Ocean Fish Waving Hello

Hello and welcome to a new week on the blog!

We'll soon be waving goodbye to August and hello to September.  No matter the season at my house, it's always summer somewhere.  The fishes on my card today are living in a year-round paradise.

I weakened and bought a few things from the previous Memory Box release, but I'm not sorry one bit because these fish are the neatest thing since sliced bread.  They're the Ocean Fish 3D embossing folder with matching dies, and a matching layering stencil set (sold separately).  I brushed inks through the stencils, gave each an eye dot with a gray Copic, then pressed each fish into my Versamark pad and embossed with clear powder.  You know how much fun I had with this, don't you!

Each fish is layered for a bit more dimension and they're swimming in an underwater scene created by brushing inks onto the Memory Box Underwater 3D embossing folder.  The Poppystamps Sylvan Frame seems to work pretty well with the scene.  I added a wavy sentiment from Lawn Fawn, and some Memory Box Fairy Jewels for bubbles.

Inside is a Poppystamps birthday sentiment which I altered with a permanent marker.  I die cut a Poppystamps Sylvan Sprig and used it like a mask to create a soft border along the lower edge.  It's interesting and nice how these Sylvan dies (2016) work for underwater scenes when I've always used them for garden and flowers in the past.

This card does appear to be rather involved, but the frame and background were already made,  I even had a banner cut for the sentiment.  You can lose yourself in this craft... you know what I'm saying.  In fact, I made four cards with my fishes before I put them away.  Some were very clean and simple but turned out to be my favorites of the bunch.  This was my first sit down with the new toys, so thought I'd share in order.  Not that I don't love it, too... well... anyway... each to her/his own.

I'll be back when I can get it all together.  See you then, I hope!

Stamps:  Lawn Fawn Wavy Sayings with matching die, Poppystamps Birthday Blow Out (inside)  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White 80 & 110 lb  Ink:  Various Stampin' Up, Memento Tuxedo Black  Other:  Memory Box Ocean Fish 3D embossing folder with matching dies and layering stencils, Memory Box Underwater 3D embossing folder, Poppystamps Sylvan Frame and Sylvan Sprig dies, Memory Box Fairy Jewels, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Birthday Mail

Hi there!  I'm sharing two cards today.  I meant to be here on Wednesday but with too many other things to do I just couldn't manage it.  However, I'm here now because I took a notion to play along in the Seize the Birthday challenge with the optional sketch.  That's the first card pictured.  Both cards use the fairly new to me Stampendous Mailbox Birthday set.

(Retired designer paper and SU Core'dinations-type cardstock, Park Lane Pennants embossing folder, Pink & Main Birthday Girl Glossy Dots, Memory Box Stitched Circle Layers, punched circle)

I mixed designer paper, an embossed panel, and a sanded card base for the sketch, and arranged a group of fussy cut images with the sentiment for the focal piece.  I colored with Copics and applied a little sparkle and some glossy dots.  I hope you can see the details okay in the photo.  See the sketch below.

Seize the Birthday #245 - Sketch

 

My second card uses the primary image in the set, stamped on watercolor paper and colored with Tombow markers and homemade blender.  This one was made and mailed last month.  I remember how fun it was to color and create.  Supplies are listed below the picture.

(Stamps:  Stampendous Mailbox Bday  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, scrap Bazzill cantaloupe, Park Lane 110 lb printed cardstock base  Ink:  Palette Noir  Coloring:  Tombow markers & homemade blender  Other:  Spellbinders Blossom Nestabilities)

Sending happy wishes to everyone everyday!  Take care of yourselves and enjoy your day!

Wild Horses

Hi friends!  Brace yourself for some wild color because I've been at my Laurel Burch stamps again.  They were sold by Stampendous, but I don't see them there now, so I'm wondering if they've been discontinued.  I see they're available on Amazon and elsewhere.  Typical of me to be clueless.  I'm just happy to have a few in my collection.

My Horse Friends are stamped in Versamark and embossed in gold.  I painted with Twinkling H2O's, using natural colors for the horses' bodies but going more creative for their manes.  I didn't want too much crazy color in the focal piece because the background is so wildly colorful.  The die cut "fantastic" seemed appropriate considering the fantastical nature of the artwork.

About that background...  I was in my Joseph's Coat phase but had an idea for something different.  I used a large sponge to apply a rainbow of inks to shimmery ivory cardstock.  Then I laid my stencil over top and used another large sponge to thoroughly apply black ink to the negative spaces.  It's a striking lot of color, but perfect for my Laurel Burch stamp.

The stencil is Whispering Grass by Pink Ink.

Inside is trimmed with a leftover piece, and the sentiment is gold embossed.  It's an oldie Wordsworth stamp and one of my all-time favorites.

The next card actually came first.  I brayered ink from an old SU spectrum pad onto Whisper White cardstock, then clear-embossed the horses.  I used a craft knife to cut the image from the center of the inky background and then rubbed black ink over just the horses image.  Matted the image and put it back in place.  It's more trouble than it would have been if I'd had a plan from the beginning.  Just goofing around.

I'm working with my not-yet-used Stampendous this week.  They're a favorite company with a variety of image styles and always reliable quality.  Just saying.  Some of my oldest and best loved stamps are from Stampendous.

As per usual I'll be sharing at Darnell's NBUS Challenge.  My Horse Friends stamp and Whispering Grass stencil are both being used for the first time.

See you again soon!

Meadowlark and Sunflower

Hello again!  One last Inkadinkado card this week and now I can happily say I have no more Inkadinkado in my not-yet-used basket.  They're all tucked away in their drawers and will come out to play again another day.

This time I stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa and colored with Copics.  The Western Meadowlark is Oregon's state bird.  They're even more colorful than my rendition, but I toned down the colors so my yellows wouldn't clash.

The background (from my bag o' backgrounds) was made by rubbing yellow ink onto the inside of an embossing folder and then embossing a panel of white cardstock.  You're familiar with the technique, I'm sure.  I've had a lot of fails but this turned out rather pretty... and then I covered up most of it.

Three challenges today:

The Sisterhood of Crafters -- Sunflowers.  I'm always pleased when I can use a never been inked stamp to play along in a challenge that catches my eye.  This is one of the smaller varieties of sunflower, but a sunflower nonetheless.
Four Seasons Challenge -- Anything goes summer.  Next month they'll switch to fall, but we're still enjoying summer while we can.
NBUS Challenge #41 -- Never before used schtuff.  You can find me there quite often (ahem).

  

Thank you for sharing a portion of your day with me!  Enjoy the weekend!

Stamps:  Inkadinkado Sing Like No Other  Paper:  Neenah Classic Crest Super Smooth Solar White, grocer's kraft PTI Lemon Tart  Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa, something yellow (?)  Coloring:  Copics  Other:  Kraft string, Cuttlebug Stylized Flowers embossing folder, Impression Obsession Fancy Cut Out Border

Double D Challenge: Wheels

Hooray, it's time for another Double D Challenge!  This time Darlene is asking us for Wheels.  Anything with wheels -- and we're hoping you'll be inspired by this lovely mood board:

I'd like to be in each one of those pictures.

I chose whimsical for my wheels.  I've used another of my Inkadinkado woodblock stamps, not new on the market, but relatively new to me and never been used.  I stamped on watercolor paper and colored with Copics.  After looking at many different paper pads I settled on this old BasicGrey Kioshi.  I do have a few spare paper pads in my cabinet (ahem).  Must use the old along with the new.  I opened the pad and these pieces were already cut exactly as is so there's my layout.  You can barely see the green but it's peeking there along the edges.

All the little die cut flowers were scattered on the ground as a nod to the upper right inspiration photo.

We all would love to see you play along just for fun and possibly to be one of our creative winners.  You may even be the lucky random prize winner of this very cute die:

The team has some fun cards for you to see on the Double D Challenge blog.  I hope to see your project there too.  Wishing you the best day ever!

Stamps:  Inkadinkado Frog Prince, retired Power Poppy Best Day Ever sentiment  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, Neenah 80 lb card base, BasicGrey Kioshi designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black  Coloring:  Copics  Dies:  Memory Box Crossed Stitch Frame Borders, Impression Obsession Tiny Flowers, Spellbinders Standard Circles Small

Pretty Bird

Hello!  It's about time I checked in, seeing as how it's been a week.  I'm as enthusiastic as ever about this thing of ours, but summer... and housework... other stuff.  You know how it goes.

This is going to be Inkadinkado week.  I had three vintage-ish Inkadinkado stamps remaining in my not-yet-used basket and it's time for their focus.  Today's card is one of Susan Wingert's designs.  When you see the image on the wood block stamp it looks dark and almost solid, but when stamped in a light ink it works beautifully for no-line coloring.

I used my Tombow markers and homemade blender pen for coloring on watercolor paper.  The card is a petite 4 3/4" square -- one of my favorite sizes to work with.  That little rectangle is designer paper glossed with ultra-thick embossing enamel.  It covers a teensy bit of the image that stamped too lightly to deal with.  

I colored the corner die to match.  It was cut from shimmery ivory cardstock and SU inks were brushed on with sponge-tipped applicators.  Very easy and one of my new favorite coloring methods.  You can see the shimmer below:

It looks like springtime.

It's a first time use for this lovely stamp so I'll share at Darnell's NBUS Challenge #41.

More Inkadinkado will be coming this week so I'll see you again soon.  Take care till we meet again!

Stamps:  Inkadinkado Wonder Bird wood block stamp  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, linen weave Bazzil creamy white card base, Cryogen (shimmery) ivory for die cut, scrap designer paper  Ink:  Ranger Archival Shadow Grey for bird image, Versamark for clear embossing DP scrap, SU Cameo Coral and Old Olive for die cut  Coloring:  Tombow markers and blender for bird image, SU inks applied with sponge-tipped applicator for die cut  Other:  Poppystamps Hampstead Corner die, flat backed self-adhesive pearls, ultra-thick embossing enamel

Joseph's Coat Ferns for CAS Mix Up

Hello!  There's a lot of busyness going on around the Miller residence these late summer days, but I wanted to take the time to play in the current CAS Mix Up Challenge.  It's hosted by my friend, Nancy, and she's asking for the emboss resist technique.  One of my favorites.

It occurred to me that the Joseph's Coat technique is totally emboss resist, but with a slight twist in that you ink a panel with multiple colors first.  I used glossy white cardstock brayered with an old SU Pumpkin Patch spectrum pad.  Stamped and clear-embossed my ferns, then rubbed Black Soot distress ink over that.  The results are rather striking.

To keep my card clean and simple I die cut a trio of small squares and laid them out on a 3 1/2 x 6 inch card (mini-slimline).  The card base was dry embossed with a wood grain folder, and as I positioned the center square I wove the golden fern tendril around it.  The fern die cut was pressed into my Versamark pad then heat-embossed with gold powder.  Added a sentiment and done!  Very easy.

The CAS Mix Up blog has several links to emboss resist tutorials.  As for the Joseph's Coat version, I learned from an old SCS tutorial here.  If you prefer videos check here for something really gorgeous.  Or search Pinterest or YouTube for hundreds of cards and tutorials.

CAS Mix Up -- Emboss Resist.  My mixed up media is stamping, heat embossing, dry embossing, die cutting.  Maybe the ink brayering is considered part of the mix up too.
NBUS Challenge #41.  My Woodware Ferns stamps are never before used schtuff.

 

I will leave you with a wish for a beautiful day.  Take care and stay cool!

Stamps:  Woodware Ferns, Hero Arts sentiment  Paper:  Glossy white cardstock, 100# Cougar vanilla  Ink:  Versamark, SU Pumpkin Patch spectrum pad (old), Ranger Distress ink Black Soot  Other:  Clear detail embossing powder, Ranger Princess Gold embossing powder, Sizzix Lumber 3D embossing folder, Spellbinders square dies, Memory Box Donnington Tendril die

Double D Challenge: Lighthouse

Hello friends!  I have some special news today -- I'm back on the Double D Challenge team!  I retired from all challenge teams for a couple of different reasons.  Now things have leveled off manageably and I'm dipping my toe back into the water.  This is tentative, but hoping I can keep up.  I appreciate the opportunity.

Technically I'm on Darlene's team (third Wednesday of the month), but I couldn't wait to get started so I'm playing along with Diane's challenge (first Wednesday) -- Lighthouse.  Have a look at the inspiration board: 

I have exactly one lighthouse stamp and it's an oldie PSX.  I paired it with a Stampendous sentiment and some Mintay designer paper.  Played around with the design and some dies... I always have so much fun with the Double D challenges!

I stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and clear embossed.  Minimal coloring was done with Tombow markers and my homemade blender.

The team votes on creative winners, plus there's a super nice prize for a random winner.  Love those Cottage Cutz dies!

Come play with us at Double D!  We'd love to see your lighthouses.  Have a great day!

Stamps:  PSX Lighthouse, Stampendous Ocean Sayings sentiment  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico Extra White 140 lb hot pressed watercolor, 111 lb wood grain white card base, SU Poppy Parade & Brilliant Blue, Mintay Marina DP and Simple Stories Color Vibe DP for flags  Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black  Coloring:  Tombow markers and homemade blender  Dies:  Cottage Cutz Rope Corner, Memory Box Banner Parade, Spellbinders squares and circles  Other:  Detail clear embossing powder, foam mounting tape to pop up lighthouse square