1 BACKGROUND STAMP 4 CARDS

This card features SIMON SAYS STAMP GIFT BOXES background stamp.  I stamped it twice, one in white and embossed in white, and one with Versamark and embossed in gold. I then cut up

the stamped image so I could get two cards out of each image.

 I used distress inks to make a blended background and the embossed ink make a resist for the inks.  On two of the cards I dripped a bit of water and perfect pearls and on the other two I splattered some KREMER GOLD PAINT.  I mounted on black, then white and placed on Simon Says Stamp Fog cardstock.  I used the same die cut for all the cards (unfortunately I am writing this away from home and I can't remember who makes this but will add that info when I return in 2 weeks.) I used a gold glitter card stock from Simon and a black shiny cardstock from ERIN LEE CREATIVE.  I cut 3 layers of cardstock and glued them together for dimension.  I finished off with some sequins and some gold baubles from Trinity Stamps.  Hope this helps you to stretch your background stamps!  

 

BUTTERFLY BIRTHDAY CARD

Sometimes a card comes together really easily and sometimes it takes me forever to make my original idea work.  This card was one of the take forever kind.  I had the idea of butterflies on a slimline card so using the GINA K BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES I stamped and colored 4 of the images that I thought would work on the card and die cut using the co-ordinating dies.  I first ink blended on Neenah solar white with distress inks and  then used a 3d EMBOSSING FOLDER FROM MEMORY BOX that I had to emboss twice to be able to cover the whole card.  And yes, one was upside down but since it was an overall pattern once the butterflies were on, you couldn't tell.  Once it was embossed I went over it with a slightly darker ink to bring out the highlights.  However, when I placed the butterflies on the card they didn't seem grounded so I used WAFFLE FLOWER SLIM LAYER DIES to cut a border die out of TONIC SILKY SKY  metallic paper.  That contained the butterflies but I felt the colored ones overpowered the card.  Using an older MFT beautiful butterfly stamp set and dies, I stamped on heavyweight vellum using a sparkle embossing powder and placed those in between the colored butterflies.  I added a few jewels in between the butterflies.  I used the CONCORD & 9TH PERFECT PAIRINGS BIRTHDAY DIE for the inside sentiment and one of the leftover colored butterflies.  For the envelope I used a 12 x 12 paper from my stash and the TIM HOLTZ PERSPECTIVE BUTTERFLY DIE and die cut the name with the same Tonic silky sky paper.   Probably the most elaborate card I have ever made, hope you like it.

 

SIMON SAYS STAMP FLORAL GARDEN BIRTHDAY CARD

I made three tags in December for Christmas cards that I never used.  I have a bunch of birthdays in May and June and decided to use them.  The tags were made out of Neenah solar white 110 lbs using Graphic45 tag die.  I then used distress oxide spray with metallic on all of the cards.

I then stamped with Simon Says Stamp Floral Garden stamp in black Versafine ink using the Misti.  When the stamp dried I used Polychromos pencils  to slightly color in some of the flowers and leaves.  I also used a white Gelly roll pen to add some white highlights to some of the flowers.  When I was done I decided the card needed a little sparkle so I sprayed with Perfect Pearls over the whole card.  I did have to blot the image as the distress inks are reactive with water but I love the way the Pearls just give a little something extra!  

When looking though my sequins and embellies I bound this little jewel with a tiny hummingbird.  I have had these for years (only a few have hummers and the rest have designs) and have NO idea where I got them or who made them but it was just perfect for this card.  I die cut Simon Says stamp Brush Script wafer die out of gold mirror cardstock and the backing in heavy duty vellum.

 

A HEARTFELT BIRTHDAY CARD

A 101 BIRTHDAY CARD

We are up in Mammoth taking a short vaca away from Los Angeles chaos.  I have a small corner of our master bedroom that I use as my craft area and have very limited supplies.  One of the cards I needed to make this week is a birthday card for a dear dear 101 year old.  One of the dies I have up here is the BIRCH PRESS CAPRICE HEART LAYER SET and after watching JENNIFER MCGUIRES DIE CUT  layering video, I knew I wanted to make a card using some of her techniques.  I brought up some TONIC GOLD HEARTED PAPER PACK and cut multiple hearts of 3 different gold papers.  I also used Neenah white 80lb as the middle layer of the die. I cut a white panel and die cut 3 hearts from top to bottom from Neenah 110lb and then splattered that with Kuretake Gansai Tambi gold from the Gem color set.  Once I glued and stacked all the hearts (while watching TV) I set them aside and cut a smaller panel of pink card stock that exactly matched my pink envelope( I believe I got this from the Paper Source).  I layered that under the card front so that the pink would show through as the base layer.

The final step for the card was to add some TRINITY STAMPS GEORGEOUS GOLD BAUBLES .  I love these! For the Envelope I used SSS LAYERING HEARTS stencil from the SIMON SAYS STAMP LOVE YOU release.

DISTRESS OXIDE WATERCOLORING

How strange to be posting again.  I have gotten so lazy (and it is just so easy to post to Instagram and not bother with all the writing) that it has been almost 3 whole years since I made a post.  Granted a lot else has happened to interrupt the flow but I am ready to jump in again.  About 2 weeks ago I saw this post on the SIMON SAYS BLOG and was totally inspired to try it myself.  Nina-Marie painted her stamp with distress oxides and they were so bright and cheerful that I wanted to use them for the card I was making for a special friend.  I used the STAMPENDOUS SPRING GARDEN background stamp as I felt it was similar in feel and had lots of potential for bright colors. I used about 12 of the Distress Oxides in bright colors and they were amazingly easy to paint with, just smush on a craft mat and paint.  I stamped the sentiment in Catherine Pooler Bellini ink and clear embossed on heavy duty vellum.  I didn't mind covering some of the image as the daffodils under the sentiment didn't stamp perfectly (I am not the best stamper). I trimmed a little from the edges of the card and mounted it on a piece of Neenah Solar white 110lb stock at 5.5" sq.  I added Nuvo drops in different colors to the centers of some of the flowers and was done.  

Hope you like this bit of springtime.

WATERCOLOR PENCIL BIRTHDAY CARD

I purchased this lovely Watercolor Card Kit by Sandi Pirrelli because the art work was so beautiful.  The kit comes with 12 watercolor cards, 12 blank envelopes, 1 foam dot sheet and 1 occasion cardstock sheet (small perforated sentiments).  The cards are 5 x 7 so there is lots of space to color or paint.  I realized when I felt the card stock that it wasn't really a high quality watercolor paper so I decided to use my new set of Albrecht Durer Watercolor Pencils  that I just received from Amazon.  I was interested in these because unlike my beloved Inktense pencils they are watercolor pigment and not ink however, whether it was the paper, the pencils or my technique but the blending was not as I hoped.  I will try the next card with the Inktense pencils and maybe one with my Copics(which I am the most comfortable with).  It is possible that the paper that these cards are printed on might hold up with real watercolors but it seems too lightweight for that.

After I finished with the coloring I decided that I wanted to cut the card in two and only use the colored front to make a more substantial card. I cut down the size so I could mount it with foam tape on PTI Autumn Rose card stock.  I embossed the Sentiment from Mama Elephant with Versamark Ink and embossed with Filagree Gold embossing powder on Bazzill 40lb vellum and adhered Simon Says gold sequins.  Oh, and I couldn't resist a little Wink of Stella Clear on the flowers!

BIRCH PRESS DIES BIRTHDAY CARD

Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted anything since mid December.   Instagram is so easy it has made me lazy about blogging.  Here is a card I made with a Birch Press die, DAZZLE. These dies are amazing even though at first they seem really expensive but you get three full dies that can be used as stand alone or combined. I used a combination of silver glitter paper and silver mirror paper to create a special 18th birthday card.  The number is out of a PTI shimmer paper that looks flat in the photo but which really does shimmer.  The card is very simple but very elegant.  I think this would be great for a wedding card also.  Since making this card I broke down and ordered more of these dies and can't wait to play with them.

Affiliate links:

• Birch Press Design DAZZLE LAYER SET Blueprint Craft Dies 57022
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• Birch Press Design MAXWELL LAYER SET Blueprint Craft Dies 57023
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• Birch Press Design TILTER LAYER SET Blueprint Craft Dies 57027
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• Price: $69.99

• Birch Press Design SEVILLA LAYER SET Blueprint Craft Dies 57025
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• Price: $69.99

• Birch Press Design CAPRICE HEART LAYER SET Craft Dies 56058
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• Price: $29.99

• Birch Press Design AMOUR LAYER SET Craft Dies 56042
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• Price: $69.99

ALCOHOL INK DIE CUT BIRTHDAY CARD

Hi Everyone,

I have a card today inspired by this card by Cathy of Cathy's Card Spot and her use of Alcohol inks combined with dry embossing.  Here is my take on this technique. I cut the Memory Box Kensington Branch  out of mirrored card stock and then painted with Alcohol inks.  I then dry embossed on Crafter's Companion Shimmering cardstockwith Spellbinders M-Bossabilities and THEN cut the Kensington Branch out of that (if you die cut and THEN emboss you will distort the negative image....ask me how I know!).  I then attached the card stock to PTI white card stock with Darice sparkle tape on the side (I love that stuff, it is soft, pliable and has the best sparkle).  Pearls added into the flower centers.  You might notice that I was a little haphazzard about what I punched out and what stayed in the butterfly parts of the die but I don't think it matters.

For the die cut sentiment, I first took the same sparkle tape and applied it to a scrap piece of the shimmer card stock.  I then cut the Serendipity word die and again out of Bazzill Mirrored gold card stock and off set slightly.   

For the inside I just cut and layered another piece of the die and used liquid pearls in flowers and corners of the soft pink card stock