The Northern Lights

One winter evening I was driving to the hospital in central Oregon because I was scheduled to work the night shift. The highway was quiet because it was nearing 10:30 pm. Snow covered the entire countryside, and the road made little ice crunching sounds as the car rolled over it.

Then, I looked at the crystal clear, black sky ahead of me because I saw something, a large beam of light, growing from distant horizon and upward into the sky. Could it be? I had never seen one before. But it was late, middle of winter, in the low-populated area of central Oregon. It looked as if an artist had painted pale green brush strokes starting from just above the horizon upwards. It continued widening, reaching higher into the heavens, getting brighter. I wanted to call ANYBODY and tell them to look north, quick! But everyone I knew was long asleep. None of the radio stations mentioned it on air. And I was the only soul I could see on I-97 either in front of me or behind me: it was just me and the only true God who created all things in the universe. It humbled me to tears as I gave thanks for finally seeing  such a blessing. You know, it was one of those life defining moments when you feel, 'Ok, I can die now."

There is no way to capture such a scene....correction, no way for me to catch that look with my little sponge daubers and inks. But it's been in my mind for years to try and learn how to make a very amateurish little imitation of it. So this is my first, of hopefully many attempts to recreate that scene I saw during the winter of 2004, the last winter before we moved to Hawai'i. (And please pardon the lack of snow/ice -- I wanted more of a contrast of colors without worrying how to do shades of whites, grays and blues and the lights reflecting off of it.)

If you know of other northern light techniques, PLEASE SHARE ;D

Thank you for visiting and leaving your sweet comments!

Best wishes ♥

A Cheery Hello, CASE-ing Tosha @ Flourishes

Techniques: Water coloring, embossing with a die cut, and a simple aperture card

I'm definitely not a water color artist, in any shape or form. So it took no less than SIX attempts at this, stamping in Stazon black, lining up the images, and attempting to water color.

I water colored using distress inks Peeled Paint, Dusty Concord and Broken China along with a Niji water brush. I tore the edges of the watercolor paper.

You probably cannot see it, but I used the next largest die from this set in order to emboss a larger beautiful image around the aperture. Oh, if only you could see it ;) Then I used the CB Swiss Dots ef for the right margin to add interest.

The card that is CASEd is right on the Flourishes blog page, which Tosha uses Anemones in blues and purples. She also uses an aperture on the left with score lines on the right. I put the sentiment in the center, and she placed hers on a vellum strip along the bottom. I added the ribbon with button. She has a button on the vellum strip.

Card Recipe:

Spellbinders Resplendent Rectangles (die cut the window)
GKD Pure Luxury White cardstock 120#
Water color paper 90#
Sheer dusky blue ribbon, jute twine, blue and lavender buttons, glue dots
Memento Pixi Dust pink and Lulu Lavender inks (sponged inside edge of window, around the sentiment)
Flourishes Spring Blossoms stamp set
Liquid Pearls in silver (dotted florets, around sentiment)
CB Swiss Dots EF

Entered into the Flourishes "Designer Focus" for Tosha

Thank you for stopping by to look!

Mountains at Dusk

You can probably tell I've been in the mood for creating skies and scenery {sigh} -- so beautiful to look around or remember different places we've been!

First I sponged pinks, blues and purples, then used Memento gray to stamp different parts of stamps sets to get the scene. I added lots of craggy shadows to the mountain and a few more pine trees using Copic grays.

Really did mess up the border of the scene, so I hid it! I cut a square aperture in the card, adhered the scene from the back to cover the boo boos, then cut a frame from gold shimmer cardstock. Embossed some gold for some plant life in one corner, and for the sentiment. I just touched the edges of Delicata gold to the sentiment die cut - sure does sparkle like embossing!

Finally, added a white with gold thread bow to another corner and adhered cardstock to cover the image inside the front flap of the card.

Entering into StampTV Mix it up Monday Challenge. Just add some heat embossing and enter the challenge!

Stamp Sets: Mountain Wilderness and Country Roads, both by Theresa Momber and available at Gina K. Designs. Cardstock and ribbon also from GKD.

Thank you so much for looking!!!

Please don't feel the need to comment twice (once here

and once at STV) -- With aloha

It's a Mossy Morning

I'm sure Asela Hopkins designed this beautiful set of bird stamps (Winter Wings at GKD) with snow in mind. But I miss moss! Living in the Pacific Northwest meant walking among mossy laden trees, stones and ground over centuries of fallen trees and pine needles. Mmmmm - smell the pine and cedar? So instead of coloring the branch with snow, I used some Copic greens for moss.

I heat embossed a floral from Summer Blooms stamp set (also from GKD) in clear embossing powder, then sponged green inks gently around to pop them. There's a bit of pointillism on the bird because I over-colored him and had to fix it up somehow. Then I fussy cut the bird and branch and popped it up on 1/4 inch pop dots for depth.

The background was a plain tan Bazzill but I stamped it twice: first with VersaMark Dazzle and then with a dark brown ink using Irish Blessing from Stampin' Up. Using a darker ink around the edges of the panel gave it a bit of age and distress.

Tied a gold oak leaf with twine to the bottom and then took a leap of faith to emboss the edges with a SB die. It really does work without cutting through the cardstock - whew!

Entered into the Mix it up Monday at StampTV with Carolina   All you have to do is emboss something to enter and you could win some brand new stamps from Gina!

Thank you so much for looking!

Please don't feel like you need to comment twice - once

here and once at STV. 

♥ Rosy ♥

Welcome Autumn Card and Bookmark with Gold Embossing

Are you looking forward to a change of seasons where you live? If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, it's time for beautiful autumn. If in the Southern, it's time for spring. Here in Hawai'i, it's just hot any time of the year. However, it does get a touch cooler during winter and spring, so that's my favorite time of year here!

This is a card/bookmark set I made for friends who will be visiting our place of worship to encourage all of us. These traveling overseers come twice a year and this couple used to be in our congregation so it's extra special ♥ Old friends are always treasured!

I also made this card and bookmark for the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday #223 Autumn Color hostessed by Ally Cope. Why not take the time to play? You could win a new stamp set by Flourishes!

Recipe:

Stamp set: Flourishes, Spring Blossoms by Marcella Hawley {gloriously beautiful}

I started out embossing the main floral image in gold, then colored with warm Copic colors. I used a bit of white chalk on the tips of the flowers as highlight and Liquid Pearls Buttercup as a few dots in the flower centers. Memento inks are great to sponge around and I used Cantaloupe, Thatched Straw, Desert Sand and Toffee Crunch.

Spellbinders Marvelous Squares, Martha Stewart Scallop Edger Punch, yellow ribbons: 5/8th inch grossgrain and 1/4 inch satin, Martha Stewart Leaf Punch, Fiskar's tulip corner punch, Cropadile 3/16 punch and bronze eyelet, Topaz facet cut brad, glue dot, Aileen's Tacky Glue clear, adhesive pop dots, Mono-adhesive tape.

Cardstock and designer paper by GKD: Tomato Soup, Pure Luxury White, Sundance dp.

Welcome Autumn!

Thank you so much for stopping by and looking!

I appreciate you! Aloha ♥

Gift card sets for my compassionate doctors :)

Hi friends,

Aren't compassionate, 'hearing,' and helpful doctors really rare nowadays? I have three of them. But it took a ton of sifting, a ton!

So from time to time, I want to thank them. It used to be assorted chocolates but with everyone health conscious, I moved to paper crafts. Made a few origami crane mobiles for them to hang so their patients can have something non medical to look upon during procedures and waiting. Now it's cards and card sets. These are VERY simple. But I had to think of something as a way to say 'thank you.'

A simple thank you goes a long way. Chocolates go longer (and 'stay' longer). Paper goodies? Never go out of style. Remember to thank the people in your life, for the good ones are precious and few.

Six mixed colors per set - no sentiments, let them jot down their own messages :)

Thank you for stopping by and taking a peek!

Aloha ♥

Chalkboards

Boy, have I been wanting to try this method out. This is either the last or close to the last card I will make for DTGD challenges over at SCS. Really. 18 cards in three days? I'm no Iron Man. I gave up. Someone needs to drag me across the finish line. They're still going strong. Today is Saturday, and by this Monday, 36 cards (I think) are due! 6 cards per day x 6 = 36. Usually it takes me 2 days to make one card. My mind and body are CRUSHED.

The Card Recipe:

Glitz Happy Travels stamp set
GKD Pure Luxury cardstock, tan scrap as well as clear embossed pattern paper.
Ranger fine detail white embossing powder and heat tool (for the sentiment).
VersaMagic Cloud White ink with sponge dauber (to make the 'chalky background).
Memento Jumbo Java ink for distressing.
White color pencil with ruler (to draw the lines).
Cropadile Scallop corners on tan back panel.
Fiskars heart corner punch on designer paper.
Twine, adhesive pearls, and antique heart pearl button on bow.

Tips & Tricks:

Choose a sentiment that 'looks' vintage, preferably with scroll work or flourishes that you can add around it.

Add some white lines with pencil and ruler - I used this for the border as well as lines for writing on the actual black board.

Some people use the embossing buddy as 'chalky' background, but I find that to just fall off the card. Instead, use a white chalky or dye ink to sponge gently over the sentiment to give it the vintage chalk look.

Thank you so much for stopping by and taking a look!!!!

Polished Marble Technique

This was a toughy for me.

I didn't have glossy cardstock or metallic reinker. Became very tricky for me to complete the project because I had to use fixative spray when done, and nothing wants to stick to that.

Here is Gina's lovely video on how to reproduce the look of stone or marble:

Polish Stone with Gina K.

The first photo is just of the polished stone without anything else. I adhered it easily to Gina K. Pure Luxury white cardstock 120#.

The second photo shows the floral focal image, pearls and ribbon - more of a finished card.

I sponged the background with rubbing alcohol, felt applicators, Memento Pixi Dust pink, Sahara Desert tan, Jumbo Java darker brown, and Brilliance Galaxy Gold. The stamp is from Gina K. Designs "Friends are Forever." Colored with Copic markers. Added some pink pearls, brown ribbon and sprayed the focal image with Perfect Pearls spray.

Thank you so much for looking!!!