Gingersnaps Challenge - On the Road

I'm just a posting fool this weekend!  I have been crafting my little heart out and I was so pleased to find out that Gingersnap Creations was doing some Steampunk themed challenges.   I've been plotting on the best way to raid my husband's toolbox.....

Below is my entry for their On the Road Challenge.  I don't have any car stamps, but I found this cool picture in my ephemera stash.  No need for purloined toolbox items yet, but soon.  :)

I stamped the letters in Memento and highlighted the Gear embossed background with the same using a dauber. 

Enjoy!

Two New Challenge Blogs

Stretching my wings a bit to participate in challenges at two new blogs.  Over at Sentimental Sundays is to Focus on the Sentiment.  And, it just so happens, that Little Red Wagon is looking for heat embossing. 

This is the first time I've ever used this stamp from Wordsworth, I think I've always worried that it was too large but it's perfect with this background.  I stamped it in Versamark and clear embossed it before I did some very casual water coloring over the top.  I really like the effect.   Next time, I might trim and mount it, but I worry about going overboard.  The word 'enough' and I do not have a great working relationship. 

I'll definitely have to try this watercolor effect again.  I love how soft it looks.

Thanks for visiting!



Out! Out, Damn Spot! Challenge

Well, it's been a while! My husband unexpectedly needed hospital care (he's out and recovering) and my crafting had to be put aside.  But now I'm back and ready to stamp!

I decided to jump back in with the fabulous gals over at Haunted Design House because I love their latest challenge: "Out! Out, damn spot!" - something that is covered in splatter, drips or drops.   Of course, it doesn't have to be blood, but what would be the fun in that?

I actually made this for a friend, who is enchanted with the BBC series Sherlock, which is modern day reworking of Sherlock Holmes.  Instead of being a (mostly) proper Victorian gentlemen, he's a high-functioning sociopath.  Aaahh, there's nothing like a little murder to get the blood flowing. Or, in this case, splattering.

My blood is acrylic paint; red ink didn't keep it's beautiful bright color.  I was rather disappointed to find out that I don't have an axe stamp, because I thought the piece would have been perfect with one; I'm not sure what that says about me. LOL!

Enjoy and thank you, as always, for looking!

Birthdays and Frogs

The sun in shining - what is up with that? 

So, I am going for another two  new challenge blogs today.  Crazy me!  I actually love this color combo - the orange isn't something that I normally reach for when I'm doing crafting, but I thought this all went together perfectly. 

I'm entering this into the Speedy the Cat's Friends Challenge - Flowers over at  Marks Finest Paper,  as well as the DIY Embellishment challenge at Tuesday Throwdown because I made that fabulous little flower from 4 loose flower petals from Oriental Trading Company.   This will be my first time entering a challenge on both of those blogs.  

I added beads to some Pennywise Arts micro beads and dropped a little frog charm into a card shaker (that I also got from Pennywise) and sealed it up with a stamped background.   I don't know where the lily pad stamp came from - it's foam mounted white rubber and comes with an adorable little frog but it was busy when I added him.  The leaves and the sentiment are Papertrey Ink.

Enjoy! And thanks for looking.

Monochromatic

Blogger is still being a total pain and won't allow me to comment on 75% of the posts that I see.  I hope they get this resolved soon. 

Anyway, I decided to be brave and branch out with a few more challenges.   Over at Less is More the challenge is doing a CAS card that is monochromatic. 

I think it turned out nicely - I originally stamped the sentiment crooked, so I 'fixed' it by stamping the sentiment on the same color paper, punching it out and layering it over the original goof.  I think it gives it a little bit of omph without going overboard.

I wish my photography was as satisfying as the card.  It seems a little washed out.  I have got to figure out what I'm doing.

I also did a card for last week's challenge for the same blog - Pick A Square - but didn't get it uploaded in time.  

Apparently I like the lower right hand of cards.  LOL!  This was my first card using this particular Papertrey Ink stamps and I enjoyed working with them.  Although, they do seem to stamp better with chalk inks - I need to expand my color selection, I only have about a dozen colors.  Time to warm up the credit cards!

As always, thanks so much for looking.

Ride 'Em Cowboy!

I wasn't even born when Clint Eastwood starred in For a Few Dollars More - I saw it when I was an impressionable pre-teen and I fell in love with the Man with no name.  So, when Gingersnap Creations posted their Chestnut Theme - Cowboys and Cowgirls, I knew I had to include my first movie star crush. 

Say hi to the sexiest cowboy ever.  Swoon.

I distressed a black and white photo that I grabbed off the web and put it behind a rolled opening.  I colored a few chipboard stars and highlighted them, as well as the background paper, with a black gel pen.  I hand folded the rosette and added the twine.  I found a sheriff's badge in my charm drawer and I was done.

As always, thanks so much for visiting!

The Mark of the Beast

I'm totally slipping in under the wire over at Haunted Design House - this week their challenge is The Mark of the Beast.   It just so happens that I'm a total horror movie freak - and one of my top 5 favorite movies is The Omen.  So here is my homage to my favorite little antichrist - Damien Thorn.

The requirement was to use six of something three times; I did six flowers, 6 little crosses and Damien has six letters.  I printed out a publicity still from the movie, covered it with scratched acetate that I stamped with the number 6 and added a frame.  I was going to do a straight forward gloom/doom sorta thing but the background of Damien's picture seems so bright and cheery with the blue and green and I couldn't resist making the flowers to match.   Hey, just because you're the antichrist, it doesn't mean that can't enjoy a little scrapbooking!

As always, thanks for looking!

Flowers, Flowers

I love making flowers for my cards - a few years ago, I purchased a 500 flower pack from Oriental Trading Company.  It had 3 shapes, in 4 colors. I adore making these little flowers:

The small bud is one layer, the larger flower is 5 layers and the dual color flower is 4 layers plus 1 layer.

Here's the card:

I really love using the palette stamps for my backgrounds, particularly when I'm stamping on textured card stock.  I've also found that I get the best image when I layer color if I do a combination of inks - in this case, I used two Memento dye inks for the background with Brilliance pigment ink for the flourish.   I spritzed the stamp with water before I stamped on my paper.  You can see the faded water droplets on the dye portion; the Brilliance didn't react at all. 

Enjoy!

Red and Gold Gingersnap Creations Challenge

Where has the time gone? It's been almost three weeks since my last post.   Yikes!  In my defense, I got my first ever stamp order from Papertrey Ink, and for me, new stamps equals 0 creations because I spend all my time touching and ooohing and fondling and aaahing and rearranging all my other stamp sets and very little time actually stamping.

But! I did manage to get photos of this this beastie.  Here's my Red & Gold color challenge for Gingersnap Creations.  I used several papers/labels that I purchased from Collage Stuff (definitely check out her page - she has some cool swaps going on).  

I painted a slide mailer gold and layered my Asian papers, added a few punched flowers, a charm and some gold embossing powder.  The spine is covered in red velvet ribbon (which you handily can't see) and accented with a takeout chopstick from a local eatery.  I simply cut it down to size with my husband's bolt cutters and then sanded the end until I was happy.  Distress ink aged it nicely and I wrapped it in some gold cord.  I had a rough time getting it to stick to the spine so I ended up having to use hot glue.    

Inside are some more papers that I accented with Asian labels, a crackle stamp, clear embossing powder, more distress ink and some plastic slides.  The labels were glossy and didn't really take the distressing ink that way I would have liked.  I should have distressed first and then embossed.

I'm unsuprisingly incapable of not adding black to red, so I snuck in some black fibers and ivory beads with my gold and red tassels.  

As always, thanks for stopping by and enjoy!

Pennywise Arts Blog Hop!!

Welcome to the Pennywise Arts (PWA) Blog Hop, featuring fabulous Micro Beads!

Not only is Pennywise Arts the BEST place to get over 20 different colors of micro beads in 3 different sizes, they also have a huge gallery of project ideas, freebees and tutorials.  You can even join the Yahoo group - there are over 1,670 members! 

The hop will run from Saturday morning, through Sunday, April 17.  There will be tons of opportunities to WIN blog candy and a Grand Prize for a $25 shopping spree at PWA!  To enter, just leave a comment (with your email address) in any of the hop blogs and periodically check the PWA Blog for winners!  Suzanne is also offering a free handmade item from the design team for every web order this weekend.   

All the hop projects are crazy good, so I thought that I would slow it down a bit and feature just a few different ways that you can use microbeads to add a little extra umph! in your every day projects. 

Here is my plan card - it's nice, didn't take me too long to make and is a good general all purpose card.  There's a close-up of the main embellishment - I used the negative frame of an H chipboard die cut.

 In the first sample, I've used the same basic card, but this time I've added Clear Ultra Fine Micro Beads to the frame. I love the texture and shine it gives.  Trust me, you can't resist running your fingers over it again and again.

  

  For the next card, I've added a mixture of the Clear Ultra Fine Micro Beads and Royal Blue Opaque Micro Beads to the opening of the letter.  (Here's a 'not so secret' secret - the clear Micro Beads can be colored with alcohol inks so you can customize your colors! How cool is that?)

And last, but not least, I made a little shaker card out of the die cut by adding acetate and foam tape.  This time I threw in a few Gold Opaque beads as well. 

(Excuse my static cling! It's easy to get rid of, just rub your acetate with a dryer sheet.)

Now I get the pleasure of sending you to visit the always awesome Artistic Guides over at Stamper's Quest magazine! They have many projects guiding you down your creative trail working with micro beads.  Wait until you see their exquisite designs...oooh lah lah!

Thanks for visiting!

Bella Creations Blog Candy!

Check it out! Bella Creations has a new Blog and they're giving away some fantastic Blog Candy once they reach 100 followers.

I've been a Bella member for 2 months and have all ready made new friends, participated in 3 challenges and 1 swap!

This is for the Papercrafter's Alphabet - A Collaborative Collage Project.  I had the letter 'I' and went with Industrial.

This is from the ATC Shrine Swap!

 Run, don't walk, and check out their new blog.

Thanks for looking, as always!!

Gingersnap Coaster Exchange!

My husband has had strep throat and an ear infection for the past two weeks and I'm exhausted.   I haven't got to craft at all, so I'm just going to post the coasters that I made for the Gingersnap Creations yahoo group Coaster swap.  The theme was hearts.

This one took me the most time - the entire thing is hand punched hearts and then each heart was individually curled with a awl and then glued down. 

This beast was a pain - I had the coolest gold paper incorporated but I decided at the last minute to add some gold embossing powder to cover up any glue overlap.  When I used my heat gun, all the gold bits melted and I had to go back in with a glue pen and more embossing powder.   Note to self: don't apply heat to things that melt!

Years ago, I purchased a shoebox full of stamps at a garage sale.  The stamps are still attached to envelopes, so I sat in front of the tv and peeled stamps off bit of paper and sorted them by color during a horror movie marathon.  Go Friday the 13th!    

Last, but not least, is this cute little clown girl.  The background was embossed with a Tim Holtz folder and then randomly heat embossed.   I was in the throes of a short-lived ruffle fascination for this one and the one above.   I have odd interests. LOL! 

Enjoy and thank you for looking!!

Gingersnaps Challenge - Office Supplies

Sometimes it's hard from me to actually craft - well, I can craft, but it ends up being stuff that I don't do anything with.  I generally throw it into a basket and there it sits until the end of time.  When I have to send a card, I actually go out and buy one.  I know, how crazy is that??

So I've made it my goal to make cards that I can use.  Here's my first attempt; I decided to go with a Thank You card.  It's for the Spicy Supply - Office Supplies Challenge over at Gingersnap Creations.   I "liberated" the tiny little butterfly clip from my work desk, as well as a manila file folder to make my folder.  

  Can I mention how tickled I was to make the little coffee cup rings on the folder?  Lots of Tim products used on this one - mostly his stamps and embossing folder.

Enjoy and, as always, thank you so much for looking!

Alas Poor Yorick!

This is my entry for the Alas Poor Yorick challenge (skulls) over at Haunted Design House.  The winner gets to go shopping at Creepy Glowbugg's etsy shoppe which makes me all twitterpatted because I have a huge crafting crush on her stuff.

I decided I wanted to try something that associated with beauty and delicateness but with a creepy edge; so here's my Skull Moth.

I stamped and cut out 19 skulls and assembled them on a chipboard butterfly shape that I had prepared by coloring with walnut ink and gothic writing.  Each skulls is on a pop dot and curled a little bit for a little dimension.  I added the spine, did a little glossy accents and popped on the pearls.  I wanted the antennae to be moth-y looking, but I'm not sure if it worked.    Sadly, all my stamps are unmounted and I have no idea where they came from. 

Thanks for looking!!

Another Spring Card

So, I have no idea what the ettiquette is, but Whoot! I'm squeeing about getting a Ginger Gem Badge for my Panic! at the Disco inspired project.  Thank you!

Today's card is Spring inspired again.  I love the rain, but a little sun wouldn't be unwelcome right now.

I wanted to play with some very cool bumpy glittery wrapping paper that I got from Pennywise Arts - I glued it directly to cardstock since it was so thin.  The image is colored directly on the stamp with Memento markers (my favorite technique for coloring) and then stamped onto white paper.  I then covered the entire image using the Essential Glue Pad (dab, don't rub, or the image will smear) and covered it with irridescent glitter.  I may add a ribbon, but I also like how simple it is.

I also thought I'd share a picture of my workspace - I have a huge light table but, as you can see, I've managed to clutter it up until I have nothing but a corner to work in.  Sadly, I'm pretty sure that I took the picture because I was impressed that my work space was so neat...

Please tell me that other crafters have this problem!!

Enjoy and thanks for looking!!

Missed Deadline - Beloved Monster

Ugh, I missed another Challenge Deadline - this one is for the My Beloved Monster challenge at Haunted Design House.  I blame it on my West Coast location - I'm late for everything that happens in a different time zone.

Anyway, I'm new to digis (this beauty is from Strange Skin) and it's come to my attention that I kinda suck at coloring.  LOL!  I was considering buying some Copics but I think I need to practice a little more before I drop that kind of money. 

She's done in a variety of different colored pencils and some pens. 

Enjoy!

The Ballad of Mona Lisa

I collaged - kinda.  Maybe I just serendipitied... or something.

I love Panic! at the Disco -  they just released the video for their first single - The Ballad of Mona Lisa - off their new album, Vices and Virtues.  The video is set at a steam-punk funeral and I couldn't resist digging through my stamps to find something to send to my fellow Panic! fans.

This is the master that I did - I'm not sure it counts as collage since the majority of the layers are just different inks - Memento, Brilliance, Versafine, VersaMagic and some Stampin' Up colors. 

I added some brads, some paper gears, a few metallic tissue paper embellishments and ta-dah! Cards to send to my steam-punk Mona Lisa loving friends.



It wasn't until I finished them that I realized they would fit nicely into the Random Redhead Challenge - Crowns at Gingersnap Creations.  I feel accomplished. :)

Thanks for looking!

Gingersnap Challenge - Charms

Today, I am going to be a posting fool, since I haven't posted all week - work was a killer. 

I completed two Gingersnap Creations challenges - the first one closes today and is the Spicy Supply Challenge - Charms.  I've been debating on whether or not this counts, but I'm going for it anyway.

This guys is Justice from Stampers Anonymous - it's hard to tell from the picture but his robe is made up of 5 different layers, with each layer being molded along the fold lines and pleats.  I was originally just playing with different embossing powders but an ATC fell into my lap.   I'm going to make him my first post at Bella Creations in the Oh La La Group.

I found the perfectly sized cross, as well as the rusted filigree corner, in my charm supplies - it's probably something that I would have thrown away last year, but it's a great addition.  

Please enjoy and thanks for looking. 

Spring Robin

It's been snowing here! What is up with that?  To conteract the winter blahs, I'm posting a springy card.   Hey, look at that - there's actually stamping on my card!

I think Penny Black stamps are fantastic; they're great for using markers to color directly onto the stamp so you can blend and smudge and mix.

I used Memento markers on the bird image and the leaves (I really love how the leaves turned out) and stamped it on glossy paper (I added the eye after I stamped it).  I stamped the sentiment on vellum and layered it over the glossy - it's hard to tell in the picture, but there is a subtle layering effect.

Enjoy and thanks for looking!

Challenge Macabre Monday - Forever Mine

I recently found the Haunted Design House blog and fell totally in love.  For those of you who are new to me, I love horror and macabre and blood and wheeeeeeee!!!!!!  I'll have to post my Christmas cards with the rabid dog sometime.....

Anyway! Haunted Design House had a challenge - Love Bites - that I just had to do. 

I'm disappointed with how poorly the blood shows up on the heart, I think it's because I took the picture in natural daylight but the ones inside were too dark.  But I do love this.  Sadly, the heart is an unmounted stamp and I have no idea where I got it; it's extremely detailed but stamps so perfectly when I use Versafine.   

Enjoy!!!