Calendars and Envelope Art

Aloha dear friends,

I've been MIA and most of you know it's the usual-back and bone issues. But over the weeks I laid here stamping and spotlight coloring the envelopes for Hawai'ian calendars. I'm sorry I'm not up to listing everything used but here's an inkling :) It took about 3 months to complete around 25-30 of these 2017 Hawai'ian calendar sets. It was a joy to be able to do a little coloring spotlighting!

Stamps: SU flowers and birds
Inks: Memento Black
Pencils: Prismacolor, Gamsol, with touches of Sakura Clear Glitter Pen

Aloha for now!!!

Watercolor for Ill Friend

This is a SU image called Sweetbriar Rose. I heat embossed it in white, and used distress ink pads to watercolor. I sprinkled lots of Epsom salts in the background and let dry for the crystallized finish.

Pearlized ivory cardstock
GKD Pure Luxury 120# cardstock
Satin blue ribbon
Turquoise gems
Cuttlebug embossing folder tatami mat
Stickles Icicles
Sentiment by Anna Griffin

Thank you for stopping by ♥

Watercoloring over a Liquid Frisket Mask & Splatter

Yikes, out of my comfort zone.

First, cut out a heart from post it note and apply the outside paper (without the solid heart) onto your watercolor paper. Inside the negative space heart shape, get a Q-tip or dedicated dead brush for applying Liquid Frisket all around inside that heart space. Move it over and create another liquid frisket heart close by. Now, take courage -- dip your brush into the frisket and tap it gently against your forefinger of the opposite hand to create some splattering across your whole watercolor base paper. Put this aside for about two hours and let dry (it's humid over here so I waited longer).

Load the water across your now dry heart base layer, over the frisket. Frisket repels water :D Pick out your colors and dip them around the watered down panel and let the water do its thing. Set this aside and let dry again. The next morning (for me) I took my adhesive remover eraser and started rubbing the liquid frisket off the panel and it left white hearts and white dots all over - giddy! I tied the checkered red ribbon, dangled a brass key, colored the thread pink and red, added 2 crystal red hearts inside the hearts, and then covered the white space hearts with Crystal Lacquer for a rounded, clear finish.

I tried this with a snowy hill and snowflakes, but that was a mess lol.

For watercolor Class Day 2 - Backgrounds

Thank you everyone -- I appreciate your efforts to stop by :*

Don't you LOVE the SEA?

I do, too! Snow covered mountains, endless fields of wild grasses blowing in the wind, diamonds sprinkled on the ocean -- I just adore all of it.

This is made for Lee's MIUM challenge at STV. It's a CAS challenge. I have issues with CAS because it's SO HARD TO STOP ADDING THINGS. Really! How does one know when to stop? I guess that is how one masters CAS technique. I have a long way to go. (Do you see the invisible glitter swirls? I hope not -- see? I.CAN'T.STOP.)

Direct to Paper (DTP) technique (just pull the ink pad across the paper)
"Enjoy the Sunshine" stamp set from Gina K. Designs
Broken China distress & Memento Tuxedo Black inks
Copic markers BG11 & BG13
Aqua rhinestones and adhesive foam behind the main card layer
Wink of Stella clear marker

Thank you for stopping by ♥

Sweet Music

This is a card made for the StampTV MIUM challenge this week, hosted by Cat!

I colored the image with Memento pastel markers, then covered with Delicata gold ink for shimmer. The cracked glass method is fun and easy to do. Gina has a great tutorial here:

The Cracked Glass Method

Stamp Set: Love is Friendship by Gina K. Designs
Inks: Memento, VersaMark and Delicata Gold
Gems: Want 2 Scrap, champagne 2 mm
Embossing Folder: Sizzix Curly Gate
Dies: Sizzix Framelits #657902
Piercing Tool & Stampin' Up Piercing Template
Fiskars Corner Embosser (for inside card)
EK Success 1/8" adhesive foam dot squares (my favorite) ScorTape & glue dots

I do not have an 'oval' piercing template. But Splitcoaststampers (SCS) has a really helpful tutorial showing how to use the square Stampin' Up template to create circles and ovals for perfect piercing. You can see both the video and the pictorial steps that Beate made here:

Perfect Oval and Circle Piercing

{You can see 3D shimmery, glittery goodness behind the UTEE & on the background}

Thank you so much for stopping by! 

Almost at the finish line

Pant pant pant...

We are nearing the end of a month long challenges run at SCS Hope You Can Cling To journey. I will upload the last few I've made, just to save us time and typing :)

1. Blue Suede (shoes) Slingback Pumps!

Yes, this was for a challenge based on any of Elvis' songs. Used the Sakura glitter pen on the heels and shoe lining. Thank you to Kyra Scrapycat at STV for sending me her gifts of GKD Ocean Mist Ink and Ribbon which matches my GKD Ocean Mist buttons perfectly. Ahhh. Matchy matchy.
I also touched the glitter pen to all the smallest circles on the dp, and along the borders of the wonky rectangle and sentiment. It's really sparkly IRL. {Stamp Set: You've Got Style by GKD}

2. Sparkles in my heart in this Floral. Stamps by GKD, a la Theresa Momber with "Aloha" stamp set. I colored the flowers with Copics, then dusted the tops of everything with Stickles Diamond glitter and on the leaf, Lime Glitter. I simply embossed the card with Sizzix Birds (and Wreath) EF. Finally, I dotted the stamen with Viva Gold Pen dots. I do love sparkles! So I gave the birdie a little blue rhinestone eye :* {Stamp Set: Aloha by GKD}

3. While this is not for the SCS HYCCT challenges, it is for a friend living in Indonesia. She is superbly artistic and I sent her some PSX, Northwoods, and D. Morgan scenic stamps to play with. Hope you like them Dina!  ♥ {I think this stamp by is Precious Moments, sorry I can't remember for sure} Doesn't she remind you of the Little House on the Prairie Show?

4. Who doesn't like Winnie the Pooh? Esp Classic Pooh? I thought this could cheer up someone coping with the treatment for breast cancer, bring back memories from long ago.

It's very simply colored, sponged in clouds, used a tree stamp from a recent GKD set, and added dry embossing to the background dp. I had some dark chocolate brown pearls and the silk blue Maya Arts ribbon as embellies. HANG ON POOH AND PIGLET! {Stamp Set: Touch the Sky by All Night Media}

5. Riley Riley Riley. You daredevil you. Isn't he fun? I colored with Copics and added Stickles diamonds as big, snowball size snow flakes dumping onto him. He is a beginner skier but took the Black Diamond Lifts... This can't end well. I love the inside sentiment -- "Yeah, I don't have one of those." {Stamp Set: Ski Riley by Riley & Co.} Handtyped and printed the sentiments.

6. Finally, there is a mixed media card to share. Throwing caution to the wind, I reached for whatever was close and not used much. So this is the first time breaking open both the natural Mica flakes and the A/C duct tape from Home Depot (thanks honey). I embossed the sentiment (Darice Border Sentiments) onto AC tape, and after adhering the AC tape to cardstock, I cut it with Cheery Lynn Exotic Butterfly #3 Medium (whew) die cut. Then I rubbed on paste in dark green and gold to the dp and both the sentiment and to the butterfly, added a few turquoise gems for color. Lastly, I sprayed fixative over the top to hopefully adhere the mica flakes permanently. The flakes went on top of Glossy Accents. The butterfly is popped on foam.

I know this is a lot to look at and try to absorb.

Thank you ever so much for

stopping by and leaving your tender comments!!!

Aloha ♥

All for Hope You Can Cling To at SCS

I am still continuing to try and keep up with the October Breast Cancer support cards to be sent to a hospital in Texas.

The first card up is a very simple one to make, allowing the beauty of Gina K. Designs designer paper to glow through. There is a simple, gold embossed leaf as an embellishment under the sentiment.

The next card uses a free coloring image online which I just printed and colored, cut out each boot, curled them a bit, then sprinkled with glitter and pop dotted. The sentiment is just typed up and printed.

The third card is based on the Perry Como song and I just wanted it to be simple and let the star be the focal image. It's hand sketched along with the pocket.

The fourth card is also simple, using the "kissing" stamp technique. I used a fruit stamp from Gina K. Designs and kissed it with the SU Irish blessing verses stamp then punched it with a scallop punch.

Finally, Kittie C. used a serene theme for this challenge, so I used Theresa Momber's stamps and sponging technique for this ocean sunset.

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

Hidden Sentiment Technique

This was a fun path to walk down. I had never made one of these before and didn't use a template. It was very interesting and a little tedious to make it 'work' correctly. But in the end, it is very worth the extra time and engineering to have a card become kinetic like this.

Stamp Set - PaperTry Ink, Flower Fusions #12
Cardstock and dp - Gina K. Designs

Thank you so much for looking!!!

Pink Friends

It's breast cancer awareness (well, all kinds of cancer awareness) time. It's also too painful for me to remember how many of my own friends have died from breast cancer and other diseases. But if we can help just one person to endure the challenges of a diagnosis and all that it entails, then these tokens of our support may bring them hope and a smile.

Made for the HYCCT challenge and Lee wanted us to have a pink camo type background. I used glossy card, made a basic polished stone with pinks, silver & gold inks and alcohol. This dried overnight. I stamped flowers onto it, colored them in with Anna Griffin watercolor markers and the rest is pretty self explanatory. Just wanted a simple card.

Thank you for looking!

Queen Anne's Lace Aglow

Challenges:

SCS HYCCT Courage and Strength CAS Challenge

CASology #64 Harvest Challenge



Thumped Memento inks Mango, Bamboo Shoots, and Red Magic to the stamp and pressed to GKD 120# Pure Luxury white cardstock. I used the Sakura clear glitter pen over the sentiment as well as a few touches to the tops of the flowers, then added a few score lines and called it done.

Thank you for looking!

Hope You Can Cling To (HYCCT) Challenges October 2013 at Splitcoaststampers (SCS)

Well, that was a mouthful. I've never entered this challenge before, but it's mostly one card per day and I hope I can do that.

Autumn Mums

The very first card for this month and challenge is a stamp set by Gina K. Designs called "Friends Are Flowers." I CASE'd one of Gina's video cards, too. She made one with inverted sentiment and image with so much interest and texture. Finally, two years later (?) I made one.

Here is the link to Gina's video to see how to make this:

http://stamptv.ning.com/video/reverse-nestabilities

I just changed the die sizes and the stamps used. The rest is very similar to hers.

Cardstock and stamp set by GKD.
Copic Markers, Spectrum Noir Markers, Prisma Glitter
Spellbinders dies: Circle, Scallop, Rectangle
Cuttlebug Embossing Folder "Swiss Dots"
Want2Scrap Red Rhinestones

Thank you for looking!

Always Butterflies

As summer ends, autumn begins, where do all the butterflies go? They used to cover San Juan Capistrano, but I heard recently they have not been there as much. We have them here year-round. They always seem to come back in spring and summer on the mainland, so I feel there's Always Butterflies.

This is another card that started out CAS and quickly turned into another "Oh, no" and shabby here we come. I had also tried a new technique in the background that (click link for simpler tutorial as well as video ==>) Lydia at Splitcoaststampers  taught via tutorial today. She calls it Bokeh. I called mine a failure LOL because I could not find a new pencil with a round eraser near me. So I used the next similar thing: the broken chop sticks I keep in my craft box for when they come in handy, like today, to stand in for the pencil erasers, which they could not possibly live up to. The paint didn't look like round circles, but rather like splotched messes.

Create the background:

Color gelatos onto your stamp. Using an Aqua brush or any paint brush with water, thin and blend the color on your stamp. Stamp the image onto cardstock.

Next you create the bokeh dots around the shadow image. Take your gelato color (I used the same blue) and color a small area on an acrylic block. Add a touch of water to thin, then dip your pencil eraser in. Tap gently around your image, first close to the image so that the most color is deposited around the image, and as you tap farther away, the dots get fainter. Keep doing this until you get a 'dreamy' dotted background all around the image.

Now for the main, to-be-fussy-cut image: I am using a butterfly by the way. Color your image with the colors you would like. I used yellow, green, medium and darker blue. Use your aqua brush to blend the colors to a wet, creamy consistency, then stamp onto a fresh piece of cardstock. You can add Gelato color directly to your image if you want it to be more vibrant, using your finger to blend. Time to cut this out. It will be adhered over the shadow that you created earlier.

I didn't like my shadow image background. so I tore off the edges and added sponging with yellows, greens and blues by Memento. Then I sprayed it with Shimmer Pearls (I make it), scrunched it up, then took a heat tool to it so it cried crumpled. I added some Glitterata Gold ink to the edges. Background done.

It really lacked pizzazz. Enter Prisma Glitter {grin} - ahh, just the right thing to doctor this up. First I painted the butterfly with Mod Podge, and laid it in a small container of glitter, spooning it over and over until it was all covered. I used a heat tool and heated it from underneath to set the glitter, and adhered with strips of foam adhesive to the shadow/bokeh/crumpled background.

The rest is pretty self explanatory, but please ask questions if you have any. My dh exclaimed, "It's as big as a 747!!!" which drew me down, including the corners of my mouth, into a frown. I will definitely be practicing bokeh more once I find a new pencil eraser :D

Thank you for looking!

Autumn Leaves Anniversaries

This is a busy month for making anniversary cards. I am using autumn leaves as a general theme for all my friends with anniversaries this month. Here is one of the cards.

Rubber Stamp Tapestries makes various sets using small stamps on pegs. You create scenes or images by multiple stamping in different colors. Here is a wreath. I also used the small dot from PaperTrey Ink's dots and spots for the little purple berries. I used Viva Decor Gold as gold berries.

Each of the autumn leaves cards are different, but I am thoroughly enjoying making every single one.

Thank you so much for looking!!!

Tickled Pink

Whew, this VSN over at SCS comes to a close this Saturday, so must hurry to get these last few entries made and uploaded.

Ann wants us to make something that has both rough and smooth, so I whipped up a mixture of joint compound (for sheet rocking), with some glue and a touch of pink Liquid Pearls. After getting it to a thick consistency, I covered the stamp from Elegant Elements with a bit and stamped all over the panel this way. I filled in the white space with Perfect Patterns small square and small floral circle. Using the heat tool, I dried the homemade Gesso {smile} within about two minutes, then finished sponging with Pixi Dust Pink by VersaMagic.

Added the tag and ribbon, then the vellum butterfly (thanks Shari) and called it done!

Thank you for looking!

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!

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!!!

Hey Surfer Dude!

Hi there cardmaking buddies,

This was for a color challenge at SCS DTGD (I'm out of breath - whew!) those people can really kick out cards!

I turned a gatefold base on its side so that it opens up top-ways.

Stamp set "Our Craft Lounge" (I forget the set name right now, sorry).

Used the Cuttlebug Waves embossing folder, some GKD "Sand" and "White" Pure Luxury card stock, some Martha Stewart (I think) striped pattern paper, and Bazzill orange for layering. Colored and sponged with Memento markers and inks, added a touch of orange jute and finished up the inside.

Oopsy, sorry it's crooked! Thank you so much for looking!

Dainty Dots

Hi, again friends,

This almost started to look like a Target advertisement, so I had to monkey with it :)

Another challenge for SCS DTGD, red and white. I stamped a little flower from My Mind's Eye "Fiddlesticks Story" and the sentiment from JustRite Stamps "Grand Sentiments."

I used the Cuttlebug Swiss Dot embossing folder as well as Martha Stewart Doily Edge border punch. After stamping the flower in red, I punched it out with a 1 inch circle punch, followed by red card 1-1/3 inch punch for each little background.

Papers from GKD Pure Luxury. I used some red rhinestones for accents, and edged the sentiment in red. Inks from Memento. Kinda CAS for me.

All my best to you and much aloha, Rosy

Thank you for looking!

Shades of Orange

Today at StampTV Lee began a new Live Chat Challenge that will be a new on every other Saturday I believe. Check it out! Today's challenge is to use some Gina K. Design floral stamps and an encouraging sentiment, then send the card to a friend who could really use the card now. Since I had also just watched a new technique for sponging on YouTube, I incorporated that into my challenge card.

Entered Into STV Live Chat Challenge: Floral Encouragement card

Come on over and play along with us. Gina will be giving away a fabulous prize!!!

I stamped the flowers, leaves and butterflies from the stamp set in Wild Honey distress ink. I gently sponged the outer edges of the image with Dried Marigold, leaving the center of the image lighter. Then I sponged darker Wild Honey around the edges and corners, including sponging the edges really dark. This will help the image to 'pop' on a white card base.

Stamp set: Summer Blooms by Gina K. Designs
Cardstock also by Gina K. Designs, Pure Luxury White