The Offset Top

Aloha, friends!

Is it spring yet? (Don't throw anything at me.)

Do you remember what this type of card design this is called? Is it Offset Top? I remember Gina making a similar style years ago, but I don't even know where to begin looking to find the name of this.

When I made the "open heart" bear card, I stamped this one, too. I really enjoyed Gina's design of setting the focal image on top of her card and that is who I CASEd. My brain is stuck when it comes to the design name.

Stamp Set: "Baby Bear" by Stampin' Up
Cardstock, inks, ribbon: GKD
Inks: GKD, Distress; and Tombow markers
Embossing folder: Swiss Dots by Cuddlebug
Dies: MFT (stitched circle and scallops); SB (sentiment, cut in 1/3)
Sequins: Pretty Pink Posh
Craft foam, Scor Tape, micro glue dots
The Bow Easy :D

Mahalo for stopping by to visit!!!

And for helping me out with what this is called :)

A Waddle of Penguins

Aloha!

I was late finishing a group of penguin cards, but loving each one. Aren't penguins just precious to look at? Even the way they walk makes me SMILE! This one is holding hot cocoa with five marshmallows floating on top. And he's wearing a dottie sweater.

The penguin and scene is a digi image designed by Crissy Armstrong for Whimsy Stamps. She has a large collection of penguins and many other cute critters.

The card bases are stamped with VersaMark then heat embossed with a sparkly embossing powder. I colored the scenes with Copic markers and color pencils. I also stamped and colored the envelopes with a little girl in a parka and narwhal. It was very pleasurable to color these while watching old movies or listening to books. Let's see if I can be on time with summer cards :P


Image: "Penguin Coffee Break" digi by Crissy Armstrong at Whimsy Stamps; Avery Elle "Polar Pals" (little girl and narwhal); Polka Dot background stamp by MFT
Cardstock: GKD White 120#, Neenah white 80#, Black
Inks: Gina K. Designs, Hero Arts, Memento (metallic inks) VersaMark
Dies: Gina Marie
Copic markers, color pencils
WOW "Clear Sparkle" embossing powder
Glossy Accents
Snowflakes Toner Sheets by GKD
Irridescent foil by GKD & Minc machine; Nuvo Sparkle Pens; clear gems and sequins
Envelopes (very smooth) Stampin' Up

If I could send a handmade card to every 

person I know, my heart would sing long passed when

 the cows come home, or longer.

Mahalo for stopping by :*

Triple Stamping Teddy Bears

Aloha, friends!

A dear friend of ours went through a second open heart surgery recently. Talk about worry. I will never forget the first time I worked in an ICU and we received an open heart surgery from the O.R.

When I saw this teddy bear stamp, all I could think of was putting a sweet little red heart on it in case I needed an open heart surgery or other surgery card. If you lift up the top flap of the heart, it has a special, mini sentiment in there. Then you can lower the front of the heart back down. All I needed was a mini bandaid to stick on the heart, but we don't have one. Instead of triple stamping this, perhaps I dozen-stamped this bear in order to get the 3 colors and depth to the fur. I also used some markers and pointalism to get the shading. But he has the right amount of fluff now!

Our friend has arrived back from the east coast yesterday :D I think he's going to be fine. I hope he likes his teddy bear card because after all, he is a big teddy bear himself.


Stamp Set: "Baby Bear" (for adults, too, ☺) by Stampin' Up
Inks: Gina K. Designs; Tombow Markers
Card: Gina K. Designs 120# Ivory and Red
Stitched and Rectangle dies by MFT
Mini Heart paper punch, Glossy Accents, Scor Tape, Soft gold round metal gems, ribbon by GKD

Mahalo for coming by!!!

"Black Parrot" and "Green Wave" Tulips (Ugly version vs pretty version)

Aloha, all,

Part 1 of 2: The "Black Parrot" Tulips (or

as I view these: Ugly & Pretty)

Did you know there are tulips that are almost all black or deep, deep bluish purple? I've seen pictures but I don't recall seeing them growing. North of Seattle, Washington are tulip farms! Each spring, as far as your eyes can see, are rows and rows of solid colors - one row red, another yellow, another white. You can turn around in a circle and see colors, in perfect rows from anywhere you look. It is breathtaking!

I didn't want to just use blacks and navy to color flowers, so I added pinks and lavenders, too. First I Masked the bottom or first layer of flowers and using the new-to-me "Life Changing Blender Brushes" from Picket Fence Stamps. Yup, they are even easier to use than Clarity brushes or sponging tools. I sponged pink and blue distress inks into a rectangle, ever so slightly. Then I colored the flowers on the card base.

After printing another digi of the tulips onto cardstock, I colored and fussy cut the flowers and leaves. Finally, I popped them on fussy cut pieces of foam. It's sort of like the old decoupage 3D look. I regret adding the Spectrum Noir sparkle marker over the flowers but I'll just tuck that bit of experience into the deep cobwebs in my mind. I'll also add the "don't use super dark blues on flower edges even if they look black in real life" because they just take too much attention from the rest of the flower and scene.


Stamps: "Tulips" digital from Power Poppy (Tulips (and Peonies) are each on sale now for $2.49)
Cardstock: Neenah Solar White 110#
Copic Markers, Color Pencils, distress inks
Adhesive Foam, Scor Tape, Spectrum Noir Sparkle Marker, Sequins from Pretty Pink Posh

I'm sorry, these are ugly to me. But I'm posting them

just to show what not to do. Blech.

A ton of work ends up yucky.

Part 2 of 2: The "Green Wave" Tulips

So these turned out more eye pleasing. Seriously, what a long weekend of trying to capture realistic colors in a tulip LOLOLOL!

Same digi, different colors, Copic markers, no pencils, no sparkly marker. 

Don't say I'm not brave LOL. I'm even

posting ugly up there.

Mahalo for stopping by ♥

Rocking Horse

Giddy up, partners!!!

Yay, I finally need a Welcome Baby card! Don't wooden rocking horses bring back nostalgic memories? Handmade wooden rocking horses are a true work of love and heart!

The rocking horse image below warmed my heart and made me smile. I hope you like it, too. It's in a stamp set that is on super sale right now at Paper Smooches for just (ready?) $6.50!!! They have quite a bit on sale right now. Just click on the "sale" link -- dies start at $2.15! Lots of stamp sets are under $8.00. I just missed the February card challenge but enjoyed coloring this cutie in neutrals and as CAS as possible (for me).


Stamp Set: Knick Knacks by Paper Smooches
Cardstock: GKD 120# white and Neenah Desert Sand
Ink: Memento Tan
Wonky and Stitched Dies by Gina Marie; Heart die by Paper Smooches
Prismacolor and Crayola Color Pencils
Sakura Clear Sparkle Gel Pen, Glossy Accents, Score Tool (for the wood floor) Gold Mirror card, plain twine, craft foam & Scor Tape

Mahalo for coming by the blog!ra

The Calla or Peace Lily

Aloha!

The Calla Lily. It is not a lily at all. The botanist made a boo boo and it just stuck being called a lily. However, it is a cousin to the Anthurium - a red, heart shaped flower with yellow spike in the center. And what do Calla Lilies and the box jellyfish have in common? Neither need a mate to reproduce! ;)

Here is a lovely painting by Henri Matisse depicting his interpretation of these gorgeous flowers:

by Henri Matisse

The Calla Lily comes in a rainbow of colors. This one started out as a white one, but evolved into lime yellow. It's colored with a strange combination of color pencils, Copic markers and Memento markers. Then I covered it with clear sparkly marker - it glows.


Stamp Set: Elegant Florals by Theresa Momber for GKD, as well as the sentiment in Gina's Stippled Flowers set; Background is MFT Bundles of Flowers
Cardstock: Neenah 110# white and Bazzill lime color
Inks: Gina K. Designs
Crayola and Prismacolor Pencils, Copic and Memento markers
Nuvo Clear Sparkle Marker
Yellow dots by W+9; Oval & scallop dies by Spellbinders; Corner Rounder; ribbon, craft foam layer & glue dots

Thank you for coming by!!!

Lots of Lavender

Aloha!

Here is another CAS card using an easy technique to get a bit of stained-glass look to any lined image. Just heat emboss it, preferably with a metal finish powder. Take any markers, (water or alcohol) and tap different colors inside each small area, just like a stained glass piece might have. You can create this on cardstock, acetate or vellum. If you use vellum, the colors will look best if you add them to the back side of the embossed layer. I used a scoring tool to create a border as well as a die to cut a zigzag finish.

I made several of this design, then embossed different sentiments to adhere when it's time.


Stamp Set: "Lots of Lavender" by Stampin' Up
Inks: Coloring with Copic Markers
Cardstock: GKD 120#
MFT zigzag die
Silver Embossing Powder; VersaMark; Corner Rounder Punch

Thank you for stopping by! Here's to an early spring for those

of you living in the bitter cold areas!