Many years ago, my sister (-in-law), Judy, Retired2stamp, invited me to a Stampin' Up Party. I was drawn to the 6X6 recipe card swap our local group was doing and had wanted to scrapbook too. I wasn't really interested in card making because I had witnessed my brother (in-law) Ed fold up a handmade card and put it in his pocket. I almost fainted and I didn't even make the card. But after a few parties, I was hooked and now make more cards than I had ever thought I would. My most recent passions are ATCs, tags & altered art. As you look through my blog I hope you can see how I've grown in my crafting ability!

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

April Flowers

This is my tag for The Craft Shack's April Technique Tag Tim Holtz Style Class.  We are re-visiting Tim's past techniques & this month we did distressed enamel from Day 7 of 12 Tags of Christmas 2007.

I did like the green Tim used, so following his instructions I smooshed Shabby Shutters over a #10 tag, then clear embossed before the ink dried.  Once cool, I went over it with Frayed Burlap.  I just love the enamel look.

Since the background was something "old", I decided to go with everything new for the image on the panel!  I stamped a flower from Tim's Illustrated Garden on another tag using Wilted Violet & Peeled Paint Oxides then clear embossed it.  After it cooled, I blended Frayed Burlap over top then stamped the sentiment from the Good Thoughts Set in Jet Black Archival Ink.  I cut it out then distressed the edges before matting it in black.  I added a photo corner then popped it up on the background.  Just love how the Oxides look!

To embellish, I used "4" from the Mini Numerals & since it was shiny I toned it down with Hickory Smoke Paint.  I also painted the Numbered Brad "17" (because yesterday was 4/17) so it would stand out on a piece of Thrift Shop Ephemera.  I added a Word Key & an ornate corner painted with Hickory Smoke too.  The butterfly was inked with Wilted Violet & spritzed with water.  The crinkle ribbon was inked with Wilted Violet & Peeled Paint.  When I made the fluffy bow I mixed jute string in to give it a little more interest.


Monday, April 17, 2017

Butterfly Sympathy

This was my shoebox project for a recent Splitcoaststampers get together in Ilion, NY.  I got the idea from a card I saw on Pinterest by Patsy Collins.  The layout is the same but I used a different stencil, colors, & I stamped a flower instead of using a die cut.  I thought it was a very pretty card & decided on using a sympathy sentiment & verse instead of making a birthday card.  The photo doesn't do it justice either!

To make the background, I used a little trick I saw Jennifer McGuire do by putting Glad Press 'n Seal around a small bread board with the sticky side up.  This will keep the cardstock in place without having to hold it or use adhesive.

The SU Whisper White background was done by blending Cracked Pistachio in the center of Tim Holtz's Latticework Stencil then adding Antique Linen, around the outside of the cracked pistachio & a little in the middle.

Next using my Misti, I stamped a flower from Tim Holtz Wildflowers using Peeled Paint & Dried Marigold Markers & a sentiment from SU Love & Sympathy set with a VersaFine Onyx Black Mini Ink Pad.

The dots are from SU Gorgeous Grunge & randomly stamped in Antique Linen.

I decided to use one of the butterflies from Tim Holtz's Mini Detailed Butterfly Dies cut in SU Whisper White with SU Vellum underneath.  I added a Zva Mini Taupe Pearl on the butterfly.

It was a quick & easy card...hope you give it a try.  TFL!

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Flowers in Bloom

This project was for a swap at a recent Splitcoaststampers event in Ilion, NY.  The swap was a "No Sentiment" card front which I thought would be easy but it IS difficult not to use a sentiment!
The flowers from Sweet n Sassy Flowers in Bloom stamp set (& there's a matching die!) are stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black Ink on SU Whisper White.  It was colored with Copic markers (R85, R83, B21, B97, G94, G99 & E25) & brushed with Clear Wink of Stella. Once the image was cut in thirds & matted, they were adhered to a 5 X 3 3/4 piece of SU Whisper White that had been embossed using TH Bricked EF. The black jute & tiny black jewels were added as accents then adhered to the 5 1/4 X 4 SU Basic Black card front.  It's already to be added to a cardbase of choice!

TFL!

I 💖Philly!

I have a lot going on this month so I needed this project to serve 2 purposes...the The Craft Shack's monthly recipe club & a swap at a Splitcoaststampers event in Ilion, NY.  This is a recipe I saw on FB & not sure who to give credit to but it is delic!



The Hero Arts Silly Scape stamp isn't as wide as the 5 3/4 SU Natural cardstock so I used my stamp-a-ma-jig.  First I stamped the image in Jet Black Stazon on acetate then used a stamp-a-ma-jig to position it on the cardstock, removed the acetate & stamp the image in Coffee Archival Ink.

I moved the acetate to the left & lined it up with the 1st image I stamped.








Removed the acetate & stamped the 2nd image.









Exactly what I was looking for.








The roof tops of the buildings were colored with Copics (R29, B00, B95, G24, Y02) & Glossy Accents was put on the face of the clock.  The TPC Studio So Delish Everything but the Kitchen Sink DSP was bumped up to the natural CS & taped on the back.  The seam is covered with a strip of SU Baja Breeze CS & matching SU ribbon over it then adhered to the SU Chocolate Chip base.  The 2 1/4" letters were cut in SU Chocolate Chip & Baja Breeze using Cricut's Cursive 101 cartridge.

The spatula is from a Studio G stamp set & was stamped in Archival Coffee & SU Baja Breeze inks then embossed with WOW Clear EP.  Its fussy cut out & adhered under the "Y".  I added Zva Taupe Pearls on 3 of the corners of the recipe.

Well thanks for looking & hope you visit next month!

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Happy Birthday Cupcake!

I made 2 more birthday cards that light up for my friends Sally & Jeannette.  I've decided to make one for each of the Giggler's so by the end of the year I'll have made 16 of them (13 more to go!).  Even though I used a simple circuit I had a hard time wrapping my head around connecting the positive side to the battery.



I cut 2 pieces of CS & finished the card front.  I measured to determine where to place the light, marked the 2nd piece & stamped the candle.  I drew a diagram so I'd know where to put the copper tape & battery. I cut 1/8" off each side of the back CS so it wouldn't show when I put it together.  The copy paper at the right is for the battery.


I adhered the copier paper then placed the copper tape over my diagram leaving a gap where the light will go.







I placed the LED sticker over the copper tape making sure the positive & negative marks on the sticker touched the correct sides.  Using a glue dot I added the battery negative side down over the negative side of the copper tape.  There are 2 layers of dimensionals around the battery which are slightly higher than the battery & so the positive side of the copper tape doesn't touch the battery unless it's pressed.  The skin" of the top dimensionals were left on so it doesn't stick to the copy paper.



I then folded the copier paper over the battery to test the light before I finished putting it together.
I placed a dimensional strip around the outside & a few towards the top for stability before adding to the card front.














Here's the finished card.  I probably didn't need to but I stamp, colored & cut out the icing again so I could pop it up.

They are definitely fun to make.  Check out Chibitronics for more ideas on making these cards.

TFL!










SUPPLIES:  Chibitroncis-LED Stickers, copper tape; Cardstock-SU Pretty In Pine, SU Whisper White; Ink-Memento Tuxedo BlackVersaFine Onyx Black, Stamps-SU Sprinkles of Life, SU Perfectly Penned; Markers-Copics R81, R83, R85, G12, G14, Y06, Tombow Light Gray; Embossing Folder-SU Framed Tulip; Battery-Sony CR2032 Lithium 3V; Deminsionals-SU Strips, Scrapbook Adhesives Foam Squares.







Thursday, April 6, 2017

Eggstravaganza

Got together with my peeps at The Craft Shack last week to make alcohol ink Easter eggs.  We followed Tim Holtz's instructions to make these lovelies!














All you need are various colors of alcohol inks, alcohol ink mixatives a blending tool, alcohol ink blending felt & white plastic eggs!  You might want blending solution too just in case you want to change the color on the eggs or need a little clean up.

So simple just put the 1 or more inks & a mixative on your felt, tap, tap, tap on the egg (do half of the egg at a time), dry, add 1 or 2 of those inks that you want to stand out to the felt, swipe to show a little white on the egg then tap, tap, tap again & dry.  Voila!