Vellum Garden

Hi Friends,

Yay, I broke in the vellum - there's cheering in the house! For Sean's Mod Squad Challenge.

I embossed a sheet with a floral embossing folder, then colored the back side or the 'de'bossed (indented) side with some Copic markers.

Here are a few things I learned today:

• Use moderate colors (too light will not show up at all, too dark looks overwhelming)
• If you make a boo boo with an alcohol marker, use regular rubbing alcohol on a q-tip or get out your blending pen to pull off the color easily
• After much anxiety-producing research about how to adhere vellum to cardstock, I took a deep breath and used dabs of 3D Crystal Lacquer. I even added a thin line along the edges of the sheet - as you can see, you can barely see any of it although I did use larger dabs of it behind the centers of the flowers.
• Adhesive pearls stick really well to vellum so I didn't add adhesive first like I usually do for extra holding power.
• If your CAT should sit down on your vellum sentiment, be aware that YOU MAY NOT FIND IT AGAIN... (I'll add it some day if I find it)

If I learn anything else about vellum, I'll be sure to add. And here is the card - remember, it's my first time so don't expect advanced anything :D

Thank you dear ones for each and every sweet as honey comment ♥

Owl Always Love You - a flip card

Hi dear friends,

This is a card based very closely on an owl flip card by Darlene DeVries. Her video on this card is here:

Owl Flip Card

Her card is so incredibly cute that I watched the video about 50 times? yes, maybe so. It was hard for me to make mostly because I can't learn fast so that's why I watched the video so many times (plus the fear factor of trying a little more advanced card had me in its grips).

The challenge at StampTV this week is to make a creation with a 'hole' in it. Ok, mine definitely has a hole in it. It has four parts: the front when it's closed, the inside left of just the owl before flipping, the inside owl after flipping and showing the little girl owl, and finally, the far right/sentiment side. Here are the pictures --


The closed card:

Front flap folded 1/2 open (before the flip takes place) owl 'without' a heart:

The left inside 'flipped' (shows owl with a 'heart') and girl own on swing:

The far right or sentiment side:

And the entire card, 11" wide:

Each time you close the card, the boy owl flips back to the non-heart side of him, the girl owl and the branch/swing folds, and it looks like an aperture card. Slowly pull the card open and all the fun takes place, truly kinetic!!!!

Thank you so much for coming over and taking a look!!!!

Stamp Sets: Sun-Kissed Autumn, Country Roads from Gina K. Designs; JustRite Leafy Background; Rubber Stampede Crackle background

Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 16; Martha Stewart butterfly and leafy branch punches; EK Success tag punch; Fiskars tiny heart punch; Stampin' Up slot punch; Cropadile Punch with gold eyelet

The card base is by GKD Pure Luxury White 80# (I would use 120# next time). Inks are Tim Holtz distress and Memento chalks and dyes. White gel pen, Memento Bamboo Leaves marker. Martha Stewart Glitters.

Orange and white twine, Sakura Copper & Clear stardust pens, green and white gingham ribbon.

Blue Summer

Donna Phelan is guest hostessing at Stamp TV - hurray Donna! She requested a shabby chic creation, including decorating the interior of a card and the envelope.

Hi there friends ♥ I'll be honest and just say this took me all week to work on, and I hope many of you know what that's like. I cannot complete a card as quickly as most people so just call me SNAIL lol. For anyone who may have questions how I completed any of the parts of this card, I will need to break the card explanation out into sections so please bear with me. Feel free to skip all this :D

First, the sentiment:
I stamped the label with brown ink, then cut it out with SB Nesties Labels #14. I sponged some blue ink on the inside of the oval, then used Copic blues and tans to create a shabby transition color on the flourished scroll at the top and bottom of the label design.

I stamped the sentiment with brown ink, cut and embossed it with SB Fancy Tags, then sponged around the sentiment with the same blue as the background behind it. Then I added deep blue Copic color to plain pearls, then placed around the sentiment.

Second, the cut outs:
I stamped Melanie's flower, masked it, then stamped the leaves on both sides. I colored it with Copic markers and left a little white space for highlights. I used a Basic Grey gold glitter "Candy" button for the center of the flower. {fussy cut out and pop dotted}

Then I stamped the hummingbird with brown ink but colored it with some Perfect Pearls blue, gold and green, mixed with plain water paint brushed on. It really shimmers!!! I placed a tiny micro black rhinestone for his eye. {fussy cut out and pop dotted}

Third, the background:
The double bow in deep blue satin is centered with a beautiful vintage button by Tim Holtz Idea-ology "Accoutrements Fanciful." (Doesn't it look totally VINTAGE!!!)

The rhinestone fleur de lis in two corners are by Nina Brackett for Want2Scrap, "Mardi Gras."

Card base by Gina K. Designs, 120# Pure Luxury white.
Polka dot background in pale blue is from a cardmaking magazine that included some very adorable papers in it.

The final touch:
I took the Wink of Stella clear glitter brush and covered the blue flower and leaves, the brown/blue scrolled areas on the label, the pearls, and then the hummingbird and flower center on the envelope back. LOL -- this card shimmers 360 degrees!

Thank you kindly for stopping by!!!

I appreciate each and every one of you ♥

Everyone Needs Hugs

Here is an image by Tiddly Inks called Thank you Beary Much with Wryn (she's a cutie doll). It's on sale right now over at Tiddly Inks for $1 !!! Here is the link just in case you like it:

Thank you beary much

I colored with Copic and Spectrum Noir Markers. Isn't it so relaxing to sit and color, shade and blend? This is for my friend (whose hubby lost his best friend).

Thank you for stopping by and taking a peeky boo look :*

Crossing the Bar

This is a sponged sunset scene with a poem tucked in with the poem Crossing the Bar. Remember that one? It's so touching -- here it is, by Tennyson ~

Crossing the Bar
BY ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON

Sunset and evening star,

      And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar,

      When I put out to sea,

   But such a tide as moving seems asleep,

      Too full for sound and foam,

When that which drew from out the boundless deep

      Turns again home.

   Twilight and evening bell,

      And after that the dark!

And may there be no sadness of farewell,

      When I embark;

   For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place

      The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face

      When I have crost the bar.

It's for a dear friend's husband who lost his best friend recently. Most of us know what that feels like.

Stamp Set: Aloha by Theresa Momber for Gina K. Designs

Inks: Memento (black ink by Gina K. Designs)

Thank you for coming by !!!!

Some Rain Must Fall

I have no idea how to doodle now that I am... old'er.' When I was in junior and high school, I think I must have been near professional level doodler depending on how boring the teacher lectured. There were notebooks filled with doodling, zentangles (before they were called zentangles) and penmanship styles. Now you can purchase how-to books showing how to doodle (seriously) as well as how to create zentangles. 

The card below is for a friend - doesn't it seem like when it rains it pours? She feels like that right now but this is to help her realize it rains on everyone, and it's temporary (unless you live on Kauai or in Ketchikan, Alaska).

The image and sentiment are heat embossed with black embossing powder. I doodled the palm trees waaaay back in the bay behind the hula dancer. I doodled the ocean waves lapping at her feet, the rain falling from the cloud, and all the little dots are flowers on the hillside.

The cloud on the left is popped up on adhesive foam dots. I swiped some Wink of Stella glitter across the ocean, the clouds, and the rain. The ocean foam is a product called Snow Tex - it's like foamy white soft toothpaste with fine glitter and dries quickly. Then I added some Stickles Diamonds in the rain and waves.

Challenge: STV14MON6 at StampTV STV14MON6 at StampTV hosted by Cat >o.o<



Stamp Set: Hula Diva by Debbie Corbiari for Gina K. Designs

Thank you so much for looking!!!

Life Gets Tough Sometimes

This is such a very sweet image of a little girl hanging upside down from a tree. I stamped the birds on top of the branch, kinda keeping her company. I made it for a young preteen gal who has some hard times at school right now. 

I masked up a scallop paper to sponge on some clouds, then sponged the grassy hill, dotted a few flowers, and drew a little chain link stitch and little bow around the sentiment. 

Stamp Set: "Hang in There" by Tiddly Inks 

Thank you for looking!!!!!!!

I don't see any snow :D

Thank you to Stamping Bella for the lovely stamp sets for participating in Hope You Can Cling To challenges at Splitcoast Stampers this last November. It was a very difficult month to complete every single challenge with a different card, and maybe that's why I haven't been up to creating a lot since. It truly took all my molecules to do that but it was whole hearted motivation.

This stamp is called Senior-ita Harriet by Stamping Bella. She is so kickin' back on the warm ocean waters, not missing winter at all.

I used the no-line coloring method but will have to stamp with ink lighter than Memento Sahara Sand (tan) because I can still see it. Then I colored with Copic markers, used some Stickles Diamond glitter, and some Wink of Stella clear glitter pen. Finally I added a few enamel dots and green satin ribbon.

Thanks so much for stopping by to look!!!

You're My Cupcake: an aperture card :)

I'd like to thank Newton's Nook Designs for sending the ultra sweet stamp set "Love a la Carte!" This card was seriously a challenge because it requires 4 colors, something I don't typically do. I like to stick to 2 or 3 colors...but 4? Ok, I'm game!

Challenge: Inky Paws Challenge #06 so come join in the fun with your own creations!

Card Recipe:

Stamp Set: Love a la Carte by Newton's Nook Designs
Cardstock: GKD Pure Luxury White 120# base, DCWV shimmer cardstock
Derwent Color Pencils
Paper piecing (cupcake bottom paper: K&Company Brenda Walton)
Memento inks & markers
Spellbinders Nestabilities Circle Dies
EK Success & Stampin' Up Circle / Scallop / Square / ribbon hole hand punches
White button, twine, yellow gingham 3/4" ribbon, lime green, clear and pink rhinestones
3D Crystal Lacquer, glue dots, adhesive foam dots
Sakura Pink Star glitter pen

Thank you dear friends, for stopping 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! 

Our House Sold :)

Hi friends,

It took a long wait for the market to begin a turnaround here on the Big Island. So we've been making that monthly mortgage on our first house since Jan 2007 when we moved into this one, besides making ends meet in this home and it's been a bear. We are very grateful though because we have a roof over our heads, utilities and grocery stores. We know what it's like to have nada. Our house sale was recorded yesterday, so we made our final mortgage payment on it and the first card is for the couple who bought it. This is their very first home purchase -- so we congratulate them. Some day soon we hope to begin the long haul on remodeling this home because we've had to concentrate on prepping the other home for sale. This one is in sad shape :(

The second card is for our realtor with whom we have worked with before. She and her hubby are very relaxed, friendly, fun and yet on top of every single step when representing a buyer or seller. They are also our friends (welcome to Hawai'i).

I used a triangle paper punch for the tree (x3), scored the front door to give it some paneling look, and used the corrugator thingey for the siding :D No templates for either card, just winged it.

Yes, that is a cat walking on the roof. Our Juliette (aka Murderess) loves patrolling our rooftop. It's so funny to watch her spiral walk her way down the ladder Bruce has up against the roof. She makes me laugh. I used floral soft for the wreath so it's very puffy-3D IRL. I covered the coconuts with Glossy Accents and the birds with clear glitter. 

Thank you so very much for stopping by!!!

Ding Ding Ding - Did You Win?

 everyone! I just can't believe we are starting another new year already! It's as if when I'm not looking, someone is pulling a few months out of my calendar every year. I'll try to keep a closer eyeball on it this year!   

It's time to pull a number out of the online Random Sequence Generator!!! I wish all 15 of you could win, but it won't be long until I give away more blog candy so stay tuned {winky winky}! In the meantime, THANK YOU to each one of you for visiting and playing with me!!!!

Random Sequence Generator

Here is your sequence:

 6
14
 9
10
11
 7
13
12
15
 5
 4
 8
 2
 1
 3

Timestamp: 2014-01-01 19:00:17 UTC

So provided I can correctly count up to six on my toes, the winner of our blog candy giveaway is----

JUDY WOODLAND!!!!!

                 

Sweet Judy - please let me know your current mailing address thru email here or STV - whichever way is easiest for you ♥ I'll get your package of goodies mailed out to you asap!

BLOG CANDY TIME!!!!!!!!!!!

Aloha dear friends,

~ Blog Candy ~ Celebrating 50 members! I've been MIA lately due to injuring two lumbar discs and some other health issues and important life events. I miss EVERYONE! Each of you means so much to me and I just want to say thank you! Retail value of all gifts given in this candy is over $50 US.

Rules:

If you live in the USA, I can easily mail you these prizes. If you live outside the USA, I will need to send you A2 size, flat items only - papers, embossing folders, etc., because the shipping cost is simply too high to mail bulky or heavy items.

Entering is Super Easy! I hope notifying the winner is just as easy...

1. Leave me a little comment below.

2. See the link over on the top of the right side column? It says Follow by Email? Enter your email address to follow. You might have to confirm it but that's it.

3. Under that link it should say Join this Site. Please join. Once I hit 75 members, it will be time for more blog candy to be sent out. The biggie blog candy will be the 100 member mark as well as the next blogiversary!

I will use an online Random Number program to choose the winner.

You do NOT have to jump through a Wheel of Fire, holding one foot behind your back, with a spoon in your mouth, teetering a raw egg in the spoon, reciting the alphabet backwards. I stopped entering giveaways because of how hard they make it to enter.

Candy!!!! All items are brand new, unopened - I accidentally bought two of everything so YOU win lol!!! If you already own these items, you may wish to wait for the 75 member giveaway as it will all be different prizes.

                                                                           

Blog Candy Products

1. Darice Embossing Folder of "Grass" #1218-75. This fits the Cuttlebug and Big Shot along with similar die cut machines using two plates for embossing sandwich. The folder has a butterfly. flowers, and grasses with dimensional tops on the grasses, more like fern.
2. Marvy Uchida Clever Lever Craft Punch, 1" diameter circle. This is way easy to use, fast when you need circles, and can make so many things out of it - snowmen, faces, moons, suns, and much more.
3. Tim Holtz Distress Inks in "Old Paper"' and "Vintage Photo with two unused sponge daubers, not pictured here.
4. A brand new stamp set, deep red rubber and closely cut to the images, by Nina Brackett for Gina K. Designs, to use ALL YEAR LONG -- Fanciful Tags!!!!!!!!!!!!
5. I will include some pretty papers and ribbons, brads and eyelets and other surprises before closing up the package to be mailed out.

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN AND ANNOUNCED ON JANUARY 1, 2014!!!!

Please mark your calendars and I will do my ultra, mega best to notify you by email, Facebook, and thru the general cardmaking grapevine.

Finished :)

Hi friends,

Well, the light at the end of the tunnel has arrived (and it's not a train). The 2013 SCS HYYCT month of challenges has finished. (I can barely type LOL).

Here are my last creations. Forgive me for not typing info on them...

Thank you for your loving comments and encouragement!

With aloha ♥