Grunge hello

I made this as my swap for this month's Laughing Ladies stamp club.  I found the inspiration for the card here.   

The base is Whisper White and stamped with SU retired Extreme Elements using Bashful Blue and Hello Honey.  I stamped off the stars to make them lighter.  The sentiment is from SU Four You in Blackberry Bliss.  I cut the panel, stamping the images, then piercing the paper using a foam mat and a plastic guide, before placing on card base.  I used a bit of jute twine tied in bow and placed with a mini glue dot.  I wanted to reserve the big embellishments for ease of mailing.  Thanks for looking!  April

12th birthday card

So I absolutely need to catch up on birthday cards.  Sometimes they seem never ending but I love to hear from the recipients and makes me smile, so I insist on making each card, rather than buy it at Hallmark.  This is for my BFF's middle child who is turning 12 soon.
This card is made using the left over pieces from a long retired Stampin Up Simply Sent Rock Star set.  It is based on a similar card I found on Pinterest.  The stamps are Endless Birthday Wishes stamped in Bashful Blue and Old Olive.  The stars were leftover stickers from the set, popped up on dimensionals.  Coordinating colors include: More Mustard, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Brilliant Blue and Whisper White.  It was super fast and easy to put together, taking less than 10 minutes.  Thanks for looking!  April

16th Birthday shaker card

My best friend's son is 16...oh how the years have flown by!  I wanted him to have a card as special as he is and for this big milestone.  I used some long-since retired SU papers that work with Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Apricot Appeal, and Tempting Turquoise.  I used my circle nestabilities to make the cuts and border.  I also recycled a backing from a photopolymer stamp set for the window.  The stamps used are from the retired SU Extreme Elements.  I stamped the splotch in Bashful Blue, then used the stamping off technique for the stars in Pumpkin Pie, before stamping the textured dots in Tempting Turquoise and the fleur de lis in Old Olive.  I cut the numbers from the Cricut Old West cartridge.  I added a couple of blue gems around the numbers before using foam to make the circle around the image.  I used some glitter, small gem stars, beads, etc to make the shakers.  I sealed the goods and ran a bead of liquid glass around the foam to help seal it all in place.  I suggest putting a weight over the card to make sure the seal sets.  I finished off the card with some stars I stamped and cut from the Perfect Pennants set in Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie.  I also used some leftover border stickers that came with the paper.  Thanks for looking!  April

The Artist

So it's been forever since I have practiced with my copic markers and I found some fantastic line art pieces on pinterest from Yampuff on Deviant Art.  She seems okay with people pinning her work and downloading the images, which I pulled directly from DA.  My daughter is big into Manga art and she went crazy for this cutie, asking me to color it for her locker.  I had a hard time with the tiny details but I chalk that up to being out of practice.  Oh well.  She is pretty cute anyway.  Thanks for looking!  April

Copic swatch book

 

I found this great copic swatch book on pinterest.  The fantastic site even has a download of all the pages.  I added a few extra of the blanks so I could practice different techniques.  I printed the pages then took my favorite copic paper (neenah solar white) over to the copy shop.  I printed the sheets on my paper then trimmed.  I got them in the order I wanted and brought two chipboard pieces with me already cut just a bit larger than an A2 size card front.  Next, I took it to the counter and had the staff help me pick the best binding based on the size.  With copies and binding, it cost less than $5.
I finished the cover with SN@P papers, doily, an image from The Greeting Farm, and a title made from Michael's dollar mini wood alphabet and the decorative label punch.  Last was a few gemstones.

copic color chart

technique sample page

I stamped some of my favorite images in after making a mask for the ovals and using a post it for the squares.  I have the marker list filled in and am starting doing samples of techniques.  Thanks for looking!  April

Seriously love you

I wanted to make a card from the odds and ends of My Paper Pumpkin sets I have been collecting the last several months.  Here I used stamps and bits from the Welcome kit, September 2013, December 2013, and January 2014.

The base is kraft with layers of SN@P paper that matches Smokey Slate, red glitter paper, and a doily cut in half.  I stamped the base with the splatter and love stamps in Crumb Cake.  I stamped off the love stamp to make it softer in the background.  I stamped the word bubble in Soft Suede, also stamping off.  Next I gave a couple of quick, light spritzes of Gold Glow mist.  After that dried, I stamped the seriously stamp in Versamark then embossed with red powder.  The love you is stamped from the September "love your guts" by masking the "r guts" and inked with Basic Gray.  The SN@P paper is cut with the banner dies from SU.  The doily is stamped with arrows from the January 2014 kit in Basic Gray.  The red glitter heart is punched with the retired SU large heart punch. The wood pieces are left from the December 2013 kit and glued with liquid glass (aka Crystal Effects).  It seems to have a stronger hold to the glitter than other adhesives.   I wanted to keep it flat for mailing and a bit less girly so I skipped the extra embellishments.  Thanks for looking!  April