Spring Vase Thank You

This card uses the Versatile Vases stamp set from Newton's Nook. I stamped it on watercolor paper using Ranger Archival Black. Then I colored in the flowers, leaf and water using Mondeluz Aquarelles and went over them with a waterbrush to spread the color. On the Newton's Nook website I saw that someone had used Glossy Accents to color in the jar and make it look like glass. I tried that idea with limited success. This might be a technique that takes a few tries to get it right. Next time I might try using a Sakura Glaze pen instead to see if the effect is better. 

Supplies: 
Paper: My Mind's Eye Alphabet Soup Girl
Stamps: Newton's Nook Versatile Vases
Ink: Ranger Archival Black
Sentiment Stamp: Stampin Up Banner Greetings
Ink: Hero Arts Soft Rose
Washi Tape: Stampin Up 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges: 
Newton's Nook Inky Paws Challenge - Use Watercolor
Viva La Verve Sketch 
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Pastels
30-Day Coloring Challenge over at the Daily Marker. #thedailymarker30day

Gold and Watercolor

For this card I used four techniques that are new to me. Wow! In the past couple months I started participating in some of the challenges and they are really motivating me to try new things.

The four techniques:

1. Heat embossing an image before coloring it in.
2. Watercolor using Gelatos
3. Rubbing the edges of the paper with an embossing dabber and then dipping them in embossing powder to create a gold frame
4. Custom bling made by heating metal embellishments and then dipping them in embossing powder

The result:

All this work qualifies this card for a few challenges:

Newton's Nook Inky Paws Challenge - Use Watercolor
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Pastels
Power & Spark Challenge -- Use Gold
30-Day Coloring Challenge over at the Daily Marker. #thedailymarker30day

Supplies: 
Stamps: Newton's Nook Versatile Vases
Embossing Powder: Judikins Gold Detail 
Emboss It Dabber from Ranger
Faber-Castell Gelatos - Tropical
Bling - from stash

Rain or Shine

This card uses the MFT Wednesday Sketch Challenge 221.  Like most of the MFT sketches, this one looks really versatile. The square on the right could be layered on top of the paper like I have done here, or you could have a little "window" in the paper showing the design, stamp or image on the layer underneath.  Or, you could use a little die-cut shape in place of the square. So many options. 

MFTWSC221

I used a clouds/rain theme based on the latest Waffle Flower Challenge. 

Paper: Little Yellow Bicycle Escape
Stamp: My Favorite Things Blue Skies
Ink: Studio G
Bling: Candi Dots

Cat's Pajamas 286

I based this card on TCP Sketch 286. I'm not usually that into coloring my stamped images, but this little bear wouldn't stop asking me to color him in. I used my Prismacolor pencils and then used turpenoid to blend the colors. 

Since I (finally) colored an image, I can enter this card in the 30-Day Coloring Challenge over at the Daily Marker. #thedailymarker30day

TCPTUES 286

I'm entering this sketch in the Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday Challenge which is to show what you are stamping. 

Paper: My Mind's Eye Lime Twist
Stamp: The Cat's Pajamas What a Blast
Banner Punch: Stampin' Up

Cards, Crafting and Sisyphus

Are you familiar with the legend of Sisyphus? In Greek mythology he was someone who always lied. As punishment, he had to spend eternity rolling a boulder up a hill, watching it roll back down, and then pushing it back up again. 

What does that have to do with crafting? Well, about a year ago I decided to use each card sketch from Operation Write Home at least once. I have made a lot of progress -- at least 100 sketches complete. But they release two new sketches each month, so sometimes it feels like this task will never be complete! Cardmaking is far more fun than pushing boulders up hills, and no one is forcing me to do this. Still, sometimes I feel just a little tiny bit like Sisyphus. That's how I was feeling when I finally made a card for sketch #250 and then found an e-mail announcing sketch #251. 

So here is the card for #250. The next sketch can wait until my attitude improves. 

OWH Sketch #250

I'm entering this sketch in the Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday Challenge which is to show what you are stamping. For this card I stamped the sentiment and also used two different stamps to make my own embellishment. 

Paper: My Mind's Eye Boy Crazy
Sentiment Stamp: Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler
Image Stamps: My Mind's Eye Boy Crazy
Ink: Stampin' Up Soft Suede and Colorbox Scarlet
Chalk Ink: Colorbox Toffee

Best Son Ever Card

This card uses one of the Viva La Verve card sketches for March. Three of their 4 March sketches have circles in them. Circles are tricky for me. I don't have a die-cutting machine and have had my Silhouette for less than a year, so I'm just not used to working with large circle elements.

This card design did not come easily, but I'm happy enough with the result.

This card will go in the Viva La Verve Challenge as well as the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge (Anything Goes).

Paper: My Mind's Eye Boy Crazy
Stamp: Hero Arts You're a Winner
Ink: Colorbox Scarlet

Iridescent Peacock

Last week I bought a set of embossing powders that are meant to coordinate with each other. I hadn't ever tried using more than one embossing powder on a single stamped image. This peacock from Viva Las Vegas Stamps seemed like a good choice for trying out a mixture of colors.

The result was pretty cool. I didn't want the other parts of the card to compete with the peacock so I kept them pretty simple. 

This card will go in the Viva Las Vegas challenge this month.  The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge is "Birds of a Feather," so I thought a peacock would fit well with that. The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge is "Anything Goes," so this card is being entered there as well.

Stamp: Viva Las Vegas
Embossing Powder: Stampendous Impressionist
Paper: Recollections Midnight Magic

Count the waves...

This card features an unusual product -- the Castaway ink pad from Jacquard. When you stamp with this pad it leaves a fait image similar to a watermark or clear embossing fluid. After it sits for a few minutes you use a very hot iron to activate the Castaway and it removes some of the color from the paper. Results can vary widely. The first paper I used (Navy Recollections cardstock) didn't work very well. Almost no color was removed. 

For the card below I used the blue paper from the "Lap of Luxury" pack from Core'dinations. This paper worked better than the Recollections paper. 

The stamps are from Gifts from the Sea by Gina K. For the sentiment panel I stamped the shell and sentiment in Soft Suede from Stampin Up. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges: 

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge -- Use one stamp two or more ways
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -- Anything Goes
Stamp TV Release Party Challenge -- Make your own background paper using stamps

Butterfly Thanks!

The Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge this week is to use the same stamp at least two different ways on the same project. Most of my cards have relied on beautiful designer paper and I just stamp an image or sentiment to match. This challenge is really making me branch out beyond that. 

For this card I used two flower stamps and one butterfly stamp that came together in a set from Inkadinkadoo. I used three colors of chalk ink that came together in a set called "Misty Meadow," to stamp the three images all over a piece of white cardstock. 

Then I used Broken China distress ink to stamp the butterfly and embossed it with Stampendous Tanzanite Pearl. Embossing over distress ink is a cool technique. The ink doesn't hold the embossing powder very well, so some of the ink shows through in places where the powder didn't hold. 

I layered two layers of ribbon in coordinating colors. The sentiment is from the same Inkadinkadoo set. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges: 

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge -- Use one stamp two or more ways
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -- Anything Goes

Floating Feathers

I've been watching the "Thinking Inking" serieis from Jennifer McGuire on YouTube. She goes over many differnent ways to use inks, embossing powder, stamps, Perfect Pearls, Liquid Pearls and more. I used two of the distress ink techniques on this card.

First, I rubbed Colorbox Chalk Ink in three different colors on white cardstock. Then I used clear embossing ink to stamp a feather from Club Scrap in a few random spots and heat embossed with clear embossing powder so that some of the chalk ink would show through. The coverage from the chalk ink was really spotty, so I put a layer of distress ink in Broken China over the top, then wiped the feathers clean.

For the sentiment panel I used Broken China to stamp the same feather and "I thought of you today..."  The rest of the sentiment "and smiled" is inside the card. (The sentiment is from There She Goes Stamps).

This was a fun departure from my usual techniques and I'm entering it into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge -- Use one stamp two or more ways
Mixed Media Monthly -- Birds of a Feather -- the theme made me think of this feather stamp
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge -- Anything Goes

Happy Spring Birthday!

The Challenge this week at the Mod Squad is to use a flower as a focal point. That works great with the latest Viva La Verve sketch. The sponsor this week is Melanie Muenchinger who designs for Gina K stamps. I only own one set of Gina K stamps. But lucky me, the set I have is Gifts from the Sea designed by Melanie! Most of the shell and sea images didn't pair well with the floral elements in my card, so I used the birthday sentiment from the stamp set.   That qualifies this card for the Verve Inspiration Challenge as well. 

Indie Bloom Birthday

Paper: Basic Grey Indie Bloom
Embellishments: Basic Grey Indie Bloom
Sentiment Stamp: Gina K Gifts from the Sea
Leaf Stamp: My Favorite Things, Own Your Story
Ink: Colorbox Chalk Ink Wisteria and Ice Jade

Sunshine Day

I have a really bright, fun card to share today. It is based on My Favorite Things Sketch 219. This sketch looks really versatile. I could see it being used for lots of different occasions.

MFT Sketch #219

In addition to the MFT Sketch Challange this card will be entered in the current Work it Wednesday challenge at Simon Says Stamp. They are looking for a spring theme. 
Kraftin Kimmie made it very easy this week with an Anything Goes Challenge, so I'm submitting this card there as well.

Sketch: My Favorite Things 219
Paper: Heidi Grace Sunshowers
Stamp: My Favorite Things, Blue Skies Ahead
Ink: Stampin' Up Melon Mambo
Bling: Stampin' Up candy dots

Confetti Birthday

I used the terrific instructions from Seongsook Duncan for making a batch of cards using Operation Write Home sketch #176. Unfortunately my planning was not ideal and I ran out of the blue-grey cardstock needed for the layering after making only 4 cards. As soon as I get some more cardstock in a color that will work I'll be able to make a pile of them. 

OWH #176

The Monday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp is "B is for..." For this card I'm going with "Birthday Cake." 

I'm also entering this card in the Little Tangles Challenge. 

Sketch: Operation Write Home #176
Paper: Stampin' Up Just Add Cake
Stamp: Lawn Fawn Year One
Ink: Stampin' Up Baja Breeze 

Bright Monster Truck

I made this card during a fun event I attended yesterday. The event was Crop for a Cause. It is an annual crop to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Everyone gets a goodie bag packed with crafting supplies, then there are a bunch of raffles, free dinner, and dirt-cheap craft shopping ($20 for all you can pack into a 14" x 20" bag). I found a corner punch I had been eyeing for months, two jars of Perfect Pearls, a little pack of rhinestones, lots of brads, two Hero Arts ink pads, some stickers and a giant pile of beautiful papers (Graphic 45, Bo Bunny, Basic Grey, Little Yellow Bicycle and Authentique).  

Everyone does their own thing. Mostly scrapbooking, but I saw lots of card making too and even one person making jewelry. 

The sketch is from the latest Our Daily Bread Challenge. I used ODBD stamps for the focal image and the sentiment. 

The weekly challenge at Kraftin Kimmies is "Anything Goes," so I'm entering this card there as well. 

Sketch: ODBD

Paper: Little Yellow Bicycle Generation Z

Stamp: Our Daily Bread Designs Special Boy

Ink: Hero Arts Soft Granite

A Spring Thank You

It finally feels like spring here in Chicago. The temperature has been around 50 degrees the past few days. When I look at the upcoming week, it looks like we won't go below freezing anytime in the next 7 days! 

So I took a break from Mother's Day cards to make a spring thank you card. 

ODBDSLC230

The "thank you" sentiment comes from a set of stamps from My Favorite Things called "Vintage Cameo." I haven't been using the cameo stamps from this set, but the sentiment stamps have been in heavy rotation lately. I'm really impressed with how beautifully they stamp!

The sketch is from the latest Our Daily Bread Challenge. I used an ODBD stamp as the focal image. 

I'm entering this card in the current Work it Wednesday at Simon Says Stamp. They are looking for a spring theme. 

I'm also entering this card in the Little Tangles Challenge. 

Paper: My Mind's Eye Lost & Found 2 Breeze
Image Stamp: Our Daily Bread Designs Fishing Boy
Sentiment Stamp: My Favorite Things Vintage Cameo
Ink: Stampin' Up pear pizzazz

Beat Cancer

This card is to thank a friend who helped me out last year when I was going through cancer treatment. I'm still so weak and so tired that there isn't much I can do for everyone who reached out to me. Sending her a little bundle of handmade cards will at least let her know that I appreciate what she did. 

I used the colors from this weeks Kraftin Kimmie Challenge which are pink, brown and turquoise. The stamp is from a breast cancer awareness set from Club Scrap called "We are Aware." 

The Monday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp is "B is for..." I think that "Beat Cancer" qualifies. 


Stamp: Club Scrap
Ink: Studio G
Embossing Folder: Elizabeth Craft

It's a Banner Day

I found this adorable little girl in my stash and placing her in an oval seemed like a great way to rescue her from the box in a drawer where she had been hiding. I used the colors from the Your Next Stamp Color Challenge #9 which includes two different pinks, two browns and apple green. I used my Silhouette to cut out the oval and the frame around it. 

Operation Write Home Sketch #161

The Monday Challenge Simon Says Stamp is "B is for..." and with this card I'm going for "banner."

Sketch: Operation Write Home #161

Paper: My Mind's Eye Lime Twist

Embellishment: Sarah Jane Die-Cuts 

Delicate Flowers for Mother

The deadline to get Mother's Day cards to Operation Write Home is March 31. I figure I had better get them in the mail by about the 25th of March so that they will arrive on time. That leaves about 2 weeks of card making. Time to start churning out those Mom cards. 

The design of this card is based on the My Favorite Things Wednesday Sketch Challenge #218. I used just the word "Mother" so that this card could potentially be used after Mother's Day. 

MFTWSC218

I used the colors from the Your Next Stamp Color Challenge #9 which includes two different pinks, two browns and apple green.

The Monday Challenge Simon Says Stamp is "B is for..." and I'm going for "banner." But I could say "brown," or even "Basic Grey." Kraftin Kimmie is being very generous right now and making her challenge "anything goes." So I'm entering this card in her challenge as well.   

Paper: Basic Grey Kissing Booth
Stamp: My Favorite Things Vintage Cameo
Heart Punch: Stampin Up
Ink for Sentiment: Hero Arts Mindtone Red Royal
Ink for edges of heart: Colorbox chalk ink Toffee
Bling: Cloud 9 Raindrops

Distressed Mother's Day

Mother's Day is not in distress. But this Mother's Day card has a distressed look to it. The base layer is paper from 7 Gypsies. The bold lines on the washi tape and the crisp black circle were starting to make the look too harsh, so I softened it up a bit by inking just the outer circle of flowers from a stamp that had a distress look to it and putting them around the edge of the sentiment layer. I think that touch, plus the torn edges at the bottom of the two strips of washi keep this card balanced between the geometric and vintage styles.

OWH Sketch #105

Every month Our Daily Bread Designs sponsors the shipping up two boxes of cards for Operation Write Home based on how many people respond to their monthly challenge. This card is for their March challenge which is to make a sentiment the focus of a card.

The Monday Challenge this week at Simon Says Stamp is "Just a hint of clover." I think this card is perfect for that because the green in the background and subtle. The Wednesday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp is "Special Lady/Girly," so I'm entering this card in that challenge as well. 

The Wednesday Challenge at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps is "Anything Goes." So I am entering this card in that challenge too. 

Sketch: Operation Write Home #105

Paper: 7 Gypsies Venice

Stamp: sentiment - Hero Arts Happy Mom's Day, circle - Fiskars

Ink: Hero Arts Soft Granite and Black

Time to Blossom

Do you even get hooked on a sentiment and you just can't stop using it? That's what has been happening with me lately with two stamps. One is from Close to My Heart and says "A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and will sing it back to you when you forget the words." The other one is stamp I used below. 

Mojo Monday Sketch #387

In case you can't read it clearly it says "And the day come when the risk it took to stay tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." I have always loved this powerful, inspirational message. Searching for a stamp with this quote on it was how I first found out about Verve Stamps. It got pushed to the back of the stamp rotation for a while, but it has been seeing a lot of ink lately. 

This card is based on the latest sketch from Mojo Monday.

This card if perfect for the current Work it Wednesday at Simon Says Stamp. They are looking for a spring theme. Well, not only does this card have flowers on it, the sentiment really evokes a springtime image of buds opening.  

The Wednesday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp is "Special Lady/Girly," so I'm entering 

this card in that challenge as well. 

Paper: Amy Tangerine Ready Set Go, Bazzill Arizona

Stamp: Verve "To Risk"

Ink: Momento Nautical Blue

Punch: Stampin Up Boho Blossoms

The Song in Your Heart

I used one of my favorite sentiments "A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and will sing it back to you when you forget the words." If you look closely, there are little blue birds printed on the paper.

I used a Pearl Pen to make pearls in the center of the flower and to decorate the scallop strip on the left.

The Monday Challenge this week at Simon Says Stamp is "Just a hint of clover." Ok, my card sure fits with that. The Wednesday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp is "Special Lady/Girly," so I'm entering this card in that challenge as well. 

The Whimsy Stamps challenge right now is "Use a Sentiment." Easy enough. 

Paper: Stampin' Up Everyday Enchantment
Stamp: Close to My Heart
Ink: Stampin' Up
Border Punch: EK Success
Bling: Viva Decor Pearl Pen Cream
Ribbon: American Crafts
Flower: Stampin' Up Cherry Blossom Embosslits Die

Smooch!

This card is part of my on-going attempt to make one card from each Operation Write Home sketch. OWH always wants love cards. That's so much fun for me because love cards are fun to make, but I don't have that many opportunities to use them myself. 

I'm really pleased with this card. If only I had more of the green and black flowered paper I'd make several more. Too bad. This card was made using some of the smallest pieces left from a pad of paper. 

The Monday Challenge this week at Simon Says Stamp is "Just a hint of clover." Hmm. My card has maybe a bit more than a hint of green.  

 

OWH Sketch #224

The Wednesday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp is "Special Lady/Girly," so I'm entering this card in that challenge as well. 

Sketch: Operation Write Home #224

Paper: Kaisercraft Chapter One
Washi Tape: From stash, sorry the roll is not labeled
Stamp: Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday

Scrappy Card for Mom

The deadline for getting Mother's Day cards to Operation Write Home is March 31, so it is prime time to make cards for mom. Sentiments like the one I used on this card are great because they don't say "Mother's Day," and can be used at other times of the year. 

The Mod Sqad Challenge this week is make a background. That's great! It allowed me to use one of my favorite techniques for using up scraps. 

The card base looks black in this picture, but it is actually navy blue to match the mat layer under the sentiment. I rounded off two corners on the card base and the matching two corners on the sentiment.

The Wednesday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp is "Special Lady/Girly," so I'm entering this card in that challenge as well. 

Sentiment: Hero Arts Happy Mom's Day
Ink: Momento Navy Blue
Embossing folder: Elizabeth Craft Designs

Spring Coffee Lovers Bloghop

Right now the Coffee Loving Card Makers are hosting a blog hop. 

To participate, blogs need to feature a card with a coffee, tea of cocoa project with a spring theme. 

That sounded like sort of an odd pairing at first, but once I pulled out my coffee- and tea-related stamps the ideas started clicking.

I still have a few of the little bunnies and duckies that Sandy Allnock sent me last year. After inking up just the mug part of my stamp, I stamped it once on a white circle. Then I inked up just the steam portion of the stamp with grey ink and stamped that above the mug. 

Then I used my craft knife to cut a little slit at the top of the mug and stuck the little duck head through from the back of the circle. 

The card base was pre-printed. I chose a sentiment that seemed to fit ("sending warm fuzzies"). The sketch is from Viva la Verve.

Stamps: Art Impressions Bunny & Ducky Mini Set,  Fiskars Perfect Blend and Hero Arts Everyday Sayings
Card Base: DCWV
Paper: Webster's Pages Together
Ink: Studio G

Friendly Birds

I made this card using one of my favorite sentiment stamps. Whenever I have paper with birds on it this stamp comes out. The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge for March is "Birds of a Feather." That's great because birds are one of my favorite themes. 

I was not completely happy with the card I made earlier with a Viva la Verve sketch. So, I'm giving the first - February sketch from Viva la Verve another try.

I layed the card out before gluing it down. This card needed something extra so I sanded the edges of the white core cardstock used for the mat layer and for the scalloped layer under the sentiment.  Then I used foam tape to pop up the scalloped sentiment frame so that there would be room for the embroidery floss behind it.

Viva La Verve February Sketch 1

Sketch: Viva la Verve
Paper: Crate Paper On Trend
Stamp: Close to My Heart
Ink: Stampin' Up Soft Suede
Embordery Floss: From stash
Scalloped frame: Cut with Silhouette

Monster Truck for a Special Boy

The latest challenge from Our Daily Bread Designs is "No Coloring." They make a monster truck stamp that is perfect for this!

For the design of this card I used one of the February sketches from Viva la Verve. I turned the sketch on its side to accommodate the large truck image. Otherwise, I used the sketch pretty literally. 

The sentiment came with the truck stamp. On the stamp the word "Boy" is under "Special." I inked the words separately so that the sentiment could fit on a longer strip. The tire tracks stamp also came in the same set. 

Viva la Verve February 2015

Because the Wednesday Challenge at Simon Says Stamp is "Anything Goes," I'm entering this card there as well. 

Paper: DCWV Animal Prints Stack and Bazzill Arizona
Stamps: ODBD Special Boy
Ink: Versafine Sepia