Saturday, June 25, 2011

A Foggy Day

This is a really simple card I created with stamps from Artistic Outpost's new set Loverly London!

I started with a piece of bluish gray cardstock.  I stamped the London skyline with Memento London Fog ink.  A very appropriate color!!!   I also stamped "London" below the skyline.  Then I overstamped it with the flag/postage collage stamp using Versafine Onyx Black  ink.  That' all! 

I matted it with white and black.  The card is the same color as the stamped portion.  I added the title in Onyx Black ink.

A very quick card to recreate!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Artistic Outpost releases new British inspired stamp sets!!!

Today Artistic Outpost is releasing 2 new sets of stamps with a British accent!!!

Here's the details from Artistic Outpost:

Artistic Outpost is celebrating a British Invasion.

Our two newest stamp collections, available in both unmounted rubber sheets or pre-trimmed and mounted on foam, include both a classic vintage set and a fun and funky homage to all things London.

AO_Loverly_London
Loverly London is a collection of vintage inspired imagery of our idealized London. This collection takes some liberties with "My Fair Lady", because we can't help but picture the gentleman in his "dinner jacket" and hat as Professor Higgins and the lovely lady as Eliza Doolittle.

This collection is perfect for incorporating your steampunk elements and other collaged themes.
LondonUnderground
Now for a horse of a funkier color, London Underground is what we think are some of the coolest stamps featuring stylized collage elements. Have fun creating mixed media collages with all these elements. We can't wait to see what you create with the vintage underground sign and the Union Jack.


Both collections are right on trend with things happening in the media and home decor. So get on the "tube" with us, and let's all go U.K.!!!

If you love these stamps, check out this special price at Artistic Outpost:   Spend $42 on rubber stamps, and you can save 20%.   Simply use the code London at check out! 

Now for some inspiration!

Check out all the Artistic Outpost Design Team blogs to see what they created with all these new stamps!!!

Robyn Phelan Sharp, Owner
Gerrie Johnnic
Lisa Somerville
Judy Hayes - You're here!!
Lynn Stevens
Barbara Washington
Stephanie Severin
Suzanne Czosek
Louise Granlund


And here's my creation with stamps from Loverly London!


I have to be honest, I'm not sure who this woman is!  I've never been too interested in history.  Definitely not British history!!!  No offense to anyone! 

I had fun stamping this woman just the same!!!
I simply stamped her with black ink and added just a touch of color to her skin and dress with Copic markers.  I cut her out and created this frame to set her into.  I used Spellbinders Labels Twenty S5-026 #3 and 4 to cut and emboss the frame out of Graphic 45 paper.  I sanded the embossed edges to reveal the inner white of the paper.  I cut a piece of cream cs with Labels Twenty #4 for the background.  On that piece I stamped the London skyline using Memento London Fog.  Appropriate, huh??!!  Not so visible, I also stamped the top of the newspaper stamp below the city.    The lady is tucked behind the frame at the bottom with her head in front of the frame.  I used 3D Foam Squares to pop her forward. 
For the background, I cut Spellbinders Labels Nineteen S4-311 from another Graphic 45 paper.  I didn't emboss this piece.  Instead, I ran a black marker along the edge.  It makes the edge shape stand out against the next patterned paper.  Again, I chose a paper from Graphic 45.  The colors all work so well together!!!
It's cut a little smaller than the card front so I could add a black mat.   I stamped the verse on cream card stock and clear heat embossed it.  It's matted with a narrow black edge and mounted to the card with 3D Foam Squares.
Isn't she loverly???
With the London Underground stamps, I put together this tag:

I started with the smaller image of the soldiers.  I stamped it onto cream card stock with Ranger Espresso ink.  I trimmed it close.  Then I added a touch of Cranberry ink to the uniforms and Distress Stormy Sky to the background.  I used both of these ink colors for the entire tag.
I stamped "London", trimmed it close and adhered it with foam tape.  I also stamped one soldier again and trimmed him close.  I mounted him over the original image with foam tape.   I stamped the words "Carry On" with black ink and clear heat embossed them.  The tiny crown was stamped and heat embossed with gold EP. It's popped up with foam tape, too. 
Since I wanted that piece at the bottom of my tag, I stamped Big Ben, the flag background and the smaller flag at the top of the tag.  I added some of the newspaper image along the edges, again with Espresso ink.  I rubbed Stormy Sky onto the edges blending it towards the center.  I added Pumice Stone to "Big Ben" except for the clock face.
At top,  I added a piece of seam binding colored with Stormy Sky ink and a button.
Big Ben stamp is from Loverly London.  All the other stamps are from London Underground.

Be sure to check out the other Design Team blogs! You'll find lots of inspiration!!!


It was so loverly of you to stop!!!!

Monday, June 13, 2011

A Pennant Birthday Card

Happy Tuesday!

I have another card to share!!!  

I've used a felt pennant as a design element on the background of this birthday card. 


I started with a card base that's 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".    I used Spellbinders Nested Pennants S5-028 to cut the felt pennant and stitch it to My Mind's Eye script paper before adhering that to the card front.
I added a dark mat of Graphic 45 papers cut with Spellbinders Labels Seventeen S5-025 #3,    Next is a gold patterned paper from Graphic 45 cut with Labels Eighteen S4-310 #3.   I've stamped "Birthday Wishes" on a pennant cut with a die template from Spellbinders Nested Pennants S5-028. The stamp is from Waltzingmouse's Fancy Phrases set which I inked with Espresso from Ranger.  The verse is popped up with 3D Foam Squares.   It's anchored on the left with 2 gears and a brad: dark brown gear on top and gold craft foil behind, both cut with Spellbinders Sprightly Sprockets S5-048.  I've also tucked a gear on the right side behind the dark mat.  See it peeking out?!   

The pennant die shapes can be used in so many ways other than a pennant!   It's basically a triangle after all!!!

Step outside your box!  Try a shape in a different way!!!
That's one of my favorite things to do!!! 




Check back on Wednesday for a new release from Artistic Outpost!!!  Woohoo!  New stamps!

:)
judy

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Thinking about YOU!

Just wanted all of you to know I'm thinking about YOU

Yes, it's been a super long time since I posted!  I've been swamped in projects.  It's not just projects but supply lists and directions and photos.......  My apologies for not finding time to get something created for all my blog friends!

Here's a little card I found tucked away!  I'd forgotten about it.  Yeah!!! Something to post!!!

This is a what I call a "scrap card"! 

The butterflies were left over from a different project, laying on my work table just waiting to be used!  Each one was cut out of white cs using the tiny butterfly from Spellbinders Flying Beauties.  (I think that's a retired set.) I embossed them over Spellbinders Floral and Stone Impressabilities, placing each butterfly so that embossed pattern would be symetrical.  I rubbed Distress ink over them while still in the die template to add color while leaving the edges white. The pink one is Spun Sugar and the blue one Chipped Sapphire.

The Kraft piece was a cut-out from a frame I used somewhere else. The shape is Spellbinders Labels Sixteen S4-301, #4 die template.  I created the texture by gluing a crumpled up kraft shopping bag (thin bag) to light weight chipboard.  I put it through my Grand Calibur with the embossing mat to flatten the wrinkles!  Another use for that Grand Calibur!!!

The dark blue mat was also leftover from some experiment or project.  It began as a piece of medium blue smooth cardstock, something old from my stash.  I cut it with Spellbinders Labels Five S4-229 #6.  I left the paper in the die template when I embossed it over Floral and Stone Impressabilities 12-1006.  Finally, I rubbed my Distress Chipped Sapphire ink pad over it to color all the raised areas.  I love the color!!

To put it all together into a card, I stamped a verse on the kraft mat.  I can't remember what stamp company the stamp is from.  I layered it onto the blue shape with 3D Foam Squares.   I cut a tiny piece of foam tape to mount each of the butterflies just along the center.  The wings are curled a little and raised up from the card..  I added tiny pearls to the butterflies and above the verse.  Three bigger pearls add interest to the blue mat.  I fastened it all to the front of a  4" x 5 3/8" textured white card.

Thanks for looking!!! 

smiles...
judy

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Craft it Forward Blog Hop

Today, I'm participating in the Craft It Forward Blog Hop!  Their first blog hop!  Hope it's a huge success!  So glad you came to visit!!!   Click here to check out their website!
For any of you just happened in on this blog hop, you can click on this link to see the Craft it Forward blog post.

Scrapbooks etc. Craft It Forward - 120x120 blog button


I was inspired by the Craft it Forward June project to create my card.  It's a card with stars created to be sent as a thank you to someone serving in the military.    I love stars!  So I took the star idea and made this card!.

I started with the silver star cut with the #3 die template from Spellbinders Stars Five S4-092.  I made score lines from each point to the opposite notch.  Then I made moutain folds on each point with valley folds from center to the notch.  A little tricky but doable!!!  The result is a 3D star!  I used 3D Foam Squares behind the center to keep the star dimensional.   I cut a red star using #4 Stars Five to put behind the silver star.  I added a couple "tails" cut from silver and red paper using die templates from Spellbinders Nested Pennants S5-029.  A piece of Worldwin white paper was cut with Spellbinders Wonky Rectangles S4-306, #5 die template for a background to the star.  I stamped "you're my star" in the corner with Ranger Denim ink and clear heat embossed it.   The striped DP is the back side of Celebrate from Reminisce.  I found it in my stash.  I'm not sure if  it's still available.  It's one of my favorites!   I cut it slightly smaller than my card to leave a white border.   My card is 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  
To continue on the Craft it Forward Blog Hop, your next stop is Lisa Storm's blog .  I know you'll find some inspiring creativity there!!!

A huge thank you to all those serving in the military, defending our nation and preserving our freedoms.   You're all my Stars!!!! 

I hope to find time soon to put together a few more "thank you" cards to send to Operation Write Home.(Once I get my deadlines met this week!!!)  This wonderful organization sends hand made cards to our service people to send to their family and friends.  They also include a few thank you cards directed to the soldiers with each box of cards.  If you ever want to help out, check out their website!  Operation Write Home 
Thank you so much for visiting!  I hope you've enjoyed your stay!  Please visit again!

-judy