Some exciting news...

I am happy to share that I have joined the Verses Design team. I love their stamps and have quite a few of  them in my possession. This card was created for (my other exciting news) a new column I will be writing for Crafts N Things.  The February issue is available and this is one of the cards I share in the Rubber Stamper Studio column. 

 

The technique article in this issue shares a few cards and other projects along with some tips and techniques using shaving cream.  It also showcases one of my favorite quotes from a Verses stamp.

Products: Verses - QQ0806-C, Judikins 3327 G

Hope you are all getting ready for your holidays. I have been busy playing in my craft room and spending time with the kids. I hope to have a few more things to share before Christmas.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Suzz

Embellish Challenge - Yellow, Black, Grey and White

I saw some beautiful cards using these colors out in blogland and they are from the Embellish Challenge to use the colors yellow, black, grey and white and to stamp a background or a pattern. 

Love the colors and the fun pictures!

I created two cards.  The first one is very me... The second one is... Well... you will see.. 

I pulled out my Damask stamp and created a pattern on the grey paper using a Judikins Damask and a new Cover All stamp from Impression Obsession which I love it looks like paint splatters.  So this card I think is very me. 

Here's my second card for the challenge:

So much empty space. Very hard for me to not add any more details. I tried to add gems and do other things to detail it up!:)  But ended up leaving the clean lines. Same splatter background with an overlaid stamp from Stampin up. The sentiment is from Cornish Heritage Farms.

There is a little frost on the berries but you cant see it in the pictures.

Hope you have a wonderful Monday!

Suzz

Raspberry Suite Challenge # 6

I had both Dawn's http://dawnmcvey.typepad.com/these_are_a_few_of_my_fav/2009/05/raspberry-suite-color-challenge-week-6.html and Kristina's color challenges sitting out yesterday and decided to play with Dawn's first because it only had 4 colors to work with.

That coral pink is a tough one. I don't know about you but I only have ribbon that was that color. No paper, ink or anything that popped out at me.

I used a damask stamp from Judikins and went from there. I am still suffering a lack of inspiration and it took me a long time to create this one card. :) My DH birthday is coming up and I am going to have to come up with something quick for him. :O

Products:

• Judikins - Damask
• Adirondacks - Pool
• Martha Stewart - Ribbon
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Versamark
• Zing - Brown Embossing Powder
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Textured Textile

Have a great Monday!

Suzz

Last one I promise...

One more card using masking and the gold embossing powder. (I promise to put the gold embossing powder away!)

Products:

• JudiKins -
• Inkadinkado - Wedding
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Ranger - Queens Bee Embossing Powder
• Lace - Trim - Hobby Lobby
• Floradoodles
• Ribbon Fx - Hobby Lobby

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Vintage Veranda Challenge

My friend Jacqueline: http://myscrapbasket.blogspot.com/2009/01/dreaming-of-far-away-places-challenge.html is the guest designer at Vintage Veranda and hosting a challenge for January called Dreaming of far-away places: http://www.thevintageveranda.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=17

Here is my entry:


Products:

• Radiant Rain - Twinkling H20's
• B line - Betsy
• Hero Arts - Design Block - Tree, Wavy Leaf
• Judikins - Copper Embossing Powder
• Inkadinkado - Flourishes
• Hero Arts - Old French Writing
• Hero Arts - Take Time Collage
• Stampabilities - Classic-Fleur-De-Lys
• Versafine- Vintage Sepia
• Twine, Lace Trim, Pearls
• Crochet Flower - Thanks Jacqueline!

Thanks for stopping by...

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

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...

Scraps week at HA

This weeks challenge for Hero Arts http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2008/11/17/giving-thanks/ is to use up scraps making thankful cards. I like this as I have a expandable folder with my stamping scraps. Basically anything I create and get stuck on a design I put in this folder.

I started with this piece of faux metal that was created for another challenge.


Recipe:

1. Start with a 4 x 6 inch piece of white cardstock.
2. Versamark the entire surface. Cover with the Copper Embossing powder. Heat Emboss.
3. Repeat 4 times. The embossing powder I used was Judikens and is thicker which provides a nice thickness to embed your image.
4. Versamark your stamp to prevent if from sticking in the embossing powder.
5. Heat up the embossed surface until the embossing powder is liquid.
6. Stamp image into embossing powder. Leave stamp in the melted embossing powder for 30 seconds until it cools.

Helpful Hints: I had issues with this piece as it was larger and needed to be kept flat. So I tried mounting it on my card which caused it to crack and then I heated it a little aftewards to remove the cracks which caused me to lose definition of my image in areas. So after you finish while it is still flexible make sure to put something on it to keep it flat.

Products:

• Hero Arts DesignBlock Birds & Swirls
• Hero Arts Sparkle Design Anytime Messages
• Versamark
• Judikins Copper Embossing Powder
• K&Co Gems
• Paper Studio Lace Trim

Thanks for looking...

Faux Metal - Copper Owl, and Jade Tree

There was a faux metal class and challenge over at 2 Peas hosted/taught by Kristina Werner. http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&thread_id=2677588



I made several faux metal pieces in several embossing powders. I only used 2 of them and made cards from them..
The first card was a thank you to my son's confirmation sponser. I used the Judikins Rustique Jade Patina. The embossing powder is a beautiful mix of green and blue. I can't wait to use this on another project. The only limitation on this was matching the blue/green colors with cardstock and ribbon.

The second card is going to be a birthday card for my brother in law. The recipe for the card overall is very simple I will share the recipe for the oval copper owl.

Recipe:

1. Cut a piece of cardstock in the shape of an oval. (In the first example I punched the circle out afterwards. This worked okay with the punch. Some of my other samples I tried to use my cutter and the Embossing Powder was too thick and it cut with a ragged edge. )
2. Stamp versamark completely over the stamp you are going to emboss in the hot embossing powder. This will prevent it from sticking. I didn't think you could use the clear stamps but it worked successfully.
3. Stamp versamark completely over the cardstock and heat emboss using the embossing powder of choice. You need to repeat this 3 to 4 times for a thicker embossing powder and more times for a thinner embossing powder. The Judikins embossing powder took 4 times and I got a beautiful image. I used the Queen's Gold Embossing powder for another sample and 4 times wasn't deep enough all across the image.
4. On the final pass of the heat embossing you need your image ready. You need to get the entire surface hot enough that the embossing powder is moving. Take your stamp and press down into the Embossing Powder firmly. Leave in the embossing powder for a minute until it cools. You can than remove it and see your image.
5. Another lesson learned... If you don't like the image you can reheat it until it melts and start again. If you crack your image you can also heat and restart or heat a little to see if you can get it to smooth out.
6. I had several large images I stamped and the embossed image will curl up on you. I reheated slowly and then flattened it and put it under a wooden block to get it flat.
7. On the owl card I did emboss with the same embossing powder the sentiment and background.
8. On both I accented the embossed images with gems and pearls.

Products:

Thank You Card

• Thank You letters are stickers that I sponged with brown ink.
• Hero Arts - Scroll Tree
• Memento Rich Cocoa
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Textured Textile, Birds & Swirls
• Hero Arts - DesignBlock Poinsettia and Birds
• Spellbinders Nestabilities Circle Scallop
• Judikins Rustique Jade Patina Embossing Powder
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Crystal Stickers - Teal Pearls
• Ribbon - Unknown (Michaels Christmas Ribbon)

Copper Owl

• Judikins Copper Embossing Powder
• Inkadinkado - Winter Birds
• Versmark Watermark Ink Pad
• Hero Arts - DesignBlock Poinsettia and Birds
• Hero Arts - Clear Designs - Birthday Messages
• Gems, Ribbon - Unknown
• Ranger Ruler - For the piercing..
  

As always thanks for stopping by...

Mini Cards

I am quickly becoming a big fan of the mini card.... The only drawback is having an envelope the right size...

I love that I can reach into my overflowing scraps of paper and grab a piece and fold it in half and start a card. Usually I find myself in the land of 5 x 7 cards... You can only create one card with a sheet of paper and if you want to layer you usually consume a couple of pieces of paper.

This little card was made from the scraps of the previous card and some other scraps from all my supplies. (Except the charm)

I cut up the sentiment since I decided to make inchies on the front of the card and keep the feel of the inchie.

Recipe:

1. The background for the stamped image is the alcohol ink technique in my previous post. I made 2 backgrounds and was still not happy with my end result.
2. Stamp the image on the alcohol ink background in versamark and heat emboss with a copper embossing powder.
3. Cut into 1" squares. Mount on lime green paper.
4. Stamp sentiment on same paper and cut carefully apart. Mount on top of stamped image in various places.
5. Attach heart charm to lower left hand corner. Tie piece of ribbon through charm.
6. Mount entire background to blue rectangle.
7. Put lace under blue rectange on top of card base.
8. Attach bling on lace.
9. Done..

Products:

• Hero Arts - Collage Take Time
• Hero Arts - Clear Design Anytime Messages
• Hero Arts - Gem Flowers
• Crystal Stickers - Pearls
• Lace Unknown
• Judikins - Copper Embossing Powder
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• Versafine Royal Blue Pigment Ink
• Charm - Unknown

Happy Halloween!