when you're swatching your new catherine pooler inks... part 1

So the other day I finally got around to swatching my new Spa Collection inks from Catherine Pooler. And I had some time on my hands so I had a play...

Meet the first card to emerge from this playtime.

STAMPlorations Bloomdala Bliss stamp

Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch

Catherine Pooler Spa inks

While swatching, I usually stamp onto the label on the bottom of the ink pad once too so I can see the color when my inkpads are stored (upside down). Well these inks really don't dry on "glossy" paper, so I grabbed some CS snippets, used the reverse of a stamp I had out, stamped an area of the ink color and then punched out the center area to glue to the bottom of the ink pads. With me so far? So I had this strip of stamped and punched images and couldn't bear to just toss it!

So I swiped some ink onto skinny CS strips, mounted them left and right of the strip and added a sentiment in the dark blue Juniper Mist (what a great color) too. Voila!

Stop by tomorrow to see what a CP Spa ink rainbow looks like :)

spellbinders wine glass bottle tag

Back today with one more project using the fun dies from the Spellbinders Wine Country collection by Stacey Caron.

I used Wine Glass Bottle Tag actually as a tag. Easy peasy again, I've got a Thanksgiving and a Christmas version for you since the holidays are approaching quickly and with them all the festivities.

First up, for that bottle you take to the Thanksgiving dinner hosts ...

 Spellbinders Wine Glass Bottle Tag die
Spellbinders Fall Foliage die
gold embossing powder
twine

I die cut the tag twice from papers from an autumn PP pack. Glued them together slightly askew so that both patterns would peek out. Heat embossed that fantastic sentiment onto the wine piece and added a few tiny leaves to decorate the stem of the glass (gives it a bit more weight too).

And similarly for the neighborhood Christmas party ...

Spellbinders Wine Glass Bottle Tag die

Martha Stewart pine branch punch
gold embossing powder
sequins

Thanks so much Team Spellbinders for the fun and practical products to create with. I really enjoyed these dies.

I'm joining in at:
Always Fun - Dies and Punches

Die Cut Divas - Autumn or Halloween (#1)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Let's Get Ready for Christmas (#2)

yellow, purple, magenta

Those are the colors over at Rubber Dance challenge.  Where my STAMPlorations teamie Susanne R. also designs. Who has a fantastic way with bold color. And those colors screamed Dylusions ink spray to me. As in Pure Sunshine, Bubblegum Pink and Crushed Grape. Sound good enough to eat don't they?  So I made this.

Ink smooshed BG, PP strip along edge, ARTplorations Flutterby stencil, STAMPlorations Scribbly Splattery Grunge stamp, Papertrey Birthday sentiment.

And my teamie Cornelia W. is being CASEd at Time Out so keeping these colors in mind I used Cornelia's layout and sentiment style.

Masked a portion of a circle, sponged on Distress Oxides then stamped Concord and 9th Tree Ring with water. Obviously too much water, but you can still catch a bit of the woodgrain effect in this close up!

A heat embossed Martha Stewart butterfly on vellum and Altenew Label Love German sentiment finished it off.

I'm also playing at:
Where Creativity meets 9 - Embossing
CAS Watercolor - Butterfly (both cards)
Seize the Birthday 

calling a nest a basket i am

Have you joined us at The Mixed Media Card Challenge yet? It's all about flowers this month. And I actually made a card with not only the flowers, but also the optional element of basket!

Sort of.

Cuz I don't have a basket stamp. Or die. At least not that I know of, which obviously means I have too many of each. But I have this trusty old bird's nest that I like to use. And I've also got "a thing" about putting bird's nests - or baskets - on top of ladies' heads. So all I needed were the flowers...

And some tissue paper that my latest stamps arrived in (which I dabbed some light pink pigment ink to) and a Martha Stewart hydrangea punch took care of that!

A side view...

So what's mixed media about my card? Well stamps and inks and

Techniques: stamping on PP, masking, heat embossing
Dimension: tissue paper blooms, sentiment on vellum, sequins
Texture: clear embossing paste through ARTplorations Shutters stencil on BG and heat embossing

You can see the clear embossing paste catching the light in this shot - upper left corner and on the right by that green swirl...

I recycled (tissue paper) and included LOTS of flowers so I'm hooking up at Mixed Media Mojo's April challenge.

And since this card is on its way to someone's birthday that I missed... I'm joining the Due Date challenge at Simon Says Monday.

layer it on, baby (STAMPlorations)

Is it really already November? Besides the fact that today is my Daddy's 88th birthday, I am not ready for November cuz that means Christmas is right behind and then it'll be summer again!

Anyhoo, STAMPlorations has a great theme for this month's challenge:

My cardmaking (and menopausal) self loves layers. Light and airy layers that is...

I started with this wonderful wreath from the Joyful stamp set. Not ready to ink it up in green just yet, and having seen this delightful inspiration photo from Cure for the Monday Blues

I created a comfy, cozy fall card to send off to my aunt and uncle. This photo reminds me of them and their lovely home. And therefore I'm also hooking up to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday's challenge Thinking of You.

Wanna count the layers with me? I've got a cardbase, a stamped sentiment BG spritzed with a good coating of water/Perfect Pearls mixture, a swatch of tissue paper which is all nice and gold-ink-splotched from squishing into leftover spray ink from another project (which you unfortunately can't see in the pic), a gold-ink-striped vellum banner, my heat-embossed-on-vellum wreath, a die cut branch and a teensy gold birdie perched on it. I think that may be the longest sentence ever posted on my blog. Sorry Hemingway.

So how will you interpret "layers"? Grab those scraps you've got laying around and put 'em on a card. Or do some layered stamping. Give it your best shot and join us this month.

As always, there are prizes to be had. I f you are chosen winner of the November challenge you will win two stamp sets if your project used STAMPlorations stamps, one if not. This would be a good time to remind you that the oh-so-fabulous-and-perfect-for-endless-techniques November release (watch for it soon) is available at a great bundle price ($42) until November 11th.

And since it's a busy time of year, in November you will not be required to play in all of the challenges to win the random prize. Each entry will get you a chance at the prize of three digi stamps coming soon to the STAMPlorations shop. Digi stamps. Less tactile but definitely more versatile...

I'll be back next week with more creations made with the Joyful set. Hope to see you. Happy weekend.

exploration STAMPlorations grunge floral strips and a giveaway! (CTS)

Welcome to my third day of showcasing three of STAMPlorations latest stamp sets.  Today I am working with this kinda unique VIGNETTE: Grunge Floral Strips:

BTW, those green arrows mark the two stamps I used on my card.  But first off, the challenges I chose to inspire my card - CAS(E) this Sketch #76 and Colour Q #241.

I'm not really a hexagon gal.  When I looked at that sketch I saw a rabble of butterflies!  So I stamped the longer stamp (in brown) and the shorter stamp (in pool) onto scrap CS, and die cut and punched some butterflies.

So I basically used the stamps to create my own PP in the colors I needed.  The small motif lends itself to this, especially for smaller die cuts.What else could you do with these stamps?  How about making fake washi to match your project's colors?  Or creating a frame for a die cut word? Or how about this idea of Nonni's?

Oh. When I was looking for some graph paper-ish PP I stumbled upon this one from My Mind's Eye and decided that those blooms would be sweet down in the corner (thereby disqualifying myself from the Colour Q challenge!). But I still thought a gold flutterby would be fun! And then I added the sentiment from SUBWAY ART: Dare, inking it ombre with pool and turquoise before stamping. And I added a bit of Wink of Stella  to the large butterfly as you can see in the closeup.

Soooo. Did I mention a giveaway? I hope you saw my cards from day 1 and day 2? I'm giving away one of the three stamp sets I used on my cards (courtesy of Shery R. owner of STAMPlorations) and here's the deal...

Leave me a comment (by Friday midnight EST) telling me which set - Dare, Thank You or Grunge Floral - you like best and why. Or how you would use it. I'll pick a lucky winner on Saturday!

Have a great rest of the week and thanks for visiting.

Supplies for dare to dream

Paper:  CS Bringmann, PP MME

Stamps:  STAMPlorations

Ink : blues Inkadinkado, brown Memento

Tools: large butterfly die Memory Box, small butterfly Clearly Besotted, butterfly punch Martha Stewart

Other: Wink of Stella

watercolored cherry blossoms (Moxie Fab, SSS, ATCAS)

Have I mentioned I can't get enough of the watercolor trend ;)  You may have seen this card inspired by the crab apple in my front yard.  Well today I was inspired by the Japanese cherry in the backyard.

And the Pretty Pink Petits Fours at Moxie Fab.  What delicate beauty.  Which translated to cherry blossoms in my mind.

So I reached for some crepe paper and a potion leftover from a card I made for a submission call (didn't get picked but I'll share with you later.  Happy dance for the four that were picked!  I still can't believe it.)  The potion, you're wondering?  Spray ink + soap bubbles.  Yep.  That's it in the jar.

Dribbled some onto my palette, sprayed with water and soaked up some color with the crepe paper. Die cut some blossoms with a Memory Box die and added a bit of a gray branch like the silver serving piece, some woodgrain like the plate and some vellum to replicate the glaze.  I was so into this I've got two for your viewing pleasure!

For mom for Mother's Day (can't believe I've actually done this in plenty of time!)  Three blossoms with two layers of petals and a vellum sentiment.

And an all occasion beauty with a one-layer blossom and vellum butterflies.  These make me smile. Hope you're smiling too!

Joining the fun at:
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Moxie Fab - Wonder of Watercolor
Addicted to CAS - #11 Flower

Supplies mom:

Paper: cardbase Craft UK, gray CS scrap, crepe paper 

Stamps: 

Ink : Dylusions ink

Tools: square die Sizzix, branch die Sizzix, other dies Memory Box, embossing folder Craft Concepts

Other: sewing machine

Supplies I appreciate you:

Paper: cardbase Craft UK, gray CS scrap, crepe paper, vellus The Paper Co. 

Stamps: sentiment Hero Arts

Ink : Dylusions ink, Hero Arts Soft Graphite

Tools: square die Sizzix, branch die Sizzix, blossom die Memory Box, embossing folder Craft Concepts, punch Martha Stewart

Other: thread

Pattern Play Day 3 (PC)

Day 3 of Pattern Play dealt with large patterns on PP that are difficult to use, but not if you use them in smaller amounts.  So...

 As embellies with a strip along the side.  Or...

in a big way, but chopped into strips with white showing in between them and with very little else on the card.

Long time ago I bought an 8x8 pad with these bandana prints.  I associate lotsa good things with bandanas and I still like the paper but it's harder than heck to use on a card.  Thanks to this class I've found a way.  (Online classes are TOO COOL!  Can't believe this is my first one.)

Two tips for you today.
TIP 1:  Grab a cereal box and make yourself one of these.

I used a craft knife and ruler to cut a window the size of a card front.  Use this to move around your sheet of PP to pick the best area to use for your card.

TIP 2:  You can cut your panel into even strips, or...

I looked at the chunk of PP before me and decided where there was kind of a natural spot to split up the pattern, so I cut the first strip (on the right) and then a matching-sized strip on the left.

Then I decided on a wider middle strip (again, I "saw" those mirrored black figures in the middle and opted to keep them together) which yielded the two thinner strips to the left and right of it.

Thanks for visiting today.  Have a great ol' day.

Supplies:

Paper:  white CS Bringmann, PP Martha Stewart

Stamps: checkerboard Dylusions, other PTI

Ink : Jenny Bowlin, Versafine

Tools: dies PTI, square punch for banner end

Other:  crochet thread

folds and flaps (SCS)

I dnd't really intend to do all the challenges in the Splitcoast Love Fest 2013, but here I am trying to get the last three done!

Love Fest 2013D sponsored by Scor-pal is looking for flaps or folds.  OK.  How 'bout both?

Start with your Aunt's birthday approaching quickly.  Pick a card from your stash and grab the set of rainbow cards you just made (but haven't posted all of yet).  Cuz of course, to get one rainbow you had to die cut 7 different colors.  And of course you can't throw all the rest away.  So you made rainbow cards.  I digress.

See how many cards you can get into a padded mailer for the lowest postage.  And that will fit through the mailbox slot so that you don't have to go to the post office which is a sure way to ruin your day.

Take set of cards and a piece of PP to your scoring board.

Use the envelope making guide that comes with the board (see that triangle thing?) for the very first time.  Duh.

Use score tape to glue the envie sides together and leave the flap unglued so Auntie can use it to store your purty cards.

Dress it up with  a scrap of ribbon and little tag (still totally mailable, mind you) and be proud of yourself.  You've got some flaps, some folds and somethin' sweet for Auntie.  Bye.  I'm off to the mailbox.

Thanks for looking.

Supplies for envelope:

Paper: PP and tag K& Co.

Stamps:  PTI

Ink :Memento

Tools: scoring board and bone folder

Other: score tape, ribbon

thinking of you tuesday (SSS, Moxie Fab)

I'm a sucker for wreaths.  I'm sure it's the graphic, circle thing.  And the circle of life thing.  Whatever.  Add berries to the equation and I'm a goner.

So, have you seen the Tuesday Trigger "Fantasy in Fall" at Moxie Fab?

Probably 99% of you see the rolled felt flowers.  And me?  I see the twiggy wreath and those wonderful berries.  Meet my card.

That wreath stamp from Papertrey was the first item ever to go into my shopping cart.  I gave it a triple dose of berries - in orange, green and then Versamark with red pepper embossing powder.  You can see the shine on the small photo uptop.  Used decorative edged scissors to cut it out and mounted it on a felt circle.

Also playing at Simon Says Stamp's Challenge "Thinking of You/Sympathy".

Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies for Thinking of you:

Paper: Ursus

Stamps: PTI,  sentiment Technique Tuesday

Ink : Adirondack, Versamagic, Versamark

Tools: circle die MFT, Spellbinders, punch Martha Stewart, sewing machine

Other: embossing powder, brads Basic Grey, twine, felt Sew Sweet

to PTI or not to PTI... (TCM, Moxie Fab)

These little guys have pulled at my heartstrings since the day I first saw them.

I remember the first time I googled to see who/what Papertrey is.  And where I could get the products in Germany.  Yeah, well, that idea died quickly when I found out about the shipping rates.  I'm cheap, remember?

I've seen the good and bad press the company gets.  It's hard to believe a company can be so customer-unfriendly when it has such a huge following.  Product or principle?  Hmmm.  I went with my capitalistic heart and placed an order this summer.  Lugged those dies back in my suitcase with me (and they weren't alone!).

Now that I own them I went on a chipboard making rage ala Melissa Phillips.  Time to put some product to use.

Two cards today, one for TCM and one for Moxie Fab.

Masked off the edges of card base.  Stamped butterfly randomly.  Heat embossed sentiment onto die-cut-painted-dry-embossed-stamped-and-inked-used-to-be-a-cereal-box tag.  Added a strip of washi and adhered tag and sweetie butterfly.

One design note here:  Notice the turquoise sentiment.  It came about as I pondered how to ink a sentiment clearly onto the dry embossed surface.  I decided to use Versamark (to be able to squish it into the "valleys").  When deciding which color to use (I was thinking red or brownish) I remembered one of the "aha moment" tips I'd seen.  Use the unexpected.  Don't know if you agree, but I think it gives the card a little extra somethin'.

BTW, I followed this month's sketch over at The Craft's Meow.

And because I'm producing another package of cards as a bday present for a friend, here's another one.

I'm not at all sure about the Movement/Flow technique.  Hard to analyze your own card but I think my eye keeps circling here, ending up at the little red heart each time, without wandering aimlessly or completely leaving the card!  Even when my eye drops down off the bottom of the tag, those few text lines catch it and the gold sentiment pulls it back up and then there comes that sweet little heart again.  I'm entering the challenge over at Moxie Fab.  Thanks for your visit.

Supplies je pense:

Paper: card base Buttinette, cereal box
Stamps:   butterfly Martha Stewart, text CHF,  sentiment Artemio

Ink: Memento, Distress Ink

Tools: dies PTI, embossing plate Sizzix

Other:  acrylic paint, embossing powder Zing, washi tape

Supplies dankeschon:

Paper: card base Buttinette, cereal box
Stamps:   text CHF,  sentiment InkyStamp

Ink: Distress Ink, Versamark

Tools:dies PTI,  embossing plate Sizzix

Other:  acrylic paint, embossing powder, seam binding, twine

wedding bells all around

Thought I'd share a couple wedding cards with you that I have made.  Really makes me feel old when friends' kids start getting married!

This is by no means an original idea, but I thought it was cute.  Adhered PP to card front after wrapping a funky ribbon (the color looks gold but it's kind of an olive/gold) around it.  Die cut the hearts and turned them into the bride (jewels) and groom (bow tie).  Decided to package this one in a vellum envelope to let the beauty shine thru ;) so I embossed a sentiment on it too.

Then there was this one, made for a friend's grandson.

 Scored the front panel with diagonal lines, creating diamond pattern, then stamped the little heart in all the "Vs".  Die cut oval and stamped main image.  Colored little heart and added pearls and lace before attaching.

I didn't photograph it, but on the inside I attached a piece of white paper onto which I printed a faded image of my friend with her grandson when he was little.  She is holding him and they are both grinning from ear to ear.  On this she sheet of paper she wrote her greeting.  She loved the card.  Apparently he and his young bride did too.  I was a happy camper.

And a while back I made a few more cards and said I'd let you know which one my friend decided on.  She actually took two because there were two nephews getting married.  This one went to the one marrying a Mexican gal:

A focal image modeled with paper napkin layers on a foam stamp and some fun stitching, pearls and a homemade bloom.  And this one (blogged here) went to the nephew marrying a Belgian gal.

 Happy summer vacation. And summer weddings.

Supplies happily ever after:

Paper: CS American Crafts; PP me and my big ideas
Stamps: Hero Arts

Ink: Versafine

Tools:   die Sizzix, embossing folder Cuttlebug

Other: embossing powder, ribbon, bling

 

Supplies True Love:

Paper: CS American Crafts; Neenah
Stamps:   BoBunny

Ink: Cat's Eye; Versamagic , Versafine

Tools: score board, die Spellbinders

Other:  lace, pearls