Inspiration from others...

Hello,
I was surfing through a few challenges, and fell in love with two different cards that were submitted to the challenge. I clicked on the images it lead me to the blogs. I want to give credit to Joyce, so please click on her name to go to her beautiful blog. Isn't her card beautiful?

Joyce

Here is my take on this technique.

I cut a strip of Neenah Solar White Cardstock, and used the "smoosh" technique with wilted violet and Salty Ocean distress inks. Then I laid the strip onto a full card base and used my MISTI to stamp the detailed dragonflies. I think I stamped them each 3 times to get them dark enough. I adore this card. It was so easy and the raised focus is so powerful. Thank you Joyce!

Card Details:
Paper: Neenah Solar white cardstock
Ink: Distress inks, Simon Says Inktense Black
Stamps: Inkadinkado - Mindscapes
Sentiment -  All occasions - unknown brand
Others: foam tape

Card number two:
I came across this card from Helen. Please click on her name to see her beautiful blog.

Helen

Here is my take on this technique: I created two different examples.

Card one

Card two

Close up of the sentiment

I completely covered the entire card with distress ink after I heat embossed the butterfly with white embossing powder. Then I sprayed water on my craft mat and placed my imaged into it and then lifted it up. I dried it with my heat gun and then did it again. The last time, I sprayed my mat with perfect pearls spray and dunked it again. What a great look it made!

I am in love these techniques. I wish you could see the perfect pearls on these two cards and the shimmer it creates. It was so easy and yet the results are so powerful! These are my favorites! Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment, it makes my smile.

Card Details:
Paper: Neenah Solar white cardstock - black cardstock
Ink: Distress inks, Simon Says Inktense Black, water and perfect pearls spray
Stamps: Inkadinkado - Mindscapes
Sentiment -  All occasions - unknown brand

Old Stashed & forgotten backgrounds come to life!

With the weather being so cold, I got a chance to spend a few quiet evenings in my craft space. I took a few backgrounds that I created a LONG time ago, and finished them off with my new stamp set I recently purchased. I love it when a background you were frustrated with become a beautiful card. I also got the chance to cut more cardstock to form ready-to-go card bases and mats. It speeds up the finishing process SO much. I am actually running out of many vibrant colors of my cardstock stash!

This second set of Duos, I used my FOREVER favorite stamp and I...(deep breath)...I...UNMOUNTED it. This stamp is not in production anymore, and I will be so upset if something happens to it. But with it now unmounted, I was able to use it with my MISTI, and now was allowed to repeat stamp it onto water color paper and got beautiful results. It was so much fun, I had to do it again! 

This one came out wonderfully. I combined ink colors and made my own colors. I know you can't see the detail, but I used perfect pearls to give the butterflies a bit of simmer. The card is shimmery in your hands. The top butterfly was a risk, adding yellow to the busy background, and one I multi-stamped it, it fell into the background and didn't stand out as I had hoped. So I took a black marker and provided a shadow on the right edge of the wing and it brought it to the foreground right away! I know it is a busy looking card, but I love it!

I'm entering a few challenges with these beauties!

Less is More

CAS(E) this Sketch

Happy Little Stampers

Using my MISTI

Welcome back!

Have you ever created a background or started a card, and inspiration stalled? I get that all the time. When it happens, I create a pile of my "unfinished designs" and they usually get shoved in a corner, or a drawer and forgotten.

This beauty was shoved away, and I finished it off and mounted it on brown cardstock. (not my usual go-to color) It turned out fabulously! I love the texture the birdcage gives to the background. It looks so planned.....I am encouraged when this happens.  Take a look:

To be honest, I am not sure all I used to create this card, But I recognize the stamp sets. Here are the details:

Card Details:

Stamps: Free Flight from Penny Black

White cardstock: Solar White Neenah

Black and Brown: SU! cardstock

Ink: Various Distress inks and black for sentiment and butterfly

Stamp Set: Insightful Meadows by Unity Stamps

Hello all,
I was thrilled when I ran across this very expensive stamp set by Unity being offered in a Buy/Sell/Trade forum online at SCS for half of its original price! I scooped it up SO fast! (Thank you, Terri)  It just arrived yesterday, and I quickly got busy putting a few of my already created backgrounds to use! Take a look:

On this last card, I am experimenting with the "smooshing" technique with a distress inks. I don't know how I missed this technique...it is TONS of fun.

What is the smooching technique you ask? Here is the video that got me all excited. Funny thing is that if you go to Google, type in SMOOSHING TECHNIQUE and hit videos, many of them appear! too funny.  Try it! Any inks will work.

I entered it into this challenge: Seize the Birthday!
Card details:
Stamps: Insightful Meadows by Unity stamp, Cursive writing - SU!, Sentiments by various stamp sets. (If you need to know, simple leave a comment, I can let you know asap)
Cardstock: Watercolor paper
Inks: Various Distress inks

Birthday Challenges: Hamlet PigWit PigOut strikes again!

Hey There,
With this long weekend, I wanted to get crafty, and join a few challenges. I love this little piggy, and use him often for birthday cards and cake cards. This time, I used a cupcake ribbon down the side to add a new touch.

I entered this card into a two challenges:

Addicted to CAS (Challenge #79):  http://addictedtocas.blogspot.com/
Seize the Birthday: http://seizethebirthday.blogspot.com/

Here are the card details:
Digital Stamp: Hamlet PigWit PigOut
Markers: Copic
Paper: Stampin'Up!
Ribbon: Joanns

Simon Says Heart Vent Die and Word Salad

Did you really think I would wait very long before creating something with my new purchases? Nah...

Simon Says Stamp "Heart Vent Die"

I plan to create rainbow colored hearts, but before I could dig out my scraps, I found a very cool patterned paper that I wanted to try out. Here is the result. The stamp is from Paper Smooches, Word Salad. It fits perfectly here. More to come! Enjoy!

Fun Purchases!

Hey Bloggers,
Guess what I got in the mail? I placed an order at Simon Says Stamp, and it arrived today! I am so excited! Take a look:

This is an adorable die called "Heart Vent" from Simon Says Stamp.

These are new "On the edge" dies that read "I love you" and "Thank You" from Simon Says Stamp.

I am not a big believer of buying small brand ink. Frankly, I cannot afford it. But I am finding my go-to black inks are drying up, and one of them are not copic-friendly. So after hearing several other crafter that I watch often speak highly of this black ink, I thought I would give it a try,

As for the Distress ink, I have mentioned this before, Joann's and Michael's are not carrying the newest colors. Tim Holtz and Ranger have released a new color each month of 2015. This color was for December. (see image)

So, I had to decide, should I wait go a few months to see if I could find these hot colors elsewhere cheaper, or bite the bullet pay the extra dollar or so, and pay the shipping and enjoy the newest color while it is new?! (As a side note, I am supporting a smaller company rather than a huge craft store chain.) I take pride in that, however, I have to keep my budget in check too. It is a very hard balance.

Stay tuned, I will be using these new purchases to create Valentine's day cards with my classes. With my students, I would like to mimic these. I talked to my students, and they are excited about these cards too. I will be sure to share their creations. See you soon!

Pink Dandelions, back to basics

Hello,
I have another creation to share with you. It was slightly different than yesterday's, but yet very similar. Simple yet powerful! Clean and Simple, take a look.

Card Details:
Stamps: Dandelions from Hero Arts, Made Sentiment in Word
Inks: SU! markers, various colors
Cardstock: Marcos papers, SU!

Back to School Day1 - I made it!

Can you believe that I taught all day, and still have energy to finish a handful of cards and complete a post? I tell ya, I am determined to make time for my cardmaking!

I am going back to the basics. As I mentioned before, I lost my mojo, and I am trying to spark my creativity again. What a better way to do it then to go back to simple techniques, and old favorites? I keep telling myself "Cindy, clean and simple is OK.....It's ok!"  LOL.... Do you talk to yourself to when you want to OVER-DO a simple design?  It works, I tell ya!

Very simple, but elegant:

Wow, I forgot all my photo tricks and everything! I'll get there, I will. I promise, the next set will be better. Enjoy, and I will see you soon!