Belated Happy Birthday

Sorry - no Oldie Moldie Monday post - I was cleaning/clearing, moving furniture, etc so I did not get a card made using old supplies.  I started but it was not falling together so it will wait for another day.

I did finish this card this week end.  It was a background made with distress inks.  I used pink, yellow and green  I love how the backgrounds always turn out so different.  The flower was colored with distress ink or paint - don't remember.  Too much swirling in my head right now.  The tape was colored with distress paints also.

A birthday sticker from SRM Stickers finishes off the card.

Four more days of work and I will be retired.  I am so excited.  Maybe I will find more time to create and explore new techniques.

I am entering this at the Monday Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog.  Anything Goes is the theme this week.

Hero Arts Thank You

I have been wanting to try the smooshed ink background.  I have not gotten to wonderful of results but I decided to use them anyway.  I used a Hero Arts stamp set on this card.  It is a two step stamp.  I added the die cut in the corner with a new Tim Holtz die.

I was trying to case a card a friend made.  Hers was so much better.

ATC Card with Polka Dots

I get to putz a little today plus I have lots to get done also around the house - but you do understand that putzing is so much more fun and good for the soul.  I am playing along with Wicked Wednesday's ATC challenge which is polka dots.  

The base of the ATC is some background paper I made using distress inks and stencils.  It is a very subtle background.  The colors are some pink, turquoise/teal and purple.  I stamped the birds with distress ink and VersaMark and clear emboxxed them.  The word is a rub on.  What to use for polka dots and there sitting on a design table were these shiny dots in all the colors so those are the start of the polka dots.  I also added a couple purple pearls for more color and depth.  I added some stitch rub ons, doodled a little and added more polka dots (somewhat irregular) through a stencil with distress ink.  I then doodled a little circle in the middle of some to bring in a little more black on the ATC.  I backed it with some dark purple card stock.

It was fun to create something fun.  I now need to make a sympathy card.  I hate making those - I should just have some already made.

Happy Mother's Day to all.  I will celebrate next week end with my daughters.

Spring is Sprung

Yesterday was the first day of Spring.  Yeah.  Winter has been long - very long so happy to see Spring come.  Of course, I love Spring but I also hate Spring.  I love the warmth returning, the flowers and grass starting to grow but I hate the work - all the leaves that did not get raked need to be cleaned up.  Hopefully the rain predicted this week will wash away some of the grime left on our lawns.

This week the Wicked Wednesday ATC challenge is Spring.  I dug through my collection of backgrounds and found a yellow piece which I cut down to the correct size for an ATC.  This is a recycled background piece.  Recycled cardstock and a layer of an old book.  Add some gesso and paint and away we go.  I recently got the February color from Tim Holtz.  This time I got the ink not the paint.  The flower stamp is from Hero Arts.  I stamped it with Versamark and Black ink and then used clear embossing powder.  It really makes your image pop.  The flower was colored with distress ink and the leaves with distress paint.  A couple stencils and more distress paint added some texture to the ATC front.

The sentiment is a sticker from SRM Stickers.  I placed the sticker on a leftover piece of inked paper.  I added a strip of polka dot paper at the top of the ATC for some contrast.  I also used my favorite circle stamp from Stamps by Judith to add the circles.  Glitter gel was added to the flower and then glossy accents added to the petals and leaves.

I am leaving on vacation and if I can get up enough courage I want to do some art abandonment along the way.  I believe I will leave this piece somewhere in the Florida Keys.  I just want to try this but then I have lots of friends I could mail it to and they would love it also.  What to do what to do.

Never Inked Stamp

On a private facebook group, we had a challenge to use a stamp that had never seen ink before.  This stamp was sitting there along with my new pad of distress ink - the February color of the month.

The stamp set is from Hero Arts.  It has an outline stamp and then a stamp of the full image.  I first stamped the outline.  I colored the bloom with the distress ink.  I then inked up the full image of the bloom and stamped it over the top of the colored bloom.  This is how I got the depth of color.  I had first practiced on a piece of paper so kinda knew what I wanted to do.  I colored around the flower with a very light wash of a watercolor.

For the sentiment I inked up a piece of watercolor paper and let it dry.  I then stamped the sentiment.  The little dots are punched out of the remaining colored watercolor paper.  I put glossy accents on top and have my homemade enamel dots.

I colored the thread with distress ink also so it matches perfectly.

I am entering this in the monthly Our Daily Bread Designs challenge on Stars and Stamps - Operation Write Home's card blog.  The challenge is to have the focus on the sentiment.

I am also entering it in House of Cards monthly challenge to use enamel dots.  Well mine are fake enamel dots - hopefully that counts.

Enjoy your evening - I am cleaning - ugh.

Back in the Blog Saddle Again

I have been horribly lazy at posting on my blog.  I have made several cards but never posted them.  They will get posted in the upcoming days.

Today I am sharing a card for several challenges.  I made the inked background awhile ago with a couple of my favorite distress inks.  I love the colors that I always come up with this ink combination.

I used a Hero Arts stamp I have had for ages (of course I had to have it) that I have never used before.  I stamped it with VersaMark and then used a white embossing powder for the sentiment.  I made a top folding card which I don't normally do.  It is sorta a short/fat card kinda like the designer.  I matted it with a blue/green cardstock.  I added some dyed seam binding for my ribbon.  When I put the ribbon across the top I did not like the look so I had this small strip of the inked background that I put on top of the ribbon.  I tied my bow and added it.  I also added some pearls in a dark teal.

I am entering this card in the challenge at The Paper Players which is to make the sentiment the focal point of the card an it needs to be clean and simple.  Hopefully I achieved the clean and simple.

I am also entering it in the Monday Simon Says Challenge which is a "inky background."

Well off to watch the Packer game and make my Oldie Moldie Monday card.  Valentine card in progress.

Watercolor, Hero Arts, and Seize the Sketch

I have had this piece of background paper I made in the online watercolor class sitting on my table.  I have been trying to use it but nothing ever came together.  Finally we have a card.  The background is made by wetting a piece of watercolor paper and I add a light wash of color.  I then put a stencil over the top and then brush more watercolor over the openings in the stencil.  It never turns out the same.  This is one of my favorite color combos of distress ink.  I decided to use a piece of the background paper in the sketch from Seize the Sketch.

I had watercolored the flower awhile back.  It was colored with distress inks also.  This is a new Hero Arts stamp set for me with a coordinating die set.  Yes I do have other embossing folders besides this one but I love the subtle effects of this embossing folder.  The pearls came from my supplies which I must start using.  I died the crochet thread with distress ink so it would match the card perfectly.

I hope you enjoy my take on the sketch.  It is a sketch with great possibilities.  Now I need to do some work for work.  I need to put in a few hours today to finish up a project.  Everyone enjoy their Sunday.

Another Watercolor Background

I am taking the online watercolor class and the first two day lessons were making background  I have made a few and am getting some of them made into cards.  This card (along with this card and this card) were done withe same technique and same stencil.  Two of the card I used the same color inks on them and look how different the backgrounds turned out.

I made this card into a birthday card for my co worker who loves butterflies.  I also gave her the other card with the butterflies on it.  These are some of her favorite colors.  I am going to enter this card into the SRM Sticker challenge blog - their monthly challenge is birthdays.

Everyone have a good Tuesday.

Thankful Tag

Unity was having a challenge on Facebook to make a tag so I created this tag.  It will go on a card for Thanksgiving.  I really like how it turned out.  The tree is embossed and then the circle which is die cut is colored with Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  I cut the tag and sentiment with my Silhouette.

I am going to enter it on the challenge blog Cut It Up which is to use Circles on your project.

I have been looking for one of these floral frogs to use for holding my projects.  When I was cleaning out my mom's drawers I found this.  I was very happy and this is the first time I have used it.  I really like how it looks.

Authentique Color Challenge and Simon Says - Tape It Up

Today's card is a 5 x 7 card.  The base is watercolor paper with a matching envelope sent to me by my wonderful card making friend from Canada Ivanka.  Thank you Ivanka.

I combined two challenges for this card -

Authentique September Color Challenge

Luckily I had bought a couple sheets of the Enchanted line but I did not have any of the cream or black so I went through all my 6 x 6 pads from Authentique and found a cream and black that worked.  They came from the Celebrate and Carefree pads.  Even though Enchanted is a Halloween line - some of the designs are very versatile and can be used for things other than Halloween.  Although I am going to make a Halloween card with it also.  

The other challenge is from Simon Says Stamp and Show to Tape It Up.  The black dots at the top of the card is tape and adds just the finishing touch to the card.  The dots were white - but I rubbed the orange ink pad across it to make them a creamier color.  

The edges of all the paper is distressed (I felt so much better after making this card).  The flower is made from old pattern tissue - I have just a little of that from my sewing days - I colored the dresses with ink from the Tim Holtz orange distress ink pad.  I just rubbed a brush across it and applied to the dresses - just adds a pop of color to the stamped image.  The sentiment is from SRM Stickers.  I rubbed a piece of watercolor paper across the ink pad for some color and added the sentiment.  The bow is black twill tape.

I really enjoyed making this card.

Have a wonderful day.  

Eat Cake Graphics and Stretching Your Stamps

WOWSERS - this is my 1000 post on my blog.  How time flies ..........

I am still enjoying making cards and sharing them.  The majority of my cards are made for Operation Write Home - I like bringing smiles to our heroes and their friends and families when they receive a card from their hero.

Today's card is made with the Oak Leaf (big) from Eat Cake Graphics.  I created my own background paper by stamping the leaf all over the paper with VersaMark and then clean embossed it.  I then colored the background with distress inks.  After the ink had set, I placed the paper between two sheets of typing paper and ironed it.  It melts the embossing pattern and you are left with the images on your paper.  The paper feels almost like suede.  I then stamped the leaf in brown embossing powder.  Colored it with distress inks by coloring with my fingers (adult finger painting).  I cut it out.  It is pop dotted on top of the oval.  The sentiment is also from Eat Cake Graphics.

I am taking the online card class - Stretching Your Stamps - and this is one of the techniques shown to us.

Have a happy day.

Hero Arts, Creative Corner, Tim Holtz Technique

Yee gads - photo editing gone wrong - must work on my skills - the card is really more the colors of the 2nd picture.

On Creative Corner this week - the challenge - is to use your favorite Tim Holtz technique - well how can you pick a favorite - but I chose to use this one - I wanted a soft colored card to send to a friend's Mom who just had surgery.  I used the paint resist technique.  I painted (inked) up my background stamp (Hero Arts) with Adirondack paint dabber (pearl metallic) and stamped on white paper.  Let dry.  I then rubbed Distress Ink (broken china) over the card.  I also just stamped the butterfly on a separate piece of paper and colored with distress ink.  I cut out the butterfly.

A little matting, the addition of a wonderful SRM Sticker and some colored tape (wonderfully given to me by a friend) and a little bling complete the card.

Have a wonderful Sunday.

Hero Arts, Imaginisce, and Merry Monday

I started this card last night working on the flower.  It is a clear stamp from Imaginisce - it also has the little holiday sentiment I used on last week's holiday card.  I stamped it on watercolor paper and embossed with brown embossing powder.  I then grabbed my distress inks and perfect pearls mist.  Swiped the inks on my mat, spritzed on some perfect pearls and started painting the poinsettia.  I just kept adding layers.  I wanted it to look very vintage.  The perfect pearls adds such a nice shimmer.  Each layer of the poinsettia was pop dotted on the card front.  I added the brownish pearl to the center.  The paper is an old collection from Cosmo Cricket - but it has some great papers in it.  The sentiment is by Hero Arts - three sentiments in the set - I think it will be one of my better purchases - I will get lots of use out of it for holiday cards for Operation Write Home.

The card is based on the Merry Monday Sketch Challenge on Always Playing With Paper.

Have a wonderful day - we will see if I can get the card that is in my head out onto the drawing board tonight.