Inspired by { Gatsby Backdrops }

 This week Amy is sharing the Gatsby backdrops for photographers site. They also have a collection of Pinterest boards. I love this the whole idea is so cool esp. if you are shooting people is my thought. I could have used these things when J was young. Anyways thinking of that and him, he has a birthday soon and I started poking around in the "wood" section and stopped on this simple one as I knew I could build on it. 

So I started poking through all my pads of printed woodgrain papers and some were so somber when I stamped on them they look like they are leaning more towards sympathy cards and some the paper was glossy and on and on and finally I found this package from Stampin up called Wood Textures print and I liked that the knot in the corner could play as a ripple in the reflection (this was done in the middle of the night when I could not sleep so, yeah no cups of joe have been consumed here as of yet) and after It took me I bet you I rejected ever shade of brown cardstock I had in the 12" size looking for something to blend with it. (this paper has a slightly pink-ish undertone to my eye) so, I finally found a single sheet of this chocolate cardstock from Uniquely Creative. no telling how long I have has this one but, it has that same pink-ish look to me in the middle of the night so. this so simple card took an hour haha.

The reflection scene here is from the Stampin' Up! set called Quiet reflections and the sentiment is one of the oldest one I have that is from Great Impressions. both were stamped with some Versafine Pinecone ink and then I cut that layer with a Gummiapan old paper die ( the largest one in the set) and inked the edges with some DOX scorched timber to loose the white edge. I am debating about adding something silly to the inside because, 30 is a milestone but, I think I will go make some coffee first. That's about it from me, I hope you are doing well & thanks for stopping by. If you'd like to play along with us, you can find this challenge here at SCS. 
 

 

Inspired By {Essential Stencil}

 This week Denise is sharing the Essential Stencil site for Inspiration this week at SCS. They also have a collection of Pinterest boards found here. And I came across this silly fishing one that instantly sparked ideas for me as 1. I need a birthday card for hubs soon and 2. I have an old Rubbernecker sentiment that is nearly the same sentiment. 

 And I also knew I had bought these Gone Fishing set of stamps and dies from Stampin' Up! a couple of years ago and had not played with them and then when I was fishing those out ha ha, I found this other die set of lures from Impression Obsession and thought the scale of those would work well with the SU set in the wells of the fishing tackle box. So, as I was cutting and inking things I started pushing them around the top of the box to see the scale and where there might be room for more. 

 So, the round bobber in the lower left-ish area was stamped on white cardstock with some ( this is a 2 step stamp) Versafine Clair Morning mist ( the bottom layer ) and some Tulip Red for the overstamping, I did stamp this on the diecut as I had cut it before I stamped it and I got the white halo off so, I did cut it out again with scissors and then inked the edges with scorched timber DOX ink like all the other layers. Those metal hooks I cut from some Tim Holtz shiny cardstock and The iridescent cord from May Arts was tied on to the round bobber to mimic fishing line. 

 The finished card here is A2 in real life, The reel-y sentiment is from Unity Stamps Reel Great Guy set and that panel was glued to the inside after this was shot. The vintage bingo chip has the number that hubs will be soon ( he is counting down to Retirement and still has a few more years to go) but, I was trying to keep the inside of the tackle box on the cleaner side since the stencil is and I thought the colors worked well with all the paper layers. ( it is pretty thick though) And then I did cut the skinny bobber and the top lure ( IO ) from Watercolor paper and used red Windsor & newton paint on those. and then added some metallic silver to the round places where the line would tie it on. Oh I have a second metal hook I cut to glue under the popper looking lure in the top left box and I seen ( after I shot this that it was missing) 

 

So, I ended up cutting another pair of hooks from the shiny silver card as I lost the one that I originally was pushing around on that bobber lure so, This is what it looked like with the inside glued in and the hook back in place. That's about it from me, I hope you're doing well and Staying warm. Thanks for stopping by, you can find this challenge here to play along with us if you are so inclined. 

 

A couple more Heart cards

 Not too long ago someone who was featured stamper at Splitcoaststampers ( I've forgotten off hand her screen name but, someone on the Simon Says Stamp design team) had these really gorgeous projects posted in her gallery of altered ( really fancy shapes) um Rolodex cards. and that really caught my eye. A very long time ago I used to actually alter the cards that you buy for the containers so it was a WOW thing to see all the fun shapes of them out at the moment. So, I caved on that and started buying a handful of the dies with no real plan for a project for them, I just liked the shapes. the first one to arrive in the mail was the AALL & Create Spring Sprouts die set. If I remember correctly this is the same die she had used in her gallery and so, when it came I ended up cutting out 3 of them from random papers on the table to get an idea of the scale of it. 

Just messing around with these pieces and I needed space so a bunch of it was put away in the drawer.
 

And then a week or so later another AALL & Create die this one is called Dotted Love and it has bitty hearts with the 3 different lengths of flaps/cards. And same thing cut one of each flap and all the hearts and I just kept pushing these things around on the table along with all those hearts I've had out and been cutting. And so, this was built from scraps on the table. I really liked the idea of this shape upside down. not as a flipping card but just a curious background detail all the edges of all the die cuts you see here were inked with some scorched timber distress oxide ink to unify all those prints. The enjoy is an Impression Obsession die as is that half circle heart layer behind it. The larger heart on a stem to the left behind that is part of a Penny Black die and the little heart topiary is a stamped image I cut out with scissors. I had that scrap of shiny silver sheer ribbon on the table and just tied it around the prongs. I figured since its all glued down to the card front it should stay put. This one is 5" square in real life. That special delivery was a paper ephemera piece from ( probably Tim Holtz ) but, I have big containers of that since I bought a bunch last year and have been trying to use some of those up as well, it was left behind in the tray on the table from when ever I was poking around in that. 

 

And I did something with the other heart branch piece I painted a week or two ago? I forget, that base is Blushing bride and this one is A2 in real life, that shiny pinkish glimmer cardstock was in the recent SSS card kit from Feb that arrived. ( the one with all the rounded corner dies in it) I cut a bunch of scraps up with those dies so far but, no projects yet. That embossing folder was out from some other project as well. these are just random cleaned the table off cards for me. I ended up going through my entire drawer of previously diecut things and I need to use some up before I cut anything else as that drawer is now bursting at the seams. The with love tag is an lili of the valley stamp on some watercolor paper and the ribbons are unknown. that gold elastic is really old from SU. That's about it from me, I hope you're doing well. We've got snow again this week and since we have not been buried under it all winter its a welcome and good thing here. Thanks for stopping by. 

Wisteria Birthday Wishes

 This week the watercoloring challenge is doing this Wisteria Branch video I found because, I love the idea of them. I have not actually seen a wisteria flower or tree or vine in real life ever but, I think the curves of the drapes of petals is so pretty and I wanted to try it. The name of the video is Easy Loose Watercolor Floral Tutorial : Wisteria Flowers by Nianian. 

  I did spend some time seeing what shades of purples I could come up with knowing I did not have any of the colors of paints she used on her painting. I started with a piece of Arches cold press and just started adding the paint. ( I did not sketch this) And I really did not have enough space to add more or enough white space so, I started over again with an piece cut to A7. 

These petals looked huge to me on this big piece of paper but, I thought, I need more space to try this with and we'll see what happens. 

And then I added a second cluster of petals and Leaves to the branch. I wasn't real sure what kind of curves or way to go with the way the leaves should be on the branch.

 I had the space for a tiny one to balance the right side so, in went a third spray. along with a few splatters around the petals. 

 I did add a few more dots of yellow on a few random petals in the larger sizes at the top, I need birthday cards for March and so, this one will go to my gma in a couple of weeks. The sentiment is on the inside of the card. The base is some textured Bazzill in an A7 size. That's about it from me, if you'd like to play along with us you can find this challenge here at Splitcoaststampers. Thanks for stopping by. 

 

Inspired by {Anthropologie}

 This week Kia is sharing the Anthropologie site for inspiration. I was curious to see what they had for sale as I have purchased sweaters online from them in the past and so, I was surprised to see they had a section for "Weddings". While I was poking around this pillow caught my eye because of the almost hidden bird in the print as I had seen earlier in the week the teapot destination is Brenda this week whose family lost her son last month. And some how because, he was a hunter they wanted the project to have some kind of camo on it. and that just totally stumped me. When I think about Brenda, I think about Birds and snowmen and tulip flowers...

So, I knew I had Leafy printed papers and I decided to use this Hobby Lobby Eucalyptus print as I think it is So Pretty. ( maybe not a serenely somber enough print for a Sympathy card but, I decided if I was going to do this and try to follow the theme I need to just do something rather than over think it forever) 

 I have been die cutting all my postage type background dies lately to have some to play with and I had this back piece already cut with this AALL & Create Edge Spin die cut when I got this idea and I thought the leafy print looked OK with it. ( all the edges of the leaf print and the tan print have been inked with DOX speckled egg ink) and then I found this fancy vintage trim to wind across it and then I cut the Penny Black Finch die from some Arches cold press watercolor paper. I did keep the paints subtle on this so that it could you know hide and blend with that background. The base here is unknown but, this one is 6" square in real life and then I finished the inside with a few stamps from a couple of different Altenew sets. I did not take a photo of that part. I find it so very hard to come up with the thing to say, words fail me so, I had put off doing a card for them until today. That's about it from me, if you'd like to play along with us you can find these challenges here at Splitcoaststampers. Thanks for stopping by. 

 

A Few Valentines

 When I looked at my stash of cards a week or two ago, I realized I didn't have a stash of Valentines day cards. I think I may not have made any at all last year. Since I stopped doing the way way in advance design team things I have been trying to create more in the moment type things. So, right now without a need for a Valentine it was fun to start pulling out both things that have not been played with and heart dies and such. 

What my desk looked like last Sunday. Nope, I did not watch the superbowl. I forgot about it, I know most the people in my family root seriously for the Chiefs and they were thinking the teams who were playing this year were well matched and it should be a good game to watch but, that is seriously all I remember hearing about it. I needed to see something happy and pretty so digging through these papers and dies helped. 

I did come across this video from Nichol Spohr on YouTube doing a postage collage background (Waffle Flower die) for a Valentine and I thought Oh, I have that die and dug it out and did a couple of them. I really liked her color combo with the browns coming through so, that was a totally copy for me to dig out those colors. Tattered Rose, Salt water taffy, Candied Apple, Antique Linen Distress Oxide Inks. 

The first one on the right was more heavily influenced by her card than the one on the left, so the one on the right I am probably going to give to hubs. I just used what ever, but it did have me digging through my Tim Holtz office supplies type dies as well and I cut stacks of file folders and bitty envelopes too while I was at it. These are both A2 in real life. The one on the left I used some shimmery opal stardream paper ( a while back to emboss that plaid ish texture to and it was just handy. That chiffon ribbon wrapped around it is something I came across at Hobby Lobby in January after the holidays. I do like this and if they still have it next time I am in that store I will probably buy the other colors. 

 Then monday came and I had seen the Clean and simple challenge at SCS was to include a heart and I had received these Penny Black dies in the mail that day and so, I did cut them from some of those papers on the table and thought OK this could work. That Love diecut is something old from Poppy stamps that I did a long time ago and then you know used an eraser on it after this was shot because, there are a lot of times it's such a cave up here when it's cloudy I just don't see things the same anymore. So, its interesting and helpful to me to see them as a photograph that I can enlarge on the screen and fix bloopers after the fact. And since its just for my own amusement and I am in the whole keep it real phase I just post it and move on.

Which lead me to looking at my other Penny Black dies and I came across this pot with all the heart stems growing out of it set and cut a stack of them from some Artist loft water color paper and then added some paint to them yesterday after work.
 

The Happy Valentines day tag is a Lili of the Valley stamp ( I believe they have gone strictly digital now but, I have physical stamps from them and I still play with mine) The mini copper-ish brad is probably from Recollections. I have a tiny jello mold on my table filled with these things because, when you could go to the store and buy them I did. ( I am glad I stocked up on them I don't see these in the stores anymore and I do like brads more than eyelets actually) 

 

So, I shot this last card early this morning way before the sun came up and so, the colors are a little off and dark. That card base is some Stampin' Up! Blushing bride ( I love that shade of pink) And the circle framing diecut in the center is something from My Creative Time called Circle card front dies. I tend to shy away from circles so, I have been die cutting and taping a bunch of these together out of these papers and some of the scraps laying around and now I have a little pile of them to play with as well. The frame part of this its a little busy so, its hard to see but, these die cuts the frame has some cute stitching details on them. I did try to tilt that pot straight here ( its on with a glue dot and it decided to just wiggle it self back to crooked again. I did run the top cover of the card base through the big shot with a Sizzix folder but, It only says sizzix on it so, I don't remember its real name anymore ( I want to say it could be an old Basic Grey Christmas one but, that is a best guess situation.) That's about it from me, I hope your doing well & thanks for stopping by.