A Gatefoild Card....

This was such an interesting project. I haven't made too many of these, but I really like the result and it's fun to "get out of the box" so to speak. I'll have to do more of these.

I wasn't quite sure where to start and then I saw that Timeless Tuesday Challenge required 3 design papers; There She Goes Challenge required colors pink, kraft and ivory and Simon Says Stamp required making your own embellishment. That really got my mind going...I had just bought a pack of papers from DCWV, called the Mariposa Stack...It is beautiful and I couldn't wait to use it.

So, I picked the appropriate colors, cut bits and pieces apart for matching what I wanted and started glueing.
The card base is kraft cardstock and I used an old rub-on I had for the words "YOU ARE SPECIAL". It went so well on that front panel.

There is a large flourish on the inside panel. It came from that same sheet that the words were cut from.

The butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch. I punched it out on white slightly glittered paper from SU and then embossed it three times with kaleidescope powder. I have a sheet of transparency that I colored with Alcohol Inks in different colors and then I use it to cut out embellishments. So I placed the glittered butterfly on top of the transparency, cut around it and glue dotted just in the middle, leaving the wings free Comes out really nice.  The black pearls are from ZVA.

Like I said, this is beautiful paper, doesn't need a whole lot of additional embellishments.

Here's the challenges:
http://tsgclearstamps.blogspot.com/search/label/TSG%20Challenges
http://thecuttlebugspot.blogspot.com/
http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.com/

Thank you much for stopping by.
Hope you enjoyed it.
Be blessed,
e

Simon says: Not a card!!!

Hello peeps!!!
I am showing a picture that I just finished so that I can enter it into the challenge at Simon Says Stamp...
I love their challenges and this one fits my pic...you must show "anything but a card..."
This is using the Tim Holtz stamp of a bird. You see it everywhere but I had to wait quite a while before I could order it. So now I have it and I like it so much I could use it everywhere!

I love this!!! Tim Holtz is the best!!!

Anyway, I antiqued my paper  by using different shades of tan, gold and brown. I also stamped a background stamp of old french writing in a medium tan color.
I also used Tim Holtz' elegant weeds stamp in shades of rose, brown and sage green, to add interest to the background. I use that weed stamp (looks like St. Anne's lace) on a lot of backgrounds because it gives a very interesting, airy look without calling attention to itself.

Then I stamped the bird in very dark brown and I spritzed on some gold and some pearl spray. I also sprayed it the whole pic with a sealant. 
The flourish is the Tim Holtz flourishes I cut with my Cuttlebug. I embossed it several times. The leaves were cut with my Cricut. Then I made the flowers using the coffee filter technique. I applied all of these on top of the frame for that 3dimensional look.

http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.com/

Thank you for your visit.
Blessings,
e

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Hey everybody...it's Sunday night and Valentine's Day is tomorrow...
I know it's just a Hallmark thing...but it still is a wonderful day to give special love to those God has given us in our lives.  I am not much for some holidays, but this time I really wanted to make a special card for my husband. I got the idea in the middle of the night and couldn't wait to get started on it. It was exciting to me because it was the first real idea I had since I had gone into my slump after Christmas.

And then before I could get started on making the card, I saw a tutorial on Simon Says for making metallic looking embellishments by embossing on cut out shapes. I LOVED IT!!! I couldn't wait to try that too...so I put the two ideas together and here's the card:

Okay, so for the background I did the "kissing technique" from Hero Arts for the challenge for February. I know, it's really hard to see, but even for the little bit it shows, it makes a pretty background. The white "Receipt" sheet is from my stash. I wrote out the saying "a lifetime spent with you" I printed on my computer and then copied it on to the paper.

The bottom is done using two colors of cardstock and punched with Martha Stewart "Double Circles. The word "Priceless" was printed on the computer.

I have two new techniques this time: Kissing technique and the heart embellishment.

KISSING TECHNIQUE: Ink up (with a slow drying ink) a "shadow stamp" (a stamp that has a lot of ink area. Solid blocks, a solid fruit, animal, etc.) Not a stamp with thin lines...this will not work for the background.

THEN use a thin lined stamp (a flower, words..this works really well...etc.) and apply it on top of the shadow stamp. If you do not ink the top stamp, then it will take away ink and that image will show your cardstock color...OR you can ink the top stamp and it will put ON COLOR on the top of your stamp. So, choice of colors are important.

This is a fun technique and can be very impressive, but it needs some practice. In my card I used the wrong background and that's why it doesn't show up too well. I am new to this and didn't really understand how this technique works, even though I watched the video Hero Arts has on their site.

EMBOSSED HEART: There are a million ways to make embossed embellishments, and they are all beautiful. I LOVE this technique. PLEASE GO WATCH THE VIDEO ON SIMON SAYS BLOG to see this technique in action. The thing that's different with this one is the use of PEARL EX or PERFECT PEARLS as the paint on the embossed piece. It is just beautiful.

Mine is different in that I used a heart cut out of a music CD cover that had beautiful shades of red and black on it. Then I used clear embossing powder rather than black UTEE (I still have not found it to buy) After four coats of clear embossing, I wet my Pearl Ex with a TINY bit of water and "PAINTED" on the heart. I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!! I then put on the wire and beads. 

Hero Arts Stamps used: Musical Collage and Fabulous Flourish

http://heroarts.com/blogs/club/february-2011-contest-details/

http://aspoonfullofsugarchallenge.blogspot.com/

http://onestopcraftchallenge.blogspot.com/

Okay, so that's it for today.

Thanks for coming by.

Blessings,

e



I'M BAAAAAAACK!!!!

Finally, my heart and soul tell me it's time to get back to doing what I love...
I have been trying to update my blog background and header...and as you can see,without much success.
I bought a beautiful header and background from Heidi Swapp's "House of Three" (they have such beautiful stuff there)...but I can't get it on. I'm pretty computer savvy, but not savvy enough. I'm going to have to write to them for help.

Besides that, I lost my way, my mojo, my desire...whatever you call it, I just didn't have it. Maybe holidays overload...maybe just a cycle we go through...even though I got some cards done, the excitement and the passion was not there. I needed God's touch to create in order to bless others and  let them know they are loved. God blessed me with that this weekend. I got an inspiration for a card for my husband for Valentine's Day that I was so excited about, my mind was spinning.
From there, I saw ideas everywhere!!! I wanted to make a card for everyone!!! IT WAS AWESOME!!!

So, here we go.
I thank God for renewing and refreshing us just exactly when we need it!

Here's a picture I made this weekend to hang on my bedroom wall.  Last year we brought our granddaughter Rebekah home for a visit from college so she could go to Art Prize. It is a competition where artists from all over the world come to town and display their art all over the city. It is a wonderful experience for anyone who loves to see art in many different forms. Anyway, we had a great time and I did this picture to remember our time together.

This is the picture as it hangs on the wall.

Here is the middle frame that has one of my favorite sayings on it:

ART

wipes the

Dust off

everyday

LIFE

Isn't that too true???

Wonderful to hang somewhere where you can read it at the time you need  a lift and a reason to create!!!

My new technique for this project? (I am not forgetting to use a new technique every time)

First of all, I had never embellished a frame that was hung on a wall. I had stayed away from displaying my art...can you say INTIMIDATED????

Anyway, that was a new experience...so the papers, the embellies, etc. were a totally new way of seeing it as a hanging instead of as a  page.

Second...the poem was first printed on the background paper. I didn't like the look.

I then came up with setting it apart by printing the poem on vellum...taking the frame apart and inserting the vellum inbetween. Hard to do once everything is glued down. Live and learn!!!

I really liked doing the frame.

I will be doing more!!!

Thanks for visiting.

ttfn

e