focus

 

The free for all challenge last friday was to create a project that reflects one of you other hobbies if you have some that are not cardmaking (or cardmaking)... so, I picked up this darkroom door set and did this one as a really quick card. the Camera was stamped with Memento ( several times on a Misti) and the sentiment was over stamped with versafine (also a couple of times) the swiss dot ribbon is unknown, and the printed paper is from Basic Grey. That vintage camera was a gift from June a long time ago when she found out that I collect old gear I have a shelf of it up in the room where I color downstairs but, this particular one sits on top of the file cabinets upstairs where I see it every time I shoot something on top of that dresser by the west window up there. 

Tool gift cards

Fathers day is fast approaching in my reality because, it takes me for ever to make decisions about what to make for them all. I tend to make my cards for each of the dad's in our life individually and the fun thing about this you are a handy guy set from Two Paper Diva's is all the guys in my life are tool collectors. :)  And I didn't have it say Happy Fathers day because, it is entirely possible that it could end up waiting for a birthday without that, and I added in the enjoy from the every day sentiments set.   The Textured handmade paper is I have no clue on the mfg info. (a lot of the time a long time ago these were sold in multi color texture packs with no info at all on them) The photo corners are from Heidi Swapp and the base is bazzill.  This card is 6" square in real life.

 A closer look at the details. The images were stamped ( masked) with Versafine onyx black ink on some Neenah solar white (smooth) cardstock. the main panel I did run a SU hand held punch along the side of the edge (because, its my favorite punch tool design)The enjoy tab is really on a lawn fawn stitched labels die that is tucked up under the main panel to make it look like a tab shape. The gloves were stamped on a scrap and cut out with scissors.  this was all colored with prisma pencils. I wanted the tool box to look a little old and worn so I used both red and brown pencils on the box. All the pigments were melted with a prisma colorless blender marker. ( the copic blender will not do the same thing) There is something in the prisma blender that will melt the pigments. and for me this is a handy trick over the using say baby oil or odorless mineral spirits. ( I am klutzy and I used to color at night on a lap board on the sofa while my husband watched the news) I have since moved this down the hall to a spare room but, its done on an antique sofa table so, since klutzy is not something I have ever gotten over using the markers to blend is a safer option for me. These do however put out fumes. ( more fumes than copic markers to me) so, also being near sighted I try to keep my nose off the paper when I am almost finished and smoothing things out with the marker.

 This gift tag die from Mama Elephant also comes with some hole reinforcers and tab dies to go with it so, I did use two of the folding tabs and ran some burlap string through them as a looping tie. ( no bows needed kind of a thought) This tag is A-2 sized in real life.

 

A closer look at the stamping & coloring again these were done with prisma pencils. Next thursday I will also show you all another guy card right before the new release happens. Have a good day and thanks for stopping by!

WOYWW #364 {befor & after}

Happy Wednesday & Anniversary Ladies, These are tuesday after work shots...  I did not make ATC's but, you can find this weeks link up at Jan's blog here she is hosting while Julia is away. Thanks Jan!

 I have been letting things pile up left and right. and I hauled home this box of "stuff" from a yard sale two weeks ago that what I have taken out of the box so far was a very big stack of scrap sized hand made textured papers. That is what you see closest to you, I had been flipping through some of them to make a card last Friday evening. beyond that are just the rest of what had been pulled out and not put away.

I think this took the better part of a couple hours to do this. so, next time I go up it will be fun to make something rather than pushing things out of the way. It's not totally spotless I did leave out the stack of bingo cards and scooped up the pile of scrabble letters into a measure cup. ( I am vaguely thinking of making some kind of word tag things for the booth with them) (maybe) honestly I just hoard vintage game pieces for the most part but, I am trying to tell my self I have "enough" of them to let some go.

I did mention my yard is getting a lot of my free time lately yes? ( well, so is my camera again) I caved and upgraded my K7 base for a K3 ( the 3 is discontinued and knocked down way cheap because Pentax has released the K1 now) (and I don't need the differences between the 3 & the 1. These fern's are in a shade bed in my front yard. (the cave shots above were taken with my cell phone) So, the camera you see in the top shot is my old K7body with a heavy small zoom on it that I think I will be leaving in the cave more or less unless we travel. ( sometimes it's nice to just have another lens on a sling when your walking around shooting)

Framed Filly

 The Mix challenge this week is being hosted by Polly and she would like you to "frame it" so, this is a really simple one. I have loved this horse ever since I have seen the cool things Linda has done with it and so this was a first go around with attempting to color it. ( used some QoR watercolors and then added in a little shading over the top with some prisma pencils)
I think I got the eyes kind of wild looking but, its still OK. This ( the horse is sketched filly from stampendous I picked it up at Micheal's if your hunting for it) the frame is textured handmade paper that I used two spellbinders 6" mat dies to make it and it is up on pop dots over the  Prisma block print paper in similar colors.

 

A closer look at the filly.

A Warm Heart

Good Morning, When I first received this Teacups set I also received the You warm my heart set at the same time so, I had piles of colored mugs and the words all cut out together and I decided these could work just fine with cups colored in a warm tone. These were colored with zig clean brush markers & a water brush. The stacked cups panel was die cut with an waffle flowers lacy layers die and color dusted with some barn door distress ink. The sentiment was also stamped with versafine and die cut with lawn fawn banner dies.(this is slightly off the edge but, not so much that it won't fit into an envelope)  The printed paper is from Websters pages and the base is a piece of textured bazzill that finished at A-6 in real life. I know I make a ton of cards and tags with cups and warm drink themes to them so It's fun to know that more are coming soon. and speaking of soon the deadline for the Two Paper Diva's May sketch challenge is approaching next monday so, you still have time to play a long and a chance at a shopping gift certificate if you are so inclined. Thanks for stopping by.

WOYWW #363 a mess and piles of loot

 

 A bonafide Wed am shot... Monday after work I did cut a couple of the bunnies from the wild rose studio die. ( I had not clue they even made dies, it cuts paper perfectly I am intending to do it with felt next time I get a chance to play)

 

 So, I hauled home yet another old scrabble game on Saturday. ( it was a whole .25cents) so it would have been a crime to leave it there right? and that made me open up a vintage bingo game that I hauled home last year and I did actually use some of these things for a card on Sunday. ( It all still needs put away)

 Have to go through the scraps pile it is feeling/looking out of control for my comfort zone.

Some Simon Says Stamp loot that arrived last Saturday.

Friday I received some happy mail from Ellen Hutson and Amazon ( stencil and notepad cover die on the left) There were some good deal's in mothers day... I have been out side every day since I filled up all the hanging baskets with flowers and watering and such when I get home after work so, I really haven't spent a significant amount of time upstairs lately.
If you'd like to play along with us, shoot a shot of what you are up to and Link it up here at Jan's blog who is hosting While Julia has a holiday and recovers. (THANKS Jan!)

Because, Crack is bad for you!

 So, we went to some yard sales last saturday morning. which we have not done this year because, a few months ago we brought down countless boxes out of the attic that had been stored there for the last 11+ years ( some of these things were things that followed me home from yard sale I have a weakness for mixing bowls) and the majority was things I had collected over the last 30 years for "when we have a bigger house" ( which we have with not enough storage) so, the struggle to get most of these things "put away" after all the cupboards and drawers were finished in the (it's a room that connects the house to the garage before the laundry room) any ways I put my foot down and said "we are not going to anymore yardsales!" ( because, I had this pile upstairs of vintage games that I had picked up knowing I would use the game pieces some day... someday came around this last sunday. That bingo card and the scrabble tiles are vintage game pieces on this card front. and what followed me home Saturday was some beautiful shades of wool felt ( that I think I will be die cutting) and a few binders of cling stamps. no mixing bowls, YAY! me. :)

This sentiment is from the Ton ( Caffeine Crush set) cut with a spellbinders label die and the bitty heart is from an sheet of stickers from Heidi Grace. the base is Curious Metallics Caramel and is A-7 in real life. just for laugh's I am tempted to haul it to work.

Many Thanks

The inspiration challenge at scs last saturday headed to this color combo board at pinterest where I found so many things I loved and settled on this one. The IO big butterfly was stamped with some sepia versafine and colored with spectrum aqua and clean brush water based markers and finished off with some prisma pencils and a white gel pen over the top. That sentiment die is from Ellen Hutson and the base on this is A-7 stardream opal. It really is nearly flat in real life.

Little Packages

Almost every time there is an Mix it up challenge at Ellen Hutson, I have Essentials by Ellen to play with but, maybe not the other company or the time goes by faster than I think and I forget. Today that did not happen. This current challenge is to mix EH with Savvy Stamps and I remembered before the deadline. ( it's a miracle) :) The best part is I love how this turned out and may make a few of them to have on hand.

 I recently got lucky I felt because, the Mondo Magnolia die set for this stamp from Ellen Hutson was in stock last time I checked and so, it just arrived in the mail a few days ago. And I have been working on some "sunshine" packages so, that decided the fate of the colors to test this with. The savvy stamps small packages stamp is also a new thing to me and I was not sure the peanut brittle (memento luxe) ink would show on the kraft sack so, it was stamped in some versafine Habanero.

A closer look at the bloom, I had this old old Basic Grey print and I no longer remember its line name but, I had just a sliver so, I did it backwards and cut the three blooms first out of the scrap and then laid the stamp stuck to my craft mat on the table so I could line up the petals upside down. I figured if it wiggled it would just add to the character since the paper is distressed a little in design. I did spin the layers on purpose so the petals on the larger layers could peek out from the cut layers to add some more depth to it. the center is an Hero Arts "dot". The bow is just tied around the outside of the sack with some sheer gold/yellow ribbon.

On the inside is a simple tag (Poppy Stamps pinpoint mainstreet tag cut from some Neenah classic cream with two layers of Spellbinders labels 28 dies and the Hello stamped from the Mondo Magnolia's set in Peanut brittle. And I think for sure I will be making more of these soon. thanks for stopping by.

Just Smile

 Every time I seen a card posted with this image it made me smile so, I finally caved and bought one a couple of months ago and So, here is version 1 with it. that is Nice to see you Petunia from Stamping bella done with copic markers and gel pens a long time ago back in March. ( all of these cards are from a long time ago and I am still working on plugging away at the to be uploaded folder) The sentiment I think is from Paper Smooches. The yellow pom pom trim was rak'd to me years ago from Leigh Anne and so, this finishes off last piece of it.

 This one the robin is from Deep red and the sentiment is from Dylusions. that lace is vintage and the corrugate is from fancy pants.

 Now this was done sometime early in March after the rose gold embossing powder came in from Simon Says Stamp. ( the sentiment is from one of their Feb sets too) will look for its name. so, when it came I didn't really have a plan for it, but wanted to see the color so, I grabbed this paper and the one below to test it. decided it didn't look half bad and called them good enough. its more of a copper to my eye than a rose gold.

 This is a piece of diecuts with a view paper that came with all the roses being Copper colored foil looking on it. so, the shades of rose gold powder near the copper foil are not much different the rose gold does have a pink ish tint to it, but I am guessing that would show better on different colored background so more playing is due some time.

This sentiment is from Club Scrap and the die cut frame I am guessing off the top of my head is Memory Box. I think when I started building this card I was working towards a Christmas scene through the vines but, I got side tracked by this sentiment that kept saying pick me pick me... so, That's ok but finding this cards photo just nudges me into thinking Oh, yeah I do want to see if any of my critter/tree dies would fit into this frame hole. might have to be more words down the line.
Yay! it's friday I hope you are smiling.

WOYWW #362 Happy Mail

If you'd like to play along with us, the link up for this hop starts here at our hostess Julia's blog.

 So, it happened... I caved on the next Hero Art kit and it has already arrived and the first one I bought is still sitting on the Misti as I have not colored a single thing I stamped from that kit as of yet. such is life. I did buy the extras of the die words thank you and the happy mail words too. oh, and my crazy cat lady set arrived from Concord & 9th. but, as I went up the stairs with all this loot after work on tuesday I had already colored this IO butterfly with some prisma pencils on monday so, it turned out to be the card below. I have not found the missing stamps. ( to tell you the truth I do not even remember what stamps they were) it's kind of a strange feeling to be disappointed that I have lost them and then on the other hand I find it strange I am not more upset than I am. Probably part of that I need to let go of some things. (maybe more than just "some") We have been making yard sale piles and donation piles so, I have not poked around in the studio yet but, it's day is coming I think.

This gorgeous butterfly is part of the dkdesigns line at Impression Obsession and this sentiment is from Paper smooches fun and flirty set. the butterfly was stamped on some very old basic grey print with vintage sepia ink and colored with prisma pencils. Those gems came out of that Hero Arts bundle in the photo above.

a catch up post

So, it happens to me all the time. I finish something shoot it and the photos linker in a folder to be uploaded some day. Someday is a day of the week for me ha ha. These were all made with things on the table the last few weeks.

 This sentiment is from Dark Room Door and is heat embossed with clear over the versafine black on vellum. and machine stitched to the printed paper. the camera is a sticker. It's 6" square in real life.

 Now these were a total experiment that is "ok" but, ended up having 3 stages of drying times so, by the time I finished them I never linked them up to their challenges. ( I still need 2 more Christmas cards for April to post them at SCS.) This is dimensional paint smooshed through stencil with bo bunny clear glitter paste over the tops of the leaves with a little bit of red stickles for contrast.

 That was all done on some textured handmade (mfg unknown) mulberry paper. the bases are Neenah tarragon color. that stencil I want to say Hero Arts. ( have to double check)

 a week or so ago I got this elephant die in the mail and had to cut a few so, this is what happened to the "others" that did not make it on the plaid card. the felt is from PTI. The pearls are from Kaiser crafts. the bitty mirror hearts are the scraps from the Memory box precious mobile die.

I have to find the hello and the baby word dies because, I have forgotten already. the label maker word stamp is from Mama Elephant. that ribbon on the side is felt and from Micheal's Christmas a few years ago now. This one is 6" square in real life.

May Sketch Challenge from Two Paper Diva's

 Good Morning today starts the new challenge for May from Two Paper Diva's (it's the sketch below) you can find all the details and link yours up here. You do not have to use TPD stamps for this and there will be a drawing done for a gift card to the store in two weeks.
for my sample I did change the sketch to a square design. The lantern is from the new Camping set that came out last week. And the sentiment is from the Watts Up set from last January. they were both stamped with Versafine Vintage Sepia ink on Neenah classic cream. The lantern was colored with zig clean brush & SU markers. then cut out with a Simon Says Stamp stitched circle die. This panel is up on pop dots. the rectangle piece of Tarragon Neenah was embossed with a pine needles folder from Richard Garary. The square panel is an piece of handmade mulberry paper ( mfg info is not known) The edges were distressed a little. The printed paper is from an Bo Bunny Trail Mix pad. The base is bazzill and this one finishes out at 6" square in real life.

Here is a view of the sketch, We are all looking forward to seeing what you do with this.

Two Paper Diva's May New Release {day 2}

Today brings out for your viewing pleasure this border stamp called string of star's. I did mask the new USA sentiment under the star stamping and all of this was done with Versafine Onyx Black ink, as I stamped the stars I flipped the clear block 90 degrees each time it was stamped so, this gives it a back and forth more random looking background rather than stamping all the same direction down the panel. This was colored with some tri liner pens and metallic gel pens and when it was done cut with a stitched rectangle die into an A-2 size. The printed paper is from the Authentique freedom 6" pad and the finished size of this card is 6" square.
You can find all of the sets for this month here. and links to everyone's blogs are in the top right corner of this one :) ( psst there is going to be shopping gift certificates drawn from the comments on monday morning when the May Challenge goes live on the Two Paper Diva's company blog)

Two Paper Diva's May New Release {day 1}

It's day 1 of the Two Paper Diva's new release for May. You can find all the sets here:

 

This first card uses the tent from the new Camping set and the enjoy sentiment is from the Everyday sentiments set. These were both stamped with versafine onyx black on some smooth Neenah solar white and colored with Prisma Pencils. This panel was cut with a spellbinders curvy rectangle die and the edges of that have some Memento new sprout ink on it. This is up on pop dots for a little dimension. The shipping tag was colored with some colorburst powdered watercolors and trimmed down to fit on this card That ribbon is from recollections and attached with a Tim Holtz bitty staple. The sentence at the bottom is an Tim Holtz small talk sticker. The printed paper is from the Bo Bunny trail mix line. The finished size of this card in real life is 6" square.

This one the USA sentiment was stamped with Versafine Onyx Black and colored with an Spectrum noir Sparkle pen and outlined with a silver gel pen. I did not color the insides of the letters that is the white of the cardstock peeking through. the Spellbinders classic heart (the largest size) was cut from a piece of printed Pebbles Americana paper for Frame and the gingham is also from that same 6" printed pad. So, this card is nearly flat in real life and finished out at 5" square.

WOYWW # 361

 

Welcome to the really its not that big of a mess... ha, so this is from this morning before work. and I have currently "found" two of the unmounted sentiments that you see at the top of the table with foam on the backs, I had moved all 4 of them to the paper cutter last week intending to haul them to the kitchen and nuke them to see if it would loosen the glue enough to remove that foam. and I forgot about them, and made some cards and where I had these on the paper cutter is where I stack 6" pads of printed papers. (you see where this story is going right?) so, when I am done with the pads I tend to just scoop them up and dump them on the top of the suitcase on the floor that they go into... (that is where I found one of the stamps on the top of all the pads...) so, best guess is the others have fallen between the rows of pads and are in the suitcase or that one or more of them fell off the cutter and into the trash bin, ( which gets picked up on very early friday mornings) so, by the time I knew they were missing that garbage is long gone.  and no, nothing like this has ever really happened to me even when you see a huge mess I pretty much know where everything is.

 

 off to the left the remains of things I was pushing around on sunday. the elephants were extras I had cut doing the plaid card last Saturday and the printed paper and diecut were in the (under the vellum sentiment scrap pile that I unearthed looking for the missing stamps) The camera's were stamped with pale gray ink I was thinking to sew the vellum heat embossed words over the top of it all but, there is not enough contrast so, I need to pick a different color combo. (or thinner vellum)

last friday night brought some more happy mail to my mailbox. and I did play with most of it a little bit. I am waiting on the concord and 9 crazy cat lady set and am hopeful it will arrive this week. I have plans for that set. Anyways, thanks for stopping by and if you'd like to play along with us, shoot a shot of what you are up to and link it up here at our hostess Julia's blog.

a couple of Baby Cards

 A while back when I first got this precious mobile die ( memory box) I did cut a couple of them and this second one has been laying on the table waiting ever since) so, used up some other things and made a neutral Baby card from it.
the silver mirror paper is from MM, the ribbon is from SU as is that sentiment, the gems are from darice and I have forgotten the other things since then.
thinking the scalloped mat dies are from waffle flower and this one is 6" in real life.
PS you can click on these photos to enlarge them and just hit your browsers back button to keep reading.

Now this one was done because, this poppy stamps stitched elephant die landed in my mailbox on friday and I had to play with it. ( knowing my niece is pg and expecting a boy) I came across this Quilt inside the Inspiration Challenge site last saturday and thought maybe maybe. the plaids are all from the lawn fawn 6" pad. these were cut with the stitched MFT dies. the blue vellum was from the scrap bin so, no mfg info on that. the sentiment (d.o.t.s.)  was heat embossed with white su powder on it. finished off with some kaiser pearls, scrappers floss and craft buttons. this one is also 6" square in real life and a few hours after I had it done I seen that particular niece is doing her nursery as brown/blue & teddy bears. so, I may make something different for her or not. ( depends on if the mojo moves me to color a bear I guess) besides I kind of like how this turned out and I am fairly certain she does not read my blog.