a rose is a rose (distress inking)

I'm on a roll.  And it's all about a rose.  And a set of cards for my neighbor for her birthday.

I used sketch #13 from Retro Sketches for my first card.  Love this sketch and some great DT work with it too.  You should have a look.



And although I decided to make all the cards different, I opted to go with one image from my new The Craft's Meow, Beautiful Spring.  Let me tell you, I LOVE IT.  Here's #1.

Heat embossed the rose on Neenah CS.  Inked it up with Adirondack and Distress Inks - a la the rose "Gloria Dei".  Cut it out.  Stamped the leaf onto green scrap , cut out and toned it down by applying a bit of Distress Peeled Paint.  Cut a piece of white CS and rounded the top using partial die cutting with a circle die.  Punched a hole for the tag.  Dry embossed with woodgrain folder.  Added ribbon scrap.  Adhered a strip of digital PP to card base.  Stamped sentiment and adhered tag with dimensional adhesive.  Did I mention I love it?!?!

It's Anything Goes over at Simon Says Stamp.  I'm comin'.

Happy blooming roses to you.

Supplies glückwunsch:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, CS American Crafts and Basic Grey, Neenah, PP Pink Petticoat

Stamps: The Craft's Meow, sentiment Inkystamp

Ink: Ádirondack and Distress, Versamark

Tools: embossing folder Craft Concepts

Other: embossing powder, ribbon

wine label is also designer paper, isnt it?

Quick post here to join the CASual Friday's challenge for a masculine card using designer paper.
Well, I used a wine label.  It's designed, by someone.  And it's paper.


And it's from our friend Rudolph's winery.  If you ever find yourself in Nierstein in the Rhine River Valley, check out his "Zwitscherstubb" eatery.  

(source: weinstrub.de)

Good food, good wine and great people.  One of those places your always walk out of having made new friends.  Anyho, Rudolph's having a Geburtstag.  A "round one" as they say.  Here's the card I made him.

Since they've finished bottling the 2011, Rudolph gave me some leftover labels.  I knew I had to incorporate one into his card, but how?  DH's T-sirt gave me an idea.  (Another great place to visit on the other side of the pond.   Of course, I'm prejudiced!)   My layout. Sorta.

Began by attaching the label to card base.  Stamped over it with musical notes (Rudolph's one of those guitar-playing barkeeper types).  Smeared some ink around on the card (mistake turned marbling ;)  Used two different sentiment stamps to frame the label and heat embossed "60" in gold to match the gold strip of the label which you can see better in the little photo up top.  Cut a strip of burgundy CS and dry embossed it.  Attached it at the bottom to round out the design.

Hope he likes it.  I'm guessing he may not even notice the label at first - but his wife will ;)

One more photo to share with you.  Was out on my bike and saw these:

Had to go get the camera and snap a few shots.  Weeds they are.  And they only last a day.  But what a blast of happy color they share with us.  Wanted to share them with you.  Especially with Lisa Johnson of Poppy Paperie.  Heard she's having a rough time at present and wanted to wish her well and say thanks for all the inspiration.

Supplies Happ Birthday:

Paper: CS American Crafts

Stamps: BG Prima,   60 We R Memory Keepers, sentiments TPC Studio

Ink:black Versafine ,brown chalk Versamagic

Tools: embossing folder Sizzix

Other: embossing powder Knorr

the post-man (distress inking)

Another episode of inky fingers.  This time inspired by the Postage Challenge over at Moxie Fab as well as the Man-tastic Tuesday Trigger.



Don't ya just love the names of Distress Inks.  Barn Door, Tumbled Glass, Blue Jeans - how real life down-home-goodness are those?  I prepped my white panel by BG stamping with text, distress inking, Glimmer misting and water spattering it BEFORE dry embossing it with the Tim Holtz Postal folder.   Then I ran the Chipped Sapphire over the raised areas to highlight them.

Before attaching the panel to my card base I added a heat embossed scrap of recycled vellum envelope and a scrap of the sticky paper stamps (stamp waste?  as in sequin waste?) come on stamped with my sentiment.  Quite in keeping with the postage theme, eh?  Oh, and a circle punched from some packaging.  A bit of stitching to keep the vellum in place and voila.  Pour tou.

Happy Tuesday.

Supplies friends:

Paper: card base Buttinette, CS Neenah

Stamps: BG CHF,  dots Hero Arts, sentiment Inkadinkado

Ink:black Memento,  Distress Inks Ranger, Glimmer Mist
Tools: embossing folder Sizzix

Other: embossing powder Knorr, Glimmer Mist, paintbrush/water

erwin...forever young (distress inks)

Time for inky fingers again.  Gotta love distress inks.  And Erwin, our neighbor - gymnist in his younger days, loving Opa today - celebrating his 80th.

I like to make these personalized collage cards - and decided to keep two challenges in mind when making this.  Lily Pad's Simon Says challenge wants stars.  And Simon Says Stamp and Show wants something for the boys.  OK.

Heat embossed the sentiment and distress inked the BG.  Stamped and heat embossed the nest, masked and stamped the branch.  Added some leaves and stars.  Added Erwin (photocopy) with an "e" on his chest and gave him a crown.  Even at 80 he's open to English so I went with the sentiments in English.  The 80th is stamped, the other PC generated.  Rounded corners and distressed edges.  Mounted the image on CS and distressed and made it into an oversized tag.  Put in a vellum envelope since I was hand delivering.  Like it when the "artwork" shows through.

Thanks for looking. 

Supplies Erwin!:

Paper: CS Coredinations

Stamps: BG CHF, nest Crafty Secrets, branch Artemio, crown Viva,  star ?, sentiment Making Memories 

Ink:brown chalk Versamagic, brown Memento,  black Versafine, Distress Inks
Tools: corner rounder EKS, eyelet setter

Other: PC

lacy gingham spatter (DIY embellies)

The oh-so-fun challenges at Moxie Fab, Card Creations, Gingham, Spatter Technique and Doilies and Lace have been making cardmaking more enjoyable again.

(And I must admit, also the rules and consequences we established for DS and DD, which definitely take some of the stress out of parenting.  Should you be experiencing similar stress, may I recommend The Total Transformation.  As well as this site.)

Anyho, back to the fun stuff.  See this butterfly? 

She used to be the lacy layer on the bridesmaid dress I wore for BFF's wedding. Twenty five years ago...

The dress got shortened and did a stint in DD's dress-up box.  Now I believe it's up in the attic.  What I cut off I put into my fabric collection.  And when Cath said to use lace I decided to pull it out.

Started by die cutting the butterfly from the lace and then from a piece of turquoise paper to Mod Podge it onto.  Added some glitter while still wet too.  A snip of lace, a button and some button twine and she was ready to flutter off.

Also made a flower from some polka dot fabric and a snippet of white lacy fabric.  Added a scrap of the turquoise lace to the center.  Added some dimension by heating the flower to crinkle a couple layers.  Love to do that.

Dry embossed the leaves onto the front panel.  (Check this video to see how to make your own "embossing folders".)  Added some spatter with shimmery watercolors.  Absolutely not happy with those spatters.  I'd love to know Aga's secret - she is, for me, the queen of spatter.

Stamped my sentiment onto a die cut gingham ric rac and attached with stitching.  Attached the flower and butterfly.  Don't really know what motivated me to add the funky gray artistic strokes around the outside edge, but I did...

This became a birthday card for DD's riding teacher so I gussied up the gift bag to match.

Thanks for looking.  Happy long weekend - it's actually a holiday in Germany too.  Whitsunday.

Supplies Sending Warmest Wishes!:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, CS American Crafts, PP Pink Petticoat
Stamps: sentiment The Craft's Meow, flourish Rubbernecker, "a" Hero Arts
Ink:gray and blue Versacolor
Tools: paintbrush, butterfly die Memory Box, leaf die Sizzix,  circle punch EKS, butterfly punch Martha Stewart, sewing machine, Mod Podge
Other: shimmery watercolors, fabrics

spatter... as in the basement wall

DD celebrates her bday this weekend with a sleepover.  Ten girls.  In her mind, at her age there's no greater way to celebrate!  I'm all for it.

And it gave me cause to spatter the basement wall.  Good thing it was only watercolors!

Yep, this is my entry for the Card Creation Spatter challenge over at the Moxie Fab World.  Love the idea and opted to combine the spatters with a skyline.  Like fireworks.  Had to include the touch of Checker Cab too!  And a few lighted windows in the skyscrapers.  Wonder how long it will be before DD will prefer a shopping trip in NYC to a sleepover.....

Used the colors from The Play Date Cafe challenge #133, cuz hey, fireworks and red, white and blue.  No brainer.  And DD is half American :)



Here's a close-up to share the sparkly light blue, case you missed it.

Thanks for visiting.  Have a great one.

Supplies celebrate!:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, CS American Crafts
Stamps: Artemio, sentiment Inkadinkado
Ink:black Versafine, blue Versacolor

Tools: paintbrush, square punch EKS

Other: watercolors, colored pencils, bling

doily wedding (DIY embellies)

OK, one last silver and white wedding card.  It was actually this card of mine that my friend saw laying on my dining room table which made her ask me to make a wedding card.  Wonder if she'll choose this one?

I'm entering this into the Moxie Fab Doilies and Lace challenge.  Don't really know if the stamp is a doily, but I'm thinkin' it is.

Also hooking up to CASual Fridays current challenge cuz this wouldn't have been possible without my Sizzix die to make the bloom.

Appreciate your visit.

Supplies glückwunsch:

Paper: cardbase Buttinette, copy paper (stamped)
Stamps: flourish Rubbernecker, butterfly Martha Stewart, sentiment Inkystamp
Ink:gray Versacolor, black Memento, Versamark

Tools: flower die Sizzix,

Other: paper flower Prima, brad, embossing powder, colored pencils