Hero Arts Weekly Challenge - Thanks

This weeks challenge at the Hero Arts Blog http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2008/12/29/a-new-week-and-new-year-and-a-video-and-giveaway/ is thanks cards and if you use a holiday theme there is an additional giveaway. I was playing around last night trying to create a pink Christmas cards as I really love pink in Christmas cards. I stumbled onto making this tree. I had a lot of fun creating it...

Recipe:

1. Start with a kraft card 5" x 7". Stamp the words using versamark and emboss with iridescent/kaleidescope embossing powder. (Doesn't show up on this picture but it has a little glimmer to it)
2. Take a sheet of dark pink cardstock and stamp with the snowflakes/circles border across the entire sheet and heat emboss using light pink embossing powder. (White was very close to giving the same look as I tried both. :)
3. Cut 1 1/2" strips from the background paper. Using the Martha Stewart Cornice Border punch create the scalloped look on each strip. Cut 7" from one of these scalloped strips.
4. Cut 1/2" from the front edge of the card to allow the scallop to show up on the right edge. Attach the scalloped edge to the right edge of the card.
5. I started with a 4" strip and kept decreasing in size by 1/4". You should do this until you reach 2" 1/4". This will give you 8 layers to your tree.
6. Now the tricky part. take that strip of 4" and put the corner edge of the scallop aligned ot the cutting line on your cutter. Tilt the scalloped strip to give a nice diagonal line on the paper and cut the corner off.
7. Repeat until you have your 8 layers of the tree. I pop dotted the entire first layer to give a good base but every layer after that I only put 2 foam dots on the top half. This helps the layers lift up a little on the bottom half.
8. The charms were something I found at michael's as they have good sales on these and some are clearanced at Hobby Lobby too.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Joyful Holiday Messages
• Hero Arts Clear Design - Classic Christmas Borders
• Pink Embossing Powder
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Modern Romance - Thank You Charm
• So Charming - Angel Charm
• Ribbon, Pearls - Unknown
• Martha Stewart - Cornice Border Punch

Happy New Year to you and your loved ones. Blessings to you all in the new year. Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

OCC Challenge - Clear Thinking

The challenge at OCC http://ourcreativecorner6.blogspot.com/ this week is clear thinking. Use something clear on a card. I thought I was going to do a card for both this challenge and the Hero Arts Challenge which is to make a thank you card. But this card came out as a sweetheart card instead.

I thought it would be fun to make a card half clear and half card. What I didn't think about was having to cover all the areas they connect. I have lace on the front and back outside of the card and a beautiful velvet ribbon on the inside. I also put a backing on the scalloped rectangle on the inside to hide the pop up dots.

The card is much softer in real life. It doesn't transfer in the picture but it is a nice contrast to have the clear, lace and brown paper all in one project.

Products:

• Hero Arts Designblock - Wavy Leaf
• Hero Arts Designblock - Poinsettias & Birds (birds)
• Hero Arts Clear Design - Anytime Messages
• Hero Arts - Delicate Leaves
• Ranger Embossing Powder - Lettuce
• StazOn - Olive Green
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Versafine Olympia Green
• Spellbinders Scalloped Rectangle, Ovals
• Kaisers - Pearls
• Hobby Lobby - Lace Trim

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Wild Flowers (AKA Weeds)

I just recently used a set of stamps from Chapel Road Artstamps. They inspired me to make my new banner and another card. I forgot I had purchased 2 sets when I went to my LSS along time ago. They are called Thistle Etc (B) and Teasel Etc (B).

I started with a background made from smearing Ranger Distress inks on acetate. (Weathered Wood and Tea Dye) I spritzed water on the ink until it was very runny and then I put a piece of white cardstock on top of the wet ink.

Stamp the words using the weathered wood and stamped the other images randomly on the distress ink background.

Products:

• Versafine - Olympia Green, Vintage Sepia
• Ranger Distress Ink - Weathered Wood, Tea Dye
• JoAnn Fabric - Lace Trim
• Blue Moon Lost Charms - Butterflies (These are all clearanced at Michael's)
• Buttons - unknown
• Raffia - (After Christmas sale of raffia and kraft wrapping paper)
• Chapel Road Artstamps - Thistle Etc (B), Teasel Etc (B)

Thanks for stopping by....

Suzz

Periwinkle and Jasmine

The background was created awhile ago using a mix of Radiant Rain there is a purple and pink shimmer to this background that doesn't photograph.

The flowers are stamped on using versamark and then heat embossed with white embossing powder. The ribbon and accent paper are deep purple.

Products:

• Stampendous - Agapanthus Cluster
• Hero Arts - Sparkle Clear - Simple Messages
• Hero Arts - Lupine
• Hero Arts DesignBlock - Wavy Leaf
• Fiskars Corner Punch
• Ranger - Seafoam Embossing Powder
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Radiant Rain Twinkling H2O's - Periwinkle, Jasmine
• StazOn - Royal Purple

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Art Creations Friday Challenge # 6

Art Creations Friday Challenge http://artcreationsfriday.blogspot.com/ # 6 was to use the following background:



I struggled with this and ended up with 3 different cards:



Card # 1 has butterflies and squares made from the original background which I then resist stamped flowers and words and sponged with Ranger Distress Inks (Broken China and Shabby Shutters)

The second card I used the same resist background and stamped over it and embossed with gold embossing powder. I then punched the background into thes flowers and made a simple inchie card.

Card # 3 has a resist background sponged with Ranger Distress Ink Dusty Concord. The bottom of the card is made from vellum and stamped with clear embossing powder and then stamped over with Ranger Distress Ink Dusty Concord. The image came from one of two sources: http://stampingrika.blogspot.com/ Rein provides free vintage images on Mondays on her blog or Cora also shares images on her blog: http://www.clearlyvintage.blogspot.com/ . Updated to link the correct blog I pulled the image from: http://nancydooren.blogspot.com/search/label/Vintage%20plaatjes.. Nancy has free images and they are beautiful. Thanks, Nancy...

Thanks for Stopping by...

Suzz

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

For Unto Us A Child is (Born)" (Isaiah 9:6)

Have a blessed Christmas! This little stamp gave me a chuckle and I wanted to share with everyone.
Have a great day and I hope you are celebrating it with the ones you love.

Merry Christmas!

Suzz

Happy Christmas Eve! & Butterfly # 2 and a Bird...

Happy Christmas Eve to you and your family!

I finished 3 cards yesterday which was a big deal for me... I also finished wrapping last night. Looks like the snow has stopped and it is going to rain and then freeze.

The first card was what inspired my butterfly card that you saw yesterday. I started with some vintage paper from a book I have that I pull pages from. I need to get a different book this one is a western and if you read the fine print it probably doesn't go so well with the cards. :)

Butterfly Card # 2

This actually started the butterfly cards. I started with wanting to use the vintage paper. I pulled a sheet from the book and stamped the butterfly on the paper.

Mini-Recipe:

1. Stamp Butterfly using versafine black onyx. Color in using colored pencils. (My littlest one Tanya colored this in for me :)
2. Stamp using versamark the background. I used a tree with flowers. Heat emboss using clear embossing powder. Repeat for background to sentiment.
3. Sponge the printed pages using Broken China Distress Ink.
4. Versamark the entire printed pages and heat emboss using clear embossing powder.

The rest is fairly easy. Just mounting and cutting cardstock.

Last card from this one project. I made the sentiment for the previous card and didn't like how it looked on that card sto this card was born. This was also designed to a sketch from the Hero Arts Blog Challenge.

Products: (both cards)

• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Birds & Swirls
• Hero Arts - Slanted Tree
• Hero Arts - Sparkle Design
• Hero Arts - CardArt Decorative Birds
• Hero Arts - Good Things Messages
• Paper Studio - Lace Trim
• Kaisers - Pearls
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Scalloped Rectangle
• Ribbon, Brads - Unknown
• Ranger Distress Ink - Broken China
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Versafine Onyx Black Pigment Ink
• Prismacolor Color Pencils
• K&CO Gems

Merry Christmas! (I do have one fun card to post tomorrow for my stamping friends) I will post after the furor of the flying wrapping paper and the excitement of assembling has died down...

Suzz

Butterflies # 1

Everything is coming up butterflies... I don't know but I started with an idea of using a piece of printed paper. The butterfly was added and I have 2 cards now similar but different. I am sharing one now and one later or tomorrow. The dark background is a page from an old book purchased at a flea market a long time ago. Stamp the background design across the printed page using versamark ink. Heat emboss with clear embossing powder. Sponge the page with the grape color from Ranger Distress Inks. Ink the entire background with versamark and heat emboss using clear embossing powder. Cut tan cardstock for the sentiment using nestabilitie die cut. Stamp sentiment using grape ink.
Cut larger background from tan cardstock. Stamp wavy leaf design using grape ink. Stamp butterflies on tan paper and emboss with clear embossing powder. Sponge grape ink over the embossed butterflies. Cut out butterflies and assemble card.

Products:

• Hero Arts - DesignBlock Wavy Leaf Pattern
• Inkadinkado - 96660 (Butterfly) 5507- Sentiment
• Ranger Distress Ink - Dusty Concord
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Label One
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Clear Embossing Powder

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Patchwork Quilt

I started this yesterday and made a couple of beautiful vignettes of wildflowers. The set is from Chapel Road Artstamps. This is the only set I have of theirs but they are beautiful... Field Thistle, Nightshade, and Shepherd's Purge. I decided to take the stamped vignettes and cut them into inchies and make this patchwork quilt. The letters look much better IRL, they have a sparkle to them and they pop more.

I really enjoyed making my little quilt. (This is as close to sewing as I get. :)

The background paper is made from distress re-inkers on a transperancy with water.

I hope you enjoy my little quilt as much as I did putting it together.

Products:

• Chapel Road Artstamps - Thistle Etc (B)
• Ranger Distress Re-Inkers - Mustard Seed, Tattered Roses, Dried Marigold, Faded Jeans, Shabby Shutters
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Ranger Distress Ink Pad - Pine Needles, Aged Mahogony
• Letters - K&Co - (I colored and added stickles)
• Ranger Stickles
• Krylon - Gold Pen
• Buckle, Ribbon - Unknown

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Lovey Dovey Challenge - OCC

This card is for 2 different challenges. The OCC challenge is a Lovey Dovey Challenge http://ourcreativecorner6.blogspot.com/2008/12/lovey-dovey-challenge.html and is based on a sketch from Hero Arts Blog Challenge: http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2008/12/19/having-fun-on-friday/ I am giving this to my DH. He is always there taking care of things and really is a wonderful husband.

There wasn't much recipe. The only thing I did was I stamped on a transperancy to make the pair of skunks. The grass is made from distress re-inkers put on acetate and cardstock laid on top of it to absorb the ink. The sky is sponged.

Products:

• Hero Arts Clear Design - Woodland Critters
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Scalloped Circles
• Fiskars Circle Template & Circle Cutter
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Tiny Bubbles
• Marvy Uchida Corner Rounder Punch
• Distress Re-Inkers - Mustard, Lettuce
• Distress Ink - Broken China, Shabby Shutters
• Pink Sharpie -(Noses)
• Rubber Stampede - Prairie Grass
• Ribbon - Martha Stewart
• PP - Unknown

Thanks for dropping by!

Suzz

Art Creations Friday Challenge #5

This weeks Art Creations Friday Challenge: http://artcreationsfriday.blogspot.com/ was an image provided by Hermine. It was of this couple:


Here is my card:


I want to mention I had to scan this card so I apologize for the lack of color/detail.

I did a lot of layers on this. The background is embossed with 2 different colors of embossing powder and stamped with multiple roses and streaked with versamark. Sponge a tan ink on the background to provide the distressed color.

Attach the image to the distressed background. The sentiments are stamped on an alcohol ink background consisting of caramel, lettuce and currant.

Stamp on the acetate the border and the tag stamp using StazOn Ink.

I wanted to specifically mention my crochet flower that was a wonderful gift from Jacqueline. She sent me some crocheted flowers and butterflies which I have been hoarding. (they are so beautiful I have not wanted to use them)

Products:

• Ranger Distress Embossing Powder - Mustard
• Light Pink Embossing Powder
• StazOn Ink - Timber Brown, Olive Green
• Versamark Watermark Ink Pad
• Ranger Alcohol Inks - Lettuce, Butterscotch, Caramel, Currant
• Ranger Alcohol Blending Solution
• Brads, Ribbon - Unknown
• Kaisers - Pearls
• Crochet Flower - (Sent from Jacqueline)
• Cornish Heritage Farms - Time Sentiments
• Hero Arts - Collage Take Time
• Inque Boutique - French Quarter (Border Stamp)

Thanks for stopping by.. I am excited the holidays are here and I am taking a couple of weeks off from work which means more family time and hopefully inking time.

Suzz

Frosted Butterflies...

I saw some beautiful vellum butterflies stickers frosted with glitter. This was my attempt to create something as beautiful. The sketch was from the HA sketches. I am missing the sentiment from the sketch. I tried to think of how to incorporate it and I decided I liked the card without a sentiment. :)

Here is a close-up of my butterflies...


Here is the final card...


Recipe:

1. Cut 5" x 7" light blue cardstock. Stamp lace flower across the card using versamark. Heat emboss using iridescent/kaleidescope clear embossing powder.
2. Stamp 5 snowflakes on vellum using versamark ink. Heat emboss the snowflakes using iridescent/kaleidescope clear embossing powder.
3. Die Cut the snowflakes in the shape of the butterflies. Take iridescent chalk (blue) and rub it across the butterflies. Be careful as I bent my poor butterflies wings several times because I didnt' keep them flat. I rubbed with my fingers to make sure I removed the excess at the end.
4. Cut a strip of kraft paper using a scalloped rotary cutter blade.
5. Layer the lace and butterflies on the kraft paper.
6. Add another strip of scalloped kraft paper and accessorize with the tiny light blue gems.
7. Add pearls to the butterflies. Cut 1/4" of the light blue embossed cardstock to attach to the inside of the card on the end.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Lace Flower Cluster
• Hero Arts - Grand Snowflake
• Lace, Gems, Pearls Unknown
• Spellbinders Butterfly Die Cut
• Stampendous - Kaleidescope Embossing Powder
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Fiskars Rotary Cutter - Scallop Blade
• Pebbles, Inc. Pearlescent Chalk

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

KWerner Color Challenge # 35

Sorry I have been away. I have been creating 40 Christmas cards to send out. The kids even helped which was great!

I was so inspired when I saw Kristina's latest color challenge: http://kwernerdesign.com/blog/2008/12/color-inspiration-35.html and on the Hero Arts blog they are hosting a sketch challenge: http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2008/12/15/sketch-challenge-week-with-new-hero-arts-and-basic-grey/. So these cards just rolled right out. :) Okay maybe not that quickly but they were fairly easy because of the sketch and colors being given to me.

I created 2 different cards using Kristina's color palette:

I love these colors they were really easy to work with and there are 4 sketches and layouts to play with on the HA blog.

Card # 1:

Products:

• Hero Arts - Poinsettias and Birds
• Hero Arts - Screen Shadow
• Stazon - Timber Brown
• Hero Arts - Sparkle Clear - Holiday Messages
• Memories - Sky Blue
• Martha Stewarts - Snowflake Punch
• Ribbon & Gems Unknown
• Fiskars - Threading Water Punch

My second card was inspired by a new stamp I just bought from Impression Obsessions. This little bird is holding a candy cane on the stamp. I just cut that away and put the bird on a branch.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Long Branch
• Hero Arts - WoodGrain Pattern
• Hero Arts - Clear Design - Birthday Messages
• Hero Arts - Shadow Ink - Sand
• Impression Obsession - Candy Cane Chickadee
• Hero Arts - Poinsettias and Birds
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder -
• Nestabilities - Scalloped Circle
• Marvy Uchida - Circle Punch
• StazOn - Timber Brown
• Adirondack - Pigment Ink - Cloudy Blue

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Joy to You

This is my final entry in the colors challenge for HA weekly challenge. The colors were Magenta, Paprika, Brown, Green, Taupe. I liked this set of colors as I thought they were more earthy tones.




Recipe:

1. Take a glossy piece of cardstock. Drip 3 drops of Lettuce Alcohol Ink on the felt applicator and add 3 drops of blending solution. Drag the felt applicator across the 8 1/2 x 11" glossy cardstock in a straight line. Repeat all the way across the sheet of cardstock. Change the felt and do the same with the caramel color. The green stripes will have a darker area where you have overlapped. start your caramel rows in the lightest part of the green.


2. I used a new stamp from Hero Arts which has a chicken wire look to it. I wanted to try a new technique I read about where you take the color off by using the blending solution on stamps. I did that but didn't think I got enough of an image. So I reversed it and applied rust mixed with blending solution on the rubber stamp and stamped it on the script piece of background on the card. It was interesting but a very muted effect. After my background dried I stamped the french script using my StazOn brown ink.


3. The sentiment was stamped on the alcohol ink background using StazOn Green ink.


4. Stamp the tree on white cardstock. Sponge the edges with a tan ink. Sponge orange and brown around the edges.
5. Cut and mount all the pieces.
   

Products:

• Hero Arts - Slanted Tree
• Hero Arts - Old French Writing
• Hero Arts - Three Holiday Messages
• Hero Arts - Screen Shadow
• Hero Arts - Shadow Ink - Soft Sand
• Ranger Alcohol Inks & Blending Solutions - Lettuce, Caramel, Rust
• StazOn Solvent Ink - Timber Brown, Olive Green
• Blue Moon - Lost & Found Charms
• EK Success - Adornments - Red
• Martha Stewart Border Punch - Doily Lace
• Adirondack - Sunshine Orange
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Ranger Distress Ink - Aged Mahogany
• Gems - Unknown

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Art Creations Friday Challenge...

The Art Creations Friday Challenge: http://artcreationsfriday.blogspot.com/ posted this beautiful lady as the challenge photo.

I left her pretty much the same but added a resist image ontop of her and sponged a light pink and brown around the edges.
I did mask her face because my first attempt I didn't and I didn't like the effect. I also tried using a chalking technique where you chalk first and then emboss with clear embossing powder. The effect didn't show enough color on the resist. I bunched the lace along the bottom with glue dots. I added flowers, hat pin and embossed a silver charm with bronze embossing powder to coordinate with the photo corners.

Products:

• Image - Art Creations Friday
• Flowers - Prima
• Lace - JoAnn's
• Hero Arts DesignBlock - Poinsettias and Birds
• Versacolor - Opera Pink
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Pearls - Unknown

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Kristina Werner Color Challenge # 34

Kristina's color challenge #34 http://kwernerdesign.com/blog/2008/12/color-inspiration-34.html contains the following colors:


I had purchased these cute turtle stamps after Halloween and decided I could definitely include the greens in the turtles.

Here is my entry in the challenge:

Products:

• Inky Antics - Halloween Turtle Clear Set
• Basic Grey -
• Martha Stewart - Cornice Border Punch
• Hero Arts - Native Grass
• Hero Arts - Sparkle Clear - Love That!
• Adirondacks - Lights Pigment Ink - Cloudy Blue
• Ranger Distress Inks - Shabby Shutters, Aged Mahogany
• Kaisers - Gems

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Color Challenges

This week's challenge over on the Hero Arts Blog http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2008/12/08/motivation-mondays-its-going-to-be-a-colorful-week/ is color... There are several choices to work from. I chose Friday's colors: Red-Orange, Pastel Yellow, Dark plum, Bright purple, Spearmint Green. I think it is hard to see the colors on the swatch and on the end product.

I originally thought to use buttons as berries but they were too large on my wreath. The gems are beautiful and this picture doesn't do them justice as they add this beautiful sparkle to my holiday wreath. The wreath is made from a tree stamp.

Recipe:

1. Ink up the top half of the tree stamp with green ink. I excluded the bottom half of the tree as it was a strong line in my wreath. Stamp the the tree top on the outside and leave the main stem pointing to the middle of the circle. I actually traced a circle on my first attempt to keep it aligned but free-handed it on this version. Continue this until you have completed the wreath. Apply ink to the top portion of the tree and fill in around the edges as needed.
2. Cut out the outside and inside middle of the wreath. I used my little detail scissors on the outside and my exacto knife for the middle.
3. Apply gems randomly around the wreath.
4. Tie little knots in purple ribbon and apply randomly.
5. Stamp sentiment with plum ink.
6. Cardstock was 3 colors, purple, yellow, and green.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Windy Tree
• Gems - Hero Arts, K&Co, Crystal Stickers
• Ribbon Unknown
• Stampendous - Sentiment
• Ranger Distress Inks - Peeled Paint
• Colorbox - Lilac

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

OCC Challenge

The OCC blog: http://ourcreativecorner6.blogspot.com/ provides a sketch a week and this weekend I thought I would try to create a card (not holiday related) for this sketch.

I had fun playing with the sketch. I love this little birdcage and don't use it enough. I decided to make it my focal point for this card.

Products:

• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Birds & Swirls


• The Paper Loft - Grandmas House - Annie's Apron


• Memento - Rich Cocoa


• Versafine - Olympia Green


• Versafine - Vintage Sepia


• Hero Arts - Bird in a Cage


• Hero Arts - Flower and Bird Branch


• Hero Arts - Sparkle Design - Hello Birdie!

Thanks for stopping by:

Suzz

Santa Claus is Coming to town

I was supposed to be working on our Christmas cards, wrapping a few presents as we are having a holiday get together tomorrow. Instead I was playing with my new stamps. I have been inspired by Tim Holtz's 12 days of tags. http://timholtz.typepad.com/ and decided to take a break after housecleaning(I did one thing on my list).

The background for the Santa and the card is made from smearing the Aged Mahogany on acetate and adding water and laying the cardstock on the ink. I made several backgrounds from one ink smear. The Santa was stamped on the last background which only contains speckles of red on them.

Products:

• Stampers Anonymous - Letters to Santa
• Ranger Distress Inks - Aged Mahogany, Antique Linen, Pine Needles
• Letters - Stickers - Unknown
• Inkadinkado -
• Memento - Rich Cocoa

Thanks for stopping by....

Suzz

Spinning Penguins...

Over at HA this week it is about creating quick cards... Well I discovered that I am not so quick. I knew what I wanted to do with this card before I started which is unusual. I knew the design, colors, and layout. It still took me a little time to execute the card. Although in my defense it was intermingled with running my daughter to gymnastics, showers, bedtimes, letting the dog out... I am sure you all know what I mean. :)

This was my quick card. I had two inspirations for this card... Lisa Spangler made the cutest little owl card on her blog with a cut out circle http://sideoatsandscribbles.wumple.com/?p=471 and Kelly had these gorgeous pink scraplings that she made. http://cruzinkellster.blogspot.com/2008/12/minute-cards-with-marths-stewart.html Based on those two wonderful inspiration pieces the spinning penguins were born...

Recipe:

1. Since I am a lazy cardmaker I didn't measure out the centers of my ovals. I eyeballed them. I used my nestabilities and layed the pattern paper upside down on the cutting plate and laid the die cut in the middle and laid the C cutting plate on top and flipped it over. I then ran it through the cuttlebug. I then did the same for the left and right ovals.
2. Emboss the patterned paper with the oval cut outs using the swiss dots embossing folder.
3. Create a card 5" x 7" from pink cardstock. Cut out a rectangle on the front of the card to leave the ovals open to the inside of the card.
4. Sponge the patterned paper with teal colored dye ink.
5. Attache PP to front of the card with pink thread in between the pieces in the center of the oval.
6. Stamp six penguins on the patterned paper with pink ink. Cut them out with your fine scissors.
7. Stamp snowflake in teal onto patterned paper. Stamp three penguins in pink on the snowflake stamp. Cut out the hats and scarves.
8. Attach the little hats and scarves to the front of the penguins.
9. Attach the penguins with the hats and scarves to the front of the pink thread and the other penguins as the back sides on the other side of the thread.
10. Punch 20 snowflakes from the patterned paper and sponge pink ink on the snowflakes. Attach them to the top and bottom of the card in 2 layers.
    

Products:

• Hero Arts - Cap and Scarf Penguin
• Hero Arts - Grand Snowflake
• Basic Grey - Wassail - Snow Dust
• Adirondack Brights - Pool
• Versacolor - Opera Pink
• StazOn - Fuschia
• Martha Stewart - Snowflake Punch

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Spotlight Technique...

I created this for a challenge using the spotlight technique. I have this beautiful nativity stamp and decided to use it in this challenge. The card itself is very simple in design and layout but I like the simplicity of the colors and highlighting the baby and the star.


For the spotlight I stamped the image on white cardstock and punched a 3/4" circle on the star and the baby. I was careful to capture the baby but to not overlap onto Mary's face.

Products:

• Inkadinkado - Nativity Scene
• Penny Black - Celebrate the Wonder
• Inque Boutique - French Quarter
• Versafine Onyx Black
• General Kimberly Watercolor Pencils
• 3/4" Circle Punch
• Kraft Paper, Vellum Paper

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Kwerner Color Challenge # 33

I love the color challenges... Sketches are harder for me to follow and I love color. So anything that can inspire a new look based on color is good with me... Here is the link to Kristina's great blog: http://kwernerdesign.com/blog/2008/12/color-inspiration-33.html. I also am doubling up challenges as these will also apply to the Hero Arts Blog weekly challenge. Lisa Spangler is hosting and has some really cute last minute card ideas and sneak peeks for the 2009 catalogue. http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/

Here is the wonderful color swatch:

Right away after seeing the colors I thought of doing a card with the blue spruce trees in teal and the orange skyline. I decided to try a second card which used the same colors for Christmas ornaments...

The recipes on these cards are fairly simple so I will share the products only. As Shirley says... I am taking the easy path today. :)

Products:

• Hero Arts Designblock - Birds & Poinsettas
• Hero Arts Clear Design - Classic Christmas Borders
• Martha Stewart Clear Gift Tag Stamps
• Hero Arts - Real Pine
• Stampendous - Holiday Quad Cube
• Hero Arts Clear Design - Three Tree Christmas
• Marvy Uchida Purple Circle Punch
• Ranger Distress Inks - Shabby Shutters, Broken China
• StazOn - Pumpkin
• Adirondack - Sunset Orange
• Versafine - Deep Lagoon, Vintage Sepia
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• General Kimberly Watercolor Pencil
• Stampendous - Stamp N Stuff - Kaleidoscope Transparent Embossing Powder
• Ranger Stickles - Orange Peel
• Gems - K&CO

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Periwinkle Radiant Rain...

I decided today that I needed to get out of my blue, green, brown phase and move onto some other colors.

This card started with a Periwinkle Radiant Rain Shimmering Mist by LuminArte. It is a very pretty shimmery light lilac color. This picture doesn't do it justice.

Recipe:

1. I cheated. I bought a clearance bridal invitation set which has the shape you see on my picture as part of the invitation. I used it to trace the shape onto my background paper and then I cut it out the old fashioned way. :)
2. The background was made by mixing the radiant rain with water and spritzing it on the background. I then added salt to pull the colors into spots. Unfortunately the picture doesn't do it justice.
3. I then took some clear tree stamps which still had brown ink on them and inked them up with a light blue pigment ink. This made the images have tinges of brown on the light blue which I really liked after I stamped it. I heat embossed using kaleidescope embossing powder which is clear but leaves a trace of glitter.
4. I stamped the deer on the same paper background with brown ink and cut them out.
5. I stamped the sentiment across the top with grey ink.
6. I then added liquid pearls in a lavendar color on the spots provided by the sentiment and continued down because I liked how they looked like snowflakes.
7. Tied 2 knots on either side and punched the star border punch on the top and bottom.
8. The paper underneath the punched border is grey.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Silent Night Holy Night
• Stampendous - SSC1013
• Luminarte - Radiant Rain, Shimmering Mist, Periwinkle
• Liquid Pearls - Lavender Lace
• Martha Steward - Border Punch

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Masterboard

I decided to create a masterboard. I saw this concept in the Stampers Sampler and decided I was going to create a board and then copy the board to make mulitple cards/projects from the board.

Here is my masterboard:

And here is one of the projects I created from the masterboard...

I enjoyed the concept but I get tired of making similar cards. I created 3 more projects from this board which I won't share... But more than enough of one background.

The other thing that was difficult was the colors of the masterboard didn't translate as I would have liked from my printer. I think if I were to do this again I would try to get the copies made with a higher quality copier.

Thanks for stopping by... If you would like to know any of the stamps or other info, drop me an email and I will respond.

Suzz

Art Creations Friday Challenge # 2

This friday's challenge from Art Creations http://artcreationsfriday.blogspot.com/ was to use a background painted by Vintage Wil. This is her background:

It is very pretty because there are other tints of colors in the background and I happen to have a fondness for grey although I don't use it alot in my cards. I consider it another great neutral.

Here is my card made from the background:

Recipe:

1. I started with a mask that I just purchased from Tim Holtz that I have been wanting to use. I laid it along the side of the paper. I sponged over it with the teal ink.
2. Ink the bird in the branches stamp with versamark and stamp next to the masked border and the bottom left corner. Heat emboss with copper metallic embossing powder.
3. Stamp the flourish on the top right and left side with versamark. Heat emboss using green embossing powder.
4. I also purchased a mask from Heidi Grace at the same time. I placed a portion of that in the top left corner and sponged over it with the same teal ink.
5. I placed the same floral mask on the bottom and inked over that. Sponge teal around the outside edges.
6. Stamp the sentiment in the middle on the bottom half of the card using teal ink.
7. Tie twine around and use button in the knot. Add two more buttons on either side.

Products:

• Ranger Distress Ink - Pine Needle
• Penny Black - Natures Dance
• Verses Rubber Stamps - Apache Blessing
• Tim Holtz - Borderline Mask
• Heidi Swapp - Mask Floral
• Judikins Metallic Copper Embossing Powder
• Ranger Embossing Powder - Lettuce
• Versmark Watermark Ink
  

Thanks for stopping by...

Last Minute Gifts

This is another entry in the Hero Arts weekly challenge for last minute gifts. The idea came from my daughter Kaeli. She liked when I was paper piecing the Snowman's hat a couple of weeks ago and she said you should make some other outfits. This idea has been percolating and when the challenge was last minute gifts I decided to make a stamped version of paper dolls.

This is the front of the little gift. What you can't see is the Cats are in a little acetate pouch on the front. So they have a storage compartment. They don't have any clothes on right now.



The inside is where all the clothes, accessories, hats and scarves are stored. I attached 2 sheets of acetate.



Here are the young ladies with two of the frocks on...

A couple of fun things...

• There are extra eyes so they can switch the eye color.
• The gems, pearls are for necklaces and bracelets.
• Use repositionable tape from Kokuyo to attach the paper products to the acetate.
• The cats are made from glossy cardstock.
• The cats need a dab of repositionable tape on them to assist in sticking the outfits.
• Included is the white version of each piece to allow them to use as a template/color in their own version.
• There is extra space on the dresses area to add more items.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Dancing Cat
• Hero Arts - Cap and Scarf Penguin
• Hero Arts - Lace
• The Paper Loft - Grandma's House, GH108- Herb Garden/Annie's Apron
• Basic Grey
• October Afternoon

This was a lot of fun to create... thanks for stopping by and taking a look.

Suzz

KWerner Color Challenge # 32

Kristina's colors this week are inspired from a christmas picture in a catalogue. The link to her challenge: http://kwernerdesign.com/blog/2008/11/color-inspiration-32.html

The colors are:

She did allow for the Sahara Sand to be substituted with a metallic color.

This is similar to another card I made a long time ago. The stamps on this is the Hero Arts 12" clear stamp. When I first saw the stamp I knew I wanted to make a wreath from the berries and branches stamp.

Products:

• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Memento - Rhubarb Stalk (I love that name)
• Hero Arts - Branch & Leaf Long Borders
• Judikins Copper Embossing Powder
• Ribbon FX - Hobby Lobby
• K&CO Gems
• Penny Black - Joy, Hope...
• Bazzil Christmas Paper

The best part about making the challenge cards, is I keep adding to my pile to send out for our Christmas cards. Everyone is going to get a unique card this year if I keep this up!

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone... This is a time for family and thankfulness. I am very thankful for my family and friends.

I was just going to post my entry for this weeks Hero Arts challenge and went to pull the link forgetting that today they announce the winners from last week challenge. Much to my surprise I won first place for last weeks challenge! Yeah! Something else to be thankful for today.

This weeks Hero Arts challenge http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2008/11/24/a-mouthwatering-monday-with-the-web-artists/ is last minute gifts. This card started to come together as a gift card holder or money holder.

This is the full card put together:

This is the card with the inside tag pulled slightly out and with the gift card peaking out.

Here is a picture with both pieces together to show how they look individually.

Recipe:

Outside Card

1. Cut white cardstock 6 3/4" x 4 3/4". Ink Script Stamp with Antique Linen and stamp across 1/2 of the white cardstock.
2. Cut white cardstock 6 3/4" x 3 1/2". Cut patterned paper 6 3/4" x 3 1/2". Ink Flourishes stamp with Milled Lavender and stamp on patterned paper. Attach the patterned paper to the white cardstock.
3. Cut olive green carsdtock 1" x 6 3/4". Cut white cardsotck 1" x 6 3/4". Ink lace stamp using Versafine Vintage Sepia and stamp along edge of white cardstock. Cut out edge of lace.
4. Attach olive green cardstock to top of the patterned paper. Pop Up lace border and attach to center of olive green strip.
5. Cut out 2 1/2" Oval Scalloped Nestability from white cardstock. Emboss edges. Stamp vines and sentiment using light green ink onto scalloped oval cardstock. Lay the acrylic block over the oval. Line up the clear branches and leaves stamp to arrange it in an oval position. After I inked it I wiped off some of the ends to limit the length they ran around the sides of the oval. Ink the dove with the sepia and stamp in the nest of branches and leaves. Sponge the edges of the scallop with brown ink.
6. Attach the oval to the center of the lace.
7. Attach the patterned paper section to the script background. Apply tape around the bottom edge and sides.

Inside Tag:

1. Cut olive green carsdtock 6" x 4 1/2". Punch the doily lace border along one edge.
2. Cut white cardstock 3 1/2" x 5 3/4". Ink flourishes with light lavendar and stamp on white cardstock. Attach flourish background to bottom edge and centered on green cardstock.
3. Cut olive green cardstock 5 3/4" x 2 1/2". Punch border using cornice border punch.
4. Cut patterned paper 5 3/4" x 1 1/4". Ink flourishes with light lavender and stamp on patterned paper.
5. C
6. Cut 3 1/4" x 2 1/2" scalloped rectangle from white cardstock. Stamp sentiment and branches and leaves using light green ink. Sponge edges with brown ink.
7. Attach patterned paper to green cardstock. Attach bottom half of scallop to patterned paper and green cardstock.
8. Attach the green cornice piece only taping around the bottom edges and the side. this forms your inside pocket for gift card or money.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Lace (Stamp set)
• Hero Arts - Sparkle Clear - Hello Birdie
• Hero Arts - DesignBlock Flourish
• Hero Arts - Clear Design - Classic Christmas Borders
• Hero Arts - Old French Writing
• Hero Arts - Sparkle Clear - Holiday Messages
• Hero Arts - Pearls
• BasicGrey - Wassail - Sleigh Ride
• Memento - New Sprout, Rich Cocoa
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Ranger Distress Inks - Milled Lavender, Antique Linen
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Scalloped Rectangle, Scalloped Oval

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kissing Stamps

Over at 2 Peas they are having weekly stamp camps... This week Kristina Werner shared the kissing technique. Here is the link: http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&thread_id=2697145

I have always done the kissing of stamps by applying the ink to the stamp and using another stamp to remove the ink. She showed how to use acrylic stamps and applying the ink and stamping it on the paper and then applying ink to another stamp and laying the original stamp on top of the inked stamp and than stamping that over the original image. This is something I had never tried before. I have very few solid images so it was a challenge to find stamps that I could use to play with this.

I ended up making 2 cards for the challenge/class. The first card is not my typical genre of cardmaking and I am not sure if I did the birds justice. I used this bueatiful lace flower stamp from Hero Arts as my kissing stamp. The birds are an clear stamp and I used the technique described by Kristina to create the birds. The red ink is Versafine Crimson Red. The birds definitely look more pink than red. The ink used for the lace is Versafine Vintage Sepia. I wanted to use the pigment ink to get the crispest image possible. The color scheme I think was a challenge on SCS not too long ago and I also recieved an ad for a bedding set which was really pretty using red and grey with brown furniture.

The second card was made by applying the ink to a rubber stamp and using the lace stamp to remove the ink. The picture doesn't do it justice. The lace actually was very pretty on the flower. The flower was stamped using Versacolor Pink Opera.

The background was stamped with the Versafine Vintage Sepia. The button actually has a dandelion stamped on it using StazOn Timber Brown. I have this new vine ribbon which I am very enamored of and I used that for the stem on the flower.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Old French Writing
• Hero Arts - Bold Pop Flower
• Hero Arts - Lace Flower Cluster
• StazOn Timber Brown
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Maya Road- Ribbon (Vine)
• Hero Arts - Dandelion
• Versacolor - Pink Opera
• Versafine - Crimson Red
• Hero Arts - Lace
• Versafine - Smokey Grey
• Inkandinkado - Dawn Houser (Dream)
• The Artful Stamper (Berry Branch)
• Clear Stamps - Paper Studio - Birds & Blooms
• Stampabilities - Vintage Flourish 02

Thanks for dropping in...

Vintage Friday Challenge

I had been asked by Jacqueline if I had ever used vintage pictures in my cards. I have never tried it before but after I visited Deborah's blog: http://cardsandthings.blogspot.com/
and she had posted that she had participated in a challenge on this blog: http://artcreationsfriday.blogspot.com/2008/11/challenge-1.html which features vintage pictures with a weekly challenge.


I decided that this picture was beautiful and I was inspired to make this card:

This was the easiest card I have made in awhile... I stamped the background with a damask stamp using the Antique Linen Ranger Distress Ink. The sentiment was stamped with versamark and embossed. I think that using the image was fun and I will have to keep this in mine as it adds a different dimension.

Thanks for stopping by...