Just Be Yourself

Bloggers Challenge 44 - Color Challenge & Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge #15

Nothing like killing two birds with one stone-I missed last Friday's Bloggers Challenge, and  I'm just now getting to the Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge! 

The Bloggers Challenge was a color combo-Brocade Blue, So Safrron, Chocolate Chip, and Certainly Celery.  I rarely ever use more than two or three colors, but I must say this one color combo turned out well.  Of course I reached for my patterned paper-this polka dot print is from DSWV Pets pad.  Lucsious colors and patterns all!

The stamp is from one of the new Artistic Outpost stamp plates, "Adventure."  Be sure to take advantage of their pre-release price-15% off!

Stamps:

• Adventure

Card stock:

• Chocolate Chip
• Certainly Celery
• Brocade Blue
• So Safrron
• DCWV Pets

Ink:

• Burnt Umber Palette Hybrid
• Tea Dye Distress Ink

Accessories:

• sponge for aging (used Tea Dye ink for this)
• dimensional tape for mounting dog's head over stamped image
• Green Grapes Dew Drops
• Ranger Matte Accents (adhesive for mounting Dew Drop)
• ticket corner punch

Be sure to check out the other Bloggers' Challenges-the list is in the left-hand column.  Also, click on the link above for the Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge on Mary Jo Price-Williams' blog.

Thanks for looking!

Thanks for looking!

Artistic Outpost Pre-Release Special!

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth-I've just been out of commission for the past week-but I didnt want you to miss out on Artistic Outpost's pre-release special going on through April 30.  You don't want to miss the two new plates they're releasing--Playtime and Adventure are the newest additions to their growing collection of nostalgic and whimsical stamps, and you can order them for 15% off!

This is one of my creations using the Adventure set:

Stamp set:

• Adventure

Cardstock:

• manila tag

Ink:

• Broken China Distress Ink
• Weathered Wood Distress Ink
• Faded Jeans Distress Ink
• White pigment ink
• Vintage Photo Distress Ink
• Black Palette Hybrid Ink

Accessories:

• clear embossing powder
• sponge
• fibers for embellishing

I stamped the image with white pigment ink, and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  The rest of the color is just from applying and layering various inks with a sponge.

Check out some more great samples created by the Artistic Outpost Design Team here.

Save 20% on Select Plates - Ending Soon

Don't forget you have through April 30th to SAVE 20% on the following plates from Artistic Outpost:

Distant Generations
Vintage images perfect for card making and collage.
Item #05DG
Price: $11.00 Sale price $8.80
Hair is Important
Hair has always been important.
Item #04HI
Price: $11.00 Sale price $8.80
Polaroid Cutie
A little darling posing for the camera.
Item #03PC
Price: $11.00 Sale price $8.80
Singing Cowboy
This guy sings country and western.
Item #SC06
Price: $11.00 Sale price $8.80

Thanks for looking!

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 14 - Lily Kate Card

Just a quick post today...fitting for a card that was quick and easy to make.  This is this  week's Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge from Mary Jo at Techno Stamper...

To add a little more dimension, I mounted the sentiment to the green scallop oval with dimensional tape, and added the purple half pearls to graphics on the Lily Kate paper.

Supplies:

Stamps:

• Lots of Thoughts (SU!)

Card Stock:

• Certainly Celery
• Almost Amethyst
• Lily Kate (Basic Grey)

Ink:

• Palette Hybrid Burnt Umber

Accessories:

• Oval Scallop Punch (Marvy Uchida)
• Scallop Circle (SU!)
• Purple and Green Stripe (May Arts)
• Dimensional tape
• Sponge (for aging)
• Purple self-adhesive pearls (Ellen Hutson)

Thanks for looking, and be sure to check out other challenge players by visiting Mary Jo's blog:   http://technostamper.blogspot.com/

Bloggers Challenge 43 - Chipboard

AAAAKKKK!  I thought I was really on the ball this week by getting my challenge done last night-and not DURING the night either!  But, I just realized that I had NOT posted my challenge because I had not yet taken a picture of it!

This week's challenge was fun and easy-chipboard.  Now, not that I don't have a stash/hoard of chipboard but I don't reach for it much-why, I don't know.  I've had this Making Memories chipboard since last winter, and decided to break it out of mothballs.  I colored the cupcake with Copic markers, and then filled in the "frosting" with white Liquid Applique.  I'd never used it before on paper-and this was mucho fun!  I sprinkled pastel colored beads on the top and then heated it up a bit with my heat gun from both the top and bottom until the Liquid Applique got puffy.  The beads stick right in there!  How cool is that!  Be sure not to overheat and scorch the "frosting!"  I cut it out, mounted on a coordinating Cupcake print from Basic Grey using dimensional foam tape to lift it up, and mounted that behind the chipboard frame.  The frame is also adhered to the card front with dimensional tape.

I punched the stamped tag (Whisper White card stock) with my large tag punch, and then free-handed the pink passion back to that.  I finished it off with a few spritzs of Glimmer Mist and sparkly organdy ribbon

My youngest granddaughter, Kristen, is sick with pneumonia-no fun...and I've always called  her "my little sweetie," even though she's almost ten.  And, she not only loves to stamp and scrap, but she loves to bake too!  I know she'll love what I did with the cupcake because she is all about bling!  Her clothes fall into three categories-pink, chamoflauge, and bling-either glitter or rhinestones-no flowers although she ocassionally makes an exception.  So my little sweetie, this ones for you!  Hope you get better soon!  I love and miss you bunches!

Supplies:

Stamps:

• Hey There Cupcake (Stampedous, from eclectic paperie)

Paper and card stock:

• Pixie Pink
• Pink Passion
• Basic Grey Cupcake

Ink:

• Pink Passion

Accessories:

• White Liquid Applique
• Assort. small beads
• pink rhinestones
• Pink Taffy Glimmer Mist
• Copic markers
• organdy ribbon
• dimensional tape
• chipboard frame-Making Memories Noteworthy Collection
• large tag punch

Thanks for looking!  Be sure to check out the other Bloggers Challenge players listed in my blogroll to the left!

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 13 - Out of This World Birthday Card

Week 13 of Techno Stamper's Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge was a lot of fun to do-and  believe it or not, I resisted the urge to do my usual distressing with brown ink!

I used my brand new stamp set from Lizzie Anne Designs "Out of This World."  I just love it! When I ordered it, I just knew it would go well with my Cosmo Cricket "Cogsmo" paper!  Fun prints and colors!

I stamped the astronaut image on white card stock, and then masked him and stamped the planet "ground" and rocket "behind" him.  I colored the images with Prismacolor pencils, and rather than using Gamsol to blend, used the Prismacolor blending pencil instead.  To add a little "space sparkle" or "stardust" to the images, I outlined and colored in some of the areas with clear  and silver Spica pens.  Love using those!

To finish everything off, I using some Inkssentials Glossy Accents for the rocket ship windows, and the face mask of the space helmut.  Just the right touch!

I used Stampin' Up! small and large star punches for the accents, and used dimensional tape to mount them to the card front.

Fun sketch, Mary Jo!  Thanks for letting me play along!

Stamps:

• Out of This World (Lizzie Anne Designs)

Cardstock:

• Whisper White
• Soft Sky
• Cogsmo (Cosmo Cricket)

Ink:

• Palette Hybrid Black Noir
• Going Gray

Accessories:

• Prismacolor pencils and blending pencil
• Clear Spica Pen
• Silver Spica Pen
• Small star punch (SU!)
• Large star punch (SU!)
• Dimensional tape
• foam pad (for applying gray ink to white cardstock)
• Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents

Thanks for looking!

Happiness (and Glimmer Mist) Card

Just a quick post tonight-here's another card made with one of my favorite stamps sets, "Happiness," from Artistic Outpost.

I used watercolor paper and Copic pens to color the image (stamped with Palette Black  Noir), and then used my Copic blender pen to blend and highlight the colors a bit.  I distresse the cardstock, patterned paper, and watercolor paper with Ranger Distress Inks (listed below) and a sponge, and then misted the stamped and colored image with Honey Dew Glimmer Mist.  I added a bit more Vintage Photo Distress Ink to the edges after using a pinking cutting blade in my paper trimmer to trim it to size.  I finished off the stamped image by using a gold Copic Spica pen to highlight the butterfly-hard to pick up in the photo.

For the "Happiness" sentiment, I used a scrap of coordinating Sweet Baby Jane paper, and stamped Happiness in Black Noir ink.  I crumbled the paper, unfolded in and using Vintage Photo ink, swiped the ink over the "high" places (the wrinkles).  I then distressed the edges and adhered it to the card front.

I attached a piece of purple and green striped May Arts ribbon to the cardfront, and then placed the stamped image over that.  The buttons were attached with Matte Accents (by Ranger)-excellent product for attaching almost anything!

Supplies:

Stamps:

• Happiness (Artistic Outpost)

Cardstock:

• Pink Passion
• Daisy D Sweet Baby Jane
• Watercolor paper

Ink:

• Palette Black Noir
• Ranger Distress-Old Paper
• Ranger Distress-Old Linen
• Ranger Distress-Vintage Photo
• Honey Dew Glimmer Mist

Accessories:

• Buttons
• Inksenntials Matte Accents (to adhere the buttons)
• scrap of May Arts ribbon
• Gold Spica pen (Copic)
• Copic Ciao markers, assorted
• Copic Colorless blender pen

Bloggers Challenge 42 - Triangle Box

This week's Bloggers Challenge was to make a triangle box.  I have to admit I'd never made one before and was initially a bit intimidated, but a challenge is a challenge, and I was up for it. 

I downloaded the pattern from the Stampin' Up!® demo web site, and printed it out on Cameo Coral cardstock.  I then cut it out, used a ruler and bone folder to score the folding lines, and then used the bone folder to make my folds nice and crisp.

I used one of my brand new Tattered Angels Glimmer Screens (from Jacksonbelle Embellishments)-they are so cool!  They are nine in a 9 x 9" box that has a slideout tray for storing them.  I laid one of the stencils over the right side of box and spritzed with Cherub Pink Glimmer Mist, which is actually more of a coral color.  I dried it with my heat gun and assembled. 

I punched the scalloped circle out of Cosmo Cricket's new Honey Pie designer paper using the scallop circle punch from SU!®, and then punched the word "Spring" out of one of the prints using the Word Window punch, also from SU!®.  I adhered that to the front of the box, and then punch two holes in the top flaps using the Double Circle punch.  I threaded two strands of narrow organdy ribbon (light yellow and light peach) through the holes with a large needle and tied them in a bow.  To finish off my creation I used Lemon Yellow Liquid Pearls to dot the center of the flowers on the printed paper.

Supplies:

Cardstock:

• Cameo Coral
• Cosmo Cricket Honey Pie

Accessories:

• Scissors
• Adhesive
• Tattered Angels Glimmer Screen
• Tattered Angels Cherub Pink Glimmer Mist
• Heat gun
• Scallop Circle Punch
• Word Window Punch
• Double Circle Punch
• Large needle from Crafters' Tool Kit
• Light yellow and light peach 3/8" organdy ribbon from Pink Hedgehog
• Lemon Yellow Liquid Pearls

This was a lot of fun to do-I really must try some other boxes and containers some time!

Thanks for looking!

Garden Whimsy Card

I haven't used this set in awhile...and I just had to break into my new patterned paper from  Jacksonbelle Embellishments.  This is the new Daisy D Sweet Baby Jane 8 X 8 paper pad in beautiful pink and green (imagine that!)...

Supplies:

Stamps:

• Garden Whimsy

Cardstock:

• Pixie Pink
• Whisper White
• Daisy D Sweet Baby Jane

Ink:

• Pixie Pink
• Palette Burnt Umber

Accessories:

• Pink Taffy Glimmer Mist
• Button
• Green and pink stitched ribbon (Pink Hedgehog)

Technique Tip:

After aging the pieces of cardstock and patterned paper, I sprayed the Glimmer Mist over the completed card, but before adding the button and ribbon.  I immediately dried the mist with my heat gun-by spritzing the Glimmer Mist over the whole card after the paper pieces are assembled, the moisture slightly warps and raises the edges of the pieces-which offers a more three dimensional look to the paper and further adds to the distressed look. I then tied a bow in the back of the button and adhered it to the card front with Matte Accents.

When using Glimmer Mist it is very important to shake the bottle until all the "glimmer" that settles to the bottom is completely mixed-if you don't, it will clog the sprayer.  I use a cardboard box to spray in and to contain my "mess."  I've learned from experience that I'm not a "neat" Glimmer mister!

Thanks for looking!

Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge 12 - Owl Card

I'm a little late for the Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge, but here it is-this week's card features an owl from a clear stamp set from Inkadinkado, and the birthday greeting from a set designed by Carolyn King (Gina K.).  I used circle-printed paper and the reverse side (yellow) from the new Daisy D's Wonder Years, and Dew Drops for my embellishments and for the owl's eyes.

Supplies:

Stamps:

• Owl-Bird set from Inkadinkado
• Birthday greeting by Carolyn King

Cardstock:

• Only Orange
• Natural White
• Daisy D's-Wonder Years

Ink:

• Palette Black Noir
• Palette Burnt Umber

Accessories:

• Robin's Egg Dew Drops-Primary
• Sponge (for distressing)

Be sure to check out the other challengers at Mary Jo Price-Willimans blog, Techno Stamper...and thanks for looking!

Bloggers Challenge 41 - Long Note

This week's challenge was to make a long note-so I started by sifting through my scraps, and decided to break out of my mold and make a bright, springy card with NO distressing!  I cut the base of the card 6 5/8" X 6 1/2", and scored and folded the 6 1/2" side, so the base measured 6 5/8" x 3 1/4". 

I used a scrap of printed paper from my new K & Company pad, "Berry Sweet," and used three stamps from Artistic Outpost's "Distant Generations" stamp set (currently 20% off).

Stamps:

• Distant Generations (Artistic Outpost)

Cardstock:

• Gable Green
• Pink Passion
• Naturals White
• Berry Sweet

Ink:

• White Craft
• Pink Passion Classic

Accessories:

• Pearl EP (Stampendous)
• Pink Rhinestones (Me and My Big Ideas-Icons)
• Pink and Green stitched Ribbon (May Arts from the Pink Hedgehog)

The buttons were stamped with White Craft ink and then heat embossed with Pearl EP from Stampendous and cut out.  They were mounted on the card front with dimensional foam tape.  The sentiments were stamped with Pink Passion Classic ink-the "Generations" stamp was stamped directly on the cardfront so that it slightly overlapped the other elements to give it a "collage" feel.

It was hard to resist aging or grunging this up-but other than the one torn edge, I stuck to my plan...THANKS for looking!

Artistic Outpost April Special!

Artistic Outpost has announced it's April special!  They are offering 20% off the following plates (that's only $8.80 per sheet!):

- Distant Generations

- Hair is Important

- Singing Cowboy

- Polaroid Cutie