My Hero, a Weekend Warrior Bandit

Aloha!

We are remodeling (well, Bruce is) our home. 1 wall is pretty much off the house and tarps, sheets hang down to keep a few of the bugs out (not working). At least today Bruce is finishing the front entrance flooring so we won't have to use a ladder to get into and out of the house (whew, I hate ladders). Bruce is trying to get as much as he can done during the month off from work. Poor guy. He'll be 79 this year. I wish I could get up and help him like years ago when we worked on homes as a team, and I loved to landscape, even pull weeds :)  Yup, weeding was therapy, went by quickly and my mind cleared like the weeds I pulled. Now? Cardmaking is my speed, and slow at that.

You know, I can't help but gush over my main man - Bruce, I love you and don't know what words to say how much. You've taught me everything about building and doing-it-yourself whenever possible. I am posting pics on FaceBook as Bruce goes through all the process of moving the front door, building a new entrance porch, ripping out and installing a new kitchen, then tearing off and re-roofing the house and garage. As you can imagine, prayers are fervent on this end. With his age, Hawai'ian heat, and a pacemaker, my baby is at the top of my concerns. And as always, much love to all of you, too ♥

Entered into Art Impressions Slide On By Challenge

Stamp Set: Art Impressions "Weekend Warrior"
Inks: Memento inks (direct to embossing, bushes and grass in scene) and Copic Markers (all the house planks behind him are Copic markers with nails from Sakura navy gel pen)
Cardstock: GKD Sand, American Crafts dark brown & Neenah Solar White
Dies: SB circles and Tim Holtz tag dies; SU circle punch
Perfect Pearls in black, Woodgrain embossing folder, lots of adhesive foam (had no clue how to engineer this slider) and sketched in the house and flowers for the scene. Sakura navy gel pen and 3D Crystal Lacquer. His tools are colored to be DeWalt and his hat was supposed to be like a Home Depot hat. Add some lines on the shirt to make it plaid-like. Twine SU Crumb Cake (I think).

 The "card" is a shallow box, so I wrote a note on the back)

Open (Bruce was tickled and laughed when he pulled the image out==success!)

Thank you for coming by!!

Much aloha to each of you ♥

Shaking Good Coffee

Aloha!

A new week. Is it me, or are weeks flying by like the blink of an eye? Maybe it's the coffee I drink.

I only drink one, maybe 1-1/2 cups in the morning. They don't help me with energy but it is comforting to wake up with a hot, cozy drink. This one you can shake for some extra happy!!

I tried very hard to finish this before yesterday for the STV weekly challenge. Boo. Missed it. My best isn't fast enough. Is there a snail pace challenge I can start following?

If you look on Pinterest (or maybe Google) you can find all kinds of templates. I found this one and printed it on cardstock. It's REALLY large, like 7x6-1/2 inches, even bigger than an A4 card? I didn't feel like shrinking, saving, reprinting, so it is what it is. A massive, giant coffee drink!

I used a ruler and French curve rulers to cut the center of the cup out, adhered acetate to the back, used 1/4 inch adhesive foam and filled it with sequins and seed beads. I stamped some beans and distressed the edges of the panel and used Copics to add shading on the cup and shadow. The cardbase is run through a swiss dot folder twice because of the size. Inside for the coffee color I used distress inks. I glued some sequins to the back and the rest fell to the bottom. There are mini hearts, mini stars and several neutral color sequins in there. Wrapped twine around it and called it 3 days LOLLOLololOOlol! Yup, I'm a slow slow poke.

Link to Template for Coffee Cups

Stamp Sets: Both are GKD by Claire Brennan "We Go Together" and "Coffee"
Cardstock Neenah Solar White 110#; Grafix Clear Plastic
Distress inks: Brushed Corduroy, Espresso; Delicata Gold (some of the coffee beans)
Copic Warm Gray 1, 3, 5
Cuttlebug Swiss Dot Embossing Folder
Sequins Pretty Pink Posh; Sparkle Twine; Corner Rounder, Scor Tape, Adhesive Foam, Dries Clear

Mahalo for stopping by!

Each and every visit and comment adds smiles to my day!!! 

♥

A Cure For Insomnia?

Aloha good buddies,

I'm falling farther and farther behind in the SCS challenges for the weekend. I'm still on Friday night's themes....heave a sigh. Today was "Hey, let's spend hours troubleshooting the TV cable box again, cause the other 100 hours in the past 3 months really was not quite enough :(((( (lots of sadz faces). We get another new cable box tomorrow. For now, we can watch the news. YAY.

The challenge for this card is for Polly's "Things That Jump." Took some thought to come up with an idea. I worked on it a minute here, a minute there, here a minute, there a minute, everywhere a minute, minute...Old MacRosy had a farm. EEE Aye EEE Aye OH!

The only fence die I have is super thin and too dainty. Then I remembered I had a never-used fence embossing folder - Yes! I inked up some swirly hills and the grass between the fence posts on the "debossed" side of the folder so the stakes would still be white. You can see the swirls from the direct to folder with the ink :)

I stamped and cut out the sheepies, then popped them to look like they were jumping over the fence and on over the hills. Finding the sentiment was a toughie!!! But I found something online and tweaked it, then printed and die cut it out. Looking back, I wish I would have numbered each sheep, like 1,000,978 and so on... But I'm pooped from the day.

Warning: If you lack a sense of humor, only look at the first photo and do not scroll down to the second. After seeing my card... I decided to add a detail to the envelope and the card that only some people might think is funny....like me :D

Stamp Set: "Barnyard Babies" by Stampin' Up
Cardstock: GKD Jellybean Green & Neenah Solar White
Inks: Copic Markers, Memento Inks & Memento black marker
(Hey, look - no sparkles, not even wink of stella!)
The die is from ... I'll catch it next time I can get up. Right now, I can't move lol.

Numero Uno

Only the brave should scroll farther...


Numero Dos

Welluh, I did warn you.

Thank you for your sweet comments

and for visiting!!!

Much aloha! ♥

Snowy Night

Yes, really lol! I miss the cold of the snow when it is super warm.

Aloha!

Did you know it snowed up on Mauna Kea a few days ago? Yup. I had the a/c on down here at 1400 feet because it was 83 degrees in our bedroom, and then it rained really hard, which turned into snow up at 14,000 where the telescopes are. The challenge I made this for is over at SCS and it's VSN week. Misti asked us to use a circle and 3 colors. She listed white, black, blue and a couple of others, but after thinking about it, I thought about the snow :D I punched out a circle from masking paper for the moon, used white gel pen and Stickles for the stars, snow, & Wink of Stella Clear for the moon & around the moon and on the tops of the hills. Use a gray and light blue markers for the squiggly shadows, then white gel pen, & even Stickles. I cut out some curvy hill shapes from old paper and sponged for the hills.

Stamp Set: Really old B&B pine tree stamps on wood mounts
Cardstock: GKD Black, Neenah White
Die: Memory Box deer
Inks: Memento Summer Sky and Paris Night as well as matching markers & London Fog
Signo Gel Pen, Stickles Diamonds, Wink of Stella, Tape Runner adhesive, Multi Matte Medium

I hope this helped cool you all down!

With aloha, thank you so much for stopping by ♥

Pawsitively Purrrfect!

Aloha once again,

How are you today?  Week already over, new one beginning...and half of another year soon flies by. But the glass if half full!!!!!

Do you believe I watercolored with distress markers? Me neither! Usually it turns out into a blotchy mess, but this time I hardly used any color.

The kitty cat is so funny - I rolled up twine to make a ball with fringes hanging from it, then covered it all with Dries Clear liquid adhesive. The wall paper pattern is just mini hearts made with barely touching the paint brush tips together twice per heart.

I think I'm about 20 challenges behind LOL. Was it humanly possible for me to play along in each VSN challenge this weekend? No, definitely not. But the old college try pushed me once again. This one is for Sally's Challenge Use Three Items From A Category Listed. I used 3 Techniques: Embossing, Die Cutting and Watercolor.

Stamp Set: "Pawsome" by Simon Says Stamp
Cardstock: GKD 120# White and Red Velvet, AC Orange; Strathmore Watercolor paper
Dies: "Painted Words" by SSS (Hello); SB Labels 11; SU Banner Framelit Dies; Marvy Uchida Scalloped Oval hand punch
Embossing Folders: Lifestyle Cuts "Tea Party," Darice "Cherry Blossoms," Cuttlebug "Swiss Dots"
Sew Easy "Red & White" Fancy Floss
PPP Yellow Sequins; Perfect Pearls Onyx Black (kitty's eyes and nose)
Distress Markers, Memento Rosebud Ink (edging image label and over the embossed banner)
Dries Clear Liquid Adhesive, Multi Matte Medium, Scor Tape, Signo White Gel Pen, Adhesive Foam

Aloha my friends.

Fill your week with love, kindness and ink!!!

Couple on the Beach

Aloha dear ones,

Wouldn't it be lovely to be able to cuddle on a warm sandy beach, watching the sun go down? I love this stamp set/image, especially making anniversary, wedding, engagement, or just lovey dovey cards.

I used Copic Markers on the couple, after first stamping them in Cocoa Brown (Memento inks). I cut out a mask and used Memento inks to sponge around some soft sand, softly glowing sunset, and distressed the embossed layer behind it.

Made for the SCS VSN Challenge by Lee, "A Motto of Design" (the Olympic Games). The 3 letters Lee wanted us to incorporate into the challenge are: C, A, F. I used Couple for C, Anniversary for the A, and foliage for the F. I am officially 11 challenges behind tonight lol.

Stamp Sets: All Stampin' Up - "Summer by the Sea (the couple)," "Express Yourself (narrow and short sentiments)," and "Flowering Fields (tall plants)."; SB Fancy Framed Tag Dies #1
Cardstock GKD 120# White Base, Neenah 80# white layer, AC Pink
Inks: Copic Markers, Memento Inks, Delicata Gold (around sentiment)
Dies: Gina Marie cross stitch rectangle
Darice Embossing Folder: "Florals"
Wink of Stella Clear, Want2Scrap Rhinestones, Signo White Gel Pen

I'm sure that most of you are asleep, and I am quickly catching up with you. My eye lids are so heavy, I will be going to sleep asap.

Thank you for visiting my friends!
May your lives be overfilled with love!

With Aloha ♥

A Textured Seahorse

Aloha everyone,

Has it been a good week for you? I hope so because a new one is about to begin! Apologizing in advance for the long description of various techniques and products used below. You might want to get a cuppa!

Splitcoast Stampers is having a weekend VSN (virtual stamping night) which started last night. So far I have completed 1, uno, ein, ichi card. I'm behind before it starts! But have no fear - they allow a few extra days to complete and enter all of our submissions. It's a fantastic way to create cards and brush up on new ideas, infusing your mojo with renewed energy. I used several techniques on this card which I will explain below --

Do you know the name of the manufacturer of the below seahorse? I bought it years ago on EBay, unmounted, red rubber. It did not have a name, so if any of you recognize it, could you let me know who made it? Thank you!

The challenge is about using water so I tried two different techniques. The Seahorse was heat embossed with Liquid Platinum embossing powder. Cover with your favorite distress inks and carefully wipe the seahorse or image with a little wet wipe to remove the inks from the image. Drop water onto the image and after a few seconds, blot up with a dry cloth or tissue. This creates some bubble-like background for your underwater image.

Direct to paper your VersaMark pad to cover the entire image with ink, sprinkle with UTEE (ultra thick embossing powder) and heat until clear. Do this three times for a glossy, thick finish. Allow to cool. You can leave it that way or you can bend it all over into the "Cracked Glass" technique which is what I did. I covered the top with a layer of Mod Podge to increase the gloss and seal the cracks.

For the textured background panel, I used Gansai Watercolors in teals, blues and yellows to match up with the underwater scene. While wet, sprinkle large grain Sea Salt all over. Spray all over with Perfect Pearl water. Allow to dry or use a heat tool like I did (no patience here). Use metallic color pastes and dab all over the textured panel. In real life you can see lots and lots of texture, shine and metals on this panel.

The black layering panel was run through with a Sizzix "Rope" embossing folder, then covered with the same aqua and green metallic paint as the textured panel. It gives the rope black panel a metallic sheen that isn't picked up in the picture.

Stamp bubbles all over the card base and heat emboss with clear or Holographic Embossing Powder like this one. Cut out piece of burlap for yet more texture and interest and assemble your pieces. Finally, add three clear bubble embellies for adding to the underwater scene.


Stamps: Seahorse (unknown, let me know if you recognize it, red rubber); Deep Red Rubber "Bubble" background
Cardstock: GKD Turquoise Sea & AC Black
Distress Inks: Peeled Paint, Chipped Sapphire, Peacock Feathers, Scattered Straw
Gansai Tambi Watercolors in teals and yellows
Versamark; UTEE; Ranger Liquid Platinum & Holographic Embossing Powder
Large Grain Sea Salt; Perfect Pearl spray (mine is homemade)
3D Stemple Farbe (metallic paints) "Light Blue" and "Lime Green"
Burlap, crystal bubbles (Pretty Pink Posh), adhesive foam squares, Scor Tape, Dries Clear, corner rounder

Thank you for your patience with this card's details -- 

I used quite a few products and a couple different techniques.

Thank you for coming by!

Consider yourself bear hugged ♥ Aloha

Diffused Embossing with Flowers

Aloha!

Some, if not everyone, is going through such hard times - health problems, family, daily wear and tear - cotton pickin' - you name it, and everyone is going through it. Wishing you a week filled with happy thoughts, contentment, kindness and as good of health as can possibly be.

Stamp Set: "Flower Gallery" by Penny Black; "Leafy Background" by JustRite Stamps
Copic Markers, VersaMark ink (background on card base)
Anna Griffin embossing folder
Sizzix/Tim Holtz Diffuser Plates - Oval (Thought I would try these and am learning how to use them)

Inside--

Mahalo for stopping by!!

May your week be filled with goodness,

kindness & as healthy as can be.

♥

Leeward Layers with Wacky Wabbit

Aloha there, yet again! Yes, I'm back for the third post in one day. Mark that on your calendars please.

Layers. Lots of layers. Mine has turned out to be laughable, leeward (or the side opposite the endless waves here in island living) layers. You see, I didn't want to have 10-20 layers of everything on top of my card. So I did some flat layers. Cut some scrap paper into hill shapes, then use them as masks to ink some colors and "make" hills and a garden. As you sponge the hills and sky onto the card, it sorta looks like a layered look, right? No? Yes? YOU betcha! "I gotta be ME! I GOTTA be ME!" (If you are unfamiliar with that song from the 60s, well, I cannot help you.)

When I saw this stamp set, I had a deep belly laugh. All I could see was a bunny stealing away, munching on someone's beautiful garden of delights. So after stamping, coloring and fussy cutting all the images out, I cut slits into the basic layer and slid those veggies in, like they are growing out of the dirt. See the mouthful missing on the middle carrot? Bunny did it. He is laughing and high-tailing it out of there.

Everything is fussy cut and popped up with foam: bunny, veggies, trees, house, clouds (die cut). I drew cultivation lines across the center hill and used Copic Cool Grays to create shadows all over.

Can't believe I am able to enter a card into a challenge. It's been a long, long, long, time. But Paper Smooches Layering Challenge this one is for you ♥


Three Paper Smooches stamp sets: "Green Thumb," "Bitty Bungalows" and "Squeaky Clean" (I used the "dust bunny" from Squeaky Clean LOL. The other bunny I had from PS would have been like a Godzilla Bunny but that is an idea for a different card)
MFT cloud dies
Cardstock: GKD 120# white and Neenah 80# Solar White
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Bamboo Leaves, New Sprout, Summer Sky, Rich Cocoa
Copic Markers
Lots of adhesive foam squares, some doubled up to give more height and dimension
Wink of Stella, Signo white gel pen for highlights, Perfect Pearls "Buttercup" and "Ruby Red" (for the stones lining the rock walkway, the apples in the trees and flowers in window boxes)

Run bunny run. See bunny run? Run bunny run!

As always, I thank you sincerely

for stopping by and leaving some love ♥

Desert Arrangement

It's me again - aloha! Over the last few weeks I've been coloring. Little by little, I put the pieces into cards. This is a Hero Arts stamp set filled with all kinds of succulent plants that I stamped and cut masks for, then piled them on top of each other to create a desert-type plant arrangement in a clay pot.

Coloring quiets the inner soul. (And in the loooong run, it's even cheaper than therapy! So COLOR ON, especially when life happens and you just have to turn off the news.)

While I cannot recall which pattern paper pack the background is from, it does have some brush strokes for a texture-like look, but quiet and simple.

I took a long time stamping, masking, cutting, stamping, masking, cutting, then coloring until my heart's content. I hoped this to be a masculine card to surprise a friend who is also a stamper at STV but his age and health are really restricting him and hope this will bring a smile to his heart. Cause that's why we make cards. We send smiles across the miles to all our buddies, connected by the invisible thread of cardmaking. It's a love that is real, palpable, and lessens the loneliness we all feel, especially after losing a mate like our stamping buddy this is going to.

Stamp Set: Hero Arts "Stamp Your Own Succulents" (yes, it's really called that)
Cardstock by GKD
Image and background colored with Copic markers (BGs and YGs, Gs, Es, Cool Grays and a couple Bs) (no, I don't keep track. it's a hobby, not a profession) Use the Blender Marker to create white swirlies or dots in your background for some interest.

Here is a link to see this ultra cool stamp set that you can combine any which way you want to: HA Stamp Your Own Succulents

With lots of aloha to each one of you. 

Spread the love and mail your cards to make hearts smile ♥

Hog Heaven Thanks

Snort-snort means "And aloha to each of you!"

Usually I do not purchase supplies at retail (except for Gina K. Designs) but this time I had to just bust down and get this as MFT released it last week. Whoop - it is an adorable stamp set!

I used Koh I Noor Colored Pencils to color the images on the front, the inside and the envelope. It had been a while since using them and they were literally screaming for some love. Koh I Noor color pencils are 100% color, no thin, breakable lead in the middle. They are pure color. Just like any other color pencil, use lightly, building color up as you go to prevent the wax buildup. Otherwise, the wax can make it harder to blend afterward. Some parts I used Gamsol, others not so much. I like the look of pencil colors ♥

You really cannot see in the picture, but I cut extra "nose, hooves, hair bow and fence" and popped them up with foam. It's soooo 3D LOL! The background is all chevron stamped. I used VersaMark only on the white card base for the chevrons, then the same topped with clear embossing powder on the pink layer. If you look closely, there are teeny rhinestones in the middle of her hair bow and in each of the three flowers in the clay pot.

Using blue Copic markers and a white gel pen, it's easy to create some interest in the blue sky around the image :) Even the little nails in the fence are covered with Sakura clear glitter pen!

The envelope back is crazy filled with flowers, each colored with pencils, then blended with Gamsol. I just don't know when to stop. I hope Jennifer McGuire and Kristina Werner hold an Online Card Class "THIS is WHEN to STOP!"

Stamp Set: My Favorite Things "Hog Heaven" and Hero Arts "Chevron" background
Inks: VersaFine Black (onyx); blended the hills with Memento inks and sponge daubers
Koh I Noor full color pencils and Gamsol, paper blending stumps
Cardstock by GKD
Sequins by Pretty Pink Posh
Dries Clear by Art Glitter (dries super fast and sturdy for anything you put onto cardstock or paper)
Blue Copic markers to create the blue sky, Gray Copic markers for the shadows, Black Memento marker to go over all the images and around the fussy cut pieces
Signo White Gel Pen, Adhesive Foam Squares, Memento Angel Pink ink around the sentiment which is cut with a simple Spellbinders Scalloped Oval

(look at all the flowers on the back of the envelope LOL!!!) -- 

(inside of the card and the front of the envelope) -- 

Mahalo for stopping by and leaving some love!

A Gilded Sympathy

Aloha everyone!

I hope you had a good weekend and are ready for the new week ahead. We are nearly halfway through with another year. I would be thrilled if we never had to need another sympathy card ever again. That is the scripture which I foiled inside this card, from Revelation 21:4.

Back in 2010, 2011 I met a kind lady in an online support group for chronic pain. She sent me the very first handmade card I ever saw and it blew my mind. I asked her how on earth does she "make" cards? LOL!!! She said all I would have to do is visit Gina's StampTV site and there I could learn everything there is to know about how to make a card. In 2012 I started visiting STV. Gina has THE best tutorial videos, cardstock, stamps etc... So she definitely steered me into the right direction and I am forever learning.

Unfortunately my online card enabler friend just lost her hubby last month after heart surgeries and a valiant battle with cancer. Although we have never physically met, like all of you, my dear cardmaking buddies, I feel a very close kindred spirit, a deep friendship through our mutual hobby. I made this card for her and her family.

I used the Minc to foil the sentiment and the inside of the card. It's pretty big for a card - 5 x 6-1/2 inches. I'll make the envelope tomorrow and get this mailed to her.

I embossed the pattern paper and edged it with an apricot color ink, then gold ink. I did the same with the inside, but you can't see it. It's all foiled then cut with a Spellbinder pierced rectangle and lightly sponged with peach, then edged with gold (sentiment inside). I am drinking Pepto Bismol by the gallon it seems. My stomach has an ulcer from all our recent losses and stress. If I haven't told you "I love you" lately, just know, I truly do!!!

Spellbinders "Divine Florals" Nestabilities Dies & Ovals Dies
GKD cardstock
SU pattern paper
Anna Griffin embossing folder
Inks Crisp Cantaloupe (SU) and Delicata Gold
Minc Machine and gold foil
Dazzling Diamonds glitter (SU), white satin ribbon, pearls, clear rhinestones, corner rounder

Thank you for always leaving 

your kind comments,

for visiting,

for always being there ♥