Starry Masculine Birthday

A quick and very easy card for the Color Challenge today over at Splitcoast.  The suggested colors are SU! Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso and Marina Mist.  I substituted Hero Arts Red Royal, Cup O' Joe and Pool...as they are very close to the colors.

When I think of masculine designs...my first thought is something very clean and simple.  Stars are a great theme for "guy" cards...and that actually works for any age male.

My card base is a standard 4.25" x 5.5".  I've stamped the little star square image three times, added some die cut stars, stamped the sentiment.  Then I used some Distress Stickles to add a little bit of sparkle, but not too much, 'cause it's a "guy" card right?

Easy peasy... quick as a wink card!

Here's what I used:
Paper:  Gina K. Pure Luxury Card Stock in White, SU! Cherry Cobbler and SU! Marina Mist
Ink:  Hero Arts Red Royal, Cup O' Joe and Pool
Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp Square Sayings
All the other stuff:  Big Shot Pro, MFT Stacking Stars, Fired Brick Distress Stickles, Clear Rock Candy Distress Stickles

My thoughts and prayers are for all those affected by the tornadoes in the south...wishing you all better days ahead!

Crazy Stem

It's time for the TLC over at Splitcoast, and it's also time for the CAS challenge too!  Judy's challenge...crazy stitching and Denise's challenge...that smells great.

I started out by stamping my floral image once on the rectangular piece and twice again on a smaller scrap of white card stock.  Using my SU! markers I colored the focal image and just the two petals that I later cut out and raised on dimensionals.  I also added some extra color with my waterbrush and a Gelato, then added more dimension and sparkle with some Stickles.

Next, I faux stitched the stem and added some punched leaves.  The sentiment was placed on a MFT die cut and the card base has been dry embossed.  Pretty simple really...

Here's what I used:
Paper:  Gina K. Pure Luxury card stock in White, Basic Grey Infuse
Ink:  Ranger Archival Jet Black
Stamps:  Hero Arts Poetic Petals Two and Technique Tuesday Greenhouse Society Stems
All the other stuff:  Big Shot Pro, Lifestyle Crafts Linear embossing folder, MFT Bracket Tab, piercing tool and mat, McGill birch leaf punch, SU! markers, Gelatos, waterbrush, Purple and Yellow Stickles, dimensionals

Hope today is the start to a great week for you my friends!  Back soon with more!

Mixed Inspiration

A card for both the Splitcoast Mixed Media challenge this week...glitter under glass and a card for the Splitcoast Inspiration challenge.  I chose this beautiful bracelet for my inspiration.

I started my card by dabbing three shades of Distress Paint on my craft sheet and spraying it with water.  Then I pulled a piece of watercolor paper through it. Then, to add more texture, I rolled up a baby wipe and rolled it up and down the watercolor paper.   It was dried with a heat gun and then dry embossed.  Next I used three different colors of Stickles to "paint" the center of the medallion and once that was dry it was covered with Ranger Glossy Accents.

Next, I used my finger to smudge more Broken China Distress Paint around the edges and then added some Picket Fence Distress Paint to soften the look.  Then, the edges were distressed and I swiped them with a gold ink pad and heat embossed the edges with gold embossing powder.

Finally, it was placed on a standard 4.25" x 5.5" card base.

Here's what I used:
Paper:  Gina K. Pure Luxury White and Simon Says Stamp watercolor paper
Ink:  Encore Metallic Gold
Stamps:  none
All the other stuff:  Big Shot Pro, Sizzix Medallion Embossing Folder, Tarnished Brass Distress Paint, Mowed Lawn Distress Paint, Broken China Distress Paint, Picket Fence Distress Paint, baby wipes, Lime Green Stickles, Golden Rod Stickles, Aqua Stickles, Ranger Glossy Accents, gold embossing powder, craft sheet, heat gun, distressing tool, water mister

Enjoy your weekend everyone!  Back soon with more!

Funky Flowers

Time for the Ways to Use It challenge over at Splitcoast today.  Cathy has asked us to use flowers...and if you've spent any time on my blog...you'll know I'm all over that kind of challenge!  And, this is also for the Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Flower Power.

My background comes out of my stash...it was done with several colors of  Dylusions Ink spray quite some time ago just waiting for a day like this.  Next I stamped the Hero Arts stamp over top in Ranger Archival Jet Black ink.  It actually comes with the text and the flowers so that made it really easy.  Then I painted the flowers with Stickles.

For my edge treatment I was inspired by Buzsy's (Monika) card from yesterday where she used cheesecloth and white embossing around the edge of her card.  Instead, I chose to use burlap and Picket Fence Distress Paint, once I'd distressed the edges.

The sentiment was stamped with Stazon ink on a piece of vellum and I used theTim Holtz Tiny Attacher to place it on the card.

Here's what I used:
Paper:  Gina K. Pure Luxury card stock in Black Onyx, vellum scrap and some paper from my stash
Ink:  Ranger Archival Jet Black and Stazon Black
Stamps:  Wordsworth and Hero Arts
All the other stuff:  Stickles, burlap, Picket Fence Distress Paint, distressing tool, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher

Hope you're having a wonderfully creative week my friends!  Back soon with more!

Bokeh Bouquet

This card is for a couple of challenges over at Splitcoast today.  First the CAS220 challenge to let your image portray your sentiment on your card.  This floral image could be used for many types of occasions...birthday, anniversary, get well or sympathy.  And secondly for the TLC429 challenge to use the bokeh (pronounced bo-kay) technique on your card.  So now you get my little play on words for my title today *grin*.

I've stamped the image on some watercolor paper and used the marker layering technique to color it.  Then I paper-pieced the vase and outlined the image with a Copic marker.  Next to get the bokeh effect, I used a TCW template and added some color with my ink blending tools.  I only used what color was left on the sponges...didn't actually add any because I wanted a really soft look.  Then I used my waterbrush to blend and lighten the colors even more.

The focal piece was edged with a Big Brush Pen and layered on the designer paper with dimensionals, then added to the card base.

Here's what I used:
Paper:  Simon Says Stamp watercolor paper, Lily Bee Designs Head Over Heels, Gina K. Pure Luxury Black Onyx
Ink:  Ranger Archival Ink
Stamps:  Lockhart Stamps
All the other stuff:  SU! stampin' write markers, Tombow adhesive, dimensionals, W3 Copic marker, TCW mini paint lids template, ink blending tools, Niji waterbrush, black Big Brush Pen, Stardust Stickles

Have a wonderful week!  See you soon with more!

Be Open

It's time for the Ways to Use It challenge over at Splitcoast today.  To celebrate Self Discovery Month, Michelle has asked us to try something we haven't done before.  So in that spirit I tried recycling the plastic packaging from my new embossing folder.

My card starts out with a 4.25" x 5.5" card base in black.  Next I took a slightly smaller piece of kraft card stock and dry embossed it.  Then, I started smudging my Gelatos over various parts of the design...mostly using blues and browns.  Once that was done, I added some Antique Bronze Distress Paint in random fashion.  A black Big Brush pen was also used to create more depth and interest.

Then I cut open the packaging from my embossing folder, cut a piece slightly larger than needed and dry embossed it with the same pattern.

Discovered some little tags in my stash the other day, so decided to use one for the sentiment.  Painted it with the same Distress Paint, sponged a wee bit of Walnut Stain Distress Ink across it and then added smudges of the Big Brush pen again around the edges.  Stamped the sentiment in Jet Black Archival ink and added some of Tim's new remnant rubs (oh how I love those things!).

Next, I took three little Sprocket Gears and first painted them with Broken China Distress Paint, then once that was dry, added some of the Antique Bronze Distress Paint randomly.

To attach the clear plastic embossed piece to the matching paper piece, I used fasteners through the center of each of the gears as well as attaching my tag the same way.

Here's what I used:
Paper:  Gina K. Pure Luxury Black Onyx, SU! Crumb Cake
Ink:  Walnut Stain Distress Ink, Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink
Stamps:  Unity Stamps You Will Shine (Donna Downey)
All the other stuff:  Big Shot Pro, Tim Holtz Compass Texture Fades, Tim Holtz Sprocket Gears, Gelatos, Broken China Distress Paint, Antique Bronze Distress Paint, brads, Tim Holtz Remnant Rubs, Stampers Big Brush Pen, heat gun, craft mat, sponge, misc. mini shipping tag

What are you going to do for Self Discovery month?

Floating Vellum

Floating vellum...yes, it actually just looks like it's floating on top of the card today.  Sometimes you really have to be creative in how you attach your vellum to your card don't you?

I've used the sketch challenge from Splitcoast for my layout today.

This card's made with a standard A2 sized base.  A slightly smaller rectangle has been dry embossed and placed on it first.  Then the two squares of designer paper which have been sponged with Distress Ink to make them stand out a little bit more.  I chose a stamp that could hide three glue dots/dimensionals fairly evenly spaced across the main panel and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  Next I colored the back with Copics in coordinating colors with the squares of designer paper.  (note - only color the back of a heat embossed piece if you'd like to keep your Copics healthy!) Then, I simply placed the floral panel onto my card with the dimensionals,  added a few gems and done!

Pretty simple card...easy to make in no time really.

Here's what I used:
Paper:  Gina K. Pure Luxury White card stock, heavyweight vellum and Bramble Rose MME
Ink:  Brilliance Moonlight White and Pumice Stone Distress Ink
Stamps:  Hero Arts Dogwood
All the other stuff:  Big Shot Pro, Tim Holtz Woodgrain embossing folder, Hero Arts white embossing powder, embossing buddy, heat gun, sponge, gems, Copics - R24, R27 and R29

Hope you are having a fabulous week my friends!  The sun is shining and the birds are singing here...all is right with the world!