A Few Birthday Cards using Mama Elephant

I go through stages on what kinds of stamps I like. Right now I am obsessed with the company Mama Elephant. This company makes the CUTEST stamps sets and dies. I have had fun coloring some little guys from the "Just Hatched" and using the mess on my desk to complete two adorable birthday cards.

The first one I created I used an orange color scheme. Did I tell you I am obsessed with orange? I believe I have said that a time or two!! Anyway, the first thing I did was to die cut a piece of Simple Stories "Color Vibe" paper with a My Favorite Things "In and Out Diagonal Stitched Rectangle" die and layered it over a white top folding card.

Next I stamped a strip of white card stock with a sentiment from the WPlus9 "Unforgettable" stamp set, layered it over a strip of orange card stock and adhered it to the card front. I then arranged and adhered the little animals over the front.

The little chick and the blue bird I used foam adhesive to pop them up a bit. I added tickles to the top of the chick's party hat and some green dots to the dinosaur. My last step was to adhere sequins randomly around the focal point. I also used a Wink of Stella on the balloon and the blue bird to give them a little zing.

I liked this card so much that I created another one utilizing the same animals but I colored them in different colors. I often do this because I often color things in big batches. I get bored using the same colors all the time!!

I used a little less bling on this one too. No Stickles anywhere!!

Aren't they cute? Totally fun and easy card from the mess on my desk!!

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope your day is fabulous!!

Supplies:
Stamps-Mama Elephant-"Just Hatched," WPlus9-"Unforgettable," My Favorite Things-"Sweet Birthday Wishes," Paper Smooches-"Sentimental Sampler"
Papers-Scraps, Stamper's Select White Card Stock from Paper Trey Ink
Other-Copic Markers, Big Shot, Sequins, Foam Adhesive, Momento Ink-Tuxedo Black

CASEplorations April at STAMPlorations Blog

Was vacation really last week? I am ready for another!!

Today I am sharing a card that I created for a challenge on STAMPlorations. It was to use this card by Kimberly Wiener as your inspiration.

Since I am an ORANGE freak, I decided to attempt an orange background. I did more of an ombre effect on my background then Kimberly did. I used Ranger Distress Inks in Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmalade, Wild Honey and Ripe Persimmon, which I then spritzed with water.

I then layered a die cut frame, banner and sentiment over the background. Each of these was from the mess on my desk, as was the cup cake that I adhered using foam adhesive.

I then literally sprinkled sequins onto the card and then adhered them down where they landed. My last touch was to use a clear Wink of Stella pen and Stickles in "Cool Mint" and "Orange Slice" on the cup cake. Easiest card I have created in a long time!! I just adore orange too!!

Again, I am entering this into STAMPlorations CASEplorations challenge.

Thank you for stopping by! Have a wonderful day!!

Supplies:
Ink-Ranger Distress Inks-"Dried Marigold," "Spiced Marmalade," "Wild Honey," "Ripe Persimmon," Momento Ink-Tuxedo Black
Paper-Stampers Select White Paper from Paper Trey Ink, Scraps
Dies-Paper Trey Ink, My Favorite Things (banner)
Other-Big Shot, Sequins, "Cool Mint" and "Orange Slice" Stickles, Multi Matte Medium, Copic Markers, Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Pen
Stamps-Paper Trey Ink-"Baker's Dozen"

A Creative Sort of Mood

Hello, hello, hello!! I hope you are all having a wonderful day.

It was back to the old grind after having a FABULOUS week off last week. We didn't go anywhere but sometimes those are the best vacations. I spent time reading, doing laundry, cleaning, getting a pedicure and then shopping a bit with my daughter-it was just wonderful. I so needed it and am looking forward to being off for the summer. I just have to make it through nine more weeks.

Today I am sharing some of my "experiments" that I did using Altenew's "Vintage Roses" stamp set. 

If you browse through Pinterest, there are some STUNNING cards using this set. However, I had a really tough time with it. I even watched several videos on how to layer them and I still had a difficult time. I am not a novice at stamping by any means but sometimes stamps need to be played with a bit to get comfortable and I think this is one of them. 

The first technique I attempted was to use three colors of distress ink and a watercolor brush to create my flowers.

As you can see, this did not go very well. The flowers are very impressionistic. I do not usually stamp with distress inks and I think this is one of the problems with using them with these stamps. I do like the red, though.

I then tried using different colors of melon ink to the layered roses.

Again, I did not like the look. I did not get the stamping "perfect" and it bugged me.

My last try was to use the same ink but in first, second and third generation stamping.

First I stamped the lightest color. I inked up the stamp and then stamped off twice to get the lighter pink. Next I stamped the medium color, only stamping off once. The detail stamping was inking and stamping. I did not love this technique that well either. I also messed up on the top rose, not placing it where it went at all. This was my last attempt and I was VERY frustrated by then.

I just bought a MISTI last week and think that I need to play with this set using this tool. Then at least the layers will be straight. I also need to test inks together to see if they "go" with each other. All in all, I am so disappointed by my results because I wanted these stamp set so bad and I know it is user error.

If anyone has any great advice about using this particular stamp set, I would love to hear it. Thank you for stopping by.

Computer Withdrawal

Happy Sunday everyone!! I have not been around AT ALL as of late. The graphics card on my Mac decided to die on Easter and I have not had any computer for TWO WEEKS!! No browsing fun blogs, or posting on my favorite web board, Scrapjazz.com and defiantly no blogging. I was able to use my phone for some things but I cannot comment on stuff when I am on my phone. I am literally all thumbs and auto correct + me = disaster. Yesterday I finally picked up my computer from the store so I am back and raring to go!

No computer has left me a lot of time to do a little bit of crafting AND a lot of cleaning. I also did some "experimenting" with some of the stamps that have never seen ink. I gave myself permission to have fun and to not be all about the "end result" but more about the process. I will talk about that later this week, though.

The card I am going to show you today was part of my "clean up" of my desk, otherwise known as "what is on my desk" challenge." (I think I am going to have to rethink that name so I can make an acronym out of it. Maybe the Clean Up Challenge or CUP for short?) I have a TON of WPlus9  "Fresh Cut Florals" on my desk that I have stamped and die cut. I decided to layer some of them together to create a simple Mother's Day card.

First I used a stencil and Spun Sugar Distress Ink to created the pink polka dot background on a die cut piece of stamper's select white card stock from Paper Trey Ink. Next I stamped a few leaves using Hero Art's soft green and green hills ink directly on the background.

I then layered my die cuts over the leaves and added some Stickles. My last step was to add a few pink sequins. My card is not as bright in real life as this but you get the gist. I edited these photos BEFORE my graphics card went and I am too lazy to do them over.

I thank you for stopping by and apologize for being MIA. I have missed all of you!!

Supplies:
Paper-Paper Trey Ink
Stamps-WPlus9-"Fresh Cut Florals"
Dies-Winnie and Walter-"Essentials-Katharine Cutaway," WPlus9-"Fresh Cut Florals," My Favorite Things hearts
Ink-Paper Trey Ink-"Blueberry Sky," "Enchanted Evening," "Hibiscus Burst," Ranger Distress Ink-"Spun Sugar," Hero Arts-"Green Hills" and "Soft Green," Momenta-"Tuxedo Black"
Other-Big Shot, Sequins, Ranger Multi Matte Medium, Diamond and Blue Bayou Stickles, Foam Adhesive

Happy Tuesday!!

I hope everyone is having a great week. Three more days until Good Friday. I love having Friday's off!!

This weekend I watched a really cool documentary on Showtime that has really gotten me thinking. "Finding Vivian Maier" is about this man's search to find this woman who took these negatives that he bought at an auction. He had bought them for a book he was writing but found out they were not right for this publication. He took them out later and what he found was amazing.

These photographs were snapshots of a time gone by. This mystery woman was a brilliant photographer who caught the essence of people, the little moments, good and the bad, the detritus of the time. The movie is this man's journey to find out who this woman was. I am not going to say anymore but I HIGHLY recommend it. I think her photos are so intriguing.

It makes me want to practice my photography skills. I am so impatient, though, and would never dare to do what this woman did to get the shot. Taking photos of the inside of garbage cans, random people, self portraits. I do not have a natural eye for photography, though I wish I did. However, I think that it is something that I will practice when the weather gets nice.

Today I am sharing a card I created using sketch #116 from "CASE This Sketch" blog. I used an elephant from WPlus9's "Unforgettable" stamp set as my main image.

I colored the elephant in using purple Copic markers and stamping hearts over the top using Paper Trey Ink's "Enchanted Evening" dye ink.

It is funny because I have never been a purple person before. All of the sudden I am obsessed with it and cannot get enough!!

I created a totally "fake" shaker card out of this. I basically layered multicolored sequins between two pieces of paper and a piece of acetate. The sequins do move but it is a relatively flat card.

I adhered the elephant onto the card using foam adhesive and added some Wink of Stella over the "baby" die cut to give it a little bit of shine without over powering the card.

This card made me step outside of my comfort zone and it was so much fun!!

I am entering this into CASE this Sketch #116 and Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes" Wednesday Challenge.

 

I thank you for taking the time to stop by. Please check out more photographs by Vivian Maier here.
Have a fabulous day!!

Supplies:
Stamps: WPlus9-"Unforgettable"
Paper: Paper Trey Ink-Lemon Tart, Bazzill-Purple and Lilac, Basic Grey-Striped
Dies: WPlus9-"Unforgettable", Paper Trey Ink-Baby and Frame, My Favorite Things-Square
Ink: Enchanted Evening-PTI
Other-Sequins, Big Shot, Foam Adhesive, Copic Markers, Acetate