Birds in a row
Posted: August 21, 2010 Filed under: Of the Earth 6 Comments
I dropped into a newspaper and magazines store a few weeks ago to look for a papercraft magazine. I don’t have a subscription anymore so I thought I would treat myself during the summer. There were no papercraft or card magazines at all so I started browsing through some of the painting magazines. I ended up buying a magazine from Quebec which contained mainly articles written in French. Even though I don’t speak French the magazine was full of inspiration both for painting (I teach an art class to 10-15 year olds) and stamping. I saw ideas for colour combinations, layouts and content.
This card was inspired by a couple of paintings by Noriko Imaï . I used the brayer to create the background, inking it up with more than one ink at a time. As you can see I wasn’t aiming for complete or even coverage, I wanted texture and colour. I stamped the birds in versamark, then embossed in white before adding colour with markers. I dragged the markers across the three images randomly applying mustard, turquoise and green.
The bird strip is popped up a little and the “just for you” tab had to be distressed so it would blend in. The look is a little different to my usual creations but I think it works.
Supplies:
Stamps: Of the Earth, Teensy Tiny Wishes
Inks: Tempting Turquoise, More Mustard, Garden Green, Versamark
Cardstock: Whisper White, More Mustard
Also: White e.p.
Thanksgiving leaves
Posted: August 19, 2010 Filed under: CAS, With Gratitude 16 Comments
I have been thrilled and amazed at all the encouraging comments I have received about yesterday’s OLW 16 Scene card. I was very happy with it but had no idea it would appeal to so many people. Thank you for your kind words. I mentioned at the end of that post that I would try the same technique again but with some autumn colours. Well here it is; not a scene this time but the same process. I masked off my panel, sponged in three colours, stamped the leaves in the same colours and then removed the masks before stamping the bold brown leaf and sentiment.
Those who have regularly drop in here might have noticed the layout has changed. I decided I wanted to try a new theme. All the elements are still here just moved around a little. Just click on the Bits & Pieces title at left to go to the full blog.
PS. I have just been looking at the Speedy the Cat’s Friends Challenge over at Mark’s Finest Papers and I think this card fits the Harvest Theme so I will link it. I have another idea forming in my imagination so check back later in the week.
Supplies:
Stamps: With Gratitude, Teensy Tiny Wishes
Inks: Chocolate Chip, Summer Sun, Ruby Red, Real Rust
Cardstock: Flourishes Classic White
OLW 16 Stamp a Scene
Posted: August 18, 2010 Filed under: CAS, Lovely as a Tree, Stamped Landscapes 44 Comments
Susan’s One Layer Wednesday challenge this week is to Stamp a Scene. You can use a stamp of a scene or make your own.
I have made my own, using a technique I often turn to. I create a background with sponging and then start stamping the far off elements in lighter colours, the middle ground elements in slightly darker colours and foreground larger elements in black. To make this scene I masked off a panel on the card first using post it notes and then began sponging. After sponging three colours one under the other I stamped the trees in Mellow Moss and then Always Artichoke before removing the post it notes. I finished by stamping the trees in black and adding a sentiment.
I think I might try another one using this technique, perhaps with autumn colours. (I have made a new one with autumn leaves here.) Thanks for dropping in today.
Supplies:
Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Inks: Basic Black, Always Artichoke, Mellow Moss, Bashful Blue
Cardstock: Flourishes Classic White
OLW 15 Unexpected Colours
Posted: August 17, 2010 Filed under: CAS, Snowflakes 1 Comment
Susan’s latest One Layer Wednesday challenge is to use an unexpected color scheme for a card. It doesn’t get much more unexpected than making pink snowflake Christmas cards. I didn’t really want to make pink Christmas cards, it just didn’t sit right with me! But I persevered and think I might even know who I’ll give these pink cards to. My camera didn’t really pick it up but both cards are embossed with iridescent ice e.p. for a little snowy sparkle.
Supplies:
Stamps: Snowflakes
Inks: Versamark, Pink Passion, White Craft
Cardstock: Whisper white, Pink Passion
Also: Iridescent Ice e.p.
The dragonfly tale
Posted: August 12, 2010 Filed under: CAS, Infinite Goodness 3 Comments
I mentioned earlier in the week that I had a set of dragonfly cards to share. I have five in total but I only set out to make one. The one above. The fact is that the one above ended up being the fourth one I made as things didn’t always work as I wanted them to.
So keeping in mind that I was aiming for that one above you can probably see how I made the one below. I had my dragonflies stamped in silver on my brayered cardstock. I had also added the eggplant dragonflies on the natural cardstock but something wasn’t working so I took my punch and extracted a few squares and created the layout below. It was then that I decided to be a little more methodical in my approach as it can be tricky to line up an image on a top layer and a layer underneath.
I brayered Elegant Eggplant, Taken with Teal and Sage Shadow on a piece of white cardstock so that I had plenty of background colour to work on. For the top card I cut a strip and stamped the dragonflies in silver encore ink and embossed them in silver ep. It worked much better when I made sure the brayered colour was entirely dry and was not going to pick up any of the embossing powder. I then lay my coloured strip with dragonflies on the Natural card base and used a stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp the eggplant dragonflies.
To make the one above and the one below I punched the squares out of the brayered cardstock and used classic CAS layouts.
Finally,I wanted one more card but my brayered cardstock was punched full of holes so I created a one layer card and instead of brayering the colour I sponged it using a mask punched out of post it note.
Thanks so much for scrolling through the whole dragonfly tale, once again I’m glad I didn’t give up when the first idea didn’t work as planned.
Supplies:
Stamps: Infinite Goodness, Graceful Words, Upsy Daisy, Best Yet, Simple Sayings 2, Everyday Flexible Phrases
Inks: Taken with Teal, Elegant Eggplant, Sage Shadow, Encore silver
Cardstock: Naturals White, Whisper White
Also: Silver e.p
CASEing the CAS
Posted: August 9, 2010 Filed under: Branch Out, CAS, Infinite Goodness 6 Comments
Each Sunday on the Splitcoast general stamping talk forum there is a thread where people list their favourite CAS cards of the week. Whenever I can I browse through the lists and end up inspired and ready to stamp. Yesterday was no exception, I think I saved at least a dozen cards in my favourites file. I picked two to CASE straight away and share with you today. The first was made by girlgeek101 and I decided to keep her colour scheme and technique but changed the stamp and orientation. I love tree stamps and images and thought the chocolate textured cardstock she used was rich and warm. The tree is stamped in Craft ink, clear embossed and the background sponged.
Supplies:
Stamps: Branch Out
Inks: Close to Cocoa Craft, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Close to Cocoa
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Also: Chocolate grosgrain ribbon
The second card I CASEd was quite different. Made by Jennifer Styles it featured a classic single square in the top half of the card with some very sweet stitching and text. I have tried stitching on cardstock with my sewing machine but it doesn’t like it so I did not even attempt it this time. Instead I punched a square out of some cardstock I had coloured with a brayer and then stamped my dragonfly in silver and embossed in silver. Using the Stamp-a-ma-jig I stamped the dragonfly again on the card so the wings and tail would line up, then added the word “dream” This card is part of a set of five dragonfly cards that I will post later in the week.
Supplies:
Stamps: Infinite Goodness, Everyday Flexible Phrases
Inks: Taken with Teal, Elegant Eggplant, Encore silver
Cardstock: Naturals White, Whisper White
Also: Silver e.p
Thanks for dropping and thanks girlgeek101 and Jennifer for the inspiration.
Birthday Diversity
Posted: August 7, 2010 Filed under: Inspired by Nature, My Kid's cards 2 Comments
I mentioned the other day that I would post the handmade cards my 16 year old received for her birthday, so here they are. The one above is the one I made. The background is all sponged; I made a wavy mask, sponged the top colour then cut a different wavy pattern across the top of the masking paper, sponged again, new mask, more sponging and so on. I didn’t worry about sponging over the colour I had just done as it did make too much difference. When all my stripes were complete I stamped the image from Inspired by Nature in Artichoke and added a paper insert to write on.
My younger daughter made the abstract collage below, a style I have never tried myself. We were all impressed withe the final mix of textures colours and shapes.
My son continued the sport theme he used when making my younger daughter’s soccer card, changing the sport to tennis and using some self adhering mesh I had for the net. We all think he should make a whole range of sports action cards. Thanks for dropping by to see the diversity in card making styles at our place!
Warm Sky Thankyou
Posted: August 6, 2010 Filed under: Of the Earth, Pocket Silhouettes 3 Comments
I don’t know that I have ever seen a sky quite this colour but I am sure it is possible. This was somewhat experimental but I am very happy with the way it turned out. I stamped the flower from Of the Earth and the grass from Pocket Silhouettes in versamark to create my field of flowers then embossed in clear. I used a brayer and Apricot Appeal for the sky, Certainly Celery for a little ground and then Pumpkin Pie around the edges.
I was inspired by this pretty card created by Jennifer McGuire.
Supplies:
Stamps: Of the Earth. Pocket Silhouettes, Thank You Kindly
Inks: Versamark, Chocolate Chip. Pumpkin Pie, Certainly Celery, Apricot Appeal
Cardstock: Confetti White, Whisper White
Also: Clear e.p., Brayer
Dragonfly Split
Posted: August 2, 2010 Filed under: Infinite Goodness 2 Comments
For this card I played with sponging and embossing again. The dragonflies were embossed in silver and the sponging applied in Yoyo Yellow, Certainly Celery and Not quite Navy. Then I stamped some more dragonflies in Not quite Navy and Celery before adding ink drops and water drops. After fiddling with mattes and layouts I decided to split the panel in two and add a little silver cord .
Today is my older daughter’s 16th birthday so I intended to post the three homemade cards she received this morning. I have missed the good light now so I will have to photograph and post them tomorrow. Ihope you are having a good long weekend if you live where I do or a great start to the week in the rest of the world!
Supplies:
Stamps: Infinite Goodness
Inks: Yoyo Yellow, Certainly Celery, Not quite Navy, Versamark
Cardstock: Not quite Navy, Whisper White
Also: Silver e.p., silver cord
A Slice of Apple
Posted: July 29, 2010 Filed under: Tart and Tangy Leave a comment
I used the same technique as the lemon cards: emboss, brayer, stamp in the same ink as the brayer and water droplets. I added another step on this card and stamped the apple in water; the ghost of an apple in the centre was stamped in water. The sentiment is handwritten. I did try the strawberries from this set with this technique but it is really a monochrome technique and the strawberries were not happy with that. The cherries didn’t like it either, but I am happy with the lemons and apples. I guess I could keep going and do oranges, limes and red apples if I really wanted to!
Supplies:
Stamps: Tart & Tangy
Inks: Green Galore, Versmark
Cardstock: Whisper White, Flourishes Classic White, Green Galore
Also: Clear e.p. Brayer
Heather Telford 
