Starving Artistamps blog candy & RSC challenge

Starving Artistamps is having some special blog candy giveaways this month in celebration of some new releases and of Tracey's Birthday. I'm alittle late joining in here, already week three, but Congrats to Tracey and Starving Artistamps!! The details for this week's blog candy and the new releases can be found here!

To add to their fun month of celebrations, Starving Artistamps is also hosting the September Sketch Challenge over at Rubber Stamp Chat. I'd show the sketch Tracey posted but the image is too big to display here so you will just have to visit her post on RSC linked above to view it and her card!

Some of my favorite stamps from Starving Artistamps are their flowers, butterflies and the mosaic backgrounds. Combining some of these with their sketch at RSC and their Mosaic Grout instructions, this is what I came up with. It ended up being a bit bigger than expected, I even used one of the MINI mosaic backgrounds thinking it would help me keep the finished size down but oh well! Paper fun!

The butterflies were colored with metallic gel pens and the petals on the daisy were highlighted with Stickles. The green paper was embossed and lightly sanded before cut into the strips. The flowers and butterflies are popped up with foam tape.

When I started this card, the colors made me think of fall here, but we've had some pretty strong winds the past couple of days (70+mph) so most of the leaves, and a few trees, have blown down. Fall doesn't stick around for long here in AK, but I can still enjoy the colors using my papers and ink!

Stamps: Starving Artistamps- Mini Retro Grout, Leaf, Med. Daisy, Sm. Freak Butterfly

Inks: Colorbox Chalk ink-Deep Green, Fresco-Giovanni's Garden (green), VersaMagic-Sage Paper: DCWV

Other: Cuttlebug EF-Textile, sandpaper, Sakura metallic pens, Stickles, Quickie glue pen, foam tape

ODBDSLC30 White & Bright Christmas

This week's ODBD Shining Light Challenge at Our Daily Bread is to make it White & Bright. Use all white except for the stamped image and embellishments. (no designer paper unless it's all white.) What fun! Great time to break into my new ODBD stamps!

I stamped the Poinsettia image on plain white paper and again on Red Shimmer paper (from JoAnns). The white image was loosely trimmed but the red flower was closely trimmed to use for layering (after it dried overnight). The vine and leaves were colored with colored pencils then with a Green Glaze pen from Sakura. The flower (white) was colored with a Red Tombow marker.

To help make the image pop and 3D it, I used an xacto knife to partially cut out the inner petals of the red flower on the shimmer paper then curled them under. After touching up the edges with a black marker, I layered it on the main image using foam tape then used Yellow Stickles in the center of it. A green metallic pen was used for the vine (image) that curled onto the red petals. I tried doing without this green but leaving the vine curls red on the red petals looked kinda funny, more so than the green curls do now. Just now we know that the curls are part of the vine. : )

The image is layered on top of a textured background and the sentiment is also layered on but using foam tape. All this is to help it pop and not look flat when using white on white. I love the effect and that deep red of the shimmer paper, tho you may not see the shimmer here! Thanks for looking! : )

Stamps: ODBD-Luke 2:11 set Ink: VersaFine-Black Onyx

Other: Spellbinders-Labels 4, Fancy Tags; Cuttlebug Emb Folder-Victoria; Prismacolor pencils, Sakura Glaze pen, metallic pen; Stickles-Yellow; foam tape

JustRite Friday Challenge JRC_036

JustRite Friday Challenge 036: Color Challenge

This week's JustRite Friday Challenge #036 is to use this color combination -- dark red, ivory & black, with the added twist of creating your own handmade embellishment. This can be a die cut or crocheted flower/shape, handmade felt embellishment, decorated paperclip or clothespin to add to your project, or any other type of embellishment!

I'm having fun with these challenges, as you can probably tell : ) Looking at my growing collection of JustRite Stamps, I knew Christmas seemed to be the theme for September so I thought I'd try to stick with that. Keep this up and I'll have a good start on my Christmas cards!!

I wanted to use Black for more than just the ink, tho black isn't a color I usually have in mind for Christmas cards so this took some thinking. I tried whatever came to mind in an effort to not over think this (otherwise nothing gets done!). I've seen some great work with layers using Spellbinders dies done by lots of other creative gals, so that gave me some ideas to start with.

The JustRite stamps go hand in hand with Spellbinders nesties! Tho I stamped the words and the black lacy type border as one, I used several different dies to cut them apart and layer them. The lacy border was cut by hand with scissors so I could use another layer below it without making it all any wider for the card front. (The Christmas embossed background can be better seen in the next card I made.) Then to MAKE the embellishment, ugh, I left that for another evening. I experimented with the Blossoms 2 dies (and glitter glue) and made a few flowers to play with. I wasn't too unhappy with this for my first try. : }

I've learned to stamp several images of the same thing at one time to play with different ideas, if I have time, but mostly to have a backup just in case I really don't like the outcome of any experimenting I do with one. Here is another card using the same stamps, dies, punch, background, color theme but different layout and order of colors.

Stamps: JustRite Christmas Treasures Set Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, SU Craft White

Accessories: Spellbinders Classic Circles, Big Scallop Circle, Blossoms 2; Cuttlebug EF-Season's Greetings; Martha Stewart Edger-Doily Lace, Holly Leaf punch, Branch punch; Ribbon, Black brad, Stickles-Diamond, foam tape

SNTODBD17 Amazing Grace

The Stamping in Time 17 technique challenge over at Our Daily Bread is Emboss Resist. I haven't used a resist technique in a long time so I didn't want to pass up this inspiring challenge. Two types of resist were used on this card. The flowers were stamped using Versamark on regular paper (110lb) and embossed with White Detail powder. I know Dogwoods don't usually have much color but to make them show up, since I used white powder on white paper, I couldn't resist coloring them. I also traced outside the embossing to help the image pop.

The words to Amazing Grace were stamped using Clear Resist Ink on white glossy paper. Ink was sponged on, making the words pop thru.

I'm having fun playing here but I really need to get out to enjoy the beautiful sunny day. They have been a rare occurance this past summer and now we are into fall here in AK. It's in the 60s and clear so a great day for the dog and I to go for a hike. Hope everyone has a joyous day! : )

Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs-Amazing Grace, Grow in Grace

Ink: Ranger Clear Resist Ink, Versamark, Kaleidacolor-Fresh Green, Tombow markers

Accessories: Ranger White Detail Embossing Powder, Martha Stewart Edger-Doily Lace, Ribbon, Blue Moon (?) Charm (Walmart/JoAnns)

Mojo Monday 155

Boy, I'm on a roll! This is the last card I made this week, before Scott headed off hunting today. I've always wanted to play with the Mojo Monday sketches but haven't taken the time until now.

Friday we went into Anchorage and stopped at JoAnns (among other places). I purchases 3 pads of the DCWV paper that were on sale for $9.99! The papers I used on this card are from the Cafe Mediterranean stack. I love the bright colors and the embossed flowers in this stack, but I finally settled on these 2 sheets for this card. The pics were taken last night, low light, even with flash, ugh! I tried taking them again today but too late, nice and bright light but bad shadows....so I stuck with the pics from last night, no weird shadows here.

I went with the oval here for this image tho the sketch was for a circle. I just couldn't see using a circle with this, or covering it up with the ribbon, but I really wanted to use it anyway! This is one of my favorite stamps and it's an old one from Great Impressions.

Stamps: Great Impressions-Milkcan with flowers, Hero Arts-sentiment

Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia

Paper: Die Cuts With A View (DCWV)-Cafe Mediterranean, DCWV textured cs

Accessories: Spellbinders Classic Ovals, Classic Scalloped Ovals; McGill Tag punch, Prismacolor Pencils, Ribbon, foam tape

Happy Weekend!!

Manly Cards SSNOTIME156

It's September and I need some Masculine Birthday cards! Manly, Masculine, Guy thing - No bows, no flowery stuff, no frills. OK, fine then. No pressure, should be easy, and flat. Here's what I came up with - 1 stamp, 3 different cards using different papers and other non-frilly stuff. Funny thing, after I made these, I see that this is the theme for Stamp Simply this week!

The Tree stamped image filled the largest die I had. For the border circles, I was able to make the circle the size I needed by tracing the outside of the largest die then cutting just outside of that line with my deckle edged scissors (and erasing the line when done).

Stamps: Inkadinkado-Utopiary, Hero Arts-Happy Birthday (tag), Stampabilities-Happy Birthday

Ink: ClearSnap ColorBox Chalk Ink-Chestnut Roan Paper: DCWV The Fall matstack (from previous 2 yrs)

Accessories: McGill-tag punch, Martha Stewart-ZigZag border punch, EKSuccess-corner rounder punch; Deckle edge scissors, Spellbinders Classic Circle, Ribbon, Brads

Autumn Leaves Card

The local stamp store (LSS) in Palmer (~20 miles away), the Stamp Cache, offered a September challenge. Linda, the store owner, gives out packets with a square of paper and several random embellishments with the instructions to use at least 3 things from the packet and a stamp from the store. This was as good excuse as any for me to buy another stamp. : )

Here's a list of what I used from the packet:
- 4" square Orange paper with circles on it (not sure the designer). It is double sided paper with Halloween theme words on black on the backside. I chose to go with the orange/fall themed side and trimmed it down to 3" square to fit it all on the card.
- Chipboard Circle- I colored it with an orange Tombow marker then with a Sakura orange glaze pen to give it shine. Once dry, I poked a hole in it and tied it on with Raffia.
- Pumpkin ribbon embell.-cut apart and layered onto the image (over the pumpkins in the image).
- Red Maple Leaf brad
- LSS Stamp- Autumn Leaves by Lockhart Stamp Co., colored with Prismacolor pencils and highlighted with Sakura's Stardust pen for alittle shimmer.

The remaining unused items in my packet were a small spider sticker, 1 green & 1 orange button, and 1 clear & 1 brown dew drops (not sure how to use these). I really tried to use the buttons, but they were just too much with what I had here.

This was really a fun challenge! I may have to find my way over to that area more often so I can participate more often! : )

ODBDSLC27 - Texture It!

The Lord satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:9

Just a quick post. Our Daily Bread Designs Shining Light Challenge 27 this past week was to Texture It - with embossing, embellishing, distressing, etc. I still have quite a few of this image from their Fruit of the Spirit set stamped and colored from last year waiting to be made into cards yet. That's why I've posted a few cards with this same image (but in different colors at least!) and will post several more over the next couple of months...just a forewarning. I do like the image and had fun coloring it, so many times, so many color options!

Stamp: Our Daily Bread Designs-Fruit of the Spirit set

Ink: Versafine Vintage Sepia; Prismacolor pencils

Paper: DCWV Accessories: Spellbinders Classic Ovals, Scalloped Ovals; Cuttlebug EF Textile; Ribbon-Walmart

JustRite Stamps Sketch JRC_033

JustRite Stamps Friday Challenge for this week is this sketch:

I figured this is what I needed to get me back into making cards after being gone for a few weeks on a road trip not to mention get me into Christmas card making mode!!

Stickles are great for quickly adding a little glittery shimmer! What a quick, fun, wintery card!

Stamps: JustRite-A Merry Little Christmas set Paper: DCWV

Ink: SU White craft ink, white gel pen (for touch ups)

Accessories: SU square punch, McGill tag punch, Stickles, ribbon