Cracked Glass

This was inspired by an ornament I saw online where they had the picture under a layer of glaze. These are some of the new stamps from Hero Arts. I went out yesterday and picked up some of the new sets. The rose comes with two beautiful sketched birds. The butterfly is part of a clear set called Antique Engravings and it has other butterflies, dragonfly and shells.

After I applied the yellow dye ink background, I wish I had chosen another color but once it was down I had to keep going.

The main panel was stamped in memento and the flowers were colored with my Copics. I then stamped the butterflies and dragonflies and used my watercolor pencils to color them. The background is sponged with yellow dye ink and around the edges with brown dye ink.

I than stamped the entire image with versamark watermark ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. I repeated that process 4 times and then cracked it. I then applied a layer of brown dye ink and wiped up the excess.

The rest is just piecing the background together.

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Happy Birthday To someone Special

Took me all day yesterday to to get one card done.... Sometimes the creativity is not there and we had lots going on...

I love this new embossing folder from Cuttlebug. I had inked up the folder with brown pigment ink and embossed some ivory cardstock last week. This embossing with the inked background is so pretty. Sat on my desk all week waiting for me to figure something out.

I decided to use it with a few other colors from the Hero Arts challenge this week. They provided some colors for the challenge this week. I tried to incorporate all the colors green, orange, deep red, ivory, and brown. (Hence the little pop of green on the button)

Products:

• Hero Arts - Antique Flower Background
• Hero Arts - Old French Writing
• Hero Arts - All Occasion
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder
• Penny Black -Poppies
• Watercolor Pencils
• Pearls - Michael's
• Versafine - Vintage Sepia
• Lace - Unknown

Thanks for stopping by....

Suzz

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

Inspiration - Part II

Here is another inspiration pieces for Hero Arts Blog Challenge this week. Kelly is my inspiration today. Her blog is here: http://cruzinkellster.blogspot.com/.





She makes the most wonderful, fun, and adorable cards. I CASED this card here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22848734@N03/3220517882/

I loved how she used the die cut shape for her card. She also mixes pattern paper so cleverly into her designs. This is my take on a Kelly card. :)

Products:

• Hero Arts - Birthday Definition
• Hero Arts - Clear Design Woodland Critters
• Hero Arts - Clear Design - Live it Up (Confetti on the Background)
• Hero Arts - Cupcakes
• Basic Grey - Periphery
• Making Memories - Stickers
• Versafine - Olympia Green, Smokey Grey, Vintage Sepia
• Ranger Distress Inks - Peeled Paint, Faded Jeans
• Prisma Color Pencils, General Kimberly Watercolor Pencils

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Poppies...

I love how Oriental Poppies look... They are beautiful. Unfortunately every time I plant them they never make it through the summer. Our yard is too open and dry much less the soil conditions. This card reminded me of the beauty of poppies.

I tried creating a gate fold with an opening in the middle to showcase the inside of the card.
This is the card closed.

This is the card opened slightly. The Poppies are all stamped with StazOn Timber Brown. The brown on the white is very pretty and doesn't translate in the pictures.

The flowers are colored with watercoor pencils and blended with the waterbrush. The effect is much softer in real life.

Products:

• Penny Black Poppies
• Penny Black Clear - Thinking of You
• Watercolor Pencils

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Spotlight Technique...

I created this for a challenge using the spotlight technique. I have this beautiful nativity stamp and decided to use it in this challenge. The card itself is very simple in design and layout but I like the simplicity of the colors and highlighting the baby and the star.


For the spotlight I stamped the image on white cardstock and punched a 3/4" circle on the star and the baby. I was careful to capture the baby but to not overlap onto Mary's face.

Products:

• Inkadinkado - Nativity Scene
• Penny Black - Celebrate the Wonder
• Inque Boutique - French Quarter
• Versafine Onyx Black
• General Kimberly Watercolor Pencils
• 3/4" Circle Punch
• Kraft Paper, Vellum Paper

Thanks for stopping by...

Suzz

Kwerner Color Challenge # 33

I love the color challenges... Sketches are harder for me to follow and I love color. So anything that can inspire a new look based on color is good with me... Here is the link to Kristina's great blog: http://kwernerdesign.com/blog/2008/12/color-inspiration-33.html. I also am doubling up challenges as these will also apply to the Hero Arts Blog weekly challenge. Lisa Spangler is hosting and has some really cute last minute card ideas and sneak peeks for the 2009 catalogue. http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/

Here is the wonderful color swatch:

Right away after seeing the colors I thought of doing a card with the blue spruce trees in teal and the orange skyline. I decided to try a second card which used the same colors for Christmas ornaments...

The recipes on these cards are fairly simple so I will share the products only. As Shirley says... I am taking the easy path today. :)

Products:

• Hero Arts Designblock - Birds & Poinsettas
• Hero Arts Clear Design - Classic Christmas Borders
• Martha Stewart Clear Gift Tag Stamps
• Hero Arts - Real Pine
• Stampendous - Holiday Quad Cube
• Hero Arts Clear Design - Three Tree Christmas
• Marvy Uchida Purple Circle Punch
• Ranger Distress Inks - Shabby Shutters, Broken China
• StazOn - Pumpkin
• Adirondack - Sunset Orange
• Versafine - Deep Lagoon, Vintage Sepia
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• General Kimberly Watercolor Pencil
• Stampendous - Stamp N Stuff - Kaleidoscope Transparent Embossing Powder
• Ranger Stickles - Orange Peel
• Gems - K&CO

Thanks for stopping by..

Suzz

Be yourself....

This is a card using the distress ink background. I thought would be cute to make a little owl in different colors along with the sentiment.

The recipe for the background is smearing the ink on acetate, spritzing it until it blends together and putting the white cardstock on it to absorb the inks. I also stamped on the background to get my leaves.

Products:

• Hero Arts - Tiny Owl
• Hero Arts - Long Branch
• Hero Arts - Leaf Cluster
• Hero Arts Anytime Messages
• Ranger Distress Ink - Peeled Paint
• Ranger Distress Ink - Broken China
• StazOn Timer Brown
• General Kimberly Watercolor Pencil
• Fiskars Circle cutter, Fiskars Oval Template

I am playing with something else as a technique which I hope to share tomorrow. It has been a lot of fun for me and I can't wait to share...

Thanks for stopping over...

Mini Thank You....

I am supposed to be wrapping up my calendar page... I participate in a calendar exchange... It is like a cookie exchange... You create 12 pages of one month and you exchange with 12 other women... Well my page is due as it has to ship off to Florida... (I actually signed up for 2 months in 2 different calendars)... I made a commitment to myself I will get them done this weekend... Meanwhile... I keep making mini cards...

Here is another mini card for the inspired by challenge...

The inside contains the same little sticker letters...

I just purchased that embossing folder and wanted to use it. I thought it looked like bark which then triggered the branch and the bird.

Products:

• Hero Arts Sparkle Design - Hello Birdie
• Hero Arts - Long Branch
• Memento - Rich Cocoa
• Versafine - Majestic Blue
• General Kimberly Watercolor Pencils
• Cuttlebug Embossing Folder - Distressed Stripes
• Spellbinders Nestabilities - Scalloped Rectangles

I really am going to work on my calendar page...

Cozy Christmas...

I am still pulling scraps from my scrap pile to make mini cards for the Hero Arts Challenge and because it feels good to use up pieces from my overflowing cardstock pile.

This little card was done at the end of the day. I knew the design I wanted but couldnt' think of what to put in the center. I decided to use this little birdhouse and bird because I have had them for awhile and haven't put them on paper yet. I apologize for the picture as it was the end of day before everyone left and the daylight is getting shorter every day. So this was taken after dark.

This is the front of the card when it is folded. It actually opens up as shown below: ( the picture is deceiving because the green scallop actually stays straight out until you lay it flat. )

The measurements of the closed card is: 5 1/4" x 3". The score is 2 3/4" and 5 1/4".

Recipe:

1. Stamp birdhouse and bird on a light tan paper. The birdhouse was stamped with green solvent ink and the bird was stamped with red solvent ink. Color with watercolor pencils and use a waterbrush to spread the colors. Cut out the birdhouse including the center circle and the bird.
2. Use a white gel pen to color the snow and the white on the bird's hat. (I also added a little red stickles on the berries on the birds hat.)
3. Use the scalloped rectangle nestabilities and the oval scalloped nestabilities to cut out an olive green rectangle, light tan rectangle and a light tan scalloped oval. Punch out an tan oval.
4. Emboss the olive green rectangle and the oval tan with the cuttlebug folders. Put the embossing folders upside down to get the reverse impression on the cardstock. (This was done partially due to a mistake and also because I wanted my oval background to not stand out too much against my bird)
5. Sponge red and brown on the scalloped oval and the regular oval. Sponge brown around the edges of both of the scalloped rectangle.
6. Stamp sentiment on the oval using brown ink.
7. Stamp Hello on tan paper using brown ink and sponge edges with the same ink. Cut in small rectangle.
8. Punch threading water along the right edge of the card base.
9. Cut patterned paper slightly smaller for the front, middle and back of the card.
10. Attach PP to the front, middle and back. Attach the olive green scalloped rectangle half on the front of the card when folded. Pop dot the scalloped oval to the middle of the olive green rectangle. Pop Dot the birdhouse, bird, and hello to the front of the oval.
11. Attach the tan scalloped rectangle to the back of the card. Align with the scalloped rectangle on the front to ensure that the interior rectangle doesn't show. Attach oval to the middle of the rectangle.
12. Attach coordinating buttons on the left side of the card.

Products:

• Memento Rich Cocoa
• Ranger Distress Ink Fired Brick
• StazOn - Olive Green, Blazing Red
• General Kimberly Watercolor Pencils
• Ranger Stickles - Xmas Red
• Basic Grey Figgy Pudding - Pepperberry
• Brother & Sister Design - Have yourself a cozy little Christmas
• Hero Arts - Sparkle Clear Hello Birdie
• Hero Arts - Sparkle Clear Birdhouse Tag
• Spellbinders - Nestabilities Scalloped Rectangle, Scalloped Oval
• Marvy Uchida - Oval Punch
• Buttons Unknown
  

Thanks for visiting...