Bob Evans down on the farm

If you're not from the Midwest you're probably wondering about the post title.  If you're from the Midwest you've probably got the jingle going through your head now :)

Saw the down home colors over at The Play Date Cafe challenge #127 and knew I wanted to ink up my new Waltzingmouse stamps.  I finally own a rooster stamp, kikiriki.  (That's what roosters say in German!)  Check out the other gorgeous stamps in this set.

Stamped two roosters, masked them and stamped the chicken wire BG.  Stamped and fussy cut two more roosters.  Distress inked the edges and attached two roosters with foam dots.  Gave 'em some Stickles chicken feed a la Kelly S.

For the banner I glued button die cuts to the little banner shape die cuts.  What a fun way to hang them on the "laundry line" - have you ever seen a farm without laundry drying on the line? - by threading the twine through the button holes!  Finished with letter stickers on the banner and stamped the inside.

Have yourself some down-on-the-farm goodness today.

Supplies Hey:
Paper:  card Buttinette, PP KI Memories, recycled kraft
Stamps:  WMS, sentiment TPC
Ink:  Versamagic, Cat's Eye, Distress
Tools:  banner die Spellbinders, button die Marianne Creatables
Other: letter stickers KI Memories, twine, felt Sew Sweet, Stickles Ranger

opposites attract baby

Wanted to make a personalized baby girl card and heard that the mom was not into pink. but rather purple for the little one.  How perfect.  Enter Casual Fridays.  Grabbed the attracting opposite...

and assembled some "baby block" looking squares of PP.  Happy to have this pastel PP from  K&Co   - kinda did my work for me.

Stamped random baby images onto some squares.  Added buttons to others.  And the baby's initial in the middle.  Used a stencil to add the cute "baby" to the envelope and voila.

Not a lot of white space I guess.  Let's call it "CAS = cute and simple".

Got some other sketches waiting for me.  And two big piles of dirt to be moved to the backyard.  DH and DS keep calling me.  Hmm, wonder which project will win?

Bis spater, tater.

Supplies Baby:

Paper: CS stash, PP K & Co

Stamps: Stampendous
Ink: Radex

Tools:

Other: twine, buttons, foam letter, stencil

Dylan's words on sympathy (distress inking)

Check out this inspiration photo at For Your Inspiration #27:



Having grown up on Lake Huron, I know to be very wary when the sky looks like that.  Perhaps that is why the photo was my inspiration for a sympathy card.

Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink.  A mask for the moon.  A mask for the hills.  An applicator tool.  Two stamped trees from Stampendous.  A computer generated sentiment covered with sheer black ribbon.

BTW - the card is for a music-loving, concert-going friend whose father passed away.

For more on this technique, go to the source.  Kittie C. is one talented lady.

Supplies death is not the end:

Paper: Neenah and American Crafts
Stamps:Stampendous
Ink: Distress Inks Ranger, black Versafine

Tools:  circle punch EKS

Other: Post-Its, PC, ribbon Buttinette

du bist mein Liebster blog award (danke Barb M!)

First, apologies.  I get fifteen marks for being tardy.  But better late than never, oder?

The lovely Barb M. over at Kinsale Creations caught me completely off guard when she awarded me the Liebster award a few weeks back.  I'd just entered blogland and actually on that very day in a momentary lapse of reason I'd managed to delete all the wonderful comments I had received on my cards!  Talk about not deserving an award!  Anyway, you probably know all about Liebster by now, but here's the rundown:

'Liebster' is German for 'dearest'. The award is a 'share-the-love' arrangement, given to inspirational bloggers with less than 200 followers (based on Google followers).

Here's the to-do list of any Liebster award recipient:
1) Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you
2) Reveal your five blogger picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog
3) Copy and paste the award on your blog (see above)
4) Hope that those you award forward it to their favorite bloggers

So I hope you have a couple minutes to check out these blogs which I find inspirational.

First off, Barb.  A kind and lovely lady who wears work boots and climbs telephone poles.  But can she rock alcohol inks,  check this.  And seam binding, check this.  And she's designing for Alley Way Stamps these days.

So there's Gingham Girl, Kelly S.  Now you've basically got me at gingham (or polka dots), but Kelly has a knack for combining papers and stamps with the cleverest little tricks.  So much to learn from her.  Here she is, rocking gingham.  And beware... looking at this beauty (notice the pearls) may find you spending your money on Waltzingmouse stamps.  I totally enjoyed Kelly's work on the WMS DT.

And Robin F. over at Bosenberries.  She's rocked various challenges.   And she has freebie digis.   I love this simply stamped card, the detail (spray, heart) the ribbon.  And I'm a sucker for folklorica.  Check this and this.  And I see that Robin is selling some amazing items from her stash.  Have a look.  Plus she's an expat too :)

Do you know Deb at My Craftroom Creations.  Talk about a soft touch.  I was drawn to her work through this card from PDCC - perfect design and color.  And check this handmade flower mixed with the different patterns and textures.  She also sews for her little ones - gorgeous, fun outfits.

And then there's Susie, She Loves to make Art.  First saw her work with this card - another soft touch.  And how about this vintage feel that doesn't need a box to mail it.  I can learn a lot from Susie about design and placement of elements.

And then there were more.  That's the name of Kerry's blog.  Stumbled upon her work playing over at Moxie Fab, I love this.  If you're looking for genius, check this.  And there's plenty of other inspiration too.  Check the Dude Soap.

So many blogs, so little time.  Hope you find something new and fun from these ladies.  And thanks again Barb!




 

it ain't easy using green

Challenges are supposed to be challenging, right?  That's the beauty of  'em.  Hadn't played over at Less is More for awhile, and #62,  this week's theme almost made me sit out another week.  Use three shades of green on a card.  Green!

I chickened out after running fifty different inking possibilities through my head.  Came up with this.

Decided to make a nest (embroidery floss) on a branch (used a stylus to create a branch) and put a bunny in it rather than a bird.  I do love how the greens (3 of 'em) are the only pop of color.  I don't  really like how the branch turned out.

Created my own sentiment for the inside - "some bunny loves you".  Not very original, but punny.

I'm also linking up to Runway Inspired Challenge #9.


As cool as the dress is - it just screamed "green and white" to me.   Which basically scared me away.  Love how the DT used the stripes/ angles, but didn't want to copy that.  Decided the lines of bunny's egg coupled with the fibre of the nest qualified me :)

Thanks for looking.

Supplies some bunny:
Paper: CS American Crafts

Stamps: Impression Obsession

Ink: black Versafine

Tools: stylus

Other: embroidery floss, Glossy Accents

innovative stripes (distress inking)

The new monthly contest at Hero Arts:



Wanted to use the bottom left sketch but not just strips of CS or PP.  I swear it was one of those lightbulb moments and I had my idea for the stripes.


 Combined several of my fave techniques.  Heat embossing.  Distress Inking.  Stamping with markers.  And of course the great quality Hero Arts Stamps.  Such fun.

TIP:  To minimize alignment problems, rather than stamping the one "inchie" image four times horizontally, I lined up the four stamps vertically as I wanted them on the card.  Then pressed my acrylic block onto them.  Stamped the outside vertical rows, then the inside ones.

Heat embossed with clear powder.  Used two strips of scratch paper to mask the stripes and applied Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, Pumice Stone and Antique Linen Distress Inks.  Rounded top corner.  Card base done.

I colored the wildflower stamp with markers, spritzed a couple times with water and stamped onto Neenah CS.  Made three images to be able to punch various sections.  Knew I wanted to group the circles rather than use just one.  Played around until I got the combination of images I wanted.  Popped them up at various heights using foam dots.

Here's a second card I made:

This wildflower image is less watercolor-y than the first.  I just love the artsy feeling that comes with playing with this technique.  Each result is different.  You even get more bang for your buck when you spritz again after stamping once.  Taking liberties with the sketch, I chose to place my sentiment on the inside along with a second generation image.

And even dressed up the envelope a bit.

I'm joining the ladies over at the new A Blog Named Hero for their challenge to use some Hero Arts favorites.  I do love this stamp for its versatility.  Used it here.  And here.

Thanks for looking.

Supplies Thinking of You:
Paper: Neenah

Stamps: Hero Arts CL 266 and K4880
Ink: markers, Distress Inks Ranger

Tools:  corner rounder and circle EKS
Other: clear embossing powder, Mini Mister, foam dots

a very bunny day (tags)

How old were you when your parents stopped hiding an Easter basket for you?  I'm not gonna admit how old I was.  DS and DD still expect the same from me.  Happy to appease :)

The new colors from the Play Date Cafe are gorgeous.  The damask patterns in the old window and the pearlescent buttons caught my eye.


So this is what I came up with for DS' Easter basket.

Die cut chipboard and PP.  Stamped sentiment on printed PP.  Stitched PP to chipboard.  Printed image and added a bit of color with colored pencils, then punched.  Die cut PP to make flower.  Layered flowers, using bone folder to curl some petals.  Added button and twine and attached to tag.  Attached image with foam dots.  Made tag hanger using recycled raffia.

Changed out the color scheme and made this one for DD.  Kinda made me feel like Michelle Wooderson.  Kinda.

Ain't got too many of those "light and dainty" genes in me.  But the images and papers from a site I just discovered   (Pink Petticoat)  certainly made me want to try.  It's all digital, which is new to me.  I've got the wrong printer and paper but I gave it a go nonetheless.  And I'm excited about the result.  Maybe these products will help me channel my Michelle (and Melissa and Betsy).  Ha!

Thanks for viewing.  Have a joyful Easter.

Supplies a very bunny day:

Paper: chipboard stash, PP  Pink Petticoat
Stamps: digi Pink Petticoat, sentiment TPC Studio

Ink: pigment Cat's Eye, Tea Dye Distress Ink

Tools: oval die Spellbinders, flower die Sizzix, circle punch EKS

Other: colored pencils, button Sew Sweet, embroidery floss, sewing machine, raffia, foam dots