Silvery White Thank You

A little thank you card to be sent out in the next couple of days. I created this for Caardvarks final challenge to create a monochromatic card and for the Hero Arts Monthly challenge which includes creating a Thank you card.

My deer friend Lisa gave me the lovely deer die from Sizzix.  They inspired this card. It was supposed to be a white on white card but of course I had to add some shadows with a little distress ink.

The background was created by stamping the Stampers Anonymous pine trees using Versafine Smokey Grey. Adding the snowflakes from Memory Box Snow Day stamp using versamark and clear embossing. Sponge Memento London Fog over everything.

Stamp the deer using Hero Arts Cling Thanks Definition. Stamp the Thank You sentiment from Hero Arts clear set Thanks.

I had to accent everything with a little of the silver Krylon pen.  Stinky but oh so worth it! 

Hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas. I was very lucky to receive new releases from Memory Box, Hero Arts and Artistic Outpost.  Talk about a wonderful Christmas. I am busy working on lots of projects which won't be revealed until middle to late January. :)

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz
 

Hero Arts World Cardmaking Day Celebration and Caardvarks Challenge

Two challenges and two cards for both challenges. Hero Arts is having a celebration this weekend for World Cardmaking Day.  The challenge is to create a project using your favorite colors.  The second challenge sponsored by Hero Arts this week is the Caardvarks challenge to create a clean and simple card. (stop laughing I can do this)

So I created two cards this morning using green, brown, and blues as these are the earthy colors I usually am drawn to in creating my cards. But I really love color, and could have chosen a bunch of different combinations.

The clean and simple part was a little trickier.

The first card is from the Hero Arts Cuckoo clear stamp set. I thought wouldn't it be fun to have cuckoo clocks hanging down like ornaments?  My aunt and uncle used to have a wall of clocks which would all go off every hour and of course they were all off by a few minutes. So when we would go to visit and have to sleep on the floor in their family room we would listen to them all go off every hour for about 5 minutes. LOL! I had forgotten about that until I was making this card. The papers are scraps from different papers.

It started off clean and simple and turned into more shabby chic. :) I was so happy to find this Hero Arts stamp at my LSS. When I asked where they had purchased it because I knew it wasn't in any catalogue I had seen from HA they said it was part of a lot they bought from another store that was closing. I love it. The soft image of the Madonna and child is beautiful. 

Yesterday I wasn't able to create much and I was so pleased to get this in this morning before church. Hopefully there will be more inking time later today.

Have a blessed Sunday.

Suzz



Wedding Card

Caardvarks current challenge is to create a wedding card. The prize is an opportunity to be published in the CARDS magazine.

I like to switch up my style sometimes and do something more clean. (Very hard for me to keep it simple) But I was really pleased with the way this turned out of course with the embellishment I chose I had my big design element.

I have the fantastic Verses Stamp which is the poem "How do I love Thee?" by Elizabeth Barret Browning. I knew I wanted to use it on this card and when I was rummaging through my odds and ends drawer of embellishments I found these earrings which I had snuck out of the dress up box. These were hand me downs from Great grandmas junk jewelry box and are clip ons. So when the kids would try to wear them they really hurt the ears! (Didn't stop them from trying to wear them tho!)

Very simple card but I liked how the earring provided such a beautiful accent.

Products:

• Verses - How Do I Love Thee
• Versafine - Dove Grey
• Inkadinkado - Weddings Clear Set
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
• Hat Pin
• Vintage Jewelry
• McGill Tag Punch
• Silk Ribbon

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Caardvarks - Sketch Challenge

Caardvarks first challenge this year is a sketch challenge...

Here is my take on the sketch:

I had been looking through favorites a week ago and this card by Donna stuck in my head. So when I saw the sketch I thought about creating a white card with some texture.

When I was done I decided I wanted just a hint of color so I added the little pink gems as embellishments.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Antique Flower Background
• Hero Arts - Lace Background
• Quietfire Design - sentiment
• QuicKutz - Embossing Folder
• Versamark
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Gems, Ribbon
• Marvy Uchida - Butterfly Punches
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Swiss Dots
• Ranger Ruler
• Piercing Tool

Hope your day is a little less snowy... We are expecting up to 1 foot in snow between today and tomorrow.

Suzz

Caardvarks - Circle of Friends - II

Caardvarks challenge is circle of friends which is creating a circle card. This card started from a scrap idea on another card which I haven't shared yet. (Pending another challenge.)

This lovely antique background is embossed with clear embossing to resist the dye ink sponged over it.

This is going to some good friends of ours with whom we exchange ornaments. It is designed to be a card and then can be hung on their tree if they choose to.

Imagine the areas that look like black are actually a deep chocolate brown. Maybe one of these days I will use the light brown paper so it looks like dark brown when I take my picture. :)



I added the tag and the ribbon after I had finished the card to turn it into an ornament. The backside of the card is a off-white circle for us to write our holiday wishes!


Products:

• Hero Arts - Antique Flower Background
• Hero Arts - Deer
• Penny Black - Joy Seal
• Ranger Distress Inks - Antique Linen
• Versamark
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Martha Stewart - Cornice Edger Punch
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Copics
• Memento - Tuxedo Black
• Signo - Uniball White Gel pen
• EK Success - Corner Punch
• Fiskars - Circle Templates

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Winter Birdhouse

I had visions of a row of birdhouses all looking different similar to the famous houses in San Fran. The painted ladies... Well only one made it onto my card. This card was created for the Caardvarks Circle of Friends challenge.

The background was sponged on the bottom and top. The bottom was sponged with a purple and blue dye ink. The top was just the blue.

Recipe:

1. Stamp Flourish on white cardstock with versamark and heat with clear embossing powder.
2. Sponge with blue and purple dye inks.
3. Cut out circle and rip across the edge.
4. Rip little piece for snow drift on the post.
5. Cut out other circle and sponge lightly with blue dye ink.
6. Stamp snowflakes randomly with versamark and heat emboss with clear embossing powder.
7. Sponge over snowflakes with same dye ink.
8. Punch snowflakes from purple dye ink background.
9. Cut 1 1/4" x 2" rectangle of white cardstock.
10. Stamp swirls on rectangle using plum dye ink.
11. Stamp definition stamp on white cardstock using blue dye ink. Cut 1/8 " strip.
12. Cut two 1/8" x 1 1/4" pieces for the roof. Glue the tips together and attach to top of the birdhouse. Trim corners of birdhouse off.
13. Punch border of blue stamped definition and trim to fit bottom of the bird house.
14. Use hole punch to create bird hole!

So easy and addictive. I still have 3 other fancy birdhouses that didn't make it onto the card. It is too much fun making creative birdhouses... (victorian, ranch, tudor...)

Products:

• Hero Arts - Artistic Windows
• Hero Arts - Flourish Background
• Hero Arts - Friends Definition
• Ranger Distress Inks - Broken China, Dusty Concord
• Memento - Soft Plum, Black Tuxedo
• EK Success - Snowflake
• Fiskars Border Punch
• Versamark
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Amuse - Holiday Bird
• Memory Box - Merry Christmas
• Copics
• Versafine - Purple
  

Have a lovely day!

Suzz

Caardvarks - Take a Bow Challenge

Caardvarks challenge is Take a Bow and is hosted by May Arts. The challenge is to use ribbon on your card in an unusual way. I have been wanting to make a Christmas tree from ribbon for a long time.

I decided to use some velvet ribbon I have to create my tree. I tried a few techniques on the velvet but didn't like how they turned out. You can see a few dots on the tree as I embossed the ribbon using my swiss dots folder. If I had any hairspray i would have spritzed it up and embossed it and let it dry. Alas... no hairspray for me in the house. :)

I precut the ribbon lengths and trimmed them off after embossing with the CB folder.

The trunk velvet ribbon was already a crushed ribbon with fun texture.

I stamped the Hero Arts Flourish in the background and embossed with clear embossing powder. The Sentiment is from Memory Box.

The little stamped bird is from Hero Arts and colored using Copics and a white gel pen.

The buttons were so fun to pick out and polka dot using my trusty white gel pen.

Just for the record... I have never been able to buy a real Christmas tree that stood straight! Many years we had a hidden string behind it pulling the tree upright. :) Guess that is why my DH insisted on a fake Christmas tree once we were married!

Have a lovely day!

Suzz

Happy World Cardmaking Day!

I am so excited! A day celebrating card making! Lots of fun going on everywhere. Caardvarks is posting every hour featuring different artists. (I am excited to be one of them).

I decided this morning I better get a card finished to celebrate today. These little birds were colored and waiting patiently for their turn to be placed on a card. I created a very simple card which I plan on sending off to someone special.

I have still been playing with my scraps to create ATC's. Hero Arts is hosting an ATC swap. Go check it out it is broken up by regions and there are limited slots available.

Here are a few more ATC's I was working on last night.

This is as close as I will get to stitching. I did a faux stitch on the corners with piercing and using an embossing marker to draw the lines and then embossed with the same copper embossing powder. Love those stars, I found them in the Christmas decoration section of Hobby Lobby. Unfortunately I didnt' have too many rustic stamps to go with.

This started as a way to use up the CB'ed tinfoil and the embossed white background. I have seen the snowman created out of buttons somewhere else and wanted to try it. So I created my little snowman from buttons. I had to go out early this morning to get the twigs for her arms.

My favorite part is the goofy hat. I had a stamped hat but didn't like it as it was not 3D. I decided to use these pom poms as it reminded me of the hats I used to get my kids to wear which were so cute. I can just hear the snowman saying to me "I am not going to wear that hat!" and me saying "BUT it is sooo cute!" (Conversations had with my kids when they got to old to wear the cute hats)

Well I hope you have a wonderfully inky day playing with cards. (I am off to do some chores and try to squeeze some more ink time in)

Suzz

Caardvarks Challenge Sketch - Saturday

Wow... what a week of sketches. This has been good for me as a challenge... Using sketches every day is different for me as I usually go where the paper, stamp, inks take me...

Here is the final sketch for the Caardvarks Sketch Challenge: http://caardvarks.blogspot.com/

and here is my card:
Unusual for me because the main image is not stamped. It is this absolutely gorgeous vellum paper with a printed pattern from Kodomo Inc. called Peony Collage. Here is what it looks like unfortunately you can't see the sheer translucence in the picture. I usually don't buy too much pattern paper but this was a special sheet and I have been hoarding it and decided to pull it out and cut out the main peony.

I then tried to recreate it on the background by stamping my Flourishes Poppy stamps randomly across the background with an overlay of the Hero Arts Kanji Poem stamp. I slightly colored the edges and stems to emulate the vellum patterned paper colors.

I have colored my pearls before using sharpies and alcohol inks. I decided to try the Copics on the pearls to make the yellow seeds on my poppies. I was really pleased. The color with the Sharpies or the Alcohol inks was never consistent or the right shade. The Copics went on smoothly and provided a lovely color.

Products:

• Kodomo Inc. - Peony Collage
• Hero Arts - Kanji Poem
• Flourishes - Poppy Patch
• Ranger Distress Inks - Shabby Shutter
• StaZon - Dove Grey
• Watercolor Pencils
• Ribbon, Pearls - Unknown

Thanks for stopping by... Have a blessed Sunday

Suzz

Caardvarks - Friday Sketch

Whew... Getting to the end of the sketchfest over at Caardvarks...

Here is the sketch:

And my take on it...

The black on the card is really a dark chocolate brown. It always photographs as black.

Thanks for stopping by... Off to buy groceries and then I have a few stamping projects I need to finish up for class and of course the last sketchfest sketch too!

Thanks for sopping by...

Suzz

Caardvarks Sketch Challenge - Wednesday

Wednesday's sketch for the Caardvarks Challenge:

Here is my card based on the sketch...

This is a mix of old and new stamps for me... I have had the real flowers in the background from Hero Arts for a long time and these are some of my favorites from them. There real flower series is so pretty and versatile. The background is one of there new Design Blocks called Antique Flower Background. The background is clear embossed and distress inked (Antique Linen) over the embossing. The front flowers is a Penny Black Stamp with birds stamped as accents.

The scalloped pieces were traced from journaling cards I had purchased previously. I used them as a template.

Products:

• Versamark Watermark Inkpad
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Ranger Distress Ink - Antique Linen
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Penny Black - inclinations
• Hero Arts - CL342 Everyday Sayings, Antique Flower Background, Real Salvia
• Ribbon, Pearls Unkown
• Spellbinders - Shapeabilities - Labels Trios
  

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Caardvarks Sketch Challenge - Tuesday

Daily challenges with different sketches going on now with Caardvarks. Whew!

Here is yesterdays sketch for the Caardvarks challenge: http://caardvarks.blogspot.com/

I had an idea to have a row of butterflies creeping up the page... I ended up with half butterlies. Although you know I now have about 5 or 6 extra butterflies laying on my desk going to go up on my wall of shame. My son named it that when he saw all my little odds and ends of stamped extras.

I have been wanting to create a circle of buttons ever since I have seen it on a few other gorgeous layouts.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Dots and Flowers
• Hero Arts - Artistic Butterflies
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Clear Embossing Powder
• Copics
• Buttons, Ribbons - Unknown

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Caardvarks Sketch Challenge...

Caardvarks is having sketch challenges all week. Link is here: http://caardvarks.blogspot.com/

This is Monday's sketch:

And my version of the sketch:

and here is Sunday's sketch :

and my take on it...

There is a sketch a day and fun prizes...

The gingerbread card products:

• Imaginisce - Snag 'em Stamps - Gingerbread Man
• Basic Grey - Urban Prairie
• Jenni Bowlen - Stickers
• Hero Arts - Clear Stamps
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• StaZon - Mustard

The vintage pine card products:

• Hero Arts - Big Pine Bough
• Hero Arts - Holiday Messages
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
• Poms
• Vintage Lace
• Velvet Ribbon
• Buttons - Unknown
• Ranger Distress Inks - Peeled Paint, Brushed Corduroy

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Caardvarks - My StampBOX Challenge

Caardvarks challenge this week is to use black, white and hot pink... Now how can you go wrong with that? Here is the link to the challenge: http://caardvarks.blogspot.com/2009/08/mystampbox-challenge.html

Strong colors and I love them.. I made the tissue flowers again because I think they are so beautiful and I used 2 new Hero arts stamps.

Products:

• Hero Arts Designblock - Antique Flower Background
• Hero Arts - Cling Stamps - Special Moments
• StaZon - Fuschia Pink
• White & Clear embossing Powder
• Versamark Watermark Ink Pad
• Versafine Black Onyx
• EK Success Punch (Leaf)

Thanks for stopping by... I hope you enjoy your Sunday!

Suzz

Christmas in Summer...

Here comes Christmas... This card was created for the Caardvark challenge and also using the Hero Arts Sketches for this weeks challenge. http://caardvarks.blogspot.com/2009/08/hero-arts-winter-wonderland.html and http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2009/08/10/sneak-6-and-sketches/

The background and snowflakes are embossed with Enchanted Gold Embossing Powder. It is very light and sparkly.

I am off to take my Copic Certification and very excited about it. Will hopefully be able to put it to good use and start building my copic supplies.

Suzz