Feel the Rain

When you are on a design team (Color My Heart), you sometimes play around with things and realize--after the fact--that you used the wrong color.  Hmmm.  This was one of those cards.  I don't feel badly posting it even though it is for an upcoming color dare challenge because, well, it's using the WRONG COLOR!  Oi!!

The colors are Buttercup and Twilight; the stamp sets are Springtime and Follow Your Dreams (both retired).  If you know the set Springtime, you will see that the umbrella is a little different.  I've never liked how big that handle was.  I was complaining about it to a friend and she said, "Why don't you cut it off and make it a straight handle instead of a curved one?"  Duh!

I am entering this over at Heart2Heart because it's a Spring card even if it's not an Easter card, per se.

Being from the Pacific Northwest, this saying has always been one of my absolute favorites.  Here in Oklahoma, the Spring temperatures are already hitting the 80's and we are getting very little precipitation.  To me, that's just wrong.  I love the rain.  I love to stand out in it and let it wash over my face (as long as I'm not going anywhere or have time to fix my hair and make-up before heading out!).  And I most particularly love how it nurtures the scenery keeping it ever green.

Wishing you and yours a blessed Resurrection Morning!

Until next time,
Becca

Claire Dare

This week at Color My Heart the dare colors come straight from the paper package Claire.  I don't have it.  So what's a Color Dare Diva to do?  Why, improvise, of course.  I used my Outdoor Denim ink pad and re-inkers for Blush, Hollyhock, and Sunset to bring you this card:

The background was done with a watercolor brush and reinker.  The shoe (Find Your Style, retired) was stamped in a "homemade" stamp pad using baby wipes and reinker.  (The process is explained in more detail in this post).

Confession time.  I wasn't careful enough with my splattering and got little droplets onto the main panel.  It wasn't bad, just a few.  I hid them with the drops of glitter gel.  Ha!!  One of the things I have learned over the years is that there is almost always a way to hide a flub.

The ribbon is old CTMH.  I love the dual sides.  Oh...and I used a paperclip because I couldn't find a stapler.  Ended up liking it.  So, yeah, why not?

My favorite thing about this card is the saying (Scrapbook Sentiments-Women).  I bought the entire set for this one saying.  I know.  I'm addicted.   My CTMH consultant loves me!!

Until next time,
Becca

Baby in a Bag

Just for the fun of it, I decided to see how many CAS challenges I could meet with one card.  Here are the challenges:

Less is More: Use Beads
CAS(E) This Sketch: #20
CASual Fridays: No Stamps

I'm stretching it on the beads, but I think the letters are technically beads.  I think. 

The washi tape is from CTMH; and the BABY beads/buttons were from a garage sale so I can't tell you anything about where to get them now.  The mini bag is from Paper Zone (no longer in business--whine, mope, cry--but Hobby Lobby is selling something similar).

Pretty cute, huh?

Until next time,
Becca

Easter Wishes

Quick post today to participate in a couple challenges:  OWH Sketch #165 and H2H Easter.

I used CTMH Springtime (retired) for the sentiment.  Frame Flair was used to create the swirly border around the center strip.  I cut the inside Outdoor Denim piece at 1.5 inches and it fit perfectly.  The yellow B&T is from Chantilly.

Non-CTMH product is the lace (Hobby Lobby).

Gotta go.  The boy child (who is 26) is coming for a couple weeks and my refrigerator is only half-way to bursting.  I'm going to need a lot more food!!

Until next time,
Becca

Putting CASE to good use!

For those of you who might be new to the papercrafting world, CASE is the single-most useful technique to know...

Copy
And
Steal
Everything

Oh, yeah!!  I use it all the time.  Today's card comes straight from the brilliant mind of Monika, the M.A.D. Stamper.  She does the most amazing things with vellum.  For this week's Color My Heart dare using Sky, Buttercup, and Blush, I completely stole this card idea.

I used a bunch of different stamp sets, all CTMH, but I'm guessing that little Blush star with the flower center is throwing even the most saavy CTMH addict right now.  I'll tell you in a second, but first the more obvious ones:  Perfect Fit Frames (the first one introduced in the Fall/Winter 2012-2013 catalogue) is the Buttercup on Buttercup and the white embossing on the vellum; Sky on Sky is the Herringbone pattern from Distressed Backgrounds; and the sentiment is from the coordinating Art Philosophy Cricut set.  The Buttercup frame was cut with Art Philosophy.  Love that coordination!!

I also used the watercolor brush to splatter Sky ink in the background.  Just squeeze your ink pad and lid together, open it up, and dab a wet brush into the lid.  Flick the wet ink over the paper for that spatter.

The Blush banner is cut from old B&T paper, but you could get a similar effect by using the small pattern from Distressed Backgrounds over Blush cardstock.

The non-CTMH things were the pearl accents (Hobby Lobby) and the Baker's Twine (Stampin' Up).  I went with a whole separate color because I didn't have anything that matched and I didn't want the Baker's Twine to fight with the pastel colors.  It is held on with a thin line of Liquid Glass (CTMH).  I also used Copic E04 to color the pearls.

Okay...do you have your guess for the little star?

 

It's the same set I as the sentiment.  I stamped the whole star in Blush and fussy cut out the center.  Since I was already using three sets, I didn't want to pull out a whole other set just for a little star.

I love this card.  I love how pretty it is.  I love that it makes me look brilliant even though I flat out stole the entire idea.  And I love that I can pass it along to you (with credit to the original designer, of course...we want to always play nice in the Blog-o-sphere).

Until next time,
Becca

Looking Good!

Mustaches!  The hot new trend.  Who decides these things??  I don't know, and I really don't care.

My husband shaved his off when he joined the Army.  After twenty-five years of kissing him with the 'stache it still feels wrong.  (For the first year, I literally had to remind myself I was kissing the right man not some stranger!)  So...if you can't have the real thing, here's the second best:

This card is being entered in the Heart2Heart: We "Mustache" You to Join and Less is More: Frames challenges.

I used Puns of Praise and Perfect Fit: Dad from CTMH along with black pigment ink to get solid coverage.  I hand cut the mustache down from its normal size by cutting one side, folding it in half, then cutting the second side to match.

I think I'm in love with my mustache man.  My poor DH better watch out!

Until next time,
Becca

Color Dare Goldrush, Olive, and Sweet Leaf

Do you ever purchase a stamp set with only a vague notion of what you are going to do with it?  Or maybe no idea at all, you just really like it and are sure something will come to mind once you have it in your hot little hands?  Well, after purchasing Adventure USA, I went searching for ideas and saw this post.  It was the perfect inspiration for using a new set and this week's Color My Heart dare colors: Goldrush, Olive, and Sweet Leaf.

I used old B&T papers in the Goldrush, cut them to create the sun rays, and then sponged them with more Goldrush ink to mute the white parts.  The grass is Sweet Leaf cardstock sanded to expose a bit of the white core and sponged with more Goldrush.  The patterns were stamped with Olive ink using In the Background.  The sun was cut with Goldrush cardstock and then dabbed with stickles glitter get.  I didn't want it too heavy, so I smeared it with my finger to spread it around.

The car and camper were stamped in my new favorite color, Saddle.  Because it was going over patterned paper, I used pigment ink to achieve a denser coverage.  I used a white gel pen to highlight the windows and camper door.

This is a 5x7 card because there wasn't enough white space around the central image on a 5.5x4.25 card.  I don't know why I'm reluctant to go up to the 5x7 size more often.  It's not like it costs more to mail.

Because of the green, I'm entering this in the Heart2Heart: Go Green challenge.  I think this is my fourth entry for this week.  (Hey...I got a huge order on Monday and have been playing pretty much non-stop every since.)

Anyway, I'm finding more and more ideas with this stamp set, so don't be surprised if you see it in the future.

Until next time,
Becca

Love Herringbone

A few years ago, CTMH came out with a background set that included a Herringbone pattern.  I didn't get it before it retired and regretted it immensely.  When the new catalogue came out with the long border patterns, they were first on my list of things to get.  Since I'm not a consultant, I waited for this month's Stamp of the Month because it was my favorite, and my box arrived earlier this week.  One of the first cards I made was this one:

I must confess, the idea was not original to me. I saw it over a year ago and have been waiting to recreate it.  It comes from the very talented Tosha Leyendekker's blog.  So easy, so classic.  I used Distressed Backgrounds with Sweet Leaf pigment ink.  (Again, the photography doesn't capture the color correctly.  Drat!)  The sentiment is from A Friend Like You.

Non-CTMH products are the pink rhinestone heart (Michael's???) and the postage stamp die cut (Cuttlebug).

This is my third entry in the Heart2Heart: Go Green challenge, and I'm not done.  I have at least one more card coming. 

It's one-thirty in the morning here.  I went to bed around eleven and have tossed and turned disturbing my poor DH.  I finally decided to just get up and do this post.  I think I need to lay off the caffeine for a few days...but then how will I get any writing done?  Ah, the vagaries of a writer's life.  Words seem to flow in direct proportion to the amount of caffeine flowing through my veins.

Until next time,
Becca

Fan Mail

I love it when a plan comes together.  Because I have made friends with several authors, my first thought upon seeing the new Puns of Praise set was that I could send them "Fan Mail."  Writing is a solitary business.  Little notes of encouragement mean a great deal.

It doesn't hurt that I can also enter this into the Heart2Heart: Go Green and Operation Write Home: Midweek Color Throwdown (Blue & Green) challenges.

All products are CTMH.  The background paper is Emporium (retired), and the alphabet is Keyboard Uppercase.  I had to use the "W" and turn it upside down because I can't find the "M" anywhere.  I stamped the letters in Sky ink which actually matches the paper better than the picture shows.  I wish I could get the colors to be more true, but this photography business is tough sometimes.

 

The black shimmer tape is perfect for OWH cards because it adds glitter without adding the glitter mess which we can't have for our heroes.  A little dot of Liquid Glass in the center of the fan, and we are good to go.

 

This card will go to friends, but I'll make several more for the OWH pile which have the side fold so I can tuck them for mailing.  If you aren't certain of the requirements for OWH hero cards, go here for the guidelines.

 

Until next time,

Becca

Recycled Rooster

A quick post tonight before heading off to bed.  The Heart2Heart: Go Green challenge mentioned recycling, so...

The stamp set is Country Life (retired).  I stamped the rooster in Saddle, highlighted with a Chocolate marker, colored a few spots with some Copics, and added a bit of Chocolate sponging here and there.  The cardstock is Vanilla (retired) and Chocolate.  Accessories are jute and a mini clothespin.

Time--um, make that past time--to go to bed.

Until next time,
Becca

Spring Forward

Addiction alert.  I have fallen in love with Adhesive Springs.  It began with this post and continues today with my second entry for Heart2Heart: Spring Forward. 

Don't laugh, but I literally was awake tossing with a new idea using the same concept as the butterfly wings.

This was a little trickier because the flowers didn't just secure themselves like the butterfly wings did.  I used a hefty amount of liquid glass on the middle flower and am praying it stays secure.
The paper colors are Smoothie, Cranberry, and Olive.  The flowers were sponged with Tulip over Smoothie and Barn Red over Cranberry.  The leaves are Olive over Olive.  I do have one small tip for you about those leaves.  They are much easier to sponge if you do it before you attach them to the card.  Go ahead...ask me how I know. 

I used flowersoft in the middle of the flowers. (They might also have been easier to do if I'd added the flowersoft before adhering them to the spring, but I was SO DARN EXCITED to get them into that spring and see if it would work.)

The sentiment is from Springtime (retired) and was cut with the Artiste Cricut cartridge then trimmed down to fit under the flowers.

I have had the flower packet since 2001.  Yep...for twelve years...just waiting for the right idea.  I think I got it!!  Since I don't think they will actually grow, I decided to glue it inside the pocket, but this would be an easy way to send someone fresh seeds.

I am also linking my post to the fabulous Tamytha's blog because she's giving away blog candy and I want me some of that action!!

Hopefully this means I will be able to sleep tonight, especially since we have to go to bed an hour early to Spring Forward!

Until next time,
Becca




Spirelli CAS

Oh boy, did I have fun with this one!  Operation Write Home is one of my favorite causes, and they had this fun Spirelli tutorial up a few days ago.  I combined this technique with a couple other challenges: Less is More: Colour Challenge and CAS(E) This Sketch: #18.

Are those cute, or what?  Because my ridges weren't deep, I used thread.  Yee!  You are going to see more of this, I guarantee it.

Until next time,
Becca

Color Dare Blues

Color My Heart this week is challenging us to use two different paper packets.  I thought this was going to be easy.  Ummm...nope.  I had a terrible time with this, and I'm not even sure I like the end result.

I used Stella (retired) and Avonlea (current).  Now that I look at it in a picture, I'm thinking part of the problem would be solved if I used the Avonlea Teal as the blue banner.  What I love is the pop of red.  Stamps used were Pirouette, Universal Background, and Friendship (sentiment, retired).  Accessories were the velvet rub ons, red glitter gel, and clear embossing powder.

(Update:  I found a scrap of Avonlea Teal.  It was about three inches long, so I cut it to squeeze under the circle.  Better?)

Now, in case you don't like these, maybe you'll like this next one instead...

Of course, since it's the second picture, blogger won't let me enlarge it.  The teal strip is Avonlea again, the rest of it is an old, old pack the name of which I can't remember.  What I do remember is Orchid Bouquet.  I like it even better than the pop of red on the first card, but the paper is so old, some of you weren't even born when it retired.  The stamp set is Pair-A-Phrase (retired). 

Well, that's it.  I'm not thrilled but I'm out of time.

Until next time,
Becca

Birthday Butterfly

Once in a very great while, I come up with an idea all on my own.  Please mark your calendars because today was that day.  I was admiring all the folks who used the Adhesive Springs for Heart2Heart: Spring Forward and trying to come up with a creative way to use mine.  Voila!

 



This was pretty labor intensive, so I have a bunch of pictures to show you how I did it.  First, the multicolor butterfly was done using reinkers and baby wipes.

In case you can't read the colors, that's Smoothie, Honey, and Twilight.  I didn't bother getting the dots right next to each other. Even with giving them a bit of space in between, by the time I stamped a few times rotating my stamp just a smidge in between, the image was colored.  This picture was taken after I had stamped the butterfly four times.

Before I stamped the butterfly from Find Your Style (retired) on the bottom piece, I wiped off the antennae.  I stamped a second time after inking only the antennae in Twilight.  I then stamped the body of the butterfly on a scratch piece in Twilight to use on the top piece after everything was assembled.  Then I cut the Adhesive Springs to mimic the shape of the butterfly wing and affixed them.

This next picture is to show you how I created the layers, but you don't want to do this quite yet.

Here's why...

As you add each layer, you want to make sure the center part stays down.  I used a combination of double sided sticky tape and Liquid Glass .  The sticky tape helps keep things in place while the Liquid Glass dries.  Do one layer at a time unless you have superpowers to get that line of Liquid Glass just right.  On the last layer, I added a couple dabs of Liquid Glass to the Adhesive Springs for good measure.

Once all the layers are down, add the Twilight colored body and patiently hold everything in place until it's dry enough to not pop back up.  I added a final touch of Liquid Glass to the body to give it some extra shine. 

I really wished I had the A Tree stamp set to use the sentiment "Fluttering by to say..." and add "Happy Birthday" inside.  It's on the way, but I have to get this out in the mail before my box of goodies arrives.  Instead, I used Card Chatter-Birthday.

Because this card has a lot of weight on the front, I decorated the inside.

It's not fancy, but it added a little structure so the card doesn't tip over at a light breeze.

Yep, pretty darn proud of myself.  As always, if you have any questions, feel free to  leave them in the comment section and come back to see my answer.

Until next time,
Becca