Tag Archives: Art Impressions

You’re One in a Melon

Yesterday was my mom’s 90th birthday! Happy Birthday, Mom! Mom checks my blog every day, and luckily my Instagram feed shows up here so she generally sees something new! I have great intentions of updating my blog more often, it just doesn’t always seem to happen. But I digress.

So when trying to decide what I should do to make Mom’s birthday card special, I remembered an Art Impressions stamp and die set I bought several years ago that featured a raccoon that comes together in a cute tri-fold card. So I dug it out and the rest was history.

Card Front

I began by creating the card base from a 4-1/2″ X 11″ piece of white cardstock and folded it into thirds, which is 4-1/2″ tall by 3-5/8″ wide when all folded. I stamped the fruit stand on the front of the card with Memento black ink. I die-cut the window with the die provided.

Inside flap

I then lined up the smaller window box layer with the main fruit stand on the front and stamped and die cut that image.

Center and inside of tri-fold card

So then for the Pièce de résistance, the star of the card: the raccoon. I stamped him, again lining up the other windows so he can be seen peaking through. I colored all of the images with Copic markers and then decorated the card very simply with strips of patterned paper from Photoplay.

Side-view showing the awning and the nested images

Why a raccoon? Well, Mom has a soft spot for the little critters and every year at about this time, they visit her rural home to see if there might be little spare cat food left out on the porch. (For the record, her two cats eat inside!) She keeps her distance and they end up going away once their babies are able to take care of themselves. The babies are extremely cute! Anyway, she could have worse vices/hobbies and after all these years we still haven’t had to bail her out of jail or anything. So that’s why a raccoon.

Here are the supplies I used:

  • Stamp and die set – Art Impressions “Produce Stand”
  • Stamp set – Lawn Fawn – “Jump for Joy” for “It’s Your Birthday” sentiment
  • Patterned paper – Photoplay #ThinkToRemember – Garden
  • Copic markers

We had a lovely celebration. Not what it would have been pre-COVID, but it was still nice. There was cake! I made it myself! Thanks for visiting!


Happy Day Floral

  • Stamps –
    • Ranger – Dina Wakley Media “Always Flowers”
    • Inky Antics “Little Greeting”
  • Patterned papers –
    • Lawn Fawn “Spiffy Speckles – Strawberry Frosting” and “Spring Fling-Debbie”
    • BoBunny “Serendipity”
  • Dies – Art Impressions “Banner Double Stitched Dies
  • Cardstock – Bazzill
  • Raffia – May Arts
  • Inks –
    • Versafine Clair – Twilight
    • Ranger – Tim Holtz Distress – Twisted Citron

This was a fun card to make. I am a huge fan of Dina Wakley and her lovely floral stamps. I designed this card for a recent class I taught at Runaway Art and Craft Studio in Salem. I hadn’t done any paper piecing in a long time, but it worked quite well with this stamp. I stamped the flower onto the patterned papers in black ink and fussy-cut the flower from the pink and the stem and leaves from the green. I edged all of the pieces, including the die-cut banners, in Twisted Citron Distress Ink to bring out the same color as the leaves. Then I layered all of the pieces together and tied a bow around the top of the (top folding) card with pink raffia. Thanks for visiting.

 

 

 


Today is your Lucky Day

 

  • Patterned papers –
    • Authentique Shamrock Collection – Shamrock Five
    • Authentique Clover Collection – Clover Five (focal image)
  • Die – Art Impressions – Banner Double Stitched Dies
  • Doily – Doodlebug Designs
  • Twine – May Arts
  • Cardsotck –
    • Bazzill
    • Paper Accents Glitter Cardstock – Green

I really like the color green, so when I had a chance to use these Authentique papers to create a card for Runaway Art and Craft Studio, I was excited. This is a very simple card with small touches that make it special: glitter paper matting around the focal image, lovely patterned paper from Authentique, the doily and twine at the top, and that eye-catching banner die-cut I made with the new Art Impressions die. And everything is green! Thanks for visiting today.

Challenge – The Paper Players PP429 – Monochromatic Clean and Simple Challenge


Wood You Be Mine?

  • Stamps – Art Impressions – Valentine Critters Set
  • Die – AlteNew – Pierced Mat Die
  • Stencil – Newton’s Nook – Tree Rings
  • Patterned paper – Photoplay – Thief of Hearts
  • Cardstock – Bazzill Bling and BoBunny

I made this Valentine for my son, who is an Oregon State University student (and they’re the Beavers–Go Beavs!). He is a fan of cute animals, so this is right up his alley–and mine! I colored the beaver image with Copic markers and emulated the heart motif in the patterned paper in the heart he is clutching. The tree stump is created by applying Distress ink through a stencil. This was a fun card to piece together! Thanks for stopping by.

 

 


Significant Otter

  • Stamps – Art Impressions – Valentine Critters set
  • Dies –
    • Spellbinders – Curvy Labels
    • Mama Elephant – Heart Border
  • Patterned paper – Memory Box – Sweetheart Collection
  • Stickers – Mrs. Grossman’s
  • Cardstock – Bazzill and BoBunny
  • Copic markers

I know many people think Valentine’s Day is a marketing holiday, but I must admit to liking little hearts and cute animals on cards! And chocolate is a nice touch, too! I actually like to incorporate hearts in my mixed media work often, no matter what time of year.

I made this card for my husband. We are a cute animal loving family, so this is the first of several cute animal valentines I’ll be posting! I really like this set from Art Impressions and knew when I saw it at Creativation that I had to have it. I colored the otter with Copics. I pulled this card together by using some items that have been in my stash for years and years. The heart stickers and patterned paper are things I’ve had for at least 10 years, but I pull my Valentine-making supplies out and it keeps on giving!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Thanks for visiting today.

Challenge – Freshly Made Sketches #375

 


My Nutty Valentine

  • Stamps –
    • Art Impressions “Nuts About You”
    • Lawn Fawn “How You Bean? Conversation Heart Add-on”
  • Dies –
    • Lawn Fawn “Outside in Stitched Heart Stackables” and “How You Bean? Conversation Heart Add-on”
    • Avery Elle “Pierced Mat Die”
    • Mama Elephant “Heart Border”
  • Patterned paper – Pink & Main “My Heart” 6 X 6″ paper pad
  • Cardstock – Bazzill

This was a fun Valentine to make, combining supplies from a several different companies. The squirrel is surrounded by candy conversation hearts, although his acorn seems to be his favored treat! I colored the squirrel with Copic markers to start things off. Then I die-cut the hearts, coloring and stamping the conversation hearts. I die cut the base shapes and arranged all of the pieces to make this Valentine for my son. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Challenges:

Art Impressions Challenge #225 – Sweet Treats

Unicorn Challenge #29 – Love/Valentines

Die Cuttin’ Diva’s Challenge #356 – Valentine’s Day

 


Scaredy Cat Trick-or-Treat

  • Stamps –
    • Art Impressions “Meow-lloween” set
    • Lawn Fawn “Spooktacular” (sentiment)
  • Embossing folder – Cuttlebug “Boo to You”
  • Die – Elizabeth Craft Designs “Beaded Circle Frames”
  • Ribbon
  • Cardstock – Bazzill and Neenah Solar White
  • Copic markers

I enjoyed using this Halloween inspired embossing folder that I’ve had in my stash for some time! To emphasize the details, I applied black ink over each circle with a sponge dauber. I stamped and colored the cat and bat, then added them to the black  “frame” I’d created using leftovers from cutting the Beaded Circle Frames die-cuts for another project. I added the sentiment and tied the card up in a ribbon to finish it off. Thanks for stopping by.

 


Look, Mom! Raccoons for your birthday!

raccoons-front raccoons-inside

  • Stamps – Art Impressions Any Cake and Kodomo Happy Birthday
  • Dies – Art Impressions Window Die
  • Patterned paper – Echo Park Scoot: Little Helicopters
  • Cardstock – Bazzill Bling Crystal Blue and Simon Says Stamp Fog

I must say before I go into any explanation of this card–this card required me to think much too hard! There was a front and back to the raccoons and window, things needed to line up, etc. The design on the card front fits The Paper Players Sketch Challenge #296. The overall card is 4-3/4″ square. I colored the raccoons with Copic markers and cut them out. I die cut the windows, added the raccoons and layered the patterned paper and cardstock so that everything lined up and then stamped the sentiments. I made this card for my mom’s 86th birthday. She has a raccoon (sometimes more) who comes visit her sometimes, so when I saw this stamp, I knew I needed to use it for her birthday card! Happy Birthday, Mom! Thanks for stopping by.

 

 


OWH VCMP – Critter Love Card Challenge

vcmpgraphic

Your challenge and my challenge

Welcome to another challenge for the Operation Write Home Virtual Cardmaking Party! I am very pleased and honored to have been selected to participate this weekend. There are a lot of fun challenges to motivate us all to create cards for our Heros to send home. For my challenge, I’m asking you to make a love-themed card featuring a furry creature. There are so many cute animal stamps–many are in my stash! So I thought it would be fun to devote a challenge to using some of these critters! Feel up to the challenge? Please use the InLinkz Linkup below to add your critter love card. For every card linked up for this furry creature challenge between now and the end of next weekend, I will donate $1.00 (per person) to Operation Write Home. So if there are 50 folks who post, that means I’ll donate $50 to OWH. You have until midnight Pacific Time on July 13th to add your cards.

UPDATE:

I received 33 entries in my challenge as of midnight Sunday, July 13th. That means that I will donate $33.00 to Operation Write Home when I send my next group of cards in during the next couple of weeks! What is even better, is that my friends Barb and Cora Jean have said they will match this donation so that makes $99.00 altogether (actually, I’ll make it $34 so it adds up to an even $100.00)! I’m very proud of this contribution to OWH. Thanks to all of you who created cards and linked them up for the VCMP so that we could make this happen.

Now for my cards

owh-vcmp-readingkitty

  • Stamps –

Stampendous ” Cattus Librum”
Lawn Fawn “Belinda’s Borders”
Hero Arts “Year Round Sentiments”

  • Patterned Papers – Basic Grey “Hey You” collection
  • Colorbox Chalk ink – Aquamarine

My first card is based on OWH Sketch #191. It featured the cutest cat stamp ever, in my opinion! I stamped the accents and inked the edges with aquamarine chalk ink to tie the various elements together. Finally, I drew an outline around each element with a fine tipped dark green pen. Between the inking and the outline, it has a very informal look.

owh-vcmp-lovebunnies

  • Stamps – Art Impressions “Furries Try Folds” and BoBunny “Love Letters”
  • Patterned papers – Crate Paper “Flea Market” 6 X 6″ paper pad
  • Cardstock – Paper Accents
  • Punch – Martha Stewart “Embossed Button”
  • Twine – American Crafts

This is a simple card that featured two stamped images. Between the two cards I’ve posted today, I’ve used cards from five different companies! It is fun to mix them up! I colored these cute little bunnies with Copic markers and made banners from some pretty patterned papers. The paper button is nice a flat so it won’t be too thick for mailing, which is important for OWH cards. I made this design up as I went, so I don’t think it matches up to a specific sketch (at least not on purpose).

Thanks for joining in the party and stopping by today. Please link your card using the InLinkz Link-up below. I’d love to see lots of cards so I can make a big donation when I send my next batch of cards in! Please leave a comment if you feel so disposed. If you’d like to return to the OWH VCMP Master List, please click the OWH graphic at the top of this post.


Clean and Simple Sketch #264 – Snowman

owh-sketch196-snowman

  • Stamps – Art Impressions “Snowman” and “WC Blue Bird Left”
  • Patterned papers – Echo Park “Bundle of Joy” 6 X 6″ pad
  • Die – Spellbinders Nestabilities “Deckled Rectangles Large”
  • Cardstock – Bazzill

This was the last card I tucked into my Operation Write Home box this morning before shipping it off. Winter cards (not Christmas) are in demand, so I crafted this snowman card. The stamps are from an Art Impressions set, and I colored the images with Copic markers. I used the current sketch at Clean and Simple Stamping: Sketch #264 for design inspiration. Thanks for stopping by.