Snowfolk, Birthday Flower Wearing Style

A shaped birthday card for someone who loves snow folk. And because I'm so ready for spring. I cut two snow folk with Papertrey Ink's Shape Up: Snowman die.

The face is stamped with the matching stamp set. The wreath is die cut from the Make It Market kit: Garden Gate, The tulips are cut from the MIM kit: Market Street. The cake is made with the Tremendous Treats: Birthday set. The cake is colored with Vintage Photo and Scattered Straw Distress Markers and the candles and plate are colored with Cracked Pistachio. The candles have a tiny dot of Xmas Stickles and Mustard Seed flame and glow. The arms are colored with Gathered Twigs spritzed with water.

I added a bit of dimension by shaping the flowers of the wreath before gluing them (Tombow Multi Glue). The cake has 2 layers of foam tape. The hands are glued to the cake and the arms to the body.

 The second die cut is just large enough for this sentiment from Offbeat Birthday.

 And I included a Wallet Size Magnifier : D.

I have the most success die cutting stamped images with a closed die by saving the remainder of a diecut and lining up the stamped image on a cutting plate, and then fitting the die into the template. I am a HUGE fan of Tim Holtz' Sizzix Sidekick for cutting all the little things right at my desk.

WOYWW 405

Oh.my.bug. I have done something I have never done before. I am participating in a Knitalong, not after the fact, in real time.... well snail time but still. The Marled Magic Mystery Shawl KAL to be precise.

So here I am happily knitting along around row 32 of the first section... when I look at my piece and then look at the designer's picture of this section, and about 50 other people's pictures... and that's when I realized I was doing it WRONG... so very very very wrong.

So after a blue streak had filled the space above my house, I ripped IT ALL out and learned that the term yarn OVER means you put the yarn UNDER the needle... and apparently this makes a difference. So here is my rebooted project. Now it looks like it's supposed to look! Apparently I am tenacious AF XD or the knitting embodiment df Sisyphus: D.

On a less frustrating note, I made a ballerina robot get well card : D. Stamping Up Lots of Bots, with Papertrey Ink Background Basics: Retro on the card base background and various colors of Stickles.

Head over to Julia's Stamping Ground for more crafty peeks : D.

Papertrey Ink: Celebrating 2007

Papertrey Ink is celebrating it's 10th anniversary starting with the 2007 release. Both berry sizes from Green Thumb are stamped with Versamark. The tops are heat embossed with Ranger Super Fine Detail Gold and the berries with Sprinkle N Sparkle White Opaque Embossing Powders. Then I painted a little Frayed Burlap and Gathered Twig Distress Ink and applied Golden Rod and Champagne Stickles with a few sequins for good measure. : )

While I wasn't papercrafting at all in 2007, I bought some of the sets later. This is one of my favorites using the Paper Tray stamp set (the first set Papertrey Ink released).

Miss Ewe is made with My Punny Valentine and some stickles for the crown.

And the Thanks Ewes with moving legs. Sadly mini wobbles had not been manufactured yet for the sheep heads. But I might make another : D.

Loads of Fun Birthday Card

Loving the Loads of Fun set from Lawn Fawn. The image is stamped with one of the Alcohol Ink techniques from Creative Chemistry 103. I used a 1 3/4 inch circle die to make the washer window. The cardstock is Papertrey Ink's Tropical Teal. 

On the inside I used the die cut circle to stamp a laundry basket "cupcake". I used an exacto knife to make layers in the laundry, and then put in candles from Papertrey Ink's Wishes Come True set (they are longer than the basket, but easy peasy to cut to size). Colored with Twisted Citron and Peeled Paint Distress Markers. The bubble highlights are made with a Picket Fence Distress Marker and at first they are totally invisible, but after a few seconds the color really pops.

Red Stickles accent the candle flames, and Diamond Stickles highlight spaces between bubbles.

 I only stamped the bubbles where they were likely to be seen. On the left is the back of the card front. I used a scrap piece of watercolor paper (painted a light blue) as the back of the shaker.

Adventure Kaleidoscope

I think the Kaleidoscope is finally finished... but I thought that a while ago too lol. I added some rubber stamping from Papertrey Ink's Road Trip and Technique Tuesday's Going Places set. The stamping is done by inking up the stamps without a block (Coffee Archival Ink). Hold the center of the stamp in place and then roll the sides with your fingers so they contact the surface. This did not make a perfect impression of the stamp (the texture and slick surface see to that), but I love the effect. What doesn't show up in the photograph is a smattering of dots made with Diamond Stickles.

I covered the striped paper from the kit with tissue paper inked with a little Rusty Hinge Distress Ink. The first few layers I used Ranger's Glue N Seal. The last is Ranger Matte Collage Medium. The Crazing Medium and the Vintage Medium would have been splendid also.

I also used Glue n' Seal on the eye piece to make it a little more durable.

The ribbons are all altered seam binding colored with leftover inks. The narrow ribbon is gathered with a long blanket stitch (with 2-ply handspun silk embroidery thread). Beads are strung on some of the ribbons too. And a charm from Club Scrap's Cyprus kit.

Stickles covers some rough edges.

And this is the view : D.

By the way, 2016 marks the 200th anniversary of the kaleidoscope. It's not too late to join the celebration.

Papertrey Ink's Stamp-a-faire 2016

The day started off with a color recipe challenge. I used SAF 2014 1940's mini kit with the Monet recipe. I love the New Leaf, inked again with Pinefeather around the edges.

Then we hustled off to Night Skies. Apparently the secret to night skies are some pale colors. And instead of painting a ground scene I inked the edges with more Enchanted Evening. The Sparkle is some light blue shimmer cardstock from Club Scrap. A bit of handspun linen for the thread nest, some silver star sequins, pale pink sequins, and Stickles (diamond, icicle and lavender). The sparkle is cut with the Sparkle die (from the Sparkle & Shine word dies) made with two layers glued together. The sentiment is from the Sparkle & Shine stamp set.

Gilded in Gold was about gilding, but I didn't have Liquid Leaf, so I drew inspiration from the Klimt video, especially his Tree of Life painting. The tree is from Through the Trees stamped with Versaark and heat embossed with Ranger Fine Detail Gold. The little bird is from the same stamp, stamped in Onyx Black Versafine. The print is from Woodblock Prints stamped with Chalk Box gold pigment ink (just have to remember to heat set it lol).

This was a totally different sort of card based on impressionism and Melissa's technique. The stamp sets for the flowers are Pretty Peonies, Vintage Linens, and Make It Market kit: Nostalgic Notions. The leaves are from Cutting Garden and inked with Spring Moss, spritzed and then stamped and fussy cut. Background Basics: Newsprint was stamped across the Friendship Jar and Background Basics: Gingham was stamped across the bottom. The vellum tag is cut with Fillable Frames #9 and stamped with Merci from Think Big Favorites #3. The scalloped border is from Be Happy set.  Melissa's flower technique is simply brilliant : D. I stamped the jar with Aqua Mist and then painted over it with Aqua Mist and Mint Julep. I need to remember to expand my "outline" stamp color palette.  I've started just gluing down the middle of the flowers with a little bit of Ranger's Matte Multi Medium.

I really loved how this card turned out, inspired by Lizzie Jones' take on a painting by Berthe Morisot. It's difficult to see in the picture, but there is a bit of subtle dry brushing. I discovered a new paint recipe. Pour a small bit (dime sized) of regular acrylic paint on the craft sheet over a smudge from an inkpad (ths was white paint over Stormy Sea) and the spritz the dickens out of it until it is very very watery. Then I distressed the edges with Iced Spruce and Bundled Sage. The sentiment is from Embroidered Blooms stamped with one of Wendy Vecchi's Archival Inks. The flowers are stamped with Yellow Tart, Pale Peony, Berry Sorbet and Pure Poppy (totally copied Lizzie's ink choices). Again the flowers are only attached in the middle, the larger one with Ranger's Matte Multi Medium and the smaller ones with a piece of foam tape.

The challenge for this card was learning different ways to make drips and splatters (on purpose lol). I used tinted white acrylic paint (this time with Forest Moss Distress Ink), Royal Velvet and Ocean Tides. I loved the whole background so much, I decided not to use a tag and just stamped the sentiment (the happy from Be Happy and the Everything from Everyday Happiness). The card front is Stamper's Select White and the base is Stormy Sea.

This card was made using pointillism. Even though the deadline was drawing near, it was nice to have a bit of reflective time and listen to the latest Paperclipping Round Table while I stamped (Sweet Blush, Pale Peony, and Berry Sorbet) and then fussy cut. The techniques are not so absorbing that I forget to listen, but just the right amount of doing something to not drift off and think about other things (I actually was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 50, but sadly the medications are contraindicated with other conditions I have). The flower is from Year of Flowers: Carnation, the sentiment is from Garden Variety, the card base is Stormy Sea, the string is Rustic Twine thorugh the largest String Frames die, and the buttons are from a bag of Sweet Blush Buttons. Flat little glue dots keep the buttons in place.

It was really late at this point, so by the time I realized my mistake with the watercoloring challenge, it was too late to start over. The problem was I started with Stamper's Select cardstock instead of Watercolor Paper. (I don't know the face palm emoticon lol). But it still turned out nicely, just not as watery as I had hoped. I used one of my all time favorite stamp sets, Willow, and the backgrounds are both sizes of Background Basics: Gingham. The large is stamped over the willow tree die cuts with Ocean Tides, and the bottom is stamped with Spring Moss. The sentiment is from Think Big Favorites #3 stamped with Pinefeather.

The color blocking is all done on one layer! Wilted Violet soup can with a Picked Raspberry background. Abandoned Coral soup can with a Twisted Citron background. Salty Ocean soup can with a Cracked Pistachio background. Peacock Feathers soup can with a Squeezed Lemonade background. The stamp is from Comfort Food. I'm so glad I was finally able to get this set.

Vitamin Sea

I'm participating in Creative Chemistry 2016 and the background is one of the techniques from Chemistry 102. I am beyond giddy that I can make my on glossy paper tags with the Tim Holtz Tag & Bookplates die (and Glossy Paper).  The woman in the water (at the bottom of the tag), the sentiment on the side, and seahorses are from Crafty Secrets Mermaids stamp set. The Octopus and Jellyfish are from Hero Arts My Monthly Hero kit from July 2016. The protractor stamp is from Jenni Bowlin Studios. The sentiment is from Tim Holtz' Boundless Flight and the chandelier is from a set by Inkadinkadoo.

Simon Says Nautical/By the Sea, so it is : D

Hero Arts also made a Color Layering Octopus stamp set.

I'm also addicted to making these little seahorses with crackle paint (seriously it is Crack). These are all made from Tim Holtz Movers & Shaker dies cut from the backs of thick cardboard (the back of product packaging with the shiny top layer peeled off).

Hoping you get your fix of Vitamin Sea this summer : ).

Make It Monday #245: Color Isolation

A Make It Monday challenge actually made on a Monday. The sequins are actually crystal, but no matter what I tried they come out purple in the photo. The frame and colored cupcake are all colored with Distress Markers, the cupcake also has some Goldenrod Stickles. The background cupcakes are stamped with Fine Linen. All the images that were colored were stamped in VersaFine Onyx Black pigment ink. It dries quickly and tolerates waterbased markers, watercolors and alcohol markers. Plus it gives a really deep  and even image.

And because Simon Says Anything Goes, I entered it there as well.

Make It Monday #244: Score Lines

Make It Monday #244: Score Lines. I used them twice, once around the Spring Moss card front and one the Stamper's Select White card base (every 1/2 inch).

This morning I woke up to this, even though the grass is just about to need mowing and the birds are building nests and frogs were singing in the near by creek yesterday.

The DIY stamping device made from a DVD case was critical in getting the images stamped three times with white pigment ink exactly in the same place. The snowflake is from Snowflake Medley, the flower is from Note Niblets. After I dried the pigment ink with my heat gun, I colored the flowers and the middle part of the snowflake with Memento Angel Pink marker and put a dot of Yellow Stickles in the center of all the flowers.

And because Simon Says Anything Goes, I'm entering it there as well.

Papertrey Ink Grab and Craft Challenge

Five minute card, with Winter Hills, Dsitress Markers and Diamond Stickles.

Christmas Golf Dome

An interactive Christmas Golf Dome for my father's widow who loves golf. I made the snowman and the snow golf ball out of toilet paper and a smidge of glue (this dries much faster than paper clay at this size). I assembled the snowman and attached it with glossy accents. When it had dried I covered it and the snowball with Icicle Stickles. The tiny tree is one I picked up at a big box store and removed the base. The golf cart is die cut and stamped using On the Links stamp and die set with Shrinky Dink so it would fit in the dome.

Make sure the tree is not going to be cramped by the dome (unless that is the look you are going for lol).  The dome base is from the Make It Market kit: Tinsel & Tags. The tag on the front is from Tinier Tags from Stamp-a-faire 2015 stamped with the Merry Christmas from the Make It Market kit: All Through the House (attached to the dome with Glossy Accents).

I made the golf hole by using a standard size hole punch and attaching a piece of straw underneath it and a piece of cardstock at the base of the straw. I punched a hole for the tree wire and put some glossy accents around the hole to make sure the tree stayed put. The tree is decorated with red Stickles. The golf cart is attached with Glossy Accents.

The Candy Aisle Was Haunted

Another layout from my Club Ruby Designers Design Team Days (2011). The letters are all cut with the Printing Press Cricut cartridge and then doodled with a black marker around the edges. I don't remember how I cut the bowl, but the Chocolate Bunny is from the Easter 2010 cart, the peeps are from the Spring Holiday cart and the Grabby Gotcha hand is from the October 31st cart.

Less than 15 Days

I don't know what it was about this dog. The look in her eyes? The furrow in her brow? She had less than 15 days to adjust to life in one of the highest kill shelters in the country and then she was killed despite the fact that a lot of people were pulling for her. And it. just. broke. my. heart. So I scrapped it.

When I made the page back in 2012, I could barely get the foundation down. But I've been looking at it again for a few months, and even though it still makes me cry, I finally feel I've conveyed what I wanted to say.

I removed the heart embellishment from the top of the pocket and reattached it to the pull out card. I used gold paint on the top of the card. RIP Boo is written on Papertrey Ink White Shimmer cardstock edged with gold paint on the edges. I cut off the points on the side of the mat, and added a pair of gold foiled scissors and leafy boughs from Maggie Holmes. I used Dr. Ph. Martin No Bleed White for the lettering and details around the mat. Then used Gold Stickles to embellish the blue pattern paper.

 The front of the pull out has all of her shelter info on it. .

My journaling is on the back.

Simon Says Sparkle and Shine, there is a LOT of gold paint (two tones), Gold Stickles and White Shimmer cardstock.

If you are looking to add a pet to your family, please consider adopting from a shelter or rescue.

A Little Frog

A little frog, some masking, some Twinkling H2O paints and a little bit of Stickles for stars. The frog is painted with Forest Moss Distress Ink, and the lily pad is stamped with Shabby Shutters. The water is painted with Egyptian Gold Twinkling H2O, the water with Blue Ice and the sky with Periwinkle. The stars are dots of Icicle Stickles.

Lawnscaping Challenge Sparkle and Shine. Simon Says Anything Goes.

Under the Sparkling Sea

Today did not go as I had planned lol. I was sorting through stamps last night and became obsessed with the idea of using the Mergirl set by Santoro London so I went with the mojo and did a little mixed media piece. The challenge Work It Wednesday on the Simon Says Blog is Refreshment, and I thought how refreshing it would be to be a merperson under the sea. Used a LOT of Distress Markers and Twinkling H2Os and restrained myself with the use of Stickles. The frame is the base for a Christmas Ball set, painted white with drops of blue (and a big brush) and applied a doily in the paint. I also stamped some sea weed, a mermaid from a different set and some puffer fish but most of them were covered up. The base for the sentiment is Ocean Tides embossed with one of the We R Memory Keepers Geometric embossing folders and dry brushed with white paint. The sentiment is from Club Scrap's National Parks kit, stamped in a slew of inks.

There is a lot of sparkle between the Twinkling H2O paints and the Stickles.

Simon Says Anything Goes : )