Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thankful Cat

On this American Thanksgiving Day, a frosty window scene with a grateful cat perched on the sill seems like a good choice for today’s blog! 

Kittie Caracciolo’s blog is a feast for the eyes and the paper crafting mind.  It’s also a wonderful source for excellent tutorials which clearly show how she makes such magical works.  In one of her recent blogs, she noted that she had over thirty window projects listed!  I decided to start off with a simple window frame I had in my stash but hadn’t yet used.  Kittie’s right:  they really are fun to do . . .
 

The scene through the window features the last of the coloring exercises from my Memory Box class with Dave Brethauer – it seemed tailor-made for use with the window die.  A fanciful bow, a cozy cat grateful to be inside rather than out, and we have ourselves a sweet little scene!

Next project:  a door die I have in my stash and also have never used.  Stay tuned!

Cardstock:      Bazzill Medium Blue, Beckett Iceberg, Memory Box Silver,
                            generic watercolor paper
Stamps:           Memory Box Snowy Branches, Zim Prints Cat, Stampin’ Up
                             “Thanks So Much!” 
Inks:                ColorBox Frost White, Perfect Pearls Mist             
Emb. Powder: Judikins Opaque White
Dies/Punches:  Quickutz Window, Bow from Die-Namics Spring Wreath
                                Set, Label from Spellbinders Tags & Flags Set     
Impression Plate: Papertrey Ink Woodgrain

Monday, November 25, 2013

Thankful Butterfly

Wish I’d gotten this stamp of these whimsical trees while it was still being sold . . .

  
What I REALLY wish is that stamps would never be retired!  How hard is it to keep the original molds and drag them out as needed?  Isn’t everything computerized by now anyway?  So that means that storage isn’t really a problem anymore.  It also probably means that I haven’t the faintest idea of what I’m talking about.  Oh well – perhaps this will teach me to enjoy what I’ve got while I’ve got it . . .
Cardstock:  Memory Box Key Lime, Bazzill Julep, Beckett Moonlight,
                            generic textured cream scrap
Stamps:           Memory Box Row of Trees, Savvy “Thank You” Trail
Inks:                VersaCraft True Black, Distress Brushed Corduroy
                           Gelly Roll Clear Star             
Colored Pencils:  Prisma
Dies/Punches:    Die-Namics Wavy Edge, 1/8” corner rounder, Papertrey
                                  Ink Angled Labels, Family Treasures Squiggle,
                                  Marvy Butterfly           

 

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Thanks So Much

Here’s another card from the Memory Box Coloring class I mentioned earlier . . .
 
 

If you look closely at the center of the flower, you will find a smidge of Flower Soft, an utterly delightful textural material available in a wide range of colors.  I didn’t happen to have black, so after it was glued into place, I dabbed at it with a black marker.  Perhaps I should not be so timid with my next foray into the use of Flower Soft – it really can make a much more wonderful statement than the rather timid little squeak I allowed it to utter here. 

Stay tuned . . .

Cardstock:      Memory Box Key Lime, Bazzill Rain Forest, Beckett
                                Moonlight, Generic Parchment scrap               
Stamps:           Memory Box Poinsettia, Stampin’ Up “Thanks So Much”   
Inks:                Archival Jet Black, Memory Box Cream White
Colored Pencils:  Prisma
Emb Powder:   B’Muse Eggshell White                                   
Emb Folder:     Darice Thin Lines
Dies/Punches:  Die-Namics Sentiment Strip, 1/8” corner rounder  
Doo Dads:        Cream brads, red hemp cord, Flower Soft        

Monday, November 18, 2013

A Simple Thank You

Here’s yet another card from Dave Bretbauer’s coloring class.  We did five cards in two hours, so a couple more are coming your way . . .




I was going for a simple color scheme with a mellow feel to it, so even though I’ve never seen a brown snowflake before, I went with it because I thought it suited the card very well.  This is what I love about stamping:  most of the time, WE get to make the rules!

Cardstock:      Memory Box Key Lime, Bazzill Cocoa, Wausau Firecracker Red,
                                  generic Sand
Stamps:           Just For Fun Fractured Background, Memory Box Decorated Deer,
                                  Our Daily Bread Sparkling Snowflakes, Hero A Simple
                                  Thank You                
Inks:                Ancient Page Light Brown, Sage, Distress Brushed Corduroy
Colored Pencils:  Prisma
Dies/Punches:     Die-Namics Labels and Tabs, Our Daily Bread Sparkling
                                   Snowflakes
Doo Dads:      Pure Glitz Ruby Slippers Stickles

 

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Thanks

Once upon a time, it dawned on me that I could enjoy the aftermath of the Christmas hassle a lot more if I had my thank you cards made up ahead of time.  Then all I had to do was write the note and DONE!  So I pulled out several cards from a fabulous Memory Box class on coloring that I took at the Creative Corner in Glen Spey NY a few years ago.  The class was packed with truly useful ideas and I wound up paying more attention to the techniques than I did on getting the cards actually put together.  I’ve decided that this is a good thing:  bringing my cards home unassembled means I can do better work unhurried at home, and I can also put something more of my own spin on the cards.  Such as with this one . . .

 
This card began with just the card base and the colored focal point.  I decided on the Square Lattice embossing folder for the background because it looks a lot like a cozy knitted sweater which really goes with winter-themed cards.  A diecut frame and a few other doo dads later, and here we are . . . ready to tackle those pesky Thank You’s!

Four more examples are comin’ up – brace yourselves . . .

Cardstock:    Memory Box Wassail, Generic Parchment, watercolor paper
Stamps:         Memory Box Bird with Holly, Amy’s Magic Leaf, Too Much
                                Fun “Thanks”
Inks:               Archival Jet Black, Distress Brushed Corduroy, Gelly Roll
                                Clear Star                                    
Colored Pencils:   Prisma
Dies/Punches:  Spellbinders Classic Frame, Tags Trio
Emb Folder:  Stampin’ Up Square Lattice         
Doo Dads:     1/8” Burgundy ribbon, Cream brads     

 

Monday, November 11, 2013

Thankfulness

As today is Veteran’s Day in the United States, the thankful theme of today’s card couldn’t possibly be more appropriate . . .

 
 . . . while butterflies are not all that common in November, I am taking artistic license here.  A dab of orange in a nod to the season and voila:  a fall butterfly! 

Cardstock:       Neenah Desert Storm
Stamps:            Stampin’ Up Fall Fun set, text from Creative Imaginations Thankful set
Inks:                   Memento Cottage Ivy, Pear Tart, Tangelo, Cantaloupe,
                               ColorBox Gold, Marvy Gold marker                                 
Emb Powder:   Ranger Gold                  
Dies/Punches: Papertrey Ink Take Three, Cheery Lynn Small Exotic Butterflies #1  
Impression Plate:  Papertrey Ink Linen
Doo Dads:        1/8” corner rounder punch

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Make Art

 As Van Gogh is my favorite of the Impressionists, finding these stamps was a treat . . .

 
Vincent’s signature is courtesy of the internet:  Public Domain artifacts can be very useful for filling in the gaps in one’s rubber stamp collection . . .

Cardstock:                        Bazzill Intense Yellow, Beckett Iceberg, generic Navy, watercolor
Stamps:                            Uptown Design Van Gogh Self Portrait, Unknown “Make Art”,
                                               Stamp Camp VanGogh-esque Background
Inks:                                  Distress Marker Mustard Seed, VersaFine Majestic Blue,
                                               Distress Broken China, Hero Mid-Tone Butter Bar,
                                               Gelly Roll pen Clear Star
Crayons:                           Gelatos four blue shades
Colored Pencils:              Prisma True Blue, Walnut Hollow Light Flesh Oil Pencil   
Emb Powder:                   Vippies Transcendence
Dies/Punches:                 Spellbinders Labels 15

 

Monday, November 4, 2013

Hello


While in a blue mood recently (the color – not the emotional state, thank heavens), I went foraging in my Scrap Stash and came up with the following . . .
 


 The top layer of my butterflies is vellum which I ran though an embossing folder before punching out the shapes.  This provided the two touches of white I needed for more balance in the layout.  I love what an embossing folder does to vellum and I plan to use it on larger pieces in future:  the way the design changes from translucent to a crisp chalk white is really beautiful!

Cardstock:                  Stampers Emporium Marina Teal, generic Mint paper,
                                           watercolor paper
Stamps:                       All Night Media “Hello”, Stamp a Mania Line Background
Inks:                              Distress Evergreen Bough, Broken China, Mowed Lawn
Dies/Punches:             Memory Box Prim Poppy, Spellbinders Labels Eight,
                                             McGill & Marvy Butterfly punches
Emb Folder:                Lifestyle Crafts border from Happy Birthday set,
                                             Cuttlebug Herringbone          
Doo Dads:                 Gelly Roll Clear Star pen