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Challenge: Anything Goes - Again!

8/30/2017

I was playing around with some Simon Says Stamps products and decided this would also be a possible entry to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge for August 30, 2017: Anything Goes.

I wanted to experiment with layered flowers, something I have mixed results with, and was too lazy to mask or to fussy cut. I just used my MISTI, four colors of Altenew Crisp Dye Inks, and a blending tool to create this simple card.

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Simon Says Stamp "Layered Flowers" (in conjunction with Altenew - SSS101581) and "Jumbo Stripes" (SSS101553)
Inks: Altenew Crisp Dye Inks "Bamboo" (from the "Tropical Forest" set); "Deep Iris", "Lavender Fields" ad "Soft Lilac" (from the "Shades of Purple set)
Papers: Paper Reflections card "white"

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Challenge: Anything Goes (with a Hero Arts focus)

8/30/2017

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The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge for August 30, 2017 is "Anything Goes" and this week they are showcasing Hero Arts Products.

Since I had recently received the My Monthly Hero set for August from Hero Arts, I decided to play with that and use some of their inspiration cards as a starting point.

I spritzed a pre-folded white card with the two shimmer sprays that came in the set and stamped a number of starry stamps from the set in Versamark, heat-embossing them in silver:

I die-cut some stars (also from the set) from a scrap of silver card, added them to the background, and stamped a sentiment in Archival "Cobalt" to complete the card:

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Hero Arts' "My Monthly Hero, August 2017"
Dies: Hero Arts' "My Monthly Hero, August 2017"
Inks: Shimmer Sprays "Metallic Blueberry" and "Gold"; Archival "Cobalt"
Embossing Powders: WOW!# Metallic Silver Super Fine (WC05SF)
Papers: Paper reflection card "white"; scrap of textured silver card
Adhesives: Distress Collage Medium Matte

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Challenge: A Little Rusty

8/30/2017

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Frilly & Funky Challenge Board on August 30, 2017 thinks we might be "A Little Rusty" after the summer. In other words, they want us to "break out a rusty color palette in preparation for fall. ... [take the ] challenge literally and use rusted metal a faux rust technique, or just "use" the color...."

I decided to go back to a technique Tim Holtz taught way back in Creative Chemistry 101: Rusted Enamel! I started with a cut of Distress Mixed Media Heavystaock, and applied "Hickory Smoke" Distress Ink, Versamark; Ranger's super fine clear embossing powder, and "Vintage Photo" Distress Ink in the order Tim showed in his technique to get this background:

My next step was to use the BIGZ "Pipeline" die and cut pie sections and accessories from metallic copper card, steel grey metallic card, and a scrap of pale blue card. I distressed the joints of selected pipes with Stamping' Up! "Vintage Verdigris" embossing powder (Since verdigris is what aging copper looks like when it oxidizes, I'm calling it another form of "rust") and assembled the piping on my "rusty" background (These copper pipes are well on their way to springing a leak!):

I mounted this card front on a pre-folded white card and added a sentiment banner in light grey with blended "Hickory Smoke" edges:

I'm also submitting this card to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge for August 30, 2017: Anything Goes.

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Stampers Anonymous "Going Somewhere" (CMS090)
Inks: Archival "Jet Black"; Distress Ink "Hickory Smoke" and "Vintage Photo"; Versamark
Dies: Sizzix BIGZ "Pipeliine" (661812)
Embossing Powders: Ranger Superfine "clear" and Stamping' Up! "Vintage Verdigris"
Papers: Paper Reflections "white" pre-folded card; Distress Mixed Media Heavystock (TDA53842); scraps of copper, steel, pale blue and very pale grey card
Adhesives: ScorTape; Distress Collage Medium Matte

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Challenge: School/Study

8/28/2017

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The August 28, 2017 challenge from the Simon Says Stamp Monday design team is to make something reflecting school or studying. Having just finished one such card (and stuggleded with that one), I was at a loss for a while and actually considered not entering. But I persevered!

I was on a Three R's roll: reading (books), writing (penmanship) and 'rithmetic (numbers) were the inspiration for my background:

I stamped and heat-embossed a message on velum:

added an open book in gold:

and edged the velum with a gold marker:

This could be an encouragement to someone who is contemplating returning to school after an extended hiatus...

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Stampers Anonymous "Mercantile" (CMS189) and "Going Somewhere" (CMS090); Avery Elle "This Book" (ST-15-04); and Karen Foster Snap-Stamps "Mini-Formal" (00377)
Inks: Archival "Jet Black" and "Shadow Grey"; Versamark; Snowman Extra Fine Point gold marker
Embossing Powders: Hampton Arts "gold"
Dies: Avery Elle "This Book" (D-15-04)
Papers: Paper Reflections card in "white"; scrap of frosted velum and gold metallic paper
Embellishments: Idea-ology "Chit Chat" (TH92998)
Adhesives: ScorTape

Also entered in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge for August 23, 2017: Back to School

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Challenge: Sketch Challenge #4

8/26/2017

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The Altenew Scrapbooking blog has a sketch challenge up for August. Now, for this particular blog, the primary audience is scrapbook enthusiasts, one of which I am NOT. But sketches intrigue me and I wanted to try to take this sketch and palette:

and see if I could make a greeting card from it. So...

I took a 5" x 7" white pre-folded card and cut it down to 5" x 5".

I cut a circle from a scrap of lime green card using a stitched die after I had stamped an image in Archival "Jet Black" (which will pass for my "photo".

I die cut a greeting from a scrap of black card, previously run through my Xyron 500 sticker maker.

I attached circle and greeting to the card base and, using my MISTI, some Altenew stamp sets, and Distress Oxides in some of the palette colors and stamped around the circle motif:

I now have a card in my stash which I can send to some of our Saudi Arabian friends at the next Eid!

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Altenew "Eid Al Adha", "Eid Greetings" and "Ramadan Greetings"
Dies: Altenew "Eid Mubarak" and Sizzix Thinlits "Stitched Circles" (662229)
Inks" Archival "Jet Black", Distress Oxides "Worn Lipstick", "Wild Honey" and "Antique Linen"
Papers: Paper Reflections card "white" (GrC02116); scraps of lime green and black card
Adhesives: ScorTape; Byron 500 sticker maker

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An unboxing of goodies...

8/25/2017

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Happy mail! we all love to get it! and it's especially happy when it's class kits from an instructor I really respect and admire who is NEVER in my neck of the woods.

Annette Green had some "extra" kits from some of her classes this past summer and she put them up for sale on ETSY! I snagged two: Olde Curiosity Shoppe Chunky Album and Matchbook Box and Portrait of a Lady Feminine Album with Interactive Pages, and they arrived yesterday! Woo Hoo!

I can't wait to break open the packets and get started on one or both of these albums!

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Challenge: Back To School

8/24/2017

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The Simon Says Stamp Wednesday design team wants "Back To School" projects this week (August 23, 2017).

I thought about this for a couple of days, especially since I don't have anyone in my family going back to school, no matter the level. But I thought I could make a card that could be used for that purpose, or for any other purpose where someone was heading out into the world to make their way... I started with a background using a stencil and some Stampingbella and Altenew stamps, some Inktense coloring (with a blending pen) and a little embossing powder:

Next up was a fussy-cut "world", using an Altenew stamp and Distress Oxides in my MISTI:

and a fussy-cut stack of books colored with Distress Markers:

Before final assembly, I inked a sentiment from Altenew over the background:

I used ScorTape and foam dots to attach the "world" and the books...

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Altenew "Big World"; Stamping Bella "Marking Tools (Large" (dd414); Tailored Expressions "In Other Eords - Read" (TEMS75)
Stencils: Stampers Anonymous Layering Stencil "Schoolhouse" (THS011)
Inks: Archival "Shadow Grey and "Jet Black"; Versamark; Distress Oxides "Salty Ocean", "Peeled Paint" and "Walnut Stain"; Distress Markers "Barn Door", "Tumbled Glass", "Shabby Shutters", "Bundled Sage", "Story Sky", "Pine Needles", "Old Paper" and "Scattered Straw"; Intense Pencils "Apple Green" (114), "Sun Yellow" (0200), "Ik Black" (2000), and "Madder Brown" (1920); Snowman Gold Extra Fine Tip Marker
Embossing Powders: WOW! "Metallic Platinum Regular" (WC06R)
Papers: Paper Reflections white card; scarps of white card stock
Adhesives: ScorTape; eK Tools 3 D foam dots

Also entered in the Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday Challenge for August and September, 2017: favorite stamps

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Challenge: Sing

8/23/2017

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Themorethanwordschallenge.blogspot.com.au/2017/08/august-2017-mini-challenge-sing.html mini-challenge for August 2017 over at More Than Words is to incorporate the word “Sing” in a small project like a card, tag or ATC. For this challenge, I opted for a set of ATCs where I used up some of my “‘tovers”!

I started with the tags I created using a background tutorial and which I first posted yesterday:

I trimmed these tags to fit on ATC-sized scraps of coordinating colored card stock, stamped a musical background, added a phrase (from the Carpenters’ song “Sing” ) to each, and embellished each with color-coordinated Prima flowers:

Products used in the making of these ATCs were:

Stamps: Stampendous “Music” (DCR105)
Inks: Dylusions Sprays “Crushed Grape”, “Bubblegum Pink” and “Vibrant Turquoise”; Distress Marker “Picked Raspberry”; Archival “Jet Black”
Papers: Paper Studio white tags; scraps of pink and blue cardstock; printer paper
Embellishments: Prima Flowers “”Salvage District” (586461) and “”St. Tropez - Oceane” (596514)
Adhesives: ScorTape; Ranger Collage Glue stick;. Distress Collage Medium

I'm also entering these ATCs in the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge for August 21: Artist Trading Card (ATC).

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A Month of "Just Playin' Around" !

8/19/2017

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For the past month, I have been playing around with techniques that I have seen online and in magazines. I'm going to show the results in chronological order, complete with product lists but I leave it to my readers to search out the magazine or to follow the links to the technique site for details on the technique itself.

On July 17, I Read an article by Robin Arnold in the Autumn 2017 issue of Cardmaker (Vol 13, #3, "Kaleidoscope of Color", pp 50 - 1)). It was a background technique using Ken Oliver Color Burst powders. I made two series of backgrounds, one in blues and greens and the other in reds and oranges:

Products used in the making of these backgrounds were watercolor paper and Ken Oliver Color Bursts "“Pthalo Green”, “Ultramarine Blue”, “Terre Verde” - and - “Alizaron Crimson”, “Orange”, “Burnt Orange”, “Yellow Ochre” and “Lemon Yellow”.

On the 23rd of the same month, in the same magazine,I read an article by Isha Gupta ("Thanks", pp. 18 - 19) to create backgrounds for two different Than You cards and which also used Color Burst pigments. I made one background using reds and oranges and another using blue:

Products used in making these backgrounds on watercolor paper were Ken Oliver Color Bursts “Lemon Yellow”, “Alizaron Crimson”, “Orange” - and - “Ultramarine Blue”.

On the same day, in the same magazine, I tried using Lindy's Gang Magicals according to a technique described by Penny Ward ("Botanical Duo", pp. 52, 64) were she was making backgrounds for two different botanical-themed cards:

Products used on watercolor paper for this background were Lindy's Gang Magicals “Lederhosen Laurel”, “Octoberfest Orange” and “Guten Tag Teal".

On July 24 and 25, I tried a technique described by Dina Kowal at SplitCoastStampers: Watercolor Imprint:

My first attempt, the one in red, worked but not spectacularly (I don't think my paper was wet enough) but I came back the next day and did the second (in blue), which came out perfectly and even the mono print made from the inky stencil worked out nicely. Products used in making these backgrounds on Neena Solar Whtie card were, for the red,

Distress Oxides “Worn Lipstick” and Fired Brick”
Stencil: Stampers Anonymous layering stencil “Flourish” (THS032)

and for the blue:

Distress Oxides” Broken China”, “Salty Ocean” and “Faded Jeans”
Stencils: Stampers Anonymous layering stencil “Splash” (THS080)

On July 26, I tried another SplitCoastStamper tutorial, this one by Jessica Waisanen, called Ink Spritzer Backgrounds:

Products used in making these backgrounds on Neena Solar White card (a first and second generation version) and some white Paper Studio tags (for mopping up what was left on the craft sheet) were Dyan Reavley's Dylusion Sprays “Crushed Grape”, “Bubblegum Pink”, and “Vibrant Turquoise”.

And finally, today, another SplitCoastStampers tutorial, this one by Robin Tharaldson for a Vertical Step Card. For this one, I used preprinted paper/lightweight card and, instead of making the step card a stand-alone, I adhered it to the front of a pre-folded notecard.

Products used in the making of this card were:

Stamps: Sally Mountain freebie from Quick Cards Magazine
Inks: Archival "Jet Black" and Snowman Extra Fine Point mMarker in gold
Papers: Golden Oaks Papers card pre-pack in "sparkle-silver" (P-1053); trimmed to fit; Scrapperdashery "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (SC-2991); and a scrap of frosted velum
Adhesives: ScorTaper; Ranger Collage Glue Stick.

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Challenge: Cityscapes Promotion entry 3, #sharewithsizzix

8/18/2017

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My third entry in a promotion by Sizzix of Tim Holtz dies - this time the cityscapes series. We can use any or all of the die sets (Cityscapes Commute, Cityscapes Metropolis, Cityscapes Skyline, and Cityscapes Suburbia). For this entry, I elected to go with Cityscapes Metropolis again, but I altered the buildings by cutting them into pieces for my Art Deco-style "Travel Poster! (No more winter!)

I started with a background: Distress Oxides for the sky and sea and scraps of brown with touches of Distress Oxides for the land. I used a Spellbinders curved border die to cut part of the land and adhered the town card pieces to the sky/sea background:

I die cut the Metropolis buildings and trims from four different colors of scrap card, adhered trim and cut buildings into pieces before arranging them on the landscape and gluing them down. Once the glue dried, I added "shadows/shaping" using Distress Marker Pumice Stone, and landscape and sea detail using Distress Markers Pumice Stone and Salty Ocean and a blending pen (the water in the blending pen activated the Distress Oxides to provide some texture):

The sentiment was a pair of words from the "adventure" die set on white card previously run through my Xyron sticker maker. The card was then attached to a pre-folded white greeting card blank:

Products used in the making of this card were:

Dies: Sizzix Thinlits "Cityscapes - Metropolis" (661804) and "adventure" (660224); Spellbinders Card Creator "Curved Borders Two"
Inks: Distress Oxides "Peeled Paint", "Walnut Stain", "Broken China", "Salty Ocean", "Fossilized Amber"; Distress Markers "Pumice Stone" and "Salty Ocean"
Papers: Paper Reflections "Create Your Own" card in white; scraps of Neena "white", dark brown, rust, and deep blue card; scrap of kraft paper
Adhesives: ScorTape; Ranger Collage Glue Stick; Xyron 500 sticker maker

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