Sweet Birthday Wishes

If you are like me, there is always a need for birthday cards, so I am sharing the latest one I created for a friend. 

The Floral Wreath image from Just For Fun Rubber Stamps was colored with Tombow markers.  The yellow card background was created with a die cut and then layered on Persimmon cardstock.  To create more dimension I chose to die cut a window and layer this over the image.  The same circle die and a slightly larger scalloped circle die were used to create the border around the window.  If you wanted a less labor intensive version, you could simply die cut the image with a circle die and layer on a scalloped die cut and add to the card front.  I also chose to have the bow at the top of the floral wreath.

The JFF sentiment, Sweet Birthday Wishes, was stamped in black on a hand cut banner and layered across the image.  This helped fill the open window without covering up to much of the lovely floral wreath.  I think I will be using versions of this card more often.  

Have a great week.

Just For Fun June Challenge

June snuck up on us and it is time for a new challenge at the Just For Fun Blog.  

Fellow designer, April Williams, loves different techniques and chose the theme of “Use A Stencil”

My card features a technique that April taught me.  It involves using a stencil and adding Color Bursts or Brushos.  You layer the stencil over your cardstock, sprinkle small amounts of the watercolor powders, then spritz with water.  Very carefully remove the stencil and let dry.  This makes a fantastic background.

The Stamptangle Dolphin from Just For Fun was colored with Tombow Markers and cut out.  I left a little white border to help it stand out more on the colorful background.  The JFF sentiment, Happy to Sea You, was inked with one of the Tombow colors, cut out with a circle die, and a second color run around the edge.

Head on over to the Just For Fun Blog for all the challenge details and more inspirational projects.  I can’t wait to see what you do with a stencil.

Butterflies

It has been really cold here and I really am not a winter person.  Even though it is still January, I am so ready for spring.  The cute little butterfly and bright flowers from Just For Fun were so appealing to me this week in place of a snow scene.

The Porto die from Sue Wilson Designs’ Portuguese Collection was cut out of white.  The middle section was stamped on the edges with JFF's Hibiscus Flower and one of the flowers from the 4 sided Floral Block, using Abandoned Coral and Mustard Seed Distress Ink.  

The JFF sentiment, If nothing ever changed..., was stamped with Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink in the center and the whole die was layered on blue and white striped cardstock.  The JFF Line Butterfly was colored with Copics, fussy cut, and popped up on the corner.

Those of you getting snow this week, just come on back to visit and think spring!

Winter Cardinal

Even though the weather by me has been really nice, we ended up with cold rain and a little ice this weekend.  Perfect time to share a winter card.  The Large Cardinal stamp, from Just For Fun Rubber Stamps, was used on this card and even though this is in their Christmas themed images, it can be used for so much more.

A white, embossed background was created to show off this brightly colored cardinal.  It was colored with Copic markers and die cut with Spellbinders’ Label 4.  After adding to the card front, it was surrounded by additional die cut/punched snowflakes and a simple sentiment (from JFF's Sentiments 1 Unmounted Sheet).  This card is perfect for this time of the year but can be used for any occasion – Birthday, Get Well, Sympathy - by simply changing the sentiment.

Have a wonderful week.

Merry Christmas 2018

Wishing all my family, friends, and followers a blessed Christmas.

E. Marie

Golfer's Birthday

Just For Fun’s latest release includes a variety of golf themed images and sayings.  Today’s card shows off some of these.

The male golfer silhouette was stamped in black and fussy cut.  It was placed in front of a “grassy” background of plaid designer paper, die cut and layered on a dark green background.

The sentiment, stamped in teal and die cut with a circle die, is the perfect birthday sentiment for your favorite golfer.

Enjoy your week!

Friends

Alcohol Inks are in again and so fun to play with.  I used these, along with Just For Fun's Peacock Feather stamp, to create the background for today’s card.

Several colors of Alcohol Ink were applied with an Alcohol Ink Applicator to white glossy cardstock.  Alcohol Blending Solution was applied directly to the Peacock Feather stamp and the image was stamped on top of this background.  This was repeated several times and then lightly buffed with a soft cloth.  This removed enough of the ink to create a subtle design.

The background piece was layered on blue and black cardstock layers.  The top portion of JFF's So Glad sentiment was stamped in black on white cardstock and the word FRIENDS was die cut beneath it.  This strip was layered along the bottom.  The word was die cut again from the blue cardstock and popped up over the previous die cut word.

Thank you for stopping by.

E. Marie

Just For Fun Rubber Stamps August Monthly Challenge

It is time for a new monthly challenge at the Just For Fun Rubber Stamp Blog.  The theme for the August challenge is

For inspiration, I decided to create my “stripes” with a die.  I die cut the top white layer with two different dies, creating the angled stripes and the oval center window.  This was sponged with red ink on the edges and added to a red layer, also inked on the edges.

The Lighthouse image from Just For Fun was stamped on watercolor paper and lightly colored with Zig Watercolor Markers.  This was die cut with an oval die slightly smaller than the window and added to the card center.

Head to the Just For Fun Blog for more inspiration and details.  We would love for you to join the challenge with your own striped creation.

Split Sillhouette

I wanted to share an easy silhouette card.  Just For Fun has so many great silhouette images and today I used the Dolphins-Palm Silhouette.  It was stamped in black and I love to use my Tim Holtz Stamp Platform with these solid stamps.  You can stamp it several times to get a dark, crisp image.  It was cut into three rectangles, splattered and distressed, and layered on white rectangles.

The background layer was created by smooshing white cardstock into various spritzed Distress Oxide Inks on a craft mat.  After this dried, it was die cut with an old Spellbinders’ Frame Die.  The three image rectangles were layered on top of this.

Have a great week.

Beach and Coffee

Happy Memorial Day.  So many families are spending this long weekend at the beach so I thought I would create a card with a beach theme.  It is also time for the 2018 Spring/Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop so I mixed it up with a coffee theme, too.  Coffee is a vital part of my relaxing weekend.

I used the Coffee Background from Just For Fun Rubber Stamps.  It was inked with various Distress Inks to coordinate with the colors I planned to use for the sunset.  This was stamped first and then the same colors were sponged on top.  Darker blue and brown were sponged around the edges.

JFF's Adirondack Sunset image was stamped in brown twice.  The first image was sponged with Distress Inks to coordinate with the Coffee background.  On the second image the sun was sponged with Distress Ink and the chair was colored with Copic Markers.  These were both fussy cut and layered onto the inked image.

Using dark brown Memento Ink, the “May your day be filled...” sentiment from JFF was stamped on a white rectangle.  Distress Inks were sponged over and around it.  It was layered on blue, along with the Adirondack Sunset Image and then layered on top of the Coffee Background.  A small Sizzix coffee cup was die cut, sponged with ink, and added with fiber.

Have a wonderful week.

E. Marie

Smile

Seems like the weather cannot make up its mind if it is spring or winter.  In my area it has been lovely the last few days.  The flowers are in full bloom and it is so beautiful.  I decided to share a card showing some lovely blooms using the Jar Daisies image.  I have been taking some Copic classes and decided to use some of what I learned to color this.

The Small Canning Jar was stamped on heavy vellum and fussy cut.  A little color was added on the back and it was placed over the flower stems.  A die cut “smile” was added to a banner and layered across the jar front.  To be honest, I had planned to simply place the smile die cut on the jar but made a little mistake and needed to cover it up.  Mistakes bring out our creativity.

Hope you are having lovely weather in your area.

E. Marie

Easter Cross

Today I want to share a card, using one of my favorite Easter stamps from Just For Fun, Easter Cross.

The card background was created with a piece of cream cardstock, die cut and layered on purple.  Gold was added behind the die cut center and pieces of gold and cream were layered on the front center.

The image was stamped with Rich Cocoa Memento Ink on cream cardstock.  After coloring with Copic Markers, it was fussy cut and centered on the card front.

Have a lovely week and a blessed Easter.

E. Marie

Just For Fun March Challenge

It is time for a new challenge at the Just For Fun blog.  The March challenge is so easy – use a die cut! 

I chose to use the Delicate Garden Frame die from Sue Wilson.  I love her dies.  I cut it out in white and used it to surround the JFF Brushed Floral image.  The image and background were colored with Copic Markers, along with the small die cut flowers.  A glitter pen was used to add a little sparkle to the middle of each flower.  The butterfly is also part of the die set.

Pull out your dies and stamp images and show us what you have created.  You can find all the challenge info here.

E. Marie

Simple Topiary

I have two versions of a simple card to share today.  This card can be used for all kinds of occasions and features stamps from Just For Fun.

The background was created by adding a variety of Distress Oxide Inks to the Stacked Blocks image and stamping on a white strip.  The Topiary image was stamped in black on top.  It didn’t show up as much as I wanted so I stamped it again on white, fussy cut, and layered it on top.

The remainder of the card was layers of white, with the images popped up in the center, and score lines added.

Since I still wanted the look of the Topiary simply stamped on top of the colors, the Stacked Blocks was stamped again with the remaining ink on the white card front.  Since this was lighter, the image showed up much better. 

A green layer was added to bring out more of the image colors.

Hope you have a fantastic week.

E. Marie