You're snow n'ice

I made this card for the High Hopes Challenge Ice or Snow .  I knew I wanted to use this bear but it tested my abilities to make a slope and background. I accented the snow flakes with Stickles for a bit more pizzazz.  I think it works or at least I hope it does.  I based the coloring on my eldest's school colors so will probably send this to him at some point in the school year.

I thought of the blog title after I took the picture - I'll probably add that to the front somewhere because it fits before I send it off.

Ingredients
Card size - 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"
Cardstock - Artist Loft: Watercolor paper; Recollections: Kraft 65lb;
Stamps - High Hopes Stamps: Bearly Swooshin', Snow Background;
Ink- Archival: black; Memento: Summer Sky;
Color - Koi Watercolor
Accessories - Diamond Stickles

Captain America die cut card.

This is one of the cards I made for my husband's birthday (the irony is he is English).  I hope by now he appreciates my humor.

I can't remember exactly where I saw this idea of inlaying the die cuts to create the shield.  It definitely isn't my idea.

I have to say if I did this card again I would put the shield a little higher on my card but generally like the way it came out.  It looks even lower in the picture.  It is centered on the card but looks low.

Ingredients
Card size - 8.5 in x 5.5 in;
Cardstock - Recollections 110 lb white, 65lb white, blue, red;
Accessories - Spellbinders Nestabilities - circles, stars.

What's Up?

I created this card for High Hopes blog challenge Fall Colors.  I always think of browns, reds, oranges and golds when I think fall and hope this card conveys that.

I have wanted to make this card for a long time, like ever since I bought the stamps!!!  So I thought this was a good opportunity to combine it with the challenge.

The image is stamped with Rich Cocoa and watercolored with Inktense pencils.  I'm still working on my Inktense technique.  I did run into a bit of trouble with the watercolor paper pilling where I was working it too much, but I like the effect it left.

I won't say I'm 100% happy with this card - I like the background and mat, I like the image and idea.  I wanted Henrietta to pop more - maybe some colored pencils would help but I'm a bit worried about introducing them when the paper was already pilling.  Think I better call it a good job done and move on!

Psst - that apostrophe on the "what's" totally had to improvise it from the "!".  I think it worked.

Ingredients
Card size - 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches;
Cardstock - Recollections: kraft, red; Artist Loft: Watercolor;
Stamps - High Hopes: Henriettas backside, chicken prints; Studio G: alphabet;
Ink - Memento: Rich Cocoa;
Color - Derwent Inktense.

Never Frogget!

I think we can agree I just went dotty over the High Hopes blog challenge this week - Polka Dot Mania .

I stamped the Frog Prince stamp and Mushroom Two stamp with Gina K Designs Black Onyx and colored in with Derwent Inktense pencils.  The mushroom is in my eldest's school colors orange and brown.  I then fussy cut the frog, cutting off his crown, and covered in versamark and UTEE and heat embossed him.  Doing this gave him a mottled appearance that I wanted.

Using my Polka Dots folder I dry embossed the base.  And I diecut the mushroom with circles to make them big polka dots.

To be honest I put the card together and then struggled as to where to put the sentiment.  Then I decided to do a half dot under the image and to look out the little $1 Studio G alphabet stamps I picked up at Michaels.  Couldn't believe that I had a circle one in the lot so of course that is the one I HAD to use!  A bit of dotty ribbon added just enough to help anchor the image.

Ingredients
Card size - 4 1/4 in x 5 1/2 in;
Cardstock - Recollections: 110lb (295 gsm) white, 65lb green, kraft;
Stamps - High Hopes Stamps: Frog Prince, Mushroom Two; Studio G: alphabet;
Ink - Gina K Designs Color Companion Black Onyx;
Color - Derwent Inktense Watercolor Pencils;
Accessories - American Crafts ribbon; UTEE; Dimensionals; Circle diecut.

4 Star General Graduation!

I created this card based on the school crest for the recipient.  He is in their first graduating class ever, so wanted to try to make it special.  To be honest, I wanted the deckled edge but had difficulty cutting it because the cardstock was so thick.  It was ok for a one off but I definitely wouldn't do it for a group of cards with this cardstock.

I don't know about your area of the country but most people here just do a picture card with a graduation party announcement rather than announcing the graduation itself.  I miss the traditional card.  I know I had loads of friends from other schools and loved getting their announcements with their school crests when we all graduated.  So with that in mind I went traditional with this card and replaced the last layer with the cap and diploma. I cut the "banner" end by partially die cutting Nestabilities Squares and used my Scor-Pal to add some extra detail to the final panel.

Our graduate is getting the "universal gift card" - money!  So I originally made the pocket with the stars punched out, to echo the front... the problem was when it was back lit you could see the line and the stars through to the front so I used some more gray cardstock and lined the whole of the front.  Luckily I taped it and was able to just lift the pocket enough.  I love that the money isn't just going to fly out of the card onto the floor.

I also made certain the pocket overlapped the end of the card to create a contrast on the front to make it easier to see the edge.

My picture is a little bit fuzzy.  Sorry about that, but you get the general idea.

I will be honest with you, although I am happy with the outcome, I'm not thrilled.  The stamped panel bothers me.  I did consider sponging it but really didn't want to make it worse and I think clean lines for a young man's card are more masculine.  I also considered highlighting the raised embossing but didn't want to make it look amateurish if the pen slipped.  Sometimes I guess we have to accept happy and move on.  I have more cards to make for graduates of this school in the future so I can refine my techniques with them.

Ingredients
Card size - 8.5 x 5.5 in;
Cardstock - Recollections 110 lb; Bazzill;
Stamps - Kitchen Sink Stamps 3 step Graduation;
Ink - Memento - London Fog, Nautical Blue;
Dies - Spellbinders Nestabilities Squares, Stars

Feeling Blue Hues...

Like loads of other people I bought these adorable quote stamps when they were all the rage and to my shame I think this is the first time I have used one!  I always came up with some cute idea and then it evolved into something I made into something else that didn't accommodate the quote.  So when I saw this technique by Darlene with the watercolor pencils I decided I had to do it and just the sentiment that would be so very adorable with it.

I pared it down quite a bit but I think it is obvious the inspiration is there!  

Ingredients
Card size 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 in 
Cardstock - Recollections 110 lb cardstock, Artists Loft Watercolor paper
Stamp - Inkadinkado: Friendly Advice
Ink - Gina K Color Companions Black Onyx
Color - Derwent Inktense Watercolor pencils

Monster Wow!

Another envelope board happy mail project. 

I stamped, fussy cut and mounted the "wow!" On dimensionals to make it pop. The background paper and base are outlined in matching marker.

STUFF
Card size - A2
Cardstock - Recollections: Robots and Monsters; Georgia Pacific
Stamps - Recollections: 
Ink - Memento: Tangelo;
Accessories - dimensionals

Superman - Dad of Steel! Exactly as I have planned it.

Oh how I wish I could say I was the most organized crafter ever and that I completely planned to make a superman card for my husband for Father's Day because I knew it would correspond with going to the movie with the family later that day...

The truth is I lost my mojo and remembered I had the stamp and had an "aha" moment and thinking I could do a gatefold card to make the cape and was at a loss for anything else to do.  What? Father's Day was the opening weekend for the movie too? well of course I planned it all!!! *knowing wink* 

The second picture shows the card standing.  Thinking about it now I could have adhered the blue to come over the top instead of inside of sandwiching the gate.  I think I might re-visit this card and try out those changes.

I also stamped the inside but the kids got hold of the card and added their own decorations and sentiments before I could photograph it to share it.  Oh well, you will have to take my word that it is cute as it has Superman flying through "Happy Father's Day".

I keep wondering if the stamp is lost, but I keep thinking if it were larger then I would have had issues with the gate fold... 

Ingredients
Card Size - 8.5 x 5.5 inches
Cardstock - Neenah Classic Crest Smooth Solar White; Recollections: Red, Blue; 
Stamps - Viva LasVegastamps: Logo 1; Inside - Viva LasVegastamps: Superman Flying; Kitchen Sink Stamps: Whole Family;
Ink - Versamark; Memento: Danube Blue, Tuxedo Black;
Accessories - Zing! Gold Glitter Embossing Powder

Sparkly Owl of course...

So this card started out as a technique challenge for me.  I saw this card by uber talented Julie Ebersole.  Now I did do the covering the cardstock in glitter part, um and I was rather sparkly for a while.  You have been warned if you use this technique.  I decided that I would risk using a rainbow Big Juicy pad as I wanted to use this owl image for the card.  Nothing ventured nothing gained right?  So I stamped and would have crossed my fingers but was afraid that would affect my stamping.  

Then I wanted to create a panel with these rounded squares from Gina K Designs, Lots of Letters set.  I stamped and embossed them with clear embossing power to add another texture to the card.  Yeah, the stamping isn't perfect, but I kinda like it like that.  It seems mosaic-y (a good ol made up word by me).

I really like color with black and white.  Maybe I should have been a cartoonist.  But it always makes me smile in a grabbing the Sunday "Funnies" out of the paper before handing it to dad sort of way.  Am I the only one that used to do that? 

It was about at this point that it struck me that this would be a good card without the main image and a great masculine card so I should snap a picture when I assemble it.  And yeah, I did contemplate just not using the image, but the whole point of the card is that my mom like's owls... 

So then I got to thinking... this would probably make a great Masculine card.... so I decided to take a couple of pictures of the card assembled without the main image.  So here is the card without the owl image:

And here is the card with the main image as I completed it.  I think it could have worked either way.

Ingredients

Card size - 8.5 x 5.5 inches

Cardstock - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Smooth, Wassau Textured paper black

Stamps - Gina K Designs: Lots of Letters; Kitchen Sink Stamps: Ready 4 any Holiday; Inkadinkado: Birds Galore;

Ink - Big & Juicy rainbow pad

Accessories - clear embossing powder, adhesive sheet, glitter, brads.

The card that sparked a conversation AKA Procrastination, CAS and Masculine cards.

 
So if you follow my blog (or wish to take a quick look) you can see I do a wide variety of cards.  Lately I have been coveting (there really is no other word) white space and CAS.  I was even thinking these are the "Perfect Masculine" cards.  So imagine my surprise when I collected my eldest from university (which is a 3 day event, two of those being travel) and the conversation goes a bit like this...

"Petal, have you been really busy?"

"a bit, why?"

"I can tell"

"How?" (me racking my brains to wonder how he can tell when he is so far away and I know I have dropped everything at a moment's notice like every supermom is supposed to in order to ensure he would have a relatively uneventful run into finals and no worries about home... oh my... my insecurities are running rampant... how did I fail this time... and yes this is a stream of conscious run on sentence in my brain)...

"well, its your cards"

"what?!"

"they are really plain"

well knock me over with a feather...."oh I thought you would like them really clean"

all is quiet queue tumbleweed..."I like every card from you"

Nice save there kid, cancel the tumbleweed, you know who is still funding your life! *wink*

So what does this have to do with procrastination - it really isn't that obvious except that I didn't want to blog about the card until I knew he received it and then life got in the way etc.  So procrastination meant I wrote a completely different post about this card than I would have written even just a week ago.

So CAS and Masculine - I love both.  I love CAS and Masculine because I do masculine all the time and I adore the white space of CAS.  I think however, I have to find a comfort level so my son doesn't read anything into my one layer stamped card with few embellishments and doesn't take that to mean that that card took me less time to make than one dripping with embellishments.
 

Oh and BTW I was completely inspired by this post Taheerah for the inside image- however unlike her I just colored the flag in on the stamp itself rather than using a kissing technique.  With all the empty space of the phone box it was pretty forgiving to just wing it.

 
Ingredients
Card size - 4.25 x 5.5 in
Cardstock - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;
Stamps - Gina K Designs: You Say Goodbye. and I say Ello;
Ink - Memento: Lady Bug Red, Danube Blue, Bahama Blue, Summer Sky;
Color - Marvy Le Plume Markers

Hoppy Easter!

A not so quick CAS (clean and simple) card for my eldest for Easter.  TBH it is the only Easter card I made and I really like it.  So that means no one else will.  I'm not sure the effort justifies the outcome though.  Lining up all those letters and resisting coloring in the flowers - well I did a test run and it overpowered everything even though it would have been true to design rules to triangulate the blues it was just too heavy.

What I like about this card is how busy and yet "clean" it is.  The triangulation of the green. Yes, it is a long, flat triangle but it works and grounds the scene.  AND that I made this pastel card for a MAN!  So go on and throw that preconception out the window.  Honestly, tell me why this isn't suitable for a guy?  It drives me to distraction when I read "rules for masculine cardmaking" sort of threads and they say "use dark earthtones" etc.  Just how un-Springlike would this card have been in "dark earthones"!!!

Well that is that mini-masculine card making rant over.  I hope you and yours are have a beautiful Sunday no matter what holiday you are celebrating.

Ingredients
Card Size - 4.25 x 5.5
Cardstock - Neenah Classic Crest Smooth Solar White
Stamps - Gina K Designs: Lots of Letters; Stampendous: Spring Things
Ink - Memento: New Sprout, Desert Sand, Summer Sky

ETA I finally worked out how to put that blue triangle in! I should have just dotted the center of the flowers.  Maybe I will revisit and have one or more in my stash for next Easter!

High Flying 16th Birthday!

I made this card for my cousin on his 16th birthday.  I forgot that I actually used this stamp on his card a couple of years ago.  Must try harder next year!  I freehand drew the curve for the flight and cut it out.  The rest is stamping, spinner card instruction from Splitcoast Stampers, coloring in and airbrushing for that soft sky effect.

Ingredients
Card Size 8.5 in x 5.5 in
Cardstock - Neenah Solar White Classic Crest Smooth
Stamps - Clear Dollar Stamps (airplane), Kitchen Sink Stamps
Ink - Memento
Color - Copics

Soccer Pride Birthday

My youngest plays for the school's soccer team so I thought this would be an appropriate card for him.

I stamped the hoodie, bag and soccer balls separately on Neenah Classic Crest.  The balls were stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with metallic purple embossing powder.  I probably should have done some shading on the balls.  The hoodie and bag were stamped with memento ink and colored with copics.  I then hand cut them out and set them aside whilst I stamped the background of lockers.  I didn't worry whether they were all perfectly lined up because I don't know about you but the last time I was in a school the lockers looked like the students were using them and not that worried whether they were lined up. Now don't get me wrong they were bolted down and were lined up but I felt the lack of perfection in lining them up added to the ambience of the background.  Well, that is my story and I am sticking to it! ;)  I colored them in copics, keeping them neutral and colored the wall and floor in school colors.  TBH if I think about it I have probably reversed the actual colors; oh well. 

 

Then I used a Stampendous sentiment stamp and curved it on my acrylic block to make it look like the bunting you buy and hang up.  I stamped that with the Versamark and heat embossed.
When I went to assemble the card the hoodie looked random in the setting so I thought the best way to deal with it was to make a hanger as if it hanging off the lockers.  I got out some wire from my stash and made a couple of holes for the hanger to go through to help it look more realistic. 
Ingredients

Card Size - 8.5 x 5.5 inches

Card stock - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps - GinaK Designs: Just So Sporty, Sporty Accessories, and School, Sports, Spirit; Stampendous

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark

Color - Copics

Accessories - Zing! Metallic Purple embossing powder, wire.

 

 

University Love

Another challenge card for the GinaK Designs challenges.  I think it was to make a background from a foreground stamp, its been a while and I'm not going to search it out.  It was still a great challenge. 

Lots of dimension with the card.  Love the stick for the pennant (a copic colored toothpick).

Ingredients
Card Size - 4.25 in x 5.5 in
Cardstock - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Smooth
Stamps - Gina K Designs
Ink - Memento, Versamark
Color - Copics
Accessories - White embossing powder, Dimensional adhesive, Tooth pick.

Patriotic U Rock

 

Guess you can tell by now I am trying to get my blog back up to date again! LOL! This was another GinaKDesigns Challenge card.  I believe the challenge was patriotic - red, white & blue.  I wanted to do something that was clean and simple and dimensional.  I love the lines of this card and who doesn't enjoy being told they rock!

I took the second picture to show the dimension on this card.  Sometimes I love really complicated cards and other times I like understated.  I like how simple this looks but it takes all the individual components such as layering the star and giving dimension to the hood and pocket of the hoodie that just give it that extra bit of specialness.

Ingredients
Card Size - 4.25 in x 5.5 in
Cardstock - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Smooth, Archiver's open stock
Stamps - GinaK Designs
Ink - Memento, Versamark
Accessories - Spellbinders star dies, White embossing powder


Yar Har Birthday!

Now if I had been clever I would have had this show up on my blog on talk like a pirate day, so I can cross being clever off my list of things achieved, because I'm just thinking it isn't going to happen now!

For some unknown reason my DH calls me a pirate.  I honestly do not know why.  At the moment it has stuck along with many pirate related punchlines about walking the plank/plundering booty etc.

Now I couldn't really let him get away with that could I?  Here is what I came up with -

 

The process was pretty straightforward.  I stamped my map and colored it in and airbrushed the edges to make it look more pirate-y.  The greeting I printed with a downloadable font and tore it and airbrushed it.  The duck I played with some new to me Hammermill glossy paper.  I don't know how I feel about the paper yet.  I like how it didn't absorb the ink but there is definitely a learning curve if I continue to use it.  It does, however, seem to make my copic brighter if that is possible.

 

Ingredients

Card size - 5.5 in x 8.5 in

Cardstock - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Smooth, The Paper Studio, Hammermill Color Laser Gloss Paper, Printer Paper,

Stamps - Viva Las Vegastamps

Ink - Memento

Color - Copics

 



The writing is on the Road

 

I gave this card to my son who is a Mechanical Engineering major at RIT.  I wanted to create the subtle background impression so after stamping and coloring the frame of the plate I embossed it with my gears folder.  I stamped the date and cut it out and adhered it. 

 

The real trick to this card was keeping it a secret from my son over the summer.  I think he was truly touched when I left him (after helping him move in) with a card from home as he embarked on his new journey or it could have been the money inside! LOL!

 

Ingredients

Card size - 4.25 in x 5.5 in

Cardstock - Neenah Solar White Classic Crest Smooth

Paper - The Paper Studio

Stamps - Autumn Leaves "License Plate"

Accessories - Cuttlebug Gears embossing folder

Vroom for Father's Day

Ages ago I bought loads of car, motor related stamps from Clear Dollar Stamps because I knew I would use them; the thing is I kept using other stamps for those people I knew I would use all those car stamps.  Anyway I decided I needed to use at least a car stamp, the time was long overdue.




Ingredients
Card Size 5.25 in x 5.25 in
Card Stock - Neenah Classic Crest, Archiver's Open Stock
Stamps - Clear Dollar Stamps: Corvette 1968, Got Tractor, Petrol Can; Kitchen Sink Stamps Ready 4 Any Holiday
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Versamark
Color - Copics
Miscellaneous - Black Detail Embossing Powder, Brads