Polka Dot Bikini

Today’s card is for the Friday Mashup challenge to do a card with a summer theme or do a card with polka dots or mash it up and do a summer card with polka dots.

When I thought about the polka dots the first stamp I thought of was a Rubbernecker stamp Ethel in Bikini. She is wearing a polka dot bikini, and bikini’s are summertime to me.

Ethel was stamped on glossy paper with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, then colored with a Alcohol Ink Fillable Pen, filled with Blending Solution and various Alcohol Inks, then cut out.

The Sun is from an old retired SU set called Sensational Scenery, stamped with Mustard Seed Distress Ink and also cut out.

The next layer was white cut with a Nestie Label Four die, I ran a blue Gelly Roll Stardust Pen around the inside of the die before removing, Stippled Tumbled Glass in the center, then added some sand at the bottom.

The next layer is the same blue as the base card, cut out with a Nestie Label Eight die, and a white gel pen run around the inside of the die before removing.

I chose a yellow ribbon with white polka dots, ran it across the same blue as the base card, and punched the top and bottom with a MS punch around the page border punch called Cherish. Stamped the sentiment from a MFT set called Twisted Sentiments with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink. This is layered of a piece of white using the same border punch on top and bottom. Then I added two flip flop brads.

The next layer is blue with white polka dots from a DCWV stack that I have lost the cover for. I punched the corners with the MS punch around the page corner punch (Cherish). Layered onto white using the same corner punch, then layered onto the base card.

It has been a while since I have been able to play with my toys. This is my busy time, being outside cutting grass & weed eating. Since my Mother bought the house across the road in stamping land, we have two houses here to take care of, and three in non-stamping land (my Mothers, Mother-In-Law’s and mine), plus a garden. I also cut grass & weed eat at the farm that we hunt.

It’s a good thing I like cutting grass, I’m beginning to hate weed eating though. I spent five hours weed eating the other day, I had an hour for lunch, and didn’t get it finished, but let me tell you, I was about finished. I don’t think I could have pulled the cord to start the weed eater to many more times.

I was here in stamping land last week, but didn’t have time to do any stamping. My DH decided he wanted me to put a flowerbed in out back, so we hauled in two ton of topsoil. We can only carry one ton on our trailer at a time. By the time I shoveled it off of our trailer onto my cart, then shoveled it off again, I’m sure it turned into four ton. All two ton wasn’t put in the flowerbed, I spread some around in different places in the yard. The soil in the yard has been pretty sad since building the house, we still don’t have grass in some places, but it’s getting better. I also bought a bunch of flowers and planted them along with some we dug up in non-stamping land. Then I had him get me two scoops of mulch and I spread it. I ran out of mulch, money and time to get it finished.

This trip we brought down probably a ton of old sheep and steer manure, which I spread around yesterday. It looked like it was going to be a piece of cake to spread it, it was so old it mostly looked like dirt, but then it rained on it the night we got here, and made it a little difficult to shovel, but that is done. So finally I’m getting to play today.

Thanks for stopping by, I really enjoy getting comments.

Happy Stamping!
judy

Gnome Friend

Today’s card isn’t for any challenges, it just one of the cards I threw together before returning to non-stamping land.

Yes, it’s another acrylic distress card, this time I used the Cuttlebug Textile folder with an Adirondack Acrylic Dabber in Gold with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I do love this technique, and I’m still trying new colors together. I even did snowflakes with a Silver Dabber and Dusty Concord Distress……but don’t be distressed, I didn’t make anything with it yet.

Since I was pressed for time, I didn’t want to stamp & color, so I looked through some pre-stamped colored images and found this one. The image is from a SU set called Knobbly Gnomes. I don’t remember what ink I used to stamp it with, but I can tell you it was stamped on watercolor paper and colored with Twinkling H2o’s.

I cut the image out and picked out some cardstock to finish the card. The layer behind the image (lt. brown) was cut and embossed with a Nestie Label Four die. The next layer cut with a Nestie Scalloped Oval (dk. brown), a piece of grosgrain ribbon runs behind the top three layers, and wraps behind the next two layers. Next is the acrylic distress layer, backed with a dark brown layer, and the base card is the same lt. brown as the sentiment layer and the Labels Four layer.

The sentiment is from the same stamp set, stamped with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. Since the sentiment is so long, it didn’t fit on anything I had punch wise. So I tried using an EK Success punch Journal Plate, cutting a piece of paper to size, and running it up through the bottom to snip off the edge.  Then layered it onto a piece of dk. brown cut to size and the corner snipped with a corner rounder punch.

Thanks for stopping by, and I really enjoy getting comments.

Happy Stamping!
judy

Chewable Aspirin

Another Football Frenzy card for challenge #96 at House Mouse & Friends.

This was actually the first image I stamped to go with the acrylic distress background on yesterday’s card, but right in the middle of making yesterday’s card a new idea popped into my head and I switched images.

The main image for today’s card is a HM stamp called Chewable Aspirin. It was stamped on white cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, colored with Prismacolored pencils, then cut out. I added stickles to the ice cube and drips. The aspirin bottle cotton is a combination of two MS flocking powders (swan & pewter). The eyes were colored with a black glaze pen, and one dotted with a white gel pen, then laid aside to dry.

I started looking for sentiments to go with this image, and that is when the switcheroo of images came about, and when yesterday’s card came about.

The sentiment is from a SU set called Always In My Thoughts, stamped on white with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, then punched out with a circle punch. I decided to specify even more, so I chose the SU set Alphabits, stamped on white with Memento Tuxedo Black, then punched each letter out with a 1/4” hole punch. For this Faux Sympathy card I used Steeler colors (black, gold & white).

The footballs are from a CDS set call Accessory Fun, stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and sponged with Vintage Photo Distress, cut out, and placed in each corner.

My Raven fan husband loved this card, it even got a chuckle out of him. I am back in non-stamping land now, and I am having withdrawal. I can’t wait to get back to my stamps.

Thanks for stopping by, and I really enjoy the comments.

Happy Stamping!
judy

Mudpie Scores

Are you ready for some football? Challenge #96 at House Mouse & Friends is a football frenzy challenge.

When I went to check on what the challenge was today, I had a great surprise….I won the last challenge! After that shock the next one was that the challenge is a football frenzy, I was lost, in more ways than one. I don’t have any HM football stamps, I don’t really like football, oh I’ll sit and watch a game with my husband every now and then, but I don’t have the slightest idea what is going on half the time. As far as a favorite team, I picked the Steelers just because my hubby doesn’t like them…..he is a Ravens fan. I have always said football is just a bunch of over paid and overgrown men running around jumping on top each other, I sure can’t see sitting around yelling at the TV when a game is on, I won’t mention any names, but his initials are husband

. I do like the Super Bowl…..for the commercials and the half-time show. So for my card I sort of went with the green & yellow, but threw in the black & gold too.

Yes, I did yet another acrylic distress technique card, but I did try something new with it. All along I have been using the Adirondack Acrylic Dabbers, I have a whole rack of the little acrylic paint bottles like Folk Art and Apple Barrel, now call me stupid, but I was wondering if they would work too. DAH! I guess acrylic paint is acrylic paint no matter what they say. I definitely won’t have to buy anymore paint for a while. So I picked out a bottle of Apple Barrel yellow, that I thought would match the Packer color and painted my paper with a paintbrush, that I had embossed with a Cuttlebug folder from the Heritage Collection.

I know they sell the dabber tops, I have four brand new ones, that I have had for a while, I guess I’m saving them for a rainy day. Anyway, I used the heat gun to speed up drying, then sanded the paper and sponged with Peeled Paint Distress, and wiped with a damp paper towel. I am happy to say it worked like a charm. I looked through my HM stamps to see what image I could use and came up with a couple. I even made a second card, because half way through the project, another idea hit me, and I switched the original image I had for this card to this image.

I will be leaving here tomorrow and returning to non-stamping land, and won’t be able to make any new cards for a while, so the past two nights I have been up half the night trying to crank some extra cards out.

Ok, back to this card. The base card is black, the next layer is gold cut to size (the Steelers lost, so their colors in under the Packer colors) . I chose the HM stamp Mudpie Tells 02 for this card. He was stamped on white with Memento Tuxedo Black, colored with Prismacolored pencils & Goo Gone, then cut out. A black Glaze pen was used on his eye.

All three white circles were punched, then sponged around the edges with Peeled Paint Distress Ink. In my warped little brain, I chose circles for spotlighting. Doesn’t Mudpie look like he wants to giggle? Hence the sentiment from an SU set called Warm Words stamped with Peeled Paint. The letters on the big circle are brads I have had forever, and never use. The numbers were punched.

Thanks for stopping by, I really enjoy getting comments.

Happy Stamping!
judy

Get Well Bunny

Today’s card is another entry for the Speedy TV challenge #56, to do a tone on tone card with the main image popped.

I created this card a couple of days ago, trying out some new techniques. I love the Acrylic Distress Technique, and started out with a color I haven’t used for it yet (Aged Mahogany Distress). The embossing folder used is a Cuttlebug from the Heritage Collection, and the Adirondack Dabber is Pearl.

The base card is just a piece of plain cardstock matching the Distress ink. The next layer up is plain white cut to size. Then the Acrylic Distress layer. The scalloped oval was white, cut with a Nestie scalloped oval die, and sponged with Aged Mahogany. The white oval was cut and embossed with a Nestie oval die.

Since the image had to be popped, I chose something easy to cut out, a SU set called A New Little Someone. I tried something new (to me) water coloring with Distress Ink. Which you can definitely see I need practice at.  The image was stamped on white with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I dabbed the ink pad on a plastic mat and spritzed some water in it, then using a water brush colored the image with Aged Mahogany, repeating these steps for  Wild Honey and Tattered Rose. Cut the image out, took a needle and black thread, and stitched the seam up the middle.

The sentiment is from the SU set Teeny Tiny Wishes. Stamped with Versamark on white and heat embossed with detail black ep, then sponged with Aged Mahogany. I was going to use Hello Baby, but thought the card too dark for a baby card, so I changed to a get well card. While writing this post, I just had the weirdest thought……..what colors do the Goth dressers use for baby cards? Can you see a baby card done in black? Maybe this could have been a Goth baby card. I can’t think about things like this now, I’ll have to think about it tomorrow.

After the card was assembled I added Stickles for the eyes, and to the bow.

Thanks for stopping by, and getting comments makes my day. If you should have an answer for the Goth baby cards please by all means leave me a comment, maybe we could start something new.

Happy Stamping!
judy

Girls Just Wanna Have Funds

This  card is for challenge #7 at The Friday Mashup. The challenge is to: create a project with a feminine theme, or create a card using ribbon or pearls…..or mash it up and create a feminine project with ribbon & pearls.

As you can see, I chose all of the above. Since I am a tomboy, pink is my least favorite color, and also the color I associate with feminine stuff, like shopping, so my first choice of stamps for this project was the MFT set Tot-ally Fantastic. The sentiment is from the same set, and while I was making this card earlier today the Cyndi Lauper song “Girls just wanna have fun” popped into my head, and has stayed there all day. I think this also had to do with me picking the true (bright) colors (pun intended). I will admit I was a Cyndi Lauper fan, am I showing my age? I’d be willing to bet I’m not the only one making cards that was a Lauper fan.

The base card is a hot pink, the next layer is black, just cut to size. For the next layer  the Faux Mother of Pearl Technique was done. I used a piece of saran wrap dipped into Lumiere’ and dabbed onto a piece of photo paper. After the Lumiere’ dried Spun Sugar Distress Ink was sponged over the whole piece. Then it was cut to size to layer over the black.

The same hot pink and black was cut to size to layer the main image. The pink was placed on the Faux Mother of Pearl, then a piece of hot pink ribbon by Darice was run across it and wrapped around to the back of the black layer. Next the black layer and the image piece was placed atop the ribbon. I placed a hot pink pearl from Queen & Co. on top of the ribbon on each side of the image.

The image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink. I used my Scor-buddy to make store front bricks and to etch the sidewalk, then colored with Prismacolored pencils and Goo Gone. Who’s That Girl is wearing a designer dress by judy’s cards. I wanted to paper piece the dress, but was too lazy to look for some dp to use, so I made my own, using a SU black marker, and just colored the dress to stamp off on another piece of white, then grabbed my old SU set called Itty Bitty Backgrounds and inked up one of the stamps with the Memento Tuxedo Black, then cut it out to give her a new designer dress. The belt and dog were colored with a black SU marker. For the shoes, bracelet, and parts of the other purses a black glaze pen was used. Her purse was colored with a white glaze pen, and the pink purse was a pink glaze pen. The purse on the bottom shelf was created the same as the dress. After putting the card all together, I used Crystal Lacquer for the store window, which just about screwed the whole card up, as the Crystal Lacquer started to smear the dried black Glaze pen. I was able to salvage, it and luckily before I got to the pink purse.

The sentiment was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black on a strip of pink, then the ends were snipped by placing them through the bottom of a SU word window punch. I just used a strip of black cut to size for the layer behind, and added two small pink pearls (Crystal Stickers) to each end.

How true is that sentiment? It is oh so very true. If that were me in the picture, and I had funds, I’d definitely be passing that store window, in hopes the next one would be a stamping supply store. Oh, who am I fooling, I wouldn’t be wearing that dress either, it would be jeans & a t-shirt, and I ‘m, pretty sure I wouldn’t have a dog that could be caught in a mousetrap either.

Thanks for stopping by, and your comments make my day.

Happy Stamping!
judy

Mono Tool

Today’s card was inspired by two challenges I ran across. Challenge #6 at The Friday Mashup for a manly monochromatic card, and challenge #55 to do a card in monochromatic blues at Speedy TV that I just joined.

The first thing I thought of when I read about the two challenges was a piece of dp in my scrap pile. This is my first entry to both challenges, and I’m sorry to say I don’t own any of the Mark’s Finest Paper Stamps for the Speedy TV challenge, so I chose to use a SU set called Totally Tool to go with the dp.

Since I already had the dp picked out, I sort of worked this card backwards. The base card is a light blue, with a dark blue layer between it and the dp. The dp is from a DCWV The Guy Stack, cut to layer over the dark blue. All four corners punched with a Southwest punch, and dark blue twine wrapped into each of the slots. In my stash, I had some little Card Charms tools, I picked up at Michaels on the clearance rack a while ago, so I chose the screwdriver. The handle on the screwdriver was actually a different color, but since the challenge was for monochromatic blues, I painted the handle blue, and tied it to the twine with another piece of twine
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For the main image I chose the screwdriver and sentiment combined, stamped with Distress Embossing Ink and embossed with Faded Jeans Distress Powder, on the same blue as the base card, cut and embossed with a Nesties Label Six die, then sponged Faded Jeans Distress Ink around the edges.

Thanks for stopping by, and I really enjoy reading your comments.

Happy Stamping!
judy

Celebrate Bling

Sometimes I think I just try to hard to come up with a card for a challenge. This one fell right into place and will be submitted for challenge #7 at Use It Tuesday to add bling. I also used sketch #SC332 from SCS.

Maybe the fact that it has been dumping the rain down made me chose an image from an old SU set called Send A Celebration, that I have never used. After choosing that stamp, I thought of some dp I had in my scrap pile and a card started to develop.

The image was stamped on white cardstock with Versamark, embossed with detail gold embossing powder, cut and embossed with a Nesties rectangle die.  Then I started coloring in the raindrops with a Sakura clear glitter pen, and also ran it around the outside embossed area of the rectangle. Next I painted the flowers with stickles. I had a bottle of Scribbles (iridescent white mist) 3D paint in with my stickles, so I figured what the heck, I painted the envelope. This piece was then set aside to dry, because I know me…..sooner or later I ‘d lay something on it or stick my hand in the wet stickles. I did have to pick it up to get a measurement for the next layer, and very carefully did so, without messing anything up, then put it back out of harms way.

The turquoise layer was just cut to size. Then I started working on my next layer. I chose yellow and a MS Punch Around the Page set called Cherish. The 3 1/4” x 3 1/4” square was too small, so I cut it in half and spread it apart, hoping I had some ribbon in my tons of ribbon stash that would cover the gap. I found some gold ribbon that was perfect, but…..I put it on with the wrong side out, because the back side had more bling than the correct side, and bling is what the challenge is about. Now back to the yellow punched layer….I decided to do what I think is called Faux Stitching, by using a Sky Star Sakura Gelly Roll pen (more bling) and connected all those little holes on the inside that were just begging to be sewn, and skipped some stitches on the outside holes.

The next layer is dp I had in my scrap pile from a DCWV Flower Shower Spring Stack, with a ticket punch used on each corner. For the next layer of turquoise I used a corner rounder punch. The base card is the same yellow as the punched layer.

By the time I had all the layers done, my image was dry, but……I had a white background, white umbrella and a painted white envelope, so I grabbed my Twinkling H2O’s for more bling and painted the umbrella and background. After the card was assembled Faux brads were created by punching a piece of scrap yellow with my Crop-A-Dial, gluing in place, then adding stickles. I then decided to add just a little more bling by coloring the rainbows and raindrops on the dp with the Sakura clear glitter pen, and wouldn’t you know it, I stuck my hand in the wet stickles on one of the Faux brads.

It is very hard to get a picture of the glitter & shimmer maybe this close-up will help a little. I believe if you click on the picture you can get a better view.

Thanks for stopping by, and I’d love to hear your comments, they really make my day.

Happy Stamping!
judy

Flower Garden Rose

Seems like I am stuck on using the Acrylic Distress and coloring with an Alcohol Ink Fillable Pen, but I just can’t help myself trying new combinations.

This card was supposed to be for a challenge, but I changed my mind and just finished it like this.

The rose is from a retired SU set called Flower Garden. It was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black on glossy cardstock, then colored with an Alcohol Ink Fillable Pen, filled with Blending Solution. I scrounged up enough palettes to have droppers of dried Alcohol Ink for each color I own, and whenever I’m ready to use them, just pull them out. The image was then cut out and embossed with a Nestie oval die. The next layer is just plain white cardstock cut out with a Nestie scalloped oval die and sponged with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink.

Using the Acrylic Distress Technique, this time I chose a Cuttlebug folder from the Heritage Collection, ran a piece of white cardstock through it and painted with an Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber in Pearl.  This may become my favorite Dabber as I like the shimmery effects, although I haven’t tried the gold or silver yet. After the paint dried, the raised embossing was sanded, wiped free of dust and sponged with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink.

The next layer is just white, cut to size with a blue base card. I chose not to add a sentiment, but I think it still needs something, I just haven’t figured out what yet.

Thanks for stopping by, and I’d love to hear your comments.

Happy Stamping!
judy

Flower Bling

Challenge #7 at Use It Tuesday is to add bling. I have had a lot of ideas but every time I think it’s a great idea, turns out it is a stamp I have already used.

I don’t believe I have ever used this stamp from a SU set called Flower Garden. It was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on white cardstock, then cut and embossed with a Nestie oval die. Before removing the die I sponged Tumbled Glass Distress Ink around the image. Next I colored the image using cheap metallic ink pens with a watebrush to have shimmer. The next layer was also white, cut with a Nestie scalloped oval die, and also sponged with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink.

For the next layer, the Acrylic Distress Technique was used. The cardstock was white, it was run through the Cuttlebug with a Scrollwork embossing folder. I used an Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber in Pearl,  sanded the raised areas, sponged  Dusty Concord Distress Ink all around the frame, spritzed some water on a paper towel and wiped. The Pearl paint also has a shimmer to it. The base card is close to the Tumbled Glass color. After the card was assembled I added some yellow gems to the flower centers and clear ones to every other scallop.

I picked these little gems up at the Dollar Tree a while ago, they were with the fingernail stuff. I can’t imagine adding them to my fingernails, I almost went blind adding them to this card.

In the picture above, you can see some of the shimmer on the embossed part, but the shimmer on the flowers doesn’t show ,so here is a close-up of the shimmery flowers and the bling.

Thanks for stopping by, it really makes my day to read comments.

Happy Stamping!
judy

Humorous Girl 2

This is the second card I made using this stamp. For the first one see Humorous Girl.

Note** When I posted this earlier, I forgot to mention I used sketch challenge #216 from CPS.

If you didn’t see yesterday’s post, I was looking for a sentiment to use on another card, and ran across this stamp from the Inkadinkado set Humorous Birthday. A light bulb went off in my head, as this was a perfect sentiment for a birthday card I needed for this month (yesterday’s post). While making that card, I started wondering if it would have been better for her soon-to-be 19 year old daughter, so right then and there I decided to make another card using the same stamp for a July birthday card.

The main image was stamped on a piece of white cardstock with onyx black Versafine, then sponged with Distress inks. I had previously tried to do this image on glossy paper with Versamark and detail black ep, but I didn’t have a steady enough hand, the words were too hard to read…..it smeared a little, so I tossed it in the trash, only to get it out, color the image of the girl with an Alcohol Ink Refillable Pen (filled with Isopropyl Alcohol 91%) and some dried Alcohol Inks, I had poured out in a palette, then cut the image out and attached it to the sponged layer.  The next layer is white, cut to size and the edges sponged with barn door Distress ink. The pink circle was cut and embossed with a Nesties circle die, then a white gel pen run around the inside of the die before removing. The next layer of white was just cut with a Nesties scalloped circle die and a black pen run around the inside before removing the die, the edges also sponged with barn door Distress ink. The background paper (white) was stamped with a SU background stamp chicken wire, inked up with an Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber (pitch black), then sponged with Distress Inks, layered on top of a piece of plain white with a pink base card. The sentiment is an unknown stamp, inked up with onyx black Versafine, stamped on white, then sponged with Distress Inks. I finished my little banner, by punching the ends with a square punch.

There is a video on the Ranger website for this coloring technique, only the pen is filled with blending solution.

Thanks for stopping by, and I love getting comments.

Happy Stamping!
judy

Heartfelt Sympathy

I have another sympathy card to show today. I guess I’m on a sympathy kick because I knew I had to return to my non-stamping land. At least I had these last few cards done before I left my toys. I won’t be returning to them until after Easter.

I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder from the Heritage collection to emboss the top white layer. Then I stamped the sentiment and flowers from my SU set Close as a Memory. First I stamped the sentiment using onyx black Versamark, and created a mask. The flower stamp was inked up using SU markers, and stamped above the masked sentiment. The next layer is black cut to size with a paper cutter, with a white base card. For a finishing touch a black brad was placed on each corner.

Thanks for looking and I love getting comments.

Shaped Sympathy

Today’s card is not for any contests. I decided to work on some sympathy cards. I guess you could say that is a challenge on it’s own.

I have been wanting to make a shaped card with my Nesties Labels eight die, so this was the day to try it out. I cut a piece of black cardstock, so that I could fold it in half and the die would fit on it, I placed the die just above the fold, and cut the two layers at once. The next layer of white was cut and embossed with the next size smaller die. Before removing the die, I stamped the SU background stamp French Script with onyx black Versafine, and ran a black metallic pen around the inside of the die. The next layer is just a piece of black cut with a Nestie oval. The top layer of white  was stamped with a stamp from the CDS set called Words of Sympathy. The black ribbon was wrapped around a bow easy for four loops on each side, then tied off with a black mini brad stuck through the center and through the two oval layers.

Thanks for stopping by and I’d love to hear your comments.

Kite Boy

Here is another entry for challenge #5 at Use It Tuesday, to use ribbon or twine, something that ties.

This is a brand new stamp set (to me)  from Crafty Secrets called Little Boy, I won this stamp set in a blog hop. The boy, kite, flowers and grass were stamped with this set, isn’t it just darling? I stamped the little boy on  white cardstock, colored with Prismacolored pencils and goo gone, then cut him out. The kite was stamped on some dp from my scrap pile, the sticks colored with SU markers, the kite string is black embroidery thread wrapped around and glued to a piece of a wooden q-tip stick, and the kite tail is something I picked up from my Mother’s stash, (not quite sure what it is, but I think it will unravel) with green ribbons tied around it. I finally found some sky dp in my stash for the background, and the green was a solid piece of cardstock stamped with the grass stamp in peeled paint distress ink. I stamped the flowers with onyx black Versafine, then colored the leaves with a SU marker, stamped the flowers again on white, cut them out and glued them onto the background, with an added touch of yellow and orange stickles. I wanted something else for the sky, so I dug out an old SU set called In The Sky, I think I have had this forever, I know I have never used it, because I had to mount it first. The sun was stamped on a bright yellow cardstock, with onyx black Versafine, then spritzed with a spiced marmalade and copper  pearl spray, I mixed up.  The sentiment is from another Crafty Secrets set called Fishing Buds, it was stamped on the same green with Versamark and embossed with detail white ep, then attached with two flower brads, dipped in Versamark and embossed with detail white ep, and a dab of stickles in the center. The scene is layered onto a piece of solid yellowish-orange, with a dark blue base card.

Creative Clear Stamps Blog
Check out the Creative Clear Stamps Blog, they have a Bunny Hop Game going on (I have a link top right), and you may win prizes. On Saturday 4/16 there will be a blog hop. I’m so excited, as I will be one of the guest participants, the theme for the Creative Clear Stamps is non-card projects. As a guest I am allowed to make cards, I have three projects to show, only one is a card.

 Recipe for Pearl Spray

You will need a mini mister, drop in a small scoop of perfect pearls, an entire dropper full of your favorite color distress inker, finish filling mini mister with water. I add a small bead to help mix it up, by shaking, as the perfect pearls settles to the bottom. When spritzing, make sure you have the mister pointed in the right direction!! I luckily haven't sprayed myself in the face yet, but it could easily be done, and even though I think I have it pointed in the right direction, I either spray to the right or left of what I want to spray, so you want to make sure you are spraying on something easily wiped up, not something the spray will stain.

Thanks for looking, and I love reading your comments.

Old Corset

As a winner of challenge #3 at Use It Tuesday, Siobhan contacted me about a guest designer spot for challenge #4, but I was unable to have one finished before the deadline, since I was in my non-stamping land,  so she graciously let me work on challenge #5, that will go live today at Use It Tuesday. Today's  challenge is to use ribbon, twine something that ties. This card was actually finished on April 1st.

When I returned to my stamping land I found I had lost my mojo, so I quickly checked out some challenge blogs and started with a simple sketch, after I had finished a few cards, I was almost positive that my mojo had returned. On April 1st, I had a break in trying to create cards fast, for challenges that was coming to an end, and was working on a piece for my Easter cards. Since I received the message from Siobhan at Use It Tuesday, I had been trying to think about what I would create, and with a lost mojo was getting nowhere fast. But in the Use It Tuesday tradition, I was creating cards with stamps I had never used…..ok there was a couple of images I had stamped before, but hadn’t ever used them for anything, but I hadn’t come up with anything for ribbon or twine, something that tied. All of a sudden, it was like a lightning bolt in my head……I thought of the corset for the challenge, and the Easter card got put to the side.

I have had this Cuttlebug corset die for a few years now, and the only time it was used, was to cut a sample for my punch/die notebook. Sometimes I wonder why I buy these things, then never use them, it must have been some great idea……..that got lost in the shuffle. For this one I’m glad using the corset did get lost, it resurfaced at the perfect time!
I started with some red cardstock, cut the corset out, then sat there looking at it, I wanted to stamp something on it, I have two lace background stamps, but the images were just too big, so I settled for a SU set Beyond the Basics (little roses that I have never used), they were stamped with Fired Brick Distress ink. I had in mind to run 1/8” ribbon through the holes, so I decided to add eyelets, from  a collection I bought years ago, and the only time it has ever been opened, was to see if there was some unusual color that matched something I was working on, so I’m positive I haven’t used these red eyelets. I wanted to run black ribbon, but wouldn’t you know it, with tons of ribbon, I didn’t have any 1/8” black, so I settled for the red. My first idea was to stamp inside the corset, but it would be way too much trouble to unlace the ribbon to see it. I sponged Vintage Photo Distress ink around all of the edges. My next idea was to use a Spellbinders Impressibilities – Flourish. I’ve never used this one before before, the instructions said it works best with 65# paper, so I dug some out, (not a big selection) and came up with this yellowish color, after I ran it through the Cuttlebug I sponged Antique Linen distress over the embossed side. Next I cut a layer of black, it started out with a white base card, but just didn’t look right, I could have sponged the Fired Brick on it, but changed to a red base card. This is the first time I have made my own card this size, the others I have made were store bought white. Now it’s time for the sentiment. I thought the sentiments from the GKD set You know you’re old when were perfect…….then it hit me, I have used those sentiments before. Oh well, I am hoping all the other firsts will compensate. I stamped the two sentiments together on red cut out with a Quick Kutz Nameplate die, using Vintage Photo Distress Ink, then cut the black layer, added two red brads and 1/4” black ribbon.

Check out the Bunny Hop Blog Game link on the right for a chance to win prizes, and there will be a blog hop at the  Creative Clear Stamp Blog on 4/16, also they are having their second challenge to use ribbon on a card.

Thanks for stopping by, I would love to hear your comments.

Buggin’ Butterfly

This is a card I did on March 31, for the Spotted Canary Spring Challenge over at SCS. I didn’t post it that day, as I was running out of time for the challenge.  It took me over an hour to make this card, and the worst part is the butterfly was already done. Making cards is so time consuming.

I thought I would make one last ditch effort for the Spotted Canary Spring Challenge. I used a butterfly previously done with my own version of the Faux Cloisonné Technique. I stamped on a magazine page with Versamark, but used black ep in place of gold. Instead of cutting the dp (from a DCWV Spring Stack) with the Nesties Labels 8, I cut the bright pink to make a frame, and placed it over top of the dp. A MS butterfly punch was used to punch the little butterflies around the frame from a piece of the scrap dp. The sentiment is from a CDS set called Bugs and Kisses, it was stamped with onyx black Versafine. The base card is a bright yellow.
 
Thanks for looking and any comments.

Seed Shooter

Here is another card for the House Mouse & Friends challenge #92.

I chose to use a House Mouse Happy Hopper called Seed Shooter, it was stamped on white with Jet Black Stazon, colored with Prismacolored pencils & goo gone, then cut out with a Nesties Label Six die, I went around the inside of the die with a red metallic Gelly Roll pen, before removing the paper. I did not emboss this one, as a part of the image would have been in the way, just like I didn’t complete the line on the left side. The dp is from a DCWV Summer Stack, I thought the watermelon slices went perfectly with the image, layered onto a dark red, then repeated for the next layers, the base card is green. I paired this stamp up with two different watermelon images from an old SU set called Country Angel, they were stamped on white, colored with Prismacolored pencils & goo gone, and cut out. I used two circle punches, different sizes, to punch the dark red layer for the watermelon cutouts. The sentiment is from what seems to be my most used sentiment set lately, SU’s Teeny Tiny Wishes, stamped on the dark red with Onyx Black Versafine, and punched with a SU Word Window punch. I re-stamped the top half of the image onto the other layers, so the shooting seed could still be seen, then went over it with a black glaze pen, also touched up the rabbit’s eye, and the seeds in the watermelon.

Thanks for stopping by, and I’d love to hear your comments.

Twinkle Toes

Today’s card is for the House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge #92.

I chose the House Mouse stamp called Twinkle Toes Amanda for my main image.  I had fun doing the pastel embossing technique yesterday, so I thought I’d give it another whirl. This isn’t really  the pastel embossing technique, because I forgot you are supposed to use a solid image, I tried embossing on black, with a different image but there was too much open space, so I switched to this image stamped on two different pieces of white cardstock with jet black Stazon, used the blender pen with my SU Stampin Pastels and colored in the images. I added some pink Pebbles Pearlescent Chalk from the Shimmer collection on the tutu of the image that was cut out. So my top layer is a cut-out image of Amanda popped up with foam dots on a layer of white, also stamped and colored with chalk cut and embossed with Mega Nesties curved rectangles, a pink Gelly Roll Stardust pen was used on the inside of the die before removing. Next layer is brown cut & embossed with the next size Nestie, with a white gel pen run around the inside of the die before removing. My next layer is some dp I picked out after I colored the mouse, which was no big deal, I just looked for something with pink and brown. I ran across this piece from a DCWV 8x8 Extreme Paper Stack. The hard part was matching the solid colors to the dp. Since pink is my least favorite color, I really had to dig to find something that matched. The dp reminded me of the Cuttlebug embossing folder Bloom Dots, so I decided what the heck, I embossed the dp using the Bloom Dots folder. Under the dp is a brown layer same as the brown Nestie layer, The base card is white. For the sketch I needed to add two something's on opposite corners, I took it a littler further by adding photo corners on each corner, I used the SU photo corner punch, and made the bigger ones pink the smaller ones out of the dp, then added three brads to each corner matching the yellowish color in the dp. I have to look hard at this card to see the other colors that are in the dp, when I just glance at it I just see the dark brown and lots of pink. I added the white & brown Nestie layers, so I could figure out placement for my flowers. I used the SU Mat pack template to place the flowers outside the brown layer. For flowers, I went to my stash, mostly purple, yellow, red & white. I did have a little jar of pink ones, but they weren’t the right color, so I grabbed two jars of white. My flower collection consists of artificial flowers,  that I bought and ripped apart, anybody would think I had a Adams Family thing going, but I threw the stems away, just kept the blossoms to use on cards. Each flower has three layers plus a brad. I used white flowers and colored them with Victorian Velvet Distress ink. The center petal was inked the most to make it darker and is actually put on upside down, it makes it curl inward. The second petal is probably hard to see, it wasn’t inked as much, and for the outside petal I tried to just run the ink around the outside edges, but it doesn’t look white anymore. The card looked like it needed something else, so I came up with the Darice adhesive backed ribbon from my stash, I was able to lift the sides of the brown Nestie layer enough to place a piece under on each side and wrap around to the back of the big brown piece. Now I’m ready to add the layers to the base card, I run my ATG tape all the way around and was getting ready to put it in place, when I realized…….DAH you haven’t added the sentiment!! Now what? I can’t lay it down the tape will stick, I added the stupid flowers, which cut off room for a Spellbinders label. So I fell back on my SU Teeny Tiny Wishes set again…….it’s great for small spaces. The Victorian Velvet didn’t show up good enough to suit me on the pink, so I stamped the sentiment with Walnut Stain Distress ink, and punched with the SU word window punch. It looked lost, so I tried the SU small oval punch on a scrap piece of paper, it not only fit in the space, but the punched out sentiment fit on it perfectly, so I punched a piece of matching brown, attached the pink sentiment, punched two holes for brown brads. I decided to pop up the sentiment, so I went ahead and placed the taped layers onto the base card, and popped the sentiment with foam dots.

Thanks for stopping by, I’d love to hear your comments.

Memory Thinking

This is my second card today I wanted to at least get one more entry for a couple of the challenges that are ending today; the Spotted Canary Spring Challenge at SCS, and the Green Challenge at Spotted Canary. I used the sketch from CPS #211 if it is still running I will enter it there. It may be like the one I did this morning for Stamping 411, when I went to post it, the challenge was closed. I’ll get back into the swing of things sooner or later……as soon as I do, I’ll have to go back to my non-stamping land, then start all over again.

For this card, I wanted to try something different, so I went to the technique page at SCS and jotted down a couple different ones by just randomly selecting them. One of the selections was Joseph’s coat…..I went upstairs to my craft room, got everything together to do this technique earlier this morning, brayered the colors onto the paper, and I’m still waiting for the ink to dry, I have made two cards since putting the ink to paper. My second selection and the technique for this card was Pastel Embossing. I had never done this before and it was really easy. I’ve had the blender pens a while now and never bothered to use them. I chose the SU set Close as a Memory for the main image. I’m still in a Use It Tuesday mode using stamps I’ve never used before. You need a solid image stamp, and that is the first one I ran across, and I had never used it before. I needed a dark color cardstock, and since I was making spring cards I went with a dark purple. I stamped the image with Versamark, sprinkled detail white ep, and embossed the image with my heat gun. Then I pulled out my SU chalk set and a blender pen and proceeded to color the white ep. I gave the yellow flowers a two-tone look by adding some red chalk around the edges. After coloring you are supposed to spray a Matte finish clear sealer on it to keep the chalk in place……I didn’t feel like going from upstairs all the way to the basement to see if I had any, so I spritzed hairspray on it. I then decided on what Nesties I wanted to use, the ovals won out, so it was cut and embossed with a Nestie oval, I ran a white gel pen around the inside of the die before removing……no more Soufflé’ pens for this after yesterdays mess that you can read about in my Mice Birthday post. I had to pick out some dp, so I went with a piece from a DCWV Flower Shower Spring stack, the yellow flowers are similar to stamped flowers. Then I decided to use green cardstock for the layers, the scalloped oval and the layer behind the dp. The base card is the same dark purple that the image is stamped on. The sketch is actually not this detailed, I just got went with the flow. A ticket punch was used on the dp corners, a corner rounder punch on the green layer behind the dp. I thought the MS flower border punch would look good, was trying to decide on what color to punch, when a light bulb lit up in my pea brain…….punch white, color with chalk & blender pen to match image. That same light bulb lit up again when it came to the sentiment, since I was working with a small space I again chose the SU set Teeny Tiny Wishes, I really wanted to stamp on the green, but I don’t like that paper…love the color though…..I guess you would say the paper is textured and I don’t find stamping results too good, mainly I use that paper for layering, so I went with purple, stamped the  sentiment with Versamark, embossed with detail white, colored it with the chalk and blender pen. I have started using some glue to put the cards together, since money is really tight and my ATG tape is getting low. I hate gluing the layers, it takes forever to dry, and usually looks like it would fall apart if touched, even though I stack heavy stuff on top of the card when gluing. My brilliant idea today after getting the card all together and wanting to add some bling and half pearls, but the glue wasn’t drying fast enough, was to heat up an iron, I knew it would melt the embossing if I held it on too long, I had a piece of scrap paper on the front and back was running the iron on the back, which may have worked, but nooooo I had to turn the card over and iron the front. Somebody should have been standing over me saying Don’t try this at home!! I ironed the embossing from the main image and the sentiment onto my scrap piece of paper and had to redo both purple pieces. Luckily the stupid glue wasn’t even dry and I was able to remove the main image. I redid both purple pieces, I just added the sentiment over top the old one. Then continued on my merry way to add the red flower centers (MFT adornments), the green half pearls on the corners and one lighter half pearl on the sentiment (Basic Grey).
 
Thanks for stopping by, I’d love to hear your comments.

Farmyard For You

Yesterday while trying to avoid climbing on a little stepladder, I looked in a box of previously stamped items and came up with the Neighborhood jumbo wheel image that I used, I also found a Farmyard jumbo wheel image ready to go. So I used it for this card also an entry for the Stamping 411 sketch challenge #196 (oops too late this challenge has ended), but my main object was to get a card done for the Use It Tuesday Challenge #4 to use the color red in honor of Japan, a donation to the Japanese Red Cross Society will be made based on how many participants. April 1st is the deadline.

For today’s card I used the SU Farmyard jumbo wheel image I had already stamped and colored. It has been done for a while, I just never used it, I believe it was stamped with jet black Stazon, because the black looks black unlike the SU black when you stamp it. It was definitely colored with Prismacolored pencils, I even went over it again yesterday with Goo Gone to try and blend it better. I added yellow Stickles to the sun. Originally picked a whole different red checked ribbon, since I needed red for the Use It Tuesday challenge, so I picked out some red cardstock to try and match the ribbon and the background paper. My background dp is actually a piece of vinyl wall paper, from a wallpaper sample book. I thought it looked countryish (is that really a word, I don’t think so, but you know what I mean.) I used a Tim Holtz distressing tool and distressed the edges of the wallpaper, and also distressed the two edges of the darker red layered directly under the image. By the time I had my image layered the original ribbon I had picked out was too wide, between the image and the ribbon most of the wallpaper was covered so that you couldn’t see the design, so I checked my ribbon stash which has grown considerably since I raided some from my Mother, and came up with this narrower ribbon – still red checked. Instead of placing three plain old brads, I opted for the red hearts….they match the wallpaper hearts. The sentiment is from SU’s Teeny Tiny Wishes, stamped with Versamark, embossed with detail white ep, then punched with a SU word window punch. There would have been a lot of empty space on the punched out sentiment, so I punched the sentiment closer to the left side, then after it was punched, placed it back in the punch through the bottom and cropped off what I didn’t want. After the card was put together, polar white Flowersoft was added to the clouds.
Thanks for stopping by and I’d love to hear your comments.