Christmas In July

Thanks to the You Tube video below I was able to create this awesome card.  So many great techniques and this is certainly one I will repeat again and again!  Great fun and easy to follow along with her great directions.

Watercolor Sky

I nearly lost this beautiful background by dropping a black soot Distress Ink pad right on the center.  Luckily I have these Tim Holtz words and I was able to cover the "oops" quite nicely.

Technique Junkies Crinkled Watercolor #2

Technique Junkies Crinkled Watercolor Challenge

This is my second card using the crinkled watercolor technique. I tried to get the design to look similar to butterfly wings.  The sentiment is from Technique Junkies.  The butterfly at the bottom is cut from tissue wrap with an allover butterfly design.

As Though I Had Wings

Technique Junkies Crinkled Watercolor

Technique Junkies Crinkled Watercolor Challenge

I have two entries for this challenge.  I have to say the first time I attempted this I used Blister powder to whip up some watercolor and it did not have the desired results.  Then I used my trusty Kuretake Watercolors and some tissue paper and it worked great.  

Basically you paint some colors onto your watercolor paper and while wet you take crinkled tissue wrapping paper and lay it down onto the wet watercolor.  I waited 25 minutes and then removed the paper....voila!

This is a Technique Junkies  stamp set and a sun from parts unknown.

Besties

Distress Oxides With Stencil

Jennifer McGuire again!  She did some awesome cards using Distress Oxide inks and by spraying water onto a stencil and holding it on the paper for a couple minutes you get a really pretty reaction.  I used a stencil I got from Aliexpress and love the look I got.

Block Watercolor Stamping

Jennifer McGuire showed this oldie but goodie technique.  I do like it better than smooshing because it allows for more brilliant color.  Letting the block sit on the watercolor paper for five minutes really does make a difference.  I played with this technique all afternoon...making me realize a few more acrylic blocks would be good. *smile*  

I used Distress Inks but Jennifer mentioned you could probably use Tombow markers as well.  I'll give that a go another day.

Technique Junkies Challenge

PLEASE CLICK HERE

This is my first time taking part in the Technique Junkies Challenge.  The idea is to drip colors down your page and use it to make a card.  I started with that fuchsia ink and to my surprise it would not drip anywhere,  so.. I got stubborn and started using my yellow, green and mustard inks and they dripped right down over the fuchsia and it created such a cool look I decided to keep the top and go with it.  For anyone reading my blog you will know that while trying out this technique last night, a bottle of blue ink crushed between my fingers and left me looking like Smurfette.  

The stamp is from Technique Junkies Weed or Wish Stamp  I love this stamp... reminds me of my children when they were little and they gathered my "favorite" flowers and brought me a bouquet.  

Living Up To My Blog Name

Well... what a fine mess you've gotten yourself into.  I was attempting to do a card for a challenge at Technique Junkies, an ink drip technique.  As you can see by my hand I took it to the extreme!  I squeezed and felt the bottle crack right into my hand.  As it started pouring out I quickly dashed to the sink holding all of the ink in my hand and did I say... what a mess!  I am going to be trying to clean this ink off me for the next month!

It would seem that as ink bottles age, this one was probably 15 years old, they can get brittle.  So... squeezing might be bad.  Very bad.  I did get a few drips done before I had to clean everything in sight but no card yet.  Any suggestions as to how to get the blue ink from my fingernails would be greatly appreciated.

So... should we go with laminate flooring, tile or carpet?  Yes, I got a few drips on this old carpet and that seems like a perfect opportunity to replace. Right?! *smile*

Here is todays card.

Background Technique Junkies

Sentiments Simon Says Stamp

Ship - Aliexpress

Wonderful new stamp from Technique Junkies    I created the background with Distress Oxides, original release, and then used some Nuvo Glimmer through a Donna Downey stencil. Those oxide inks are so awesome.  More on the way!

I used a Tim Holtz sentiment from one of his collections of words.  Then on the inside I added a sentiment than says; Leave a little sparkle wherever you go.  That one is from So Suzy Stamps

She is just beautiful...and in her ears she has little gems.  Love this stamp!

Acetate Colored Butterflies

Distress Oxides on Black
(original oxide release)

Andrew's Birthday Card

House Mouse Girls

I have owned this red rubber House Mouse stamp for many years.  I remember exactly where I was when I bought it.  There was a wonderful stamp store in St. Mary's, Georgia run by a FUN woman named, Paula.  Every December on the way down here to Florida, Bob and I would stop and shop in Old Town Crafts.  We would pull up and there was a bubble machine outside, hence her email name, Bubbles.  I cannot tell you how excited I would be every year to arrive in St. Mary's.  Bob and I were "new" then and I knew I had a "keeper" when he patiently wandered through the stamp store and bought me some goodies like this adorable lipstick House Mouse stamp.  There is something special about pulling out an old stamp set and coming up with something new that you have never created before.  I bought this die with all the holes in it from AliExpress and if you do not know what that is...I  refuse to enable you.  I am addicted!  I can't take the credit for seeing "cheese" someone beat me to it.  I was thinking outer space when I saw it.  Maybe the girls will be on Mars next time round.  Martians wear lipstick, right?

Paula Amari 1945 - 2010

I am updating this because I suddenly remembered Paula's name and when I did a search I discovered that she suffered a catastrophic brain aneurysm and passed away in 2010.  A sad loss for the world as she was such an incredible light.  Her laugh... I can hear it as I sit here typing.   Tonight.. I am remembering Paula Amari. 

Watercolor Background

One of my card making heroines is, Kristina Werner.  I love what she does with every medium and really respect her opinion.  Last week she posted a list of budget friendly items that she likes.  One of those was; Canson XL  I decided to buy it when I went to Walmart, much cheaper by the way, and tried it when making this card.  I used a variety of dye inks on a stamp block, wet the paper and let me tell you... I am happy.  The paper allowed the ink to pool and spread and never got funky as some watercolor papers tend to do. I really like it and will try it out again tomorrow.

The stamp is from Papertrey Ink... I believe it is the March year of Psalms.  The dies are Poppy Stamps and Simon Says Stamp.  One thing I think I will add is enamel dots... white. Thinking on it.

Cards For an Upcoming Swap

If you are in the same stamping group as me close your eyes... 

I have collected the Petite Places Stamps & Dies from Papertrey Ink for a bit too long.  It is starting to become hoarding.  LOL!  So... I broke out the little camper, mountains and trees and the little car and made this cute card.  Why has it taken me so long to use these sets? 

Then there is this adorable llama set from Gerda Steiner Designs.  Seriously?  CUTE!  I could not help but make one doing a photo bomb. Their faces are so darn cute.  

The next card due might be a gatefold card so I better get busy with that one and stop playing with these llama's!  Hmmm... gatefold llama's?  

First Scene Masking

I am calling this first scene masking but actually it is the first masking attempt.... period.  It may be the last.. LOL!!!

First I stamped it on white paper and wrote where I needed to mask.  So, you would think when I masked this it would be correct.  Nope.  LOL!!  The most egregious error nearly occurred under the llama on the left.  Had i put that little cactus any closer and aimed it the wrong way... well, this could have turned into an X rated mistake for sure!    Then get a load of the goof ball with the cactus coming out of his head.  What was I thinking?

So... back to the drawing board.

This time I stamped it out and used a different cactus next to the big old boy and just put one cactus behind left guy... making that little cactus look a bit bigger.  That worked!  

After coloring that second attempt in I was pretty pleased with it.  The perspective was not too bad and if I had some more dark to light colors it might not look half bad.   All in all.. a good day of learning.

These Llama's are Gerda Steiner Designs

I can hardly imagine that I have not updated my blog since December 25, 2016.  Where have I been and what have I been doing?   Pictures speak louder than words..

October 16, 2005

Size 28 to Size 14

A New short Hair cut

Feeling Awesome!  Down 100 Pounds!

So, that is what I have been up to.  I've also made a few cards...

An assortment...

Enjoying life.  Feeling healthier.  I'm back.

Some Christmas cards I have worked on this year.  Certainly not enough but fun and special.

Stamp-A-Faire Mastering Drips and Splatters

This class was really challenging to me because I get terrified when I have to drip and splatter onto a stamped image.  Luckily this was an attempt at just creating a background so I was able to get it done thanks to Lizzie Jones making it appear easy!




This was the card I ended up with after just mixing up some of the Papertrey inks in an ice cube tray and adding water.   I had the most trouble with the stiff brush spatter... seemed to come out too fine.  And, who knew that dragging a piece of yarn soaked in watercolor could come out looking so cool!  The inks are Papertrey and the sentiment is also a Papertrey stamp.  I need to try doing this over a stamped image.

So Much Fun!

These are my three finished cards!  More to come!

Stamp-A-Faire 2016 #2

 Today I was able to watch the video below by Kay Miller for the Papertrey Stamp-A-Faire.  I loved what she did with stamping and then using water to blend and make it look like a watercolor.  Well, I watched and I tried and although I like my results, I am pretty sure I could improve with lots and lots of practice.  Her results really look like a watercolor and she has less smudge. 

My first attempt!

 I used the Forget Me Not Papertrey stamp set and used Blueberry Sky, Spring Rain, Vintage Jadite, & Simply Chartreuse Inks.  In the end I didn't like the centers so I used some lavender moon.  Lesson learned... leave well enough alone.  Loved this technique and will try it again.

Today is.... Stamp-A-Faire 2016

Papertrey Ink Stamp-A-Faire 2016

This is what I am doing today!  One of my favorite stamp companies is having this free online event.  I am vowing to get at least one card on here and this is the color palette I am choosing.

  
Now to get busy!!
   

     It took me hours to complete this one card.  A mother-in-law with dementia is similar to having small children underfoot but you are older and find it hard to multi-task. *smile*  She is getting quite needy so I don't have a lot of time.  I LOVE this die from Papertrey Ink's July release.  I have the matching stamps but decided to use the inks from the color recipe, sponged them onto a piece of white card and then cut it out.  I backed it with white and after stamping an IO background, again using all of the inks from the recipe, I mounted the die cut.  Finished it up with some sequins. 

Here is a link to the challenge..