God Bless the USA!

Hi Friends!

Happy 4^th of July to all of my friends in the USA!  To celebrate Independence Day, I finally had a chance to ink up the new Stamp Simply Old Glory and Patriotic Sentiment stamp sets and use the coordinating Patriotic Stars and Stripes (Old Glory) dies (all from Stamp Simply). 

When I saw this bundled set at the Stamp Simply Ribbon Store site a month or so ago, I just had to purchase it!  I know, I do not need any more stamp sets, but I love all things patriotic and fell in love with both the stamps and dies!

I pulled out the Patriotic Collection 6x6 Paper Pad from Divinity Designs LLC and also included ribbon, lace and silver cord from my stash.

I will be linking this card to the Always Fun Challenge #169 “Patriotic”  along with the Color My Heart Color Dare #401Inspiration Board Challenge (I was inspired by all of the patriotic images, colors along with the woodgrain behind the pinwheels). 

I had stamped the USA image several times with waterproof ink and while watching TV, used watercolor pencils and water-based markers to color.   

Once colored, I used the coordinating die to die cut and also cut a few extra dies from white cardstock (for layering to create more dimension).  I still have a few more of the USA images now in my stash for future cards :-)

The pieces of designer paper from the Patriotic Collection (Divinity Designs LLC) were trimmed and mounted onto red cardstock before adding the crochet lace and ribbon (wrapping the ends of the ribbon behind the panel). 

A bit of silver elastic cording was looped before adhering the sentiment directly to the lower panel. 

The USA image was mounted onto two additional die cuts from white cardstock before adding chipboard and adhering to the card front (over the looped cord).

The card was finished off with a few die cut stars along with rhinestones and the entire panel was mounted onto a white card base.

Stamp Sets: Old Glory, Patriotic Sentiments (Stamp Simply)

Ink/Mediums: Versafine™ Onyx Black, Derwent™ Watercolor Pencils- Reds, Blues, Stampin’ Write Markers- Real Red, Night of Navy

Cardstock/Paper:  Whisper White, Real Red; Patriotic Collection (Divinity Designs LLC)

Accessories: Gemini, Jr.™, Patriotic Stars and Stripes Dies (Stamp Simply), AquaPainter™, Heat Tool, Silver Elastic Cord, 1” Red Satin Ribbon, White Crochet Lace, Rhinestones

Thanks again for taking the time to visit- I hope all of you in the United States have a safe and healthy Independence Day celebration! 

Praying that our country will return to God and that God will continue to bless America!

Happiest of Birthdays to You!

Hi Friends! 

I wanted to share another card that I designed with the Our Daily Bread Designs August 2016 Release Woodpecker stamp set!  

My husband, Dave and I love to watch birds and we often see Red-Bellied Woodpeckers at our feeders so when I saw the Woodpecker stamp set as part of the August ODBD release, I knew that this set would definitely be coming home with me- lol!

I have incorporated the Stampin’ Royalty SR343 “Birthdays” Challenge along with the Splicoaststampers’ SC604 Sketch Challenge  and the Hand Stamped Sentiments HSS#245 Inspiration Challenge into the design.

If you have not already had a chance to visit the above galleries yet, I hope you will do so as well as stop by the Our Daily Bread Designs Blog- fabulous inspiration from all!

To create this card:

Ink the Woodpecker image with water-based markers and cut out with the ODBD Vintage Borders Dies.

Add a bit of glitter to the back of the woodpecker image with a clear glitter pen (hard to see in the photo).

Die cut and emboss a piece of textured soft blue cardstock with the ODBD Layered Lacey Square Dies and emboss piece of the Patriotic Collection 6x6 Paper Pad with the ODBD Boho Backgrounds Die.

Mount the embossed piece of the Patriotic Collection 6x6 Paper onto a piece of black cardstock, trim close to the edge, mount onto a piece of white cardstock (trimming per sketch) and mount onto the black card front.

Layer a piece of 1” black satin ribbon over the card front and adhere the ends behind the panel.

Stamp the sentiment from Woodpecker with archival black ink onto white cardstock, die cut and emboss with the Ornate Ovals Dies.

Trim off one end of ODBD Layered Lacey Square die cut, adhere to the card front and mount the entire panel onto the white card base.

Add the die cut Woodpecker image along with the sentiment with dimensional foam to finish off the card.

I am so thrilled that you visited with me today- hugs and have a blessed week, my friends!

ODBD Woodpecker	ODBd Patriotic Collection	Layered Lacey Squares	Boho Background Die	ODBD Ornate Ovals Dies
ODBD Vintage Borders Dies

My Country 'Tis of Thee

Hi Friends!

Happy Independence Day to all of my friends here in the United States!  I am so thankful that we live in a free country and grateful for all of the men and women who have fought for our freedom.

I wanted to create a patriotic Mixed Media card using the 2016 Artistic Outpost Spring Release Grunge Elements stamp set along with the previously released Hero stamp set and the Our Daily Bread Designs Patriotic 6x6 Paper Collection.

I absolutely love the images in the Hero stamp set for patriotic cards and thought that I would play around with a modified version of the Vintage Watercolor technique (see tutorial here at Splitcoaststampers) to add a bit of shadows and "antiquing":-)

I will be linking this Mixed Media card to the Simon Wednesday “Anything Goes” Challenge, the Word Art Wednesday #236/237 “Anything Goes” Challenge, the Alphabet Challenge “I= Ink it Up” Challenge and the Simon Says Monday "Red, White and/or Blue Challenge".

If you have not had a chance to visit any of the challenge sites, I hope you will find the time to do so- great inspiration by all!

To create this card:

Ink the flag image from Hero using Stampin’ Write markers- Dapper Denim for the stars and Cherry Cobbler for the stripes, “huff” onto the stamp to re-moisten the ink and stamp onto a piece of Whisper White cardstock.

Use a Speedball® Elegant Writer® 2.0 mm Black Pen to draw lines around the image and an AquaPainter™ to watercolor the lines for the Vintage Watercolor technique (see tutorial here at Splitcoaststampers).

Add Ranger® Tim Holtz® Tea Dye Distress Ink with an AquaPainter around the edges of the image to “age” the paper and ink the splatter stamp from Grunge Elements with Ranger® Tim Holtz® Tea Dye Distress Ink to stamp over the image and add additional distressing.

Trim the panel close to the edge and mount onto Dapper Denim cardstock.

You can see a bit of her face (eye) in the upper right hand corner
in the middle of the star :-)

To create the background- ink the female Hero image with Ranger® Tim Holtz® Tea Dye Distress Ink and stamp three times over the trimmed panel of Patriotic 6x6 Paper (ODBD) (stamping across the entire panel with three separate images :-)).

Use the Big Shot™ with a Star Embossing Folder to emboss the stamped background paper, lightly sand the embossing and mount onto a piece of Dapper Denim cardstock, trim and mount onto a piece of Whisper White cardstock.

Add the Beautiful Borders die cut (ODBD) along with the Cherry Cobbler 1” Grosgrain Ribbon and mount the entire panel onto a piece of Cherry Cobbler before adhering to the Dapper Denim card front.

Add the flag panel onto the card front using dimensional foam to finish off the card.

Stamp Sets: Grunge Elements, Hero  (Artistic Outpost)

Ink/Mediums: Stampin’ Write Markers- Dapper Denim, Cherry Cobbler, Ranger® Tim Holtz® Tea Dye Distress Ink, Speedball® Elegant Writer®  2.0MM Black Pen

Paper: Whisper White, Dapper Denim, Cherry Cobbler; Patriotic 6x6 Paper Collection (ODBD)

Accessories: Big Shot™, ODBD Beautiful Border Dies, AquaPainter™, 1” Cherry Cobbler Grosgrain Ribbon (retired), Star Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug™)

Artistic Outpost Hero

Artistic Outpost Grunge Elements

ODBd Patriotic Collection

Thanks again for stopping by- I hope you all have a fabulous week!

Happy 4th of July

Hi Friends!! 

I hope all of you are having a great weekend so far!!  Today it is my turn to highlight a card on the Artistic Outpost blog and I wanted to share this fun Mixed Media card using several Artistic Outpost stamp images (Harvest, Ice Cream Shoppe, Grunge Elements and Hero) along with the Patriotic 6x6 Paper Collection from Our Daily Bread Designs.

I love anything patriotic with red, white and blue and since we are celebrating Independence Day here in the United States on July 4^th, I decided to create a card with a celebration theme (who doesn’t like ice cream for a celebration- lol)!!

I am also going to link this card to the Just Add Ink #318 “Just Add S” Challenge (stars, sequins, strawberry ice cream) along with the Splitcoaststampers’ MIX75 “I Love A Parade” Challenge (original challenge date 07/04/14- they never expire and I am trying to gradually go back and do all of the MIX-Ability Challenges) and the TGIF #62 Red, White and Blue Challenge.

If you have not had a chance to visit us at The Artistic Outpost blog yet, I hope you will do so- inspiration is posted several days a week from my DT Sisters and trust me, they are very inspirational!!  

Also, I hope you will have a chance to visit the Just Add Ink, TGIF  and Splitcoaststampers Mix-Ability Challenge sites as well- again, fabulous samples by all!

Original Design

To create a card:

Ink the girl image from Harvest with Stāz-On® Jet Black Ink, stamp onto Whisper White cardstock, color with an AquaPainter™ along with ink from water-based markers, dry with the Heat Tool, fussy-cut the image, mount onto Basic Black cardstock, fussy-cut again and set aside.

Whew!  Sounds like a lot of steps but it is pretty quick and easy (plus I had this image left over in my stash already colored and layered from playing around with last week’s designs- love using my stash! :-)).

Repeat the above steps with the ice cream cone image from Ice Cream Shoppe.

Using the border image from Grunge Elements with Tim Holtz® Walnut Stain and Tea Dye Distress Ink, repeatedly stamp along the edge of a piece of Our Daily Bread Designs(ODBD) Patriotic Collection 6x6 paper (cut to approx. 3 ¾” x 5”).

Use the Big Shot™ with the star embossing folder to emboss the panel, lightly sand the embossing with a sanding block, and apply white Gesso® to the background (I used my finger to sparingly apply the Gesso®).

Trim the panel, mount onto Whisper White cardstock, trim again and mount onto Cherry Cobbler cardstock, trim again (each time close to the edge) and mount onto Dapper Denim cardstock before trimming the panel one final time before adhering it to the Extra Thick Whisper White card base.

Take a smaller strip of Whisper White cardstock, trim to approx. 4” wide, mount onto Dapper Denim cardstock and add a strip of Cherry Cobbler cardstock (this strip is approx. ½” wide and from my stash).

Ink the grid image from Grunge Elements with Tim Holtz® Tea Dye Distress Ink and repeatedly stamp on a diagonal across the strip.

Stamp the sentiment from Hero with a Cherry Cobbler and Dapper Denim marker, hand trim and mount onto Dapper Denim cardstock and adhere to the card front.

"Stepped-up" Design

To finish off the first version of the card, add the stamped images with dimensional foam.

Of course, you know me, I thought it looked as though it needed more layers, so I decided to “step it up” version by adding a portion of a white paper doily to the bottom along with a few sequins.

Stamp Sets:  Ice Cream Shoppe, Harvest, Grunge Elements, Hero (Artistic Outpost)

Ink/Mediums: Stāz-On® Jet Black, Stampin’ Write Markers- Cherry Cobbler, Dapper Denim,  Ranger® Tim Holtz® Tea Dye and Walnut Stain Distress Ink, White Gesso®

Paper: Whisper White, Extra Thick Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Dapper Denim; Patriotic 6x6 Paper Collection (ODBD)

Accessories: Big Shot™, Star Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug®), AquaPainter™, Sanding Block, Heat Tool, White Tea Lace Paper Doily (retired SU!), sequins (from my stash)

So which version do you prefer, Design #1 or Design #2? I would love to know :-)

Also, has this card inspired you to pull out your stamps and create a project of your own?  I sure hope so and thanks again for stopping by- hugs and have a great week, my friends!

Artistic Outpost Harvest

Artistic Outpost Grunge Elements

Artistic Outpost Ice Cream Shoppe

ODBd Patriotic Collection