Steampunk

It's Monday and time for another Altered Playing Card challenge from Claudine.  She chose Steampunk or Time as the theme.  I'm not into steam punk and suppose I could have elected to create cards all about time, but I didn't.  I have the Sizzix gears mini movers & shapers so why not use them?

playing cards; gesso; dry wall tape; glitter paper (unknown source); Hero Art stamps (A3321,  C3075); Sizzix mini movers & shapers gears; distress paints (Tarnished Brass, Brushed Pewter); Ranger Black Sparkle embossing powder; Versamark; washi tape; Createx Pearlized Blue paint; TCW Mini Ledger stencil; CMS107 Steampunk; Glossy Accents; white card stock; Jet Black Archival Ink

So, get in gear...what are you waiting for?????  Join in the fun!

Merry Christmas across the miles

This was such a fun card to create and make special since I noted the locations of the sender and recipient.

Studio 490 Happy Holidays stencil; TH Mini Holidays 2 CS096; TCW 410S Mini US Map; white card stock; Bazzill card stock; distress inks

The holly was stamped and colored on the corner of the envelope.  Love coordinating cards and envelopes!

Happy 80th birthday, mom! Part 1

Not too long ago my mom asked me to make a floral piece to go over the headboard of her bed.  She brought me the one that I had made years ago (for another house); it was in extremely sad shape.  Fortunately I had a photo of it so I could remake it.  The colors were perfect for the wallpaper border in her bedroom.  I hemmed and hawed and didn't really feel up to working with artificial flowers.  Her birthday was coming up so I decided to use this for her gift.  Might as well use some of the dies, cardstock and a frame I had sitting in my happy space.

The unfinished frame (approximately 12"x14") I had picked up at a thrift store for 50 cents; the butterfly came from an old floral arrangement. 

On chipboard I applied 2 coats of gesso, not evenly.  Once dry I smeared brown distress inks and stains to accentuate the texture.  The 6"x6" stencil is by The Crafters Workshop (didn't use the flower on the left side of the stencil); Studio 490 white embossing paste was colored with Watering Can archival re-inker.  The dies are by Sizzix (Bird Branch, Tattered Florals, Garden Greens, Hexagon Strip, and Jumbo Tattered Florals).  The leafy fern punch is by Martha Stewart.  I used Bazzill card stock and textured handmade paper by Sizzix (o-l-d stuff!).  Plenty of distress inks, distress stains and alcohol inks were used as well.

Some of the flower centers were created using buttons while others are some of the berries from the picks seen at the top and bottom of the floral swag.  I texturized the flowers and leaves to make them more realistic by dampening them, using a ball stylus, my fingertips or a tweezers, or even crumpling them.

Even though this isn't a replica of what she had before, I hope it works in the same space and that she loves it.  (Isn't there a rule about a mother having to love every piece of art her child creates???)

Live, Love, Life

Don't know if you saw this TCW stencil being used over on the eclecticpaperie blog but it is gorgeous!!!  I couldn't wait to get the smaller version (6x6) and create some plaques to give as presents.

The wood plaques I picked up at Michaels in the unfinished wood department.  They were stamped with lots of stamps so I didn't keep track...sorry!  All ink was archival.

I used distress inks on the stencil...they are so blendable and super to work with.  The color palette is amazing...they are my 'go to' inks for almost every project.  It took very little time to color the stencil but looks like I spent hours because of the multiple shades of each color used to create depth.  The mats are Bazzill card stocks.

Bonus - Marker misting

Tim's right, the misting tool has been out for years.  I don't know how old mine is but it still works so for now I'll continue to use it.  This one isn't as adjustable nor does it have the hole in the bulb which may make squeezing easier.  But still a fun toy to try out on this card.

Ingredients:  The Crafters Workshop stencil 'Mini Leaf Frame', distress markers, Inkworkx Spritzer, green card stock, Bazzill card stock, white card stock, Tim Holtz/Sizzix Mini Pinking & Scallop on the edge die, Stream Adirondack ink, Hero Arts sentiment

Do you every pull out your Adirondack inks?  I love the color palette!

What an amazing on-line class this has been!  Not only have I tried new things but I've used items that haven't seen the light of day for a long, long time.  And it got me out of my creative slump!