Hummingbird and Flowers

Aloha everyone,

I hope each of you is well! It's been a long time. I cannot find pictures I took of some cards made over the last few weeks (boo hooooo). Bummer!

Recently, Gina showed us how to use Prismacolor (or any color pencil) over solid white inked images. Whoa, I love this technique! I did two for some friends in the cardmaking world. One is pink, the other is blue.

Stamp Sets: Stampin' Up "Wildflower Meadow" (the Swiss dots are already in the background of this large stamp)
Ink: GKD White Pigment
Color Pencils: Prismacolor
Cardstock by GKD
Corner Chomper 1/4" 

Pinks

 

Blues

 Sorry you can't make out the apple green cardstock base

 on the blue and green card. 

Thank you for stopping by!!

Mixed Metals, Get Well Soon

Hello dear ones,

I hope each of you is doing well :)

A friend in the cardmaking world is ill, very ill. I worry about her as she begins the path of treatment. This card is for her. I really hope when she opens the mailbox it brings a smile to her face and to her heart and that she regains good health once again!

The background is a mix of distress inks, let dry, drop water onto it, paper towel the water off. It leaves the bokeh type faded spots on it. Then I sent it through an embossing folder just for the two corners.

Mixed metals: I started out with gold mirror paper, cut two thin strips and adhered them to the sides of the distressed background.

I stamped the image with VersaMark, then applied gold embossing powder. I got it almost heated, but the heat tool broke and I had to wait for a new one (plus a couple back ups ordered) to re-heat the powder. Burned. Start that over. The mistake is I combined the wrong color embossing powder: Liquid Platinum. DOH! Not starting over again because I had cut and heat embossed the scalloped layer as well as the background for the sentiment. (sigh, mixed metals)

OK. Here comes the heartfelt part. I hand pierced around the oval focal image, then hand stitched gold thread all around it. I really do care about our friend and want to bring her a smile. After assembling, I sprinkled a few sequins from Pretty Pink Posh, then added a gold metallic thread bow with a clear faceted button and rhinestone to the sentiment.

On the inside I hope to pop up a fussy cut stamped ribbon for the specific cancer, covered with UTEE. I'll add a hopeful sentiment inside and later the picture of the inside will be posted. (I'm pooping out fast tonight)


For Donna's Challenge at StampTV this week, Girl Power!
Stamp Sets: Gina K. Designs " Vintage Chick" and "Strength & Hope"
Cardstock: Gina K. Designs 120# White and Neenah 80# white, SU gold mirror
Inks: Fossilized Amber and Picked Raspberry Distress Inks
Embossing Folder: Sizzix "Flourish" (with the carte postal set)
Embossing Powder: Liquid Platinum by Ranger
Gold Thread by DMC
Sequins by Pretty Pink Posh
Clear faceted button by SU
Adhesive Pop Dots
Multi Matte Medium; Scor Tape; Monoadhesive


Without glare :)

With glare :)

I couldn't decide what to choose.

A big aloha to each of you!

Thank you for stopping by and leaving your ♥

Nighttime Blizzard with Paper Smooches

Aloha friends,

I hope each of you and your loved ones are well!!! I've been meaning to finish my card up for the Paper Smooches challenge and it's running down to the wire tonight. It's taken about a week to finish this. It was like "If it can go wrong, it will." And it did, a lot. But finished!

Paper Smooches has some new dies and stamps being released, as well as a very inspiring blog hop. You can see the blog hop list, as well as the challenge that ends (gulp) tonight, here: Paper Smooches Hop and Challenge


Stamp Set: "Swanky Snow Dudes" by Paper Smooches
Die: "Friend" cursive, and "Stitched Dies" (curved hill) by Paper Smooches

Embossing Folder: Snowflakes by Cuddlebug
Cardstock: Gina K. Designs (white and navy), Anna Griffin gold mirror finish
Inks: Memento
Markers: Copics, mostly BG family
Diamond Stickles, Opal Perfect Pearls, adhesive foam, golden yellow rhinestone, Multi Medium Matte adhesive, Scor Tape

Thank you so much for viewing and commenting ♥ !!!

Friends Are A Blessing!!!

Each one of you and so many more who don't even know I have a blog, or who have time to stop by - each friend is TRULY a blessing and dear to me!

If I could I would make each one of you an individualized set of stationery! We made new friends this week who came over to encourage us. As a little gift, I wanted to make a card and simple set of stationery. And I used the latest autumn set/kit from Gina K. Designs! Yippeeee!

Ok, made a boo boo smearing the sentiment ink. At first the card was taped off with Post It Note tape so that the sentiment would have the middle white space. VersaFine says it "dries fast" and well, it didn't this time. Last night my heat tool broke (argh, argh ARGH) and let this air dry. It smeared. I cut a strip of white card stock and inked the edges in Delicata Gold, restamped the sentiment, cut Fun Foam and used Scor Tape to adhere this new strip to the card :/  Boo boos...


Stamp Set: Gina K. Designs "Autumn Wishes" and American Crafts "Marian" alphabet
Inks: VersaFine "Onyx Black," "Sepia Brown," SU "Pear Pizzazz," "Certainly Celery," "Baked Brown Sugar," "Cherry Cobbler," and "Crushed Curry" and Delicata "Golden Glitz"
Memento Marker: Bamboo, Cantaloupe, London Fog, Lady Bug, Desert Sand (thumped the tree)
Wink of Stella Clear (on the berries)
Cardstock: Neenah Solar White
Fun Foam, white; Scor Tape
Envelopes: Desktop Publishing Supplies #57960-100 *** Are you always looking for quality, inexpensive envelopes? See below.


*** I love these envelopes - they are SMOOTH, crisp folds, not too thin, and most importantly, have a wax protective strip that you pull off when ready to use. The humidity in Hawai'i does not ruin the glue on these and no need to lick! And, they come in a sturdy storage box. I have the square back 24 lb x 100/box $8.95 ***

Link to a variety of "Desktop" great envelopes!

Thank you card for our new friends:

Set of 14 cards and 16 envelopes for them. The front has two score lines along the bottom, a multi color tree (thumped with Memento Markers), "B" with VersaFine Sepia, 

inside of cards have a leaf stamped in corner, one of three colors:

Close up of "thumped" tree and initial:

Mahalo for stopping by and big hugs

 for always being there

to cheer me on ♥

A Mushroom Birdie House?

Hi there friends,

Cast off! (not like in let's catch a fish, but like my arm is in a simple brace lol!!!!)

Now I can wiggle my fingers - whooot!

So when do birds live in a mushroom? Give up? When I'm playing in a Lawnscaping Challenge (doh)! I don't have a Lawn Fawn bird house, so this will have to do.

Lawn Fawn is having a IN WITH THE OLD challenge and this was one of the first sets I purchased from them. Beyond time to get this inky!

I have not used my Copic markers in a very long time either. We just can't have that. I am sending this card to a dear friend who moved away from Hawai'i back to Idaho (brrrrr)! The sentiment was taken from two Lawn Fawn sets because I didn't use the gnome and that said "Gnome sweet gnome." So I used the 'tape off' technique over the rest of the stamp and just used a word from two sets (see below).

The background sky is a watercolor using Zig Clean Color Brush "Cobalt Blue." Boy, these brushes are very saturated!! First time to use these, too. If you have not tried the sequins and shiny shapes from Lucy's Cards, take a peek: Pretty Shaped Sequins & Mini Beads


Stamp Sets: Lawn Fawn "Gnome Sweet Gnome" and "Sweet Smiles" {the inside sentiment was a free stamp set from Dani that has a little "Love" and a small rose :D squeeee)
Dies: Mama Elephant "Basic Dies" set (banner and scalloped border)
Copic Markers
Inks: Delicata Gold ("Sweet" in the sentiment), and VersaFine "Smoky Gray" and "Sepia Brown," and SU "Watermelon Slush"
Fussy Cutting
Shiny Bits of sequins and beads - "Lucy's Things" in English Rose
Wink of Stella and Diamonds Stickles
Signo White Gel Pen
Adhesive Foam

(Peek at the simple inside)

I hope you know how much your comments

make me smile, inside and out!

Thank you for taking the 

time to say "Aloha!"

♥

A fun friendship card for the Mama Elephant November 2015 on Flickr.

Hi sweet friends ♥

Sigh, our daughter and her hubby left for home this morning. I miss them already. We had a very upbuilding visit with our local elders and a traveling overseer who made a shepherding call which really built us up. It's hard getting older, living in pain, and Bruce needing a new pacemaker. We are loved though!!!

The card details--

The sky is a lightly watercolored. I tried not to warp the cardstock as it is not watercolor paper. The leaves are colored with Memento Markers "dot" style, then fussy cut and popped up. The squirrel and bunneh are stamped with inks (popped up with foam) and the acorn / carrot are colored with Memento markers. The leaves are strewn about the ground, also made with dots from Memento markers.

Made for Jennifer McGuire's "Share Handmade Kindness" month, November.

Click here to go to the Mama Elephant November Challenge!
Stamp Set: Mama Elephant "Tree Friends"
Dies: Mama Elephant "Basic Die" set
Cardstock: GKD Pure Luxury
Watercolor background: Distress markers "Broken China" and "Weathered Wood"
Sentiment: Versafine Black and Clear embossing powder
Diamond Stickles (the leaf trail as it falls from tree)
Enamel dots by Basic Grey
Twine by DoodleBug
Yellow rhinestone by KaiserCraft

Aloha dear ones -- I so appreciate

your kind comments!!!

♥

Monogrammed Card Set

Hey there again,

Two posts in one day :D  And hurray, the cast comes off Thursday. Whooot!

Our daughter and SIL Joel are leaving for their home on the mainland tomorrow. It's been a whirlwind week for them. Marina has scrubbed our kitchen, pantry and living room until it sparkles. I hate to say goodbye but that's life.

It's a little thank you gift, but last night I laid in bed and made them a little set of cards. They are simple, not fussy because that's their favorite style.

Stamp Sets: Maara Design "Simply Stationery,"American Crafts "Marian" alphabet, and SU "By the Tide" (inside seahorse and conch shell)
Inks: Delicata Golden Glitz and GKD Black Onyx and Memento London Fog
Cardstock: GKD
Envelopes: SU

Inside--

And so it goes, the kids go back (but Marina said they will be moving back and Joel has no say LOL LOL LOL). Here's to FAMILY - long may they wave!!!

As always, with big hugs

for stopping by and saying "hello"

♥

Floral Motif Sunshine

Aloha dear friends,

I seldom get to play in the PaperTrey Ink challenges, so it's so fun for me today. Betsy Veldman posted a video tutorial on how to use small images to create a design. You can see it: HERE

Stamp Sets: PaperTrey Ink "Botanical Silhouettes" and "Borders & Corners Ovals"
Edger Dies: PaperTrey Ink Set #1

Inks: SU "Certainly Celery, Baked Brown Sugar, Strawberry Slush and Crushed Curry"
Cardstock: GKD Pure Luxury Red Hot, White and Kraft
Corner Rounder Cropadile

The inside and the envelope are stamped to match the card :)

Big hugs for stopping by to take a look, and

Thank You for leaving some love!

♥

With Thanks - The Mod Squad Challenge

Hi there friends,

How are you? I think this is the first time I've played in Mod Squad! Really!

The challenge by Barb Campbell is all about Thanks.  Easy. And I kept it as EASY as possible because, well, you know, the cast thing. These are just cards, no layers :)

These are thank you cards because friends and family do so much for us and I don't have enough. That's a good feeling, you know? Where would each of us be if we didn't have support when times are tough? And our being there for when they need help! So grateful.

Stamp Sets: All by Gina K. Designs - Spring Blessings; Stippled Nature
Cardstock: GKD 80# (I usually use 120# but couldn't reach that far)

Stamped images with Memento Desert Sand; sentiments VersaMark, Memento Tuxedo Black, then Clear Embossing Powder
Colored with Derwent Water Color Pencils: I used a very tiny it of water to spread the color
Background color by Pebbles Classic Chalks
Dragonfly wings colored pale, then covered with 3D Crystal Lacquer
All the sparkles are Diamonds Stickles
Little bit of Signo White Gel Pen

Thank you very much for coming by, leaving a little love.

Signed,

The One Armed Bandit Cardmaker :*

♥ Aloha ♥

It's Been a While! Sympathy and Thinking of You cards

Hi there friends,

Well, where on earth have I been lol? I'm here. We continue to do our best while riding the roller coaster of "What's Going On With Our Health Today?" Just to cut it really short, my arm is back in a cast among other things but we keep on enduring. ♥

Recently we have had several friends pass away and some who are fighting very serious illness. The cards below are the best I can do while using mostly one hand, laying flat, and using some pre-embossed panels from a while back.

Jennifer McGuire has started a new challenge to share any handmade items with friends and family. Well, these cards will be going to friends and family, cards are my favorite way of showing loved ones I care, and will enter the challenge with these.

Leslie at StampTV challenge this week is having a 1-2-3 Challenge. I used one flower stamp, 2 colors or shades of same color, and 3 round sequins.

Stamp Sets: Gina K. Designs (Flowers Bloom, Spring Blessings, Botanicals, Sunkissed Autumn)
Inks: Memento
Embossing Powder: Wow Clear
Sequins: Pretty Pink Posh
Various Embossing Folders, cords and twines

Technique: Emboss Resist (Stamp the verses first, dust paper with embossing buddy or cornstarch, then stamp the flowers with Versamark, sprinkle and heat clear embossing powder, sponge color over flowers, wipe off ink from flowers)

Thank you all for coming by, leaving your sweet comments!

I've been missing you all! Aloha ♥

Shadow Stamping with White Ink

Aloha friends,

As you can see, I've been a bit busy this week trying to make cards which I am so far behind in. I saw Jennifer MacGuire make a card stamping white first, then the same image in a color over that. It looked so soft, delicate - I had to try!

Recipe:
Stamp Set: Avery Elle "Thanks a Bunch" and border stitching by Technique Tuesday
Black & White Inks and cardstock: Gina K. Designs
Color Inks by Stampin' Up
Sequins: Pretty Pink Posh

Thank you so much for stopping by!!!

I just love reading what you leave me ♥

Watercolor Class II - Day 2: Using Inktense Watercolor Pencils

Hi there, again, Online Card Class Day II Watercolor - click here to go to page: Using Watercolor Pencils

I love Inktense watercolor pencils. I only have 12 pencils, but that's enough to create all sorts of goodness. Yes, I took liberty with the parrot's beak being lime because I didn't have lime in the painting yet, but did have all kinds of yellow. So, pretend parrots have lime beaks lol!!!

This image by Stampendous is called Jumbo Parrot. It is enormous too. It required me to create an extra large card base - almost 9 inches tall and 5-1/2 inches wide!!!!

I sketched a circle for the moon, then added lots of circular pencil marks to get a swirly kind of night sky. Then I added watered-down Frost Fantastix by SU to add silvery shine to the moon as well as outward from it.

The stars are either Martha Stewart mini sequin flat stars, or Diamond Stickles, as well as white gel pen for different kinds of stars.

Drew the tree and added leaves. I was going to add texture to the meadow below but could not find the stipple brush :/ So it's a flat ground! I used light touch to add color to the sky but dark pressing for the tree and parrot. The water makes the color feel so buttery! I covered the parrot and moon with Wink of Stella clear :)

Recipe:
Stampendous Jumbo Parrot
GKD Pure Luxury 120# white cardstock
Inktense Water Color Pencils
Multi matte medium
Martha Stewart flat star sequins, miniature
Wink of Stella Clear; Signo Gel Pen white, Diamond Stickles; 3D Crystal Lacquer over the parrot's eye

Thank you dear friends!! I so appreciate your comments!

Online Watercolor Class II - Marker Watercolors

Aloha dear friends,

Yes, it's the second class on watercolors featuring Jennifer MacGuire, Kristina Werner, Jennifer Rzasa and so much more! Click Here: Online Card Classes, Watercolor 2

Day 1 - Use Watercolor Markers as your medium (I used Memento Markers)

Recipe:
Stamp Set: Mama Elephant "Ella and Friends"
Martha Stewart Mini Heart flat sequins in clear and light pink
VersaMark & Ranger Liquid Platinum EP to stamp images and sentiments
Strathmore 130# cold press watercolor paper; Multi Matte Medium adhesive.

The full sentiment is "Remember" (I put that on the front), then "You've got a friend in me" (which I stamped inside).

Technique: Scribble water based markers onto slick surface (I used an acrylic stamp block). Add water to the colors until you get the feel of paint you need. Use paint brush to lift color from block and add to your stamped image. Add lots of water to your card before you add paint, as well as a little afterward to achieve the  watercolor effect you wish to portray.

Close up ♥

Thank you for coming by!!!!

Dawson Dog, Prismacolor Pencils

Aloha everyone,

It's definitely the hot and muggy "dog days of summer," at least over here. So happy to get this new stamp set inked up. The little fluffy dog reminds me of our sweet fur baby Dawson. He passed away 18 months ago and I really miss him. He would follow me everywhere :)

I can't remember the last time I used Prismacolor Pencils and Gamsol. They were within reach and they are fun to use. I left parts of the puppy image white and just used a pale warm gray to add shading around the fluffy fur. The image is embossed with White EP and is being entered into the Avery Elle I♥U Challenge #27, "To Emboss"

For this challenge you can heat emboss, dry emboss, any kind of emboss. I just used heat embossing and tried to keep the card on the simple side because I have an annoying habit of adding way too much lol. The inside of the card reads "You're Dog-Gone Awesome!" with a 2 mm strip of the same polka dot pattern paper down one side of white panel.

Card Recipe--

Stamp Set: Avery Elle "Furry Friends"
Embossing Powders: "White by Wow" for the dog, and "Liquid Platinum by Ranger" for the dog's red ball and the sentiment "Woof" tag
Colored with Prismacolor Pencils, blended with Gamsol
MFT cloud and tag dies
Cardstock GKD "Red Velvet" and Neenah Solar White 80#
Pattern Paper from "Simple Stories" "Snap" pad
Red & White Twine by Lawn Fawn
Iridescent Sequin Stars by "Lucy and Cards," color "Phosphorescence"
Little Red Rhinestone, adhesive foam, Scor Tape, Memento "Summer Sky" cloud edges
Wink of Stella (on the clouds), Black Pigma Marker for eyes and nose

Thank you for stopping by, for leaving some love,

for all your encouragement. 

Please cuddle your fur babies for me ♥

Watercolor Floral Thanks

Aloha dear friends,

How is your crafty day? I hope each of you are well or as well as can be :)

It's time for me to get back into watercoloring practice. A friend of ours gave us some Passion Fruit (in Hawai'i we call them Lilikoi (lily + coy) Jelly! We've only harvested about 5 so far this year. They have the most unusual but exquisitely delightful flowers!! Here is a picture with a sweet bee doing it's work:

"Lilikoi" or passion fruit flower

We get dozens of these blooms on our overgrown vine which is now like a giant bush sending out vines in every direction over the small lattice arbor. But not every bloom turns into a fruit. It's a wait and see kind of harvest :)

A dear friend of ours made some jelly from her lilikoi! She gave us a jar, so of course, I want to make a thank you card for her. I guess I could have searched for a lilikoi digi image or something, but I grabbed one of the nearest stamp sets instead.

Stamp Set: "Best Thoughts" by Stampin' Up

Painted with distress inks

Sequins by Pretty Pink Posh

Gold cord

Perfect Pearl spray, Wink of Stella

PaperTrey Ink Bracket border die

Pattern Paper "Be Mine" by Echo Park

Cardstock by Gina K. Designs Pure Luxury White 

Strathmore Watercolor Paper Cold Press 130#

After watercoloring, I sprayed the whole image with Perfect Pearl Spray that I mix up in a mister. I also covered the butterfly and blossom with Wink of Stella.

Many thanks for stopping by!!!

Over-the-Top, Explosion Box

For our nephew's and his wife's new baby boy. If it wasn't my 3rd try, and so much time and energy, I would have started over again.

We don't get a lot of babies in our family, so this is a big deal. It seems that (in our family) more and more of our adult kids choose not to have children, and I'm a BIG baby cuddler lol!

Well, I went over the top making this. I did not know when to stop. First step in controlling any problem is to admit there is a problem: Therefore, "I am not in control of my baby card/box making habit. I am in need of help."

For the last month (maybe longer) I worked a tiny bit here and there as I could. Finally, I simply ran out of room to add stuff. There are no measurements as I just cut, folded and Scor Taped here and there. But I can measure from top to bottom = 9 inches :/

Stamp Sets: Gina K. Designs- "Oh, Baby," "Blessing from Above," and "Zoo Animals"
Other supplies: I no longer remember all the stuff I used. Use your imagination.

Up, Up and Away!

Floating Rocking Horse

Elephant side

Zebra side

I even decorated the back...sigh! 

#IjustCantStop

(Look how cute the baby is tucked into

the Stork's blankey!!!)

I even decorated underneath all the flaps, 

where no one can see! (smacks forehead)

Tag and Printed Gift Card Tucked inside

If you read this post and looked at all
the pictures, then
you deserve a medal!
Thank you for being so kind
with your comments.
And for stopping by :*

Stamped Tiles, By the Sea

Gina made a video (link follows below) about stamping on tiles, which seems like a long time ago. Bruce brought me home a few tiles back then, so I could try her technique. They have sat on a table by our bed ever since. Well, sing the song "Finally-It's Happened To Me" by CeCe Penniston cause I FINALLY made the tiles! And they were so easy peasy, too.

Wipe off some unfinished tiles and use StazOn inks to stamp whatever images you would like. Then I carefully used alcohol markers and a PITT white artist pen marker to gently add color. Next, (place an old newspaper or a bill you don't want to pay under the tiles) take a little sand paper or block and sand off the images a bit to give them a rugged, distressed and used feel and soften up the intense line images. Voila! Wipe off all the dust from the sanding and add some little adhesive feet of your choice (felt, silicone, googly eyes, whatever). Done. Try it yourself - makes unique and fun gifts for friends!

Stamp Sets: I used some beachy images from GKD, There She Goes Again, Stampin' Up. (No, you will not break out into hives if you combine stamps by different companies.) StazOn ink stains - be sure you protect your work surface. I cleaned all the stamps with StazOn Cleaner, then cleaned well before storing.

Thank you for the video tutorial Gina!!! 

Click HERE to watch Gina's video ♥

Aloha and thank you for 

coming by and leaving your kind comments!!!

For Gina's Mother, Ruth

Aloha dear friends,

This week's challenge at StampTV is to make a card for Gina's mother, Ruth. I really hope she is recovering well after surgery!

Ingredients:

Stamp Set - "Vertical Greetings and Things" by Theresa Momber for Gina K. Designs
Vellum for dragonfly; Cardstock by GKD
Embossing Powder "Liquid Platinum" by Ranger
Copic markers for the flowers; Memento markers for the dragonfly
Sequins from Pretty Pink Posh!
VersaMark, Scor Tape, Foam Tape

I colored the back of the vellum dragonfly so the colors would be soft. The yellow layer and the sentiment are popped up with adhesive foam.

♥ Get Well Ruth ♥ 

 CUTE Dragonfly Alert !

Big Hugs to You, Ruth!!

~ Thank you for stopping by ~

Friendship Flowers

You know if it takes me a while to post, then I am concentrating on health challenges, just like the majority of you are. 2 Cor 4:7 is my help ♥

To complete a task, especially making a card, is taking much energy at this time. But BOY, does it EVER feel good inside to work on a project and even better to finish it.

This card is for a sweet gal in the StampTV crowd of Gina K. fans.

Recipe:

Flower Stamps & Matching Dies by Gina K. Designs. Frames & Flowers #1; Stamped Sentiment, Butterfly & Flower/Stem from Birds & Blossoms.
DP Floral Essentials GKD; Cardstock GKD
Martha Stewart Branch Punch
Tag (I believe it is from Anna Griffin, sorry - I'll try to look for which one if you would like to know)
Cuttlebug Overlapping Circles EF
Prills "I'm A=Maized" floral centers covered with 3D Crystal Lacquer, GKD "Frozen" Glitter
Clear Wink of Stella
Copic Markers, Memento Markers, Satin Ribbon, Clear Rhinestones, Glue Dots, Foam Squares, Scor Tape, Multi Medium Matte, Aileen's Clear Glue

Thank you for not forgetting about me,

and for stopping by

dear friends ♥