Blue, Green, and Purple

What a lovely combination, don’t you think? Not all on the same card, necessarily. In my usual style of if-it-works-make-them-in-lots-of-color-combinations, I present to you 2 versions of the same design. Again. Inspired by something I saw online somewhere. Again.

The first one is made with more Viola Memory Box papers, layered on to a piece of black card stock, and the border was done with an EK Success border punch. The sentiment is a Hero Arts stamp. I do own other stamps and stamp sets, believe it or not, but I gravitate towards the Hero Arts most of the time, for some unknown reason. The ribbon is actually seam binding that I purchased at the CK convention last year. It was all I could do to cut it up because I have just a couple of yards of each color. It is surprising to me that none of the fabric stores carry it. Weird, huh?

Now that I look at it, this card does have all 3 colors of green, purple, and blue. Ha!

Oh, look, I used a non-Hero Arts stamp on this one! Impression Obsession, to be exact, one of their Cover-a-Card background stamps. I stamped it with Versamark and embossed it with clear powder on 2 different colors of card stock, cut them to size and layered them on black, just like the other card. I used a different border punch this time, and old SU punch. I love that the double sided May Arts ribbon goes so well with these colors, too.

That’s all I’ve got for today. I hope you are all having a good week!

One stamp, three looks

More or less, anyway. I saw this design somewhere - probably Pinterest again - and I really liked it. So…..here are my versions.

Hero Arts stamp, stamped with black ink and embossed with clear powder, colored with Copic markers. The paper on the first card is from the new Viola collection from Memory Box and it is die cut with a Nestabilities die.

Same stamp, different colored markers. Unknown paper from my stash, Stickles in the center of the flowers.

I’m not crazy about this one but it does look better in person. I used Cinnamon Stickles in the center of these flowers, added a scrap of ribbon and a button with some baker’s twine.

I see lots of possibilities with this stamp, so you will probably be seeing more of it in the future. Thanks for stopping by and I’d love to hear what you think. I really do enjoy reading your comments.

Up and Running Again!

The computer, that is, at least temporarily. I have to commend Dell for sending someone out to fix it even though it isn’t under warranty any longer. It wasn’t easy to get them to do it, but they did fix it. Thanks, Dell. It still has a couple of odd quirks, but there’s a new one on the way soon so this one will probably become our media server, because we have ditched DirectTv and are going with Netflix, Hulu (maybe), and will put up an outside antenna at some point, too. $100 a month with no movie channels and nothing on worth watching was just ridiculous. Cable isn’t any better, so at least this way we can watch what we want, when we want, without depending on some overpriced service to tell us when we should watch it! Less commercials, too. What’s not to like?

Anyway, I do have a few more cards to post. I love these new Hero Arts stamps and white embossing on Kraft seems to be my latest obsession. The background for the first one is the Magical Background by Hero Arts. I used Creamy Brown Colorbox Chalk Ink to stamp the background. I tried every brown ink I have (don’t ask how many that is) and even Versamark, and Creamy Brown gave me just the right amount of contrast without being overwhelming. These are so simple and quick to make. Add a few gems in the center of the flowers and a little ribbon and you’re done.

 

I left off the background on this one and added a squiggly border with a Signo Broad white gel pen. More gems and ribbon, very quick and easy.

Different stamp (still Hero Arts), white embossing, colored with Tombow markers a la Julie Ebersole. If you have never visited her blog, I encourage to pop over and have a look around. She does beautiful work and her cards are not at all overdone with layers and layers of crap embellishments.

The markers work so well on Kraft card stock and although I do love my Copics they would have bled through and also colored the embossing. The white border is done with the white gel pen and a Tim Holtz ruler. Ask me how many I messed up before I got it right. No, never mind, don’t ask. I was able to salvage this one by overlapping the corners.

So that’s it for today, people. I hope you are all having some lovely Spring weather. Get out and soak up the sun! Party on.

&!?@#! Computers

I just wanted to let you all know that I probably won't have any new posts for a few weeks. My computer died an untimely death over the weekend and although Dell is supposed to send someone to fix it, I haven't heard from them yet. I am in the process of trying to get a new one, but it will take a while, and even when I do get that one fixed or get a new one there is the dreaded reinstalling and setting up. All of my photos of my cards are on that hard drive and there isn't any way to post photos using the iPad anyway. Just typing emails on this thing is a little frustrating. So, thanks for hanging in there with me and I will enjoy seeing all of your wonderful creations in the meantime.

Copics on Embossing

I’ve seen it done on lots of blogs and websites, and have done it myself in the past but had forgotten about it until lately. I saw this card and had to have that folder. Had to! Well, I got it but I am sad to report that I did not have the same luck with the folder that she did. I wasted more than a couple of sheets of card stock trying to get that folder to emboss without  badly wrinkling or even tearing the paper in some spots. I did finally manage to do that (I won’t tell you how many naughty words were used that day), but when I tried coloring the embossed parts they didn’t quite turn out the way I had envisioned. The Sizzix folders are thicker than the Cuttlebug folders. I tried several different combinations of clear plates, embossing pads, shims, etc. It was an adventure. A frustrating one.

That folder was part of a set, and this folder was the other one in the set. It did emboss a little too deeply, too, but not quite as much as the other one. I colored the raised parts with Copic markers, which was much easier on this one. I am pretty happy with the results.

I haven’t given up on the the other folder, I’ve just decided to stop torturing myself for a while and move on to less stressful things. I will win, in the end. Or the folder could end up a pile of plastic pieces in the round file. We’ll just have to see how that turns out, stay tuned.

Stripes and Flowers

Leslie had a pretty card on her blog a couple of weeks ago and I decided to CASE it. I was able to use up some more of my huge stash of flowers, too.

Looking at it now, I think it resembles piano keys. Not black and white, I know, but still. Maybe I should have made the strips a little longer. Ah, well.

Like Leslie, I didn’t have any black with white dots ribbon in my stash of every-color-but-the-one-I-need-ribbon, so I ended up layering a couple of different ribbons. Four ribbons, to be exact. The white dots are on a sheer black, which is layered over black satin, on top of white satin, on top of a strip of black silk which is folded because it was too wide. Whew!

Of course I had to add a little bling to the sentiment with some gems. Despite the piano key thing, I am happy with the way it turned out. Now I need to find some wide black ribbon with white dots.

More CAS Cardz

CAS seems to be my middle name these days. I feel a little guilty for not more of my collection of schtuff on cards, but these are so quick and easy to do I just can’t seem to stop!

I saw a tutorial somewhere…probably Pinterest…that used just the edges of an SU embossing folder to make borders like this on a card, and then I remembered….I HAVE border embossing folders! It’s been so long since I used them that I had forgotten all about them.

I did find a way to avoid getting the line from the edge of the folder, too. I bought some plumbers gasket at Home Depot, Lowes…one of those places, and cut it just a shade narrower than the folder. When I emboss I leave off one of the clear plates, otherwise it would be too thick to go through the Big Shot. After embossing with the folder I scored a line at the edge of the embossing with my Scor Buddy. I just added some patterned paper and a sentiment and that was that.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Hero Arts (top card) and Impression Obsession.

Cardz

Just a few more CAS cards for today. The image was stamped with Versamark and embossed with clear powder, then the edge was masked off and sponged with Distress Inks. These are really easy cards to make and the color combinations could be varied to match the occasion. I used Eclipse Tape to make off the edge because it was wide enough and had a nice straight edge. That was the most difficult part, getting it straight.

Stamps: Hero Arts (With Sympathy clear set), Stampendous (Retro Happy Birthday).
Ink: Distress Inks - Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, and Memento Tuxedo Black.

More Pinterest Inspiration

I made these 2 cards a couple of days ago and I am not sure I will be able to part with them. They make me smile every time I look at them. The paper came from a 6 x 6 paper pad that I’ve had for some time and I wish I had lots more of this design. Why do they do that?? They only include 3 or 4 sheets of each design, and the 12 x 12 versions of the paper usually have larger non-card friendly images on them. It’s maddening, I tell you! Especially for paper hoarders like me… and you. I use this paper very sparingly and I measure twice and cut once, so I don’t waste one precious bit of it. It’s made by Prima and the name is Fairy Flora. 4 pieces of each design. Boo.

Anyway, here they are in all their glory. Quite simple, not too floofy and layered at all, but I just love ‘em.

They look so much better in person, now that I see them on the screen. The second card is made with pieces that I cut too wide (so much for measuring twice, eh?) for use on the first card because I wanted 2 strips, but I wasn’t about to throw them away, so I just made a second card. I placed the strips in order so the design would be continuous, which is more evident in the first card than the second.

I was able to get both cards from one sheet, so that means I have 3 sheets of this particular design left. Yay!! I think if I had some of the 12 x 12 sheets I would just frame them and hang them on the wall. There’s just something so ethereal and calming about the designs, and I can use all the calm I can get these days!

Ohhhmmmmm….

A Couple of Clean and Simple Cards

Hi, my name is Jackie and I am addicted to Pinterest. (Hi, Jackie) Yes, it’s true, I spend way too much time trolling Pinterest for new and interesting card ideas, as well as recipes, green and inexpensive cleaning solutions, and lots of other stuff. These are just a few cards inspired by designs found there.

The first two would have been one layer cards, but I just couldn’t do it. But, they are only 2 layers - no gems, pearls, buttons, ribbon, or other doodads. I KNOW! Just some Hero Arts stamps, Memento inks, and card stock. I drew the lines using a Memento marker and the Tim Holtz ruler. The ruler is clear with lots of lines, which enables me to get the lines straight the first time.

The first card didn’t turn out perfectly, but I decided not to give up on it. I stamped the sentiment, drew the lines, and then masked the sentiment and lines with some 3M Post-It Tape that I have had for years and years. I stamped the flowers and removed the tape, but some of the ink had bled under the tape a bit. Hmmmm. What to do? Erasing it wasn’t an option (I tried). I liked the way the flowers looked and didn’t want to toss it and start over. So I added another line to the top and bottom in an attempt to cover it up and it worked beautifully. FYI - the 3M tape is not porous so if you use it and get ink on it, be v-e-r-y careful removing it. Ink on one’s hands can, and will, transfer to a lovely finished card, which can cause one to say naughty words. There was no fixing that card, I’m afraid. *#@$%!

I used the Fiskars Stamp Press to stamp the sentiment. I have had it for a couple of years, too, but have just recently started using it more often. I find that it really does make placing the image exactly where you want it so much easier. It has grid lines to help with getting it straight, and the spongy feet give you a little time to position the image before pressing it down. If you haven’t tried one I highly suggest giving it a shot.

I’m not too crazy about the placement of the flowers on this card. I think I should have used different flowers instead of using the same one in different colors. Ah, well.

This is a one layer card and I am quite happy with it. For this one I used Eclipse tape to mask off the edge because it was wide enough to cover the rest of the card. If you are more careful than I am you could use something narrower, but I thought it best not to tempt fate. I used Distress Inks- Dusty Concord, Peeled Paint, and Shabby Shutters -sponged directly onto the card. I stamped the fern with the same colors while the tape was still on, removed the tape and stamped the last fern and the sentiment. The fern is from Hero Arts and I think the sentiment is from an older Papertrey Ink set.

So, that’s it for my CAS day of stamping. I like it more than I thought I would so you may see more of it in the future.

Thanks for stopping by!