A MIM Birthday

I found several very cool sketches last week on a OWH blog hop and I've been working my way through them for the last few days.  Combined with this weeks Make It Monday video about stamping on patterned  paper and I think I've found a fabulous combination for a birthday card.

 I haven't used my TCP stamps in a while and this little birthday bunny is one of my faves.  I started with a Tempting Turquoise card base, then used Raspberry Fizz card stock and dotted patterned paper.  I didn't want to introduce too much color since the raspberry is so bright so I layered the patterned paper with white card stock to set it off but not be too busy.

I used a circle embossing folder for the background layer and added a hint of Delightful Daffodil to make the focal layer pop against the bright pink.    The present stack was colored with Copics: Y13, Y15, BG05, BG07, RV17 and RV19.  The bunny was colored with the Fine Linen copic trio of PTI.

I stamped the sentiment from Think Big Favorites #12 using True Black ink and finished off the sketch using a lot of white twine.

Thanks for stopping!

Make It Monday Sunday Sketch

I had an idea for this week's OWH Sunday Sketch and when I saw the PTI MIM video I thought ... hmm ... I bet you could combine those.

It took a little more work than I had anticipated because I didn't think through the whole design before starting, but in the end I like how it turned out

 I'll focus first on the sketch.  You can see the pocket insert beneath the card in this picture

I used my new Summer Camp DSP and my Postmarks stamp set as Ashley Cannon Newell did for  a release project (scroll down it's the last project in the post).  This combination is honestly what tipped me over the edge for buying this patterned paper.

For the vertical piece, I added a strip to the back of the pocket as well as the front.  With the insert removed it looks like 1 piece but with it in, there's a break, but a visual line between them.

I stamped the Special Delivery wings in River Rock ink on white CS then cut them out using a hobby blade. I really don't like doing that (too tedious) but  think the result was well worth the effort.  I used the postage stamp die and then stamped the outer frame in Always Artichoke, the inner frame in Always Artichoke (2nd gen), the bee in River Rock and the post mark in Early Espresso.  The sentiment is from Men Of Life.

 Here is the card with the pocket insert in place.  The airmail strip is also from the Postmarks set and I stamped it in Early Espresso (1st and 2nd gen)

The pocket card base I stapled together.  Tried sewing but, well, yeah I stapled :)

Thanks for stopping!!


Supplies:
Stamps: (PTI) Postmarks, Men Of Life
Ink: (SU!) Early Espresso, River Rick, Always Artichoke
Patterned Paper(PTI) Summer Camp
Card Stock:(SU!) River Rock, Early Espresso, Basic Black, Whisper White
Other: Postage Stamp die (PTI)

MIM: Doubled sided stamped die cuts

I really liked Erin Lincoln's tutorial on the Make It Monday video.  I have the Leaf Print stamps and dies, but wanted to try some of the other ones I had to see how well they worked with the technique (plus I was copying a lot of Erin's sample card so I thought I ought to do a little something original :).

I found the Happy Trails butterfly was perfectly symmetrical ....

I used a slightly shortened white card base to start with and stamped the BB:Gingham in Lcky Limeade.  I die cut the Limitless Layers Ovals using Lucky Limeade and White.  For the butterfly I die cut it from white then stamped in Wisteria Wonder. on both sides of the cut out.

 I used Take Three: Winter for the sentiment.

Here is a picture of the underside of the butterfly

Thanks for stopping!

CPS 251 and Make It Monday: Ghost Mask

I had an idea for the CPS this week.  An awesome idea, then I saw the MIM video while I was waiting for my daughter at the dentist (LOVE my smart phone) and my awesome idea got awesomer ... combine the 2 challenges this week into 1 utterly amazing pile of paper awesome-ness.

That didn't work out.  I tried 5 times to make it a reality.  My biggest problem was that the dies I have with matching sets cut the dies bigger than the stamp and so the masking overflowed the stamped frame and that just sort of blew the effect in my mind.

Then this morning - bright and early - I realized I didn't have to use a die ... I just drew lines in and cut the vellum mask to fit it ... a dream of argyle later and voila ....

I must confess it took me a couple of attempts to get the argyle right ... I ended up printing a picture off and using that as a guide.  It seemed beyond me this morning without the help.

I used a harlequin impression plate for the card base to carry the pattern over subtly to the rest of the card.

Stamps are all PTI: A Little Argyle and Flower Fusion 6 (sentiment).
Colors are Smokey Shadow, True Black and Raspberry Fizz (also PTI)
Thanks for stopping!

MIM: A La Carte

This week's Make It Monday is a recap of 2011 - pick your poison so to speak .... Choose a MIM from 2011 that you did't get to try or maybe your fave from the year.

I opted for #12 - Making your own frames.  I default to my Framed set far too often.  I know its not difficult doing the frame but it always seemed to take too long - until Nichole Heady showed a few simple tricks to making frames quick and easy

I started by doing all the stamping.  I could have drawn the frame around the medallions as well but I like the depth it gives have the line be over the medallions, but cut off by the sentiment.

Thanks for stopping!!

Hello Card Supplies:
Ink: So Saffron, Tangerine Tango, Cherry Cobbler [SU!]; True Black [PTI]
Paper: White [PTI]
Stamps: Mehndi Medallion , Think Big Favorites 3 [PTI]
Other: Black art marker

MIM: Tags from Dies

I love when technique tutorials show you new ways to use things.  I went to a stamping conference once upon a time and one of the classes was 20 things you can do with markers.  The presenter said you should be able to come up with 10-20 things that you can do with something to make sure that you aren't just impulse buying.  I found that to be sage advice.  One day I will follow it :D

So at least now I have another thing I can do with my dies ... make tags !!

I actually made a couple of different ones because they were so stinkin' simple:

First up is a snowflake tag for my nephew.  I decided to go grungy for his birthday card and present tag this year.  I first cut the snowflake with the fold, then a full one.  On the full one I spritzed with Silver Foil, Blue, and Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz.  I then over-stamped with the Grunge Me set using True Black

 See the sparkles ... so shiny, but also "boy" since its graffiti :)

 The second tag is super simple, I used Tag Sale 5, Background Basics: Circles and In the Meadow.  I offset the full tag a little to show the white underneath.

Thanks for stopping!

Vacation Project #6 - One Last Christmas Card

While vacation isn't officially over until Sunday night, I need to get back on a little bit of a routine tomorrow so I won't be able to spend hours upon hours in my little hideaway.  I made this one last Christmas card using his weeks MIM technique

I started with a 4.25"square Garden Green card base.  I die cut the Mat Stack 3 and Mat Stack 3 Layerz dies using Naturals White and Cherry Cobbler respectively.

I stamped the sentiment in graded shades of Cherry Cobbler.  The deer silhouette was stamped in True Black and the pine tree was in Garden Green (both full strength)

I also added a little glitter to the tree image, to go with the sentiment (tree tops glistening)

All stamps are from In The Meadow.

Thanks for stopping!

Vacation Project #3 - A Christmas Card

I finally got to a Christmas card (new design) today.  I mass produced a few already but I've posted those already so didn't re-post.  This is the first new design I've made so far this week.  I used the MIM Layered Background using Sentiment Stamps technique and paired it with this weeks CPS sketch

For the stamps I used In The Meadow and Background Basics: Music, both from PTI.  I stamped off once with the sentiment then stamped multiple times on the card stock.  I stamped the horse and sleigh in True Black.  I distressed the edges with Cherry Cobbler, Garden Green and Tim Holtz Tea Dye Distressing Ink.

I also added a little bit of glitter to the rolling hills background layer.

Thanks for stopping!

Birthday Card #5

Here is birthday card 5 of 9 for my Aunt's 90th birthday

Its pretty simple but kinda fun especially since this weeks MIM technique was making your own background papers.  I used Simple Circles [SU! retired] and Birthday Bash Sentiments [PTI].  Colors are Aqua Mist, Ocean Tides and Dark Chocolate.  To get the chocolate twine I took my chocolate striped bakers twine and colored it with an E59 Copic Sketch marker.  It filled in the white nicely but if you look close you can still see a bit of a stripe.

Thanks for stopping!

MIM and SFYTT November

Today I got to play with the Make It Monday video (making your own backgrounds with multiple stamps) and the November Sketch For You To Try (early even, thanks to a sneak peek post on FB).

I again made a birthday card for my aunt's 90th birthday card barrage (I just like saying that out loud .... birthday card barrage ... see how that just rolls off your tongue!)

I used the digi stamp I selected as my prize for being Queen of the Hoedown this week from Hambo stamps.  I fell in love with the little penguin the first time I saw him!

I also created a custom dotted background using Polka Dot Basics for both the large white strip and the darker enchanted evening background layer.  I stitched the sentiment layer on with a little zig zg stitch.

I colored the Balloon Penguin using T6 and G99 to simulate black.  The balloon is R24, 29, 59 and the feet and beak are a combo of YR18, 15 12.

The sky was B41 and the "iceberg"  was C1, T1 and T4 along with some colorless blending

Thanks for stopping!

MIM: Frosted Images

I got my latest PTI order in the mail today!  Now to get in the holiday spirit.  I was going to make this card using versamark and chalks but when  saw the MIM video I thought I'd give it a shot.

I used Orange Zest, Summer Sunrise, Enchanted Evening and Pure Poppy.  All I needed was a nice kelly green and this would have been on any Christmas tree of my childhood.   We had the "burn down your house if you aren't careful" lights on the tree for years!  Lent a certain air of adventure to Christmas :)

I over stamped a few of the bulbs after doing the frosted image technique to give a little more presence to the light bulb.  Since the light is supposed to be bright I thought it was a good addition.

Thanks for stopping

MIM and September SFYTT

Its been a while.  First I was busy with a new job, then for the last week I've been without Internet.  Everything is back to normal and I felt inspired by the latest Make It Monday video as well as the September Sketch For You To Try

 The sketch this month was once again mah-velous.  MIM was using acrylic paint to stamp.  It just so happened that I still had some Lumiere (silver acrylic paint) and so I grabbed my A Little Argyle stamps and set to work.

The floral center is Bloom Builders 3 die.  I am having some trouble getting the blooms out and had to use a craft knife to get the pieces out from between the petals.  Some of them come out easy and some are more difficult.  If anyone has a trick to using it I'd love to hear

Colors are Concorde Crush, Whisper White and Basic Black

Thanks for stopping!

MIM: Color Outside The Lines

I loved this weeks Make It Monday video ... permission, nay encouragement, to just scribble.  Gotta love it, especially when it turns out so darn cute!

I decided to take to scribbling on my new acorn stamps, because they just seem so suited to it

As it turned out, while there were a lot of acorn tops in the set, there was just a solid acorn bottom so I had to improvise a little.  I just rolled the edge of the stamp on the ink pad ... I got that little bit of linen look on the opposite corners, which was a surprisingly awesome thing to see when I stamped!

Then I scribbled with the Dark Chocolate and Aqua Mist copic trios (who wouldn't love an aqua acorn, I ask you!?!)

While I was at it I decided to color some chocolate bakers twine too.  Just wedged the twine under the chisel point end of my Sketch marker and pulled it through.  Wasn't looking for full coverage since after all this is about scribbling this week :)

Thanks for stopping!

MIM#26 and the August SFYTT

I'm finally able to breathe a little and so of course I spent my quiet Saturday morning in my craft room, catching up on all the crafty things I've wanted to do all week.

Make It Monday this week was creating layers with cutouts ... sort of drilling down through layers instead of diecutting and layering up.

Since its the first weekend of the month, I also played with the Sketch For You To Try for August ...

 I like how it turned out.  The jar is actually cut out of the Wisteria Wonder layer, then white was adhered to the back of that.  I stamped the pint jar in Wisteria Wonder and bug flight trail in Smokey Shadow.  THEN I die cut the label through the jar, added a second layer of Wisteria Wonder and stamped the label outline and sentiment

The little bee is also from the Friendship Jar Summer Fillers set.  I stamped him in Momento Tuxedo Black and colored with a Y35 Copic Sketch.  I colored the stripe in with a black sharpie and added the top stripe

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies
Stamps: Friendship Jar Summer Fillers, Fillable Frames #8, Friendship Jar, Polka Dot Basics
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Wisteria Wonder, Smokey Shadow
Paper: Temping Turquoise, Wisteria Wonder, Basic Black, Whisper White
Other: Pint Jar die, Jar Label die

Make It Monday: Pockets and Edgers

Today's MIM video was a great tutorial on making pockets with decorative edges.  So often I leave it as a straight edge or just round the corners, but I have these edger dies and I ought to use them right!

I went with a clean and simple design on this card, but I love the pops of color from the stamps

Since its a white on white its a little hard to see everything in the big picture, but the detail shot has ...um, well detail :)

I used the Doily edger to create the top edge of the pocket.  I left the lower edge straight and rounded the corners and matched that to the insert (as an homage to what I usually do and becasue the doily edge was blocking my sentiment). 

I added some texture to the card base using the Polka Dot impression plate.

Ink colors: Raspberry Fizz (PTI) and Lucky Limeade (SU!) and I tied it all up with Pure Poppy bakers twine.

Thanks for stopping!

Make It Monday

Today's MIM video tutorial is multi-color stamping using re-inkers. Essentially you make your own custom ink pad for your stamp using craft foam and re-inkers.  Its much faster than using markers and has pretty much the same effect.

I know its crooked ... I didn't notice that until I took the pictures ... its avant garde ... yeah that's it :)

I've been trying to make more single layer cards for OWH, but I still want them to be interesting.  I thought this technique, combined with a little masking, was both.

I used Framed and Life from PTI for the stamps and Always Artichoke, Crushed Curry, Poppy Parade, Tangerine Tango and Early Espresso for the inks.

Thanks for stopping by!

MIM: Reverse Masking

Its another Make It Monday technique ... this week is reverse masking.  Regular masking is where you cover your stamped image so it looks like other images are behind the central one. Its a great way to create depth in your card. 

Reverse Masking is when you actually cover everything except the inside of the stamped image and them add pattern or colors to the inside.  Watch the video tutorial to get the whole scoop.

I did both kinds of masking on this card and kept it pretty simple in the process

I started out with the paper airplane image from Happy Trails (avionics engineer ... paper airplane .... a natural match :).  I masked the outside of the airplane and all the rest of the card to prevent any smudges and then stamped Background Basics: Newsprint inside the plane image, kinda like the airplane is bringing all the news to whoever gets this card. 

Then I masked over the top of the airplane and stamped the postage stamp image from Road Trip in Pure Poppy.  I added the trail and sentiment (from Happy Trails) and voila ...

Thanks for stopping by!

Make It Monday and CPS 220

I love being on vacation ... I get to papercraft as much and as often as I want.  This week's MIM technique was cracked glass which I LOVE.  It takes a little time so I don't use it often, but hey, I'm on vacation.  Time isn't a factor this week :)

I used this week's CPS sketch as well.  I love when I can get a two-for-one out of a card !  I used a color scheme of aqua mist and ocean tides, along with accents of dark chocolate, lemon tart and new leaf

I rubbed a little dark chocolate ink into the cracks in the embossing to highlight them a little more.  I had thought to also emboss the seed packet frame.  I'm wishing I had now, although I think it still looks good the way it is.

Thanks for stopping!

MIM: Selective Inking

This week's Make It Monday was about Selective Inking ... just inking part of a stamp.  The tutorial focus was taking a 2 line sentiment and making it into a one liner.  You can also do the reverse and and take a long 1 line sentiment and make it 2 lines.  Lots of applications for this technique for sure!

Here's my card:

My oldest niece is having her first baby in July and she and her husband are quite ecstatic!  There wedding was in a celery green with chocolate brown accents.  As a Christmas gift I scrapbooked their wedding weekend in celery green and brown. And now that's the baby shower colors too!

I used the Argyle Impression Plate for the background layer.  I created the plaid layer using Ribbon Tails and Background Basics: Retro  in Certainly Celery, Delightful Daffodil and Chocolate Chip.

I used Fillable Frames #8 for the sentiment layer.  The sentiment itself is from Mega Mixed Messages and started out life as a 2 line stamp.

I added added some Spring Moss buttons tied with dark chocolate bakers twine to the sentiment layer to finish it off.

Thanks for stopping by!

MIM - Impression Plate and Die Cut Tricks

I love this week's Make It Monday - how to use dies to mask out a part of an impression plate.  It makes a great product that much more awesome!

The card Erin Lincoln made was stunning!  I so wanted to copy but I need a more masculine card for my brother's birthday

I used the Argyle Impression Plate and Fillable Frames #9 die to make the card front from Basic Gray card stock.  I sponged some Fresh Snow ink on the edges to set them off a little bit, then die cut and stamped the cupcakes and candles too.

The sentiment is also from the Cupcake Collection set.

Thanks for stopping by!