A Wonderful Day

I love watercolor crayons because they don’t dry out on the rubber, thus giving me plenty of time to work with them.  They also have the wonderful ability to make me look more skilled than I really am . . .  and I’m always up for that!

A few strokes of the crayons on the rubber, followed by a spritz or two of water can give  you easy, artsy results.  All you have to do is get over the idea that you’re gonna be able to predict exactly how it’s going to turn out.  No way . . . and isn’t that part of the fun?

Cardstock:               PaperCut Brown Umber, Watercolor paper
Stamps:                   Hero Envelope Pattern, Evolving Images Leaf
                                     Spray, Great Impressions “May your day . . .”
Inks:                         ColorBox Frost White
Crayons:                  Caran D’Ache watercolor Red, Blue, Dark Brown
Emb Powder:          Judikins Opaque White
Dies:                        Memory Box Pippi Butterfly
Doo Dads:               Gelly Roll Clear Star pen, Jute twine

Dream

I really love the misty look vellum gives to an image . . .

 . . . just right for the dream theme of this card.

Cardstock:              Bazzill Sunshine, Beckett Moonlight, Generic Vellum

Stamps:                   Tim Holtz Papillion, So She Stamps “Dream”

Inks:                           Distress Wild Honey, Mustard Seed, Dusty

                                     Concord, Faded Jeans, Frayed Burlap, Hero Black

Emb Folder:             Darice Crackle

Doo Dads:                Yellow eyelets, Blue ribbon, deckled trimmer blade

Memories

On my exceedingly short list of cards I’ve done that have caused me no regrets or agonized second-guessing, I think perhaps this card deserves a spot . . .

All of the varied elements just seemed to flow together easily and I just sort of went along for the ride!  Of course, the camera ate the subtle shimmer I sprayed onto the image – in real life, it has a gentle gleam that goes well with the card layout.  I’m sure that improvements could be made but I’m not touching it . . . DONE!

Cardstock:              Generic textured Black, Champion Cover Mud Mask,

                                      Bazzill Pale Grey

Stamps:                   Rubber Stampede Fly Away Home, VAP “Memories”,

                                       Starving Artistamps Altered Stitches/Crosstitch

Inks:                          Hero Black, ColorBox Frost White

Emb Powder:          Stampendous Pearl Luster Moonstone

Emb Folder:             Sizzix Paisley Palooza

Dies:                          Memory Box Creekside Leaves

Doo Dads:                Perfect Pearls Mist Silver, enamel dot

Thinking of You

A pink, grey, and white combination always seems to work – especially when sparked with a little silver . . .

In the 7^th grade, my school choir decided on full, gray skirts and pink blouses for our uniforms.  In the mid-Fifties, this was the age of as many petticoats as you could possibly cram under your skirt, which gave each of us a walking diameter of at least four feet.  We used entire bottles of starch to get this effect, which made the petticoats so stiff that our legs bled from rubbing against them.  We couldn’t have fallen over if we tried . . . and how we managed to fit ourselves onto those skinny risers for performances baffles me to this day.  But those were happy times with great memories, and I still love using pink, grey and white together.

Minus the dangerous petticoats, of course.

Cardstock:               Bazzill Ash, Emma, Generic Glossy White

Stamps:                    My Sentiments Exactly ”Thinking of You”                   

Inks:                           Ancient Page Flannel Gray

Emb Powder:          Vippies Transcendence

Dies:                          Spellbinders Petite Ovals Small, Mega Classic

                                    Scalloped Ovals Large, Cheery Lynn Dancing

                                    Doily Lace Border, Marianne Creatables Leaves

Doo Dads:                Gelly Roll Clear Star, Silver pearls

A Friend's House

This card was a success on several levels – none of which have anything at all to do with the layout . . .

I keep a stash of my classroom projects as they never turn out to be my best work.  While in class, I’m in a rush to keep up, my favorite tools and embellishments are at home, and I’m concentrating on learning a new technique rather than making a card worthy of display in the Louvre.  The focal image on this card was rescued from this stash – all it needed was a little love to turn it into something worth giving.

The corrugated card base came from a package of over-sized cards I’ve never used.  Once I cut it down to a standard A2 size, I was off to the races.  The trimmings will be saved for embellishments on other projects.

Lastly, I reacquainted myself with my Crop-a-Dile.  That sucker is awesome and I have no idea why I’ve hesitated to use it on any of my gazzilion eyelets.  It sets them perfectly, easily, and silently (no matter how thick the material) and the eyelets never get crushed the way they do with a hammer. 

I think I’ll put forty eyelets on my next card.  Just because I can . . .

Cardstock:   Bazzill Festive, Generic Corrugated Kraft, Dark Brown

Stamps:         Amuse (?)

Inks:               Memento Tuxedo Black, various Copic markers

Dies:              Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Squares Large, DieNamics

                          Sentiment Strips

Doo Dads:     Jute twine, copper key charm, Dark Brown eyelets

Father's Day, Take Two

My second Father’s Day card goes to my brother Gordy – a world-class father for sure.  I think he learned his skills from our wonderful Dad, may he rest in well-deserved peace . . .

My Father’s Day stamps are extremely limited – in fact, you’re looking at both of them.  So of necessity, this card used several of the same elements that were on my earlier card this week, but the colors and layouts have differences that have helped to personalize each one.  Making them unique was a challenge but they were fun to do, regardless.  Tune in next year to see if I can come up with  more interpretations of the same two stamps . . .

Cardstock:   Generic Turquoise, Beckett Iceberg        

Stamps:        Judikins Origami Background, Studio G text and shirt,

   Alias Smith & Rowe Striped Background, Creative

   Catalyst Tweed Border    

Inks:               Distress Peacock Feathers, Hero Black, Vivid Green, Turquoise

Emb Powder:  Vippies Transcendence

Emb Folder:    Cheery Lynn Burble

Dies:              Spellbinders Classic Squares Large, Lil Inkers Stitched

   Mats: Rectangle, Top Dog Photo Props (Mustache &

   Tie), DieNamics Pinking Edge

Doo Dads:    Black & Silver enamel dot  

Happy Father's Day

As Father’s Day is this Sunday, my two posts this week will be dedicated to all of the wonderful fathers in the world, wherever they may be . . .

Today’s card is for my husband Igor who loves neutrals and browns and texture.  So he got all three.  Plus a little glimmer, which the camera has undoubtedly eaten . . .

Cardstock:   Bazzill Bon Bon, printed vellum, various Brown & Green

   spattered watercolor pieces from my Scrap Stash

Stamps:        Studio G text and shirt       

Inks:               Ancient Page Chocolate, Distress Brushed Corduroy

Emb Powder:  Vippies Transcendence

Dies:              Top Dog Photo Props (Mustache & Tie) 

Doo Dads:    Fiskars Wide Deckle scissors, Darice hemp cord Earthy         

Just a Note

A beautiful moon, some dark cardstock, a little bit of judiciously applied bleach . . .

 and voila!  A misty, peaceful night scene – perfect for freeing up pleasant thoughts and sending them off to a dear friend . . .

Cardstock:              Beckett Prairie, Generic Dark Blue          

Stamps:                   Stacy Stamps Antique Background, Moon/Sun, “Just a Note”

Inks:                          Memento Tuxedo Black 

Emb Plate:               Papertrey Ink Woodgrain

Doo Dads:               Black brads   

Thinking of You

Known as “The Renoir of Rubber”, artist Dee Gruenig was behind many innovative signature products and stamping techniques.  One of my favorites involved small applicator-tipped bottles of brightly colored inks and densely molded rectangular sponges . . .

Along the very edge of one long side of the sponge, you simply squeeze 2-4 drops of each of your choice of colors, continuing all along the edge and keeping the drops close together so that they will blend a little.  Then drag the edge in a continuous motion over your cardstock!  You can make a zillion patterns, stripes, and plaids.  I plan to experiment with reinkers to see if I can get similar results . . .

To add a little shimmer, I over-stamped with a sheer Silver ink in a checkerboard pattern.  Of course, the camera ate most of it . . .

Cardstock:              Constellation Jade Raster White, Neenah Solar

                                    White, Generic Deep Purple, Yellow, Red,

                                     Blue scraps

Stamps:                   Stampin’ Up “Thinking of You”

Inks:                          ColorBox Silver, Gelly Roll Clear Star, Dee’s

                                    Inkabilities Rainbow Inks, Encore Silver

Emb Powder:          B’Muse Silver

Dies:                          Marianne Anja’s Vintage Corner Set, Lil’ Inker

                                    Stitched Mats: Rectangles

Punches:                 Various EK Success, Carl, Stampin’ Up flowers