Willow, Juniper, and Citrus

I decided to pull out my alcohol inks last night and lined them up in a semi-circle around me. My daughter walked by and said "Got ink?" Which I thought was pretty funny.





I laid them out so I could decide on which colors I wanted to mix together. The willow and juniper was such a beautiful combination I decided to pull them out and lay them down first and the citrus lightened up the combination.

The shape is from the nestabilities label 8 template. I used it for each shape except the sentiment. That is the QuicKutz die.

Everyting was embossed with either a white embossing powder or the Zing Chestnut powder. I added a few highlights with the uni-ball signo white gel pen.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Antique Flower Background
• Ranger Alcohol Inks - Willow, Citrus, Juniper
• Hero Arts - Cling - Thinking of You
• Hero Arts - Everay Sayings
• Zing - Chestnut Embossing Powder
• Signo - Uni-ball White Gel Pen

Thanks for stopping by and hope you are having a great day!

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

Fat Book Page Challenge...

Andi who has a great blog: http://www.andisperfectgravy.blogspot.com/ is hosting a challenge for Stamptoberfest. Her challenge is for Fat Book Pages. http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&thread_id=2661702 I have never created these before and thought it would be fun to try.


This is the front of my page.


Andi suggested putting something on the back of the page and highlighting who created it and for what.

I just thought I would highlight it was for stamptoberfest 2008.










Recipe:

1. Cut 2 squares 4 x 4". I actually created my background previously and was able to just cut the green squares. To create the green background I mixed Zemon Lest Glimmer Mist with Olive Green Glimmer Mist. The Olive Green Glimmer Mist has a ton of gold shimmer in it.
2. On the front I stamped my tree banch with versamark and embossed it with Copper emobssing powder.
3. I then versamarked my sentiment just below the branch and embossed it with a slate blue.
4. I then stamped the hummingbird and embossed it on light blue paper with the same slate blue embossing powder and cut it out. I really wanted a black crow but I didn't have anything the right size. :(
5. I then embossed the buttons and the charm to match the embossing done previously. The buttons tend to move and the charm will get hot, I used a stylus with a metal tip that I could stick in the button hole and hold it in place.
6. I assembled all the pieces. On the back I embossed the berries and stamped the letters used the same string from the front and added a bird charm.

Products:

• JudiKins Copper Embossing Powder
• Versmark Watermark Ink Pad
• Versafine Blue Lagoon Ink Pad
• Stampendous Pearlustre - Sapphire Embossing Powder
• Inkadinkado - 97982-K Hummingbird
• The Artful Stamper - (Berries on the back)
• Penny Black 3886J - berry branch
• Verses Rubber Stamps - QQ0838-F Apache Blessing
• EK Success - Ribbon
• Charm - Michaels, brand unknown
• Bird Charm - Blue Moon Lost Charms

Thanks for Looking!

Happy Anniversary to my DH....

This is my anniversary card to my husband. I have made 2 other cards that didn't end up looking like what I wanted to give him. I think it is hard to make a card that is masculine. (No bling, flowers, etc.)

I also wanted to share a technique that I think looks like marble.

I took a few pictures after the card was done to show how I created the faux marble background.

Recipe:

Start with a piece of acetate/transparency. I laid a piece of white cardstock underneath so you could see the color I applied clearly. So although this looks like white cardstock it is really a clear transparency.

1. Take a blue watercolor marker. Draw lines on the transparency all over the paper. Add branches from the main lines.

Next take your mister and spray all the colored lines multiple times. The color should bubble up and spread with feathers.

After you see the water bubbles on top of the acetate you are going to place your white cardstock on top of the acetate and you can flip it over with the acetate still on top of the cardstock. This allows you to move the color if you want. For this technique I didn't want the color moved as much as I wanted to soften it to make it look like the grain in Marble. Pull the acetate off of the cardstock and set to the side. The first sheet looks like this:

I was looking for something much softer. I added more water on the cardstock with the feathered blue images. I misted it multiple times until the surface was very moist an the inks were bleeding even further. I laid another piece of white cardstock on this paper. (2nd background created) I then lifted it up and spritzed the original cardstock again and laid a fresh piece of white cardstock on there (3rd background created). I ended up with 4 background papers each with a varying level of color. This background is similar to my card and was one of my last backgrounds:

I hope this helps. I really enjoyed creating this background. I used this as the background for my card and my sentiment. I did distress the edges of my background using my fingernail and a emery board. The paper becomes more textured from the water that was applied to it. I also used versamark watermark inkpad and a slate blue embossing powder to create the flourishes.

Products:

• Hero Arts - DesignBlock S5034 Flourish
• Embossing Powder - Stampendous Pearlustre Sapphire Opaque
• Ribbon - Michael's
• Inkadinkado - 96124 Love
• Zig Watercolor System Markers - Pacific Ink
• Versamark Watermark Ink Pad
• Brilliance Pearlescent Ice Blue
• Nestabilities - Classic Scallop Rectangle

Autumn Leaves....

I think if I had leaf punches or die cuts... You wouldn't be seeing this card. This background definitely made me want to make leaves from it... Unfortunately or fortunately I don't have any Leaf die cuts. So I decided to emboss the background and the card ended up looking like this.

My DD suggested the colors after she helped me videotape making the blue green background so this is for Kaeli...

Recipe:

1. Start with glossy cardstock.
2. Drip 3 drops of butterscotch alcohol ink on your felt on your applicator add 3 drops of alcohol blending solution.
3. Smear this all over the glossy cardstock. If you don't have enough color add more drips of color and blending solution.
4. Drip directly onto the cardstock red pepper alcohol ink randomly.
5. Drip directly onto the cardstock rust alcohol ink randomly.
6. Drip directly onto the cardstock butterscotch alcohol ink randomly.
7. I let these set a little bit and then drip directly onto the cardstock the blending solution. The wetter the paper is the more mix of colors you get. If you drip the blending solution inside a drip of color it gives you the lighter color in the middle and darker around the edges.
8. After everything dries, cut the paper to 4 3/4" x 6 3/4".
9. Using the CB embossing folder emboss the background.
10. Using a large emery board on the rough side, I filed the embossing using the flat side of the emery board and keeping it flat so it only sanded off the color on the embossing in some places.
11. After sanding/filing the embossing wipe the surface with a baby wipe to take any dust off the background.
12. Cut the corners using the small circle punch. (3/4")
13. Emboss buttons using versamark watermark ink and Copper embossing powder.

Products:

• JudiKins Copper Embossing Powder
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Birds & Swirls
• Ranger Alcohol Inks - Rust, Butterscotch, Red Pepper
• Versamark Watermark Ink Pad
• Hero Arts - Birthday Messages
• EK Success Tonal Adornments - Gold String
• Blue Moon - Bird Charm
• Brads & Tag holder (Joann crafts)

2 Different Ways to look at something...

I was playing around yesterday with a few things and ended up with two very similar stamped backgrounds but very different look when the cards were complete. I am going to share both.

# 1 - Summer Flowers


# 2- Dragonflies amongst the flowers.


Recipe:

1. Ink the rubber stamp with yellow dye ink.
2. Ink the rubber stamp with Versamark Watermark Ink. (This did put yellow on my Ink pad but I used an old ink pad that already had lots of different ink remnants. I also want to try using purell to clean my ink pad I heard it will take off other colors.)
3. Colored using my watercolor markers on the rubber stamp.
4. Stamped the image on regular cardstock.
5. Covered with clear embossing powder and heat embmossed the picture.
6. Here is where I differed. I decided to use my shimmery watercolor and paint a light blue / purple background over my flowers. After this was complete I decided I liked the flowers without the background so I created a second image following the exact same steps.

I put together 2 different cards based on my two backgrounds.

Which do you like? I have my favorite. :)

TFL!

Products:

• Stampington - Button Mums
• Kodomo Inc. - Dragonflies (Part of a set that I don't see on-line.. So I am going to guess they don't sell them anymore:( Love their stamps and papers and ribbons worth the investment)
• Inkadinkado 8392
• Hero Arts - Sparkle Design Sunshine
• Yasutomo - Pearlescent Watercolor Sets - (This is great for the price you can't afford not to purchase one of these... They work great and have a beautiful sheen)
• Prima Flowers
• Hero Arts Gems
• Ribbons - Uknown

Snowy Day

I love the Hero Arts DesignBlock Tree stamp. I think it is a beautiful stamp. I wanted to use it with some of the techniques I had used on my earlier card with an overall glaze.

This is what I ended up with:

I was really pleased with how this picture turned out. I was trying to capture the glitter and I think it actually photagraphed better than the card looks in person. Hee Hee... Maybe this should be sent in an email instead of snail mail.

Here are the steps to create:
1. Begin with a piece of glossy cardstock.

2. Stamp the tree using Versamark Watermark Stamp Pad.

3. Emboss the tree using JudiKins Metallic Copper Embossing Powder.

4. Paint on twinkling H2O's with a water brush. Colors used were Periwinkle, Blue Ice, Passion. Use a lot of water and swirl around. Dab off excess and smear with paper towel.

5. Stamp over the entire picture with Versamark Watermark Stamp Pad.

6. Heat emboss with clear embossing powder.

7. While the embossing powder is still hot add another layer of clear embossing powder and heat.

8. While the embossing powder is still hot sprinkle fine glitter (light blue) on the wet embossing powder. (This will get very messy as not all the glitter will stick and the hot air from the heat gun will blow the glitter all over.) I am covered in a fine blue sparkle as I type. :)

9. Finish off the layers with one more layer of clear embossing powder while the picture is still hot.

Other Products:

Penny Black - Celebrate the Wonder

Ribbon - Sweet Treat Ribbon, Michael's

Fiskars 3 - in -1 Corner stamp - Heritage

TFL!