It's your day!

Happy birthday!  Here are two cards I made recently.  It was fun to pull out items I hadn't used in a while...stamps, layers, etc.

Ingredients:  white card stock, Bazzill card stock, Jet Black Archival Ink, Hero Arts 'Day to Celebrate' and 'Fern', black grosgrain ribbon, Tim Holtz Texture Fade 'Fancy Floral' and 'Stencil Text', Just For Fun floral stamp, paint chips

One stamp set - 4 ways (stamping with markers)

The last lesson featured stamping with markers. I actually hadn't done this in awhile.  I used to do it almost all the time.

Ingredients:  white card stock, Hero Arts (Super Solids Background S2057/Elm Leaf Drrawing H1867/My Heart Smiles D3314), Ranger (distress markers-shabby shutters/crushed olive/peeled paint/forest moss/tattered rose/dried marigold/rusty hinge/dusty concord), Sakura Gelly Roll Glitter pen

I have discovered that a lot of my older red rubber Hero Arts stamps are much harder now than when new.  I'm not sure if there's much I can do to make them softer, perhaps an emory sponge would make a difference.

I'm very glad I took this online card class and look forward to more like it.  The value is good and with the ability to always look back at the lessons, galleries and forums I know that I'll always have more inspiration at my fingertips.

One stamp set - 4 ways (Bokeh)

The third technique that was used is Bokeh...I'll describe it as the image getting lighter across the card.

Ingredients:  Hero Arts (Small Snow Bush E2254/Fairy Fern A3635/My Heart Smiles D3314/Elm Leaf Drawing H1867), Ranger (distress inks-wild honey/crushed olive/forest moss/peeled paint), Art Accentz Clear Micro Beedz by ProvoCraft, Amy's Embossable Tape (Amy's Magic), white card stock

I didn't like the masked look of the leaf...way too naked and white.  I stamped the leaf onto the tape and applied it over the masked area and applied the micro beedz (messy as glitter!).  Sad but true, the sticker on the micro beedz container was dated 2005.  And it apparently had never been opened.  

The embossable tape had never been used either.  I was afraid to look for a date...the outside layer had discolored over the years but was perfectly fine otherwise.
 
Sad, sad, sad.

One stamp set - 4 ways (masking)

The second way to use the stamp set is by masking an element (or several).  I masked where I placed the sentiment, the leaves and around the window.

Ingredients:  Hero Arts (Super Solids Background S2057/Elm Leaf Drawing H1867/Small Snow Bush e2254/My Heart Smiles D3314/Fairy Fern A3635), Ranger (distress inks-tumbled glass/broken china/crushed olive/peeled paint), white card stock

One stamp set - 4 ways (layered)

Yesterday was the last day of class for the Online Card Classes 'Clean & Simple 3'.  It was nice to be reminded of older techniques with new twists and new (to me) techniques.  This lesson was all about using one stamp set in 4 different ways.  I didn't have a stamp set that would work the way the teachers used it so I created my own from several older Hero Arts stamps. 

This sample shows some layering of the stamps I chose.

Ingredients:  white card stock, Hero Arts stamps (Super Solids Background S2057/Elm Leaf Drawing H1867/Small Snow Bush E2254/My Heart Smiles D3314/Fairy Fern A3635), Ranger (Watermark Resist Ink, distress inks - mowed lawn/salty ocean/picked raspberry/peacock feathers), clear embossing ink, white embossing powder, Sakura Gelly Roll White pen

Textural effects - embossing powder

Last share for today...the use of embossing powder to create a 'layer'.  I'm really loving this Online Card Class 'Clean & Simple 3'.  Some things I knew about, others I didn't but am trying them and liking them.  Watch for more of these ideas to show up in future projects!

Ingredients:  created my own cloud stencil from scrap paper, Tim Holtz Layering Stencil TS003 Rays, Ranger Clear Superfine Embossing Powder,  Clear UTEE, Tumbled Glass/Squeezed Lemonade/Spiced Marmalade/Barn Door distress inks), Versamark ink, Wordsworth S169-F 'Sending Sunshine', Marvy Wet Looks Embossing Markers

The stamp is actually a small square sentiment but I used a stamp positioner to create the single-line version.

Textural effects - embossing paste

This lesson features embossing paste and the different things you do with it.  Some things I just never thought about.  Guess I have some more things to try next week!  By the way, I smeared the archival inks over the stencil once the paste was dry.  In hindsight I probably should have used more of a water-related color for the stencil but I didn't.  Oh well.

This stamp had never seen ink - ack! But reading it made me think of using a clock some how and tides make me think of waves...wavy pattern to the stencil.  Bear with me....it's been one of those days.  Sigh.

Ingredients:  white card stock, Ranger (Tree Branch/Potting Soil Archival Inks, Pumice Stone Distress Ink, Jet Black Archival Ink), Studio 490 Translucent Embossing Paste, Dylusions Stencil DYS34216, Tim Holtz Layering Stencil Clockwork THS013, and the sentiment is by The Artful Stamper, a Canadian company.