About Me

I am a new empty nester, and I love to make cards and ATCs. I am always looking for ways to use the product I have, to learn new techniques and ways to do things, and most of all, to have fun with the creating of my art.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

CAS-ual Friday and Hero Arts Card


These are cards I did for the Hero Arts challenge this month (flowers) and they also fit the CAS-ual Friday challenge (bling).  The flower images are done on alcohol inked vellum, then stamped in white ink, and embossed with white EP.  I tried just using Versamark, but my pad must be getting dry, I didn't get such great results.  I learned the technique from Sue HERE

Thanks for looking!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Lawnscaping and Scrapbooker's Paradise Challenge Card

This card I made yesterday for the Lawnscaping Challenge and the Palying in Paradise Challenge 16.  The Lawnscaping challenge was to use Polka Dots, and the Playing in Paradise challenge was to use only black and white on the card.   I started with a black card base, done to a standard sized card.  On some scrap white cardstock, I stamped the Hero Arts Cling Dot pattern in Versafine Onyx Black ink.  While I let that set, I found a white Cuttlebug embossed piece, trimmed it to 3.75 x 5 inches, rounded the corners, and adhered to the black base cardstock.  I rounded the corners of the black cardstock.   When the polka dots were dry, I stamped the dress from LawnFawn's Happily Ever After set, and cut out.  I also punched a 2.5 inch circle from the polka dotted cardstock.  I took the dress, which was stamped in Versafine Onyx Black, and added Star Dust Stickles all over the dress, and let dry.  While that was drying, I punched a 2 inch circle in black card, and a 1.5 inch circle in white card.  I layered them onto the polka dotted circle.  I stamped Cheers from Happily Ever After in the Onyx Black ink on the 1.5 inch circle.  Once the dress was dry, I trimmed a piece of scrap black cardstock to size, rounded the corners, and adhered the dress to the black cardstock with foam tape, then used foam tape again to adhere the black cardstock to the embossed piece.  I just used double sided tape to adhere the three layers of circles together, then used some foam tape to stick the circle to the white embossed piece.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

CST Challenge Card

CST is a group on Yahoo Groups for Canadian Stampers.. I have been a member there since 2003.... it was the first group I joined, with some prodding from friends who were already members.  The challenge for this week was to use ribbon or buttons.  I used both.  I started with So Saffron (SU) cardstock, cut, scored and folded to a standard sized card.  I stamped the Hero Arts stamp Envelope Pattern in Scattered Straw on the card.  I found a 2.5 inch circle of Apricot Appeal cardstock, and a 2 inch white scalloped circle blank.  I stamped the Poinsettia (SU) in Scattered Straw, and did the over stamping in Wild Honey Distress ink.  I stamped the sentiment (Inkadinkado) in Scattered Straw, realized it was too pale, so I over stamped it in Wild Honey.  I had some scrap ribbon that I used to anchor the layered circles to the card.  To finish the card, and add some interest, I added 3 red buttons, tied with pale yellow embroidery floss.  I also added some red Stickles to the poinsettia.  I happened to be working on Christmas card designs when I saw the challenge, hence a Christmas card in May.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Lawnscaping Challenge blog!

If you want a weekly challenge, head over the the Lawnscaping Challenge blog HERE.  Using LawnFawn are not essential, if you don't have any, and it's a lot of fun!!   I am off to do the newest challenge, Polka Dots!

PDCC82 and CFC3




Well, I actually had time to stamp today, when I wasn't helping hubby, who was being kind enough to make some templates on the computer for me :D.  This card fulfills 3 challenges, The Play Date Cafe Challenge 82, CAS-ual Fridays Challenge 3, and the Hero Arts monthly challenge, to use flowers.  I started with a chocolate brown card base.  To the base, I added some pale yellow patterned paper, cut to 5.25 x 4 inches, with 3 rounded corners.  I took a 3.5 x 4.75 piece of white cardstock, and using some straight edged scrap paper, distressed the middle portion in Tumbled Glass and Vintage Photo Distress ink.  Once I was happy with that, I stamped the flower (Hero Arts - Real Flower clear set) 3 times in Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  Using the Tumbled Glass Distress ink again, I stamped the sentiment (Hero Arts) on the bottom white portion of the white layer.  I rounded 3 corners of the white cardstock, and adhered it off centre to the yellow patterned paper.  To finish the card, I added 5 pale blue gems to the top left hand side, and 3 tiny clear gems to the bottom, just underneath the beginning of the words.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

CAS-ual Friday Challenge 2




 This is my entry for the CFC2 challenge this week, which was to use twine and buttons.  Well, I needed to make some Christmas cards, so I did.  I started with some Cool Caribbean cardstock, cut to 5.25 x 4 inches.  I used my SU paper piercing set to pierce around the edges of the card, having the pokey side up for the front.  After that, I ran my Broken China Distress ink over top of the raised cardstock, and I also did a bit of sponging on the edges of the cardstock.  Then I took some Antique Linen Distress Ink, and sponged some ink on some other spots.  I took the sentiment (Inkadinkado) and stamped it in Broken China ink.  I found some hemp twine, and ran three lengths of is across the Cool Caribbean cardstock, putting it at angles.  I used a now retired SU set to stamp the poinsettia on Antique Linen Distressed cardstock, in Tea Dye and the over stamp in Walnut Stain.  Foam tape over a section of twine I taped together made  the focal point.  To finish, I cheated and used three button brads that I had in my stash on the bottom right hand side of the cardstock.  I took a white cardstock base, sponged Antique Linen Distress Ink around the edges, then I foam mounted the Cool Caribbean piece to the sponged card base.


Photography Assignment from Lisa S






Lisa Spangler has an assignment for those of us who want to learn to use our cameras better. This week's lesson is learning to use the white balance.  Now, I am not a camera guru, but I was quite frustrated when I wasn't able to change my white balance at all.. because I couldn't find the setting!!  I know my camera is almost 2 years old,  and it was an inexpensive one, but I know the setting is somewhere, I just couldn't find it today.  So I have 6 pictures of the card in different light and settings.  The 2 photos that have an ocean background was taken at a local church basement.. it's a recently built church, but the lighting in the basement, surprisingly, is really nice. The card is white, but with the fluorescent lights of the church, the card has an off white/ivory feel to it. the next 4 photos were taken in my apartment, in overcast light.  The 2 white background shots have a very different tinge to them. The close up shot has the grey from the table reflecting back up on it, while the farther away shot has some natural light showing on it a bit more.  The last two photos were taken with a grey fabric background on the card. The close up looks almost pale silver from the reflection of the fabric, while the farther away one looks like it's been distressed with Antique Linen Distress Ink.. I suppose it's from the combo of the grey and the natural light.

I need to find the white balance on my camera, although my memory tells me that I only have the automatic setting, and see what else I can do with the camera.

Hero Arts Challengee May 14th



To make my cards, I started with a 3.75 x 5 inch pieces of white cardstock. I took a Hero Arts background stamp, and stamped it in Distress Ink. Using the Classic Fabric background stamp by Hero Arts, I used Versamark on  the stamp, added my stamped paper over top, then clear embossed. Once the embossing was dry, I used various Distress Inks to cover the areas that weren't resisted by the embossing powder. Once I was happy with the distressing, I ironed off the EP onto some scratch paper ( I used computer paper.. cheaper than cardstock). I stamped (the image) by Hero Arts onto the cardstock (cut/punched out) the image, and added a sentiment. With the myriad of Distress Inks I used, I ended up with three very different cards, but I like them all.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Publication reject cards


These two cards I did for the PaperCraftsMag Holiday Card issue, with quick and simple cards.  These are easy cards to make, they only took me a bout 5 - 7minutes to make, once the idea in my head.  For the top card, I started with some Cherry Cobbler cardstock (SU), cut, scored and folded to a standard sized card. I rounded all the corners on the cardstock.  Taking some DCWV Luxury Stack cardstock in gold, I cut it to 3.75 x 5 inches for a mat on the base cardstock, again, rounding all the corners.  I used a Quietfire Stamp (When This Christmas) and stamped it on white cardstock in Aged Mahogany Distress Ink.  Using a Marvy 3 inch circle punch, I punched out the sentiment, and edged the circle in Wild Honey ink.  I finished the card by mounting the sentiment on the gold mat with foam tape.

The second card might seem a tad familiar, since I've done this sketch a few times before.  I just really, REALLY, love this sketch.  I started with some So Saffron cardstock (SU) and cut it so the card measured 5.5 x 4 inches ( I trimmed a .25 inch off so that I could get three cards done with one strip of patterned paper).  I used some Susan Wignet Christmas paper (Holly) and cut a 1.5 inch strip off the 12x 12 paper, cutting it at 4 inches, and adhered to the card base.  Next, I took the stamp "Blessed is the Season" (Quietfire Design) and stamped it on the bottom of the card in Forest Moss Distress Ink.  On some scrap white cardstock, I stamped the Ornament stamp (Hero Arts) in Aged Mahogany Distress Ink.  I used a 2 inch circle punch from Marvy to punch out the ornament.  I finished the card by foam mounting the ornament to the cardstock. 

Saturday, May 14, 2011

PDCC81

 This is my entry for the PDCC81.  I used a yellow green, dark purple and silver.  I started by using a limish green card base, cut, scored and folded to a standard sized card.  I had some silver and white DCWV cardstock, cut to 3.75 x 5 inches, embossed with a Craft Concepts Butterfly embossing folder.  To this I inked the raised portions with Dusty Concord Distress Ink, then embossed with clear embossing powder and heat set.  On white cardstock, I had stamped the Penny Black image (letters and flowers) in Dusty Concord Distress Ink, cut to size.  I rounded the right hand corners of the white cardstock, silver cardstock, and card base.  I adhered the silver layer to the card base with Sookwang tape.  I added a bit of sheer white ribbon around the main image (Michaels), and used foam tape to adhere it to the silver layer.

My Hero Arts NSD Challenge card


This card I whipped up to meet the Hero Arts National Scrapbook Day challenge... last minute, of course. I started with a dark brown card base, and used two coordinating pieces of patterned paper, one for the scalloped edge, one for the background. Taking some fancy green cardstock, I punched 3 1.25 inch circles. I used the circular "Birthday Wishes" from the Hero Arts birthday set, and stamped it twice on white cardstock with Versafine Black ink. I punched out the Birthday Wishes with a 1 inch punch, then layered the Wishes onto two of the circles. I took some SU Pink Pirouette cardstock, trimmed it to 3.25 x 1.5 inches, rounded the corners, stamped the Envelope Pattern stamp in Spun Sugar, and adhered the plain circle with double sided tape. The Wishes on the right had one layer of foam tape, the Wishes on the left has two layers of foam tape on it. I used a 2.5 square of Pink Pirouette cardstock, rounded the corners, and stamped the Envelope Pattern stamp in Spun Sugar. I then took the big flower from Real Flowers, and stamped it in Victorian Velvet Distress ink.. I finished the card by adhering the pink cardstock piece to the card, on a diamond shape.

Monday, May 9, 2011

CAS-ual Friday and Lawnscaping Card

This card satisfies  both the CAS-ual Friday and the Lawnscaping challenges this week.  I was to do a text based card for CAS-ual Friday, and a Celebration card for the Lawnscaping challenges.  I started with some blue based green cardstock (I think it might be the retired Glorious Green from SU), cut and folded to a standard sized card.  Next, using some Basic Grey Kioshi paper, I cut it to 5 x 3.75 inches, and with Scattered Straw Distress Ink, stamped the Hero Arts Friend Definition on it.  I took some scrap pale yellow patterned paper, and stamped the Dress ( LawnFawn) in Gamma Green Brilliance Ink.  I took a red punch out that I had lying around, and trimmed some more of that yellow patterned paper to fit inside of it.  I stamped Congrats (LawnFawn) in Gamma Green Ink.  I added some red bling   ( Recollections) to the middle of the dress.  I used Sookwang tape and adhered the yellow scrap with the sentiment on it to the red punch out, then adhered the punch out to the patterned paper.  I added some yellow sheer ribbon (Michaels) vertically to the card.  I adhered the patterned paper to the card base.  I used some foam tape to attach the dress to the card.

This card could be used as either a new job, graduation, or engagement card.

The Play Date Cafe Challenge 80


With the colours as red, orange and white, I did this weeks Play Date Cafe Challenge (#80).  I started with a white card base, cut and folded to a standard sized card.  Taking some scrap orange cardstock, I used Tim Holtz's Distress Ink in Dried Marigold, and stamped the Envelope Pattern stamp (Hero Arts) on the cardstock.  I rounded opposite corners.  I used some white cardstock, and stamped the  Letters and Flowers stamp (Penny Black) in Barn Door Distress ink. I rounded the two corners that were opposite the orange rounded corners, and adhered the white cardstock to the orange cardstock piece..  I took some sheer red ribbon (Michaels) and wrapped it around the orange cardstock, and tied a knot.  I then taped the orange layer to the white card base.  As a finishing touch, I added 5 tiny bling (Recollections) on the right hand side.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Thank You Card

There is a family that has kind of taken over for us as "parents" for my youngest, who is across country in university.  Since they have been so wonderful, I thought I could send them some cards to use, as well as a thank you card.  This is the Thank You card.   With SU Certainly Celery cardstock, cut and scored to a standard sized card, portrait style.  I took some Basic Grey Kioshi patterned paper, and cut it to a .25 inch smaller than the base cardstock, and rounded the bottom corners. Using Tim Holtz's nature Elements mini stamps (Stampers Anonymous)  I stamped the weed three times in Forest Moss Distress Ink.  I stamped the butterfly from the same set in Walnut Stain Distress ink once on to the patterned paper, then stamped it again on a scrap of the patterned paper.  I cut out the butterfly on the scrap paper, and foam mounted it right over where the butterfly was above the weeds.   I used a Hero Arts stamp "Merci" from the Paris clear set, and stamped that  in Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  I took some polka dot ribbon (Michaels) and wrapped it around the paper, tying a knot just off centre to the left.  I finished the card by adhering the patterned paper to the card base, and rounded bottom corners on the base card stock.

Monday, May 2, 2011

One of my friends got some Craft Concepts Embossing Folders, and I was blessed enough that she ran a few pieces of cardstock through it for me.  This card is the result of one of those run throughs.  I used some DCWV cardstock from "The Four Seasons" pack (it's the Love scrapbook page) and cut it to just under standard cardstock size.   My friend ran it through the "wings" embossing folder (at least I think that's the correct name). I rounded the corners, then I decided to highlight the butterflies by rubbing Tattered Rose Distress Ink all over the raised areas.  Using some SU Victorian crochet lace, and Victorian Velvet Distress Ink, I inked up a piece of the lace, and adhered it to the butterfly layer.  I used another die cut for the flower (or was it a punch?? can't remember) and punched out a flower in pink Bazzil bling. I attached the flower to the card by using a button brad in cream.  To add the sentiment, I took some white cardstock, rubbed it with Tattered Rose Distress Ink,  then stamped the sentiment (Inkadinkado) in Victorian Velvet.  I put the butterfly layer onto the red card base, and I rounded the corners on the red cardstock.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

PDCC79 AND FTL138

For this card, I combined the Play Date Cafe Challenge 79 and Clean and Simple Stamping FTL 138 challenges.  I used the Play Date Cafe colours ( grey, lime and red) and the sketch from the Clean and Simple blog ( FTL 138).  I started with a 5.5 x 5.5 inch square red cardstock base.  Taking some leftover DCWV silver and white cardstock, I cut it to 5 x 5 inches and layered it on the red cardstock.  I took a 4.5 x4.5 inch piece of white cardstock, and stamped flowers from Hero Arts Printed Flowers set, in Shabby Shutters Distress Ink and Barn Door Distress Ink (the Shabby Shutters was the closest ink I had to lime green), in the pattern on the sketch. Using some Colorbox silver pigment ink, I used the sentiment (Hero Arts)  and stamped it in the area of the sketch.  Once the pigment ink was dry, I took some .25 inch pieces of lime green cardstock, and framed the white cardstock with it.

Woo Hoo!! It's been a YEAR already!!

Wow, I knew my one year of blogging day was coming up, but I've passed it by almost a month!! LOL!  I just want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who checks out my blog.  I am not big on keeping stats, as this is my personal, share artwork blog, but seeing your comments really makes my day.  I just hope I can take what I've learned in the past year, and make my blog even better :D

Make it and Mail it Challenge 1 Card

Lisa Spangler is having a make it and mail it challenge, and here is the card I did.  I also wanted to do the Hero Arts Layering Stamps challenge for April, but I wasn't able to get it photographed and uploaded in time for that challenge. I started with a white card base, cut and scored to a standard sized card.  I took some DCWV LUXURY cardstock in black and white, cut it to being 5.25 x 4 inches, and rounded opposite corners.  With some Cool Caribbean scrap cardstock, I cut it to size and rounded the corners that were opposite to the black cardstock.  Using white cardstock, and Tumbled Glass Distress Ink, I stamped Hero Arts Antique Letter Writing on the cardstock.  I used Versafine Black Onyx ink to over stamp Large Blossom (Hero Arts) on the white cardstock.  I went and rounded the opposite corners again. then layered the stamped panel to the Cool Caribbean panel to the black cardstock panel to the white card base.  To finish the card, I used some Autumn Leaves Chipboard Letters to write "for you" on the card.  This card is the one I am mailing on Monday to my birth mother in Ontario.

May Christmas Card Challenge


This is May's Christmas Card Challenge: use flower(s) on your card.  There is no specific flower you need to use, just as long as there is a flower on the card.  For my cards, I started with a grey cardstock, cut and scored to a standard sized card.  I added a strip of patterned paper to the right hand side of the cardstock, and stamped "Merry Christmas" (Hero Arts) along the bottom of the card.  The flower, a poinsettia, is a die cut from Quickcutz, if my memory is correct.  A friend has this die, and I was able to cut several poinsettias from the die on Pink Pirouette cardstock.