Tag, you're it!

I periodically swap tags with a Canadian friend.  Here are the latest ones I sent.

#8 black tag (don't know why it looks blue), Close To My Heart white pigment ink, Inkadinkado stamp 8384K, Ranger White Distress Ink, colored pencils, Tim Holtz mini tag 002, Stampers Anonymous 'Flower Garden' stamp set

#8 manilla tag, Sizzix Wildflower dies, Jet Black Archival Ink, Penny Black stamp 2706F, Stampers Anonymous Blocks stencil, colored pencils, watercolor paper, distress markers, pink cotton thread

#8 manila tag, Gesso, distress crayons, Jet Black Archival Ink, Distress Collage Medium - Crazing, Sizzix Mixed Media #3 and Wildflowers, Inkadinkado stamp 8388J, Martha Stewart punches (rabbit, butterfly)

#8 manila tag, Sizzix texture fade (Airmail) and mini movers & shapers dies (feather, butterfly, airplane), HVAC tape, distress paint (Broken China, Black Soot), Sakura white gelly roll pen and black Micron pens, Inkadinkado stamp 8366L

Just a bit of creativity to share with you!

Collect life's beautiful moments

 

The image is part of the Simon Says Stamp Stamptember 2015 collection.  It was stamped in Jet Black Archival Ink on mixed media cardstock and colored with distress markers.  The one on the left was edged with various blue distress markers and misted with water.  It was misted with Frost Shimmer Spritz by Tsukineko.  The one on the right was misted with Bahama Blue Fireworks Spray by Tsukineko. 

The punch is one of Tim Holtz's new ones and it kind of looks like seaweed.  I punched several out of mixed media cardstock then dipped them into various green distress inks and misted to get a mottled appearance. 

All colored cardstock is by Bazzill.

While we need to collect life's beautiful moments, it takes some of the less beautiful ones to make the others more special.  Like dealing with a broken hip...not so beautiful but certainly makes you appreciate all that your hip does for you.

Wildflowers

Love Tim's new Wildflower thinlits dies!  I cut this one from watercolor cardstock then colored with Twinkling H20s.  The blue cardstock layer was run through the Cracked Texture Fade and a Sizzix Gold Transfer Sheet.  Such a fun look and cleaner than applying paint or ink to the folder.  The Stitched Oval was cut from off-white cardstock then covered with Crazed Collage Medium.  I smeared the Antique Linen distress ink pad over it to make the minute crazing areas more visible.  With a gold pen I drew in the zig zag stitches.  Another layer of cardstock was edged with a gold paint dabber then Rock Candy distress glitter was sprinkled over the wet paint.  The mini bow die was cut from more watercolor cardstock and colored with blue ink.  Ditto for the recipient's Alphanumeric initial.  Both were edged with a gold pen.

Do not stand by my grave

Hero Arts S2057, H3251
Inky Antics 'Do Not Stand'
Ranger:  Jet Black Archival Ink, Old Paper Distress Ink, distress markers (Forest Moss, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick)

I smeared Old Paper DI onto the background stamp, misted water and stamped the image onto mixed media cardstock.  Using distress markers I colored the flower, misted it, then stamped over the background tiles.  Over this I stamped the sentiment in Jet Black AI.  There's a peach/bronze layer of cardstock as well as the green A2 card.

This technique lends itself well to many occasions; I see myself using it when I need to come up with a card rather quickly.  It could easily be embellished with die cuts of butterflies, grass, etc.

Cuckoo thank you

When I was a young girl my great-grandparents lived with us for awhile.  They spoke German much of the time and brought their cuckoo clock with them.  It was a special treat to be told you could pull the pinecones down to reset the clock for the next day.  Many, many moons and life experiences have happened since then and the cuckoo clock was discovered in my father's attic.  My younger sister initially asked for it but really had little recollection of it hanging in our home.  Just last week my sister brought it to me.  It now graces our dining room wall and brings back so many memories. 

I knew I had to make a special card to thank my sis for this wonderful gift.  Fortunately I just happen to have a rubber stamp of a cuckoo clock...now to bring it to life.

The image was stamped in Coffee Archival Ink onto watercolor cardstock and colored with distress markers.  From a scrap of w/c cardstock I die cut 'thank you' using "Celebrate" from Tim Holtz/Sizzix.  The open door and cuckoo were stamped and cut out; the cuckoo was elevated with foam tape.  The base card (fits into a #10 envelope) is greenish-brown.

Amazingly enough, my cuckoo clock looks quite similar to the stamped image.  Thank you, sis, for giving me such a wonderful gift!

Mmmmmrowww

In case you don't speak cat, it says 'Happy Birthday"!

Here are two cards I made using Brett Wedele's 'Mister Meow Meow' and distress crayons.

I painted a thin layer of gesso over watercolor cardstock then stamped the image in Jet Black Archival Ink.  I scribbled the crayons where I wanted to add color and rubbed/smudged the color with my finger tips.  Once I was happy with the look I used mini stencils 002 and 003 and some red distress ink (whatever was left on my sponge) and a dampened finger for the other to remove some color.

Hope my friends speak feline!  Maybe that's a birthday wish that will be granted!

Happy birthday!

I saw a card on Pinterest and knew that I had to recreate it.  It can be traced back to der-creative-wahnsinn.blogspot.com...but I didn't do so directly.  My plan was not to copy directly so I didn't need to see any directions she might have shared.

Stampers Anonymous:  Flower Garden, Simple Sayings

Sizzix:  Celebration Words: Script

Ranger:  Jet Black archival ink, distress markers

Bazzill cardstocks

Martha Stewart butterfly punch

Misc.:  twine, copper eyelets, watercolor cardstock

I stamped the left and right flowers then stamped off another image on scrap paper to create a mask.  The original card only had 2 flowers and I wanted to have a third one.  Once the card front was finished I used the distress marker spritzer and added tiny black spots all over it.

Coneflowers always bring a smile to my face...especially when I see male goldfinches enjoying their seeds.

Technique remix - May

Are you following along with Tim Holtz' technique remix concept this year?  This month's inspiration and instructions can be found here.  I've been able to spot quite a few birds at our feeders the past few weeks and felt this was the perfect opportunity to showcase one of the most common harbingers of spring...the robin.

Here are some of the items I used to create my version:  tissue tape, CMS181 Nature Walk, archival inks (Monarch Orange, Watering Can, Jet Black, Tree Branch, Coffee, Potting Soil), Texture Paste, mini stencil 003 (rays), distress inks (Barn Door, Peeled Paint), Sizzix Tiny Tattered Florals and Alphabetical, scraps of Shabby Chic double sided cardstock, Adornments (bird), Martha Stewart branch punch, distress stains/sprays (Wild Honey, Abandoned Coral, Mustard Seed, Fossilized Amber, Twisted Citron, Lucky Clover, Mermaid Lagoon, Pistachio), muslin strips, Perfect Pearls Mist (Heirloom Gold)

Within a 15 minute time period one day last week I spotted the following birds at our various feeders...male and female ruby-throated hummingbirds, male and female downy woodpeckers, blue jays, male and female cardinals, oriole, catbird, wrens, sparrows, male and female red-winged blackbirds, grackles, male and female bronze-headed cowbirds, white crowned sparrows, red-bellied woodpecker, mourning doves, nuthatch, and a rose-breasted grosbeak.

At any given time we can also find these birds in our backyard...indigo buntings, male and female goldfinches, pileated woodpecker, tufted titmouse, black-capped chickadees, dark-eyed juncos, mockingbirds, northern flickers, and red-tailed hawks. 

It's not a wonder I don't get much done during the day...I'd much prefer watching nature's tv!

Congratulations!

One of my nieces received her master's degree today from the University of Illinois.  She will start work in two weeks as a therapist for a children's center in a nearby community.

On bright orange Bazzill cardstock I applied Versamark Ink through mini stencil #058.  Can't believe I actually had some orange inked washi tape in my stash - perfect!  The wise old Crazy Bird owl was stamped in Jet Black Archival Ink onto watercolor cardstock and cut out with the coordinating die.  Ditto for the diploma and cap from Crazy Things.  The sentiment from Crazy Talk was stamped in JBAI.  From blue cardstock I die cut her name using the 1" Alphanumeric dies.  The Stitched Ovals border was cut from the same blue cardstock.

Love is in the air

Bazzill cardstocks, watercolor cardstocks

Ranger: distress markers, Jet Black archival ink

Stampers Anonymous:  Bird Crazy, Crazy Things

Sizzix:  Bird Crazy, Crazy Things, Scribbles & Splat, Mixed Media #3

Idea-ology: Vintage Shabby decorative cardstock

Recognizing our school nurse

It's National Nurses Week and today school nurses are recognized for their efforts.  I know our district-wide school nurse personally and know that she spends many hours beyond her contract not only caring for students' health but also managing the mounds of paperwork required by the school and state.

There are lots of blue distress inks on the top layer, including splats of silver paint to resemble the universe.  IRL it does look like the Milky Way is just beyond my reach. 

The globe thinlits die was cut from watercolor cardstock and colored with various blue, green and brown distress inks.  I do put it under a heavy book to get it flat. My message was cut from the Typeset deco strip die out of scrap paper and colored with silver paint.

Inside...

I embossed a rocket on watercolor cardstock and cut out.  It was colored with blue distress inks and a bit of watered down silver paint.  The message was computer-generated. 

We don't have children in the school system but I know that if we did, they would be in the best of hands!

Happy birthday, you crazy old bird!

A good friend from across the great pond is turning 75.  Thought this wise old owl was perfect for the occasion.

The blue background was embossed with Tim's Woodgrain texture fade and a gold transfer sheet from Sizzix.  Isn't the effect cool?  I also went around the edges of the layer with a gold paint dabber.  The oval was cut using Stitched Ovals and also edged with the gold paint dabber.  Atop this is a Crazy Bird that was stamped in Jet Black Archival Ink on watercolor paper and colored with distress markers then cut out using the coordinating thinlits die.  The alphanumeric letters were cut from scrap paper, covered with gold paint then sprinkled with Antique Linen Distress Glitter.

Happy Mother's Day!

I can't give my mom real flowers because the scents usually bother her.  So these pretty purple posies will have to do.

Sizzix:  Mini Bird Crazy & Things, Crazy Things, Bird Crazy, Alphanumeric, Stitched Ovals

Stampers Anonymous:  Mini Bird Crazy & Things, Crazy Things, Bird Crazy

Studio 490:  Repeating Quilt Stencil

Ranger:  distress markers, distress inks, Jet Black Archival Ink, Lettuce Adirondack Acrylic Ink, Collage Medium - Crazing

Misc.: watercolor paper, foam dots

Peaceful children

Don't these children look peaceful and calm as they walk hand in hand?  I fell in love with the image and couldn't wait to create a card.  The one in the local store was quite neutral and had a fiber bow; pretty but I knew I had more in mind for the image.

Ranger:  distress inks (Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Tumbled Glass, Old Paper), Jet Black Archival Ink

Budding Vine Die-namites die

Impression-Obsession DIE278-E, D13399 stamp

Sizzix: Quilted texture fade, Stitched Ovals thinlits die

Studio 490 Lots of Dots stencil

Watercolor cardstock, cream cardstock

Thinking of you

When I saw Tim's latest stencil release I immediately thought of the Tumbling Block quilt pattern and I couldn't wait to try creating a paper version.

I kept moving the stencil after applying the colors until I had filled the sheet of cardstock.  This layer was applied to Bazzill Light Black cardstock then onto a cream colored A2 card.  It was a bit time consuming but I love the look!

The sentiment from Crazy Talk was stamped in Watering Can Archival Ink onto cream colored cardstock and backed with Bazzill Light Black cardstock.

Stampers Anonymous:  059 mini stencil, Crazy Talk stamp set

Ranger:  distress markers (Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed, Wild Honey, Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Barn Door, Shaded Lilac, Wilted Violet, Dusty Concord); Watering Can Archival Ink

Bazzill:  Light Black cardstock

Misc.: cream cardstock