Bookend Friends

Here is a card that uses one of my favorite techniques. I love to make my own background paper.

I own TONS of patterned paper. I use very little of it. Hummmm . . . .maybe it’s time to thin the stock.

This card uses all Papertrey Ink products unless otherwise stated.

Cardstock: Ocean Tides, Stampers Select White

Stamps: All Booked Up, Turning  a New Leaf

Ink: Tuxedo Black, Versa Mark, Ocean Tides, Brilliance

 

Dies/ Punches: Mat Stack 3, Limitless Layers, Modern Window and oval punches from SU

Crystals: Michael’s

Coloring medium: Copic markers

Other: Clear Embossing Powder

Technique: masking, sponging

Mask the Mat stack 3 shape. Stamp the leaves in Versa and emboss. Sponge the area around the mat and randomly

on the card front. Die cut the  circle with Limitless Labels. Cut a slightly larger circle, stamp image, color and adhere

to the inside of the card. Stamp and punch sentiment layers; attach to card with dimensionals. Add crystals.

Enjoy!

Happy retirement

Good morning,

Today is such a gorgeous day here in New Hampshire. Went for a walk with the littlest one and then a trip to the play ground to swing. It feels like a day for this kind of chair!

This was the card I made for my principal. She decided to retire this year instead of wait. It was a really fun card to make. I've done one before but I decided to add a curtain effect. She owns a B&B in Woodstock, VT. This just looked like it should be for her.

Card front is impressed with PTI Woodgrain plate on Kraft. The image is from Lockhart stamps. Basic Backgrounds: Tintype was used on the curtain and lined (much like in sewing) on the back to cover tape and lace.

Enjoy the beautiful day,

Yellow challenge 2

Another new challenge! How will I keep up?
This is the latest over at Poppy Paperie.

I love the freedom to create with her "seeds". I hope this will qualify as I didn't use a floral image exactly. I took the opportunity to try the pompom flowers I saw on Dawn McVey's blog. She has a great tutorial on You Tube. I can see the potential here. This was a fun one, also to be used in the Olympics over at Moxie Fab World.


The flowers are made from the tissue form my PTI order, stamped in yellow with the Polka dot background set. It was punched with the SU Boho flower punch.


Hope you enjoy!

Paper: PTI- Lemon Tart, Ripe Avocado, White
SU - Black
Ink: SU Bashful Blue, Barely Banana, Certain Celery, Kiwi Kiss
Stamps: PTI- Faux Ribbon, Butterfly Dreams, Beautiful Blooms
Polka Dot Basics
Accessories: Copic Markers, Hero Arts Crystals, PTI ribbon

Copic technique

This card started out as a SCS challenge, but went in a different direction. Oh, well, I did get to try a neat technique with the Copics. See the dots in the background of the flower? This is so easy to do. I chose the light colors found in the image an dotted them here and there on the background. Then I used the "blending pen". This really is a misnomer, to me. The solution actually pushes the ink away. It leaves some neat voids and lightens colors. Image, KLM Digital Designs; papers, stamped sentiment, word window punch, Stampin'UP; hardware, Nestabilities.

Paper Hoarding

I am such a paper hoarder! Do you think it comes from being a bit of a tree hugger? I have so much DS paper. It's like my fabric collection. I really need to start to use both more. I would have a lot more room in my house! The monochromatic palet is Bashful Blue.

Pocket Silhouettes was used for the stamped image, scallop punch for the blue accent, and the button . . .?

The button is not a button at all. It is 3 pieces of layered paper . I used a 1/2" punch to make them, glued them together, topped them with Crystal Effects and a touch of Dazzling Diamonds. As the CE became firmer I used a pin to push button holes in the circles. Great fun. All supplies SU, Sentiment stamp ,PTI Mixed Messages.

Post script: obviously I didn't do this when I was clear in the head. Sorry for muddled grammar and spelling. I'm FRIED!

Simply Butterflies

Talk about fast! A little Kraft , Versa, Real Red, Baja Breeze, black, 1/4" circle punch and Crystal Effects. No, those are not brads. Using stacked circles (3) and a dot of CE on top you can create a great brad look without the weight and bulk of the metal. I really love this technique as you can make the "brads" match your colors perfectly. See the full tutorial for this technique HERE.

Simple Too

One layer card of Whisper White.

Masked  the square and sponged on the colors. Stamped the image from SU (Fun & Fast Notes) twice, once in the square and once on scrap. I colored both ad cut out the bird and flower then popped them up on the card. The frame around the card is hand doodle with an ultra fine Zig pen.

What's the word, Bird?

These birds were so much fun to play with. I got them on a whim from thescrapbookmarket.com. They are from Inkadinkado. All the paper is SU as well as the inks. The background on the "What's the Word, Bird " card is brayered. It is a technique used by Michelle Zindorf.  She has a great tutorial at Splitcoast. 

Pastural Sympathy

My friend and I have decided we have reached that age. Sadly, it seems, we send out more sympathy cards than any other kind. I made this card  to try out a new technique by an incredible artist named Michelle Zindorf. Her brayered backgrounds are outstanding. I have such a hard time leaving backgrounds plain, this technique opens up a world of possibilities. I can't wait to do more of them. Hopefully once school is out I can spend at least one day a week stamping. (Right!) 

Classic inks were used on glossy paper for this card. It uses masking, brayering, sponging, and embossing. It sounds complicated but the results are worth the effort.

Anyway, the card is appropriate for the day. 

Easter Blessings to all.

Cute Bunny Directions

Here is the break down of  the bunny some have asked for . It uses four one inch circle punches and a 3/4 inch punch.

1. body

2. left leg - draw on and cut out

3. right leg - same as right

4. ears- I use the punch to re punch even ears

5. head - use fine tip pen to draw on face

Once the parts are ready I assemble them and use a blender and Sahara sand to shade it. Add a pink nose and inner ears a bow of your choice and it's a bunny!

Hope this helps. Have fun!

Fly Chickee

Here's another fun card with the Good Egg stamp from Stampin'UP. I used masking and sponging on the clouds and grass then popped the chick on dimensionals.

Isn't he cute? I know, I know he is not a saw-whet owl but have you seen any stamps with an owl without the ear tufts. Artistic license is a wonderful thing! I found this little guy and the great branch at thescrapbookmarket.com. They are both Hero arts. The branch is quite long. The rest is masking and sponging. 

Cute Bunny!

I have discovered that I have not got one cute rabbit in all the stamps I own! What's wrong with that? So I had to use punches to make the bunny. Just the 1" punch and I cut away what wasn't needed. Sky was made by sponging on bashful blue using a cloud mask cut from Post Its.

Cute brad is the opposite of the ribbon. Got the brads from thescrapbookmarket.com. 

All it's cracked up to be!

Easter is very early this year. I am no where near ready for it, but, thanks to Kate I managed to get this done while we waited for the baby to arrive! I took this set with me to her house and she wanted to play  with it. It really is cute. The clouds were made by cutting a cloud line on a piece of copy paper. I then sponged them onto the white paper in Bashful Blue. Move the clouds down and shift them around a bit and do the next layer. When there are enough clouds tear an irregular edge from paper creating the grass lines. Use the same process as for the clouds. I added blades of grass with matching marker. Chick is colored using watercolor crayons and an aqua brush. I cut it out and popped it  on dimensionals, layered it and, voila! Gotta love that purple DS paper. It just screams Easter!!

Valentine card

This takes a little planning but once that is done the rest is fairly fast. Use glossy paper and post it notes. I used 3 shades of pink. cover the areas of the card you want to stay white with post it. Brayer on the lightest shade. Keeping white covered, cover the areas to remain light pink. Brayer with medium color. Cover any area to stay medium and brayer on the darkest color. Remove Post its and stamp main images wherever you desire. *** If you want images to be contained in one area and not overlap, simply mask off where it is not desired. This looks and sounds complicated but it isn't. Just choose colors wisely as you are layering them. Some combinations do not layer with good results. Remember color mixing in school? You might want to stay monochromatic or test colors first.

Spotlight technique

Here is another old friend. I love to do this technique. The trick is to find the best area to spotlight. It is as simple as stamping an image twice and coloring the spotlight area on one. Use a punch to cut it out. Frame in a color to pop the image. Align on the plain image and pop up on dimensionals.

Crayon resist Petals

Another old favorite that was well loved. In Full Bloom was a real winner in my book. This was stamped on glossy paper. White crayon was used to make the white highlights. Then I used the sponge daubers to burnish the background colors on. Then wipe away the ink on the crayon. Voila! Resist highlights. A little ribbon and brass accent pieces, some layers and it's done.