My Favorite Guest Designer Challenge Card

I decided to play along in the My Favorite Guest Designer challenge for December.  The challenge is to use a watercoloring technique in my project.

Unfortunately I do not own any MFT stamps. Someday…maybe Santa will bring me a few sets for Christmas.

I decided to make a square card this time.  I have never made one before so be gentle!  He-he!

The flower image was stamped in versamark and embossed in gold.  Then watercolored with an aquapainter and reinkers.  I sponged around the edges with Pretty in Pink and on the corners with Close to Cocoa.  The corner pieces on the main image are Pretty in Pink and Close to Cocoa cardstock stamped with Linen BG in their respective colors.

The Pretty in Pink squares are stamped in Pretty in Pink ink with the leather looking stamp in this set.  Then sponged around the edges in Pretty in Pink and then direct to paper on the edges in Pixie Pink.

The Close to Cocoa squares are stamped in Close to Cocoa with the Linen BG.  Then sponged around the edges with Close to Cocoa.

The Sage Shadow circles are stamped in Sage Shadow with the Linen BG.  Then stamped in Handsome Hunter with the butterfly stamp in this set.  The edges are sponged with Handsome Hunter and they are mounted with foam tape.  The main image is mounted with dimensionals.

This sketch that I used is one that has been bouncing around in my head for a couple weeks.  I finally put in down on paper today.  The card size is 4.25″ X 4.25″ so that it will fit into an A2 envelope.

Recipe for the card:

Stamps – On Gossamer Wings Stampin’Up!, Linen Background Stampin’Up!

Paper – Georgia Pacific White, Stampin’Up!; Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink, Sage Shadow

Ink – Versamark, Stampin’Up!; Close to Cocoa, Handsome Hunter, Pixie Pink, Pretty in Pink, Sage Shadow

Accessories – gold embossing powder, Stampin’Up! reinkers; Certainly Celery, Pixie Pink, Pretty in Pink, aquapainter, square and circle punches, Stampin’Up! grosgrain ribbon

Thank you for stopping by.

Blessings,

Cyndi

Agreenegg Search Tags: Aquapainter & Reinkers, Cards, Challenges, Embossing, MFT Guest Designer, Stampin’ Up!, Techniques, Watercoloring

Read Full Post »

Card recipe, as promised…and lots more

Good Morning! Well, I have had my half cup of coffee and started on the first 32oz. of the 96oz. of liquids that I am supposed to drink every day. I think I am ready to ‘wax eloquent’. Mbwah! Like that’s ever gonna happen!

But seriously, I am feeling long winded this morning so if you are in a hurry and just stopped in to see the card recipe I posted it first, other wise go grab something to drink, cause I’ve got a lot to say today and a question for you at the end.

NEWSFLASH!!

I used my first ever embossed cardstock on yesterday’s card posted under Challenging challenges.  Okay it’s a huge deal to me. So I’m shouting it from close to the top of this blog post!!

I am posting the picture here again so that you can see the embossing and follow along with the recipe listed without having to go back to the other page. I’m thoughtful that way. 😉  

See…I even put a circle and arrow on the photo to draw your attention to my handy work. Careful now, don’t blow coffee on your monitor.

Here is the card recipe:

Cardstock – Watercolor, Summer Sun, Elegant Eggplant, Always Artichoke, DSP unknown from Dollar store – I picked up a pack of really pretty fall colors one year

Stamps – Flowers for Daisy by Asela Hopkins – Gina K. Designs

Ink – Basic Brown, Always Artichoke, Elegant Eggplant, reinkers; Summer Sun, Elegant Eggplant, Really Rust, Always Artichoke, Lovely Lilac, Bashful Blue

Accessories – Watercolor brush, alcohol, punches, flower & leaves (walmart floral clearance), brad, dimensionals, Zip’emate, flower bracelets for embossing texture

In case you are wondering, I watercolored this image using alcohol with reinkers instead of water. I wanted the colors to remain true and to be more bold, which they are except you can’t see that because all of the cameras in the house have decided to go on strike so I couldn’t get a decent picture!

Breath in…breath out…in…out…Okay I’m back.

EDIT: Rooster Dude taught me how to fix the out of focus look to the photo so now it looks great and all is right with my world!

I stamped the strip of DSP with the leaf spray from the set with Elegant Eggplant. Thinking of you is stamped in Always Artichoke on watercolor paper. The flower and leaves are from a spray I picked up during a walmart floral clearance. It started out mauve but a little work with the watercolor brush and alcohol and reinkers, then dried with the heat gun. Viola! Eggplant faux prima. I’m happy with it. 🙂  The watercolored mat and the Thinking of You tag are popped up on dimensionals.

LOOKEY WHAT I DID!

Now I know that this is going to come as a shock to some of you, but up until a couple weeks ago I did not own a personal die cutting/embossing machine.

I could not justify the cost, especially now that I have been unable to work for the past nine months, plus medical bills and meds. Oh, but I have wanted one.

So one morning I looked in the B/S/T (buy-sell-trade) forum on Splitcoast for a machine and there is a Zip’emate posted in my city! It is like brand new – used twice! And it’s oh so reasonable! (This means cheap folks) SOLD – My name is all over it!

Big huge shout out to Jana right now! Hi Jana!! Lookey what I did with it!

Okay so I am now the proud owner of a Zip’emate and I own no dies or embossing folders. Hmm, what to do…I have these bracelets that I bought years ago thinking I could do something with them, five years later I have done something with them! Woohoo!

Here is the Embossing Recipe:

1 – Platform

2 – Bracelets

3 – Cardstock

4 – Embossing foam (black)

5 – Embossing Mat (I don’t think I needed this. I am going to try it again today without it)

Now I’m eyeballing everything in the house as a possible texture for embossing. How fun!

LOOKEY WHAT I WON!

Way back at the end of July I won some blog candy from the very generous Gina K. of Gina K. Designs.  This is my first Gina K. set.  I am so excited!

I have to admit that I let this set sit on my craft table for over a month before I finally cut it apart yesterday. Why was I so hesitant? I have never before owned a cling vinyl stamp set. So my big question was do I cut it with the paper backing on or off? I did some searching in the Gina K. Designs Member Company forum on Splitcoast and found where Gina had answered this very question for someone else. Drumroll please….

“The way you use your new Gina K. Stamps is as follows:
Remove the piece of paper that is stuck on the back of the stamp set. It will feel smooth, not sticky. Then, trim the stamps the same way you would with Stampin’ UP stamps. Next, stick them on either an acrylic block or on the back of any stamp that has a sticker index on it. (The cling will stick to the sticker side of a woodmounted stamp, for example- Stampin’ Up stamps)”

I hope it’s ok that I quoted this. If not, I will take it down. 🙂

Now don’t get me wrong, I have cut my fair share of rubber so I wasn’ t scared, but 99% of my stamps are Stampin’ Up. I just really wasn’t sure how to proceed with these stamps. Silly, I know.

I want to say thank you Gina for these awesome stamps.  They really are incredible.

If you guys have never played with Gina’s stamps before you need to get your hands on some to try. I know you hear this all the time, but these stamps feel different. It’s hard to explain, but the rubber feels nicer. There is definately a tactile difference between Gina’s stamps and my SU! stamps rubber-wise.

Also, I have a glass work surface on my craft table and I have never played with cling mount stamps before so that was fun. Before I stuck them to the sticker side of my SU! stamps I was sticking them to my glass work surface and I was amazed at the sticking power of the cling!

I know, I know – simple mind, simple toys. You know, come to think of it that might have been part of my ‘time problem’ last night. Playing with Gina’s new stamps on my glass work surface!

The rest of my ‘time problem’ had to do with 3 cameras, dead batteries in 2 of them, no memory card for the one with juice, dropping my drop light and burning out the bulb when setting up my light box once hubby found batteries for me, not being able to get the camera into focus for the shot – still don’t know why as it took a perfectly focused shot this morning! As I said last night, I believe Mr. Murphy and his laws have taken up residence in my craft room. We shall see….

If you are still here after all of this I have a question for you. Have Mr. Murphy and his laws ever taken up residence in your craft space?

I wish you a glorious weekend!

Blessings,

Mother Hen

Agreenegg Search Tags: Alcohol & Reinkers, CPS Sketch, Cards, Embossing,  Gina K., Techniques, Watercoloring

Read Full Post »

Challenging challenges

Well, I’m not gonna sugar coat it…this card just about did me in! I went into my craft room at 1:00pm to make this card for Cammie’s World Alzheimer’s Day Heart to Heart blog candy, Lori’s challenge using the CPS sketch and of course the CPS sketch challenge. A cool 10 hours later I finally have this photo to upload. I don’t know when Mr. Murphy and his laws moved in, but they have taken up residence in my craft space!

Now, obviously I am way too late for Cammie’s blog candy but I am still posting this for a very important reason; My grandfather had Alzheimer’s disease and it was tragic to watch my “puppa” lose his memories, personality and functional skills. Not to mention the toll it took on my grandmother, parents, aunts and uncles.

What Cammie is doing has struck a cord with me and I want to help get the word out.

Do you know what Cammie is doing with 100% of her proceeds from the sale of her newest set through Gina K Designs called Whimsical Autumn?

She is donating them to the Alzheimer’s Association. Not just for this month either, but for as long as the sets are sold. How awesome is that?!!

I am mailing this to the Staff at the Artman Home where Cammie’s grandma lived.

Okay, this is the first time I have participated in a CPS sketch challenge. I really like this sketch. It is very versatile for many types of images. It’s a keeper! 🙂

I’m too tired to post the card recipe now so I will do it in the morning along with a recount of some of the comedy of errors that kept me from getting this card posted sooner.

Blessings,

Mother Hen

Agreenegg Search Tags: Alcohol & Reinkers, CPS Sketch, Cards, Embossing,  Gina K., Techniques,  Watercoloring

Read Full Post »