Get Well Soon - MFP Technique Challenge

Let me count the places..........  (ugh!)

Hi, Friends......

I am here with my second card for the Mark's Finest Papers Speedy Fox and Friends technique challenge - Acrylic Block Stamping.  If you missed my first entry, you can see it here.  

On this card, I stamped with my 7/8" x 2-1/2" acrylic block, inked with two different colors of Distress Ink:  Shabby Shutters and Spun Sugar.  Then I got adventuresome and heavily misted the stamped cardstock.  After the water soaked in, I (not-so-)dry embossed using my brand new Sizzix Textured Impressions - Roses folder.  The water diluted out the pink ink, but some of the green blocks are still visible in the card below.  I used some of the same colors to sponge on the rose embossing.

While the paper was still damp, I stamped the flower in the center using Mark's Finest Papers - Lily of the Valley stamp set and more Shabby Shutters Distress Ink.  I love the soft, dreamy, watercolor effects.

After the paper was dry, I rounded the corners and adhered it to my card base and stamped the sentiment from my Mark's Finest Papers - Above the Rest stamp set in Versafine Smokey Gray ink.  A bit of pink lacy thrift store ribbon finished it all off. 

Since this was a technique challenge, I felt free to do some experimenting around.  In hindsight, there are things I would have done differently with this particular card, but, all in all, I am satisfied.  My projects always are intended to help you explore different techniques and ideas right along with me.  My blog is more of a workshop than a showcase!  

Thanks for visiting and I hope you are getting ready to have a wonderful weekend!

<3
Janis


Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Mark's Finest Papers Speedy Fox and Friends technique challenge - Acrylic Block Stamping
2. Word Art Wednesday Challenge #217 - Anything Goes Family Friendly
3. Little Scrap Pieces - Show it Off Saturday Linky Party
4. DL.ART January Linky Challenge - Anything Goes
5 Craft Stamper TIMI January Challenge - Take a Stamp
6. House of Cards January Challenge - Embossing or Color Challenge
7. One Crazy Stamper January Challenge - Anything Goes

Old and Cracked - Happy Birthday

Hi, Friends......

I got super-inspired today with the current Mark's Finest Papers Speedy Fox and Friends technique challenge - Acrylic Block Stamping.   Over at MFP they have a week-long technique challenge each month on the second Saturday with a tutorial they provide.  I love playing around with techniques, so these are a lot of fun for me.  :)  I ended up making 4 (count 'em...FOUR!) backgrounds, and have made 3 cards for the challenge so far.  Not sure if I'll get the last one made in time to enter or not, but I have it....just in case.  :)

This technique is very simple......but, as I was delighted to find out, there are all sorts of fun things you can do with it!  :)  In its most basic form, you simply ink up an acrylic block (I used Distress Ink) and use that as a stamp for a background.  Easy peasy.  

For my card, I used a 7/8" x 2-1/2" rectangular acrylic block with Distress Inks in Tumbled Glass and Shabby Shutters. I stamped them in a vertical column on the left side of my white cardstock.  

I stamped a wonderful vintage truck image from my Mark's Finest Papers - Big Boy Toys stamp set with Versafine ink in Olympia Green and heat embossed it with clear powder.  I die cut the image with my brand new My Favorite Things Die-namics - Stitched Square STAX die set.  (THANKS for the huge prize, MFT!!!)  

I also used my Mark's Finest Papers - Background Fun stamp set for the fun sentiment and crackle background stamping over the paler blue panel, which I scrounged from my scrap bag along with the royal blue paper.  

Making some extra masculine birthday cards is on my list for January, so I am glad to get a good start with this one.  Hope you enjoyed it.  Thanks for taking the time to comment!  I have two more cards (at least) to post for this acrylic block challenge......so, see you sooooooooooooooon!!!  

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1.  Mark's Finest Papers Speedy Fox and Friends technique challenge - Acrylic Block Stamping
2.  The Male Room Challenge #26 - Anything Goes
3.  Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Challenge #50 - O is for Old
4.  Craft Stamper TIMI January Challenge - Take a Stamp
5.  House of Cards January Challenge - Embossing or Color Challenge
6.  Shopping Our Stash Challenge #234 - Something New
7.  Dragonfly Journeys Challenge #39 - You Crack Me Up :)
8.  Pixie's Snippets Playground Week #211 - Use snippets
9. One Crazy Stamper January Challenge - Anything Goes 

Hello, Friend - Stencil techniques

Hi, Friends.......

I'm here to share a bright, cheery card for the Waffle Flower stenciling technique challenge.  

I love winter days when the sky is blue and minute gleaming snowflakes called diamond dust are wafting down from a seemingly blue sky.  Everything looks iridescent and there are very faint hues of pink and blue in the sky.  That's the inspiration for this card.

I started with a patterned paper covered card base. I grabbed my Simon Says Stamp - Falling Snow Stencil and spread some of my new Faber-Castell Glass Bead Glitter Gel through the small holes. It is subtle with this sparing use, but reminds me of the sparkling diamond dust. After the Glitter Gel was dry, I stenciled over the background again using a doily from my stash and some Distress Ink in Spun Sugar.

My sentiment is from the Waffle Flower - Flower Circles stamp set. I stamped it on a scrap of white cardstock with Versafine ink in Smokey Gray and heat embossed it with clear powder. I stenciled over the top of it with the same doily and DI, too. I used dark pink DCWV scraps for matting and rounded the corners of everything with my WRMK Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper.

As I was putting my card elements together, I felt like it needed something else.  On a whim, I cut a wedge of the (now pink) doily that I used as my stencil and placed it in the corner for a fanciful bit of sunshine.  I love it!!  :)  A bright gingham ribbon and a few little snowflakes scattered here and there just for fun finished it all off.

Thanks for stopping by today.  And thank you so much for all the amazing comments you gave me on my Joyeux Noel card.  I am delighted and encouraged with your response!!!

Hope your week is awesome!!!

<3

Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Waffle Flower January Technique Challenge - Stencil
2. Design Memory Craft - January 2016 Take the Challenge with Mou - Snow
3. Happy Little Stampers January Mixed Media Challenge - Stencil

Joyeux Noel - Mixed Media

Awww....I miss watching kittens playing in the snow.
It's almost as much fun as watching a 5-yr old!

Hi, Friends......

All the enticing challenges with snowy themes have put me in the mood for playing with my snowy sorts of stash items.  The lovely snow outside helps, too.  :)   

Grandpa helping Little Peach onto her snow disk on top of her snowy gravel pile.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!

Most amazing man....ever!

Good Grandpa   ------------------>>>>>

  <3  <3  <3 

Back in the house, I pulled out all my snowy double embossed and molten technique backgrounds that have sat in cold storage since last winter.  :)

I chose a dazzling one where I used my favorite way of embossing:  my molten technique.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with this technique, I will describe it in a nutshell.  You first dry emboss cardstock, then Versamark over it and heat emboss with layers of one or more colors of powder.  I like to use more than one to bring out the texture of the embossing.  As you heat emboss layer over layer, you achieve the delicious molten look that I totally adore.  This burns through tons of embossing powder!!!  If you have questions, please ask in your comments.  

On this particular one, I previously had inked my Darice - Snowflakes and Flourishes folder with Distress Ink in Salty Ocean before dry embossing the cardstock.  Then I Versamarked it, leaving a few parts bare so the blue would show through.  Then I heat embossed with several layers of silver powder to get the molten look.  

With inks and embossing powders this background was already sort of mixed media (maybe?), but I have been just dying to try my new Faber-Castell Glass Bead Glitter Gel. I spread it around the entire edge of the background card and let it begin drying. After an hour or so, I could see that I was going to be totally in love with this wonderfully sparkly product, but I didn't have it as thick as I wanted. So I dispensed with my craft medium spreader and globbed it around very thickly with my finger and let it dry. (I'm sure my techniques probably make the amazing artists at Design Memory Craft roll their eyes!! lol...) Anyway....I LOVE the result.

I cut the piece twice diagonally and put it on black cardstock. Love how there are bits of the medium that have dried over the edge of the panel, giving added texture. On one of the panels, I tied some crinkly hand-dyed seam ribbon I won from Karen F. over at her weekly challenge at Little Scrap Pieces. (Thanks, Karen!!!) Isn't it perfect with this?

Do you like my sparkly snowflake? This is a brand-new piece I got from Southern Ridge Trading Co. Did you know they have a wonderful monthly challenge? Check it out and you can win some fabulous chipboard shapes, too! (THANKS, SRTC!!!) It started out as a plain brown chippie. With the magic of gesso, Gelatos, and more Faber-Castell Glass Bead Glitter Gel, it turned into what you see. Soooooooooo much fun!!!

I added an anonymous Christmas sentiment from my stash that I stamped on a scrap of cardstock with Versafine Onyx Black ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I mounted everything on a glittery silver premade card base. Oh, swoon...... This is my absolute-est favorite-est thing I've made in a while!!! The shine, sparkle, and glittery-ness are absolutely amazing. Nothing like going stark, raving mad about my own card, right? Ha. (Sorry....sorta...)

I hope you have enjoyed this card.  It was a total joy to make.  I very much appreciate your visits and your lovely comments!!!

<3 
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Design Memory Craft - January 2016 Take the Challenge with Mou - Snow
2. Southern Ridge Trading Co. January Challenge - Anything Winter (I used SRTC chipboard snowflake!)
3. DRS Designs Challenge #208 - Weather Outside
4. Craft Rocket Challenge #6 - Happy Anything (Happy Christmas!!)
5. Pixie's Snippets Playground Week #211 - Use snippets
6. Amusing Challenges - Let it Snow
7. Creative Artiste Challenge #10 - Mixed Media Anything Goes with Twist: Use Chipboard
8. Stamps and Stencils - Mixed Media Oh, So Blue
9. Anything But Cute Challenge - Mixed Media Ring out the Old, Bring in the New (I used two new products: F-C Glass Bead Glitter Gel and the SRTC chipboard snowflake)
10. Let's Craft and Create Challenge #109 - Layer it Up (I have layers of paper AND layers of embossing powder!)

Cat Sympathy Card - Simple Stories

Hi, Friends........

I'm here with a pet sympathy card I made for some close friends who tragically lost a dear kitty this week.   Sparkle was so much a member of their family....a lovely cat with an incredibly gorgeous fluffy gray coat with subtle swirls of color.  My own family will miss this beautiful animal, too.

I used elements from one of my favorite cat collections: Simple Stories Cat Sn@p Collection.  Cat Sn@p! 4x6 Cards, Cat Sn@p! Insta-Squares & Pieces, and Cat Sn@p! Stickers. My sentiment is from the Paper Smooches - Feline Friends stamp set.  I stamped it with Versafine ink in Onyx Black on a scrap of white cardstock.  I used DCWV scraps for matting.

Front of card

 On the inside of the card I used scraps for cutting out hearts and arranged them with a pawprint I had made from little Sparkle before she died and a tiny bag of her fur my hubby had collected.

Inside of card

Sweet Sparkle was such a fluffy thing that when I made her pawprint, I didn't get a very clear impression.  She was very patient as I made three quick prints with Distress Ink - Evergreen Bough.  I chose DI so I could easily and gently wash it off her furry little paw afterwards.  I misted the print with hairspray to set it and make it water-resistant before putting it on the card.  You can see evidence of her fluffy little "snowshoes" showing between her toe pads.  

Do you like the little cat clip? It's from Maya Road - Vintage Cat's Meow Clips. LOVE!!! 

I tied a tiny scrap of ribbon in a knot for a sweet bow on the bag of Sparkle's fur.

Thank you for taking this tour through my card.  Hope it has given you ideas on making special pet cards or journal pages.  The good part is that this doesn't have to wait until a dear pet is ill or injured.  You can make memory pages of your healthy active pets right now! 

Thanks for stopping by and for leaving your awesome comments!

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. SUYP Cats Only Challenge #2 - Anything Goes Cats
2. Pixie's Snippets Playground Week #211 - Use snippets
3. The Paper Girls Challenge #95 - Home/Family (Pets are family, too!)
4. One Crazy Stamper January Challenge - Anything Goes
5. MAWTT Challenge #11 - Spots and Dots

Smile While You Still Have Teeth! Unity Hop 1-8-16

Hi, Friends.....

Do you ever have a card where you try some new technique and it doesn't work at all????  So you improvise and turn it into something completely different???  Well this is that card.  I won't embarrass the talented artist who had suggested the original technique that I utterly failed at by telling you who it was and what I *tried* to do!!  lol....  Suffice it to say that there is very little that cannot be saved by heat embossing and distress ink sponging!!  :)  

I used some more stamps from my new Unity - Smile, It's Your Day.  The sentiment just cracks me up: "Life is short.  Smile while you still have teeth."  I made this wacky card for a friend with a birthday this week. I hope she thinks it's as funny as I do!!

I stamped the flowers in DI Broken China on white cardstock.  Then I stamped over the top a Unity lacy patterned background stamp with white pigment ink and heat embossed with clear sparkle powder.  Then I sponged with DI Seedless Preserves and Spun Sugar, keeping the middle area pale for the sentiment.  I used Versafine Onyx Black for the sentiment and heat embossed it with clear powder again.  Since I stamped the words over the initial embossing, it is a bit uneven.  It didn't photograph well, but it is readable IRL.  I added some sequins and a blue bow and then mounted it on a patterned paper covered A2 card base. 

I really love how this turned out......despite my initial problems!  I adore the subtle lacy pattern of the emboss resist!!!  Hope you like how it turned out, too!!

Thanks for stopping by.  There are sure a lot of things going on in the papercrafting blogs right now....sneak peeks, CHA releases, etc.  Have you been commenting like crazy like I have???  I can spend hours browsing all the new offerings!!  "Supper?  As in a meal?  You actually want me to cook????  Bwahahahahaha!!!  Be right there (in an hour or two...)"

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering this card in the following challenges:
1. Unity Designer Hop-Along
2. Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Something New (I used a new stamp set, and made something new out of a failed technique attempt.)
3. Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Something New (I used a new stamp set, and made something new out of a failed technique attempt.)
4. Amusing Challenge - New (I used a new stamp set, and made something new out of a failed technique attempt.)
5. Inspired by Stamping Inspiration Challenge #101 (I used the colors)

6. Double Click Connections Challenge - Use a Flower

Smile and Sparkle......Hop with Unity Link Up

Hi, Friends......

I am here with a temporary departure from winter to share a couple of flowery cards.  Am I done with winter?  No.  Am I done with snow?  Definitely not.  I took Little Peach out today with her snow disk to slide down "her" gravel pile.  As I have mentioned before, this pile is the gravel leftover from filling in a plumbing trench.  She has had so much fun playing on this pile of gravel with the cats and the dog that it would have been worth just buying the crushed rock for her...even if we hadn't needed any!  Now that it is covered with a thick blanket of snow, it is even more fun.  :)  

I love winter here in Idaho.  It was a crisp 18 degrees, but the sun was shining so it seemed a lot warmer.  The very low humidity has dried the snow out to a nice crunchy texture, so it was a lovely day to play.  She slid and entertained her kitty and our dog while I took care of my chickens.....who have started laying again because of the brightness of the sunshine on the dazzling snow.  

Now, on to my card.....
I am so glad that Unity kept their link-up open until Sunday this week because I have gotten completely confused as to when the hops and link-ups are!!  lol.... 

I recently won the wonderful July 2015 Sentiment Kit Unity - Smile, It's Your Day. LOVE!!!! (Thanks, Unity!!!) I had so much fun with it, that I ended up making two cards. Yay!! I made one large card-sized background by doing some arty layered stamping with the solid and outline flowers and one of the leaf stamps with Distress Ink (Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry, and Shabby Shutters) on white cardstock. I cut it in half and used a piece for each of my cards.

The sentiments for each of the cards are stamped with Versamark and then heat embossed with some fun sparkly pink powder.  The green checkered patterned paper and the pink cardstock are DCWV scraps.  The sequins photographed pinker than they actually are....they are more of an opalescent white with a pink sheen.  I colored in some parts of the flower with my clear Wink of Stella pen for more shine and sparkle.

On my second card, I layered another DCWV scrap and some vellum behind my sentiment panel.  I love how layering uses up scraps, but don't like how it obscures the pretty patterns.....esp the one I had stamped with this set!  The ribbon looks like it has a bit of a gray tinge, but it is actually just a shimmery sheer with white polka-dots.

One other thing I want to share is this incredibly useful new Distress Ink color chart that I made the other day.  I downloaded this blank chart from..... from...... from......  ARRRRRGH!!!  I can't believe I don't remember where I found this most up-to-date chart!!!  Unbelievable....  Anyway....I do have the PDF and I can email it to you if you are interested (jwoolbright at gmail dot com).  I don't have all the DI colors, but I have most of them.  It was simple to make with this free printable.  I never before thought I would really need something like this, but I used it the very first day I made it. I relied on it again today for choosing the ink colors for these cards, too!  I am so glad I made it!!!

Well, that's all for tonight.....I see that it isn't really tonight anymore!  lol....  

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I hope your New Year has gotten started with time to craft and relax.

<3
Janis

Thank you for the honor of entering these cards in the following challenges:
1.  Unity Hop and Link Up
2.  Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 210
Who knows....maybe I will get a few more added on here.....