commissioned birthday cards

And today's summer programming, more commissioned birthday cards. 

Requested for a brother whose car is his pride and joy. I made three to choose from...

TAWS car stamp

Artemio cityscape stamp

Winnie and Walter sentiment stamp

Right at Home Holidays are on the Way die

washi tape

Renke die

Inkystamp sentiment

alcohol ink background, embossing powder

And for a butcher ;)

Neat and Tangled Hot Dog stamp

Inkadinkado sentiment

Have a great week!

simon says stamp - parental props goes beachy

Have you seen the latest SSS release, Celebrate You? I'm back with another make with the stamp set from CZ Design, Parental Props.

This time I focused on the abundance of wonderful sentiments. Thinking this would be for my Dad this year for Father's Day and since he lives on Lake Huron, I took a background (marbled with Alcohol Inks) from my stash that reminded me of the lake and horizon, and keeping it clean and simple let the message do all the work.

 SSS Parental Props stamp

Lil Inker Stitched rectangles die

Alcohol inks

black embossing powder

Easy peasy. Used my MISTI to line up all the sentiments. Stamped and heat embossed them then die cut the center of the panel and popped it up with craft foam. Added the gold star from my stash cuz, you know, "award"... "best in class"... "gold star from the teacher"...

So check out the release if you haven't, and all the makes with it in the gallery at Simon Says Stamp. I'll be back with more. Thanks mucho, Simon.

I'm playing at:

Creative Friday - For a Man

spotlight on coloring by using up your stash of backgrounds

Greetings! Things are kinda quiet around here. I'm lost in a mess in my craft room. Decided to konmari it. Well, basically, get rid of crap. I'll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime... I had some more fun with the new Stamp Club set, Bloomful, this time using up some of my stash of backgrounds to "color" the image. I'd love you to take a look at my tutorial for this card over at the STAMPlorations blog. Maybe I'll inspire you to have a go at your stash ;)

STAMPlorations inspiration #202

Welcome to a Tuesday inspiration from the STAMPlorations inspiration team where the team members feature stamps from one of our talented stamp designers.

Today we're showcasing The Bee's Knees stamps. All stamps in this category are automatically 10% off this week and you get an extra 20% off if you use my discount code STAMPGIRLMARIA when you order.

So this month I've challenged myself to incorporate stamps, dies and stencils on CAS cards. I'm also shooting for monochromatic, but you'll see that I didn't succeed with today's - just had to get some contrast in there... Meet my card.

STAMPlorations Birds of Paradise die
STAMPlorations Birds of Paradise stamp
STAMPlorations Just Squares stencil
alcohol inks
gilding flakes
embossing paste
white embossing powser

I wanted to use up some of the backgrounds I've created and decided to die cut this funny guy from an alcohol inked/gilded piece of yupo. I decided on a vertical orientation. Applied a light dusting of Tumbled Glass distress ink, a couple rows of wonky squares of embossing paste and then the bird. A heat embossed sentiment completed the CAS-yet-artsy design.

For more inspiration with this fabulous set, see this card.

You could win yourself a $10 GC to the store by leaving a comment on the February inspiration posts. Check out today's post here. So happy you stopped by :)

I'm stopping by at:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Anything Goes
CAS Mix Up - February

Basteltraum - Die/Stencil

neat and tangled release - clearly canine

Howdy and welcome back to some special programming! Today is Day 2 of the June Neat & Tangled release countdown and I'm joining the talented DT this week with my creations with these new products! Today is graphic goodness pure.

Today we are showcasing the Clearly Canine stamp set and die. I got a "soft and sweet" vibe from this cutie so pulled out some CS I'd marbled with alcohol inks and went from there.

Neat and Tangled Clearly Canine die

Neat and Tangled Clearly Canine stamp

Altenew ink

enamel star
washi

This was really so easy. Die cut that sweet pooch's face from the panel and stitched it just along the top to a piece of PP. I like the effect of the shadows when the papers separate so I didn't want to glue it down completely. Added a tiny sentiment stamped in yellow and then adhered the panel (adhesive only along the top edge) to my cardbase. Again, cuz my top-fold base is cut from A4 but the marbled panel was letter size, I added a strip of washi along the bottom of the base. I like the little something it adds peeking out.

What to do with the positive pieces? As you know, I can't throw anything away. So this CAS card was born.

 Neat and Tangled Clearly Canine die

Neat and Tangled Clearly Canine stamp

Versamagic Wheat ink

thread

Easy peasy. I used the negative to get the placing of the pieces right (although you can experiment with eyes/ears further apart/closer together for some fun looks). Just added a few strands of white thread as whiskers!

Check out the Neat and Tangled Blog to see all of the wonderful inspiration and take part in the daily giveaways! All products showcased this week will be available on Friday, June 8 at 8am EST in the shop.

Thank you for visiting today and thanks to Neat and Tangled for having me!

I'm taking these over to the Anything Goes Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge, Cards in Envy Let's Hear it for the Boys, Die Cut Divas - Animals and Clean and Simple at Addicted to Stamps and More.

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simon says stamp sending sunshine release - poolside

There's a new release "Sending Sunshine" over at Simon Says Stamp that will certainly get you in the mood for summer if you're not already ;) I received a wonderful typographical die to play with and man did I have fun! Did you see yesterday's Malibu sunset inspired card?

Meet today's projects inspired by poolside tones.

Simon Says Stamp Summertime die

Simon Says Stamp Summer Garden stamp

Altenew Inks
enamel dots

And then, this die definitely makes me think of beach days too and cuz I'm deceiving myself into thinking I may start scrapbooking one day soon, I made a couple journal cards using an alcohol-inked blue scrap along with some beachy PP.

Simon Says Stamp Summertime die

Flora and Fauna Flamingo Under the Sea stamp

Alcohol Inks
Altenew Inks

Check out the entire new release over at Simon Says Stamp and the blog hop too. I've got a couple more makes with this die to share with you tomorrow.

I'm playing at:
Stamping Sensations - Close to Nature
Task for Two - Blutenmeer
Penny Black and More - May AG
Your Next Stamp - #89

Fusion - The Harbor

guest designing at cupcake inspiration

There's a fun challenge being sponsored by STAMPlorations over at Cupcake Inspirations and it's all about Pastels. Wanna see the inspiration? Yum yum.

Wanna see what I made? Yum yum.

STAMPlorations Sweet Cravings stamp

STAMPlorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangles die

alcohol inks

acetate and fun foam

white embossing powder

sequins and glitter

First off I saw those watercolory swirls and they reminded me of alcohol ink marbling I'd done with blues and purples. Then those sugar sprinkles on the cupcakes made me think of glitter. So a sweet shaker card was born.

Die cut the smaller panel from my marbled piece and stamped some sweets onto it.

I even added some Distress Ink Rock Candy glitter to a couple spots on the stamped images to ensure sparkle even if all the glitter falls to the bottom. See it on the ice cream cone, the whipped cream on the cake and peeking out from behind the sentiment on the bottom edge of the popsicle?

Hope you had a lovely Mother's Day. Thanks for visiting today. I'm joining the fun at:
Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday April - Mother's Day
STAMPlorations - Never-ending AG
ATSAM - Anything Goes
Craft Stamper - Take it Make it May

alcohol inked and bloomtangled again

Did you see my post yesterday where I was inspired by this amazing card by Janette K and it occurred to me that I could do something similar using a cover plate die? AND one of the alcohol ink on Yupo backgrounds I'd just created (maybe you saw these on IG). I'm so proud of myself. I used a second BG right away! 

STAMPlorations Bloomtangled #1 die

gifted die cut

alcohol ink Sailboat Blue and ?

gilding flakes

I wanted to use the Yupo BG that had warped from too much heat gun. So with the cool colors, I chose to use a white die cut. I had the bottom portion and the sentiment done but was stumped as to what to do with the white space up top. Sprinkled some sequins but it needed something meatier. Enter another fussy cut portion of the die cut and another bit of the inked BG! Glued everything together with Multi Matte medium.

I would like to take this to:
Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes March
The Flower Challenge - #18 Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers - AG with Dies March

alcohol inked and bloomtangled

I think I've mentioned before that it's rare that I see a card in blogland and then run right down to my craft room to make something! It happened recently though.

Saw this amazing card by Janette K as part of the Spellbinders blog hop. It occurred to me that I could do something similar using a cover plate die. AND one of the alcohol ink on Yupo backgrounds I'd just created (maybe you saw these on IG). I'm so proud of myself. I used a BG right away! That doesn't happen often either when I get into one of those create-a-zillion-BGs moods.

STAMPlorations Bloomtangled #1 die

Technique Tuesday stamp

digital PP

alcohol ink Watermelon, Red Pepper, Sunshine Yellow

white embossing powder

circle punch

I was so impressed with Janette's use of the bold red colors I just trimmed the full die cut down to have only the bloom and a couple leaves. I traced it onto my Yupo and then used scissors to cut that panel. Glued them together with Multi Matte medium.

I loved the use of B/W in the form of the sentiments randomly stamped on the original card, but decided to use black for my die cut and bring in the B/W with the PP. Love that sentiment stamp.

Come back tomorrow for another card along these lines. Used that warped Yupo BG I created in cool tones...

I would like to take this to:
Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes March

Happy Little Stampers - AG with Dies March

MMCC #26 - reminder

I'm easing back into things here, now that I've returned from a wonderful summer break in Michigan. But since we're featuring everyone's favorite over at the Mixed Media Card Challenge - RAINBOW I had to pop in with this card.

I've used alcohol inks in rainbow colors for you today.

I trimmed a panel of glossy CS and dripped rainbow colors of alcohol inks onto it! Voila!

Then I dabbed some gold color alcohol ink mixatives onto a few areas and stamped the roses and leaves from Altenew Painted Flowers onto the gold areas. Did some touch-up on the centers with a black Sharpie.

I adhered a piece of purple glossy paper askew on my cardbase and then the glossy panel askew over that. Topped it off with a Dymo label sentiment, keeping the glossy trend going!

Join us for some mixed media rainbow fun, won't you? The challenge is open til close of day on August 25th.

I'm joining the fun at:
Addicted to Stamps and More - make your mark (lots of blobs with alcohol inks and touch-up work with a Sharpie)

 CASual Fridays #154 - time to color (hope time for color works too)

Seize the Birthday - anything goes

STAMPlorations inspiration #13

Hello.

It's time for some more inspiration from the girls at STAMPlorations. 

Remember, we'd love for you to join us in our Inspiration Playground with a CASE of one of the many cards that we share with you throughout the month on the STAMPlorations blog. You can find the linkup for April's Playground here.

Maybe you want to get oh-so-inky and give this new-to-me technique a try?

Alcohol inks and acetate. But probably not the way you're thinking. I was intrigued when I saw Tammy T. trap the ink between two pieces of acetate, creating the look of liquid in a bottle. Are you intrigued yet? There is a wonderful tutorial for this technique on her blog.

This time around the DT is pulling out some of the older stamp sets. I chose Bloom Sketches Daisy 2 (with a sentiment is from Daisy 1). The angle on this bloom is just perfect and so realistic. Agree? I had to use it to go with my realistic water in the jar!

All my bloom needed in addition was a stem, a table to sit on and a bit of color to its center! I must admit this technique is amazingly cool. Captivating.

FYI, the alcohol ink eventually dries out, so be sure to mail it while it's still purty :)

I'm hooking up at these challenges:

Muse #113 - loved Michele's blues and stylized blooms and watery looking background

Addicted to Stamps and More #140 - keeping it simple with flowers on a wooden table I am

House of Cards April Challenge - Is that not a cool photo? My card doesn't have the butterflies (I nearly put a tiny red punched one on, but it didn't fit the bill) but does have the vibrancy.

Shopping our Stash - Lost and Found - My alcohol inks had been neglected far too long!

Thanks for looking. Have a wonderful weekend.

frohe ostern

Happy Easter Saturday to those of you celebrating! We are enjoying time with Oma as well as a few days at the North Sea.

I have two projects to share with you today.

The first is a project inspired by the opulent photo for the April Challenge at Altenew.

Ori Kami immediately came into my mind. And a piece of CS I had used to mop up some royal blue spray ink leftovers. This is what evolved.

I stamped the fish onto recycled acetate with StazOn and dripped orange and purple alcohol inks onto the reverse. Then I dripped one drop of yellow onto the orange and one drop of pink onto the purple and moved the acetate to make inks spread where I wanted them.

I inked the Super Script sentiment stamp with Versamark and blue pigment ink and stamped it before heat embossing it with white and clear powders for a two-tone sentiment. The secondary sentiment I stamped with Versafine. Added “kelp” and stitched the acetate to the panel before adhering it to the base.

Can you see how the fish kinda "swim" thanks to the acetate just being attached by that stitching up top? I love the depth this creates.

Cuz it's blue (I don't use blue often, do I?) I'm joining Tenia and Veronica's Light it up for Autism Awareness blog hop. I'm learning a lot about autism from those two ladies.

And my second project was for Oma's gift bag. This was also inspired by something laying around on my desk - an old baby wipe that had been used for clean up!

I used a glue stick to cover a manila tag and then laid the baby wipe down onto it and brayered it. Then I stamped this wonderful bunny from Joy Crafts. Added some Easter grass, a kraft die cut bloom behind the hole and some raffia.

Revisited a sentiment technique that I love but often forget - tiny alphas stitched onto a project. Like on this card. These alphas are old but loved product from KI Memories.

I am hooking the bunny up at

AAA Cards #36

Curtain Call Beginnings

Dazzling Diva #69

Hope you have a wonderful weekend with family. Thanks for stopping by.