Sailing Home Anchor Under The Waves - a masculine card

A masculine card featuring stormy waves and anchor
created with the Seasonal Layers dies and Sailing Home Bundle

I made this card for my wonderful husband who has been my rock throughout our marriage but especially during my recent illness.

He has helped me navigate through the very turbulent waters of cancer diagnosis and treatment and has been my anchor when I felt I was being swept away and about to drown in my sea of fears, anxiety and emotions.

The design inspiration for the anchor and waves came from a beautiful, sponged and inked card by the very talented Michelle Zindorf.  I've used cardstock and ribbon instead of inks.

I cut the waves from White and Blueberry Bushel cardstock and Vellum with one of the Seasonal Layers dies.  I stamped and cut out the anchor using the Sailing Home Bundle.

TIPS: 

• I used my Stamparatus to stamp the anchor so that I could keep inking until I was happy with the depth of colour.  
• It doesn't show in the photograph but I also added a few highlights using the Silvery Shimmer Ink.  Since I haven't yet purchased a refill - I tapped some ink onto a spare acrylic block and added a small spritz of Stampin' Mist cleaner which I used to dilute the ink to a suitable consistency for application with a small paintbrush.

I twisted the Copper Trim so that it was more like rusty anchor chain than ribbon.

I cut out the word "Thanks" with one of the Ornate Frames and added a couple of the Holiday Rhinestones.  The other greeting is from the Beautiful Promenade stamp set and is stamped directly onto the card front.

Thank you for visiting.
'Til next time!
Stephanie

Product List - All available for purchase from my online store

Sailing Home Bundle

$88.00

Ornate Frames Dies

$59.00

Beautiful Promenade Photopolymer Stamp Set

$37.00

Seasonal Layers Dies

$56.00

Card Stock A4 Smoky Slate

$15.25

Blueberry Bushel A4 Cardstock

$15.25

White Vellum A4 Card Stock

$17.50

1/4" Copper Trim

$10.00

Holiday Rhinestone Basic Jewels

$10.50

Blueberry Bushel Classic Stampin' Pad

$13.00

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

$10.00

Silvery Shimmer Delicata Metallic Ink Refill

$15.75

Free As A Bird Against Painted Glass

In the midst of cancer treatment, my thoughts have been turning more and more frequently to escape!  On this particular day I was thinking about the tragedy of the fire damage to Notre Dame in Paris and was inspired to use the Painted Glass stamp set.

Freedom and escape were in my thoughts as I created this card with the Free As A Bird and Painted Glass stamp sets

For me, the bird (from the Free As A Bird stamp set) represents freedom, escape and hope as it sits on the branch, poised to fly off, with not a thought in its head except finding the next meal!

Thank you for visiting (and your patience).
'Til next time!
Stephanie

Product List - All products available for purchase from my online store

Free As A Bird Bundle

$89.00

Painted Glass Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$31.00

Seasonal Layers Dies

$56.00

Layered Leaves Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

$16.00

Classic Label Punch

$31.00

Magnolia Lane Ribbon Combo Pack

$15.75

Glitter Enamel Dots

$12.25

Sahara Sand A4 Card Stock

$15.25

Card Stock A4 Bermuda Bay

$15.25

Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

$15.50

Bermuda Bay Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

$15.50

Highland Heather Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack

$15.50

Seasonal Leaves

Lost your mojo?  Hunting for your creativity?  We've all been there.  It may not feel like it now, but it will come back to you again.  In the meantime, take a look around your room - you may be surprised to find inspiration in something very ordinary that you normally overlook.

Finding myself in that very situation, I found inspiration in the little calendar that sits in the corner of my craft room.

Colorful Seasons stamp set, Seasonal Layers dies
and the Layered Leaves 3D embossing folder combine to create this card

 The other side of the calendar has a very different pattern - maybe I'll CASE that in the future!

My leafy card together with it's inspiration

Wondering how I cut the tops of the coloured 1"strips?  With the use of one of the dies in the Botanical Tags set - see below. 

Placing the Botanical Tag die to trim the top of the coloured strip

The card colours I used were Soft Sea Foam, Shaded Spruce, Granny Apple Green, Mango Melody, Cajun Craze, Merry Merlot and Blackberry Bliss.  It's a great way to use up some of those odd little bits of cardstock!

Thank you for visiting.
'Til  next time!
Stephanie

Product List - All available for purchase in my online store

Layered Leaves Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

$16.00

Colorful Seasons Photopolymer Stamp Set

$47.00

Seasonal Layers Dies

$56.00

Botanical Tags Dies

$47.00

Stitched Rectangle Dies

$61.00

Versamark Pad

$16.50

Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder

$10.50

Shaded Spruce Classic Stampin' Pad

$13.00

Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad

$13.00

Blackberry Bliss Classic Stampin' Pad

$13.00

Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad

$13.00

Birch and leaves - A masculine card

My brief for myself today was to use the Birch stamp and to make a quick, easy and masculine card.  Here's the result.

A masculine card - suitable for most occasions.
It features the Birch stamp and foliage cut with Seasonal Layers and Nature's Roots dies

The base card is Sahara Sand with a layer of Early Espresso.  The card front is Soft Suede, stamped with the Birch image using White Craft ink which I softened a little by applying more white ink with a sponge brayer.

The greeting is from the Colourful Seasons stamp set, stamped with Early Espresso ink onto Old Olive cardstock.  I used the Layering Ovals dies to cut out both the sentiment and the Mossy Meadow layer beneath it.

The foliage is cut from scraps of Old Olive, Mossy Meadow, Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze and Early Espresso cardstock using dies from the Seasonal Layers and Nature's Roots sets.

I only coloured the smallest leaf.  It's cut from Crushed Curry cardstock and sponged with Cajun Craze.  I drew on the veins with a Cajun Craze Stampin' Write Marker.

Thank you for visiting.
'Til next time!
Stephanie

Product List - All products used in the project are available for purchase in my online store

Birch Cling Stamp

$28.00

Colorful Seasons Photopolymer Stamp Set

$47.00

Seasonal Layers Thinlits Dies

$56.00

Nature's Roots Framelits Dies

$68.00

Whisper White Craft Stampin' Ink Refill

$8.00

Cajun Craze Classic Stampin' Pad

$13.00

Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad

$13.00

Soft Suede A4 Card Stock

$15.25

Card Stock A4 Crushed Curry

$15.25

Sahara Sand A4 Card Stock

$15.25

Early Espresso A4 Card Stock

$15.25

Sponge Brayers

$14.00