Summertime

simon

This card is a definite celebration of summer. I had a chance to use a  lot of my little Cheery Lynn dies and lots of bright colors. I started with a bright summer sky blue card base. I then stamped it with the music Behind the Scenes from Rogue Redhead Designs. The lattice was then added. I added the fringe for grass, flowers and the insects -- dragonfly, butterfly, bee, and ladybug. All of the dies are from Cheery Lynn Designs. The sentiment is a Club Scrap stamp.
I am entering my card into these challenges: Cheery Lynn Designs --hot time in the summer; City Crafter -- animal magic; Simon Says Wednesday challenge -- anything goes; Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes; Marks Finest Papers Speedy Fox and Friends -- music.

Discover

Today I have a card that was a lot of fun to make. The background is done using Tim Holtz's Painted Industrial technique from p. 46 of his book Compendium of Curiosities III. I won't go into detail since the info is available in Tim's book, but I will say that I love the Steampunk type effect that it gives. I used my favorite science man stamp from Tim's collection as well as his shadowpress sentiment and woodgrain stamp. There is some tissue tape along the background. The bottles are die cut from shrink plastic, colored using alcohol inks, and then shrunk. (Shelly Hickox used shrink plastic with these bottles in one of her projects a while back which gave me the idea.). Who knows what our scientist will invent today.

My card is being entered into these challenges: Compendium of Curiosities 3 (sponsored this challenge by the wonderful Inspiration Emporium) --painted industrial technique, p. 46; and SanDee & Amelie's Steampunk Challenge -- Inventors & Inventions.

Holiday Blessings

It's a gorgeous summer day in Chicago, and here I am with another Christmas card for you. Hmmm!

I started my making a Christmas tag. I cut the tag from Core'dinations cardstock using my Tim Holtz tag die. Then I dry embossed the tag with the holly leaves and sanded the leaves. I used a Thomas Kinkade stamp for the winter scene and highlighted it with distress markers. I used Spellbinders ornament dies to cut out the two ornaments. The second ornament is stamped with a sentiment from SweetStamps. I outlined both ornaments with a gold metallic pen and cut a top for them from gold metallic paper. I added a bow to the top of the tag. I then decided to adhere my tag to a card base to make another Christmas card.

I am entering my tag/card into these challenges: SweetStamps -- Christmas tags; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge -- emboss it; Sweet 'n Sassy --  winter scene; Cornish Heritage Farms -- Christmas in July with Thomas Kinkade.

Noel in July

Today marks exactly six months until Christmas. I'm really enjoying the current Christmas in July challenges. I missed the Christmas card season last year since I spent 2 1/2 months in the hospital, so I'm ready to play with my Christmas dies and stamps. On my card today I tried something that I had wanted to try ever since I got the tree line on the edge die. I cut the trees three times and layered them to make a forest background. I dabbed a little picket fence distress paint on the trees and sprinkled them with a little clear rock candy glitter I cut the sentiment "Noel" from sparkly cardstock. The poinsettia was cut from Tim Holtz Christmas paper and then tinted using distress ink. (All of the dies used are from Tim Holtz.)
I created this card for these challenges: Bloggers Challenge-- Christmas in July; City Crafter -- Christmas in July; Tuesday Throwdown -- handmade flowers; Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

This dreamy card was a lot of fun to make. I started with a piece of printed cardstock and a piece of pink vellum paper (both from club Scrap) to use a s my background. I stamped the fairies (Stampland) directly on the vellum and colored them with distress markers. I love how the background images show through the vellum. The sentiment (Stampsmith) was stamped on a scrap of white cardstock and adhered to a backing panel. Everything was adhered to a white card base. The sparkly buttons were added to give a dreamlike appearance.
My card is being entered into these challenges: Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge -- a mid-summer's challenge and Ink on my Fingers Sunday Challenge -- in dreams.

Now Join Hands and Hearts

My daughter needs a wedding card for a friend's wedding. The challenge at Cheery Lynn Designs which is silver and gold and this beautiful dove border die provided the perfect ingredients for a wedding card. Just add the Shakespeare sentiment and a card  is created ready for a wedding celebration.
This card is also being entered in the Addicted To CAS challenge which is celebrate.

12 Tags of 2014 -- July

Tim Holtz's July tag of the month has a theme near and dear to my heart --seahorses in the sea. I have actually had an opportunity to hold one of these adorable creatures; well actually it held my finger with its tail. The background is a combination of distress paint, distress stain, and distress ink (all sold at Classy Cards 'n such).Over the background is an embossed piece of plastic. I actually cut the tag shape from a piece of packing plastic from an embossing folder. Plastic embosses so coolly. The seaweed is cut from kraft core Core'dinations. All of the dies used are from Sizzix. Tim's recipe for sand really worked well. He includes it in his tutorial.
I am also entering this tag into the Classy Cards 'n Such challenge -- a day at the beach.

Miracles

This weeks Bloggers Challenge is quotes. My card layout is based on the current Mojo Monday sketch challenge.
To make my card I started with a sage card base. I used a Spellbinders embossing die to make the background of butterflies. The decorating panels are Graphics 45 designer paper. I needed spots and dots. My quote is from Quietfire stamps. The quote is from a poster by Karen Salmansohn. I really like this saying.

I am also entering my card into these challenges: Marks Finest Papers Speedy Fox and Friends -- red; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge --spots and dots; and Craft-Dee Bowz -- anything goes with a handmade bow.

Along the Beach

I had a very peaceful afternoon and this card is the result. I love it when I can mix and match stamps from different companies and everything works. My water and sand (both stamped twice), the birds and the sun are all Cornish Heritage Farms stamps. The children playing on the beach are Rogue Redhead Designs stamps. The quote is a Quietfire stamp.
The scene was stamped on watercolor paper. I used distress markers and a waterbrush to watercolor the images. The card base and sentiment panel frame are kraft cardstock.
I am entering this card into these challenges: Kraft Journal -- sun;  Word Art Wednesday -- anything goes; Marks Finest Papers Simple Salutations -- day at the beach; Frilly & Funkie -- cool water; Dies R Us Challenge -- Day at the Beach [spellbinders die].

The Face of a Friend

I was really happy to see this week's theme at Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge. It is about a face. I have been wanting to use this Andy Skinner stencil for some time now. This was the perfect challenge for it. My background panel is another piece from a recent gelli plate printing. I added a layer of picket fence stain over the print to lighten it a little and then some spun sugar distress stain to bring out the pinks. I used one of Tim Holtz's shadow press words as the sentiment. It was a little hard to stop there, but I was afraid that adding any more elements would detract from the overall effect.  I layered the piece on a black panel and then on a pink card. I really like the effect.

More Christmas in July

This week the challenge at Marks Finest Papers Sketch with a Twist is this sketch with the twist being to create a Christmas card.  City Crafter has the challenge to use chipboard. Sweet and Sassy's theme is Christmas in July.
To make my card I started with a white base card. The layering panel is red cardstock. I stamped the Silent Night music (MFP stamps) on sage green cardstock and cut it in three panels. The deer (Sweet and Sassy stamps) were stamped on white cardstock which was cut into squares with rounded corners. The sentiment was die cut (TH Sizzix) from chipboard. The letters were highlighted with gold Stickles.

By the Sea

It's a beautiful summer day in Chicago -- a perfect day to think about enjoying a day at the beach. My card uses the sketch from the Mojo Monday challenge, although I did turn it on its side. I started with a gelli print that I had made a few days ago. I went over the paint with salty ocean distress stain. Then I stamped several versions of Fred Mullett fish. The image of the bathing beauty is from Gecko Galz. I colored it with colored pencils The waves are Cheery Lynn die cuts. The shell and sentiment are from Artistic Outpost. I'm ready for an enjoyable summer day by the sea.
 I am also entering my card into these challenges: Kraft Journal -- sea and sand; Fashionable Stamping -- dreaming of summer; Artistic Stamper -- by the seaside; Inspiration Emporium -- summer fun; Gecko Galz -- beachy keen.

Life

The current Compendium of Curiosities challenge was more than just an art challenge for me this time. I had to actually go into my stash of treasured Tim Holtz products and use product that I have been "saving for the perfect occasion". The current challenge is to create an altered burlap panel (p. 37 of Tim's book) Of course, I had to get the burlap panels when they came out, but I never had the nerve to use them or it was never the right time. As I went along, I was also inspired to use other precious product.
Although I won't go into detail on the actual technique of altering the panel, that's what Tim's book is for.  There are a few embellishments on my panel I'll talk about. My butterfly girl comes from an Artchix image. Her wings were die cut from Tim's Fanciful Flight die. The upper part of the wings was cut from grunge paper and painted with black soot distress paint. The colorful under wing was cut from Shimmer Sheetz.
The flower was made from scratch. I used Tim's Jumbo Tattered Florals die to cut all but the center (Cheery Lynn die). I have wanted to make a large flower for a long time, so this was a perfect time. I wanted a full flower, so I cut seven of the large layers. The first layer was cut from Suze Weinberg's Wonder Rubber and embossed with UTEE. (I can't begin to remember when I bought the wonder rubber, but this was the first time I used it. I had forgotten I had it.) The next layer is burlap. There are two layers of fabric from Tim's line (another previously uncut product) and one of his tissue paper. I wanted to make the flower quite full, but fabric and tissue paper don't stand up very well. I got the idea to use Wendy Vecchi's Clearly for Art moldable plastic. I cut out the flower twice and heated the petals so I could form them into dimensional petals. A little alcohol ink added color to these layers.These clear layers helped to lift the fabric layers. The flower center was also made from the Clearly Art.
To make the background, I added some stencil paste for dimension and distress paints for color. The center band was cut using a Cheery Lynn die. The sentiment is a Dyan Reaveley stamp from Ranger. The final touch was to add some bling stars and dots.
I am also entering this panel into these challenges: Vintage Journey -- dies and distress; Take a Word -- butterflies; Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge -- start from scratch; Classy Cards 'n Such -- pick a posy (use a handmade flower) [CCnC products include distress paints; Cheery Lynn dies, bling]; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge -- let's be clear (used Clearly Art for the flower layers).
A special recognition goes out to the Funkie Junkie for sponsoring the CC3 challenge.

I Pledge Allegiance

Today's Blogger's Challenge pennants or fishtails. This theme worked perfectly with the Our Daily Bread Designs challenge theme which is red, white, and blue or patriotic. I started with a white base card and added a piece of red and white striped design paper which I had left over from another project. It was the perfect size for what I needed. Then I cut the pennant flags using a Tim Holtz die. I stamped stars (Artistic Outpost) on the pennant flags with white ink. I then stamped the Pledge of Allegiance (ODBD) and die cut it with a circle die. The layering panel and flourish were cut from gold metallic cardstock. I am also entering this card into the Word Art Wednesday challenge which is anything goes.

Happy 4th of July

  

Hoping everyone is having a wonderful 4th of July today! 

this week's Blogger's Challenge is red, white, and blue. My card is a bit non-traditional for a 4th of July card, but it certainly fits in with the red, white, and blue. I started with a red base card and added the blue panel. I stamped the sentiment (Artistic Outpost) along the fold edge of the card. The face (Prima) was stamped on a piece of Tim Holtz watercolor paper. I then masked her and stamped (Hero Arts) the background. I used the distress watercolor technique from Tim Holtz's Compendium of Curiosities 3 Book, p. 39. This just happens to be the  current CCC3 challenge. (A special thanks to Inspiration Emporium for their generous sponsorship.)
My card is being entered into these challenges: Blogger's Challenge -- red, white, and blue; Classy Cards 'n Such -- red, white, and blue (Tim Holtz's distress markers can be purchased there.); Tuesday Throwdown -- anything goes; Compendium of Curiosities 3 challenge -- distress watercoloring; Mark's Finest Papers Simple Salutations -- patriotic; Art With Heart -- red, white, and beautiful; V's Sweet Ideas -- red, white, and blue.