that shimmer is from the Perfect Pearls being sprayed on it. The sentiment is from Winnie & Walter's "The Big, The Bold and The Happy" set. I used Gina K Designs base weight card stock for both cards bases.

I'll definitely be experimenting with more Brushos!!

An update on the MARCH giveaway... the winner never contacted me so I chose another winner

BBGRLDEZIGNS

is the new March winner and I've already sent along her goodies! I always give one week for the winner to contact me before choosing another so be sure to follow me in one way so you know if I choose YOU as the next winner!

Here is what you'll receive if you win April's giveaway...

Waffle Flower "RAIN CHECK" stamps, Freckled Fawn FUN paper clips and FRAMES wood chips embellishments, October Afternoon SUMMERTIME pillow puffy stickers, and Sizzix BRANCH WITH LEAVES die.

This giveaway will run through April 15th and I will pick a winner on April 16th!

To win all you have to do is:

1. Comment on this post below for one entry.

2. Comment and/or like giveaway photo on my Instagram account for one entry (Alaska.Kris)

3. Comment and/or like giveaway post on my Facebook page for one entry. (Alaska Forget Me Not Designs)

4. BONUS ENTRY: For a bonus (4th) entry, repost on your blog, Instagram account or Facebook page about my giveaway and leave the link in the comments on this post only.

That is four entries total per person. You have until midnight Alaska time April 15th to do one or all four ways of entering for this giveaway. I will pick a winner and contact them on April 16th. Sorry USA entries only due to shipping costs.

I would love it if you followed me on all my social media but it isn't required for the monthly giveaways. I make cards for the love of creating and love to follow, like and comment on the blogs and other social media accounts of those who love to do the same. That is all...

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a blessed day!

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CHALLENGES:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes