Pretty Pansy

Hi all!

Here is my card for today - I love the color scheme on it.  It's so nice when things come together!  I was inspired by the following challenges:

• SCS - Faux Block Stamp
• Pile It On - Stitching
• Sunday Sketch

The concept of Faux Block Stamp was simple - take a large stamp image and "cut it down" and add a "frame" so it resembles a block stamp - I love block stamps but rarely do it with a stamp myself.  I used a square mask because I didn't want to just stamp it and cut it off - I wanted my image to stop before the edge of the paper so I could draw in the frame.

I finished it off by adding faux stitching with a stamp and some pale pink Liquid Pearls (which were too pointy - dontcha hate that!)

Thanks for visiting!

Dragonfly summer

Hi all!

Have you been enjoying your summer?  It's hard for me to believe we are already in August!  At the beginning of summer I panic and think how on earth am I going to fill up all these weeks?  (We don't do summer camps other than Girl Scouts.)  And then we get to August and I panic again thinking OMG I have all this stuff on my list of things to do that we haven't gotten to yet!  I am always torn about what's best for her - do I cram her weeks full of all of these "super camps" and put myself in the poor house so she can have all these super enrichment experiences?  Do I schedule a super activity myself every day and kill myself trying to make every day an adventure?  Or do I just let her laze around and do whatever she wants?  Today our activity is Minecraft mods - she wants to learn code and write her own.  I told her how about we just figure out how to use one someone else has made first.....

As for me, I have been back in the studio (usually with her right by my side!)  I saw a tutorial for a Layered Batik on Splitcoast Stampers that was very cool - I tried to do it 6 or 7 times and failed miserably

However, I liked the stamps I had gathered and the color scheme so I finally gave up and went with good old-fashioned stamping.  I am submitting this card to the follwoing challenges - click on the links and join them too!

• Daring Cardmakers - Color Challenge
• Crafty Creations - Just For Fun
• Glitter N Sparkle - Add glitter and sparkle
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes
• All Sorts - Favorite Things (My Brilliance inks)

All of the stamps are from various Inkadinkado clear sets I have had for ages.  I haven't bought a rubber stamp in a really long time and I pulled up their website - big mistake!  Now I want to order a slew of stamps!  I have always loved their stamps.

My hands down fave inks are Tsukineko and for this card I used Brilliance inks on the dragonflies and VersaMagic for the swirls.  I love how the brilliance shimmers and the VersaMagic is a nice soft chalk.  I like the mini size too - I have all of the dew drops - made it easy to collect them all!  The Hello is a Studio G $1 stamp of course!

I used a few Pez-A-Bling in light blue sparkle to finish it off.  Still one of my favorite finishing touches.  I do still have plenty for sale in lots of colors.  If you are interested let me know!  Eventually I will get them posted again with pics and links to buy.

And now I am off to research minecraft mods - thank you for stopping by!

Some sewing projects...

Hi all!

I LOVE to sew, I mean I love it!  I suck at making clothes but I love to make other stuff.  Awhile back I made a cute little stuffed owl for my step-mom.  It was meant to sit on her sewing table to keep her company and hold her sewing supplies.  When it arrived and she called me I could here my dad being silly in the background and whining about how he doesn't have an owl friend so:

I enlarged the pattern pieces by 50% and made an owl for him to hold his remote controls :)

You can get the pattern and make one yourself: Handy Who

And for my step mom - she requested a purse for her birthday:

I am quite pleased with how it turned out! This is my favorite purse patterns of all the ones I have made so far.

This purse is packed with pockets which is what makes it so fantastic!  There is a large one on the front, A roomy zippered one on the back and 1 on each side with magnetic snap closures.

In addition there are 4 more pockets on the inside!  Now all those pockets make this a fabulous purse, they also make it tricky to put together!  But it's worth it.  If you would like to try it grab the pattern: Sandra Sue

What are you working on today?

Lunchtime Sketch!

Hi all!

Once upon a time I made cards like some kind of obsessed crazy person....Hahaha!  I don't know that there is anyone reading this from back then but back then, when I first started papercrafting there were only a handful blogs and even fewer challenges - one of the challenges I participated in religiously was Technostamper's Lunchtime Sketch *waving Hi to Mary Jo!* so I was thrilled to see they are still going strong and couldn't wait to use it!  I am also submitting this for the following challenges:

• Splitcoast Stampers - Mixability: Glue
• Crafts Galore Challenge - Anything Goes.

In the Mixability challenge we were to use some type of glue or gel medium mixed with a colorant - of COURSE I jumped on this one - it's one of my favorite techniques and I use it often in all of my mixed media stuff.  I mixed up some gel medium and ColourArte Primary Elements Pigment Powders.  Primary Elements are gorgeous pots of powdery pigment mixed with amazing heaps of shimmering mica powder.  These pots of gorgeous color and shimmer can be used with any form of medium so you have a huge amount of versatility.

And here some super cuteness for you - My Bubba kitty is such a good foster daddy:

Have a great weekend!

Just A Note...

Hi all!

Ahhh...

I got back in the studio again on my little cardmaking mission for my mom.  Nothing quite like a cookie dough latte and some Twinkling H2Os!

I have 2 more cards for you today using the following challenges:

• Splitcoast Stampers - Ways to use it: Maps
• Crafty Creations - Just for fun
• 4 Crafty Chicks - Anything Goes

I have this great 5 x 7 book of map pages I found at Hobby Lobby to use on a desk I am refinishing (that project should appear here soon...)  It was perfect for this challenge since I have so many pages left.

For my main images I decided to stamp with my Twinkling H2Os - it produces a gorgeous shimmering watercolor type image.

Can you believe that shimmer!??!

It can be a bit tricky to get it right and took me several tries.  I wanted to share a few tips with you:

1. Wake up the Twinks with 3-4 sprays of water from a mister.  Let them sit 10 - 15 minutes, go make your latte, throw in some laundry - at least that's what I did.
2. Once the Twinks are close to the consistency of honey they are ready.  Dip your brush in and then be sure to brush it against the edge of the jar several times so the brush is not very loaded with paint.  You just want a little.
3. Brush the Twinks onto your stamp - you want the paint thin so it doesn't pool or puddle.  Don't worry about hurrying or the paint drying.
4. Once your stamp is covered hold a mister of water about 12" or so away and mist it lightly and then stamp onto your paper.  Mist again and stamp again, sometimes the second image is better than the first one!

Cards, yes cards

Hi all!

Well my mom finally ran out of cards and has asked for 25 more (she has been asking for awhile actually) so I am back to doing some card making!  Today I scouted around for some challenges to get me going and I am submitting this duo for the following:

• SCS - card sketch Wed.
• Loves Rubber Stamps - buttons and bows
• Chocolate, coffee and cards - polka dots

I must admit I am a little rusty at this and despite the sketch giving ample room for a focal point I had a hard time with the tiny size!

I probably haven't bought a 6 x 6 paper pad in over 3 years.  So I have a drawer half full of paper, none of which I like anymore - at least most of it I am over.  However I did find a couple pieces I liked!  I wanted to do a semi-mixed media type focal layer - the idea in my head looked much different than it turned out but I decided they are keepers.  The first one has Distress Inks for the background.  I pounced them on my craft sheet, misted with water and then swiped the white cardstock through it.

 For the second card I wanted to do something similar but with Shimmering mists for the background.  I mixed them up myself using ColourArte Primary Elements Pigment Powder, gum arabic and water.  This gives me subtle color AND shimmer.  I added some green polka dots by sponging ColourArte Silks Acrylic Glaze through sequin waste.  Finally I stamped a floral image from Crafter's Companion on each one using Archival Ink.  I added sentiments from my much loved and much used massive collection of Studio G $1 stamps - does anyone remember those?  Ahhh those were the days....

Live Now!

Hi all!

Pezza's challenge piece turned out so nicely I just had to make one myself to enter into the following challenges

• Tim Holtz 12 tags - July
• Mixed Media Monthly Challenge - Around the House
• Pile It On - Embossing

I don't do tags so instead I incorporated my smaller piece into a larger page sized to fit in my 8 x 8 loose leaf journal I have been making in my Journal Soup class with Kate Crane.  I followed Tim's tutorial as closely as I could - I was lacking a few products as he comes out with products far faster than my budget can keep up with now that I don't work!

My base page background followed his background and then I added a bit more to it by stamping with bubble wrap and distress paint, then I sponged embossing ink through sequin waste and sprinkled on Distress Embossing Powder for a nice tone on tone effect.  Finally, I took the leftover gritty goop mix (the "sand" in his tutorial) and I spread that through the same sequin waste.  I am quite pleased!

Here is a closer look at the main part - that Rock Candy crackle followed by Distress Stain is fantastic!  For the "around the House" challenge I have used the packaging from an embossing folder for my embossed plastic layer and I tied my metal tag on with kitchen twine I used to use to stake my gladiolas.  The Live Now tag is perfect - I am a live in the now type and my poor hubby is a plan for the future type so we tend to drive each other nuts!  But there is a good reason opposites attract - we balance each other out.

This was my first time playing with the Distress Glitter - I love how it sparkles in the "tree branch" goop I made.  I am thinking I need the rest of the colors - it is quite deelish!  If there is anyone who would like some Distress Embossing powder super cheap let me know - I still have several jars of colors in the inventory left from my store and would be willing to part with it quite cheaply!

Thanks for having a look!  Let me know what you think as I love to get comments.  Did anyone else participate in either of these challenges?