Oldie Moldie Monday

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

I have had these drink gift tags for many years.  Every now and then I use a few to make some cards.

I decided to make some New Year cards for 2019.

The background is colored with distress oxide inks.   Matted with card stock from my well aged supplies.  The glass was glued onto the edge so a small portion was cut off.  Some old star embellishments were used to (first) cover the whole where the ribbon for the gift tag went through and then to have an odd number to complete the design.  The sentiment was stamped and embossed with silver embossing powder.

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

Thanks for stopping by.

Fall Foliage

Fall is a  favorite time to create for me because I love to use leaves, trees and the colors in my cards.

I needed a Congratulations card for a friend who is taking a new job out of state.  It is a man so it makes the task a little harder to do - luckily - fall foliage works good for a masculine card.

Lucky me - the current challenge at Inspired By is Fall Foliage.

This tree stamp I have had in my collection of stamps for many years.  I stamped it in dark brown ink on a background of oxide inks.  I then colored in just a few of the leaves to add some fall colors to the tree.  I did not want to overdo the color - I wanted my tree to shine.

The sentiment and die are from Simon Says Stamp.  I die cut the banner, laid it back in the cut out and put it in my Misti and stamped the sentiment.  Doing it this way makes it so much easier to get good alignment.

After everything was dry, I sprayed a light gold spray over the entire card front.

Here is a close up of the leaves.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a wonderful day. 

CAS Christmas Card

Once again I am playing along with the monthly challenge CAS Christmas.

I do not have many wreath stamps so I have been thinking how could I make this card.  I could have die cut something and used it but kept thinking.  The other day I was looking through my stamps for something and came across a stamp set from Gina K Designs.  No it is not a Christmas wreath but it is a wreath. 

I first stamped the poinsettia and masked it and then stamped the wreath around it.  I filled in with a branch from the wreath set in the open spots on the wreath.  I added some water to one of the inks and brushed it into the open leaves.  I got a nice look with different green tones for my wreath. 

After I had stamped the flower and wreath, I was rotating the image and decided I liked it with the flower a little off center on the bottom right corner.  I tried to place the sentiment a little more to the left to balance the stamped image. 

The sentiment is from another Gina K set and I stamped it in a dark brown ink.

Yay, one more Christmas card done. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Oldie Moldie Monday

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

I was playing along with some challenges in a private group I am in.  One challenge was to make baby cards.  I used by Silhouette and cut the shapes and patterned paper for these cards.  I did add some shading with ink to the different pieces of the design to give them some depth.  The sentiment was computer generated.

I used a well aged 6 x 6 pad for the papers on these cards.

Remember to show some love for your old supplies.

A Twofer - Same Stamp Two Ways

While out blog hopping, I cam across a new challenge blog to me.  It was something that sounded very interesting and a challenge to do.  We never use our stamps enough or use them in different ways - this challenge blog Twofer asks you to use the same stamp for two different occasions.

The challenge this month is to use a leaf stamp two different ways.

This week I made a paper therapy drive into Milwaukee and hit all the stores in the area.  Four stops for therapy and a friend went along - so it was a wonderful day.

One stop was to the Gina K store in historic Greendale, Wisconsin.  I love to pop into her store.  It is so open and airy and wonderful creations to motivate your mojo.  I bought a leaf stamp set.  (I love leaves as a subject for crafting.)

I am working on getting all my birthday cards made for the remainder of the year.  My brother in law has a birthday at the end of September and this is his card.

I smooshed the background in some watered down Gina K Ink.  I then stamped the leaf and little dots in a darker shade of ink.  I splattered the background with watered down darker ink and some gold spray.  The sentiment was stamped on more colored card stock.  A strip of gold vellum was added as a mat for the sentiment and this was popped up over the card front.

Unfortunately I needed a sympathy card for my cousin's family.   I made the background the same way.  The leaves were stamped in brown ink on more colored card stock.  I used my Scan N Cut to cut out the leaves.  I added some gold on top of the leaves with additional ink to deepen the color.
The sentiment was stamped on a strip of colored card stock and matted with dark brown card stock.  The same card stock was used to make the card base.  I took a length of gold metallic thread and bunched it up and when I adhered the bottom two leaves, that adhered the thread to the card base.  The third leaf was pop dotted on top.  The sentiment was also pop dotted.

Here is a close up of the leaves.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you like my version of one stamp - two different occasions - a twofer.

Monochromatic Thank You Card

I have been cleaning recently (heaven forbid - hope this passes soon) and discovered a set of stamps - they were released in 2009.  I do wonder how long I have owned them.  I did have an idea in my head for creating a card with them.

I was out checking out challenges and the Modsquad Challenge Blog has a challenge this week for Monochromatic Thank You cards. 

Over the week end I had made a monochromatic Christmas card so I already knew what inks I had that worked so well together.  The inks I used are from Gina K Designs.

I first colored a square of bristol smooth card stock by snooshing it into light ink sprayed with water.  I made my mat by dipping the mat in a more concentrated ink/water combination.  I put my lightly colored square in my Misti and started stamping.  I stamped several layers of the darker ink.  I dried it completely and then stamped in VersaMark Ink and clear embossed the sentiment. 

The image is not as crisp as I would like it - so it could be that the quality of the clear stamp from 2009 is not the same as stamps in today's market.  I do know the ink is good but may not have worked as well with the stamp.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Happy Little Stamper's September ATC Challenge

How did it become September and time for new challenges at Happy Little Stampers?

The September ATC Challenge at Happy Little Stampers is Vintage.  How fun is that challenge.

An ATC is a small piece of art.  It measures 2.5 x 3.5 inches.  In days of yore, it was your calling card or as we call it now days - business card.

My base is a piece of cardboard from a coffee package.  I covered it with a piece of patterned paper and added some Dyan Reavely acrylic paint over the top.  I then inked the edges with one of the brown oxide inks.

My two little girls (who I call sisters) is one of Tim Holtz paper dolls.  I added some blue oxide ink to their dresses to give add some color to the ATC.  What color was left on my mat was added to the ATC base.

A small strip of burlap was added to the bottom of the ATC.  I had this ribbon that looked like a measuring tape which was added to the left side.  Some black thread was layered behind the "sisters".

The word was computer generated and brown oxide ink was added to it to give it a more vintage look.  A beautiful brad finished off the ATC.

Please some join us at Happy Little Stampers for our vintage ATC challenge.  Did I tell you one lucky participant will receive a prize?

Oldie Moldie Monday

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

I was cleaning and I found all these pots of dry powder from Jaquard.  I believe they are Pearl EX - Perfect Pigment - or something like that.  I decided I wanted to try using them.  I decided to treat them like the powders you have now that you shake on your paper and spritz with water.  It worked - I got a beautiful fall colored background.

I stamped the open branch/leaf image from AlteNew on the card front with a brown ink.  I then colored each leaf with different colors of the powder.  The sentiment is from Gina K Designs.  I also added some splatters with the remaining paint left on my palette.  The card has already gone postal to my daughter in Alaska.  I am really missing her right now. 

I am entering this card in the current challenge at the Wednesday Simon Says Stamp challenge blog where the challenge is to Stamp On It.  I did stamp on it. 

Remember to show some love for your old supplies.  I am going to play with these powders some more.  I do think I need to get some fixative though to spray on the card once it is done.

Have a wonderful week. 

Stamp Your Acrylic Block

The ModSquad Challenge Blog has an interesting challenge this week.  The challenge is to stamp your acrylic block.  You need to add ink to your acrylic block, spritz with water and stamp it.  I thought why not try this - then - of course - I had trouble finding an acrylic block that would work for this challenge.  I finally found this little square one and used it on my card.

I am sorry for the odd angle on my card - but in order to get all the silver embossing to show this is how I ended up photographing it - I think this sometimes is the hardest part of making a card and sharing it - is getting a good photography.

The squares were stamped with distress oxide inks.  The sentiment and snowflakes were stamped in VersaMark Ink and the stamps are from Penny Black.  The sentiment was a little large so that is why I went with the creative design decision to stamp all the snowflakes hanging over the edge of the squares.  Coming from a cold state with lots of snow - I thought this was a perfect sentiment to use on a card.

A few sequins and some blue splatter finished off the card.  It is a little busy but oh well.  I also made a mat using the same distress oxide ink.  Why is it you have a million sheets of cardstock but you don't have the perfect  color?

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies September Challenge

It is time for a new challenge at Happy little Stampers using your dies. 

Of course, it is the best kind of challenge because it is "anything goes".

A fellow card maker enabled me - don't they all - but I saw her use  this particular flower die set from My Favorite Things.  The flowers are so pretty and when I went to order it it was all gone but it came back in stock, and I got my set. 

The first night I just pulled out scraps of card stock from my scrap bin and cut a container full of flowers and leaves.  This particular grouping of colors was done for a group of card makers.

I first colored my background with the new lightest blue oxide ink.  I just wanted a little color on the background.  I do have a problem with real white space.  I then cut two layers of a frame using some stitched rectangles.  This was glued to the card front.  I arranged the flowers in one corner of the rectangle after I had first laid the die cut sentiment at the bottom.

I added some glitter glue in the center of each of the large flowers.

Glossy Accents was added to the letters of the sentiment.

Here is a close up of the floral arrangement.

Please come join us at Happy Little Stampers September Anything Goes With Dies Challenge.

There is a prize for one lucky participant.   

Happy Little Stampers September Mixed Media Challenge

It is September, time to get messy with a new Mixed Media Challenge at Happy Little Stampers.

I am always getting messy when I do mixed media.  Currently I have a ruined manicure with alcohol inks on the nails.  Good thing I am not too upset by these sort of things.

I normally make cards for my mixed media challenges but I have not played in my journal lately.  There are some blank pages in it and I would like to finish all the pages so this journal can be done.  I do have others to take it's place.

This page started with a book page that had gesso on it and then distress oxide inks.  It has been floating around on my work table so I decided it was time for it to be put to use.  I always keep pieces of paper laying around to mop up my oxide inks when I am playing.

This is a picture of the entire page (close ups are down further in the post).  The images were stamped on tissue paper, kinda messy cut out and adhered to the page with gel medium.  I added washi tape in three different spots on the page.  Black splatters were added to complete the page.

Here is a close up of the top part of the page.  You can see the washi tape in two spots, the words that are on the page and the brushes.  The words were at the bottom of the brushes on the stamp but I cut them off so they could be cut apart and used on the page on top of the brushes.

Here is the bottom of the page.  The little tubes of paint and the other area of washi tape.

The challenge was MESSY and I think I did achieve that on this journal page.  One page closer to completing this journal.

Please come join us at Happy Little Stampers September Mixed Media Challenge. 

Did I tell you there is a prize for one lucky participant?

Happy Little Stampers September Christmas Challenge

Christmas is fast approaching so you should be finding all the Christmas card challenge blogs and making more cards.

Here is a great one for you to do - Happy Little Stampers September Christmas Challenge has the optional twist of trees on it. 

I needed to do a challenge for a shaped card so I went on my Silhouette and was looking at the files that I had.  I had been struggling with a Christmas card with trees on it - I had it in my head but no stamps that matched my vision.  This design popped right out at me.  I could make one card and take two things off my to do list.

I used scraps for the house and snowman.  I loved this shade of green I used for my tree so that was a new sheet of paper.  I cut two layers of each of the shapes to give a little dimension to each element.

The sentiment was stamped on kraft paper and heat embossed.  I love to use clear embossing powder on anything I stamp with VersaFine Black Onyx ink.  I tied a little piece of twine around the sentiment.  I did ink the edges of all the elements.  I even inked the kraft shaped card base.

I think I will make a few more of this card for my cards for this year.  It went together very easily. 
I am thinking about putting yellow behind the windows so it looks like there are lights shining - what do you think.  I have also thought about splattering it with white paint.

Please come join us this month at Happy Little Stampers for our Christmas challenge. 

Did I tell you that one participant will win a prize?  Who doesn't want to win a prize?

Playing Along With Several Challenges

I never seem to get around to playing with any of the challenges at Happy Little Stampers.  This month I am going to play along with the watercolor challenge - anything goes with optional twist of butterflies.

I am working on getting all my birthday cards for the remainder of 2018 done.  I even made a list and I keep remembering people who need to be on the list.  I even added the January people into the mix.

On this card I had my watercolor markers out doing another challenge so thought I would keep trying the technique of coloring your stamp with markers.  The stripes in the back are a stamp from Gina K Designs.  It was inked with a Tombow marker, spritzed with water, and repeat again and then just do a layer of water and let it all soak in.  The stripe stamp was stamped twice to fill the background.

The butterflies are die cuts cut from watercolor paper and they were colored by scribbling another Tombow marker on a mat and adding water.  Kept doing this until I got the bright pink shade I wanted.  I wrapped black thread around the middle to add a little black to the butterfly to tie in the black sentiment and mat.

The sentiment is from Altenew.  It was stamped with Black Onyx VersaFine Ink and embossed with clear embossing powder.

I love the bright colors on this card.

I am also entering this card in the monthly challenge at House of Cards where the challenge is birthday related or the colors.  My card is birthday and I hit one of the colors.

Thanks for stopping by.

Oldie Moldie Monday

It is Monday -  time to show some love for your old supplies.  I used a well aged 6 x 6 paper pad and a well aged sticker for this card  The cat stamps are new and the birthday sentiment stamp was bought this last year.

This card is for my great niece and she loves cats.  Thus the hidden cats inside the card.

The card base was cut on my Silhouette.

Remember to show some love for your old supplies - they still make wonderful cards.

CAS Mix Up September Challenge

I am trying the monthly challenge at CAS Mix Up September Challenge.  This challenge is to use markers on your stamp. 

I dug through my markers and found two options to use in this challenge.  I had Tombow markers and also Zig Clean Color markers.  I went with the TomBow because they had colors that would work with my Altenew leaf branch stamp.  I just added different colors to all the leaves and branch, spritzed with water (working on watercolor paper) and let it sit on the paper for awhile.  I then added more markers and water and let it sit.  I may have also just stamped a layer of water to make everything blend better together.  When I had my leaves nicely colored, I took the coordinating outline stamp and stamped with a light brown oxide ink color to bring the image to life.  This stamp set is from Altenew.

The Hello sentiment is from Gina K Designs.

Here is a close up of the leaves.  I believe the pink started out as a red marker.

Thanks for stopping by.

Let's Try a Color Challenge

I look at color challenges and I really think they are hard.  I am trying to grow my skills as a card maker so I need to try things that are outside my comfort zone.  This is outside my comfort zone but I did make a card I like.

It is either going to be a birthday card for one of my birthdays for the remainder of this year or it is going to be a "celebrate" card because I was told there may be an upcoming proposal in someone's future.  If so, I am ready.

The color challenge is from The Color Throwdown.  Interesting combination of colors but I guess that is what makes it a challenge.

My first step for this card was to add some interest to my background paper for my stamped image and also my card base.  I use my distress oxide inks, water and do lots of smooshing.  This is a favorite technique I use on many cards.

The image I used is a new stamp I bought at JoAnn Fabrics.  It is a wood mounted stamp but I just pull them off the wood and use inside my Misti.  I stamped with Black Onyx VersaFine Ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  The image was colored with inks and some markers I had.

The purple is recycled card stock from graduation ceremony bulletins.  I think I am getting to the end of the purple card stock.  I was very happy when they changed to white.  I have boxes of that left to use.  I cut a mat for my base, a mat for my circle die cut image and I cut three layers of the Celebrate from the piece I had.  It is perfect because it was the perfect purple for the card.

I used glossy accents on the yellow flowers so they shine in real life.

For the final touch I decided I had to add a bow. I have not used a bow on a card in forever but I thought "celebrate" needed something extra.

Here is a close up of the floral image.

I am also entering this card into the challenge at Just Us Girls.  Their current challenge is the word Celebrate.  I think I have that covered with this card.

Thanks for stopping by.