The candy goes to....

Andi....

OH girlfriend! I just love that little birdy and do not have it in my collection!!!! (I do have the other one!)...What about cupcakes? Need any cupcake stamps?????
November 8, 2008 7:19 PM


Thanks for all the nice comments. I have been so swamped with making my dreaded calendar pages I haven't even had anything to share.



Andi... I will email you and send out your little stamps..

I hope to be posting something to share this week as the Hero Arts blog is all about techniques this week and it is my favorite thing to do...


Thanks for stopping by...

How would you like...

a little Blog Candy...

Hero Arts was so nice as to send me some stamps because I was chosen as a Honorable Mention in one of their weekly challenges..

I recieved my package and in it were these stamps:

Now I have a pretty big collection of Hero Arts stamps and unfortunately for me... I already have these great stamps. Fortunately for you.... I am willing to share...

I know there are a few of you that stop over regularly and I appreciate that.

Leave me a little note by 11:59 CST Sunday Nov 9th and I will randomly select someone to receive these two little stamps and I might find a few other surprises to stick in the bag. :)

Thanks for stopping by...

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...

Little Snowman Card...

This little card is made with the Hero Arts Snowman. I think he has been done in a similar fashion on a few of my other cards. This card was made for the Hero Arts Blog challenge. You are to be inspired by one of the guests on the blog this week. This card was inspired by Donna she is such a nice person and she makes the cutest cards. Here is a link to her flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/3umbrellas/ and here is the link to her day on the HA blog: http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/2008/11/05/win-a-day-contest-winner-donna-mikasa/

Here is a card that is inspired by Donna's cards:

I won't provide all the details as they are fairly simple...

I put the folded cardstock on top of the nestabilities oval scallop and made sure I could see the outline of the oval on the left side. I just ran it through my cuttlebug and there you have it a little scalloped oval card.

I stamped the snowman on the patterned paper to cut out the brim of the hat, the hat and the scarf.

I used watercolor pencils and water brush to give the snowman his pink tinge and black gems for his eyes.

Products:

• Hero Arts Design Clear Warmest Winter Wishes
• Basic Grey Wassail - Greetings,
• Versafine Onyx Black Pigment Ink
• General Kimberly Watercolor Pencils
• Spellbinders Nestabilities Scalloped Oval
• Marvy Uchida Scalloped Oval Punch
• Fiskars Oval Template, Fiskars Circle Cutter
• Crystal Stickers Pearls

Thanks for stopping by...

Chalk & Versamark

I love using versamark and clear embossing powder to pump up the volume on my colors whether it be colored pencils, chalk, glimmer mist or distress inks. I saw a technique that I had never tried using versamark and chalk. This technique was used by a stamper on 2 Peas embee. Here is the link to her picture: http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/pg.asp?cmd=display&layout_id=1396451 .

She describes it as covering the background in chalks and then stamping an image on top with Versamark and heat embossing with clear embossing powder. I combined this technique with using masking as Jennifer McGuire has a video on masking and is hosting a challenge. http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/mb.asp?cmd=display&thread_id=2682492

Here is my card:

I purposely left it very simple to highlight the trees and the colors. I also had to photograph it on a different background to show it was a white card base.

Recipe:

1. Apply chalks in various colors to the background. I used eyeshadow applicators to rub on spots of color and my finger to blend them together. I used yellow, blue, and green in various shades.
2. Stamp the tree on a post it note to make my mask. Cut it out.
3. Stamp with versamark the tree multiple times using the mask to overlap the trees and give the effect of the forest. (I did have some blue left on the stamp from the mask I created. I think it came through on a few of the trees faintly which I think helped with the overall effect.)
4. Heat emboss the trees with clear embossing powder.
5. Using a white gel pen I added dots of white to give a snowfall in the background. It doesn't show up very well in this picture but added a nice touch IRL.
6. Stamp the sentiment on a scrap piece of the chalked background. Mount with the twine and tag holder.
7. Layer with teal cardstock and mount on white card.

Products:

• Pebbles Pearlescent Chalks
• Versafine Olympia Green
• Signo White Uni-Ball Gel Pen
• Tag Holder Unkown
• Twine - EK Success Adornments
• Penny Black - 3738B wondrous
• Paper Inspirations - G10198 Art Brush Pine Tree
• Versamark Watermark Ink
• JoAnn's Clear Embossing Powder

Thanks for wandering over...

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...

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...