Happy

This card shows one of my favorite techniques for creating a textured background that won't overpower focal points that are a little on the 

subtle side . . .

With the same cardstock that I use for the card base, I die cut a detailed woodgrain background and then used double sided tape to keep all the negative pieces in place.  After peeling off the release paper, the layer was attached to the card front.  I think that the woodsy-themed background is the perfect backdrop for the birds and the bluebells. Hopefully, my balky camera will be able to pick up some of the nice texture . . .

Cardstock:   The Paper Cut Brown Umber, Beckett Candlelight       

Stamps:       Local King Chicks set, Hero Frames with Sprigs

Inks:             Distress Faded Jeans, Twisted Glass, Gathered Twigs

Emb Powder:   Vippies Transcendence

Dies:            Frantic Stamper Woodgrain Card Panel, Local King

                        Chicks, Memory Box Branching Out, Hero Frames

                        with Sprigs, Recollections Word Fetti: Happy 

Doo Dads:    Viva Pearl Pen Cream       

Achieve, Soar, Persevere

Birthdays near Christmas often get buried in a sea of red and green.  I've decided to try a different color scheme for this December 22 birthday card.  It's going to a single mother with lots of challenges in her life.  Therefore, it seems to me that encouragement can work for any occasion . . .

The fun thing about this card is its source of inspiration - have any of you taken a good look at boutique Kleenex boxes lately? I've included a picture of the one I used for this card below.  I loved the colors, the design, the two patterns together, and the fact that the artist made her techniques so easy to follow!  She used circular sponging for a soft look and then added slightly more concentrated color and texture by pouncing with a coarse sponge.  Along with some lights and darks, solid leafy images worked to give the scene some depth. 

It was really fun to get a stamping lesson off a Kleenex box!  Time to go hunting for another one . . .

Cardstock:   Bazzill Horizon, Strathmore Soft White, Neenah Emperor,

                        Generic Purple   

Stamps:       Our Daily Bread Chalkboard Lattice Background, Printworks

                        Leaf Pattern, Waffle Flower Layering Marble, Starving

                        Artistamps Positive Words

Inks:             Distress Faded Jeans, Weathered Wood, Broken China,

                        Dusty Concord, Evergreen Bough, Papertrey Ink Fresh

                        Snow, VersaFine Majestic Blue

Emb Powder:   Vippie’s Transcendence

Dies:            DieNamics Rectangle Frames, Spellbinders Signs of

                        Spring 1 (bird), Memory Box Lorelai Leaf               

Doo Dads:    Art Institute Glitter: Aqua from the Floral Collection, Stamp 

                         Oasis Heat & Stick

Hear the Angels Sing

In an attempt to simply my usual overly-fussy Christmas card production line, I set up two rules for myself this year:  no heat embossing, and the background must be a smooshed one . . .

These were wise decisions:  with over 80 cards to do, there really is a limit as to how much time I can carve out to spend on these.  I think I'll restrict myself in the same manner next year . . . of course, cutting down an overly large Christmas card list would also be helpful.  

Hope that's not too bah humbug-ish . . .

Cardstock:   American Crafts White, Strathmore #90 Watercolor paper,

                        Generic Dull Gold        

Stamps:        Stampin’ Up Shepherds, Neat & Tangled Joyful Sentiments,

                        Above the Mark Abbey Music, Starving Artistamps Retro

                        Mosaic Grout

Inks:               Distress Chipped Sapphire, Faded Jeans

Dies:              Memory Box Star of Wonder, Tim Holtz Labels              

For You

Here's another take on the background of a card I did last week . . .

The tree is double-layered to give it added body and thickness and I used my favorite time-saving method:  I ran one piece of cardstock through my Xyron and stuck it to the other piece.  A couple of passes with the die-cutting machine and the intricate work was done.  After covering with the textured gold embossing powder, it looks like hammered gold metal.

Sorry for the dark picture - I'm having some camera trouble I hope to resolve soon . . .

Cardstock:   Bazzill Admiral, Strathmore Soft White, Generic Dull Gold     

Stamps:       Impression Obsession Greenery

Inks:             ColorBox Gold, Distress Chipped Sapphire, Pine Needles

Emb Powder:   Ranger Gold

Dies:            Memory Box Stitched Rectangle Trimmings, Arboscello Tree,

                        Marianne Banners and Text, DieVersions Hint of Lime 

                        Font                 

           

It's Your Day

One of my favorite color combinations to use is  two shades of green paired with any combination of bright colors . . .

 . . . it's such a refreshing, happy mixture that always makes me smile.  I hope it does for you too!

Cardstock:   American Crafts Primaries: Green, Beckett Moonlight,

                        Generic textured White      

Stamps:       Brutus/Monroe Watercolor Background, Art Gone Wild

                        Tiny Bouquet 2

Inks:             Distress Mowed Lawn, Twisted Citron, VersaFine Onyx

                        Black, ColorBox Frost White

Colorants:    Inktense Fuchsia, Fern, Sicilian Yellow, Stabilo #8043

                        (Dark Green)

Watercolors:   Zig Clean Color: Light Green, Green Shadow, Green,

                           Fluorescent Green, Yellow, Carmine Red

Emb Powder:   Sweet Stamps Fine Detail White

Dies:            Lil Inkers Stitched Mats Rectangles, Mama Elephant

                        Femme Frames, Frantic Stamper Woodgrain Card 

                       Panel, Memory Box Stitched Rectangle Trimmings           

You & Me

There was a time when I thought I had to know exactly where I was going with a card's design before I could actually sit down and make it happen.  Those constricted days are long gone, thank heavens.  They were exhausting.  It's a lot more fun to pick an element I like and just run with it . . .

This one started out with a sponged panel in green and blue, over which I gold embossed the leafy background.  The Muse took a little while to produce the other elements (she drags her feet a lot), but they eventually came together very peacefully.  The part I like best is the finish on the gold embossing powder - instead of the usual smooth and shiny look, this powder cures to a textured appearance that looks like hammered gold.  I love it so much that I bought an 8 ounce jar so that I would never run out!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Admiral, Strathmore Soft White   

Stamps:       Impression Obsession Greenery

Inks:             ColorBox Gold, Distress Chipped Sapphire, Pine Needles

Emb Powder:   Ranger Gold

Dies:            Spellbinders A2 Distressed Edges, Memory Box

                        Timberland Collage, Cottage Cutz Birch Trees and Deer,

                        Spellbinders You & Me

Doo Dads:    Pilot Marker Gold     

Button Tree

Here is a picture of this year's Christmas gift, destined for two of my friends who love and appreciate handmade efforts . . .

The original idea came from artist Shari Carroll who posted her instructions for this stunner of a button tree last December.  I knew right away that this would be my gift choice for this year.  Here is her excellent video on the procedure . . . 

I enclosed both an easel and a Command hanging strip so they'll have a choice as to whether to hang it or display it on a side table.  It was a really fun project to do and I expect I'll be making several more in future . . .

Ornaments 2017

Every year, I have fun carrying on a tradition my mother started decades ago with her two grandchildren:  making ornaments the kids could use through the years, and then take with them when they moved into their own homes.  Here are this year's ornaments for two of my young grandchildren . . .

The addition of die cutting to a stamper's bag of tricks has made this effort a whole lot easier to pull off.  This year's background reflects my current rage:  gilding flakes!  There are scores of great videos showing how to apply these lovely pieces of light:  one of the easiest is to take double-sided tape, apply it to piece of cardstock, peel off the remaining release paper and start adding the flakes.  Cover completely, burnish with your fingers to get the major excess off, and then burnish firmly with a stencil brush to remove the rest of the bits.

A little of these flakes goes a very long ways, and these collections come tightly packed in the jar, so you'll have enough to play with for years.

ORNAMENTS:

Cardstock:   Wausau Firecracker Red, Generic Green          

Dies:            DieNamics Stitched Mini Scallop Rectangle, DieVersions

                        Christmas Word Tree, Punch Bunch Star               

Doo Dads:    Sparkle & Sprinkle glitter Fantasy Gold, Enchanted Creations

                        glitter Moondust, Mark Richards Metals Gold & Silver, Gold

                        and Silver cords 

BOXES:

Dies:            Papertreyink Bulk Mail Envelope, Memory Box Alphabet

                        Soup, Tim Holtz Alphanumeric (numbers)

Doo Dads:    Past Time Stamps Ultrafine Glitter