Natural Thanks
Posted: June 28, 2010 Filed under: With Gratitude Leave a comment
I repeated the layout I used in my previous card and just changed the colour scheme and the stamped image. As I wanted a white leaf on artichoke, I embossed it in white and then sponged over and around it before cutting it out. This year my children have been involved in an Outdoor education program at a campsite out of town. This was the thank you card for the owners of the campsite. The method was the same as my So Glad card and the inspiration, Joan’s gorgeous card.
Supplies:
Stamps: With Gratitude, Sincere Salutations
Inks: Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke, Handsome Hunter
Cardstock: Always Artichoke, Whisper White
Also: White embossing powder
So Glad
Posted: June 27, 2010 Filed under: Of the Earth 3 Comments
I am so glad to have a card to post after such a long time. I needed a birthday card for a close friend of mine plus a couple of thank you cards so I devoted most of Sunday afternoon last weekend to the task. This card was inspired by the fabulous card I saw on Joan Bardee’s blog Paperlicous. As soon as I saw it I knew I had to make one just like it. I cut a curve across a piece of paper to use as a mask, holding it in place to sponge before positioning the other half of the paper just above where I had sponged to create the white unsponged strip. I also did a similar thing inside the card. The little bird image is punched out and popped up.
Supplies:
Stamps: Of the Earth, Best Yet
Inks: Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Not Quite Navy
Cardstock: Not quite Navy, Whisper White
Watercolor Grasses
Posted: May 2, 2010 Filed under: Inspired by Nature 5 CommentsWeeks ago I believe I said I had one more of my watercolor cards to share. Here it is at last. Sad to say but I have not made a card in quite a while. The stamps are calling to me, though, quite clearly.
For this card, if I remember correctly, I sponged the paper and the stamped the grasses straight onto the wet watercolor paper. I stamped the same stamp in old olive and close to cocoa, but what was interesting was the way the old olive separated into green and yellow pigments giving me three colors. I then added little red flowers and drew black centres in them.
Supplies:
Stamps: Inspired by Nature, Itty Bitty Buds, Hugs and Wishes
Inks: Old Olive, Close to Cocoa, Real Red
Cardstock: Old Olive, Watercolor paper
Also: Olive Grosgrain ribbon, Hodgepodge hardware buckle
Dissolving blossoms
Posted: April 3, 2010 Filed under: Garden silhouettes, Uncategorized 3 Comments
Yes, it is another watery coloured image! (It definitely looks better if you click on it to see it full size)You can see I had fun with this technique. There is only one more after this one, then I will try and move onto other techniques, I think.
Once again I wet the watercolor paper then inked the stamp with markers before stamping it on the wet paper. There is quite a lot of blurring in this image but I still like the contrast of the sharper leaf tips with the dissolving flowers.
Supplies:
Stamps: Garden Silhouettes, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Inks: Real Red and Always Artichoke Markers
Cardstock: Flourishes Classic White, Always Artichoke
Watercolour split
Posted: March 28, 2010 Filed under: Inspired by Nature 1 Comment
As you can see I am still on the watercolor kick. I know some might think the blurring and blending is a little over done here but I like the way some of the petals and leaves float away into nothing. To create this effect I inked up the stamp with Stampin’ Up markers and sponged the watercolor paper all over before stamping. Then I stepped back and watched the magic. Where the ink pooled in an unattractive way I soaked it up with paper towel.
Finishing the card was harder than creating the image. I started by making rough edges around the image but then cut them off again. I didn’t really want to stick any panels over the image but wanted to break up the layout a little so splitting it seemed to be the only solution. (well the only one that came to me) I think this works because the focus moves from one flower over to the two flowers.
Supplies:
Stamps: Inspired by Nature
Inks: Pumpkin Pie, Always Artichoke, Elegant Eggplant
Cardstock: Acquarello Watercolor Paper, Pumpkin Patch, Always Artichoke
Birthday Silhouette
Posted: March 16, 2010 Filed under: Nature Silhouettes 3 CommentsThis is a quick post of a quick card I whipped up for a friend of my husband. We were going to the birthday party on Saturday night so I looked through the stash only to find that I had no “manly” cards. When I finished this one I asked my husband if it was manly enough and he gave me a hesitant yes. It was later in the evening that I began to wonder if we had given a card to the same person a couple of years ago made with the same stamp. He and his wife were quite impressed then to receive a handmade card. I wonder if they will be impressed this time when they see I’ve been using the same stamp for two years! It’s not as if I don’t own a few other stamps!
I embossed the tree in black and then sponged in yellow, apricot and blue to create the sunrise scene. I was going for the CAS look so I popped up the scene and stamped a greeting. Problem was I didn’t bother using the stampamajig for my words so they ended up crooked. To remedy that error I cut the picture off the white card I had attached it to leaving a narrow border of white around it. I then attached the two lavers to a new base and stamped the words again. So the picture is doubly popped up, which I don’t mind. The photo is a little strange as I took it on my craft table under the fluorescent light without the tripod. Time was of the essence.
Supplies:
Stamps: Nature Silhouettes, Teensy Tiny Wishes
Inks: Versamark, Bashful Blue, Yoyo Yellow, Apricot Appeal
Cardstock: Flourishes Classic White
Also: black e.p.
Apple square
Posted: March 13, 2010 Filed under: Tart and Tangy 2 CommentsWhile playing with the Tart and Tangy set last weekend I also came up with this card. I love the look of red, white and black together so a little red apple combined with black and white gingham was a happy combo for me.
I inked the apple in versamark and red so I could emboss in clear, but before the embossing I wiped off the stem and coloured directly on the stamp in green. I then used the punches and stamped a square of canvas background, which I matted in black. The ribbon is done with Leanne Pugliese’s clever “thread through the whole and tie technique”
Supplies:
Stamps: Thank You Kindly, Tart & Tangy
Inks: Real Red, Basic Black, Versamark
Cardstock: Flourishes Classic White, Real Red, Garden Green marker
Also: Clear embossing powder, Black gingham ribbon
Fruity
Posted: March 7, 2010 Filed under: Tart and Tangy 3 CommentsWell it’s about time!
I have decided that it is possible to forget how to stamp, how to make cards, how to put things together so they look ok! I made three CAS cards, and it took me hours. As Lateblossom has said before, “Clean and simple does not always mean quick and simple.” I stamped the citrus shapes four or five time before I settled on three colours in a row. I tried ribbon in many different arrangements before I decided on no ribbon at all. I tried a green card, white matte. White card, no matte. Green card, green matte. Just as well my daughter came home when she did and made the decision for me. Then there was the decision over the sentiment…
All the fruit were inked up with versamark first and then the classic ink before embossing with clear. The little sentiments are from my new set Teeny Tiny Wishes, a set I’d never noticed before. I stamped them on spare cardstock and then punched the piece out with a square punch. Despite the dilemmas I faced along the way it was nice to be stamping again after quite a break. I have actually been creating lately just using a different medium for a change.
Supplies:
Stamps: Teensy Tiny Wishes, Tart & Tangy
Inks: Real Red, Green Galore, Yoyo Yellow, So Saffron, Versamark
Cardstock: Flourishes Classic White, Real Red, Green Galore
Also: Clear embossing powder
Snow laden branches
Posted: January 7, 2010 Filed under: All That Glitters, Thoughts and Prayers 12 Comments
I continued on the same theme as the other day with masked boxes and sponged backgrounds. ( Thank you for all the nice comments left here, I was thrilled to read them.) Sorry there is no tutorial yet but I did read the requests and would love to do one if I can find some time soon. I used exactly the same technique to do these cards as I did the snowscape cards last week. First I masked the image area with post it notes. I then inked the branch in versamark and handsome hunter and stamped it several times before embossing in clear. To create the snow on the branches I used an embossing pen and to cover the areas where I wanted the snowy look. I covered this with white embossing powder and a few sprinkles of iridescent ice powder as well. Unfortunately as I embossed a second time the cardstock buckled a bit, I’m not sure how to avoid this. To complete the image I sponged the sky in Bashful Blue. The lower one has a masked snow hill done with a torn post-it note.
In the card above I wrote my own sentiment again in order to have a small delicate one. The card below suffered some smudging and denting during the embossing and sponging process so it had to go under the cutter in order to be fit to used. I matted it in Handsome Hunter and stamped the sentiment from Thoughts & Prayers. The branches of the pine tree outside my front door look ver like these ones.
Supplies:
Stamps: All that Glitters, Thoughts and Prayers
Inks: Handsome Hunter, Bashful Blue, Versamark
Cardstock: Handsome Hunter, Flourishes Classic white cardstock
Also: Clear, white & iridescent ice embossing powder
Snowscape thank you cards
Posted: January 2, 2010 Filed under: Branch Out, CAS, Lovely as a Tree, Stamped Landscapes 15 Comments
It isn’t a new year resolution but I have been thinking for a while that this cardmaker should send a few more cards! Last night I sat down and chose a few thank you cards out of my stash to write to the very kind and hospitable friends whose homes we were welcomed into over Christmas.
During the day I had been sorting through drawers and shelves of school and craft supplies trying to make some room. I found some old Christmas cards which inspired me straight away to get creating again. I would like to give credit to the artist who inspired the card above but the Hallmark card doesn’t give any information.
To make both cards I masked off the picture area with post it notes and then inked up my tree with versamark and added a bit of black to the base of the tree. After placing another mask where the base of the tree would be I stamped the main tree and the smaller trees, then embossed in clear. To create the sky I positioned a hill mask and sponged in the blues and red (listed below). Creating the shadows was trial and error. For the top card I sponged the shadow between two ripped pieces of post it note. For the shadow below I drew it with marker for the large tree and stamped it for the small trees. I also used a marker to add more black to the tree below. Finally I removed the hill mask and did a little sponging to give the snow definition.
The sentiment is written in my own handwriting because I wanted something small and delicate but didn’t have a ‘thank you” in that style. I particularly wanted to make these one layer cards so was pleased that I managed to get to the end without smudging any of the white area. The photo once again is not great, I’m not quite sure what the problem is, probably the photographer not the camera!
Supplies:
Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Branch Out, two little tree stamps I was given
Inks: Versamark, Basic Black, Night of Navy, Bashful Blue, Brocade Blue, Rose Red
Cardstock: Flourishes Classic White
Also: Clear e.p.
Heather Telford 