Happy Summer!

I have been having a blast playing with my new stamps from the Fall & Holiday What's in the Box release BUT all that Halloween and Christmas designing left me wanting something summery.  Here is a card that I designed for my next class featuring the adorable penguins.  I used the Beach Penguin (C880) and the Happy Summer (B888) sentiment to create this fun and whimsical card.

This cute little guy really stands out because I decided to emboss him with black embossing powder and then with my micro tip scissors I cut him out.  When you use micro tip scissors it really makes the job of cutting such detail much easier!  I adhered him onto my card with foam tape after I colored him in with copic markers.

To really add some pop to my card I embellished it with LOTS of 24 Karat pearls.  I think that the pearls on the scallops of my punch give the feeling of the sun..what do you think?  I can't seem to make a single card without using the memory box jewels or pearls.  I LOVE them!!!!

I hope you are having a Happy Summer and are getting lots of inspiration from our little corner of the internet!  Looking for some fun??? Join me on Monday August 2nd from 10am-12pm or Tuesday August 17th from 6pm-8pm at Colorful Creations in Hyannis, MA to make this card and a few more super cute penguin themed cards.

Happy Crafting!

A color challenge

Memory Box is sponsoring the Play Date Cafe Challenge this week. The challenge is to use the colors as your inspiration and create a card or project using the colors black, white, and  a touches or splash of green.  Memory Box has offered up a lovely prize!  If you head over to the PDCC you can see all the details of what you need to do to win!

Here are the colors for the challenge provided by PDCC Senior DT member Sarah.

 

The PDDC Design Team were also challenged to use either the lovely Damask Butterfly D1350 or the beautiful Inspire butterfly Collage G1352 as part of their projects.

I had an advantage as I had my other Memory Box stamps to use as well! :) 

Here is how I interpreted the lovely colors.

I was curious what that beautiful butterfly on the Inspire Collage would look like if it was a front view instead of the side view. So I created the other wing. :)

Recipe:

1. Create an alcohol ink  background on Acetate.  Drip 3 drops of Ranger Alcohol Inks - Lettuce onto felt on applicator. Add three drops of Alcohol Blending Solution. Smear over acetate. Make sure you create an area big enough to stamp the Inspire collage two times.
2. Drip 3 drops of Citrus Alcohol Inks onto new felt piece on applicator. Add three drops of Alcohol Blending Solution. Dab onto inked acetate randomly.
3. Repeat with different colors until you like the blend. To get the blotchy spotty look you will finish it off with Alcohol Blending Solution on the felt by itself and dab it randomly over your inked background.
4. Let this dry. Flip over your acetate and stamp the Inspire collage over the inked background. Stamp twice using StaZon Jet Black Solvent ink. If you were to stamp the StaZon ink onto the Alcohol ink while wet it will dissolve and you will lose your stamped image. So you need to do this while dry and do not try to add more alcohol inks after you stamp your image or it will cause it to bleed and dissolve.
5. Cut out butterfly wing and body twice.
6. Now you have your beautiful butterfly and you can put them together using tape or glue dots on the body.
7. To create the panels:
8. 1.  Cut white cardstock 5 1/4" x 5 1/4", 4 1/2 x 4 1/2", 3 3/4" x 3 3/4", and 2 1/2" x 3/4".
   2. Cut black cardstock 5 1/2" x 11" (form card base), 4 3/4" x 4 3/4", 4" x 4" and 2 3/4" x 1".
9. Stamp Wishing you the happiest Birthday (B1354) using Versafine Black Onyx ink on smallest white cardstock. Mount on black cardstock.
10. Stamp Vintage Scroll E1388 using Memento London Fog on each corner of the largest white cardstock. Ink up tip of scroll and stamp in between the stamped images after the four corners are stamped.
11. Stamp Elemental Damask C1390 repeatedly using Memento London Fog on the 4" square.
12. Emboss last piece of white cardstock using Cuttlebug Victoria embossing folder.
13. Attach white cardstock to black cardstock.  
14. Tie to strips of May Arts black silk ribbon across front of card.
15. Apply alcohol inks to clear gem flourish.
16. Assemble card.

Come over and join in the fun at the Play Date Cafe Challenge!

Suzz

 

 

 

 

 

Holly Jolly Christmas

Sometimes less is more...as in, less work for you and more details by Dave.  He's created the design elements  for this card, all you need to do is add the glitter and Berry Pearl Stickers.  

The new Memory Box Collection of Design Adhesives is great for cards like this...they feature favorite Memory Box images on double-sided adhesive rub-ons.  Just add glitter, flocking, metal leafing or foils - or embossing powder and a few seconds with the heat tool.  

These are the basic Design Adhesives steps...view Laura's great Design Adhesives video for complete instructions and more details. 

 

Burnish the pattern onto Soiree Mars Shimmer Cardstock.

 

Apply glitter with a soft round paintbrush, then tap off the excess glitter.

 

That's it!
 
Here's a link to another card featuring the Fright Night Design Adhesives cobweb - and a Jewel Sticker Spider descending upon a cupcake.

Read more...

Fred P Bear and a Friend

I thought it would be fun to have a friend with Mr. Fred so they could enjoy some fun together.

I used a very simple reverse image technique. I like to use my acetate to create a reverse image. Don't they look sweet sitting on the icy hill together?

Here's how to achieve a reverse image...

1. Stamp image twice on clear acetate using Jet Black StaZon ink. You need an solvent ink to have it not smear and dry.  This may take several tries. (I think I stamped it 5 times before I didn't smear or smoosh.)
2. Cut out the bear with the outline.
3. Cut out the scarf from the second bear.
4. Trace bear on white cardstock and cut out. (I backed my acetate with white cardstock to make her pop.
5. Trace scarf on pink pattern paper and hand draw in lines of scarf or overlay with scarf acetate.
6. Attach bear acetate to white background. (I used my tape gun and attached under the scarf area so it wouldn't show through.
7. Attach scarf to bear.

To create the remainder of the card:

1. Cut black cardstock 11" x 5 1/2". Score and fold in half.
2. Cut background paper ( Spearmint 6 x 6) 5 1/4" x 5 1/4", 1/2" x 2 3/4".  
3. Cut black cardstock 3" x 4 1/4", 3/4" x 3".
4. Cut white cardstock 2 3/4" x 4".
5. Die cut oval shape.
6. Use the paper the oval was cut out from as a reverse mask for the hill. Sponge on Ranger Distress Ink Tumbled Glass along with Memento London Fog to create hill. Stamp Peace Collage (G1411) using Versafine Grey pigment ink over hill.
7. Stamp Peace Collage over background repeatedly using Versafine Smokey Grey pigment ink.
8. Stamp Fred P. Bear on top of hill using Versafine Black Onyx ink.
9. Stamp Fred P. Bear on blue pattern paper and cut out and attach to bear.
10. Mask Fred P Bear with your acetate bear.
11. Stamp Grandiose Border E1038 randomly in the background using Tumbled Glass ink.
12. Using a sea sponge ink up using blue dye ink and sponge onto background.
13. Stamp Peace Love and Joy using Versafine Black Onyx ink onto blue pattern paper.
14. Attach and assemble card. Heart gem is Hero Arts. Snowflakes are from a ribbon treatment.

Have a lovely Monday!

Suzz
 

Holiday Memories

The new Mistletoe papers are a perfect match for the 7 Gypsies brown printer's tray.  Add your favorite new stamp images from What's In The Box, and you have a treasured holiday keepsake or unique gift.  There are 20 spaces to fill in this tray. That may seem like a lot, but once you get started, it's hard to stop. Honestly, the papers are so beautiful on their own, you hardly need to add anything else. But, who could resist these wonderful stamps! 

First, I looked over all the new papers to map out what sections I wanted to use in which spaces. As I said, the papers are so beautiful on their own they work perfectly in the tray, particularly when you capture certain phrases or graphics. You can use 12 x 12 or the 6x6 paper pack. I used some of each. 

Next, I chose which stamps I would use. Most of the images are colored with Prisma pencils, a few have Glossy Accents added for dimension. The Polar Bear (C1409) was stamped on suede paper, cut out and layered over a glitter covered Snowglobe (D1407). The Swirly Tree Border (D1381) was stamped on two different pattern papers so the trees could be cut and popped up. Lightbulb Reindeer(C1397) has a jingle bell tied around his neck with waxed linen. Stick Tree (C1412) was enhanced with a variety of jewels, and select pieces of First Snowfall paper have clear jewels and white pearls added to the snowflakes. I stamped the Birch Trees (F1413) over a piece of Bundled Birds for two of the spaces. Three other spaces are filled with presents - pretty papers with ribbons neatly tied. My favorite embellishment on the tray is a tiny cork topped bottle filled with faux snow from Flower Soft. For the outer corners of the tray I used Opal shimmer paper which I ran through the Cuttlebug for texture and then made corner pieces with an EK Paper Shaper punch.  The photo doesn't show it, but I used single and double layers of foam tape in many of the spaces to give more dimension and interest to the final project.

Optional - I made the paper in the middle (Holiday Memories) removable so you can personalize the tray with a family photo, and it can change from year to year.

These are just a few ideas I used. If you decide to make your own tray - I think you'll see the possibilities are endless.  Have fun with it!

I'll be teaching this tray at Ink About It on Wed, Sept 1st, and again at a later date this fall. If you are in our area, I hope you can make it.

Halloween Tag Trio

Every year I like to put together special treats for my grandkids who come to Grandma and Poppa's house to load up on the "loot" as they call it.  Since they are our only Trick or Treaters (and our only Grandkids) we go a little overboard--Ahem...we get to spoil them right?  So this year I have created these special tags to put on their treats.  I think these would be perfect if tied onto a candy apple or a bag of candy corn.

 Each tag was created from Avery #5 shipping tags and layered onto black card stock. This is a great time to use up those small snippits of ribbon that are too short to use on a card--we all have a lot of those scrap pieces, right?  I even used some black and white bakery twine amongst the ribbon.

 On this one I added Glossy accents to the spider web and punched a yellow circle for the moon.  A full dose of yellow glitter on the moon brightened up the night sky.  I love that lone blackbird on the fence--very Edgar Allan Poe-ish wouldn't you say? 

Stamps used: E1392 Old Fence and B1391 Happy Halloween

 OK, this one is not for the arachnophobic.  These spiders are actually pretty cute when dressed up in orange glitter glue.  I used the ink applicator tool and some Distressed ink (Pumice Stone) around the edges to "dirty" it up.

Stamp: G1395 Halloween Collage

Here's the spooky one.  More distressed inks on the edges (barn red, pumice stone and walnut stain) make for a spooky mood.  The red gem stone added to the blackbird's eye really looks eerie to me--which means the kids will love it.   

Stamps used: G1387 Spooky Collage and F1394 Distressed crows (I just inked one crow from this stamp).

These fun tags are addictive.  I was thinking about making dozens and trading them with my fellow stamping friends--along the same idea as the ATC swaps.  It's a good thing to start on now!

Happy Friday All--make time for stamping today!

P.S. The paper shown in the background is called "Sunset" from the Blackbird collection...ask you local store for it.

P.S.S. I'll need to make an extra treat bag next year since we are expecting a new grandchild--yippee!

Touch of Holiday Elegance

The paper in the Mistletoe set is so beautiful. I was immediately drawn to the SC-Evergreen Bough (10103). I paired up the beautiful evergreen bough paper with the gorgeous elemental damask and vintage scroll.

Recipe:

1. Die Cut Cream Soiree paper using Labels 8 die.
2. Hand trace outside of die cut onto Wassail Card and hand cut.
3. Stamp C1390 Elemental Damask in repeated pattern using Hero Arts Shadow Ink Soft Sand.
4. Trace inside of Tattered Angels Chipboard frame onto Cream paper. Hand cut slightly larger than traced inside.
5. Stamp Heaven Sings (B1385) using Versafine Crimson Red onto cream paper.
6. Stamp Elemental Damask using Soft Sand ink over sentiment in repeated pattern.
7. Stamp E1388 Vintage Scroll around the edges using the soft sand ink on a cream soiree card base.
8. Cut (gasp) the beautiful flowers from the edge of the Evergreen paper and attach to the edge of the stamped background.
9. Stamp Damask Butterfly D1350 on cream paper twice using crimson red ink.
10. Hand cut and layer butterflies.
11. Color flourish gems with Y28 Copic marker to get golden flourish.
12. Assemble in layers. Tie bow and attach to ribbon wrapped around die cut and off to the side.

Have a fabulous day!

Suzz 

Introducing Fred P. Bear

Isn't he just the cutest?!!!  This is one of the pieces that I watercolored with Twinkling H2Os during Dave's class at Your Maine Stamper on Wednesday.  If you can swing it, you MUST find a store in the list on Dave Brethauer's blog (just click on his name in the Design Team list to the right of this entry), call, and sign up for either his watercolor or colored pencil class or both!  You can also follow Dave as he is blogging and tweeting regularly while on tour this summer. To check out some of the fun we had, click on Anne Thompson in the Design Team list to get to the Your Maine Stamper blog and scroll down to the two entries that have the photos from the day with Dave.  I took both classes with Dave and learned lots of techniques for working with watercolors (Twinkling H2Os and watercolor pencils) and colored pencils (Prismacolor).  In my class at Your Maine Stamper this afternoon, we're going to practice with both to reinforce what we learned from Dave.

In the sample above, Fred P. Bear (C1409) is stamped inside the Plain Snowglobe (D1407).  You can heat set Brilliance Pearlescent Graphite Black or use any waterproof ink.  It might be interesting to emboss the snowglobe before stamping Fred inside as that would give it even more dimension.  I've also thought about using white flocking on Fred and/or red flocking for his scarf to give him a softer more velvety texture.  Another stamp that would work well with Fred P. Bear is the Stick Tree (C1412)--there's a great sample in the Fresh Ideas Holiday 2010 Memory Box catalog.  Because I live in Maine where we have black bears, my next project is to use black flocking on Fred P. Bear and put him in the grove of Birch Trees (F1413).  I might need to do some masking in order to accomplish that or I could add him as an inset on another piece of cardstock.  Oooh, I have so many ideas!  Off to my work table!!!

Happy Stamping! (and using colored pencils and watercolors!)

Into the Woods...

Sweet and Simple! That's what I like about this card.  What I like most of all, is the use of the suede paper for the matte and for creating the "snow" from strips punched with the new Dotted Wave from EK.  I stamped the new Lightbulb Reindeer (C1397) in Brilliance Chocolate Brown ink and then colored the image with a Prisma Color Pencil. The way the pencil reacts with the suede paper makes the deer look furry to me. I also colored the lightbulbs with pencils and added a dot of Glossy Accents to each bulb. The suede paper really absorbs the Glossy Accents, so I added a second drop after the first one dried. The new Stick Tree (C1412) is stamped three times with Forest Moss Distress Ink and each is decorated with a variety of Memory Box jewels.  The card is finished with the simple Merry Christmas  (B925) sentiment in black.

Unfortunately, the card doesn't show as well in a photo, so I hope you'll consider re-creating it for yourself. I think you'll like the results. Think outside the box! If you haven't worked much with suede papers - give it a try.

Have a great summer weekend!

Spiders Everywhere!

EEK!Spiders... My kids were cleaning up the basement and I could hear shrieks and laughing. They were finding spiders and having to dispose of them.  Put me in the mood to work on this card with a few extra spiders thrown in.

This fantastic collage is called Halloween Collage - G1395.  What a spooktacular collage. I pulled out some fun papers form the Enchanted 6x6 papers to change up the color scheme. Love the purple and green with a pop of orange for Halloween.

I decided to add a little touch of spooky elegance to my background by using the Lovely Vintage Scroll - E1388 stamped around the edges on the light green paper.

The ink is Versafine - Black Onyx.  I highlighted the spiders and letters on the collage using my Signo Uni-Ball White Gel pen. 

The spiders are all accented with some Rangers Stickles - Orange Peel.

The border punch is from EK Success. The beautiful silk ribbon is from May Arts.

The small extra spiders were punched using a hole punch and the legs were added using a very fine line black marker from Copic. The large spider was stamped and cut out and the legs were added with the same marker.

Have a fabulous Day!

Suzz