Give Thanks

Welcome

Our Canadian Thanksgiving is coming up next weekend, so I was feeling inspired to create some cards.

I was even more inspired after watching one of Vicki Boutin's Friday Night Lives where she did some inking using a sheet of acetate.  

* I call it acetate inking and you can find more examples of this on my blog using the search button *

So, here's what I did to create my card.

• Like I mentioned above, I watched Vicki's live and wanted to make some Thanksgiving cards using some colours inspired by Fall.  Vicki calls her technique 'kissing' and it is very easy to do.
• I cut a piece of white cardstock, got out a sheet of acetate and my Distress inks. The colours I used were:  Mustard Seed, Ripe Persimmon, Barn Door, Peeled Paint and Rusty Hinge.
• I rubbed each colour, one at a time onto the sheet of acetate, sprayed it with a good amount of water and pressed and dragged it over my cardstock.  I dried each layer and I wiped off the acetate between each inking until the cardstock was covered with colour.
• I splattered with my black Posca pen to grunge it up a bit more.

Here is what it looked like:

• After the panel was totally dry, I die cut the leaves and the letters from the sheet.
• I pulled out a piece of brown cardstock and embossed it using a folder from Carabelle to add interest.  I glued that onto an A2 size card base.
• I glued the leaves in the top corner, adding some pop dots just under the tips of leaves to raise them up.
• I glued the 'thanks' letters cut from the same inked sheet, just under the leaves.
• To finish my card off, I tied a small piece of twine around the stems of the leaves.

Thanks so much for coming by and taking a look.

Adding my card to these challenges:

Shopping Our Stash- Leaf Me Alone

Simon Says- ANYTHING GOES

Supplies

Stamps- none

Inks- Distress 

Paper- heavy white- Scribes Nook, Waterloo, Ont.; brown

Accessories and Tools- Leaf Fragments (TH); Thanks (MFT); 

Texte Grunge eb folder (Carabelle); sheet of acetate; black Posca pen

Flowers for a Friend

Welcome

Meet today's card.

So glad to be using some of the Gel Plate prints I made....you know the ones that didn't quite work out the way you had planned.  

They work so well for die-cutting.

So here's what I did to create my card.

• I began by cutting the front panel from some white cardstock and embossed it using a folder from Sizzix.
• I glued that onto an A2 card base and set it aside.
• Next, using one of my 'not so good' Gel Plate prints, I die cut the flowers using Brushstrokes 1 & 2 die from Tim Holtz.  I stacked them together in order and glued them all down over the white card base.
• Using some matching cardstock, I cut out the leaves with dies from the same sets and glued them behind the flowers.
• I stamped the sentiment onto another small piece of cardstock with some black Versafine and pop dotted it over the embossed background near the top.

Thanks for taking a look.

Supplies

Stamps- Everyday Sentiments (YNS)

Inks- Versafine Clair black

Paper- heavy white (Scribes Nook- Waterloo, Ont.)

Accessories and Tools- Brushstrokes 1&2 (TH); Spellbinder Platinum machine; 

Monochromatic Christmas

Welcome

Another holiday card coming your way inspired by one of the challenges over at Splitcoast Stampers.

The challenge was to use only ONE piece of cardstock, any colour.

I went for this navy piece I had in my stash.

So here's what I did to create my card.

• Like I mentioned above, I got out one piece of navy cardstock.  I cut and scored one piece to make a A2 size card.  
• Using the other  piece of that cardstock, I embossed it with the Lumber 3D Embossing folder (Tim Holtz). I rubbed over it with my Versamark ink pad and added some clear embossing to add interest.
• Next, I took the embossed panel and die-cut it using the Nordic Winter die and set all the pieces aside.
• I glued the die-cut/embossed piece onto the card base I had made from the navy cardstock and pop dotted a few of the elements I had die cut from the panel back in place.  It gave a lot more interest and added dimension to my card front.
• I stamped the sentiment on a small leftover piece of the navy cardstock with Versamark and then white heat embossed it.  I pop dotted that over the background.  
• This turned out to be a fun challenge....so fun to see how we can challenge ourselves to try something different.

Thanks so much for coming by and taking a look.

Adding my card to these challenges:

Simon Says Wed.- ANYTHING GOES

Just Add Ink- STARTS WITH 'N'  (Nordic die)

My Time to Craft Christmas- EMBOSSING

Supplies

Stamps- Warm Wishes (TE)

Inks- Versamark

Paper- navy cardstock 

Accessories and Tools- Nordic Winter die (TH); Lumber eb folder (TH); Lawn Fawn clear eb powder;

pop dots; heat tool

Christmas in July

 

Welcome

Christmas in July seems to be everywhere of late, so I decided to make a very simple card to get my holiday creating started.  I guess it's never to early to begin!!

This card would be a simple one to recreate especially if you are doing multiples.

I dug into my stash of inked papers and this is what I came up with.  

So here's what I did to create my card.

• I found this piece of inked paper in my stash.  I love the colour blends, it reminded me of a cozy sweater.  I made it while playing with my Gelli Plate.  I always keep extra paper nearby to roll off my brayer when inking the plate and this was one of those roll off sheets.  Like I said in a previous post, use your roll offs for creating backgrounds.  For this one I used my Distress Oxide inks (Broken China, Wilted Violet, Seedless Preserves)
• I took the inked panel and die-cut it using the Nordic Winter die from Tim Holtz.
• I glued that onto a piece of white cardstock, then onto a white card base.
• Using a leftover strip of white cardstock, I stamped the sentiment from Paper Smooches in my Misti and then pop dotted it over the die-cut background.

Thanks so much for coming by and taking a look.

Adding my card to these challenges:

Little Red Wagon- MID WAY TO CHRISTMAS

Shopping Our Stash- CHRISTMAS IN JULY

The Male Room- CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Supplies

Stamps- Holiday Cheer (Paper Smooches)

Inks- Distress Oxides (colours listed above); Versafine Clair

Paper- heavy white (Scribes Nook- Waterloo, Ontario)

Accessories and Tools- Nordic Winter die (TH); Misti (My Sweet Petunia); brayer; 

Spellbinder Platinum die cutting machine; Nuvo glue; pop dots

To My Friend

Good Morning!

Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friend although this year, there is a dark shadow over a day that is normally celebrated.  That makes me sad.

Glad I had time to make a card using this fun and new innovative stencil called Split Fern from A Colorful Life Designs.  It is an interesting stencil with a mask so you can use it as is, or use the mask to add another colour like I did.

So here's what I did to create my card.

• I began by cutting a white card panel and positioned the Split Fern stencil over it. **I got a Make Art Station for stenciling and have found it useful in holding down the stencil.  You can also use some Pixie Spray (a light adhesive designed for use with stencils) to help hold it down too.**
• Using some Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide ink, I inked up the right hand side of the stencil.  When I was happy with the inking, I placed the mask over the green side and added some Peacock Feathers DOX ink to the other side.
• I removed the stencil, then rubbed some Peacock Feathers onto my non-stick craft mat, blended with water and stamped the Faded Text stamp into the wet ink.  It gives a more watercoloured look to the stamping that I love.  I splattered using my white Posca pen all over.  
• I dried the panel completely, then I die-cut the 'Friend' sentiment from the inky panel and set it all aside. **Be sure and keep all the little pieces.  I use a little tray to hold them while I finish the other steps of my card. **
• I cut the 'Friend' out 3 more times on some white cardstock and then glued them all together.  I glued the one cut from the panel on last at the top.
• I glued the inked panel onto a piece of white cardstock and then onto a heavy white card base.  
• I fitted the friend back into the front panel and added back all the little cut away pieces.  Pretty simple to do as long as your die doesn't have too many little cut pieces.
• I added a white enamel dot to the 'i' for the finishing touch.

Thanks so much for coming by and taking a look.

Here is the stencil I used

Split Fern

                                                       Discount Code for A Colorful Life Designs

*Just use the code KarenFan10 to get a discount on stencils and masks.

(affiliate)

Supplies

Stamps- Faded Text (TH)

Inks- Distress Oxides (mentioned above)

Paper- heavy white (Scribes Nook- Waterloo, Ontario)

Accessories and Tools- Make Art Station (Ranger); Split Fern (ACLD); TE Blending Brushes;

Friend die-?; white Posca pen

Happy Thoughts

Good Morning

Sending you lots of Happy Thoughts today.  

Again, I have been going through my stash of backgrounds....that's how this card was born.

So here's what I did to create my card.

• I began making my card by first looking through my stash of inky backgrounds.  I found this green one that I think I had used some Distress Oxide inks to create.  That's guessing though but I think I may have used some Cracked Pistachio and some Peeled Paint??
• I placed the inked piece into the Typewriter Embossing folder and ran it through my Spellbinder machine.  
• I removed the embossed piece from the folder and sanded off the front to reveal the white of the letters.  It is a simple way to add some distressing and a lot of interest too.
• I went back into my stash, looking for another inked background that would go with the green.  I found this one that I think I had played around with trying some marbling?  I die-cut the flowers using the Brushstroke Flowers 1 and assembled them as there are a few different pieces involved.
• I mounted the flowers over the typewriter background, overlapping them a bit with pop dots.
• I stamped the sentiment strip with some black Versafine ink and pop dotted that over the flowers.
• I mounted it onto a heavy white card base.

Thanks so much for coming by and taking a look.

Adding my card to these challenges:

Little Red Wagon- HERS

Simon Says Wed.- FEMININE

Watercolor Wed.- ALL THINGS FEMININE

Supplies

Stamps- Tiny Words (SSS)

Inks- DOX? Versafine Clair

Paper- heavy white (Scribes Nook- Waterloo, Ontario)

Accessories and Tools- Typewriter eb folder (TH); Brushstroke Flowers (TH); pop dots,

sandpaper; Spellbinder Platinum

Typography Birthday

Welcome

Yes....you guess it!!  

Another inked background from my stash became a card today.

This one had some faint stenciling done with embossing powders and my Distress Oxide inks.  

You can see some hints of the stenciling in the background done with a resist technique.

I will do my upmost best to remember what the heck I did since I didn't write on the back of this one!!  I need to get better at doing that.

So here's what I did to create my card.

• Background- Like I said, I will try my best to remember what I did with the layers.  I inked the panel with Broken China and Shaded Lilac Distress Oxide inks.  I laid on the Floral Stencil from Tim Holtz over the inking and pressed on some Versamark ink and then clear heat embossed it to create a resist.  I inked over that with some Dusty Concord DOX ink and rubbed away the ink over the embossing to reveal the flowers.  I splattered with water to lift some of the ink too. I added some stamping with some Salty Ocean DOX ink along the edges with the Reverse Squares from AALL and Create.  At that point, I didn't know what I wanted to do with it, so threw it into the basket where it sat until today.  
• I just recently picked up this embossing folder called Typewriter by TH and if you saw my post from Monday HERE, I decided to emboss and then sand off the top layer of the colour to reveal the letters....love the look!!
• I die cut a circle that I wanted to use for the sentiment and stamped on the sentiment with some Versafine Clair Noir ink using my Misti.  I clear heat embossed that as well to help make it pop.
• I die cut the flowers called Dandelion Posies from some white cardstock and set aside.
• I glued the inked background onto a piece of white cardstock, then onto a heavy white card base, then glued on the flowers and pop dotted the circle greeting over onto the other side. 

Thanks so much for coming by and taking a look.

Adding my card to these challenges:

Simon Says Wed.- ANYTHING GOES

Little Red Wagon- BIRTHDAY

A Bit More Time to Craft- ANYTHING GOES

Supplies

Stamp- Everyday Circle Tags (Avery Elle); Reverse Squares (AALL and Create)

Inks- Versafine Clair; DOX inks; Versamark

Paper- heavy white (Scribes Nook- Waterloo, Ontario)

Accessories and Tools- Typewriter eb folder (TH); Floral stencil (TH); Wow clear eb powder;

heat tool, Misti (My Sweet Petunia); Dandelion Posies (Creative Expressions); 

sandpaper, pop dots, circle die (Spellbinders)

Welcome Spring

Welcome

I had some time on the weekend to play.

I am so looking forward to Spring....blue skies and all coming to life.

I picked out some greens and blues to make this Springtime card.

So here's what I did to create my card.

• I began with a heavy cardstock panel for the front of my card.  I got out some Peacock Feathers,  Cracked Pistachio and some Broken China Distress Oxide inks, then I got out my Dot Circle stencil from A Colorful Life Designs.  I inked over that with some green just in the corners of my card front.
• Next, using the Tic Tack Toe stencil, I rubbed on some green and then some blue mentioned above, in random areas.
• To add more interest to the collage style background, I stamped some script from the Faded Text set by Tim Holtz using the same inks to match the background. 
• I placed the piece into my Misti then stamped the thistles and plants with some Versafine Clair ink.  
• I stamped some of the foliage again along the bottom with some more Peacock Feathers ink to help better ground the images.
• I stamped the sentiment from Avery Elle in my Misti, then glued it all together onto a heavy white card base.

Thanks so much for coming by and taking a look.

Here are the stencils I used:

Discount Code for A Colorful Life Designs

*Just use the code KarenFan10 to get a discount on stencils and masks.

Adding my card to these challenges:

Simon Says Wed.- A BIT OF GREEN

Crazy 4 Challenges- 2 STENCILS OR MORE

Daring Cardmakers- PLANT A FLOWER

Supplies

Stamps- Faded Type (TH), Nature Flowers (Art Journey); Foliage (Old Island Stamp Comp.)  

Everyday Circle Tags(Avery Elle)

Inks- Distress Oxides (listed above); Versafine Clair Noir

Paper- heavy white (Scribes Nook Waterloo, Ontario)

Accessories and Tools- Misti (My Sweet Petunia); Stencils- Dot Circle, Tic Tac Toe (ACLD), 

Blending Brushes (TE)