Card Remake

Ever have a card "bother" you? I was all set (right up to having the envelope addressed!) to send this first card for a fish swap, but then I just couldn't do it. I made the card maybe two years ago while visiting my North Carolina friends, and at the time it seemed to be an "okay" card. When I revisited it yesterday, though, I had to admit to myself that despite all the time I spent coloring with pencils that it wasn't my best work by today's standards. This card was, indeed, a fixer-upper.






Sooooo..... I pulled all the elements off the Almost Amethyst card base, and the first thing I did was add highlights with my ultra spiffy Sakura Stardust fine glitter pen. To brighten up the color and add a watery effect, I patted each of the images with a VersaMark pad and then coated them with clear embossing powder -- just one layer, as I didn't want to end up with a cracked glass effect. I put away my Stickles and went instead with a background wheel (Spot On) to give the effect of underwater bubbles.






Given more time to play with this, no telling how much better the card could be, but I need to move on since I've been commissioned to make some anniversary cards for someone who has been very patient through all my health adventures recently.

More Clowning Around

I've been playing around all week with the Clowning Around SU! set using the Flowers for You designer series papers with the colors Tempting Turquoise, Regal Rose, Lovely Lilac, and Certainly Celery; and here's what I came up with:












I especially like the way this "gate fold" card turned out. I knew that *someday* I would use a velcro dot on a card, and this was the day!

Found My Mind, Clowning Around

I dug down deep and came up with these two cards for the SU! Clowning Around set. Colors are Lovely Lilac, Tempting Turquoise, Regal Rose, and Certainly Celery -- to match the Flowers for You designer series paper which I used on the second card.



This first card seems kinda blah to me, probably because I have never used a quarter sheet of Whisper White at one time on a card; but I really wanted to put two clowns on the same front panel. I stamped the tall clown in regal rose and then paper pieced his turquoise pants. Same idea with the second clown. I added some colored brads and doodle dots, but the card still seems rather simplistic. I used the Spot On jumbo wheel on the entire card base, front and back, so the card looks more complete when you see the whole thing. Rather than waste any more time on a card that was putting me to sleep, I moved on...






I like this second card LOTS better! The clown is markered this time to make a much more colorful character than on the first card. I don't usually mess with designer paper, but I got brave today and ran the Spot On jumbo wheel over it. The Happy Hellos greeting is layered on a scalloped circle raised with Stampin' Dimensionals. The pink brads holding the clown's suspenders add a little more dimension.






Starting today, I will be moderating comments on this blog. I've been getting spam comments as well as some unkind and inappropriate words, so I think it's time for me to take a little more control. Sorry folks! Your comments about these cards and stamping in general are more than welcome (and much appreciated), but there will be a short delay before they show up publicly.

"Healed" Card

Back on April 13th I posted a set of cards I made, and whined that I had smeared the marker-doodled border on the white panel of one of the cards. Even though the smears didn't show up very well in the photos, I was crushed. I mused about how to fix the card, and even posted a question to the Yahoo groups I'm in to get feedback. Finally I just admitted to myself that I was blocked and needed hands-on outside help.



Kate and Fonda to the rescue!! I sent the card off to my friends in North Carolina and asked them to make it all better, but without using Stickles (which is our "quick fix" for almost everything). They lovingly (I assume... but then again they could have pointed and laughed, too) doctored the card back to health using, of all things, Spider Writers to cover the smears with some wonderful doodles. Holy cow! Who'da thunk? I'm so tickled pink I can hardly stand it. And now, without further ado, I present the healed card:






The bigger purple circle doodles are where the smears were, and they just took off with their creativity from there. Is this cool or what? Thank you, ladies, for you assistance. Nice job!!

And Now For Something Completely Different...

Stamp Credit: "Cynthia Diem" dress form by Stampabilities, "Create" by Art Impressions, background created with SU!'s Spot On jumbo wheel



Technique: Colored pencils blended with Gamsol



I doodled a border on this first one with my basic black marker and then promptly smeared it -- but it seems I'm the only person on the planet who can see the schmutz, at least in the scan.






I left the border off the next two. I have some stitching rub-ons on order which should arrive this week, so I may use those to add a bit more to these.

Goodbye to Western Sky

I used of the last of my Western Sky paper sampler on these four cards. I'm sorry to have run out, but I still have time if I get desperate and feel the need to order a full pack of the designer paper.












This last card was made using scraps and schnibbles of Western Sky. I think it turned out pretty decent!

Got the Blues

I played around today with a sample of double-sided designer paper (Western Sky, to be exact) and some of my newest stamp sets. In keeping with the colors on the DSP, I worked mostly with Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, River Rock, and (eventually) Ruby Red. I also broke open my Soft Sky double-stitched ribbon.



The quote on this first card is a sticker from Wordsworth.






I used the Paisley background stamp on this next card. The scallops on the right edge of the card were made using the 3/16" corner rounder punch minus the paper guide. Cool, huh? The Rumi quote is by Hampton Art Stamps.






Another card with a Wordsworth quotation sticker...






The "Happy Hellos" is markered/huffed with one of the stamps from the Lots of Thoughts Sale-a-Bration set. I just love using the Paisley background with Soft Sky ink on Soft Sky paper!






Another Rumi quote card, this time with the Canvas background stamp in Blue Bayou on Blue Bayou. I really got into the scallops on this one. The posies were made using the Three For You punch box kit.






You know, I hardly ever make birthday cards, and I don't know why. The So Many Scallops Sale-a-Bration set made this card easy. I'm really happy with the background made with the Spot On jumbo wheel, which seems quite versatile.






And finally, after a day of the blues, I flipped over a piece of the double-sided paper and made a card in Ruby Red and River Rock.







And now.... I'm ready for bed!