stamping

25 Christmas Cards Part 4

Posted on by debbrooner

Miscellaneous cards

I wanted to do a card that wasn’t my usual 5″ x 4.5 “, so I made one that fits a standard business size envelope.  Everything on this card makes me happy, from the dotted border to the “joy” embellishment.   I used Versamark ink for the bottom dotted border and white pigment ink for the music .The holly corners are from my Silhouette, as is the “joy to the world” embellishment.  This same embellishment could be made by stamping a sentiment and then cutting around it leaving a border. Layer the piece on to some colored cardstock and trim again.

holly_corner_C20090907225746_18816, joy_C20091008175557_19210, Hampton Arts music border, Hero Arts Tiny Jubilee Dots

 I used the same dots stamp and Versamark on this card.  Kraft card lends itself to Versamark ink very well.

I decided to cut a hole in the card front and then affix the ” Merry Christmas” stamped image on the inside of the card. Since I used dimensional dots to secure it the image stands out even when the card is closed.

I purposely made the pink frame and pearls very subtle.  The beauty of kraft cardstock is that it can be brightened up (like the card above) or left neutral.  Either way works.

square_nested_C01065_18816, Hero Arts Tiny Jubilee Dots, Printworks Holly andBerries, Magenta Merry Christmas

The next 2 cards contain the phrase “Wise Men Still Seek Him”.  Cutting these words out is so quick and easy.

For the background on this card I stamped a poinsettia pattern with Versamark ink and then embossed with clear powder.  I cut the panel into to pieces, trimmed each one a bit, and then applied them to the card. I used a Versamark pen to make the dots on the letters.  I love the rich red rhinestones that go so well with the background.

wise_men_still_seek_him_C00762_19547, holly_C00780_19547, Penny Black Poionsettia Script

Placement of the words is made even easier by having a mat underneath. I placed the phrase on the desktop and then hit the offset button.  I played with the settings until I got to the place whereI had a mat that had  the words  touching but there was still some open space.  I used the same cardstock for both the phrase and the mat and then I ran the mat , right side down, through my Xyron and sprinkled glitter on the sticky side.

wisae_men_still_seek_him_C00762_19547, A Lost Art background script, Bella Bohemia corner flourish

I wanted to do a card using a nativity scene  die cut but the ones I bought last year just wasn’t working for me.  I got very frustrated.  But this year there was a new nativity scene and it worked beautifully.  It fit just right on a 61/4″ by 4 4/8″ card.  I got the idea for the background from a video made by Paper Try Ink.

1_pc_nativity_C00539_31857, Bella Bohemia corner flourish, Inkadinkadoo O’ Come phrase

This is one of my favorites.  I had embosseed a white piece of cardstock with the Dotted Flower Rings folder but hadn’t used it.  One day, out of boredom, I took a Sakura Stardust Gelly Roll pen and colored in all of the flower centers.  The result was a great subtle shimmer that would worked well for a white and gold card.  The wreath was cut out of a piece of AC Specialty Pearl paper.  The paper shifts between white and gold as it is moved around.  The bow, berries, and the phrase were all cut out of a gold specialty cardstock.  Love the way the phrase is cut out so cleanly!

bow_christmas_wreath_C01349_20508, joy_to_world_C200912022115604_18816, Sizzix Dotted Flower Ring

See you tomorrow!

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25 Christmas Cards Part 3

Posted on by debbrooner

Precious Gift Stamped Image

I found this stamp at Michaels recently and really liked the way it dealt with the best gift ever in a slightly different way.  What a Christmas gift we all have been given!

I have always intended to try an easel card but somehow was scared by the prospect of finding enough images that would work together.  Not that big of a deal, I found out.  Love the cheery Christmas colors.  Since it doesnt work very well to put dimensional pieces on the flat part of the card (the “noel” part) I cut out the holly and then filled the berry holes with red Stickles.  Looks like they are above the surface, but they aren’t.  The directions for an easel card can be found at the  Splitcoast Stampers site. Look under “resources”.

holly_C00780_19547,basic_folding_easel_card_C01456_17986, Inkadinkadoo Winter Trails, Recollections Noel, Stampendous Precious Gift

This card is not my favorite, but in order to get to 25 cards it has to be counted!  I sized the scroll label to fit my stamp and added Stickles Icicle glitter to all of the scrolls.  For the background I used Versamark and then brushed red and green PearlEx on the image.  A quick swipe with a Swiffer dusting cloth and the excess powder was gone.  Swiffers are the best for cleaning up glitter as well.

I used the “kissiing technique” for the background of this card.  Check out Jennifer McGuire’s blog to get more info.  I started with white glossy card and Distress Inks by Ranger.  I first inked up a damask background stamp using Peeled Paint ink.  I then used Pine Bough ink on a Tim Holtz Reflections stamp and stamped it onto the damask stamp (notice- nothing stamped on paper yet).  THEN I stamped the damask stamp on the glossy card.  Since the reflections stamps have the words backwards the final result is a stamped image with the words the right direction.  Fancy that.

lace_border_0856, Stampendous Precious Gift, Hero Arts Classic Fabric Design, Tim Holtz Seasonal Reflections

The embossing folder I used for this card is a Sizzix one called Triad Leaves.  You will see it again several more times.  The border is so easy with the Silhouette.  I just cut out the green top layer and then ungrouped the image, got rid of the dots and teardrop shapes, and cut out a white piece that fit perfectly behind the green one.  I have to admit that originally I started with a border that I had punched out with a Martha Stewart punch.  I wanted the border to have white behind it so I glued the green piece to some white paper and pondered the prospect of doing some really fiddly cutting.  Fortunately about that time a voice boomed out, “drop those scissors, dummy, use your Silhouette”. Duh.

6_labels_C01078_20509, scalloped_flower_border_C20090810003018_19210, Stampendous Precious Gift, Sizzix Triad Leaves

Next up: “wise men” and kraft cards.

25 Christmas Cards Part 2

Posted on by debbrooner

Nontraditional Colors

The colors for this first card came from the Print and Cut wreath from Silhouette (the colors are off slightly, seems that this magenta color is a difficult one to get right). I printed out the wreath on white cardstock and then added Glossy Accents to the baubles for some extra dimension.

This card could be made without having the a Silhouette.  Pick out several fun colors of cardstock and go crazy punching out leaves or branches. Shape into a wreath, add circle punch-outs, layer on coordinating papers, and your card is finished.

I really like the Sizzix Dotted Flower Rings I used for the background , so prepare to see it several other places. Kinda reminds me of the texture of a sea creature.

mod_wreath_pnc_C00574_31857, Sizzix Dotted Flower Rings, Recollections Noel

The die cuts for this card were done with my Silhouette, but it could just as easily be done with snowflake stamps, white ink and white embossing powder. Stamp and emboss the snowflakes on dark cardstock, layer  onto  a white piece of cardstock,and cut the edges with a stamp-edged scissors. Tie a ribbon around the piece and mount it on a light color card .  Add a snowflake embellishment and some  pink brads.

snowflake_stamp_C00760_23067, Fiskars Winter Wonderland

Here is another snowflake card, this time in browns, pinks and mint green to match the paper I used.  I used a (nontraditional) ledger background stamp  and colored the snowflake shaped rhinestone in the middle of the embellishment with a brown Sharpie. I ran the green snowflake through my Xyron machine and added glitter to the sticky side. A much easier way to apply glitter!

4_snowflakes_C00810, classic_snowflake_set_C01124_20387, scalloped_border_set_C00318_31857,Inkadinkadoo Joy Peace Love Mini, Hero Arts Luscious Ledger

I really liked this brown Print and Cut wreath- I think because of all the funky colors.  I don’t think of brown as being a christmas color but it worked for me here.

wreath_with_ornaments_pnc_C00557_31857, border_strip_layered_C00253_20509 , Inkadinkadoo Christmas Sayings

That’s all for today. Next time I will show you the cards I made using a new stamp I purchased at Michael’s recently.

25 christmas cards part 1

Posted on by debbrooner

My friend Barb sent me an email saying that she had finished 160 christmas cards! While I can’t imagine making that many cards, it did get me thinking.  After watching Kristine Werner’s “25 days of Christmas”  videos I decided that I could give making 25 a try.  For someone who has the attention span of a gnat making only 2 of each design was great fun!  I have roughly grouped them according to technique, new product or miscellaneous.  While some need specific tools, most may made using other techniques or tools.  Have fun looking through them.

Hero Arts stamp/emboss combo cards

Hero Arts has new sets that contain both a stamp and an embossing folder to match .  It is a really simple process: just stamp the image on a piece of cardstock and then place it in the folder.  The images line up perfectly in the folder and you end up with a fun card that looks like you spent a    of time on it.  Here is a close-up of the card:

The next card uses the same combo but with silver metallic ink and embossing powder.  I used a french script stamp and a strip of silver glitter paper as well.

I used Versamark watermark ink on this last card..  I like the tone-on-tone effect .  The faux post is an old stamp but I still like it a lot.  I used watercolor pencils for the leaves and red Stickles for the berries.

That does it for today’s cards.  Check back tomorrow for cards made with an adorable new stamp I purchased this year.

Krafty Cards

Posted on by debbrooner

I like working with kraft cardstock. It lends itself well to use with colored pencils and can be combined with almost any other kind of paper. The  card above uses so many of my favorite techiques- die cuts, embossing, colored pencils, stamping, fibers, Versamark ink with gold PearlEx powder dusted on,and even a rhinestone.  Whew!

The closeup shows the colored pencil and the french knots done with metallic thread.  Loooove metallic anything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For this card I used the same rubber stamp but a different colorway.  I love the combination of pebble cardstock, handmade paper and kraft cardstock.

 

 

 

 

 

Green glitter paper and pink corrugated cardboard both work well with the kraft cardstock on this card.  I used a white gel pen as well.  More fiber and rhinestones finished the card.

 

 

 

 

 

I bought a sheet of this cork-covered paper ages ago but hadn’t gotten around to using it.  After I colored the hearts and cut them out I was looking for the right backing paper. The cork paper fit the bill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made the flower vase 3D by coloring and cutting out an extra vase then placed it on the panel with a dimensional stickie foam.

The magenta striped hand-made paper and the turquoise embossed card pulled colors from the floral panel.

Simple but effective.

So there you have it!  Grabsome kraft card and some colored  pencils and get going.

Sweet Baby Card and Other Assorted Cards

Posted on by debbrooner

I love, love, love these little boy clothes!  The motifs include a onsie, overalls with matching shirt, and socks.  There is also a set of motifs for girls.  These clothes are tiny, about an inch, yet very crisply cut.    I got a little (okay, maybe a lot) carried away so I have plenty of clothes for any new baby boy who arrives to grace this world.

I’m already thinking about making an outfit large enough to fit the front of a card.  Should be fun!

baby_boy_motifs_C00257_31857

Generally I’m not a fan of steampunk but I found this paper at Archivers and picked it up more for the colors than anything. Both of the papers I picked are double-sided.  One page has several large motifs like the woman with the metal leg and an all-over rust print on the back. The other page has a large steampunk figure on one side and buterflies on the other side.

Looking through my selection of borders I came across this one which I think  works well with the theme. I scaled it down to fit the width of the card.  I just opened the scale window, selected the “Lock Aspect Ration” button, and then typed in my measurement for the width of the border. The height was then automatically added.  Love that feature.

border_circle_C00845_179865

I have to admit that I had this card for quite a while before I figured out how to embellish it.  I found the label that I thought would work- not too busy, not too plain, but it was also fairly large.  The sentiment  had to be large gtoo so I was pleased to find this stamp from Stampabilities.  What a great verse!

grandmas_lace_tablecloth_ C00520_19547;  nesting_artisan_oval_set_2_Coo431_19210

The next 3 cards were made using a K&co paper with white embossing on it.  These cards were quickies.

kaleidoscope_C02815_1

This card was made with the newest Clean and Simple Stamping sketch (FTL149).

elegant_border_C00105_27282

More Cards Using My Silhouette Part 2

Posted on by debbrooner

I love double-sided cardstock (especially K&Co) .  I used green cardstock to make the  card and leaf and then used both sides of the decorative card for the inside and front as well as the flower.

double_pinking_scallop_card_C00707_19547,  leaves_set_C00257_21585,  Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Die

My favorite new toy at the moment is the McGill flower shaping set which I used for the flowers above. Each stylus in the set has two different sizes of tips so you always have the right size for your project.  Shaping flowers is easy:  you just lay your flower on a mouse pad and press with the stylus, making small circles until the paper cups up .   I believe there are videos on You Tube that show the process. 

Flowers aren’t the only embellishments on which you can use the shapers. I used a stylus to give some depth to the flourish on this berry colored card. I glued decorative paper to the front and inside of the card and stamped the sentiment (Hero Arts) on an artisan tag. For the large label I used the artisan shape with chrysanthemum and deleted everything but the outside edge and then embossed it with the “textile” CB folder.

card_scallop_rays_C00466_19547; echo_park_flourish_C00149_48353; artisan_shape_with_chrysanthemum_C01083_19210; artisan_label_set_C00106_41853

And finally, a super easy,quick, and cheery card.

butterfly_cutout_card_C00673_21585

More cards using my Silhouette

Posted on by debbrooner

I had a great time this week playing with cards and embellishments using my Silhouette.

  I had not been all that excited about the Print and Cut images until I saw this adorable mouse.  He just screamed “baby card”!   I cut a border in half for the lace and printed a sentiment.  I stamped the  background (Judikins)  with Versamark ink and embossed the gray piece  with my Swiss Dots cuttlebug folder.  That folder gets used more than any other I have.

mouse_C00230_31857;  3_borders_C00363_20509 

I had cut out and colored the floral silhouette for this card and attached it to the debossed side of a white piece of cardstock run through the “Victoria” CB folder, but then I got stuck.  I played with it for a while but finally got frustrated and went on to other things. Several weeks later I was rereading Judy Kauffman’s book Creative Cards, Postcards, Envelopes and More  and turned to the page she called “clothesline layout” , and there was my answer!  Instead of trying to find a place inside my design to place my sentiment (Stampendous) I could “hang” it from the top.  Yay!   Judy’s book is a great reference to have.  She has a chapter on foolproof compositions, easy techniques, using different types of materials,  collaging… the list goes on and on.

framed_flower_silhouette_C00808_23067

This card is pretty plain but I like it that way.  The card image comes with the card itself and the overlay (which I did in peach).  The fun part about this card is the bits left over after cutting.  I now have 16 purple and orange  crosses just begging to be wrapped with fiber and used on another card.  This is an easy card.

mosaic_grid_cutout_card_C00670_21585

More cards coming next week.

Hearts Are Many Colored Things

Posted on by debbrooner

You’d think that since red is my favorite color I would go crazy with it for Valentines day cards.  I guess it is  contrariness on my part-nobody is going to tell me what color to make my hearts!

So here is an overview of Valentine cards I have made over the years.

Red , gold and wire

Copper, purple and black

 

Pink and silver. Fusible web, cupboard lining, silver embossing powder.

Blue, green and purple. Watercolor.

 

Red, green and blue. Guilding.

Assorted browns. Copper leaf.

Pink and black.

Gold and black. Metal tubing.

Pink, brown and copper. Copper mesh.

Blue and yellow

Russet and gray. Russet PearlEx.

Purple and green. Alcohol inks on polymer clay.

Kraft and gray. Cork paper background.

Pink, gray and kraft.

And finally a red one!

Black and red. Die cut letters and texture plates

I missed a few colors…I wonder what an orange hearts would look like?  Oh, the possibilities.

Insider Trading

Posted on by debbrooner

 

I just finished going through Peggy Jon Ackley’s book “50 Nifty Collage Cards” and had an epiphany-  decorate the inside (the guts) as well as the outside of the card!  For all you out there who already do this I apologize, but for the rest of us this is a great new way to add more zing.

I went through my older cards and picked ones I thought could use some updating and would benefit from some inside sprucing up. 

 

As you will see, I used rubber stamps, PearlEx, small flowers, punch-outs, and stickers to add some interest.

B&R (Black & Red)

Posted on by debbrooner

I can’t help it, but black and red is my all-time favorite color combo. This is a journal of my color journey from the very beginning of my cardmaking days to the present.  I hope you enjoy it and learn a thing or two.

Made in 1998, this card was one that I assembled into kits (75 of them) and took to Haiti for a class I taught there.  It was crude, but I was new at this card making thing.  It used the newest toy at the time- a  crimper (how far we have come)!

 

In 2001 I acquired some shadow stamps, so I used them on this card.  Seeing some mesh background over-stamp on scratch paper gave me the idea of first stamping a mesh background and then stamping and embossing red flowers on top.

 I learned a bunch about PearlEx in 2003 .  PE brushed on an image inked with Versamark gave a lovely shimmer, and polymer clay and PE were made for each other.  Combining PE and embossing powder greatly extended my color repertoire.  The flowers above used this embossing powder.  Finding out that I could make watercolors out of the stuff really cranked my tractor!  I ended up making little pots of all the colors of PE there were.  I used black PE watercolor to fill in the centrs of the flowers.  

My 2005 “Black and White Series” included this red floral one as well black/green, black/yellow, black/purple and black/green cards.

In De3cember of 2009 I submitted an artricle in Polymer Cafe showcasing my cards that contained  polymer clay embellishments.  I decided not to put this one in the article, but I did love all the textures.

I just finished  this ATC for a Black White and Red challenge.  The card had to be mostly black &  white and the red had to fit in with the theme of the card.  Somehow a sunburned zebra seemed to fit the bill and the caption reminded me of a Far Side cartoon.

The card at the top of the page is my most recent endeavor, made for the MOJO Monday  challenge. I love the papers I used.  The black and white print which has a plastic covering was acquired from Paper Source .  I don’t remember  where I got the black paper with the shiny dots, which is a shame because there in not much of it left.

The winners of the Blog Candy from last week are Kim Machrer and Nicole Ewing.  Congrats, and have fun with them!

L is for Lion and Lettterboxing

Posted on by debbrooner

 

Hand-carved stamp

Is it possible to play with rubber stamps and still get some exercise at the same time?  Yes, if you letterbox!

What is letterboxing?  I’m glad you asked! It is a treasure-hunting, rubberstamping, discovering-new-places experience that can be shared with friends, kids and grandkids.

This is how it works. A “placer’ carves or buys a rubber stamp, puts it in a watertight storage container, adds a journal to be stamped in, and then hides the box. They then post clues for its whereabouts on www.Letterboxing.org.

The supplies you will need are your own hand-carved  stamp, a journal to stamp in, an ink pad, a pencil and a camera (optional), clues from the letterboxing site, and a sense of adventure! 

The clues that placers give run the gamut from straight forward “take road X nine miles, turn right…” to riddles, codes, or even CD’s (I once found one that had nothing but animal sounds on it).

After following the clues and finding the box, or boxes, you open their box and stamp their image in your journal, date it, give the name of the box. Then you take your stamp and stamp it in their journal, date it, add your name (first name only) and town if desired.  Rehide the box well and repeat.

My hubby and I have found places in other states (and here in town) that we would never have stumbled across if we hadn’t had clues to them. We have found lovely little parks tucked in between buildings in busy cities, quirky botanical gardens, and a yellow restaurant with red trim that makes the best strawberry shortcake around!

The themes of the boxes vary with some being history oriented, some pertaining to the carved stamp, and some being lists like “ten things to see in your town”.

Letterboxing is great for kids as they love the idea of finding a treasure.  It also gives them practice reading and following sequential directions and learning compass directions.

What can you do with these stamped images you collect?  I choose to keep the stamped images and pictures I took of the hiding place itself, of friends that came with us, or anything that caught my fancy along the way, in a 6×6 scrapbook (which is the only size of scrapbook I can do without developing a nervous tic, but that is another story…).  It is fun to be able to count all of the boxes you have found, and the states you have found them in.  I have found over 100 boxes, and I am not even in the running for the most found, which I believe is over 1500!

sample page from my scrapbook

  

Head on over to the site, get some clues, find a letterbox, and enjoy!

Was this helpful?  Let me know.

Deb

Masking Tape With A Twist

Posted on by debbrooner

One of the May swaps for  my  “Inchies 1×1”  group was an ATC with a masking tape background.  Since I would be using a pear inchie on the ATC I  wanted to incorporate the word “pear” into the masking tape.  I could have just made my masking tape background and then stamped the word on the top, but I wanted the background to have more depth.    

 I started by taping a piece of freezer paper, shiny side up, to  my work surface.  I then placed strips of masking tape side by side on the paper.  Using Stazon ink, I stamped “pear” with several different stamp sets on the tape.  As you will notice, I goofed and stamped some letters the wrong way.  Since I was going to be tearing the tape into pieces I could throw the bad bits away. 

   

After the stamping was done  I pulled the stamped tape off of the paper and began adding torn pieces to the cardstock ATC backing.  A note here: originally I used only tape that was stamped with words on the ATC, but it seemed too busy for me so, I decided to use a mixture of stamped and plain masking tape.  I liked that result better.   

stamped tape only

 

stamped and plain tape

 

I chose to color my background with alcohol inks (Adirondak and Pinata), then swiped a brown Memories ink pad over the entire ATC.
 
 With the addition of some  stamped ferns (Hero Arts) and die- cut leaves (Sizzix) the ATC itself was ready for the inchie.
 
I stamped a collage image (Stampers Anonymous) onto kraft paper and then cut the pear portion out, colored it, added a brad, and backed it witha small scalloped square die cut (Spellbinders Nestabilities).
 
Here is the finished project:
 
Have a happy, crafty week, and don’t forget to embellish !