Take one, take two
Posted: September 25, 2011 Filed under: CAS, With Gratitude 25 CommentsI have missed stamping during the last few busy weeks so the sketch at Less is More was a nice way to get back into it this weekend. The sketch features a square card base but I think a little artistic license is allowed so my cards are rectangular.
My first attempt didn’t make it into this post but the one below is similar. I masked a rectangle in the top left corner and rolled some music notes across it. I added colour by sponging and then removed the mask. My intention was to stamp two leaves, one falling onto the coloured panel and one falling off. When I dropped the stamp onto the top left hand edge I had to add another leaf, then another to balance and before long leaves fell down the whole card.
My second card is not a one layer but it is more to my liking. I did the same sponging and musical notes on a panel but added a larger gold leaf and then popped it up on stampin’ dimensionals. Now that I have had a chance to stamp again I also need to get back to my intention to accept Susan’s challenge to send thank you cards to loved ones before Thanksgiving. None sent yet…so that shouldn’t be too hard to improve on!
Supplies:
Stamps: With Gratitude, Kind Thanks, Music notes roller (SU)
Inks: Encore gold, Apricot Appeal, Ruby Red, Real Rust, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Flourishes Classic Ivory
Also: Gold Glory e.p.
Reflections
Posted: September 5, 2011 Filed under: CAS, Stamped Landscapes 23 CommentsThe photography section of the National Geographic website is full of breathtaking photos. One caught my eye a couple of days ago and inspired the following card. You can see the photo by Macduff Everton here.
I took a few stamper’s liberties in recreating the photo as I was limited by the stamps I had. I masked the top and bottom of the card then place a mask across the line of reflection to create the top part of the scene first. Using three tones of brown I sponged the sky , hill and ground then added the trees.
After moving the centre mask I sponged the reflections. I then re-stamped the trees on the plastic positioning sheet that comes with stamp-ama-jig. I placed the sheet upside down and ink side down below the line of reflection and rolled over it with a brayer to transfer the image. I know, I know a photo tutorial would explain it much better than me!
The National Geographic site has also inspired me to try and take some reflections shots of my own. I hope you enjoy your long weekend, if you have one. It’s back to school tomorrow for everyone here. Thanks for dropping by and thanks for leaving comments here; I love to read them and follow the trail back to your creations when I can.
Supplies:
Stamps: Little stamp of four trees I acquired somewhere, Thank you Kindly (SU)
Inks: Crumb cake, Soft Suede, Early Espresso (SU)
Cardstock: Flourishes Classic Ivory
Golden leaves
Posted: September 3, 2011 Filed under: CAS, With Gratitude 35 CommentsThis week’s challenge at Less is More is to use something metallic. I am reluctant to admit it but there are golden leaves falling in my back yard already.
I decided to use gold embossing powder and ink to add a metallic touch to my card. First I masked then stamped the leaf twice in gold ink. Then I got distracted by something on the computer as you do. I don’t know how long I was away from the card but when I came back to it the gold ink had dried to really hold much embossing powder. I heated it anyway then brayered over the leaves with summer sun and old olive. There wasn’t enough rich colour with just the green and yellow so I switched to sponging and added some pumpkin pie. To finish I removed the masks and stamped two more leaves and embossed them immediately.
I hope you weekend is delightful.
Supplies:
Stamps: With Gratitude (SU)
Inks: Encore gold, Old Olive, Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie
Cardstock: Flourishes Classic Ivory
Also: Gold Glory e.p.
Summer forever
Posted: September 2, 2011 Filed under: CAS, Trees 11 Comments
The nights are getting cooler here but the days are still lovely so I thought another summer scene would be appropriate. It won’t be long before it is all autumn colours. Unlike others who are already posting their Christmas designs, I can’t seem to stamp too much out of season. I guess I am inspired by whatever’s happening outside.
This is the type of scene that I usually do on a one layer card but I think it works with a thin black mat also. I sponged a blue and green background between two masks before removing the masks and adding the tree and sentiment.
Have a great weekend.
Supplies:
Stamps: Trees (Darkroom Door) Season of Friendship (SU)
Inks: Basic Black, Brocade Blue ,Certainly Celery
Cardstock: SU Whisper White, Brocade Blue, Basic Black
Less is More 30 Take Three
Posted: August 28, 2011 Filed under: CAS, Garden silhouettes 21 CommentsThe Less is More challenge this week is to revisit three of their previous challenges, combining them in one new card. I was inspired by a clever and vibrant card by Lydia of Understand Blue.
I revisited the following Less is More challenges:
- Week 6. Off the Edge
- Week 13. Thank you or Congratulations
- Week 28. Use Ink
I masked the top and bottom of the card with post-its then accepted the challenge to use ink in a new way. I rarely use the direct to paper effect with an ink pad but it does make a bold stripe of colour. After swiping the three ink pads I added the silhouette, removed the masks and added the sentiment.
Thank you to all the kind visitors who drop by here. I appreciated your comments regarding the weddings where my girls have been playing violin. The one last week in a garden did have great weather and all went beautifully. They are playing at the last one today; it was also meant to be outside, on a porch overlooking a beautiful garden. When I dropped them off it was beginning to rain and was also windy so I imagine the wedding was moved inside. If you are interested I have posted photos of my girls on my family blog.
Supplies:
Stamps: Garden Silhouettes, Thankyou Kindly (SU)
Inks: Not quite Navy, More Mustard, Ruby Red (SU), Versafine Black Onyx
Cardstock: Flourishes Classic Ivory
Sandy shore
Posted: August 26, 2011 Filed under: CAS 7 Comments
I spent the day at a water slide park today but because I have back issues I was not splashing down the slides I was simply accompanying a friend and nine enthusiastic water sliders. I couldn’t help thinking as I walked around the crowded park how I prefer the sun, sand and sea combination to any other summer water activity. Since living in Ottawa I have grown to appreciate and enjoy the relaxing ‘cottage by the lake experience’ but I still long for the ocean.
That might be why I pulled out this single stamp, one I have had for at least 15 years. The stamp image is a triangle of shells which is perfect for a corner so I stamped it on the left then rotated it and stamped it on the right. To create the sand I sponged pumpkin pie, summer sun and more mustard; probably a bit stronger tones than the average beach but I think they make the right summery impression.
Supplies:
Stamps: Shells(Stampworld), Hugs and Wishes (SU)
Inks: Summer Sun, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pie
Cardstock: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip
Garden wedding card
Posted: August 20, 2011 Filed under: CAS, Greenhouse Garden 6 Comments
This weekend we are off to another wedding and the colour scheme is purple and green just like the one we attended last Saturday. As I helped design and make the invitations for today’s wedding I had plenty of samples and examples on hand for making a matching wedding card. I really like the four square layout so I punched out previously stamped flowers and grass and matted in Rich Razzleberry. The squares are popped up and the sentiment shortened so its length matched the width of the squares.
The wedding is in the garden of the groom’s family so we have been watching the weather all week. My girls are playing violin and I will be trying to snap as many photos as I can. My son has agreed to wear a button up shirt and long pants but is adamant that he will not tuck the shirt in!
Have a great day.
Supplies:
Stamps: Greenhouse Garden, Graceful Words(SU)
Inks: Certainly Celery, Perfect Plum, Rich Razzleberry
Cardstock: Confetti Cream, Very Vanilla, Rich Razzleberry
Fern frond wedding card
Posted: August 16, 2011 Filed under: CAS, Wilderness Vol.2 16 CommentsAfter being a little experimental the other day I returned to the safety and comfort of masking and sponging. Sigh…that’s more like it.
We went to a beautiful wedding on Saturday where the bridesmaids wore purple and carried green and red flowers. I went with purple and green colour scheme for my card. I masked so I could sponged about a third of the card. I sponged with sage shadow, almost amethyst and elegant eggplant. Before removing the mask I stamped the fern a few times. With the mask off I stamped the fern again and added the sentiment.
Thank you for all the encouraging comments about my “experiment”. I appreciate you taking the time to write me a note.
Supplies:
Stamps: Wilderness Vol.2 (Darkroom Door), Teeny Tiny wishes(SU)
Inks: Sage Shadow, Almost Amethyst, Elegant Eggplant
Cardstock: Flourishes Classic Ivory
An Inky Experiment
Posted: August 15, 2011 Filed under: CAS 13 CommentsThe Less is More challenge this week calls for us to use ink. Well that is no problem; I always use ink. When I read more however, I noticed the encouragement to use it in a way you haven’t tried before. So my card is somewhat experimental. It was only after I had completed two expermiments that I noticed the challenge also suggested using a favourite technique! Now that would have been easier. But experimentation is important; occasionally wonderful effects are created. This experiment needs a little refining but I will show you anyhow.
I used watercolour paper which had a lot of texture. Unfortunately this paper does not work well for stamping but is fine for sloshing ink around. I used masking fluid to paint a square border and then painted water into the square area before adding droplets of ink. I let the ink spread, tilting the paper a little to make it head in different directions. I used only two colours but the green ink split into pigments which gave me a pinky brown as well. After the ink dried I stamped the feathers and embossed them. The texture of the paper was difficult to work with as the ink didn’t reach the indents but the powder did.
I may continue to play around with this technique, particularly trialing different papers. Make sure you check out the challenge gallery at Less is More. Inspiration abounds as always.
Supplies:
Stamps: Feather C-1536 (PSX)
Inks: Buckaroo Blue & True Thyme inks (SU), Versafine Onyx Black
Cardstock: Demco Watercolour paper
Sponged wooded path
Posted: August 9, 2011 Filed under: CAS, Wilderness Vol.2 9 Comments
This stamp is so lovely that it doesn’t really need me to add anything. I have used it once before with embossing and autumn colours so this time I tried the colours I see around at present and a little sponging outside the lines.
I spent most of the weekend at the National Youth Track & Field Championships volunteering and watching my daughter compete so I am now catching up on the inspiring cards that were posted over the weekend.
Supplies:
Stamps: Wilderness Vol.2 (Darkroom Door), Hugs & Wishes(SU)
Inks: Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Close to Cocoa
Cardstock: Flourishes Classic White
Heather Telford 
