Anatomy of a card Stamps 538/539

Where do you get your ideas?  How do you know what papers to use?  What makes you choose a certain stamp?  These are questions that stampers get and how do we really know how to answer them?  ~~This week, I needed a wedding card.  I chose the brides colors and even used the ribbon from the invitation she sent us.  I looked at Split Coast Stampers and this was the sketch for the week.  Okay, I think I like that.  Now, the papers.  Hmmmm...that piece in the back needs to stand out but not be too bold.  I thought originally about a paper with the flourishes like the ones i stamped but i couldn't find any and while looking I saw this paper that looks like textured shabby chic ribbons sewn together and had a decidedly elegant look to them.  Pull that out.  Then the next layer.  Since her invite had these similar flourishes i wanted to include that look.  Thanks to Mark's Finest Papers very old retired stamp I had the perfect set.  Once stamped in the corners with Eggplant Envy from SU I thought the panel looked a little bare.  I grabbed my Tim Holtz Stencil and sponged very lightly with Linen distress ink in both of the opposite corners.  To get the circle image I used the same set to stamp this elegant frame onto the scalloped Spellbinders die cut.  The curved open lacy look of the die offsets the square and rectangle panels perfectly.  Now add the ribbon to be the little panel that sits under the circle in the square and we have the sketch done perfectly.  Now in real life the colors are much more cohesive than what shows up here.  The ribbon panel and the hearts match almost perfectly.  The Eggplant Envy color and the ribbon match beautifully also.  The little gem???  Had to add that to cover up a spot that the ink caught the edge of the sentiment stamp.  So THAT's how we come up with a card.  Fun, eh?

Quick Card

It's fun to have the things on hand to make a quick card with.  I've been pondering this MFT color challenge since it was published though, so not sure how "quick" that really is.

Friend Angie sent me these sweet die cuts in a pocket letter and they worked perfectly for this color challenge.  The blue piece is stenciled with the MFT  FISH NET plastic stencil that i ran through my Big Shot and the sentiment is from the MFT Birthday Sentiments.  Recolletions at Michaels had these cute texting stickers that fit perfectly on here.

Mixed Media Fun

Simon's Monday Challenge is to recycle.  I took the Lovely Layered Cards class at Craftsy with Shari Carrol as the instructor.  I loved that class.  She showed us how to use corrugated cardboard from boxes that would be thrown away.  I found a few pieces and readied them to be used.  I used tea dye distress ink on the deer to help him stand out.  I thought it was kind of cool the way he was cut out actually gave him a white tail and white neck ring.  Just like the White Tail Deer we have here in Wisconsin.  I've been wanting to use up those card board button embellishments and this took care of a couple of them.  Can you see the glitter on the blue parts and the wink of stella on the sentiment?

This will also be my 5th entry into Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes #219

One Layer

Simon's Wednesday Challenge is One Layer  I will be needing one layer cards to send into the prison mail.  One layer no embellishments.  That's going to be a challenge.  It will stretch my brain.  I was glad for this first challenge to get some great ideas from the cards posted.

I chose simple for the first one.  I used my MFT dies for my balloon and embossed the die shapes into the 110 pound white card stock.  The sentiment is stamped with versamark and embossed with white embossing powder. I used my distress markers scribbled on my craft mat to give the balloon a water colored look.  The white sentiment resisted the water color and turned out just as i wanted. I traced the "string" with a gray marker and added a hand drawn bow.  Using my very old cloud stencil from Stampin' Up I sponged very lightly with Encore Metallic blue. (my favorite sky ink)
Entering into Word Art Wednesday #219

#537 Mixed Media

Doing a very simple mixed media with Heidi Swapp Color Shine spray and a dash of Dylusions in bubble gum pink.  I had no idea what i was going to create when i grabbed this tag and my misty spray.  I picked up my favorite MFT Moroccon tile stencil and gave it a spritz.  Then I grabbed my peacock feathers distress pad and sponged away.  Hmmm....now it looks kind of Christmasy.  Okay, I'll go with that.  I really like this Recollections Set I picked up from Michaels this past year and the sentiments came from a rummage sale.  Using my MISTI i inked up the acrylics (which really don't ink too well with distress inks) but loving my MISTI i was able to get triple coverage accurately.  It was looking a tad too blah for Christmas and I found my MFT double scallop die and a piece of gold foil.  Just what was needed, but it's a Chrismas tag now and needs just a shot of Bubble Gum Pink.  I masked with a torn piece of paper and gave 'er a spritz and a Christmas Tag was born.

Entering this into Simon's Monday Challenge to Spritz or Spray and Word Art Wednesday #219

Play Day

This bitter cold Saturday afternoon turned into a play day.  The sun is shining but -11 makes for a chilly room even with the furnace on.  When i turn all the lights on in my crafting room though it warms things up, or maybe it's my creative brain burning up, sparking with new ideas.

I really liked the SplitCoast Color Challenge this week and decided to make a second card and use the MFT #267 Wednesday Sketch Challenge along with it.   I have had this pack of designer paper for at least fifteen years.  it was one of the first packs i purchased from Michaels so long ago because it was half price.  I had visions of making all kinds of scrap book layouts with my newly found paper.  It never happened.  Now I find myself still trying to use up.  I DO like all the designs but with four cards from each sheet, it kind of takes a long time to go through the pack.

I used MFT LJD Wild flowers dies, stamps and stencil and sentiment.  Also using the MFT circle die with those cool little markings on it.  I took a piece of DP and used MFT pierced banner die. To get the great color I mixed a bit of Cameo Coral marker and Red Rose Marker and painted onto the cream with  gray flowers design.  Before putting the card all together I stenciled some of the wild flowers over the designer paper.  Using a tag from one of the BluePrints I stamped the little sentiment on it.
Entering into Word Art Wednesday #219 Anything Goes

Valentine's All Around

MFT Sketch

Use Your Stuff Challenge

How fun it was to spend the afternoon and evening making Valentine Cards.  I still have lots of Valentine DP left and I have only ever bought one small 6 x 6 pack of it.  DP goes a long way.  This was a very fun evening as i used many different techniques and lots of SCHTUFF!!  Washi tape, inks, embossing folders, crackle paste, designer paper, embossing folders, die cuts, stickers.  the only thing i didnt use was ribbon.   I am entering the second card from the bottom into the Use Your Stuff #210 challenge this week which is to use an embossing folder.  The pink and gray card I am entering into the MFT sketch challenge #266.  That is a sweet MFT frame die that i just love.  I used the negative portions of the die to create this card.

flowers all around

in the online water coloring class for intermediates we had to practice using our brush to make flowers. I thought the colors turned out so pretty and decided to make it into a card panel.  I trimmed the panel  down to 3 -3/4 by 5 inches and used a long forgotten corner punch to make a frame.  A bit of vellum made a perfect back ground for the die cut sentiment.

 A glossy sentiment with button and bow finish off this card.  Entering this into Word Art Wednesday #219.  I love the Kristina Werner stamps from Simon Says.

ABC Challenge C is for Cute Critters

 

It's been a while since i was able to dedicate an afternoon to stamping.  I wanted to catch up with the Christmas challenges.  This one is for the ABC Christmas Challenge #3 C is for cute critters.  I do hope cute birdies count as critters.  It's been about four years since i used this High Hopes stamp.  I used water color paper and distress markers to give a soft color palette to this.  The sky is something i created as practice with the Intermediate Water Color class from on-line card classes.  I made the sky on one panel and then stamped the birdies on another piece, painted them and fussy cut them out and adhered them with some spray adhesive.  Then sentiments come from SSS and Creative Imaginations.  This also qualifys for Word Art Wednesday #219 Thanks for dropping in. 

Stamps 535 & 536 Close to My Heart

Merry Monday #190 is Santa or Reindeer.  It was easy to incorporate both with this sweet patterned paper from KaiserKraft.

I stamped the images on Bazzil Ivory Shiny Linen and fussy cut them out.  A couple of brush strokes with my SU markers and some distressing with tea dye distress ink and i started liking the look of it.  It was looking a bit bare when I remembered that free banner die I got from My Favorite Things over the holiday season.  Checked my ribbon stash for the bare corner and found this ribbon but it was tooooo white.  A little smudging with the same tea dye ink and it was perfect.  This is the ONLY santa stamp i own.   I will enter this card into the Merry Monday challenge 190.  --Also, since i want to keep up with Merry Monday.  I am posting my card for last week which was a one layer card.  Embossing powder on the image and a couple of strips of red magic tape covered with embossing powder from "the best embossing powder in the world"  and voila' i have a card.  I am entering this in Word Art Wednesday #219 also.

Sparkly Butterflies

I made a couple of these because I still think that sparkly napkin technique is so beautiful.  However, my mind has been befuddled of late and I forgot the main step of using heat and stick powder to make the glitter stick.  As i started using my heat tool the glitter was just a flyin'.  hmmm....what to do...i grabbed the can of hairspray and gave it a couple of good coats and let it try.  it works!! no glitter falling off at all.   Simon's banner.  love that one.

Sun Rays with Simon

Simon's Monday Challenge is to use the rays of the sun in your own interpretation.  A card very similar to this was mailed to me from my sweet friend Angela Bode.  I have been so overwhelmed sometimes ideas just don't make it to the fore front.  I asked Angie if I could CASE her card and she granted me permission.   I made a couple of changes and i like mine but truly her's was much prettier. First time i ever used my ink pad to make the rays.    mark's finest papers images.

SCS color challenge

Friend Angie is the guest designer for SCS color challenge this month.  She encouraged our mutual friend JoAnn and I to play along.  It was fun for all three of us to play the same challenge and see what we came up with.  I am in need of sympathy cards and I wanted to make a semi-cheerful sympathy card for my sister-in-law whose 91 year old dad just passed away.  It was a sweet release but still her daddy so joy and sorrow interwoven.

 

I used my spellbinders dies for the circles and the curved edges.  Simon Says mini hearts die always comes in handy.  The little bird is from that kit from simon i am still trying to use up.   The sentiment and banner stamp are from Ranger Tim Holtz.   I used Distress Markers to color and shade.   The color challenge was Saffron Yellow, Slate Gray and Sky blue.  Truly the top of my card is sky blue but couldn't get it to show up on the camera i used.  ~~I am playing along with The Daily Markers color challenge also.  Just color for 5 minutes a day for thirty days.

digi sentiments

Word Art Wednesday gives a nice scripture verse with a pretty font for every challenge.  I cut this one out with the textile die from My Favorite Things.  I embossed the black card stock and die cut it with one of the Blue Print pieces from MFT.   I had all these strips left over from the glitter napkin technique i used on another card.  They already had Sookwang adhesive on them and i didn't want to waste an inch of that pre-adhesived paper.

I used a gold glaze and rubbed over the embossed piece and then used my Matte Gel medium to adhere all the pieces.   Entering this in the Word Art Wednesday #218 anything goes challenge

Stamps that stay in the container

So i have lots and lots and lots of containers of stamps.  Sometimes, I simply overlook them but it's pretty amazing that any stamp that I have purchased myself, I KNOW i have buried somewhere.  If people that are non-stampers have given me stamps, then i don't really remember those so much.  When Merry Monday suggested Hot Beverages, I KNEW this gem was hiding in there.  It's one I picked up at a Good Will for $1.00 or else i likely wouldn't own it.  but it worked perfectly for this challenge.  I just went all christmasy with it to match the challenge.  It's salted caramel inside that cup.   I got to use up some more DP and that makes me happy.  Simplicity is the way to go. Easy to cut out also.

Stamp #534

ABC Christmas Challenge is B for Baubles.  I got to use a new stamp and some scraps.  Isn't that the best combo ever.  So while listening to the 80's crank out, which was some of the best music ever, I created this modernesque type card.  Close to My Heart Magical Season stamps.  Got them at the rummage.  Love the sketchy look of the entire set.  Entering into Word Art Wednesday #218

3 Patterned Papers

Use Your Stuff blog #207 is interesting and this week is to use three patterned papers.  I love using my scraps and this is the perfect challenge for that.  Mission Accomplished.  Sentiments are from Simon Says Wishing set.  I did a bonus UYS by adding a little punched kitty that was given to me in an envelope of punched goodies. Entering into Word Art Wednesday challenge #218

 

Splitcoast Stampers challenge color challenge is this basic combo of red, white and black.  I chose clean and simple and love how this turned out.  I embossed the large hounds tooth from My Favorite Things and added a Whimsy heart die and Love sentiment from Sizzix.  DONE.  that simple.  

 i received this oh so fun pocket letter filled with goodies from a friend in NC.  Since it's winter here i figured i'd just jump right into the fun goodies and create this fun card with elements from the "mini kit"  I added a touch of my own orange ribbon.

sentiments only, please

It's rare that i make a sentiment only front to my card.  It looks a bit bare to me but I am going to roll with it.  Inside i computer generated a sentence that says It's your birthday, Make a splash. 

I surely do love the Peacock Feathers distress ink from Tim Holtz.  It's my all time favorite of his colors.   The Simon Wednesday Challenge this week is Ombre.  It's trickier than it seems to get that distress ink to move on plain card stock without having round blobs of color.  It's a technique i need to practice with.   My Favorite Things has a simple sketch challenge this week that sparked this card.

Happy Birthday day to Gilbert, you crazy bird, you #534

Gilbert's birthday coming up in February.  This card started out with that ticket stamp and die.  And that stamp would be #534.   A long time ago when everyone was putting tickets on their cards I purchased this set with the die because there was some kind of big sale, or I won a gift certificate or something, anyway, that trend has long gone and I never even used either the die or the stamp.  Correcting that TODAY.  Now that it has seen ink I think I shall use it again.  Now HOW did that card come about by just stamping one little ticket die.  I really don't know but i am in love with it.  It also uses up the cloud embellishments from that same Simon Says May 2012 kit.  it's getting down there.  Thanks for stopping by,   no contests, no challenges, just fun fun fun.  i love those birds.

My Best Friends Mother

 

My best friends mother turns 90 this year?  How can that be?  How can this woman who used to ride horses and have people over and work in the barn and can and have a garden, HOW can she be turning ninety?  There will be a tea party held for her this Saturday.  Her favorite color is purple.  I'm not real sure how she feels about mice though?  But being a farmers wife, i'm sure she has seen her share of them and she likely won't open the card and scream and throw it away because there is a cute little mousie peeking around the cup.  At least, I hope she won't.  Happy Birthday, Adrianna. 

Something I NEVER thought i would do.  Never say Never!!  Years ago at a SU party that consisted of my daughter and myself and the demonstrator who was a friend of my daughters, we did this technique of pasting strips of DP down on a base and making a pattern.  It was also one of the cards in the Lovely Layered Cards class by Craftsy and i completely ignored it.  But.....i had all these cut off strips from the 6 x 6 papers in that Simon kit and i just couldn't bare to throw them away, they all coordinated so nicely, ya know!!  And voila` a collage card was born.  I actually did enjoy the process and went squeeeee  when it turned out so cute.  but....it will never be the first technique i choose.

Simon Kit May 2012

the kit that keeps on giving.  I remember watching the video Kristina Werner did when this kit came out and she said something about how many many cards we would get out of it.  Well, Goodness, I still have papers left and die cuts.  I will have to put it away as I have had enough for this series of cards.  It will be fun to pull it out again and maybe then I will be able to finish it up.  I added the little stick on snow man and trees to this one and i used the MFT swiss dots stencil to qualify for the Simon Monday Challenge.

House Mouse Christmas with Merry Monday

I'm glad I remembered to stop by Merry Monday again today.  The challenge is plaid.  I used this DP from the Simon Says May 2012 kit.  There's still lots of parts left.  Maybe that's why i still have so much left to get through.  :)  It's been fun trying to use it all up.  I think I still have about fifteen cards I can make with it.  So for the plaid challenge I took the liberty of going with a "kind of" plaid.  If the lines were straightened out instead of curved it would be a true plaid but I'm just gonna go with it as is.

I added some fishtail banners from MFT and a piece of mistletoe from Whimsy Stamps.  It's fun combining stamp sets for a whole new look.  The mousies sit on the I piericed rectangles also from MFT.  The sentiment is from Prickly Pear (no longer in business)  :(        House Mouse challenge 210

 

Entering into Merry Monday 

House Mouse Anything Goes

MFT Sketch

The Sketch Challenge at MFT was interesting this time.  I thought for two days on what i wanted to do and this popped into my head a bit ago.  The card is odd size being 3 1/2 wide by 5 1/2 long.  The sentiment is from the Essential Sentiments set MFT.  The dies are MFT sentiment dies.  And here's the sketch.

MFT Color Challenge

It's been forever since I've played in a color challenge.  When I really want to be challenged then this kind of challenge is for me.   What, what, what to do with this color combo?  I remember the best way for me to approach a color challenge is to go to my scrap box.  Sure enough, I have pieces of all the colors I need.  I was blessed to receive a $100 Gift certificate to My Favorite Things a couple of months ago and I picked out some balloon dies as part of my prize.  I love all things MFT, it wasn't hard to use up that $100.   I added a tiny bit of washi tape to pull this altogether.  I hope that still lets me qualify. 
Challenges entered:  My Favorite Things Color Challenge
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge:  Use Something New
Word Art Wednesday: Anything Goes #217

Word Art Wednesday

I just found Word Art Wednesday and one of the features they have on the blog are these wonderfully scripted scripture sayings that you can download for free.  I wanted to try a bit of mixed media with this scripture.  I took a piece of card board and used heavy gesson on it and then painted it with Tim Holtz Stain.  I used the peeled paint distress ink to go over the cardboard and gesso and also the damask resist designer paper.  Adding a flourish from Whimsey, i think and some gems and i quite like the effect. Using a new technique with the heavy gesso. 

Challenges entered
Simon Says Monday with Tim Holtz and something new.

Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes

Just Sayings

"Just Sayings" is the name of the stamp set that hosts the barely discernible typewriter key numbers ton the ledger paper in the center of this card.  It is a new to me stamp set and qualifies me to enter this into Simon's Monday Challenge.  If you have been following my blog you will catch on that i am working my way through the rest of my Simon Says card kit from May 2012.  I also used Kristina Werners stamps that are Simon exclusives. All the elements on the card came from the it except the sentiments.

I was invited to add my card posts to Word Art Wednesday anything goes challenge.  It's a great blog and a good fit with my values and life.

Fun Fun Fun

Crazy Fun is what these birds from Tim Holtz are.  I hope all of you that got them for Christmas are having as much fun as I do with them.  This one is inspired by Lorraine of Lorraine's Loft.  You need to check out her fun Crazy Bird cards.   These are also papers and die cuts from that same May 2012 kit.  I stamped the sentiment with some very old SU alphabet stamps.    This one is being entered into Simon's Monday Challenge for something new and featuring Tim Holtz. 

  

Challenges entered

Simon's Monday Challenge

Word Art Wednesday #217

Celebrate the easy way

I got this brand new MFT die as a  present for myself, at first when I saw it, I really didn't think too much of it.  Then I saw the DT that used all the patterned papers under it and I saw what a great way it is to use up STACKS of patterned papers and so it came home to me.  This qualifies me to use this card in the Simon Says Wednesday challenge of Something New.

The papers are from a very old Kit from Simon and I still have several pieces from that kit to use up.  It was a fabulous kit from May 2012.  I have used and used and used this kit and it just keeps on giving.

Other Challenges Entered
Word Art Wednesday #217

Stamp #533 Anythiing Goes

Over at the ABC Christmas Challenge which is running on their 7the year of going through the alphabet, the A stands for Anything Goes.   I chose this cute little stamp that i found at a rummage sale, brand new, for twenty-five cents.  (yeah, I'm happy about that)  I used the My Favorite Things pierced rounded corner die that is brand new to me.  I think I'll use this set a lot.   Just for the record, I did play every single challenge with this fun blogger last year.  I did not however, get them all finished in time to upload them to their blog.  I was happy for all the challenges and the fun it was to make the cards with their suggestions.

Stamp 532 White on White Christmas

It has been a very difficult year and I was so thankful to have so many of my holiday cards pre-made because of following a couple of challenge blogs specific to Christmas cards.  I started out with Merry Monday and then got so sick I just couldn't keep up.  It's wonderful this year to be feeling so well and not a sniffle or cough at all.  I had enough the last two years to last for a lifetime.  So here I am happily making up my Christmas cards through out the year.  Well at least this first week.  Hop on over to Merry Monday and join us for the white on white challenge.   ~~i have this unreasonable voice inside me that says i should make four of each card for the challenges and then i would be WAY ahead, however since i am notorious for using up my scraps it's not feasible to make more scraps to just make scraps to use, got it???  The framed border was a scrap left over from a previous card.  

STAMP #531

This sweet Whimsy die is one I won last year from the SCS challenge.  I chose the speech bubble die as part of my winnings from MFT.  I think I really enjoy winning things.  Anyway, I’m just trying to do some recording here of last months work.
Thanks for stopping by.  Waving at you.

HAPPY NEW YEAR STAMP #530

It’s a brand new year.  What does that mean to you.   I have never been very philosophical about the new year and I don’t feel that way this year either.  I do know I have a lot of left over business to catch up on from last year.  If you aren’t tired of looking at Christmas cards, here’s one I made that was simple and very pretty.  Made with scraps.  It’s a peek a boo card.  Was simple to make you just have to remember to draw a pencil line circle on the inside with the die as a template so you know where to stamp and apply color.