Stampscapes Scenic Route

As we head into a new year, thought this card offers some good advice for how to plan for what's ahead.  Life sure offers us so many choices and it's good to remember we can choose what direction we travel.  Hope that includes some stamping this year.  I've been busy but am definately getting the "itch" to get back into my stamp room and get back to trying out new ideas.  This card was made with Stampscapes stamps and inks from ink pads.  Stampscapes is coming out with some brand new images so that's good news for those who enjoy the lovely scenes you can make with these stamps.

Good Wishes

We had a full and busy day yesterday.  Hoping you had a great Christmas.  It's a world of white around here.  We are safe at home and having a lovely day of rest!  Not sure I'll get to any stamping today, but I'll post something new soon.  For now, enjoy one last look back at one of the cards from Christmas past.

Stampendous Christmas card

  This certainly seemed like the right card to share on the day that Jesus was born.  The image was stamped in black and then the background was watercolored in blue.  The star was filled in with a yellow marker.  Hope you have a lovely day and can share in the joy of knowing God has given us the gift of Himself in Jesus.  It's a great day to go find a Bible and read of this incredable story.  Merry Christmas!

Three Kings

Well, we're coming up to the big day very quickly.  So, it seemed right to post this 3 Kings card since they were travelling towards the birth of Jesus as well.  This image was stamped in black and the colored in with dry chalk.  Then a two way glue pen went over numerous spots to create a tacky surface.  Then loose glitter was poured over the glue.  Creates a lovely sparkle.  Then with an exacto knife the image was spliced along the outline of the kings.  This enabled the card to be folded along the edge of the kings and covers up an inside message the says, "They followed the star". 

La Blanche New Year Card

This was the last Make It Take It card we did at Angela's Happy Stamper Store.  So, even though it's right before Christmas, it seemed a good card to end the year on at the store.  The stamp is by La Blanche and was stamped with a Pearlized Crimson pad by Brillance.  The clockworks is an embossing folder by Tim Holtz and had a Platinum Planet Brillance pad rubbed over the raised areas.  The words were stamped in black and slid into the watch with the help of a slit made with an exacto knife.  I always like making a few New Year cards this time of year for anyone I didn't quite get a Christmas card  sent to in time. 

Stampscapes Church

This is one of my favorite Christmas cards.  We did this as a Make It Take It at the store last year.  It's very easy to do.  The church was stamped in blue on a white paper and then an oval punch centered the picture in the hole and was punched out.  A sponge application tool sponged more blue around the image.  This was then mounted onto the white piece which was die cut and run again through the Cuttle but to embosse the edges.  Words at the bottom were done with Versa Fine Blue.  The star was also die cut and a dot of irridescent glitter added to the middle of the star.

Memory Box Ballerina

Memory Box put out dies this year to go with the Twelve Days of Christmas.  This is one of the "Ladies Dancing".  There are some wonderful cards using this die and the additional die that comes with it that creates her dress.  I used just the basic die here to create a shilloute and mounted it onto the new snowflake paper Memory Box just brought out.  The words are one stamp and were inked in embossing powder that matched perfectly with the paper.

Impression Obsession Jingle Card

Another blast from the past.  The nice thing about IO is that they don't discontinue old images.  So, if you like this, it's still available.  Words and image both came from IO.  The image was stamped in black and set to dry.  Using a resevoir brush, a wet base was laid down.  Then the water color paint was added.  The ribbon on the bell was colored in with a water color marker.  Then let dry and it was mounted onto the paper and the ribbon added last.

Embossed Poisettias by Paper Ispiration

Can you tell I've been into my embossing powder stash?  It takes a little more time to do embossing powders which is why I periodically have to remind myself to go pull them out and use them.  Always worth the effort.  One poinsetta was used on this card.  It was reinked 3 times with the Versmark pad and then the white embossing powder was poured over them was well as the edges of the card.  Words are inked with a blue Versfine pad onto a white card.  All stamps are by Paper Inspiration.

Liquid Applique Card

Am sending this card to my dad.  Thought it would put a smile on his face.  He was always a good caregiver of his home.  The chimney by A Muse was colored with Copic markers.  Then some liquid applique was added to the snow.   A heat gun cooked the applique while wet and caused it to bubble.  Some loose glitter was sprinkled over the applique then, and it stuck to the surface.  Words were inked in black Momento.

Coffee Tree

My Starbucks people know me so well that when I walk in the store they start making my drink without me having to ask.  I try to give a card each Christmas as a show of appreciation.  This Impression Obsession image seemed perfect.  It was inked in a dark green and then colored in with dry chalks.  Words are by Memory Box.  

Glittery Embossed Tree

Took a tried and true Judikins tree and embossed it with pink embossing powder.  Reinked the tree and embossed it a second time with a light green embossing powder.  Cut out both trees and intermixed the colors to make this one image.  The pieces were mounted with foam tape to the metallic silver paper.  Clear gems were added to the dots on the tree.  All this was mounted to metallic pink paper, and then onto the green Memory Box card.  Words are by Hero Arts and were inked with a silver ColorBox.

Embossing Powder/ Spray Stencil Card

It may be a bit hard to see, but a stencil was placed on the card and spritzed over with a pewter spray.
Once it was dry, this Inkadinkado image was stamped on top with a pigment blue ink.  The stamp was placed with a stamp positioner.  The image was then reinked with a Versamark pad and stamped again.  Then irridescent embossing powder went over the whole image and was heat set.  The words are by Memory Box.  They were inked with Versafine blue ink.  This was mounted onto silver paper and then onto a dark blue card. 

Masked Angel

An oldie but goodie today.  This card was made with one stamp and a whole lot of masking!  Can you tell which one I started with?  It's the one in the center at the bottom of the card.  She is the whole image.  After inking her, I reinked each time and stamped once the mask was over the previous image.  Not hard, and really didn't take that much time.  Once all the images were done, I highlighted the images with a fine metallic pen.  Then took a two way pen over some of the areas and added loose glitter.  The edge was cut along the wings and attached to a dark blue card. 

Holiday Card

Hmmm, it's escaping me who makes this paper, but isn't it great?  Just cut and mount.  The words are by Memory Box.  A piece of satin ribbon was wrapped around the bottom.  Nice, quick card.  Just what we need at this point in time.

Art Impressions Copic Card

As I've been wrapping gifts to mail, I've been missing some of my friends.  I loved doing this card because this stamp makes me think of all the fun times I've had with my "buds".  The more I colored, the more I just wanted to get all my chums together and have a sleep over.  Who doesn't need a night of good laughs?  Just looking at this card makes me smile.

All coloring was done with Copic markers.  The bottom of the card was scored three times.  A green Marvy circle punch was used on the pink.  No need for any word stamps.  The image says it all.

Thank you Card

Had  another one of those nights where I woke up wide eyed as a hootie owl at 3 am.  Thanks goodness for stamping!  Got up and worked out my energy by making a few cards.  Still filling my "thank you" stash.  Used some printed paper that has a sheen to it as you can see at the top of the card.  Punched out two circles the same size and then trimmed off the bottoms and layered them onto the card.  Added gems and a row of black lace.  Words are stamped in black dye ink.

Christmas Past Card

Another post today of a Christmas card from a past season.  This is all one stamp.  It was inked in black and then colored in with dry chalks.  Red brads are placed in the corners.  Chalk always makes for a quick color choice, and is forgiving since it can be changed with an art eraser.

Thanks

Took some left over parts from one of the" Make It Take Its" at the store and combined them with this "Thanks" tag.  The green piece was embossed with an embossing folder.  The other pieces were punched out.  Added a green paper flower and a felt flower sticker and a black brad to secure the flowers.  A white pen was used to add the white dots to the black circle.  Black and white twine was threaded through the tag.

IO Die Cut Tree Variation

Yesterday this tree was posted.  It was done on mirrored paper.  Today it was done on preprinted paper.  The star at the top was colored in with  a gold metallic pen.  The oval is gold metallic paper,  the dotted paper was embossed and then an "Old Paper" distress ink was sponged over the raised parts.  The words are by Hero Arts and are inked with a Color Box metallic gold pad.

Impression Obsession Die cut Tree

A sleek and simple card here for the holidays.  The tree is made with blue mirror paper and is a die cut from IO.  The white dots were made with an embossing folder by Cuttle Bug.  The oval is a punch by Marvy and done on metallic gray Bazzill paper.  The ribbon is a metallic material.  Base card is a Memory Box gray.   You could easily switch out the ribbon for a saying if you want words on the front of your card.

Word Tree

This word tree is one I sent a couple of years ago.  It's all one stamp inked in a Versafine green.  the color was added with self adhesive gems.  Then a Krylon outlined the gold edge around the white card. 

Stampscapes River Mist Card

Am showing a card from my Intro to Stampscapes class.  This card uses only 3 stamps, but uses two of them multiple times.  Color was added with a stylis tool.  Once all the color is down,  mist is applied with white pigment ink.  The ink is added slowly with time to dry  in between applications.

Rubber Tapestry Joy

Thought I'd share some previous Christmas cards through out the month.  Here's one I sent out a while ago.  The word is one stamp and then the berries and leaves are small peg stamps that you fill in where you want them.  It was a pretty labor intensive card.  The background was another stamped image, and as you can see, lots of layers.  The velvet ribbon stretched enough red tape was needed to keep it in place on the card.  Hard to see, but a little bit of red glitter glue was added to the red berries. 

Dreamweaver Crackle Paste Poinsettia

Here is one of the samples I'll be showing today at the demo on stencils and paste.  Stop by and see how to do this poinsettia.  Besides the pastes, used some dye base red inks to color in the flower and then added gold glitter glue to the center and along the lines of the petals.  The word is from a clear set by Technique Tuesday.  The demo will by at Angela's Happy Stamper store from 12-2.

Dreamweaver Koi

Spent the day getting ready for the demo I'll be doing on Tuesday at Angela's Happy Stamper store.  We have so many folks asking about the embossing paste I'm doing a recap of my demo from the Open House we did in September.  This card also uses red embossing powder as well as gold paste. I'll be showing some examples of the use of paste and embossing powders together as well as the use of paste and Perfect Pearls.  Come join us during 12-2 on Tuesday to see the many ways you can use paste and stencils together.

Hero Arts Thankful Stamp

When I made my friend's birthday card recently with this stamp, I stamped out extra images.  Put one of them to work here.  The torn edges and the edges of the printed paper were sponged with "Creamy Brown" by Color Box.   Some material tape was placed between the paper and the punched out strip at the bottom of the printed paper.  The punch is by Fiskars.  A butterfly pin was stuck into the foam tape behind the words.  Got an extra day at home this weekend.  That is rare for me and I'm very thankful for that.  Got the stamp room straightend up a bit, and was able to get ready for a demo I'm doing on Tuesday at Angela's Happy Stamper Store.  Will show some of my samples soon.

Memory Box Die Cut Card

We got in some great Holiday paper from SEI.  It was paired up here with some gold metallic paper and layered onto a Memory Box brown card.  The rosette die was used and then a small star punch made the center image.  Inside it says, "A star led the way" by Impressions Obsessions.