Category Archives: General Cards

Distress Oxide Watercolor Florals

  • Inks – Ranger Distress Oxides:
    • Background – Squeezed Lemonade, Peacock Feathers, Twisted Citron
    • Flowers – Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick, Wilted Violet, Lucky Clover
    • Sentiment – VersaFine Clair: Medieval Blue
  • Stamps –
    • Hero Arts – F2665 – “A Real Field Wildflower” and H3259 – “Real Fuchsia”
    • Avery Elle – “Loads of Wishes”
  • Die – Spellbinders Nestabilities
  • Metallic embellishments – made with Imagine “irRESISTible” Silver Pico embellishing drops
  • Cardstock –
    • BoBunny Ocean Double-Dot
    • Neenah Solar White

It was fun to pull out these wood-mounted stamps that I’ve had for years (copyrights on the stamps are 2003 and 2005, when I most likely purchased them)! I started out by making the backgrounds with Distress Oxide inks and water in some of my favorite color combinations. Then I applied ink directly to the rubber stamps and spritzed them with water, then stamped onto the backgrounds. These stamps lend themselves well to a watercolor effect. For a clean and simple card, I just added a die-cut (split one between the two cards), and stamped a sentiment. For a final flourish, I added some subtle bling with the irRESISTible drops and mounted onto a white card base. Thanks for visiting.

Challenges:

Always Fun Challenge #56 – Flowers

Crafty Friends Challenge #82 – Flowers

 


Hello with Distress Oxide Background

  • Stamps – Honey Bee Stamps “Zen Floral”
  • Dies – Honey Bee Stamps Honey Cuts “Zen Floral” and “Hello”
  • Inks – Ranger Distress Oxides: Peacock Feathers, Worn Lipstick and Squeezed Lemonade
  • Copic markers
  • Cardstock scraps
  • Sequins – Simon Says Stamp “Moonshine”

For this card, I used this floral stamp set in two different was. First I created the background, beginning with covering a piece of watercolor paper with Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide ink, direct to paper. This ink covers the paper so smoothly and thoroughly with just a few swipes! I then stamped the border stamp from the Zen Floral set with another color of the oxide inks with a spritz of water, which activates the ink. I used Worn Lipstick ink for the top border and Squeezed Lemonade on the bottom. I then cut the “Hello” die-cuts and stamped and colored more flowers using Copic markers, picking up the colors in the borders. I arranged the flowers and sequins around the greeting. Ta da! Thanks for stopping by.

Challenges:  Happy Little Stampers – April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

 


Chipmunk assisting Fairy

 

  • Stamps –
    • Designs by Ryn “Faeries”
    • The Cat’s Pajamas
  • Dies –
    • Elizabeth Craft Designs “Stitched Squares”
    • Spellbinders Shapeabilities “Little Leaf Sets”
    • Spellbinders Nestabilities “Labels Seventeen”
  • Patterned papers – BoBunny “Chiffon Vintage” and Pink Paislee “Back 2 School”
  • Cardstock – Bazzill
  • Copic markers
  • Ranger Distress Inks – Walnut Stain, Peeled Paint and Spiced Marmalade
  • Wink of Stella

I’m not always attracted to images with fairies, but I really liked this one with a fairy and a chipmunk! I’m sure that’s a big surprise to those of you who are familiar with my critter infatuation! I colored the image with Copic markers and edged all of the die-cut elements with Walnut Stain Distress ink. I colored the leaf die-cuts with Distress inks as well. I added a couple of layers of sparkle to the fairy’s wings with the Wink of Stella pen for the glitter effect. Thanks for stopping by.

Challenge: Get Creative Challenges – Challenge #67- Fantasy, Mythological


Iris – Thinking of You

  • Stamps –
    • Penny Black “Allegro” (iris)
    • Avery Elle “Loads of Wishes” (sentiment)
  • Patterned paper – Creative Imaginations Christine Adolph “Beautiful You” 6 X 6″ paper pad
  • Cardstock – Bazzill

I made this simple card featuring stamped iris. The colored ink was applied to the stamp with Marvy markers. I then added the sentiment at the base of the card. I mailed this card to a friend of a friend in Scotland, who is soon to be undergoing cancer surgery and treatment. Wishing Sandra only the best. Thanks for visiting.

Challenge: A Gem of a Challenge #213 – Spring Flowers


Cards for the Troops: Squirrels and Such

Supplies:

  • Patterned papers – My Mind’s Eye “Indie Chic” 6 X 6″ paper pad
  • Dies –
    • Impression Obsession “Squirrels”
    • Simon Says Stamp “Smile Circle”
    • Spellbinders Nestabilities “Standard Circles Large”
  • Cardstock – Neenah Solar White and Kraft

I’m helping a friend put together a box of cards to send to a military unit so they can send cards home to their friends and family, similar to what we used to do for Operation Write Home. A group of us are challenging each other to use sketches, use up supplies, and so on. I created these three cards using a sketch from the Operation Write Home days. Here are a few of the cards I’ve made with this sketch so far. Thanks for stopping by.

 

 


Cerebral Squirrels: Thinking of You

  • Dies –
    • Memory Box “Busy Squirrels” and “Playful Squirrels”
    • Simon Says Stamp “Maple Leaf Corner”
    • Creative Expressions Craft Dies “Atlantic Ocean Collection – Cape Verde”
  • Stamp – Inkadinkado Personal Expressions “Expressions”
  • Ranger Distress Inks
  • Cardstock – Bazzill

I enjoy making Fall cards. When October begins, I think of leaves changing colors, my birthday (hee hee), pumpkins, and squirrels scampering. So I decided to make a card featuring squirrels scampering among the Fall leaves. I’ll probably send this to my son at college, who enjoys all things squirrel.

For this card, I die cut all of the Memory Box pieces from white cardstock and then used Distress Inks to color them. I cut the maple leaf die in the corner twice so I could inlay the contrasting color in some of the leaves. All of the supplies I used for this card have been in my stash for a long time, particularly the sentiment stamp that appears to be made in 2006! Thanks for stopping by.

Challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – Simon Says Thinking of You (featuring Memory Box)

Simon Says Stamp Flickr Group – Challenge #82 Fall is in the Air

 

 


Watercolor Butterflies – Hello

  • Stamps – Penny Black “Butterfly Trio”
  • Die – Technique Tuesday “Crocus” set
  • Enamel dots – Teresa Collins Designs
  • Zig Clean Color markers
  • Watercolor paper
  • Cardstock

After stamping the butterflies onto watercolor paper, I began watercoloring the background for this card using ink from the Zig Clean Color markers and a waterbrush. I added layers of color until I was happy with the look. Then I colored the butterflies with the markers and waterbrush  as well, and added the die-cut and dots. Thanks for visiting.

Challenge: Happy Little Stampers October Watercolour Challenge

 

 


Smiling Laurel Burch Cat

  • Stamps –
    • Stampendous Laurel Burch “Indigo Cats”
    • Justrite Papercraft, Inc. “Winged Vintage Labels Two & Three”
  • Stencil – from Stampendous Laurel Burch “Indigo Cats” set
  • Dies – Stampendous Laurel Burch “Indigo Cats”
  • Ranger Texture paste – transparent matte
  • Ranger Distress Oxide inks: Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feathers, Faded Jeans, Broken China
  • Ranger Wendy Vecchi Mica ink spray – Buttercup
  • Copic markers
  • Sequins – Doodlebug Designs
  • Bristol and Cardstock

This is a card I entered in the Oregon State Fair Paper Arts competition and it won a first place in the mixed media category. Yay, me! I spent a lot of time layering the Distress Oxide inks and texture paste. The stamp set comes with a stencil that I used, that matches the geometric shapes in the cat stamps. I added the mica spray ink for some shine and contrast.  I colored the cat and butterflies with Copic markers, attached them to the background and finished if off with sequins to repeat the yellow from the spray. I really enjoyed making this card and playing with such a variety of media. Thanks for visiting.

Challenge: Crafty Awesomeness Challenge September 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 


Eclipse Day: Sunny Wishes

  • Stamps – Darcie’s set JCS165
  • Dies –
    • My Favorite Things Die-namics #466 – “Sun, Moon & Stars”
    • Little B “Circles”
    • Spellbinders Edgeabilities “Classic Ric Rac”
  • Patterned papers
    • Echo Park “A Perfect Summer: Chevrons”
    • KaiserCraft Ubud Dreams (from 6-1/2″ paper pad)
  • Sequins – Doodlebug Designs
  • Cardstock – Paper Accents

In honor of the solar eclipse we experienced here in the path of totality, I made a card featuring the sun! I used a stamp set I’ve had for a number of years by Darcie’s. It was fun to repeat the sun’s rays with the die-cut from My Favorite Things and repeat the chevron from the paper with the die-cut made with the Spellbinder’s Ric Rac die. The sequins are an iridescent yellow, but they look pretty orange in the photo. Thanks for stopping by.

Challenge: Happy Little Stampers – August Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

 

 


Give Me Coffee…

  • Stamps – The Cat’s Pajamas “Big Cups”
  • Dies – The Cat’s Pajamas “Scalloped Duo Dies”
  • Stencil – Stencil Girl Products S319 – “Scribble Blooms”
  • Inks – Ranger Distress Oxide inks: Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade, and Worn Lipstick. Ranger Distress Inks: Mustard Seed and Dried Marigold
  • Patterned paper – My Mind’s Eye
  • Cardstock – BoBunny and Bazzill
  • Copic markers

I created the handmade background using Distress Oxide inks through a stencil and repeated the Summer colors with papers and Distress inks. The penguin was colored with Copic markers and popped up to add dimension. The sentiment stamp and the penguin are from the same set from The Cat’s Pajamas–I always like the sentiments! I am pleased to participate in the 2017 Summer Coffee Lover’s Blog Hop. Thanks for stopping by.