I {Heart} ribbons cards

I saw a post the other day over on the May Arts Ribbon blog and was inspired after watching the video Latrice did making her Textured Valentine's Day Card Set.  I can imagine using different die shapes & ribbon colors for any season & greeting!  After shuffling through my partially organized ribbon stash & leafing through my die sets, I too settled on the heart shape and then a combo of blue ribbons with sprinkling of red. 

Here's my basics for my prototype card.

Ah, Kraft did not go well with this ribbon selection (esp. with the white & blue floral ribbon), so it's a speckled white (scrap from my Christmas cards!). As with any prototype I make, even tho I like it, I need to change it up a bit to make more than one!  I really wanted to use Kraft paper, like Latrice did, for something different for me and because I like Kraft with blue & red.  So that was my challenge to myself.  Back to the ribbon stash & playing with combinations. :)

The end result!  There's still some variations in the last 3 - angle of heart, order of ribbons and embellishment type. The Kraft was still an issue for me, by itself, but to tie it all together I used the next larger heart die to make a frame of blue and used the blue as the card base also.  The swirl stamp with white chalk ink helped to dress up the background.  

Now, who to send these to.... :-)

Paper: DCWV, JoAnns 

Ink: Memento Danube Blue, VersaMagic Cloud White Chalk ink    

Stamps: Autumn Leaves-Swirls, Love (word from I Love You) unknown

Tools:  Spellbinders Heart dies; Ribbons-various (JoAnn's, Michaels, Walmart), Puffy Hearts-May Arts Ribbon; Zip Dry Glue, Foam Tape, Heart rhinestones

Playing with my Gelatos - card backgrounds

I did it!! I finally sat down & played with my Faber-Castell Gelatos! And one of my new Impression Obsession Cover-a-card Stamps - Tapestry!  I couldn't decide on just one set of colors or embossing powder to use, so I stamped 3 full 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of cardstock, divided them into quadrants (well, based on the C-A-C stamp edges) & played with a variety!

The sheet above was stamped with VersaMark & I used Clear Embossing Powder, so pretty! I colored areas of the image using at least 3 colors of Gelatos then used my fingers & water to blend the colors in that area.  As long as I wiped off my finger(s) (or used a different finger) for each color within the area I was able to keep a bit of each color bold rather than blending it all into one new shade/color.

This one is with Black Embossing Powder, so rich!  I had already cut into the red area to make a card before I thought to take a picture of this sheet. :)

This one is with Gold Embossing Powder and earthtone colors.  I left one full stamped area uncolored, so elegant!

These sheets sat for a few days before I got back to them.  Though dry, the colors could still be rubbed, blended and even come off, especially if the paper got wet again somehow (like in the mail). I dug out my  Micro Glaze from JudiKins I had bought a few years ago but never used & rubbed it on to seal them.  Then I cut into the sheets to make a couple of Birthday cards! :) 

Stamps: Impression Obsession Cover-a-card Tapestry; Stampabilities-HB on red; Great Impressions-HB on blue
Ink: Faber-Castell Gelatos, VersaFine Black Onyx (HB), Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue (HB)
Other: Embossing Powder - Fine Clear, Fine Black, Fine Gold; JudiKins MicroGlaze; May Arts Ribbon, blue brads

The Gelatos were so fun to color with! I love the bright colors & the different looks achieved just by changing the color of embossing powder.  Faber-Castell has a great blog with ideas, tips, projects & videos for using Gelatos and their other great crafty tools!

Winter cards (belated Christmas cards)

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas & Happy New Year!  I'm a bit behind in sending out my Christmas cards this past year.  I was tempted to hold these for next Christmas, but since I didn't send any out the previous Christmas (on a roadtrip in Mexico) I felt inclined to send them out. ;)  It didn't help that a bad cold hit me Christmas Eve, wiping me out for most of the next week. Every year, the week between Christmas & New Years seems to be the week I normally scramble to get them done but eh, not this year, errr, last year, uh, last month, right.

Since they were so late I wasn't feeling especially creative. I have a hard time making more than 6, 10 or even 3 of the same card, but I stuck with it this time. I finished over 20 of these, with just 2 variations of the same design. :) Simple and flat!  A few of my family members (as they will notice if they see this post) received completely different cards, cards that I had made earlier in the year, just in case I were to run out of these. :)

Stamps: Penny Black-Snowscape, Memory Box-wonderland sentiment

Ink: Fresco Chalk Ink-Indigo Velvet

Paper: DCWV, Xerox Flecs Cover (65# from office supply store)