Loved & Missed

Finnegan was the beloved cat of my dear friend and stamping buddy, Carol and her husband Gene.  His legendary nine lives finally ran out and the loss has been hard . . .

The foliage in the large vase is cattails, which I thought was an appropriate choice.  They are backed with small blobs of Glossy Accents which give them invisible support and dimension. 

Finnegan is looking out at a new day full of freedom, good health, and plenty of butterflies to chase.  May he never catch them but always have fun trying . . .

Cardstock:   Fox River Crushed Leaf: Cream, Marcos Jute, Strathmore

                        Watercolor paper          

Stamps:       Hero Designer Woodgrain, KaiserCraft Marble, Simon Says

                        Pawprints on our Hearts: “Loved and Missed”, PSX

                        Wicker Baskets

Inks:             Hero Soft Brown, Black, Distress Brushed Corduroy,

                        Barn Door, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Antique

                        Linen, Tea Die

Dies:            QuicKutz Window, Impression Obsession Cat Set, Vase Set 

Emb Folder: Darice Crackle

Doo Dads:    K&Company Paper Ribbon Wild Saffron set     

Come to Me

I like using purple on a condolence card as I think it is both beautiful and peaceful . . .

The inspiration for this layout came from my own personal Pinterest-type file.  It's filled with pictures of hundreds of blogged cards that have caught my eye and it comes in very handy when The Muse has temporarily abandoned me.

But here's the funny thing:  my cards bear little resemblance to the inspiration cards!  I never know what elements on an inspiration card will turn the key and open up the creative possibilities.  So I never try to figure it out - I just collect pictures of whatever appeals to me and look for the fun of putting it all together at my worktable.  The Muse usually comes out of hiding at that point and the two of us have a really good time!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Blackberry, Beckett Moonlight   

Stamps:       Hero Vine Swatch, Petite Flower Swatch, Mod Swatch,

                        A Stamp in the Hand Words Background Script,

                        Rubbernecker “I will give you rest”

Inks:             Distress Dusty Concord, Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy

Emb Powder:   Seth Apter Dirty Sand

Dies:            Lil Inkers Stitched Mat Rectangles, Memory Box Prim

                        Poppy, Arich Rounded Corners Stitched Rectangles,

                        Punch Bunch Tiny Flowers punch                   

Doo Dads:    Wink of Stella Clear           

SOAR

Inspired by a wonderful blog post HERE by Vicky Pappaioannou recently, I tried my own version of her idea.  She was working on an 8" x 8" journal page, so I downsized in order to fit the proportions of a standard sized card base . . .

I am a big fan of smooshed backgrounds* and that's what I did here with Distress Oxide inks.  After that came some spattering in both black and white, a little randomly applied text, and some sporadic stenciled lettering with black paste.  I'm  happy with the results and plan to use this combination of techniques in a variety of colors many more times in the future!

*Press and twist the Distress ink pad onto your craft mat.  Use two or three colors, then mist.  Lay your cardstock onto the ink and press to transfer the color, then heat dry.  Repeat to add droplets and texture, heat drying between each layer.

Cardstock:   The Paper Cut Eames White,Strathmore #90 Watercolor 

                           paper        

Stamps:       My Favorite Things Diagonal Stripes, Amuse Script

                        Background

Inks:             Distress Oxide Broken China, Cracked Pistachio,

                        Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade, Vintage Photo,

                        Black Soot, Archival Coffee

Colorants:    Claudia Hellmuth Studio Black Gesso

Dies:            Lil Inkers Stitched Mats: Rectangles, Mama Elephant

                        Peek a Frame, Memory Box Butterflies: Darla, Vivienne,

                        Tim Holtz Alphanumeric “SOAR”

Stencil:        The Crafters Workshop Mini Ledger

Doo Dads:    Wink of Stella Clear           

Serenity

While the Serenity Prayer is a mainstay in all Twelve Step programs, it's an invaluable  resource for anyone in need of perspective while dealing with Life's troubles . . .

I picked the pre-printed background paper because it had the range of colors I wanted to use.  Then I had some fun with a mesh die, some Prills, and Seth Apter's new Baked Texture embossing powder.

I have mixed feelings about how this turned out, but I'm clear on one thing - I had a wonderful time putting it all together!

Cardstock:   Papers by Catherine Ivory, Marcos Jute, European Papers

                        Tiny French Letters Designer Paper            

Stamps:       Stampin’ Place Serenity Prayer

Inks:             VersaMark, Distress Brushed Corduroy, ColorBox Black

Emb Powder:   Seth Apter Vintage Beeswax, Rocky Road, WOW Clear

                             Matte Dull, Judikins Detail Black

Dies:            Mama Elephant Peek a Frame, Memory Box Distressed

                        Windham Collage           

Emb Folder: Stampin' Up Fancy Fan

Doo Dads:    USArt Quest Prills: Gilt Trip           

Nature

Here is an idea for a Guy Card!  A friend of ours was injured slightly in a car accident and I thought that a little peaceful contemplation of nature would bring him some serenity while he recovers . . .

The narrow dark frame was the result of a struggle with a stencil and embossing paste.  The idea was to create a dimensional frame around the center panel.  I found a stencil in my stash that would allow me to create the perfect straight line I was after.  Thank heavens I failed:  the uneven and rather untidy results suit this layout far better than a formal frame would have.  Occasionally, making a mess is a good  thing!

While the paste was still wet, I sprinkled on some Distress embossing powder which I love for its matte finish.  I waited until the paste dried in order to cure the powder with my heat gun.  I could have left it as is because the texture was great, but heating will  make it stronger and better able to withstand the less-than-loving ministrations of the cancelling machines at the post office.

Cardstock:   Bazzill Bon Bon, Dark Olive, Strathmore Kid’s Paint Pad

                        watercolor paper, Generic Chocolate     

Stamps:       Just For Fun Trees Background, Stamp Zia “Nature”

Inks:             Distress Vintage Photo, Gathered Twigs, Fired Brick,

                        Worn Lipstick, Peeled Paint

Emb Powder:   Distress Walnut Stain, Zippies Transcendence

Dies:            Spellbinders A2 Distressed Edges, Memory Box Stitched

                        Rectangle Trimmings, Impression Obsession Bare Branch,

                        Arich Rounded Corners Stitched Rectangles                 

Stencil:        The Crafters Workshop Stitch Doodle Dot (frame)         

Be True

Foggy grays seem to be very popular colors right now, and I couldn't be happier.  Gray is such a peaceful color to work with, and it plays well with any color in the rainbow.  I think purple is one of the best . . .

You'll have to take my word for it, but there's a text background on this layout.  It is all but invisible, but I am not blaming my camera this time.  How I would love it if someone were to invent a white dye ink that could actually be seen after it dries , , ,

At least the white UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel) shows up.  I used my favorite method of application:  a few pinches of the coarse powder were scattered over the cardstock and then heated from underneath because no ink was used to hold the powder in place.  Works every time and looks great, don't you think?

Cardstock:   Generic Textured Fog, Conqueror Lightspeck: Surf,

                        Nekoosa Eggplant, Generic Dull Silver           

Stamps:       Stampin' Up By Definition: Love

Inks:             Papertrey Ink Fresh Snow

Emb Powder:   Ranger UTEE Platinum, WOW Clear Sparkle,

                             Opaque Bright White Ultra High

Dies:            Memory Box Wrapped Stitch Rectangle             

Stencil:        Wendy Vecchi Artful Words

Doo Dads:    Wendy Vecchi embossing paste White, Wink of Stella Silver

Laugh, Learn, Live

The poppies, background and the bamboo shoots are three happy refugees from my Stash Box.  When I'm in need of inspiration, I dive into the box and nearly always come up with ideas for the next project . . .

But the real discovery was the gold textured strip under the poppies.  It's not metal - it's shelf liner!  I've lost  the label so I don't know if it's vinyl or silicone, but probably the former.  I cut a strip from the roll, inked it with VersaMark, dusted it with gold embossing powder, and heated it.  The strip remained soft and completely flexible - just as if nothing had been done to it.  To attach it to the card front, I used my favorite glue:  Elmer's School Glue.  It's every bit as flexible, matte, and strong as Multi Medium Matte, but at 1/7th the price.  And you can find it on the shelves of your local supermarket.

I love the results:  it has the look of hammered metal but is lightweight, easy to work with, and cheap!  I plan to collect a few rolls of shelf liner in different patterns (hopefully I'll find some lacy ones) and will play around with various metallic and non-metallic embossing powders.  Also some dies.  Stay tuned for whatever I can come up with.  Better yet, try it out yourself!

Cardstock:   Strathmore Kid’s Paint Pad Watercolor paper   

Stamps:       Starving Artistamps Positive Words

Inks:             Adirondack Color Wash Cranberry, Tattered Angels

                        Glimmer Mist Peach Delight, Tsukineko Walnut Ink

                        Walnut, Distress Brushed Corduroy, VersaMark

Emb Powder:   Judikins Detail Black, Ranger Gold

Dies:            Spellbinders A2 Distressed Edges, Memory Box

                        Bamboo Shoots                

Stencil:        Sweet Stamps Circle Pavers        

Doo Dads:    Mesh shelf liner, Wink of Stella Gold