Happy Hump Day!

Happy Hump Day everyone! It is Wednesday and I am hoping this day goes by fast. I am looking forward to the WEEKEND and Wednesdays always seem to drag on for me. Today was not a particular good day for me. I received a jury duty summons in the mail and found out someone I knew when I was young passed away.

Today I am sharing a fun, quick card I created using an Inkadinkado stamp set that I bought on clearance at JoAnn's for $.97. It was a steal!! I actually bought it more for the sentiments then the images but I decided for this card I would try one of the images out.

I decided to make the image on this card the focal point. I started out by stamping the lizard image in black permanent ink and then coloring it in with Copic Markers.

I could have colored the lizard green but wanted to mix it up a little and make it a bright color. I used a range of yellow/red hues with a little bit of red. 

I then highlighted the image with some purple.

To finish him off, I went over him with a Wink of Stella glitter pen and used glossy accents on his spots. I think he came out cute!!

I was originally going to make this a one layer card but par for the course, I got ink on my hands and it rubbed off on the left side of the card so I had to cut the card panel down. I used this mistake to layer the panel over a piece of Washi tape and a punched border.

I used some foam adhesive to give it some dimension. The last step was to glue a few iridescent sequins onto the card front. Now I have to figure out who I want to send this card too. I think it came out really cute for a $.97 stamp set.

That is all for today. Thank you for stopping by.

Nora

Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Clean and Simple 3 Class Homework

Hello everyone!! Just a quick post to show off the last card I created for the Clean and Simple 3 class. I used Jennifer McGuire's technique of stamping a background in white. Jen then stamped over the background with a a different stamp but I wanted to try something different. Instead of stamping over the white, I masked over it with post it tape and used inks to get an ombre effect. I saw this on a Julie Ebersole video and have wanted to try this for a while.

The sentiment was stamped and embossed first, before I did anything. I didn't want the background to interfere with that.

The mist spray I splattered and the added sequin are really a cover up for some fingerprints I got on the card. A girl has to do what a girl has to do to make it right!! Hee Hee!! I also added some Wink of Stella glitter over the stripes but it is hard to tell on this photo.

Things I learned:
Not all white pigment ink is the same. I used MFT's white on this card. Jennifer used Hero Art's, which I did not have at the time. (I have since gotten my hands on some!!) On some parts of the card, the ink was a bit saturated and I had a hard time with it drying, even with my heat gun. I also need to get some ultra fine white (and black) embossing powder for sentiments. The stuff I have just doesn't work all that well.

Well that is all for today. Thank you for stopping by!!!

Nora

Supplies:

Stamps-Hero Arts and Paper Trey Ink

Wow Embossing Powder

White ink by Colorbox for MFT

Distress ink

Doodlebug sequins

Wink of Stella glitter

Simple Class Homework-Day 9-Textural Effects

Happy Hump Day!!

Blog, create cards, blog, create cards-that is the dilemma for me these days. Also, having a concussion and still feeling the effects of it has kept me off of the computer for the most part. I did want to share some of the cards I made using techniques from the Clean and Simple 3 Class I just completed. What a fun class!! I would definitely recommend taking one of these classes if you ever get the chance.

For the first card, I used Debbie Hughe's embossing technique to create my card. Her beautiful butterfly card inspired me to make a card using a butterfly stamp. This stamp is from Stampin Up!'s "Wonderful Wings" set-one of the oldest stamp sets I own. I rarely use wooden stamps anymore but this stamp set is still one of my favorites!

Here is the card I created:

Unlike Debbie, I chose to emboss in black rather then in white for this card. I think that the black suited this butterfly rather then the white. I then colored in the butterflies with Copic markers.

I generally like the way they came out BUT they did pick up some of the black embossing powder and sent it through the coloring to mottle it a little. It made the butterflies a bit dark. I then used a Wink of Stella pen to go over all the butterflies to make them shine. It is a little hard to see in the photos I took, though.

I then sprinkled green and orange mist on the card. Debbie showed how she does "controlled" sprinkles but I threw that out the window and just went for it. I am in that mode these days of just going full out.

The embossing paste technique was the last step. I used a stencil I cut out of white card stock using my Silhouette digital cutter. After the embossing paste dried, I covered it all with a little Wink of Stella.

The second card I created I decided to leave the embossing paste off but started off trying the "controlled" misting. Once you see the card, you will see I did NOT control my spraying in any shape or form!!!

I decided to used white embossing powder for this card and pulled out some Radiant Pearls paint-something I have had in my stash FOR YEARS to paint the butterflies.

Can I tell you how disappointed I am that they don't make these anymore? They are so fun to work with and I only have about 7 colors. It is hard to tell from the photo but the butterflies are shiny from the paint-no glitter pen needed. 

I have to admit, that I liked this card better then the first…until I screwed it up with the darn greeting. I messed up the stamping-one reason I rarely make one layer cards. I tried to "fix it" by stamping over it in black and then using my glitter pen over the black. I wish I had just used a gray or black ink for the greeting in the first place instead of getting fancy with a color. 

I also went around the outside with Hero Art's gold ink. I thought that it was a nice touch. I added sequins too because I thought it needed a "bit" more. Sometimes knowing where to stop is so difficult!!

Things I learned from this class:
1. Masking takes a bit of time. For this card, I had to make four separate masks using masking paper. Each of the butterflies needed a mask, as well as the sentiment.

2. Also, I need to get a palate knife for the embossing paste. I used a plastic knife for it on the first card and you can see the ridges from where I went over the paste with that knife. I also was kind of sloppy but since I have only ever used this technique once before, I know that I just need to practice.

3. Black embossing powder is not color fast. I think this is the greatest lesson!!

4. When you make a mistake on a one layer card, you have to figure out how to "fudge it" to make it better or throw it away. Sometimes you don't want to throw all that work away so you make do.

Well, that is all. I thank you for looking at my cards. I have had a blast at looking at all yours. Have a great day!!

Nora

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge-Glitter It!

I hate to post two in one day but I needed to do this to enter the Simon Says Stamp glitter challenge for tomorrow.

I created this card using the Stampin Up! "Stipple Butterfly" stamp. This was a case from a Debby Hughes card from the Clean and Simple 3 Class that ended last week. (My last butterfly card was inspired by the same card, as were the two that I will be posting for my homework tomorrow.) This is one of the OLDEST stamps I own. I never use wood stamps anymore but I never got rid of this because I LOVE butterflies. Every card I made this weekend I was thinking of my late mother. Her birthday was yesterday and I think I just had it on my mind. 

I had fun pulling out old supplies, using my "new" embossing paste, and spritzing mist spray every which way. 

I colored the butterfly in with Copic markers. I used a photo off the internet as a "model" for the coloring. Blue butterflies are my favorite!!

I then stamped a thank you from Simon Says Stamp "Thanks" set from September. I LOVE this stamp set!!

I masked the butterfly and sentiment off using the paper mask but as you can see, it wasn't 100% successful. I used a Wink of Stella glitter pen on some of the embossing paste, as well as the butterfly. It is so hard to see in the photo, though.

That is all for now. Thanks for stopping by.

Nora

Supplies:

Stampin Up! Stipple Butterfly

InLinkz.com

Paper Trey Ink March Blog Hop

Happy Tuesday!! Just a quick post to share a card I created for the Paper Trey Ink March Blog Hop.

The challenge was to use some sort of "high gloss" technique on your card.

I am going to admit that this card was inspired by a Debbie Hughes card that she created for a class I took that ended last week. I chose to emboss a butterfly stamp with black embossing ink, color it in, and go over it with a glitter pen. It is hard to see in the photo, I know.

I didn't use the springy colors but chose to use Copic markers to color in the monarch butterfly. I used a photo on the internet to match the marker colors I used for my coloring. I really love how it came out.

My next step was to stamp the greeting using Paper Trey Ink's "Think Big Favorites #24 Stamp" in gray ink. I then masked both the butterfly and the sentiment and literally flung orange and gold paint at the card.

My last step was to use gold ink around the outside edges. This card was extremely simple to make but took me a huge amount of time to create. I am very slow at coloring and tend to "over think" it.

I do not usually use non PTI stuff on these blog hops but I really wanted to use this butterfly. It shouted Spring to me and I needed that during this unusually cold March!

Thank you for looking!! Have a great night!!

Nora

Supplies:

Wonderful Wings Stamp Set-Stampin Up!

InLinkz.com