Friday, January 30, 2015

Balloons Away....

So I had to put those Verve stamps right to use.  Here is one of the balloons stamped in Staz On Black and then colored with my sharpies.  I tried to get as close to the Color Throwdown challenge colors as I could.  Not sure they are really even close, but I tried.  After coloring them in, I layered the oval on top of some Recollections Tattered and Worn collection that was dry embossed with my Cuttlebug Swirl folder.  I also added a strip of Purple paper from my stash.  To embellish, I added a couple of gold brads and some blue baker's twine by Recollection.  All this I adhered to a slightly smaller panel than my 3.5x6 inch card.

I am entering this in this weeks Color Throwdown challenge: #327
I am also entering in Mojo Monday # 382
Because I used Markers, Twine, Stamping, Embossing, and brads I am entering Craft Hoarder's Anonymous' January Choose Your Challenge

 Also, I used an oval so this is entered into the Ways to Use it Challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers # 515.

I hope you enjoy the card and have a great weekend.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

I won!

A few weeks ago I was one of the winners on the Mojo Monday blog.  Well I picked out my stamp set and today it came!  I did a little jig when it arrived.  

I can't wait to get it all inky....Thank you Verve Stamps!

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Kiddo Valentine's

So my one and only son has to swap valentine's cards this year for the first time.  (I always enjoyed this when I was a kiddo)  So, of course, I had to make them...why buy Valentine's cards when you can make them?

These are super simple and I am sure not at all what his other classmates will bring.  Hopefully they will be a hit.  Now I just have to talk into writing his name on each one.  So far, he is saying he will write his name on one so we may have to compromise and he can stamp his name on each one.  We'll see.

Anyway the card is only a spellbinders Labels 8 die used to cut out off white Recollections paper.  I sponged the edges with Victorian Velvet Distress ink ( I know, I know that color is one I keep using over and over.  But oh well, it works.)

Then I stamped some Autumn Leaves and Sudio G hearts in Cranberry Adirondack Ranger Ink.  I then added a Hero Arts sentiment on the side.

I added some cut slits on the side to slide in a straw of chocolate flavoring for milk.  Now, this weekend get my son to write or stamp his name and we be all done.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Get Whale Mojo

Another great sketch from Mojo Monday Blog this week.  I have been waiting all weekend to be able to get a chance to get inky and put together this card.

I had a left over card made using the Spellbinders labels eight from last week.  I wanted to start with that since I had torn a bit of the top layer, I knew all I had to do was cover it up.  So, I cut a layer using the next size down out of We R Memory Keepers For the Record patterned paper.  I then used my Quick cutz flower die to make another layer using some Recollections Tatterned and Worn paper.  The circle I punched out of white Recollections paper and stamped with Staz On black the cutest whale ever from a new set I bought from Unity Stamp Company.

The banner I die cut using a papertrey ink die and used the sentiment from the set.  I colored the main image with sharpies and raised it on foam tape.  I added a couple of brown buttons from the Paper Studio.  Done!  It's totally cute.

This is sure to pick up someone's day when I need to sent a get well soon card...or in this case get Whale!

I've got to get going on those kiddo valentine's cards!  My son has 14 classmates we need to prepare for.  I got some ideas but I haven't landed on the design quite yet.  Are you creating for Valentine's yet?  I hope you stop by and share.

I am entering this card in the Mojo Monday Blog Sketch Challenge (see the link at the beginning of the post) and Top Tip Tuesday's Challenge: Something New.  The stamped image was new to me and I am glad I got it out...it makes me smile.  Also on Top Tip Tuesday check out their tutorial on making paper ruffles.  Definitely going to try this out.



Friday, January 23, 2015

Dust off the Easel

Over at Incy Wincy Designs Challenge Blog, this weeks challenge was to make an easel card.  I got out my spellbinder's dies and got to work.

I cut my Labels Eight die to make a top folding card and then another one using the biggest die to make the front of the card.  The cardstock is kraft by Recollections.  I also cut out another shape using the next smallest die in the Recollections Tattered and Worn patterned paper.  I then dug through my stash and found the white oval, the swirl, the green label, and the two butterflies in my stash of precut items.  I stamped a sentiment from Technique Tuesday on the green label.  I also sponged the edges of all the layers and this label with Victorian Velvet distress ink.  I stamped the main image using a Unity stamp and colored it using Sharpie Markers.


This came together pretty quickly.  I had fun dusting off those easel card making skills.  Thanks for a great challenge!

Oh Butterfly!

I got a late start last weekend on card making.  Saturday my family and I woke up to more gray foggy skies.  I decided I was tired of that so I suggested going to the beach.  They happily agreed.  That meant my inky time I usually have Saturday night never happened.  Though I didn't get to the cards I had sketched out in my mind, I am perfectly happy with the result...quality time with the family.

So one of the cards I planned used last weeks Mojo Monday sketch #380.  Of course, since I never got this made, I never got it posted either.

I started with stamping a new stamp I purchased from Unity Stamp Co. in their Jan 2014 stamp collection of the month.  It was a beautiful butterfly.  I stamped it in Staz On Brown ink and then used Spun Sugar Distress Ink to add color in a circle around it.  The image I then cut out using my flower nesting dies by Quick Kutz.  I distressed the edges further with Victorian Velvet Distress inks.  After I completed that I spritzed with glimmer mist and set it aside to dry.

My cricut got another work out by cutting out the beautiful butterfly and dragonfly border at the bottom of the card.  This I distressed as well with the Victorian Velvet.

After my butterfly dried I added a layer of Crystal effects to give some dimension and further shimmer.

The background paper is from my Recollections Tattered and Worn collection.  All the other cardstock is Recollections as well.

This was a fun card to make and I am excited to be entering it in the Butterfly Challenge # 22: Butterflies and Brads.


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Live Your Bliss...Simply

Some of my favorite cards...are the ones that are simple...
Not a lot of flair.  Just a simple focal point, a sentiment, maybe a few embellishments.

This card is born from that concept.  I had the cricut explore out and cut a simple floursh, two butterflies, and a cool looking label.  For interest, I added some blue washi tape and the smallest butterfly was ebossed using the dot ebossing folder.  Add a Papertrey Ink sentiment in Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink...and done.

Truly this is one of the simplest card I have done in a while.  I hope you enjoy

Friday, January 16, 2015

Sweet Cosmic Flowers

The inky fun continues. I gave my distress pads another work out using an image from Technique Tuesday which I stamped on white cardstock using StazOn Black.  I kept the flowers mostly pink (victorian velvet, spun sugar, and picked rasberry), the stems (pumice stones), and the background (peacock feathers, broken china, and evergreen bough).  I pierced the sides of the image and connected with a black Sharpie.  This wasn't the cleanest stitched look but I will keep trying.

For the layers, I used a blue checked Recollections background that I distressed with the victorian velvet.  Then I layed down a striped lined piece from K&Company's Julianne collection that was distressed along the edges with the same shade.  Finally I dry embossed with a cuttlebug folder a strip of white I did some direct to paper coloring with ColorBox's cat's eye in a tan color.  (It has the look of suede.)

As a finishing touch, I added a brown button threaded with some off white twine.

The sketch is from Sweet Sunday's Sketch Blog #251.
The Colors are from Cosmic Colours Challenge #9.  I am entering my card in both challenges.



Thursday, January 15, 2015

Well of Inspiration

I had some inky fun this weekend.  I headed to Splitcoast Stampers Inspiration Challenge or IC475 for short.  You can find the link here.

They were drawing from Stampscapes Gallery for Inspiration this week.  The inspiring image for me was The Crimson Ledge.

I haven't really played and explored my distress inks as much as I wanted, but this definately gave me the opportunity.

I started with a stamp I have had quite a few years that remains on it's wooden block by Inkadinka do.  I stamped that in StazOn black ink.  Then I just added colors starting from lightest to darkest.  Of the Distress Inks, I used: Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed, Victorian Velvet, Spun Sugar, and Picked Raspberry.

I kept adding till I liked the result.  I purposely left the center with some white.  After I had it like I wanted I sprinkled water over it and dried the bled out layers giving it that splotched look.  After that had all dried, I added some Tattered Angels glimmer mist.

The card sketch I decided to pattern this after came from the Mojo Monday Blog.  #374 to be exact.  
I used a kraft card base from Recollections.  The next layer is a bit of both sides of the same patterned paper by K&Company Tim Coffey collection.  This is the first time I have broken out this collection.  It was the right tone for this as I wanted to focus to remain on the stamped image.  Finally, I matted the stamped image on black Recollections Cardstock.

Finally, I added a white heart clip from my stash and a few rhinestones.

Those stamps I have kept around for years really still make a great card.  Glad I broke this one back out.

I am adding this card to the IC475 Inspiraton Challenge at Splitcoast Stampers.
I am also using this NBUS Challenge 3# "Anything Goes" as well, since I used the K&Collections paper for the first time.



Saturday, January 10, 2015

Hang in There

I am putting my Cricut Expressions through it's paces today.  I missed this by a day for Curtain Call's Winter Wonderland challenge.  I wanted to get this completed and up last night, but it just didn't happen.  However.  I loved the inspiration image and just had to make the card.


I started out with a background of simple blue lined off white paper by K&Company's Julianne collection.  I then used an image from the cricut library of a cool framed snowflake for the next layer.  This layer I popped up on foam mounts.  Then finally I cut out a basket and milk bucket with my cricut.  I placed the milk bucket in the basket.  I added some silver eyelets for interest.

At the top I tied a twine bow and cut a couple of tags using a sizzix die.  The sentiment is stamped in Staz On Brown ink and then popped up on top of some glittered paper.

Most every image is distressed with Ranger Distress inks in Gathered Twigs or Faded Denim.

The lay out is from this weeks Mojo Monday Blog # 379.

I am entering this in Mojo # 379.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Mojo 378 Revisited

I absolutely loved the sketch from Mojo last week.  In fact, I had to use it again on this card.  The black striped banner is a piece of washi tape over cardstock and cut into a banner.  Then I took some Recollections dark Red cardstock and stamped a Technique Tuesday border on it with Staz On Black and made that into a banner.

On top of that I took Recollections white cardstock and painted over it with Ranger Adirondak's Cranberry ink, then stamped over it with a script stamp by Inkadinkado in Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.   I also used the Gathered Twigs to distress the outside of the area.  After misting with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist I also rubbed more of the cranberry ink on with some felt.  I then used a circle punch to punch out a semicircle from each end.  Finally, I added some twine on that layer.

The next layer I cut out a heart using my Cricut on some We R Memory Keepers Paper For the Record.  I left out the biggest heart so my glitter paper could show through.

I decided to leave out the sentiment this time.  I love this sketch and I can see many more "versions" of this.  This will be a sketch I come to again and often.  I hope you got a chance to try it out yourself.

I am also entering this in Color Throwdown 324.


Monday, January 5, 2015

Hearts and Hugs: Featured Stamper 413....My Take on Torico's card...

If you haven't already, head on over to check out Torico's gallery over at Splitcoast Stamper's.  She has an excellent gallery.  I had a blast looking at all of her great work.  She is the featured stamper in this week's challenge.

Here is Torico's card I CASE'd.

And here is my version, which I am calling..Heart's and Hugs
My background is stamped with Ranger Adirondak's Cranberry and Barn Door Distress inks. I used stamps by Technique Tuesday and Studio G to make my own background.  There is 2nd Generation stamping on this layer as well.

The frame was cut out of Recollections Say Freeze cardstock using my cricut.  While I was cutting, I also cut out the scalloped edge from Recollections white and the Hugs sentiment using white, too.

The scalloped edge was dry embossed with my Cuttlebug dots folder.  The hugs was given a coat of versamark ink and Wow gold embossing powder and heat set.  

Center stage is a Technique Tuesday heart stamp that is stamped with the same cranberry ink and sprinkled with clear embossing powder.  This too was heat set and cut out.

So, all in all, I kept the format the same, changed some colors and images and added a bit of heat embossing.  Regardless, the card by Torico is what made this happen.  Thanks for joining me in this adventure.

I am submitting this to FS413 over at Splitcoast Stampers.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Live it Up Mojo Style

It's time for another Mojo Monday inspired project.  This one took a while to "gel".  I would start and then didn't like where things were headed.  Then, I would leave the project on my craft area for awhile and come back to it.  Though, it actually took 2 days to complete...I totally love it now.

The papers are from Recollections and Papertrey Ink.
The stamps are from Studio G, including the sentiment. I can't believe I have never used this sentiment before.  It is so cool.
I made the candy dots....that's right made them.  I can now have candy dots in any shade I want.  And it's all thanks to this post by The Frugal Crafter.  This was the finishing touch to this project and I am so glad I took a moment to do this.  It just took it to another level.
I used a LifeStyles Crafts dry embossing folder on the pink strip behind the star.  The star is cut out with a Papertrey Ink Die.  The stars are stamped using Ranger Distress inks and the sentiment with Staz On Black.  The Sentiment is stamped on a die by Sizzix.  The entire die was too large but I just cut the top and bottom off and ended up with the perfect cut-out for my sentiment.

I just love this card!  It's one of those cards you are glad you left out on your craft table to just look at.  It makes me happy!  

I am entering this in the Mojo Monday 387 challenge, in time this week, since I missed the cut off for last week by 20 minutes.  Argh...hate it when that happens.  If you didn't see my card for last week you can find it here.