Follow Your Dreams

While rummaging through my stash recently, I came across this adorable tag

and stamp set which I’d never used.  It was time to fix that . . .

Lots of texture and some gentle colors make this a nice guy card, I think . . .

Cardstock:   Marcos Premium Cream   

Stamps:       Papertrey Ink Framed Out #5 set, Unknown Mesh

Border, Stampin’ Up All Scallops set

Inks:            Vivid Teal, Olive, Distress Brushed Corduroy, Superior

India Ink Black

Dies:            Papertrey Ink Framed Out #5, TEMU Rectangle Border

Fan Shaped 

Emb Fldr:     Stampin’ Up Fancy Fan

Doo Dads:    May Arts Jute         

Wish Big?

Awhile ago, Altenew’s ingenious Keyhole system of layering dies got my attention and I decided to try one out . . .

 

 . . . I am ever so glad I did, although my wallet won’t be so happy.  I LOVE this system and I hope all other companies develop something like it for their layering dies.  It takes all of the angst out of assembling multiple small parts, saves time in trying to figure out the correct order and positioning,  and gives you perfectly beautiful results.  

Lots of fun and no stress . . . that’s got my name all over it!

Stamps:       Too Much Fun “Wish Big!”     

Ink:              Distress Lost Shadow, Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness,

 Wild Honey, Scattered Straw, VersaColor Chateau Gray,

 ColorBox Frost White       

Emb Pwdr:  Hero White

Dies:            AlteNew Japanese Camellia, Goodculler Stitched Rectangles,

  Marianne Butterfly, Simon Says Butterfly Drift       

Emb Fldr:    Stampin’ Up Fancy Fan   

Doo Dads:  Wink of Stella Clear   

With Sympathy

How I adore bundles which include stamps, plus matching dies, embossing folders, and stencils . . .

Yes, they are an investment, but their versatility is almost without limit.  Each piece can be used by itself or paired with any or all of the others.  Coupled with the amazing Life Changing Blending Brushes, those wonderful tools make me look more skilled than I actually am.  No wonder I love them!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Rain Forest, Fabriano #140 Artistico     

Stamps:       Pink Fresh Lovely Blooms

Inks:            Distress Peeled Pant, Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmalade,

 Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, ColorBox Black

Emb Pwdr:   Judikins Detail Black

Dies:            Pink Fresh Lovely Blooms, Tattered Lace Everyday

 Sentiments: “With Sympathy”           

Stencil:        Pink Fresh Lovely Blooms

Emb Fldr:     Stampin Up Fancy Fan

Doo Dads:    Kat Scrappiness Sparkling Clear Droplets       

While I had originally planned to add some color with the flowers, the neutrals won out on this one . . .

 I dug through my stash of papers and elements to put this card together and came up with three very different pieces:  some highly textured handmade paper, some rough paper with an incised pattern, and some shaped chipboard designs.  Then some Foamiran flowers with button centers got added and we had ourselves the basics under control.  Lots of contrast and texture here and that’s always what I love to play with.

Cardstock:   American Crafts Naturals Set: Cream, various

   handmade papers         

Stamps:       Rubber Baby Italian Type, Red Rubber “Harvest a Blossom . . .”

Inks:             Gina K Charcoal Brown

Emb Pwdr:  Vippies Transcendence

Dies:            Lil Inker Stitched Mats: Dual Stitched Squares, 

TopUnder Three Lobed Flower, Simon Says 

Sentiment Labels              

Doo Dads: Magenta Laser-Cut Chipboard, Foamiran White, 

wood buttons        

Happy Fall

I can’t remember when I last worked with Yupo cardstock and alcohol inks, so this was a good time to bring them out of hiding and have me some fun . . .

The two leaves and the “Happy” text got the treatment and I’m happy with the mottled results.  More fun with these elements lies ahead for sure . . .

Cardstock    Ranger Yupo, Strathmore #100 Bristol Vellum, Scrap 

Glossy Gold

Inks:            Adirondack Alcohol Ink Red Pepper, Terra Cotta,

Butterscotch, Ancient Page Chocolate

Colorants:    Olo Light Walnut, Vermillion, Copic Garnet, Chrome

 Orange

Dies:            DieNamics Grassy Edges, Grosgrain Texture Board, 

 Unknown Border Leaf Strip, Sizzix Skeleton Leaves, 

 On Air-Store “Happy”, Carta Bella Hello Fall Set: 

“Fall”                      

Emb Fldr:     InLoveArts Dense Dots

Doo Dads:    My Mind’s Eye Wood Dots

The Best

I don’t often use patterned paper but when I do, I’m usually rather pleased with the results . . .

On this one, I tinkered with the panel to jazz it up a little:

After putting the patterned paper panel in a 3D embossing folder and running it through my die cutting machine, I used a flat stamp (no image) to lightly apply white ink to the raised areas.  Then I added white embossing powder and heated the panel.  This toned down the rather enthusiastic background and added a fresh, clean look.

Cardstock:   Bazzill Light Rosy, Dark Rosy, Patterned Paper

Stamps:       KaiserCraft “You’re simply the best”

Inks:            Hero Unicorn

Emb Pwdr:   Hero White

Dies:             Lil Inker Stitched Mats Rectangles, Scrap Man 

  Rosebud, Impression Obsession Flags set                  

Emb Fldr:     Memory Box Chrysanthemum Field

Doo Dads:    American Crafts Pink Jute fiber, Queen & Co Pearls 

  Grass Green

Hooray!

Here’s another card done with a different set of cut out leaves . . .

I think next time I’ll use lighter colors such as those on the upper left leaf.  They’ll show up much better than the dark ones.  How I love those intricate leaf shapes!  This set has eight different leaves so you can use as many or as few as you wish.

Cardstock:   Canson Mixed Media #98, Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink 

                      Cardstock, Scrap Dull Gold  

Stamps:       Impression Obsession Waves, Just For Fun Fractured     Background, Patelai “Hooray!  It’s your birthday”

Inks:            Distress Lost Shadow, StazOn Jet Black

Colorants:    Adirondack Alcohol Ink Meadow, Lettuce, Eggplant,

  Butterscotch, Terra Cotta, Cranberry, Currant, Ranger

  Alloy Gilded

Dies:            Tim Holtz Cut Out Leaves, Impression Obsession Flags           

Doo Dads:    May Arts Jute, Mark Richards Metals Gold         

A Day of Thanks

This one was a bit of a struggle . . .

The original rubber image has lovely shading marks to define the indentations on the body of the pumpkin.  When I added color, they got rather dark and grim.  All of my rescue methods failed.  But I made eleven of these and decided to go ahead and send them out anyway.  The next time I use this image, I’ll be more careful . . . meanwhile, to one and all:

                               Happy Thanksgiving!!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Ivy, Strathmore #100 Bristol Smooth     

Stamps:       Eureka Fine Art Pumpkin, Creative Imaginations “A Day

  of Thanks”

Inks:            StazOn Timber Brown, Distress Peeled Paint, Tea Dye,

 Vintage Photo, Gathered Twigs, Distress Crayon Rusty

 Hinge, Spiced Marmalade

Emb Pwdr:   WOW Clear Matte Dull, Vippies Transcendence

Dies:            Sizzix Fall Foliage, Tangled Twigs, Gina Marie Stitched

 Rounded Squares, Dies to Die For Pumpkin Patch, 

                    Spellbinders Fall Botanical                  

Thinking of You

My dear friend Anna recently gifted me with a lovely Hero set of stamps and matching dies . . .

The set is called “Wisteria” and even though purple is my favorite color, I decided to use a warm color scheme instead.  Then after die cutting the image, I turned it upside down and made it look like a garden border filled with tall spikes of beautiful flowers. 

How I love finding different ways to use such lovely products in my stash!

Cardstock:   Bazzill White, Rain Forest, Breathtaking, Strathmore 

#100 Bristol Smooth

Stamps:       Hero Wisteria Set

Inks:            Distress Peeled Paint, Crushed Olive, Wild Honey,

Mustard Seed, Weathered Wood, ColorBox Frost White

Emb Pwdr:   Hero White

Dies:            Hero Wisteria Set, Impression Obsession Sea Birds,

Large Frame, Lil Inkers Cloudy Sky         

Doo Dads:    Stickles Yellow       

Get Well

My dear friend Anna gave me a die set she was ready to let go of, and I am really happy to add this one to my collection . . .

After the flowers were die cut and colored, I felt they needed something more.  I thought it would be neat to highlight the embossed grooves that outline the petals.  But no marker is skinny enough to fit into those grooves without smearing the petals as well.  Then the lightbulb turned on and I thought maybe I could use a gel ballpoint pen to outline the grooves.  Gel ink takes a little longer to dry than regular ink so I figured that would give me time to add embossing powder and heat it.

Lo and behold I was right!  This solves numerous problems with trying to get metallic or embossed highlights into small areas.  There are times I want to highlight a stamped earring, or belt buckle, or trim, or anything else too small for an embossing pen.  So it’s going to be lots of fun putting this little trick to work on future projects!

Cardstock:   Stedner Bright White, Strathmore #140 Watercolor, 

Scrap Dark Green, Black

Stamps:       Unknown Splatter

Inks:            ColorBox Gold, VersaMark, Xyleyw Gel Pen Gold,

Waterclrs:    Inktense Pencils Poppy Red, Hot Red, Dark Aquamarine,

Thistle

Emb Pwdr:   Ranger Gold, Stampendous Shabby White

Dies:            LeCrea Design Frame Roses, Paper Smooches 

Get Well Phrase, Tattered Lace Everyday Sentiments: 

“Soon”             

Happy Thoughts

Along with several other designers, Tim Holtz has several die sets done in the “Cutout” style – these are intricate patterns that are designed to make windows into card fronts.  These can then be backed with all sorts of colorful options to emphasize the design . . .

 

Occasionally, matching outline dies are included in the set that allow you to cut out the entire image.  Usually, however, only the interior part of the design is cut.  For these leaves, I backed them with three colors of alcohol inks.  I think using these images for a shaker card would be wonderful.

Actually, there are numerous ways to use these cutout dies and I plan to try out as many as I can think up . . . get ready for more!

Cardstock:   Canson Mixed Media #98, Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink 

                      Cardstock  

Stamps:       Impression Obsession Waves, Just For Fun 

Fractured Background, Patelai “Sending Happy

Thoughts”

Inks:            Distress Lost Shadow, StazOn Jet Black, ColorBox 

Black

Colorants:    Adirondack Alcohol Ink Meadow, Stream, Bottle

Dies:            Tim Holtz Leaf Print          

Doo Dads:    Joy Pearls Green    

Autumn

I’ve a dear friend who does not have happy memories of long ago birthdays, so for her, birthday cards are out.  But Friendship cards are happily received . . .

In my ongoing experiments with Dragonfly Tissue, I thought I’d try it out over some bright colors to see what would happen.  The rich colors still came through but the Dragonfly Tissue gives a subtle, misty look that is quite appealing. I really love this stuff and am very glad I’ve got lots of it in my stash!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Festive, Strathmore #140 Watercolor, PaperArts

Dragonfly Tissue     

Stamps:       Hero Delicate Blossoms

Inks:            ColorBox Black

Colorants:    Distress Crayon Flickering Candle, Jack-O-Lantern,

Hocus Pocus, Studio Gesso Black, Wink of Stella Black

Waterclrs:    Inktense Pencil Fern

Emb Pwdr:   Judikins Detail Black

Dies:            Spellbinders Small Deckled Mega Rectangles, Paper Smooches “Autumn”             

Doo Dads:    Inkssentials Enamel Accents Black        

Thank You

Another happy experiment with Dragonfly tissue . . .

 

Instead of double-sided tape, I used Mod Podge this time to attach the tissue to the background.  The leafy background was applied with stencil paste.  I thought a creamy glue would make it easier to mold the Dragonfly tissue around the dimensional leaves.

That turned out to be true.  The result had a little more sheen to it than did the tape, even though I used matte finish Mod Podge.  But the sheen is subtle and not harsh.  I’m quite happy with the results . . .

Cardstock:   Strathmore #100 Bristol Smooth, Paper Arts Dragonfly

Tissue, Scrap Dark Brown 

Stamps:       Stampin Up Thank You

Inks:             Ancient Page Leaf Green, Pine, Distress Twisted Citron,

Mowed Lawn, ColorBox Sepia Black, Cream White

Emb Pwdr:   Stamp-n Stuff Ivory Pearl

Dies:            Lil Inker Stitched Mats Rectangles, Gina Marie Stitched

Rounded Squares, Hero Palm Fancy, TEMU Lovely

Tree Leaves              

Stencil:        TEMU Large Leaf

Doo Dads:    Golden Light Molding Paste         

Another Year Older

The more I look at this card, the more I like it!  I’m also happy because I used two products that have been languishing in my stash for ages.  But no more – these will both be making regular appearances in future! 

The first product is the lovely sheer overlay on the background.  The green colored panel was initially a little too vocal for this project, so I dug out my supply of Dragonfly tissue and attached it with double-sided tape*.  I then ran the piece through my die cutting machine with the usual sandwich but no die.  This strongly fused the tissue to the background.   FYI:  the camera has picked up on the white color of the tissue, but in real life, it's the green background that is dominant.  The white doesn't show at all.

Dragonfly is a wispy matte-finish rayon fiber that is machine-made in Japan and has tiny streaks of lustrous fibers running randomly through it.  The entire piece is translucent and almost disappears when glued down.  The end result is a very subtle sheen that provides both visual and tactile texture.  Gorgeous stuff!

* The dragonfly tissue is so thin that the sticky tape still had a bit of stickiness that could be felt on the surface.  So I lightly dusted it with my anti-static pouch, brushed off the excess powder, and was glad to find no change in the background color.

The second product is Tim’s 3D Impresslits which I used for the leaves.  This is an amazing product that creates a 3D embossed image and cuts out the shape at the same time.  Two steps condensed into one – NICE!  The cardstock can be colored before or after they are embossed and die cut.  If the latter, you may wish to re-insert the pieces back into the die and running it through the machine again.  This will restore the dimension that wet inks will take away. 

I plan to stock up on these lovely time-savers as funds permit!

 

Cardstock:   Unknown textured White, Strathmore #100 Bristol Smooth, 

Scrap Dark Green, PaperArts.com Dragonfly       

Stamps:       Endless Creations “Another year older…”

Inks:            Ancient Page Pine, Leaf Green

Colorants:    Memories Mists Strawberry Daiquiri, Mango Lemonade,

Wheat Grass, Lindy’s Stamp Gang Tiger Lily Red Orange,

Perfect Pearls Mists Heirloom Gold

Emb Pwdr:   Ranger Gold

Dies:            Lil Inker Stitched Mats Rectangles, We-Buys Cute Ovals,

Tim Holtz 3D Impresslits Laurel, Leaf                    

Doo Dads:    Gold metal dots