Crystal Sea

I'm extremely busy getting projects completed for Spellbinders....crazy busy!  Besides my June projects, I had extra to do in preparation for CHA and the upcoming Blog Frenzy.  I just submitted the last one a few minutes ago....whew!  Great feeling!

Needless to say, I have not been able to just create for my blog so I went searching through my photos for something to post.  I found this card created with stamps from Artistic Outpost's Beyond the Sea.

The technique is quite simple.  I stamped all the images with Ranger Denim ink, which is waterbased, on white paper.  I used a waterbrush to pull the color from the stamped lines to color areas blue.  Same technique on the music on the card front. 

I used Spellbinders S5-022 Labels Ten with a navy oval cut with Spellbinders S4-138 Petite Ovals LG #3 for the mats behind the girl.  The tan mat has seashells stamped repeatedly over it with Versamark ink.
Except for the cutting, this is a simple card to stamp.  The coloring is very quick.

I'm looking forward to this weekend when most of my big commitments will be done!  I hope to stamp or create something for fun!

Be sure to mark your calendar for the Spellbinder's Blog Frenzy!  It starts on July 13th.  My day is July 14th.  I have a couple great projects that show off one of the new Spellbinders' die templates.  Be sure to stop next Tuesday!

Thanks for visiting!
-judy

Waiting for Me

Somewhere, beyond the sea.......

This is another card created for one of Artistic Outpost's latest releases,  "Beyond the Sea". 
I stepped away from watercolors and used Copics for the image.  See the photo below for colors.

Can you guess how I embossed the background?  Do you recognize the pattern?

If you guessed hardware cloth, you're right!  Yes, I bought a piece of hardware cloth.  I trimmed it to a size just bigger than most card fronts.   I put it through my Wizard with the embossing mat.  Voila! a great pattern.  

 I started with a piece of white card stock which I misted lightly with water and then embossed.  Slight moist paper will take the pattern much better.  I wanted to highlight the pattern so I rubbed Distress Rusty Hinge DTP over the raised pattern.  Then I sprayed  Glimmer Mist over it using Patina, Bubbles and a touch of Juniper. Sometimes the moisture will relax the embossed image too much.  With the ink defining the pattern, the pattern will be visible even if the paper flattens! 

I added some mats and placed it all on a tan card front.  I placed a piece of ribbon across the card and tied a separate bow around it.   The words were stamped on scraps of paper with the same Glimmer Mist on it..

I hope I've inspired you to try some ordinary things around your house to use for embossing.  Ordinary metal screen makes a great pattern, too.  I haven't tried plastic screen.......I think it would work, too, just not quite as defined.  Go ahead, try it!
Happy Day!
judy

Somewhere...

.......beyond the sea!

I chose stamps from "Beyond the Sea" for this card.  These colors come to my mind when I think of the ocean.

First, I stamped the girl and shells on watercolor paper and colored them with watercolors.  I set them aside to dry for a few minutes.  Then, I stamped the card front.  I placed all 4 shells on an acrylic block and stamped them all at once using Versamark ink.....very quick!  For the frame, I placed the #6 Spellbinders Labels Eleven die on my magnetic mat.  Then I aligned the #5 die from Spellbinders Classic Ovals SM on the mat centerd in the Labels Eleven die.  I cut and embossed the frame.  For the brown mat, I cut around the outside of the #6 Labels Eleven die with a craft knife.  The result is a mat just a little bigger than the die cut.......much more even than my free hand cutting!   I added a piece of mesh under the frame across the card front.....I thought it looked a little like net or evern dried seaweed.  It started white but didn't look quite right so I colored it with Distress Pumice Stone and Vintage Photo inks leaving a few white spaces.  The verse is stamped with Ranger Espresso ink.

 I shaped the shells when they were still wet from the watercolor. Each one is mounted with foam tape.   You can see some of the dimension in this photo

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Are you enjoying the new Artistic Outpost releases?  Have you had a chance to check out the work of the other Design Team members?  There are links to their blogs on my post early this morning (just scroll down to the post below).

Thanks for visiting! 
-judy

Three New Artistic Outpost Stamp Sets!

Today, Artistic Outpost is releasing three new stamp sets!  All wonderful collections!

Beyond the Sea was inspired by the Bobby Darin song, “Beyond the Sea”. It features interchangeable main images including the perfect lighthouse, alluring couple, and longing clam digger. Perfect for cards, shadow boxes, and scrapbooking your seashore visits.

Bloom and Grow and Country Life represent two halves of one whole.
Bloom and Grow features more feminine elements including a perfect seed frame that you can use with so many of our stamps.

Country Life includes a little more fun “boy” imagery including the cutest little pig, chickens, and little boy. Mix and match both of these collections together or with our other collections such as Lovely Day and Home.



Enjoy all three collections together for a special price. From now until June 4th, purchase all three sets together for $36, that’s a savings of 15%. Simply use coupon code: SUMMER2010 at the Artistic Outpost website when you check-out.

Now for some inspiration!

This is a card I created with Country Life.  The little pig is just so cute, so realistic.  My Dad raised pigs when I was growing up.  I often helped with chores.  This AO pig has that inquisitive look that is so like pigs!
I stamped the barn and pig separately, of course.  I watercolored each of them. I trimmed the barn along the left edge of the stamped image.  On the right side, I left some extra space and extended the color beyond the image.  The pig hides the edge of image.  The pig is mounted on foam squares to bring it forward.   I stamped the verse, added a touch of brown watercolor and free hand cut it out.  I wanted it to look a little irregular, rough hewn.  It's also mounted with foam squares. 
The red and dark brown paper is from Core'dinations.  I embossed the texture into it by laying a piece of burlap on my Wizard cutting mat.  I misted the paper and placed it over the burlap.  Over that I placed the Spellbinders embossing sheet and 2nd cutting mat.  I ran it through my Wizard just like an Impressabilities.  The texture of the burlap was pressed into the paper.  I sanded it to show the texture and red color.  What a great texture plate!  Or should I call it a texture fabric!
The red mat around the farm is the back side of the Core'dinations paper.  There's also a narrow green mat. The card front is dark brown paper from Bazzill.....I'm not sure of the name. 
I'll post another project using a different new release set later today.  Stop back for more inspiration!
Be sure to visit the other Designers to see what they've created!  I know you won't be dissappointed!   Just click on a name to go to their blog.

Lisa  -  Gerrie  -  Cathy  -  Lynn  -  Shelly  -  Toni

Remember to stop back!

-judy