Thank you

Its going to be a 3 post Sunday...only because I am up so late Saturday night that it has turned into Sunday morning by the time I get these cards done.  So here is my Day 5 card, a complete CASE of Shari Carroll's card.  (Her artistic vision is so Awesome!)

When I was downloading the PDF for the class before watching the videos, the photo of her card really grabbed me.  I had to try it.

The stamps we are stretching for Lessons 5 and 6 are outline stamps.  Shari gave us a method of adding some wonderful dimension to flower stamps through paper piecing.

I used the Clearly Besotted Stamp set Fresh Flowers, and a sentiment from Avery Elle's Oh Happy Day set. My patterned paper was a left over scrap. Coloring was done with Derwent Intense pencils. Pearls are from Stampin up, and I used Smokey Grey ink from Versafine for the sentiment.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

You're One of a Kind

I made a promise to myself...no more eye candy...blog reading...you tube watching...or lesson skimming until I caught up with my class homework.  So as I was hosting an online poker tournament this morning (requires a lot of waiting for things to happen) I caught up with my day 4 homework.

I loved Marion Vagg's tweed pattern background card, and I went with it.  I didn't have quite the die cut to go all bendy with the stamps, but I understand the theory of.  So, I so love this tweed pattern stamp by Hero Arts, I forget about it because it is stored in a box...I usually just flip through the clear and cling stamps when looking for something to use.  But I knew I had this one!

After stamping and clear embossing on white card, then inking up with distress inks - I used a baby wipe to make sure no inking was left on top of the embossing. Next I used  a lifestyle crafts die to cut my window. I left the die in place and put the inked panel over my black base, and traced the inside of the die to create a line frame inside the window (a fun trick with open center dies.)

I pieced together two stamps from two different Paper Smooches sets - Word Salad and Sentiment Sampler and heat embossed those in white.  I found a few enamel dots for embellishment, and then as Marion did, mounted the panel using foam tape. This was a fun card to make, and I love the pop of white on black surrounded by so much color.

It's Friday and hubs is taking me out for lunch, so off to get ready.  Later on...on to lesson five and all the blog and you tubing I have missed!  Thanks for stopping by.

Make Life Beautiful

Today I tackled homework for Day 3.  I was quite taken with Jennifer Rzasa's card. 

She cut up portions of sentiments from the My Favorite Things stamp set Simply Fabulous Sayings, in order to make new sentiments.  She added a collage of stars in a curved line along the length of the card.

I used bits and parts of the sentiments to create mine as well.  I used Elizabeth Designs Bunch of Flowers to die cut the flowers placed for decoration from left over scraps.  Stampin Up pearls were used for flower centers. It took a bit of time to put this one together.

 

For the flowers, I placed them all where I wanted them, and piled them for a particular look.  There was no way I could re-do that with the gluing.  I placed a piece of 2 inch thick post it tape on the flowers, made sure they were all attached to the tape, then flipped the card.  Next I added glossy accents in small bits making sure each flower was dotted with glue.  Then I placed the entire bunch onto the card. Pressing down firmly.  Once the glossy accents dried, I slowly pulled up the tape.   Over hanging petals were trimmed, then pearls were added to some flower centers.

Thanks for stopping by!

Blue and Gold

My last effort for days 1 and 2...Backgrounds and Reverse Backgrounds.   Here is my version of Laura Sterckx's sweet ombre card. Hers was done in pinks and white embossing.  I could have gone that route...but I have this huge spool of gold thread...

The distress inks I used are Chipped Sapphire, Salty Ocean, and Tumbled Glass. I love the color that comes out when you mix the Salty Ocean into the Chipped Sapphire. I will have to remember that combination.

My background comes from Hero Arts - Magical. I love those dot swirls. Hero Arts is also the gold embossing power brand I used. The sequins come from Darice and Pretty Pink Posh. Sentiment is from W Plus 9.  I will have to catch up with two days of lessons tomorrow.

Thanks for taking a look!

Reverse Background

Another card from Day 1 of class.  Believe it or not I started with 2 4x6 pieces of background stamped paper.  After all my fussing and fiddling...I had this much left.  Shari Carroll makes it look so easy.  IT IS NOT! That's why her cards are so eye-catching. They look simple and just tossed together, easy breezy...but that lady puts a lot of thought into placement. I am even more in awe than before.

Though this did not match the idea in my head...I am feeling it!

Thanks for stopping by!

I Love Color - Bold Color

Another card made with that left over piece of water coloring from my day 1 homework; for Stretch Your Stamps 2, presented by Online Card Classes.

It too started out as a CASE of one of Kristina Werener's cards.  I put a yellow shadow behind my diecut, and then colored white sticker letters from Kelly Purkey with a yellow wink of stella glitter pen (after determining that yellow embossing powder does not show up on black card stock...maybe if I had stamped in white first...)



Kristina's card is much more clean, one thin strip of color at the bottom, but her card is landscape and mine needed to be vertical to accommodate the water color strips--not to mention the unfortunate embossing issue!  (It's all good.)

Thanks for stopping by!

Black is not white...

The things I learned today as a result of taking the Online Card Classes latest installment Stretch Your Stamps 2...have very little to do with the lessons.  The learning is in the DOING!

Today's class had some awesome examples, one can expect nothing less. The videos are fab and these women are just so GOOD at what they do. The first two lessons are confined to background and reverse background stamps.

For homework I make card fronts only I save them in a notebook with the lesson PDF's. 

My lesson tonight while DOING...black is not white. As a card base it is not nearly as forgiving as a white card base.  It shows every little tiny mistake and hint of a mistake...or as we crafters call them OPPORTUNITIES.


Kristina Werner presented a card with  rainbow water colored backdrop strips using  a white emboss resist technique on with a background stamp, on a white card base, and with a black bold shiny die and coordinating sentiment.

I CASED her card. My OPPORTUNITIES though,  required a few change ups.

I made it landscape---because my watercolor piece was not colored in the right direction to go portrait.  I used a black card base, and made my sentiment and die cut white. I thought they might pop more that way.  The die cut is covered in white wink of stella (Kristina used black on black) and glossy accents as well.

I love the design and have another card in the works.  I will be visiting my Dad again and will need cards for hubs!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Butterfly Wish

Hi, I had so much fun making this card, probably because once again my vision and my card looked so much alike.  I love shaped cards, they add so much interest for the recipient.  Virginia's View Challenge this month is shaped cards, and I wanted to get a card made early, lest I run out of time.

The challenge runs through the 18th 11:55 pm Eastern time.  So make a shaped card and enter it, you know you want to!  Any shape but square or rectangle qualifies!

I made a mini butterfly card, it measures 3.75 by 3 inches. I used Spellbinders Wonderful Wings dies.  I cut the solid shape twice from watercolor paper for my card base. My embellishment is the overlay die that has the spaces cut out for the butterfly wings' colors to be outlined.

I still cannot watercolor enough, so I used blues and greens for my background.  Once it dried I added two layers of wink of stella to give the wings that shine that some butterflies have. After that dried I added a layer of clear embossing.  Next on to the overlay piece, I layer it with 3 layers of Ranger fine detail powder in black to give it some heft and shine.  The sentiment comes from Simon Says Stamp, and is heat embossed in gold on heavy weight vellum.  The banner die cut is also from SSS.

I will also be entering this to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.
And also a third challenge, the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge -J-  This butterfly reminds me of a jeweled piece with the gold sentiment and its inlaid enameled or cloisonne look.

Thanks all for stopping by! I appreciate the visits.

A new to ME challenge

I have a card for a new to me challenge, the Mama Elephant and me challenge. I couldn't resist the challenge watercolor plus birthday.  I still love to play with watercolors, so this was a fun challenge for me. It runs through August 28th, 2014.

 

I started with a piece of Canson 140 cold press water color paper.  I taped it down, wet it pretty good with a misting bottle, then added a wash of soft blue from my set of Koi watercolors.  Then I added a periwinkle and some soft lavendar strokes to give a striped feel.  While that dried, I added some diagonal lines to my card base with Hero Arts Cornflower blue ink and a stamp from the Mama Elephant set Basic Borders. 

Once my panel was dry I heat embossed the main image from the Mama Elephant set Water Blooms. I added a small strip of glitter paper from DCWV. Other embellishments include Hero Arts pearls, and Pretty Pink Posh sequins.  My sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp.

I am also linking this up to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything goes.

Thanks for stopping by!

Simple Thanks

 

Hi, it has been a busy summer so far with traveling and projects.  I made 31 cards in July...thanks mostly to card kits by Simon Says Stamp.  Now I am all caught up with the kits I had and won't have another for a while. 

I had time and decided to get some challenge cards made. It has been a while since I played along with Freshly Made sketches. 


When I saw the sketch, I  knew immediately what  I wanted to do.  My final card is pretty close to what was in my head so I am pleased with this simple card.

Now if I could just find a friend with a beach house to stay at --  this card would be the perfect thanks. (wink)

 

I skipped one layer, because I wanted to maintain an organic beach-y feel. The Kraft card reminds me of sand here.  I water-colored a piece of watercolor paper with Koi watercolors.

After it dried, I white heat embossed the shells from the Stampin Up By the Tide stamp set.  I cut the piece into three strips and atached them to the card front.

Next I added some white string and a softly glittered white shell brad from Michaels.  The thanks die cut is double stacked and from Simon Says Stamp.


Thanks for stopping by!