Thursday, April 30, 2009

Stamping on Fabric

Jennifer McGuire is hosting Stamp Camp Week # 4 at two peas: http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&forum_id=52&thread_id=2797276 her class is how to stamp on fabric. I decided to play along and created this:



I started with a sheer curtain panel of curtains I am not using anymore. :) I had visions of Carol Burnett playing Scarlett OHara on her show wearing that curtain rod dress.

I stamped the damask background using my StazOn ink and heat dried it right away. The curtain is made from a nylon so I was very careful to keep my heat gun farther away to prevent melting. I did have some melting when I embossed. I stamped the entire piece with versamark and heat embossed using some iridescent clear embossing powder to give it the glimmer.

The butterfly was created usign the same material only I embossed the outline with a pearlescent blue embossing powder. Then I sprayed purple and blue glimmer mist over the image and let it dry. I than covered the entire image with versamark and embossed using clear iridescent embossing powder.

I used the leftovers from my border punch to accent the corners of my damask background.

Products:

  • Impression Obsession - Lofty Dreams
  • Hero Arts - Heart Winged Butterfly
  • Stampabilities - Tapestry Background
  • StaZon - Hydrangea Blue
  • Stampendous Pearlustre Sapphire
  • Jo-Ann CraftEssentials Iridescent Sparkle
  • Versamark Watermark Ink Pad
  • EK Success Border Punch
  • Pearls - Crystal Stickers

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz



Wednesday, April 29, 2009

How to make the Doily Lace Circle

I had an email request to share how to make the border on the circle on this card:

I am going to share with pictures. Sorry... Video would have required one of the kids helping out and I was able to take a few pictures.

Step 1: Cut out a circle. I cut out a 6 " circle for my example shown below. I also removed the guide on the corner punch. this allows you the ability to punch along the edge of a card or a circle.

Step 2: Line up the edge of the cardstock against the "V" intneded for the corner of your paper to fit into it. Make sure that both sides of your cardstock are pushed up against the "V" to ensure you are straight.
Step 3: Squeeze the handle to punch. This punch tends to pull when you squeeze the handle so make sure to keep the paper against the metal edges flat when squeezing. Your first punch should look like below:

Step 4: After you have your first doily on the edge you are going to put the punch back on the edge of the circle and you want to line up the left side of the punch to slightly overlap with the previous punch. Hopefully you can see a little bit of metal peeking through in the bottom part of my punch. Once again keep the cardstock edges pushed up against the metal "V" on the bottom of the punch an keep it in that position when squeezing the punch.

Step 5: Your circle edge should now look like this:


Continue on until you get to the last one. It may not line up 100% and you may overlap a little but just center it between the edges and punch your last one. I promise you know one will notice you have one not in center. :) Or cover it with a flower like I did on my card.
I hope that helps! Next time I will try to get one of the kids to help with a video.
Suzz

Kwerner Challenge #50

I made 3 cards using Kristina's 50th color challenge http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/?p=1333 and can only submit one link so I decided on this one:
The colors were brown, red, yellow, turqouise, and white... Here is the card I am linking to her challenge.



The vines are stamped with yellow first and overlaid with a brown to give a shadow effect.
I cut several of the vines and used them for the stems of the flowers.

Products:
  • Hero Arts - Designer Sketch
  • Hero Arts - Old French Writing
  • Hero Arts - Designblock Floating Leaf Pattern
  • Memento - Rich Cocoa, Dandelion
  • StazOn - Teal Blue
  • Versafine - Crimson Red
  • Fiskars Circle Template
  • Fiskars - Border Punch
  • Penny Black

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Sunday, April 26, 2009

A busy weekend...

We have had a really busy weekend... Track meet, soccer game, baseball practice, SRE and birthday parties. (One of which was hosted at our house for family for our 2 oldest) You name it we have done it... I only had time to work on one card which was supposed to be for Kwerner's color challenge, but I think the colors might be a little off so I might play with the colors again. The colors for the challenge were red, brown, yellow, turquoise, and white.



This stamp is from Rubber Stampede. I forgot I even had it and was digging out a stamp to send off and found it and thought "Oh I have to play with this again".

The shapes are from the nestabilities and I actually stamped the image twice to be able to get 3 shapes cut out.

Products:

  • Rubber Stampede - Wild Rose Background
  • Nestabilities
  • Versafine - Vintage Sepia
  • Watercolor Pencils
  • Stampabilities - Happy Birthday 01
  • B Line - Lace Background
  • Ranger Distress Inks - Broken China

Thanks as always for stopping by... I appreciate all your comments and visits!

Suzz

Friday, April 24, 2009

Alcohol Ink Dots

I am working on an Alcohol Ink class for my LSS. This is one of the ideas I had that I thought would be fun. Create polka dots with my Alcohol inks. I was so excited when I found out that the colors from the Adirondack Bright Ink pads were going to be released from Ranger. I used them in this card. I really love bright colors and this card has a lot of umph!


I just realized this was my second polka dot card... Must mean there is a third one that I need to create.

Products:

  • Hero Arts Designblock - Birthday
  • Hero Arts Clear Design - Birthday Expressions
  • Ranger Alcohol Inks - Brights Red, Yellow, Orange (So glad he released the brights colors!)
  • Versafine - Habenero
  • Versamark
  • Ranger - Embossing Powder - Wild Plum
Thanks for stopping by.. We are going to have warm weather today! Gorgeous spring day for us and although my spring flowers aren't out yet, my neighbors are and they are beautiful!

Suzz

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Distressed Polka Dots

Distressed Polka dots... That seems like that couldn't happen right? Polka dots are so cheery and wouldn't ever be distressed. :)




I was playing along with the HA Blog weekly challenge of distressing and I have this pretty paper pack from Making memories with all reds and pinks. I took a scrap from that and stamped the flowers. The cardbase is stamped using a polka dot stamp that I love too!

Products:
  • Hero Arts - Two Flourish Flower
  • Savvy Stamps - Distressed Dot BG
  • Amuse - Happy Birthday MG
  • Memento - Rich Cocoa, Lady Bug (Love the name and so appropriate for this card.)
  • Versafine - Vintage Sepia
  • Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
  • Ranger Stickles - Red
  • Twine - unknown
  • Button - unknown

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Butterfly Tree!

The Caardvarks challenge this week is tree's a crowd http://caardvarks.blogspot.com/2009/04/trees-crowd.html and the Hero Arts weekly challenge is distressing... Neither of these are something I can resist. I love my trees and I also have a little attraction to butterflies.. I decided to create a butterfly tree.



If you have ever been to a butterfly garden you probably have seen something similar to this..



I used the Marvy Uchida butterfly punch. They are so adorable.. Tiny butterflies and I used up scraps! Yeah! I had some acohol inked background (red) and glimmer mist background (yellow) which I punched the butterflies from. Before I punched the butterflies I stamped in red pigment ink a script stamp on the paper.

The rest is easy as pie... Stamp the tree add a little sponging and you have a beautiful background tree for the butterflies to float softly on.

Products:

  • Hero Arts Designblock - Tree
  • Hero Arts Sparkle Clear - Love That!
  • Hero Arts - Artistic Windows
  • Versafine - Vintage Sepia
  • Ranger Distress Inks - Broken China
  • Memento - Rich Cocoa
  • Marvy Uchida - Butterfly Punch

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Who doesn't love getting mail?

I love getting mail, especially if it is not bills! I recieved this in my mailbox yesterday...


with a very nice thank you written in it from Jacqueline! Love her cards and was so lucky to recieve one in the mail! Thank you Jacqueline!

I also had a chance to keep playing with using bleach to stamp on a glimmer mist background. Here is the results:


I wish I could take a better picture but alas... All rain yesterday and today... I have created a light box based on something shared on the Hero Arts Flickr Group but need the light source to finish it. I will get there... :)

Products:

  • Penny Black - Casual, Curlicue
  • Glimmer Mists (I made this awhile ago and not sure which colors I used. Sorry)
  • Vellum
  • Adirondack Brights - Orange
  • Versafine - Onyx Black
  • Versamark Watermark Ink
  • Clear Embossing Powder
  • Stampabilities - Matthew 7:7: 02
  • Hero Arts - Script
  • Spellbinders - Shapeabilities - Butterflies 2

Thanks for stopping by... I hope the spring flowers are blooming by you!

Suzz

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Two Peas - Year in Cards and ACF Challenge

Over at 2 Peas Kristina Werner is hosting monthly card challenges. This month's challenge is Mother Day cards or Spring Cards. She provided a grid card as one of her samples. Here is my take on her grid card...


These beautiful patterned papers were all shared with me from my friend Jacqueline. http://myscrapbasket.blogspot.com/ Jacqueline also makes beautiful grid cards and is a great inspiration for this.

My squares are all 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" and I used Hero Arts stamps to stamp on top of the PP.

I also played along with the Art Creations Challenge here: http://artcreationsfriday.blogspot.com/ They provided the lovely vintage lady as the challenge piece.

I had the most fun draping diamonds on the lovely lady. The background is watercolors and then I bleach stamped and added the layers of stamping ontop.

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Friday, April 17, 2009

Thanks with a little help from my friends!


Sharing something I created awhile ago. The little elephants with some help from their mouse friend are sharing a thanks message..

Have a sunny day! (we are!)

Suzz

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Messages Challenge

Hero Arts Challenge this week http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2009/04/13/motivation-monday-making-your-own-messages/ is about messages. I was lacking inspiration regarding the messages. I started from a sketch that I drew and ended up with this card:

I wasn't too pleased with the results but I liked the frame that was left from cutting the typed paper and decided to create this...

Of course it wasn't the original frame from the die cut as I ripped that. :)

Products:

  • Hero Arts - Sparkle Clear - Arigato
  • Hero Arts - Decorative Bamboo
  • Ranger Distress Inks - Vintage Paper, Shabby Shutter, Broken China
  • Versafine - Vintage Sepia, Deep Lagoon
  • Hero Arts - Watercolor Coneflower
  • Hero Arts - Alphabet
  • Spellbinders Nestabilities

I also wanted to share some fun news... I just recieved my Stampington postscript and in there they link to the future releases of Take Ten / Stamper's Sampler. I always like to peek to see what is coming out in the next magazines. I was pleasantly surprised to see my Masterboard I had submitted is going to be in the June magazine! Here is the link to the sneek peak. http://stampington.com/html/postscript_04142009_tss_take_ten_summer09.html (Scroll all the way down)

Have a great day!

Suzz

Monday, April 13, 2009

Stone Soup...

The stone soup story tells how you start with a stone in a bucket of water and keep adding things until you get soup. Well this card started like that. :)



This started from an inked background which I honestly don't remember if I used my glimmer mists or ranger dye re-inkers on acetate to make.
  1. Apply bleach on acetate and ink(bleach?) a flourish stamp and stamped randomly over the background.
  2. Ink flower stamp and dragonfly with StazOn and stamp over the background.
  3. Sponge green dye ink randomly.
  4. Versamark the entire surface and emboss using incadescent embossing powder.
  5. Repeat the process for the sentiment background.
  6. Stamp sentiment on vellum.

Products:

  • Stampendous - Retro Happy Birthday
  • A Stamp in the Hand - Tall Poppies
  • Stampabilities - Dragonfly 02
  • StazOn - Azure
  • Ranger Distress Ink - Shabby Shutter
  • Paper Inspiration - Floral Flourish

Thanks for stopping by...


Suzz

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Happy Easter and a little Spring!

Time for another of Kristina Werner's color challenge... http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/?p=1274 which encompasses these colors:




Love the bright colors on these. I am truly inspired by colors in addition to new stamps. :)

There are these lovely birds from Inkadinkado which are so much fun because of the circles and swirls built into them.




I decided to ink up a bird and use it as my focal point for these colors. I really feel the bird reminds me of a robin because of her bright red chest.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter! Spring is a time to renew and rejoice!

Happy Easter!

Suzz

Saturday, April 11, 2009

2 Peas Stamp Camp Week # 1

2 Peas is hosting a stamp camp where they have the GG teach different techniques every week and you play along with creating something. Here is the thread at 2 Peas for week 1 which is all about bleaching: http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&thread_id=2784718



Someone had posted a sample where they bleached their dye ink background and I have lots of those lying around. :)


I think this scrap was made using dye inks on acetate and adding water.

Recipe:
  1. Ink up the stamp in bleach and stamp on the paper and it removes the color.
  2. Stamp with pink ink over the bleached images to provide a shadowing effect.
  3. Stamp sentiment and emboss with white embossing powder.

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Friday, April 10, 2009

I have been ink deprived...

I have had so much going on at home this week, that I have had very little time to work on projects. I created this project for the Hero Arts weekly challenge http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2009/04/06/motivation-mondays-beyond-paper/ which is anything but paper. (Stamp on anything but paper) and the CPS challenge. http://cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/2009/04/cps110-sponsored-by-hero-arts-part-3.html

I have been dying to play with my grungeboard paper and decided to create some flowers. Here is a close up of the flower:


The flowers were created by using the scallop punches and punching out grungeboard paper.



After the circles were punched spray Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist on the grungeboard. Both sides took some of the glitter but only one side took the color (Non-textured side). Take an Adirondack Dye Ink pad and smear directly on the scallop. Stamp the birthday DesignBlock from Hero Arts using an Orange StazOn ink.

After that was all done and dry, cut slits around the scallops towards the center.



Fold the flower in half and put a glue dot in the fold. Fold the flower again in half and put another glue dot in the middle. Roll edges of flower outword by rolling on petals with pencil to curve.

The butterfly is also made from grungeboard. The image is stamped using StazOn ink and colored over with a permanent marker to get a darker effect. The inside of the butterfly is colored using alcohol markers (Copic). I only have a few colors to I didn't have the opportunity to do too much shading on the butterfly.

Products:

  • Hero Arts DesignBlock - Birthday
  • Hero Arts - DesignBlock - WoodGrain Pattern
  • Hero Arts - Fanciful Filaments
  • Hero Arts - ClearDesign Birthday Expressions
  • Hero Arts - Heart Winged Butterfly
  • Hero Arts Shadow Ink - Soft Sand
  • Ranger Distress Ink - Shabby Shutters
  • StazOn - Pumpkin
  • Fiskars Shape Express Cutter
  • Fiskars Circle Template

Thanks for stopping by....

Suzz

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Raspberry Suite Challenge # 3

I also played along with Dawn's color challenge: http://dawnmcvey.typepad.com/these_are_a_few_of_my_fav/2009/04/raspberry-suite-color-challenge-3.html These are very pretty colors too!
I don't have any Stampin Up papers so the colors are always a guess for me based on how it displays. I wasn't sure about the Berry color so I uses a salmon colored pink. I hope it was close enough!



I had an idea in my head which didn't translate the way I wanted to when it was executed.

Products:
  • Hero Arts - Petite Happy Birthday, Birthday Definition, Screen Shadow
  • Memento - Angel Pink
  • Versafine - Crimson Red, Toffee (intended to represent the kraft color)
  • EK Success Border Punch

I wanted to share 2 other things as I was thinking about the great customer service and I think companies should be recognized when they give such great service.

I had heard about a recall on my 3M ATG Tape runner. I called 3M customer service and they made it super easy to replace my tape runner and sent me additional rolls of tape!

I had a problem with my express shape cutter from Fiskars and I sent them a few email describing the problem and within a few days I had a replacement one along with new blades!

Love when companies do business like that! It made it so easy for me and these are both heavy duty items for me. I use them alot! So I am tremendously pleased that they backed up their warranties with such great service.

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Kwerner Challenge # 48

Here's Kristina's latest color challenge. http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/?p=1218 Love these colors!

I have a vintage farmhouse clear stamps from Fiskars. I love the background stamp. (Bottom Half of the card) and it has a rooster. I decided to put this card together using this set. Don't know who would like to recieve a rooster on their card but I thought it was too cute!

Products:

  • Fiskars - Vintage Farmhouse
  • Hero Arts - Old French Writing
  • Versafine - Deep Lagoon,
  • Ranger Distress Inks - Shabby Shutters
  • Marvy Uchida - Oval, Oval Scalloped Punches
  • EK Success - Border Punch

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Saturday, April 4, 2009

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

Friday, April 3, 2009

Playing with masking and embossing...

After I made the gold embossed anniversary card, I decided to continue on with that theme and came up with this...

The card is not actually mounted on the purple background. I took my picture with the purple background. This is another one layer card from a paper perspective. The butterflies were masked on the paper before I stamped the design block.

I added smaller flourishes on the butterflies which are difficult to see because of the purple dye ink.

I think the tag might break the single layer rule. But I wanted to have a little pop of color on the ribbon.

Products:

  • Spellbinders Shapeabilities - Butterflies 2
  • Hero Arts - Designblock - Flourishes
  • Ranger Distress Ink - Dusty Concord
  • Versamark Watermark Ink
  • Ranger Queens Bee Embossing Powder
  • Hero Arts - Always and Forever
  • Hero Arts - Flourish Borders

Thanks for stopping by..

P.S. More possible snow on Monday... Will spring ever arrive?

Suzz

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Another One Layer Card...

Yeah! I was selected for an Honorable Mention in last weeks challenge for window cards! It is always an honor to be selected as there are so many fantastic artists submitting to each challenge.

Here is another one layer card for the Hero Arts Challenge... It is really fun to sit and think about how to recreate a design with masking instead of paper layers. Althought I really do miss the actual physical layers you would find on the card from a texture perspective.





I used a circle and scalloped circle punch to mask for the effect seen above. I also cut along the edges of the scallop using an exacto knife to pull the ribbon under.

The bottom border is a stamp from hero arts which I cut around and I sponged on the inside with a brown ink to match the flowers.

Products:
  • Hero Arts - Clear Design - Scallop Borders
  • Cornish Heritage Farms - Grid Paper
  • Kaisers - Pearls
  • Adirondack Lights - Lemonade
  • Versafine - Vintage Sepia
  • Ranger Distress Inks - Shabby Shutters
  • Memento - Rich Cocoa, Rose Bud
  • Hero Arts - Petite Birthday
  • Hero Arts - Card Art - Thinking of You
  • Hero Arts - Screen Shadow
  • Blue Moon Charms
  • Ribbon Unknown

Thanks for stopping by... Oh and that snow almost all melted away.. Just the piles from the snow plow are left. Spring is coming.. Yeah! We can see the tulip leaves peaking out of the ground determined to come even after sitting under another 7 inches of snow for a few days!

Suzz

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

50th Anniversary...

We are invited to a 50th wedding anniversary... They are my MIL's cousin and his wife. I am so happy that we can go and celebrate this with them and their family. I find one of the hardest things with getting older is losing our loved ones. I am happy that they have 50 wonderful years together and are going strong.

I asked for some ideas, suggestions and inspirations over at the Flickr group and got some wonderful ideas which inspired me to create this card:

Products:

  • Hero Arts Design Block - Wavy Leaf Pattern
  • Verses - Love Bears All
  • Ranger Embossing Powder - Queens Bee
  • Ribbon, Flowers - Unknown
  • DCWV - Patterned Paper. (I have had this forever and multiple sheets, not sure why I purchased them but it looks lovely behind the vellum)

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz