HAPPY DANCE

Hi friends!

Playing along with this AAA CARDS challenge

 Well.  This one was supposed to be a sophisticated, classy sort of card, but as you can see - things veered off-track. I think it may have been the bright colors, which led to the googly eyes, which required a nose…

THE PROCESS

To start: I swiped a bright white card with three colors of acrylic paints, using a common rounded flat paintbrush. 

After the paint was dry, I heat embossed a starfish using gold powder. 

To finish: A couple googly eyes were glued down, and an enamel nose was applied.

I added a strip of sturdy card stock to the back of the pre-printed strip and glued the sentiment to the card front as shown. 

SUPPLIES

starfish stamp - Rubbernecker

acrylic paints

gold embossing powder

pre-printed sentiment strip

googly eyes

enamel dot

Thanks for stopping in today!

CLOSE-UP ROSE

Hi friends!

Playing along with this COLOR HUES challenge (ends 7/29)

and this FRESHLY MADE SKETCHES challenge (ends 7/20)

I really love the look of a square card but almost never make them. Something about putting a square card in a rectangular envelope hurts my brain (see Monk ‘Secret Santa’ episode. You’ll thank me later 😂)

 

THE PROCESS

To start: I spritzed a piece of 6 x 6 white Neenah card stock with a water mister and ran it through the embossing machine with the rose folder. I pressed it lightly between two acrylic panels to dry as flat as possible while still retaining the deep flower embossing.

I die cut two different size nesting squares at the same time on shiny black card stock to get a narrow frame. 

I also die cut the smaller square from a large heavy weight cardstock (in a color I hate and will never use up otherwise!) to use as the template to color in the center. This was done by using a blender brush and a red ink pad. 

I mounted the frame on heavy weight card stock strips and glued it centered on the red as shown.

*TIP of the Day*

When attaching anything paper-related directly to embossed panels, I’ve found it works best to use strips of heavy weight card stock vs. foam as the dimensional - it will be less likely to conform to the ridges of embossing. It’s a pesky nuisance when the layered elements all follow the contours accidentally.

I used a black Versafine ink and clear detail embossing powder for the sentiment to refer back to the shine of the frame. Very pleasantly visually textured in person. 

To finish: I used the rub-on sheet to transfer a butterfly to white card stock, which I fussy cut and mounted as shown. Solid shiny white sequins highlight the sentiment in a demure fashion 😁

SUPPLIES

sentiment stamp - Anna Griffin

butterfly rub-on - Brea Reese Press %& Design Butterflies

square dies - Spellbinders Nestibilities Classic Squares

embossing folder - Altenew Rose Bellevue3D

red ink pad - Stampin’ Up! Ruby Red

black ink pad - Versafine Onyx Black

solid sequins - Gina K Clear Quartz

clear detail embossing powder

gold metallic, red & glossy black card stock

Thanks for stopping in today!

SEASHELL AT THE SEASHORE

 Hi friends!

Playing along with this JUST US GIRLS challenge 

(ends 7/22)

and this ALLSORTS “At the Seaside” or Anything Goes challenge

(ends 7/30)

Well I just fell in love with the camera angel of that solitary shell in the lower righthand corner of the board!  There could be beach blankets all around it, and dogs barking, and kids laughing and running. Or it could be the only thing in a huge stretch of off-season sand. I hope my card has that same feel about it. 

THE PROCESS

First steps: I started by stamping the shell in gold holographic embossing powder on bright white card stock. The sparkles are subtle and tiny in person, and so they barely show here.  I fussy cut the shell out, and then used Antique Linen and Pumice Stone inks with a mini blending brush to shade it. 

The background was made simply, by tearing strips of blue scrap card stock and gluing them down with the ragged edges showing. One of the lighter colors had a white core which really added to the waves effect. I used a bit of vellum at the shoreline as well. 

*TIP of the Day*

If you start the layering effect with a sheet of copy paper the size you want to end up with, you don’t need to worry about matching up the length at the ends. Just focus on getting the torn edges lined up horizontally as desired, then flip your panel over and trim right along the copy paper sides for a nice clean finish :o)

To finish: I used some of the Pumice Stone ink to blend a shadow into the sand where the shell would rest. The shell was glued flat, and the sentiment was stamped in Pumice Stone and then fussy cut and foam mounted. Three holeless satiny gold sequins applied as shown. 

SUPPLIES

shell stamp - Rubbernecker

sentiment stamp - Stampa Rosa Inc./ Tin Can Mail #C 59-527

gold holeless sequins - Spellbinders Satin Gold

embossing powder - Creations Unlimited Golden Ivory

Distress ink pads

Thanks for stopping in today!

FAITH TULIPS

Hi friends!

Playing along with this CAS ON FRIDAY Challenge 

#338 / Use Dies & Word Stamps

(ends 7/22)

I’m not sure how I feel about this tulip die set. It was purchased pre-loved, but this is its first outing with me. There are a couple things one could do differently next time to improve perspective, etc, and I think cutting from a handmade watercolor wash would be beautiful.

 

PROCESS

To start: The white panel was die cut with the ornate distressed openwork corner pattern and glued to a white card. 

*TIP of the Day*

With openwork fancy dies, just a dab of glue at each main juncture, and then around the entire edge of the pattern, is enough to keep it flush to the base. I like to place a large acrylic block over the card while it’s drying to keep it weighted down and drying flatly. 

Tulip parts were die cut from colored card stock and shaded a bit with ink blending before gluing together. Some glitter glue was added to the lower half of the flowers. 

To finish: Green leaves/stem piece was glued flat, and flower heads were mounted with foam tape. I used a thicker rectangle piece vertically in the center of each, and thinner strips on each side to get a rounded effect. 

Sentiment was stamped directly onto the card front in a dark pink ink. 

SUPPLIES

sentiment stamp - Creative WorshipThe Future #SNS-14-006

tulip layering dies - unmarked

ornate distressed corner die - Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits #660220

Thanks for stopping in today!

LEMON CASCADE

Hi friends!

Playing along with this AAA Cards Challenge, featuring Marlies’s yummy card to CASE. 

Staying in the food theme Marlies chose, and taking a page from GD Maria’s book, I stayed within the fruit-y realm. I just find lemons to be so cheerful, especially in summer ☀️

 

THE PROCESS

To start: On the righthand side, I stamped various lemons in a bluish-gray ink. Then I stamped the wedge 3 times, and a full lemon, images on yellow card stock, fussy cut and shaded them with alcohol markers, and applied them as shown. The wedges are glued flat and the whole is on foam tape.  

The sentiment was stamped in black ink. I found the card too flat looking so I stamped, colored and fussy cut a flower, and a couple leaves from green cardstock, and applied as shown. The flower has some foam tape behind the petals, and was cut almost in half for perspective purposes. 

To finish: Image panel is mounted on darker, textured yellow cardstock. Still not content I added some gloss medium to the leaves and lemon wedge sections. 

*TIP for the day*

Ink formulas matter immensely.  When coloring images in, to avoid bleeding and smudging, I find Memento Tuxedo Black extremely helpful for use with alcohol markers and colored pencils. 

For sentiments, I find Versamark Onyx Black to be juicy and pigmented enough to never need a second stamping to get great coverage. Hope this helps! :o)

SUPPLIES

all stamps - Hero Arts Zest Wishes #CM417 clear set

alcohol markers

Ranger Glossy Accents

black & gray ink pads

colored cardstock

Thanks for stopping in today!

EIFFEL IN THE CLOUDS

Hi friends!

Playing along with this ADDICTED TO CAS Challenge #312

(ends 7/24)

A fun prompt to work with from Addicted to CAS! The Eiffel Tower came to mind immediately - can’t get too much higher UP without a rocket 😁

 

THE PROCESS

To start: The Eiffel Tower was stamped in Versamark ink and heat embossed with a very old, tired jar of metallic powder in an interesting shade. I really wanted that weathered feel vs. bright silver. It’s more silver than gold in person. 

Clouds were stenciled on with a blending brush and a blue ink pad. 

Sentiment was stamped in black ink. 

To finish: The edges of the panel were trimmed off closely to get rid of the harsh build-up of blending lines. Panel was affixed to a heavyweight white card to help even out some warping. 

Hole-less sequins in blingy white were glued on as shown to simulate bright glints of sunshine. 

 

SUPPLIES

sentiment stamp - Rubber Stampede Transitions #3580D

Eiffel Tower collage stamp - Eclectic Omnibus #S-111

cloud stencil - Rosie’s Roadshow Cloud Template

hole-less sequins - Pretty Pink Posh Marshmellow

blue and black ink pads

antique silver embossing powder

Thanks for stopping in today!