Through the windows
Posted: February 6, 2011 Filed under: CAS, Stamp Simply challenges 14 Comments
I have a tiny snowscape for you today viewed as though through a train window as you travel through the snow covered countryside. To make it I punched three squares out of a post-it note and then created a post-it note mask for the horizon and a moon mask also. The technique is the same masking and sponging technique I use so often but in miniature.
I have several non-stamping projects on the go at present so very little time to stamp but I am hoping to participate in a few challenges later today. Thanks for dropping in, I hope you are having a great weekend.
Supplies:
Stamps: A little tree stamp from Embassy Arts, Teensy Tiny Wishes
Inks: Night of Navy, Bashful Blue, Basic black, Brocade Blue
Cardstock: Flourishes classic white
Simply White
Posted: March 15, 2009 Filed under: Designer Paper, Garden Whimsy, Stamp Simply challenges 2 Comments
Sharon’s Stamp Simply challenge this week is to use a white mat in your card. I was surprised how hard it was. I usually pick a colour from the stamped image for my mats so I ended up stamping in versamark and embossing a white image on designer paper then matting each square in white. Sharon’s design team made some beautiful cards, several using white on white which was lovely, but I couldn’t seem to get that to work for me today.
I gave my white base rectangle a little bit of texture with the Large Dots Texturz plate (which I just noticed you cannot see at all!) and added a strip of Sahara Sand behind my little square images. I used the bug, butterfly and snail from Garden Whimsy and Delicate Dots d.p. as they were in keeping with my dotty theme. The ribbon is narrow white satin from my ribbon basket.
Supplies:
Stamps: Garden Whimsy
Inks: Versamark
Cardstock: Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Delicate Dots d.p.
Also: White e.p., white satin ribbon
Glimpse of Spring
Posted: February 26, 2009 Filed under: Best Yet, Garden silhouettes, Stamp Simply challenges 17 Comments
Today is my last day as guest designer for Sharon’s Stamp Simply Challenge at No Time to Stamp. I have enjoyed myself immensely. Thanks, Sharon and your wonderful design team for the opportunity to join in the fun.
Stamp Simply challenge #76 is to provide a remedy for Cabin Fever. We need to see some spring. I don’t know what it is like where you are but the ground is still well and truly snow covered where I am! The temperature today did rise above zero today, though, so some would say spring must be on it’s way.
This is one of those cards I designed in my head and then when I came to try it out it actually worked out! Sometimes I can see a design clearly in my head and no matter what I do I cannot make it happen on cardstock. To make the spring scene I first cut an oval out of cardstock with my Creative memory cutters. I used the piece with the oval missing to make a mask, laying it on my white cardstock and stamping, then sponging everything except the sentiment without moving the mask.
I used the blossom stamp from Garden Silhouettes which is a favourite set of mine. Using the Rose Red, Regal Rose, Bravo Burgandy and Always Artichoke markers I coloured directly onto the stamp. The flowers were done with Regal Rose, but I added a centre dots with Bravo Burgandy and a few highlights on the edges with Rose Red. The leaves and stems were all Artichoke. It sounds fiddly but it onlytook me about 10 minutes to colour and stamp, this is the Stamp Simply challenge after all. I sponged Pretty in Pink and Mellow Moss around the oval edges. After removing the mask I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to place my sentiment exactly where I wanted it.
(Just for the record, I did try to add ribbon, on the white, on the green, in bows or knots or just flat, but I couldn’t make it improve the composition at all!)
Don’t forget to check out the design team’s spring inspirations:
Dee, Tammy, Janine, AJ, Jennifer, Julie and Sharon
Supplies:
Stamps: Garden Silhouettes, Best Yet
Inks: Rose Red, Regal Rose, Bravo Burgandy and Always Artichoke Markers, Pretty in Pink, Mellow Moss
Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss, Whisper White
Also: Creative Memories oval cutters
Need to be negative
Posted: February 5, 2009 Filed under: Happiness is a Journey, Stamp Simply challenges 10 Comments
That’s right, I needed to be negative when I made this card. Sharon’s Stamp Simply challenge this week is to use negative images or negative spaces left after using a punch. The stamped image is the only negative thing about this card, because I am actually feeling very positive about being the Stamp Simply Guest Designer for February! Thank you Sharon for including me in your team for the month.
This card is truly a “stamp simply” card. One stamp set, three markers and one piece of cardstock! I coloured directly onto the train stamp and then spritzed some water onto the stamp to blur the edges a little between my colours. After I had stamped one image using these colours I realised how much the green strip looked like foliage so Istamped another using the green marker a little more intentionally to create a background of trees for the train going past. I also used markers to highlight the word “Journey” in the sentiment.
I had a few trial images of the train lying around on my craft table so I decided to make a less simple card and use some mattes and embellishments. You can see the result below. I was happy with it but I prefer the simplicity of the one layer in the first card.
Make sure you check out the designs by the talented Stamp Simply design team:
Julie, Janine, Jennifer, Tammy, Dee, AJ, and of course Sharon.
Supplies:
Inks: Night of Navy, Bordering Blue and Always Artichoke stampin’write markers
Cardstock: Whisper white (Night of Navy, Bordering Blue, Always Artichoke)
Stamps: Happiness is a Journey (Fundamental Phrases)
Also: Navy grosgrain ribbon, hodgepodge hardware buckle
A modern edge
Posted: January 24, 2009 Filed under: Stamp Simply challenges 5 CommentsI have some new toys that arrived this week so I decided to use them for Sharon’s Stamp Simply challenge and the CPS sketch challenge as well. Sharon asked us to keep it modern, and CPS gave us the option of choosing any sketch from the 99 they have posted so far. Unfortunately I didn’t get my card up in time to enter the competition on CPS, but they have a new competition starting tomorrow with anniversary give aways and chances to be published.
I chose sketch #7 and tried out my new Forest Branches cuttlebug embossing folder. To make it modern I was thinking of a clean layout with minimal embellishments. I stamped the trees three times in Always Artichoke then punched them out with a 1¼” circle punch. I have matted the tree circles with a very thin black matte and highlighted the split in the card, again with black. I chose a bold unadorned sentiment to stay modern.
Supplies:
Stamps: Upsy Daisy,Single tree stamp from I know not where?
Inks: Always Artichoke, Basic Black
Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Going Gray, Whisper White
Also: Forest Branches embossing folder(cuttlebug) Nestabilities circle die(Spellbinders) ,1¼” circle punch
Still winter
Posted: January 9, 2009 Filed under: Lovely as a Tree, Snowflakes, Stamp Simply challenges, Stamped Landscapes 2 CommentsMy children are big Narnia fans, so when I saw Sharon’s challenge this week I thought of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe where in Narnia it is “always winter, but never Christmas”. So although, we may use the same stamps we used at Christmas, the challenge is to make a card that says “Winter” It is very much “still winter” here and we had a snowstorm this week to prove it.
For my card I decided to continue playing with the snowy landscape idea, once again using Lovely as a Tree. I punched a small moon out of a post it note and tore a strip of paper to mask my snow at the bottom. I sponged in all the sky first using summer sun, apricot appeal and pumpkin pie. Then I stamped the background trees in grey with the mask still in place. I then swapped the mask over and covered the sponged sky and lightly stamped the trees upside down to try and make a shadow. It didn’t work that well so I sponged more shadow in grey. Finally I stamped two black trees and a greeting.
It’s nice to be stamping again. Thanks for stopping by.
Supplies:
Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Snowflakes
Inks: Summer Sun, Apricot Appeal, Pumpkin Pie, Going Gray
Cardstock: Whisper White, Apricot Appeal, Going Grey, Basic Black
Heather Telford 