Ambered Leaves

Here is another card made for the HYCCT project. We were to use metal in our cards. I cut out 3 pieces of foil (glued first to scrap cardstock) from leaf dies. I then added colors, Perfect Pearls, and metallic pastes, then more Perfect Pearls. ---I forgot to say that the last step is to use two coats of UTEE for making the leaves extra shiny, smooth, charm-like, and translucent.
I used a crimper to some background paper and I think the rest is self explanatory :)

Thank you dear friends for stopping by and looking!

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!

An Autumn Wreath

Hi friends,

Today is a special day for card makers. I made this one for the SCS HYCCT Challenge in which we use at least ONE paper punch (LOL) in our project.

Well, I've been wanting to create a leaf wreath for such a long time, so today is the day.

First I punched all the different types of leaves out (thanks Martha Stewart punches). Then I sponged different colors onto each, also Delicata Gold ink, then burnished each until they furled like a leaf. I cut out a large circle and popped it onto adhesive dots and used this as the base for the wreath.

Then I began building, one leaf at a time. I added the ribbon, then finally the rhinestones.

Thank you for looking!

Baby, You've Got It!

For the HYCCT challenges at SCS. This is for Bridgett - I chose pink ombre for the way I colored her corsette, and I chose the Pink Shop with the dress frame.

I chose some pattern paper and stamped Irish blessing across it with Delicatta gold ink. Next I embossed it (cherry blossom EF) by Darice. After cutting the image and pick background out plain pink card, I edged the pink layer with darker pink ink and ran it through an embossing folder (damask by Darice). I used pink sponging and gold sponging on this layer as well.

Main image and sentiment both heat embossed in gold, then image colored with Copic pink markers.

The rest is fairly self-explanatory, adding pearls, adding a bow, twine and button.

Stamp Set and cardstock by Gina K. Designs, "You've Got Style."

 Thank you for looking!

Hey, You're Not Sharing!

House Mouse has the sweetest little mice. We are supposed to make a card that will bring a smile to the recipient. While I think most cards will make people smile, House Mouse images pretty much guarantees it :D

I tied ribbons around their tails because the ink smeared on two of them. It was also fun to pierce the edges, something I don't usually do and would like to more often.

For the HYCCT challenges over at SCS.

Thank you for looking!

Winter Nights

I love seeing snow, esp at night and how quiet it makes everything. I also miss seeing the deer creep across the land, looking for food, standing majestically in the moonlight. We nailed up so many No Hunting signs on our last property and were always shocked when people would come up in pick ups, a spot light and guns shooting. We had to duck in our own homes. Don't miss that! But in my mind and on paper, I can see the way it should be.

Made for Beate's HYCCT "Flat is Beautiful" challenge, plain flat card.

Stamp Set by Theresa Momber, available at Gina K. Designs "Life is Good" (I just used the larger deer and one of the sentiments in this set) I added a tail and extra points to his antlers.

Masking and sponging (pink and blue). I cut a 1 inch circle from Scor Tape, covered it with clear glitter and that is my moon. I used both glitter and white gel pen for snow/stars.

Much aloha 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!

Now this is MY kinda' GUY!

This is an image from Diamonds Stamp Company (out of business). When I saw it, I had to use it to make something for my main man, Bruce. He works at Home Depot (in plumbing no less) and he takes exceptionally great care of me. When he saw this he laughed and said he had to lose some weight off his tummy LOL.

Magnets on the back so he can put it up on his locker at work {grin}.

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!

Paris Anniversary

Ok, I made an anniversary card for this month that isn't autumn related like I mentioned in the last post...

For a couple that celebrated their 32nd anniversary in Paris (yes!). They have no clue this is coming their way or that I know their real anniversary is tomorrow lol. Don't you love surprising friends?

Stamp set by Gina K. Designs, "Sent with Love"
Sizzix "Elegant Wreath" oval framed embossing folder
Inks GKD Black Onyx and Memento chalk inks
Dazzling Diamond glitter
Martha Stewart leaf punch
Corner rounder punch
Memento Markers
Sakura glitter pen Red
Purchased flower
3D Crystal Lacquer (poured a bit over the pink heart)

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!!!

WEEEeeeee

I'm so happy to be finished with the latest VSN challenge at SCS. I am plum worn worn worn worn worn (ok, you get the message) out!

Remember these round metal sleds from way back? When they hit some ice, we went flying! Too bad they didn't have speedometers on them LOL. I was sure we caught a lot of air. My younger brother Roy and I stayed out in the snow until we were frozen, numb, and even wet in our woolen clothes. They itched. But we had a blast.

Here's to my brother!

Thank you for looking!

Flower Friend

I love La La Land Marci stamp images. This one is Kimono Marci. Their images are very fun to color because there's so much hair, face, and clothing space.

Used CB Asian Basketweave embossing folder for the background, some Midori flowers, and an Anna Griffin tag (because I am crawling to finish this week long VSN challenge at SCS). Four more challenges to go before Saturday afternoon..... so this is what running a marathon is like (not really).

Thank you for looking!!!