Allover Die Cut Card

This is the first card I made with my new Hero Arts all over die cut.  It is so beautiful.  I have been trying to use it in different ways.  I did not realize that I had not posted the first card.

I used some bright patterned paper that I had to put behind the white die cut.  The green flowers were fussy cut from another piece of paper.  The Penny Black sentiment was stamped and embossed in white.  Several pearls were scattered across the card.

The card has already been mailed.  I hope they like it.

A Simple Thank You

I am in the need of some thank you cards so I decided to attempt the sketch on C(ASE) This Sketch.  I have a hard time making CASE cards.  I am a "many layers cardmaker" so simple cards scary - a single layer card - OMG - that send me over the edge.  Here is the sketch.

Here is my take on the sketch.

The background is done on watercolor paper.  It is smooshed distress ink.  I then added silver embossing paste.  I wanted to try the the look of the looped string (this is not easy - you should see the second card I made like this).  The sentiment is from Paper Smooches.  I added some sparkly dots to complete the card.

Here is a close up of the focal point of the card.

I am also entering it into the Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge for the week where the theme is Anything Goes.

You can buy your own Paper Smooches stamps at this link.

I am also entering this into the challenge on CAS on Sunday which is Splash (or use water on your card).  To Smoosh, you must spritz your distress ink with water.

If you have a spare birthday card for a little boy who is battling cancer it would be wonderful if you could mail him one.  I believe he will be 6 years old at the end of this month.  Here is his address:  Colin Cahill, 819 Capman Street, Milton, WI  53563

Thanks for stopping by.

More Mixed Media Fun

Retirement is grand.  You actually get to create when you are not tired.  It makes the process so much more fun.  I also get to play along with challenges so I am a happy retired person.

Today's share is a picture of two cards (same design) but it shows how things can turn out a little bit different on each one when you are working with inks.  I actually kinda CASEd this design from my friend Peggy Biggs - a wonderful card maker.  As always, my cards always go down a different road.

I am entering the card in the monthly challenge - Mixed Media Card Challenge where the challenge is Butterfly and the option is Gold.

I am also entering it in the weekly challenge on the Wednesday Simon Says Stamp challenge where the challenge is to tie it up.  I tied a bow on each card with twine.

I am still making thank you cards for my retirement gifts.

I first started out spraying ink on a piece of acetate and adding water and then squelching it onto my watercolor paper.  I did this a couple times.  You can see how differently that always happens when making a background.  I then added the two pieces of tape on the card front.  I did have a plan in my head for what to do, steps and colors.  I stamped the little flowers randomly on the card front and then colored when with the ink.  I did paint splatters in pink ink and black chalkboard paint.  As you can see on the card on the right, I got some big splats.  Oh well, I was not going to scrap the card front.  Some additional texture was added with embossing paste.  I wish now I had done a different shape rather than dots to mix it up a little.

The butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch.  I punched it out of white card stock and covered it with VersaMark and gold embossing powder.  The sentiment was also gold embossed on more squelched colored watercolor paper.  (I use the smoother side when I plan to stamp on the paper)  I matted the front on black.  The butterfly and sentiment are pop dotted.

Thanks for stopping by today.  My neighbor girls is coming to spend the day with me, I wonder what kind of trouble we can get into.  She likes to play in my paper.

Oldie Moldie Monday

More thank you notes for the office.  One of my fellow coworkers likes monkeys so I always make cards for him with monkeys on them.  Even his wedding and engagement cards had monkeys on them.  The sentiment stamp - I just found in my stash.  I thought it worked well.  The image was gifted to me so I have no information on it.  It was colored with Copics.  The paper is a well aged 6 x 6 pad from Basic Grey.

Floral Thank You Take Two

Another floral thank you note.  The background is painted with acrylic paints on mixed media paper.  The floral stamp from Hero Arts was stamped in VersaMark and Hero Arts embossing powder was used.  The Thank You Sticker is from SRM Stickers.  The bow is from fabric.

Floral Thank You

The background was mixed media paper painted with acrylic paint.  The floral stamp from Hero Arts was stamped in Versa Mark and Hero Arts embossing powder was used.  The Thank You Sticker is from SRM Stickers.  The bow is from fabric.

More thank you notes for co workers.

Oldie Moldie Monday

Yes Oldie Moldie Monday returns.  I made them today - my first day of not going to work retirement.  I don't think week ends count.  The paper is from an older Basic Grey 6 x 6 pad and the stamp is from Paper Smooches.  Even the yellow ribbon was a scrap that was left over.  Luckily it was just enough for the card.

Remember to show some love for your older supplies.  They still make great cards.

Mixed Media Thank You Card

Finally got a chance to get a better picture of this card.  Some fellow cardmakers were sent fabric Yo Yo's to create with.  It will be fun to see what everyone comes up with.

Of course, I am boring.  I made a card with a flower with a yo yo center.

I had the blue background already made.  I believe I just dipped the watercolor paper in distress inks.  I don't know which blue I used.  I used some green paint and stencil to add the dots to the background.  I added more texture with embossing paste through a stencil.  The black flower was cut with the Silhouette.  I cut 3 layers and glued them together to add a little dimension to the flower base.  Since I had fabric on the card, I wanted to make a fabric bow also.  This fabric is flannel.  After I laid the card out, I decided I needed to add some black into the background so used a new Prima Stamp.  A sticker sentiment from SRM Stickers finishes off the card.

I am going to enter this card in the currently monthly challenge at Mixed Media Card Challenge.   The challenge is blue.  I think there is enough blue in the background and the bow and flower have a shade of blue in it.

Today at 4:30 I started a new chapter in my life.  I retired.  I am excited that I will have some more time to create and explore some new areas of interest.

The Flowers of Summer

I have been playing with my gelatos, gesso and distress paints,  I saw a card similar to this on Pinterest and unfortunately I do not know who did it originally.  I loved the design so tried my best to come up with a card that was somewhat similar.

Here are a couple close ups of the flowers and the bow.

The flowers are colored with distress markers and made out of gessoed book pages.  I cut wonky circles in different sizes and layered them.  The smaller flowers have two sizes and the larger flower has three sizes of wonky circles.  

The bow was colored with distress ink.

I am going to enter this card in the challenge on Mixed Media Monthly challenge Summer Days.  What is more summer than bright colored flowers.

Thanks for stopping by.

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.

Oldie Moldie Monday

Monday - time to show some love for some old supplies.  I found pieces of this paper.  There was matching card stock with the patterned paper.  I managed to get three more cards out of the paper and never used any of that card stock.  I think they will be great cards for Operation Write Home.

The top two sentiments are from Hero Arts.  The last sentiment is from Technique Tuesday.

Remember to show some love for your old supplies.  They still make great cards.

Enjoy your Monday - dang - a five day work week.

Keep It Simple Sticker Card

I have found a new challenge blog and have played along a couple times.  It is called Keep It Simple.  I struggle doing simple cards.  I love to do lots and lots and LOTS of stuff on a card.  The post office loves me - I think personally card makers will keep the post office in business with the extra money we spend on postage to mail our cards.

The current challenge at Keep It Simple is to use stickers.  I have two favorite sticker companies.  SRM Stickers have the best sentiment stickers and they also have some small images (the daisy on this card is from SRM Stickers along with the sentiment).  Penny Black also has wonder image stickers which help you make a great card very easily.  The card at this link uses a Penny Black sticker image and a SRM sentiment.

As I said I struggle with CAS cards.  I have thousands of sheets of white card stock which are recycled from commencement programs.  It cuts down on my cost so much.  The card base and the dry embossed card front are recycled card stock.  I used my Silhouette to cut out the flower shape in the center of my front.  After it was cut out I dry embossed the front.  I did cut 3 flowers out of regular white card stock with no texture on it.  They are layered together to add just a little dimension to the flower.  I colored the top layer with Copics.  I then glued it in opening.  I had used all the big sentiments on a Thank You sticker sheet from SRM Stickers and have all these daisies left over so wanted to find a way to use them.  I thought I needed a pop of color so added the pinkish red mat and also put my daisy sticker on top of it.  The sentiment and daisy are pop dotted for some extra dimension.  I added a pearl in the center of the daisy.  Thank you card done.  I kept it simple or at least simple for me.

Everyone enjoy your Sunday.  I must go to the grocery store and clean my card making area since I am taking the Stretch Your Stamps Online class.  Looking forward to it.  I never thought you could take an online card class - well - I prefer to take an online class from this group than to go to a in person class.  Fantastic value for your money.

Pocketful of Thanks

This week the challenge on the Paper Smooches Sparks challenge is a photo inspiration.  It is a beautiful photo.  Mason jars are so popular.  Yesterday I saw an entire craft book on mason jars.

My colors are not as soft but I still got the three colors in my card.  I did have a chevron strip for the card but it did not fit.  I will have to make another card with it someday in my spare time.  (what is that?)  I had recently gotten a new stamp set when I ordered from Simon Says.  I stamped the pocket and the sentiment on the pocket.  The flowers were all die cut.  I did color the paper for the pink and aqua flowers with ink.  The mat was also colored with ink.  It is the best way to get something to match perfectly - make it yourself.  My favorite embossing folder.  The pocket and some flowers were pop dotted for dimension.  I added a few sequins - that is the first time I have used sequins on a card.  I colored some crochet thread with the same ink I stamped the sentiment in to bring in some of the darker teal color.

Somehow I never get this challenge done until the end of the week.  You really stop by and check out their weekly challenge.

If you want your own Paper Smooches stamps and dies, you just need to go shop at this link.

Well it is time to get moving.  Today is my 45th class reunion.  It will be nice to see whoever attends.  Bonus - I get to also see my Mom today.  Everyone enjoy your Saturday.

A New Challenge to Try - "The Challenge"

As I was out cruising the net I found a new challenge site called appropriately "The Challenge".  It looks like their challenges are two part - you can choose or or the other or combine them.  I chose to just do the sketch this week.  I tend to shy away from doing color challenges.  Here is the sketch for this week.

Every Friday I try to use stamps from Unity.  I have an entire box full so I need to start using them so I have set a personal challenge to myself to use my Unity Stamps.  They also have a challenge on Friday where you post what you have made.  You get lovely feedback from the group for your creation.

I had already stamped my images when I found this sketch and I thought I could use my little clipboard could work - I am taking creative license with the sketch - as I always do.

The paper is from American Crafts.  I had the paperclip in my collection of stuff.  Do you have a collection of stuff?

This card will go in my next Operation Write Home box.

Happy 4th of July.

Oldie Moldie Monday

On Sunday we had an event in Milwaukee for Operation Write Home to introduce people to the organization and making cards for our Heroes.  I made some kits to work on while I was at the event.  I did use some of my supply of paper.  Here is one kit.

The sentiment is a digital designed by Paula - an active Operation Write Home cardmaker.  She has several other digitals on her site.  I have a file saved with 6 of these on a sheet.  They fit perfectly in a spellbinders circle die I have.  I cut my other circles with the Silhouette - so much faster.

Here is my next kit.

This is a birthday card (duh - that is pretty obvious).  The paper is from Imaginisce.  I have an entire of birthday paper so I need to make some more cards out of it.

Too bad it is Monday.  The week ends go so fast.

More Watercolor

I am still playing with watercolor - or I am making cards - out of backgrounds I made in the watercolor class I took online.  I had so much fun in this class.

The background was made by getting ink on an acrylic block and then stamping the block on your watercolor paper.  You get some interesting colors when you do this.  I do like the background.  It was done with distress ink.  The floral stamp is from Deep Red.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts.

I used the sketch from CAS on Sunday.  Pretty clean and simple and pretty true to the sketch.

I am also entering it into the Simon Says Monday Challenge blog where the challenge is botanical.  My flower card will qualify for that.

Well off to get a few more things done.  Participating in a blog hop this week end so need to read the rules and decide on what I want to do.

Watercoloring Flowers

More watercolor magic.

The first card was made by inking up the stamp with gelatos and then spraying it with water and stamping.  I got three different stampings off the one layer of gelato.  Probably not the best stamp to use but I wanted to try it - I couldn't throw any away so I did make a card.  I did color paper for the mat.  The sentiment is a sticker from SRM Stickers.

The second card - the flowers were stamped in distress ink and then when you watercolor the distress ink fades into your other paint giving you a no line look.  The card is very pretty.  I think I had 3 pearls on it but that third one is not to be seen and of course I only had 3 that size.  The sentiment is from Paper Smooches.  The flower stamp is from JoAnn Fabrics.

Well off to clean my house.

Watercolor Class

I am taking the watercolor class from "online card classes".  Having lots of fun.  I haven't gotten past the first two days of class in creating - we learned how to do different backgrounds.  I have been having so much fun I may never do any other cards.

This card is made by putting ink on an acrylic block and then stamping it on watercolor paper.  I used distress inks for this card.  I did this a couple nights ago - hmmmmm - how did I do that?  I must have wet something down - maybe the paper.  This is a very small card - it only measures 2.5 inches by almost 4 inches.  I decided to put my sentiment at an angle.  something a little different.

Come back tomorrow to see another technique.

National Scrapbooking (no Cardmaking) Day

Today is National Scrapbooking Day but I am going to rebel and make cards.  Well at least a couple cards.

This card is for the ODBD (Our Daily Bread Designs) monthly contest on Stars and Stripes (Operation Write Home Card Blog).  For each 25 entries ODBD pays for the shipping for a box of cards to our Heroes overseas.  We are trying to reach 50 posts today.  Here is my card for the challenge - embossing.   I chose to do dry embossing.

I cut the flower from cardstock with my Silhouette and colored it with Copics.  The patterned paper is from a 6 x 6 pad from Lawn Fawn.  I glued the flower to white cardstock and embossed it.  It basically melts your design in the cardstock.  Since I could not find any cardstock to match the blue of the flower, I colored my own paper for my sentiment and to be the base layer for my patterned paper.  The sentiment is from Paper Smooches.

Thanks for stopping by.  I really need to do something productive in the way of housework.  I did gather all my plastic bags together - OMG - I have a trunk full - you can recycle them at Walmart and that is my first stop tomorrow to get rid of all those bags.

Enjoy the remainder of your day.

New Technique

Last week I was out looking at a challenge site and was looking at some of the entries - now I don't even know where I was or whose card it was - they had a link to a video - I went at watched it.  I had all the supplies so I decided to try it.

You take an embossing folder and you ink the front panel.  You spritz the paint with water and then place paper on top and just rub it.  I tried it two different times.  You can see I got two different looks.

The stamps on this card are from Unity Stamps.

On the second card I probably could have gotten another rubbing off the paint.  The bottom card was sent to a TV broadcaster who I have watched every morning for probably 10 - 15 years.  He is retiring and I wanted to thank him for starting my mornings.  The TV and big sentiment are from Lawn Fawn.

It was a fun technique to try and I will try it again.

Yeah it is Friday and I am home two days this week end.