Water Garden?

I was working on a card for a class and got sidetracked with this... Another black and white card for the Hero Arts challenge this week. I think this card feels like a little pond and maybe should have a Koi swimming around in it. :)

So simple... The circle is 5 1/2" in diameter. The rest is all black pigment ink and clear embossing powder.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Black and White Flowers
• Heathers Stamping Haven - SB HSH 193G
• Hero Arts - Heart Winged Butterfly
• Versafine Black Onyx
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Crystal Stickers
• Vellum
• Fiskars Circle Template / Shape Xpress Cutter

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

I'm seeing stars...

Another card using the orange and blue with the stars. I was working through using a template from the crafter's workshop http://www.thecraftersworkshop.com/. I love these little plastic templates as they are so versatile and can be used as stencils, templates, or for piercing.

I wanted to play along with 2 Peas thinking ink classes by Jennifer McGuire as well as the HA blog challenge for complementary colors.

This was a little soft in colors for me, so I added some little punched out stars to add a layer.

The background is sponged on around the template and sprinkled with water to give the watery background.

I also created a star button from a die cut and embossing several times.

Products:

• Crafters Workshop Template
• Hero Arts Birthday Messages
• Hero Arts Artistic Windows - Wood grain
• Ranger Distress Inks - Spiced Marmalade, Broken China
• Versafine Habenero
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Crystal Stickers
• Twine - Unknown

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Black and White

I decided to try a black and white card for the Hero Arts challenge. I was hoping to do something elegant. I added the pink flowers as a touch of color.

I don't think I executed my vision but I think that happens alot. :)

Products:

• EK Success Border Punch
• Kaiser's Pearls
• Hero Arts Anytime Messages
• Hero Arts Lace Flower Cluster
• Hero Arts Blossom Lace
• Versafine Black Onyx
• Lace Trim - Unknown
• Martha Stewart Cornice Edger

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Orange and Blue

The challenge this week on the Hero Arts blog is complementary colors. I selected the orange and blue colors to play with.

I started with some Sizzix Stars that I cut from white cardstock. Hero Arts has a new clear set called everyday sayings which is really nice because it has a ton of different sentiments for different occassions in different fonts. I selected the congratulations because of the size and style. I stamped that all over the stars in a blue pigment ink. I also used a different sized congrats from a graduation clear set from HA too.

I sponged the edges with the Adirondack orange. The bottom half of the card is a stamp I received in a bundle from MSE. I love the uneven lines of the stripes and I actually kissed my polka dot background stamp from Hero arts to take off the ink. I had to mask and lay down each stripe individually but I really like the effect.

The top is clear embossed polka dots and sponged with the same orange dye ink.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Clear Design Everyday Sayings
• Hero Arts - Clear Design - Graduation
• Hero Arts - Raindrop Background
• MSE - Stripe Stamp?
• Adirondack - Sunset Orange
• Versafine - Habanero, Majestic Blue
• Fiskars Circle Template & Shape Express
• Sizzix Die Cut - Stars
• Buttons, Ribbon - Unknown

One last question for you... This so reminds me of my brothers room when we were growing up... Do you remember the patriotic rooms? He had a red, white and blue bedroom with old fashioned soldiers dressed from the colonies.

Thanks for stopping by.

Suzz

Another inspired by card...

A week of casing and inspiration! This card was inspired by Jacqueline and Lucy both were featured this week on the Hero Arts Blog.

Jacqueline has done several cards in pink inks and a little gold. I decided to follow that lead and tried to blend some gold accents into the card.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Pop Stems Flower
• White Embossing Powder
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Ranger - Queens Gold Embossing Powder

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Inspired by...

Here's my second inspired by card.. Tiffany is another wonderful artist and she is very clever with creating her card projects. Here is her card that inspired mine. http://www.flickr.com/photos/myfairytalebook/3222659817/ Spend a few minutes wandering through her gallery on flickr and you will be amazed.

Take a look at that flower, notice anything? I also wanted to highlight the little black tag. Andi just sent me a bag of goodies and these little puffy tags were in there! So fun, so I added it just for effect!

Products:

• Hero Arts Heart Winged Butterfly
• Basic Grey - Urban Prairie Corn Husk (Love this paper, still my fav of the Basic Grey)
• Hero Arts - Petitie Happy Birthday
• Hero Arts - Graceful Leaves
• MSE - Little Birdie
• Ranger Distress Embossing Powder - Lettuce
• Memento - Bamboo Leaves
• Fiskars Border Punch
• Lace Trim Unknown
• Pearls - Kaisers

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Final Scraps for awhile

I have been still working on those scraps pile. This one has a lot of different die cuts that have been laying out on my desk and I decided to layer them into one creation.

Next up will be another card inspired by one of the winners of win a day on the HA blog.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Lupine
• Hero Arts - Birthday Wishes (Birthday Messages Clear Set)
• Hero Arts - Heart Winged Butterfly
• Hero Arts - Archiver's Special Edition Clear Set
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia, Deep Lagoon
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Spellbinders - Labels 1, 2
• EK success - Border Punch
• Cornish Heritage Farm - Grid Paper

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Inspired by...

This week on the HA blog they are highlighting some of the designers who submit to the challenges and were selected by the HA designers. Jacqueline is one of the days on the blog. Her blog is here: http://myscrapbasket.blogspot.com/ . I am a big fan of her work as she is always creating dreamy, elegant and beautiful cards. You can spend alot of time looking at one creation as she always has multiple layers in her cards. This card is inspired by Jacqueline.

I also was able to use up some more scraps that I had started and never used. Almost everything besides teh embellishments was something I had started and never used on a card. Also the PP in the background was a scrap that Jacqueline sent to me!

Products:

• Hero Arts Design Block Tree
• Hero Arts - Real Wild Aster
• Hero Arts - Friends Background
• Hero Arts - Artistic Butterflies
• PP - Unknown
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Ranger Distress Ink - Pine Needles
• Adirondack - Orange
• Floradoodles - Minidelphin
• Hero Arts - Anytime Messages

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Sunday Scraps...

Sunday scraps is inspired by Godelieve.. She started this and I really need to do this so today is using my scraps and trying to fit in a few more entries for the Hero Arts Challenge of using Die Cuts.

The Scalloped circle from Kraft was sitting in my scrap pile and so was the center piece. I just added some brown sponging to the already teal image. The butterflies were created today and so was the tag.
I just redid my light box and I love it. I have one issue with the two lamps on either side it doesn't fit where I have it sitting. So I need to find a new home where it can reside permanently. This was taken with one light on. Thanks Deborah for the recommendation for the lights!

The second card was made from this circle which was already created and just waiting for me to finish it. I don't think I did it justice but I wanted to finish it off so I could at least send it out to someone. I created the butterflies this morning and added the sentiment and embellishments. The background is a re-inker background with water on acetate. I then stamped the wavy leaf background and then finished off with a mask and sponging.

I am going to take the easy way out on the products list. The stamps are all Hero Arts and the inks was Memento Rosebud, StaZon Fuschia, Versafine Vintage Sepia, Ranger Distress Ink - Pine Needles, Adirondack - Orange, Memento - Rich Cocoa

Hope your day is great! I am hoping to finish up a few more scraps today...

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Sometimes the destination is not what you had planned..

Do you ever start down a path with a card and then when you finish up you are not sure you like where you ended?

That is how I feel about this card. I had this piece of light wood from Kodomo which I sprayed with glimmer mist and embossed with the rangers adirondack embossing powder. It was too dark so I added the white highlights and kept going. :) I tried to place it on the card with the same colors and overall ended up with a very dark card.

So I am not sure if I like this card as much as I did the scrap I started with but I wanted to move onto other scraps.

I thought I would share are a few outdoor shots of our yard. This is the peak time for all my flowers and I love to walk around and enjoy them.

These are the flowers which were the snow mushrooms in the winter time. I don't cut them down in the fall as I like the texture of the dried flowers.

This is the front corner of our house and the window is where I work in my craft space.

I was just enjoying the contrast of the deep maroon and the light pink flowers.



This is the same bed with all the lavendar but the top layer. We have two layers on one side of our house.

And last but not least is one of the reasons I have been spending less time creating cards.. This is Ms. Emma she is 5 months old and part beagle and collie. She has tons of energy. Way more than me so we are always trying to come to an agreement on how to use up that energy. (Making the kids do running laps with her. :)

Have a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Alcohol Inks Class

This is a card from my Alcohol Inks class. The colors are from the new alcohol inks from Ranger. I love the new colors, this card used juniper, willow, and stonewashed inks.

Products:

• Ranger Alcohol Inks - Juniper, Willow, Stonewashed, Blending Solution
• Hero Arts - Dandelion
• American Crafts - Zing - Brown Embossing Powder
• Signo - Uni Ball White Gel Pen
• Memento - Bamboo Leaves
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Swiss Dots
• Paper Bag Studio - Beauty
• Versamark Watermark Ink

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Tissue Paper Flower

Over on the HA blog, Tami Hartley made the most beautiful tissue paper flower. I have been keeping it in mind to make and finally got around to creating one.

The challenge this week over at Hero Arts Blog http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2009/06/08/our-biggest-giveaway-ever-new-challenge-and-quickutz/ is to use die cuts. (they also are having great give-aways this week) But if you don't have a die cut they provided a set of templates. One of which is this shape which I thought was lovely so I printed it out and cut it out!

The flower is just plain white tissue which I stamped, clear embossed and tinted using this fabulous glimmer mist called tattered leather!

Products:

• Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Tattered Leather, Daffodil
• Hero Arts - Raindrops, Thank You Flourishes
• Inkadinkado - Wedding
• Tissue Paper
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Lace, Pearls - Unknown

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Background Stamps

I drew up this sketch and then tried to execute it... I am not very good at translating sketches to cards. I wanted to use three bows across a circle. Unfortunately... I didn't have enough ribbon in the color and size I wanted to get bows. So I ended up with knots...


and the card was modified from the sketch because the visual effect was not as pretty as the sketch. :)

Products:

• Hero Arts - Wavy Leaf Pattern
• Hero Arts - Raindrop
• Hero Arts - Sandra's Letter Background
• EK Success Border Punch
• Fiskars - Circle Template
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Light Purple Embossing Powder
• StazOn - Vibrant Violet
• Kaiser's - Gems
• American Craft - Ribbon
• Prima Flowers

I have been so busy lately that my cardmaking has reflected it. My son has just graduated from 8th grade. My mom is sick and we have been working on getting her medication correct. We have a new puppy and then there is always work. So this has been a little bit why you have seen so little of my cards lately.

Have a great day!

Suzz