Feeling Lucky?

I know that it's a bit early for St. Patrick's Day, but I figured that I might as well get into the spirit. This card features the very versatile Marcie, one of the Divas by Rubber Romance that is available at I Brake for Stamps. What I like about Marcie is that you can change the color of her dress and her hair, plus add the perfect sentiment to her sign to fit your card's occasion!

Marcie was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink (Imagine Crafts), colored with Copic markers, fussy-cut, then edged with a Black Pitt Artist pen (Faber Castell). The sentiment was added with Life Quotes Remnant Rubs (Idea-ology). Marcie was set aside while I created a suitable background for her.

Green cardstock was die-cut with the A2 Scalloped Card die (Top Dog Dies). I found the perfect patterned paper in my stash. It's from the Tell Your Story 6x6 pad (Webster's Pages). Both the card front and the patterned paper were edged with a Gold Leafing pen (Krylon). Gold Foil Green Stripes Washi tape (Little B) was used to add a bit more gold and green to the card and to give Marcie somewhere to stand!

I Brake for Stamps is where you'll find great selections of Rubber Romance stamps plus lots of other stamp companies. Click on my badge below to be whisked over there to check out all of the goodies! Best of all, if you buy something, you can get a 10% discount off of your purchase if you use this code: SAVE10KATHI!

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this card into the following challenges:
• Open-Minded Crafting Challenges: St. Patrick's Day
• Crafty Girls Creations Challenges: Anything Goes
• Craft for the Craic Challenges: Luck of the Irish

Dancing Ostrich Flower Tag!

In yesterday's post, I mentioned that I didn't like the stenciled colors on my original image panel, so I started to do a second version, but with different colors of ink for the background. Then I found patterned paper that worked well with the colors from the original, so I finished the project.

Rather than waste a perfectly fine stamped image on a subtle stenciled background and precious cardstock, I finished the image and created a tag for it, which also qualifies for Carol Fox's Flowers challenge over at Stampotique Designer's Challenges.

If you'd like the chance to win your choice of $30 worth of Stampotique stamps, you should play along with this challenge. Visit Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and be sure to read the rules so that you'll have the chance to win that great prize!!! Remember to check to see the deadline for all of this month's Stampotique Designers Challenges!

Here's my tag with Olive the Ostrich (Karen Hayselden).

140 lb. Mixed Media cardstock (Strathmore) was cut to size, sponged with Spun Sugar Distress ink (Ranger) and heat set. Angel Pink Memento ink (Imagine Crafts) was sponged over the Flower Frenzy stencil (The Crafters Workshop).

Olive was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink (Imagine Crafts) and colored with Copic markers in more ostrichy colors. Olive's beak and eyes were coated with several layers of Clear Gelly Glaze pen (Sakura) to add dimension and shine. Olive was grounded with Red Hearts washi tape (Little B), then matted with blue cardstock.

I found a pink and red floral patterned paper in my scraps stash. I'm fairly certain it's by My Mind's Eye, but I've been wrong at least once before in my life. I used an old QuicKutz die to die-cut flowers from the patterned paper. Blue cardstock was die-cut with the Hello Words die (Elizabeth Crafts Design).

The tag was finished with two sided blue/red satin ribbon.

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this tag into the following challenges:
• Ooh La La Creations Challenges: Anything Goes with a Sentiment
• Not Just Cards Challenges: Anything Goes
• Crafting When We Can Challenges: Washi Tape

Flowers and a Dancing Ostrich

Carol Fox is hosting this week's challenge over at Stampotique Designer's Challenges. Her challenge theme Flowers.  Here's what she has to say about her challenge:

"Spring is just around the corner in the UK. So share with me a project with flowers in it".

If you'd like the chance to win your choice of $30 worth of Stampotique stamps, you should play along with this challenge. Visit Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and be sure to read the rules so that you'll have the chance to win that great prize!!! Remember to check to see the deadline for all of this month's Stampotique Designers Challenges!

Here's my card with Olive the Ostrich (Karen Hayselden).

Since I knew that fussy-cutting Olive would be almost impossible, so I decided to create a background first, then stamp her.

140 lb. Mixed Media cardstock (Strathmore) was cut to be ~2.5" wide, then sponged with Spun Sugar Distress ink (Ranger) and heat set. Spun Sugar and Wild Honey Distress inks were sponged over Flower Frenzy stencil (The Crafters Workshop).

Olive was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink (Imagine Crafts) and colored with Copic markers. I was trying to channel my inner Karen Hayselden with Olive's face. I'm not sure if I succeeded. The edges of the panel were tattered with the Paper Distressing tool (Tonic).

At this point, I wasn't sure how I felt about the color combinations and about how looked, so I repeated the above process, but substituted Angel Pink Memento ink (Imagine Crafts) for the Wild Honey Distress ink. 

While the ink was drying, I decided to search through my stash of Basic Grey patterned papers and discovered that the color palette of the Gypsy/Romani collection worked well with the original Olive, so I set aside the alternate stamped panel for another time.

The image panel was matted with the solid blue from the Gypsy/Romani pack, then layered atop a card front cut from one of the more busy floral papers from the collection. This layer was then distressed. Floral-patterned washi tape was placed across the bottom of the card front to ground Olive. Rub-on words from the Life Quotes Remnant Rubs sheet (Idea-ology) were added to the washi tape.

Blue patterned paper was die-cut with one of the dies from the Decorative Borders die set (All Occasions) and one of the dies from the Classic Circles Nestabilities die set (Spellbinders). Orange patterned paper was die-cut with a Circle Tag die (QuicKutz). Pink patterned paper was punched with my favorite heart punch (Hyglo). The tag was assembled and a rub-on (QuicKutz) was added. The tag sentiment was added to the card front.

Olive's beak was coated with several layers of Clear Gelly Glaze pen (Sakura) to add dimension and shine. When I was satisfied with the gloss factor, Media Liquid Glass (DecoArt) was added to Olive's eyes, which did not hurt her a bit! The card front was put aside so that the Media Liquid Glass would dry, then adhered to a card formed from the leftover piece of blue patterned paper.

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this card into the following challenges:
• Ooh La La Creations Challenges: Anything Goes with a Sentiment
• Not Just Cards Challenges: Anything Goes
• Crafting When We Can Challenges: Washi Tape

Time for Spring!

Here in New Jersey we're enjoying warmer weather and the days are getting longer too, which makes me yearn for the arrival of spring. However, it's always good to appreciate every day, which inspired this card with the Mayday silhouette stamp (Rubber Romance) and the clock/sentiment from The Old and the New half sheet (Stampinback). Both stamps are available at I Brake for Stamps.

This card is a bit unusual for me as I've done absolutely NO coloring. However, I did make a scene and I love to make scenes (on cards - not drama queen scenes). I actually had to plan the scene to figure out where to place the elements and even with that, I had to wing it a little bit.

The first step was to stamp Mayday and the clock/sentiment from The Old and the New half sheet onto the plastic sheet of my Stamp-a-ma-jig (EK Success). The clock/sentiment was also stamped onto Eclipse Tape (Judikins) then fussy-cut.

The Stitched Scene Builder Edger dies (Frantic Stamper) were used to die-cut Eclipse Tape, which was adhered to a piece of White Pearl Shimmering cardstock (Crafter's Companion). Using the Stamp-a-ma-jig, the clock/sentiment was stamped in position using Jet Black Archival ink (Ranger) then heatset.

The fussy-cut the clock/sentiment was adhered over its counterpart and Chipped Sapphire, Blueprint Sketch, Salty Ocean, Picked Raspberry, and Wild Honey Distress inks (Ranger) were sponged onto the cardstock to create the sky.

The Eclipse Tape mask over the the clock/sentiment was lifted and Squeezed Lemonade Distress and Wild Honey Distress inks were sponged over the the clock/sentiment sun. The sky portion of the card front was heat set.

The die-cut Stitched Scene Builder Edger die-cut Eclipse Tape was lifted, then the other part of the die-cut was positioned over the sky and sun so I could create the ground. Forest Moss and Mowed Lawn Distress inks were sponged over the Stitched Scene Builder Edger die-cut masks, The grassy ground was then heat set.

Mayday was stamped onto the card front using the Stamp-a-ma-jig to position the children. The impressions were touched up with a bit of Black Pitt Artist pens (Faber Castell).

The Flower Arch stencil (Imagination Crafts) was positioned along the top of the card front and Jet Black StazOn ink (Imagine Crafts) was sponged over the stencil. The stencil was lifted and the card front was edged with the StazOn ink. The piece was matted with black cardstock, adhered to a yellow card, and I called it done!

I will definitely be using this design and stamp combination again, perhaps with acrylics!

I Brake for Stamps is where you'll find great selections of Rubber Romance and Stampinback stamps plus lots of other stamp companies. Click on my badge below to be whisked over there to check out all of the goodies! Best of all, if you buy something, you can get a 10% discount off of your purchase if you use this code: SAVE10KATHI!

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this card into the following challenges:
• Fashionable Stamping Challenges: Sunrise/Sunset
• The Paper Players Challenges: Rain or Shine
• Through the Purple Haze Challenges: Make a Scene
• Time Out Challenges: Spring/Easter with a Twist (Masking)
• Simon Says Monday Challenges: Make Your Own Background

Rock On!

Rock On (I Brake for Stamps) is one of the new stamps from the fantastic Humorous Seniors stamp collection by I Brake for Stamps. It's available as a single stamp with no sentiment and a set with the image and the sentiment. For a buck more, why not splurge and get the set?

Here's my card!

Rock On was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink (Imagine Crafts) and colored with Copic markers. The image panel was die-cut with one of the dies from the A2 Nestabilities die set (Spellbinders), then matted with navy cardstock that was cut with the next largest die in the set.

The patterned paper from my stash is by Chatterbox and is ancient! White cardstock was die-cut with one of the dies in the Speech Bubble set (Penny Black). It was airbrushed with my Copic Airbrush System to be all matchy matchy with the image, then edged with an R24 Copic marker. The sentiment was stamped onto the speech bubble and then adhered to the card front.

I Brake for Stamps is where you'll find the fabulous Humorous Seniors stamp collection, plus lots of other stamp companies. Click on my badge below to be whisked over there to check out all of the goodies! Best of all, if you buy something, you can get a 10% discount off of your purchase if you use this code: SAVE10KATHI!

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this card into the following challenges:
• Crafty Gals Corner Challenges: All About the Boys (Men are just old boys.)
• Scrapy Land Challenges: Anything Goes

Ready, Steady, Go! It's a Time Challenge!

Sue Davies is hosting this week's challenge over at Stampotique Designer's Challenges. Her challenge theme is a Time Challenge.  Here's what she has to say about her challenge:

"We can sometimes get caught up in making big production pieces. My challenge this week is to make something in 30 minutes or less (not including time taken to gather your supplies). I look forward to seeing what you create."

If you'd like the chance to win your choice of $30 worth of Stampotique stamps, you should play along with this challenge. Visit Stampotique Designers Challenge blog and be sure to read the rules so that you'll have the chance to win that great prize!!! Remember to check to see the deadline for all of this month's Stampotique Designers Challenges!

I'm not given to creating quickly, probably because I'm so distractable, so this challenge was a bit hard for me.

Here's my card using Fawn (Kira Nichols). This image is one Stampotique's new release stamps!

Fawn was stamped with Desert Sand Memento ink (Imagine Crafts) and colored with Copic markers. It was die-cut with one of the dies from the Rectangles Nestabilities die set (Spellbinders). While the image was still in the die, I added the background with Copic markers. I popped it out of the die and added Clear Gelly Glaze pen (Sakura) to Fawn's eyes, nose, and hooves.

The patterned paper is from the Mellow 6x6 pad (Basic Grey). Green patterned paper was die-cut with one of dies from the Scalloped Rectangles Nestabilities set and one of the dies from the Framed Tags Two die set (Spellbinders). Striped patterned paper was die-cut with the Double Scallop Border die (Die-namics). I used ancient white stickers (Making Memories) to spell out the sentiment and the card was assembled as shown.

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this card into the following challenges:
• Critters and Creatures Challenges: Anything Goes
• Scrappy Hands Challenges: Forest Animals
• Through the Purple Haze Challenges: Make a Scene

Mirror, Mirror...

I've got some great news! I Brake for Stamps has released new additions to the Humorous Seniors stamp Collection. Click here to check 'em out!

Mirror, Mirror is one of the newbies from I Brake for Stamps' fantastic Humorous Seniors stamp collection. It's available with the sentiment or without. How cool is that?

Here's my card with Mirror, Mirror.

This stamp amuses me because it precisely echoes something I said rather loudly last weekend in Las Vegas. I was sitting at the little vanity in the very posh hotel bathroom and looking into a greatly enlarged reflection of my face in one of those lighted magnifying mirrors. That mirror was not at all kind. I saw all sorts of imperfections that I hadn't seen since I had my cataract surgery! Yikes. Where the heck did all those lines, age spots, and suchlike come from? I do think I prefer my usual blurred reflection and/or blissful ignorance.

Anyway I digressed, which I suppose is not shocking. Mirror, Mirror was stamped with Tuxedo Black Memento ink (Imagine Crafts) and colored with Copic markers. The image panel was die-cut with one of the dies from the Nestabilities Labels Fourteen die set (Spellbinders). 

The patterned papers are from the Fiddlesticks Miss Caroline 6x6 pad (My Minds Eye). I also used a scalloped border from one of my Blueprints die sets (Die-namics). The Fancy Framed Tags One die set (Spellbinders) was used to die-cut the sentiment. The sentiment was left in the die and airbrushed with my Airbrush System (Copic).

The edges of the layered card front were sponged with Hydrangea Archival ink (Ranger). Clear Spica Glitter pen was added to the mirror to make it shiny. When it was dry, several layers of Clear Gelly Glaze pen were used to add a shiny reflective finish. Silver gel pen (Pentel) was used on the faucet and Clear Gelly Glaze pen was used over that because I felt like it.

I Brake for Stamps is where you'll find the fabulous Humorous Seniors stamp collection, plus lots of other stamp companies. Click on my badge below to be whisked over there to check out all of the goodies! Best of all, if you buy something, you can get a 10% discount off of your purchase if you use this code: SAVE10KATHI!

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this card into the following challenges:
• Craft Your Passion Challenges: Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations Challenges: Anything Goes with a Die
• Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenges: Anything Goes