FROM MY FILE--5th Ave. Floral

Having cleaned off my stamping table last week, I came across a bunch of pre-stamped images and decided to use them.

This rose from SU's Fifth Ave. Floral set was white embossed and just needed to be colored and cut.  For the color, I sponged on Wild Honey Distress Ink.  The green cs was already embossed, so I popped the rose out and added the Bible verse.

After sponging the edges of the green cs with Versamark, I taped the green to a layer of white cs and mounted both on a gray card with dimensionals.  The crystal flower and seed pearls were all that were needed for final embellishment.

Having a folder of pre-stamped images makes it easy to quickly create something special.

CASEing the Ipad--#2

Here's another card I couldn't resist CASEing.  Don't you just love those leaping Holsteins featured on   Lime Doodle?  (May 25th post.)  Since I have no cows in my collection, I had to settle for a poppy and a butterfly.

The poppy and butterfly are from a flower set by Inkadinkado.  The blue gingham clouds were die cut and the grass was cut from a strip of green gingham, clipped and attached with ds tape.  I cut the top-fold card a little narrower so that it would fit in a standard envelope with the clouds going off the edge.

The Lime Doodle blog is a great source of card ideas, so be sure to stop in and leave a comment or two!  Then hop on over to There She Goes for a look at some of their beautiful stamp sets.

CASEing the Ipad #1

This is the first of a new series, similar to CASEing the Catalogs.  There are so many wonderful blogs that I follow, and this is just one of them: Bits and Pieces.  Be sure to visit for some inspiration!

The stamps I used were SU French Script for the background and Hero Arts Two Birds for the rose and Essential Messages for the greeting.  I sponged with Tea Dye Distress Ink and layered the image on brown and black panels over the white card base.  Then I added a bow of silver cord and light brown embroidery floss for embellishment.

Thank you Heather for maintaining such an inspiring blog!

ACETATE ART

I FINALLY GOT A CHANCE TO CLEAN OFF MY STAMPING TABLE!!!

One of the things I found was a fresh piece of acetate just waiting to be used.  I stamped the Hero Arts Large Flower background stamp in Versamark and embossed it in black.  Then the fun began:

First, I cut it down to highlight two of the blossoms.  Then I colored on the backs with Sharpie pens, one blue and one red, with bright green leaves.  Then I chose some background papers that would look best.  I mounted the acetate on the dsp with invisible Vellum Tape, which really IS invisible!

Next, I wrapped some embroidery floss around each one.  For the Thanks card, I added a pewter brad in the lower left corner and rounded the upper right corner before attaching the finished piece to the card.  I also rounded the corners on the underlying dsp and card base.  For the red one, I mounted the image on black cs before attaching to the dsp/card base with dimensionals.  Last, I added 3 red Hero Arts blossom gems.

Making these cards was much simpler than I expected, in fact it was downright fun!  The clear sheets I used are from a pad of Grafix Dura-Lar overlays for overhead projectors.  I think it's heavier and clearer than actual acetate would be, which may be why it was so easy to use.  The pad is 25 sheets of  9x12"  medium weight transparencies which I purchased in the art section at Michaels.

I think I like the blue one best because of the way the striped dsp shows through the blossom.  (Don't forget to click for a closer view.)

THREE OF A KIND--Hero Arts Background Stamp

Who would have thought you could do so much with a background stamp!  (Hero Arts, of course.)

For details on how these cards were made, go to the three previous posts.

ANOTHER LARGE FLOWER DESIGN

So many possibilities with this stamp!  First, I stamped and embossed in white on a burgundy dsp sheet that had a raised criss-cross design.  To make the design show up, I painted the flowers with a mix of opaque white color mist and white glimmer mist using a paint brush and acrylic block for a palette. (Click on the photo for a closer look.)  The leaves are colored in with a SU  Forest Foliage marker.

For the next layer, I stamped on green with Versamark and clear embossed.  For the white layer, I reinked the stamped in CMH Garden Green, which barely shows up so as not to make the card look too busy.

For the shapes, I used three Nestabilities label dies.  On the white, I cut above the fold to form the card base and sponged the edges with VersaFine Olympia Green.  On the green, I cut and then embossed the edges.  On the top layer, I just cut one section of the stamped area.  The greeting is stamped in Olympia Green on white and mounted on a scalloped piece of the same dsp used for the white embossed image.

To assemble the card, I taped the top layer to the green layer and tied green embroidery floss around them.  Then I attached them to the card base with SU dimensionals and did the same with the greeting.  For embellishment, I added just the 4 crystal gems on the lower left corner of the green.

SAME STAMP, DIFFERENT LOOK

I'm lovin' this Hero Arts Large Flower background stamp, as you can see from my previous post!

Utilizing scraps on my table once again, I started with the large piece of  kraft cs.   After embossing in white, I trimmed it down to make it even.  Then I colored in the blossoms and leaves with SU markers (Baroque Burgundy and Mellow Moss.)  The green corrugated paper was laying on my table with a circle cut that didn't quite go through, which is probably why I  left it laying there.  Since the circle wouldn't show, I simply mounted the floral piece with double stick tape and wrapped the red embroidery floss around the left side.  Then I attached it to the card with double stick tape so that it wouldn't be too thick for mailing.

For the greeting, I had a small piece of dsp on which I stamped in dark green ink and punched it out  with an oval punch.  Another scrap of green was used for the scalloped oval.  I mounted them on the card front with dimensionals.  The fun part was in the embellishments adding silver, pearl, crystal and olive green gemstones to the front.  (Click on photo for a closer look.)

Simply changing the greeting could also have turned this into a Christmas card!

Wobbly Spring

This was a fun card to make!

Using the Hero Arts Large Flower background stamp, I first stamped it on white cs with Versamark and clear embossed it.  Then I sponged Distress Inks (Peeled Paint, Broken China, Tea Dye and Wild Honey) over the image and wiped the excess off with a tissue.  The green card base just happened to match, so I taped it on the front with double-stick tape.  That's as far as I got the first day.  I couldn't think of where to go from there.  Does that ever happen to you?

Today, I decided it was time to finish.  After stamping a portion of it again and using the same colors, I cut out the one flower and attached it with an Action Wobble Spring I purchased online.  I tied a matching bow on the stem and decided to add a greeting.

Well, wouldn't you know I had a scrap piece of solid dsp just laying on my table waiting to be used.  I thought the greeting, in my warped sense of humor, gave it a play on words totally appropriate.  Three light green pearls gave it that final touch.

Now all I have to do is stop making it wiggle!  (It's addictive!)

MOTHERS DAY CARD

  Here's the card I made to give my daughter-in-law tonight for Mothers Day.  This will also be the card for Mothers Class on Wednesday.

Using a white confetti cardstock as the base, I cut a plain circle with a Nestabilities die.  I then cut a scalloped circle, slightly larger, out of a 4x5 1/4" overlay.  Next I cut a 3 3/4" square piece of acetate and taped it to the back of the overlay.

Using the Mixed Bunch punch from SU, I punched two flowers out of double-sided dsp (also from SU) and three 1 3/4" circles for the flower centers.  Then I started making a sandwich--paper one, that is (lol.)  First, I mounted the circle onto the front of the acetate with a glue dot.  Then I mounted the blossom to the back of the acetate with another glue dot before mounting the overlay to the card.  This completed the acetate "sandwich."

For the inside, I added the contrasting circle to the back of the blossom.  To mount the second blossom so that it is perfectly aligned, I placed a piece of ds tape on the back and laid it over the first one with the tape facing up.  Then I simply closed the card over it to transfer the blossom to the inside panel of the card.  After adding the center circle, I wrote a personal Mothers Day note on the bottom.

To finish the front of the card, I added the button and embroidery floss.  Then I punched the butterfly twice with a MS punch, one in the same paper as the overlay and one in a black polka dot scrap.  For the final touch, I added the black gems to the b'fly and spread some Stickles on the wings with my finger to give it a sheen.

Since the Mothers Class will be after the holiday, we will turn this card into a get well or birthday card.  Meanwhile, I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful Mothers Day!

Watercolor Tips

Here's how I watercolored the previous card (and others) using Distress Inks: Using a clear stamp mount, I first rub some ink onto the block as a "palette" and paint with a water brush on the card. You can also do the same thing with water based markers by scribbling on the block. When painting an image, I start with the lightest color and blend with darker ones until I get the shading I want. Cleanup is easy with just a tissue.

Hello Note Card

Here's a simple little note card that I may just use for an extra project this Wednesday at the Mothers Class.

First, I stamped the flower in India Ink black and colored it with a watercolor brush using Wild Honey and Fired Brick Distress Inks.  Using an acrylic ruler and a black SU marker, I drew two boxes around the flower.  I darkened the inside box for contrast around the petals, then drew wavy lines and dots in the "frame" for added interest.  (Click on photo for a closer view.)

Next, I wrote the "hello" free hand and embellished the flower center with yellow Stickles.

Finally, I cut off some of the bottom to make the card a square and rounded the corners.  I plan to show the class how to alter a large envelope to accommodate a smaller card as shown HERE.

TOPSY-TURVY SPRING

This is the card I came up with for the Topsy Turvy challenge on the Hero Arts blog HERE. (See May 1st post.)  The idea is to use word stamps in ways other than the greeting, so I used it as sun rays for Spring.

The flower was done with quilling, and the grass is torn cardstock.  Pretty simple!  (Although I have tons of Hero Arts stamps I could have used, this one is from Purple Daisy Designs.)  The card base is kraft cardstock.

Here in NJ, the Spring weather seems to be topsy-turvy with April being sunny and above average temps and May being rainy, damp and dreary.  Maybe that's what drew me to this challenge???

CAT-LOVER'S BIRTHDAY CARD

This birthday card (for the neighbor who usually takes care of our cats while we're away) features a Basic Grey page from their Max and Whiskers collection as the main focal point.  One of the things I like about using papers from a collection is that they all coordinate in color and style.  The orange background used here (from the back of the pad) matches beautifully.

After attaching a Hero Arts ribbon and adding a cat brad from the same set, I taped the background down to the card.  I then added the scalloped dsp with ds tape and the scalloped ovals with dimensionals.  Using a black glitter letter set, I translated "Happy Birthday" to cat language, decorated with a variety of gems and stamped a sentiment inside.

When I sign the card, I will include our cats names, too!

LESS IS MORE CHALLENGE--Square Card

Another challenge today!  I guess this week has been "catch up week."   This one is for Less Is More HERE.

When I first stamped the frame and cut the card down to size, I thought it would never work.  In fact, I was going to scrap it; but I decided to keep going anyway.  I kinda like the way it turned out.

The frame and sentiment are from a Papertrey Ink set with a matching die (not used here.)  The flower is from a Gina K. set of Spring flowers, very appropriate for this month.  The bracket next to the greeting was hand drawn, and the flower centers have a dab of yellow Stickles on them.

I usually shy away from making square cards because of the extra postage needed for a square envelope.  But here's a way to get around that:

TIP:  First, start by making the card a 4 1/2" square, as I have done here, so that it will fit the standard A2 envelope.  To fill the extra space on the side, use a small punch to create a window in the lower right- or left-hand corner.  Next, select a color coordinating piece of scrap dsp and cut 2 strips 4" long and glue them back to back.  (This is not necessary if the paper is double-sided.)  Add a small piece of tape front and back at the top 1" of the strip and slide it into the side of the envelope so that the dsp shows through the punchouts as shown.  Your square card will now fit the empty space perfectly, and the dsp will add a decorative touch to the envelope.

SPRING BASKET BOUQUET

Once again, I gladly pulled out my peg stamp drawer and created this basket of flowers for the Tic-Tac-Toe challenge on the Paper Players HERE. The three squares I chose were Flowers, Blue Colours and Spring.

If you haven't tried them yet, peg stamps are tiny stamps on wooden dowels that you can use in many different ways.  I've used them for wreaths, borders, vases and outdoor scenes.

The ones I used to fill the basket were a leaf sprig, single flowers (in blue), triple flowers (yellow), pine sprigs that can also look like asparagus ferns, and dots around the top (yellow).

This Spring has been "happy" so far, with lots of warm sunny days and some much needed rain in between.

A MAZE-ing Mothers Class Card

Today at Mothers Class, we made this card.  We only lost one bead in the process!

Before class, I precut the circle opening in a variety of dsp overlays using a Nestabilities circle die.  Then in class, we each stamped the maze and cheese on white scrap pieces and punched them out with a 2" punch.  Laying the mazes  upside down on the table, we easily removed the backing and substituted the stamped maze image.  The hard part was lining up the stamped maze with the actual paths on the plastic cover without losing the beads.

Next, we stamped the mouse and sentiment, punching them out and mounting them on the card front as shown.  Before inserting the maze piece into the hole, we ran a tiny line of TomBow white glue around the edge of the maze and laid the dsp over it.  The cardfront was then attached to the white base with SU dimensionals.  Finally, we added the embroidery floss on the side.

An a-MAZE-ing time was had by all!