Thursday, November 27, 2014

In All Its Glory


A gratitude-filled and most blessed Thanksgiving day for one and all!



This is yet another of those holiday cards I make for a number of people and as such, these need to be a little on the streamlined side.  However, this never seems to happen.  Things start out simply enough and then everything just sort of expands.  This card took more than 24 steps to make and when I look at it, I'm still not sure if I'm done yet.

Sigh . . .

One other note:  the background is a lovely rich dark chocolate brown, not the black that my camera seems to think that it is . . .

Cardstock:               Gina K Charcoal Brown, Lustro-Dull Cream,
                                     Bazzill Marigold
Stamps:                    Stampin’ Buddies Patchwork Pumpkin, Creative
                                      Imaginations Thankful Set “In all its Glory”
Inks:                           ColorBox Black, Cream White
Emb Powder:          B’Muse Devil’s Food Delight, Stampendous
                                    Ivory Pearl
Impr Plate:                Cheery Lynn Cement
Doo Dads:                May Arts Cream, Black jute fiber, Gold glitter

Monday, November 24, 2014

Happy Birthday


 I hope you're not tired of feather images yet, because I'm  sure not . . .



The short list of cards I've made – that I really like – is short indeed, but this one is the second card this year that I feel belongs on this list.  Two whole cards in one year?  Booyah:  I'm on a roll!

There are some textured gold speckles on the feathers that the camera has probably ignored, but I'm happy with the results nonetheless. 

This card is a testimonial to the innumerable Boo Boo Bailouts that exist in the wonderful world of Rubber Stamping.  There were four serious glitches on this card front, but don't bother looking for them:  the recovery work-arounds are that good!  These band-aids have little to do with me and everything to do with the excellent tools and numerous Tips and Tricks I've picked up from so many others over fourteen years of stamping. 

Long may our generous rubber family thrive and survive!

Cardstock:   Generic Dark Brown, Beckett Moonlight             
Stamps:        Stacy Distressed Frame, Creative Catalyst Tweed Border,
                           Club Scrap Wispy Feather, other feathers unknown,
                           Stampin’ Up Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Lawn Fawn Grand
                          Greetings: “Happy Birthday”, Starving Artistamps
                          Trimmings: Ball Chain
Inks:               Distress Pumice Stone, Forest Moss, ColorBox Cream
                          White, Gold
Emb Powder:  Stampendous Ivory Pearl, Ranger Gold
Doo Dads:    Deckled scissors, Gold floss                     

Thursday, November 20, 2014

U Rock


My young friend and former neighbor Joshua turns 13 this year and I thought he deserved a rockin' card to add to the celebration . . .



He's a really good kid and I expect he'll make it though the turbulent teens intact.  Still, in today's world . . . fingers are crossed. 

Cardstock:   Generic Textured Red, Bazzill Marigold, PaperCut Matte
                         White
Stamps:        Nema Ink Dancers, Inkadinkado Everyday Expressions:
                          “Happy Birthday”, My Sentiments Exactly U Set: U Rock”,
                          Outlines Bits & Pieces Set Two: Star
Inks:               ColorBox Black, Silver, Pilot marker Silver
Emb Powder:   Judikins Detail Black, B’Muse Silver
                        

Monday, November 17, 2014

Happy Day


It's hard to beat black, white, and silver for making colors pop . . .



Obviously I'm still on my feathers kick!  They are such wonderful iconic images that work well in so many ways.  They're gorgeous when done in a realistic style or as in this sample, a more graphic image.  They can be anything from cute to classic and everything in between. 

Love 'em – be prepared for many more feather adventures . . .

Cardstock:   Bazzill Raven, Neenah Solar White, Mirra Card Silver
Stamps:        Close to My Heart Feathers, Sweet 'n Sassy Rose Collage:
                          "Best Wishes, Celebrate, Happy Day, Hugs to You",
                          Stampin' Up Itty Bitty Background
Inks:               ColorBox Black, Frost White
Emb Powder:   Judikins Detail Black, Opaque White, Suze Weinberg
                          UTEE Black
Colored Pencils:   Intense Chili Red, Vivid Green, Dark Aquamarine,
                          Tangerine               
Doo Dads:    Red eyelets   

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Soar, Treasure, Play


And here we are again, having ever more fun with DIY enamel dots . . .



Yes of course I'm addicted to making these things – why do you ask?  Such fun is probably illegal somewhere . . . but take a walk on the wild side:  scroll down to my previous post and get the directions if you missed them.

Cardstock:   American Crafts Earthtone Green, Watercolor paper,
                          Black scraps
Stamps:        Starving Artistamps “Soar”, “Treasure”, “Play”, Hero
                          Shadow Background 1
Inks:               Distress Seedless Preserves, Mowed Lawn, Fired Brick,
                         Salty Ocean, VersaMark, ColorBox Black
Emb Powder:   Suze Weinberg UTEE White, Judikins Detail Black
Dies:              Spellbinders Fleur de Lis, Impression Obsession Sea Birds
Stencil:          The Crafters Workshop Mini Herringbone
Doo Dads:    DIY enamel dots

Monday, November 10, 2014

Happy Birthday


I went a little overboard with this one - lots of happy color for sure . . .



The really fun thing to share is that this card features DIY enamel dots!  They are so very easy to make:

1. Punch out a few circles from leftover card scraps – I’ve used a cheap, standard office ¼“ hole punch and am planning on finding punches slightly smaller/bigger for variety.
2. Place the dot upside down on a foam mat and use your stylus in a circular motion to form a domed dot - same process as in flower-making.
3. Roll a small glue dot and stick on the end of a pointed wood manicure stick. Use to pick up the paper dot.
4. Tap onto a VersaMark pad, tap onto some clear UTEE and heat.  Quickly tap the hot dot back onto the UTEE and heat a second time.  Repeat one more time.  Watch closely as you heat: there may be a tiny dimple in the top which will disappear in  a second or two as you continue heating.  After the last heating, hold dot upright for five seconds so that the UTEE cools evenly.
5.  Remove from the stick.  Fold another small glue dot in half and use to adhere.

By using your scraps from the same project, your DIY enamel dots will always match perfectly.  Or you can use any colors or any cardstock you like. It takes barely more than a moment to do this and best of all, they're virtually FREE!

Cardstock:   Stampers Emporium Marina Teal, Watercolor
                         paper
Stamps:        Stampin” Up Itty Bitty Banners: “Happy Birthday”
Inks:               Distress Picked Raspberry, Spiced Marmalade,
                         Mustard Seed, Peacock Feathers, ColorBox
                         Frost White
Emb Powder:  Stampendous Shabby White, Judikins Opaque White
Dies:              Spellbinders Grand Label 23, Memory Box Fresh Daisies,
                          Stampin’ Up Itty Bitty Banners Die
Emb Folder: Quickutz Woven      
Stencil:          Dylusions Blocks, Small
Doo Dads:    Tsukineko Goosebumps, DIY enamel dots

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Happy Birthday!


This one was a struggle . . .



 . . . the background was too shrieky so I hauled out the vellum to tone things down.  Not the effect I was after, but I kept slogging along anyway.  The jute flower embellishment was an idea that popped into my head when I got out of bed this morning.  Have absolutely no idea what jarred that one loose, but I like it, so I'll be doing a few of these again.

My favorite part was experimenting with an idea I heard from a few other stampers out there:  I found that it's possible to get some real color on dark cardstock by painting the area first with a wet brush stroked onto my white pigment ink pad.  I heat dried, and then used colored pencils over the white ink.  As they were water color pencils, I smoothed out the color with my trusty water brush.  I'll be playing with this idea a lot!

Overall, there are elements on this card that work, and others that assuredly do not. Sigh . . . such is life . . .    

Cardstock:   PaperCut Brown Umber, Stampin’ Up Vellum, Generic
                           Orange scrap
Stamps:        Stamp La Jolla Satin Flower Square, Stampendous
                          Montage Birthday
Inks:               ColorBox Frost White, Memories Art Print Brown
Emb Powder:   Judikins Opaque White
Colored Pencil:  Inktense Tangerine
Dies:              ScrapMart Bubble Label
Emb Folder: Cuttlebug Divine Swirl       
Doo Dads:    American Crafts Orange Jute, deckled scissors


Monday, November 3, 2014

Thanks


This card was a thank you note to our friend Donna, whose major joy in life is baking extraordinary goodies for people on her "A" list.  How fortunate we are to find ourselves on that stellar list!  At this writing, we are currently snarfing our way through a batch of incredible lemon cupcakes and loving every bite . . .


One of my new favorite techniques is to smoosh various colors onto an acrylic block, pick up the color with a wet paintbrush, and paint away on my embossed focal point.  When done, I mist what inks are left on the block with water and then stamp the block onto another piece of cardstock.  There's usually enough ink left on the block for yet another stamping, so I heat dry the first layer of color and then re-stamp.  This provides darker splots and blots for added textural interest.  Since the inks are the same ones I used for the focal point, the background matches it perfectly and everybody is happy.  I hope . . .

Cardstock:   Marco’s Jute
Stamps:        Hampton Arts Willowy Sunflower, Stampin’ Up “Thanks”
Inks:               Versamark, VersaCraft Lemon Yellow, ColorBox Chalk
                          Frost White, Distress Gathered Twigs, Mowed Lawn,
                          Peeled Paint, VersaCraft Forest
Emb Powder:   Judikins Opaque White
Dies:              Lil Inker Stitched Mats: Rectangle, ScrapMart Bubble
                            Label                           
Doo Dads:    Flower Soft Gold, Dark Green ribbon