Alcohol & Stampin' .. a different twist!

One of the first things new stampers learn is how to add color to stamped images with markers. It's generally done with water-based markers but with the popularity of alcohol-based markers, why not try those, too? Once again our friends at Splitcoast Stampers are showing off this technique in a very cool tutorial -- thanks to Gina Krupsky for showing us how!!

Supplies you'll need for this project
Stamps
Card stock
Alcohol markers
Rubbing alcohol
Misting bottle

Here is a link to the step by step directions

Here is a link to the gallery to see more ideas done with 'misting with markers'

~TFL & Enjoy~

Auntie CJ was commissioned...

...by her neighborhood gals to create this card! My Aunt CJ has been featured here on my blog before and I must continue to publish her creations! I am soo proud of her -- she has only been stamping a few months and doing such a wonderful job!! WOW!!

The only sad thing is she is sooo far away from me in distance -- she lives in NC. But the fun thing is we communicate very regularaly via email AND she knows how to send pics so it's like we 'virtually' stamp together ;o))

Keep up the wonderful work Auntie CJ -- that bow looks just awesome too -- better than my bows...oh that's right I DONT do bows I do knots cuz' my bows dont evah' turn out this perfect ;o)

~Enjoy & TFL~

Dazzling Flowering Diamonds

These swaps went in the mail today, Monday, priority to our hostess JoAnn of the QC Swappers Group. This months theme was 'a technique swap' ~ I chose 'Dazzling Diamonds' although its hard to see in this pic!! The large flower is done using this technique!

First of all I must give credit where credit is due on this awesome layout but it's killin' me that I can't find you!!! I am sure I found this on her blog .. I even printed out the picture and thought I had the info on there .. but looking back I don't *uh* I am soo sorry for that!!! ;o( The pic I printed out is really small and it looks like her name may be on the pic but it's way too small for me to read ... boohoo!! So for those of you in the swap, I've printed out the recipe on the back but wasnt able to give proper credit on my layout idea!!

So since this is for the QC Swapers group, it did involve a few steps -- but that is A-OK ;o) it's a total of 7 layers. I started out by stamping the French Script background on Confetti Cream cardstock using So Saffron stampin' ink. Then I did the 'rock n roll' technique on my flowers using both perfect plum and pretty in pink stampin inks -- stamping these over the french script background followed by the Mellow Moss leaf imprints. Then I punched out just the two right corners using the ticket corner punch. Next I used the paper piercing tool and stampin' grid to pierce a series of holes in the two same corners that I just used the corner punch on --- doing three holes and then two holes above the three -- on both the top and bottom corners. This piece was then layered on a piece of Pretty in Pink card stock and this piece only hand the two right corners punched out with the ticket corner punch too! Then these two pieces were attached to a piece of basic black card stock.

Now back to the top -- on top of the confetti cream I cut a piece of Pretty in Pink that would run across the top, I think it's about 2 inches wide. Then layered on top of this is a piece of Perfect Plum card stock cut a bit smaller and on this one I paper pierced a line both across the top and bottom. Then I tied a piece of Olive narrow organdy ribbon as well as copper cord around these two pieces and tied it to the side and taped it down. Then came the fun part ~ ~ ~ The technique part!! I used the Petal Prints stamp set and the Perfect Plum and Mellow Moss Stampin' Write Markers to color and stamp the flower and stamp it to the Glossy White card stock and let it dry really well. Then using the stamp-a-ma-jig I positioned the outline stamp over that and stamped it in basic black. Once that was completely dry I took my VersaMark pad applied the pad direcly to my paper (pad upside down directly on cardstock) and completely covered the image (piece of cardstock I had cut out) then I immediately applied the Iridescent Ice Emboss Powder to the image and using the Heat Tool heat until it melted! See the complete & awesome SCS step by step with pictures tutorial here. Then I simply punched a few holes in that image for two vintage brads and applied that to a piece of basic black card stock. Then the very last step was using stampin' dimensionals to mount the dazzling flower to the front of the card!

I made 12 of these cards ... and once you get started and do them in an 'assembly line' fashion things can move along pretty quickly!!

One thing that I would do differently next time is play around a bit more with the backround on the glossy white piece --- it just looks a little 'naked' for my tastes I guess. Maybe that is because the base of the larger piece is confetti cream I suppose. So tonight I did take a piece of the gw and I inked up the canvas background using So Saffron and stamped it on the Glossy White piece first --- then I stamped the flower --- then did the dazzzling diamonds. That looked a bit better but it really couldnt be seen once the techniquie was complete. So maybe a bit of a darker color would be needed --- but it did give is some color!

Overall I guess I am happy with the way the technique turned out but I will need to play around with the background a bit more and see what I can come up with ;o)

~TFL & Enjoy~

A Brighter Tomorrow

My Aunt is a china painter and she had the position in the group this year of sending out cards to members who were sick or had a family member pass away. This is the sympathy card we came up with that was very quick and easy. She didnt want them to be very elaborate or time conusming.

Here is a list of ingredients we used:
Stamps: Brighter Tomorrow, Heartfelt Thanks
Paper: Naturals Ivory, Elegant Eggplant, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Chocolate Chip, CLose to Cocoa, Elegant Eggplant, Mellow Moss
Accessories: Wide Cream Organdy Ribbon

~TFL & Enjoy~

So Very --- 2007 SAB

Here is the other group of cards that I completed this weekend for a SAB card swap over on SCS---same hostess just a different group. This is using the 'So Very' SAB stamp set. I just didnt use the 'so very' in the set!!! *lol* I thought I could show how to use the set in other ways too....not necessarily using the so very in each design. This would be a great card for many occassions.

It's hard to see but I did apply Crystal Effects to a portion of the Wild Roses just to give it a bit if dimension. In the picutre it would be the deeper colors of purple on the flower is where the CE was applied. They are really quite pretty IRL :o)

The elegant eggplant cs is is stamped with the Adia Background using elegant eggplant ink. I stamped the roses and then used creamy caramel and a sponge to go over the top of them --- just to give them a worn look or antiqued look. I then used the new SU! distressing tool to distress the three sides and tore the bottom .

I stamped 'loved' in elegant eggplant and then punched that out using the window word punch and added two gold eyelets to each side. I applied a dimensional to the back of that and attached it to the front of the card and then added the gold cord around the EE card stock.

Here is a list of all of the ingredients used:

Stamps: So Very (SAB 2007), Wild Rose, Adia Cloth Background
Cardstock: From the Color Coach—Old Olive, Elegant Eggplant, More Mustard, Naturals Ivory
Stampin' Pads: Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive, Mellow Moss, Creamy Caramel
Accessories: Gold Brads, Window Word Punch, Crystal Effects, Gold Cord, Stampin’ Dimensionals, Cutter Kit (distressing tool), Crafters’ Tool Kit

~TFL & Enjoy~

So Saffron Hope

This was a really fast and easy card to put together! I wanted to try out the watercolor paper and Natural Beauty is one of my fave stamp sets!! The 'Hope' was easy enough to cut out and add to the side of the flower image ~ that adds a whole other dimension to the card I think.

I am totally into this paper distressing thing lately but I wanted to demo that you can still go back and do it with the bone folder for those that dont have the SU! cutter kit yet (my fave new tool right now!!) ----Just use your bone folder and rub it along the side of your paper like you were peeling a potato--whoola! How easy is that?!

So I thought this card could be used for any number of things----including support or sympathy.


As always, here the recipe of 'ingredients':

Stamp Sets: Natural Beauty & Floral Background
Card Stock: So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Watercolor Paper
Sampin' Pads: Stazon Black, So Saffron (for background and also for flowers)
Accessories: Gingham Ribbon, AquaPainter, Bone Folder (for distressing edges of CC cardstock)

~TFL & Enjoy~

Close As A Memory

Sympathy cards are always something that I like to keep on hand---not fun but it is one of the occassions that we face as we live life---death.

I don't stamp a verse on the inside until I am ready to sign and send it so it can be a bit more personalized but I think this card could work well either for a guy or gal.

I adapted the colors for this card from the SU! Ribbon Originals (page 234 of the current IB&C)--I just love this stuff!! Prep School color line is what I worked with here~ ~ ~

It's hard to see in the picture but the background of the flowers is actually stamped with the Linen BG using So Saffron to give it a very subtle but 'filled in' look. The flowers were colored on the rubbah' with the Mellow Moss and Bravo Burgundy stampin' write markers and then stamped on the card stock. The 'huffing' technique was used to do this --- many of you may be familar with this. The weathered background stamped on the bravo burgundy cardstock is stamped with Versa Mark---I didnt want it to be too dark as I wanted to stamp the Sympathy verse on the front too...but I wanted it to be just dark enough that you could still see it there. Results: Perfect!

The SU! Cutter Kit (distressing tool) is one of my fave new tools!! I have used it on soo many cards lately! On this card I used it aound the edges of the Sahara Sand and Very Vanilla card stock.

Here are the 'ingredients' to this card:
Stamps: Close as a Memory, Linen BG, Weathered BG
Cardstock: Mellow Moss, Bravo Burgundy, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla, Sahara Sand
Stampin' Pads: Bravo Burgundy, Not Quite Navy, So Saffron, Mellow Moss Stampin Write Marker, Bravo Burgundy Stampin Write Marker, Versa Mark Pad
Accessories: Cutter Kit (distressing tool), Ribbon Originals Prep School, Stampin' Dimensionals

~Enjoy & TFL~