Christ is Risen

Unquestionably, the most blessed day of the entire year . . .

 

 . . . Christ has risen!  Glorify Him!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Julep, Beckett Iceberg
Stamps:       Stampendous Palm Fronds, Easter Cross
Inks:             Ancient Page Pine, ColorBox Black
Emb Powder:         Judikins Detail Black
Emb Folder: Cheery Lynn Desert Floor
Dies/Punches:       1/8” corner rounder
Doo Dads:    Pearl Pen Ice White

Hello

This was an attempt at doing a Clean & Simple card.  CAS is a style I admire tremendously, and this card came closer to that ideal than most of my previous attempts.  Obviously, I’ve still got a ways to go . . .

When it comes to adding surface interest via textured layers or anything at all dimensional, I do not tarry in the wings but jump immediately to center stage.  I have found that there are few layouts that can’t be helped by a little added interest in the way of embellies.  Judiciously chosen, of course . . .

Cardstock:         Bazzill Black, Beckett Iceberg

Stamps:              Creative Catalyst Tweed, Knitted Borders, Stampin’ Up Itty
                                      Bitty Backgrounds, PSX Mesh Screen, ‘Hello’ text unknown,
                                      Starving Artistamps Running Stitch border
Inks:                    VersaCraft Black, ColorBox Frost White, Vivid Purple, Brick, Straw, Olive, Teal
Emb Powder:    Judikins Opaque White, Detail Black
Dies/Punches:   Spellbinders Deckled Rectangle, Butterfly punch
Doo Dads:          Joy colored pearls

Fall Quilt

One of the stampers in our club is an avid quilter and her work earns her myriad ribbons every year in our North NJ State Fair.  Barb always comes to mind whenever I get into paper piecing of any kind . . .

I tried a few quilting projects back in the day and had limited success, but I seem to do better with paper.  That means my quilting projects will never warm a bed but hopefully they can warm a few creative hearts regardless . . .

Cardstock:         Bazzill Yam, Dark Olive, Beckett Moonlight

Stamps:              Judikins Artist Signatures
Inks:                    Distress Barn Door, Wild Honey, Peeled Paint, Distress Brushed
                               Corduroy, ColorBox Frost White, Gelly Roll White pen
Emb Powder:    Judikins Opaque White
Dies/Punches:   Sizzix 1.5” Hexagons, Memory Box Marietta Buckle, Punch Bunch
                               Flower, Fiskars Scallop border punch
Doo Dads:          Wood button

Life Is Better

Sometimes, the simplest backgrounds work out the best . . .

 . . . this one is nothing more than first misting watercolor paper, and then inking up a rectangular sponge applicator with whatever ink you choose, and laying it straight down in a patchwork pattern.  Mist with a little Perfect Pearls added to water for a perky little gleam and you’re basically done with the background.  For this card, I distressed the edges, stamped a subtle motif in the corners, added a simple image, and tied on some frou frou fibers to echo the lightheartedness of the bird, and then I went off to find me even more rubber fun for my day!

Cardstock:         Bazzill Turquoise, Aquarelle Watercolor paper

Stamps:              Kaisercraft Flying Bird, Cloud 9 Simple Thoughts-Laughter
                                 (text and leafy corner motif)
Inks:                    Distress Dusty Concord, Faded Jeans, Mustard Seed, Wild
                                 Honey, ColorBox Frost White
Emb Powder:    Judikins Opaque White
Doo Dads:          Eyelash fiber, Distress Stickles Tarnished Brass

May the Road Rise Up . . .

After nearly 3 hours of struggle, I came up with a card that was such a yawn that I didn’t want to post it.  However, one blogger I read recently said she posts her boo boos as well as her successes because they are all part of the journey.  While I don’t go along with the idea that we ought to let ALL of the tawdry details of our lives hang out, I do see her point and am submitting this year’s St Patrick’s Day attempt forthwith . . .
 

 

 Traditionally, the Irish are fantastic workers of metal, so I decided that this year’s card was in honor of their extraordinary talents with earth’s vast storehouse of metallic elements.  But I can hardly wait until next year’s St Patrick’s Day because I came across a really good idea on another blog and I can’t wait to play with it and make it mine.  Meanwhile, you’re stuck with this one . . .

Cardstock:         Bazzill Rain Forest

Stamps:              Frog’s Whiskers Straight & Narrow, Raindrops on Roses Watercolor

                                Splashes, My Sentiments Exactly Shamrock

Inks:                    ColorBox Silver

Emb Powder:    Ranger Silver

Dies/Punches:   Spellbinders Fleur de Lis, EK Success Scalloped Corners

Doo Dads:          Stampendous stickers

 

 

The Weeds Will Win

 Between the weeds and the bugs – both of which outnumber us by the billions – we stampers will never run out of subject material in these well-stocked natural categories . . .

 

 

While I’ve loved the distressed, torn-edge look for years, I could never get the edges reliably scruffy for my liking.  My results were always hit or miss.  That is, until I discovered that the technique is really a two-part process.  I first use the small circular distressing tool available everywhere to break down the edges and make them more malleable.  The second step involves either my fingernail or my thumbnail – whichever is handiest.  Once the edges get broken down with the tool, my fingernail just skates along the edges.  The cardstock will actually do my bidding and provide me with just the degree of curly scruff I’m after.  Oh joy!  The success is indeed in the details . . .

 

Cardstock:         Generic textured Kraft, Blue, watercolor paper

Stamps:              Chapel Road Ironweed, etc. (text and image), Fiskars Mesh brayer

Inks:                    ColorBox Black, Distress Weathered Wood, Mustard Seed,

                                  Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door, Brushed Corduroy, VersaFine

                                   Vintage Sepia

Emb Powder:    Vippies Transcendence

Doo Dads:          Dried pine needles

Leaves

The next three posts will feature cards that were just rejected for publishing.  Given the mournful circumstances, I figured it was only appropriate for me to post the black one first . . .

 Suspended images are fun to make, but they do pose the problem of having all of your workmanship exposed on the inside.  This is easy enough to remedy:  After die-cutting the card front, keep it face up and lay it down over another piece of cardstock (face down) that you want to use for the facing.  Reposition the dies through the openings you’ve already cut and run through the machine.  Voila!  A matched facing you can glue to the inside of the card front.

 Keep in mind that suspended images need to be done with shapes that are symmetrical.  You will need to stamp and cut out two for each window.  Pipe a line of liquid glue down the back of one of the images and then lay down a generous length of thread.  When dry, glue to the back of the second image.  The thread ends are then glued to the backs of the openings inside the card and trimmed.  Now it’s time to glue down your custom facing.

 Just to mix things up, I did the bottom image differently (I try to not get too predictable).  A larger Angled Label was die cut and the Bamboo Leaf Spray was silver embossed, edged with silver marker and foam-mounted to the inside of the card through the opening.

Cardstock:         Bazzill Raven, Beckett Iceberg, Generic Dull Silver Scraps

Stamps:              Fred Mullett Bamboo Leaves, Leaf Spray, Just For Fun “Leaves”

Inks:                    ColorBox Silver, Marvy Marker Silver

Emb Powder:    B’Muse Silver

Dies/Punches:   Papertrey Ink Angled Labels, 1/16” hole punch

Doo Dads:          Silver thread

Birthday Blooms

One of my favorite sources of inspiration is Jennifer McGuire, whose stash of creative ideas never fails to light a fire under my oft-cranky Muse and set my inky pinkies aflame . . .

 

Jennifer had some fun recently with Distress Stains and watercolor paper, and nothing would do but to jump in and have me some fun too!  I wanted to experiment with an idea that popped into my head on the way to bed last night – don’t ask me why my bedtime triggered this inspiration, as I’ve absolutely no idea.  I thought it would be fun to make two pretty much identical backgrounds and layer one over the other.  With sponged edges and pop dots for definition, I think this colorful corollary to a tone-on-tone arrangement works!  What do you think?

Cardstock:         Watercolor paper

Stamps:              Hero Blooming Meadow, Wavy Birthday
Inks:                    Distress Stains: Faded Jeans, Tumbled Glass, Peeled Paint,
                             ColorBox Frost White
Emb Powder:    Judikins Opaque White
Dies/Punches:   Papertrey Ink Mat Stack 4, Wplus9 Banner Trio, DieNamics
                             Mini Rolled Rose, Carl three-leaf punch
Doo Dads:          3/8” White satin picot ribbon, pearls, Perfect Pearls mist