CAS Mix Up Reminder -- Stencil Monoprint

It's reminder time at CAS Mix Up for Loll's stencil monoprint challenge.  This technique is the coolest thing!  There's no right or wrong with the outcome.  It's going to look watercolory and artsy pretty much no matter what you do.  There are video links on the challenge blog.  Quick to watch and quick to accomplish!

 

For today's card I used a stencil with a rather intricate pattern in it so I wasn't sure how this would turn out, but I actually like it quite a lot.  I made this as an anniversary card for a friend, but it would work for a wedding or Valentine, too.

The stencil is a Funky Fossil heart which was gifted by a lovely friend.  Hoping to keep it CAS enough I added just a border and a word.  All inks are Distress Oxide on watercolor paper -- Milled Lavender, Abandoned Coral, Seedless Preserves.  For the die cut border and word I pressed them into the ink pads, light to dark, then spritzed with water.  The distress oxide inks give an interesting look.

Come see us at CAS Mix Up for all the amazing team samples.  We'd love to see what you come up with, too.  Have a beautiful day!

Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot press watercolor, semi-gloss leather texture white  Ink:  Distress Oxide Milled Lavender, Abandoned Coral, Seedless Preserves  Other:  Funky Fossil Heart Stencil, Tutti Stitched Nesting Hearts, Poppystamps Heart Sprinkle Sash, Frantic Stamper Sending Love/hugs

CAS Mix Up, Mixed Media - Botanical Prints

Hello, and welcome to our October CAS Mix Up Challenge!  Bonnie is our host this month and she has chosen something very fun for all of us to try:  Botanical Prints.  We are to incorporate real nature in our cards -- leaves, flowers, ferns, whatever.  There are a number of video links on the Mix Up blog, or maybe you have some ideas of your own.  It's a mixed media challenge this month, so be sure to include stamping and at least one other mixed media element.  There is a sample list on the sidebar of the challenge blog.

I couldn't wait to get started!  I tried my hand first at pressed flowers with hot pink and bright orange Impatiens and blue Lobelia.  I also used a heart-shaped leaf from a violet plant, but it didn't transfer much color.  Maybe too late in the season for it.  So where is all that hot pink and orange?  Somehow it came out as pastel lavender and pale plum/pink, but that's okay, too.

My garden pickings made a nice background for this Penny Black Peaceful Time bird and lattice border.  Mixed media elements in addition to the stamping include wet embossing (the bird), die cutting, coloring, and, of course, the pressed flower background.

The pressed flower technique I used is easy peasy.  Place flowers or leaves between two sheets of watercolor paper, sandwich between cutting plates, and run through your die cutting machine.  That's an abbreviated version, but it really was simple.  Do watch a video.  I ended up with two good background pieces, front and back of the flowers.  You really couldn't tell the difference.  While I was at it I made two more cards for different purposes.  Supplies are listed below my signature.

The CAS Mix Up team and our lovely guest designer, Izzy, will blow your minds with their creations for this challenge.  Beautiful stuff!  I hope you'll give it a try, too.  See you again soon!

Bird Card:  Stamps:  Penny Black Peaceful Time, SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds (splatters, retired), Paper:  Fabriano Artistico ExtraWhite 140 lb hot press watercolor, Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb  Ink:  Versamark, SU Bashful Blue, Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Tombow markers and homemade blender  Other:  Black embossing powder, Spellbinders retired Lattice Border, dimensionals to pop up bird

Hello Card:  Stamps:  Hero Arts sentiment, SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds (retired) Ink:  SU Bashful Blue & Lovely Lilac  Other:  Poppystamps Petal Ribbon die, pearls

Anniversary Card:  Stamps:  SU Stippled Blossoms, Power Poppy Love sentiment  Ink:  SU Pale Plum/Perfect plum, Barely Banana/Summer Sun, Wild Wasabi/Garden Green  Other:  Lace, ric rac, pearls, Poppystamps Stitched Main Street Tags die, scrap designer paper

Life and Love

Hello there!  Wrapping up the blog week with some Power Poppy.  I've watercolored the Asters Abuzz digital stamp for an anniversary card.  I think it works.  I've made lots of anniversary cards for a particular friend so I'm always looking at what I have through new eyes.

I've  used my Tombow markers for the watercolor.  Poppystamps Dotted Curve and some wood grain designer paper for a little interest in the layout.  The sentiment was cut with Sizzix Fancy Tags.  These are not new things on the market, but well loved.

The massive sale is still going on at Power Poppy.  Lots of clear stamp sets are retiring.  I believe all digis are on sale, including this one.

My Power Poppy friends have a few cards to share with you, too:

Stacy Morgan
Barbara Campbell
Broni Holcombe
Nancy Sheads
Christine Okken

Thanks so much for your time.  Wishing you a beautiful day!

Double D Challenge: Pearls, Gems, or Rhinestones

Welcome to another Double D Challenge!  Have a look at our mood board:

When Darlene said "Pearls, Gems, or Rhinestones" I felt it was a good time to use up something that's been lingering in my stash for a few years.  I'm not a very blingy girl these days, but I still like looking at it.  You can't help but notice the large pearl flourish on my sample card, can you?

This card is a bit much for me, frankly, but it's just right for my friend who's always asking for anniversary cards.  I used the Power Poppy Summer Berries stamp set.  It has a "Happy anniversary" sentiment with it which I used inside, and I figured this sentiment on the front expresses one of those things that makes a marriage work.

The berries are watercolored with a mix of Stampin' Up! and Tombow markers.  The stitched hearts are dies, the smaller hearts are a punch.  I added gloss to all the hearts except the largest one.  Remind me not to fussy cut these berries next time.  Sheesh, my index finger doth protest!

This is one of my pre-made card fronts using OLD Prima Fairy Flora designer paper.  It's a favorite piece in the background, and a least favorite piece for the oval frame.  Love the berries, but I'd like to see them on their own CAS card.  Sigh... it is what it is.

Check out beautiful team samples at Double D and then share yours in the gallery.  Love to see you there!  Have a wonderful day!

Twofer Challenge #15: Zoo Animals

It's Twofer Card Challenge time, friends!  We're doing Zoo Animals this time around and I have a feeling we're going to see some fun cards for this one.  I love critters!

I could have gone with a dozen different stamps for this challenge, most of them cute stamps that would have made very cute cards.  However, I went with the oldest of the oldies for my two cards and made them both masculine.  Similar colors, but completely different designs.  The animals are from the Stampin' Up! set called In the Wild.  Remember that set?  I know... I really should update some of my stamps.

The first one is a birthday card for a guy friend.  Some miscellaneous dies and stamps helped out with the design.  I added a fence so it would resemble a zoo scene, not that all these animals would be in the same enclosure, but we can pretend.  The cheetah has already escaped and the zebra is on its way out as it jumps over the fence.  They're going wild per the sentiment.

Next is a card that can be a simple love card, but I think it will be my husband's 2020 Valentine, or maybe anniversary.  Either way, it's a different occasion and a different layout per the challenge rules.  I really wanted to use this designer paper that I've had forever and have only used once.  I love it a lot, but just don't have the stamps for it.  Again, I should update some of my stamps.  The main background on this card is the retired SU! On Safari background stamp, and the "wild" is retired SU! Headline Alphabet set, stamped and hand cut.

Designer paper is Bo Bunny Zoology (probably retired, too), and the leaf dies are MFT Die-namics Wild Greenery.

That's enough talk from me.  Hop over to the Twofer Blog to see some samples, including from our Guest Designer, Susan.  Have a happy day!

Never Regret Anything that Made You Smile

Words to live by on one of the anniversary cards I made for the 20 card order I've mentioned a time or two recently.  This one is all die cuts and designer paper with the focus on the sentiment.

The stamp is from Rubbernecker, called "Never Regret".  I like it for an anniversary, but it could also be used for wedding or birthday.   Have you looked at Rubbernecker Stamps?  Best place for sentiments, I think, but lots of other great stuff, too.  Just sayin', not sellin'.  You can never have too many sentiment stamps.

Pretty Mintay "Lovely Day" designer paper and Tutti Designs Butterfly Oval are the primary supporting elements.  I cut the Butterfly Oval in half and used it as a sweeping edge on the large circle.  The other half was used on a card I'll share later.  The die is layered for dimension and then just the butterfly area cut again from the Mintay paper, trimmed and glued on top.  Rhinestones added.

That's all for today, friends!   More coming soon.  Bad weather makes for good times stamping!  Wishing you a very happy Valentine's Day!

Stamps:  Rubbernecker Never Regret  Paper:  Neenah Classic white, Mintay Lovely Day designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Accessories:  Rhinestones  Dies:  Tutti Designs Butterfly Oval, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, Spellbinders Grand Squares and Classic Square Large (nested to make frame)

Pink and Gray for an Anniversary

Hello there!  Today I'm playing along with The Flower Challenge #28:  Pink and Gray, and in the process I've used a not-yet-used-enough stamp set and finished another special order anniversary card.  I may be disqualified and that's okay because I didn't realize until I was finished that it appears as though the hearts and "love" are the main focus, rather than the flowers.  Oops.

The card does have plenty of pink and gray.  The flowers are Power Poppy's Bee Kind Toile and the "Love" comes from Springtime Love.  I'll list all ingredients at the end.

I stamped in Memento London Fog and colored with Copics.  A scalloped oval formed the image panel, and a pretty Anna Griffin embossing folder made the base.  I smooshed white ink over the embossing to help it stand out more.  A tiny rhinestone is the only embellishment.

Inside I really mixed it up with sentiments from two other Power Poppy sets and flowers from Bee Kind Toile.  I think a mom can say this to her son and daughter-in-law on their anniversary.

So... another thing... I've undertaken the huge project of scanning old photos and scrapbook pages and turning them into Shutterfly photo books.  The photos will be better preserved and much easier to store.  While I was making my pink and gray card I remembered this photo from 1985, a mere 34 years ago, give or take a few months.

I remember the pink and gray sweater that I loved so much.  I remember the earrings I wore with it.  I remember the occasion and place -- our anniversary weekend at a nearby beach resort.  I remember how we were playing Trivial Pursuit in the afternoon and laughing so hard the proprietors knocked on our door and asked us to hold down the noise.  Hey, I like to laugh and I've enjoyed a long marriage to a guy who can always make me laugh.

Funny how a little card can evoke so many memories.

Thanks for letting me share.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Bee Kind Toile, Springtime Love, Azalea, Dynamic Duos:  Tulips and Peonies  Paper:  Neenah Classic White, SU Pink Pirouette, Bazzill grays  Ink:  Memento London Fog, Pink Pirouette, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Rhinestone, 3/4" circle punch, Cuttlebug Anna Griffin Wildflower Gate embossing folder  Dies:  Spellbinders Grand Scalloped Ovals, Tutti Designs Stitched Nesting Hearts

Birds and Balloons

Surprise, I do not have a Christmas card today.  I gathered up my recently purchased and printed All Dressed Up digis, intending to color the two Christmas images, and then did this one instead.  It's called Follow Your Dream and is about as far from Christmas as you can get.

I do have a reason for it.  Every year I make anniversary cards for my friend's four sons and daughters-in-law.  Now I've learned she also sends them to nieces, nephews, grandkids, and just about everyone else and she'd love to have a lot more than four.  Considering the variety of personalities and ages she sends them to, and the fact that I do this year after year, I need to think outside the box if I'm to come up with anything new.

So... I bought this digi for me just because I think it's cute, but I suddenly saw its possibilities as an anniversary card for the young at heart and wanted to make it up before I changed my mind.

It's colored with Copics and "happiness" from an old SU set was added.  Also, feeling lazy, perhaps, I opted not to shade the background, but stamped a super ancient sun from my large collection of southwest stamps that I haven't used in ages.

The stitched and scalloped mats are a combination of two unrelated die sets that work perfectly together and enable dozens of combinations:  Lawn Fawn Outside In Stitched Scalloped Rectangle Stackables and Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets.  These two sets fit so perfectly together that they can even be nested at the time of cutting.  For this combo I did a variety of cutting, fitting, and layering -- all easy stuff.

The finished card is 5 3/4" x 4 1/2", essentially A6.  By making it just 1/4" shorter it allows centering of the A2 dies without the leftover space in the length.

Inside is a Power Poppy sentiment from the Sweet Simple Things digital stamp set.  My friend can write her own "happy anniversary".  I know she can make it work.  As I mentioned, thinking outside the box.

There is a full list of supplies below my signature.  Back to the Christmas cards now, but I will say this was fun for a change.  Speaking of Christmas cards, I received my first of the season earlier this week.  Happy holidays!

Stamps:  All Dressed UP digi "Follow Your Dream", SU Warm Words "happiness", Power Poppy digital Sweet Simple Things quote for inside, old wood block sun motif  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, SU Pool Party, Taken with Teal, and Marigold Morning  Ink:  Printer, Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Pool Party stamped off once for lighter color  Accessories:  Doodlebug Sprinkles glitter enamel dot  Dies:  Lawn Fawn Outside In Stitched Scalloped Rectangle Stackables, Taylored Expressions Stitched Rectangle Stacklets, Poppystamps Stitched Bloom Trio

Hearts and Flowers Anniversary

Hello stamping friends!  I'm a little off this week, having been busy finishing up the last of the anniversary cards per a friend's request.  This one is fun and funky and different, so I thought I'd pop in with it today.  It all started with the sentiment and trying to come up with something different.

Spellbinders Classic Hearts, Heartfelt Creations Sunkissed Fleur dies, and a Poppystamps Lovely Gift Bow.  Lots of color on white with a bit of fun designer paper.  Bright and cheerful!

The sentiment is from an Art Gone Wild Words to the Rescue set called "Variety Pack 1".  See the inside below:

There are a lot of things I'd like to be doing right now stamping-wise, such as working with more not-yet-used stamps, and sorting and perhaps purging some stamps, but most of all I'm eager to start the coloring lesson I purchased from Vanilla Arts.  I've taken a peek at it and can see I have much to learn.  Then again, it's springtime and there are a lot of non-stamping things to do as well.  I wonder how I'm going to fit it all in.

I do have something already made which I'll pop in with later.  Till then...

Flowerful Friday: Anniversary Card and a Note About Printing on Watercolor Paper

Hello and welcome back!  Today I have the first of four anniversary cards I'm making for my friend's offspring.  I do this every year and it's a challenge to come up with different ideas, but something new came along just in time.

This digital stamp was designed by Julie Koerber and recently added to Power Poppy's Graceful Still Life set.  Julie used Marcella's dogwood branches and made her own clever composite.  She shared the "how to" here.  If you have Photoshop Elements it's not difficult at all and it's fun to play around when you have the time.  Julie writes a good tutorial.  If you already have the Graceful Still Life set you should have access to this image as an additional download.

The image prints in nice, crisp lines with a border around the perimeter.  However, my finicky printer and I had a misunderstanding and it turned out almost no line, with no border.  I had it on the wrong paper setting and was running out of cyan ink.  With my printer it's always an adventure.  I almost discarded the printed image, but decided to have a go at it.  I'm undecided as to how I feel about the results.

I printed on Arches 140 lb hot pressed watercolor paper and watercolored with Tombow markers.  Card size is 4 1/2 x 6 1/4.

Pictured below is my young dogwood tree which was my color inspiration.  This tree, sigh... every year I keep hoping for more.  It's not nearly as pretty as it was in the nursery.  Smaller blooms, sparse, not as pretty a pink.  I brightened everything up in the painted version because, you know, you can do whatever you want on paper.

A note about printing on watercolor paper:  I despaired of ever being able to watercolor a digital image until I learned a trick from my friend, Cheryl Scrivens.  The problem many of us have is that our printers won't take the heavier paper.

• First, I should mention that hot pressed is finer grain and lighter weight than cold pressed paper, so start with that.
• Tape a band of regular paper of a weight your printer can handle to the end of your watercolor paper.  I find that even 1/4" is adequate.  The plain paper will be your lead end.
• Make sure to include that 1/4" of plain paper in the overall size for the setting you're using.  The finished size should be 5 x 7, for instance -- not 5 x 7 1/4.
• You'll determine which setting to use on your printer in regard to paper type.  Oddly, my printer always works best on the semi-gloss photo paper setting.  I would think "matte", but no.  I have an Epson XP-310, discontinued.  The ink is waterproof, but also works perfectly for Copic coloring.  If and when I buy a new printer I'll make sure it uses the same kind of ink.

By the way, the lattice background is Spellbinders Basic Lattice, an oldie-but-goodie classic.

I'll take my leave now and wish you a happy day!

Anniversary Birds

Hello, there!  It's time I finish up these anniversary cards for a friend.  One more to go.  I'm sure glad she's not in a hurry for them.

I accomplished a couple of things with this card -- I tried a new-to-me technique (the wood-look background) and used a not-yet-used embossing folder (the music score).  My wood background looks like someone turned a three year old loose with a paint brush and a can of stain, but I still love it.

When I saw Kathy Krug's background on this card I knew I'd have to try it.  Now I'm wondering if I'll ever get around to using all that wood grain designer paper I have, because this is so easy and turns out fantastic.

Score white paper every half inch and swipe two or three shades of ink straight down.  The embossing after scoring is optional.  I scored, swiped two shades of brown, then embossed and swiped the third, darkest brown.  Make sense?  Kathy sent me a link to the video where she learned the technique:  Weathered Wood Background

I may try it in a color next time, like old paint.

The rest is die cuts and the music-embossed oval and one little sentiment.  I colored the flowers with Copic markers and used both white Nuvo drops and Glossy Accents for enhancement.  All details are in the recipe below.

I'm onto the next coloring project which needs to be finished soon for mailing.  It's not always easy to find time for stamping in the summer, but we somehow find time for the things we love, right?  See you again soon.  Till then... wishing you a happy day!

Stamps:  Crafty Secrets Bird Notes sentiment  Paper:  Neenah 110 lb white, SU So Saffron and Old Olive  Ink:  Ranger Distress Tea Dye, Vintage Photo, and Walnut Stain, CTMH Parchment (on embossed music score), SU More Mustard to sponge bird's wings, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Nuvo Gloss Simply White Crystal Drops, Inkssentials Glossy Accents, Sizzix Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, Darice Sheet Music embossing folder  Dies:  Spellbinders Elegant Ovals and Classic Ovals, Elizabeth Craft Birds, Poppystamps Sylvan Sprig, Memory Box Saraphine Laurel

Wrapped Frame and a Fancy Fold

Hi, all!  As mentioned in an earlier post I'm going to show my method for wrapping a frame, but first, let me qualify the fancy fold.  It required no particular craftiness on my part as the card base was sent to me by my Double D teamie friend, Darlene -- pre-scored and with instructions for folding.  It's called a reverse explosion.  I had admired her card here and the next thing you know... I received happy mail!  Darlene purchased the card bases pre-cut and pre-scored so, sorry, no instructions or measurements available.  It's a tricky fold and even with instructions I had to go look at Darlene's card again to really "get" it.  I'm usually pretty run of the mill with my card folds, but there will be more fancy folds coming shortly.  I get by with a little help from my friends.

There are a lot of photos here so I'll try to keep the talk to a minimum.  First, the card with the wrapped frame front and center:

I mixed up some Power Poppy stamps, some DCWV Lemon Flower paper, and a few die cuts.  Supplies will be listed at the end.  All folds were covered with designer paper.

The card folds into a 5" square.

Now... the frame.  Whatever size or shape you choose, cut designer paper slightly larger.  Large enough to fold over the edge of the frame.

Adhere frame to back side of designer paper.  Cut X as shown.  Trim corners as shown.  The points of the inside flaps will be trimmed off.

The photo below shows the points trimmed off and double-sided tape applied.

The finished frame looks like this on the back side:

Decorate as desired.

I made this into a very cheerful anniversary card -- one of four I'm making for a friend.  Plenty of glitter and happiness!

I hope this all made sense.  More details in the recipe further down.  Thanks for visiting!  Enjoy your day!

Stamps:  Power Poppy Dynamic Duos: Glads and Gerberas, Dynamic Duos: Peonies and Tulips (sentiment)  Paper:  Pre-scored reverse explosion card base, Neenah 110 lb white for daisies and sentiment flag, other white for daisy die cuts, DCWV Lemon Flower designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black for daisies, Versafine Onyx Black for sentiment, Copics for coloring  Accessories:  Silver cord, Stickles Stardust glitter glue  Dies:  Spellbinders Classic Squares Large and Small, Spellbinders Nested Lacy Pennants, Memory Box Banner Parade, Sue Wilson Daisy Cluster