Masculine Holiday

Happy September THD fans!  You know how the holidays arrive earlier and earlier every year (or at least that's how it seems, especially as you age...), well for once I have made a seasonal card long before the holidays even hit the shelves!  I was inspired by our current challenge that began yesterday!  Masculine cards are hard, but Tonya has a great selection of papers, dies, and ephemera to pull together a great man's card!

Once I started cutting the Flora & Fauna Bus & Camper Dies, I couldn't stop.  I have 4 cards already completed and 6 more in the works featuring these die cuts, which are amazing and so versatile-- you can see my fall version at the challenge page!  Check back at my blog or Instagram for the others inspired by our challenge and products in the Heart Desires store!

The Concord & 9th tree ring will never get old-- stamped in Unicorn White and heat embossed on kraft, then fussy cut and layered with the rest of the die cuts and ephemera.  The fun wood saw is available in the store from Richard Garay's Lumberjack series.

The Jen Hadfield paper pack Warm & Cozy supplied all the plaids and woodgrain patterned papers.  Don't you love the Splendid Stag from Newton's Nook cut in the brown plaid?

Tonya has a great selection of Brushos, another technique I love used here on Ranger watercolor paper and die cut.

I featured the Carta Bella Autumn series Washi tape (the same design can be found in the paper pack) and wrapped it all up with the Neat & Tangled envelope die.  Tonya has a great selection of Neat and Tangled, but this die is only available as an exclusive at their site.

That's a wrap!  Hope I've helped inspire you to get a head start on holiday cards! 

The Heart Desires Challenge 14

We're celebrating the anniversary of The Heart Desires Store and the THD Challenge this month with a hop where you could be a winner! It seems like just yesterday that our journey started--insert damp eyes--and we want to share the love!  At the same time we're going to start something new for the challenge.

HOP RULES

• There are up to 3 opportunities to win a $20 gift certificate to the store.
• Leave a comment on this post on the blog, IG, and/or FB.  You must be a THD follower of each platform you comment on for your vote to count.
• Enter the challenge for an additional chance to win a $10 gift certificate. Don't forget to link back to the challenge in your personal post.
• Winners will be randomly selected from the eligible entries and announced August 2 so you have plenty of time to comment and enter.

HOP BONUS

• Some of the DT will be offering up prizes on their own social media platforms. Visit the DT for more details.

CHALLENGE RULES

• NEW:  A randomly selected participant each month will receive a $10 gift certificate to the store. Who doesn't like an excuse to shop?!
• NEW:  If you would like to be a guest designer on the blog, please add GD next to your name when you enter.
• Don't worry. We'll still be choosing our favorites.
• Challenges will run from the first Wednesday to the last day of each month. 
• Enter up to 3 times and combine with no more than 6 challenges, including ours. 
• Include the challenge inspiration pic or link in your post. 
• The challenge winner will be invited to be a future guest designer. 
• Use whatever products you have on hand.
• Most importantly, have fun!!!!

STORE SALE

• As an added bonus, everything in The Heart Desires is 20% through July 31.  Use the code CELEBRATESUMMER2017!

When you post your entries, feel free to tag us on social media!

#thdchallenge, #theheartdesiresstore

**************************************

Erin (winner of Challenge 10)

Toni
(using NT Woof, HA Killer Messages, DI Mermaid Lagoon & Tumbled Glass)


Katie
(using Carta Bella Anchors Away Stencil and C9 Heartstrings Die)

Jen

(using Flora & Fauna Under the Sea, GMD Scalloped Stitched Rectangle Dies, Turquoise Brushos, Zig H2O Detail Watercolor Brush)

Wendy

(using NT Awesome die)

Lenae

(using LF Mermaid for You and Year Six) 

 

Amy
(using Hero Arts Color Layering Whale and Ranger Watercolor Paper)


Juhi
(using Concord & 9th Wildflower and Beautiful You dies)



Kimberly
(using Paper Smooches Surf n Turf, DI Mermaid Lagoon & Tumbled Glass)


Kate
(using Waffle Flower Flora Cat Play, Memory Box Underwater Collage and Seaweed Collage dies, Gina Marie Designs X-stitched Rectangle Dies, DI Mermaid Lagoon & Tumbled Glass, Ranger Watercolor Paper and Round Ink Applicator, Ultramarine Brushos, Hero Arts Ombre Ocean Sequins)

Concord & 9th Wildflower	Hero Arts Killer Messages	Hero Arts Color Layering Whale	Lawn Fawn Mermaid for You
Lawn Fawn Year Six	Neat and Tangled Woof	Paper Smooches Surf N Turf	Waffle Flower Flora Cat Play
Concord & 9th Beautiful You Dies	Concord & 9th Heartstrings Die	Memory Box Underwater Collage Die	Memory Box Seaweed Collage Die
Neat & Tangled Awesome Dies	Gina Marie Designs X-stitched Rectangle Dies	Gina Marie Scalloped Stitched Rectangle Dies	Carta Bella Anchors Away Stencil
VersaFine Onyx Black	Zig H2O Detail Watercolor Brush	Brushos, Turquoise	Brushos, Ultra Marine
Distress Ink Mermaid Lagoon	Distress Ink Tumbled Glass	Ranger Round Ink Applicators	Ranger Round Ink Applicators Refills
Strathmore Bristol Vellum Paper	Ranger Watercolor Paper	Hero Arts Ombre Ocean Sequins

LinkDeli.com

An InLinkz Link-up

Wintery Thanks!

Happy New Year, THD fans!  We have an inspiring first week of January over here and I hope you have seen our wintery challenge for this month!

Today I have a holiday thank you fitting for the season and featuring Brushos!  Have you tried these yet?  I finally had a chance to break into mine and experiment over the holiday break-- they are so much fun and fairly easy to manipulate.

First I shook some Emerald green Brushos onto dry Tim Holtz watercolor paper, being fairly deliberate about where I applied the crystals, as I wanted more of a splattered and multi-colored look with white space, rather than a blended watercolor look which is easily achieved with these.

That is what is great about Brushos-- you can really manipulate the crystals, so more effects are achieved than what you get when just using watercolors or Distress inks.

They remind me of Pop Rocks-- without the fizzing.  I don't, however, recommend eating them!

After applying crystals, I spritzed them using a Mini-Mister, from about 6 inches directly above for a fine mist, then close up for larger water droplets.  The distance had an effect on the response of the crystals.  I tried not to use too much water so I would get a more mottled effect.

I blended in some placeswith a wet brush, and for the very dark green, I picked up some crystals on a wet brush and applied here and there.

After about 30 minutes of drying time, I cut my branches.  Note that if some of the crystals don't disolve, you can just gently brush them off with a dry brush.  But be careful as they will stain everything if you have any moisture-- on brush or finger!

I adhered my branches to a Gold Delicata inked, heat embossed, and fussy cut vellum Concord and 9th Tree Ring (you all know by now just how much I love this stamp!!).

While I have used some other products here for my branches, flower, and embossed background, there are some great alternatives in the store that would look amazing.  The Avery Elle Pinecone Die would work beautifully with this card design atop the tree ring, as would the Altenew Poinsettia Stamp and Die set!

The sentiment is from Concord and 9th's Brushed Blossoms.

Tonya's currently out of the Avery Elle Dotted Border Die, but you could use the Avery Elle Snow Caps dies to cut a similar curved border-- and this set is so versatile and fun!

Alternate Product Options available in store for CASEing my card:

Love My Tapes Gold Stripe washi

Richard Garay Knit Embossing Folder

That's it for me today! Hope you were inspired to start your new year with some new techniques and products!  Thanks for joining me today!