Six New Cards

 

I finally had time to take photos of the recent cards I created!

I was working on them before I went on a road trip over Labor Day to Kentucky to visit family. I just didn't get a chance to photo and blog them.

I'm happy to be back in the North where we don't have the humidity that they have in the South. It just about kills me, I hate it! I know we have humidity here in Minnesota, but nothing like they have there. Normally when we visit we either go in May, June or July when it's even worse. We had one day that we could tolerate and that was the first day we were there! Anyway, it was nice to see family.

Moving on.....my first card the background was created blending distress oxide inks - fired brick, worn lipstick and fossilized amber. I then spritzed the background with water to get the droplets where the water reacted. The leaves are from a die called Outline Clustered Leaves from Simon Says Stamp. The sentiment is from a stamp set by Reversed Confetti called The Most Beauty.

 

For the card above and below I used a stencil called Wonky Grid from Altenew. 

I used Brusho Crystal Colours (which are similar to Ken Oliver's Color Burst). I used the colors gamboge, turquoise and cobalt blue. I laid my stencil down then sprinkled the power over the stencil and spritzed watered over it. I set a stamp block on top for a few minutes then lifted it. I cut the panel in two for two cards. The stamp used on the top card is called Bold Colour by Visibile Image. The sentiment used on the bottom card is from Simon Says Stamp called Handlettered Encouragement.

 

 

For the card about and below I used a stencil from Altenew called Ombre Stripes.

I applied distress oxide inks over the stencil on both. The colors used for the top card are cracked pistachio, salty ocean and blueprint sketch. For the card below I used blueprint sketch, hickory smoke and wilted violet. After I blended the inks I spritzed both cards with water to get the inks to react. 

The top card uses a sentiment from Visible Image called So Much Stronger. The card below uses a stamp for Gina K Designs called Lettered and Lovely. 

 

 

For my last card I used a stencil from Gina K Designs that I applied distress oxide ink through. The colors I used are fossilized amber, ripe persimmon and candied apple. I die cut my panel using a die called double stitched rectangles from Our Daily Bread (they've changed their name to Divinity Designs LLC now). The sentiment is from Gina K Stamps called Lettered and Lovely.

I am working my way through the pile above. I'm basically just deciding what sentiments to use on them. I may decide at last minute to add stenciling, embossing paste or die cut into flowers......the possibilities are endless...... I'm trying to keep the pretty clean and simple.

I've been working on the details for a crop I'm hosting the end of October/beginning of November. This will be our second year going to this particular retreat. It's always so fun to get together with others for three nights. I never get anything done, but that's okay! I hope we keep going year after year. The place is always booked so you reserve it a year in advance. 

This year I'm going to be doing a very casual card class. So, I'm thinking of ideas so that I can make a few sample cards for them look at. We'll be doing watercolor, stencils, paste etc so all cards will turn out different. 

We also have one of the ladies doing a Chalk Couture class, so that will be fun. I took her class back in April and loved it!

That's it for now! Thanks for stopping by!

Color Throwdown Challenge CTD505

 

I'm participating in the Color Throwdown Challenge this week!

I do like this color combination.

 

The sentiment on the card is from the Flower Turnabout Stamp Set from Concord & 9th.

I used the Double Stitched Circle die on this card and the one below from Our Daily Bread Designs. 

 

 

 

Distress oxide inks were used to watercolor some mixed media paper.

I pulled out an older Sizzix Tim Holtz Alterations Frameworks die for my background.

The greenery was die cut using Sizzix Tim Holtz Garden Greens. 

 

Since I have extra die cut pieces and greenery I decided to make a second card.

I set aside the rest of my pieces to create more cards later. 

 

The sentiment on this card is from the Wreath Builder Set from Gina K Designs.

 

Be sure to stop by the Color Throwdown Blog to check out all the cards that their Design Team created and all the entries from the challenge!

Thanks for stopping by!

Two Cards Using A Stencil & Leftover Ink

 

For this card I used a stencil from Dare 2B Artsy that I picked up at the Rubber Stamp Show I recently attended. I thought I knew about this company, but it appears that they are new to me. When I saw this stencil I fell in love with it! One can never have too many stencils.....right?!

I used five different distress oxide colors. The colors I used are: wilted violet, picked raspberry, twisted citron, candied apple and carved pumpkin. 

This past weekend I got a great deal on a stamp set from Hampton Arts at Hobby Lobby. It was on sale for $2.49. There isn't a name on the set, just a number: SC0749. There are a few sentiments but what caught my eye was the flowers. They are the kind that look like someone was doodling. I like the look of them. 

I stamped three of the flowers onto some Inkadinkado masking paper. I fussy cut them and then used them over each flower as a mask to make them look like they are behind each other. 

I finished the card off with a sentiment from a Gina K Designs stamp set and some miscellaneous bling in my stash. 

For this card I used the leftover ink that was on left on the stencil after creating the card above.

I can't bear to waste ink!

I love how the color is very muted. It helped to make this a very clean and simple card.

I watercolored some ink onto water color cardstock and then die cut the sentiment using a die from Simon Says Stamp. I then finished off the card with some bling. 

Products Used:

Dare 2B Artzy Stencil - Wacky Boxes

Simon Says Stamp Die - Script Hello SSSD111752

Gina K Stamps - All About You

Hampton Arts Stamps
Distress Oxide Inks - colors listed above

Misc Bling

Thanks for stopping by!

Floral Cards

It's been a few months since I've posted anything on my blog.  I had this crazy idea that I was going to purge my craft room and then I was going to do the same to all the rooms in my house. Well, my project started out gangbusters but petered out just as quickly. I also told myself I couldn't craft until it was finished. Ha! 

If I had time to just work on my purging project without interruptions I probably would have finished it by now. Too many things get in the way and I've found I only have time to work on it in chunks. I don't get much done during the week. I'm just too exhausted when I get home from work and going through things is the last thing that I want to do! 

So, I just decided enough is enough and I miss crafting. It's my therapy and helps keep me sane. I'm just going to craft and slowly work on my project in between craft projects. Someday I'll get it finished. 

For my card projects, I watercolored some flowers last night and let them dry naturally until I could die cut them tonight when I got home from work. I used distress oxide inks and Zig clean color brush markers for my color. The stamp and die set is one of my favorites from Gina K called Painted Autumn. I just love this set! I did some stenciling for the backgrounds. The stenciling on the card below is very subtle and on the card above the stenciling stands out more. I'll list the product names below. 

I'm not sure where the stencil for the card below comes from, but I think it's from Stampin' Up. I didn't pay attention to the names of the ink colors I used, I just played around until I found three colors for each card that I liked together. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Products used:

Enamel Dots

Sparkling Clear Droplets

Sentiments from: Concord & 9th - Dahlia Turnabout Stamp set & Gina K Designs Wreath Builder set

Flowers: Gina K Designs: Painted Autumn Stamp & Die set

Oxide Inks

Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers 

Stencils - Tim Holtz

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #235

Oh my! Once again I procrastinated getting my card done and I was hustling at the last minute. I've been working on books lately and once I switch from card to book mode I find it difficult to stop and make a card. It's the same when I'm in card mode and all I want to do is make cards. I then find it hard to stop and create books. 

When I saw this stamp set that Gina from Gina K Designs used to create a card I fell in love with it! I struggle however with stamps that are multiple step stamping. I have only a few sets because I've shied away from buying them since I feel I don't stamp them very well. I'm going to keep practicing. I feel like such a beginner with this type of stamp!

This is my card for this weeks design team for the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. We'd love it if you'd join us with your interpretation of the sketch below. 

I created my background using distress oxide inks. The colors I used for both the background and the flowers were fired brick, fossilized amber and spiced marmalade. I used Gina K Designs ink in jelly bean green and fresh asparagus. Stamp set is also from Gina K Designs and is called Painted Autumn. I also used the match die set. For my black edges I pulled out an older EK Success punch. 

Thanks for stopping by! 

So Very Thankful

I finished my card for the design team that I'm on just by the skin of my teeth! Normally I try to work ahead if at all possible. For some reason I struggled with this sketch! It's such an easy sketch, I'm not sure what my problem was. I kept going over and over in my head what I wanted to do. I'd start working on my card and then scrap the whole thing. I'm just happy I finished it and can move forward!

I used a stencil from Stampin' Up with fossilized amber distress oxide ink. I brushed it on with one of my Clarity brushes. The butterflies were cut using two Martha Stewart punches. I took painters tape and added fossilized amber and black soot ink to my cardstock before punching the butterflies.

For my sentiment I used a stamp from Gina K Designs.

Be sure to stop by the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge and check out the weekly challenge!

Supplies:

Stampin' Up: Happy Patterns Decorative Masks

Martha Stewart: Butterfly punchs

Ranger: Distress Oxide Inks: fossilized amber, black soot

Amuse: Creative Candy

Gina K Designs: Scripty Sayings

Thanks for stopping by!

Sympathy Cards

I played around my a stamp set from Gina K Designs called Sending Love for these two cards. I took a 6 in by 8 in piece of white cardstock and stamped all over it with different stamps from the set. When I was satisfied with how it looked I cut it in half and used two different distress oxide inks and just blended them over the whole piece of cardstock. All supplies are listed below. 

I the splatted each panel with Distress Paint.

I love how they turned out! I really need to do this with more of my stamp sets. I have so many that have so many unused stamps. Using more of the set really give you a lot more mileage out of your stamps. 

I'm linking my blue card to these challenges:

A Perfect Time To Craft Open Challenge #9

A Bit More Time To Craft #51: Anything Goes

Supplies:

Distress Oxide Ink: wilted violet and salty ocean

Gina K Stamps: Sending Love and Scripty Sayings

Distress Paint: picket fence

Versafine Ink: black onyx

Doodlebug Designs Sprinkles: blue jean glitter

Recollections bling

Thanks for stopping by!

Birthday Floral

Today I'm sharing a CAS birthday card I created using an older retired stamp set from Stampin' Up called Two-Step Stampin' Painted Garden. 

I inked up the stamp with distress ink and spritzed with water and then stamped onto watercolor cardstock. I heat embossed the sentiment which is from Gina K Stamps called Scripty Sayings and diecut with Taylored Expressions stitched banner stacklets.

 

I added glossy accents to all the flower centers.

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Foiled Cards

 

Sharing two cards I created using Therm O Web deco foil.

 

For the card above I used PeelnStick toner sheets from Therm O Web. I have to say I was really late to the party on using foiling on my cards. Actually I wasn't too interested. I took a class last September at the Mall of America that Gina from Gina K Designs hosted and I was hooked! I've followed Gina's blog and watched her videos on Stamp TV since 2008 so it was so nice to meet her. She is just a lovely person and so talented! 

Back to the card....after die cutting the Stampin' Up Rose Garden die with the toner sheet, I ran it through my Royal Sovereign laminator using summer rainbow deco foil. I love how it turned out! There were a few spots where the foil didn't adhere and I was fine with that. I like how that made it look more vintage. I adhered the rose to a panel that I ran through my Big Shot using a Cuttlebug embossing folder called script. The sentiment is from Gina K called All About You. I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment and die cut it using the large labels die from Spellbinders. The bling is from my stash that is from Recollections. 

For this card I used Therm O Web's deco foil transfer gel. What a game changer this stuff is! It's so nice to be able to use the stencils in your stash with foil! I smeared it on just like you would if you were applying embossing paste. I then added Therm O Web's aqua deco foil on top and ran it through my laminator. So easy! The sentiment is from Hero Arts called Acts of Kindness that I heat embossed and die cut with Taylored Expressions stitched banner stacklets. The stencil I used is called pixelated from Deco Art. I do like the look and I like the little bit of dimension that you get from using the transfer gel. 

I have made some more backgrounds with foil that I will share later. I haven't decided what sentiments I want to use with them just yet.

Thanks for stopping by!

SaveSave

Sympathy Cards

Today I'm sharing three cards I made with one background stamp, a sentiment stamp set and a sympathy word die. All of the backgrounds were made using the Branch Shadow stamp from Rubbernecker. I don't have a lot of Rubbernecker stamps, but the few that I have I really love. They are very good quality stamps.

For the first card I used VersaMark ink and Hero Arts white embossing powder to stamp and heat emboss the background. I then inked over my cardstock with crushed olive distress ink. The word die was cut from some green cardstock and adhered to the card. The bling is ebony black Nuvo Crystal Drops.

The second card uses a sentiment stamp from Gina K Stamps called Scripty Sayings that I stamped with onyx black versafine ink and heat embossed with Hero Arts clear embossing powder. All other supplies are listed above. For this card I inked the background stamp with crushed olive distress ink, spritzed the stamp with water and then stamped onto watercolor paper. I love the image that you get using distress ink and water. 

The final card uses all the supplies above. The only product that is different on this card is the stitched banner die from Taylored Expressions called stitched banner stacklets. This card is the second generation stamped imaged. I spritzed the stamp with water and stamped this image after stamping the image on the card above without adding any more ink. You get a much lighter image and it's not as clear, but I love how it looks!

Thanks for stopping by!