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!

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!

SUNRISE WILDFLOWERS.

Hi friends!

Playing along with this MAKE MY MONDAY CHALLENGE

#291 Blend 2 or 3 Colors (ends 7/11).

I was inspired by the flower theme Billie and Caz had going, and the arch used by Dawn. I’ve always loved this image because of the variation in petals - delicate and airy to solid - and it seemed perfect in white. 

TECHNIQUES

I blended three Distress Oxide inks, then spritzed lightly with the distress spray (it really only shows up well in the yellow area). I coated the panel thoroughly with anti-static powder because I was too impatient to wait for appropriate drying time, then heat embossed the flowers in Versamark and white embossing powder. To help tie in the brown elements, and provide a sense of perspective, I stamped dots in SU Crumb Cake at the base, and dotted the area with a brown fine tip marker and a white gel pen. 

*TIPS*

Sometimes an embossed panel will look better, and lay flatter, when flipped to the reverse side. 

The only way to tie a perfect bow for a length of twine is all by itself, and then glue it on 😂

SUPPLIES

wildflower stamp - Stampendous Agapanthus Cluster #P107

 random dots stamp -unmarked, from a set of older wood mounted

arched die - SpellbindersArch Labels and Tags #S5-624

hello die - Spellbinders Simon Hurley Foliage Hello #S2-382

embossing folder - Spellbinders Sun Rays #SES-021

twine

white gel pen

Distress Oxide inks & spray

SU Crumb Cake ink pad & darker brown marker

white embossing powder

Thanks for stopping in today!

KRAFTY CIRCLE SQUARES.

 Hi friends!

Playing along with this FRESHLY MADE SKETCHES Challenge

(ends 5/11).

UPDATE!

Kim has honored me with Queen of Clean this challenge!  ❤️

I wasn’t quite sure exactly what direction I was going to head when I first saw the sketch above, but I LOLed at Kim’s mentioning she was going to do squares since there had been lots of circles previously, because I already knew I was going to fill my squares with circles 😂

After I found the paper collection I wanted to use it was just a matter of semi-precision cutting and pasting. Squares were raised slightly with heavyweight scrap card. White elements on the kraft card stock were heat embossed. This card measures approximately 4.75” square. 

SUPPLIES

Hello sentiment stamp - Gina K. Designs Petite Geranium clear set

Best you sentiment stamp - Fun Stampers Journey cling rubber set #SS-0632

splatter dots stamp - Stampin’ Up! random (1998)

patterned paper - Pebbles Spring Fling #733112

white detail embossing powder

And another card I made using my extras:

Thanks for stopping in today!

BOTANICAL COLOR BLOCKS.

   Hi friends!

Playing along with this FRESHLY MADE SKETCHES Challenge

(ends 4/13).

Congratulations on your first FMS sketch Donna!

and this CAS ON FRIDAY Challenge

#331 Botanical (ends 4/15).

I started with stamping the script in Versamark ink on white card stock and then heat embossing it with clear powder. Next I inked up the botanical blocks and stamped them in the colors as shown, and trimmed them to size. They are each slightly raised from the base panel by a strip of scrap heavyweight card stock (backer for comic storage I think). 

*TIP* (If you use foam tape or double stick ATG tape, and adhere something incorrectly, a paper-thin metal Cricut small spatula actually allows you to lift a lot of pieces. I had the bottom orange piece on upside down, after I purposely stamped so the script would be mostly continuous 😂)

SUPPLIES

botanical rectangles stamps - Hero Arts Every Happiness set #40-198

script words stamp - Stampin’ Up! En Francais background

clear embossing powder

Adirondack inks - Juniper, Salmon & Aqua

preprinted sentiment strip

Thanks for stopping in today!

FAITH SEES THE WAY FLOWER.

 Hi friends!

Playing along with this SUNDAY STAMPS SKETCH CHALLENGE

(ends 4/17).

and this INKSPIRATIONAL CHALLENGE 

#364 (ends 4/10).

Optional “E” for…ecosystem!

First of all, love the sketch! Honeycomb was stenciled with transparent glossy texture paste and dusted with powdered Pearl Ex while wet. *TIP* (when it is thoroughly dry, it works well to use a microfiber type cloth to remove Pearl Ex powder from the card front. Though you can see in the close up a slight gold sheen will remain over the blank area)Flower was heat embossed with clear and colored in with alcohol markers. 

The bee was stamped in grey inks and filled in loosely with alcohol ink markers; wings were covered in fine glitter glue (an ancient PSX bottle of Sparkle, now chunky and mostly empty 😭). Flower and bee were fussy cut and foam mounted. The sentiment and bee were stamped in a Stampin’Up! Grey and Adirondack Slate mix to avoid the harshness of black. Mounted on matching grey textured card stock. 

SUPPLIES

bee stamp - Stampendous #A136 Spring Bee

flower stamp - Altenew Himalayan Mayapple set

sentiment stamp - Creative Worship #SNS-14-006 The Future clear set

honeycomb stencil - Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection

clear detail embossing powder

gold Pearl Ex powder

Ranger Texture Paste Transparent Gloss

random flat back pale pink faceted gems

Thanks for stopping in today!