Fern

 This card has turned out to be a confidence-builder!  Because of it, I'm convinced that I can probably dig my way out of any creative mess in which I found myself.  It started out with a skanky mess of a background from my Scrap Stash  and ended up being a layout I really like . . .

As the original coloring was ghastly, I began brayering over the whole thing with two colors of ink.  The embossed resist fern design stood firm, but at least the background began to improve.  Some random clear embossing freshened things up a bit and the Kraft overlay did its part by covering up most of what was wrong.  Diversionary tactics like this are always good to have at hand, I find . . .

 

Cardstock:   Bazzill Rain Forest, Marco’s Jute, Scrap Green,

                     pre-stamped fern piece from my Scrap Stash 

Stamps:       Unknown Fern Spray

Inks:             Distress Oxide Mowed Lawn, Pumice

Emb Pwdr:  Vippies Transcendence

Dies:            DieNamics Collage Cover-up, Cheery Lynn Pair of

                     Ferns set, Tim Holtz Alphanumeric Tiny Upper            

Emb Fldr:    Taylored Expressions Weathered

Doo Dads:    May Arts Jute           

 

Cherish, Live, Dream

Further forays into the die-cut stash produced this panel of wintery bare trees which I backed with a snow-embossed panel . . .

I glazed over the branches with a frosty gel pen and then decided the scene needed a little pop of color.  As this card is for a March birthday, that means Spring will be just around the corner.  So I thought some sparkly blue butterflies would work, especially with the last line of the text:  "Dream of tomorrow". 

 In my view, Winter can't be over fast enough, so I do spend a lot of time dreaming of temps in the 70's . . . complete with butterflies, of course.

 

Cardstock:   Strathmore #100 Bristol, Neenah Desert Storm,

                     Scrap Brown           

Stamps:       Hero Cherish Yesterday

Inks:             ColorBox Frost White, Distress Stormy Sky

Emb Pwdr:  Hero White, Ranger UTEE White

Dies:            Hero Wood Frames, Pink Posh Stitched Pieces,

                      Marianne Butterflies         

Emb Fldr:    Sheena Snowfall

Doo Dads:    Gelly Roll Clear Star                                        

 

The Angel Said . . .

 This one shows one of my rare forays into the world of patterned papers . . .

 . . . but the Holiday Hassles and some major renovations going on in my home mean that I'm grateful for whatever can save me some time.  Of course, hand painting each feather on the angel's wings promptly negated any time saving I'd been able to create.

But hey, it's Christmas!  May each of you have a blessed one . . .

 

Cardstock:   Marcos Jute, Assorted Patterned Papers, Generic scrap

                     Green         

Stamps:       Stampendous Music Score, Stampin’ Up Angel, Endless

                     Creations Unto Them Luke 2:10,11

Inks:             Hero Black, Distress Barn Door, Black Soot, Gelly Roll

                     Gold, White

Dies:            Concord & 9^th Take a Bough, Spellbinders Classic

                     Rectangles Small, Small Deckled Rectangles,

                     DieNamics Horizontal Stitched Strips                   

You

 Periodically, I go through my stash of die cuts, sample runs from embossing folders, and other saved elements from previous projects.  I like to think I'm really helping to mow down the ever-growing pile of such items.  Sigh.  The embossed background on this card is one such piece . . .

 I don't know if the photo will show it, but at each crossing in the background argyle pattern, there is a raised design shaped like a dog's paw.  Really cute, but I noticed that if I turned it upside down, the paws became hearts!  As this card is for a February birthday, the decision to leave it upside down was a no-brainer.  How I love finding ways to use various elements that are different from what the designer may have had in mind!

 

Cardstock:   Bazzill Hershey, Scrap Green, Blue, Ivory, Brown         

Stamps:       Taylored Expressions One and Only You: “Thinking of”

Inks:             Archival Potting Soil

Dies:            Taylored Expressions One and Only You: “You”, Memory

                     Box Grapeviine Wreath, Stitched Rectangle Trimmings,

                     Marianne Creatables Bird on Branch, DieNamics

                     Winter Wreath (Bow)              

Emb Fldr:    Love Nicole Paw Prints

Doo Dads:    Wink of Stella Clear           

 

Happiest

Signature artist Wendy Vecchi jumped the gun on coordinating stamps and stencils several years ago.  Here is one of her delightful designs . . .

I stenciled on the text background and then stamped the flower.  After adding black embossing powder, I found out that the die ink I used on the text hadn't dried yet and  the powder stuck randomly to some of the words.  My first thought was to break out my dry paint brush and start dusting, but I then realized how much interest the occasional black elements added to the background.  Now I have to figure out how I'm going to get that look on purpose next time!

The flower and the buds were stenciled with gold paste but I wanted a little more oomph, so I dusted on some gold embossing powder while the paste was still wet and then heated it.  As hoped, the buds bubbled a little which added to the texture.

 

Cardstock:   Marcos Jute, Strathmore #100 Bristol, Love Nicole Black       

Stamps:       Wendy Vecchi Prairie Flower, Purple Daisy Sand, Simon

                     Says Sketchy Banner Greetings

Inks:             Distress Brushed Corduroy, ColorBox Black, Gold, Hero Black

Emb Pwdr:  Judikins Detail Black, Sparkle & Sprinkle Gold Coast

Dies:            Lil Inkers Stitched Mats: Rectangles, Simon Says Sketchy

                     Banner Greetings

Stencil:        The Crafters Workshop Mini Believe Script, Wendy Vecchi

                     Prairie Flower

Impr Plate:   Altenew Dotted Starburst Cover Plate

Doo Dads:    Delta Texture Magic Metallic Gold            

Color My World

Having become enamored of various brushstroke images, I have started a small collection of them.  Here is my first attempt at using assorted blobs and brushstroke elements from three different sets . . .

This was one of those exciting adventures that happen when you haven't the faintest idea where you're going but you're having fun on the journey anyway.  The final touch that was the black spattered overstamped image that seems to tie everything together.  

I think that stamp is going to get a lot of use in future . . .

 

Cardstock:   Bazzill Purple Velvet, Intense Yellow, Strathmore #100

                      Bristol          

Stamps:       Sweet ‘n Sassy Grunge Elements, Papertrey Ink Brushed Off,

                     Watercolor Wonder

Inks:             Distress Oxide Dusty Concord, Blueprint Sketch, Distress

                     Mustard Seed, Hickory Smoke, ColorBox Black,

                     Frost White

Emb Pwdr:  Hero White, Judikins Detail Black

Dies:            Lil Inkers Stitched Mats: Rectangles                    

Doo Dads:    Inkssentials Enamel Accents Black         

Wings

 

My grandson Keaton enters his teens with this birthday, so I thought the following sentiment suited the momentous occasion . . .

 After adding color with Inktense watercolor pencils, I drew out the color with my waterbrush.  I tried to keep it loose which seemed to suit the hand carved look of the image.

Happy birthday, Keaton!

 

Cardstock:   Marco’s Jute, Strathmore #100 Bristol     

Stamps:       Art Accents Woodcut Bird, Gloria Page “Spread Your

                     Wings!”

Inks:             Hero Black, Soft Brown

Waterclrs:    Inktense Pencils Ionian Green, Willow, Iris Blue

Dies:            Goodculler Stitched Rectangles, DieNamics Stitched

                     Rectangle Word Windows              

Stencil:        Honeybee Radiant

Doo Dads:    My Mind’s Eye Wood Dots

Bloom

An exciting new trend in stamping toys is a set of perhaps three stencils that coordinate with a stamp image.  Here is my maiden voyage with Pink Fresh's Sweet Blooms Set . . .

Having various elements in the design isolated by the matching stencil makes it easy to use different colors and keep the inks confined within the images.  In this set, there was a stencil for the large flowers, another one for the small ones, and a third for the leaves.  I used the Life Changing Brushes to blend the Oxide inks and the background on this card took less than ten minutes to complete.

I absolutely love this design idea and hope to add to my collection of coordinating stencils and stamps.

 

Cardstock:   Bazzill Purple, Strathmore #100 Bristol  

Stamps:       Pink Fresh Sweet Blooms, Purple Daisy Sand

Inks:             Distress Oxide Dusty Concord, Chipped Sapphire,

                     Mowed Lawn, Pine Needles, ColorBox Black

Emb Pwdr:  Judikins Detail Black

Dies:            Impression Obsession Vase Set, Lil Inkers Stitched

                     Mats Rectangles, Memory Box Slender Leaves,

                     Frantic Stamper “Bloom”            

Stencil:        Pink Fresh Sweet Blooms

Doo Dads:    Inkssentials Enamel Accents Black        

Journey

 

I tried a little something new with this one . . .

After using an embossing folder on the three background strips, I then lightly brushed over the raised surfaces with a white pigment ink pad.  Love the misty look it gave - don't you?

 

Cardstock:   Stedner Bright White, Marco’s Jute, Scrap Vellum       

Stamps:       Stampin’ Up “Dots”

Inks:             ColorBox Frost White, Gold, VersaMark

Emb Pwdr:  PSX Weathered White, Ranger Gold, Tim Holtz Walnut Stain

Dies:            Goodculler Stitched Rectangles, Frantic Stamper Journey     

Emb Fldr:    Darice Animal Prints