Delphiniums

Today's color challenge (CC325) from Splitcoaststampers is "Rich Pacific Delight" ... meaning Rich Razzleberry, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight.  All strong and vibrant colors!  I just can't get enough of the delphinium stamp from the Echoes of Kindness set and have been making many, many cards with it.  I turned to it again for this challenge.   Hope you like. 

"Delphiniums"

 

 

Stamps:  Echoes of Kindness (SU!)

Paper:  Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White (SU!)

Ink:  Rich Razzleberry, Pacific Point, Daffodil Delight; Rich Razzleberry and Daffodil Delight re-inkers (SU!), Versamark

Accessories & Tools:  White embossing powder, heat tool, Aqua Painter, sponges, Frosted Shimmer Paint, rubbing alcohol, mini mister

* * * * *

I stamped the image three times onto Whisper White cardstock with Versamark and then embossed in white.  I used my Aqua Painter and the Rich Razzleberry re-inker to paint in the flowers.

I randomly (and lightly) sponged Rich Razzleberry, Pacific Point and Daffodil Delight over the main image and also the background paper.  I sponged Rich Razzleberry around the outside edges to add more depth.
I mixed a few drops of shimmer paint and a few drops of Daffodil Delight re-inker together in a mini mister with some rubbing alcohol.  I spritzed over the main image and the sponged background paper to add shimmer (hard to see in the photo).

I mounted all the pieces as per the picture above, popping up the main framed panel with dimensionals.

Hello Butterfly

Monday's challenge at Splitcoaststampers is CAS (Clean and Simple, which means it's all about the design and not the technique, embellishments, etc.).  The Clean and Simple challenge today was to add folded and/or scrunched ribbon.

I bought some small spools of ribbon from the $1 Store a while back, and I challenged myself to include one of them for today's card.  The ribbon I picked to use is whimsical and fun (not the type of card I'm used to making - it's good to push yourself out of your comfort zone).  And the fact that I didn't use any techniques is also different for me.  Hope you like.

"Hello Butterfly"

 

 

Stamps:  Inspired by Nature, Pendant Park (sentiment) (SU!); Butterfly (Cling On)

Paper:  Daffodil Delight, Whisper White

Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Certainly Celery, Garden Green

Accessories & Tools:  Ribbon from $1 Store, sticky strips

* * * * *

I inked the grass stamp with Certainly Celery and stamped it onto Whisper White cardstock at the bottom-middle.  I inked the grass twice more, both times with Garden Green ink, and stamped bottom-left and bottom right.

I stamped the butterfly and sentiment in Daffodil Delight ink.

I cut a 1/4" strip of Whisper White cardstock and covered with a sticky strip.  I randomly scrunched and pushed my ribbon onto the strip (I find it easier to add to a strip of cardstock and then mount it onto the main image rather than mounting directly onto the image).  Once I was happy with how the ribbon looked, I adhered it with sticky strips to the main image and then mounted the whole thing onto the card base.  Easy, peasy 15 minute card!

Cottage Garden Lilies

I am planning on making a wedding card with lilies for my SIL to give to her niece, Stephanie.  Turns out that Stephanie's favorite flowers are lilies and her favorite color is pink (those are my favorites too!!).  So I started making a card this morning and got carried away with the coloring.  At first, I had these beautifully soft, delicate pink lilies with pale green leaves on a white background - gorgeous!  But thought, what if I made them a little deeper pink ... so after a little playing, they were medium pink with dark green leaves.  What if I added some shading ... some more playing and now they were dark pink (almost red) and the white background was too stark so I added sponging.  I love the end result ... but not the look I wanted for a wedding card, so I turned it into an everyday card.  This is such a beautiful stamp (Rubber-Art Stamps) that you can't go wrong no matter what color you make the lilies.  Hope you like. 

"Cottage Garden Lilies"

 

 

Stamps:  Lilies (Rubber-Art Stamps); Cottage Garden (sentiment) (SU!)

Paper:  Soft Suede, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White (SU!)

Ink:  Rose Red, Riding Hood Red, Old Olive, So Saffron, Soft Suede; Regal Rose Stampin' Write marker; Always Artichoke re-inker (SU!), Versamark

Accessories & Tools:  White embossing powder, heat tool, sponges, small artist's paint brush

* * * * *

I started by inking my main image with Versamark and stamping onto Whisper White cardstock.  I embossed the image in white.

Since I added so many layers of different colors, I'm not exactly sure how to get the colors of the lilies I ended up with.  Originally I used Pink Pirouette re-inker with lots of water and a paint brush, but then added Stampin' Write marker Pretty in Pink on top, then finally Regal Rose Stampin' Write marker.  I think the Regal Rose is so much darker than the other two pinks that you could just color the lilies with that directly to start.  I used a small eye-makeup sponge to add shading on the petals with Rose Red ink.  I used Always Artichoke re-inker with a little water added and painted in the stems and leaves.

I sponged So Saffron around the middle and top of the cardstock and sponged Old Olive at the bottom and up the sides a little.  I then sponged Soft Suede along all the edges and added more at the four corners.  I did the same with the background for the sentiment, which is stamped in Riding Hood Red ink.

I layered the cardstock as shown in the picture above, popping up the main image panel with dimensionals for added interest.

Mom's Clematis

I had to do another tribute to Pam (Bailmac) as she is the "Queen for the Day" and I had such a great time looking through her incredible gallery on Splitcoaststampers.  Below is my version of her "Birthday wish for her MIL and thoughts of her mom".  Pam's card is just beautiful and reminded me of the "Jackmanii" clematis my mom had at her front door for years.

I should have made my trellis larger because once the leaves and flowers were added, you can barely see it - oophs!

"Mom's Clematis"

 

 

Stamps:  thoughts of you (Rubber-Art Stamps)

Paper:  Perfect Plum, Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, Always Artichoke

Ink:  Elegant Eggplant, Soft Suede, Always Artichoke

Accessories & Tools:  Nestabilities Label Ten and Rose Creations die-cuts (Spellbinders), Sizzix Little Leaves die-cut, rubber brayer, rubber bands, Cuttlebug "Forest Branches" embossing folder, Big Shot, sponges, six mauve half-pearls, clear embossing powder, heat tool, small eye-makeup sponge, sticky strips, Tombow glue, and dimensionals

* * * * *

I sponged Elegant Eggplant ink along the edges of the card base, flower petals and also used a small eye-makeup sponge to add streaks in the middle of the flowers.

I wrapped rubber bands around my brayer and inked with Soft Suede and ran it over Sahara Sand cardstock.  I cut out two of the Label Ten die-cuts and layered 1/4" strips of cardstock between, lining them up on an angle and weaving the strips through each other to create a trellis.  Tombow glue was used to hold everything together.  I used a left over piece to stamp the sentiment in Elegant Eggplant ink and emboss with clear.  I then sponged the edges of the trellis and the sentiment with Soft Suede ink.

I ran Soft Suede cardstock through the Big Shot with the Forest Branches embossing folder and lightly sponged the same color ink on top to highlight the embossing even further.

I cut out five Little Leaves die-cuts from Always Artichoke cardstock and sponged the edges of all the leaves with the same color ink.

I mounted all the pieces as shown in the picture above, popping up the sentiment with dimensionals.

Spring Trees

I wanted to make a "Spring-like" card  today.  I used the "Lovely as a Tree" stamp set from SU! (my favorite!!) and sponged in some leaves.  I love the combination of Always Artichoke and Bravo Burgundy ... they look fabulous together!!

Here's a picture and the details of the card  - finished size is the standard 5 1/2" x 4 1/4".  Sorry, my camera has problems when only a small part of the image is sponged and seems to make it more blurry than in real life :(

"Spring Trees"

 

 

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree, Vintage Labels (SU!)

Paper:  Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy, Whisper White (SU!)

Ink:  Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Kiwi Kiss, Cherry Cobbler, Bravo Burgundy, Sahara Sand, Baja Breeze (SU!); Versamark

Accessories & Tools:  Speedball rubber brayer, small eye-makeup sponges, small oval punch, medium oval punch, burgundy suede strips, paper piercing tool, white embossing powder, heat tool, sticky strips and dimensionals

* * * * *

On the Whisper White cardstock, I brayered Old Olive at the bottom and Baja Breeze at the top.  I inked my Lovely as a Tree stamp with Sahara Sand and stamped it so the top of the "hills" on the stamp were in line with the top of the green brayered grass.  Using small sponges, I added "leaves" to all the trees.  I also sponged along the "hills" to give the illusion of shade under the trees.

I stamped the sentiment in Versamark and then white embossed onto Bravo Burgundy cardstock.  I punched the sentiment out with the small oval punch and then made a frame of Always Artichoke cardstock with the medium oval punch.  I pierced a hole at both ends of the larger oval and threaded through the burgundy suede strips (purchased as my local Dollar Store - you gotta' love those 1$ stores!!).  I popped up the sentiment with dimensionals and then secured the suede strips to the back of the framed main image.  I added the whole panel to the card base, popping it up with dimensionals. 

Weeping Willow

This morning my latest on-line stamp purchase was delivered ... I was sooooo excited!!  This is the first time ordering Rubber-Art Stamps.  They are beautiful!  Couldn't wait to try them out, but had to wait until late this afternoon as Jer was doing homework on the computer (in the art studio), so didn't want to disturb him.

It took me a lot of tries to get the look I wanted with the below card.  This stamp is a weeping tree and I wanted it to look like a weeping willow ... airy and feathery :)  I thought the Watercolor Spritz technique would work beautifully to achieve that effect, but unfortunately, after about five tries that went into the garbage, I knew I had to come up with some other way to get the look I wanted.  I started by adding a pale yellow wash to the watercolor paper.  I quickly inked my stamp using Stampin' Write markers and stamped the image while the background was still wet.  Voila!!!  Sixth time is a charm, I guess :)

Here's a picture and the details of the card  - finished size is the standard 5 1/2" x 4 1/4".  Hope you like.  (Don't be fooled by the picture - it's actually in focus ... you can tell by the sentiment ... I wanted the tree to have a "mystical" look to it.)

"Weeping Willow"

 

 

Stamps:  Rubber-Art Stamps:  Tree, Thoughts of you

Paper:  Early Espresso, Autumn Traditions Designer Series (SU!); Arches 140 lb. cold press "Natural White" watercolor paper

Ink:  Early Espresso, Soft Suede; Stampin' Write markers:  So Saffron, Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Old Olive, Always Artichoke

Accessories & Tools:  Aqua Painter, sponge, 1/4" Early Espresso grosgrain ribbon (approx. 14"), sticky strips and dimensionals

* * * * *

I created a wash on the watercolor paper with So Saffron Stampin' Write marker and an Aqua Painter.  I quickly inked the stamp with Stampin' Write markers:  Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Old Olive, and Always Artichoke and stamped the image onto the watercolor paper while it was still wet.  I used my heat tool to dry the paper.  I then ripped the image to size and used the extra to make my sentiment which was stamped in Soft Suede ink.  I sponged Soft Suede ink around the edges of the watercolor pieces and the Autumn Traditions Designer paper.

I cut out pieces of Early Espresso cardstock 1/4" larger that the main image and the sentiment.  I sponged the edges with Early Espresso ink and then framed the two stamped pieces.

I mounted all the pieces as per the picture above, adding the ribbon in behind the main image and tying a knot at the side.  The main image is popped up with dimensionals to add depth.
 

____________________ 

One more picture to share with you from our family gathering last Sunday.  Here's a picture of my kids at Deas Regional Park, sitting on bench dedicated to my brother.

Jeremy, Evan, Nikki

North Shore Mountains

Tuesday's are the Color Challenge days for Splitcoaststampers ... and today's challenge was, ... well, ... just that!  Baja Breeze, Perfect Plum, Soft Suede.  Very similar to the color challenge I did a few days ago for Canada Inks Up! group (Basket of Hydrangeas on May 21st).

It took a little while to figure out what I wanted to do with these colors.  I really prefer doing nature scenes, which are a little difficult if you can't use green :)

I'm pretty happy with my finished card.  Hope you like.

"North Shore Mountains"

 

 

Stamps:  Leafless Limb (Stampscapes); Just Believe (sentiment) (SU!)

Paper:  Perfect Plum, Whisper White, Soft Suede

Ink:  Baja Breeze, Perfect Plum, Soft Suede

Accessories & Tools:  Nestabilities Label 2 die-cut, Word Window punch, rubber brayer, rubber bands, sponges, post-it notes for masking

* * * * *

I cut out the main panel from Whisper White cardstock using the largest of the Label Two die-cuts.

I masked the first mountain range and sponged with Baja Breeze.  I added two more ranges in behind, again masking and then sponging Baja Breeze.  I added the final two ranges, masking and then sponging in Perfect Plum.  I sponged Baja Breeze at the top of the panel.

I stamped the Leafless Limb in Soft Suede ink onto the main panel and then sponged more Soft Suede along the bottom.

I wound several rubber bands around the barrel of my brayer and inked with Soft Suede and ran it over Soft Suede cardstock to create my backdrop (a little hard to see in the photo, it's supposed to look like branches).  Check out tutorial on Rubber Band Technique on the Techniques page of this website).

I cut out two Label Two die-cuts using the Perfect Plum cardstock and cut off about 1/2" along the top and bottom of one, and the two sides of the other.  Iused them to make a frame in-behind my main panel.

I punched out the sentiment with the Word Window punch.  I also punched out two Word Windows from Perfect Plum cardstock and cut them in half (one horizontally, one vertically) and used them to make a frame in-behind the sentiment.

I mounted all the pieces of the card as shown in the picture above, popping up the main panel with dimensionals.

 

Thank you rose

Today another challenge through Splitcoaststampers - Clean and Simple Cards (CAS).  It's all about the design (not the technique, not the tools, not the embellishments).  I've made two versions.

  

... here's my first card:

"Thank you rose"

 

 

Stamps:  Short & Sweet (sentiment) (SU!)

Paper:  Old Olive, Whisper White, Cottage Wall Designer Series

Ink:  Perfect Plum, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive

Accessories & Tools:  Two-Step bird punch, 1/4" Old Olive grosgrain ribbon (approx. 7"), sticky strips

* * * * *

I had made some background paper a while ago, sponging randomly on Whisper White cardstock with inks: Perfect Plum, Rich Razzleberry and little bits of Old Olive.  I cut out a large circle (approx. 3") with my scissors and then cut a spiral into the circle, creating "waves" as I went along (or you could use scallop edged scissors).  I rolled up the spiral to create my rolled rose.  I punched three "wings" from the bird punch in Old Olive cardstock to make the leaves.  I pinched the leaves at the base and attached behind the rose (this gives them a little dimension - hard to see in the photo).

I stamped the sentiment in Perfect Plum ink and then layered all the pieces for the card and added the ribbon and rose.
 

* * * * *

... here's my second card:

"Birthday Bird"

 

 

Stamps:  Bitty Birthday (sentiment) (SU!)

Paper:  Cajun Craze, Early Espresso (SU!); Indian Summer - Aspen (Basic Grey)

Ink:  Early Espresso

Accessories & Tools:  Two-Step Bird Punch, sticky strips and Tombow glue

* * * * *

I punched out three "vines" from the bird punch and lined them up to create the break in the two papers.  (The papers are both from the same sheet of Indian Summer - Aspen ... just different areas of the sheet).

Remembering Dave ...

Today the family met at Deas Regional Park in the afternoon in honor of my wonderful brother who passed away 2 1/2 years ago.  Deas Park was a favorite place for Dave and Moe to walk their dog, Bud and they spent many happy hours there.  There was one spot in particular that they loved to stop ... out at the end of a small trail, overlooking the river and across to the marina where Dave kept his beloved boat "Big Foot".

Moe has spent the past couple of years organizing a bench to be placed in the Park in Dave's name and luckily the spot they loved to stop at was an option.  The bench was installed the other day and the family met in the afternoon to go and see it.  Thank you Moe for this wonderful tribute to Dave ...

Basket of Hydrangeas

It's another wet and rainy day here on the Westcoast ... perfect for playing inside in the art studio!! :)

Have you ever watched a stunt show on TV where there's a warning, like "try this at your own risk" ??  Well, I'm putting that warning on my card today.  Not trying to be negative, just want to warn that this took hours to make.  Mind you, I had an idea in my head and sometimes it takes a few tries to get it the way you pictured it.

I am a team member of CanadaInksUp! This is a Stampin' Up! group headed by Alison Solven.  Alison send out her monthly newsletter the other day and in it was a color challenge.  The past week I've participated in three challenges through Splitcoaststampers and had so much fun.  So I was definitely going to try to come up with something special to enter.  And another part of the challenge for myself, was to use only SU! products.  The colors used are:  Perfect Plum, Baja Breeze, River Rock and Very Vanilla.  Beautiful colors ... and beautiful together!  I love to do more nature type cards ... trees, landscapes, flowers ... and I thought, what is purple and blue??  Hydrangeas of course!! Hope you like.

 

"Basket of Hydrangeas"

 

 

Stamps:  Because I care (SU!)

Paper:  River Rock, Perfect Plum, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Old Olive (SU!)

Ink:  River Rock, Perfect Plum, Baja Breeze, Old Olive; Stampin' Write markers:  Perfect Plum, Baja Breeze, white gel pen

Accessories & Tools:  Boho Blossom punch, Rubber brayer, rubber bands, Tombow glue, sponges, sticky strips & dimensionals

* * * * *

I started by stamping the hydrangea flower in Perfect Plum ink onto Perfect Plum cardstock three times.  I cut out the flowers to use as my base (I cut one smaller than the other two).  I stamped the hydrangea flower again in Baja Breeze ink, onto Baja Breeze cardstock twice and cut out.

I used a lot of my scraps of Whisper White cardstock (great way to use them up!) and sponged some with Perfect Plum ink (both sides) and some with Baja Breeze ink (again both sides).  I like using the Whisper White cardstock for the flowers because it is a little lighter weight than the colored cardstock and easier to manipulate).  I punched out lots and lots of the smallest flower of the Boho Blossom punch out of my sponged paper.  I took the corresponding Stampin' Write marker and drew in "veins" at the center of each blossom and also added a large dot in the center.  I scrunched up all the flowers, breaking down the fibers of the paper so that they were easier to shape into petals.  I put each flower on my sponge mat and using the solid end of a small paint brush, pushed in the middle of the flower until the sides came up and created a petal.  I dipped each into Tombow glue and attached it to the flower base.  You need to do a few at a time, leave to dry and work on the second flower, then third ,etc. and by the time you get back to the first flower, the glue has set up and you can add a few more flowers.  Keep repeating until all the bases are covered with petals.  Once the glue was dry, I went back and added a small white dot in the center of each petal with the white gel pen.  You can't do it ahead because it will flake off when you shape your petals.

Now onto the basket.  I wrapped about six rubber bands around the barrel of my brayer and inked with River Rock.  I lightly rolled over Very Vanilla cardstock, creating an "aged wood" look.  I cut the cardstock into 3/8" strips and wove it together.  I cut out a base of Very Vanilla and glued on the woven piece then cut it down to size.

I stamped seven leaves onto Old Olive cardstock and cut them out.

I attached all the pieces to the card base as shown in the picture above, using sticky strips and dimensionals to secure and add dimension.

White Rose

My SIL (Moe) asked me last night if I would make a card for her niece who is getting married next month.  I was so excited that I just couldn't wait to try out an idea I had in my head.  It gave me a chance to try out my two new Spellbinders that I bought yesterday (on sale this week for 30% at Clipper Street in Langley).

Hope you like.  (Sorry for the poor picture quality - it's hard to read the sentiment)

"White Rose"

 

 

Stamps:  Whimsical Words (SU!)

Paper:  Certainly Celery, Whisper White (SU!)

Ink:  Certainly Celery (SU!); Versamark

Accessories & Tools:  Nestabilities Label Two and Shapabilities Rose Creations (Spellbinders), Big Shot, Cuttlebug embossing folder Leaves, brayer, rubber bands, white embossing powder, clear embossing powder, heat tool, sponge, white half-pearl, sticky strips, glue dots and dimensionals

* * * * *

I placed rubber bands around the brayer barrel, inked with Versamark and rolled  several times onto the large piece of Whisper White cardstock.  I covered the ink with white embossing powder and used the heat tool to melt it (Rubber Band Embossing - see link to video tutorial on Techniques Page).

I used the Nestabilities Label Two die-cut to cut out the panel for the middle of the card with the 4 1/2" piece of Whisper White.  I also cut out the rose petals and leaves using the Shapeabilities Rose Creations die-cut.  I sponged the edges of all pieces with Certainly Celery ink.

I inked the sentiment stamp with Certainly Celery and stamped it onto the shaped panel and embossed it with clear embossing powder.  I then ran the panel through my Big Shot with the Cuttlebug Leaves embossing folder.

I mounted all the pieces as shown in the picture above, popping up the shaped panel and the rose.  I added a half-pearl to the center of the rose.
 

____________________ 

Yesterday was a crazy, busy day ... but soooo much fun!!  I made a belated birthday dinner for my son and the family came over for the evening.  Gord and I went and picked up our grand-doggie, Penny, around noon and she got to the spend the afternoon / evening with her Nana & Grumpa!!

Dinner turned out delicious!  The Birthday Boy got to pick the menu and he did a great job ... we had Boursin Cheese and Pecan stuffed Chicken, Wild Rice, Caesar Salad (thank you Moe ---- it was awesome!!), carrots, asparagus ... and for dessert - Banana Cream Pie.  Yummy, yummy, yummy!  I do a shortcut Banana Cream Pie (no making custard from scratch), but you'd never know it wasn't the real deal.  I've included the recipe on the Baking page of this website if you're interested in trying it.  Make the day ahead if you can ... then the cream filling infuses with the banana.  Make sure to add only one cup of milk to the pudding mix (recipe on the box calls for two) ... otherwise, once you add the whipped cream, you will have a sloppy mess.

Sweet Baby Girl

Today another challenge.  Wednesday is "Sketch Challenge" and here is today's sketch from Splitcoaststampers:

SCS Sketch 333:

... and here is my card:

"Sweet Baby Girl"

 

 

Paper:  Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White (SU!); Pink Polka-dot

Accessories:  1 1/4" square punch, scallop circle punch, 5/8" circle punch, heart punch, Sizzix Polka-dot embossing folder, Big Shot, 1/4" Pink satin ribbon (approx. 18"), sticky strips, glue dot, and dimensionals

* * * * *

I ran the strip of Whisper White cardstock and the Pink Pirouette scallop circle through the Big Shot with the Polka dot embossing folder.  I mounted the White embossed cardstock to the top of the Pink Pirouette cardstock and attached pink satin ribbon along the edge between the two colors.  I tied and bow and mounted it with a glue dot.  I attached the whole thing to the card base.

I used my computer to print the words onto the pink polka dot paper and punched them out with the 1 1/4" square punch.  I framed them in Certainly Celery cardstock.  I also framed the larger piece of pink polka dot paper with Certainly Celery and glued the baby carriage on top.

I attached the framed word squares to the card.  I then attached the framed baby carriage to the card, popping it up with dimensionals.

Pink Mountain Sunset

Today is Jeremy's 24th birthday.  Happy birthday Jer!! ... Love you.  Can't believe my youngest is 24 - where do the years go??!!  Jer has to work tonight, so we're having the family dinner on Thursday - looking forward to a fun time!

On to the card for today.  I had so much fun with the Color Challenge through Splitcoaststampers last week, that I decided to try again today.  Today's challenge is "Rich Vanilla Rose" ... meaning the three SU! colors are Rich Razzleberry, Very Vanilla and Regal Rose.  I decided to do a brayered piece (haven't done one for a while).  I didn't use the "dessert" part of the challenge, which was to add butterflies (optional). 

Hope you like.

"Pink Mountain Sunset"

 

 

Stamps:  Large Pine Tree (Stampscapes)

Paper:  Rich Razzleberry, Very Vanilla, Glossy White

Ink:  Rich Razzleberry, Regal Rose, Basic Gray, Basic Black, Craft Black

Accessories & Tools:  Speedball Rubber Brayer, scrap paper for masks

* * * * *

I brayered Regal Rose on the top half of the Glossy White cardstock.  I brayered Rich Razzleberry over top, making sure to not completely cover the Regal Rose.

I tore a mask from scrap paper and brayered the mountains with Basic Gray ink.  I ripped a second mask from scrap paper to create a smaller range in front and brayered with Basic Black.  I set the ink with my heat tool.

I stamped the Pine Tree with Craft Black ink (it is "juicier" and creates a stronger black image and is also easier to clean from the stamp when you are finished).  I re-inked and stamped the Pine Tree twice more.  I used my heat tool to dry the ink.

I mounted the brayered image onto the Very Vanilla frame and attached it to the card base.
 

____________________ 

Gord and I are heading to our friends, Anne and Jim's for dinner tonight.  As usual, we'll be taking along a bottle of wine to have with dinner ... but if I have time, I like to take something homemade as well.  Today I had time to make Coconut Almond Cookies.  This was one of Gord's favorite cookies when he was growing up.  So when we were first together, I got the recipe from his mom and have been making them every since.  They became a family favorite and my kids loved it when I made them!  I'm adding the recipe to my Baking page on the website.  If you decide to make them, you won't be disappointed!!  They are soooo yummy!!

Sketch of Nature

Ever have one of those days when you think everything is going great ... you've created a wonderful card and you're just at the point of mounting it onto a card base to finish ... and then things unravel??  This happened to me today.  I made this lovely scene with a beautiful blue sky, clouds, mountain off in the distance and pine trees at the bottom of the mountain.  I was happy and proud of myself.  Then in a rush to finish, I cut off too much of the picture - uggghhhh!  Into the garbage it went.  I was soooo mad at myself!! ... of course, hubby was nearby to take the brunt of my wrath ... :)

So I wasn't about to start the same scene again ... and I couldn't leave the art studio empty handed - that just wouldn't do!  So I created a quick ... let's call it "15 minute card".  Clean and Simple might be a better title.  It's all about the main image - no ribbon, no brads, no embellishments whatsoever.  Hope you like.

"Sketch of Nature"

 

 

Stamps:  Sketch of Nature (Innovative Stamp Creations); Vintage Labels (SU!)

Paper:  Soft Suede, Whisper White (SU!)

Ink:  Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Soft Suede, Barely Banana; Stampin' Write markers:  Old Olive, Early Espresso, Sahara Sand

Accessories & Tools:  Sponges, small paint brush, medium oval punch, small oval punch, adhesives, dimensionals

* * * * *

I inked the stamp using Stampin' Write markers: Early Espresso for the trunks and branches and Old Olive for the leaves.  I stamped onto the Whisper White cardstock and then colored in the trunks using Sahara Sand Stampin' Write marker.  I swiped a small, stiff paint brush across the Old Olive ink pad and added color to the leaves, repeating until they were mostly filled in.  I then swiped the paint brush across Always Artichoke ink pad and added some dark green to the base of the leaves.

I sponged Barely Banana in the background all around the tree (and in amongst the branches), but leaving a little white space to add interest.  I also sponged the Whisper White scrap with Barley Banana before stamping the sentiment in Soft Suede ink.  I mounted the stamped sentiment on a frame of Soft Suede cardstock.

I sponged Old Olive ink at the bottom of the trees to create grass and added Always Artichoke near the top.  I sponged some Soft Suede ink right along the base of the trees.

I mounted the image on the card base and added the sentiment, popping it up with dimensionals.
 



Purple Roses

I'm having just too much fun with the rolled roses!!  I made some background paper about a month ago or so using the Mother-of-Pearl technique, sponged with Perfect Plum and Elegant Eggplant.  Wasn't sure what to do with the paper, so tucked it away for a rainy day ... today is was raining :)  I created a spray of roses (and mini white flowers) on a "trellis" (Martha Stewart border punch).  No stamping involved with this card.  The roses are very pretty although it's hard to tell in the photo below.  I find dark purple doesn't photograph well .... hmmm, maybe it's my camera or maybe it's the operator :)

This card is in honor of my two good friends, Fran and Deb, who LOVE purple!!  Hope you like.

"Purple Roses"

 

 

Paper:  Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery, Whisper White (SU!)

Ink:  Frosted Shimmer Paint, Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive; Stampin' Write marker:  So Saffron (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Scallop Circle punch, scallop edged scissors, MS arch lattice border punch, MS vine trim border punch, SU! boho blossom punch, Sizzix Square Lattice embossing folder, Big Shot, sticky strips, Tombow glue, sponges

 

* * * * *

 

I scrunched saran wrap and dipped it in Frosted Shimmer paint and randomly sponged on the Whisper White cardstock.  After letting it dry, I sponged overtop with Perfect Plum and Elegant Eggplant inks.  I punched out a scalloped circle (1 3/4") and cut out five 1" circles (approx.) using the scalloped edged scissors and made rolled roses (check out the Tutorial Page for instructions).

I punched out a trellis using the narrow piece of Whisper White and the MS arch trellis border punch (both sides).  I used the MS vine trim punch and punched out three long rows.  I sponged the edges of the leaves and down the stems with Old Olive ink to give the leaves some depth and then cut them into smaller pieces.
I mounted about half the leaf stems onto the trellis using Tombow glue.  I added the roses on top and then added the rest of the leaf sprigs (again with Tombow glue), raising up the ends to give the spray some depth.

I punched out eleven of the smallest bloom of the boho blossom punch, scrunched the flowers to make them soft and pliable and then smoothed them out.  I used my So Saffron Stampin' Write marker to add some yellow to the middle of the white flowers and then scrunched them up again and glued them to the spray.
I ran the large piece of Elegant Eggplant cardstock through my Big Shot with the Square Lattice embossing folder, cropped it and attached to the card base with sticky strips.  I added a line of sticky strip along the middle of the card and attached my trellis with spray on top.
 

____________________ 

Click here to see my tutorial for rolled roses that I used on the card I made on May 12 (below).

Kind Words

I did another challenge today from Splitcoaststampers - this time is was "Say What?" ... to make a phrase be the focal point of the project (Challenge F4A64).

Honestly, I don't have many stamps that have phrases --- in fact, my only phrase is from the Echoes of Kindness stamp set from SU! and that's what I used today.  I think I need to increase my stamp inventory :)

Here's a picture and the details of the card  - finished size is the standard 5 1/2" x 4 1/4".  Hope you like.

"Kind Words"

 

 

Stamps:  Echoes of Kindness (SU!)

Paper:  Rose Red, Whisper White (SU!)

Ink:  Rose Red; Stampin' Write markers:  Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Old Olive

Accessories & Tools:  Sizzix Polka-dot embossing folder, Big Shot, 5/8" Certainly Celery Satin ribbon, Bow-Easy, sticky strips and dimensionals

* * * * *

I inked the flower stamp using the Stampin' Write markers Rose Red and Old Olive.  I stamped onto the Whisper White cardstock and then used the Pretty in Pink Stampin' Write marker to color in the flowers.  I mounted the stamped image on a frame of Rose Red cardstock.

I stamped the phrase in Rose Red ink onto Whisper White cardstock and then framed it with Rose Red, Whisper White, and Rose Red.

I ran the large piece of Whisper White cardstock through the Big Shot with the polka dot embossing folder.  I attached the Certainly Celery satin ribbon to the 5" x 1/2" piece of Whisper White and then used sticky strips to adhere it to the polka-dot embossed cardstock.  This way the ribbon has a smooth surface under it ... if you glue it directly to the polka dot paper, you'll see the raised embossing in the ribbon.  I wrapped the ends of the ribbon to the back and attached the whole thing to the card base.

I adhered the framed stamped flower image to the left side of the card and adhered the framed phrase over top the ribbon, popping it up with dimensionals for added depth.  I attached a bow at the bottom of the sentiment.

Spring Roses

This is my first time doing one of the Color Challenges at Splitcoaststampers (CC322).  The challenge was on Tuesday, but just got around to looking at it this afternoon.  Blushing Certainly Saffron was the challenge.  I don't have Blushing Bride, so I substituted Pink Pirouette.  And the "dessert" as they call part of the challenge is flowers (you can use them or not).  I thought with such a soft and feminine palette of colors, roses would work beautifully!  Hope you like.

"Spring Roses"

Stamps:  Four Frames, Short & Sweet (sentiment) (SU!)

Paper:  Pink Pirouette, Certainly Celery, Whisper White (SU!)

Ink:  Pink Pirouette, Certainly Celery, So Saffron; Stampin' Write markers: Pink Pirouette, Certainly Celery, So Saffron (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Sizzix Polka-dot embossing folder, Scallop circle punch, Scallop-edged scissors, MS vine trim punch, Decorative Label punch, Tombow glue, mini glue dots, sticky strips

* * * * *

On the 6" square piece of Whisper White cardstock, I randomly sponged Pink Pirouette, So Saffron and small amounts of Certainly Celery.  I punched out three circles using the Scallop Circle punch and cut out three smaller circles (approx. 1") using Scalloped-edged scissors.  I scrunch the circles to break down the fibers of the paper and then cut spirals into each circle and created my rolled roses, gluing them together with Tombow glue.

I inked my Four Frames Rose stamp with the Stampin' Write markers and stamped onto Whisper White.  I stamped the sentiment with Certainly Celery in the middle of the frame.  I punched out the frame with the Decorative Label punch and also punched one out of Certainly Celery to frame my main image.  I punched out vine trim and cut into smaller pieces.

I ran the smaller piece of Pink Pirouette through my Big Shot with the Polka-dot embossing folder, framed it with Whisper White and mounted it on the card base.  I attached the main image to the middle of the card and used glue dots to attach the pieces of vine trim and the rolled roses.
 

____________________ 

I have added a link on my website to another hobby of mine - baking.  I have made a few things in the past month and have included pictures and recipes on the website.  Click on the link in the left-hand column above to take a look :)

Pocket Silhouette Watercolor Spritz

Here's the third card for my upcoming class on Watercolor Spritz.  I think my crafty friends will love making these cards!

Now the hard part ... finding a day when we're all available to hold this class :) 

Here's a picture and the details of the card  - finished size is the standard 5 1/2" x 4 1/4".  Hope you like.

"Pocket Silhouette Watercolor Spritz"

 

 

Stamps:  Pocket Silhouettes (SU!); clear vase stamp (gift from a friend)

Paper:  Cajun Craze, So Saffron (SU!); Arches 140lb. cold press "Natural White" watercolor paper

Ink:  Cajun Craze; Stampin write markers: Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie, Daffodil Delight, So Saffron, Old Olive (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Mini Mister, Aqua Painter, heat tool, Nestabilities Oval die-cuts (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug "Birds & Swirls" embossing folder, Big Shot, post-it note mask, Stamp-a-ma-jig, sticky strips and dimensionals 

* * * * *

I created a "wash" on the watercolor paper by randomly drawing horizontal lines of So Saffron with the Stampin' write marker.  I added lots of water using the Aqua Painter to dilute the ink on the paper.  Let the watercolor paper dry before proceeding (a heat tool may be used to speed up the drying process).

I inked the vase stamp with Cajun Craze and misted it three times with water before stamping onto the watercolor paper.  Once it was dry, I added a post-it note mask just at the top of the vase.  I inked the flower stamp from the Pocket Silhouettes stamp set using Stampin' Write markers:  Old olive for stems, Daffodil Delight for the smaller flowers, Pumpkin Pie for the larger flowers and Cajun Craze was added around the outside edges of the larger flowers and at the base and tips of all flowers.  I misted the stamp with water twice and then stamped the image in the middle (using the Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement).  I repeated the inking, misting and stamping of the flower stamp twice more, stamping on either side of the middle image, making sure they were placed a little lower (again, Stamp-a-ma-jig helps with placement).  I removed the mask.

I centered my largest oval die-cut on the So Saffron cardstock and cut it out with the Big Shot.  I then ran the paper through the Big Shot again with the Birds & Swirls embossing folder.  I centered my second largest oval die-cut on the piece of Cajun Craze and ran it though the Big Shot.  I attached the So Saffron paper on top of the Cajun Craze, making sure to line up the oval cut-outs.

I dry fit the stamped image in the center of the oval cut-out and used a pencil to mark where the watercolor paper should be attached on the card base.  I added sticky strips to the back of the watercolor paper and attached it to the card base.  I added dimensionals to the oval "frame" and attached it to the card base.

Just Believe Watercolor Spritz

My plan is design three different cards using the Watercolor Spritz technique and then hold a class with my friends to show them how it's done.

I did one on May 8th (oak tree) and today I ended up CASEing my own card for the second one (layout only).  I changed up the colors and main image to make a more feminine version.  Hope you like.

"Just Believe Watercolor Spritz"

 

 

Stamps:  Just Believe (SU!)

Paper:  Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum, Whisper White (SU!)

Ink:  Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum; Stampin' Write markers:  Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum, Old Olive, Always Artichoke (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Mister, sponges, Sizzix Square Lattice embossing folder, Nestabilities Oval die-cut, Big Shot or similar machine, 1/4" White grosgrain ribbon (approx. 12"), sticky strips and dimensionals

* * * * *

I inked the stamp with Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Perfect Plum and Elegant Eggplant.  I misted the stamp four or five times before stamping it on the small piece of watercolor paper. 

I ran the smaller piece of Elegant Eggplant cardstock through my Big Shot with the embossing folder.  I sponged Elegant Eggplant ink on top to highlight the embossing.  I then sponged around the outside edges of the card base and embossed cardstock with the Elegant Eggplant ink.

I sponged both pieces of Perfect Plum with the same color ink.  And I sponged both pieces of watercolor paper with Old Olive.

I mounted the embossed cardstock onto the large piece of Perfect Plum cardstock using sticky strips.  I didn't have any dark purple ribbon, so sponged Elegant Eggplant ink onto my white ribbon, glued it around the middle and tied a knot at one side.  I mounted the stamped image onto the embossed cardstock, popping it up with dimensionals and then mounted the whole thing onto the card base.

I framed the inside panel of watercolor paper with the Perfect Plum cardstock and mounted it to the inside of the card.

Another Watercolor Oak Tree

Happy Mother's Day!!

It's been a great day.  Started off by having my morning coffee out on the deck (as I do pretty much every morning!).  Then Gord and Jer made me a delicious breakfast.  I did a few little chores and then headed into the art studio.

My first card ended up in the garbage ... it doesn't happen very often, but sometimes there's just no saving them :(  I thought maybe I wasn't in the mood to create, but I didn't have anything to do for the next few hours, so I stayed in the art studio and am happy with the second card I made.  Easy, peasy as Jamie Oliver would say!  I'm thinking of setting up a Watercolor Spritz card class with my friends.  It's such a simple technique, but the results are so beautiful.  The main image of the card only took me about 10 minutes to create ... it took longer to figure out what to mount it on.

Evan, Nikki and my grand-doggie Penny are on their way over, so I'm quickly adding this to my website and then will have the afternoon to hang with my kids.  My mom's coming for dinner too and Moe (SIL) is coming over to join us for dessert later tonight.  Looking forward to a fun afternoon / evening with family! 

Hope you like.

"Another Watercolor Oak Tree"

 

 

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree (SU!)

Paper:  Old Olive (SU!); Arches 140lb. cold press "Natural White" watercolor paper

Ink:  Old Olive, Barely Banana, Bashful Blue; Stampin' Write markers:  Early Espresso, Old Olive, Always Artichoke

Accessories & Tools:  Mister, sponges, Aqua Painter or paint brush and water, Sizzix Square Lattice embossing folder, Nestabilities Oval die-cut (Spellbinders), Big Shot or similar machine, 1/4" Old Olive grosgrain ribbon (approx. 12"), sticky strips

* * * * *

I inked the oak tree stamp with Early Espresso, Old Olive and Always Artichoke.  I misted the stamp three times before stamping it on the small piece of watercolor paper.  I used the Aqua Painter to add a little water to the tree trunk to fill it in a bit.  I then cut out the image with the Nestabilities Oval die-cut.  I sponged Old Olive ink at the bottom, Barely Banana in the middle and Bashful Blue at the top.  I sponged Old Olive all around the outside edges of all the watercolor paper pieces and around the outside edges of the card base.

I ran the small piece of Old Olive cardstock through my Big Shot with the embossing folder and then cropped it to 4 1/2" x 3 1/4".  I sponged Old Olive ink on top to highlight the embossing.  I mounted the embossed cardstock onto the large piece of watercolor paper using sticky strips.  I glued the ribbon around the middle and tied a knot at one side.  I mounted the oval onto the embossed cardstock and then mounted the whole thing onto the card base.

I mounted the remaining piece of watercolor paper to the inside of the card.

Garibaldi Lake

Today I'm in the art studio with Heather.  She's making a beautiful Mother's Day card.  Since I finished making my Mother's Day cards a while ago, I decided to play with my Stampscapes stamps.  I had an idea to have snowy mountains off in the distance.  That was all I had in my head before I started and didn't have an overall plan ... not the best way to make a scenic card.  The problem was I didn't decide to add the lakeside cabin until after I had done the water (brayering), so it had to be quite dark to cover over the blue of the water.  If I had thought ahead, I could have added the lakeside cabin with lighter colors and embossed before doing the brayering ... I'm always learning new things!

Because the cabin was so dark, I decided to add snow to the roof and in the trees to lighten up the image.  It turned out really well!  Heather told me it looked just like a photo she had taken at Garibaldi Lake.  Hope you like.

"Garibaldi Lake"

 

 

Stamps:  Lakeside Cabin, Rocky Peaks, Water Pattern (Stampscapes)

Paper:  Always Artichoke, Basic Black, Whisper White (SU!)

Ink:  Baja Breeze, Pacific Point, Craft Black; Stampin' Write Markers:  Old Olive, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Sahara Sand (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Rubber brayer, sponges, white embossing powder, heat tool, white gel pen, Versamark, post-it notes for masking, three pewter brads, adhesives and dimensionals

* * * * *

I stamped the Rocky Peaks in Versamark and then heat embossed with white.  I stamped the same image onto a scrap of paper in a dark ink color (any color) and then cut out and used it to mask the sky.  I placed another mask across the paper at the bottom of the mountains.  I then sponged the mountains with Baja Breeze.  I removed the masks and then rubbed the image with paper towel to remove any excess ink (ink will not stick to the embossed areas of the mountains).

I masked the mountains and sky above and brayered the water with Baja Breeze and Pacific Point.  I removed the mask.

I stamped the Lakeside Cabin in Craft Black ink and heat set.  Using the Stampin' write markers, I inked in the cabin, ground, rocks and trees.  To lighten the image, I added snow to the roof of the cabin, along the ground and in the trees with the white gel pen.  I let it dry and went over the roof of the cabin with the gel pen again to make the snow "whiter".

I used Pacific Point and the Water Pattern stamp to add ripples in the water ... next time I'd try using the Baja Breeze ink for a more subtle look.

I cropped the main image to 3 3/4" square and mounted it onto a frame of Basic Black cardstock and popped it up with dimensionals.

I added a brad to the center of each small, black square and mounted them onto the card with dimensionals.

Paisley Leaves

It's been a busy, busy day!!  First of all, my latest Stampin' Up order arrive - yah!!  I purchased the Four Frames Stamp Set and Paisley Prints Designer Series Paper (advance buy) ... unfortunately the Four Frames is backordered, but I did get my paper and it's BEAUTIFUL!!

Today I'm making dinner early ... I mean really early.  Started at 9:30am and made Roasted Vegetable Beef Stew - yum!  I usually make extra on Thursday and get my oldest son to stop by on his way home from work (we're on the way).  I send dinner home for Evan and his girlfriend Nikki, so that they can have a day off from cooking once a week.  They have very long days at work and they both have to commute a fair distance as well, so it's the least I can do now that I'm retired and home all day.

  

Yesterday I stopped by a bakery in New West that my friend Lili recommended and picked up a Potato Onion Bread to have with the stew tonight.  It smells delicious and can't wait to try it.  I also stopped by my mom's favorite fruit and veggie market (also in New West) and they had nice looking rhubarb that I just couldn't resist.  So I made Rhubarb Pie for tonight as well - double yum!  Here's a picture of my pies (small one on the left is for Evan and Nikki).

We'll be having an early dinner tonight and enjoying the hockey game - GO CANUCKS GO!!!

I still managed to find about 1/2 an hour to play in the art studio and try out my new Paisley Prints paper.  Here's a simple card ... the papers are so striking that I didn't put much else on it.  Hope you like.

"Paisley Leaves"

 

 

Stamps:  Bitty Birthday (sentiment) (SU!)

Paper:  Early Espresso, Paisley Prints Designer Series (SU!)

Ink:  Early Espresso (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Word Window punch, sticky strips and dimensionals

* * * * *

I centered the large piece of Paisley Prints onto the Early Espresso card base.  I attached the narrow strip of Early Espresso on the left side of the card.  I cut out three leaves from the Designer paper and attached them on top of the Early Espresso strip, popping them up with dimensionals.

I stamped the sentiment in Early Espresso ink onto Whisper White cardstock and punched it out with the Word Window.  I punched out two Word Windows in Early Espresso and cut them in half (one vertical; one horizontal) and mounted them behind the stamped sentiment to create a frame.  I added it to the card, popping it up with dimensionals.