Helping Me Grow

Hi there!  It's been quite some time since I've posted any photos of cards from my Card Buffets.  Above is a card that showcases the Helping Me Grow and Timeless Textures stamp sets by Stampin' Up!  The Soft Sky panel was stamped with the flourish image from Timeless Textures using Soft Sky ink.  Black ink was used to stamp the flowers onto the White oval.  A Wisteria marker was used to color the flowers in random brushstrokes.  (Ink was transferred to the lid of the Elegant Eggplant ink pad by pushing on the closed lid, then applied by brushstrokes with the Aqua Painter.)  A Garden Green marker was used for the stems.  Soft Sky ink was applied with the Aqua Painter around the flowers for some added color.  A Soft Sky bow and butterfly (stamped with a different image from the Timeless Texture set for some added dimension) was added to the oval focal piece for a finishing touch.

That's it for today.  Thank you so much for stopping by for a visit!

Awesomely Artistic Thoughts

Hi there!  Today's card is one that was made months ago and overlooked for posting, so I'm sharing with you now.  The card design was CASE'd (Copy And Share Everything) from Deb Valder's card HERE.  The flower image from the Stampin' Up! set, Awesomely Artistic, was randomly stamped onto the card base in black ink.  A separate flower image was stamped on a piece of scrap white, water colored with an Aqua Painter, and then cut out before adhering to the focal piece.  The colors used were Marina Mist and Pear Pizzazz.  The circle medallion image was popped up on Dimensionals.

OK, need to sign off since the granddog is wanting some attention now.  Thanks for visiting today! 

Picture Perfect Tide

Hi there!  Been taking care of business today but wanted to share the card I made for my daughter and son-in-law's upcoming anniversary.  They were married on the beach in Florida, which is why I chose to use a soft color palette and watercolor background.  Love the starfish image from Picture Perfect.  It's a new set in the 2016 Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalog and definitely a keeper.  The coral image is from By the Tide -  another favorite set of mine.  (Can you tell I love all things beachy? lol)  A couple of other new items used from the Occasions Catalog are the Number of Years stamp set and coordinating Framelits called, Large Numbers.  There are other images in the stamp set besides numbers, which makes it a versatile set.  It can be purchased as a bundle to save you some dough!  That's always a plus.

Need to get to bed.  Still haven't caught up on sleep from the crop last weekend.  Thank you for stopping by to visit today!

Watercolored Painted Petals

Hi there everyone.  Thought I'd better post something before you all lose interest and I forget how to post.  (That's assuming anyone out there does read my blog.)  Thank you for being patient during my absence.  Life has/is crazy busy with legal issues and sorting through my husband's personal effects.  I don't know how often I'll post, but for now here is a 3x3 note card that was slipped into each customer's order bag in January.
This set called, Painted Petals, appears in the 2015 Occasions catalog.  Love it!  There is also a suite of coordinating products - Painted Blooms Designer Series Paper, Painted Blooms Cotton Twine, and the Spring Flowers embossing folder. 
The watercolor effect for the notecard was achieved by first spritzing some water onto the watercolor paper, then spritz the stamp before applying to the paper.  Each project will vary, depending on the amount of spritzing.  That's OK because each one will be a mini work of art.

Must tend to some household chores and paperwork.  Thank you so much for coming by today!

Watercolor Birthday

Hi there!  So, here is a card that I made from parts that were left over from other projects or experimental pieces.  The background was made by sponging on a few ink colors onto the inside of an embossing folder, then spritzing with water.  Place a piece of watercolor paper or light colored cardstock on top of ink and rub with your fingers.  Remove paper from the embossing folder.  Voila!  You have a cool looking background!  The Honeycomb embossing folder by Stampin' Up! was used in this sample.  An embellishment was made with the Cupcake Builder Punch and circle punches.  A few banners were added for a festive look.  (The colors look much better in real life than they do in the photo.)

A big THANKS to everyone who braved the cold to attend our Card Buffet yesterday!  We appreciate your support - but mostly your friendship!

Must get a few things done before running some errands.  Thanks for peeking in today!

Honeycomb Watercolor Technique

Hi there and happy Friday!  Hope you've been enjoying the cooler temperatures and have fun plans for the weekend.  My weekend is another busy one.  So without further adieu, let's get to the card.  This watercolor technique began with the Honeycomb embossing folder.  Ink was randomly sponged onto the open embossing folder with a dauber (the side with the Stampin' Up! logo), then lightly spritzed with water.  A piece of watercolor paper was placed into the embossing folder.  The embossing folder was closed and then rubbed with my fingers to transfer/move the ink.  Results will be different each time, depending on the placement of colors and amount of pressure used to rub the embossing folder.  The colors used in this sample are Blushing Bride, Crisp Cantaloupe, and Pistachio Pudding.  Various punched pieces were used to embellish the watercolor background, which is layered onto a Crisp Cantaloupe card base.  A leaf cut from Glimmer paper using the Little Leaves Sizzlit die (now retired) finishes off the card with bit of bling.

Must get packed up for a Crop later this afternoon.  Have a great weekend and thanks so much for stopping by today!

Try it Thursday!

Hi there!  Guess you could also call today Technique Thursday.  Have you ever wanted to make a card (or scrapbook page) but didn't have the "right" color of background paper?  Make your own in any color you want!  Here are a couple of possible solutions - and they're fun, too.  The sample above was made using images from Stampin' Up!s Happy Watercolor set, which is now retired.  (A similar look can be achieved with the Work of Art set found in the 2014-15 Annual Catalog.)  The colors are Gumball Green (retired) and Island Indigo.  The Smoky Slate dots were added last to fill in those "white" areas and for some additional depth.  
Another technique is by drawing lines of various widths and colors using the brush tip of markers onto watercolor paper, then spritzing with water.  You may have to hold the panel up to get the rivulets of color flowing.  Add more water, if necessary.  Have a paper towel handy just in case there's a lot of pooling.  Below is my finished background.  It reminds me of those canvas panels where crayons are glued to the top, then heated to melt the crayons so they run down the canvas.

The color combinations are endless.  Give these techniques a try and have fun!

That's all for now.  Thank you so much for visiting today!

 

Wetlands Thinking of You

Hi there!  Happy New Year everyone!  We've been greeted with COLD temps and about three inches of snow for the new year.  That's OK.  I'll be warm and cozy in my studio working on projects for our Card Buffet scheduled for Jan 11th!  So, a quick post on the above card that was made at Sally Nusbaum's Buffet.  This is a good masculine card, which showcases the Stampin' Up! Dictionary background stamp and some of our 7/16" trim behind the Wetlands goose.  An Aqua Painter brush was used to add a little color to the gooses body giving it a watercolored effect.  The Aqua Painter brush has a barrel that is filled with water.  These brushes can be found on page 164 of our Annual Catalog.

Don't forget the new Weekly Deals and Clearance Rack items!  You can view the Weekly Deals here and  click here  to view the Clearance Rack items. Please contact me if you'd like to place an order and you don't already have a Demonstrator.  My contact information is on the right side bar.  Thank you and hope to hear from you!

Must sign off for now.  Thanks for coming by for a visit today! 

Simply Sketched 3x3

Hi there!  Hope you're finding time to stamp on this wet, dreary day!  I'll be busy with some neglected chores around the house and maybe a trip to the store.  But for now, here is a forgotten little 3x3 card that was included with customer orders back in August.  I thought it had been posted.  The flower and sentiment come from the hostess set, Simply Sketched.  An Aqua Painter pen was used to apply Calypso Coral ink onto the watercolor paper.  Tangerine Tango ink was sparingly added for some depth.  The stems were colored with Old Olive ink. 

Before I sign off, you can view this week's Weekly Deals by clicking here to view (prices good Nov 5-11, 2013).  Please contact me if you'd like to place an order or go to my online store here to place an order.

Have a great day and thank you for stopping by for a visit!

Elements of Style

Hi there!  Today's card is one that was sent to my friend in the hospital to let her know she's in my thoughts.  The Elements of Style flower image was stamped on watercolor paper with black StazOn ink.  Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, and Old Olive ink was applied to the image with a blender pen.  The embellishment was made from the Decorative Label punch, oval punches, plus a sentiment from the Layered Labels set.  A 1/8" hole punch was used on the scallop oval piece along with a scrap of crochet trim tucked behind the Decorative Label to dress it up a bit.

Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Elements of Style, Layered Labels, French Foliage (text on Designer Label)
Paper: Old Olive, Night of Navy, Vanilla, watercolor
Ink: Bashful Blue, Night of Navy, Old Olive, Black StazOn
Other: Decorative Label punch, Large & Scallop oval punches, Victoria crochet trim, pearls, blender pen, hole punch

Must run along for now.  Thank you for coming by today! 

Another Greeting Card Kid Valentine

Well it's a new month. Can you believe it's already February?  Valentines Day will be here before you know it.  So with that, let's get on with today's card.  Yep, it's another card with the little girl from Greeting Card Kids. This is such a cute set. Love it!  Can you tell?

Recipe:
Stamps: Greeting Card Kids
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Pretty in Pink, retired DSP - Sending Love, watercolor paper
Ink:  Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Real Red
Tools: Pinking Hearts border punch
Other: Pretty in Pink 5/8" satin ribbon

Greeting Card Kid with Inlaid Technique

Hi there!  Been busy with preparations to "hunker" down for the ice/snow storm the weather people have been forecasting.  I just hope their prediction of power outages won't become a reality!  Fortunately, I went to the grocery store on Friday because some stores now have empty shelves of staples such as bread.  I remember the blizzard of 1982 and that is what this storm system is being compared to - the last I heard.  OK, enough weather talk.  Let’s get on with the card for today.

I decided to try the inlaid technique that I read about on Glenda Calkins blog here .  I had some Chocolate Chip triangle pieces left over from another project.  A triangle was paired up with the Certainly Celery card base since those are the colors used on the little girl and to create an interesting look (hopefully).  Pretty in Pink and Very Vanilla hearts were punched out with the Heart to Heart punch and glued to the Chocolate Chip triangle. After all the hearts were adhered, it was placed in the Square Lattice embossing folder, then ran it through the Cuttlebug (don’t have a Big Shot….. yet), and voila!  You end up with this cool inlaid technique! The really neat thing about this technique is that you can use ANY shape to create the inlay. Give it a try.  Stay warm and thanks for stopping by!

Recipe:

Stamps: Greeting Card Kids, Word Play

Paper:  Very Vanilla, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, watercolor paper

Ink: Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, black StazOn

Tools: Heart to Heart punch, Square Lattice embossing folder, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Mat Pack

Other: Vintage trinkets

Greeting Card Kids Valentine

Happy Friday!  I’ve been working on some Valentines. Here is one made

from the Greeting Card Kids set.  This set is just soooo cute  - reminds

me of the Campbell soup kids.

 

Recipe:

Stamps:  Greeting Card Kids, Got Treats

Paper:  Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Very Vanilla, watercolor paper

Ink:  Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Black

Tools:  Framed Tulips embossing folder, Heart to Heart punch, Medium Jewelry Tag punch

Other:  Victoria crochet trim, Vintage trinkets, Crystal Effects (to make her shoes look like patent leather Mary Janes)

Flower Cards

Happy Friday everyone.  It's been such a gray day.  We even had snow flurries this morning.  A great day to stamp (and to have a steaming cup of tea or coffee within arms reach)!  Today was the day to ink up my Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set (finally!) and try the watercolor technique inspired by Rochell Gould at www.istampicreateihavefun.blogspot.com/2010/11/dark-roses-scic28.html 
Her card is gorgeous!  This was a time consuming project and since I was just playing, I left my card plain.  This will NOT be a technique to use at my upcoming Stamp Camp.

I pretty much followed Rochelle's directions/colors to watercolor the roses except I substituted So Saffron for the Daffodil Delight.  Regal Rose was used on the pink flower in addition to Blushing Bride & So Saffron. The watercolor focal piece was matted onto Early Espresso then onto a More Mustard card base.  Still deciding if I should add a sentiment to the top left area.  I'm thinking maybe punch out an oval shape and pop it up with dimensionals.

The following group of cards wasn't as labor intensive.  I used Fast & Fabulous (a Level-2 Hostess set) and Pocket Silhouettes (such a versatile set) for the group.  The inspiration came from Donna Centamore's blog http://butternutsagedesigns.blogspot.com/.  What a wonderful gift set and I love the clean and simple look. 

SU! supplies used unless otherwise noted
Stamp: Fast & Fabulous, sentiment from Kind & Caring Thoughts (retired Hostess set)
Paper: White, non-SU! navy blue that was in my scraps  Ink: Bashful Blue, Night of Navy  Other: Nestability oval to make masking template, Elegant Lines embossing folder

Stamp: Pocket Silhouettes, sentiment from Kind & Caring Thoughts (retired Hostess set)
Paper: White, Night of Navy  Ink: Bashful Blue, Night of Navy

Stamp: Pocket Silhouettes, sentiment from Because I Care (Level-1 Hostess set)
Paper: White, Early Espresso  Ink: Sahara Sand, Soft Suede

Although I really like how this group of cards turned out, they won't make the cut for Stamp Camp either.  Lining up the embossing folder would be a bit tedious for some of my customers.  Oh well, it was fun but back to the drawing board - or blurfing (blog surfing) - to find more inspiration to CAS (copy and share).

Oh! I had such a brilliant idea IMHO (in my humble opinion).  Someone wrote on their blog that they used a storage cube as a photo box.  I don't have any plain cubes - let alone an empty one!  Then I had a light bulb moment.  I purchased a canvas storage cube (on sale of course) that was still in the package.  Opened that puppy up and voila - a light box!  Doesn't help with my photography skills but hey...Rome wasn't built in a day. LOL

OK friends, it is time to go to bed.  It's past midnight.  Been staying up waaay too late this week.