Bright Autumn Recipe

For the Hand Stamped Sentiments #276 challenge it's all about autumnal colors that to me seem like the main ingredients in a fall dessert recipe.  Think about a pumpkin custard layer followed by a fig compote with zest of lime...

But no, I don't have a delicious edible dessert to share, instead it's a one of a kind, textural, eclectic floral card which sparkles with pops of shimmering champagne foil.

On a panel of Shimmer White card stock I watercolored the three challenge colors.  Then I added a bit of ink to Embossing paste to create custom colored texture.  My stamps and framelits are from the Naturally Eclectic Bundle and the Happiest of Days set.

The Champagne Foil is a soft stunning shade that lends a gorgeous shimmer to anything you make.  You need to grab some while it's still available in the Holiday Catalog.

#TGIF131

Today is Friday and you know what is so great about that?  Tomorrow is the weekend, yes!!

But, it also means it's time for another challenge.  All of us over at TGIF have made "eclipse" cards because that is the challenge for this week.  Join us for #TGIF131! 

I will have to be honest here and let you know that the "eclipse" trend in card making has never been my "oh I have to go give that a try" kind of thing.  So, this is my first attempt and let me tell you this was NOT a quick  bang it out kind of card.  This took me a long time, which is okay.  Sometimes it is therapeutic to revel in the process of card making rather than speed through the creative process.  Will I try this technique again?  Maybe, probably, we'll see ;0)

I pulled out a bunch of stamp sets for this challenge.  I grabbed In the City, Glamper Greetings, and Christmas Pines.  Take a super close look and you will see a wreath on the church and a snowman.  Both of those images are from the Glamper Greetings.  All the other images are from In the City except the greeting on the banner.

I started by taping a piece of Shimmer White card stock down to a heavy sheet of chip board.  Then I stamped the city scape and filled in the buildings with their corresponding pieces.  After that I watercolored the night sky with Marina Mist, Dapper Denim, and Berry Burst.  Along the ground I pounced Whisper White ink with a sponge dauber and then added Iridescent Ice embossing powder.  I gave the powder a whirl with the heat tool and then had an awesome snowy look.

I used the Large Letter Framelits to cut the word PEACE.  Each of the letters is backed with a second layer of card stock to give it a bit more body and sturdiness.  Using Mini Dimensionals I added the letters back into the scene.  Finishing details include Basic Rhinestones and 1/8" Silver Ribbon.

Monday Montage and a Little Painted Harvest

It's time for Monday Montage and you know what?  I am thankful for the awesome opportunity I have to stamp and share with my Stampin' Up! friends as part of this group.  There's a good chance you arrived here from Dani's Thoughtful Corner where she shared some of her talent's with us all.  For my share I went with a fall feel.

I've grabbed the Painted Harvest stamp set to whip up a little something with an autumn style.  The first image for the sunflower in this two-step set was stamped with Dapper Denim and the second with Island Indigo.  The flower centers are Early Espresso and the leaves are Old Olive.  

My next step is my favorite part of the card.  I pre-inked the Wood Plank TIEF with Crumb Cake ink and then ran my stamped sunflowers through the Big Shot.  Seriously, for me, that was the step that just makes this card way more interesting.

Here is another look at the embossing with a pre-inked folder.  Pretty cool don't you think?

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy all nine stops on the hop.

Next up is the very fabulous Julie Warnick!

Halloween Treats

Welcome to a hauntingly Halloween themed challenge from Hand Stamped Sentiments.  For this challenge I have made a couple treats which I decked out with cats.  These are clean and simple in style and layers, but oh so cool.

I have a couple packs of the Pumpkin Pie Glimmer Paper from last year's Holiday Catalog left in my stash of supplies which were begging to be used.  The paper is gorgeous and adds such a huge pop of awesomeness to Halloween creations so I went for it.

I love the extra long Black Bakers Twine shoestring bow.  It adds a touch of what I am going to call "ugly."  Yes, I said ugly.  It's long and lanky like like spider legs and to me spider legs are ug lee!

These test tube treat holders are quite similar to those you have seen online except one thing.  I've added the most funky finishing touch--jeweled spider rings!  I picked up a pack of the orange and purple blinged out rings from the Dollar Tree and they are the absolute perfect size to fit the test tubes--pretty fun don't you think?

#TGIF129

I am simply loving' the latest #TGIF129 sketch challenge!

This card is super gorgeous in real life.  The colors, texture, and glisten are all so yummy.  Of course you can see the cable knit embossed texture, but look close at the center of the daisy and it also has a bit of lift.

Potent Potions for WWYS#137

Over at What Would You Stamp the set for this week's challenge is Spooky Cat.  I love that set so I had to join in the fun.The trio of potion chemistry bottles in the Spooky Cat stamp set are so stinking cool.  I love that Stampin' Up! created images to fill each beaker and flask, and the bubbles just take it from cool to mind blowing.  

A detail that I get a kick out of on this card is the Silver Glitter edge on the Lemon Lime Twist oval.  For this I used a Two-Way Glue Pen (retired, but a total favorite of mine) to draw a line right on the edge and then I dunked the whole piece is the glitter.

hALLowEen hApPineSs

Welcome stampers and paper crafters to another Monday Montage Blog Hop.

Scroll down and check out my Halloween ornament.  Making anything Halloweeny makes me totally happy.  I love all things funky, scary, haunted, googlie, and fun.

This skeleton started out as a garland from the Dollar Tree.  I cut it apart to make something a bit different.  A piece of Basic Black card stock cut to perfectly fit an Acetate Card Box is the base for my ornament.  I used the Card Front Thinlits to add a spunky detail to the backdrop and then shreds of Spooky Night DSP give the box a bit of dimension.  I had some orange and black chocolate candies so I added them and an image punched with the Cat Punch.

Best Greeting Ever

In September's Paper Pumpkin kit, Layering Leaves, there are some fabulous stamp images.  My absolute favorite, and maybe even an all time favorite, it s the "keep calm and be thankful" greeting.  Truly when we are aware of all the things we are blessed with each day we are much more calm and that can keep is in a giving back kind of mood.

For this card I started by taping a piece of Watercolor  Paper down to a heavy piece of chipboard.  Taping the paper down is the best way to keep your paper from curling.  It also can give you a cool boarder if you paint to the edge.  You can see I did just that in some areas.

Tips for this card:

1.  Card base is Very Vanilla Thick Card Stock with a top fold.

2.  Tape watercolor paper down to your work surface.

3.  Stamp the large leaves with Cherry Cobbler then smear the ink with an Aqua Painter.

4.  Restamp in same area with Perfect Plum while paper is still wet.

5.  Stamp greeting with Cajun Craze and Cherry Cobbler on Watercolor Paper and cut out with Stitched Shapes Framelits.

6.  Add a cluster of leaves from the Layering Leaves PP kit, a piece of Copper Ribbon, and the greeting using Stampin' Dimensionals.

Pocket Sketch

It's a cute sketch featuring a pocket for Hand Stamped Sentiments.  Click over and join us, let your creativity run wild.

I used the Lots of Labels dies to make my pocket.  I cut the largest framelit from the set and chopped off the top third and ta da there you have it -- a pocket.

What's super cool about my pocket piece is that it has been stamped with the Burlap background image.  I used Whisper White ink, stamped it on an angle, and then sponged Crumb Cake ink around the edges.  Tucked inside the pocket is the sunflower from the Painted Harvest stamp set.

If you look real close to the center of the flower you might see the dry embossing.  What I did was I took a stylus and drew the around the outline of the center.  Then I flipped the flower over and scribbled all inside the circle with the stylus to further dry emboss and pop the center up even more.  Try this, it adds lots more life to your flowers, but remember to use a Piercing Pad for best results.

Thanks for stopping by now go give this sketch a try ;0)

Creation Station Tricks of the Trade

Tricks of the Trade AKA Stamp Hacks --

this is our theme for the Creation Station October Blog Hop.

Are you ready for it...

CORNSTALKS AND BARBED WIRE!!!

A couple simple stamp hacks perfect for all your Halloween and fall season stampin'.

Just grab your Beautiful Bouquet Framelits and a pair of Paper Snips and you can have handmade cornstalks to put in a pumpkin patch in no time at all.

Trim away the leaves then clip the stems to create a cornstalk shape.

For barbed wire simply tie off a piece of Bakers Twine, I used Basic Black, to your card front and then add little ties all the way across.  The trick is when making the barbs is to tie longer pieces of twine off and then trim them short and spiky.

Next stop on the hop is with the fabulous Denita Wright.  Enjoy!