Paper Cuts

I just love this image!  When I saw Julia’s WT challenge for this week on Splitcoast Stampers (use a retiring set), I headed straight for this one.  I combined it with this week’s sketch challenge.

I headed for my pile –and I mean *pile*– of Wild Asparagus paper from My Mind’s Eye, looking for a pattern I thought would work well with this image.  (I don’t think there’s a pattern in that collection I don’t like.)  I found a piece with rust colored blooms and olive leaves…perfect!

I used the Hollyhock wheel (also retiring) with rust ink across the top and bottom of the rust base.  I cut two strips from the patterned paper, using the reverse side of the print for the vertical strip.  I sponged the edges a bit with distressing ink and adhered them to the base.

The girl is stamped using black Stazon and then watercolored and the edges sponged.  I mounted this piece onto rust cardstock and adhered it to the cardfront using dimensionals.  I positioned the sentiment with a Stamp-a-ma-jig then tied that yummy ribbon.  I don’t usually like bows, but I thought it looked nice with this image.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Happy Thursday!

     Paper:  Really Rust, watercolor, My Mind’s Eye Wild Asparagus Spring Floral/Peach

     paper”

     Stamps:  And Everything Nice, Hollyhock jumbo wheel

     Ink:  Black Stazon, Really Rust, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Old Olive, Barely

     Banana, Ranger Walnut Stain Distress

     Accessories:  May Arts ribbon, dimensionals, aquapainter, black marker, sponge

Hello!!!  It’s time for another Take Two challenge between Trudee, Lindsey, Julia and myself.  (So much fun!!!)  Be sure to check out their blogs to see what each of us came up with.  This time we’re using Stampin’ Up!’s Be Happy and Basic Grey’s Romani (aka Gypsy).  Since I just used my favorite pattern from that collection (on the martini poodle card), I thought I’d go with the turquoise print this time.  As for Be Happy, well, it’s a tough set for me.  I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it.

I used SU’s Confetti White for the card base, layering a slightly smaller panel of BG coordinating solid paper. The flower and “smile” tag were stamped on scraps of the same paper using Versamark and embossed with Detail White ep.  For the flower center, I layered two 1/2″ circles from an old tablet backing (duly named “poor-woman’s chipboard” by my good buddy, Justine…love that! lol), then covered with a 1/2″ circle punched from the patterned paper.  The flower is attached to the framed panel using dimensionals. I attached the patterned strip, then faux stitched across the top and bottom.  For the “belt loop-ish” piece, I stamped onto the solid paper using Versamark, then using a white gel pen, I “filled in” the lines (using a ruler…otherwise the lines would most definately not be straight) and colored in the flower.   This piece is also adhered using dimensionals.  I used my handy dandy Crop-a-dile to insert the eyelets, slipped a piece of organdy through the tag eyelet and tied it to the “belt loop.”  I attached the ric rac, tucking the ends and attached a “leaf.”  Lastly, I added some more faux stitching here and there.

Thanks for stopping by! 

     Cardstock:  SU’s Confetti White

     Patterned Paper:  Basic Grey Romani (Patchouli, Harlow)

     Stamps:  SU’s Be Happy

     Ink:  Versamark

     Accessories:  White detail ep, heat tool, mat pack, needle, white Signo gel pen,

     eyelets, Crop-a-dile, 1 1/4″ and 1/2″ circle punches, cardboard, dimensionals, SU white

     narrow organdy, ric rac (Making Memories Dyeable Trims)

Happy Memorial Day!  I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend (if you’re lucky enough to ‘have’ a long weekend)!  The weather is great here, although a bit hot.  We’ve been to the pool and a couple neighborhood parties.  It’s been fun!  But aside from the swimming and picnics, and without getting too mushy (I’m not a mushy kind of person), I’d like to take a moment to remember those who have given themselves to our country.  There is no better place than the United States of America and we have many, many people to thank for that.  Without their dedication, this country would not be what it is today.  There are no words big enough to express my gratitude.   A mere ‘thank you’ just seems insufficient.

There is no stamping on this card.  I found a great set of Memories in Uniform rub-ons here at Scrapbook.com.  The focal image is cut from patterned paper with SU’s Chocolate Chip ink sponged around the edges.  I distressed the edges of the camo piece (because I can’t leave well enough alone) and used my all-time favorite brads by Karen Foster.

I hope you enjoy what’s left of your weekend and thanks for looking! 

     Cardstock:  SU’s Chocolate Chip (base), Black

     Patterned Paper:  Creative Imaginations (Green Camo), Karen Foster (Desert

     Courage)

     Rub-on:  Memories in Uniform, With Honor

     Ink:  SU’s Chocolate Chip

     Accessories:  Ribbon (Offray); brads (Karen Foster Antique Thumbtacks), sponge,

    dimensionals

This time I stamped “just because.”  It’s for nothing and noone in particular and it’s pretty simple.  I picked up a package of these Prima Whisper flowers a while back and never got around to using them.  They’re so….dainty.  The patterned paper is another of my favorites from My Mind’s Eye Tres Jolie.  I had pulled out a coordinating print but decided this one stood well enough on its own.  I used one of my favorite types of brads, Karen Foster’s Biggie Brads, Ranger Walnut Stain distressing ink, faux stitching and distressing, and according to my daughter, my favorite color, brown.  (lol)  She came home from preschool just before Mother’s Day with a little booklet titled, “My Mother” where she had filled in some blanks.

Page 1:  My mother’s name is Michele.  My mother is xx years old (she filled in the right number).  My mother’s favorite color is brown.  (???  I do use a lot of brown but I never thought my five-year old would pick up on that and say it’s my favorite!)  My mother’s favorite food is crab cakes. (Yum!) 

Page 2:  My mother is great because she goes to the playground with me.  And…I love it when my mother stamps.  LOL.  Then she drew a picture of me.   Too cute!  And today is her ‘graduation.’  (Better bring some tissues.)

     Cardstock:  SU Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla

     Patterned Paper:  My Mind’s Eye, Tres Jolie Bonjour “Wonder” Floral

     Stamp:  SU Wonderful Words

     Ink:  SU Basic Brown, Ranger Walnut Stain Distress Ink

     Accessories: Karen Foster Biggie Brad, Prima Whispers “Frost,” Chocolate Chip

     marker, mat pack, needle, edge distressor.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!!

I’ve been in somewhat of a rut this week…way too much going on here to be very creative.  This was my attempt at this week’s sketch challenge.  I’m not totally happy with it, but I don’t hate it (lol). 

I’ve had this stamp for quite a while and have only used it once.  The poodle is stamped in black on Whisper White.  On the poodle’s fluffy parts, I used a quickie glue pen and white Fun Flock.  The Fun Flock is really cool, comes in lots of colors and is very easy to use.  Just apply glue, add the Fun Flock, press it down into the glue and tap off the excess!  You should check it out!  I lightly colored the poodle with Pretty in Pink, outlined her a bit with Barely Banana and doodled a frame around her.  I also colored the olive with a lime gelly roll pen.  The poodle piece is matted onto black and pink and adhered to the patterned paper with dimensionals.  I outlined some of the images on the patterned paper with a glitter pen and inserted some olive brads in the flower centers.   I mounted this assembled piece onto black, tied two ribbons and adhered that to a confetti white card base.

     Cardstock:  Confetti White, Black, Whisper White

     Patterned Paper: Basic Grey Gypsy

     Stamp:  Global Solutions “Take it Easy”

     Ink:  Black, Pretty in Pink

     Accessories:  Ribbon, brads, markers (black, Barely Banana), Sakura Quickie Glue

     Pen, Stampendous Fun Flock, Lime Stardust Gelly Roll Pen

Thanks for stopping by!

Soon I’ll need a birthday card for a friend’s adorable little boy, so I used this week’s color challenge for inspiration.  I needed to use Old Olive, Certainly Celery and Vintage Violet (hmmm…Vintage Violet…had to blow the dust off of that one).   Violet seems to be a difficult color to photograph–for me anyway (total fumbling novice).  In real life, the darker dots look like the violet color and the lighter ones look as if the dots were stamped off once (it’s patterned paper though), but here they just look blue.  I can’t seem to figure out how to adjust for that.  Any tips?

I seem to be on a watercoloring “kick” right now so I used watercolor paper again and an aquapainter to color the airplane after stamping in Stazon Black.  This piece is mounted onto black for a little more definition, then mounted onto Olive with dimensionals in between.  (The dimensionals allowed space to feed the ribbon later.)

The dotted paper is mounted onto black as well (just gives it a little more pop), then I zig-zagged the striped paper onto that.  I attached the airplane image, threaded the ribbon and attached with black brads.  I pinched the ribbon together so it would fit between the prongs of the brads before inserting the brads through the striped paper.  I attached the assembled panel to the Olive card and lastly mounted the sentiment. 

     Cardstock:  SU’s Old Olive, Black, watercolor paper

     Patterned Paper:  My Mind’s Eye Wild Asparagus

     Stamps:  Toy Box, It’s Your Birthday

     Ink:  Black Stazon, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Vintage Violet

     Accessories:  brads, ribbon, sewing machine, ivory thread

And check out Trudee’s blog today.  She’s giving away some goodies!  Thanks for stopping by!

Hello?  (lol)  I hope everyone had a nice weekend! 

Last summer while browsing around at a scrap expo, I came upon a booth with the most adorable stamps, Stamps by Judith.  There were so many, I had a hard time choosing!  A lot of the stamps reminded me of Whipper Snapper.  I settled on this cute little chick, a pot, grass and a couple more I may use later.   (And, just fyi, the rubber is deeply etched, top quality!)

I used black Stazon on 40# watercolor paper, masking pots as I went along.  I use post-it notes for masking, being sure to stamp part of the image so the sticky  part of the note will help hold the mask in place.  Once I finished, I realize I should have stamped the grass in black and traced over it with the green…oh well.  I colored the images with SU reinkers and an aquapainter, doodled a little line around the edges and matted onto black cardstock.  “Hello” is stamped using Karen Foster snap stamps and I just scribbled in the question mark.

For the rust piece, I stamped canvas using rust ink, then roughened the edges just a bit with an edge distressor. 

The main image is mounted on dimensionals, leaving room for the ribbon (from StarLitStudio) at the bottom. 

     Cardstock:  Stampin’ Up!’s Summer Sun, Really Rust, Black, watercolor paper

     Stamps:  Pot, chick and grass from Stamps by Judith; Canvas from Stampin’ Up!;

     ”Hello” from Karen Foster Design snap stamps, mini formal

     Ink:  Stazon Black, Stampin’ Up!’s Really Rust, Summer Sun, Always Artichoke

     Accessories:  Black marker, ribbon, dimensionals, aquapainter, edge distressor

Thanks for looking!  And before I go, you MUST check out my friend, Lindsey’s blog later today!  She has made it to the top FIVE in Papercraft’s Stamping Idol contest!  WAHOOOOO, Lindsey!!!  She will post her INCREDIBLE card later.  Please check it out and don’t forget to vote!!! 

Happy Friday, everyone!  This card is for this week’s limited supply challenge.  The idea is to make a quick card using one stamp with a flower, one sentiment, one small background stamp, one to three colors of cardstock (plus white or vanilla), any ribbon and/or flower punches, brads and doodling.

My color combo was inspired by Crate Paper’s Carnival Collection.  Such fun, bright prints!  You can find it at Jacksonbelle’s store…and right now it’s 10% off!!!  (There is no Chocolate Chip in the pack, but part of the wrapper was dark brown and I thought it matched well. lol.)

Since I am totally bored with my Stampin’ Up stamps, I chose my Javabellas.  I did all the coloring with markers, used a white gel pen to add dots to the blue dress, doodled in some ground and stamped the A Muse sentiment in the bottom right corner.  I mounted this onto Chocolate Chip, then Bashful Blue, applied dimensionals to the back and set this aside.  (I use a *lot* of dimensionals on my cards.  I just think they add a nice touch.)

I used markers to color the flowers and dots from Fresh Fillers, huffed (lol) and randomly stamped on the white panel.  (I just realized this set is being retired also…bummer.)  I attached the stamped panel to the Only Orange card base, adhered a thin strip (scrap) of Chocolate Chip across the bottom, tied two ribbons around the top of the panel and adhered the assembled focal piece.   It wasn’t as “quick” of a card as I’d have liked, but then I have a hard time stopping myself from doing more…and more…and more.  Thanks for looking!

     Cardstock:  Only Orange, Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Whisper White

     Stamps:  Javabellas, A Muse (sentiment), Fresh Fillers

     Ink: Black

     Markers:  Barely Banana, Blush Blossom, Only Orange, Bashful Blue, Creamy

     Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Black

     Other:  Dimensionals, chocolate grosgrain, white Signo gel pen

     Finished card size:  5″ x 5″

Hello!  I had some time to play this morning so I popped on over to Splitcoast to peek at this week’s sketch challenge (my favorite).  What an interesting layout!!   I used another of my favorite (retiring-sniff, sniff) sets, Buggies & Booties.  I sure hope Stampin’ Up has some great baby sets in the new catalog…not that I’m surrounded by babies, I just love making baby cards.  I don’t know why…

I used My Mind’s Eye Tres Jolie patterned paper (*drool*).  I used the reverse side of one of the prints for the bottom layer then cut the coordinating vanilla-based patterned paper for the next layer.  I cut the “triangles,” sponged the edges using distress ink, then used scraps for the thin border pieces.  The stitching is totally inspired by Trudee and Julia.

For the main image, I stamped the stork using black Stazon, then colored with Prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits.  I sponged the edges and mounted this piece onto the rose paper leaving enough room at the bottom for some ribbon and a tag.  Using dimensionals, I mounted this panel onto the stitched piece, inserted three brads across the top (using the mat pack for spacing), then adhered the assembed panel to a Confetti White base.  I prefer the Confetti cardstock to Whisper White as a card base because it’s a much sturdier paper.

     Cardstock:  Confetti White, Very Vanilla

     Patterned Paper:  MME Tres Jolie, “Just Perfect”

     Stamps:  Buggies & Booties, Cute Converse

     Ink:  Stazon Black, Ranger Walnut Stain Distress

     Accessories:  Prismacolor pencils, mineral spirits, sponge, Aged Copper HP brads,

     ribbon, safety pin, sewing machine, ivory thread, dimensionals

Enjoy your day!!

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