Coloring with Blendabilities

You may be looking at this card and wondering how in the world I made it.  The answer is I used the amazing Blendabilities.  The beauty of alcohol markers is that you can color on non-porous surfaces and it will dry on them permanently! Use them on embossed images, buttons, etc.

I stamped the skyline image from Calling All Heroes onto Tempting Turquoise cardstock using VersaMark and embossed it with white embossing powder.  Then I used all 3 shades of Pumpkin Pie Blendabilities to color the skyline.

My goal was to make it look as though the buildings were being lit by the setting sun, and I think I succeeded!

For the cardbase, I ran it through the Big Shot and the houndstooth embossing folder.  I added a Pumpkin Pie mat that I pierced and used the white gel pen to create faux stitching.

Happy stamping!

You make me happy!

I made this card for Mama using products from the new Occasions catalog and Saleabration catalog.

The cardbase is Soft Sky, and I embossed hearts on the bottom using the Big Shot and Adorning Accents embossing folder.  I also added Daffodil Delight binding ribbon.

The sun is made with a paper doily that I sponged with Daffodil Delight ink.  I cut the edge with the new fringe scissors.

The sentiment is from a SAB set, See Ya Later.  Mama used to sing You Are My Sunshine to me when I was little, so I thought of her right away when I saw that sentiment!  I colored it with Pool Party, Calypso Coral, and Basic Gray markers.  I layered the sentiment on top of a tag made from Sweet Sorbet DSP (from SAB) and cut out with Chalk Talk framelits.

Happy stamping!

Vintage flower card

I had multiple inspirations for this card.  I was working on Dare to Get Dirty challenges from SCS, but I didn't get them done in time. I decided to make this card in the style of Lisa Hensley, aka ponygirl40.  She has a very distinctive style and layout that she uses, and I've copied it here.

My card base is Crumb Cake.  For the dry embossed layer, I brayered crumb cake ink onto the Lacy Brocade embossing folder before I put the cardstock in it.  That added color to the debossed areas. 

For the flower, I punched out 3 blossoms and 2 of the 1 1/4" scallop circles.  I wet them and crunched them up then opened them up, shaped them, and let them dry overnight.  Once they were dry, I adhered the layers together and sprayed them with vanilla shimmer mist.

Pear Pizzazz taffeta ribbon and pearls complete the card.

Happy stamping!

Fab Friday color challenge

I created this card for the latest Fab Friday challenge (FabFri10).  It's a color challenge: Pool Party, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Pink Pirouette and Very Vanilla.  I wanted to use some of the elements from the artisan embellishment kit, so that plus the colors naturally pointed me to a valentine.  I have to admit that I struggled with this card for a while, but Ray says it was worth it!

I started by sponging the heart doily with Pool Party ink.  Next, I stamped the image from Take It to Heart on Very Vanilla cardstock with Cherry Cobbler ink.  I added some dots of Dazzling Details to the trees.  This is when my struggles began.  The heart didn't look right on the doily, but I didn't want to cover up too much of the doily either.  I cut out the Cherry Cobbler heart to use for a mat, but it looked too plain.  I finally decided that some dry embossing would help.  I used the Lacy Brocade folder on the heart, and then I added the Adorning Accents hearts to the bottom of the card.  I tied on the ribbon then adhered the hearts.  I snipped the wire stem off the rose and used a pop-up glue dot to adhere it to the ribbon's knot.  I think that's my favorite part!

Happy stamping!

Spring butterflies

It is -17 degrees in Duluth right now, and I am ready for spring!  I recently got the Papillon Potpourri set along with both sizes of the butterfly punch, and I thought the butterflies would be perfect for a spring card.

I stamped the butterflies onto Whisper White cardstock, using black craft ink.  I sprinkled on Irridescent Ice EP and then heat embossed.  Tip: When heating the Irridescent Ice, overheating will melt the glitter!  I watercolored the butterflies with ink and an aquapainter.  I used Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango, and Daffodil Delight.  After they dried, I punched them out.  I love that the punches fit the stamps exactly with no white around the edges!

For the orange layer, I chose a sheet of DSP from Summer Smooches.  I stamped the largest label from Layered Labels in Tangerine Tango then cut it out using the Big Shot.  I used the Essentials paper piercing pack around the edges then added white gel pen stitches.

The banner is 4 X 1 1/2 Real Red Coredinations cardstock embossed with the Fancy Fan embossing folder then sanded.  I used the 1 3/8 square punch to cut the tail at the bottom.  The cardbase is Daffodil Delight.

Happy stamping!

Dare to Get Dirty dirty card

Here is my dirty card!  The cardbase and flower are Crumb Cake.  I made the flower just like the one on the clean card, and then I sponged it with Early Espresso ink.  The embossed layer is Early Espresso Coredinations cardstock run through the same Lacy Brocade embossing folder that I used on the clean card.  Then I sanded it to show the embossing more.

I used a different sentiment from Perfect Punches and Crumb Cake seam binding ribbon to finish my dirty card.

Happy stamping!

Dare to Get Dirty clean card

For the recent Dare to Get Dirty challenges on SCS, I decided to make 2 versions of the same card: 1 clean and 1 dirty.  Here is my "clean" card.

I used shimmery white cardstock for both the base and the flower.  I punched out the petals with the Blossom Petals builder punch then I wet them and crumpled them up.  I opened them up and used the heat tool to dry them.  An antique brad is the flower center.

I used the Adorning Accents edgelit to cut the edge of the cardbase and then ran it through the Big Shot in the Lacy Brocade embossing folder.  I added rhinestones for accents.  The final touches are white ribbon, and a sentiment from Perfect Punches.

Come back later this week to see my "dirty" card!

Happy stamping!

August Creative Crew card

I made this card for the August Creative Crew challenges on SCS.  The focus here is the DSP along with the brads and buttons.  These colors are just perfect for summer!

Details: the embossed dots on the card echo the dots on the vase and the brad used as a flower.  The bottom of the Island Indigo mat is cut with the Adorning Accents edgelit.

Mama found this layout in either a magazine or catalog.  I thought it was really fun and a bit different!

Happy stamping!

It's hip to be square

I'm handling the demonstratable card challenge on SCS for the next couple of weeks. This week, we're using squares. I've been seeing squares everywhere on cards lately, and I really wanted to use my poor, neglected square punches. I was inspired by a card on Mary Jo Albright's blog where she made a card with 6 circles.
My color combo is Cameo Coral, Certainly Celery, Bermuda Bay and Soft Suede. I just love it! I saw it somewhere and wrote it down to try. I pulled out my Eastern Blooms set and stamped the 3 flowers. Then I dry embossed them. Love how that makes the flowers pop! I punched them out and layered them on scallop squares.
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: Eastern Blooms, Sanded; Paper: Whisper White, Cameo Coral, Soft Suede; Ink: Cameo Coral, Certainly Celery, Bermuda Bay, Soft Suede; Accessories: scallop square punch, 1 1/4" square punch, Bermuda Bay grosgrain ribbon, Empressor, Floral Frenzy classy brass template
Happy stamping!

December WICKED challenge card

First of all, I hope you all had a very merry Christmas! I certainly did, and that's why I'm so late posting today. I had planned to go visit family on Christmas eve and then come back on Christmas morning to take care of my dog. At the last minute, Daniel found someone who could take care of the dog for us, so I was able to stay until today.
I made this card using Vera's awesome sketch and color combo for the December WICKED demo challenge on SCS. It's a very unusual color combo: Basic Black, Always Artichoke, Bordering Blue and Tangerine Tango. I would have never thought of it myself, but I like the way it looks. The hardest part was finding some ribbon that I could use!
I used faux linen on the focal image: stamp your image on glossy cardstock, sand in 2 directions then lightly sponge on some color to emphasize the "threads" that you created by sanding. I cut out the image and mat with my Coluzzle. Please notice the dry embossing on the right side of the card! I just love the Floral Frenzy classy brass template, and the edge of it is the exact size of the short side of a standard card. Genius!
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: Eastern Blooms, Warm Words; Paper: glossy white, Basic Black, Bordering Blue; Ink: Always Artichoke, Tangerine Tango, Bordering Blue; Accessories: Coluzzle, black narrow grosgrain ribbon, sanding block, empressor, Floral Frenzy classy brass template
Happy stamping!

Third swap card

This card has Jana written all over it; I used 2, yes 2, shades of purple on this card! I got the color combo from the color wheel and SU's In Color combo chart.
If this were a full card, I would start with a Lovely Lilac card base and stamp the front with Canvas using Elegant Eggplant ink. Then I would take a 4 1/4 X 2 3/4 piece of Elegant Eggplant cardstock and emboss one end with the little flowers from the Flower Frenzy brass template. (Bonus: the template fits EXACTLY on the 4 1/4 end of a card!) I covered the seam with the new So Saffron polytwill ribbon. Since part of it is covered by the focal image, I cut just enough that the ends would meet in the front.
I used the oval template of the Coluzzle to cut out the white and kiwi layers. I stamped the branch image and then lined up the brass template over the image. The Empressor makes it easy to emboss without a light table! I adhered the ovals with dimensionals.
Supplies (all SU): Stamps: Eastern Blooms, Canvas; Paper: Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss, Lovely Lilac, Elegant Eggplant; Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Lovely Lilac, Elegant Eggplant; Accessories: Coluzzle, Empressor, Flower Frenzy CBT, So Saffron polytwill ribbon
I am flying out today to visit my mama for a week. I'm super excited to have an all-day workshop with Mama, Norma and Beth; even though they have been my customers for a long time, I have never done a workshop for them in person since I live in Minnesota and they live in Georgia. I am going to show them lots of fun stuff! Hopefully I will remember to take pictures to post when I get back. I have posts scheduled for you while I'm gone, so don't feel neglected!
Happy stamping!