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Card Gallery
Collage Card Gallery
Today's Daily Special is "Sketch Challenge". This sketch challenge require that you use an oval punch to create a window for your sentiment. Try it out!
I've decided that every card I post on this blog site will be accompanied by a sketch challenge. Each month, I'll compile all the sketch challenges and create a link with all the sketch challenges for the month. What do you think? Is this a good idea. I think so.
Word Window Punch by Stampin Up is a great way to showcase a sentiment. With this card, I punched a window using the punch, mounted my design with foam tape and behind it stamped a sentiment. As you can see the word "always" is showcased in a little window. Stampin Up Word Window Punch is a very versatile punch. There's a lot of creative things you can do with this punch. On the right of my blog site, scroll down to the "categories" section and click on Word Window Punch for other card ideas using this punch.
I colored the images using colored pencils. This is without using Gamsol. To create the background, I used the "Poppin' Pastel" technique. This technique is a great way to color in backgrounds using pastels rather than dye inks.
Click on "Poppin Pastels" under the "Categories" section to be linked to the tutorial of this particular technique.
Until later. . .
I have a new "Featured Website of the Week" and it's "Keiki Cards". To visit the site click here or click on the title of this post.
Keiki Cards is a non-profit organization run by volunteers with the mission to bring sunshine in the lives of children from infants to age 18. Keiki Cards is based in Hawaii but provide their services throughout the U.S. and Canada.
They send handmade cards and gifts on a weekly basis to children who are in the hospital or suffering some sort of illness. The cards are donated by card makers who send their cards to this organization.
Me, my husband and my children have decided to reserve Sunday afternoons making cards to send to Keiki Cards. This afternoon was our first day to make cards and I'll be posting them tomorrow. I wanted to do something constructive and worthwhile and what's better than doing something that I love and involve my family in finding joy in knowing that what they do will help bring a little sunshine in another child's life.
Please visit the website and be a part of this great organization!
Not into collage cards? It can be fun and artsy and sometimes strange at times. I like to make collage cards to rid of embellishments I have lying around and don't know what to do with.
There was a time when I was really into making these artsy-fartsy cards but I haven't been active in making them.
I just wanted to showcase a few cards I made in the past for those who may be interested in these types of cards. I distressed the background paper by crunching up regular computer paper, then soaked it in walnut ink and water. I allowed it for it to dry and by using direct to paper technique, further aged the paper using Tim Holtz distress inks.
To give the background a collage appearance, I randomly stamped artsy type of stamps all over. I then added various embellishments to dress up the card.
This second card, I used direct to paper technique to distress the cardstock by rubbing Tim Holtz distress ink. Nothing else to this card but stamping an artsy stamp and dressing it up with various embellishments.
If you want to try something new, try making collage cards. . .it's different and expressively flexible.
Until later. . .
Another random card I made. I'm really into coloring with pencils right now. I'm having fun with it. My mineral spirits (better known as Gamsol) came in to day and I've been having fun coloring with it. Gamsol is brand of mineral spirits. The bear on this card was colored without using mineral spirits. I'll be doing a tutorial on Gamsol (mineral spirits) and colored pencils sometime this coming week.
This card layout is one of my favorites because it's simple and it usually fits most stamp designs.
I haven't been feeling very creative lately. I guess I've been lazy and very uninspired. When I am feeling this way, I usually don't create anything new. . .just variations of cards that I've made in the past. I rarely ever make bundled sets of cards. I should because it's faster and easier and I can store the card for future use.
Anyway, it's really late and I can barely keep my eyes open right now. Maybe, hopefully, tomorrow I'll be inspired to create something different.
Until later. . .
Fat cat is back. I made a few cards of this fat cat by Penny Black. I really love Penny Black rubber stamps. The stamp designs are very cute and their most popular stamps are the cats and hedgehogs.
I rubber stamped the hearts and mounted them with foam tape and enhanced them with Stampin Up Crystal Effects. Crystal Effects gives your images that extra shine and 3D appearance.
With the second card. . .I did not know how to use the metal embellishment. There were four holes and could not figure out why. I figured I was suppose attach more metal embellishments to it. . .anyway, however way I was suppose to use them, I think it turned out okay. Hopefully, I'll come across a scrapbook page or card that have an example of how to use these type of embellishments and one day put them together correctly.
Until later. . .
I did a tutorial on Lumiere and Classic Ink on my "Stampin Inspirations" blog site. I wanted to share it with this site. I'll make a card to post on this blog site that showcases this technique. It's a really fun technique and actually very, very simple. I believe you'll love the results.
Click Here to be linked to my Stampin Inspirations site and the tutorial.
Until later. . .
Do you have problems stamping with large or background stamps? Do you have difficulties with complete coverage of the ink on your images? Today's daily special is Technique Day and the tutorial below shows a simple way to ink and rubber stamp large or background stamps.
Ink you image with the stamp image turned upwards facing you. Tap the ink pad on to the rubber and apply pressure as you distribute the ink on to the rubber. Next, rub the ink from side to side and again tap the ink pad on to the rubber. By doing this, it will distribute the ink throughout the whole image without missing a spot.
Carefully, place your cardstock over the inked rubber stamp. Start placing the cardstock from the left side first, while holding the cardstock down as you continue to lay down the cardstock on to the inked image. This is to insure that the cardstock don't move after you place the cardstock down.
Place a piece of paper over the cardstock and the rubber stamp.
Hold down the paper with your left hand and press down from left to right to ink the cardstock with your right hand (my left hand is not showing because I'm taking the picture with it but otherwise, one hand would be holding down the paper) The paper allows you to press down on the cardstock and prevents the cardstock from moving around. If anything would move, it would be the paper. It also allows you to press down without worrying about accidently inking your hand.
If pressing down with you hand is difficult or uncomfortable, use a brayer and roll over the cardstock. When completely inking the cardstock, slowly raise the cardstock from one end and lift upwards.
