Freshly Made Sketches #706

I'm finally back in my main studio and jumped right in to making a card for Freshly Made Sketches.

I turned Tim's Festive Wreath into a Halloween one by adding skulls, a spider and crossbones from Tim's Frightful things.  The orange background was stamped with Honey Bee's web in Versa Mark and covered with Perfect Pearls.  The sentiment paper is from Doodlebug.  

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Can You Handle the Pressure? Dots and NBUS #46

After seeing my friend Marcia's cards using a technique from Jennifer McGuire, I spent a day making a few of my own.  One of them works well for the challenge at Can You Handle the Pressure? with the twist of Dots. 

After taping off a border on my panel, it was inked with Salty Ocean, Blue Print Sketch and Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks and Perfect Pearls were applied for a metallic look that doesn't show well in the photo. It was then run through with the Altenew Dotty Circle embossing folder.  For the sentiment, navy cardstock was cut with a die from MFT and layered on vellum.  I'm trying to build up my stash of masculine cards and I think this fits the bill.  

Since this is the first time using the embossing folder, I'm sending my card to NBUS.

Thanks for dropping by.  Have a good week.

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Inkspirational #195

I was lucky enough to be one of the top picks for Inkspirational's last challenge with this card and true to my policy of always entering the challenge following a win, I'm making a card for the current challenge. 

Several things came to mind but it settled on crops in the field and right now I think it's winter wheat time in Michigan.

Here's a better view of the shine I got from splattering three different Perfect Pearls.  I never think to use them like that but was reminded by someone recently on a blog post.  

The stalks of wheat are from C9 and the copper embossed sentiment is from JV.

Thanks for dropping by.  

CAS(E) This Sketch #266 and Inspired By All the Little Things #83

My card today was made for CAS(E) This Sketch but it also fits into the Inspired By All the Little Things challenge.

I started by stamping and masking the bottles from W&W on Bristol.  I masked off the top of the card to ink the bottom in Hickory Smoke and went over it again through a SSS stencil.  The bottles were colored with Zigs and the branches stamped and Perfect Pearls dotted on.  Not exactly a Springtime look but I like it. 

Thanks for dropping by.  I hope your weekend went well and that you have a wonderful week ahead.

12 Tags of Christmas with Loll and Friends

I finally had the time to make a tag for Loll's 12 Tags of Christmas.  I was going through my UFO box and found a panel that would make a great tag.

I had embossed the snowflake folder after coating it with VersaMark ink, then rubbed it down with Perfect Pearls. I don't know why I didn't make it into a card but it fit the PTI die perfectly.  I did heat emboss resist on a smaller tag with a sentiment from PB, watercoloring with Distress Ink.  The added little snowflake is cut from metallic paper,  At least that's what the label calls it.  It's a product from Neenah that I found at WalMart and it really has a nice sheen to it and comes in four colors. 

I have another tag made and was ready to post but after reading the rules again I realized I didn't stamp on it. I'll have to figure out a way to add stamping without ruining the design. 

Thanks for dropping by.

Just Us Girls #419 - Trend Week

I know you've seen it all over blog land.  Silhouette stamping.  That's what our host Lisa has chosen for Trend Week at Just Us Girls.

My NBUS SOA carolers were the answer to the required silhouettes.

I stamped the staff from the set in VersaMark on Dove Gray and dusted with Perfect Pearls for a barely there look.  The panel was inked with Distress Oxide in Faded Jeans and given an almost too liberal spray of PP.  Once dry, the silhouettes and sentiment were added with HA India Ink Black.

What silhouettes do you have hiding in your stash?  Pull them out and make a card for this week's challenge.  You may be chosen Chic of the Week and have a chance of being a guest designer like this month's guest Trina Pham.  Please go check out what our wonderful Design Team have created for your inspiration.

See you in the gallery.

Less Is More #350

It's One-Layer week at Less Is More.  One-Layer with Stars.  How easy is that?

First step: Ink a stencil from Heidi Swapp with VersaMark, add a few extra stars from W&W and a sentiment from the new CP Stamp of Appproval.  Second: heat emboss in white.   Third: Blend Distress Oxides all over and spritz some water with Perfect Pearls in it.  Done.

Thanks for dropping by.  I love it when you do.

Less Is More #330

I made a card quite a while ago using this technique called Pearlized Stamp Layering from Jennifer McGuire.  It's been sitting on my desk just waiting for a challenge and it's finally here.  Less Is More wants shimmer and shimmer they're going to get.

You need a layering stamp for this technique and I used  Beautiful Day from Altenew.  For directions and video on how to get this shimmery effect, click on the link above.  I cut the panel with a curved die, mounted it on Soft Stone and curved the sentiment from Penny Black along the edge.  You know how it it with photographing shimmer.  It's difficult to get it to show but take it from me, the lighter portions of the card have a beautiful pearly shine.

We  My husband weeded the no-flower flower beds yesterday and today we will bring in some mulch.  Except for my lovely Columbine on one side of the house and the hydrangea I got from my parent's house before it sold, I have trouble getting anything to grow.  I've resorted to mulch and a few pots and hope they will look okay with my garden items - several old plows, an old yellow wheelbarrow, a vintage push mower and a few other rustic pieces.  Yes, as my granddaughter says "Gramby loves old metal".

Have a wonderful day and thanks for dropping by.

Muse #145

This is Joan Bardee's last time as the Muse and she created a delightful card to leave us with.

I was inspired by the pink background and the curved leaves with a sentiment in the middle.

I smooshed some watercolor paper with Distress Inks sprayed with Perfect Pearls.  You can't see the shine but it's there.  Let's back up.  First I stamped the leaves from SSS in Watering Can and used a Molotow masking marker to color in the leaves.  Then I smooshed.  When it was dry, I removed the mask and colored in the leaves and flowers with Distress Ink.  The sentiment from SSS is stamped in the same ink with my Misti.  I didn't want to take a chance on ruining an almost finished card.  I know you know what I mean.  ;)

I just remembered I want to send this to Happy Little Stampers CAS challenge.  It is CAS enough isn't it?  They want you to use your favorite technique and smooshing is definitely one of mine.

Thanks for dropping by.

Less is More #253

It's a color challenge at Less is More and the colors are blue and green.  I decided to smoosh my colors together and make a sympathy card.

Distress Inks in Twisted Citron and Broken China were sprayed with Perfect Pearls before smooshing.  A NBUS floral from Penny Black was stamped in Memento London Fog along with a sentiment from Paper Smooches.  I have received a ton of wonderful sympathy cards since the passing of my Mom and they inspired me to create my own.

Thanks for dropping by.  I hope your week is going well.

Make It Monday #228

After seeing some cards by Jennifer McGuire, I bought a set of Metallic Perfect Pearls.  I'm glad I could use them for this week's Make It Monday challenge - Pearlized Blending.  Don't know what that means? Go see the video by Lizzie Jones.  She shows you exactly what to do.  I may have deviated a little but I love the results.

First I blended Distress Inks on two scraps of paper - Ripe Persimmon and Wild Honey on one and Fired Brick, Vintage Photo and a dab of Shabby Shutters on the other.  I cut PTI's  Rustic Wreath from each and then used copper PP on the first and bronze on the second.  Then the magic.  I cut each wreath and intertwined them.  I thought too much color got lost by layering them. Since the wreath wasn't big enough to encircle my MFT die, I cut a couple of extra pieces from the leftover paper and fit it in.  The sentiment is NBUS from PTI stamped in HA Just Rust.  The panel is popped up on foam and a little Hemptique bow tops it off.  Here's a close-up so you can see the shine better.

Thanks for dropping by.  It'a always good to know you've been here so please leave a comment.

Less is More #241

The challenge at Less is More is two-fold.  First it is to be a one layer card.  Second, the theme is wishing.  I have the right stamp set so the wishing part is easy.  It's the one layer thing that I have trouble with.

Stamps: SSS Sending Happy Thoughts, SSS Leaves Background

Ink: HA Green Hills, Delicata Gold

Other:  Perfect Pearls, Masking paper

Too bad you can't see the shimmer in the photo.  It looks so much better IRL.