Category Archives: General Cards
- Stamp – Holly Berry House Originals – Cameroon Scarab
- Stencil – The Crafter’s Workshop (TCW) Balzer Designs – “Mini Spikey Wheels”
- Die – Spellbinders Nestabilities “Fleur de Lis Squares”
- Crystal stickers – white – Mark Richards Ltd.
- Faber Castell Gelatos
I am part of a group of cardmakers who challenge each other to create with different techniques and themes. Currently, we have an insect challenge. I have a number of stamps that have insect images, partly because of my interest in becoming a bugologist at a young age. My parents did try to correct me and tell me that it is ENTOmologist, but it was always going to be BUGologist to me! And I guess I didn’t end up becoming one either. 
For this card I first created the background by covering a piece of multi-media paper with Gelatos in a few colors. I then took a stencil and a baby wipe and removed some of the color through the stencil, leaving the pattern. I then blended it together a little more. I then stamped the scarab onto the background with black Staz-on ink. If you look closely at the detail photo to the right, you can get a little bit of an idea of the texture and sheen created with the Gelatos on the background.
Thanks for visiting today.
Leave a comment | tags: crafter's workshop, die cuts, fauna, holly berry house, spellbinders, stamping | posted in Backgrounds, General Cards, Uncategorized
- Stamps – My Favorite Things “Penguins in Paradise” set
- Die – Spellbinders Nestabilities “Labels Twenty Eight”
- Patterned papers – SEI “Bright Blossom” collection
- Cardstock – Paper Accents
- Copic markers
I colored this cool penguin with Copic markers and cut out the image with the Spellbinders die. I edged the image and the sentiment with a Copic marker matching the flower in the penguin’s drink. The patterned paper picks up the tropical, celebratory mood that the penguin is in. He has the right idea and is ready to kick off Summer this week. Thanks for visiting today!
Challenges:
Addicted to CAS Challenge #90 – Code word: Aloha
Love Handmade Cards Flickr Group June challenge – Diving into Summer
The Paper Players Challenge #300 – Celebration!
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Blog Challenge – Animal Magic
7 Comments | tags: cardmaking, clean and simple stamping, copics, die cuts, fauna, my favorite things, penguins, spellbinders, stamping | posted in Addicted to CAS, Challenges, Coloring, General Cards, Paper Players, Simon Says Stamp, Summer, The Paper Players
- Stamp – Hero Arts K4897 “CardArt Flower Tapestry”
- Patterned papers – Creative Imaginations “Bojo” and My Mind’s Eye “Indie Chic” (6″ X 6″ pads)
- Cardstock – Paper Accents
- Zig Clean Color watercolor markers
- Watercolor paper – Strathmore 140# cold press
I created this card in less than 90 minutes for a challenge at the Hero Arts Flickr Group. I’m mentioning this mainly because the time period is quite a big challenge for me, since I am pretty methodical when I’m designing a card. Periodically we (in this Flickr group) have a timed card making challenge called a Scramble (we have to make the card and post it to the group within that time frame) and this morning we had one with a theme of Summer Fun. Since gardening goes hand-in-hand with summer here in the Pacific Northwest, I selected this older wood-mount stamp from my Hero Arts stash. This card is also fitting for the Simon Says Stamp Blog Monday Challenge: Summer Garden. Thanks for stopping by.
3 Comments | tags: cardmaking, flora, Hero Arts, my mind's eye, stamping, watercolor | posted in Challenges, General Cards
- Stamp – Technique Tuesday – Greenhouse Society Series: Columbine
- Dies – Spellbinders Nestabilities – Labels Twenty
- Border Punch – EK Success – Swiss Cheese
- Cardstock – BoBunny Double Dot – Paprika and Orange Citrus
I colored this image with Sakura Glaze pens and added accent dots with a white gel pen. I created this card for a polka dot challenge, so I went a little crazy with the dotted cardstock and the border punch with lots of dots. We have columbines blooming around here in the summer, so I really like this image. Thanks for visiting.
Leave a comment | tags: cardmaking, die cuts, flora, technique tuesday | posted in Challenges, General Cards, Summer
- Stamp – Ranger – Dina Wakley “Scribbly Birds”
- Patterned paper – Basic Grey – “Urban Luxe”
- Die cut (Hi There) – Basic Grey – “Urban Luxe”
- Twine – American Crafts
- Cardstock
- Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers
First I stamped the bird with black ink and then colored different areas with brightly colored Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers. I applied water with a water brush and blended the colors to complete the bird image. I found some patterned paper in my stash that matched well for the background. I used Freshly Made Sketches Challenge Sketch #237 as inspiration for this card. Thanks for visiting.
3 Comments | tags: cardmaking, clean and simple stamping, fauna, Ranger, stamping, watercolor | posted in Challenges, Freshly Made, General Cards
- Stamps –
- Visible Image – from Flower INKcognito set (free stamp on April Craft Stamper)
- Hero Arts – sentiment from CL738 Messages with Flourish set
- Cardstock – Neenah Solar White
- Inks – Ranger Distress inks: Spun Sugar, Shaded Lilac and Salty Ocean
This card is a quintessential clean and simple one! The flower image, from Visible Image, was the freebie on the cover of the April Craft Stamper magazine. I applied the Distress Ink to the clear stamp that I had mounted on my new Misti with a sponge applicator tool. The Misti allowed me to keep the stamp positioned and apply as much ink additional ink as I wanted. This was a great help in planning for this card. The Craft Stamper Take It Make It Challenge for March is Anything Goes, so this seems quite appropriate for that! I’m also submitting this to the Paper Players Challenge #287 – Celebrate Spring. It has been nice to have a little extra time to create during the last few days! Thanks for stopping by.
5 Comments | tags: cardmaking, clean and simple stamping, distress techniques, flora, stamping | posted in Challenges, Clean & Simple, Craft Stamper, General Cards, Paper Players
- Stamp – Flourishes “Botanical Bookplates Vol. 1”
- Die – Spellbinders for Flourishes “Tailor-Made Classic Bookplate”
- Border punch – EK Success “Scallop Diamond” edger punch
- Twine – Little B – Naturals
- Patterned paper – BoBunny “Secret Garden: Secret Garden Roses”
- Cardstock – Bazzill
For this card I colored the image with Zig Clean Color markers and blended the colors with a water brush. I chose Mojo Monday Sketch #440 to showcase the violets on the bookplate die-cut. I wrapped the background with some natural colored twine to bring out the light color of the trim in the image, tying it all together visually (so to speak!). Thanks for visiting.
1 Comment | tags: bobunny, ek success, flora, Flourishes, spellbinders, stamping, watercolor | posted in Challenges, General Cards, Mojo Monday, Spring
- Dies – My Favorite Things Die-namics “Four Corners” and Spellbinders Nestabilities “Resplendent Rectangles”
- Stamp – My Favorite Things “Pretty Poppies” set
- Embossing powder – Stampendous – Lapis Pearl
- Pearls – KaiserCraft – Denim
- Cardstock – Bazzill and BoBunny
I created this card as part of My Favorite Things Summer School Lesson 11: Repetition. I used dies for the motif I repeated and heat embossed the sentiment with a pearly blue to pick up on the colors used for the dies and background. The dies create a nice rhythm down the card, drawing your eye to the sentiment. I decided to use complementary colors to make the elements pop. Thanks for stopping by.
Leave a comment | tags: cardmaking, die cuts, embossing, my favorite things, spellbinders | posted in Challenges, General Cards
- Papers – Chickaniddy Crafts 365 Collection – “Daily Schedule” and “Measured Memories”
- Stamp – Avery Elle “Oh Happy Day” sentiment set
- Cardstock – Kraft (unknown source)
- Ranger Distress Ink – Pumice Stone
This is a super simple card design because the Chickaniddy Crafts patterned papers are the focus here. I popped up the sentiment panel with dimensional adhesive and applied Distress inks to blend the edges of each element. Thanks for visiting.
Leave a comment | tags: cardmaking, chickiniddy crafts, clean and simple stamping | posted in Clean & Simple, General Cards, Uncategorized
- Stamp – from Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection “Watercolor” set
- Papers – Chickaniddy Crafts “Here’s the Story” (both sides) and “Oh Happy Day”
- Ranger Distress Markers – Citron, Mermaid Lagoon, Broken China, Spun Sugar
- Cardstock – Bazzill
I do enjoy a card sketch with a flag banner! So I found this sketch, Freshly Made Sketches #197, pretty inviting. I was asked to create a card with patterned papers from Chickaniddy Crafts at my local papercrafting store, Runaway Art & Craft Supply. I decided to use the watercolor butterfly as the focal point and selected Distress ink colors that matched the patterned papers. Thanks for visiting.
3 Comments | tags: cardmaking, distress techniques, Stamper's Anonymous, stamping, tim holtz, watercolor | posted in Challenges, Freshly Made, General Cards
penguinpapers 