It has been a couple of days since I did any card making but I am working on another mixed media painting and I have the first couple of layers on it.
Today, however, I have my card for the challenge at UNSCRIPTED SKETCHES. Our sketch this week has oodles of possibilites.
Right now, I am taking an on line course called Doodle Squared and I used a bit of that course for my inspiration for this card.
I divided a piece of white card stock into all different little squarish shapes. In some, I stamped images, some I drew patterns and some I used dimensional paints. Then I coloured all the squares with markers to make a patch work look. All of the stamped images are very old SU stamps which I purchased from a lady who was selling them in bulk for $5. Could not go wrong.
I hope you like the whimsical nature of this card, it was really fun to do. Please visit UNSCRIPTED SKETCHES to see the samples from the other ladies on the team. Believe me - they are awesome!
Happy Stamping.
Hi everyone!!
Our challenge this week at late Nite Stampers was to use paper piercing. And, wouldn't you know, I broke the rules again. I used metal.
I volunteered to help one of my customers out. She is a kindergarten teacher and asked if I could come up with something the children could give their parents to remember the occasion. I decided on luminaries. I used the older basket die (do not remember the name) and light weight sheet metal. I ran the metal through the die, used the included flower as a template and then pierced around it. I also pierced around the basket top. As adhesive, I used sticky strip. Inside I placed battery operated candle flames and that was it. So simple --- but when you need to make a bunch, it is a great answer to the problem. And the youngsters really smiled when they gave them to their moms and dads!
Thanks so much for visiting and enjoy paper piercing!! (or other material).
Good morning!
Today's card is my sample for the challenge at TRY STAMPIN' ON TUESDAY this week.
I had a difficult time with this sketch (yet again, I must be having a block of some sort) but eventually came up with a card - about an hour ago (5:00a.m.).
Part of my problem is that I have very few "square shaped" options for supplies and most have been used lately. So I pulled out the Medallion stamp which I have had forever and went with that. I decided to use only purples on the card so Perfect Plum and Elegant Eggplant were it.
This is a pretty simple card but it was literally all I could come up with. Hopefully I will get over this hump soon.
Please visit TRY STAMPIN' and take a look at the examples from the rest of the team. Who knows, you may want to enter the challenge.
Happy Stamping!
Good afternoon!
I have a card today for the challenge at SKETCH FRENZY FRIDAY. There are some things I love about this card and others not so much. But that is what crafting is all about - learning from your mistakes.
I like the simplicity of this sketch and all the possibilities it has.
And I basically like my card as well. In person, you do not see the shading lines as clearly as you do in the photo (which is so much better than it looks). I did the entire card in green (duh). All the stamping is Old Olive and the paper is pear Pizzaz. In retrospect, I should have shaded in the Pear ink as well.
I used papers from a 6X6" pack and simply ripped them up and glued them on white card stock, sponged the edges and rubbed the seams with my finger to blend. The image is from Lovely As A Tree and the word is from an old set ( do not even know the name). Lastly I attached three little buttons and that is it. Other than drying time, this card was super quick.
Hope you visit http://sketchfrenzyfriday.blogspot.ca/ and possibly give their challenge a try.
Happy Stamping!
Hello everyone!
Lately, I find I am a little unhappy with making regular cards and have been searching for ways to spur on my creativity. I thought doing actual canvases or mixed media backgrounds might help.I have been feverishly watching and studying mixed media videos on youtube and on various art sites for quite a while now and have finally created a painting (I use the term loosely since I used paints, shimmer spritzes, markers, pens, stencils, and stamps.)
Here it is.
I realize it may not be to everyone's tastes and I know I have a lot to learn but I was very excited to be working on this project and I like the result.
Here are closeups of some of the areas. I would be very interested in your thoughts on this canvas and please hang in there while I indulge myself. Thanks so much for visiting and have a great afternoon!
Hi and happy Saturday.
Today I have my sample for the challenge at UNSCRIPTED SKETCHES. I decided to start a 6X6 album about our vacation in Curacao. This page is about the first time I saw Jordan scuba dive- on the first day there, they had to do a shore dive before going out on a dive boat so I was able to get pictures of them going out.
I chose to do the entire page in Marina Mist card stock since it really works with the water. First I used my fish wheel and stamped all over the page with Marina Mist ink to give a subtle (very unusual for me) background. Then I die cut the film strip and inserted pics of Jordan, ToniLyn and Rob and sponged around the edges. I liked the dive flag as an element on the page so that there was one little punch of colour so I punched it out of a photo and mounted it on a marina Mist circle. The main photo is mounted on a square 1/4" bigger than it. All elements were placed on the card, the large one with adhesive tape and the smaller ones with dimensionals. I decided to simply write "Shore Dive" on the page with gel pen since I did not like any other lettering I tried. Lastly, I stamped the date with an old fashioned office stamp.
Now I have to get busy on the rest of the album!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hello again!
Today I have my example for the challenge at Late Nite Stampers. The theme is Add An Insect.
I again decided to work on some mixed media techniques and came up with what I want to call an Art Card.
To create the background, I first chose a few different papers with blue and green patterns and glued them to some white card stock and let it dry. Then I made a wash out of acrylic paints and lightly brushed on first some green and then some blue. Again, let it dry. Next I used some gesso and some items as stencils and randomly stenciled some texture areas. More drying time. Using Stazon, I stamped a few areas to add more texture and then drew circles with a gel pen in a few sections. To complete the background, I sprayed shimmer spritz in green over the entire piece and dabbed it with a piece of tissue paper.
Next I stamped a flower from Fifth Avenue Floral in Versa Mark on blue card stock, embossed it with Wild Wasabi embossing powder and then cut it out. I glued it on the card front. With vellum and Stazon, I stamped the dragonfly from Nature's Nest and then coloured the WRONG side with markers and cut it out. I stuck it on the flower with dimensionals.
Lastly, I stamped the sentiment from an older set (I do not even know the name but it is SU) with Stazon on white card stock, cut it into segments, sponged the edges with Old Olive ink and then glued it on the card. This card, I love and am so excited about.
I hope you enjoyed seeing how I created this card and I also hope you enter our challenge.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
When I finished my card for Try Stampin' this week, I loved the background but was pretty disappointed about the image. I asked for help from anyone who wanted to give it and, with a little help from Penny Wessenauer, this is what I came up with. She suggested glass and colouring it. I used yellow water glass instead (I just happen to do stained glass as well so I have a supply). I backed it in silver foil to bring out the colour of the glass. I stamped it with a tree stamp (which I wanted to use originally) from Lovely As A Tree. Rather than a wide heavy ribbon or banner, I opted for a skinnier, die cut piece so that you can still see most of the background.
(The photo is a bit "fuzzy" but I have a hard time taking pictures of glass and having them come out clear)
Please let me know which one of the cards you like better. I would be interested in knowing.
Thanks for visiting!
It is Tuesday and time for another challenge at TRY STAMPIN' ON TUESDAY
I decided to do another painted background on sticky back canvas.
I applied gesso to the canvas and let it dry. Then I daubed it with acrylics in primary colours and swiped it with an old credit card to spread it all over the surface.
After I mounted the canvas to the card front, I hit a brick wall. What kind of image did I use? I searched but did not have a Stampin' Up tree image (without leaves) other than the Halloween one and I tried to get the owl masked off but to no avail so I opted for this leaf image. I stamped it in blue, green and red using the plaid technique and then mounted it on red card stock. The ribbon piece is a layer of yellow and one of red run through the crimper.
I really love the background but I think I will rework the rest of the card. Stay tuned.
Have a great day!
Good morning! Today I have my entry for the challenge at SKETCH FRENZY FRIDAY this week.
First let me apologize for the quality of the photo but I used an acrylic sheet in the front and it causes a glare.
I am back to mixed media techniques -which I love. But I am still experimenting so please indulge my efforts.
For my background, I used sticky back canvas (which is my new favourite "paper"), acrylic paints, gesso, shimmer spritz, a Stampin' wheel and Stazon ink.
I first spread the canvas with gesso, let it dry and then painted it with a wash of oranges and yellows. After that dried, I covered it all over with the wheel using Stazon. Since I would be using more liquid, I needed for the ink to be permanent. Then I gesso-ed over some areas to mute the design. Next a very transparent layer of wash and then I spritzed it all over with 3 shimmer sprays I made in orange, red and yellow. Let that dry. Then, I lightened up some areas with white acrylic paint.
The front panel is a piece of acrylic packaging which I stamped on the wrong side with Stazon (an SU butterfly stamp a few years old) and then cut out a card stock frame and glued it on. Then I attached it with dimensionals. For the sentiment, I stamped it on card stock and punched it out and attached it to the card before I attached the acrylic panel.
Once again, I was a little bit loose with the sketch but this was the first thing which came to my mind.
Hope you like my card. Please let me know if you grow tired of my attempts at mixed media. I promise I am learning as I go.
Have a great day!!
Hello and welcome to the weekend. Today I have my DT example for the challenge at UNSCRIPTED SKETCHES. Now, this sketch looks pretty simple but not so for me. The reason - my background messed me up. Since there was a piggy back (to use vellum), I knew exactly how I wanted to use the vellum for a background. BIG MISTAKE!! I had watched a video about alcohol inks and vellum and loved it. The problem, this is way too busy a background for most cards (or so I discovered).
I took a sheet of vellum and dropped alcohol inks all over it. I used all bright, dynamic colours. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the result. It is just a bit too strong and busy.
Then, being too stubborn to abandon this vellum piece for something else, I had to figure out what else to do to rein this card in. First, a solid colour layer helps. Then, I needed to tie the colours in, and since this is for a girl, I decided to use pink and purple for my focal colours. I ran the purple piece through the Big Shot with the polka dot embossing folder to create texture. Then, since this is a graduation card, I chose an appropriate image and stamped it in pink. I cut this out rather than leaving it square to add some interest and to compliment the background pattern.
it looked too plain in the foreground so I stamped the sentiment and attached it with dimensionals on the solid layer. Still too plain. Lastly, I used some star buttons, removed the shanks, and then glued them on the front.
I know Amanda will like it.
While doing this card, I learned a couple of things and I am going to pass them on.
First, when using vellum, you have to use white card stock or it distorts the colour. This is not rocket science and I should have known it right off the bat. Duh!!
Second, I let the background overwhelm the rest of the card.I have to learn to get a design in mind before I jump in and then have to agonize a bit. It is supposed to be fun, not an exercise.
Well, I hope you like my graduation card and I also hope that you do not make the same mistakes I do. I make them over and over and seem to be too thick to figure it out.
Thanks for visiting and for joining us at UNSCRIPTED SKETCHES.
Have a great weekend!
Hello everyone!
This week our challenge at Late Nite Stampers is an ABC challenge - Anything But A Card. I decided to do an altered tuna can and turn it into a mini album perfect for dad to put on his desk.
I first painted a washed tuna can with spray paint. You do not have to do this step- you can leave it silver. Then I cut a 1" wide strip of Cherry Cobbler card stock and glued it around the can. I added a 3/4"wide patterned strip around it but you could decorate it however you want.
For the lid, I used a 3"X 6" piece of chip board, covered it with DSP and then scored it at 1/2", 3" and 5 1/2" and then folded it in half. I glued the two sides together leaving the 1/2" tabs folded out and unglued. These I adhered to the can top. To cover the lid, I cut a 3 1/4" circle of DSP and then cut that in half, notched and fiddled and then glued it to the lid over the tabs. Since my lid has a nautical theme, I wrapped rope around the center and glued it with clear glue.Next I stamped the ship, cut it out and then adhered it on to the centre section with dimensionals. Lastly, I used my BigShot and cut a tag shape, stamped it, stamped the anchor on a seperate white scrap and cut it out. I adhered the anchor to the tag with dimensionals and then stuck the tag to the lid.
The tuna can holds a series of tags which I created by cutting 6 Cherry Cobbler circles 3", 12 marina Mist circles 2 3/4", 6 patterned circles 2 1/2" and 6 light grey circles 2 1/2". I stamped journalling lines on the plain circles and sponged the edges in Basic Gray.Then I lightly stamped the anchor in the center of each. On one side of the red circles I layered a Marina Mist and a journalling circle. On the other I layered a Marina Mist and a patterned circle which I had also sponged with Basic Gray. All that was left was to punch holes in each of these and then put them all on a split ring. (I did six but you could do 8 or 10 if you wanted. I would not do any more because you do not want the mini to be too thick with the pictures on it.
This went together very quickly and would make a perfect Father's Day gift if you put the pictures in and a few words on the journalling pages.
Hope you like it!
Celebrate Summer is coming soon! We will be offering 20 projects in 20 days beginning August 15th, 2012. This session our focus will be on cards and card sets. We will also feature methods of displaying pictures. All with a summer theme. Great designers, great projects, chats, challenges and lots of fun.
Sign up at the side.
When I saw the sketch at SKETCH FRENZY FRIDAY this week, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I saw this neat technique on Tim Holtz's blog and had to give it a try - sort of. On his blog, Tim used Distress reinkers and Perfect pearls. I used SU reinkers and shimmer paint.
First I took Kraft card stock and stamped the butterflies using white paint - not ink, paint. Then I made shimmer mists using the reinkers and Shimmer. I sprayed them all over the card and heat dried them, moving them around until I had the desired effect. (The dots on the card are all shimmer in real life.) Next I stamped the largest image from Just Believe on the left hand side using Stazon. Mount it on Regal Rose card stock and the main image is complete. The trim is a gold braid that I took off an old costume. The card base is Kraft. To make the tag, I used a little round die cut. Sponged the edges, stamped part of the main image (using Regal Rose) and then stamped "Thank You" in Stazon. I then used a mini-clothespin to attach it.
I absolutely LOVE this card and the background technique. And I know exactly who I am giving it to.
I hope you find the time to visit SKETCH FRENZY FRIDAY so you can see the samples from the team over there.
Have a great day!
Hi, Saturday means another sketch challenge at Unscripted Sketches, and this week it is a great one.
I decided to try a bit of mixed media on this card. The back ground is acrylic paint which I brushed on to chipboard covered with gesso. (The paints I used were blue, green, red and white) After the paint dried, I stamped the butterflies on it with more gesso (as a stamp pad). Then I spritzed the entire thing with homemade shimmer in Melon Mambo and blue.
To this, I added a blue flourish (which I die cut) and two flowers. The lace at the top is white but I coloured it with the shimmer stritz.To finish it off I attached the pink patterned tag and the butterfly which I crackled and then sponged ink on.
I love experimenting with mixed media techniques and hope to do a bit more in the near future.
Please drop around Unscripted Sketches and see the amazing samples from the rest of the team. You will be happy you did.
Bye for now!!
I had hoped to get to this card sooner but I went to Jordan's track meet today. (He got a first, second and fourth) After it was over, my husband played hooky from work and we had a great afternoon just sitting in the back yard and doing nothing.
Now I finally got around to the sketch at the Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge and, unlike the other challenges lately, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. A while back, I combined another stamp from this very old stamp set and this "jungly" fabric in a project but Mary-Jo's sketch just yelled out to me to use these supplies again.
Here is the result:
The background uses the wax paper technique and the jungle backgrounds are two scraps of fabric glued to black card stock. My card stock colours are Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight. The inks are Black Stazon, Pumpkin Pie, Creamy Caramel and Daffodil Delight (although it is hard to tell from the sponging on the background). The beads and leather thong are both from my stash.
I love the way these patterns go together and I hope you do as well.
The Monday Lunchtime Challenge is a blog hop so I hope you visit all of the entrants' blogs and leave them some love.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hi again!
It looked like rain for awhile so I took the opportunity to make a card for the challenge at SUNNY CHALLENGES AND CREATIONS. It is a sketch challenge and they encouraged us to dig out an older stamp and use it again. I chose not only an older stamp but older paper as well. In fact, I think I got the paper a couple of years ago and had not even used it yet.
This is what I came up with:
Looking back, I probably could have added some flowers around the little houses but other than that, I think this is kind of cute as a "welcome to the neighbourhood" card.
I love the challenges at SUNNY CHALLENGES and am going to try to do them every week.
Thanks for stopping by!
Let me first say that I have agonized over this card for three days. Our challenge this week is a colour challenge - Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight and Wild Wasabi. This is a combination that I would probably never use and so I had a VERY hard time. But I guess that is why it is called a challenge.
I decided to go with a very simple card and really focus on the colours.
I stamped the image using a technique similar to the plaid technique - and I have to say that I like the dreamy soft look that I got. I chose Open Water for my stamp because it has lots of line work and that is what I was looking for. The greeting is from the set with the bicycle - Pedaling Past. Now, I could have stopped there and the card would have been very pretty but, oh no, I had to create some sort of background. So I sponged the three colours on white card stock and then spritzed it with water. Then I mounted it on a white card.
I hope you like this card and that you get a chance to check out the other examples from the design team listed in my sidebar.
Have a great day!
Recently I started doing the challenges at SKETCH FRENZY FRIDAY. The ladies over there come up with some pretty thought provoking sketches and I find that they really make me think a bit differently. This week is no exception.
After some thought, it hit me - this would be perfect as a tag so ( I hope this is ok) that is what I came up with.
I used a photo of a pelican from my trip since my hubbie really liked the pictures of these fine birds that I took. The sentiment is from King of the Grill and the fish are a Stampin' wheel.
I used several shades of blue and sponged them on a white tag. (I have a tag die and it is probably my most used one). Then I spritzed water on it to create the droplet look. I wheeled the fish on the end of the tag. One sweep is perfect. Oh, when I wheeled, I inked it up and then took one pass on a napkin so the Not Quite Navy was not quite so dark. I wanted the fish somewhat transparent.
I mounted the photo on a blue mat and then glued that to a white piece of cardstock. I sponged the edges of this and then stamped the sentiment. Lastly I added the ribbons to the end. Now I have a tag for my husband's Father's Day gift.
I hope you like this tag and that you leave me some comments - or criticisms or suggestions. And please visit SKETCH FRENZY FRIDAY to check it out.
Thanks for stopping by!!
Good Tuesday morning!
It is time for another sketch challenge at TRY STAMPIN' ON TUESDAY. This week, our sketch has so many possibilities but I had the most difficult time putting my vision to paper. I had the brain wave (or mistake) to use book pages for the background. I cut up bits of the page into different sizes and adhered them to crumb cake card stock. Now that I look back, I should have placed the papers on at different angles and I think I would have been happier with the result. But I
did not decide this until it was too late.
I sponged all the edges of the pages with crumb cake ink and I have now figured out that I should have darkened the edges a bit more. Dummy!!!
The rest of the card is OK for me. I used chocolate chip card stock for the band and some leftover red print ( a few years old) for the bottom. The twine is butcher string- the real stuff. The stamp set is Morning Cup.
All in all, I cannot say this is my favourite card but at least I learned some things.
Thanks for stopping.
Here are closeups of some of the areas. I would be very interested in your thoughts on this canvas and please hang in there while I indulge myself. Thanks so much for visiting and have a great afternoon!
Next I stamped a flower from Fifth Avenue Floral in Versa Mark on blue card stock, embossed it with Wild Wasabi embossing powder and then cut it out. I glued it on the card front. With vellum and Stazon, I stamped the dragonfly from Nature's Nest and then coloured the WRONG side with markers and cut it out. I stuck it on the flower with dimensionals.
When I finished my card for Try Stampin' this week, I loved the background but was pretty disappointed about the image. I asked for help from anyone who wanted to give it and, with a little help from Penny Wessenauer, this is what I came up with. She suggested glass and colouring it. I used yellow water glass instead (I just happen to do stained glass as well so I have a supply). I backed it in silver foil to bring out the colour of the glass. I stamped it with a tree stamp (which I wanted to use originally) from Lovely As A Tree. Rather than a wide heavy ribbon or banner, I opted for a skinnier, die cut piece so that you can still see most of the background.
The tuna can holds a series of tags which I created by cutting 6 Cherry Cobbler circles 3", 12 marina Mist circles 2 3/4", 6 patterned circles 2 1/2" and 6 light grey circles 2 1/2". I stamped journalling lines on the plain circles and sponged the edges in Basic Gray.Then I lightly stamped the anchor in the center of each. On one side of the red circles I layered a Marina Mist and a journalling circle. On the other I layered a Marina Mist and a patterned circle which I had also sponged with Basic Gray. All that was left was to punch holes in each of these and then put them all on a split ring. (I did six but you could do 8 or 10 if you wanted. I would not do any more because you do not want the mini to be too thick with the pictures on it.
Now I finally got around to the sketch at the Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge and, unlike the other challenges lately, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. A while back, I combined another stamp from this very old stamp set and this "jungly" fabric in a project but Mary-Jo's sketch just yelled out to me to use these supplies again.
It looked like rain for awhile so I took the opportunity to make a card for the challenge at SUNNY CHALLENGES AND CREATIONS. It is a sketch challenge and they encouraged us to dig out an older stamp and use it again. I chose not only an older stamp but older paper as well. In fact, I think I got the paper a couple of years ago and had not even used it yet.
I stamped the image using a technique similar to the plaid technique - and I have to say that I like the dreamy soft look that I got. I chose Open Water for my stamp because it has lots of line work and that is what I was looking for. The greeting is from the set with the bicycle - Pedaling Past. Now, I could have stopped there and the card would have been very pretty but, oh no, I had to create some sort of background. So I sponged the three colours on white card stock and then spritzed it with water. Then I mounted it on a white card.
It is time for another sketch challenge at TRY STAMPIN' ON TUESDAY. This week, our sketch has so many possibilities but I had the most difficult time putting my vision to paper. I had the brain wave (or mistake) to use book pages for the background. I cut up bits of the page into different sizes and adhered them to crumb cake card stock. Now that I look back, I should have placed the papers on at different angles and I think I would have been happier with the result. But I 
