Friday, August 31, 2018

Happy Birthday Flower

I am trying to get all my fall birthday cards made and I am doing a pretty good job this week on it.

I decided to play along with the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches. 


It is a broken record - I am once again using my distress oxide inks.  I made a soft background with a very watered down ripe persimmon oxide ink.  I then colored a strip with more intense color along with a sentiment strip.

I had recently bought this new floral stamp at JoAnn Fabrics - it was 50 percent off.  I will get my $2.50 of use out of the stamp.  I believe I even sent a couple to a friend in a RAK package.  I colored the stamp with oxide inks also.  I used my Scan N Cut to cut out the flower.

The darker strip of color was added to the bottom of the soft colored panel.  I added a narrow strip of washi tape to anchor the sentiment strip.  The flower and birthday sentiment is pop dotted.  It was all mounted on a black card base.  I added a black enamel dot in the center of the flower.


One more birthday card is completed. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Playing With a Few Challenges

I have lots of birthdays this fall so I am trying to get my cards made ahead of time.  Hopefully I don't put them in the "safe" place where I can't find them when I need them.

I recently found a new challenge site that I want to play along with.  This week the challenge at Sunday Stamps is a sketch.  I loved the angle in the sketch so had to play along.


I made the panels of my card by varying the color depth of the distress oxide ink I used.  The stamped image (stamped with black versafine black onyx ink and clear embssed) is on a lighter panel of the color.  It is mounted on a darker shade of the color.  Both of the panels are die cut so they have a finished edge. 

The image and sentiment are from a Gina K Stamp Set.  Additional color was added to the butterflies.


Here is a close up of the stamped image and sentiment.  Both of these elements were pop dotted.


A few splatters and sequins were added to finish the card. 

The Wednesday Challenge Blog for Simon Says Stamp has the challenge of Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp wants to see what you are making so I wanted to show  them the birthday cards I am working on. 

Well I need to go clean up a few things.  Ugh.  I would rather play with my paper and inks.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Playing With Paper Players Weekly Challenge

I have a young friend who is battling cancer and next week she starts many weeks of radiation after many weeks of chemo.  During her radiation treatments she has to be away from home for treatment and only return on the week end.  I want to have a card waiting for her each week end.

I am playing along with challenges to get my cards made ahead of time.  This week I am playing along with the sketch at Paper Players


I lightly colored the background of the card with a distress oxide ink.  I stamped the stripes with distress oxide ink.  The floral image was stamped in VersaFine Black Onyx Ink and embossed with clear embossing powder.  The sentiment was stamped the same way. 


I cut a mat of purple paper and then sliced my image in thirds and adhered to the purple base.  It was all mounted to a white card base.

All the stamps are Gina K Designs.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

As You See It

I found a new challenge site As You See It so I had to play along this week because I had design elements laying on my table which would be perfect for their challenge.


I had made a piece of paper using the colors I saw on a  gift bag (if you glance back on my blog you will see pictures of the inspiration piece and paper).  I colored two pieces of paper and have used just strips of the paper on my cards.  I believe this may be the 4th card I have made. I colored bristol smooth card stock with distress oxide inks in the same colors and stamped and cut many leaves out.  When I saw this challenge with the row of candles I knew I would make a row of leaves.  I did have to move the sentiment to accommodate the opening.

The background was colored with the smooshing technique and a distress oxide ink.  The strip and card front were matted with dark brown.  The two front leaves are pop dotted.  Everything is on a side fold kraft card base.


Here is the inside of the card.  It all coordinates very nicely.


I am also entering this card into the Monday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp where the challenge is Fall/Autumn. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, August 27, 2018

Oldie Moldie Monday

Monday - time to show some love for your old supplies.  I have had this collection of coordinated paper and card stock floating around my studio for ages.  I have made some cards out of it but recently a card group I am in is doing challenges for the month of August to celebrate our birthday.  One of the challenges this week is make a card with folds.  I have always wanted to try the drapery fold so I did.  Thank goodness for U Tube.


Remember to show some love for your old supplies.

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Clean and Simple - Giving It A Try

I am trying to make more clean and simple cards - try is the word.  I always want to add more to a card.  It looks naked to me a person who loves many layers.

The current challenge at AAA Cards is to use a stencil.  I inked a design through a stencil with distress oxides.  I then took the stencil and sprayed it with water and laid it on a piece of paper.  You create a background that is so soft and beautiful.


I used a new flower stamp.  I stamped it with VersaFine Black Onyx ink and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  The sentiment is from Gina K.  The flower was colored with distress oxide ink.  I see I need to color the stem yet.  I did have to add a few sequins.


Thanks for stopping by. 

Saturday, August 25, 2018

Case This Sketch

I am trying to build up my supply of cards and so I try to do sketch challenges.  I am also trying to get myself more comfortable making clean and simple cards.

A sketch challenge blog I like to play along with if time permits is CAS(E) This Sketch.  Here is their current sketch.


I have a problem (personal one) with a plain white background so I usually color mine a little with a very light distress oxide ink watered down with water and then smooshing your paper in it.  Adds a little bit of interest to your background for your card.

I belong to an organization and we will have our first cohort group in January and I thought it would be nice to give them each a handmade card from the Board of Directors to encourage them as they start their journey toward higher education.  The sentiment is from Penny Black and the flower is a new set and I apologize I cannot remember the company name and it is upstairs and I am in the basement.  A single flower symbolizing a single step.  I will need to find something for a masculine card - most likely a tree.


Thanks for stopping by. 

Friday, August 24, 2018

CAS On Friday

I am still using the piece of paper I created.  I was inspired by a gift bag colors and used a stencil and oxide inks to create a colored panel.

Here is the gift bag.


Here is the panel I created.


I decided to use a piece of this paper on the current challenge at CAS on Friday.  This looked like a fun sketch to play with.


I had left over leaves from the first project I made with this colored panel.  This is the third project I have made with the panel and the leaves I had stamped.  The stamp and die set are from Fun Stampers Journey. 

I added a small amount of color to the background.  It is the same color as one of the leaves.  The circle is colored the same way.  I did back the circle with kraft because it just melted into the background.  The circle is pop dotted onto the panel over the strip of  hand colored paper.  I found a very small sentiment which fit perfectly into the space left.  Everything was added to a kraft base. 

I will finish the inside of the card with a piece of paper similar to the mottled background with a leftover leaf glued to it.


Check back on yesterday's post to see another card made with the colored paper and tomorrow's post to see another card.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Doing Another Sketch Challenge

I try to play along with a couple sketches a week.  Sometimes my schedule allows it and sometimes not.  This week I am home and have some time so was able to play along.  Of curse it helped because I had the elements made already from a different project. 

In a private card making group we are celebrating a birthday so we are having challenges all month.  One challenge was to make a card that was inspired by something other than a card.  I had a gift bag I had received and I loved the colors so I did a background using a stencil and those colors.

Here is the gift bag.


Here is the colored piece I made with a stencil and oxide inks.


This week's sketch from Freshly Made Sketches

The stamp set for the leaves is a Fun Stampers Journey set.  I colored paper in the same colors as I used on the stenciled design piece.  They were stamped in a dark brown ink and die cut.

The background was colored with one of the distress oxide colors used in the leaves.  I do have a problem using a plain white background.  I cut a small strip of the paper and adhered to the card front.  The sentiment is from Gina K. Designs.  The top leaf was pop dotted on top of the two in the background.


I still have more leaves to use and more of  that colored paper.  I guess I should find another design to use.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

New Floral Stamp

I recently bought a new set of stamps from Gina K Designs.  Of course, I had to use it. 

This week's challenge at Addicted to Stamps is Anything Goes so that fits wonderfully with my floral card. 

I colored the image with oxide inks.


A very simple card but I love the impact of the flower and foliage and this is only part of the stamp.  I need to play some more.

Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, August 20, 2018

Oldie Moldie Monday

I hosted a challenge recently in a private Facebook group to make cards using your old supplies with a Pinterest inspiration.

I used paper from a well aged 6 x 6 pad.  The designs for the cards was from sketches I found on Pinterest.





These cards will go into my military box.  They will smiles to someone's face.

Remember to show some love for your old supplies.

Friday, August 17, 2018

Get On the Bus Thanks

The Wednesday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp is Back to School. 

I just purchased their school bus stamp.  It is the cutest stamp - so perfect for back to school. 

Every year I help my nice with her theme for her classroom.  She teaches second grade.  I have a very close friend Mary who taught second grade for many years before she retired and she always finds lots of cute things for Charity to use in her classroom.  Charity wanted to send her a thank you note for all her contributions.

The theme this year is raccoons.  Well that school bus window is just perfect for stamping the theme in the window like they are driving the bus.  I had the perfect sized raccoon for this project.  I also made templates for Charity so she can write little notes to the students, or the students  can write notes. 


The thanks die is from Honey Bee Stamps.  I added some patterned paper and some dots to finish off the card.  The background and the bus were all colored with distress oxide inks.

Thanks for stopping by.

Thursday, August 16, 2018

CAS Christmas Card

Playing along with a new Christmas challenge (new challenge to me).  The challenge has to be CAS.  I so struggle with CAS so I try to step outside my comfort zone and work on cards with this theme.  It is also time to ramp up your Christmas card creating.  I have so many to do.

The new challenge blog (to me) is CAS Christmas.  The challenge this month is trees.


I was going through my die cuts looking for something and found this die.  I had to have it and I had never used it.  I cut the trees out twice and then cut them in a circle design.  I layered two layers together to give it a little dimension.  The background is colored with distress oxide inks.

The sentiment is stamped in a dark blue ink and the entire front was matted with a dark blue card stock.  I believe I need to add some sequins to it.

Next time I make this card, I am going to make the circle area a more consistent blue to make the die cut pop more.


I am also going to enter this card in the monthly challenge at Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge.  The challenge is die cuts.



One more Christmas done - yay.  It was easy I should do more.  

Monday, August 13, 2018

Oldie Moldie Monday

It is Monday - time to show some love for your old supplies.

I have this pretty paper pad with lots of pink and green in it so I made a few cards.  These will go in my soldier box.


For the next two cards, I die cut two rectangles of different patterned paper.  I then laid the rectangles together and cut them on the diagonal with my paper cutter.  The sentiment was stamped on paper left from the top card.



I think I am going to try one of those U Tube videos where you try to use up an entire 6 x 6 pad of paper.  It may be a real challenge.  I am easily distracted by other things but if I get the designs started I can finish the cards when I am puppy sitting in a couple weeks.

Remember to show some love for your old supplies.

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Sunflower Season

I recently had a favorite sunflower stamp set from Penny Black out and was playing with it.  I designed some cards for my friend's shut ins - I also decided to send the same card to my shut ins.  The stamp set has stayed on the design table and I ran across a new challenge blog (new to me) where it is CAS Watercolor and the challenge is Sunflowers.  The Challenge Blog is CAS Watercolor. 

The image was water colored with distress oxide inks.


The weekly sketch challenge blog CAS(E) This Sketch asked that a sunflower be placed in the main focal point of the sketch.


the Challenge Blog AAA Cards has a theme pertaining to friendship.  I am sending this card to my dear card making friend Annie - she had ordered a stamp set for me - and I needed to send her some money.  Of course, one card maker can not send another card maker mail without including a card.


Hopefully you stuck around to see the card I made with all these challenges in mind.


Hopefully it brings a smile to your face also.

Thanks for stopping by.

Friday, August 10, 2018

Happy Little Stampers August ATC Challenge

It is time for a new challenge at Happy Little Stampers for making your ATC's

Our challenge for our ATC's this month is water.


I had a new underwater fish scene stamp and of course what else was I going to use for a water themed ATC.  I really don't have lots of water themed  stamps.

The image was stamped in VersaFine Black Onyx ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  Everything was colored with Distress Oxide inks.

The sentiments are from a little book of phrases by  Tim Holtz.



Please come join us at Happy Little Stampers for our August ATC Challenge.  There are prizes for one lucky participant. 

The Best Wines .....

In a private Facebook group of card makers we are celebrating our birthday month.  We have several different challenges each week.

One of our challenges was to use a part of a normal household good on your card.  Well I had just removed these labels from some beautiful empty bottles of wine and since it was the only thing I had around, I made a wine related card.

The background was made with a blue distress oxide ink.  I do love my oxide inks.  I also colored another panel so I could use it for my sentiment.  I did some stamping with different mixed media stamps from Bo Bunny on the background to add a little texture and depth.  It also pulled together the black in the label, sentiment and wine glass.

The sentiment and wine glass are from Rubber Necker Stamps.  The wine glass is a two step stamp so it looks like there is wine in the glass.  Regular distress inks were used for the wine in the glass.

After the card was assembled, I took a gold spray and just used the nozzle and tapped it around the card front to add gold splatters.


I am entering this card into the Wednesday weekly challenge at Simon Says Stamp. The challenge is distress.  I did use my distress inks.

Thanks for stopping by.

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Playing Along With a New Challenge Blog

I found a new challenge blog - once a month - that I thought it would be fun to play along with.

The new challenge blog is CAS Mix Up Card Challenge Blog.


I was playing with a new stencil I bought at Gina K's.  After I had rubbed oxide inks through the stencil, I sprayed the stencil with water and placed it on a piece of paper - Monoprint.  I like how some of the flowers are very distinct and others are just a soft color in the background.

I also had a new die cut I wanted to use.  I colored another piece of paper with distress oxides and cut out the die.  I also made a mat for the monoprint to pick up some of the pink in the floral design.

I stamped the sentiment with Black VersaFine Ink.  A few sequins were added to the card to add a little bling.



I am also entering this card in the weekly challenge - Addicted To Stamps.  The challenge this week is CAS.


The card will go to a young lady who had been going through a rough patch.   I hope this will cheer her up.  Let her know I care.

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies August Challenge

It is time for a new challenge at Happy Little Stampers using your dies.  This challenge is wonderful because it is "anything goes".


I needed to make a graduation card for my great niece.  You ask why would you put bees on a graduation card.  The answer to that probing question is that my niece's name is Elaina Bea.  She is the fourth generation of women in my family with the middle name of Bea after my mother.

The background is done with "what else" distress oxide inks.  Twelve little bees were die cut.  Each bee has two layers.  The base layer is yellow with the black top top layer.

The sentiment is die cut from several layers of black card stock and glued together.  After it is adhered to the card, I put a layer of Glossy Accents on top of the sentiment.

I matted everything with black card stock.


Here is a close up of the sentiment.


I even decorated the inside of the card with the remaining two bees with a strip of pink card stock.


Please come join us for the August Anything Goes With Dies Challenge.  Did I tell you there is a prize for one lucky participant.