Happy Birthday Card

The background of this card is done with some of the new colors of Ranger Alcohol Inks. I can't tell you which ones because I spent a couple of hours just playing with all the new colors and made lots of backgrounds. I can tell you that they are all fantastic... I love how bright the brights are and how you get wonderful color with the lights, they're just lighter... but not washed out... gorgeous, gorgeous. The cupcake and Happy Birthday stamps are 2 of the newest stamps available from Quietfire Design. The cupcake image was cut out using a spellbinders die and gold Krylon sponged on the edges. The next oval is also cut with a Spellbinders die and then embossed with a cuttlebug folder and again gold Krylon sponged on the high spots. Some pink rickrack and a pink sheer ribbon bow finished off the card nicely.

Time is a Companion ATC

I started with white cardstock, layed on the large clock Tim Holtz mask and sprayed on mustard seed and weathered wood - both of these were diluted in a mini mister bottle. I then also sprayed a combination of antique linen and PP gold also mixed in a mini mister bottle, removed mask and dried paper. Next I layed the mask back on and rubbed on weathered wood ink using the Ranger inking tool. Next I stamped a clock image (Tim Holtz Visual Artistry) with mustard seed ink. Then I stamped the word stamp and clock stamp (Tim Holtz Visual Artistry) with Archival Ink black. Lastly I added a spinner (Tim Holtz Ideology) to the clock with a brad and hammered the brad using the Tim Holtz texture hammer. Lots of fun making these atcs for a local swap!!!

You Make My Heart Sing ATC

The background for this atc was done with Distress Inks vintage photo, black soot, and fired brick. It was then embossed with the Cuttlebug little hearts folder and black ink rubbed over the hearts. Collage image (Paper Imagery Designs) was torn out and added to the atc. Words are computer generated. Heart is punched from Bazzill paper.

Book RR - My pages in Kim's Book

Kim's book is very cool. She made the pages from GrungePaper and also included a tag for each person that will go in her book right in from of our page.

This is the front of my tag. I used paint dabbers, a Tim Holtz stamp, white Inkssential pen for the dots, and added an Ideology mini paper clip to hold the ribbons.

This is the back of the tag. I used paint dabbers for the background and then stamped the flourish (Tim Holtz) using the white paint dabber. Used an Ideology journal ticket, muse token, and a grungeboard dragonfly paint with a dabber and Distress stickles added over the top.

Next we have the front of my page... painted first with crackle paint and allowed to dry. Stamped over it with Tim Holtz images - birds and branch are stamped with black Archival ink and the florals are stamped using paint dabbers as the ink. Grungeboard bird is painted with dabber and stamped using the white dabber.. a black gem sticker added for the eye. Saying is stamped with Distress ink broken china, edges distressed and inked.

And now the back of my page. Painted with gold paint dabber and a little white. Layed on the large flourish mask (Ideology) and sponged on paint from dabber. Purple spots around edges made with paint dabber. White dots added with Inkssential pen. Saying stamped with black Archival ink. Grungeboard butterfly embossed with a cuttlebug folder, painted with dabbers, dots added with Inkssential pen, black gem stickers added to body.

Wander ATC

I had this background in my stash and I belive it was done with a Kaleidacolor pad. The map image (Time to Stamp) was stamped with black Archival ink. "Not all who wander are lost" is a Tim Holtz stamp... I stamped it with Distress Ink vintage photo and then cut it apart. Finished the atc off with a compass.

Woman ATC

This was a half done atc from a long time ago that I pulled out and finished. The background stamp, woman, and quote are all from Time to Stamp (I Brake For Stamps). I used a gold paint dabber around the edges and added the heart sticker and gold german scrap.

Published Cards

What a nice surprise I found in the current Stampers' Sampler Catch Up Issue (Volume 13, 2009).... 2 of my cards.

This first card uses a stamp, collage image, and embossed paper from Quietfire Design.


And this second card uses Pam Bell images (at the time of submission sold by Time to Stamp) but now sold by OnyxXpressions.

ATC

Another atc. The background is again using alcohol inks on white glossy paper. Along the left side I stamped the harlequin background image (Quietfire Design) with Brilliance moonlight white but it's a little hard to see in the scan. "Journey" (Quietfire Design) is stamped with Versamark and embossed with white. Postage stamp is attached using the new Tiny Attacher from the Tim Holtz Ideology line. Stitching and written words added with the Inkssential white pen. And lastly I added a fish charm.

Dreaming of Paris ATC

The background is done with alcohol inks on glossy white cardstock. Eiffel tower (Quietfire Design) is stamped with Archival ink. Collage image is from Quietfire Design. "Paris" (Quietfire Design) is stamped with Archival ink. "Dreaming of" is computer generated, cut out, and edges sponged with Stazon ink. Flourish image (Quietfire Design) is stamped around edges with Stazon ink. Added paper flower and flower sticker gem.

Sparrow ATC

I love how this atc came out!! The background is alcohol inks on white glossy cardstock. Stamped the sparrow image (Tim Holtz atc-sized image) with Archival ink. Sponged extra black ink around the edges. Added alcohol ink around the edge of a circle fragment (Tim Holtz Ideology) and attached it with Glossy Accents. Text is computer generated, cut out, and edged with ink. Flowers were colored with Adirondack ink, attached with Glossy Accents and Distress Stickles added to the centers.

Journey ATCs

These are a couple of the atcs I made for a local swap with the theme of "Going Postal". I used some butterfly postage stamps that my husband so generously gave me (he's a stamp collector and there was nothing wrong with these stamps). The background is Distress Inks and a Tim Holtz atc sized stamp image. I edged the stamps with some Distress Ink. "Journey" was made with a Dymo. Paper flowers and a brad.

Book RR - My Pages in Michelle's Book

Michelle's book is titled "All Things Disney" and so I couldn't resist doing pages for Pooh and Tigger.

The background on the Pooh page is done with Distress Inks and a cuttlebug corner embossing folder... first I rubbed ink on the page, then embossed the image repeatedly around the edge, and then rubbed more ink on the embossed areas to make them darker. "Pooh" is grungeboard letters painted with a dabber and then Distress Stickles added over it. The background on the Tigger page is just Distress Inks and stamping. "T I GA ER" is grungeboard letters painted with a dabber and dots added with a black pen. Images of Pooh, Tigger, bird, flowers, and hunny jars are stickers. All stamps are Tim Holtz. Text is computer generated. Ideology embellishment at top of tag. Butterflies are punched from colored paper and stamped on, gems added to bodies.

Book RR - My pages in Tashia's Book

Tashia's book has chipboard pages punched to be held together with 2 rings. The page I chose to use had an extra set of holes in it which made a nice place to add a ribbon. I used distress crackle paint, ideology masks, distress ink, archival ink, Adirondack pigment ink, grungboard, distress stickles, Tim stamps, ideology embellishments, punched butterflies, gems. Tashia asked us to include a picture (with Tim if we have one, which I don't) and I chose to do a picture strip by stamping Tim's filmstrip image, cutting out the centers and adding my picture (a black and white, a sepia, and a colored image). The first pic came out a bit blurry but looks great irl.

Don't forget you can click on the pictures for a closer look :-)

Book RR - My pages in Peggy's Book

Peggy's book is very cool and all the pages already had color on them in some way. Also the pages weren't all the same size which I wouldn't have thought to do but it's really way cool. I chose to do a two-page spread in her book. I used stamps, distress ink, archival ink, glaze pens, chalks, grungeboard, flowers, buttons, beads, ideaology embellishments, vellum, distress stickles.

6" x 6" Book

Front Cover

Inside of front cover

Title Page

Back of Title Page

I'm participating in a book round robin on the yahoo group AllThingsTim. We are to make or buy a book no larger than 6"x 6". I made mine using heavy chipboard for the covers and 300# watercolor paper for the pages... this makes the pages sturdy enough to handle any supplies and all the embellishments someone would want to use. I decorated the front cover, both sides and a title page, both sides. Supplies used - distress crackle paint, distress inks, Adirondack pigment inks, Archival ink, Tim Holtz stamps, grungeboard, ideaology embellishments, distress embossing powder, ribbon trims, distress stickles, sticky back gems, silk flowers, button, thread. I am in a group with 7 other people for this round robin and am looking forward to seeing the artful pages these ladies do in my book and also working in their books.

Sing and make Music...

Happy Saturday!!! I know I haven't been posting to my blog much lately... things have been very busy and I've had to help a lot out in my husbands shop but we've hired two new people so things will get better soon!!

I'm thrilled to once again have a card published in Vamp Stamp News... I truly love this magazine.. and not because I've been published in it :-)) (I've been a subscriber much longer than I've been having things published) but because it always has fabulous information totally geared to stampers. The March 2009 issue (where this card is published) focuses on acrylic mediums and using them with your stamping. There is also a great article on embossed backgrounds with die-cutting machines and the score-it... I must get my score-it out more often!!! And as always the Quick Tips section has lots of great information.

Back to my published card... the scripture is a stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs, the music is from Quietfire Designs, and the flower is from Limited Edition.

Published in Take Ten Magazine

What a great surprise I had in the mail yesterday. This card is published in the Mar/Apr/May 2009 issue of Take Ten Magazine. The harlequin border image (white dots added with the Inkssential pen) and the calligraphy sentiment stamps are from Quietfire Design. The collage image is from Paper Imagery Designs.

Light Tomorrow With Today ATCs

All of these use the same background technique as my last post using the Distress Inks and also the stamping along two edges with the Flourish image. Stamped the calligraphy quote (Quietfire Design) using Archival Ink. Added the flowers. On the green cards I added Distress Stickles to the centers.

Hope ATC

I quite like how this ATC turned out. The background is Distress Inks using the technique where you tap the ink pad on a craft sheet, spray with water, lay your cardstock in the ink, pull it back up, dry it, and repeat with another color or even the same color to build layers and depth. Stamped the Flourish 2 image (Paper Inspirations) along 2 edges with Distress Ink. Added the collage image - Avery (PID), metal tag (colored with alcohol inks and the letters highlighted with the white Inkssential pen) and brads.

A Couple More Valentine ATCs

More atcs using collage images, tickets, and German scrap hearts from PID.

Valentine ATCs

More atcs for the in-person swap coming up on Saturday. The background on both of these is printed ribbon I picked up on an after holiday sale last year (or maybe a couple years ago) at either Michael's or Hobby Lobby. It's exactly 2 1/2" wide - cool, huh. I attached the ribbon to white atc blanks for strength. The men images, ticket images, and red German Scrap hearts were all gotten from Paper Imagery Designs. I cut out the men and added them and the hearts to the background so that the so that the image just overlapped the top point of the heart. I cut out the tickets, layered them on red cardstock and trimmed to leave a small border. Added red pearl heart stickers to the tickets and on the left card, drew a kiss on his cheek with a red micron pen.

ATCs

I have an in-person atc swap coming up on Saturday so I've been working on some atcs for that. These two were done mostly with scraps I had laying in my work area after finishing up a tag swap last month. The calligraphy stamp is from Quietfire Design - it's stamped on vellum with Ranger's Archival ink in jet black and torn out. The ruler stamp is from Post Modern Designs - stamped on the left card with Archival ink jet black. The background on both cards is embossed with a Cuttlebug folder and then sprayed with Glimmer Mists candy apple red, edged with gold Krylon and layered onto black atc blanks. The card on the left uses a German Scrap heart. The card on the right - the "ruler" is tape a friend sent me and the heart is gold cardstock embossed using a Fiskars texture plate and then I punched little holes and tied on the string.

Felted ATCs

A couple of months ago I asked my friend who does gorgeous felting (not to mention stamping, drawing, painting, carving, and the list can go) to teach me how to felt. I chose to work on atc sized pieces and stuck with floral themes because I can't draw. I finally made those pieces into finished atcs a couple of weeks ago. I added Distress Stickles which is a perfect look for these, embellishments, and "Dream with your eyes wide open" is a stamp from Quietfire Design - I sprayed some muslin with Memory Mist sprays and stamped with Archival ink jet black. I really like how these turned out (they're even better in person) and plan to do more felted atcs.
Be sure and click on the picture for a closer look.

Vamp Stamp News - Feb. 2009

This card is published on the back cover of the February issue of Vamp Stamp News. All stamps are from gg designs.

Love Card

Quietfire Design is featuring my card for their project this week. You can get complete directions, etc. here. Along with featuring the card, all the Distress Inks and Reinkers are on sale... get more info here.