Home Made Memories

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Sketch Challenge Time Again!

It is fun to see just how versatile a sketch can be when you play around with it! I love using split card backgrounds so I knew I'd love the sketch from splitcoaststampers today!

For my first card, I went in a masculine direction when I saw this dp on my desk. I cut my piece then cut it in half and flipped one side over. I added some recycled chunky twine across the join. I used the repeated stamping technique to make it look like my horse is running across the card by stamping it full strength on the right hand side of the panel then stamping 3 more times without reinking for the effect. I embossed my sentiment in Early Espresso ep and sponged the edges in Soft Suede

Stamps: Wanted, All Year Cheer

Paper: SU dp, Early Espresso, Chocolate Chip, Natural White

Ink: Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Versamark

Accessories: Sponge, Clear and Early Espresso embossing powders, 1 3/8" circle punch

Techniques: Repeated Stamping, Embossing, Sponging

Bought these pretty papers and tags the other day and thought they'd work well for the sketch. The paper reminded me of denim so I added that across the center.

Stamps: Vintage Labels, Silhouette Sentiments

Paper: Natural Ivory, River Rock, teresa collins-Damask dp

Ink: Not Quite Navy, River Rock, Soft Suede, Versamark

Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Scallop Circle and 1" circle punches, Vanilla Seam Binding, denim strip, K&Co tag

Techniques: Reverse Masking, Sponging, Embossing

Flipped the sketch and used the full tag this time. Used another denim accent and distressed and sponged the circle as well as sponging in Not Quite Navy around the tag.

Stamps: Circle of Friendship

Paper: River Rock, Whisper White, River Rock dp,

Ink: Not Quite Navy, River Rock

Accessories: K&Co Tag, string, Cutter kit distressing tool, denim, sponge, Recollection gold and Michael's white flowers, 1/4" white grosgrain ribbon, foam squares

Techniques: Distressing, Sponging

Couldn't resist making one more while the family watched TV that I wasn't interested in. Embossed a piece of foil that once sealed a coffee can and embossed my sentiment.

Stamps: ODB Scripture Collection 1

Paper: Baja Breeze, Cherry Cobbler, retired SU dp

Ink: Versamark

Accessories: Early Espresso embossing powder and 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, MBossabilities Reverence ef, corner rounder punch

Techniques: Dry Embossing, Embossing

Friday, June 7, 2013

Smudging Around

Oh...my...word! I've had so much fun today smudging around with paints on my cards. Today's Mixability challenge was to smudge a frame around our focal point and I've been smudging away! Here are the cards I made:

On this one I smudged Espresso paint around the edge of my embossed dp panel and Snowcap (white) around the verse and roses.

Stamps: Watercolor Minis, ODB Scripture 1

Paper: Very Vanilla, Sahara Sand, K&Co. Jubilee Pink & Teal Collage dp

Ink: Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Versamark

Accessories: Paint Daubers: Adirondak SnowCap and Espresso, Le Fleur Cream Rose, Early Espresso ep, sponge, Ticket Corner Punch, Close to Cocoa velvet ribbon, MBossabilities Asian ef

Techniques: Dry Embossing, Embossing, Smudging

Here's a closeup of the rose panel. These are 2 step stamps stamped in Pretty in Pink and Regal Rose some stamped off and some tone on tone.

Found these cute robot stickers at Big Lots and made a set of cards with them. These are with some prints I made on my gelatin plate. I smudged around the edges of the prints as well as on the circles and squares.

Stamps: Seeing Spots, Vintage Labels

Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Garden Green, Pacific Point, Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz, Gelatin Plate Print

Ink: Pacific Point, Pumpkin Pie, Garden Green, Versamark

Accessories: White embossing powder, CB Argyle and Circles ef, 3/4" 1" 1 1/4" 13/8" circle and square punches, stampin' dimensionals, sponge, Adirondak Paint Daubers

Techniques: Gelatin Plate Printing, Smudging, Dry Embossing, Embossing

These have smudging over my sponged and direct to paper stenciled bg as well as smudging and spatter on the sentiment panels.

Stamps: Itty Bitty Backgrounds, A Little Birdie Told Me and Flexible Phrases for sentiments, Studio G chevron

Paper: Poppy Parade, Bashful Blue, Brushed Silver, Basic Black, Whisper White

Ink: Marina Mist, Basic Black, Versamark, Poppy Parade

Accessories: Chevron and Tim Holtz Steampunk efs, Full Heart, 2 1/2" circle punches, CM Oval Cutting System, sponge, clear embossing powder, Stencils: Huey's V Pattern and TCW Mini Love Beads, TPC Stickers, Paint daubers: Ranger Weather Vane, Adirondak-Cloudy Blu

Techniques: Smudging, Sponging, Dry Embossing, Embossing, Stencil BG, Rock 'N Roll

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Brad Bow

One of my favorite ways to make a bow is to use a brad. I first saw these cute bows on Mary aka stampercamper's cards. She has a picture tutorial on her blog as well, but I've had some questions about them myself lately so I decided to put together a quick tutorial. Here are some cards featuring brad bows.

Gingham ribbon with a small, polka dot brad

Organdy ribbon with a corduroy brad

Seam binding with a small silver brad

Shoe lace type string with a small brad.

This is the card I made today by doodling onto a piece of dp to add color and definition to the flowers, stems and leaves. Today's color challenge is Sahara Sand, Pink Pirouette and Soft Sky with a dessert of butterflies. The bow is natural trim with an Antique Brad.

Flip your brad over and open the prongs as widely as you can.

Take the left end of your ribbon and fold toward the right.

Now fold the right side over the left.

Lay the folded ribbon over your opened brad.

Push the ribbon down into the space between the prongs. Then fold the prongs down over the ribbon. You can carefully pull on the ends to position them downward.

Here's the finished bow.

Friday, May 31, 2013

Stretching Out of my Comfort Zone

I loved this inspiration piece from Saturday's challenge site Jennspendants but until I
saw Dina's card today I wasn't sure I could do it. Thanks for the push with the
challenge to paint or freehand a shape then add line details to it. I actually
watercolored this free hand then added marker lines to it. I added a color wash and
shading around my images and stamped my verse in Versafine Onyx.

The finished product (a CASE of a card by Twinshappy aka Stacy). Hers was a gorgeous Christmas Card.

Here's the start of my card with my branch watercolored through the reverse of a Tim Holtz branch die cut. I penciled in my bird then watercolored with Raspberry Ripple, Blushing Bride and Regal Rose. I used black marker for the beak, eye and feet. I used the pinks for my blossoms.

Here's what it looks like after I've added in the details-wish I hadn't gone with the brown lines in the flower centers, but once you start you're committed!

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Jumpin on the Gelli Bandwagon

I admit it, I'm a technique junky! I've always got to try the latest thing. I was reluctant to join in the Gelli Plate craze, however, because of the cost of the plate. I wasn't sure I'd actually like it, or be able to make cool prints with it and didn't want to spend precious craft $$ on something I wasn't sure of. Enter my splitcoast friends who told me about a way to make my own gelatin plate.Check out Linda Germain's blog I even had some gelatin that I bought at an Amish country store that sells things in bulk. Here are my first two cards and some pictures of printing in process.

The main image panel was blue acrylic inks that I rolled my Rough Texture wheel over. After this print had dried, I added another layer with a ghost print from a purple stencilled print. The two strips are from packing tape that I used to pull the dried paint off some bubble wrap that I'd used on the plate. I also picked up some text from the newspaper I'd laid down on my work surface (the first time was an accident, but I grew to like the look so I started doing it on purpose).

Stamps: Upsy Daisy, Rough Texture Wheel

Paper: Concord Crush, Baja Breeze, Marina Mist, White, Tissue Paper

Ink: Versamark, Concord Crush, Acrylic Paints

Accessories: Bubble Wrap, Plaid Stencil, Gelatin Plate, Chevron ef, Clear ep, Birds and Blooms Die, Silver brad, Wisteria Reinker, Rhinestones, Burlap, Sponge

Techniques: Gelatin Plate Printing, Tissue Paper Flower, Sponging, Dry Embossing

Today's ways to use it challenge was to add doodling to a card. I remembered this print with hearts and decided to turn it into an anniversary card. I doodled onto my main panel first with the teal pen, but it didn't show up well enough so I took a Sharpie pen and went around again. I also doodled around my card base-this is a 5x7" card.

Stamps: none

Paper: White, Black

Ink: Acrylic Paints, Marker, Sharpie Pen

Accessories: Heart punches, Ribbon, Brad

Techniques: Gelatin Plate Printing, Brad Bow, Doodling

Here is the pile of prints I made the first day I played with the gelatin. You can see the smaller plate I made in a Tupperware in the right lower corner. I ended up melting all my pieces back together and re-setting it.

These were my favorite prints of the day: bubble wrap, mesh tape and my unmounted stitches wheel played a part in these!

I read another technique where you let your paint dry on the Gelli plate then remove it with packing tape or cool laminate paper. Since I was using a gelatin plate instead of the Gelli, I modified the technique by pulling the dried paint off the stencils, etc that I used in the printmaking. Here's what the packing tape looks like after I've placed it down over my large circles and pulled off the dried paint this was my oops moment with the newsprint ;).

This time I pulled the bubble wrap through the stencil.

I then put this back on the large stencil to pull off the paint around the large circles.

The bottom piece is the result of that two step process laid down over a piece of white card stock.

Pulling off a background stamp.

This one was pulled first off my Dotted bg stamp then the pink came from a stencil.

Here's what it looks like laid down over a purple bg.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Last Week Guest Designing for the Color Challenge

I've had so much fun this past month as a guest designer for the Color Challenge on splitcoaststampers.com. I love the color's Kim chose for this week: Island Indigo, Pool Party and Lucky Limeade with a dessert of piercing. I was inspired by necklaces I saw on this past week's Inspiration site Jennspendants. I finally took the time to make a light box for taking photos of my cards and on this gloomy, rainy Memorial Day it sure was worth it!

This one is a reverse mask circle sponged with the 3 colors and stamped with a tree inked with Limeade then with the trunk and branches inked with a Chocolate Chip marker. I pierced around my circle and in the corners of the card base. I sponged my sentiment as well using a Word Window punched mask. I made a brad bow using the closest blue ribbon I had which was an oldie-Blue Bayou! This one was inspired by this beautiful tree necklace

Stamps: Thoughts and Prayers

Paper: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Whisper White

Ink: Pool Party, Island Indigo, Lucky Limeade

Accessories: Striped Embossing Folder, Occasions Piercing Guide, Mat Pack, Piercing Tool, Star Brads, Blue Bayou Stitched Ribbon, Punches: Modern Label, Word Window, Corner Rounder, Chocolate Chip Marker

Techniques: Masking, Sponging, Piercing, Dry Embossing

I went in the Mixed Media direction with this one base on another tree necklace. I started with a dictionary page that I coated with Gesso. I used MS chalk inks to add color then a wet paintbrush and a sponge with the 3 colors. I die cut my tree and added texture to it and the base with the Distressed Texturz plate. I die cut my birds and sponged them a bit too. I inked my sentiment with Versamark first then the Indigo and embossed in clear.

Stamps: Print Works-Give Your Burdens

Paper: Kraft, Dictionary Page, Chocolate Chip, Island Indigo

Ink: MS Chalk Inks, Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo, Pool Party, Versamark, Early Espresso

Accessories: Matte White Gesso, foam brush, paintbrush, sponge, Clear ep, Distressed Texturz Plate, Memory Box Dies-Bare Tree and Resting Birds, CM Circle Cutting System, Corner Rounder Punch

Techniques: Sponging, Dry Embossing, Mixed Media

Friday, May 24, 2013

Not Your Typical Mixed Media

Today's Mixability Challenge was to use both rough and smooth elements on our cards. I made two using Espresso and Gold.

This one is a CASE of a card by our Queen for the Day Stamp Muse, Emily. Her card was in Navy and gold, but I had the Mocha Morning dp that was a perfect fit for the CASE.

Stamps: Medallion, Wanted, Family Reunion, inside sentiment from All Year Cheer

Paper: Early Espresso, Brushed Gold,Mocha Morning and Neutrals Patterns Pack dp

Ink: Versamark, Early Espresso

Accessories: Early Espresso ep, CB Border ef, Tulip Frame ef, 3/4" circle punch, sponge

Techniques: Embossing, Dry Embossing

I had made the embossed panel thinking I'd use it behind the piece on my previous card, but when it didn't work for that I designed another card using it.

Stamps: Rubber Stampede: With Deepest Sympathy

Paper: Early Espresso, Brushed Gold

Ink: Encore Gold, Versafine Onyx

Accessories: Gold embossing powder, M-Bossabilities Reverence ef, Ticket Corner Punch, Ribbon