Snow Much Fun!

Hi Friends! 

Today I am sharing a Mixed Media card that I designed using Artistic Outpost (AO)  stamp sets Skating Emporium and GrungeElements along with ODBD Snow Crystals Dies (all available at Our Daily Bread Designs).

I incorporated the Splitcoaststampers’ SC620 Sketch Challenge along with the Inkspirational #128 “Chill” Challenge and the Tic-Tac-Toe #22 Challenge (Scene- Use Dimension- Texture) into the design.

If you have not had a chance to visit The Artistic Outpost Blog or the challenge sites yet, I encourage you to do so- gorgeous inspiration from my Design Team sisters on the AO Blog as well as the challenge galleries!

To create this card:

1). Layer walnut stain, brushed corduroy and antiqued bronze distress stains onto a piece of kraft cardstock, dry with a heat tool and add “snow” with the large splatter stamp from the AO Grunge Elements stamp set using picket fence distress stain.

2). Repeatedly stamp the advertising images from the AO Skating Emporium stamp set with black soot distress ink and the snowflakes with walnut stain distress ink to finish off the panel.

3). Distress the edges of the panel with a distressing tool, use a sewing machine to zig zag stitch the panel onto a piece of vanilla cardstock, add a strip of ivory crochet lace with black satin ribbon along with string pearls before mounting onto the black card front.

4). Add brushed corduroy distress stain onto another piece of kraft cardstock, stamp the focal scene image from the AO Skating Emporium onto the panel with black soot distress ink and added the snow effect again with the large splatter stamp from AO Grunge Elements using picket fence distress stain.

5). Trim a piece of black cardstock for the sketch element, de-static the panel and heat emboss the AO Skating Emporium “Snow Much Fun!” sentiment with winter white embossing powder.

6). Mount the scene created in step 4 to the embossed sentiment panel, adhere to a piece of vanilla cardstock and mount onto the card front with dimensional foam.

7). Heat emboss the skating couple and ice skates from the AO Skating Emporium stamp set with black embossing powder onto kraft cardstock, fussy-cut the images and mount both onto black cardstock before fussy-cutting again (this gives the images stability).

8). Add the fussy-cut skaters and skates to the card front with dimensional foam (doubling the thickness of the foam as needed for the edges of the images).

9). Die cut the two small snowflakes using the ODBD Snow Crystals Dies from vanilla cardstock, add to the card front with pearls in the centers and apply shimmer with a clear glitter pen to finish off the card. 

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

AO Skating Emporium

Artistic Outpost Grunge Elements

Snow Crystals Dies

Artistic Outpost- Winter Walk Friendship Never Melts

Hi Friends!

Today I am sharing my project from the Artistic Outpost blog :-)

I realize that spring has arrived and we are celebrating Easter this weekend, but I do like to create Christmas and winter cards all year round and just love the combination of the two Artistic Outpost stamp sets, Winter Walk and Skating Emporium :-)

I am also including this card in the Splitcoaststampers’ Ways to Use It WT567 “Baby It’s Cold Outside”Challenge (to use cool colors) along with the Mixed Media Monthly Card March Challenge #21 "Trees" with opt. birds and the TPD March Tic-Tac-Toe Card Challenge (diagonal- Ribbon, Stamps and Emboss).   

I hope you will take the time to visit the Artistic Outpost Blog as well as the galleries for the challenge sites linked above- fabulous inspiration :-)

To create this card:

Ink the interior of the Tim Holtz® (TH) Poinsettia Knit Textured Impressions™ Embossing Folder with Ranger® TH  Evergreen Bough Distress Stain and emboss a piece of retired Stampin’ Up! (SU!) Baked Brown Sugar cardstock.

Trim the edges, spritz with Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint Spray and use a sewing machine with the zigzag stitch to adhere to a piece of retired Forest Foliage (SU!) cardstock.

With the Our Daily Bread Designs (ODBD) Beautiful Borders Dies, cut a border from Forest Foliage cardstock, adhere to the embossed background and add the strip of light taupe/gold satin ribbon (Offray®- Oatmeal from my stash) along with the strands of pearls.

Mount the entire background panel onto the Baked Brown Sugar (SU!) card base.

De-static a piece of Whisper White (SU!) cardstock with the Embossing Buddy®, ink the Winter Walk stamp set from Artistic Outpost(AO) with Versamark™  ink, stamp onto a prepared cardstock, add the retired Forest Green Stampin’ Emboss® Embossing Powder and heat set with the Heat Tool.

Close up of the texture of the background along
with the pine branches :-)

Once the image has cooled, use a sponge dauber to apply TH Old Paper and Tea Dye Distress Inks over the embossed image, spritz with water to soften the ink and gently wipe with a paper towel.

Trim the panel and mount onto a piece of Forest Foliage cardstock, add dimensional foam to the back and adhere the panel to the card front.

Use the Big Shot™ with the ODBD Lovely Leaves Dies to cut the pine needle branches from Forest Foliage cardstock, mount the branches to the card front and add the triple light gold satin ribbon bow.

Hard to see the gold embossing on the sentiment - looks
better IRL :-)

Even though I like the plain version (I thought I could use it as a note card), I decided to add a sentiment and heat embossed the “Friendship Never Melts Away” sentiment from Skating Emporium using Gold Embossing Powder onto Forest Foliage cardstock.

Once the embossing powder cooled, I cut the sentiment apart and added to the card front to finish off the card (it looks better IRL since it is difficult to read the sentiment in the photo).

Stamp Sets: Winter Walk and Skating Emporium (Artistic Outpost)

Ink: Versamark™,Ranger® Tim Holtz® Evergreen Bough Distress Stains, Old Paper and Tea Dye Distress Inks, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint Spray

Paper: Whisper White, retired Forest Foliage and Baked Brown Sugar (all Stampin’ Up!)

Accessories: Big Shot™,  ODBD Beautiful Borders Dies, ODBD Lovely Leaves Dies, TH  Knit Poinsettia EF, Embossing Buddy®, Stampin’ Emboss® Forest Green and Gold EP, Heat Tool, Sewing Machine, Pearls, 5/8” Oatmeal Satin Ribbon (Offray®)

Would you be so kind to let me know in the comments, if you were the recipient, which one would prefer to receive- with or without the sentiment?  I read each and every comment and would so appreciate your input!! 

Thanks again for stopping by- hugs and have a wonderful Easter weekend!

Friendship Never Melts Away

Hi Friends!

Today I am sharing my Mixed Media card on the  Artistic Outpost blog and decided to highlight the gorgeous Skating Emporium stamp set.

I am also linking this card to the Splitcoaststampers’ Alphabet Challenge “I” for Ice Skates and the WT575 “Think Three” Challenge.

I hope you will take the time to visit the Artistic Outpost Blog as well as the galleries for the challenge sites linked above.

To create this card:

Using the Memory Box™ Winter Flurry Frame, apply Crackle Texture Paste with a palette knife onto a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock.

Once the embossing paste has dried (I carefully used a Heat Tool to speed up the process), apply Ranger® Tim Holtz® Old Paper and Tea Dye Distress Stain to the background (again, drying with the Heat Tool).

Spritz Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint (Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint mixed in a spritzer bottle with rubbing alcohol) over the entire panel.

Stamp the three images from Skating Emporium (the skaters on the lake along with the two Central Park advertisements) using Stāz-On® Jet Black Ink onto a piece of OurDaily Bread Designs Vintage Ephemera 6x6 Paper.

Trim the images and apply Ranger® Tim Holtz® Tea Dye Distress Ink to the images, position the two advertisement panels onto the background and adhere using Ranger® Tim Holtz® Crazing Distress Medium.

Use a zigzag stitch to attach the background panel onto a piece of Basic Black cardstock.

Adhere the skaters on the lake image onto a piece of Basic Black cardstock and apply Ranger® Tim Holtz® Crazing Distress Medium over the panel.

De-static  a piece of Basic Black cardstock with the Embossing Buddy®, stamp the sentiment with Versamark™ Ink, apply Stampin’ Emboss® Winter White Embossing Powder heat with the Heat Tool and apply the embossing to dry.

Cut the sentiment apart by hand and mount the skaters on the lake image along with the sentiment onto the card front using dimensional foam.

Add the snowflake charm with Gold Thread and add a Pearl to the center of the charm.

Mount the entire panel onto the card base, using a Sponge Dauber with Ranger® Tim Holtz® Tea Dye Distress Ink to the edges.

Stamp the skate image onto Very Vanilla cardstock using Stāz-On® Jet Black Ink, fussy cut the image, apply Ranger® Tim Holtz® Tea Dye Distress Ink with a Sponge Dauber and add Ranger® Tim Holtz® Crazing Distress Medium over the image.

Add the skates to the card front to finish off the card.

Stamp Sets: SkatingEmporium (Artistic Outpost)

Ink: Versamark™, Stāz-On® Jet Black; Ranger® Tim Holtz® Old Paper and Tea Dye Distress Stains, Tea Dye Distress Ink, Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint Spray

Paper: Very Vanilla, Basic Black; Vintage Ephemera 6x6 Paper Collection (ODBD)

Accessories: MB Winter Flurry Frame Stencil, Ranger® Tim Holtz® Crazing Distress Medium , Embossing Buddy®, Heat Tool, retired Stampin’ Emboss® Winter White Embossing Powder, Pearls, Snowflake Charm, Gold Thread

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

TCC47 Warm Winter Roses

Hi Friends!!

It’s time for new The Card Concept #TCC47 "Floral Elegance" Challenge!  I just love this neutral color palette along with all of the different floral textures in this cake from our fabulous photo inspiration- don’t you? 

For my Mixed Media card, I combined the colors along with a fun textured background (a bit difficult to see the texture in the photo but IRL it almost feels like leather :-)).

Just a reminder that the Card Concept is a bi-weekly challenge that has an inspiration photo along with a number of design styles that you can choose from to create your card- Clean and Simple, Clean and Graphic, Clean and Layered, Shabby Chic, Freestyle Collage, Classy and Elegant and Mixed Media.  

I hope you have a chance to visit us at The Card Concept and check out the rest of our Design Team samples as well as the other challenge sites- fabulous inspiration from all!

I have also linked this card to the Artistic Outpost January 2016 “Show us Your AO Art Challenge"- wonderful designs in their gallery as well:-)

To create this card:

On a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock, apply Liquidtex® Matte Gel Medium and layer pieces of white tissue paper over the gel (allowing the paper to crinkle a bit).

Carefully use a Heat Tool to speed up the drying process and apply ProArt® Gesso® over the surface.

Once the Gesso® has dried, add color using Ranger® Tim Holtz® Old Paper, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo Distress Inks (layering, spritzing and drying with the Heat Tool between layers).

Once you are satisfied with the background, lay the Memory Box™ Winter Flurry Frame Stencil over the corners and remove the ink using a wet cloth (again, drying with the Heat Tool as you re-position the stencil and continue to remove the ink).

Ink the images from the Artistic Outpost (AO) Skating Emporium with Early Epresso Classic Ink (I used the snowflake and the Central Park Script stamps), repeatedly stamp onto the panel and cut out the panel with the Our Daily Bread Designs (ODBD) Double Stitched Rectangle Dies .

Mount the panel onto a piece of Smoky Slate cardstock, sponge Vintage Photo around the edges and mount onto a piece of Early Espresso cardstock.

Add the 1” Dark Brown Satin Ribbon Strip and mount onto the Smoky Slate card base.

Ink the Holly and the Ivy (A/O) image using Staz-On™ Jet Black Ink and stamp onto a piece of Very Vanilla cardstock.

Using Sponge Daubers, apply Ranger® Tim Holtz® Old Paper, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo Distress Inks around the panel to color the background of the image.

Use a paint brush with Titanium White Acrylic Paint (dilute with a small bit of water) to highlight the fur on her collar/arms, ribbon in her hat and the flower at the top right.

Use the Big Shot™ with the (ODBD) Double Stitched Rectangle Dies to cut out the image (I had to re-position the image back into the die after the first pass to reduce the size of the rectangle), mount onto a piece of Smoky Slate cardstock, sponge Ranger® Tim Holtz® Vintage Photo Distress Ink around the edges and mount onto a piece of Early Espresso cardstock. 

Add the Holly and the Ivy panel onto the card front using dimensional foam.

Create the flowers from Very Vanilla and Smoky Slate cardstock using the My Favorite Things™ (MFT) Mini Royal Rose and Royal Rose Dies-use the Crimper Tool to crimp the paper before rolling into the flower and sponge a bit of Ranger® Tim Holtz® Vintage Photo Distress Ink on the edges.

Use the Martha Stewart (MS) Leaf Punch to punch out the leaves from Early Espresso cardstock, crimp the leaves with the Crimper Tool and attach the leaves along with the flowers using Hot Glue to the card front to finish off the card.

I did not add a sentiment yet since I think this card could work for several occasions- Valentine’s Day, Birthday (Winter Months), Christmas or a “Thinking of You”...what do you think?

Stamp Sets: Holly and the Ivy, Skating Emporium (both Artistic Outpost)

Ink: Staz-On™ Jet Black, Ranger® Tim Holtz® Old Paper, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo Distress; Titanium White Acrylic Paint

Paper: Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Smoky Slate, White Tissue Paper

Accessories: Gesso®, Matte Gel, Big Shot™,  ODBD Double Stitched Rectangle Dies, MFT Mini Royal Rose Die, MFT Royal Rose Die, MS Leaf Punch, Crimper Tool, Sponge Daubers, MB Winter Flurry Frame Stencil, 1” Dark Brown Satin Ribbon, Paint Brush

Thanks again for taking the time to visit- I hope you can gather your supplies and pick a style to create your own card for our gallery at The Card Concept!