Summer is almost gone

Yes, it's hard to believe but summer is coming to an end but that's o.k. because next is autumn.  For today we will stay in summer with my summer cards that I sent out to friends and family starting with something a little different for me.....long cards.  You know it's fun for a change to make cards that are unexpected for me and that's these long cards.  I found some slimline envelopes in my stash and thought it would be good to use them!  you know my motto for this year....use what you have if you can.  Also used stamps I haven't touched in years!  they are from Lasting Impressions with Panache.  enjoy the rest of the weekend.  looks like a nice day outside our window.
entering in the following challenges:
1.  That Craft Place - nautical
2.  Simon Says Wednesday challenge - summer

Silent Night or the night before Christmas

Had fun making these cards (might have shown them earlier this month)  doing the Northern Lights technique.  It's a fun technique I found online and am going to demo it with friends at our stamp club in a few weeks.  can't wait!  it will be fun to get inky with stamping buds!
card details:
stamps - cityscapes by Mark's Finest Papers a Heinrich Co. Home Page
            Silent Night saying by Lasting Impression with Panache
inks - Ranger Distress inks and VersaFine Onyx black
white gel pen
sponges

Northern lights - silent night

 Holiday challenges are going on this week so I decided to add my card to the mix.  I did the northern lights technique which is fun and easy as long as you just go for it and don't think about it.  I used five distress ink colors and distress black soot ink.
entering in the following challenges:
1.  Sweet Stamps blog - holidays
2.  Addicted to Stamps and More! - holidays
3.  The Corrosive Challenge - happy holidays
4.  Simon Says Wednesday challenge - anything goes
card details:
stamps - Mark's Finest Papers and stamps! A Heinrich Co. Big City stamp set 
                Lasting Impressions with Panache saying Silent Night
inks - Distress ink pads squeezed lemonade, peeled paint, faded jeans, broken china, seedless preserves, black soot
VersaFine Onyx 
white gel pen
sponges

Happy Birthday to my cook!

Happy Birthday to my favorite cook......my husband!  Happy happy birthday!  It's his birthday today so I cooked tonight.  He wanted a simple roast so that is what he got with noodles and vegetables.  I have to admit he is a better cook than me.  We have had crazy weather this week starting with a snow storm, well not that big of one, with about 3" of snow.  That's really not too bad for us here in Connecticut. 

Chef card features stamps from Celebrate Big from MFP .  Snowflake card features stamps from Lasting Impressions with Panache .   enjoy!

 

Block It

Here are a couple of cards I did a while back using block style stamps from Lasting Impressions with Panache.  There are other companies out there that have similar block it style stamps.  Block it (my words) style images are outlines of some time of block in this case hexagon that are black in the middle so you can mask it with post it notes and stipple color then stamp images inside them.  For these two cards I used Ranger Adirondack ink pads...colors like red pepper, eggplant and more.  Just a fun way to create cards.

Bandana technique

 Not sure if I ever posted these cards with the bandana technique. Did these cards awhile ago.  The bandana technique is basically just stamping image, adding color then highlighting with white gel pen.  It's just a fun way to add doodles to a card. If nothing else they are colorful cards and pretty sure used stipple brushes for color.  All images are by Stamps by Lasting Impressions with Panache  

Fuzzy Colors

This is a fun background technique that I have been doing for years.  I have an article about this technique here .  Just thought I would show it here with a twist.

FUZZY COLORS REVISITED

Fuzzy Colors background technique came about because I was always pulling out my stipple brushes to add a little color to the edge of my cards. I starting thinking why not fill a whole sheet of cardstock with color using my stipple brushes. It looked like fuzzy colors to me so that is how the name for this technique came about years ago. Stipple brushes come in all sizes & shapes which I have several. I like to use one stipple brush for each color family. I've been saying for years, “Stipple brushes are a stampers' best friend!”
Basically what I do is stipple colors onto a full sheet of 8 ½ x 11 cardstock, this way you can cut it up when done to make up to four cards or just cut it up for any project. The first color is usually my main color another words if you start with red it is going to be seen the most. Stipple your next color randomly on the cardstock leaving spaces for other colors. Continue stippling colors. The more you stipple the fuzzier your colors will look. Stippling the darkest color last to give all the colors depth.
Any ink pads will work with this technique .... dye inks, pigment ink pads or chalk ink pads.
Experiment with whatever ink pads you own and have fun! Let's get started!

FUZZY COLORS! - full sheet of cardstock

supplies:
Stipple brushes – all sizes & shapes
double stick tape
Prisma color pencils


Inks:  any inks will work with this technique


Instructions:

1. On a full sheet of white cardstock stipple ink randomly all over cardstock.
Move onto next color Marvy Carribean Blue then Marvy Green and last Marvy Oriental Blue.
2. Once your sheet of white cardstock is covered with color it is time to stamp your image. It's that easy!
3. Stamp image with VersaFine Onyx Black inkpad.
4. Color in select sections of image with Prisma color pencils.
5. Layer black cardstock that has the four corners rounded with double stick tape onto turquoise square card.

FUZZY COLORS WITH A TWIST

The twist is stamping image first then masking with a post-it cut out a little bigger than the image itself. Cutting the mask bigger gives more white space for a more clearer view of image.

supplies:
Stipple brushes – all sizes & shapes
double stick tape
Post-Its

Inks:
Marvy Matchables dye ink pads – Carribean Blue, pale green & oriental blue
VersaFine Onyx Black

Instructions:

1. Stamp on white (4 x 5 1/4”) cardstock with VersaFine Onyx Black ink pad.
2. Stamp the same image on Post-It and cut it out a little bigger than the image itself. This is called a mask.
3. Place the mask over the stamped image on the white card.
4. Stipple ink just around the masked image.
5. Remove the mask from the image.
6.  The image itself is uncolored and stands out from the fuzzy colors.
Tip: 1. For more interest you can stipple some gold pigment sparely on fully colored cardstock.
2. Use as few as two colors or up to five colors of inks for this technique.
3. Use Fuzzy Color background paper as a background only or stamp directly onto the fuzzy colors background.

Farm Fresh

Over on Gingersnap Creations there is a challenge Chestnut Theme Challenge

GC125: Farm Fresh.  Looked through my collection of stamps and found this rooster and chicken wire by Stamps by Lasting Impressions with Panache that I used to create this fun card called a Double Easel card. Only difference is I made it smaller so mine started out with a 6" square piece of cardstock.  Saw this card idea here where there is a link to instructions but unfortunately I was unable upload.  Found a video here if you want to see how it is made.  Just have to love U-Tube.  Pat Huntoon has a blog where she sells a (not affiliated or customer) magazine with all the instructions if you want to know more go check it out.  Going to also enter this card over at The Technique Trail  challenge.

Traditional holiday cards

I started making holiday cards with traditional colors but knowing me I will have to create one or two with colors not expected for our holiday.  As you can see in photo three are traditional holiday cards but what do you think the kraft card is going to be?  I will be putting these cards together while at a stamping weekend with friends so planning to get a little heads up on my holiday cards.  Images used are from Stamps by Lasting Impressions with Panache and Hero Arts plus all coloring is done with P R I S M A C O L O R color pencils.

***just want to let you know I have no affiliation with any of the companies listed above ...... just like to add links to make it easy for you, my blog readers, to find the stamps or supplies if you like what you see here.***

Seeing double

If you think you are seeing double ..... you are.  Look back here 
 to see another snowman (Stamps by Lasting Impressions with Panache ) card using all the same images and snowflake embossing folder but the difference is the border.  This time I used the goop border punch by Martha Stewarts crafts to make melting icecles.  what do you think?  it works....doesn't it?

Circle of joy

 Here is a circle easel card I made for an upcoming class I will be teaching next month.  I just love all types of easel cards like this circle one, twisted easel cards and of course regular easel cards.  My husband even put in an order for a few of these circle easel cards for his christmas giving card list.  For this perticular card I used all Stamps by Lasting Impressions with Panache images with a little faux stitching because anyone who knows me knows I don't sew or iron!  don't even own a sewing machine....do have a couple of irons but they are for crafting only.....too messed up for using on clothes.  Colored in the holly image with Prisma color pencils just love the way I can use 3 or 5 different colors and blend them together for the perfect coloring on the image.

Snow in september

O.K. so it's not really snowing outside but it is here on this snowman (Stamps by Lasting Impressions with Panache) card I created.  I do like greeting (Stamps by Lasting Impressions with Panache) A snowy greeting for a winter or holiday type card.  Don't you just like the icecle border from Martha Stewart collection....perfect fit.  Of course, if you know me, out came my Prisma color pencils to add color to my snowman hat and scarf.  This is my way of keeping cool while it's still pretty warm outside.

Christmas time or back to cards

 Don't know about Christmas time but with no power for days from hurricane I was able to start my Christmas cards.  Here is a matchbook gift card holder I made using Stamps by Lasting Impressions with Panache candy cane image and pattern papers I got at craft store.  A creative and easy way to present a gift card to someone.

Envelope please - cont.

Here are some of the envelopes I folded stamped.  Just did some simple stamping on them because of the decorative papers I used for these folded envelopes.  Got out some stamps I haven't used in years like the two Fred Mullet fish images.  I love his images but they are expensive so only have a couple.  Got out my little solid seahorse from Stamps by Lasting Impressions with Panache .  A PSX big shell that my friend just gave to me because she found a duplicate in her stash of stamps. thank you my friend.  Bubbles from MMR (museum of modern rubber-out of business), swirl from Hot Potatoes Rubber Stamps that I have had forever and a few other images that I don't remember the companies name.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!  Here is a card I created to send out to my friends. stamps by Stamps by Lasting Impressions with Panacheeven stamped the envelope. 

Once in a Blue Moon-Gingersnapper's choice

Every few months,  Gingersnap Creations  end up with 5 Wednesdays in a month! That's where the Once in a Blue Moon Challenge comes in. As this is not a frequent event, they try and make it a little different than the regular challenges and often send us back into their archives or out into the blogosphere for inspiration! This time is no different! As they have now had over 100 challenges, they thought you might like to revisit some of your favorites. They challenge us to pick so I decided to pick GC44: Birthday challenge since I am into making birthday cards lately.

This is a fun tri-fold card and on the front of the card I used a piece of sequence waste to create a bubble looking background.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
***please join my following and comments are appreciated. blog drawing in June.***

The Stampsmith challenge #3

The challenge was to make a card for someone who does a service for you.  I picked my hair dresser and mail carrier. 
I decided to make envelope cards so I could enclose a gift card from Dunkin Donuts so they could get a cup of tea/coffee and a muffin on me. 
The base of the cards are a #10 size envelope.  Basically they are folded almost in half then tape decorative papers and stamped images to the pockets.  Inside the pockets just made tags that I stamped sayings.  If you would like a tutorial on this envelope card just leave me a comment saying, "I'd like a tutorial on making an envelope card." and I'll do it.  enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

Here are a couple of Halloween cards I made a couple of years ago that were backed up before computer crash.  Who knows maybe I didn't show these before but if I did please enjoy anyway.  
All images by  Stamps by Lasting Impressions with Panache
Counting down the days till I can scan NEW cards.

Oldie by goodie - Starburst Tag book

Here are pictures of a Starburst Tag book I made a while back that I don't think I have shown. 

This book has other names like star book,  Origami Tag book or even Explosion fold book but no matter what name you call it .... it's a fun & unique folded book.  It's a little time consuming but a great presentation with all the folds and tags hanging from this book.  enjoy!

Nice to have you come by

I have noticed in the past week that I have a few more followers........that's GREAT!  I really enjoy sharing what I know and seeing comments on what you like or even don't like.  Keep those comments coming.

Here are a couple of cards I did a couple of years ago.  The moon card is the saran wrap background and the goldfish has a faux layer background.  If you have never done these backgrounds leave me a comment and I will be glad to do a tutorial on either or both.  enjoy!