Happy!

The die for the perforated background is a new one and I had a great time taking it on its maiden voyage atop my crafting table.  Best of all is the coordinating one-piece stencil (available separately) that lets you easily add color while keeping the perforated framing a pristine white – or whatever your original cardstock color is.   I loved how easy it was to brush on the soft frames, even though the color I wound up with was not what I was expecting . . .

  . . . I loaded the brush with Speckled Egg but wound up with a burnt mustard shade!  Evidently, I used a yellow ink the last time I worked with the brush and there was enough remaining to blend with the Speckled Egg.  I actually love the result, especially since I was serendipitously able to match the rogue color with some cardstock in my stash.  SCORE!

This is a one-off, of course . . . I’ll never be able to blunder my way into making that wonderful boo boo happen again.

Cardstock:   Bazzill Desert Sun, Neenah #110 Solar White   

Stamps:       Outlines “Have a Great Day”, Printworks “Celebrate”,

East Coast “Happy”

Inks:             Distress Speckled Egg, ColorBox Black

Emb Pwdr:   Judikins Detail Black

Dies:            Waffle Flower Postage Collage A6 Blocks,

Spellbinders Floral Berry Accents                    

Stencil:        Waffle Flower Postage Collage A6 Blocks

Doo Dads:    Foamiran     

Home

Dear friends have moved to a lovely home in the Pennsylvania countryside so it was time to put together a Housewarming card . . .

 

My order of Sugar Cube cardstock by Taylored Expressions had just arrived and I used it for my Maiden Voyage of this paper combined with OLO alcohol inks.  I am thrilled with it and will stick with it forever!  It’s amazing how the inks virtually self-blend – such a delight to sit and watch the inks lose their hard line and blend with the adjacent colors.  If this didn’t happen by itself, then it was easy to go over the area in circular motions with the lighter color.  Blending then took place quickly and easily.  I’m definitely hooked!  It’s true that cardstock choices can make ALL the difference . . .

Cardstock:   Taylored Expressions Sugar, Bazzill Leap Frog       

Stamps:       A Muse House & Tree

Inks:             Taylored Expressions Oreo

Colorants:    OLO Sky, Blue Sapphire, Avocado, Moss, Yellow

Ochre, Vermillion

Dies:            Frantic Stamper Striped Frame & Insert, Memory Box

Puffy Clouds, Impression Obsession Congrats Word

Set: “Home”              

Christ Is Risen

The most important event in the universe and I always wish I could do more to show the joy . . .

The background has a few smudges and some torn edges to suggest aging.  The palm fronds show life while the hymn speaks the truest words of all time:

                    Christ the Lord Has Risen Today! 

 May your lives be filled with His glory . . .

 Cardstock:   The Paper Cut Eames White, Strathmore #100 Bristol

Vellum, Stampin Up Lucky Limeade       

Stamps:       Brutus Monroe Watercolor Background, Our Daily Bread

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, Craft Smart Cross

Inks:             Gina K Amalgam Black, ColorBox Gold, Distress

Brushed Corduroy

Emb Pwdr:   Ranger Gold

Dies:            Hero Palm Fancy Die, Gina Marie Peekaboo Square            

To This

When my former priest Father Gregory had a massive heart attack early in the year, it was gratifying to see the results of prayer at work.  His recovery began the very next day and has steadily continued, to the great relief of all who love him.  So my card’s layout was very specific . . .

I figured a battered heart followed by a perky, healthy one would tell the story of his wonderful recovery.  There were many miraculous incidents that took place throughout this serious event and we are deeply grateful to God for all of them.

Cardstock:   Neenah Desert Storm, Little Black Dress patterned paper,

Scraps Red, Orange, Green        

Dies:            Darice Nesting Hearts, Simon Says Sketch Heart,

Lil Inker Stitched Mats Squares, DieVersions A Hint of

Lime font, Carl punches Leaf, Flower                  

Doo Dads:    Wink of Stella Clear

St Patrick

I love the stitched, multiple window dies that are very popular right now and decided to use one of them for my St Patrick’s Day card . . .

If it weren’t for the MISTI, I would never have attempted the placement of all of the individual text stamps.  I ran a sample cut of the die, put it into my MISTI and used it to place the text in the windows.  I inked up a practice run or two on scrap paper to make sure the words were properly centered and then was off to the races with cardstock.

LOVE THAT MISTI!  It has opened up scores of creative possibilities I never would have dreamed trying before . . . 

HAPPY ST PATRICK’S DAY!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Green, Strathmore Ultimate White         

Stamps:       Studio G Series 29

Inks:             Superior India Ink Black

Dies:            InLoveArts Splicing Rectangular Background,

Poppy Crafts Bunch of Four Leaf Clovers                   

Doo Dads:    American Ribbon Shamrock Tie, Sparkle & Sprinkle

glitter Gold, Marvy Liquid Gold Paint Marker: Gold      

Soar

This is the last of my current run with Lydia Fiedler’s wonderful assemblage of tinfoil, Gesso, alcohol inks, and 3D embossing folders.  There will be hundreds more of this method in future posts as this technique tops the list of favorites for me . . .

I plan to do up one of these for submission to our annual NJ Fair in August.  Meanwhile, there are scores of colors, designs, multiple media highlights, and layouts that this technique can use and I plan to try them all!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Typhoon      

Stamps:       Judith Dots

Inks:             Adirondack Alcohol Ink Latte, Slate, Pitch Black

Colorants:    Deco Art Acrylic Paint Pot ‘O Gold

Emb Pwdr:   Ranger Gold

Dies:            DieNamics Stitched Mini Scallop Rectangle,

 Love Nicole Dragonfly, Tim Holtz Alphanumeric

Tiny Type Upper             

Emb Fldr:     Tim Holtz 3D Entangled

Doo Dads:    Liquitex White Gesso, Bob Ross Black Gesso  

Dream

We’ve now arrived at the third sample of the alcohol ink and Gesso technique recently demo’d by Lydia Fiedler on Splitcoast Stampers.  This one just might be my favorite of the four . . .

 

After applying paint with a brayer to the raised parts of the design, I decided to scatter on some silver embossing powder and then heated it.  The result turned out to be a little heavy handed but I like the idea and will play with it again.  I think I’ll try using a hard brayer instead of a soft one – that should keep the ink’s contact to a more desirable minimum . . .

Cardstock:   Bazzill Jade, Ranger Alcohol Ink Cardstock Brushed

Silver 

Inks:             Adirondack Alcohol Ink Meadow, Bottle, Denim, Marabu

Alcohol Ink Deep White

Colorants:    DecoArts Acrylic Paint Shimmering Silver

Emb Pwdr:   Stamp A Mania Silver Dollar

Dies:            TEMU Lovely Tree Leaves, Reverse Confetti Wild Words

Set: Dream  

Emb Fldr:     Sizzix 3D Leaves

Doo Dads:    DMC Coton Perle #5 Dark Green 

Blessings

We’re moving right along to the second example of Lydia Fiedler’s technique I first posted last Thursday.  Scroll down for the details on that day.  Lydia has fancifully titled this method, “Drunken Embossed Foil” and while alcohol is indeed involved, it’s not the kind you drink.  Rather, you make ART with it!

Gesso, 3D embossing folders, liquid alcohol inks, and kitchen foil are the four main ingredients that open the door to a lot of fun, and not long thereafter, some beautifully dramatic results.  This one is at the top of my list for multiple repeats!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Crimson         

Inks:             Adirondack Alcohol Ink Terra Cotta, Butterscotch,

Gold Mixatives

Colorants:    Deco Art Acrylic Paint Pot ‘O Gold

Dies:            Impression Obsession Bare Branch, Memory Box

Butterflies Pippi, Isabella, Spellbinders Blessings

Vine Frame Set: “Blessings”               

Emb Fldr:     Open Studio 3D Chrysanthemum Field