With Love

Blue Ribbon #3     WEDDING CATEGORY

One of my favorite backgrounds is an allover text image, such as I’ve done here . . .

After stamping and inking with yellow and green, I used stencil paste to add more texture.  No such thing as too much tactile interest, in my book . . .

Cardstock:   Bazzill Rain Forest, Premiere #140 Watercolor, 

Scrap Yellow

Stamps:       Hero Friend Definition

Inks:             Distress Peeled Paint, Scattered Straw, ColorBox 

Frost White

Emb Pwdr:   Hero White

Dies:            TEMU Exquisite Three Butterflies, Dee’s Distinctively 

“With Love”            

Stencil:        Sweet Stamps Circle Pavers

Doo Dads:    Golden Light Molding Paste         

Mike & Becky

It was a total joy to make this card, mostly because it celebrates my beautiful niece’s wedding, but also because it was so much fun to put together . . .

While the die design looks intricate, the die cuts are easy to place.  When finished, the card stands up nicely for display.  Even though the design is quite dimensional, the card folds easily for mailing.  The stand-out oval panel can be used to showcase any event, so I think there are countless events I’ll be happily commemorating in future. 

Cardstock:   Bazzill Pear, Leapfrog, Strathmore #140 Watercolor, 

Constellation Raster White

Colorants:    Zig Real Brush Sugared Almond Pink, Yellow

Dies:            TEMU Rectangular and Oval Shapes, Wedding,

Luxury Purple Red Stem, Scrapbook Bow Toppers, 

Cheery Lynn Tiny Flower Kit     

Emb Fldr:     Crafts-Too Sweet Flowers

Doo Dads:    Couture Creations Glitter Silver Shimmer         

Love

BLUE RIBBON #3

This one was outside my wheelhouse but I’m quite happy with the results . . .

The thatched background had been residing in my scrap box for a long time – all it needed was a little purple glitter and some love . . .

 Cardstock:   Orion Silver  

Stamps:       KaiserCraft Marble

Inks:             Encore Silver

Emb Pwdr:   Stampa Mania Silver Dollar

Dies:            Stampin’ Up Lattice Rectangles, Papertrey Ink Mega

Gracious Vases, Penny Black Bamboo Foliage, Avery

Elle Peace, Love, Joy set: “Love”        

Stencil:        Tim Holtz Thatched

Doo Dads:    Faber Castell Texture Luxe Embossing Paste Silver   

Love

Wedding Category – Blue Ribbon

Stamper Chrissie Stokes posted a technique on Splitcoast Stampers that rocketed me over the moon.  It’s called “Double Stamped Vellum” and I immediately played around with it . . .

Here’s how:

1. Using a dark color, stamp a collection of small, mostly solid images on the back of a piece of vellum.

2. On the front, stamp a set of small, semi-detailed images in white and white-emboss.

3. Frame the piece, and add another frame to the  back of the cut-out window to keep things neat and tidy.

Pristine white cardstock could also be used over the entire card front which makes the dark images pop and adds an aura of elegance I cannot get enough of.  The more layers, the more dimension and shadows will be created to add interest.  Have fun trying out both options!

Cardstock:   The Paper Cut Brown Umber, Stampin Up Vellum, 

   Canson Aquarelle #90       

Stamps:        Verve Autumn Splendor

Inks:             Gina K Charcoal Brown, ColorBox Frost White

Emb Pwdr:   Hero White

Dies:             Kat Scrappiness Mini Slimline Double Stitched

  Rectangles, Top Dog Pretty Petals, Memory Box 

  Stitched Petals, Recollections Word Fetti: “Love”           

 

 

To Have and to Hold

When my friends Bob & Trish announced their engagement, I saw a perfect opportunity to use my newly-discovered silver mesh fiber on their card . . .

Not much of it shows, but its gleam and glisten really make the whole layout sparkle. As promised, I’ll be using this and its gold counterpart numerous times in future!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Smoky, Concord & 9^th Neutrals Glitter Pack:

Silver, Scrap Red   

Stamps:       Stampendous Wedding Vow

Inks:             ColorBox Silver

Emb Pwdr:   All Night Media Silver Glitter

Dies:            Studio Katia Darling Ribbon & Dotted Frames,

Lil Inker Dual Stitched Rectangles, TEMU Heart

                      Shaped Cut               

Beloved, Treasure, Forever

 Wedding Category – Blue Ribbon #6

For the Wedding category, I thought the text best expressed the hopes of every newlywed couple . . .

 This image is one of my favorites as it’s quick to color and looks good with almost any color combination I use . . .

Cardstock:   American Crafts Brights set, Strathmore Ultimate White,

Love Nicole Licorice          

Stamps:       Dreams Come True Sketched Floral

Inks:             ColorBox Black, Distress Mermaid Lagoon, Dusty

Concord, Spiced Marmalade, Mowed Lawn, Old Paper

Emb Pwdr:   Judikins Detail Black

Dies:            Rubbernecker Rectangle Combo #3                 

Doo Dads:    Mini Beads Orange         

Happily Ever After

Blue Ribbon #3  WEDDING category    

Pierced designs make such great backgrounds, don’t you think?

 White-on-white is always a favorite of mine and the piercing provides just enough interest without overwhelming the layout . . .

 

Cardstock:   Nicole Premiere #140 watercolor, Bazzill Petal Soft,

Light Olive      

Stamps:        Simon Says Tilted Banner Sayings: “Happily Ever After”

Inks:               Ancient Page Palm Leaf

Emb Pwdr:   Vippies Transcendence

Dies:              Altenew Dotted Starburst Debossing Cover, Impression

Obsession Small Flourish Background, Memory Box

Slender Leaves, Spellbinders Anemone Flower Topper,

Simon Says Tilted Banner Sayings               

Doo Dads:    Pink beads    

To Have & To Hold

 Blue Ribbon #3

It was the lacy background die cut that set the tone for this one . . .

I wanted to make it stand out, so I mounted it on acetate and used about a bazillion teensy foam dots to raise it off the card front.  The acetate gave me something firm to attach the foam dots too and it will also prevent the rather delicate die cut from buckling. 

Tim's Tiny Tattered flowers go well with the casual Kraft card base.  I've learned that the best way to seal a spiraled flower is with a glue dot.  Those things really hold tight!  I used to use liquid glue for that job but then I had to sit there for too many minutes while waiting for the glue to set.

Cardstock:   Marcos Jute, Strathmore Ultimate White, Scraps:

                     Sage Green, acetate       

Stamps:       Stampendous Wedding Vow, Hero Bride and Groom

Inks:             ColorBox Black, Hero Black

Emb Pwdr:  Judikins Detail Black

Dies:            Tim Holtz Intricate Lace, Stitched Rectangles, Tiny

                     Tattered Florals, Nellie’s Straight Oval, DieNamics

                     Dainty Lace Border, Impression Obsession Small Bow, 

                     Cugap Potted Plant                   

Doo Dads:    Gelly Roll Clear, pearls      

Blossom of Love

Blue Ribbon #8

Here is another card made with an acetate layer . . .

Acetate has many uses in card-making.  It's also great to use if you want to reverse an image without any fuss.  On this piece, I stamped the flourish on the right with black Staz-On.  I then turned the acetate over and stamped the same flourish on the back and right next to the first one.  Positioning was easy because you can see right through the acetate . . . and unless someone looks at your card with a microscope, no one is going to be able to tell that you cheated!

And that brings us to the end of this year's trip to the NJ State Fair.  I hope you enjoyed the journey.  If you don't already, I again encourage you to consider entering your own State Fairs next year.  If you start now, you'll have time to make a variety of cards.  And the chance to win a few ribbons to add to your scrapbook really adds to the fun!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Ash, Vanilla, Scraps Black, Dull Gold             

Stamps:       Red Rubber “Harvest a blossom of love”, Starving

                     Artistamps Ladder Stitch, Impression Obsession Large

                     Flourish Three

Inks:             Encore Gold, VersaColor Chateau Grey, StazOn Black

Emb Pwdr:   Judikins Detail Metallic Gold

Dies:            Spellbinders Curved Matting Basics B, Paper Trey Ink

                     Mega Gracious Vases, Quickutz Vases   

Love Love Love

Blue Ribbon Award Winner #4

Some gold, some cream, and a little shimmer . . .

 . . . a lovely way to wish a happy marriage to the couple!

Cardstock:   Beckett Moonlight   

Stamps:       Wordsworth Love set: Love Love Love

Inks:             VersaMark

Emb Powder:   Ranger Gold, Detail Gold

Dies:            Simon Says Fresh Daisies            

Emb Folder:   QuicKutz Sketchbook

Doo Dads:    On the Surface fibers Gold, Viva Pearl Pen Cream     

With Love

Blue Ribbon winner #6

This one was mistakenly posted on August 19th, so yes, you've seen this before . . . sorry about that!

Using tiny images is all the rage right now, but I hadn't climbed on board with that trend just yet – until now . . .

This set from Hero Arts is probably long since extinct (they get rid of images at an alarming rate), but they were just right for this card.  I think it's time for me to explore some more options using tiny images . . .

Cardstock:   Strathmore Bright White, Core’dinations Just Peachy

Stamps:        Hero Wedding Set

Inks:               Hero Black, Gelly Roll Clear

Emb Powder:   Stamp Oasis Heat & Stick

Dies:              Tim Holtz Postage Dots, Spellbinders Fleur De Lis Squares,

                           Cheery Lynn Pretty Pretty Bows

Watercolors:     Gansai Tambi Silver, Zig Clean Color Light Pink

Doo Dads:    Silver floss, Art Glittering System Transparent

Same Direction

It's that thrilling time of the year yet again, folks – the annual New Jersey State Fair held in the sunny downtown North NJ township of Branchville!  I entered nine cards and will be posting all of them throughout the month.  While I've happily done very well over the previous six years, there was a new judge this year and this sort of change can always alter one's winning streak.  Thankfully, I still scored . . .

   . . . nine cards entered and nine blue ribbons won.  Well, I always was into excess!  Maybe I should consider retiring from competition?   Nah – I'm having too much fun to quit now!  Meanwhile, onto the first of this year's winners:

Blue Ribbon Winner #1:

I wanted some cheery colors for this card and what could be cheerier than going in rainbow order . . .

I consulted with my dear artsy BFF Mr ROY G BIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet) and I got the happy effect I was after . . . it's hard to be glum when you're playing with rainbows

Cardstock:   Strathmore #90 Watercolor paper

Stamps:        Hero Floating Hearts, Inkadinkado Exupery Quote

Inks:               ColorBox Black, Frost White, Ancient Page Leaf Green

Emb Powder:   Judikins Detail Black, Opaque White

Dies:              Spellbinders Labels 23, Lil Inker Stitched Mats: Rectangles,

                           Balloon String  

Watercolors:   Gansai Tambi Red, Orange, Mid-Green, Ocean Green,

                              Cobalt Blue, Purple

Doo Dads:    Perfect Pearls mist Silver, Fiskars corner punch Hearts

Same Direction

A Blue Ribbon winner:

Whimsy is fun to do, especially since there are so many wonderful images out there that can lend themselves for a gentle look at a significant event. 

The background is actually navy blue, rather than the black my camera has decided to depict. 

I think that the St Exupery quote is the best definition of love ever to come down the pike, and what better time to share it than at the beginning of a marriage?

Cardstock:   Bazzill Admiral, Paper Cut Matte Coat White, Generic

                          Tan scrap      

Stamps:        Inkadinkado Exupery Quote Same Direction, Savvy Spring Bird      

Inks:               Distress Chipped Sapphire, Faded Jeans

Pens/Markers:  Distress Markers Antique Linen, Faded Jeans,

                              Gelly Roll Clear Star pen     

Emb Powder: Vippie Transcendence

Dies/Punches:  Quickutz Scroll Tree, Papertrey Ink Angled Labels,

                              Fiskars Cloud punches, Tiny Flower Center                  

Love Much

Today begins a five-card series showing my entries in the New Jersey State Fair, held annually during the first week of August.  Happily, I’ve done well with my entries during the previous three years and have lots of lovely ribbons to show for my efforts, though I have no idea what to do with them!  However, as I got paid for a few of my cards that got published last year, I now have to exhibit as a Professional – which means that the competition is stiffer.  Still and all, out of six cards entered, I came away with four Firsts and one Third . . . Yay ME! 

 

This one was a Blue Ribbon winner: 

 

 

Although there are seven stamps used on this card, I also had fun with punches:  eight to be exact!  Moreover, I’ve taken to heart the numerous encouragements I’ve been reading lately about getting the most use out of my supplies as possible.  Tricks like using parts of images appealed to me, so on this card, I did that in three ways:

1. The cake topper is just the very top part of an image that actually inspired this layout:  it was a three-layer cake and I loved it, but I needed a larger cake in order to make more of an impact.  So I used just the topper.

2. The middle layer is just a third of the actual image.  I was easily able to ink just a part of the stamp because I used a marker.

3. The bow on the gift is actually the wings snipped off a punch-out of a cherub.   Sounds a bit grim, but happily, no real cherub was injured in the making of this card!

 Cardstock:                      Bazzill Dark Tangerine, Beckett Iceberg

Stamps:                           Stampendous Sweet Montage, Stamp Out Cute Music,
                                              Impress Flourish, Outlines Star from Bits & Pieces set,
                                              Memory Box Bird Huddle, Fred Mullett Waves,
                                              Unknown “Live well . . .”
Inks:                                PaperTrey Ink Fresh Snow, ColorBox Frost White, Gold 
                                             Marvy Wet Looks Marker #43,   Kaleidoscope Creole (lightest
                                             color)               
Emb Powder:                Judikins Opaque White, Ranger Gold, Transcendence Clear
Dies/Punches:              Scalloped rectangular punches (3 sizes), postage stamp punch,
                                              tiny leaves, flowers, Fiskars Scalloped Border, Marvy Cherub
                                          (wings only)
Doo Dads:                     Deckle-edged scissors

Amy & Ben

This card was commissioned by a dear Australian friend of mine for friends of hers getting married Down Under . . .

  . . . their color scheme of forest green, peach and cream was enjoyable to work with and the Asian touches were added to honor the year that the couple spent teaching in Japan – an opportunity they both loved.   It took a few days before everything clicked and the card took shape but it finally did . . . it was an honor to be asked to put this together and I do believe I’d enjoy doing this again!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Rain Forest, Light Rosey [sic], Beckett

                             Moonlight

Stamps:       100 Proof Press Asian Text, Lost Coast Asian Set

                              Bamboo,

Inks:             Stampin’ Up Sahara Sand, Always Artichoke, Jelly

                              Roll Clear Star Pen

Text:             Typed

Dies/Punches: Cheery Lynn Lace Corner Deco B, Spellbinders

                                Heart, DieNamics Sentiment Strip

Doo Dads:    Perfect Pearls Mist, crystals, pearls, cream tassel

Wedding Wishes

The several marriages for which I made this card are all surviving and thriving, so I like to think that more than good wishes go into the envelope with this one!  Black and White cards with minimal coloring are a favorite of mine, not only because they have such a wonderfully striking quality to them, but also because they are great for mass-produced cards.  Only six of the flowers in this floral carpet were colored with chalk – all of the rest were intricate enough to make their own statement.  With various changes via coordinating ribbons and cardstock, any color at all would work with this design.

Cardstock:         Beckett Iceberg, Thai Silver Momi paper (gorgeous stuff:  feels just like fabric!)

Stamps:              Inkadinkado’s Flower Carpet

Inks:                   Document Black

Chalk:                 Bruynzeel Blue #877

Punch:                Fiskars Hearts Corner

Doo Dads:          Crystals in three of the flower centers, wire-edged Silver mesh and White organdy ribbon, Silver art deco button