Cheers!

My latest craze?  Layouts with some fun stitching on them . . .

A stitched panel topped with a Foamiran flower  adds some cheery perkiness to the layout.  Stitched cards take a little longer to make, but the needlework is so therapeutic that I think it’s well worth the time.

Cardstock:   Recollections Purple, Strathmore #184 Mixed Media, 

Bazzill Rainforest    

Dies:            Tim Holtz Stitched Rectangles, Pink Fresh Nested

Squares Diagonal Stitch, AlteNew Cute Open Rose,

 Simon Says “Cheers”                 

Doo Dads:    Foamiran White      

A Starlit Strip

This sympathy card features my all-time favorite sentiment for such cards . . .

I was hoping for subtle shades of color for the background.  Unfortunately, the purple and green shades were too intense for a sympathy card.  My favorite solution to this problem is either a vellum or Dragonfly tissue layer on top of the coloring.  The vellum wasn’t sheer enough so the Dragonfly tissue was the answer.  I got just the soft results I was after.

Cardstock:   MatteSilver, Strathmore #184 Mixed Media,

 PaperArts Dragonfly tissue

Stamps:       Wordsworth Christ has made

Inks:             Superior India Ink Black, Encore Silver, VersaMark

Colorants:    Lindy’s Stamp Gang Pop Rock Purple,

Merry-go-round Green

Emb Pwdr:   Stampamania Silver Dollar

Dies:            Lapoo Scallop-Top Frame, Spellbinders 

Sparkling Stars         

Emb Fldr:     Sizzix Starry Night

Thinking of You

My dear friend and stamping buddy Carol has really been through the medical mill lately, and has had a variety of issues to deal with.  Hence the card . . .

After stenciling the flowers and butterflies, I felt the need for more definition around the edges.  So I used some coordinating markers around most of the edges to set them off a bit more.  I’m not sure it worked as well as I’d hoped, but I still think it’s an improvement.

Cardstock:   Bazzill Leapfrog, Strathmore #184 Mixed Media

Stamps:       Judikins Celtic Background

Inks:             VersaColor Cyan, Lagoon Blue, Marigold, Rubber

                    Stampede Wheat, ColorBox Chalk Yellow Ochre,

Olive Pastel, Moss Green, Encore Gold

Dies:            TKOnline Celebration Set: Thinking of You                 

Stencil:        Waffle Flower Butterfly Blossom

Emb Fldr:     Spellbinders Fabric Weave

Doo Dads:    Gold mini beads     

With Sympathy

It seems the month has ended before I was ready to let it go.  Having broken an ankle last week, I am somewhat discombobulated, which likely explains my lack of perception re the fleeting days of May.  So to compensate, I’ve decided to re-print a posting from my early years of blogging.  This one comes from February 24, 2014.  Hopefully, my skills for stamping, blogging, and photographing have improved since then . . .

I thought the only annoying thing about my camera was the fact that sparkle and shine rarely show up in my photos.  Now, I’ve another annoyance to add to the list:  Color Corruption!  The phlox are actually purple – not the blue that is pictured . . .

 . . . OK, I guess this is a good time to use your imagination.  Think a rich dark purple with a few mauve accents to match the butterfly . . . whose color reproduction is accurate.  Go figure . . .

Cardstock:   Bazzill Rope Swing, Beckett Candlelight

Stamps:       Inkadinkado Tall Phlox

Inks:            Marvy Wet Looks Markers #8, 11, 72, Copic G24

                          Willow, V15 Mallow, Distress Stain Dusty Concord,

                          Distress Old Paper

Emb Powder: Vippies Transcendence

Dies:              Spellbinders Petite Scalloped Ovals, Grommet tags,

                           McGill Butterfly punch

Doo Dads:      Gelly Roll Clear Star, Light Green grosgrain ribbon

 

Good Vibes

What more appropriate background on the card for my computer-savvy friend and neighbor Richard than a circuit board?

I used a favorite technique to add definition to the dry embossed background:  I inked the convex side of the embossing folder, added the cardstock, and ran it through my machine.  Normally, I repeat the inking 2-3 times in order to get an even coverage, but I inked this one only once.  The color dispersal is uneven and I really like that!  I also love the partial, grainy look the single ink application rewarded me with.  To heck with evenly applied coverage . . . this is far more interesting!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Raven, Marcos Jute, Scrap Metallic Gold         

nks:             Superior India Ink Black

Dies:            Impression Obsession Mid-size Frame, Tim Holtz 

Gears, Memory Box Alphabet Soup                  

Emb Fldr:     Tim Holtz Circuit

Doo Dads:    Marvy Marker Liquid Gold 

Alexa

My very dear and lifelong friend Sandy gifted me with an Alexa+ recently and for her Thank You note, I had fun replicating this amazing machine in cardstock . . .

 . . . right on down to the plus and minus signs it uses for volume control.  My Alexa has a textured surface so I used a spatter dot image to suggest that.  My card is very close to square, so I’ll mail it in a slightly larger rectangular envelope.  Postal sorting machines go bonkers trying to figure out which way is up on a square envelope.  This is why they charge extra postage in order to cover the labor of hand cancelling.

Cardstock:   Bazzill Admiral, Strathmore Mixed Media #184 

Stamps:       Purple Daisy Sand

Inks:            Distress Candied Apple, Chipped Sapphire, Faded

Jeans, Peeled Paint

Dies:            TEMU Love, Honey Bee Blanket Set: “my”, Hero 

Alphabet Uppercase “Alexa”, Cheery Lynn Lace Corner Deco B           

Doo Dads:    Wink of Stella Clear

Stand Tall

My friend Sandy loves all things African, so I’ve invested in a number of images about that breathtaking country . . .

I doubt we’ll ever encounter whimsically decorated giraffes like these, but they are surely fun to see here . . .

Cardstock:   Marcos Jute, The Paper Cut Fossil, Bazzill Raven      

Stamps:       Judikins Tribesmen, Technique Junkies Stand Tall Set, 

KaiserCraft Marble

Inks:             Superior India Ink Black, Hero Soft Brown

Dies:            Tim Holtz Stitched Rectangles               

Doo Dads:    Darice Hemp Black, Berwick Wraphia Tan, Candi

Sticker Black