Quilted Color Throwdown

Card number two for the OWH Virtual Card Making Party combines OWH Challenge #1: Sketch with this week's Color Throwdown.

(Update:  Ooops!  Just linked this up to discover that it was supposed to be a Christmas/Winter themed card using the OWH Sketch.  Oh well...)

My colors are all CTMH: Cotton Candy, Sunset, Blush, Sweet Leaf, and Buttercup. 

I used a CM punch for my inch squares.  To make sure I had them on straight, I drew a couple lines on my 4"x5.25" panel.  The horizontal line was at 3.75" and the vertical line was at 2".  I put down my middle Sunset polka dot piece first and worked out from there.  This pattern was just begging for some top stitching and a custom dyed ribbon using Blush re-inker and Tim Holtz Crinkle Ribbon.

Since this is for OWH, I stamped "Miss You" from Verve's Friendly Phrases in Momento Tuxedo Black.  I inked right over the top of my stitching and it worked fine.  Whew!!

Really happy with how this turned out.  Off to see what's next on over at the OWH party!!

Until next time,
Becca

Happy (Krafty) Holidays

This weekend is the OWH Virtual Card Making Party.  I am joining the fun with the O-W-H challenge (use colors/techniques that begin with O, W, and H) and combining it with CAS-ual Fridays: Kraft+sentiment challenge.

Here's how I fulfilled the OWH challenge:

• Olive, Off-the-Edge, Odd number of accents
• White embossing, Watercolor, Washi tape
• Hollyhock, Happy Holidays, Hemp

Pretty proud of myself for coming up with three of each!

All stamps and ink are CTMH, Washi tape was purchased at Hobby Lobby, and the hemp was purchased so long ago I'm not sure where it came from...probably Michaels.  I touched up the center of the flower with Copic markers.  You can color directly onto embossed images, but you'll want to run your marker over scratch paper when you're done to clear off any residual white.

I'm guessing this won't be my only post for the day as OWH has just posted a third challenge for the day...and I've not done the first one yet.

Until next time,
Becca

Hearts and Prayers

For about a week, I have been putting off this card.  It's for a friend who lost her twenty-year-old son ten days ago.  He left for his Sr. year of college and, three days later, died in his sleep.  There are no words.  There just are no words.

As I've followed her updates on Facebook, she mentioned that her son liked bright colors.  I pulled out some older Art Impressions stamps for this:

No challenges today, but here's the supply list:

• CTMH:
• ink: Pansy Purple, Cocoa, Pacifica, Sunset, Honey, and Topiary
• paper: Pansy Purple, Honey
• Fiskars: Deckle Edge Scissors
• Art Impressions stamps: D-1737 (flower pot), F-1723 and AA-1510 (green vines), AA-1366 (yellow flowers), AAA-1368 (blue flowers), AAA-1376 (orange flowers), and AA-1373 (purple flowers)
• Stampin' Around: Sentiment
• Sizzix: Embossing folder
• Hobby Lobby: lace and watercolor paper

These images were designed to be stamped on watercolor paper then brushed or dotted with water to bleed the ink and create the illusion of a hand-painted scene.

I'm still struggling with what to write in the inside.  Again, there just are no words.

Until next time,
Becca

Twisted hello

Popped over to CAS(E) this Sketch to discover I'm last week's winner for this card.  What a fun surprise! 

Today's card combines the Less is More: Washi tape challenge with CAS(E) this Sketch #42 and a little trick I learned from my fellow DT member, Amie, about wrapping twisty ties with Washi tape.

Stamp is CTMH Word Bubble (part of the Artiste Cricut bundle). I inked it up with Outdoor Denim pigment ink (also CTMH) and embossed it with clear powder.  It's mounted on a chipboard piece which is included in the Artiste bundle.

The Washi tape was purchased at Hobby Lobby; the twisty ties are green and came from my local grocery store.

I'm also going to link this up to an older Heart2Heart: Sentimentally Yours challenge.

Oh...my grocery store is going to wonder what happened.  I'm guessin' a few more might have an unexpected shortage of twisty ties soon.

Until next time,
Becca

...one of a kind.

Color Dare #57 is Monochromatic with Pacifica and Sky.  I didn't start out wanting to make a Christmas/Winter card, but I love how this one turned out!

To see what I did with the leftover image, go to yesterday's Heart2Heart post.

Here's the supply list and details:

• Snowflake:  Art Philosophy cut (p.30, Decorative Layer-Shift) at 3.5 inches.  Positioned paper to cut only three quarters of image.
• Paper: Sky
• Ink: Pacifica, Versamark
• Stamp set: Snowflakes
• Embossing powder: Bridal White (old CTMH)

With a little pre-planning, I lined up my paper so the image would cut part-way off the page.  (This has become a favorite technique.  I used it on this Color Dare card, too.)  Lining things up is easy for me using my Design Studio.  It's a software program which is practically identical to the online Cricut Craft Room.  I had to pay for my software; the craft room is free.  I highly recommend getting an account because it will rock your world!  So much more you can do!!

Once the image was cut, I backed the white cardstock with Sky cardstock (full 4x5.25 sheet because my white was not a heavy enough weight--stupid Walmart ream).  I then took the snowflake image and used the "direct to paper" technique with my Versamark pad to completely cover the image.  After pouring and shaking off the Bridal White embossing powder, I very carefully picked it up by the edges and heated just the bottom.  I let that cool a bit (five or six seconds) then used a pair of tweezers to hold onto the bottom/heat-set part and heated the rest.

I learned a cool trick on sewing.  You can pull the thread through from the front to the back by "picking" at the last stitch.  Tape it down in back, and the thread won't come loose.  (If you are sewing all the way around, just line up your last stitch with your first and they'll both be hidden.)

My favorite thing about this card is how the sentiment echoes the single snowflake.  I already know who this card will go to, but it might be good to wait until it's no longer 95 degrees outside before sending it.

Until next time,
Becca

Making Spirits Bright

This week at Heart2Heart, the challenge is "Sing a Little Song for Me".  I decided to use the negative space leftover from tomorrow's Color Dare card with a Christmas song lyric sentiment to bring you this:

Go to this post if want sizes, page numbers, etc., but the quick version is it was cut using the Art Philosophy cartridge.

To get the snowflake off the Cricut cutting mat, I followed someone's idea (and if it was yours, please comment because I'd love to link through to you!!) of using liquid glass on the paper still stuck to the cutting mat, pressing your card/scrapbook page down, letting it sit for about ten minutes, then carefully peeling it off.  Brilliant!!

The sentiment is from a retired set (December Word Puzzle) which I have pulled out more in the last six months than the rest of the six years I've owned it combined!

I'm also linking this up to the Addicted to CAS: Holiday challenge

I'm really not sure if I like this card or the one I'll be posting tomorrow better.  In any event, my stash of Christmas cards is beginning to grow.  Hopefully that  means I won't be quite as overwhelmed come November.  Yeah...probably not.

Until next time,
Becca

A Friend...

Told you these fun glasses would be making another appearance...just didn't expect it to be twice in the same day. Freshly Made Sketches is celebrating their 100th post with a "retro" sketch.  It's their 1st sketch!  Goes to show that a good sketch never goes out of style.

CTMH supplies are as follows: Sarita and Laughing Lola paper, Card Chatter-Focus on a Friend stamp, notched paper behind sentiment from Artiste (p. 47).  Other supplies are: Glasses (LaPetites sticker), white gel pen, Momento Tuxedo Black ink, white embossing powder, Versamark clear ink, black sequins.

The only thing I changed about the sketch was moving my sequins to the other side of the card.

I think this might be the last post for the day, but you never know.

Until next time,
Becca

A Friend is One Who Knows You

Quick post today to play along with a couple challenges.  First, here's my card:

Are those glasses just the cutest thing, or what?

Here's another photo that includes the package.  I was so excited about them, I bought two at Hobby Lobby last week when they were 50% off!!

The challenges I'm entering are:
1.  CAS(E) this Sketch
2.  Dynamic Duos: Lt. Aqua and Black with option of embossing.

I tweeked the sketch by making the card a vertical orientation rather than horizontal; and I used a raised, shiny sticker rather than stamping/embossing a raised, shiny image. 

All other supplies are from CTMH.  Stamp is from Card Chatter--Focus on a Friend, ink is (retired) Breeze. The inside sentiment says, "and loves you just the same."

With seven more pairs of glasses to go, you can bet you'll be seeing more of these!  Like this one. :)

Until next time,
Becca

Enjoy the Ride

I have  several anniversaries coming up, and one of them is for in-laws who enjoy riding bikes together.  I thought this would be perfect.

I especially like it because I can use it for the following challenges:

• Color My Heart: Lagoon, Pear, and Buttercup
• The Sweetest Thing: Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #191
• CAS-ual Friday: Aqua, Green, Orange (though I'm using Yellow instead of Orange)
• Less is More: Round and Round

Here are the supplies I used:

• Paper: CTMH Chantilly (Buttercup and Pear--which is from the zip strip and then hand cut into grass) and Dotty for You (retired)
• Stamps: CTMH It's Your Day (retired)
• Ink: CTMH Slate
• Glitter: Studio G Glitter Gel
• Sequins: White colored with Copics YR15, BG78, and YG63

I also used Copic W5 to edge the circle for some definition.

Lots of things to get done today, so I'm off.  Enjoy your day...and always enjoy the ride.

Until next time,
Becca

Embossed Scene

Lately I've been missing my beautiful Pacific Northwest.  Although Oklahoma is greener this Summer than last, I miss Evergreen trees.  So I decided to make a small scene using this week's CAS(E) this Sketch.

Here's a list of the supplies:

• Embossing Powders: Tim Holtz Distress Powder (Walnut Stain), Verdigris (Wandakins-a LSS out of business now), PSX Topiary Tapestry, and a bottle labeled "Lt. Blue Sparkle" with nothing else on it which makes me think I might have mixed it myself several years ago.
• Stamp: Card Chatter-Birthday (CTMH)
• Glue Pens: Chisel Tip Glue Pen (CTMH) and a Tombow Glue Pen that looks like a ball point pen.
• Edge Distressor (CTMH)
• Ink: Cocoa (CTMH)

Although the picture doesn't show it well, the trees are about six layers of embossing.  I started with the Verdigris, added thin stripes of Topiary with the ballpoint glue pen, added thicker stripes of Topiary with the chisel tip glue pen, covered the whole tree with glue and sprinkled a fine layer of topiary over it all, covered it again and sprinkled with Verdigris, then covered it once more and sprinkled more Topiary as the final layer.  It helps to have the overhead fan going while sprinkling layers.  It really gives you a nice, fine layer.  (It also gets embossing powder a hundred places other than the image, but that's why God invented vacuum cleaners and rags, right?)

The ground also has a few layers.  I started with the Walnut but didn't get good coverage, so I went back over it.  As I was working with the Topiary, I thought, "Why not?" and added a few swipes over the top.  Some of the Verdigris and Blue Sparkle got on the brown as I was doing those layers, but I didn't stress.

The edges ended up with places where the embossing powder didn't cover.  This is why God invented the Edge Distressor.  See...there is always a way to creatively cover up what, at first, looks like a flub.  Ask me about the inside.  Yeah...  Major flub which is now covered with lots of stamped Evergreen trees.

Despite the flubs and the sparkles, I think this will be a great card for my outdoorsy nephew.

Until next time,
Becca

oh, hello

No stamping on this one.  I used the Art Philosophy cartridge for this week's Color My Heart card with Laughing Lola paper.  Since Heart2Heart decided to do a challenge making the sentiment the focus, I've linked it up there, too.

I used the "weld" feature to create the sentiment, then cut a the three purple letters separately using the "flip" feature to make sure the letters were identical.  The white dots were added with a gel pen, the sequins were colored with Copics to match the paper.

I have to give a shout-out to Marie Flayer for sending me the Laughing Lola paper.  It's always nice to have friends who help you out in a pinch.

Until next time,
Becca

More Sympathy

Most of the time, I create cards using challenges because I can always put them in my stash for later if it's not something I can use right away.  Today, I need a sympathy card and none of the challenges were "speaking" to me.  What was speaking to me was purple.  So I used a double vellum technique I learned at Summer Card Camp 2 for this:

The background stamps are CTMH, the sentiment is Stampin' Up.  All of them have long retired.  Also from CTMH:  Slate ribbon, white waxy flax, Pansy Purple and Petal ink, Mirror Platinum embossing powder.

The sentiment says, "What the heart as once owned and had, it shall never lose ~Henry Ward Beecher".  In one, short sentence, Beecher sums up both the joy and pain of loss while managing to convey hope. 

Until next time,
Becca