Women Are Angels

Can you believe it's almost September? Time to start thinking about all the different holiday cards you'll need soon. I'm not one to send out many Halloween cards, but I do like making them. I love the colors of Halloween, especially when you include purple, my favorite technique is distressing, which goes perfectly with Halloween, and the "spooky" images are just plain fun! Here's my first one of the year...

With no coloring at all, this card was super easy to make. I used the Viva la Verve August 2013 Week 4 Sketch for the layout, and will be getting it entered into the challenge just in the nick of time. ;) The Halloween Hill silhouette scene was cut from an Impression Obsession die that I bought before last Halloween, but forgot to use last year. It cuts amazingly well, and popped right out of the die, almost by itself (spooky, I know!). The sentiment is a cute new stamp that I picked up at my fav local shop, Impressive Ideas. I'm using it as a Halloween sentiment, but it can really be used all year long. The Verve Tagged Rectangle die cut has waxed linen thread tied to it, and I distressed it by rolling it in my fingers backward to untwist it and loosen up the wax a bit. All the edges were distressed and I did some wonky sewing on the two main bg dp's. To brighten up the sky, I added orange rhinestone "stars."

For the inside, I die cut a star border in a piece of kraft cs, then distressed the edges of it by sponging Wild Honey, then Seedless Preserves Distress Inks heavily on the edges. I spritzed water on my craft mat, dragged the edges of the cs through it, then mopped up the excess water by wiping the card stock over it. After the cs dried, I put a piece of the purple dp scrap from the front of the card behind the open stars, and glue it to the card base.

Isn't that broomstick sentiment a hoot? I love it! The Happy Haunting text and bats came from a Flourishes stamp set, and the haunted tree stamp behind it is one I got in a dollar bin and used on a Halloween card a couple of years ago that is probably the most popular card I've ever made. It's been viewed on SCS 4,000 times and still gets pinned and re-pinned all during the year. Don't get me wrong here...I like that card, but for the life of me, I've never been able to figure out what makes that particular card so popular. 

Anywho, that's it for me today. Thanks for visiting my blog, and have a wonderful weekend!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Viva la Verve August 2013 Week 4 Sketch Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Dotty
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

 

Supplies: 

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Pomegranates

I'm down to the wire on the Viva la Verve Sketch Challenge this month, so this is going to be super short!

The layout is the Viva la Verve August 2013 Week 3 sketch. I stamped the image with Memento Pear Tart so I could do some no-line coloring, and I used Copics with Prismacolor pencils to give this beautiful retired Flourishes pomegranate stamp definition and depth. Then, I masked the pomegranate image and sprayed several colors of Dylusions Ink Spray for the background. Finally, I used a Prismacolor pencil to add the coppery color around the edges of the image.

The brown medallion is an Exquisite Circles Spellbinder die which I cut from kraft cs. I first sponged Walnut Stain Distress Ink over it, then spritzed it with Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls Mist. You can tell in the photo that it is shiny, but in real life, it has a nice glimmer, too.

Inside, I used one of Flourishes Inside & Out stamp sets for the sentiment, and a small pomegranate stamp in the corner, then layered scraps left over from the front of the card for a border.

Okay, maybe not super short, but for me, this is pretty close. ;) I'll be back later today with my last Viva la Verve card. In the meantime, thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Viva la Verve August 2013 Week 3 Sketch Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Dotty
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

Supplies Used:

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Timeless Tuesday #235: In Distress

The Flourishes' Timeless Tuesday Challenge for this week is one I've been looking forward to for weeks!

In Distress!

The lovely Deborah is challenging us to add a distressed look to our card or project. Whoo Hoo! If you know me at all, then you know I'm not "In Distress" over this challenge...I ADORE distressing cards! :)

I've been putting in a lot of time with my Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils, trying to improve on my coloring skills, so for this card, I decided to ink up this majestic Mountain View stamp and use both markers and pencils to bring it to life.

I stamped the image in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Flourishes Classic White Cardstock, then did some masking so I could use my Copic airbrush to color the sky blue, mountains and trees magenta, and ground that the elk is standing on, brown. Then, I used several blues and greens to color over the magenta airbrushing to give it a soft, distant look. I colored the elk with Copics, then used colored pencils to add deep shadow and golden highlights, and to soften the browns so they would have a velvety appearance. On the ground, I colored a few gray rocks, added dark shadows, and drew in some tall grass. Finally, using a white Prismacolor pencil, I gave the mountains a hint of snow. I stamped the sentiment with Versamark ink, then heat embossed with a black super fine embossing powder.

The image was cut out with a Labels 22 die. I sponged Gathered Twigs and Black Soot Distress Inks along the edge of the die cut, sprayed water on my craft mat, then dragged the edges through that, and curled the edges of the cs. Finally, I pressed the colored die cut into the excess water to get several water drop "stains." After drying the cs with a heat gun, I matted it on brown cs.

The beautiful purple and lavender cs is from Flourishes' Color Made Easy Crocus Paper Collection. I cut them with Spellbinders Adorning Squares dies, sponged Gathered Twigs Distress Ink around the edge of the lavender die cut, then glued the purple die cut on top of the lavender one. I tied three pieces of twine around the purple die cuts and added a brown button to it. I added the matted image layers to the purple die cuts with crimped cs between, to give it a "lift."

The sentiment on the inside is from the same Mountain View set. I used a Marvelous Squares die to cut Flourishes Classic White Cardstock, then stamped the sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black. I stamped the elk again in Memento Lulu Lavender, then sponged Gathered Twigs Distress Ink along the edges. The purple layer was cut with an Adorning Squares die, but I didn't want any cut out areas, so instead of cutting the design on the interior of the die cut, I embossed it with a die from the set. I swiped white acrylic paint along the edges of the purple. This was such a fun card to make! 

What about you? Ready to be "In Distress?" I hope you'll play along! You don't have to use Flourishes stamps, but if you do, you get two ballots toward the weekly prize! You can find all the details for the challenge here.

All my teammates, as well as Marie, our August Guest Designer, were In Distress this week, too. ;) You'll want to check out their creations, for sure, and leave a little blog love for them while you are there! :)

• Allison Cope
• Broni Holcombe
• Cheryl Lea...that's me!
• Deborah Anton
• Jenny Gropp
• Judy Rozema
• Marie Ross, our August Guest Designer

Thanks for stopping by, and have a crafty, "Distressing" week!

~Hugs,

Supplies Used:

Plus these additional Copic colors: E01, E02, E23, E71, RV63, RV69, YR30, YG45, B41

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Timeless Tuesday #234: Delicate Doilies

Hello there! And, welcome to this week's Timeless Tuesday Challenge (FTTC234)! Our hostess is Judy, and you're going to love her challenge--it's easy peasy...

Delicate Doilies 

Simply create a project that includes a doily!

I don't use doilies very often. Not because I don't like them, but because they are in a drawer and I forget I have them! So, I was glad for the chance to get them out.

Have you seen Flourishes' newly released stamp sets for August? Gorgeous, all. But, my favorite is probably the Autumn Blessings set. As soon as I saw this sweet image, I just had to ink it up! I stamped it with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink on Flourishes Classic White Cardstock, colored it with Copics, then cut it out with a Spellbinders die. To make the background, I stamped the image again onto Eclipse masking tape, cut it out and used it as a mask for the image. Then, I cut a curve on a piece of scrap paper, and used one half to mask the sky and airbrushed the ground, and the other half to mask the ground and airbrush the sky. I kept the cs in the die while airbrushing so the edges would remain white. I used the same die to make the green mat behind the image, by cutting around the outside edge of it with a craft knife. The sentiment is stamped on a Perfectly Pierced Classic Frames die. I added eyelets to each end and tied it onto the card with twine.

For the rest of the card, I did some distressing, sewing, incorporated the doily into the design, added Pearl Pen pearls in the lower left corner, and tiny drops of Stickles in the flower centers of the dp in the upper right corner around the pearl brad.

On the inside, I used scraps from the front of the card, along with a piece of coordinating striped dp. The pink dp has a border punched along the top edge. Although I will probably end up using this as a Thanksgiving card, it could also be used for other occasions, so for now, I'm leaving the sentiment area blank.

See...an easy peasy Timeless Tuesday assignment! :) Since the only requirement is to use a doily, you can take your creation in just about any direction your heart desires. And, don't forget, you don't have to use Flourishes stamps, but if you do, you get two ballots toward the weekly prize! You can find all the details for the challenge here.

So, find yourself a paper doily, cut one with a die, or pull out some thread and a crochet hook and make one--whatever suits your fancy--and play along.

Stop by all our designers' blogs for more inspiration, and be sure to leave them some blog love, too! :)

• Allison Cope
• Broni Holcombe
• Cheryl Lea...that's me!
• Deborah Anton
• Jenny Gropp
• Judy Rozema
• Marie Ross, our August Guest Designer

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful week!

I'm entering this card in the following challenge:
CMC Copic Challenge #75: Anything Goes

~Hugs,

Supplies:

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Bring Your Own Sunshine--Mixed Media

When I saw Mona's A Mixed Media Color Challenge #5, I knew I had to give it a try. I just love the color palette for this one!

I love mixed media, but I am far, far, far from being accomplished at it. That didn't stop it from being fun, though! :)

You can see from my supply list below that I pretty much threw the kitchen sink at this project. And, I don't really remember much about how I created this, but I can point out a few things.

I started by using Mod Podge to glue music paper to a page in a mixed media journal. I spread a thin layer of gesso over it. It's hard to see now, but if you look closely between the two flowers you can see the notes. The bg was created with acrylic paint and Dylusions Ink Spray (maybe something else, too, but I can't remember). After it dried, I used a rasp to scratch it up in several places.

Remember when we had our honeybee invasion in the garage? Well, the beekeeper left a gigantic hole in the wall that had to be repaired, and when it was done, we had this left over:

It worked great for creating the brick pattern! I had to clean the stencil off really fast, but it took forever to dry on the paper. I ended up having to use my heat gun to speed it up because I was afraid it would eat right through to the other side of the paper, and there is another mixed media design over there!

The fussy cut flowers are images from the same Flourishes Chrysanthemum set that I used for the card I posted earlier today. I colored them with Copics, cut them out, and glued them down with Mod Podge. Then, I used a Black Soot Distress Marker around the edges of them, and softened the lines with more Mod Podge, applied with my finger. The sunshine sentiment also came from the Chrysanthemum set. The quote on the bricks is from a Dylusions stamp set called Quintessential Quotes. I stamped both text stamps on watercolor paper with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, spritzed with Lemon Zest Dylusions Ink Spray, then cut out and glued them on. The sun rays around the sunshine sentiment are made with Stickles.

All the handwritten words were made with watersoluble wax pastels. After writing them, I used a paintbrush with water to soften them a little. "Glow" has a transparent Pearl Pen written over it, and "You" is written over with Stickles.

The random dots were made with alcohol ink mixed with Snow Cap mixative. They didn't look too good when I was done--Stickles to the rescue. They can fix most anything, ya know. ;)

My DD and I have been spending a lot of time lately talking about her future, so I had her in mind while I created this. It might not be a work of art, but it is definitely a work of heart!

Thanks for coming in for a peek!

I'm entering this in the following challenge:

A Mixed Media Color Challenge #5

~Hugs,

 

Supplies: 

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Sunbeam of the Soul

What's going on out your way this drizzly Saturday? My DD and I spent the morning out, eating waffles and talking about future college plans--Class of 2026--can't start planning too early! ;) It's exciting to hear a 9-year old so pumped up about college and career! But, now we're back, she's watching a Barbie movie and working on a latch hook rug, and I'm crafting. Perfect Day!

The layout for this card is from the August 2013 Week 2 Viva la Verve! Sketch Challenge, and the image is from the new Chrysanthemum stamp set from Flourishes. I colored the image with Copic markers, cut it out with an oval die, using the out of the box technique, masked the image, then airbrushed inside the die with Copic Y19. It is popped up with foam dots. I airbrushed inside the sentiment oval using Y13. To keep from covering up too much of the chrysanthemum, when I matted the sentiment, I tilted the black oval and placed it slightly off-center. I still can't decide if the sentiment is a little crooked of if it's just an optical illusion with the wonky matting, but even if it is, I like it. ;) To give the sentiment a lift, I used layers of crimped cs.

I used a Lattice embossing folder for the center panel, sponging Squeezed Lemonade Distress Ink across it, then punched two black strips with a Raindrop punch to frame the sides.

Thanks for stopping by!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Viva la Verve! Sketch Challenge, August 2013 Week 2
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Make the Cut (use die cuts)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Monochromatic

~Hugs,

 

Supplies:

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Orange Poppy Thank You

I've missed playing in the Viva la Verve Sketch Challenge for the past few weeks, so I pulled out an image I colored several months ago and used it for the August 2013 Week 1 sketch.

It's easy to see what I did on this card, so I'll skip the details, but I will mention that I colored this pretty Our Daily Bread poppy image with Copics back in February, then used Prismacolor pencils today to add a little more shading. I am loving my Prismacolors lately!

I needed a thank you card to put in a package I'm mailing out tomorrow, and this card fit the bill perfectly!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful Wednesday! :)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Viva la Verve Sketch Challenge: August 2013 Week 1
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Make the Cut

~Hugs,

Supplies:

Thanks for visiting my blog!

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Timeless Tuesday #233: Welcome Autumn!

Happy Tuesday! We are in the height of summer around here, but for this week's Timeless Tuesday Challenge, I am thinking ahead to the crisp days of fall. The amazingly creative Broni is our hostess this week, and her challenge is...

Welcome Autumn!

All you have to do is use autumn colors! :)

I have been looking for an opportunity to use one of the gorgeous stamps from the In Nature stamp set, and what better time than now, when I can turn it into an autumn scene!

I live in the north Georgia mountains, and to me, autumn is our most beautiful time of the year. Everywhere I look, there is glorious color: orange, yellow, purple, red, pink, green, and golden brown, all against an almost unbelievable blue sky. The trees actually glow in the sun! It's no wonder that thousands of people drive here every year in October to witness God's spectacular handiwork for themselves. So, when I colored this image, I ended up with over two dozen Copic markers spread across my table! But, what fun I had with it! :)

 After coloring the entire image, I used my Copic airbrush to color the sky, leaving a few white areas for clouds, stamped a sentiment in the upper left corner, added a few rhinestones, and framed it with a Spellbinders die cut in dark teal from the Color Made Easy Emerald Coast Paper Collection.

I added a little sparkle to the water and the windows of the cabin with a Spica pen. It's very hard to capture it in a photo, but you can see it in this close up.

With all that splendid color on the front of the card, I didn't need much inside, so I just stamped a single leaf in Potter's Clay Memento Ink, from the Falling Leaves stamp set.

Now, what will you create with your autumn colors? It doesn't have to be an autumn scene, just autumn colors, and you don't have to use Flourishes stamps, but if you do, you get two ballots toward the weekly prize! I hope you'll join us for this fun, and easy challenge! You can find all the details for the challenge here.

And, be sure to visit all our designers' blogs, and leave some love for them! :) You'll find beautiful eye candy at every stop!

• Allison Cope
• Broni Holcombe
• Cheryl Lea...that's me!
• Deborah Anton
• Jenny Gropp
• Judy Rozema
• Katie Sims
• Marie Ross, our August Guest Designer

Thanks for stopping by, and have a colorful week!

~Hugs,

 

Supplies:

Plus these additional Copic colors: B41, B45, E000, YG01, YG03, YR21, G17, G99

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