Monday, May 6, 2013

For the Birds and new catalog bookmark

Here is a simple and quick card I made to share with my friend who is doing a fundraiser.  She is receiving a lot of support and some great donations to help out so I thought she might want some thank yous to send out after the event.  I was so happy to see that this set For the Birds didn't retire.  The base is just some extra kraft card bases from the store.  I used the In Colors DSP (pool party and calypso coral stay but lucky limeade had to go).  I stamped the birds in the new in color Baked Brown Sugar.  I then colored them with my pool party marker and added highlights with the signo uni ball writer.
The next photo I want to share with you is what I include with the new catalog to my special customers.  I always like to share a sample of the new In Colors both the ink and the CS.  This bookmark is a great way to show those off as well as keep your place in the new catalog (there's space on the back for your wish list too).
Thanks for all your sweet comments on the mothers day cards.  I'm working on some nurse's day cards next so stay tuned.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Mother's Day

You know what they say....April showers bring May flowers.  With Mother's Day quickly approaching I have been working on 2 cards.  One is all flowers for my mom who is a master gardener and one for my husband's step mother who loves camping.
The flower card is using a technique I recently saw on Splitcoast stampers.  All you need is an open flower stamp set.  Heat emboss the image in white on kraft/crumb cake. Then use your aqua painter and SU white craft ink (either from the ink pad or a few drops from the refill bottle) to whitewash the petals.  Okay a moment of confession : I have had my white craft pad for nearly 10 years and until the other day I hated it.  It was always too juicy and took too long to dry and didn't emboss well.  Today I LOVE it.  I still use versamark and white EP to emboss but now I finally have a use for that pad which has come dangerously close to the trash many a time.
After that white wash layer has dried use your aqua painter and regular ink to color over the petals.  These flowers are from the retired a year or two ago set 5th Ave. Floral.
The cage is a Tim Holtz die cut out in Wisteria Wonder.  The bird is from kaiser craft.  I used SU pearls to doll up the cage and the labels framelits is used to cover up where I messed up and so I under mounted a piece of DSP with the sentiment embossed on it in early espresso EP.  A piece of ribbon and a retired everyday enchantment brads.

My next card was inspired by a Pin.  It was so cute I had to create a punch art version of a camper trailer.  I had a piece of Sycamore Street DSP on my desk and I thought it would be cute as the curtains so that set the color pallet.  I started with a square of calypso coral and with my ovals framelits and a pencil drew some lines to round off the shape.  The door and window are pool party.  I also used some vellum to help with the illusion of a window.  
A strip of silver paper with one end put into the modern label punch is the trailer/hitch.  The 1 1/4 inch circle punch makes the wheel well and the 1" and 3/4 " make the wheel.  the banner is made with the pennant punch (just the very tip)
The bottom is finished with a trip of lucky limeade CS, DSP and bakers twine.  I also used the cloudy day EF on the background piece.
I hope you enjoyed these cards and feel inspired to make your own garden of flowers or punch art.