Joy

This Filigree Egg die was so beautiful that I had to have it - and on sale at less than half price, it was well worth the plunge . . . 

 . . . I saw a golden opportunity to use up some of my stash of designer papers so I went for it.  The composition was very simple, and for embellishments, a few pearls, sequins, and some glitter glue completed this year's observance of the greatest event ever to take place in the universe.  May each of you have a most blessed Easter . . .

 

Cardstock:   The Paper Cut White Matte Coate, Strathmore Pastelle

                     Bright White, Metallic Gold, Assorted Designer papers     

Dies:            Kat Scrappiness Large Filigree Egg, Elizabeth Craft

                     Stitched Rounded Rectangles, Avery Elle Peace, Love,

                     and Joy set: “Joy”                    

Doo Dads:    Perfect Pearls Heirloom Gold, pearls, sequins Gold,

                     Stickles Gold  

Happy Mail

Blogger  Marieke Sleats inspired me with her use of a text background, a piece of vellum, and a pop of color . . .

I have a small collection of border dies which I really like, yet for some reason, I've never focused on coming up with good ways to put them to work.  But Marieke's use of these dot border dies looked great and I decided to try the same arrangement.  This was my first use of border dies and now I can't wait to try other applications!  Sometimes, I need a nudge to shake up the familiar and try something different.

 

Cardstock:   American Crafts White, Bazzill Cinder, Scraps Teal,

                     Vellum  

Stamps:       Hero Friend Definition, Taylored Expressions Simple

                     Strips Background

Inks:             ColorBox Frost White

Emb Pwdr:  Hero White

Dies:            Verve Banner Bundle, DieNamics Polka Dot Pops,

                     Taylored Expressions Simple Strips Background              

Doo Dads:    Gelly Roll Clear Star, Gary Burlin Glitter Glue, Sulyn

                     Industries Braid Cord Black

With Deepest Sympathy

 I tried a little something I hadn't thought of doing before . . .

 

 . . . the spray of flowers on the right needed some attention, but instead of coloring the flowers, I decided to do the stems instead.  I liked the effect and then double stacked the flower heads to get a more realistic look.  For me, added dimension seems to be the answer to just about everything.  It sure worked in this case - what do you think?

 

 

Cardstock:   Unknown Sage, Beckett Candlelight      

Stamps:       Alias Smith & Rowe “With Deepest Sympathy”

Inks:             ColorBox Gold

Waterclr:      FineTec Tibet Gold

Emb Pwdr:  Ranger Gold

Dies:            Tim Holtz Wildflowers, Memory Box Bamboo Shoots,

                     Arich Rounded Corners Stitched Rectangles, Impression

                     Obsession Medium Butterflies               

Emb Fldr:    Taylored Expressions Burlap

Doo Dads:    VIVA Paper Pen Gold        

Breathe

Today's stamping session was absolutely thrilling and I am crossing fingers that the camera will pick up at least some of the gorgeous results.  Know that whatever the camera captures, it won't be anything like what it is in real life . . .

 

For years, I've had six different metallic colors of Schmincke metallic powders resting peacefully in my stash:  three golds, two silvers, and a copper.  They are a very fine powdered dry gouache that I've not really used because for some reason, I thought they required a fixative.  My experience with spray-on fixatives is that they dull anything metallic.  But when I actually read the label, I found that a fixative was already mixed in and activates with water or anything moist. 

So I stenciled the fern with translucent matte paste and randomly dusted it with the gold powder - a tiny bit goes a long way.  I tapped off the excess and once the paste was dry, I used a soft brush to dust away the rest.  The powder produces a super-rich gold gleam that no other product has and it is utterly spellbinding. The card has been sitting on my office desk and I've been gawking at it all day long.

The "breathe" text was also created the same way and I love its dimension - I used lots of paste so the word really stands out.  For the butterfly, I tried adding a few drops of water to some of the powder and then painted with it.  Worked great!  I think I'll just move all six bottles onto my work table and keep right on playing with these powders!

 

Cardstock:   Marcos Jute, Love Nicole Licorice   

Dies:            Pink Fresh Slim Stitched Rectangles, Impression

                     Obsession Medium Butterflies set                   

Stencil:        Club Scrap Fern with Text

Doo Dads:    Schmincke Dry Gouache Rich Pale Gold, Ranger

                     Texture Paste Transparent Matte, VIVA Paper

                     Pen Gold        

March 17

 The fresh look of a patterned background having lots of white and paired with dark, solid foreground images really appeals to me . . .

  . . . so here's one version of the idea.  The shamrock design included small flowers here and there which I first tried coloring with my Life Changing brushes.  But there was too much play from the bristles to successively control the coloring in such small areas.  So I broke out my Tsukineko Fantastix Bullet Tip Coloring Tool and had a wonderful time!  The marvelous blending ability of Distress inks and the easy control of the Fantastix tool got me the results I was hoping for.

 

Cardstock:   Strathmore #100 Bristol, Ultimate White, Scrap Green

Stamps:       Peddler’s Pack Shamrock Background”, Studio G

                     “March 17”

Inks:             VersaMark Olympia Green

Emb Pwdr:  Vippies Transcendence

Dies:            DieNamics Pierced Rectangle Frame, Poppy Bunch of

                     Four Leaf Clovers, Goodculler Stitched Rectangles                       

Doo Dads:    Glass Glitter Lemon Yellow           

Celebrate

When I saw the die for this delightful gatefold card, I just had to have it.  The design is terrific and the seven-piece set was on sale - so how could I resist?

Once I chose the cardstocks I wanted to use, it came together very fast.  I've already started on another version of this design so you'll be seeing that soon.  Because of the shaping of the two front flaps, a combination of white and black would lend a yin and yang look, while various soft colors and metallics would make beautiful wedding or anniversary cards.  Depending on what colors and cardstocks are used, this die set lends itself to a wide variety of looks and I think I'll be able to use it for almost any occasion there is.

 

Cardstock:   Quest Moss, Bazzill Palo Verde   

Stamps:       Technique Junkies Watercolor Flowers, Printworks

                     "Celebrate"

Inks:             ColorBox Frost White, Distress Peeled Paint

Emb Pwdr:  Stampendous Shabby White, Vippies Transcendence

Dies:            Creative Craft Curvy Gatefold, Darice Nesting Hearts,

                     Nesting Scalloped Hearts, All Night Media Tiny Heart 

                     punch                 

Come to Me

This card is for my cousin in the mutual loss of her father - my uncle - just one month shy of his 102nd birthday . . .

To the very end of his days, Uncle Mac was an inveterate walker who gloried in the joys of nature in all its forms.  So I thought a tall and sunlit golden tree over a gold-tinged leafy background would speak to one of his favorite activities.

He led a full and honorable life and was an inspiration to us all in so many ways.  Memory Eternal, Uncle Mac . . .

 

Cardstock:   Bazzill Parakeet, Strathmore Ultimate White, Hanko

                     Echizen Gold  

Stamps:       Rubbernecker “I will give you rest”

Inks:             VersaFine Olympia Green, Ancient Page Sage,

                     ColorBox Black

Colorants:    Jacquard Pinata Brass

Emb Pwdr:  Distress Black Soot, Ranger Gold

Dies:            Frantic Stamper Tropical Leaves Card Panel, Memory

                     Box Tall Birch, Arich “Rounded Corners Stitched 

                    Rectangles”          

Doo Dads:    Viva paper Pen Gold          

Make a Wish

More fun with the new Mini Slimline size!  I adore playing with both of the Slimline sizes as they really shake up the proportions of the space I have to work with and make me think out of the box far more creatively.  This is always a healthy endeavor for an artist . . .

I've been using my quilt-shaped dies lately and have discovered that the best way to showcase these patterns is to stack the pieces a minimum of two layers.  When the design includes an outline piece as it does here, this becomes a third layer.  When it is glued on last, it really makes the effect look a lot more like fabric.

 

Cardstock:   Wausau Blueberry, Neenah Emperor, Strathmore Ultimate

                     White, Scrap Yellow  

Stamps:       Elizabeth Craft Banner Sentiments: “Make a Wish”

Inks:             Color Box Frost White

Waterclrs:    Iuile (Etsy) Glitter Watercolor Purple

Emb Pwdr:  Hero White

Dies:            Kat Scrappiness Mini Slimline Double Stitched, Wplus9

                     Quilt Cuts 2, Memory Box Stitched Buttons, Elizabeth

                     Craft Banners             

Emb Fldr:    Darice Argyle

Doo Dads:    Purple Fiber, tiny flower punch    

 

Live for Today

The minute the new Mini Slimline Dies came out, I absolutely had to invest in two of them.  This card shows a wood-textured image that frames a wire-look panel . . .

I am a real fan of the regular-sized Slimline dies, but I absolutely love the more intimate, cozy feel of the smaller card size.  My card base measures 7" wide by 6" tall, with the fold scored at 3.5".  The result fits perfectly into a check-sized envelope.  So stinkin' cute!

When starting with a standard 8.5 x 11" piece of cardstock, I measure down 6" and cut across.  That piece is for my Mini Slimline card.  The leftover piece is 5" x 8.5", which can make a card only 1/2" shorter than the usual A2 size.  Still quite doable in my mind . . .

 

Cardstock:   Marcos Speckletone Cover: Cream, Jute, Scrap Red,

                     Yellow, Purple, Dark Brown

Stamps:       Studio G “Live for Today”

Inks:             VersaColor Brown

Emb Pwdr:  Nuvo Hot Chocolate

Dies:            Kat Scrappiness Mini Slimline Diamond Wire &

                     Woodgrain, Impression Obsession Hanging Basket,

                     KSCraft “Hanging Pots”, Cugap Potted Plant, Studio

                     Calico Nested Rectangles set      

Doo Dads:    Just Splendid Wood Dot    

On Your Anniversary

 How I love the gentle look of gray . . . it seems to go with just about every color out there . . .

 On my wedding anniversary cards, I always like to use two focal points to represent the happy pair.  On this one, I used minimal embossing, a bit of glimmer on the vellum-covered wings, and just enough dark green to provide some contrast.  Hope they like it . . .

Cardstock:   Simon Says Fog, Strathmore #100 Bristol, Marcos Jute,

                     Vellum       

Stamps:       Tim Holtz Planks, Fred Mullett Bare Tree, Technique

                     Junkies Sudsy Stuff, Impression Obsession Sudsy Stuff

Inks:             VersaColor Chateau Gray, Distress Bundled Sage,

                     VersaFine Olympia Green

Emb Pwdr:  Vippie’s Transcendence

Dies:            Memory Box Lorelai Outline Leaf, Butterflies: Paper

                     Smooches Butterfly Duet, Memory Box Darla, Isabella 

Doo Dads:    Wink of Stella Clear, Pearls