Special Birthday Wishes

Two cards are being posted today, so don't run away after seeing the first one!

On the first card, I loved the center image (a leafy border I'd never used before) and thought it would be neat to leave it in black and white and apply color to the background instead . . .

However, I used two different white cardstocks and the whites didn't match.  Things like that bother me.  So I went over the white areas with Distress Old Paper ink to try and even things out.  The results were less than successful.  But I went ahead anyway, added some die cut text and topped things off with die cut sequins covered with Glossy Accents.

The results in a word?  BLEAH.  Mainly, the image doesn't work with the background.  Also the colors.  Also the overly shiny sequins.  

So I tried again . . .

This time, I went with primary colors and an art deco center strip.  The unvarnished sequins look a lot less intrusive, and along with some white chunky glitter to match and pick up the whites in the cardstock, I am much happier with this version.

But I still really love that leafy strip in the first card . . .

The first card:

Cardstock:   Bazzill Raven, Strathmore Postcards Watercolor

Stamps:        Judikins Bolio Nature

Inks:               Distress Barn Door, Wild Honey, Mowed Lawn, Old Paper,

                           ColorBox Black

Emb Powder:   WOW Clear Matte Dull

Dies:              Lil Inkers Stitched Mats Rectangles, Tattered Lace Everyday

                           Sentiments, DieNamics Sequins

Doo Dads:    Glossy Accents

The second card

Cardstock:   Bazzill Raven, Strathmore Bright White

Stamps:        Judikins Bolio Whimsy

Inks:               Distress Candied Apple, Wilted Violet, Mowed Lawn,

                           ColorBox Black

Emb Powder:   WOW Clear Matte Dull

Dies:              Lil Inkers Stitched Mats Rectangles, Tattered Lace Everyday

                           Sentiments, DieNamics Sequins

Doo Dads:    Heat & Stick powder, ProArt glitter White

Enjoy Your Special Day

This is one of those rare cards that was actually going splendidly throughout the composition process . . .

But it was a letdown when it was done.  I loved the individual elements, but the layout wasn't working.  Its off-center arrangement originally looked pretty good in my mind's eye, but the reality was different.  It was the addition of the three dots on the right that put a little balance back into the picture.  Now I like it – hope you do too!

Cardstock:   The Paper Cut Eames White, Beckett Moonlight, Generic

                           scrap Black

Stamps:        Judikins Bolio Deco, Starving Artistamps Feather Stitch,

                           DieNamics Banner Greetings

Inks:               ColorBox Cream, Black

Emb Powder:   Stampendous Ivory Pearl, Judikins Detail Black

Dies:              Ultimate Crafts Magnolia Borders, DieNamics Banner

                           Greetings

Doo Dads:    Black, Silver beads, Inkssentials Enamel Accents Black

Autumn Splendor

I tend to shy away from using large images.  Their size sort of overwhelms me, but I got lucky and had fun with the three biggies on this card . . .

Hard to believe I dug myself out of a large hole by digging an even larger one, but I did, and I think the three huge images play nicely together, don't you?

Cardstock:   Bazzil Raven, Generic Black

Stamps:        Starving Artistamps Big Oaks, Stampin’ Up “Autumn”,

                           Unknown “Splendor”

Inks:               VersaMark, Distress Barn Door, Fired Brick,

                            Gelly Roll Clear Star

Emb Powder:   Vippies Transcendence, Stamp Zia White Sparkle

Dies:              Lil’ Inkers Stitched Mat Rectangle, Simon Says

                           Sketchy Banners

Stencil:          Wendy Vecchi Basically Bricks

Doo Dads:    Golden Embossing Paste

Soar

This is the first time I've used the mosaic background stamp.  I thought its craggy look made a great rocky mountain background for the soaring birds . . .

 After stamping the mosaic twice, I colored the second image, fussy-cutting out the individual shapes and pop-dotting them over the original for added texture.  Then, a little sparkle on the leading edges of the birds' wings as they climb toward the heavens, and we're done.

Cardstock:   The Paper Cut White Matte Coat, Neenah Solar White,

                           Bazzill Raven

Stamps:        Just For Fun Broken Mosaic, Creative Catalyst Tweed

                           Border, MaxStamp Pegs “Soar”, Gelly Roll Clear Star pen

Inks:               Hero Black

Emb Powder:  WOW Clear Matte Dull

Markers:        Copic YG25 Celadon Green, YG67 Moss

Dies:              Spellbinders Shoot!, Impression Obsession Sea Birds

Doo Dads:    Deckled scissors

African Adventures

Awhile ago, I submitted three samples for a color challenge, which was to use black and white plus one color.  None of them made the cut.  But since I like them, and this is my  blog, you too get to have a look at these over the next three posts! 

Second only to Kraft-plus-any-color, black and white are at the top of my list for favorite color combinations to work with.  Adding in a third color really makes it special. 

My favorite things on this card are the beading ( a little hard to see – sorry) and the serendipitous idea to use a grassy border die to cut out an orange strip and use it for some added texture under the palm frond strip.  I'll be doing that one again for sure . . .

Cardstock:   Bazzill Raven, Neenah Solar White, Generic Black,

                           Orange

Stamps:        Stamp Zia Palm Fronds, Snakeskin, Spikes, MJ Barber

                           African Mask, Haika ”African Adventures”

Inks:               ColorBox Frost White, Black, Distress Rusty Hinge

Emb Powder:   Judikins Detail Black, Opaque White

Dies:              DieNamics Sentiment Strips, Sweet ‘n Sassy Fence

                           & Grass Border set, Unknown punch Sun

Doo Dads:    Black, Orange beads

Enjoy the Journey

I've a dear friend who is coming up on 29 years of sobriety and this card is tailor made for him . . .

The upper left and lower right solid corners were actually stamped with a piece of rubber waste left over from a sheet of un-mounted rubber images.  I thought it made a great free-form shape that would work for many casual layouts in need of some corner accents. 

"Rubber waste" is an oxymoron:  no such thing, in my book!

Cardstock:   Marcos #110 Jute, Neenah Desert Storm

Stamps:        Unity Beautiful-Inside and Out, All text: Making Memories

                           Magnetic Stamps

Inks:               VersaFine Olympia Green

Emb Powder:   Cloisonné Emerald Onyx 

Emb Folder: Cuttlebug Oxford

Colored Pencil:  Prisma White    

Impr Plate:    Papertrey Ink Linen

Doo Dads:    May Arts Jute

With Heartfelt Sympathy

When our wonderful neighbor Bob unexpectedly lost his brother last month, this is the card we sent him . . .

Some classic Kraft, cream, and black, textural contrasts, and simple images helped to create the peaceful layout I wanted to be able to give Bob. 

Cardstock:   Marcos #110 Jute, Beckett Moonlight

Stamps:        My Sentiments Exactly Sympathy Sentiments  

Inks:               Hero Black

Dies:              DieNamics Pierced Rectangle Frame, Memory Box

                           Prim Poppy

Emb Folder: Taylored Expressions Weathered 

Doo Dads:    Viva Pearl Pen Cream

Birthday Wishes

Continuing with the red, white, and blue color scheme – which I think is terrific at any time of the year – this card is for Justin, who's turning six . . .

My stash of youth-oriented stamps is pretty much zip:  I have an adorable image of an antique teddy bear and that's it.  Justin is way past that phase, so I figured that a cake image would make a great fall-back for any age, right?

There's plenty of sparkle on this card, but as usual, the greedy camera ate it all.

Cardstock:   Bazzill Admiral, Strathmore Bright White, Generic scrap Red

Stamps:        Hero Sending You Love: “Birthday Wishes”, Hero Stamp

                           and Cut Birthday: “To You”

Inks:               ColorBox Frost White, Silver, VersaFine Majestic Blue,

                           VersaColor Scarlet, VersaMark

Emb Powder:   Stamp A Mania Desert Rose, Judikins White Diamond,

                                Delafield Silver

Dies:              Hero Stamp and Cut Birthday: Cake, Cake Plate, Spellbinders

                           Banner Basics Three, Stampin' Up Itty Bitty Banners

Doo Dads:    Stamp Oasis Heat and Stick, USArt Quest Crystal Effects 

                         Gold Essence