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I created this card with stamps from The Homestead by Cornish Heritage Farms.

The scene parts were stamped using Memento Black Tuxedo. I colored it with Copic markers. The background paper is from Basic Grey's Lemonade 6x6 pad. I added a strip of twill with silk ribbons knotted around it. The verse has 4 strips of waxed cord knotted to each end.

I finished this card at my daughter's house. I only brought a few supplies planning to raid her stash.......only I couldn't find anything that seemed to fit except the cord.

A challenge to use products at hand!

Supplies:

CHF The Homestead

Bazzill papers - green & rust

Basic Grey Lemonade 6x6 pad

Memento Black Tuxeodo

Copic Markers

Waxed cord, twill tape, silk ribbon

-judy

Metal Butterfly

I created this embossed butterfly by stamping the scroll butterfly stamp from Artistic Outpost's Happiness set using StazOn on the back of red craft metal. Then, using Ten Seconds Studio embossing tools, I went over the design with a stylus. Once I had it completely embossed & refined, I removed the red on the butterfly by carefully rubbing solvent stamp cleaner over the raised areas. This can create disaster if too much solvent touches any areas that should remain red.......try it very carefully! I added black acrylic paint to "antique" it rubbing it off the embossed areas.

The frame was cut out of black card stock with Labels Four and Curved Rectangles Spellbinders dies. Once I had it cut, I embossed it with the dies in place and a Butterfly Impressabilities. That created the embossed pattern and a nice embossed edge. I used metallic Rub-Ons (a product I've had for a very long time that seemed appropriate for this) over the embossed pattern. I actually started with red, then added pewter, then black & silver....... I couldn't decide what color I liked best!

The red mat was stamped repeatedly with the scroll butterfly and then cut with a larger Labels Four die. I distressed it a bit with Distress Black Soot.

I used the same Butterfly Impressabilities for the black mat. It's mounted on a light gray card with Black Soot applied to the edges.

Three silver cords are glued around the red mat with little silver brads at each end.

I think this would be a great addition to the front of a journal.........an idea that came to me after I had this card almost finished. Next time........

I hope this inspires you to try embossing one of your stamped images. You can easily use a stylus or even an empty bic pen to create the embossed lines. Place your metal over fun foam or even a magazine......something somewhat soft. Work from the back to make the raised lines on front. Outline them on the front to get nice crisp edges. Leave a comment or send me an email if you'd like more info..........

Be Strong...

I created this card for a Cornish Heritage Farms challenge to use a resist.

I first stamped the CHF Picotage Print Backgrounder with Versamark & embossed it with clear. Then I rubbed Adirondack Bottle ink over it using a Cut n Dry foam piece. I misted it lightly to help the color seep into the paper around the embossing. When it was dry, I ironed the back side with it laying on scrap paper to absorb the embossing. I mounted it on a white card front which was edged with a dark green marker.

For the frame, I again stamped the CHF Picotage Print Backgrounder only this time using Adirondack Bottle. I clear embossed it to intensify the color. I cut the frame with the largest Spellbinders Labels Four and a rectangle set off towards one end. I also embossed it and added a green border with a marker. I cut a second Labels Four out of white cardstock. I cut it in half lengthwise and snipped off the points. I layered it under the printed frame. I added holes at each end of the frame to thread the ribbon.

I stamped the verse CHF Scripture Essentials I with Versamark Black Onyx & clear embossed it. It's mounted behind the opening.

After I tied the bow, I added Hero Arts pearls to the knot. It was just luck that I had this ribbon that matched so well. I have no idea where I got it. It's been in my collection for a long time.

I really had my doubts about how this card would turn out as I worked with the resist background. I didn't have time to try different colors so I had to go with it. I'm pleased with the results.

Hope you enjoy it, too!

Joyeux Noel

I posted this card to Artistic Outpost's blog yesterday. I had stamped & colored this image from Artistic Outpost's Snowy Woods set several months ago. It's one of the first images that I colored with my Copic markers. I thought it would be a quick start to a card..........well, it wasn't really quick because I took photos along the way so I could show you some of my steps.

I first created the torn paper that I used as a background mat.

Here's the how-to:

I started with some lightweight Kraft packing paper......already wrinkled. Great way to recycle! I wadded it into a ball to get more wrinkles and then smoothed it out again.

Next, I rubbed Distress Peeled Paint over the wrinkles using the pad directly on the paper. I dried the ink with my heat tool and wadded it into a ball again.

Then, I added Vintage Photo.........


More ink..........Brushed Corduroy this time.....


...........again with Aged Mahogany......

Next, I sprayed on color.......... I mixed 1 dropper of Brushed Corduroy & 1/2 dropper of Scattered Straw in a Mini Mister with water.

I dried the first layer with my heat tool and then resprayed it for more color. The paper is wonderfully soft & flexible now, tears great. I have enough for several projects.

Here's some of the steps for the card:

For the card front mat, I stamped the branch with Scattered Straw around the edges of some light tan Bazzil (sorry, I don't know the name). I also added Vintage Photo & Brushed Corduroy to the edges.

I stamped these little parts all at once. I cut out the package & Dec 25 and colored them with Antique Linen, Vintage Photo & Aged Mahogany inks. I drew a red marker line along the string on the package before I distressed it.

I used the smallest Spellbinders Labels Four for the Joyeux Noel. I embossed it & added Antique Linen ink before removing it from the die. I added a narrow dark red edge with permanent marker by keeping the marker tip on scrap paper, touching the label edge as I ran it along the edge.

I used white paper for the card itself.........white is a good base to show true ink colors. Besides, I didn't have a color that seemed right. I have lots of white paper.

I stamped the branch with Vintage Photo first. Then I added branches stamped with Peeled Paint, some once stamped off.

I sprayed all of the inside with the same Distress mixture: Scattered Straw, Brushed Corduroy & water and dried it with my heat tool. I also ironed it to dry & flatten it. The verse is stamped with Ranger Archival ink.......permanent & not water reactive.

I swiped the back of the card over my glass stamping surface that had inks all over it. It sort of got that way by accident so I helped it a little. Then I added Vintage Photo with Cut n Dry foam.

The old fashioned Santa is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black. I colored the Santa & trees with Copic markers: B02, E31, E35, R37, R59, G85, W1. I rubbed Anitque Linen over the whole thing leaving the area around the verse lighter. I added a little Vintage Photo to the edges.

The stamped image is layered on dark red & very dark green Bazzill papers with edges frayed. I tore a piece of my colored Kraft paper to layer underneath. I added 2 pieces of jute, wrapped & glued to the back of card front mat. I tied a knot at the intersection & added a red floss knot. The package, Dec 25 & Joyeux Noel are all mounted on 2 layers of foam tape (the foam is at the end on the label so it fits over the jute).

I added several little branches cut from 2 different punches: McGill & Martha Stewart.

Hope you enjoyed this glimpse of

Creating...my style!

Feel free to email or leave a comment if you have any questions.........

Cosmo Cricket Christmas in July

Today I came across a link for Cosmo Cricket's blog posting on July 8th, Christmas in July.

Check it out! Cosmo Cricket is donating $1 to their area food shelf for every commenter (up to 1000) who will donate a food item to their own food shelf. What a great thing to do! There were 821 comments just a few minutes ago.

I really like Cosmo Cricket papers......this makes me think even more of them as a company.

If you're inspired to give to your local food shelf.........we all know how many people need this help in our economy.......why not comment on Cosmo Cricket's blog, too? Just click HERE!

Have a nice Sunday afternoon!
judy

An Altered Journal

I found this great journal in a dollar store........where everything was not a dollar but multiples of a dollar. I bought several......the quality was great & so was the price. I added them to my stash......some day I would alter them.

A few weeks ago, that some day became reality. I was thinking of writing a journal again.....something I've done off & on since a college writing class....so I pulled this pink one out of my stash.

It would never do like this! Definitely not me!

It had a classic art print glued to the area that's not pink. I peeled it off. I'll add a stamped image or maybe some embossed metal.

........so I started adding color with Aged Mahogany Distress ink...

I started applying it with a piece of Cut n Dry foam from the ink pad. Way too slow........I wasn't getting anywhere. The paper on the cover was so absorbent. Then I used the ink right from the re-inker applied to the Cut N Dry foam. That worked.....lots of color but a little too bright!

I wanted it to be darker so I added Walnut Stain. I mixed it with water in a Mini Mister & sprayed on a light mist. I also applied Walnut Stain & Antique Linen with the foam until I liked the color.


I wasn't going to color the paper on the inside of the cover.........well inky fingers left a few smudges. An incentive for creativity.........how to cover up the smudges. I took the coil & journal pages out.


Then I started stamping........I used this stamp set by Tim Holtz called Slight Alterations. First I stamped the dotted image in the corners using Anitque Linen. Next, I stamped the more solid image using Distress Aged Mahogany to cover the whole inside. Lastly, I stamped the scratches with Walnut Stain. I misted it all with Anitque Linen mixed with water in a Mini Mister to set the ink into the paper, add color & blur the stamping.
It's beginning to look pretty old, don't you think? Exactly what I want!

Next.........a title for the cover out of embossed metal.


First, I cut a cardboard frame to size to fit the blank space on the cover. I laid out my title using Grungeboard letters over some drywall mending mesh all stuck to lightweight chipboard.

Then, I ran it through my Wizard with craft metal.......it embossed beautifully!

I used some of my metal tools to refine the edges around the letters.

I used lightweight spackle to fill in the back of the letters so they won't dent or crush easily. I didn't leave the Grungeboard letters in place. I have those to use on another project.......they just served as a mold.

I folded the metal under to finish all the edges. The embossed title was great but not the color.......way too bright for my vintage looking journal.


Time for black acrylic paint, alcohol inks.......and many applications of color. What a change, huh?

Now it looks more aged........ I added a clear satin spray to protect the color from rubbing off. (Caution: solvent based sprays can change the alcohol inks.) I also sprayed the journal with the same clear finish to protect it.

I added a piece of cotton twill for a marker......it was red until I added Walnut Stain & Aged Mahogany to change the color. Not a permanent color.....water will make it bleed........okay for my journal as long it doesn't get wet. The "listen" charm is from Tim Holtz Ideaology as well as the tiny pins & chain with fastener. I fastened the marker to the coil behind the paper pages.

......the finished journal.......
Whew! That was a long project!

Almost too nice to write in it!!!

Smiles.........

Flowers for You

I created this card with stamps from Cornish Heritage Farms.



I actually started it several weeks ago.........it just didn't go together then. Today, I was sorting through some odds & ends of stamped images and found the stamped & colored flowers & printed & dark green mats already cut. I added a narrow white mat & a red one, too. Although the flowers were already colored with Copic markers, I touched them up a bit by adding more shading. I also added glitter with Spica markers (hard to see in the photo). I stamped the verse & cut it out with a Spellbinders oval tag. I think the DP is from a Basic Grey 6x6 pad.

I pleated the red grosgrain ribbon (stuck together with glue dots) and added Hero Arts pearls. Three strands of pearl cotton are tied together for the little bow. The flower circle & tag are mounted with foam tape.

Have a great day!

-judy

Happy 4th of July

I hope you're all enjoying this celebration of our nation's independence!

I was lucky enough to have Friday off, too, so I'm enjoying a 3 day weekend. This is the first weekend in about a month that we haven't had family visiting or events to attend.........I'm enjoying just being home, catching up a bit on some chores & relaxing.


The best part........I found time to play today.



My inspiration for this card was a tag on a new T-shirt........a great start for a patriotic card.


I trimmed off the top edge to eliminate the hole and the bottom edge just above the perforations (about 1/4").



I then matted it on navy, white, navy & red cardstock. I stamped the greeting from Artistic Outpost's Hero set with Versamark & embossed it with white EP. I used a Spellbinders oval tag die to cut and emboss it. I added the white faux stitching with Ranger's Inkessentials White Gel pen (the best white gel pen I've ever used!) I punched holes at each end and added white eyelets. I threaded a red satin ribbon through the eyelets & tied a "half bow"(only 1 loop). I cut & embossed the little star from glossy white cardstock. Before I removed it from the die, I colored the center embossed star with Copic B39 (use rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer to clean any marker off the die). I attached it to the bow with a Glue Dot.

I love the crispness & boldness of the red, white & blue!

I posted a totally different 4th of July card on Artistic Outpost's blog today. Click here to see a card in military green.

Enjoy a safe & relaxing 4th!