Can You Case It#115

Hi card makers,

Since I really like the color combination of  red, yellow and black, I had to enter the Can You Case It color challenge again.  I love the #My Favorite Things Four Way Chevron die as the background and base for this card.  The sentiment on this card makes me laugh, but I'm sure we've all had days where we feel like this.

Here's the challenge:

Yay, it's Friday and make it a good one, don't hit or bite anyone!

CAS(E) #161

Hi Card makers:

This simple card took some thinking.  I wanted to use the happy birthday sentiment I die cut using the Elizabeth Craft Designs die, but it was larger than I expected.  I made it work.  I embossed the black card stock using a Stampin Up embossing folder.  The red glitter balloon was die cut using the My Favorite Things (MFT) Blueprints #26.  I love red balloons.  Doesn't everyone?

The red balloon is cut out of Recollections red glitter card stock.  The sentiment and balloon strip were cut from white card stock and I added clear Wink of Stella for some more shimmer.

Here's sketch #161

That's it for now!

Color Throwdown #337 Card

I've been very creative this week and focused on entering a few card challenges.  This is a first time I enter a card into the Color Throwdown #337 Challenge.  Here's the color challenge:

I love the kraft, yellow and gray combination!  Here's one of two cards I made using the color throwdown.

I used a Darice die to cut the tree out of kraft card stock.  The sentiment is from My Favorite Things and I used a little flower punch to punch out the yellow flowers.  Added some pearls to the flower centers and some yellow twine.  I used several My Favorite Things rectangle dies to cut the white and gray card stock layers.  All mounted on a different shade of kraft card stock.

Fusion Card Challenge Woodgrain Neutral

Hi!  This was another busy week with lots of work and family functions.  This left me with little time for creativity but alas with more and more craft companies producing great products that complement each other it's really easy to put a card or scrapbook page quickly.  This week I decided to enter the Fusion Card Challenge.  If you don't know about it, please check it out!  The challenges are fun and inspiring.  

I used lots of bright colors of card stock to die cut butterflies.  I used the My Favorite Things (MFT) die-namics called Flutter of Butterflies-Lace.  Love these dies!  The sentiment is also from MFT, it's from the Brushstroke Birthday photopolymer stamp set.  The font is just gorgeous. I also used a Martha Steward punch to cut out the tiny butterflies.  

Here is the Fusion Card Challenge sketch for this week:

I used a Paper Studios  wood grain embossing folder on one of the card layers and mounted that on a black card base.  The little strip of pattern paper is also from MFT.  Here is my interpretation of the sketch:

I really need to step up my photography.  The card is a deep, rich black.  Lighting is also an issue for me.  I welcome any suggestions to equipment to use for the best card photography results.

MFT and Essentials by Ellen Card

I created this card using the My Favorite Things cover up die-namic called:  Four Way Chevron Cover-Up die and the Die-namics Leafy Greenery dies.  I also stamped the word, "Celebrate" from the MFT Brushstroke Birthday stamp set.  Love that script or font from that set!  The layered roses were cut using the Essentials by Ellen dies called Bold Blooms Stand-alone dies.

When Ellen Hutson released the Bold Blooms stamp set, Bold Blooms Stand-alone dies, and the Bold Blooms Matching set I knew I had to have them!  And so did the rest of the world apparently because just like that after the initial release - they were sold out!  Oh NO!  My friend Rubina also wanted the Bold Bloom Sets so we made a pack.  The FIRST one to get notified that they were back in stock would quickly purchase all 3 sets for each other.  This is another MUST HAVE set to own.  I stamp and cut out a bunch of the roses in different colors and store them so that I can quickly compose a birthday card or sympathy card or really - any occasion!

I decided to share this card with the Fusion Card Challenge group.  They are celebrating their 2 year anniversary and it's my first time submitting a FUSION card.  I like the concept.  You can choose to follow the sketch or a snapshot of some beautiful images or you can fuse the two and create your own fusion and interpretation of the challenge.  Here is the inspiration sketch for this challenge.

Watercolor Roses

I just love the My Favorite Things Roses Background.  This was fun to create and super quick to put together.  Used Ranger's Distress Inks to watercolor the white embossed rose background stamp.  I used the MFT Die-namics Stitched Basic Edges to cut the embossed and water-colored roses background.  I went back and used the same die to cut a strip of black card stock and another one in lime green. It's hard to see the lime green card stock strip.

Vertical Greetings

I have 2 sets of  My Favorite Things ( MFT) Vertical Greetings but one of them has been retired.  You can find these under the Die-namics companions at the MFT stamps website.  The Vertical Greetings set contains 4 inspiring sayings and you can purchase the die that is sized to fit the stamped greetings.   Lucky for me the Vertical Greetings I own is still available.  Then I used the cool background die called Die-namics Four Way Chevron Cover-Up to cut my background using black cardstock.  I then took some yellow card stock and cut out the MFT Die-namics Pierced Fancy Flourish.  It is fancy!  I used the same yellow card stock and die cut the LJD Scribble Flowers and layered that under the LJD Scribbles roses cut out of red card stock. I cut the rose leaves using the MFT die-namics Royal Leaves dies.  This set is a must have and is perfect for roses.  Can you imagine cutting these out in white or gold card stock?  Perfect for Wedding or Anniversary Cards.   All products are from MFT!  I love how this card looks so complicated, but it's not.

Since I work outside of my home I've had to device ways to get my "required for my sanity" creative card-making time.  I've had to device a time-saving strategy.  The best thing I did was to set a couple of hours out and just die-cut a bunch of backgrounds, flowers, leaves, butterflies, flourishes, and precut and score your base cards.  I also stamp a bunch of greetings at one time as well.  

Strategy #2 - Store all of these card elements and use a $1.00 bragbook to store them in.  Brag book?  Is that aging me.  I'm talking about those $1 photo albums you pick up at Michael's to store your 4"X 6" photos in.  BTW, Michael's $1 bins are up to $1.50.  It's still a good deal.  

Now when you need a quick card, just go to your photo album with the cut-out goodies and slap that card in no time!  

Watercolor Butterfuly

I love the My Favorite Things (MFT) company's butterfly dies.  This was another ink smooching technique using Distress Inks by Ranger to create a background.  I used several  MFT Blueprint Dies to create this card.  It was a quick card as well.  The black card stock butterfly was die cut using the Flutter of Butterflies - Lace dies, the word "Wish" is from the die-namics brushstroke birthdays set.

The watercolor paper was first covered with plain water to better able the accept the organic flow of the distress ink water color.  

So what is the ink smooching technique.  I saw this great video by Kristina Werner and have seen Lauren Bassen's video as well.  This is how it goes:

1.  Take a non-stick craft mat (Ranger makes one), pat your distress ink pad directly onto the craft mat.  

2.  Spritz the ink splotches on the craft mat with water.  Side note:  Next time, I'm adding Pearl Effects to my water spritzer for added glimmer.  Can never have to much glimmer & glitz in my book.

3.  Here's the fun part.  Take a manageable piece of acetate, or clear packaging that you get when you purchase  photopolymer stamps.  Use the outside plastic NOT the sheets that your stamps "live" on.  

4.  Take the piece of acetate with both hands and place it on top of the distress ink splotches.  The ink gets picked up onto the plastic and now place the inked acetate on your still wet watercolor paper.  You can play around and smooch the ink around.  

5.  Continue to build your layers of color until you get the desired effects.  

6.  I use my heat tool to dry the paper and go back to add another layer of color if I want more intense colors.

7.  You can add plain water on top of the water color and wait a few seconds to pick up the water droplets with a paper towel and you get a cool "bleached" out effect.

This card was eazy-peazy, because I had die-cut a bunch of water color paper with my Blueprints and had ink smooched several of these panels.  So, I had backgrounds and card elements pre-cut it was a matter of picking out a sentiment and putting the card together.

Have a great day! 

Courage

This post is about art and the courage to release inhibitions and just create art.  I get tired of people saying, "I don't have a creative bone in my body" or "I'm not creative."  Ah, yes you are!  Did you skip your childhood and go straight into adulthood?  I didn't think so!  Discover the love of just coloring or playing with paper and scissors.  It's so good for your artful soul.  Don't  shut that part of your life off.  Time to bring it up to the forefront and make it a part of your life.  OK, I'm off my soapbox now.

My Favorite Things (MFT) has a retired stamp set called, "All About Art" and it had many quotes and sayings about art, artists, and the artful life.  If you ever find it on ebay or Craigslist, you need to buy it.  It's a must have.

The Super Boy was colored with Prismacolor pencils.  I wish I had more of these pencils, they are the best, but alas I only have the 24 pencil set.  After I colored the super boy I used Gamsol to blend the colored pencil images.   I also used the MFT Die-namics Double Stitched Oval STAX to cut out an oval.  I used ink blending using distress inks on the oval.

I borrowed the Super Boy stamp set from my crafting friend Rubina.  The cute street lamp is the Streetlights die-namics die which I don't think it's available yet.  I received it as a "free with purchase of $60 or more" from MFT.  Isn't that the coolest -free dies with a purchase?  I die cut the street light and glued it onto the sponged background oval.  The sentiment, "Creativity takes courage" is from the All About Art stamp set.  The sentiment is stamped on a strip of white card stock die cut from one of the elements of Blueprint 13 I believe.