Monday, August 25, 2014

#WishBig:  Viva Las Vegas Stamps!

 August Challenge

 
 
 
 
I have officially joined the ranks of the only occasional blogger.  Oh, well!  At least I had good intentions.  Chaos ensued shortly after my last blog post, the result was a very sick mother, 3 trips to the hospital and the poor girl has basically gone from independent to dependent overnight.  I'm not even going to try and tally how many trips to doctors I've taken her to in the last couple of months. Let's just say that I am SO glad I enjoy knitting, because I don't think my cardmaking stuff would work well in waiting rooms.
 
On a cheery note, it absolutely MADE MY MONTH when I was flipping through my e-mail one night in the E.R. and found this post from Viva Las Vegas Stamps!  Woo Hoo!!  I can't believe I WON my first time out.  I can proudly display this logo:
 
 
 
AND I've been meaning to try my hand at another of their monthly challenges, but my stress levels have left me rather bereft of any creative juices lately.  Today I finally grabbed a chance to whip something up for their August challenge.  Here is the challenge inspiration photo for this month:
 
 
And you can find the Challenge post HERE.  Go check it out and see what you can come up with!
 
 
Hope you like my project.  It's for my Sister's Birthday--though in her case she might want to #WishYoung ;)
Can you see the Glossy Accents on the window and the Wink of Stella on the Crystal Ball?
 

 
And a little matching Mail Art to send the card in:
 
 
 
 
Stamps used: 
#WishBig from Unity Stamp Company
 
Other supplies for Card:
 
Full Adhesive Post-It Notes for masking
Tim Holtz Stencil 003 Rays
Tim Holtz distress inks in Wild Honey, Ripe Persimmon and Scattered Straw
Tim Holtz Markers in various colors
.5 Copic Multiliner for Zoltar electric cord
Wink of Stella Brush in Clear (for a sparkly Crystal Ball)
Ranger Glossy Accents for the windows of the Zoltar Machine
Stampin' Up Cardstock in Real Red and Coastal Cabana
Neenah Solar White 80 lb. Cardstock
3M Mounting taps (for the sentiment flag)
MyStik Scrapbook Adhesive runner
 
Other Supplies for Envelope:
 
Full Adhesive Post-It Notes for masking
Heidi Swap Polka Dot Stencil
Various colors of Copic Markers for coloring images
Tim Holtz inks in Scattered Straw, Ripe Persimmon, and mustard seed
Clear Wink of Stella Brush Pen for dress and elephant's ball
Glossy Accents for star, ball and medallion
Gold Stampin' Dazzle marker from Stampin' up (elephant's collar)
White Signo Uniball pen for elephant's collar
 
 
Thanks so much for stopping by!!
 
 
 
 

Monday, May 12, 2014

Poppy Parade

 
 
On Day 5 of the Online Watercolor for Cardmakers class--the amazing Swarup Murthy taught us her method of watercoloring stamped images (you can find her blog The Storyteller here).  She may be my new cardmaking hero.  I can't wait to finish this class so I can try this technique again (and again and again!!)  Can you tell I'm excited?  I'm still pinching myself that I made this card and it turned out this well. 

Never in my wildest imagination would I have guessed that I would be able to do something like this when I signed up for this class!  I mentioned in a previous post that I had a traumatic kindergarten coloring incident.  I still have nightmares to this day of my teacher ripping the mimeograph caboose I was coloring out from under my giant red crayon and screaming at me for coloring wrong--I think I was 5 years old. 

And that was pretty much the end of my art career--even though both my mother and my sister are artists.  Ask me to draw a circle or a straight line--ha!  I can't even make stick figures look like stick figures.  BUT look at these Poppies!  I'm in love with this technique.  I'm so glad I told my inner voice to shut up and decided to at least try doing it--because I was absolutely intimidated by it when I first looked at her sample card. 

Love this class!!  Can't wait to see what they have in store for us this week!

And since the Simon Says Stamp!  Wednesday challenge last week includes flowers and Penny Black stamps, I thought I would submit it over there as well.

Stuff used:

Penny Black Poppy Parade wood mounted rubber stamp
Sakura KOI Watercolor set
Claudine Hellmuth Artist Brushes
Strathmore 140 lb. Cold Press watercolor paper
Neenah 80 lb. Solar white Cardstock base
and Fiskars Clear Acrylic Birthday sentiment stamp 

Thanks for stopping by!




 
Look Ma!  No Hands...
 
 
 
My Online Watercolor for Cardmakers Class has been keeping me seriously occupied this last week.  I can't believe how much work it has been.  But wow!  have I been learning a lot.  Keep watching--I'll be posting all my work from week one soon.  But for now I thought I would share this little guy with you.
 
This month's challenge over on the Viva Las Vegas Stamps blog uses this inspiration design using the Whimsical elephant stamp designed by Mary Vogel Lozinak:
 
 
Though I could have used anything in the pic to inspire my design, I didn't take a lot of time thinking about it because I was working more on the watercolor technique.  I think it turned out really cute though.
 
Here's what I did.  First I stamped the Man with Pointed Nose  (also designed by Mary Vogel Lozinak) and then masked his little feet with a post-it note mask (fussy cut), and stamped the Whimsical Elephant.
 
I colored the whole picture with Derwent Inktense Pencils.  I was given these as a gift a couple of months ago and I absolutely adore them!!  I had given them a try a couple of times before this class, but this is the first time I've really gotten serious with them.  And the videos in class really have helped me figure out how to get the most from them.   For me, they are so much easier to use and control than Copic markers. 
 
After I painted everything I added the "Look Ma... No Hands" stamp.  This came on a plate of rubber I bought last year. 
 
Hope you like the result!!  Wish I'd had this card to send my sister when she broke her elbow falling on the ice this winter.  Poor thing! 
 
 
Paper: 
Strathmore 140 lb. Cold Press Watercolor Paper
Stampin' Up Bermuda Bay cardstock
Neenah Solar White 80 lb. cardstock

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Watercolor for Cardmakers: pre-class homework

Online Watercolor For CardMakers Class: 

Pre-Class "Homework"

 
 
I decided to try my hand at an Online card making class.  I've taken craft classes at various times before, from knitting and dyeing to card making.  And while I still enjoy the Stampin' Up demos I regularly attend--I generally find that I learn the most by doing it on my own at my own pace in the peace and quiet of my own craft space.  I will spare you the story of my 'traumatic' kindergarten coloring experience, but that early humiliation by my 'teacher' (and I hesitate to call her that) definitely left me 'artistically challenged' for many many years.  So, I thought it was time to try something a little new--and see what an online class might hold for me.
 
Watercolor?  I must be crazy.  Freehand anything is beyond my ability.  Ask anyone who has been forced to see me draw pie charts or graphs on a chalkboard--they will immediately volunteer my inability to draw a straight line, much less a stick figure human that actually LOOKS like a STICK figure.  BUT... watercolor is forgiving, right?
 
So I thought about it and thought about it and decided to roll the dice and see what happens.  I KNOW I'll learn a lot.  The question is whether I'll actually be able to create anything that looks good enough for anything.  Here is the link to the class description page if you are interested in seeing what it is I've gotten myself into.   
 
I spent this weekend watching all the pre-class videos (several times) and doing what they told me.  Here's what happened: 
 
Step One:  PLAY with my mediums.  Hey!  I can do that!
I dug out all my water solubles, and WOW.   I have a lot more than I thought I did.  Thank you to Mom and Grandma (whom I miss terribly) who have passed along all their craft and art supplies they no longer use.  I found the ones I really enjoyed playing with were the watercolor pencil set that I've never used (72 colors!!  I love color!)  and finding out how well my Stampin' Up markers (I got for half price when the week I hosted stamp club hit $400 sales.  Yippee!)  interacted with water.  I also played with combining some regular water colors with each other to see how well mixed together... can you guess how many times I made a new Brown color?   I had fun playing, anyway!  Check out all the swatches I made up above.  At least you can say I was thorough.  Funny, I just like looking at these.  I LOVE color!  or did I say that already? 
 
Step Two:  Try my hand at a plaid background.  Loved the demo video!  hmmmm... I can do that!
 

 
I used my new set of Sakura Koi Watercolors in the Pocket Field Sketch Box.  I'm really glad I got this set for this class (love Hobby Lobby 40% off coupons!)  Its so cute and compact.   I channeled my inner 80's yuppie by trying Kelly green, pink  and grey.  I don't think I did too badly for my first time!  (from L-R, Top-Bottom in colors--that's 10, 16 & 23 on my swatch chart)  I added a hint of white to my first pink swathes.  Can you tell I ran out of color and had to mix a little more pink? (top and right stripes!)  forgot to add that hint of white again, didn't I?
 
Plaid take 2:
 

 
Thought I'd try using some distress inks here.  NOT so pleased with how this one turned out.  These are my favorite 3 distress colors together:  Mustard Seed, Peacock Feathers and Picked Raspberry.  But, c'est la vie.  Not the right medium for this technique (this is why we play, right?)  Too bright for a background, and no matter how much water I added to these I couldn't tone them down.  I Could have tried using distress markers, yes--I know.  But I just wanted to see how this would work.  On the other hand, it might make an interesting die cut. 
 
Plaid Take 3:
Back to the Sakura Koi.  And I think I like this one best.
 

 
Blue, Yellow and Grey  (on my swatch chart that's 15, 2 and 23)  I like how this one turned out.  I especially like to find out that when I really try--I CAN almost draw a straight line.  After all, it looks better when its NOT perfect, right?
 
 
 
Tomorrow is Day 1 of class.  Can't wait to see what it brings!   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Mother's Day!

Mother's Day!


Whew, done ahead of time.  Thanks to the April 2014 Stampin' Up Paper Pumpkin kit and the February 2014 Simon Says Stamp!  Card Kit for inspiration.

 
Here's a close up of the card:
 
 
I used the February 2014 Simon Says Stamp! Card kit for inspiration for the card.  I loved this card kit.  Most of the items included I probably wouldn't have bought on my own--or separately.  But I can't tell you how many cards I've made from this kit.  And I loved the stamp set--super versatile!
Here's what I used from the kit:
 
Cardstock:  Bazzill Candy Hearts
Paint (for the flower centers):  Claudine Hellmuth Blank Canvas Paint  (a mini bottle came with the kit!)
 
I also used some sequins I still have left from the March 2014 card kit: 
 
I also used: 
Stampin' Up markers and ink in Calypso Coral and Wild Wasabi, Ranger Antiquities Embossing Powder in Rose Quartz, and the Happy Mother's Day stamp from the April 2014 Stampin' Up Paper Pumpkin kit
 
 
 
 
 
When I got the April Paper Pumpkin I decided it definitely needed to be used for my Mother's Day gift this year.  But the inside layout inspiration, though cute, was not something I thought my mother would appreciate.  So I grabbed this photo I had on my desk that my Aunt had recently given me, scanned it into my computer, doctored it up a bit, printed it out on glossy photo paper, and put it in the frame.  I then added one of the die cut hearts from the kit with the foam pop ups (already cut in the perfect size!!).  I made the flowers using the Tim Holtz Tattered Flower Garland decorative strip die, and added some loops of twine from the Paper Pumpkin kit behind the flowers, and placed them all down with some hot glue.  I used my handy dandy Martha Stewart letter stamp kit I found at a yard sale to stamp "Mom & Me" onto the same decorative paper I made the flowers from (K&Company "Life's Journey Designer Paper Pad").  And Voila!  A quick Mother's Day gift, finished ahead of time--and I know she'll love it. 
 
 
 
I think I was 4.  I won't tell you what year it was.  ha.
 
I "wrapped" the picture in the paper wrapper that came in the Paper Pumpkin kit, and made another paper wrapper to go in the opposite direction from the K&Company paper pad.  I decided to save the linen ribbon that came with the kit and use some pretty ribbon that (one of)  my Stampin' Up Pusher... enabler...Demonstrator (!!) gave to me--(Debi--Love her!  I stamped the Happy Mother's Day stamp in Bermuda Bay on one of the white tags that came with the kit, added one of the hearts, and tied it on with some of the kit twine.  I love it when everything is all handy in one place! 
 
All ready for next Sunday.  Hope Mom likes it...  As well as the yummy dinner out my brother and I have planned for her!
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Peace on Earth: Masking Part One



Peace on Earth:  Masking Demo Part One

 
My stamping club asked me to do a demo on masking on this past Saturday.  Here is what I came up with.  The group seemed a little overwhelmed when they first saw the card, but we took it one step at a time and by the end they realized it wasn't that difficult after all.  Hope they all had fun. 
 
Here is what we did:
 
 
First, I cut the card base 8½” by 5½” at scored it at 4¼” for top folding card. I used some Stampin' Up Midnight Muse cardstock.  So sad this has been discontinued.  I love this color.  You could try some Night of Navy though, probably just as close.   


 
 
Next I cut a piece of white paper for the middle matte to 5¼ x 4” and set this aside.  I used some Whisper White cardstock for this.  Then I cut a piece of Naturals White cardstock to 5”x3¾”.  This is the piece I stamped on.  I found the natural white color was more subdued than the whisper white (too bright).  giving the unstamped foreground portion more of the appearance of real snow.




 
  
Now on to the stamping and masking.  First I stamped the snowman on bottom right corner of naturals white cardstock in black ink.  The Snowman I used was from the Stampin' Up set "Best of Snow"-- this was a limited edition and no longer available.  Sorry!  But any snowman will do, there are lots of them out there.  I used the Ranger Archival Ink for the snowman--I like this because it doesn't smear when I'm coloring in markers later.  I also stamped the snowman onto a piece of masking paper.  I like to use post-it paper--its cheap and easy.  I store my masks with my stamps and can usually get two or three cards out of a mask before I end up tossing it.  But then again, post-its are fairly cheap.  AND I found these wonderful full adhesive Post-It Label Pads at Staples as well as some regular size Post-It notes with full adhesive.  I love them!!
 
 
 
There are other options for masking-- You could use Liquid Frisket that you paint over the image and then peel off later.  Or, Inkadinkado has a Masking paper that I'd like to try one of these days.  I have tried the Tim Holtz clear masking sheets and I really like them.  They should last a long time, saving me from having to fussy cut masks all the time, but they are more expensive than Post-Its and tend to fall off if you are trying to put a wet watercolor background on your project.  They would have worked fine for this project, but as there were so many of us chopping up masks on Saturday, Post-Its were definitely the cheapest way to go.   
 

 

Next I fussy cut the snowman out of the Post-It masking paper—making sure to cut just barely inside the lines in an attempt to avoid getting a "halo" around my image.  I placed this over snowman on the cardstock.  (I didn’t bother with the stick arms.  They were too small to worry over and images stamped over top probably won’t show anyway. 

 

Next I stamped the tree background stamp (Lovely As a Tree from Stampin' Up) over the snowman (I used Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip ink for this).  I still ended up with a little bit of a “halo” around my snowman's hat—so I just went in with a brown colored marker and drew in some tree limbs to fix it.
See my halo around the left top of the snowman's hat?


 
There.  Easy fix with a brown marker:

 
I also stamped the tree image two more times onto masking paper—one with more foreground not worrying so much about the tops of the trees, and one with the tops of the trees not worrying about the foreground.

 
 
Next I used a punch to cut a 1½” circle “moon” from masking (post-it) paper and placed it on tmy paper above (some overlap) the stamped image of the trees.  I kept the negative of the circle to use later.  

 
 
Next I fussy cut the ground out of one of the masks—cutting at the top of the ground--cutting the trees off.   And, as long as I was at it, I fussy cut the trees out of the other stamped image and set this aside.  Save your Post-It scraps!!    They come in handy to hold things down later.


I positioned the ground mask under the trees and used Post-It scraps to fill in the edges.   Using the post-its hanging over the edge helps keep your paper in place while you are working too!  Extra benefit.





Now its time for the night sky.  I used sponge daubers to ink four different shades of blue for the sky.  I started with lightest color of blue all over card including over the trees that were showing.  It's winter, so the sky will show through the leave-less trees, so the ink can go over these trees completely.   

Sky with Tempting Turquoise


 
 Then I moved on to next darker blue and inked the top 2/3 or so of card.  I used Island Indigo:

 
Then I used the next darkest blue from the top to slightly above where I stopped last color.  I used Pacific Point

 
Finally I used the darkest ink on the very top of card so the darkest part of sky is on the top.  The area of the sky just above the ground is the lightest since the moon reflecting off the snow will make that part of sky the lightest.  I used Midnight Muse for the darkest color:

 
I then went back over everything with the lightest ink (Tempting Turquoise) in order to blend all the colors together:

 

LEAVE ALL MASKS IN PLACE!!    I placed the final mask of trees and added scraps along edges. 


 

I then die cut a stencil out of acetate from the Simon Say’s Stamp! Falling Stars Die (I cut it twice, side by side to make it longer) and then taped it over the cardstock with some blue painter's tape.  Then I sponged some White Craft Ink over it and let it dry thoroughly (this ink smears easily until it dries, and it takes longer to dry--so I hit mine with a heat gun to help it along.  In group, we just took a Subway break.)  If you use a heat gun to speed the drying--be careful not to heat the post it's too long or you will have some glue transfer from the back of the post-it notes.  I carefully took off all the masks and then used the heat gun so I didn't have to worry about this.



 
Take off all the masks, lets see what we've got:

 
Yay!


Almost done.   Then I placed the negative of the moon over the formerly masked moon area and used sponge daubers to color.

 
I used three different inks.  I started with Daffodil Delight:

 
 
Then added some Crushed Curry to the right side:


And finished it off with some Tangerine Tango.  I then went back over it with the Daffodil delight to blend everything together.  




 

Finally—I colored my snowman and added some shadows with markers.  I finished it off with my  Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush all over the snow, snowman and the trees to make it look like frost.  And then I decided to do the stars too to give them some twinkle--though you can't really see it in the last pic.  I also picked the first sentiment my hands fell on and stamped it on the lower left (Peace on Earth from the Tim Holtz Simple Sayings stamp set).  But I found a "Merry Christmas" stamp I liked better before I headed off to class. 


I finished off the card by layering the stamped card onto the Whisper White piece and then putting them both onto the card base.  

 
 
 
 
There.  Wasn't that easy?  hee.
Hope the group had fun on Saturday.
Stay tuned for Masking Part II.  I'll show you some of the other samples I brought with me to class and discussed.
 
Thanks for stopping by today!