Memorial Day 2015

Happy Memorial Day.  If you have served our country either by giving service or as a spouse or child of a military person--thank you.  All of my uncles, my grandfather, and brother served our country so we are a proud military family.  Today's card isn't really patriotic but it is kind of a thank you card.  This card uses the Lotus Blossom set from Sale a bration.  My card base is whisper white and is a normal A2 size card.  I stamped everything directly onto the card base.  I used Melon Mambo for the blooms.  I did the generation stamping by stamping off twice for the first bloom, stamping off once for the second one layer and then not stamping off at all for that last blossom.  I didn't like that I seem to have lost the definition of the blooms so I stamped again with Rich Razzleberry to bring the definition back.  The stems are stamped in Mossy Meadow.  The sentiment is from the set and is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black.  I used some sequins that I got in one of my paper pumpkin kits.  Not sure which one but I think it was the November 2014.  I had to cover a ink mistake so I thought why not add some sparkle.  I will need to practice more with other colors as well but like it more than when I first finished it. Thank you for stopping by.  Come and create something with me.  Andi.

Simply Amazing

Today's card is pretty simple.  I used the Painted Petals set from Stampin' UP!  I stamped the flowers with Strawberry Slush.  To get the lighter color I did some stamping off.  I stamped the leaves in Wild Wasabi.  I rounded the corners with my We R Memory Keepers corner rounder and I stamped one of the sentiments from this set, "You are amazingly Amazing" in Memento Tuxedo Black.  I put a rhinestone at the end of amazingly as well in the center of some of the flowers.  I cut a pink pirouette card base, I cut it at 4 1/4 and scored it at 5 1/2 and round the corners.  I used my Scotch Foam tape to mount the white piece on the base.  I thought it needed just a little more so I had some pink washi tape in my stash so I did two lines of washi tape and I thought that gave it a little more interest.  I struggled a little bit using this set.  I have heard people say on different blogs and videos that you should use a stamping mat with the photo polymer sets.  I will say on this set that it didn't stamp to my liking until I found my mat and then it stamped better for me.  That is my card for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  Come and create something with me.

Andi

Sweetbriar Rose

 Please don't look at the mess around my card.  I really need to take twenty minutes to clean my table but I digress.  Today's image is another one that I colored using the Zig Clean Brush Markers and my clear Wink of Stella pen.  The image is the Sweetbriar Rose from Stampin UP!.  I wasn't sure about the color of the flowers when I first colored them but a couple days removed I like the contrast.  I fussy cut my image and took my Copic brush marker to color the edges in black.  There are a couple of spots that were extremely  hard to reach with the scissors but for the most part I got the image cut out to my satisfaction.

I used 1/4 inch pop dots to mount the image. On some of the skinner parts of the image I had to cut the pop dot in half.  I used Daffodil Delight as the base color for the flower.  I like the way this color compliments the image.  The Daffodil Delight is framed with Coastal Cabana.  My card base is whisper white.  It started as a normal A2 card but I needed to trim it down a little bit so that the image didn't appeared dwarfed by the white.  My sentiment is "you warm my heart" from Sheltering Tree.  I stamped it on whisper white with Memento Tuxedo Black.  I created a little tail and then I created smaller color layers that repeats the colors from the image frame.  I also put some small rhinestones on my flag with the sentiment. That is today's card.  Thanks for stopping by.  Come and create something with me.

Andi

Sparkle Bloom

 Hello, I am posting machine this week.  A friend of mine explained how that schedule feature works and so I can post more frequently.  I hope you are as excited as I am about that.  Today's project features a flower called Fresh Bloom by Stampendous.  This is one of the things I colored using my new Zig Clean Brush markers.  I used the Pink and Pale Pink which as 40 and 41. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I used my Wink of Stella Clear Glitter pen rather than a water brush for my coloring.  I fussy cut this flower out and then I used one of my Copic Brush Markers to to color the edges of the flower.  The card base is Bermuda Bay.  I stamped the "just because" sentiment from the A Dozen Thoughts set by Stampin' UP! I used the Transparent Perle Pen to put six dots along the bottom but I realized that you can't really see them in the picture.  The top picture I took so you could see the amazing sparkle you get from using your Wink of Stella pen.  The sentiment is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black on whisper white card stock.  I used 1/4 pop dots to attach the flower the the end of the white piece.  I also used my We R Memory Keepers corner rounder.  I love how the pink sparkle works with the Bermuda Bay.  I kept the card pretty simple because the pink sparkle packs such a big punch.  I really like these markers and have some ideas for future projects.  That is the card for today.

Thank you for stopping by.  Come and create something with me.

Andi

Wink Watercoloring

 One of the blogs and youtube channels that I stalk is Jennifer McGuire.  The other day she posted videos show casing these new watercolor markers.  What makes these marker unique is that fact that they have a real brush tip so it is sturdier than normal markers.  I purchased my set from Voice of Japan via Amazon.  I got the set of 24 but you can also purchase them individually.  I wanted to experiment with these markers so I did a quick color.  The image I used is from Stampin' UP!, Sweetbriar Rose.  I used my Wink of Stella clear glitter pen to my coloring.  I tried to get photos to show the great sparkle you get from using the Wink of Stella pen but it is

hard to capture that but if you watch Jennifer's video, she does an image using the Wink of Stella pen and you can see the fabulous sparkle.  I am going to play a little bit more before I post another card using these markers just so I can get a little better at it.  The colors I used on my flowers and leaves were Pale and Light Green, Light Violet and Violet, Bright Yellow, and Brown.  These blend so beautifully with the Wink of Stella so I am anxious to use just regular water and a brush with them. I will definitely be using these again to create images but for my first attempt I really like how everything turned out.  See the photos below for my colored image.  Thanks for stopping by.  Come and create with me.

Andi.

Using Up my Salebration Goodies

Recently, I had a friend that moved to Las Vegas or actually moved back to Vegas and I wanted to send her some cards that she can send to friends and family.  I cased a card that my upline Dawn Griffith did.   I followed most of her same steps.  If you watch her video, you will see that she did a black mat for the white inside of the card.  I didn't do that.  I also made my cards top fold rather than side fold cards.  On the card in the bottom photo, I took my Sakura Stardust pen and colored some of the leaves.  One of the things Dawn says in the video is how great this designer paper looks under the vellum.  In these photos my card bases are Bermuda Bay and the image is mounted on a sheet of Coastal Cabana. I used

the designer series paper Best Ever from this year's Salebration as well as the ribbon is from the Best Ever accessory pack.  I embossed the white layer with the Spring Flowers embossing folder.  The sentiments on these cards are from the Painted Petals stamp set.  I stamped those in Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  The cards came together quickly.  I did all my cutting first so I had piles of card stock everywhere. I did all my embossing and then started assembling the cards.  This special vellum is nice because you don't have to worry seeing the adhesive like you sometimes do on regular vellum.  The other cards in the group were made from Daffodil Delight, Calyspo Coral, and Coastal Cabana.  I put the present in the mail today so she will be getting them soon.  Come back tomorrow as I debut my newest purchase, the Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens.  I have watched a couple videos on using these pens so I am excited to use them.  Thanks for stopping by.

Come and create something with me.

Andi

Sheltered

I made this card for a friend that recently moved away.  I love this stamp set.  I stamped the base of the tree in Baked Brown Sugar,  I stamped the leaves in Mossy Meadow.  I stamped once full strength, then I turned the stamp slightly and stamped again and then I turned the stamp again and stamped a third time.  I did not re-ink in between stampings.  One thing to note, Stampin UP! changed their stamp pads so now they stay super wet.  I would suggest on the new style pads, tapping your stamp on pad rather than pushing the pad onto the stamp, things I learn the hard way.  I stamped the little grass stamp using Grass Green by Gina K Designs. I had to add a "tab" to the side of the card because I wasn't paying attention and my sentiment was too long for the piece of whisper white that I stamped the main image on (time for bed I think).  I matted the main image with daffodil delight.  My card base is Coastal Cabana.  I used the white/silver twine from my November Paper Pumpkin which I wrapped around three times.  The buttons are from the Best Ever accessory kit that was available during Sale-a-bration this year.  On the smaller buttons I put a medium rhinestone in the center.  I stamped my sentiments in Baked Brown Sugar, the inside sentiment is from the same set, it is the "you warm my heart". In addition, to this card I made a set of 8 cards to send to my friend.  I will be posting these once I mailed the cards to her.  Thank you for stopping by.

Come and create something with me.

Andi.