Screen and Stencil Pumpkin

Here's another dry embossed card. Once embossed, I added the color through a screen I placed under the stencil. I used ink pads and stencil brushes to rub the color on. Makes this neat effect. The words were rub-ons. Paper and stencil are by Lasting Impressions. This is one of the techniques we'll be doing in the class I'm teaching in Oct. on ways to dry emboss. Take a peek at classes over at ahappystamper.com if you are interested.

Dry Embossed Owl card

I'm sitting here wide eyed as a hootie owl even though it's very late. Don't know why sleep is so far from me. So, this card seemed very appropriate right now to post. The stencil and paper are both by Lasting Impressions. I did the dry embossing on a light box so I could do the various different paper parts easily. I lightly sanded the paper as well. The eyes are from Stamp in the Hand. Hope you are enjoying this after a good night's sleep. If you see me looking a little bleary eyed tomorrow you'll know why.

Embossed Fall Wreath

Ever have one of the cards you are just immensely please with? This is one of those cards for me. Using an old favorite stamp by PSX, I first embossed it with brown embossing powder and then colored in the fruit with Copic markers. I've colored this wreath many different ways, but Copics really did the trick for giving the best effect. The image was then mounted onto printed paper by Graphic 45. The ribbon is a satin ribbon which always give a rich, full look to a card and ties nicely. I sent this to a dear friend in hopes to brighten her day.

2 cats

I have a black cat with big yellow eyes. I named her Luna. Must admit, I'm partial to moons and black cats. For this card I just traced over a metal stencil I have of a cat. I reversed it to get the second cat. Then just mounted them on top of the moon. As I always say-simple is good.

Christmas trees

Need to get back to making some more Christmas cards. Here's an idea for a card if you need an idea. This card was embossed with black embossing powder. I then went over the bark with an irridescent twinkeling H2O that had a gold sheen to it. Unfortunately, that sheen didn't show up well in the picture. The words were stamped with a metalic gold pad and it was mounted onto a metalic gold paper.

Sweet Tree

This card may seem labor intensive, but I did one color at a time and it wasn't too bad. When you do cards in the middle of the night though, some things can be missed. Did you find the ones I missed? Leave a comment and let me know how many you found. I'll pick a winner and send you a prize! (Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you.) Don't worry-comments don't show up on the blog. Only I can see them.

Halloween switcheroo

Ok, didn't photograph this well. It's actually a square card. The ends got cut off. But it's one of the most enjoyable Halloween cards I've done. I love these little guys from Eat Cake Graphics. Dry chalks were used to color them in. One of the reasons I really like dry chalks is the soft halo effect you get with them. In other words, you get to color outside the lines! I love this company. You can't help but smile whenever you see stamps from Eat Cake.

Owl and friends

What do you do when you can't sleep? I find it's best to get up and go do something else. I like making cards. It helps to clear my head, and when I get tired I then go to bed happy because I've done something fun. Last night I started on Halloween cards. The images here were stamped with a Momento pad and colored in with Copic markers. I also added some color around the edge of the images by sponging it on.

birthday card for a bibliophile

Bought a book at Costco the other day. I sat down yesterday and started it. Think I have 1 more chapter to read. My problem is that when I start a book it's hard to put it down. I like getting books at Costco not only for the price, but because they had a very limited supply. It's certain death if I walk into a book store-especially if they have a sale section. I walk out with so many books you'd think there must be some magnetic force between books and me. It's like attach themseleves me! But, that's what it's like to be a bibliophile. I am not alone with this condition. This is a card for a fellow book lover who had a birthday this month. If you have a book fanatic in your life, this Amuse stamp will come in handy.

The image was inked with a brown pad and colored in with Copic pens. Paper is by Memory Box.

Enjoying the moment

Here's a good way to use up some extra left over printed paper-make a card with the pieces. The paper was then pierced along the edges. The flower was spritzed with some gold tone Glimmer Mist and attached with a decorative brad. The words are from a stamp by Verses.

Vertical pumpkins

There seems to be an abundance of acorns this year. One of my friends seems to walk out just in time to be hit in the head with one on it's way down to the ground. This isn't a card I'd mail. It's definately a hand delivered card. But I was happy with the results. The acorn and raffia are applied with Tacky glue. The pumpkins were embossed in black and then colored in with dye ink applied on with a blender pen. This gives a watercolor look to the image.

Pumpkin season-dry embossed

Here's another pumpkin card since it's that time of year. This one was done with one of my most used stencils-a pumpkin from Lasting Impressions. These were done using a stylis tool and light box. Then trimmed, slightly sanded, and layered onto the card. The word was made by an alphabet set inked with black dye ink. I really like this set since all the letters are "boxed" so it makes cutting easy.

watercolor card kicked up a notch

Will be teaching a class on Saturday on stamping techniques. I actually do three different techniques classes 'cause there are so many techniqes. These classes give you a quick smorgasbord to some of the fun ways you can make cards. This card here (which is a variation to one we do in class) uses Twinkeling H2O's to give the stamp that beautiful metallic watercolor effect. If you are new to stamping and looking to expand your knowlege, or an experianced stamper needing an inspiration boost, classes are a great avenue to meet those needs.

Happy Harvest

Saw my first batch of pumpkins in the grocery store the other day. Got all excited 'cause I love pumpkins. This is a variation of a card that was posted for my husband's birthday. Different colors and slightly different layout, and of course, pumpkins instead of presents. Copics were used to color in the truck and the load in the back. Like the baby safety pin? I added that, too. More pumpkins cards to come!

Birthday babes

Today is my friend, Sally's birthday. We have been friends since 6th grade so we go waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back. Lots of history between us. This card is a reflection of some of the fun we've had together. I love being able to personalize cards with stamping. This stamp is by Arts Impression and part of a set. It was stamped in black dye ink and colored in with Copic markers and a copic blender pen. Am hoping she enjoys it as much as I did when I made it for her-it brought back some good memories of good times we've had together.

More baby steps

Here two more cards done with the same stamp I talked about yesterday. All cards have the same image but each card has a different look. The two cards yesterday were both stamped with black ink but had different colored papers they were stamped on. Today both cards were stamped on black paper. In this first card, orange embossing was used to enhance the outline of the vases. On the second card, black embossing was used and then the black paper was painted over with a translucent metallic liquid called "Imaginations". Each card ends up with a very unique look. Hope this helps give you some ideas for trying stamping in a new way.

Baby steps to change

The other day I was encouraging folks to not just imitate a card, but to try to make it their own. The cards today show how to do that by just changing the color. On both cards the images were stamped with black dye ink. On the first card the vases were stamped on different color paper. On the second card the vases were stamped on white glossy paper that was brayered with a multicolored dye ink. The backgrounds to each card are also different. Tomorrow I'll show two more examples of how to change up this card.

Terrible, horrible, no good very bad day

Back when I was a public school teacher a class favorite was the children's book called "Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good very bad day". Ever have one of those? I had a day like that this week. I love how this card just captures the whole essance of the day is such a simple way. I'm very glad to say that day has passed and a new day has come and things are much better. And I'm very grateful that I have sympathetic friends who saw me through my bad day with much love and support. Know someone having a bad day? A simple card like this might just help put a smile on their face. You can't really change a bad day-we all have them. But knowing someone is realizing it and feeling for you can help the person live through it and know a better day is coming.

Perspective

I'm doing a class tonight on Artlenz. I never have tried to photograph a card with it before, but thought it might be fun to see if you never have seen what Artlenz can do. It makes a card "interactive" by creating movement or color changes as you tilt the card. On this card there is a color change. It goes from all white, to multicolored. It's very fun to do, once you get how to use the Artlenz stamps. Started offering this as a class though, because you really have to use it "hands on" to understand it. So, I'm not going to try to describe how I made it here-just will let you enjoy the results.

Another birthday card

When this stamp came in the store the company also sent a sample card. When I did this card I didn't vary it much from the sample. I changed the flora and added a ribbon and a tag-that's about it. But it got me thinking about how some folks have to do something exactly how they see it. When new to something, I know imitation is part of the process we go through so we learn. If you haven't tried to vary your work from what you see, I want to encourage you to take some small steps to make a card your own. Try a different color, a different pattern paper, alter the stamps you use a bit. Let yourself play! For the first time in years I'm allowing myself to ponder taking up painting. I started sketching again for the first time since highschool. You never know what you might find out you can really do once you start letting yourself try!

Birthday card for the boss lady

Had a good time yesterday celebrating my boss's birthday. Got to enjoy fantastic weather as we lunched outside. This is the card I made her for the big day. It's by Inkadinkado. I stamped it with black ink and layered it up with colored paper. The cone is a brad that was perfect for the card. Turns out another coworker who joined us for lunch almost used the same stamp for her card. Now that would have been funny!

love of letters

Had a chance to write some notes yesterday. We have so many ways to communicate today but nothing can replace the joy of getting a note in the mail. This card expresses this sentiment well. There are a variety of stamps used on this collage card. All images were stamped with black ink (except the heart) The white papers were distressed with "Tea Dye" ink to make it look aged. Old stamps were glued on and outlined with black paper to help accent them. The tag was distressed as well.
The silver heart charm was glued on with a bit of Diamond Glaze.

Birthday Card

Have a bunch of birthdays coming up this month. I like to get the cards done ahead so then I'm ready when someone's birthday arrives. Will post some of them that I've done this month, but have to wait until after the person's big day. So, I'm posting this card I gave my husband who's day was back in August. This is a stamp from Stampn'Up! It was stamped in black and then some Copic markers added color. The words were stamped and then punched out with a circle punch. It was applied with a piece of double stick tape. A couple of swirl blue paper clips are added to complete the card.

Mom's quilt

So why a quilt on a stamp site? Well, here's the story of how stamping inspirations can take unexpected turns. I inherited the pieces for a quilt that was suppose to be for my mom as a child. It was all handstiched by her fathers's family members. I thought it was a shame that no one could appreciate all that hard work. I mentioned this in a stamp class I was teaching and one of the ladies in my class makes quilts. She offered to finish the piece for me. -And she did! Isn't it fantastic? I have it hanging now in our guest bedroom. I'm so grateful for her. So how has stamping affected you in unexpected ways?

Leaves of thanks

Now that it's fall, there are lots of cards with leaves. What I like about this card is that you can use it anytime. Leaves aren't just for fall. I stamped this Judikins stamp in black on a semi-gloss white paper. Then I took a solid rectangle stamp by Just for Fun and inked it with a dye based lime pad and stamped it over the leaves. Using the same stamp, I reinked it with a turquoise blue ink and stamped it again over the leaves and also over some of the green ink. As you can see, the overlapping inks interacted with one another and created a third color on the paper. Before putting the image on the blue card, torn vellum was glued behind the image. The word stamp was also inked with black ink.

Thanks

Happy September! Seemed fitting to show this card today. This is wonderfully vivid paper so not much else was needed. It is layered with a dark paper to help accent it on the orange card. The word stamp is from a clear set by Hero Arts. This card took less than 5 min. to make. Think how many you could make in one sitting if you needed a set?