To-Do List

Of all the events I make cards for, I think Halloween is always the most fun . . .

  . . . the creative possibilities are endless, and every trick and technique I’ve ever learned in card-making can be employed in some way on Halloween-themed layouts.  Some of the major holidays involve rather limited themes, but for Halloween it seems that just about anything works.  While my Christmas and Easter cards are always religious, I enjoy cutting loose on Halloween.  So I leave you with this thought: 

BOO!           

 

Cardstock:   Bazzill Raven, Stedner Bright White, Assorted printed

papers                   

Stamps:       Impression Obsession Halloween To Do

Inks:             Superior India Ink Black, ColorBox Frost White

Emb Pwdr:   Hero White

Dies:            Gina Marie Raven on a Branch, Gina K Rectangle

Small Set Double Stitch, Frantic Stamper Spider Web            

Doo Dads:    Past Time Stamps Crystal Gold Ultra Fine Glitter        

Thinking of You

With a sixteen year old son struggling with lymphoma plus several other health issues, a card of encouragement needed to be sent . . .

 

I don’t know why the butterfly photographed navy blue – it’s actually purple like the rest of the background.  The white die cut overlay is actually a layered design involving two dies.  The second layer is visible if you focus on the glittery parts.  The design is quite unique and with all sorts of color combinations, it's guaranteed to appear many times in future on my blog . . .

Cardstock:   Fox River #130 Tiara White, Scrap White, Bazzill Heather        

Emb Pwdr:   Vippies Transcendence

Dies:            Soumeanz Flowers A & B2 , Arich Rounded Corners

Stitched Rectangles, Memory Box Butterflies Darla, Vivienne

Doo Dads:    Wink of Stella Clear, Past Time Stamps Multi Ultra

Fine Glitter

Your Day

A two-tone layered stencil set of leaves called to me recently . . .

Greens are not always easy to work with when combining two or three of them, so a little experimentation preceded the final results here.  I like the look and am looking forward to working with some Fall colors for a different look . . .

 

Cardstock:   Strathmore #100 Bristol Smooth

Stamps:       Stampin’ Up “May your day…”, Purple Daisy Sand

Inks:             Archival Olive, Distress Peeled Paint, Stampin’ Up

Always Artichoke

Emb Pwdr:   Vippies Transcendence

Dies:            DieNamics Vertical Stitched Strip, Craftsless

Branches, Elizabeth Craft Ribbons 1 set, Cheery Lynn

Expandable Quilling Strip Set, Nellie’s Straight

Dotted Oval 

Stencil:        Waffle Flower Duo-tone Tropical Leaves

Doo Dads:    Zutter edge shredder, Queen & Co Pearls: Grass Green         

Happy Birthday

I’ve had some beaded fringe in my stash for donkey’s years and this card seemed a good one for putting it to use . . .

My embossing folder stash also holds some border designs that have been huddling there for years.  I notched the ends to turn them into banners and propped up a point on each banner for a little added dimension.  But if I do this layout again, I think I’ll double-stack every other banner for better definition.

Cardstock:   Bazzill Sugar Cookie, Raven        

Dies:            Divinity Designs Happy Birthday Mini                

Emb Fldr:     Cuttlebug Embossing Border sets: Just My Type,

Organic Flourish

Doo Dads:    The Trim Shop Black beaded fringe,      

Happy Birthday

Some further experimenting with window cards . . .

In my ongoing quest for a clear but non-shiny medium I can use as a backing for my window cards, I decided to experiment with tracing paper.  Not the best decision:  it’s not as sheer as the Grafix Matte Acetate I’ve been using and is quite fragile.

Boo Boo Report:  beneath the unplanned addition of the flower is a hole.  I smeared some ink and used my water brush to remove the ink.  This dissolved the tracing paper and opened up a crater which required an embellishment to cover it up.  Now I have to get creative and figure out how I’m going to use up my brand new twenty foot roll of tracing paper.  I was so sure it would work for my window projects.  Sigh . . .

Cardstock:   Unknown Lime, Strathmore #100 Bristol Smooth, Bienfang

Tracing Paper     

Stamps:       Neat & Tangled Have Courage Set

Inks:             ColorBox Black

Colorants:    Prisma Kelp Green, Lime Peel, Caran D’ache Luminance

Olive Yellow

Emb Pwdr:   Judikins Detail Black

Dies:            Ali Express “Happy Birthday”, Neat & Tangled Have

Courage Set, Pink Fresh Blanket Stitched Squares,

Spellbinders Floral Berry Accent               

Doo Dads:    Gamsol, Inkssentials Enamel Accents: Black    

The New You!

My dearly beloved friend Vangie has been suffering from a bone-on-bone situation with her hip and is about to get things surgically corrected.  So a card depicting her newly found and exuberant physical freedom was certainly in order . . .

 

I went for an art deco feel for this one and had me a good time popping everything up for added dimension.  She and her husband are cat people, currently own eight of them and all are black.  So I added in a very spooked black cat who seems to be looking at us and asking, “What the heck has happened to Vangie?  She’s freakin’ me out!”  If he knew how she’s been suffering over the last several months, he’d understand . . .

 

Cardstock:   Paper Parachute Night Light Papers, Unknown White,

Bazzill Raven, The Paper Cut Orion Variety set: White,

Scraps Green         

Stamps:       Silver Crow Swimming Lady

Inks:             ColorBox Black

Colorants:    Prismacolor Peach Beige, Warm Grey

Emb Pwdr:   Distress Black Soot

Dies:            Hero Palm Fancy, Marianne Creatables Leaves,

Frantic Stamper Ten Fun Felines, Impression

Obsession Vases Set, DieVersion font Noodles              

Doo Dads:    Wink of Stella Clear, Silver, Around the Block Black

                      Frills sticker, Gamsol 

Cheers

I love working with acetate and have used it many times along the way.  It’s fun to add some dimensional elements to a piece of acetate and then use pop dots to suspend it over the card front.  Shadows and depth are thus created and it makes for a very unique card.  But what I don’t like is the shiny hard surface on the acetate.  Happily, after some research, I came up with a much nicer alternative . . .

Graffix Acetate Matte is an almost clear substrate that can be used where vellum often is but it’s sheerer.  It will take ink and other media and has a softly diffused surface with a gentle gleam instead of a hard shine.  Still, I’m also checking out tracing papers to see if there are any truly sheer ones.  But in the meantime, I am really happy with the way this card turned out.  I’ve got plenty of ideas buzzing around in my head for future window cards, so brace yourselves!

                

Cardstock:   Unknown Wheat, Grafix Matte Acetate, Canson

Montval Watercolor #140     

Inks:             Distress Peeled Paint, Rusty Hinge

Dies:            Memory Box Double Stitch Rectangle Cut Out,

InLoveArts Potted Cactus, TK Online Celebration Set:

“Cheers”, Impression Obsession Dragonfly Set

Doo Dads:    Wink of Stella Clear

Cheers!

Lately, I’ve been having an absolutely wonderful time playing with inlaid backgrounds . . .

 

I love mixing patterns which is a good thing.  That’s because my excessive collection of patterned papers needs to be reduced.  So these quilt-type dies are a great way to make that happen.

A piece of 4” wide double-sided tape backs the die cut frame.  Then I use the same die to cut the filler pieces from assorted patterned papers and they get set into place.  When done, the other sheet of release paper gets pulled off the back and the piece is attached to a card base.  Not difficult at all, and as a bonus, I think this design makes a great guy card . . .

 

Cardstock:   Bazzill Simon, assorted patterned papers         

Dies:            InLoveArts Splicing Broken Mirror, Technique Tuesday

Garden Leaves, Simon Says “Cheers”              

Doo Dads:    American Crafts Grosgrain Ribbon Lime 

Guacamole

Recipe Card Category – Blue Ribbon #8

Today is the final post on my 2023 adventures at the NJ State Fair.  The Decorative Recipe Card category is a fun change from the usual card and this one features just one layer . . .

To make it easy to read while cooking (or to keep on display), I’ve glued one of Tim’s clever Small Easels to the back.  It’s created by a Bigz Die and the easel collapses for mailing.  Very handy!

Cardstock:   Canson #140 Watercolor, Bazzill Parakeet, Rain Forest          

Stamps:       Angel Co Speckle

Inks:             Stampin Up Garden Green

Dies:            Lil Inker Stitched Mats Squares, First Edition Fruit,

Essentials by Ellen GOURD-jus, Xcut Mini Fruits,

DieVersions font Noodles: “guacamole”                 

Doo Dads:    Tim Holtz die Small Easel 

Text:  Typed