Big on Birthdays with velum

This is the 4th card created at Sherron's house in February.  A technique I tend to forget about is heat embossing, it is the technique which I fell in love with when I began stamping.  We stamped on velum paper with versamark ink the Happy Birthday (which I love)  Big on Birthdays #142877 $27 2016-2017 Occasions catalog. Then applied pewter embossing powder and heat set. We used glue dots in the corners to adhere the velum to the DSP (which you can barely see in the photo) then used the colored dots to cover up the glue dots.

The glue shows through the velum so  you have to be careful of how you adhere the velum to your project.

I could have colored on the backside of the velum the flowers after I embossed, but I forgot to do so. It was an easy card and I like the way it turned out!

February calendar page Washington Group

Not all of the pages are marked on the back with the creators name, which is a shame, I think it is important to note on the back of all of your creations that you created it.  If they are marked I will identify who made the page.

This is one is for February 2017 and the colors, Pink and Red and White are very Valentine- day-ish! I love the hearts and swirls and she used GLITTER!  Love glitter, however I hardly ever use it as it does get EVERYWHERE!

January calendar page Washington Group

This page was created by Jessica, one of the ladies who stamps with me. This was the page that was displayed for me in the month of January 2017.

The House Mouse images are very cute and they are having a good time watching the New Years Countdown. Jessica used an actual image for the TV Screen!

March Calendar page Washington Calendar Project

I will try to get these calendar pages posted in the month they belong!  This is the calendar page for March 2017.

This is a project that I had gotten familiar with from a friend I met on-line who lives in Wisconsin, 12 people participate, making 12 calendar pages for one month,  I gather the finished pages from everyone, and punch holes at the top, and create a calendar for each lady for the year.  So each person only make 1 month/design but ends up with a complete calendar!

I participate in this project with the ladies from Wisconsin, and I started a calendar group with the ladies who stamp with me and with Bobbie Hartsell here in Washington.  I failed to post to my blog January and February so I will 'catch up' then post each page at the beginning of the month they were created for!

2-27-17 Dragonfly in Gold

This is the 3rd card that I created at Sherron's in February.  Only actually stamping the words that come in the Dragonfly Dreams set.  I do like the cursive font that they used.  The dragonfly was cut out using the detailed Thinlits Die set, on the gold paper.  The background is DSP paper that are like photos which are fun to use.

I just purchased and received the Dragonfly Dreams stamp set, I did not feel that I could afford the matching thinlits, so that will have to be another purchase.

When I see a dragonfly image I think of my good friend Billie Anderson, this one is for you Billie! Enjoy every day, you make it special!

2-25-17 Chickens!

I truly am lucky to have a job where I work inside, sitting down 99% of the day, I do not come home with tired feet, an aching back, sore arms. I am lucky!  I do not work in the rain, sun, snow.

I sit at my desk and use the computer, which makes me tired none the less, when I get home I really do not want to sit at the computer here at the house and send emails, or create blog posts.

I do enjoy scrolling through Facebook, or Pinterest and making a few comments here and there, and time sure flies on Facebook or on Pinterest.

That being said I need to take the time in the mornings when I am fresh to send emails, or create blog posts!

This is the 2nd card that we created at Sherron's house on Tuesday evening.

This cute chicken with the Mop Top is from a Sale a Bration set you can get for free right now with a $50 purchase.  I have been trying to color the chickens and just how do you color chickens?  I am not super happy with my color job, but I do like the hexagon embossing folder resembling chicken wire. We gently rubbed the grey ink pad on the embossing folder, on the side where the Stampin' Up! Logo is then carefully put in the velum sheet, and closed it, careful not to move it around, then through the Big Shot, then used the heat tool to dry the ink on the velum so it did not smear/smudge.

I hope this Mop Top chicken inspires you to get crafty today!

Stamping at Sherron's in February

On Tuesday evening Bobbie and I went to Sherron's house for food, fun, and fellowship- oh and crafting!

This is one of the 4 cards I made.  The Tshirt was stamped on DSP paper available during Sale-a-bration this year, it is the kind you have to color yourself, We used the watercolor pencils and I could have chosen better colors.  We did not use water, we just colored the flowers in.

I do like this Tshirt set, but have not yet purchased it.

I hope you enjoy the day even if it is NOT your birthday!

Butterfly, butterfly

If I LOVE flowers, then I REALLY LOVE butterflies!

This is another image that I have plenty of!

I like butterfly images and photos, and I think in the world butterflies are beautiful, however, I do not want one to land on me. Don't want them flying around me.

We had gone somewhere on vacation and there was a 'green house' you could walk through with flower and LOTS of butterflies free flying around.

NOPE could not do it!

This is using the hardwood stamp again, white paper with a light brown ink.  The butterflies are a Stampin' Up! Thinlit and I like the lacey-ness of them.  Pearls make the butterfly body.

Flowers for you

This 2 step flower is from the same stamp set as the one shown on the 25th. It is a photo polymer stamp set, and I cut the images apart so it would be easier for me to line up the images. On this one I stamped the outline first in brown ink, then I stamped the flowers and leaves in the appropriate colors.

I used the hardwood stamp for the background, this time just rounding the corners.

I almost did not purchase this set as it was marketed as a Mothers Day set or at least For Mom, so there are 2 stamps that would go well for you mom, since my mom is no longer with me, I was not interested in this, but then I remembered that I LOVE flowers, so my love of flowers has won me over once again.

Colorful Daisys for you!

I LOVE flowers, I have so MANY flower stamp sets, and I keep buying more! I LOVE bright colors so this allowed me to get out lots of ink pads!

This is a 2 step stamp set, you stamp the flower first in colored ink, then over stamp the outline with ink. I used a dark brown ink for the outlines.

First I stamped the words to get it in the middle and to let me judge where to stamp the flowers. then I stamp flowers from the center, I had to clean the stamp after each use since I wanted to use so many colors,

I like the way it looks to stamp the images 'off the edge'.

I finished off each 'whole' flower with a pearl accent.

The background on this one is the Hardwood stamp light brown ink on a white card stock, then I 'dog eared' 'the tops with my triangle punch.

I LOVE flowers!

No words

Another card from the same set.  This time the background stamping is definitely apparent!

I used the tree images in black or brown ink, and used just the deer image.  If you wanted the background more subtle you could use a lighter shade of green ink, experiment on scraps to see what you like best!

The sun was created by punching a circle out of a scrap of paper or post it note, making a 'reverse mask' then I sponged the sun, I tried to not make it bright yellow so I added some other colors with it, when I removed the mask the background was very white so I continued to sponge, dabbing and swiping the sponge across the paper.

The deer were colored with ink and my aqua painter and I tried to blend the colors.

This makes me feel like an artist, which I don't always consider myself, I worked on this card for quite a while and was not sure if I liked the final card.

I left the front without a verse so this really can be used for any occasion by either adding a verse to the front, or  stamp an appropriate verse inside.

Sometimes it is nice to have blank, as once in a while I choose a card, by color or image, then realize it says Get Well, or Congratulations, and I really need a sympathy card.

Just because

Same stamp set from Jessica, this time I used colored pencils to color the images.

This placement of images makes a scene with the mountains in the background and the flowers and deer in the foreground.

I punched holes at the bottom of the black layer and threaded rather thick string around and around, knotting the ends.

The base card does have stamping on it, I used either a versa mark ink pad or the ink that matched the paper for just a hint of design behind the layers.

Just because is a good verse, as this card can be used any time for anything!

I hope you had a chance to stamp/create something today!

Remember Moments

This is a gate fold card. The deer image is adhered to the left front panel, and the verse is adhered to the right front panel.

I used DSP on the front. The background of the deer was an acrylic block inked up, then spritzed with water then stamped on the white card stock.  Once the background was dry I stamped the deer image with a brown ink.

When you use an acrylic block as a stamp, as I did, you can sometimes stamp, re-spritz with water and stamp it again, the second image would be lighter than the first and that one might be your favorite.  Depending on how much ink is on the block and how much ink you leave on the 1st and 2nd image, you might get a 3rd background!

Thanks Jessica for letting me borrow your set!

On your special day.....

Every day is a special day!  I hope yours is great!

I borrowed this set from my friend and fellow stamper Jessica.  The background is an acrylic block inked with 2 colors of ink, then spritzed with a fine mist of water, then stamped.  Using watercolor paper would be ideal, but I think I used just white card stock.  Then when the background was dry, I stamped using Stazon ink, Black the images.  Layered it and used Puffy Dots (dimensionals) and added the verse.

Simple yet striking, could be used for Wedding, Anniversary, Birthday, or just any day you need to brighten someone's day!

You Brighten My Day

 I made this card in the small format, not a usual size for me.  It would be a cute gift enclosure card or maybe something to tuck into a lunch box or briefcase to surprise the recipient.

The little hedgehog set was a gift from Bobbie, it is a Hostess set and the images are very cute.

I hope you have a GREAT day!

Swan Lake 3rd Act

On this sample I stamped the images on light blue card stock with black ink, then colored the images with colored pencils.  I did use a white pencil on the swan but was not happy with the results, so I restamped the image on white paper and fussy cut it out, adhering it over the original stamped image that I did not like.

I wanted to use the blue paper to imitate blue water.  This sample uses a blue card, 8.5 by 4.25, then the stamped images were trimmed slightly smaller and adhered to the car, so it is tone on tone. I used white accents on the corners.

I am liking this stamp more and more.

Swan Lake 2nd act

 Here is another sample created with Swan Lake stamp set.

No swan on this card, just the cat tail image and 3 dragon flies.  On this sample I used colored pencils to color in the design.

Swan Lake 1st Act

This is a stamp set that I won when I attended a Stampin' Up! event in Phoenix!

I was not too sure of the swan image, as I think of swans being white, but in reality they are a dirty white/gray.

There is a field in our town where the farmer grows corn, and has a corn maze at Halloween time, then then the stalks are removed the field floods with our rains, and give it just a bit of time and a huge number (not sure what you call a lot of swans, not a gaggle, not a pack, not a litter...) of swans, but they just love that muddy field.

I think it is pretty special to see this gathering of swans, and sometime Canadian Geese join the swans, now with the freezing cold of December the swans have moved on.

The local paper ran an article about our swans and they like flooded corn fields, and they are digging into the soft mud to get bugs, and in the process then can ingest lead shot that my have been buried for years, but since they are digging down so far they can come across the lead slugs, then they die from lead poisoning, and any animal who eats the dead swan can get lead poisoning also.

In the front of the card I did fussy cut the swan out, (there is not a coordinating framelet for this image/set) and I used my blender pen and ink and made a gray/yellowish shadow on the swan.

On the inside I stamped the cat tail image, Lilly pad image and the small dragon flies. I then colored them with the blender pen and ink.

Sometimes I have to use a set, and refer to Pinterest to get ideas for the cards!

A New Year, 2017 Here I come!

Well the New Year is here, seems like I was very busy in 2016 and expect the same to hold true for 2017.

Getting ready for my Stampin' Up! workshops in January, I hold workshops on the first Wednesday and subsequent Thursday of the month. AKA today!

Over the weekend I was busy in my stamp room, forsaking un-decorating the house, much to the surprise of my dear husband!

What I came up with was a Baby Card! I borrowed the stamp set from my friend Bobbie, and went to town.

 I like to create the card we will be making, the blue one shown here, although the colors we will be using will be more neutral, boy or girl.  I have a lot, a lot of DSP and I need to use it!  That was my focus on these first 2 cards.

While I borrowed the stamp set from Bobbie, I own the framelets for this set, so I stamped then punched out the images so now I have a small box of ready to go images when I need a baby card.

The blue card is not even using the stamp set, just the framelets, so you don't 'have to buy' the matching stamp set, the framelets can be used on their own.

 I made my own background on this card, this way I could coordinate it to the ink/paper color exactly.

I used an older set of borders, stamped the 2 lines diagonally, (so you can't tell that I am not straight!) then stamped the diaper pins, then borders again, both images on the same block, then diaper pins going in the opposite direction.  Hint if you are not going to see the middle of the card, (the large medallion covers up much of the center of the card), and your borders do not go across the whole card, stamp from the center to the left side, then after reinking, stamp from the center to the right side, if the images so not match up perfectly, no one knows!

Here I layered a white card with a white layer, just slightly smaller and again made my own background to match the ink and paper.

I hope this inspires you to create something today!