LAYERED CUTS & A FEATHER

This card has six layers, including the feather. The card base is white, but covered edge to edge with the first layer. The feather was stamped onto some 'paint dabber smoosh' paper, then cut out. The rest is layered die cuts, one with embossing, a couple rhinestones and ribbon.

Easy peasy!

This one's for you Kate- I know how you like peacocks.

Have an incredible day and thanks for stopping by!

CHRISTMAS IN JULY BEFORE & AFTER

This the before card. Not bad, but lacking somehow. It wasn't until I began this post and I took a look at it here, that I could see what it needed.

I'm happier with the after card. The ornament has a little more visual impact. I think I need to

re-position it a bit higher on the card though.

Here's a closer look at the shimmer.

So, it's begun- Christmas cards. It's not just here either as I am seeing them being posted all over the 'net. I haven't been doing my '25th day of the month' Christmas cards lately so it's time to start again. The words and holly stamp are a set from Quietfire Design.

Thanks for looking and have a wonderful day!

TANGLING TIME

I see now that I should have erased the lines left on the four ribbons from drawing the frame. Technically, an eraser is never to be seen when you zentangle but I find there are exceptions. This tangle is a case in point.

This tangle sampler is variations of one tangle pattern. I'd like to tell you that I thought up all the variations  myself but in reality, they are samples from lots of different zentangle artists. I just put them all in one place to make the sampler for myself. It's a great reference.

Today, I'm working on a reference book for my hand-made stamps. I realized I have a few and could use a reference book. I made a coverless book last night because I wanted to bind a bunch of papers left over from another project and practice coptic stitching. This morning, I realized it would be perfect for my stamp book.  Happy me. :)

Have a fantastic day and I hope something in it makes for a happy you.

MILK JUG BUTTERFLIES

It's a win, win! I get the benefits from drinking the milk, then I get a free material to create with.

 I love that!

This mobile was super simple. Just cut out the butterflies and flowers with the Big Shot, punch a few holes in them, then crochet a chain, including the butterflies. This would make a pretty garland too- I may do that with the leftovers.

I kept this project very simple. You could emboss, punch more holes, add colour etc, etc.No limits.

The flower shaped ring was a welcome find at the Thrift Store. I wrapped it with ribbon then tied the butterfly strands on. A few smaller pieces of ribbon tied on and that's it! Easy peasy.

I'm currently saving my laundry detergent bottles, so we'll see what they become.

Enjoy your day!

Thanks for looking.

MORNING GLORIES

It is a glorious morning and morning glories are beautiful. This Quietfire Designs stamp is a reverse image and perfect for the Faux Fossil technique. It's so simple and much cooler in real life. Try it, then you'll see. :)

Begin by stamping the image on light coloured card stock with Versamark ink. The card stock colour totally changes -mine was pale purple. Once inked, apply chalks-lots and lots of chalk. Use several colours and once the base is applied, keep adding more and rubbing it in hard. Eventually you will build up a nice sheen, which I didn't capture in the photo. It really does take on the character of a fossil.

Do give it a try, several in fact with different colours.

Thanks for looking today and I hope you get creating time!

DABBER SMOOSH

I've recently pulled out the paint dabbers I bought last year in Vernon. A couple had started to dry out but I added water and stirred it up. They work great.

First, spray white card stock with water, then dab the paints randomly. Spray again if needed to keep the paint wet. Once the surface is painted how you want it, lay another piece of card stock over it and press it down so all  the surfaces touch eachother. This is why it's important to keep the paint quite wet, so it will  transfer to the second sheet of card stock. Peel apart and leave both pieces to dry.

Once dry, stamp, cut out or punch and assemble card.

Summer is here!

May you all have a safe, happy and creative day.

Thanks for stopping by.

BOLD & BRIGHT

Now and again, my eyes want BRIGHT colours and this card is a result of that. I began by cutting a stamp from fun foam using spellbinder dies. I attached the 'stamp' to packaging plastic with double-sided tape, then attached  that to my acrylic block for stamping.

I used a few distress inks for stamping and added some champagne shimmer ink dots with a stylus.

Bright and fun.

Play along...break out the brights.

Have a fantastic day and thank you for stopping by!

STAINED GLASS...KINDA,SORTA

Here's another way to recycle our scratch paper. You know, the messy sheets of paper we have after testing ink colours, stamping off, testing a stamp alignment....whatever you can't do on your project first.

The first time I did this technique, I tried it with magazine pages because random splotches of colour were what I needed for the background. Now, my scratch sheets fill that need. The paper alone is too lightweight so I glue it to a piece of cardstock. Same goes if you're using magazine pages. Gluesticks work nicely for this, just give them a few minutes to dry a bit.

Put this piece through an embossing folder, then lightly sand the tops. Your sanded design should turn white or very light. Dust it off, then drag a Distress ink pad across - the sanded tops should catch the ink and develop a nice design with colour in the low spaces. Kinda, sorta like stained glass. Black ink would be even more distinctive. Try it and let me know :)

Thanks for looking!

COMPUTER TIP & COLOUR Q CHALLENGE

DID YOU KNOW.....?

You can enlarge the content on your screen by holding down the CTRL button while scrolling with your mouse. Try it. It's a tip I will be using a lot.

Here's this weeks Colour Q

Pretty, pretty, pretty!

Here's my card....

I don't think I've ever made a card with absolutely zero stamping on it. It's all paper piecing and die-cuts. The only ink I used was the Brocade Blue because I don't have any more of that card stock and it's retired now.

This is not a card you dash off- it took hours to piece it all together. There are only two layers to it, plus the 'thank you'. All the strips are butted together, the die-cuts are embedded and the 

'thank you' is layered on top, being the third layer by itself.

I am dedicating this card to my awesome DH. He likes red, and he's so worth every minute this card took to make. Much more actually.

Thanks for looking today. I hope you are enjoying the weekend.

Play some- it's good for you!

NEW CARD & A SURPRISE!

Before I get to this card I want to thank you for your emails regarding my camera fiasco. I'm happy to be a lesson for you :)

This card has an embedded die cut...well, half-embedded. I plan to do another sometime fully embedded.

You can see more easily in this photo where the die cut is embedded in the ivory card stock, but it lays on top of the print paper. It's a fun way to divide two different papers.

This is just a more straight on view.

And now for the surprise. I invited you to send me a photo of your work and I would post it and one of you took me up on it- yay! 

Lucie has a painting showing in the Modern Bakery for the summer Art Walk and she sent me a photo to share with you.

It's AWESOME!

She has named it Lightning Safety. She showed it to her sons -very talented fellows too- and they saw lightning. Too cool. Lucie mentioned that she has been playing more with colour and gaining confidence in that play. She finds the card colours and colour challenges that she reads about on my blog add to her ideas of colour combos to try. I love that on  many levels- that she would find inspiration here, that she easily translates from card making to painting and that the more she works, the more confidence she has. Flex that creative muscle and it'll get stronger!

Thanks you so much for sharing Lucie. I love this and I'm so pleased you allowed me to share it.

When you see Lucie in the library, let her know you saw her beautiful painting.

I'm off to the basement- it's time to get pumped up...creatively :)

Thanks for looking and have a fabulous day!

BACK IN ACTION

Yes, that's right!We got my new camera yesterday and I'm still learning but did get a couple photos to share with you.  There are a couple techniques here so I'll just start at the beginning. I began with white glossy card stock to do Glossy Watercolour for the background. On a plastic or glass surface (waxed paper works too) place a few drops of dye re-inker. Spritz with water, move the inks around just a bit then lay the glossy card stock face down onto the wet ink. Lift and dry, then if you want you can lay it on the remaining ink. Repeat this as much as you like but remember to allow the ink on the card stock to dry to prevent muddy-ing up what you have. You can also add more ink to your work surface between layers to change up the look. Experimental- you betcha! Fun- oh yeah!

Then I decided to do another technique with it. I put it through the embossing folder then swiped dye inks over the raised card stock. The rest is assembling and embellishing.

I had a piece of the glossy watercolour left so I played some more. I added embossing and inking over it as before, then went one more step. Embossing and inking and painting.

Now I just have to decide if it's going to be a bookmark or applied to a card.

Have a great day and I hope you get a chance to let out some creativity- lots of it!

Thanks for looking- I appreciate it.

IT'S OFFICIAL...TWO WAYS!

My camera is officially...broken. I have finished chewing myself out and have such an awesome DH, he just smiled and said "okay, we'll get you another one."  I know--right?

Anyway, my other official news is.... I made Colour Queen at Colour Q! I'm so excited!  Yay!  Go me...and all that good stuff. You can go here and see if you like. Check out the Courtiers too...beautiful cards.

Okay, enough about me and how weird is it to not have a photo for you. Send me one of yours and I'll post it. Which leads me to this thought....would you be interested in a challenge now and then?

Have an extraordinarily fantastic day!

SEEING RED- TWO WAYS

Here is the Shimmer Ink resist technique, done up with red ink over the white frost shimmer ink flourish. The ink picks up some colour, so it isn't a total resist but enough to call it that. The steps are to apply the shimmer ink to the stamp with a sponge- I have a dauber that is dedicated to this ink-totally dry the ink, then sponge dye ink over all. The shimmer ink shines through. This photographs as solid red when I actually applied a more variegated layer of red. If I wanted solid colour I could simply stamp the white frost ink onto that colour card stock, like this....

Remember the butterfly from my previous sample of this technique?

You can actually see the different colours of ink that were sponged on and a small wisp of the shimmer stamping.

Okay.

I'm calmer now but earlier, I was seeing red! I was SO angry at myself- still am really. You know how you do something a certain way, safely, because you don't want something bad to happen? You're pretty sure that the one time you don't, you'll regret it? Yeah, that's me today. I ALWAYS use the wrist strap when I use my camera- always! Don't ask me why but earlier I just picked it up, leaned over a bit to take a photo and the thing flew out of my hands! As hard as I scrambled I could not catch it before it hit the floor. Still feel a little sick. Anyway, it appears to be broken- it won't close. Colour me so sad. :(

I will see if my wonderfully techie DH can revive it later, after he is home from work. I sure hope so!

So, learn from me here- don't stop doing the careful things you're doing. You don't want to have regrets or see that particular shade of red.

I hope you've had a wonderful day and thank you for stopping by!