Summer Scene

This looks like a Stampscapes card. However, these are all stamps I've accrued over the years and I'm not even sure who made them, except for the clouds which are by Stampscapes. But they all went together well to make this summer scene. The color was first added to the glossy paper with a brayer and a multicolored pad. Then the stamps were inked with a black dye base ink pad. A quick and easy card to do.

3 Crosses Easter Card

We'll be in PA tomorrow celebrating Easter with our families. So I've posted this last Easter card today. This stamp is by Stamp a Mania. Before stamping, the paper was brayered with a Kalidacolor multicolored pad. Then the image was stamped with a black dye ink. Simple, but turned out well. Hope you get a chance to enjoy an Easter service somewhere. It's my favorite day of the year.

O'Hares card

Yea! On to March! And I'm starting off with a whimsical nod to the green holiday. This card is done with another large Magenta stamp. But, isn't it worth the extra postage? Because of the size and detail to this stamp, it's best to brayer on the ink and then stamp on glossy paper. The shammrocks were stamped and cut out and added with glue. Color was added with water base markers. The name was done with an alphabet set from PSX. Behind the picture is a piece of white mulberry paper. Now on to some decorating with some fresh, spring greens!

Marsha McCarthy Card

We had our staff party last night for those of us who work at Angela's Happy Stamper. We stuff ourselves silly with food and fun, and give cards and usually a handmade gift. This is the card I gave to the ladies. I picked it for the quote on the front of the card, and inside stamped "You inspire me". It's such a gift to be around so many creative and caring folks. The card has a white glossy paper brayered and then stamped in black dye ink on the front. I went back in and added extra color in parts with water base markers, and added a glitter pen to parts for a little sparkle. Also added some small gems for more bling. The next picture shows the tin cans that I sponged alcohol ink on the sides. On the lid I punched out printed paper and applied it to a punched out double stick sheet which I placed on the lid. The paper didn't cover all the sticky part so I poured colored beads over the rest to create the rim. Then more double stick paper was punched to fit over the printed paper. On the sticky part clear glass beads were added. Inside I placed a book "thong". It's a bookmark made from satin ribbon with Delft beads and crystals I brought back from the Netherlands. You just lay it on the page you want to mark and the beads stick out either end of the book.

Winter break

It sure has gotten cold! So thought this card would bring a welcome warm thought to you all. The card was first brayered with Kalidacolor pad "Creole Spice" onto a white glossy paper. Then the palm trees were stamped in black dye ink onto one side, then reinked and stamped on the other side. The tip of a palm branch was then stamped along the edge of the card. A white pen was used to highlight the images. The paper was punched with a purple giga punch by Marvy. The scallop was a super giga Marvy punch. If you want to see the parts done in step by step form, come to Angela's Happy Stamper and look at the directions by the Stampscapes section.
If you think it's cold here, you should have been in PA where I have been all week. It's even colder there! I'll be in and out for a while. Will be having to take more trips to PA to care for my dad who has been ill. Next trip I'm taking my crafts along. This is good stamping weather!

Snowflake Resist Card

We managed to miss "the big dump" this year. Last year this time we were tunneling out of a mountain of snow. The most we got this year was a dusting and some lovely floaty flakes. This card fits well with that thought. Snowflakes were stamped with a Versamark pad onto white glossy paper and then the paper was brayerd with a "Blue Breeze" Kalidicolor pad. The same stamp was used on the blue paper, but it was inked with a white pigment pad before stamping. The sentiment is from Serendipity stamps and was inked with a blue dye pad and stamped onto the brayerd paper.

Beaded Birthday Card

A good friend had a birthday recently. She is quite the traveller of exotic places and loves bright colors. I took white paper and dabbed spots of pigment reinkers on the paper and brayered the ink over the page to give it this vibrant effect. Once dried, the images(PSX) were inked with a Versamark pad and embossed with black embossing powder. Did the same with the words (Coranado Island Stamps). The words were then mounted onto an extra set of papers, and colored thread was wrapped around the ends. The beads were stung on a piece of wire. This paper was then applied with double stick foam tape onto the card.

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.

Art tribute

Before I head out the door to go to our Open House at the store, thought I'd post this "tribute to art" card. The image on the front is also the same one I used to create the backgound. I stamped the background image with a watermark pad so there is a subtle look to it. The main image was stamped in black on glossy white paper that was brayered before stamping.