Thinking of You - Slanted Sentiment

Hi Everybody,

I'm on the Strawberry Jude Stamps blog today guest designing for them one more time this month.  I'm really impressed with the quality of their stamps.  HERE'S A LINK to check out the online shop.  

I'm using one of the new release stamp sets called, Grateful Florals.  Last post I used the large bouquet so this time I wanted to use the pine cone and leaf.  When I think of pine cones and leaves, I either picture them laying on the ground in piles on the ground or flying around because it's Fall and windy.  On this card they are flying around. :) 

So, in my head, I have a list of techniques I want to try, ways I want to lay out my card, etc., most of the time I don't use something from the list. This time I am, I have been wanting to do a slanted sentiment so now I can mark it off my head list. 

I am using Gina K Designs Kraft Cardstock and bottom layer Tomato Soup. The sentiment is fairly large so I started by putting it where I wanted it on the card and making lines above and below and then on those lines, I placed the Stitched Border Die by Lawn Fawn.  I really like how you can use these border dies to frame something, section something off, etc.  

Next I used the MISTI and I started stamping using Brutus Monroe Clear Embossing Ink (love!) and Penny Embossing Powder, which looks like copper. I just randomly stamped everything around those slanted lines. I stamped the sentiment in between the slanted lines and embossed with the Penny Embossing Powder.  

I colored the leaves and pine cones with Prismacolor Pencils.  This is another thing I wanted to take off of my head list lol, color on kraft cardstock with colored pencils.  It's very different than coloring on actual pencil paper. I think you can let lose here and not be so perfect on colored cardstock because it is very forgiving. 

I initially thought I would put Glossy Accents over everything but I decided to only use it on the leaves, then I would have a differentiation.  The leaves look like stained glass with the Glossy Accents on them.  Very pretty!

I finished it off by wrapping a piece of natural twine around the card going with the slant and made a bow and then added a few brown glitter enamel dots. 

Did I inspire you to try the slanted sentiment?  I'm not used to it so it makes me feel like my card is not straight lol. 

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

Regina

Grateful Florals

Hi Everybody,

I am a guest designer again this month for Strawberry Jude Stamps.  If you know me at all, you know I love working with flower stamps and what a lovely set this is from Strawberry Jude Stamps this month.  It's called Grateful Florals.  I love this set for a lot of reasons!  It was really difficult to decide what to make with it only because my entire head was filled with ideas. I decided to use the large bouquet because it's the perfect size for the center of a card.  

I used Canson Montval paper, embossed the flowers with white embossing powder and colored with Zig Real Brush Markers.  I initially starting painting around the flowers with a light gray but I wasn't happy with that color with these flowers so I switched to a purple and wow, doesn't it make the flowers pop right off the page??  The bottom layer of card stock is black onyx by Gina K Designs. 

I used the MISTI to line up the sentiments straight, then stamped with Versafine Onyx Black ink and embossed over the top with clear embossing powder to give a little shine and dimension.  I added a few dew drop embellishments and added clear and orange Nuvo Drops.  

If you like raccoons, fox and leaves, then you should check out the other new release stamp set called Falling With Fox and Raccoon. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!


Regina

Moose Fishing - Masculine Card

Hi Everybody!

I am on the Strawberry Jude Stamps blog today!  I am really excited to be guest designing for them this month.  I am using such an adorable stamp set called Fishing with Moose and Hedgehog.

HERE IS A LINK to the Strawberry Jude Stamps online store - its worth checking out I promise!  

HERE IS A LINK to the stamp set I am using on today's card.  They're other new release is a super cute dragon card and HERE IS A LINK to this stamp set called, Dragons & Jewels. 

This card was so much fun to make!  I love the cute little critters in this set so it was hard to choose which to use so I picked the moose.  I tried to use as many stamps as I could here to create a scene.

First, I stamped the moose and his tacklebox beside him and a fish and hook connected to the fishing pole.  Next, I drew in a dock around the moose and colored with Prismacolor Pencils.  I also colored the fish with Prismacolors and drew in scales.  There were a few scales but I added more.  I cut the fish and dock out.

Then, I used some Canson watercolor paper with some Gansai Tambi watercolor paints.  I used a big, flat paintbrush and painted lightly at the top and gradually made it darker.  I cut out clouds with a stitched die and also the watercolor panel background with a stitched rectangle die, so they would match. 

Finally I stamped the word, Fishing, cut out with a banner die and sponged around it and the clouds with inks. 

This stamp set is PERFECT for masculine cards as you can see and I had a lot of fun using the different stamps on one card.  

I hope I inspired you to draw in scenes and detail around your stamps. Obviously, you're not going to do this on every card because it does take some time, but I know you'll have special occasions for a husband, Dad, etc., where you would want to take more time on the cards. 

This is just one way to make a card with this set, it doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming.  Lay it all out how you want to and make sure you're having FUN with it. 

If you would like to learn more about drawing in scenes around your stamps, adding detail to your stamps, etc., I learned this from taking classes at Kit and Clowder.  Alyce Keegan is the best coloring teacher.  She teaches you how to use the pencils or markers in the classes, why you are shading where you are by teaching lightsource.  There are monthly pencil and marker classes, which I take, and there are Technique classes such as Skin and Hair, Clothing where you learn how to draw in and color pleats, etc., Animal Class and so on.  Check out their website where you will find a couple of free classes.  You can see what they're like and if this is for you. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Regina

Just The Two Of Us

Hi Everybody,

Today I'm on Strawberry Jude Stamps blog.  I'm very excited to be a guest designer this month for them.  The stamp set I used is called Fishing With Moose and Hedgehog and is so adorable and perfect for a masculine card.  I am going to give the card I am posting today to my husband for his birthday this month. It can also be great for a Valentine's Day card as well. 

HERE IS A LINK to Strawberry Jude Stamps online store and HERE IS A LINK to the stamp set I am using today. There is also a super cute dragon stamp set available in the new release called, Dragons and Jewels and HERE IS A LINK to that stamp set. 

This is what the stamp set looks like that I used...

I really had a lot of fun with this one.  I made a scene using the moose and hedgehog in the hammocks, the 2 trees and the sentiment, just the two of us. 

I used Bristol Smooth paper and began by sponging a light layer of Memento Summer Sky, which is a perfect light blue color for this.  Next I wanted to add some texture with clouds so I used a couple of older Spellbinders Scalloped Oval Dies in two different sizes.  I sponged right around the edge of the die positioning it different ways and I used Gina K Designs Powder Blue ink.  

I used Gamsai Tambi watercolor paints and simply painted a strip of grass across the bottom and then I used a Zig Real Brush Marker to flick blades of grass on top.  I also used these watercolor paints to color in  he trees and hammocks and Zig Markers to color the animals.  

The hearts were cut out of Gina K Designs kraft card stock using Poppy Stamps Heart Frames dies and the sentiment was stamped with Versamark ink and embossed with Hero Arts white embossing powder. 

I hope you'll check out the Strawberry Jude Stamps online store for the two new release stamps as well as all of the other clear polymer stamps.  I am really impressed with the quality of these stamps. This was my first time using their stamps and I highly recommend them.  

I hope I inspired you to try building a scene around your stamps.  It's very easy and fun to see each part come together. It's just another way to enhance your stamps. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Regina