What's Within Reach?

Hello again!
I wanted to share with you some pictures of my craft space, but I don't like the videos crafters/bloggers post showing the inside of each drawer and every cupboard. I do not find those interesting or informative. They come across as bragging about their crafting supplies, and how much they have.

I tried to come up with a way to show the items I find helpful to have within reach of where I sit at my desk. Which tools and items to I go to the MOST! Those are the posts I think are interesting. I thought I would share my ideas.

Mind you, I am a very frugal crafter surviving on a teacher's budget. I buy ONLY what I need and I use everything, or I don't keep it around. I have been card making for 5 years, and I have been blogging on and off for only 3.

Several of these items I have created by hand, and I have posts on my blog showing you in detail how you can create one also. I will link to those if you are interested. Leave a comment, I would love to hear your thoughts! I believe you can click each picture to zoom in.

Ohh, yes, I do own stamps! you cannot see them in these images, they are to my left, and not in these photos. Here are the links to the hand made items I mention.

• Cassette holder - Click here
• Shelving - Click here
• Ribbon Storage - Click here
• Ink Swatch book - Click here
• Blending pad binders - Click here & here
• die cut folders - Click here

I adore Rubbernecker Stamps!

Do you have a company of stamps that just make you feel good? I do. I adore Rubbernecker Stamps. They are foolproof! They are designed with a watercolor feel, so even the most horrible stamped image comes out beautiful every time! I mean it!

I was dog sitting for a good friend of mine, and I brought a pile of pre-cut watercolor paper and this rubbernecker stamp set. I had more fun combining colors and stamping dozens of images to see the effect I got. They all came out beautifully. Here are a few of the images I finally got a chance to match with a background and mounted on folded card stock. Take a look:

 I took the time to re-set up my indoor light box in the corner of my craft room. I experimented with different colored backgrounds and tons of lighting. I STILL prefer my outdoor photos, but some days I am just not able to get outside due to temperature, or inclement weather. I turned up my exposure on my camera and brighten these photos up with my Microsoft Picture Manager. They still seem dark to me. What do you think? Huh.....so much to learn about this card making/paper craft obsession of mine!!  :)

Please leave a comment, it makes my day to hear from you!

My cricut and three new stencils!

Hello again,
I watched a video from somewhere and the blogger used a stencil to start their card. I have never really been intrigued by stencils, and I don't own any. But for some reason, this stencil triggered something in me. I really liked the card that was created, and suddenly I wanted a stencil, like now!!
I thought "Why buy one, when I can create one?"  MY CRICUT! I located a pattern that pleased me, and I downloaded it, opened it in my SURE CUTS ALOT 2 program and had my cricut cut it out....and POOF! I now have a few stencils!
Take a look!

           

 

I am not quite sure what to create with them, but I am SO pleased that I was able to create them. If I can create these, what else can I create? SO many possibilities! I had some laminated card stock from a previous project. It worked perfectly for these stencils. More creating to come!

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