Birthday Celebration

Hi everyone.  Today's card was inspired by Seize the Birthday Challenge #309 - Food and/or drink.  I've had this sweet birthday cake image for a long time and haven't used it on a card yet.  I stamped the cake with black ink and heat embossed in clear before die-cutting using the matching die.  Then I lightly watercolour using Zigs.

I placed it over a paper towel background (leftover ink mopped up with a paper towel, spritzed with water and then pressed into card stock).  The background looked great behind the cake, but I felt it needed a little more, so I doodled confetti, streamers, and stars using a fine black pen.  The card was finished with a white embossed sentiment (Simply Sentiments - Lawn Fawn) on black cardstock, with the cake popped up over top.  Easy, peasy and fun card to make! :)

Close-up ...

Sending this card to the following challenges:

1)  Seize the Birthday #309 - Food and/or drink

2)  Darnell's IDEAS Challenge - Week 2 - Dies

3)  NBUS Challenge #76 - first time using this image and die

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Birthday Cake (Gemini by Crafter's Companion)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); Black cardstock (SU!)
Ink:  Black (Memento); Zigs (light yellow, dark yellow, light pink, red); Versamark
Accessories:   Clear embossing powder, heat tool, watercolour paint brushes, white embossing powder, fine black marker

Challenges:

Seize the Birthday #309 - Food and/or drink

Darnell's IDEAS Challenge - Week 2 - Dies

NBUS Challenge #76

Postage Christmas Cards

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing my most recent Christmas card using the Postage stamp image (Posted - Penny Black) as my background.  I have made a few of these types of cards in the past, but have decided I want to make several using this Postage Stamp with various Christmas images as the design. :)  You'll be seeing more of these, similar to last year's JOY postings.

My first one uses a wonderful stencil from Tim Holtz (Layered Poinsettia).  I didn't bother to mask in-between the poinsettias and holly, opting to use a smaller stencil brush and being fairly careful, although the colours did get mixed a bit. :)

I used Distress Inks:  Candied Apple, Aged Mahogany, Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness.  This is a great set of Christmas colours together.

The sentiment (Bright & Light - Penny Black) is stamped with more Candied Apple ink to finish the card.

Close-up ...

I'm sending this card to the following challenges:

1)  Darnell's IDEAS June Challenge - Week 5 - Stenciling

2)  Merry Little Christmas Challenge #63 - Anything Christmas Goes

Still working on setting up my computer ... this is going to take a while.  No watermark on these cards, hopefully soon. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Bright & Light (Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Shadow Grey (Archival); Distress Inks:  Candied Apple, Aged Mahogany, Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Layered Poinsettias Stencil (Tim Holtz), brushes for sponging, silver metallic pen (Pilot)

Challenges:

Darnell's IDEAS Challenge - Week 5 - Stencils

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #63

Happy Birthday Dolly!

Hi everyone.  Today is Darnell's (aka Dolly's) birthday.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, my dear friend!! :)

I'm sharing the card I made for her ... hopefully it arrived in time!

This is from a stamp, die, stencil and embossing folder set that Dolly gifted to me when she came for a visit in May.  This is such a beautiful set and I had so much fun making this card for her.  I used teal for the main flowers on the card, which I believe is one of her favourite colours.  The stamp/stencil set made this a quick and easy card, even though it looks complicated. :)  I added my own shading rather than using the stencil, because I like to control the blending of the colours.  And I used the fabulous sentiment from the set too. :)  I finished by adding a few dots and dashes of white with a posca paint pen.

Close-up ...

I'm sending this card to the following challenges:

1)  Darnell's IDEAS June Challenge - Week 5 - Stencils

2)  Seize the Birthday #308 - I used the Anything Birthday Goes option. :)

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Fragrant Florals (Altenew)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Black (Memento); Distress Inks:  Evergreen Bough, Pine Needles, Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Wilted Violet, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint (Tim Holtz) 
Accessories:   Clear embossing powder, heat tool, sponges, white paint pen (Posca)

Challenges:

Darnell's IDEAS June Challenge - Week 5 - Stencils

Seize the Birthday #308

Generation Stamping - Group of Seven

Hi everyone.   Quick note ... my current computer is done. :(  I have bought a new one, but can't figure out the new system ... everything has changed so much.  It will be a while before I'm up and running again.  Won't be able to visit your blogs, answer emails, etc. for a while.  I'll be back! :)

Today's technique is a basic stamping technique that creates the illusion of depth by simply offsetting the image and stamping a second time without re-inking.  This creates a lighter version of the image and makes it appear as if it is in the background.

This can also be used to create movement.  For instance, if stamping an animal, you can offset sideways and stamp (without reinking) as many times as possible before the ink is used up.  It appears as if the animal is running.

Please check out the details for Generation Stamping technique and link to video on the blog ...

Group of Seven Cardmakers

This is the card I recently gave my son, Jeremy, for his birthday.  I started by sponging the main panel with Distress Inks (Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Peacock Feathers).  I then stamped the Pine Tree (Stampscapes) in Black ink.  Without re-inking, I moved the stamp down and to the right, and then stamped a second time my panel.  It took me a little while to decide I wanted a third tree.  By then the leftover ink on my stamp was dry.  So I inked the image again, stamped off on a piece of scrap paper, and then stamped the third tree.  This gave me a lighter image.  The two side trees look as though they are in the background behind my main (center) tree. :)  Easy peasy technique.

I cut the panel to size, added a strip of black card stock with white heat embossed sentiment at the bottom.  Then I popped the panel up with foam onto my black card base.

Sending this card to the AAA Cards Challenge #293 - Anything CAS Goes.  

* * * * *

I have created a Christmas card using the generation technique ...

I've used another tree image.  This time Pine Row from Stampscapes.  The background is sponged with Distress Inks: Salvaged Patina, Salty Ocean, Wilted Violet.  The stamp was ink'd with black Memento ink and stamp in the middle, then stamped again to the left and higher up ... and then again, offsetting it from the other stampings.  I repeated this two more times to make a forest of trees in the background. :) 

I tore a piece of white card stock for my "snowhill", and stamped a retired sentiment from Paper Smooches.  I splattered with diluted white acrylic paint for falling snow to finish the card.

Sending this card to the Rudolph Days June Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!

Card #1:

Stamps:  Pine Tree (Stampscapes); Birthday Blowout (PoppyStamps - retired)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Salvaged Patina (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories:  sponges, White embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool 

Card #2:

Stamps:  Pine Row (Stampscapes); Christmas Sampler (Paper Smooches - retired)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Salvaged Patina, Salty Ocean, Wilted Violet (Tim Holtz); Black (Memento)
Accessories:   sponges, diluted white acrylic paint

Challenges:

Group of Seven - Generation Stamping

AAA Cards Challenge #293 - Anything CAS Goes

Rudolph Days June Challenge