Thursday, May 31, 2018

Voice of Africa


It's birthday time for my friend Sandy, who loves all African art forms . . .


Coloring the dresses on the three women was fun, simple, and great for any stamper who's none too confident of her water coloring skills.  Using two colors for each figure, I drew a line with the darker color down the right side.  The lighter color went on the left.  A water brush applied with circular strokes blended the two in the middle.  Try it!

Cardstock:   Marcos Jute  
Stamps:       Gotcha Images African Women, Postmodern Design
                        Woven Frame, Stamp Camp The Voice of Africa,
                        MJ Barber Bird, Mini Afro Set (Sun, Motifs)
Inks:             Hero Black, Distress Brushed Corduroy
Watercolors:   Gansai Tambi Wine Red, Dark Pink, Orange,
                        Mid-Yellow, Cobalt Blue, Cornflower Blue, Dark Brown
Emb Powder:   Distress Black Soot
Dies:            Lil Inker Stitched Mats Rectangles                       
Doo Dads:    Ranger Enamel Accents Black


Monday, May 28, 2018

Best Day Ever!


The background on this card is called "Formula Fun" and I think it makes a great card for a technically-oriented guy . . .
 

My plan is to make two versions using this stamp and they will go to two very dear engineer friends of ours.  So stay tuned for another way to use this image!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Dark Olive, Strathmore Ultimate White, Generic
                        scraps Black          
Stamps:       Hero Formula Fun, KaiserKraft Marble, Spellbinders Fun
                        Tags: “The best day ever”, Simon Says Sketchy Banner
                        Greetings: “Wishing you”
Inks:             Hero Black, Distress Old Paper, Antique Linen, Peeled Paint,
                        VersaMark, ColorBox Frost White
Emb Powder:   Distress Black Soot, Sweet Stamps Fine Detail White
Dies:            Mama Elephant Femme Frames, Memory Box Grosgrain
                        Ribbons, Simon Says Sketchy Banner Greetings,
                        Papertrey Ink Sketched Shapes, DieVersions font
                        Noodles: “the”, Tim Holtz Labels, Cheery Lynn
                        Expandable Quilling Strip 
Doo Dads:    Ranger Enamel Accents: Black   

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Same Direction


This card is for two exceedingly dear friends who are celebrating their 61st anniversary.  As they own twelve adorable cats (mostly Rescues), it's only right to include a couple of representative ones in the layout . . .


Amazingly enough, the camera actually picked up my sparkly, star studded sky.  Wish I could get it to do that all  the time!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Crimson, Generic White   
Stamps:       Inkadinkado Exupery Quote
Inks:             Distress Mustard Seed, Weathered Wood, Chipped
                        Sapphire
Emb Powder:   WOW Silver Sparkle
Dies:            QuicKutz Window, Impression Obsession Cat Set,
                        Waffle Flower Lacy Layers 2, Bottone Stitched 
                        Ovals                     
Emb Folder: The Paper Studio Woodgrain
Doo Dads:    Ranger Enamel Accents: Black   


Monday, May 21, 2018

Blessings


While working with another sunflower image a few weeks ago, I decided to pull out this larger version and see if my Gansai Tambi watercolors blended as well as I'd heard they do . . .


  . . . and do they ever!  A colorist I'm not, but I had so much fun with this image because the colors blended so beautifully.  After laying down a narrow band of orange next to the center of the flower, I filled in the rest of the petals with yellow.  Then I took a water brush and used small circular motions to bring the orange out into the yellow areas.  It was quick and simple and has me all hopped up to do a whole lot more water coloring!

Cardstock:   Bazzill Pinecone, Strathmore Watercolor paper
Stamps:       Local King Sunflower, Stampin’ Up Itty Bitty Backgrounds,
                        Red Rubber “Blessings”
Inks:             Ancient Page Chocolate
Watercolors:   Gansai Tambi 43 Mid Yellow, 33 Orange, 54 Olive Green
Emb Powder:   Zing Opaque Chestnut
Dies:            Mama Elephant Femme Frames                                     
Doo Dads:    Adirondack Earthtones: Espresso

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Time


This is a birthday card for my baby brother Gordy, who's not such a baby anymore.  Father Time has done his thing and we three sibs are Seniors now.  So I used an aged them for his card this year . . .


From my ephemera stash, I dug out the "Found Relative" baby picture on the little tag.  It is actually such a close resemblance to Gordy's real baby pictures that I couldn't resist adding this to his card.

With the die cut bird soaring over the word "Time", the idea was to make the viewer think, "Time Flies" . . . did you get it?  Or did I try too hard?

Cardstock:   Marcos Jute, Sears Roebuck Catalog page, Generic scraps
                        Black   
Stamps:       Time to Stamp: tag texture from Grunge Set, Limited Edition
                        Pocket Watch
Inks:             Distress Brushed Corduroy, Ground Espresso, Antique
                        Linen, Black Soot
Emb Powder:   WOW Clear Matte Dull
Dies:            DieNamics Wonky Stitch Rectangle Stax, Traditional Tags
                        Stax, AliExpress Spring Swallows, Tim Holtz Alpha
                        Numeric                    
Stencil:        Brutus Monroe Tire Track
Doo Dads:    Ranger Texture Paste Transparent, Jute twine 

Monday, May 14, 2018

A Day to Celebrate


This perky lime and turquoise frame is yet another rescue from the Scrap Stash box . . .


I first tried making the tree orange in order to pick out some of the orange highlights that surprisingly popped up in the lime part of the frame.  But it didn't really play well.  
So I went for a more dramatic black and I think it worked better . . .

Cardstock:   The Paper Cut Watercolor paper, Generic scrap Black           
Stamps:        Clearly Posh Far East News, CC Rubber Stamps Fibers,
                        Hero Day to Celebrate
Inks:               Distress Peacock Feathers, Twisted Citron, Hickory Smoke
Colorants:    Lindy’s Stamp Gang Magical Tibetan Poppy Teal,                                                      Luminous Lemon
Dies:              Marianne Tree, Wplus9 Banner Trio                   
Brayer:          Fiskars Mesh

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Love


I chose this image because it reminds me so much of my own lovely, dark-haired Mother.  Among her many talents, she also played the piano beautifully.  She's gone now, but I love sending Mother's Day cards in her memory . . .


The background features three of my favorite techniques:  smooshed color, a little randomly applied text, and my favorite coarse embossing powder scattered onto the surface and heated from beneath.  When I apply that particular trio of techniques, I'm nearly always happy with the results!

Cardstock:   The Paper Cut Eames White, Strathmore #90 Watercolor
                        paper, Beckett Candlelight      
Stamps:       MJ Barber Woman Playing Piano, Amuse Script Background
Inks:             Distress Walnut Stain, Worn Lipstick, Distress Oxide
                        Abandoned Coral, Aged Mahogany, Walnut Stain,
                        Archival Coffee
Emb Powder:   Stampendous Shabby White
Dies:            Mama Elephant Peek a Frame, Avery Elle Peace, Love,
                        & Joy set: “Love”

Monday, May 7, 2018

It's Your Day


Born and raised in California, I was long familiar with the golden poppy - our state flower.  But it wasn't until I became a Flight Attendant and flew over the rustic countryside on approach to Spain's Barajas Airport that I learned that wild poppies came in red as well . . .


Even from a few thousand feet, those red poppies just glowed.  I had fun going for the same effect with this layout.  The stamp is actually a reverse image, so the poppies are surrounded by a background that is embossed in white.  The flowers are actually a little recessed and because of that, they were easy to color.

Cardstock:   Paper Cut Watercolor paper         
Stamps:       Hero Poppy Background, Too Much Fun “It’s your day”
Inks:             Distress Mowed Lawn
Watercolors:   Bienfang Watercolor Brush Pens Cadmium Red,
                           Vermillion, Sap Green, Hooker’s Green
Emb Powder:   Sweet Stamps Fine Detail White
Dies:            Spellbinders Classic Scalloped Squares Large, Lil Inker
                        Stitched Mats Squares, Goodculler Stitched Rectangles,
                        Impression Obsession Small Bow                

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Thinking of You


Once again, my Scrap Stash comes to the rescue!  My calendar has been unusually jammed up of late and I haven't been able to take the time I always love to take while card making.  After excavating this background from the pile in the box, it led the way to the rest of the layout . . .


At long last, Spring has finally arrived, and to me, that means color and lots of it.  A little chicken wire for texture, a couple of pristine daffys, and Spring is officially launched!

Cardstock:   Bazzill White, The Paper Cut Watercolor paper
Stamps:       Elizabeth Craft Banner Sentiments: Thinking of You
Inks:             Distress Barn Door, Rusty Hinge, Mustard Seed, Mowed
                        Lawn, Salty Ocean, Dusty Concord
Colorants:    Inktense pencils
Watercolors:   Distress Stains
Dies:            Cheery Lynn Chickenwire, Expandable Quilling Strip,
                        La Crea Daffodils, Elizabeth Craft Banners        
Stencil:        The Crafters Workshop Mini Cubist
Doo Dads:    Dreamweaver Embossing Paste Translucent, Past Time
                        Stamps Multi Ultra Fine Glitter