Live

I hadn’t checked out my local Dollar Store lately and was sorry to see that it has become the Dollar Plus Twenty-Five Cents Store.  However, I was delighted to find some really sensational stickers . . . 

The three silvered squares in the windowpane were part of a large Slimline-sized chipboard backing full of stickers.  They’re dimensional but lightweight and I bought two packs of these.  To balance out the three squares I used, I die cut the window in black cardstock and put three of the panes into an embossing folder to make some raised circular designs.  These were mounted in the open squares.

I think I’ll go back to the Dollar Store and buy two more packs . . .

 

Cardstock:   Bazzill Raven, Strathmore Ultimate White, tinfoil        

Inks:             Superior India Ink Black

Dies:            Mama Elephant Peek a Frame, Kaiser Craft

Tribal Strips, EK Success punch Scalloped Corners,

DieVersions Noodles font “Live”             

Emb Fldr:     Cuttlebug Pop Culture

Doo Dads:    Crafters Square Tile Border Gems        

Blessings

Here is another version using the same leafy background stencil I posted on a card last week . . .

When I found that an embossing powder I had was a perfect match to some long unused cardstock, nothing would do but to put them to work.  Texture was added to the die cut leaves using the same piercing die I used to mat the stenciled leaves . . .

 

Cardstock:   Bazzill Bling Puppy Love, Strathmore Ultimate White  

Inks:             Atelier Shark Tooth White

Emb Pwdr:   B’Muse Amethyst

Dies:            Lawn Fawn Stitched Woodgrain Backdrop, Hero

Nested Frame Cuts Rectangles, Papertrey Ink

Happiness in Bloom Leaves, TK Online Celebration Set: “Blessings”             

Stencil:        Honey Bee Scattered Leaves: Background

Doo Dads:    Candi Dots Chocolate Box

Tidings

Every year, I swear that I’m going to simplify my Christmas cards and lessen the number of steps it takes to make them.  And every year, it takes me at least thirty steps to put each one together.  NOT this year . . .

I held firm and made these happen with less than ten steps apiece.  I love to fuss over all of my cards – especially those for Christmas.  But with seventy six cards to send out, reality must be faced.  So I did just that . . .

                   A Merry and very blessed Christmas to one and all!

 

Cardstock:   Marcos Jute, Strathmore Mixed Media #90, Carnival

Cover Red, Love Nicole Rainforest Collection         

Stamps:       Impression Obsession Tidings 2, Tim Holtz Flurry

& Pine

Inks:             Distress Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy

Dies:            Memory Box Leafy Ring, DieNamics Winter Wreath

(bow), Lil Inker Stitched Mats: Rectangles          

Doo Dads:    Stickles Silver 

Thinking of You

Every now and then, a cleanout can yield some real treasures.  This is especially true if you’ve collected so much stuff you’ve forgotten half of what’s in your bloated stash . . .

I unearthed a packet of this wonderful card-making set.  The layered rectangular windows were already cut out and the oatmeal insert I stamped on was also included.  The black layer was pre-trimmed to allow the Kraft card base to show.  This was a real time-saver and while this particular kit is no longer available, other pre-cut/layered choices abound.  Meanwhile, I found this five-card pack on sale at the Allentown PA stamp show a few years ago and as I picked up three packs, you’ll be seeing this set again!  I think this design would be especially great for guy cards . . .    

The card base is 5 ¾” square and I’ll be mailing it in a 6x9” envelope in order to avoid the extra postage that is charged for square envelopes.  The postal sorting machines are programmed to deal with rectangular shapes - square shapes evidently drive them crazy, hence the extra charge to cover the mental health issues involved.

Coloring was done with mostly Prismas and plenty of Gamsol to blend and smooth out the pencil strokes.  I am everlastingly grateful to both the inventor of Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits and to the creative genius who introduced it to the stamping world.  Blending and shading are now a cinch instead of a struggle and I have a smile on my face every time I use it!

Cardstock:   The Paper Cut Square Card Overlay Kit with Fossil,

Black Hopsack, Oatmeal cardstocks       

Stamps:       Rubber Moon Summertime: Large Tree with Hills

Inks:             Hero Cup O’ Joe

Colorants:    Prisma Sap Green Light, Kelly Green, Sienna Brown,

Chocolate, Powder Blue, Staedtler Non-photo Blue,

Stabilo #8043

Dies:            Wplus9 Banner Trio, DieVersions Hint of Lime           

Doo Dads:    Gamsol, Candi Dots Choc-a-Mocha      

Blessings

This one started out with high hopes, quickly descended into the commode, and then rose again like the phoenix to become one of my favorites . . .

 

  . . . and that’s what I love about stamping!  There are so many ways to turn disaster into victory.  This background suffered from leaky stenciling which I fixed by tracing over the white lines with a white pen.  I also ran the stencil and the cardstock through my die cutting machine which gave the leaves some needed dimension.  A little scattered glitter helped distract from the imprecise stenciling. 

The dragonfly wings are two layers of vellum also dry embossed and propped up with my new go-to of clear rolled glue dots placed underneath at the base of the wings and next to the body.  The wings will flatten in the envelope, but will rise again when it’s opened – just like the phoenix . . .

Cardstock:   Bazzill Monochromatic Greens set, Canson Montval

Watercolor #140         

Inks:             Archival Leaf Green, Fern Green, Gelly Roll pen Clear

Waterclrs:    Adirondack Color Wash Lettuce

Emb Pwdr:   Stampendous Shabby White

Dies:            Memory Box Stitched Rectangle Trimmings, Spellbinders

Fanciful Flight, Blessings Vine Frame set: “Blessings”,

Tonic Wings & Things (dragonfly body) 

Stencil:        Honey Bee Scattered Leaves: Background, Details

Emb Fldr:     Paper Discovery Ornamental Gravel

Gone . . .

Recently, my friend Lynn had to put down her beloved cat Jasper as his senior years had become a struggle . . .

I thought a simple layout would work the best here.  He was a much loved and long-time member of the family.  RIP, Jasper . . .

 

Cardstock:   Bazzill Parakeet, Canson Montval Watercolor #140    

Stamps:       Simon Says “Loved & missed”

Inks:             ColorBox Black

Emb Pwdr:   Judikins Detail Black

Dies:            Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Film Strip, Impression

Obsession Cat Set, Elizabeth Craft Ribbons 1,

DieNamics Stitched Rectangle Word Windows,

Marianne Butterflies set                   

Doo Dads:    Wink of Stella Black

Soar

Recently inspired to do a major organization of my decorative papers, I also dived into my Scrap Stash and unearthed this lovely background . . .

 

I honestly think I could be very happy for several years by putting together layouts featuring nothing but the goodies in my towering Scrap Stash.  I’ve got nine clamshell containers stuffed with extras and leftovers from twenty two years of stamping.  They’re also stuffed with inspiration which never fails me, especially when the Muse has gone silent for the day.  Saving things is a really good idea . . .

Cardstock:   Bazzill Juneberry, Pear, Stampin’ Up Vellum, Scraps

Gold, smooshy background from a Fred Mullett class    

Inks:             ColorBox Gold, Gelly Roll marker Clear

Emb Pwdr:   Ranger Gold

Dies:            DieNamics Pierced Rectangle Frames, Memory Box

butterflies: Corden, Powel, Pippi (butterfly body),

DieVersions font Noodles               

Emb Fldr:     Unknown “Tiles”, Memory Box Stitched Rectangle

Trimmings

Doo Dads:    Viva Paper Pen Gold        

Happy Anniversary

Here's a return to a recently discovered technique I can’t get enough of . . .

  . . . Double Stamped Vellum.  On this one, I used a solid image to stamp the back side in dark brown.  I think it makes the white embossed leaves on the front stand out a little more.  I’ll be coming back to this technique many times in future, so brace yourselves.

 

Cardstock:   American Crafts Textured White, Strathmore

Ultimate White, Stampin Up Vellum    

Stamps:        Verve Autumn Splendor, Hero “Happy Anniversary”

Inks:               Gina K Charcoal Brown, ColorBox Frost White

Emb Pwdr:   Hero White

Emb Fldr:      Paper Discovery Ornamental Gravel

Dies:              Pretty Pink Posh Stitched Pieces, Memory Box Cascadia

Butterfly Trio, Simon Says Sentiment Labels                 

Doo Dads:    Gelly Roll Clear      

Thinking of You

How I love making layered butterflies . . .

  . . . I think vellum gives the most ethereal effect.  The problem is that while I want the top layer to be raised and look floaty, the post office is not going to let that happen – through no fault of their own.  Formerly, I have lifted the wings and paper clipped them together to get them out of the way.  I’ve then squeezed a drop of clear dimensional glue like Glossy Accents at the base of the wing and right next to the butterfly’s body.  This works, but then I have to wait a few hours until it dries.

This morning, it occurred to me to use a rolled up clear glue dot instead.  I lifted the edge of the glue dot with the tip of my craft knife and touched it to the rest of the dot.  Removing the dot with the knife finished the rolling and I put it under the wing and alongside the body.  It worked perfectly – I had to really look to see the rolled dot through the vellum.  At most, it looked like a very light shadow, which I noticed only because I was examining it closely.

Whether I use vellum or any opaque cardstock, this is now my new go-to method, especially as I no longer have to wait for any liquid glue to dry.  Love that!

 

Cardstock:   Bazzill Lemon Tart, Beckett Iceberg, Stampin’ Up vellum       

Stamps:        Stampin’ Up Thinking of you, Prickley Pear Butterflies

Inks:               ColorBox Frost White, Black

Emb Pwdr:   Hero White, Judikins Detail Black

Emb Fldr:      Taylored Expressions Brick

Dies:              Tim Holtz Tattered Banners, Prickley Pear Butterflies           

Doo Dads:    Yellow floss, black pearls, black glitter, American

Crafts yellow grosgrain ribbon     

Wish Big

This one was a struggle . . .

  . . . and then I added the clouds in the sky.  That changed just about everything.  It’s not my favorite layout but it’s surely an improvement.  All the action on the tag needed to be balanced with a little hoo hah above the tag and I think the clouds fixed that.  It’s amazing how many times something dimensional can settle an unsettled layout!

 

Cardstock:   Bazzill Red Devil, Beckett Iceberg         

Stamps:        Stampin Up Wish Big!, Lil Inker Balloon Builders

Inks:               Distress Chipped Sapphire, Barn Door, Mustard Seed,

Weathered Wood

Emb Pwdr:   Judikins Detail Black

Dies:              Threetols Net Backgrounds, Lil Inker Balloon Builders,

Cloudy Sky            

Doo Dads:    American Crafts grosgrain ribbon Yellow

Safely Gathered

I’m a sucker for wreath images.  I’ve collected several in both stamp and die form and happily, this is the time of year to trot out at least a few of them . . .

 

Although the design is intricate, the coloring went much quicker than I thought it would.  That’s because I used Gamsol and it smoothed over the colored pencil areas almost immediately.  That wonderful stuff is magic!

 

Cardstock:   Bazzill Pomegranate, Beckett Candlelight        

Stamps:       B&J’s Art Stamps Corn & Pomegranate Wreath,

Impression Obsession “All is safely gathered in”,

Purple Daisy Sand

Inks:             Superior India Ink Black

Colorants:    Caran d’Ache Luminance Pencils Crimson Aubergine,

Moss Green, Orange, Green Ochre, Gelly Roll Clear

Dies:            Gina Marie Stitched Rounded Squares, Spellbinder

Fleur de Lis Squares       

Doo Dads:    Gamsol        

Thinking of You

This card is the maiden voyage of my newest toy:  Tim’s Watercolor Pencils!

I strongly recommend going to his blog and watching his 2.5 hour video on the remarkable properties of these pencils.  Time very well spent . . .

There are so many ways to use these and get great results.  The background on this card was done by misting (once) the stamp and then coloring on it.  For really intense color, I dipped the pencil tip into my water jar for two seconds and then drew with it.

Stay tuned – there are way more experiments to come!

Cardstock:   Bazzle Bazzil Green, Strathmore Mixed Media #90,

Stampin’ Up Vellum

Stamps:       Hero Scattered Leaves, Purple Daisy Sand, Unknown

Thinking of You

Inks:             Superior India Ink Black

Colorants:    Distress Watercolor Pencil Rustic Wilderness,

Peeled Paint, Crushed Olive, Distress Pine Needles

Emb Pwdr:   Vippies Transcendence

Dies:            Lil Inker Stitched Mats Rectangles, Memory Box

Stitched Rectangle Trimmings, We-Buys Cute Ovals,

                      Elizabeth Craft Small Butterfly                

Hope

When a former co-worker was hit head-on by a drunk driver, she wound up lucky to be alive.  Her numerous breaks have been enhanced with a bunch of titanium rods and she’s looking at a long period of recovery.  A message of peaceful hope was what she needs to have . . .

Stamper Extraordinaire Wendy Vecchi did a tutorial quite awhile ago that showed how she spreads embossing paste onto a card front, stamps into it with a text image, and then when dry, she sprays it with a dye ink.  This gets into the nooks and crannies of the text and makes a really neat effect.  If you want to try this, be sure to lightly mist your stamp before putting it into the paste.  This makes for an easy release and will give you a sharper image.  Then, wash the stamp immediately – use an old toothbrush to do a good job quickly and easily.

I love how it turned out and this technique has earned a spot on my Top Ten list of favorite methods . . .

Cardstock:   American Crafts White, Strathmore #90 Mixed Media

Stamps:        Judikins Celtic Background

Inks:               Distress Peeled Paint

Colorants:    Stamp Zia Chroma Spray: Olive

Dies:              Memory Box Arboscello Tree, Frantic Stamper Slimline

Frames Set: “Hope”                   

Doo Dads:    Dreamweaver Translucent Paste 

Celebrate

Here is the fourth and final sample I made from the wonderful collection of brass stencils I was gifted with from Joyce Kurtz, owner of The Peddler’s Pack . . .

 

I kept it simple and let the variegated metal leaf do the talking.  A sliver of gold glitter paper and a brass charm finished this layout. 

I had a ton of fun playing with these stencils – thanks so very much, Joyce!

 

Cardstock:   Metallic cardstock Red, American Crafts Glitter Paper

Gold, Strathmore Pastelle Bright White 

Colorants:    Houston Art Metal Leaf Variegated Red 

Dies:              Lil Inker Stitched Mats Rectangles, TK Online Celebration

Set: Celebrate,    

Stencil:          Dreamweaver Birds with Holly

Doo Dads:    Deco Foil Gel Duo, Gold charm

Bless

The intricacy of this third stencil from The Peddler’s Pack gave me pause when it came to figuring out how to color it.  But I came up with three happy workarounds I’d love to share with y’all . . .

1. I experimented with putting a 1/8” thick piece of colorless foam against the back of the stencil before topping with the cardstock and placing onto the light box.  The light comes clearly through the foam and the design will be raised higher, due to the resiliency the foam provides.  Pull back just a little on the pressure you apply with the stylus to prevent poking a hole in the cardstock.

2.  Coloring a stenciled image can dent the design somewhat, so I always spread a very lightweight molding paste over the back to fill in the design depressions.  It takes seconds to do this, dries quickly, and the design keeps its shape while I color.

3. My happiest discovery was finding out that Gamsol works on my oil pencils as well as on my Prismas!  The Gamsol smooths out the pencil strokes and when applied with a tortillion, the color is hydrated enough to be easily moved to the edges of the embossing.  It does need to be sprayed with a fixative however to prevent smearing.

Cardstock:   Bazzill Raven, Strathmore Mixed Media #90    

Colorants:    Walnut Hollow Oil Pencils Black, Dark Brown, Burnt

Umber, Raw Umber, Blue Green, Red, Red Violet,

Red Orange, Orange

Dies:             Pink Fresh Mini Slimline Essential Bundle, TK Online

Celebration Set: Bless           

Stencil:         Dreamweaver Swirly Tree

Doo Dads:    Deco Foil Gel Duo, Golden Light Molding Paste,

Metalix Glitter Moondust    

Soar

After looking at Christina Werner’s video this morning on painting with reinkers, I just had to give it a try . . .

 Her method was to heat emboss a large pattern onto watercolor paper and then mist or brush on some water to make it easy for the inks to move.  I then squeezed a few drops of three different inker colors onto a smooth surface.  I picked up each of the colors in turn with a wet paintbrush and applied them in various areas over and around the image.  I daubed and smooshed until I got the soft-edged effect I was after.

However, when I apply inks over a heat embossed design, some of the ink always clings to the embossed surfaces, even though they supposedly are not compatible.  So for a crisper look in future, I will paint with the reinkers first, dry them thoroughly, and then heat emboss the image.

 

Cardstock:   Bazzill Jade, Nicole #140 Premiere Watercolor

Stamps:       Gloria Page Spread Your Wings

Inks:             Ancient Page Aegean Blue, Leaf Green, Amethyst,

Color Box Silver

Emb Pwdr:   Delafield Silver

Dies:              Papertrey Ink Angled Labels, DieVersions font 

                      Noodles                  

Doo Dads:    Metalix Glitter Moondust