Beauty

Welcome

Today's card was inspired by the CAS Challenge over at Splitcoast Stampers.

The challenge was to 'CASE YOURSELF'.

Here is my card I cased:

Snippets: See the Beauty- The Flower Challenge (snippets-karen.blogspot.com)

I think it's a good feeling to look back into your gallery of cards created.  Sometimes it sparks a new idea or helps us to remember an old technique that we want to use again.

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

• I began by looking through my stash of Gel Plate print backgrounds.  *I made this print by applying paint to my brayer and then rolling it over this fun stencil called Busy Gears to pick up the pattern.  Just roll over your stencil once!  I took the brayer and immediately rolled it onto my Gel plate, depositing the painted pattern onto the plate. I repeated that process and then rubbed a piece of heavy cardstock over the print to lift it.  This is what I was left with.
• I placed the dry piece into my Misti and stamped the Long Stem Flowers from Rubbernecker with some black ink and then I used some Ranger black embossing powder to heat emboss.  *by using the black eb powder, it really helps the stamped images to pop especially against the painted bkg.*
• I repeated that process using this new-to-me sentiment I got for Christmas from Impression Obsession.  I then splattered using my black Posca pen.
• I glued the finished panel onto some white cardstock, then onto a matching piece of coloured cardstock, then finally onto a heavy white card base.

Here is the stencil I used:

Discount Code for A Colorful Life Designs

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

 Thanks so much for coming by and taking a look.

Adding my card to these challenges:

Simon Says Wed.- SOMETHING NEW

Shopping Our Stash- WHAT'S NEW

We Love 2 Create- ANYTHING MIXED MEDIA

Supplies

Stamps- Long Stem Flowers (Rubbernecker); To Everything (IO)

Inks- Versafine Clair

Paper- heavy white (Scribes Nook)

Accessories and Tools- Gel Plate; brayer (Speedball); black Posca pen; acrylic paint; 

Busy Gears stencil (A Colorful Life Designs); Ranger black eb powder; heat tool

Unwind

Hello and Welcome.

I've been grateful for the time in my craft space this past week to try and unwind from all that is going on around me in the world.  A lot of unrest and unsettling virus numbers.  

I hope and pray we can all find peace soon...creating is a great way for me to do that!

So here is one of the cards I created. 

I am loving this side fold design, simple and fun to work with.

Here's what I did to create my card.

• I began with a piece of heavy white cardstock and positioned the Circus Harlequin stencil from A Colorful Life Designs over the top. 
• Using my new blending brushes, I inked up the panel using some Speckled Egg and some Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide inks.

Christmas gift from my son!

• When I was happy with the inking, I cut my pieces to make the side fold. ** you can find all the directions about how to make a side fold card HERE **
• Next, I placed the square piece into my Misti and stamped the thistles using some Versafine Clair ink.
• I stamped the sentiment in the top corner, then clear heat embossed it.
• I added some splatters using my black Posca pen, then glued the whole thing together onto my card base.
• A very calm and relaxing card to create.  I hope my choice of flowers portray that too.

Thanks so much for coming by and taking a look.

Discount Code for A Colorful Life Designs

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

Supplies

Stamps- Nature Flowers (Art Journey); Dans la Nature (Carabelle)

Inks- DOX inks; Versafine Clair

Paper- heavy white (Scribes Nook)

Accessories and Tools- Harlequin Stencil (A Colorful Life Designs); Misti (My Sweet Petunia);

Posca pen; Blending Brushes (TE)

 

Reflect

Welcome

I'm calling today's card Reflect.

I think after the year we have had, it's a good time to just stop and think about all we have been through.

When we were in lock-down this summer and I wasn't working, I tried to get out walking.  It gave me a chance to appreciate all the nature around me and reflect on all I was grateful for.  

During my walks, I picked up some grasses and that is how this card came to be using the grasses on my Gel Plate.  I also wanted to try and make a side fold card which was easy to do.

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

• I began with a piece of white cardstock and my Gel Plate.  Using my brayer, I rolled on a few different shades of acrylic paint covering my Gel Plate.  
• I took the grasses I had collected and placed them carefully over the wet paint.  I laid my cardstock over the Gel Plate and rubbed to lift the print. (You can see where the grasses were, it left my paper white creating what is called a 'cyanotype'.  I made another card using this process here.)  I just love the look it gives.
• I decided to create a side-fold card using the print. I will list all the measurements and how to's below this description.  
• After I cut all my pieces, I places the square panel into my Misti and stamped this new-to-me sentiment from Impression Obsession with some black Versafine Clair and used some black embossing powder to help make it pop over the painted bkg.  I also added some black paint splatters with my Posca pen.
• I glued it all together and then added the twine and the black gems.  
• I used my circle punch to cut a small notch in the top and bottom of my card to hold the twine in place.

 

How to Make a Side Fold Card

Main card base:  Cut a piece of cardstock 4 1/4" x 11"

Score @ 5 1/2 and 6 3/4"

Fold the 5 1/2” score as a valley (like a regular card). 

Then fold the 6 3/4” score the opposite direction.

Glue the area between the scoring together.

Card Panels:  The finished size of the panel on the left hand side 

(the part that is glued together) is 4" x 1" 

The main stamped panel is 4" x 4" 

*you will have to adjust the sizes if you are adding a border piece of cardstock to your finished pieces.  My border pieces were 1/4 inch so I adjusted my painted panels to work with that*

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Thanks so much for coming by and taking a look.

Supplies

Stamps- Be Still (IO)

Inks- Versafine Clair; acrylic paint (Dollar Tree)

Paper- heavy white (Scribes Nook); navy cs

Accessories and Tools- Gel Plate; brayer; grasses; black eb powder (Ranger); 

heat tool; black gems; twine; circle punch

It's Snowing- Slimline

 Good Morning

I hope the start of your New Year is going well. 

Meet today's card.  

Just a fun one with lots of detail and of course, one of my favourite snowflake stamps ever. 

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

• I began with a piece of heavy white cardstock and spread some Gesso with a palette knife randomly over the panel.  (like you are buttering a piece of toast) I set that aside to dry completely.
• When dry, I rubbed some Peacock Feathers, Dusty Concord and a bit of Salty Ocean Distress Oxide inks directly onto my non-stick craft mat and sprayed with water to dilute it.  Using my brayer, I picked up the colour and brayered over the Gesso background.
• I then placed the inked piece into my Misti and stamped the Sweater Pattern Maker stamp from Picket Fence Studios using some Faded Jeans Archival ink. Love the look it gave.
• I dried the piece completely, then rubbed all over it with my Anti-static bag.  I stamped the snowflakes from Colorado Stamp with some Versamark ink, then white heat embossed them.
• Next, using my Posca white pen, I splattered to add to the snowy effect.
• I die cut the sentiment from STAMPlorations in white and glued it over the corner of my card panel. I added a white pearl to the center of the main snowflake.
• I mounted the piece onto some dark navy cardstock, then onto a heavy white card base.

Thanks so much for coming by and taking a look.

Adding my card to these challenges:

Challenge Up Your Life- SNOWFLAKES

A Bit More Time to Craft- ANYTHING GOES

The Crafting Challenge- SOMETHING NEW (sweater pattern stamp)

Supplies

Stamps- Warm Wishes Snowflake (Colorado Stamp); Sweater Pattern Maker (Picket Fence)

Inks- Versamark; Distress Oxides; Faded Jeans Archival

Paper- heavy white (Scribes Nook); navy cs

Accessories and Tools- Misti (My Sweet Petunia); white eb powder; heat tool;

brayer; Gesso; Posca pen; die (STAMPlorations)

Let is Snow- Stamping Pals Challenge

Happy New Year!!

Today, I have the pleasure of being the Guest Designer over at the 

Stamping Pals Challenge.

Seems my card was chosen a winner and they have asked me to play along with their colour challenge.

**edited....so sorry, seems like we got our wires crossed when emailing.  I used colours from a previous challenge.**

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

• I began with a piece of heavy white cardstock and placed my Three Rectangle Shadow stencil over the panel.
• I got out some paint colours that were closest to the above colours of the challenge, then using a credit card, I dragged the colours over the rectangles in a random pattern.  I dried in between the paint applications so I wouldn't end up with a bunch of muddy colours.
• With the stencil still in place, I added some black paint lines for interest with more paint and the side of the credit card.  I think it just adds a little more interest.
• I removed the stencil and washed it before the the paint would harden on it.  
• I placed the piece into my Misti and stamped the sentiment from Penny Black.
• Next, I die-cut the snowflake from Simon Says with some heavy white, then glued it over my painted panels. The center of the snowflake is a little star shape when you cut it out, so I used some more of the blue paint to colour it to match the background.  I pop dotted it back into place on the snowflake and added a pink gem to the center.
• I glued the piece onto some blue cardstock, then onto a heavy white card base.

Well I think we are so glad to be moving on from last year.  

Wishing you good health, much happiness and wonderful days ahead.

Thanks so much for coming by and taking a look.

Discount Code for A Colorful Life Designs

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

Supplies

Stamps- Artic Antics (Penny Black)

Inks- Versafine Clair; acrylic paint

Paper- heavy white (Scribes Nook)

Accessories and Tools- Three Rectangle Shadow Stencil (A Colorful Life Designs); 

Misti (My Sweet Petunia); old credit card; Snowflake die (SSS); 

Cuttlebug; pink gem