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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.