This Little Card of Mine

Life is like a bowl of cherries

This is one of my favorite cards from the weekend retreat.  Why?  Love cherries -- LOVE Glossy Accents on cherries.   This project was all about practicing coloring with Copics and trying out some of the things that my "Copic idol" Debbie Olson does.   Honestly, I sit and study her cards sometimes to see what she is doing to make them so special.   Other than phenomenal coloring and blending it's all about the shading with her cards.  And she edges most pieces with a soft neutral edge like I've done on the cherry piece on this card.  I have a long way to go to be even close to Debbie's work but it sure is fun trying to get there!

Eventually this card will be for sale at my sister's store in MI!  :-)

 

 

Supplies:  Cherry and Greeting stamps from Taylored Impressions; My Mind's Eye patterned paper; October Afternoon patterned paper; Antique Linen Distress ink (used around edges of circle); Broken China Distress Ink (used around edge of blue background); Copic markers; Ranger glossy accents

Clean hand club people need not apply!

I love teaching.   And tonight was no exception.   The sign of a good class -- inky and paint filled fingers! Loving that my friend and regular student Roz was getting into it! :-)

 

I'll be back tomorrow with a new card to share!

Mother's Day beauty

 
I love this beautiful Hero Arts stamp.  When I went looking for stamps that would be perfect for Copics I thought this one would be perfect.  So fun to color.

 

 

 

Supplies:   Hero Arts Stripes Cling Stamp; MSE Greeting stamp; Creative Impressions silk ribbon (pink);  May Arts silk ribbon (white); Ranger Diamond Stickles (center of lavender flowers); Ranger Detail Clear embossing powder

It appears that we are further behind than 2-3 weeks on updating our cards received list for the Card Drive for Kids.  A number of you have emailed me that your cards aren't on there but were sent in March.   Stay tuned.  Jennifer is sending me a new batch and I will get them entered ASAP and give you all another look.  :-)

A new class!

I am excited to tell you that Jennifer and I are co-teaching a card class at Stamp Your Art Out in Blue Ash, OH on 5/11 from 6-8:30.  The class fee is $33 and we will make 6 cards.  Get class information here.    I love teaching with Jennifer!   Be sure to sign up quickly.  Any class with Jennifer teaching fills up very quickly.  :-)

This is one of the cards I will be teaching.   It uses the new Tim Holtz Alterations die (the label size on the front) which I am now in love with.

I have just a few openings in my Paint Dabbers class this Thursday at Stamp Your Art Out.   I'd love to have you join us.  You can find more information here.

New card and an updated card list

I just got back from a few days at a retreat and I didn't have anything in particular I had to work on.  So I got to just play!   My favorite product choices of the weekend?   Copic markers and Glossy Accents!   There is something about coloring that is just so relaxing.  And this Hero Arts stamp is just perfect for coloring:

 

 

 

Supplies:  Hero Arts greeting; My Mind's Eye patterned paper; Glossy Accents;  Copic markers; Memento black ink; Kraft cardstock

Now for an update on the cards we have received for Round 2 of the Card Drive for Kids.   Sorry to say we are about 2-3 weeks behind so if you sent your cards recently you won't find them on here ---- yet!  :-)    Please contact me if you see corrections that need to be made.

Cards received for Kate

Cards received for Gavin

Cards received for Sami

Cards received for Meg

Cards received for Zach

Cards received for David

Cards received for Braden

Cards received for Emily

Cards received for Karli

Cards received for Aria

And now for the flip side...

As promised, here is the card using the inverse stamp from the set I used yesterday.  This technique creates an aged leather look.  Jennifer did this in a class using Hero Arts' poppy colored notecards.  I wanted to see what it looked like in a different color so I used their Cerulean color.  

Here's how you do it.  Stamp using Versamark or embossing ink and clear emboss.  Apply Artprint brown Memories ink.  I just swiped it across the whole thing, pad to paper.  Then I wiped the excess off with a baby wipe and it left brown behind in the non-embossed areas.  Cool, huh?  And easy!

 

Totally altered! :-)

Hero Arts has this amazing, inverse stamp set ....  I think this just may be one of my favorite sets ever.   I used the one on the right in the set for this card.  I stamped it in Versamark and clear embossed it on white cardstock.   Then I covered it with Distress Inks:  Broken China, Tumbled Glass, Peeled paint.   (I'm in LOVE with that combo!)  The flowers are Hero Hues flowers covered in distress inks.   The colors of those flowers are gorgeous but weren't exactly right so when in doubt?   Cover it in ink!

 

 

Next post?  The inverse image!  :-)

 
 

Monster hugs

This card is all done with Hero Stamps.  I used red Zing embossing powder to add a bit of shine.

It's more than a hobby....

We card makers have a wonderful, creative hobby.   And we enjoy doing it for so many reasons.  But I think what it is more than anything is a ministry to those who receive them!   I am learning more and more every day what it means to people to receive a handmade card.   We may underestimate it because making them is second nature to us.   But let's not ever forget what they mean when we are creating them.

On that note, I want to thank those of you who were kind enough to send a card to my Aunt.   I spoke to my Mom today who told me what it meant to my Aunt to receive these from people she doesn't even know! She is one of those people who truly appreciates the time and attention that go into them.   She was having a very down week and they were the perfect medicine.  She still has a way to go until she is able to (hopefully) go home.    Many thanks from the bottom of my heart.

I am off to do some purging in my scrapbook room.   Have to do that before we can get to the fun part of redesigning it!  Deep breath... I'm going in!  :-)

Lookie lookie!

Stamp Your Art Out has a new website!    Looks great huh?   And if you want information on Stampaway there is a link to that too.  If you haven't been to this store yet?  Go!  You will love it!