Wild and precious life

Today I've got a quick post to share another card featuring Distress Oxide inks. In my last post I mentioned that I had made several panels using Distress Oxide inks, and I shared a couple of cards where I used the panels as backgrounds. This time I used the panels for the die-cut images on the card.

I love this quote from Mary Oliver, and I think it's perfect for a birthday card. I also like to pair it with images from nature, and this time I chose a dragonfly and leaves.

The pink/purple Distress Oxide panel seemed perfect for a dragonfly. This dragonfly is from a Tim Holtz die set, and it has three layers. Normally I would cut each layer from a different color, but in this instance I cut them all from the same panel. You do get some natural color variation, but the different layers don't stand out as much. For the leaves, which are also layered, I cut the outlines from a part of the panel that was slightly darker, and the backing layer is a little lighter.

For the card base I used Crumb Cake card stock stamped with the Circular Grid Bold Prints stamp from Hero Arts. It reminds me of the rings of a tree. The leaves are glued directly to the card base, and the sentiment piece and dragonfly are adhered with foam tape. I finished the card with a few clear droplets.

I will have one more post featuring the Distress Oxide panels I created, so stay tuned (spoiler alert: there will be an underwater/beach theme). Thanks for stopping by!

Plants and Vases

I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since my last blog post. It seems like I get on a roll for a little while but I can't quite stick with it. Oh, well. I'll just try to pick it back up again. Today I have a quick post to share a couple of cards made with the Plants and Vases stamp and die set from Altenew.

The stamps in the set include several different branches and sentiments, and the dies are two vases with embossed designs. For the first card I made with this set (the card on the right), I used the product packaging for inspiration. I stamped the branches in four different colors on a white panel. I added a strip of kraft card stock along the bottom to ground the vases, which I die cut from two different colors of card stock. I stamped "happy birthday" in the upper right corner, cut out the panel with a deckle-edge die, and added it to a dark brown card base. The finishing touch was a few sequins.

For the second card, I inked just one of the branches with a berry-colored ink. I stamped the image on a panel of white card stock and then stamped it a couple of more times -- once on either side of the first image -- without reinking the stamp. I added a kraft vase and matted the panel with kraft card stock. I used a berry card base to coordinate with the branches and added a piece of ribbon. Using foam tape, I adhered the panel a bit to the right of the center of the card base. I finished the card with a few enamel dots.

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Gel print collage cards

Sometime this summer I want to have another all-day gel printing session. I've been saving various household items to make interesting patterns, and I've got new stencils to try. But before I do that I'm trying to use more of the prints I've already made. So for a start, last weekend I made two gel print collage cards.

For the flower card, I cut circles out of three different gel prints and then went around each circle and snipped out triangles to create the petals. I added smaller circles for the flower centers and leaves behind the flowers. (I also added clear Wink of Stella glitter on the flower centers, but it doesn't show up in this picture.) I used a heavyweight white card base, added a white die-cut frame for a little texture, and glued on the flowers. I wanted to fill a little white space, so I added a couple of flying bugs and drew little dashed lines for their "flight paths." I stamped a birthday sentiment in the lower right corner to finish the card.

For the golf card, I started with a few online searches to get some inspiration. Once I had an idea, I used various gel prints to cut out the background, putting green, hole, pole, flag, and golf ball. The golf ball is supposed to look like it's sailing right into the hole; I thought about drawing a line to show the path, but I decided I liked it better without. I used white pigment ink and white embossing powder to add the sentiment and drew a border around the edges. Inside the card I wrote "Hope your day is a hole-in-one."

Neither one of these cards has any sequins or other embellishments. What?! I considered it, but with the colors and textures of the gel prints, I don't really think they needed anything else. Shocking, I know.

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Secret Garden: Part I

In March I ordered a subscription box from A Cherry on Top that was packed full of spring-themed products, including several items from the Secret Garden collection by Carta Bella. There was the collection pack (which included twelve double-sided 12" x 12" textured papers and a sheet of card stock sticker elements), chipboard stickers, die-cut tags and frames, and a package of embellishments. I absolutely loved the prints and the texture of the papers, but I didn't want to hoard them. So I decided to use as much of the coordinating items as I could to make cards.

Over the course of several weeks I ended up making more than sixty cards. (I found coordinating card stock in my stash and also added in some different embellishments.) I had wanted to use some of the cards to send spring/Easter greetings to family and friends, but I missed that boat. So instead I created four card sets to give as gifts and forty individual cards that I brought in to work to share with the teachers and other school staff.

I didn't take pictures of all the cards, but I do have quite a few photos, so I'm sharing the card sets in this post and some of the individual cards in the next post. For the first group of photos each picture includes two cards with the same layout/papers but different focal images. These cards I split into two card sets (one card from each photo went in the first set, and the other card went in the second set).

These are obviously a pretty simple layout, but I really wanted the pretty papers to stand out. 

For the last photos, each picture is one card set. I used stamped quotes and gold die-cut foliage for the focal points on these cards, but again, the two sets use the same layout.

That's it for the first batch of Secret Garden cards. If you have questions about any details, please leave me a comment. I didn't want to include too much info and make the post even longer. And stay tuned for part two!

Thanks for stopping by!

Deco Florals

Today I'm sharing a few cards made with the Deco Florals stamp set (Pink & Main). I made these cards last autumn and never posted them, partly because I wasn't crazy about them. They're not bad, just not favorites. But I decided I should post them anyway, so here goes.

With these two cards my goal was to make masculine and feminine cards with the same layout and using the same images. I chose a neutral leaf to stamp on the focal panels and a graphic-style image for the backgrounds. For the feminine card I added a scalloped square behind the focal image as well as some metallic watercolor paint splatter. I embellished both cards with clear droplets.

For the third card I tried to stay kind of neutral, but I think these flower images lean a little to the feminine side. I used a Toffee card base and a large white die-cut stitched rectangle. I stamped the images at the top of the white panel in red, yellow, and blue, and added a dark brown die-cut sentiment at the bottom. I embellished with a linen thread bow and clear droplets.

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Sketchbook flowers

I'm back with more cards from my craft retreat, and this time it's a group of cards made with the Sketchbook Bouquet and Sketchbook Florals stamp sets from Taylored Expressions. I stamped the images on white and Toffee card stock and colored them with Prismacolor pencils and gamsol. I also used the coordinating dies to cut out some of the images.

There are several pictures, so I won't add too many details. If you have any questions, leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer them.

I think these two are my favorite cards out of the bunch; I love the bright colors with the touch of black.

I used white craft ink to add splatters to the card on the right. Unfortunately it took a long time to dry, and I accidentally smeared it. I didn't want to toss the panel so I just left it. Maybe I'll add some kind of embellishment over it later.

The layout for the card on the left was inspired by a card I found online. During the retreat, everyone had a BINGO card with various crafty tasks to complete. One of them was to "scraplift" a scrapbook layout, but since I was making cards, I found a card design to copy instead.

I used more white splatter on the card on the left (as well as one of the cards below), but this time I was more careful to avoid smearing it.

Since I made so many cards with these sets, I tried to use different layouts and focus on different occasions (although I still made sure to create a few birthday cards). Do you have a favorite of the group?

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Field and countryside

I had a hard time deciding what craft supplies to bring on the retreat; every time I decided on something, I changed my mind. I ended up packing a few hours before we left and settled on colored pencils, gamsol, and a variety of line art stamp sets to do some coloring (along with the necessities like card stock, adhesive, etc.). For the first group of cards I made during the weekend I tried out a couple of stamp sets that I've had for years and never used: Field Journal and French Countryside (both retired, Stampin' Up!). 

I love the images in the Field Journal set, but I've never been really sure how to use them. So I settled on stamping and coloring two of the images on Naturals Ivory card stock and die cutting them to use as focal points for two cards. For the chipmunk card I used Bordering Blue card base splattered with Shimmer Splash. I stamped a couple of the other Field Journal images on the background in Early Espresso ink and added a piece of neutral ribbon trim and a few die-cut sprigs.

For the mallard card, I used an Early Espresso card base embossed with the Pinewood Planks embossing folder. I stapled a bit of trim to the corner of the focal panel and embellished the card with a few clear droplets.

With the French Countryside stamp set, I tried coloring one of the images and didn't love how it turned out. So instead I made a couple of monochromatic cards. I splattered both card bases with Shimmer Splash and embellished with gold sequins and a hemp twine bow. I also added a touch of blue on each image on the kraft card for a hint of color.

As usual, I am in need of replenishing my birthday card stash, so that's how I used these cards. But they would be good for a variety of occasions by changing or omitting the sentiment.

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Masculine flowers?

I'm back with a couple more cards I made in October during craft weekend. This time I used the Lovely Blossoms Turnabout stamp (Concord & 9th). I challenged myself to see if I could make a masculine card with flowers. Here are the results:

If you're not familiar with the Turnabout stamps, it's one image that you stamp four times, turning the stamp ninety degrees with each impression. When you're done you have a fully stamped panel. For my first card (left), I used the same color for each impression (Toffee from Taylored Expressions). I trimmed the panel with a stitched rectangle die, matted it with black card stock to create a narrow frame, and adhered it to a Toffee card base. I die cut a "happy birthday" sentiment out of Toffee and black card stock and added a sentiment strip just below. I finished the card with two black enamel dots.

For the second card, I used a different color for each stamp impression: Toffee, Sweet Basil, Blue Corn, and Cinnamon (Taylored Expressions). I die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle die, matted it with Cinnamon card stock, and adhered it to a Sweet Basil card base. For the greeting I stamped "it's your day," die cut it with a stitched circle die, and placed a strip of Cinnamon card stock and a bit of hemp twine behind it. I finished this card with two white enamel dots.

I think the colors of these cards and the fact that the flowers aren't too "flowery" make both of these good masculine cards. They might not work for every guy, but then no card is right for every person. What do you think? Would you give a card with flowers to a man?

Thanks for stopping by!

Painted Pencil Mushrooms

I love mushroom-themed craft products, so I was excited when a friend gave me the Painted Pencil Mushrooms stamp and die set (Sizzix, 49 and Market Collection). I combined the set with Apothecary ink collection (Catherine Pooler Designs) to create four all-occasion cards.

To create each of the focal image mushrooms, I used mini ink pads to apply color to the stamp. Then I lightly spritzed the stamp with water before stamping it on white card stock. I stamped the outline in black and cut it out with the coordinating die. For these two cards, I used the silhouette images from the set to stamp the card bases. I added a stamped sentiment, wrapped twine around the card front, and finished with gold sequins.

For the second two cards I used embossing folders to give texture to the card bases and then added gold splatter. I added the sentiments on strips of white card stock and finished with gold sequins. The card on the left had a lot of empty space on the top so I attached a little ribbon flag along the top edge with a mini stapler.

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Wildflower card set

We had the weirdest winter storm last night. It started out as rain and ended up as about eight inches of heavy, wet snow. And just when all our snow was gone, we were having mild temperatures, and it looked like spring was on the horizon. Ugh. So to keep the feeling of spring alive, I'm sharing a set of floral notecards.

I used the Wildflower Background stamp (Taylored Expressions) and stamped it with black ink on eight pieces of white card stock. I chose eight colors of ink and, using a detail blender brush, I colored the flowers on each panel with one color. I die cut the panels with a stitched rectangle die, matted them with black card stock, and adhered them to card bases to match the flowers.

For the sentiments, I decided to use the Simple Strips Background stamp and die (Taylored Expressions). I chose ten sentiment strips and adhered foam tape to the back. I attached one of the sentiments to one of the cards and placed the rest of the strips in a little baggie to package with the cards. That way the recipient can choose which sentiment to use on which card -- with a couple of extra, just in case -- or they can use the cards without sentiments.

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Floral pairs

In my last couple of posts, I shared some two-at-a-time cards -- cards that I made at the same time with the same stamp set and layout/design, and sometimes a few slight changes, such as colors or sentiments. (Often when I make cards this way I'm giving away one card and keeping one for my stash.) Today I'm sharing more pairs of cards made with the same stamp set. However, these floral cards show two different ways to use the images in each set.

For the first pair of cards I used the Forget-Me-Nots stamp set (Gina K Designs). To create the first card (left) I stamped the image on white card stock and colored it using Prisma Color pencils and Gamsol. I stamped a sentiment and cut the panel with a stitched rectangle die. I matted the panel with black card stock and then placed it on a light blue card base. For embellishment I added a simple hemp twine bow and a few blue sequins.

For the second card (right) I stamped the large image randomly across a piece of white cad stock to create a background. I also splattered the background with blue metallic watercolor. Again, I matted the panel with black card stock and adhered it to a light blue card base. This time I used a die-cut sentiment (cut twice and stacked together for a little dimension) with a vellum circle behind it to help it stand out a little more against the background. I finished the card with light blue sequins.

For the second pair of cards I used the From the Vault Flowers stamp set (Hero Arts). This set includes several floral images and sentiments in different styles. For the first card (on the left) I used a silhouette-style floral branch. I stamped the image multiple times on a rust-colored card base using coordinating ink and then sponged the edges with the same ink. To make the focal image, I stamped From the Vault Aged Shadow (Hero Arts) in pale yellow on white card stock and then stamped the floral image in the middle of the shadow. I added a sentiment (from a different stamp set) and tore off the card stock around the stamped images. I adhered the layer to the card base and added a few enamel dots and a twine bow.

To make the second card (right) I stamped the line-art daffodil image in the lower left corner of a piece of Crumb Cake card stock and “thank you” next to it. I colored the image with Prisma Color pencils — I’ve discovered I really like using colored pencils on kraft card stock — and then splattered the panel with Sparkle Silk. I matted the panel with dark brown card stock and the adhered it to a Crub Cake card base. I finished the card with a few sparkling clear sequins.

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Deco Florals

When I went to the stamp show a couple of weeks ago, I got some fun new goodies. I put a few of those items together -- the Deco Florals stamps and dies (Pink and Main), the Mod Stitched Rectangle dies (Pink and Main), and the Tim Holtz Distress Spray in Peeled Paint (Ranger Ink) -- to make a couple of quick cards.

I chose eight of the flower/leaf shapes from the Deco Florals stamp set and stamped each image on white card stock using a different color from the Urban Oasis ink collection (Catherine Pooler). I die cut the images with the coordinating dies and split them into two groups.

Using the Mod Stitched Rectangle dies, I cut two of the second-largest shape from white card stock. (I did notice that the dies, which are pink, left a faint pink tinge in the stitched lines on the card stock. I'm not sure if it's because they're new or because the card stock was thick and therefore my die-cutting "sandwich" was too tight, but I'm hoping that doesn't keep happening.) I spritzed one panel with Peeled Paint Distress Spritz and the other with Iridescent Shimmery spray (Altenew), which you can't really see in the photo.

When the panels were dry, I added the die-cut flowers and leaves. On the Distress Spritz panel I used foam tape, and on the other card they are glued directly on the panel. I stamped the "Happy Birthday" sentiment from the stamp set on two strips of white card stock, trimmed the strips, and used foam tape to add one strip to each card. I attached the panels to white card bases (foam tape for one, glue for the other) and finished them with clear droplets.

To be honest these are not my favorite cards, but sometimes when I get new stamps, I just need to make something to get a feel for the images and to get some creative juices flowing. Next time I use this set I hope I'll have more ideas.

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Father's Day veggies

The last couple of years my dad has become really interested in gardening. He keeps us updated on what he plants, and he shares his harvest with us (and his neighbors). So when I was thinking about what kind of Father's Day card to make for him, I knew the cute veggies from the Rooting for You stamp set(Lawn Fawn) were perfect.

I had an idea of how I wanted the card to look, and when I was looking for inspiration online, I found an amazing card by Chari Moss. I loved Chari's card, so I created my own version. Note: This card was slightly larger than A2 size (I think about 4-1/2" x 6").

I started by stamping and die cutting all the veggies and plant markers. I debated whether or not to add the little smiley faces, but I think they're pretty cute, so I went with it. I used the Chick Dies (Stampin' Up!) to make the Father's Day sign. I didn't have a sentiment that was the right size, so I wrote "Happy Father's Day" myself. Then I set those pieces aside.

To make the soil, I splattered a panel of brown card stock with two shades of brown ink (one the same shade as the card stock and one that was darker). Then I used a wavy edge die (from Adventure Edges dies from Elizabeth Craft Designs) to cut the panel into five sections. I changed the placement of the die each time to vary the little "hills." I sponged brown ink on the wavy edges of each section to add depth.

As I adhered the sections to a card base, I applied glue to just the left, right, and bottom edges. I started at the bottom and tucked in the pieces as I worked up to check the spacing (I didn't glue them at this point). Once I had the whole background adhered to the card base and all the veggies in an arrangement I was happy with, I went back and attached the veggies and signs with little drops of glue.

Inside the card I stamped the sentiment "Have an upbeet day" and then hand wrote a punny message using the names of the other vegetables. I also added one of the die-cut veggies. I still had some veggies left over (I try to stamp and cut extras, just in case), so I made one more card:

It's a simple card -- four die cuts and a stamped sentiment on a scalloped panel adhered to a kraft and silver background. But I think it's a fun encouragement card that will (I hope) make someone smile when they receive it.

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Two-for-one cards

I don't do a ton of stenciling or ink blending when I'm making cards, but a few weeks ago I decided to have a little stenciling session. I pulled out a few stencils I hadn't used yet and got to work. Today's cards are a two-for-one special featuring the Abstract Floral layering stencils from Erin Lee Creative.

This stencil set creates a design with three large flowers -- and with the colors I chose it has a definite 70s vibe. I intended to cut the panel down to an A2 size and create one card. But when I was trying to decide how to trim it, I realized that I could cut it roughly in half and get two cards. Bonus! (I also think the two pieces would be perfect to turn into bookmarks.)

Once the panel was cut in half I rounded the corners of each piece and doodled a border around the edges to mimic the "happy birthday" sentiment I decided to use. I wanted to add some gold, so I splattered gold watercolor on green card bases and used a small paint brush to add gold accents to the petals and centers of the flowers. I adhered a flower panel to the left side of each card, added the sentiment with foam tape, and finished them with a few sequins.

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Full Bloom

One of the things I've been trying to work on with my crafting is using some of the products I own that I haven't used yet. Today's post focuses on the stamp set Full Bloom, which was one of the 2023 Stamptember stamp sets from Simon Says Stamp (in collaboration with Papertrey Ink).

I've come to enjoy stamp or die sets that have shelves and various items to place on the shelves. So the Full Bloom stamp set, with the ladder image and garden theme, immediately called to me. 

Naturally I wanted to use the ladder image for my first card, so I decorated it with a few of the images in the stamp set. I love the look of the two-step images, even though I didn't line them all up perfectly. I die cut the focal panel with the Essential Arches dies (Ellen Hutson) and matted it with rust card stock also cut into an arch. I wrapped a neutral trim around the front of a dark blue card base and used foam tape to attach the panel over the trim. I finished with two rust-colored enamel dots in the upper left corner.

For my second card I wanted to make something with a completely different look, so I focused on the floral images. I cut a piece of white card stock and, using a few different green inks, stamped the various stems along all the edges. Then I stamped the blossoms and finished with the leaves. To fill the center I used a die-cut "Birthday wishes" sentiment. I rounded the corners of the stamped panel, matted it with black card stock, and adhered it to a light green card base. To embellish the card I added a few clear droplets -- they add a fun detail without distracting from the other colors.

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The Magic Is in You

Whenever I see a craft supply -- stamp set, dies, washi tape, etc. -- with mushrooms, I'm drawn to it. I don't know what it is, but they're always so darn cute. So when I saw The Magic Is in You layering stencils and die from Pinkfresh Studio, I couldn't pass them by.

The stencil set comes with five layering stencils, and you use one ink color with each stencil. I don't buy a lot of layering stencils, but I like that these are small (all the images fit on a quarter sheet of card stock) and not overly detailed. Here is my first try with the stencils:

The coordinating die cuts out all the pieces -- even the little yellow dots and stars -- at one time. Unfortunately with this first try, I didn't have the stencils lined up exactly right, and those little bits are so tiny that they didn't die cut properly. But that's ok; I really wanted the main focal images. I'll try to be more accurate next time, but I also figure that if I ever want to include those little accents on a card I could just stencil them directly onto the card base.

Here is the completed card I made with the die-cut pieces. I die cut a stitched frame to coordinate with the mushroom tops and adhered that to a light-colored card base. Then I added the greenery pieces and attached the mushrooms with foam tape. (I had one piece of foliage left over, so I used that inside the card.) I stamped a sentiment in dark brown ink and finished the card with a few brown pearls.

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