Happy Easter!

Here's my Easter Box Card that features a whole bunch of dies from The Stamp Doctor, including the new A2 Card in a Box #2 that creates a horizontal box card. This set includes dies to cut the card base  and layers.

Here's the Box Card with daffodils in the background!

Here's a close-up of the top of the box card.

The card (somewhat) flattened. It will fit into an A2 envelope!

Supplies Used:

The Stamp Doctor Dies Used:

A2 Card in a Box #2 Die Set 

Egg Carton CIB Die Set - Add On Dies 

Large Chocolate Bunny Dies

Small Chocolate Bunny Dies

Tags #1 Die Set

Mini Tags #1 Die Set

Grass Edger Die

Scalloped Border Die Set

Rounded Rectangle Connectors Die Set

Sun Die Set

Other Supplies Used:

Colored Cardstock by Bazzill Basics

Solar White Classic Crest® Cardstock by Neenah Papers

Copic® Markers Used; E31, E33, Ed34, E35, E44, E47

Kitten Smitten and Petite Prints Patterned Paper by Doodlebug Designs Inc.™

House-Mouse Designs® Painted Wishes Perfectly Clear™ Stamps by Stampendous

Cottonball White Fun Flock by Stampendous

Nocturne VersaFine Clair™ by Tsukineko

Surprise and Delight Rubber Stamp by A Muse 

Vellum 

Red Liner Tape

Sookwang Tape

Glue Pen

Paper Edger Scissors by Fiskar's®

Instructions:

1. Follow the instructions included with the A2 Card in a Box #2 Die Set to cut green cardstock.
2. Use the grass die from the Egg Carton CIB Die Set - Add On Dies  to cut green cardstock three times. 
3. Adhere the three green grass die-cuts to the green strips.
4. Follow the instructions to assemble and create the box card.
5. Cut two pieces of blue cardstock .25" than the back panel of the card. 
6. Cut two pieces of plaid paper smaller than the blue cardstock and adhere.
7. Cut one piece of blue polka dotted paper .25" smaller than the plaid paper and adhere as shown.
8. Use the rectangle dies from the A2 Card in a Box #2 Die Set to cut plaid patterned paper and blue cardstock. Adhere to the base of the card as shown.
9. Die-cut bunnies from white cardstock and color with Copic markers.
10. Use glue pen to add glue to their tails, sprinkle Cottonball White Fun Flock over the glue, press lightly, then shake off excess.
11. Cut patterned papers with the eggs from the Egg Carton CIB Die Set.
12. Adhere the bunnies and eggs onto the grass strips.
13. Using the Grass Edger Die, cut green cardstock twice, trim to the proper width, and adhere to the card front as shown.
14. Cut one of the large eggs with a pair of Paper Edger Scissors.
15. Adhere the bunnies and egg half to the card front.
16. Die-cut blue cardstock with one of the dies from the Scalloped Border Dies and adhere as shown.
17. Stamp the sentiments onto polka dot patterned paper with the Nocturne VersaFine Clair ink.
18. Cut the sentiments with the one of the dies from the Tags #1 Die Set and one of the dies from the Rounded Rectangle Connectors Die Set. 
19. Adhere sentiments as shown.
20. Add Sookwang Tape to a piece of vellum and then cut two "clouds" with one of the dies from the Mini Tags #1 Die Set.
21. Cut yellow cardstock with the Sun Die Set.
22. Adhere one cloud, then the sun, then the second cloud to the background as shown.

Thanks for visiting today!

Music Inspiration Challenge!

It's my turn to host the Stampotique Designers Challenges and here's what I've got to say about it!

"I love music and enjoy most genres ranging from liturgical music to rap, from classical to head-bangin' rock! Music fills my soul and moves me emotionally and physically.

Let's see how music inspires you! Use song lyrics, music notation, or words associated with music in your project and share it with us!

Have fun! I can't wait to see what you all create!"

If you'd like the chance to win $30 worth of Stampotique stamps, you should play along. Visit Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and be sure to read the rules, so that you'll have the chance to win a great prize!!!

I'm sad to say that I have not completed my project for this or any other challenge.

It's been a rather wacky summer and my mojo and energy level are currently located on the construction-congested Staten Island Expressway and/or the Belt Parkway. I've spent ridiculous amount of time this summer in bumper-to-bumper traffic on both of these horrific roadways.

Please visit my team members blogs to see how they've interpreted my challenge!

Bwa ha ha! I'm back with my project, which is a page for a mini-book that I have been planning for quite some time. My musical inspiration is Cheap Sunglasses by ZZ Top.

Here it is!

Smitten Moustache Monsters (Kira Nichols) was stamped twice with Tuxedo Black Memento ink. One set was colored with Copic markers and fussy cut. The moustaches and belly parts were fussy cut, colored with Copic markers, then run through a Xyron machine to apply adhesive to the front of the image. Caramel Latte Fun Flock by Stampendous was applied to the adhesive on the moustaches and beards. ScraPerfect Best Glue Ever was used to adhere the flocked moustaches and beards in place. Clear Gelly Roll Glaze pen was added to the one pair of visible eyes and the horns of two of the monsters.

The sunglasses are metallic charms that I had forever. I cut the temples and the charm loop, bent the glasses slightly, and adhered the sunglasses over the eyes of two of the monsters.

I set my Smitten Moustache Monsters aside and went to work on my background. I cut a piece of 140 lb. Mixed Media cardstock by Strathmore to 6x6. I sponged Squeezed Lemonade, Wild Honey, Scattered Straw, and Spiced Marmalade Distress ink onto the cardstock using Mini Ink Blending Tools and Mini Ink Blending Tool Replacement Foam. You can't see it now, but I achieved a really nice gradient, which pleased me. Then I messed it up. Water was misted over the piece using an Inkssentials Mini Mister, which added a nice mottled look. The piece was heat set, then more of the same color Distress inks, plus Picked Raspberry and Rusty Hinge Distress inks were sponged over the 50s Clock stencil by The Crafter's Workshop (50% off!). I dampened a sponge with water and sponged over the stencil to remove some of the ink, then I heat set the piece again. I decided more was more, so I sponged Distress inks over the Bubbles Dylusions stencil. This stencil seems to be sold out, but the other Dylusions stencils are on sale, so check 'em out! I still wasn't satisfied, so I sponged more Distress ink over the Flower Frenzy stencil by The Crafter's Workshop. I liked the layers of pattern better, but now it looked too bright, so I sponged Picket Fence Distress Stain over the piece, wiped it off, liked it all better, so I heat set it.

The edges of the piece were distressed with the Heart Attack Distressing tool by WR Memory Keepers. The tattered edges were roughed up a bit more with the edge of a pair of scissors, then sponged with Picked Raspberry and my beloved Black Soot Distress ink.

Black metallic cardstock was die cut with Memory Box's Virtuoso Music die-cut, a Die-Namics Treble Clef die, and old Mini Khaki dies by QuicKutz. The treble clef and music staff die-cuts were adhered to the inked, stenciled page, then the Smitten Moustache Monsters were adhered to the music staff. The sentiment was added, then the piece was adhered to black cardstock!

Here's a bit of the back story. After a year of steady deterioration of my eyesight, I had cataract surgery in January 2014. I got glasses in fourth grade, so it was amazing that my distance vision was corrected to 20/20! It was indescribable how exciting it was to peel my eye open right after the surgery and read the license plate of the car in front of us to my husband! It's awesome to wake up in the morning and not have to fumble for my glasses. I can drive without my glasses! Almost best of all, I can wear cheap sunglasses!

I will admit that I was flat out terrified about the surgery. My vision is central to my life. All the things that I love to do involve my eyesight. Reading, doing artwork, bird watching, watching television, sightseeing, traveling -- all involve eyesight. When I was a stupid teenager, I cut my corneas with contact lenses. The pain was excruciating and I became very phobic about anything touching my eyeballs. The prospect of losing my vision to cataracts was scary, but so was the surgery. I became a total complete basketcase for the month or so leading up to the surgery. The surgeon changed the date on me twice and I almost caved into my fears, but I went through with it, and am glad I did. There have been complications and I still need glasses for computer, reading, and close work, but all in all. It's been a positive experience even though I don't much like seeing all my gray and my wrinkles! I decided that it would be a good thing to document the whole experience in a mini-book and now I've started. Yay!

Happy Father's Day!

When I met husband in college, he played guitar. Some time afterwards he stopped playing and both of his guitars were given to his brother, who eventually passed them along to someone else.

My husband recently started playing again on a guitar borrowed from a friend. He got an electric guitar as an early Father's Day gift.

Therefore, this year, instead of a bicycle or wine card, his Father's Day card featured a guitar from Taylored Expressions' You're My Hero set.

The card was created using this week's sketch from Sketch Saturday.

Here's the sketch.


Here's the card.


You're My Hero set is cool because it includes a guitar neck and four different Fender-style guitar bodies.

The neck of the guitar was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink, colored with Copic markers, then masked with Winsor & Newton masking fluid. The solid-flame guitar body was stamped with Black Onyx VersaFine ink to achieve better ink coverage.

Both the blue and guitar print patterned papers are from Glitz Designs. The metallic silver flame patterned paper is from EK Success. I've hoarded both papers forever and save every scrap. Krylon Silver Leaf pen was used to edge almost all the edges since I can't abide white edges and to add a bit of metallic "pop".

The sentiment is by A Muse. I used a Father's Day sentiment inside the card and had my daughter write something for her father.

It's my first Father's Day without my Dad and I feel a bit sad and bereft. However, he's alive in my heart and my memories and that gives me some comfort.

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter the card in the following challenges.
• Sketch Saturday: Week #212
• Craft Your Passion Challenge #114: "Anything Goes"
• Cards for Men: Challenge 12: Father's Day (this challenge was posted on June 4th which was my Dad's birthday.

Jack Frost strikes again!

I've had this one in my head for a long time and finally got around to making it. It's seasonally appropriate too since it's getting cold in these parts.



Close up:


Jack Frost was feeling feisty and decided to explore an enchanted forest. He discovered a Toadstool House (DT-022-M)and just had to work his magic upon it and the surrounding trees.

I had to work a little "magic" myself when creating this scene. The Toadstool House has lovely flowers and butterflies adorning it. Since they were seasonally incorrect, I had to get rid of them. I used some repositionable Scotch Tape and covered them, inked the stamp, lifted the tape, and stamped the image. Then I stamped Jack and some branches from the Branching Out set by Taylored Expressions, so that Jack would have a platform so that he could spread frost wherever he wanted.

All stamped images were colored with Copic markers, were masked, and a background was airbrushed. I corrected the lines of the Toadstool House's roof with a fine tip pen and also added some shading dots to match the rest of the roof. The branches were outlined too. When that was done, VersaMarker was used to color the roof of the house and several layers of clear embossing powder were heat set. I repeated this process on the tree branches and on the ground.

Pearl Paint Dabber was added with a toothpick to the roofline, chimney, tree branches, and ground. While it was still wet, Prisma Glitter was sprinkled on to add some sparkle. More Pearl Paint Dabber was toothpicked onto the sky to simulate snow.

Jack's cuff's and hat were flocked to add a bit more texture.

I used my new snowflake corner die from Memory box and die cut white metallic paper. My Mind's Eye patterned paper from a 6x6 pad was used. The branch stamp is from the Branching Out Coordinates set. The sentiment is a beloved and retired A Muse stamp. Some rhinestones were added to finish the card.

Thanks for visiting today.