New Technique

I'm really liking this masking / inking technique I saw on a Hero Arts video. I masked off a rectangular shape on the front of my card and used Tim Holtz Distress Inks (broken china and crushed olive) and the ink applicator to 'swirl' the sky and grass onto the card. I then used the same crushed olive ink and a clear stamp from Technique Tuesday to stamp flowers at the bottom of the card while still masked. The butterfly 2-step stamp is from Michaels - I stamped the main butterfly body with TH Worn Lipstick and then stamped the body outline with Colorbox Chalk Chestnut Roan. I will be using this technique a lot more as I love the effect it gives a plain card.

Birthday Card Tutorial

Ok - so this (my first tutorial) is composed of the below 6 posts (scroll down until you get to #1 and then move up). I know, I know - 6 posts!!! that's ridiculous!! This card really wasn't complicated to make - just a lot of steps when cutting, embossing, and stamping on the same project. I think this tutorial would have been better served in a video format. My biggest challenge was writing step-by-step instructions and wording things to make sense. Hopefully, it makes at least some sense.

Let me know what you think!

Birthday Card Tutorial - Part 6

Place "happy birthday" stamp onto card exactly where you want it to be stamped. Use a little pressure to place clear block on stamp and the stamp will stick to the block. Stamp on ink pad and then directly onto card. Be careful not to 'rock' the clear block when stamping or your image will be uneven or even blurred (as mine shows).

NOTICE MY BLOOPER! I laughed so hard when I saw what I had done!!

Enjoy your card!

Birthday Card Tutorial - Part 5

Tape ribbon ends to back of card just at the bottom edge of the embossed section. Use the Bow Easy and remaining satin ribbon to create a small bow (a great video tutorial for the Bow Easy can be found on Stamp TV). Affix stamped image and bow to front of card. I also affixed a plain white piece of cardstock (cut the same size as the card front) to the inside of the card to cover up the taped ribbon and give the card more of a finished look.

Birthday Card Tutorial - Part 4

Leaving cardstock inside die, turn over and emboss using the following sandwich plates (bottom to top) A plate, B plate, paper inside die - blade side up, Rubber mat, B plate, and 2 shim pieces in order to apply the appropriate pressure (I use 2 cereal boxes that I've cut to size). Roll through Cuttlebug to emboss. Remove card from die.

Using Tim Holtz Broken China Distressed Ink pad and sponge applicator, lightly sponge ink onto card edges from outside in using a very light circular motion. This will add dimension and highlight the embossed edges.

Affix stamped image on top of black frame mat.

Birthday Card Tutorial - Part 3

Layer the black cardstock and larger Nest die (blade side down) onto the Cuttlebug using the cutting sandwich plate (bottom to top)- A, B, cardstock, die, C. Roll through Cuttlebug to cut.

Use markers to color tree stamp - lightly spray with water after coloring in order to re-wet surface. Stamp onto white cardstock. Layer stamped image and smaller Nest die using the above sandwich. Cut. *

Birthday Card Tutorial - Part 2

Cut the 8 1/2 x 11 paper in half length wise (at 5 1/2") and fold in half. Use a bone folder to get a crisp, flat fold. Place the top half of the card (make sure you're using the bottom half below the fold as this is the front of your card) inside a Cuttlebug embossing folder - I used the Argyle folder. Make sure to line up embossing folder very straight and even with the top edge of the card (see pic). Emboss card - use the following plates to make the embossing sandwich from bottom to top - A plate, B plate, folder with card, B plate.

Birthday Card Tutorial - Part 1

For a special friend, a special birthday card. As this is my first attempt to do a card tutorial, you will have to excuse the "mish-mash" posts. I've got to figure out how to decrease the amount of pics. So in the meantime, this tutorial will involve several posts in order to get all the pics in that I wanted.

Let me know what you think.

Supply list:
White and black cardstock
Green satin ribbon
Fiskar's paper cutter
Martha Stewart scoring board
Creative Trees - Hero Arts
Marvy markers - brown, green
Stampabilities - Happy Birthday stamp
Spellbinders Nestabilities - Labels Fourteen
Cuttlebug Argyle embossing folder
Bow Easy (see note on post 5)
Memento ink pad - Tuxedo Black
Tombow Mono tape runner

Our Baby Stitches

My entry for challenge Sketch 202 over at Sketch Inspiration -- lots of great ideas over there! Cat's Creations is supplying a huge assortment of goodies to the winner! I recently purchased some Spellbinders Nestabilities - Labels Fourteen - and was able to practice and use them on this layout. To emphasize "Stitches", I used a Sharpie marker to make stitch lines on all the letters of his name.

Stitches is our precious Pomeranian - apparently, he was eating some berries from vines in our backyard (we live in a parsonage) that were apparently poisonous (I didn't realize we even had berries - shame on us for not checking when we moved in last April!). Anyway, after lab work, 2 nights in the doggie hospital and lots of antibiotics and fluids, he's back to his perky little self. We're not 100% sure it was the berries that made him sick, but we're not taking any chances - those vines are coming out! We were pretty worried for a while. Inspired me to get a page done for Stitches as he is an important little member of our family. Hope you like!

Congregation Gathering

We are excited to be starting our weekly Sunday night mission meetings. We'll be searching what God would have us do to serve Him in our community. It's gonna be great! Enter, Grow, Serve, Celebrate

I used my George and Basic Shapes cart along with the shadow feature. I really like the shape and look of the George letters. These will be attached to 4 different flip charts where we plan to begin discerning through prayer, our mission as a church for 2011.

Merry Christmas Tripp!

Well, I actually completed Tripp's 2 Christmas pages for this year! I've been working on so many cards and other things lately that my SB layouts had taken a seat on the back burner. 2011 will be much better with lots more layouts to be created! While these two pages sum up our time with Tripp through December, I'm also making a very special one for his book about his Papa Joe & Gigi (me!) taking him to see Rudolph, the Red Nose Reindeer at Casa Manana in Fort Worth. We all loved it! Happy, happy new year to you all and I look forward to the blessings of creating and seeing what everyone else has made as well!