Natural Beauty- Dream One Layer Card

Hi Friends!

I hope all of you are having a great week so far!  My hubby, Dave is doing better with each passing day as we are getting used to his new “normal”. 

I have been creating over the summer but have not had a chance to post many of the cards to my blog or other galleries (many of you have blogs and know the time that it takes photograph, edit and write up the blog posts). 

With my limited creative time due to taking care of the household chores that my hubby normally handles, etc. :-) I am going to post the cards in the future without the detailed step by step instructions but an overview of how they were created.  If you have any questions on a particular card, and/or technique, please feel free to ask.

I am linking this card to several online challenges- AAA #142 “Along the Edge” with optional twist of “Inspired by a Song” ( I think of the song that has the lyrics “Dream, Dream, Dream” when I see this image), the Simon Says Wednesday “Clean and Simple” Challenge , the Addicted to CAS #166 "One Layer Card" Challenge and the 2 Crafty Critters Crazies  “Anything Goes with Critters”Challenge.

If you have not had a chance to stop by the above challenge sites, I encourage you to do so- gorgeous inspiration from all!

This card is a one-layer card designed with an older Stampin’ Up! stamp set, Natural  Beauty.  

The white cardstock card base was folded in half and I used a scrap piece of paper to create a mask for the border along the right side.  I repeatedly stamped the word image along the edge with Versamark™ Onyx Black ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.   

The little bird was also heat embossed with clear embossing powder and I used several Distress Oxide inks to blend color over the edge (see colors below)  

I finished off the card using a black marker to create a thick line along the border edge (this covered up a bit of the uneven ink and straighten up the edge).

Stamp Sets: Natural Beauty (retired Stampin’ Up!)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black,  Tim Holtz® Distress Oxide- Broken China, Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves, Faber-Castell™ Black Pitt Pen Marker

Cardstock/Designer Paper: Whisper White

Accessories: Embossing Buddy®, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Sponge Dauber

Thanks again for taking the time to visit- hugs and I hope you can stop by again soon!

Comfort and Hope

Hi Friends!

I had fun stamping this weekend and while I had the retired hostess stamp set, Bloom with Hope on my desk from a previous project, I decided to create a One Layer Clean and Simple card for the Addicted To CAS #120 “Florals” Challenge.  While I had the retired hostess stamp set, Bloom with Hope on my desk from a previous project, I decided to create a One Layer Clean and Simple card. 

I will also be linking this card to the Word Art Wednesday #300-#301 “Anything Goes” Challenge. 

I hope you have taken the time to visit each of the challenge sites listed above, and if not, I encourage you to do so- fabulous inspiration from all!

To create this card:

1). Ink the Bloom with Hope images with Versafine™ Onyx Black Ink, stamp onto Whisper White cardstock, apply clear embossing powder and heat with a heat tool. 

2). Using Stampin’ Write Markers- Blushing Bride, Flirty Flamingo and Mint Macaron, watercolor the image and add a watercolor wash behind the sentiment.

3). Ink the Timeless Textures small splatter stamp with the Mint Macaron marker and stamp onto the panel.

4). Trim the panel, mount onto a piece of Flirty Flamingo cardstock, trim again and mount onto a piece of Basic Black cardstock.  Mount the entire panel onto the Extra Thick Whisper White card base.

5). Apply shimmer to the flower petals with Clear Wink of Stella® to finish off the card.

Stamp Sets: Timeless Textures, Bloom with Hope (retired)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black; Clear Wink of Stella®, Stampin’ Write Markers- Blushing Bride, Flirty Flamingo and Mint Macaron

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Flirty Flamingo, Extra Thick Whisper White

Accessories/Tools: Embossing Buddy®, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, AquaPainter™

Thanks again for taking the time to stop by! Hugs and I hope all of you have a blessed week!

Pretty Patches: Apple

Hi Friends!

Today I am sharing a quick Clean and Simple (CAS) card using a retired W9Plus Design Studio Pretty Patches: Apple stamp set.  

I bought this set approx. four years ago and have not had a chance to ink it up that often, so when I saw the code word for  Challenge #119 at Addicted to CAS was “Apples”, I decided to pull out this neglected stamp set and give it some "love".  I really love the sentiments and images in this set and while the apple set is retired, WPlus9 still has a beautiful Pretty Patches: Pumpkin and Pretty Patches: Tree set.  I have the tree set already but now that pumpkin set is on my wish list- lol!!

I am also linking this card to the Addicted to Stamps and More #259 Clean and Simple Challenge and a second entry into the Retro Rubber Challenge Blog #71 “Anything Goes”- the Pretty Patches:Apple stamp set is from 2012.

Again, if you have not had a chance to check out the above challenge sites yet, I hope you will find the time to do so- as always, fabulous inspiration from all!

To create this card:

1). Using the Big Shot™ die cut a banner from a piece of Whisper White cardstock with the My Favorite Things™ (MFT) Jumbo Stitched Fishtail Banner STAX Dies. 

2). Die cut the same Whisper White panel (step #1) with the MFT Stitched Rectangle STAX Die, mount onto a piece of Basic Black cardstock and trim close to the edge.

3). Mount another piece of Whisper White cardstock onto the Basic Black card front, adhere to the Whisper White card base and add the die cut rectangle (with the cut out banner shape) to the card front.

4). Ink the Pretty Patches: Apple image with Tim Holtz® (TH) Candied Apple Distress Ink, wipe off the stem with a paper towel (or your finger), use a TH Gathered Twigs Distress Marker to color the stem and stamp the image onto the white die cut banner from step #2.  Ink the leave image with TH Mowed Lawn Distress Ink and add to the image and stamp the sentiment with Versafine™ Onyx Black ink below the apple.

5). Die cut a piece of designer paper (I used retired Stampin' Up! Print Poetry DSP) with the MFT Blueprints 20 Die-namics™ banner and trim the length for the topper.  Wrap some pieces of polished hemp twine onto the front and add the twine bow.

6). Mount the stamped apple banner using dimensional foam (a bit offset to allow the black background to show) and add the topper with dimensional foam as well to finish off the card.

Stamp Sets: Pretty Patches: Apple (WPlus9 Design Studio)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black; Tim Holtz® Distress Inks-Candied Apple, Mowed Lawn; Gathered Twigs Distress Marker

Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black; retired Print Poetry DSP Stack (SU!)

Accessories/Tools: Big Shot™, MFT Blueprints 20 Die, MFT Jumbo Stitched Fishtail Banner STAX Dies, Polished Hemp Twine

Thanks again for taking the time to stop by and I hope all of you have a great weekend- hugs!!

One Layer CAS Timeless Classic Thank You

Hi Friends!!

I am still working on organizing my stamping area but decided to take a break to create a One Layer CAS (Clean and Simple) card using the Timeless Classic stamp set along with the large splatter image from the retired Stampin’ Up! Gorgeous Grunge stamp set.  I  had originally purchased the Timeless Classic stamp set from Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps several years ago (it is retired now from SNSS but is still available from Impression Obsession™ t/a I/O Stamps) and have only inked it up once before today :-)

 I thought the vintage truck image would be perfect for the Less Is More #341 “One Layer Vehicles” Challenge as well as The Paper Players #357 Sandy's Color Challenge, the Addicted to CAS #117 “One Layer”Challenge and the Watercooler Wednesday #132 “Masculine Anything Goes”Challenge.

If you have not already had a chance to visit the above challenge sites, I hope you will do so- fabulous examples from their Design Teams as well as in their galleries!

To create this card:

1). Score a 4 ¼” x 11” piece of Stampin’ Up! Naturals White (retired) cardstock in half and stamp the Timeless Classic truck image onto the front of the card using Versafine™ Onyx Black Ink.  Heat set the ink with a heat tool and color using an AquaPainter™ with ink from the Bermuda Bay, Pear Pizzazz and Calypso Coral Classic Ink Pads.  Use a Spectrum Noir™ CB8 Alcohol Marker to add additional color to the truck and the Calypso Coral Stampin’ Write Marker for shadows.

2). Mask the entire truck image and stamp the large splatter image from Gorgeous Grunge with Bermuda Bay and Pear Pizzazz Classic Ink (I did use the AquaPainter™ to blend the ink a bit).

3). Remove the mask and use a Faber-Castell™ Silver Pitt Pen Marker to color the gears, border frame, wheel covers and fender.  Add shimmer to the truck panels with a Spectrum Noir™ Clear Glitter Pen and white highlights to the wheels with an Extra Fine Sharpie® White Paint Pen.

4). Finish off the card by stamping the sentiment from Timeless Classic with Versafine™ Onyx Black Ink and adding a few drops to the center of the gears using Nuvo™ Gloss Black Crystal Drops.

Stamp Sets: Timeless Classic (I/O Stamps), Gorgeous Grunge (retired Stampin’ Up!)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black; SU! Classic Ink- Bermuda Bay, Pear Pizzazz, Calypso Coral; Stampin’ Write Calypso Coral Marker, Spectrum Noir™ CT8 Alcohol Marker and Clear Glitter Pen, Extra Fine Sharpie® White Paint Pen, Faber-Castell™ Pitt-Pen Silver Marker, Nuvo™ Gloss Black Crystal Drops

Paper: Naturals White 

Accessories/Tools:  AquaPainter™, Masking Paper

Thanks again for stopping by- hugs and I hope all of you have a wonderful week!

Espresso My Thanks

Hi Again Friends!

I am having fun designing cards this weekend and decided to play around with the Pick Me Up Clear Stamp Set (with the coordinating Pick Me Up Dies available as a bundle) along with the Grunge Elements 2 Clear Stamp Set from Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps.

I decided to incorporate the CAS(E) This Sketch #195 Sketch Challenge along with the CASOLOGY #220 Coffee Theme Challenge, Addicted to CAS #99 “Coffee” Challenge and the Alphabet “Q for Quick and Simple” Challenge.

I hope you will find the time to visit us at the Sweet ‘n Sassy Blog as well as visit the other challenge blogs- fabulous inspiration from all!

To create this card:

On your craft mat, apply distress inks (I used Vintage Photo, Tea Dye and Rusty Hinge), spritzed lightly with water to blend a bit and pressed a piece of white cardstock into the ink at the top of the panel.

Dry the panel with the heat tool and stamp the SNSS Grunge Elements 2 Clear Stamp Set images with distress ink to mimic the coffee stains and splatter.

Ink the sentiment from SNSS Pick MeUp Clear Stamp Set with espresso distress ink and stamp onto the panel.

Trim the background panel, adhere to espresso cardstock before mounting onto the white card base.

Ink the coffee mug and steam images from SNSS Pick Me Up Clear Stamp Set with espresso distress ink and stamp onto white cardstock.

Die cut the images with the coordinating SNSS Pick Me Up Dies, also die cutting the SNSS Pick Me Up heart die from rose cardstock.

Layer the heart and steam dies onto the coffee mug, use a clear glitter pen to add shimmer to the heart and steam and mount the coffee mug onto the card front with dimensional foam to finish off the card.

Quick and easy!  Note to self- this would be a fun card to create multiples to give as a gift...Christmas is only a few months away!!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by- you are all such an encouragement to me.  Hugs and have a blessed week, my friends!