Create 4 Fun challenge

Here a card I did for the Create 4 Fun sketch challenge.  I used the Just Rite stamps I got from Tosh and the Zig Zag technique from TJ Junkies Newsletter.  I used My Minds Eye paper for that.  I actually made 2 cards pretty much the same.  I love the saying "Pretty Shoes Sure Can Cure the Blues" and since DD's best friend got a turn down letter for one of her grad school choices and LOVES shoes, I thought I'd send her one and one to my DD, since she loves shoes!!  I used my SU markers to color the image before I stamped it.  One was on Glossy paper and the other on regular cardstock.  I think I like the regular one better.

It's 5 o'clock somewhere

At least that's what Jimmy Buffet and Alan Jackson say.  I think my daughter was agreeing last week and had plans to go out with her classmates after a week that kicked their butts.  Grad school in Geophysics can do that.  :)

I made this card using another Just Rite set I won in Tosh's blog candy.  It was a little extra work cutting the center out but worth it.  I used Basic Gray DP and button (got the buttons from Tosh too!)  I cut the glass out and mounted on top and put Glassy Glaze on it sprinkled with glitter.  It even sort of showed up in the picture!
The background was one of the Asian cuttlebug folders and I used a Martha Steward punch along with nesties and a corner rounder.

Look what I won!

I always enter to win blog candy and NEVER win, until recently I won the MOTHER LODE on Tosh's blog.  I was giddy.  I couldn't wait to play so laid it out on my count (notice the Pampered Chef salt and pepper grinder) and realized I better take a picture.   I love this card that she sent with.  The paper, the coloring the layout, it's all so good.  Oh to be as good a stamper as she is....sigh.





Anyway, thank you so much Tosh for picking me!  

Now if I ever get 10,000 hits,  I'll do blog candy too.

Manly Valentines Card

Here is my OCC challenge card and the card I made for my husband.  I'm pretty sure he'll like it since well, I'm a horse person and he is by proxy.  Now the funny part about this card is it was a work in progress.  I finished it (or thought it was) then the next morning I realized, no it was missing something...I didn't sponge the edges...anyway, I kept doing a little more and finally ended up doing a Tech Junkie Sepia Technique.  So here is the progression:

Do I like the final product...I'm not sure but DH won't know the difference!  LOL

The stamp is from Coronado Island.  I stamped it in Tuxedo Black Memento ink.  The DP is retired SU.  The concho is from my horse showing days, it's time I use some of that stuff up and the brad looking things are some sticky ones I got at Walmart.  Love those as you can add them after the card it done.  I don't like the price though.  Oh and I don't recommend nor usually have a card all together then sponge it but sometimes you just gotta do it.


So, did I do the right thing?

Clear Dollar Valentine

Here's the valentine card I'm sending to my son this year, even though he's 27!  About 25 years ago we took him to Disney World and he got to hold a Macaw "like a baby" so he's going to get the humor in this as I tried to color it about the same as the one he held with my Copics.  I love using my nesties to make different shapped cards, I only wish they were a little bigger sometimes but this works.  The stamps are from Clear Dollar stamps and the cardstock is Basic Gray Marrakesh pad.  The button is one I had in my stash as well as the ribbon.  I have a few kitchen tools to send down with this and I'm sure some cash.  Grad students always need that!

Double bugged Moose

 

Ok, I admit I messed this up a little.  I forgot the highlight after the first pass of the first cuttlebug folder so I did it after the 2nd run and it picked up both layers so I was a happy stamper.   I was  excited about the background.  I sprayed 2 colors of spray I made out of Distress ink refills, water and Ranger Perfect Pearls (a Tim Holtz recipe) in a mini-mister.  

The stamp is a Riley Moose.  I just love the coffee and cupcake!  And shock, I colored it with Prisma color pencils and Gamsol.  I forgot how easy those blend.  I just color darker with one color where I want it darker and it shades itself!.  I used the out of the box technique for his antlers, sewed around the layer that I rounded the edges on.  Riley is layered on a Spellbinder Pendant, behind that is a piece of cardstock I cut like a ribbon and ran through my paper crimper...you know one of the first things us old stampers bought!  The 2 gems on the sides are not the stick on variety.  I used crystal effects to glue them on.  They won't go anywhere!

Cuttlebug Gesso

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Here's a card I made for my son using the new Cuttlebug Asian folder with a stamp from Onyxxpressions.
I used another Technique Junkie technique called Cuttlebug Gesso.   I stamped the horse in Grey Memento ink and sponged the edges of the image layer with the nestie still on.  The metal embellishment on the bottom says Wisdom.  It's one I've had a long time from Walmart.  I wrapped colored twine I found in the jewlery section of Hobby Lobby around the side panel I did the Cuttlebug Smoosh technique on.

Scotland!

Just a quick share of a card I made for my daughter.  Nothing too special as far as techniques but I really like it.  4 years ago tomorrow I put her on a plane to Scotland for a semester of study abroad at Stirling University, where the star gem is on the map.  It was the best time of her life and a life changing experience for her.  So I'm sending this to her as a reminder.  The stamp is embossed and by Scottish Borders stamps...which Joyce tells me might be back up soon, I sure hope so.  I'll make sure and tell you as soon as I know.

Watercolor Distress layering

Here's a card I did using a Technique Junkie Technique called Watercolor Distress from Feb/Mar 07 issue.  Then I did some creative layering/cutting with my Spellbinder Labels.  I used Distress inks Pine, Scattered Straw and Broken China.  After I did the back ground I stamped my images (I don't know the name of the set, it's a clear set I've had for years, sorry) in black ink and stamped off once for the lighter colors.  Then came the fun.  After I had that dried I spritzed it with some distress inks mixed with Perfect Pearls and water to give it a nice shine.

I layed the paper down and arranged my Spellbinder dies on top like this picture:

I ran it through my Big Shot and then layered it all on a piece of black cardstock I ran through a Cuttlebug folder.  I added 3 brads to the center image.  To layer it I put the largest piece down and zig zag stitched around it.  Then I pop dotted the next layer, then the next one was on the paper and the last piece I popped up again.  The green card base looks terrible in this picture but IRL it's a lot better.  I was going to layer it on yellow but YUK.  Blue didn't work either so I'm glad green did.  This was really a quick, fun card to do with nice results, IMHO  LOL

Cracked Glass

 

I have been eying this sketch for a while and these papers have been sitting on my desk "crying for me" (my son used to say that when he wanted something) so today I decided to go for it.  I did the whole layout then had a time trying to figure out what image to use.  I decided on a portion of a stamp from Sutter Stamps out of Montana.  Since I have 4 Paint horses it was an easy choice to color the horse with Copics like a Buckskin paint.    I also used a Martha Stewart punch and edged alot of this card with a gold marker.  

The little horseshoe is from a stash I've had since my horse show sewing days.  These are fabric add ons with prongs on the back.  These are all silver and since that wouldn't work, I colored it with a gold pen.  Here's the trick:  Stick it in a piece of styrofoam while you color so it doesn't get all over your fingers and then let it dry, it will take some time.  Next, take a needle nose pliers and bend those prongs back in a little.  They angle out.  After that put your paper on the foam and gently push it through.  Flip over and pound the prongs down with a hammer.  This little piece of styrofoam is a handy little thing to have for coloring brads, paper piercing etc.  Just don't use a heat gun...don't ask!