Fish Bowl Dreams

Hi Everybody,

It is World Cardmaking Day!  How are you spending this day?  I hope you can work in a little time to craft or spend the entire day crafting because you know, it's a special day of the year set aside so that you can craft, guilt free.  They'll be lots of sales and give a ways so watch for those :)

(I apologize for the pics not being super clear, there was a huge reflection from the beautiful, sterling embossing powder)

I originally used the Sterling Embossing Powder but switched to Alabaster so it can be seen better. 

I used several Brutus Monroe products on today's card. I started by making an oxide ink background using Salty Ocean, Faded Jeans, Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio and Wilted Violet.  I rubbed the ink pad over my Brutus Monroe Craft Mat, sprayed with water and quickly dipped my paper into ink randomly and heat set after a couple of colors and did it again.  I usually only do this twice and if there is a part that I am still not happy with, I spray a little water directly onto my paper and move the ink around.

I stamped a background stamp over the oxide ink background using the Brutus Monroe Wave Background Stamp.  I used Brutus Monroe Embossing Ink and Sterling Embossing Powder.  I think this Wave Background Stamp is SO COOL.  The very first time I saw it, I had a plan for it with the Fishbowl Stamp Set and Coordinating Dies that I used with it.  I colored the stamps with Zig Markers and cut out with dies.  I used the Inlaid Die technique here and fit the dies right into their designated spot like a puzzle.  Everything fit perfect with one exception.... I somehow put the crab die upside down and had run through Big Shot machine before I saw it.  I normally would get upset and redo the card but I figured a crab might can be on his back right?  Floating, chilling out or laying on the bottom of the ocean relaxing. See, I did it on purpose, yeah, that's it, on purpose lol.

I used sentiments from the new stamp sets, When I Grow Up Collection, Astronaut and Scientist.  I embossed both sentiments with the Sterling Embossing powder from Brutus Monroe.  I put the sentiments on a heavy weight vellum 48# so that it wouldn't overpower the background and I could see the background through it.  I did a die inlay with it as well with a Spellbinders Oval Die.  One of my best tips is that I use Stick It under vellum and I can't see it like other adhesives.  Make sure you are using a heavier weight vellum and do not mess up the smoothness of the adhesive and you won't be able to see it.  I used it here where the sentiment is. I finished it by adding some clear Wink of Stella glitter pen.

The thought behind these sentiments and this fish scene is Dream Big!  Oceans are Big and Endless! Never Stop Dreaming, Nothing is too large to keep you from your dreams. Simple as that.

These stamps were all so much fun to play with.  I hope I inspired you to try the Inlaid Die Technique and to try some fun, new Brutus Monroe products.  Lots of exciting new things to come from this company.  Stay tuned....

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Regina

Copic Colored Gerbera Daisy Getwell Card

Hi Everybody,

I needed to make someone a get well card so I made this fun background using a stencil and Tim Holtz Oxide Inks in Worn Lipstick, Fossilized Amber and Spiced Marmalade.  I love this color combo and find myself using it a lot lately. Hopefully it will cheer her up. 

I taped the stencil down over the cardstock so it wouldn't move and used jumbo sponge daubers to go around the stencil randomly with the three colors.  They blend SO easily.  I lightly spritzed with water before taking stencil off. I used a heat gun to dry it.

The texture of the oxide inks are so unique.  It feels like it is wet even when it is not.  Strange but cool at the same time.  So the next set of 12 just came out and I know I'm getting them!

I colored these gerbera daisies with Copic Markers.  I am taking a coloring class at Kit and Clowder called Nature class.  If you love coloring flowers, trees, leaves, etc, this may be of interest to you.

I wanted to break up the background a little without covering my beautiful oxide ink stencil work :), I used vellum and I think it worked perfectly for this.  Just so happened I had a pad of colored vellum and I thought the orange color would look fabulous, Paper Accents Assorted Colored Vellum.  I used the orange vellum for the vase and the stitched part of the circle and clear for the inside of the circle.  The die I used is My Favorite Things, Wide Circle Stitched Die. I used Hero Arts white embossing powder for the vase.  The vase and sentiment are from The Ton, Anemone Bouquet. I also used white embossing powder for the sentiment and cut out a strip on black cardstock and I think it stands out really well.  The stencil I used is pictured above from Plaid.  I used a Spectrum Noir Glitter Pen to add some sparkle to the flowers.   I spritzed it lightly while I still had the mask on too by the way and used a heat gun to dry it. 

Please note:   The first time I tried using glue on the vellum, I used the Ranger Multi Matte and Stampin' Up Fine Tip Glue Pen and the vellum started wrinkling up.  What I used that worked so well was a glue called Art Glitter.  

I wanted the inside to coordinate with the front so I used a circle from the die I used on the front to use as a mask and I sponged around it with the same 3 oxide inks I used on the front.  I cut a white circle out and used a vellum circle on top and stamped the sentiment.  This is from Technique Tuesday called So Grateful.  As I was looking through my stamp sets for a getwell sentiment I discovered that I don't have very many.  Most of the new sets I'm buying now don't say get well.  I finished it off with some clear sequins from Pretty Pink Posh. 

I hope I inspired you to get out those oxide inks.  If you are intimidated by new products like this, the easiest way to start using them is with a stencil like I did.  It will look beautiful everytime. :)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Regina

My Favorite Things Wildflowers Stencil - 2 Different Ways To Use It

Hi Everybody,

Today I wanted to make something really bright, happy, cheery so I decided to play with a stencil from My Favorite Things called Wildflowers.  Lately I've been busier than usual so it seems hard to find time to sit down and color and make a card with a bunch of masked flowers.  The good thing about using this stencil and watercolor is that you don't have to mask.  I used several Tim Holtz Distress Inks and sponged ink on the stencil, moving it around, using post it tape to cover parts I had already done.  I completely covered some parts and some I skipped over some of the leaves, stems, etc, so as to not cover and make it look masked.

I used this stencil a couple years ago but there was space between the flowers.  I like the look of them all bunched together, don't you?

Which way do you like best?  This stencil is so versatile, I love it!  I could've diluted this more with water but I liked the brightness.

Supplies Used Today's Card:

• Recollections 110# white card stock for base, Gina K Designs Sweet Mango card stock, Tim Holtz watercolor paper
• My Favorite Things Wildflowers Stencil
• Casual Friday Stamps, Pretty Posies (sentiment)
• Hero Arts Stamp and Die Set, Happy, for the embossed dots
• Tim Holtz Distress Inks:  Abandoned Coral, Squeezed Lemonade, Fired Brick, Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade, Seedless Preserves, Mowed Lawn
• Memento Ink, Dandelion
• Stampendous Detail Fine Gold Embossing Powder
• Paper Accents Vellum, Variety Assorted Pack (I used light yellow)
• Sponge Daubers
• Post It Tape

The stamp set used in the second card is from Technique Tuesday called Appreciated.  

I hope you'll try this stencil, it's so much fun just to move it around and play.  

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Regina

I Brake For Poinsettias

Hi everybody!

I see that my fellow card making friends have been making Christmas cards for a few months now, this is my first one of the year!  Yay!  I think it turned out beautiful!  The first time I saw this stamp I knew I had to have it.  This stamp is from I Brake for Stamps called Poinsettias in Squares.  If you use Coupon Code SAVE10REGINA, you will receive 10% off of your order.  There are over 4,000 stamps so I'm sure you will be able to find several that fit your taste.  Time to get the Christmas ones! 

Here's the stamp.  Look at the possibilities!  

First, I stamped with Versamark Ink and embossed with silver embossing powder.  I cut the squares out with scissors and then I cut 9 squares out with my Silhouette that were a little larger.  The tiles are 1-1/8" so the squares I cut out are about 1-1/4".  I glued down the poinsettia tiles to the silver squares that I cut and then cut a piece of vellum and used pop dots to pop them up and give dimension.  I embossed the red layer with poinsettias.  I colored the stamp with Copics.  It was so relaxing to color this too.  
Finally I cut out the Joy from my Silhouette, design ID# 36114, using glitter paper and used some cute glitter enamel dots.  I love these!  

Supply List:

• I Brake For Stamps Poinsettias in Squares stamp
• Gina K Designs White and Red Velvet Card Stock
• Grafix 40# Clear Vellum
• Martha Stewart Elegant Paper Pad (used silver under the poinsettia squares)
• Sizzix Texture Fades Embossing Folders by Tim Holtz 2/pkg - Texture Poinsettia Pattern
• American Crafts Christmas Glitter Papers
• Silhouette Design Joy, # 36114
• Versamark Ink
• Martha Stewart Sterling Silver Embossing Powder
• Virginia Turtle Stamps Starlight Glitter Enamel Dots

Copics: Poinsettia Stamp R22, R24, R29
Poinsettia Leaves G43, G46
Poinsettia Center Y15 and dots of R27

Did I motivate you to make a Christmas card?  Start now!  

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Regina - I Brake For Stamps Design Team