This Little Card of Mine

Gina K/Picket Fence Studios and My Sweet Petunia Swap Blog Hop

[Links to products used are at the bottom of this post]

If you are hopping along with us you should be coming from Jen Timko's blog. When three of my favorite companies come together it's such a joy to create. I use these three brands a lot and had fun coming up with a project that uses them all on one card.

One of the many things I love about Gina K products is their amazing, heavy weight card stock. And Sea Glass is one of my favorites. I cut a piece to 4 X 5.25" piece of it.

I wanted a similar and, therefore, balanced pattern on the card and I grabbed my favorite tool - the MISTI stamping platform from My Sweet Petunia. I placed three leaf image stamps from the Gina K Elegant Asters stamp set on the MISTI and started stamping with Gina K Black Amalgam ink along the top edge. (This stamp set was part of a kit but is now available for sale as an individual item).  Because the MISTI keeps everything in place I could move the card around and repeat the three images in different parts of the card but in the same configuration. I also had a couple of cases where I didn't stamp the whole image well so I could lower the door and stamp again!  The best benefit of MISTI in my opinion! I had to add a few extra leaves to fill in.

The pattern felt empty to me so I knew I needed some small images. So I grabbed a #2 pencil with an eraser on it. I dabbed the eraser straight down onto the ink and then onto the paper. It stamped perfectly!  I kept repeating. Then I used a white gel pen to add more detail. 

I used Gina K Black Onyx card stock to add a very thin mat around the card. Then I adhered it to a top folding white card base.

The final touch is the sentiment - stamped using black ink on white card stock using the Picket Fence Studios I Wish I Could Hug you stamp set. (Check this stamp set out - so cute!) I hand cut a banner shape, matted with black card stock and adhered with foam tape to add some dimension.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: The three companies participating in this collaboration will be giving away a $50 gift card to their stores, randomly drawn from the comments at each stop on the hop. So three gift cards total. The more blogs you comment on?  The greater your chances are to win. Winners will be announced on the company blogs no later than June 7th. 

This blog hop has talented designers from all three companies. I can't wait to see what they made! The next stop is the talented Lisa Henke. 

Honey Bee Stamps Ramblin' Man Release

[Links to products used are at the bottom of this post}

Today is release day with new products that are great for guys and music lovers.  You can see the whole collection here. Here are the three new products that I used on these projects: Rockstar Sentiments stamp set, Music Speaks Stamp set and Woodgrain Background stamp. There are coordinating dies that I did not use but you can find them in the store. 

I had so much fun with them that I created two cards. I played piano when I was younger so when I saw the keyboard image I had to use it!

I cut a square piece of watercolor paper and stamped the keyboard image using Versafine black ink and added clear embossing powder. Then heat embossing. I embossed the image from The Music Speaks Stamp set so I could watercolor over it without any fear of the image smearing or fading out. Using the Waffle Flower mat (love this thing), I applied six colors of Distress ink directly to the mat and sprayed some water on them. This turned them into easy watercolors. I was going for lighter colors and the water helped. Then I applied it to the paper in rainbow order. 

The greeting from the Rockstar Sentiments stamp set was stamped using Versamark ink, gold embossing powder and then heat embossed. 

To create a finished look I die cut the paper with the Honey Bee Stitched square die. I added it to a mat of black card stock and then to a 6 inch by 6 inch top folding white card base. 

Using the tube inside the Altenew black spray I flicked some black on to the card front, creating splatters. Then I added sequins using Gina K Connect Glue. 

My second card is a masculine card. It would be a great card for the man in your life who love music. The stamp set has many instruments to choose from.

I started by stamping the guitar image on white card stock, colored with Copic markers, fussy cutting it (though dies are available) and covered the main part of the guitar with Nuvo Morning Dew to make it shine. I set it aside to dry.

I created the "frame" part of the card by stamping a piece of Desert Storm card stock using Hero Arts Soft Brown ink and the new Woodgrain Background stamp. Then I cut the frame out using one of the Honey Bee Stamps Double Stitched Rectangle Dies.

I wanted to add a little color to the card so I heat embossed (with Versamark Ink and white embossing powder) using the background image. Using Picket Fence Life Changing brushes I applied some Bundled Sage distress ink. Then I used a smaller rectangle die in the set to die cut it.

After stamping the greeting on to white card stock using black ink the card was ready to assemble. 

I cut a piece of acetate just slightly bigger than the opening in the frame and adhered it to the back using Be Creative two sided tape. On the back of the frame I added a double thickness of foam tape - creating a "frame" of it close to the inside edge. You need to be sure there are no openings as this is where the sequins will be and you don't want them to fall out. Then I added foam tape to the rest of the back of the frame. 

Lying it front side down I sprinkled sequins in the acetate section. I carefully removed the the release paper from the foam tape and adhered a piece of desert storm card stock to the back. Then it was all added to a top folding card base. 

To finish off the card I added the guitar using some foam tape and added the sentiment. I found some old woodgrain star sequins and added them using Connect Glue and this card was done!

Thank you so much for stopping by. And thank you Honey Bee Stamps for another fun release.

Direct to Paper Ink Technique Hexagons

[Links to the products I used are at the bottom of this post]

In a recent video Jennifer McGuire reminded me of the direct to paper ink technique. I had forgotten what an intensely rich color you can get. Today I have a card using that technique and Honey Bee Stamps products.

To create this card I started with the Hexagons. I chose some rainbow color Distress Inks and rubbed them generously on the surface of white card stock. I did a large enough space to fix 3 stamped hexagons in each color. I used a heat gun to dry them before moving on to the next step. Using Gina K Amalgam ink I stamped the lined Hexagon from the Honey Bee Stamps Hexagon Patterns stamp set  -- three on each color. I fussy cut them.

To start the card pattern on the front of the card (white cardstock cut to 3.75" X 5") I started in the center. I adhered the hexagons with foam tape and continued until the front of the card was full, trimming off the excess around the edge. 

I cut a piece of the black cardstock to A2 size and adhered it to a top folding white card base. I LOVE Honey Bee layered word dies and it really is all you need on a background. I die cut them in white and black cardstock. To adhere them together I used Gina K Connect glue and then attached it to the card front using foam tape.

The final touch was Honey Bee Stamps rainbow colored sequins (sold in a beautiful 6 color set), attached with Connect glue.

Thanks for stopping by today!

 

 

Hero Arts 45th Anniversary Blog Hop - Day 2 + BIG Giveaways!

[Links to products used are at the bottom of this post]

45 years and going strong! I think it would be hard to find a card maker who hasn't owned at least one and likely many Hero Arts products. I was so thrilled to be asked to help to celebrate this achievement. Today's blog hop starts on the Hero Arts blog so if you want to start at the beginning click here. And to see all of the new Summer catalog products?  Click here. 

If you know me you know that I have a mild obsession with Fiona the baby hippo at the Cincinnati zoo. So when I saw the From The Vault animals set I knew I had to use the hippo image.

To create the card front background I used Bristol Smooth cardstock with Distress Oxide. I like this paper for ink blending, especially when you are trying to create a streaky look. It sits on top of the paper more than other cardstocks. I used the Picket Fence Studios life changing brushes with Distress Oxide inks (Mermaid Lagoon and Twisted Citron) to create the sky and grass, applying the ink side to side. I spritzed some water on it and dabbed it with a paper towel to get the spots on it. Then I set it aside to dry.

I stamped the hippo and bird on Neenah Cardstock and colored them with Copic markers. I used the coordinating die to cut out the images. There is a second birdie on the card, facing a different direction. To create the mirror image I stamped the image on acetate using black ink. You have to be careful that you go quickly straight up and down so the image doesn't smear. Then I pushed some white cardstock down on it. When I lifted it up I had a soft image and could trace over it  There are better ways to do this for a more perfect image but since it was such a tiny one I didn't mind drawing it in. Then I colored it and fussy cut it.

I wanted to use the new Hero Arts Nesting Wood Frame Dies to add some focus to the card. I added it to the card front using foam tape for dimension. I stamped a greeting from the stamp set on white cardstock and adhered it and the hippo to the card with foam tape. Then I used some Connect Glue to add the 2nd birdie.

The card front was adhered to a white card base. I thought it just needed another little touch so I used a t-ruler and thin black pen to draw lines around the outside edge. And this card is done!

My second card really takes me back. 

This Real Poppy wood mount stamp is like quite a few I had from Hero Arts when I first started stamping. And I remember that Jennifer McGuire taught how to stamp an image and then keep stamping it without applying new ink to get lighter and lighter images. So I did that here. (Truth be told? The green I chose was too light and was basically invisible beyond the first stamping so I reapplied each time). I think it is a beautiful effect and it's also so fast!

All I did was stamp the flowers and then add a greeting from the Hero Arts Acts of Kindness stamp set. A little colored mat to coordinate with the flowers, some foam tape and a white top folding card base and the card is done.

Here is a list of all of the designers on today's hop.

Hero Arts
A Blog Named Hero
Amy Kolling
Cheiron Brandon
Clare Prezzia
Donna Mikasa
Jana Millen
Jenn Shurkus
Kathleen Graumüller
Laurie Willison 
Lisa Spangler
Lydia Fiedler
Nichol Spohr
Scrapbook & Cards Today
Scrapbook.com

 

And giveaways!  Wow:

• Hero Arts: 3 $145 Gift Certificates, 3 $45 Gift Certificates
• Altenew: $50 Gift Certificate
• Art Impressions: $25 Gift Certificate
• Ellen Hutson LLC: $50 Gift Certificate
• Gina K: $100 Gift Certificate
• Jennifer McGuire Ink: $100 Hero Arts Gift Certificate, 5 Share Handmade Kindness goodie bags
• Lawn Fawn: $50 Gift Certificate
• My Sweet Petunia: 1 Prize Bundle (Original MISTI, a set of Creative Corners, a Cut-Align, and a bar magnet)
• Online Card Classes: 5 spots in the Stamp Happy In Good Company: Hero Arts class
• Pink Fresh Studio: $45 Gift Certificate
• Scrapbook & Cards Today: 3 copies of Scrapbook & Cards Today Summer 2019 Issue
• Scrapbook.com: $50 Gift Certificate
• Simon Says Stamp: $50 Gift Certificate

Winners will be drawn from people who leave comments along the blog hop over the three days - comment all three days for more chances to win! Comment by Sunday, June 2 at 11:59pm PST, and we will announce the winners on the Hero Arts blog the following week.

Picket Fence Studios Giveaway winner

The winner of the $100 Picket Fence Gift card is:

Charmaine Canham!

Congratulations!

Happy National Bee Day!

[Links to the products I used to make this card are at the bottom of this post]

I don't know about you but I have become more aware of how important bees are. I have also come to LOVE Honey Bee Stamps. And when asked to make a card for this day? Yes please! Honey Bee Stamps has so many cute products on this theme.  They will be sharing lots of inspiration on their blog today so head over and take a look.  I had fun with stamps, dies AND stencils for today's project:

I started with the honeycomb background. To create this I used the Honey Bee Stamps Hexi Patterns Background Stencil. I haven't used Perfect Pearls for a long time and I thought it would be fun to create a background with a pretty gold sheen --- reminiscent of a hive. Using Versamark ink on an Ink Applicator, I applied ink through the holes in the stencil to create the surface to "receive" the powder. I removed the stencil and then used a thick, soft brush to pounce a generous amount of powder over the entire front. Then I used side to side and up and down motion to distribute the powder over the entire surface. It sticks where the ink is and should be brushed off of the non-inky part. 

Once I was finished I die cut it using the 2nd to the largest size from the Honey Bee Stamps Double Stitched Diamonds dies. I took a left side folded card based and used the card to decide how much of the left and right side to cut off. Then I could mat this with white cardstock, matching the length but cutting about a 1/4 inch mat on top and bottom. Then I cut the black card front to match the dimensions. I adhered the black to a card base, the white to the black and then the stenciled background to the white using foam tape. 

The Honey Bee Stamps Hi Honey die set had the perfect sentiment for the card. I die cut the word using black cardstock and white for the shadow. I glued them together using Connect Glue and then adhered to the card front using foam tape.

I stamped the bee using the Honey Bee Stamps Build-A-Bee stamp set and colored with Copic markers. I added a bit of shimmer to the wings and then fussy cut the bee (though they do sell coordinating dies). I added a couple of black enamel dots from Honey Bee so that the antennae stood out. I attached it to the card front with foam tape. And this card is done!

 

Thank you for stopping by!

 

Picket Fence Studios -- For your shopping buddy!

[Links to the products I used are shown at the end of this post]

Right now I am enjoying cards that are made with ink and no coloring. And the Picket Fence Dear Friends stamp set is perfect for that. I used it and Distress Oxide inks to create this card:

To start the card I used an A2 sized piece of Neenah white cardstock and two sizes of purple tape. Using the lines on my Tim Holtz Media Mat to make sure they were straight, I used strips of purple tape to create 3 different widths to be inked. The fun part of this is that you can do whatever width of stripe that you want. I used the Picket Fence Studios Life Changing Brushes to do a gradient look of three Distress Oxide inks:  Worn Lipstick, Dried Marigold and Scattered Straw. I love these brushes because I am now fearless as I blend colors together - -ANY combo will blend with these things!

I used a stitched rectangle die to cut the panel just a bit smaller than A2. Using Gina K Black Amalgam Ink and my MISTI, I stamped the girl and the greeting. I adhered the card front to an A2 size piece of black cardstock using foam tape. This adds some dimension. Then it was adhered to a top folding white card base.

The last step was to add a few sequins using Gina K Connect Glue

Thank you for stopping by today!

 

 

 

Happy Picket Fence Studios May release day! + $100 Giveaway + discount code

There are so many great new goodies this month. To see them all click here. It was hard to choose what to use first. I chose the A Bright Night stamp set for today's card.

To create this card I used three colors of blue Tombow marker and scribbled on the background stamp, covering the whole stamp. I used a Tim Holtz sprayer to cover the stamp with a light misting of water. Then I stamped it on Hero Arts watercolor paper. Once I lifted the stamp the lines started to blur just a bit - giving it a watercolor-y look. I cut the front piece down to 4 inches X 5 1/4 inches and added a thin black mat of cardstock.

To create the greeting I used the Small Ways to Say Thank you stamp set ( a MUST HAVE set!)  and stamped it on white cardstock. I matted it with a thin mat of black cardstock and then attached to the card front using foam tape. The card front was added to a white card base and a few sequins were added.

And now for the details on the giveaway! Picket Fence is generously giving away a $100 gift card to their store to commenters on my blog!  Leave a comment on this post between now and 5/31 at 11:59PM and I will draw one random winner. AND use the discount code PFS20 on the Picket Fence site to save 20% through next week.

Thanks for stopping by and happy shopping!

 

Honey Bee Stamps Here For You set - embossing, ink blending and gems!

 

The Honey Bee Stamps Here For You stamp set is a really versatile set. You can stamp it with the center in or out. In, it is a complete mandala image. Out, there is room for a greeting and that is how I used it here. 

I stamped the large image on Neenah white cardstock with Versamark ink. Then it was heat embossed using Hero Arts White Embossing powder.  For easy ink blending I used the Picket Fence Life Changing Blender brushes to add Seedless Preserves Distress Oxide ink to the card front, concentrating it more for a darker shade around the outside of the card front.  Using a clean cloth I buffed the front of the card to get any residual ink off of the white embossing.

To add a little interest I used the Tim Holtz spray bottle to drop some water on the front and dabbed it off with a paper towel. 

Using my MISTI stamp positioning tool I stamped the greeting using Gina K Amalgam Ink. To add some sparkle I used the new Honey Bee Stamps Crystal Prism gems and placed them around the card front. With a pattern like this one placement is easy. And they are the perfect size to add sparkle without too much bulk.

To finish the card I cut the front down to  4  1/4 inches by 5 inches and added foam tape to the back for dimension. A thin black cardstock mat was added and then it was adhered to a top folding A2 card base.