Photos for guides

 

Here's a little tip I stumbled on accidentally thanks to my friend Karen.  I made these photos of our glads and e-mailed them.  She commented how nice it was to see the close-up as it showed the shadow detail for coloring stamped flowers.

What a great idea to put into practice this summer.  If you have some flowers blooming in your yard or at a park near you, snap a few close-ups to aid in your coloring.  

I have a tendency to just color the image darker near the center and get lighter as I go out.  I know this is very unsophisticated but my coloring is definitely basic.  Perhaps this little tip can help me create more authentic flowers.

Thanks for stopping by!

Just Markers and Water

Happy Friday!  I have a few cards for today.  They are all a bit different but each had the same starting point.  All of these cards started with one of these images from the Faith in Nature Stamp set.

During one of our class lessons in the Stretch Your Stamps class, Kristina Werner used markers to add color to a craft sheet and then spritzed the color with water. She then dipped her stamped image into this mixture for beautiful results.  I've done a similar technique using Distress Inks several times and have substituted Stampin' Up! Ink pads as they are also dye inks.  I'd just never thought about using markers.  I love it!  With markers you can create a much smaller color pallette.  Perfect for a smaller image like this pear.  I used Stampin' Up! markers but I think any water based marker would work.

I did all of these with exactly the same colors except the one in the upper right corner.  It had a different shade of red/orange.  I also used some different distress ink on the edges. Otherwise, they all started with the same technique but came out so different.

For the background of this card, I used a Hero Arts stamp that was inked in three different dye inks and then spritzed with water before stamping.

This is the simplest and one of my favorites.  I did use a colored pencil to add a little deeper color to the pear and color in the leaf after the ink dried.   I borrowed another class trick and used the scoreboard to mark a line around my image.  The lovely sentiment is the only other thing on the card.

These were such fun to do.  The pattern paper is the 6x6 Pyrus Paper Pad from Basic Grey.

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Two More Vacation Layouts

Just a couple of odd layouts from our travels...

One person who enjoyed our train ride at least a little was Dillon.  He got to sit next to Grampa the entire time and plan their fishing expedition for later this summer.   Right now everything Grampa does is 'cool' (or whatever the current word is).  Wonder how many more years this will last?  We hope a long time.

For the layout, I used Pink Paislee's Prairie Hill collection.  I seldom buy the embellishments that go with papers.  In this case, I cut up some of the designer paper that had these kite tales.  It took awhile but was very easy.  Then I used some of the other patterns to make my own rosettes.  I did a video on this awhile back. You can see it here.

For the journaling block, I toned down a diamond pattern paper with some watered down white paint and then just wrote over it.  The layout got a good sprinkle of white paint to start with.  In the end, it all needed something to tie it together and my go-to is stitching around the edge.

On our first morning of our trip , we had a visitor.  I spotted this little black and white cat in the neighbor's driveway.  They checked out that day.  It wasn't long before he took up residence on our porch.  He was very, very friendly and tried to get in the cabin at every opportunity.  We don't think we were his first vacationers.  He stayed with us and the last full day when some new people checked in next door, I saw him back over in their yard.  We enjoyed his company for a few days and he enjoyed all the treats he could get.

Lenny's son-in-law kept saying, "Jasper's going to get a roommate."  I assured him that wasn't a good plan.  Jasper likes being an only cat.

For the layout, I found these kitty stamps at the $1 store. I selected 3 of the inchies - (one about meowing, one about sleeping, and one about eating) and built a frame around the title, photo and journaling using the inchies and some kitty tracks for embellishment.  The Sahara Sand cardstock is stamped with a woodgrain stamp to mimic the deck where Tuxedo (as we called him) spent most of his time.  

A little twine added some flow and color.  The papers here are Macho Nacho from Jillibean Soup.

I think I'll break from vacation photos for awhile and do some other pages.  Thanks for stopping by!

Come to Bethlehem Finale

This weekend I delivered the Come to Bethlehem stamp set from Stampin' Up! to its new home where I'm confident it will be much loved and produce beautiful creations.  Last year I purchased this new set   and used it to make cards for my mother and my aunt to give at Christmas.  We used it in card class at least twice and I probably did some OWH cards as well.  So it has already been very active.

Before letting the pretty set leave my craft room, I decided to do one last card and filmed it.  There is an Oops!  I'm using Concord Crush paper which I said in the video is a SU In Color.  Correction:  it WAS an In-color.  I guess now it is an Out Color and has been retired.  You could easily substitute Elegant Eggplant or one of the navy colors.  You just need a dark background. Actually a simple designer paper would be pretty as well.


This card uses few materials and mostly cardstock so it is inexpensive to produce in quantity.  


Watch at YouTube



Thanks for watching!


Ingredients:  All materials except ribbon are Stampin' Up!  - Come to Bethlehem Stamps
Cardstock:  River Rock, Concord Crush
Powders:  Gold and Silver
DSP:  Concord Crush

Stamping on Text

For our last lesson in the Stretch Your Stamps class, Shari Carroll created a card stamping a reverse stamp on text from a book.  I used some October Afternoon text paper and stamped my Hero Arts floral image in Baja ink.  This is a great way to use those text papers and give them a little more interest.  I was delighted to learn this technique as those kinds of papers often were left unused in my paper pads.

For the rest of the card, I added some fabric as trim for Two Peas CHA challenge and used several products from the Artfuldelight July kit.  There are Prima flowers and a canvas butterfly.  The butterfly was stamped with flourishes in Stazon brown.  Then I misted with two Mister Huey mists - Cameo and Water cooler.

CHA challenges end tonight over at Two Peas.  Check out the video section to see the new products.  I was both happy and dismayed to find so many pretty papers I liked.  (I really don't need to be buying more paper :-)  Thanks for stopping by today!

Trust Your Instincts

How many times have I trusted my instincts and things have come out right?  How many times have I ignored my instincts and things have gone way off course???

My instincts are certainly not infallible.  Yet, like most people I do much better when I listen to that little voice.  That little voice is coming from those little clues.  In the case of one of our vacation activities, it was the video I watched on-line for the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad.  It didn't seem that scenic.  I rationalized thinking "well, they wouldn't show all the scenery on the video or you wouldn't want to take the trip."  When I told people we were going, there was this little hesitation when they said, "I've done that.  It was pretty."  There was never any "Oh, you'll love it!" kind of responses.  And then there was the cost.  It just seemed awfully expensive.  Well, I ignored my instincts.

When we got off the train and took the looonnng walk from the end of the train back to the station, my husband whispered, "please tell me we never have to that again." 'NEVER!' I said.

The rest of our party were very polite.  They didn't complain but the last night when I asked the kids what they liked the most about the trip, I heard "The Biltmore House" from one and "Tubing" from another. Then as kids do, they started going through their 2nd most favorite and 3rd and so on with the train as dead last.  Again, polite but we got the message.

So if you ever get the chance to go on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in Bryson City, NC, I say, pass it up.  If you are really into trains, you might enjoy it; otherwise there is far better scenery on the parkway for free.

So, why would I scrapbook this?  Well, we did spend most of the day on the train. There was some pretty scenery amongst the kudzu and I wanted another reminder to listen to that little voice - and not the one that whispers "a few more bites of chocolate won't hurt."  That is another voice entirely.

For the layout, I used Artfuldelight's monthly sketch.  You have until the 23rd to use the sketch for a chance to win a free kit.  The kit previews today.

I painted some American Crafts undressed Thickers for the title and used the Cricut to cut the round embellishments.  For the buckle, I pulled the top layer off a K&Company one that didn't match.  Then I painted and then embossed it for an antique textured look.

This layout is also for one of Two Peas CHA challenges - Use your favorite collection.  I'm using Pink Paislee's Prairie Hill collection.  I just love all the papers both pattern and colors.

Have you ever been anywhere you would warn the rest of us to avoid?  

Thanks for stopping by!

Oh, the crafty opportunities

So much going on in our papercrafting world this week.  The Craft and Hobby Association's semi-annual show is going on in Chicago so the web is filled with videos of new product and many opportunities to win prizes.  I'm keeping an eye out for embellishments.  Currently I have a pretty good stash of designer paper so I want some things to go with collections I have.


Two Peas has a bunch of challenges, too.  My card today fits the first challenge to use a popular color scheme of shades of yellow, aqua and gray.

The card also fits in a lesson from the 2nd week of Onlinecardclasses.com Stretch Your Stamps class.  Monday's lesson was on flower stamps.  I used Kristina's technique for tightly stamping my flower stamp in a regular ink color and then adding a bit more color with a blender pen.  The image I chose is from Stampin' Up!'s now discontinued Fifth Avenue Floral.  This technique would work with pretty much any lined floral stamp.  The centers are touched with a bit of silver liquid pearls.

For the background, I used the Martha Stewart scoreboard to create a diagonal grid.  Kristina had also used the scoreboard to create diagonal lines.  Betsy from my card class reminded me that I could punch up the color on scored designs by brushing on a bit of darker ink over raised scoring lines.  The base is So Saffron and the ink color is Crushed Curry.

So with much help, I'm tickled with this card now on its way to a family friend who celebrates a birthday this weekend.  Happy Birthday, Ruby!

Also on Thursday of this week, Artfuldelight reveals the August kit a few days early.  She packs a ton of stuff in her kits.

Thanks for stopping by!

Color Block Card with Washi Tape

We had fun making this card last night at card class.  Washi is an easy an inexpensive substitute for ribbon on this color block card.  I've used 4 different coordinating pattern papers but you could use only two and still get a fun effect.  The Washi covers up the seams.

I've also used the new Lacy and Lovely set from Stampin' Up!  You could substitute any circular or scalloped stamp.  A flower would also be pretty at the intersection of these papers and tape.

Watch at YouTube



Thanks for watching!

Ingredients:  DSP:  Basic Grey Sweet Threads collection 
Stamps:  Lacy and Lovely by Stampin' Up!
Ink:  Dusty Durango, Rich Razzleberry, Basic Grey
Washi:  MME Indie Chic
Twine:  Doodlebug