Glitter and Glaze Pens

I had decided to do a challenge that required the use of acetate, something I really like using. But, as always my best laid plans fall apart when I get sick, so I ran out of time to do what I originally planned. I had been digging through my Xmas stamps and found this wonderful snowflake stamp and decided to do a technique that I hadn't done in a long time.

You first stamp the image on acetate with Stazon ink, when it dries you turn it over to work on the other side. You only need white glitter to do this, but you can make the glitter any colour you want by using different coloured Glaze pens. Just colour in the areas you want the glitter to stick to, with whatever colour Glaze pen you want. I used a light blue Sakura Glaze pen and a clear one on my snowflake. Pour glitter over the coloured  areas and let it dry completely before taking a paint brush and cleaning all the extra glitter off. Turn the acetate back over, so the smooth side faces up and attach to your card.
This card is so much prettier in person, because of all the pretty glitter, but I had to photograph it at night indoors. I'll try and add a close up tomorrow, if it shows better in natural light.
I'm entering it here:
Allsorts Challenge, Use Acetate :http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.ca/2013/08/week-221-use-acetate.html
Simon Says Stamp, Anything Goes : http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/86/

Off to School !

I decided to do a card for a "Back to School" challenge. I don't have kids, but I do have an adorable little Niece who just turned five and will be starting school in September. I have a  Fancy Pants 6x6 paper pad that has really cute papers and a Cuttlebug die called Apple & Books, so this was an easy card to get started.

This deceptively simple card actually took quite a bit of time to do,mostly because I think everything needs a bit of shine. I used a Sakura Clear Glaze pen that doesn't show in a photo, but really makes a difference in person. I used it to accent a few of the pencils and highlight the sentiment and the diecut book covers.
I dug out a bunch of MME stamps which I don't use enough, they are the most fabulous collections of useful bits and pieces. the date stamp, the numbers and the tab are all MME.
The apple is covered with Diamond Glaze, and the tab and the photo corner are clear heat embossed, the little gold stars are also heat embossed. The only bit of patterned paper that wasn't from that FP pad is the piece of graph patterned paper that I distress inked, stamped and punched with a MS border punch.
This was my first school themed card ever and I hope my Niece likes it!
Here are the challenges I'm entering :
Simon Says Stamp  http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/83/
DL Art Thankful Thursday Challenge #116 http://dianamlarson.blogspot.ca/2013/08/dlart-thankful-thursday-challenge-116.html

Let's Hear It For The Boys !

My favourite thing about making cards is that you can completely change your style from card to card. My last couple of cards have been rather over-the-top feminine, which is probably my favourite style to make, but that wouldn't work for this challenge. Impression Obsession has a fun challenge called "Let's Hear It For The Boys", and I recently got an order from them (YAY!), but all the stamps were girlie,  so I thought that once again I'd be using one of my IO lighthouse stamps. I love my lighthouse stamps, but I wanted to do something different. 

 I dug out a case of MME papers to see if I could find some inspiration and I found a couple of diecuts from the Miss Caroline Fiddlesticks collection. I thought the IO Chickadees ( C8589) might be cute and I had a wreath cut from the IO die (DIE023-x) on my desk, that I was thinking about putting on an Xmas card , so instead it ended up on this card. I had a tough time not adding ribbon,flowers and bling,( Okay, so I did add a little bling :-) ) so I added some Stickles, Glossy Accents and an IO die cut bow ( DIE057-AA).  That bow is one of my new IO dies and it's so cute!! Some faux stitching, distressed and inked edges, a punched red trim, and finally a sentiment from the IO All Occasion II set ( CL307) finished off this card.
I think I'll save this one for my DH. We both love watching birds, and we always have lots of adorable little chickadees at the feeders.
http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2013/08/lets-hear-it-for-the-boys-challenge.html

A Lacey Birthday Card

My very wonderful sister sent me a super sweet JustRite/ Amazing Paper Grace and stamp set called "It's Sew Vintage" and the matching Spellbinders dies. I was so happy when it arrived because I wanted something to go with a dress form stamp and this set is perfect! I used kraft cardstock because I like the vintage look it has, and it's so pretty used with white. I made the blue flower by cutting a strip of Webster Page's netting and running a stitch along the edge and pulling it to gather up the edge.

I used another stamp from the set for the sentiment and added the banner stamp from the JR Botanical Medallions and Banners set. I used the same Spellbinders die that's on the outside of the card to emboss the inside and then I cut a matching piece out of pink MME paper. I never tried this before and I like how  the pink piece looks embedded in the card

  
I'm entering this in the following challenges:
JustRite Friday Challenge # 103 "Things with Wings" (3 blue butterflies) : http://justritestampers.typepad.com/justrite-inspiration/2013/08/justrite-friday-challenge-103-things-with-wings.html
Tuesday Throwdown #160 "Pastel Rainbow" :http://tuesdaythrowdown.blogspot.ca/2013/08/tuesday-throwdown-challenge-160-pastel.html
The Kraft Journal, "Sew So Simple": http://thekraftjournal.blogspot.ca/2013/08/make-it-monday-challenge-133-sew-so.html
Really Reasonable Ribbon #78 "Pink&Brown with Ribbon : http://reasonableribbon.blogspot.ca/2013/08/rrr-challenge-78-pink-and-brown-with.html
Just B Creative Crazy "Anything Goes" http://justbcreativecrazy.blogspot.ca/2013/08/just-because-linky-party.html
Allsorts "Use Your New Stash" : http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.ca/2013/08/week-220-use-your-new-stash.html
Fussy and Fancy Challenge #95 "Bingo Board" ( Flower, Pearls, Blue) : http://fussyandfancychallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/challenge-95-bingo-board.html
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge , "Ribbon and/or Lace : http://pennyschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/welcome-to-pennys-challenge-140-and-dt.html
DL.Art Thankful Thursday August Linky , "Anything Goes" : http://dianamlarson.blogspot.ca/2013/08/dlart-thankful-thursday-august-linky.htm
Crafty Ribbons Challenge #57 "Use Three" ( I used 3 blue butterflies) : http://craftyribbonschallenge.blogspot.ca/2013/08/challenge-57.html

Things with Wings!

I have something new that I am just loving! Surprisingly, it's not new stamps or dies (although I am very excited with my new playthings!), but it is embossing powder! It's Ranger Embossing Pearl in Pale Gold and I think it's beautiful. I used it on my last card and just had to use it on this one too. It matches Liquid Pearl in Buttercup perfectly and the colour is a lot softer than regular gold powder.

I wanted to use a lot of white (again!), so I cut the frames, the label, the lattice and all the flowers and leaves from the same white card stock. I used that pale Gold EP on the dragonfly and the label. I tried using some colour on the label, but decided it looked best with just the white and gold. I coloured the flowers with Pebbles Pearlescent chalks, because I wanted the colours to be very soft.I made all the flowers from assorted dies instead of using bought flowers like I usually do.I added Liquid Pearls to the flower centers to match the gold EP, and a tiny bit of glitter just on the ends of the white daisy petals, beneath the yellow
The card base is a blue with a slightly mauve cast, I tried pastel purple, but it looked too Easter-ish. There is vellum behind the wings, painted with a wash of a pale Twinkling H2O blue.
Thanks to my awesome sister for the Spellbinders Labels Twenty-Three. I really like it!!
The stamp is from JustRite's Chicken Soup Labels Four, I think I'll be getting a lot of use out of this set.
I'm entering this in the JustRite Challenge #103, Things with Wings : http://justritestampers.typepad.com/justrite-inspiration/2013/08/justrite-friday-challenge-103-things-with-wings.html
Loves Rubber Stamps #64 Anything Goes : http://www.lovesrubberstampschallenges.com/2013/08/chalenge-64-anything-goes.html
Cute Card Thursday, Die-ing to Punch: http://cutecardthursday.blogspot.ca/2013/08/challenge-281-die-ing-to-punch.html

The computer has decided that it can read my SD card today, so I thought I should take advantage of its good mood. So, Marge, when you see this card posted at JR,you won't be overly shocked by it not being one of the last. It is just under the wire at Loves Rubber Stamps though! :-D

Take Time for Tea !

Here is a card I made based on and originally for the JR Colour challenge. The inspiration picture they used had a very pretty stack of teacups, and the colours were pastel pink, yellow and blue.
I knew right away I was going to use a teacup die and the JustRite Doilies and Lace stamp set,and something from the JR Chicken Soup stamp set.
I've really been inspired by a fellow crafter that I met at The Cutting Garden, my LSS. Her name is Lisa and her blog is The Crafting Cottage and she uses a lot of white. I've always been afraid of bright white, but I decided to try it.

I die cut and embossed the teacup and while it was still in the die, I squeezed Buttercup Liquid Pearls in some of the openings, and used Copics in others. By carefully removing the die, the Liquid Pearls left raised details. I stamped the doily on vellum and heat embossed it with white EP. I layered that on a pink Spellbinders diecut and then on the Cheery Lynn French Pastry doily diecut.
I got to play with another new die Cheery Lynn sent me (I was overwhelmed with their generosity and you can see one of the awesome Reflections dies CL sent me on the last post). This die is called the Flourish Leaf Strip (B178), and the cut outs are these amazing leaves, AND they designed it so they go in BOTH directions.I rubbed a little blue chalk on the leaves, keeping them white with just a tinge of blue.I actually made the flowers ( a big change for me),using the Cheery Lynn Miniature Rose die(B152). Aren't they pretty? They match my real miniture roses !!
I made a little tag (with a string like a teabag )for the JustRite sentiment and used the blue chalk again. The patterned paper is MME Collectable cut with Labels Eight and the card base is cut with Decorative Labels Eight.

I'm entering this in the following challenges :
Cheery Lynn Dies "Anything Goes": http://cheerylynndesigns.blogspot.ca/2013/08/cheery-lynn-designs-challenge-92.html
Loves Rubber Stamps "Anything Goes": http://www.lovesrubberstampschallenges.com/2013/08/chalenge-64-anything-goes.html
Tuesday Throwdown #159 "Don't Be Square" : http://tuesdaythrowdown.blogspot.ca/2013/08/tuesday-throwdown-159-dont-be-square.html
Cute Card Thursday #281 "Die-ing to Punch": http://cutecardthursday.blogspot.ca/2013/08/challenge-281-die-ing-to-punch.html
Papertake Weekly "Anything Goes" : http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.ca/2013/08/anything-goes.html
DL.Art Thankful Thursday August Linky Challenge "Anything Goes" :
http://dianamlarson.blogspot.ca/2013/08/dlart-thankful-thursday-august-linky.html


This is the post that didn't want to happen! I had started a card for the JR colour challenge almost two weeks age, but I got busy and components got misplaced, then I made and entered another card inspired by the colour challenge. I finally found and finished this one, and my computer had one of it's hissy fits and decided it wasn't going to read SD cards. It does this every so often, normally not a big deal, but when you're trying to enter and you can't find the external SD card reader, well, I missed the JR challenge that this whole card was really designed around ! I was going to try another SD card but the camera batteries were dead, I decided to take it as a sign and move on and have a cup of tea! LOL!

Pastel Colours

I love the colours for the JustRite challenge #102, the pastel pink,blue and yellow are so pretty and right away I thought they would be perfect for a baby card. I just recently got the JR Buntings and Banners set, thanks to the generosity of JustRite, and this set was the inspiration for my card. I had originally planned to paper piece a teddy bear, but I found this super cute Stork pattern through ScrapbooksEtc, and couldn't resist.

I cut the Stork out of sticky-backed felt, and added some blue glitter on the body. I used Perfect Pearls and water to paint some definition on the bag and added glitter there too. I used a fine paintbrush and pink Perfect Pearls in the little details of the banners. I used a CheeryLynn  *Reflections die on the outside, Spellbinders Vintage Lace Motifs and Spellbinders Tear Drop Circles, and Lifestyle Crafts label on the front. I stamped the blue cardstock label with the largest doily stamp from the JR Doilies & Lace set in white. It's very hard to see in the photo, but it gives the cardstock a little extra texture. " Welcome Little One" is from the JR Buntings and Banners set. I stamped it with gray ink and clear embossed it. I added glitter to the flowers on their tips,and Liquid Pearls to the circle die and the Stork's beak.
Dry embossing, stitching, pearls,ribbons and two little white flowers cut from some vintage trim I inherited from my Grandmother finish off my little project.

I am entering this in the following challenges :
 JustRite Challenge #102
http://justritestampers.typepad.com/justrite-inspiration/justrite-friday-challenge/
Loves Rubber Stamps "Anything Goes"
http://www.lovesrubberstampschallenges.com/2013/08/chalenge-64-anything-goes.html
Simon Says Stamp "Anything Goes"
http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/july-31st-anything-goes/

* The Cheery Lynn Reflections die was a gift from Cheery Lynn with the eBosser I won. These Reflection dies are really different as they allow you a huge amount of latitude in the size of card you make with them. This was my time using this system and it allowed me to create a border to fit exactly the odd size of card I wanted. Very Cool !!