Warm Wishes

Since clean and simple is my preferred style, I thought I would throw my hat in the ring with the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog. This week's theme is "kraft and text". 

My card features Paper Smooches Happy Camper Set with some simple Copic coloring. I must admit, those marshmallows have been calling to me all summer and I had yet to put them on a card. I had fun trying to find the perfect color to "toast" them over the campfire. They look warm and gooey enough to eat. My youngest daughter asked me where the chocolate was...ha ha ha.

A simple application of Antique Linen Distress Ink, and a greeting in Hero Arts Cup O Joe and we are done. 

Happy Stamping!

*Paper Smooches HAPPY CAMPER Clear Stamps Kim Hughes	*Paper Smooches PARTY POSSE Clear Stamps Kim Hughes	*PRE-ORDER Lawn Fawn RILEY'S ABC's Clear Stamps	*s4-112 Spellbinders Nestabilities CLASSIC OVAL SMALL	*Tim Holtz DISTRESS INK PAD ANTIQUE LINEN Brown Ranger	*Ranger Inkssentials INK BLENDING TOOL Applicator Foam IBT23616	*Neenah Environment 80 LB SMOOTH DESERT STORM Paper Pack 25 Sheets
*Copic Sketch MARKER YG13 CHARTREUSE Green	*Copic Sketch Marker YG17 GRASS GREEN Bold	*Copic Sketch MARKER E33 SAND Beige	*Copic Sketch Marker E35 CHAMOIS Light Brown	*Copic Sketch Marker Y26 MUSTARD Dark Yellow Tan Light Brown	*Copic Sketch MARKER Y15 CADMIUM YELLOW	*Copic Sketch Marker YR15 PUMPKIN YELLOW Light Orange Bright
*Copic Sketch Marker Y38 HONEY Bright Bold Golden	*Copic Sketch Marker Y35 MAIZE Bright Bold Yellow	*Copic Sketch Marker Y28 LIONET GOLD Bold Golden

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Three Cards, One Technique

A while back, in one of the first online card classes I had taken, I learned a really awesome technique from Jennifer McGuire. I love not only the effect but that it is a super easy way to get multiple cards from one technique. 

I love the colors of the patterned paper from the Simon Says Stamp  August 2013 Card Kit so I set to work cutting small strips of several of the papers and gluing them onto another piece of card stock. By doing this you create your own original "patterned paper".  You can then use it to create several cards that are wonderful by themselves or great in a gift set.

For this first card, I die cut a heart from My Favorite Things Hearts Dies. The texture of this heart is showcased against the black. The hearts on all of the cards are just die cut from white card stock, colored with a Copic marker and given some added texture with Various Ink and a cloth. All of the greetings are heat embossed with white embossing powder. Of course, I had to add stitching with my favorite white gel pen and glitter with a Wink of Stella clear pen. 

The second card uses the negative space from the heart on the first card. I love the quilted look of the pattern pieces. Another embossed greeting and some more pink hearts an wah lah...done!

This last card shows how using left over strips can still be fun and give you a great look. With the black background a little color can go a long way. I may have to do this again tomorrow. 

Have a great week. Happy Stamping!

*Simon Says Stamp Card Kit of the Month AUGUST 2013 HAPPINESS ENCLOSED *Simon Says Clear Stamps STAMPtember?äó FOR THE RECORD Exclusive *Hero Arts EMBOSS WHITE EMBOSSING POWDER *My Favorite Things HEART STAX Die-Namics MFT *Copic Sketch Marker RV25 DOG ROSE FLOWER Bright Bold Hot Pink *Copic Marker REFILL B04 TAHITIAN BLUE Original Sketch & Ciao *Uni-ball Pen Signo Gel Pen WHITE Smooth Broad *Bazzill LICORICE TWIST Card Shoppe Heavy Weight 8.5 x 11 Cardstock

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Technique Play - Collage Card #2

I love the look of collage cards, especially one layer ones. It fascinates me to see how much depth can be created on a single layer card with just stamps, ink, and a creative mind. Execution is always a little elusive for me, however. 

I tend to gravitate towards clean and simple because it's easier to picture ahead of time. To many steps and I'm lost. I think it's age. At least that's what I tell myself. I'm always been one to lose my car keys so maybe it's not true. Shhhh....

Anyway, I've decided to practice and post my attempts here on my blog. I though it would be fun to compare over time and see if it gets easier. You can find my first attempt at a collage here.

This is my second official attempt. There are elements that I love and things I wish I could change. I used water colors to stencil the dot pattern in the background. My daughter asked me what I spilled on my card so maybe it doesn't work...what do you think?

I did the leaves with three colors of Distress Paint: Peeled Paint, Rusty Hinge, and Wild Honey. I like the overall effect but I'd probably try softer colors next time. I do like the wheat field at the bottom. I stamped the background in Hero Arts Soft Sand and the front with Wild Honey Distress Ink. Doing it in two different colors gave it a really nice dimensional effect. 

I'd love to hear from you and links to your collage cards. What tricks do you have to pull together different elements into one cohesive look? Do you have a favorite system or just go with the flow?

Happy Stamping!

*Hero Arts Rubber Stamp SILHOUETTE FERN K5314	*Dyan Reaveley Stencil 9 X 12 DOTTED FLOWER Dylusions DYS34018	*IO Clear Stamps FABULOUS FRIEND Impression Obsession	*Tim Holtz Distress Ink PAD TUMBLED GLASS Blue Ranger	*Tim Holtz Distress INK PAD SHABBY SHUTTERS Green Ranger
*Tim Holtz Distress Ink PAD WILD HONEY Yellow Ranger	*PRE-ORDER Tim Holtz Distress Paint SET OF 24 Ranger TDD24SET	*Hero Arts SHADOW Ink Pad SOFT SAND Beige AF144

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Japanese Happy Birthday

Hello friends...or should I say Konnichiwa!! Just popping in to share a quick card with you. My son's birthday is this week and he is headed to Japan so I thought I would make a Japanese birthday card. I turned to Lawn Fawn and their fun birthday cake stamp as well as Riley's ABC's to spell out "Happy Birthday" in Japanese. If I did it wrong, let's just blame google and let me live with the delusion that I did it correctly, deal?

This really was just a matter of some quick Copic coloring and a cute rectangle frame cut from the Lemonade Collection. The hearts were from my favorite Martha Stewart heart punch and again just colored with Copics. Lastly, we CAN'T have a birthday without glitter so check out the close up of the cake and the hearts. Oh yeah!!

Have a wonderful weekend. 

Happy Stamping!!

Butterfly Gift Sets

I can't believe today is Wednesday already. Time is flying by and summer is winding down. In some areas of the country school started this week. YIKES!!

Around here we are squeezing the most from every moment left and that includes some fun paper crafting. This week I wanted to make a gift set of cards for a dear friend who is having a birthday. I fell in love with some of the patterned papers in the last two Simon Says Stamp Card Kits and wanted to pair them with the sweet Crissy Butterfly Die, also from Simon Says Stamp. I had so much fun that I made two sets. 

I think this Paper Smooches sentiment is perfect. 

What is card making without a little glitter?

A quick peek at one of the finished sets. Almost makes me want to keep them for myself...almost...

Happy Stamping!

Clean Up Crafting Spree

So...I'm claustrophobic. I definitely have a fear of crowded spaces and not being able to move, but sometimes I can start to feel that way with to many things on my to do list. That's kind of how I felt tonight when I walked into my craft room. I had several half finished projects laying around and it was driving me crazy. Enough is enough, I said to myself. Yes, I'm not only claustrophobic...I talk to myself. I spent a fun couple of hours seeing how many projects I could finish and get off my desk. 

This one is one of my favorites. It uses the new stencil from the Simon Says Stamp August 2013 Card Kit. Ummm...kinda like it. I'm developing a serious infatuation with stencils. Don't believe me? Scroll down the last several blog posts. No seriously, I'll wait while you check it out...

...

...

...see? Stencils. Love em.

The little Hero Arts bird stamp is adorable and I've wanted to use it for awhile now. A quick and easy card, this one would be fun to make a lot of. I punched out the hearts from white card stock and colored them with a Copic marker. 

Happy Stamping!!

*Simon Says Stamp Stencil MOROCCAN 130802

*Tim Holtz DISTRESS INK PAD MUSTARD SEED Yellow Ranger

*Tim Holtz Distress INK PAD SHABBY SHUTTERS Green Ranger

*New Copic 36 Sketch Markers Most Popular Colors

*Memento TUXEDO BLACK Dual Tip MARKER Tsukineko

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