Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Simple Stenciled Backgrounds for Your Stamped Images


Hi all!  I'm sharing a set of cards today featuring your basic stencils and stencil paste on kraft.  I had a bunch of images that I've colored over the last week or so as part of Kathy Racoosin's 30 Day Coloring Challenge and wanted to put them to use on some Christmas cards.

I love the look of white stamping and embossing on kraft, and basic embossing paste creates essentially the same effect, with some wonderful texture too.

I started out by creating my stenciled backgrounds using Dreamweaver white embossing paste over Papertrey Ink Kraft cardstock.  When I"m creating backgrounds I'll cut my panels to a full A2 size, 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" even though I rarely use them that size.  Often when you stencil a panel the edges aren't quite as crisp as you might want them, so this gives me the opportunity to trim them down to get that nice finished edge

The embossing paste may warp the cardstock a little, so to make sure that the panel was good and stuck to my card base, I used liquid adhesive, the kind you have to kind of pump and the blue liquid comes out, and placed a book over top while it was drying.

I used both stencils that have more 'white' space where there's more paste showing as well as stencils where the design leaves more kraft showing.  For this first card, I'm using my Star stencil for Neat & Tangled.  


The image is from a retired Neat & Tangled set called Little Baby Jesus, and the sentiment is from Altenew's Peach on Earth set.  Both the die cut image and sentiment strip are popped up with foam tape for a bit of dimension.


The next card features my Radiating Star stencil for Neat & Tangled.  When I created the background for this one I didn't realize there was a bit of red ink/spray left on the stencil form the last use, so there's a bit of a rose glow to the background.  I decided I liked the look, but that's why you don't see a more pure white in the background.


The image is from another retired N&T mini called Angel Wing as is the sentiment.


I needed a slightly larger sentiment strip because of the size of the sentiment, but it looked a little too white, so I added a bit of Copic shading around the edges to soften the look.

Next I created a panel using my Fa La La stencil, also from N&T.   


This snowman couple from Paper Smooches' Cool Dudes set was perfect for the background as was the sentiment from Hello Bluebird.


Finally, I used the Tim Holtz Pines Layering Stencil to create this last background, pairing it with one of my very favorite Christmas/Winter Images, the Merry Kisses set from N&T.


The sentiment is from Hello Bluebird, and I used one of the banners from the Scalloped Dies set from N&T.


These backgrounds are quick and easy to create and are the perfect backdrop for your colored images.  I really love how the balance but don't overshadow the images.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Mama Elephant Cool Penguins


I had created a couple cards using the penguins from Mama Elephant's Cool Penguins set last year.  At the time I had stamped/cut out several penguins, but hadn't used them all.  I found my 'leftovers' the other day.

After coloring them with Copics, I added a very slight ground line with some inking, and then arranged them to create a scene, adhering them to my panel.


The sentiment is from Concord and 9th's O Christmas Tree set.

I finished things off with some patterned paper from a very very old AC 6x6 paper pad.  I need to go scavenge around the craft room and see if I can find anymore leftovers!

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Tuesday, November 19, 2019

POD Merry Christmas Hockey Critters


I was so excited when I saw the latest Pine Cone Trail release from Stacey Yakula for Purple Onion Designs (POD).  As you might know, we are a big hockey family, we all play some form of the sport including our girls who both play ice hockey.

These little critters playing hockey were must haves for me.

I have several stamps from POD, but I admit I don't use them as often as I should because they are unmounted rubber, and in the past I have used my tape runner to adhere them to my clear blocks which works just fine, but then I have to clean the blocks off to remove the adhesive.

Enter a new product!  POD is now selling large solid clear stamps, not for stamping, but to act as a mount.  There are two sizes available, I picked up the 4" x 6" stamp.


The rubber stamps just stick right to the clear stamp.  You can either mount the clear stamp to a block, or use a MISTI with the foam mat removed.

It makes stamping with these images so easy, I'm excited because I'm quite sure I'll be using my POD images more now.

So back to the card, the critters (Storm and Iclyn) were stamped with Gina K Black Amalgam ink, colored with Copics, and then fussy cut.


The Frozen Pond Background was also stamped with Gina K and colored with Copics.  I added a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp's Holiday Greetings 1 set, and the critters were adhered to the panel. 

Thanks for visiting!

Thursday, November 14, 2019

You Slay Me


Hi everyone!  I'm still in the mood to color, and I hadn't used this adorable set Magical Dragons set by Birdie Brown for MFT yet.

The dragon was stamped on Neenah Solar White cardstock with Gina K Amalgam ink and colored with Copics.  

Then it ended up being a bit of a scramble.  I wanted to add a bit of shading/ground line, so I used some post it tape to mask off the bottom of the card, as well as the bottom of the dragon, and added some inking with a blending brush and Black Soot Distress Ink.

Unfortunately, I didn't fully make off the bottom of the card, so when I pulled the post it tape up, I realized that I had accidentally inked the bottom of the card below the tape.

So, I placed the tape back on the card, and fully inked the bottom of the card to create a white space below the dragon.


The sentiment, also from this set, was stamped with Versafine, but then it looked kind of lonely in all that white space, so I added black line using a straight edge and a black journaling pen.  This ended up turning into two lines that I filled in because I didn't do a great job drawing the lines to begin with.

It's not quite what I imagined when I set out to create the card, but I really like how it turned out....I might even try this again, it makes for a great clean and simple masculine card.

Also, just in case you haven't heard, there's an anniversary sale happening at Ellen Hutson - 20% off the whole store with code LUCKY13.

Thanks for visiting!

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Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Jane's Doodles - My Favorite Santa


We're in the middle of Kathy Racoosin's current 30 Day Coloring Challenge, and I thought I should get my butt in gear and get some coloring done.

I decided to pull out my very favorite Santa image from Jane's Doodles.  I color this guy at least once every year, and expect that I will do so until the end of time.  I just love this image.  This is actually a retired set, but there are a couple new sets featuring this Santa in a couple different poses, that I am going to need to add to my collection soon.


Anyway, I kept things pretty simple.  Santa was colored with Copics, and then I added a sentient from the Peace on Earth set from Altenew.

Short and sweet today.  I'm planning to do some more coloring this week...I've got a bunch of sets that I haven't inked up yet, and the 30 Day challenge is the perfect excuse to do it!

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Spellbinders Scenic Snapshots Collection


Hi all!  Hope that your week is off to a good start.  

Today I'm sharing a couple cards created using two sets from Spellbinders' Scenic Snapshots Collection.  This is a really fun collection that coordinates with the Santa's Workshop Dies (a cloche with a wintry scene inside), but each set can be used on their own as I'm showing here.

I'm sometimes intimidated by scene building with dies, but these make it very easy since they are on a small scale, and it's a great way to use some of those cardstock scraps you've been collecting.

My first card features the Harvestime Snapshot set.  


I started by die cutting all the pieces and 'pre assembling' the barn and the last three layers of landscape.

I used the sun rays as a guide to create a mask for my inking, placing the die cut on a scrap piece of cardstock and tracing around the curvature and down a bit, and then cutting that opening out.

The sky was created using a blending brush and some Tumbled Glass Distress Ink.


I then assembled the majority of the panel, adhering the sun, the last three layers of background and the barn.  After stamping the sentiment (from Simon Says Stamp's Healing Hugs set), the first layer of landscape was adhered with some foam adhesive for a bit of dimension.

My second card features the Adventure Time Snapshots set, and I went in a whole different direction colorwise with this card.


I really love the black and white monochromatic look, and, again using scraps, cut all the pieces for my scene from gray, black, and white cardstock.

I used the same mask I created for the last card, this time inking with Black Soot Distress Ink.



The assembly process was similar to the last card, but this time I popped up both layers of 'ground' as well as the tent.  The sentiment is actually from a Christmas set, Hello Bluebird's Typed Christmas set. 

That's all for me today.  Would love to know which you prefer, color or black and white?

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Essentials by Ellen November Release


Have you guys seen the new release from Ellen Hutson?  It just released today, and in addition to some great new image sets, there are some gifting products.

Today I'm working with the new Bon Bon Box Die, Mini Tags Dies, and Small Sayings set.

The die creates a box that is about 1 3/4" square.  I thought I would pull out some of my older sets to decorate the outside of the box.

This first box features one of the backgrounds from the Wonky Backdrops which was stamped with Altenew Sea Glass ink.  


I finished the box off with a one of the tags and a bit of Lawn Trimmings twine.

For the next box, I used the Abstract Paint Strokes set and Sea Glass, Pink Diamond, and Limestone Altenew ink as well as black Versafine.


I used one of the Mini Tags, coloring it to match the box by simply pressing the Pink Diamond ink pad onto it.  A sentiment from Small Sayings as well as the tiny dots stamp from Abstract Paint strokes finished the tag.  It was attached with some more Lawn Trimmings Twine.

I also wanted to create a couple simple cards.  This first card came together so quickly.


I cut a rectangle from kraft cardstock, 'wrapped' it with some twine, and added one of the Mini Tags stamped with a Small Saying, and then finished the card with a sentiment from the Warm Fuzzies set.


For this next card, I cut a bunch of tags from different colored cardstock scraps, embossed a variety of the Small Sayings on them in gold, and then added gold thread for the trim.

I cut a panel of cream cardstock, and embossed just the edge of the triangle background from the Wonky Backdrops set along one edge in gold.


The tags were then arranged on the panel, some were adhered directly to the panel, and some were popped up with foam tape.


A few gold sequins added some extra sparkle and texture, and then the entire panel was popped up over the card base with foam tape.

That's all for me today, but be sure to check out the entire release over at Ellen Hutson, there are some really great stamp designs this month too.  I'm loving the blimp set!

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Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Spellbinders November Large Die of the Month


Hi all!  I'm a little late posting this.  I was hoping to get this up sooner, but this weekend was crazy busy.  Isn't this month's Large Die of the Month Kit from Spellbinders so much fun?

You can use this die to create multiple characters - Santa, a girl and boy elf, I've also seen someone create Mrs. Claus.  There's also an add on that allows you to create a reindeer.

What I really love about these dies is that they are interactive.  The body can serve as a stand if you wanted to use these for place settings, or, as I've done, as a tag where the message is hidden.



For the Santa, I kept things simple, cutting each of the pieces from cardstock.  This is a great way to use up some of your smaller scrap pieces of paper.  I added some color to his cheeks with a my Copics and some gel pen accents.

For the elf, I use some blending brushes to add some subtle inking to the pieces for a little depth.  I used the brushes to add color to his cheeks too, and finished things off with some more gel pen accents.


This really is the cutest kit!  Thanks so much for stopping by!