YOU Rock... really you do!

Hello and welcome! You'd think with me having more days off I could blog more but that doesn't seem to be the case! And I'm getting ready to head down south for a week tomorrow so I thought I'd get this card onto the blog!

I'm always searching for a masculine type card to make and stars are always a good starting point! I used a Joggles "Shooting Stars" stencil and inked it with Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean and Black Soot distress inks onto white heavy weight Neenah Solar White card stock, blending an ombre effect downwards. Then while the stencil was still on I sprayed it with Perfect Pearls shimmer. Afterwards I used some Adirondak metallic silver paint dabber, Mermaid Lagoon and Black Soot Distress inks and watered them down to a "splashing" consistency and splattered the card stock. I stamped the ROCK (a clear stamp from an obscure and unknown company) with Versafine Black ink and filled it in (since it was originally outlined letters) with a Copic fine line pen and then made it shimmery with a Wink of Stella pen. I die cut the Avery Elle "Simply Said YOU" die from silver glitter paper and adhered it down with the Ranger multi medium in matte finish. Then I popped the whole panel up with black foam onto Gina K Designs base weight black card stock.

I wanted to add sequins or something else but anything else I thought to add would hamper the masculine part so I left it as is! Now I need a man to send it too! Possibly my brother's birthday in February!

Thanks for sticking with me and I'll see you after October 28th when I'm back in Alaska! I'll leave you with this moose calf photo... fattening up for winter alongside the road on my way to work the other day!



CHALLENGES:
CASology Week 168: YOU
Less is More: Week 246: Masculine
Addicted to Stamps & More Challenge 166: Anything Goes

"YOU... are awesome" and more moose videos!

YOU are awesome!

Hello and welcome!

As you can tell my blog posts are getting a little behind! I've been working so much but that is slowing down soon. I'm actually leaving town for two weeks in early September but you can still find me on Instagram... and I'll be having a giveaway while I'm gone!

My card I'm showcasing today was a new-to-me stencil I got off of Blitsy (an online discount store). I used distress inks to color in the stencil rays and then sprayed them with Perfect Pearls to make them shimmer. Then I cut out the Avery Elle "YOU" from black foam and silver glitter paper to make them POP against the rays. I added "are awesome" from the coordinating stamp set and a few silver foil stars finish the card.

It's a simple card but I like it and it's going to my grandson who started first grade last week!

Now those moose videos... I'm trying to set up my YouTube channel but you can view the 15 second versions on my Instagram account for now. The last one I took HERE was along the side of the road coming home from work. The ones before that are mostly of the twin moose calves and you can find them HERE and HERE. And I would love it if you followed my Instagram account too!

So check back here around September 1st for a giveaway! God bless your day...
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Supplies:
Stamps: Avery Elle Simply Said
Dies: Avery Elle Simply Said YOU, Simon Says Stamp "My Stars"
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Distress inks Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon
Paper: Gina K Designs heavy weight, silver gloss pape
Accessories: MISTI, Vagabond
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Challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: Back to School (I'm sending it to my grandson for starting 1st grade)
Crafty Friends Challenge #12: Clean & Simple

My daughter turns 25... night sky card!

Hello and welcome,
So my youngest daughter, Hannah, turns 25 on July 1st! She is a Trekkie and a Whovian (Dr Who fan). I did this night sky scene about a month ago in playing around and hadn't decided what to do with it. I decided since she's a space lover it would behoove me to use it for her card!

The background is a lot of different distress inks and some Perfect Pearls for shimmer, white gel pen for faraway stars and splatters of white pearl and silver paint. I used some embossing paste (my first time after having it for a year!) for the stars and colored it with silver paint from Adirondack. I did smear some of the paint under the star stencil and actually threw away my first attempt! But I persevered and like what I ended up with!

I die cut the numbers, ampersand and "awesome" from heavy weight black and white cardstock and stacked the numbers. All the black got a coat of Wink of Stella to add to the shimmery night time effect, even around the border! I adhered the night sky panel to black foam to pop it up and then to a heavy weight black cardstock base.

I added a Dr Who quote on the inside in white gel pen:
"We're all stories, in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?" (Season 6, Episode 4)

I think she will like it! Happy 25, Hannah!!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless!

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Supplies:
Paper: Gina K Designs (black), Neenah Solar White 80#, Strathmore watercolor
Ink: Ranger distress inks
Accessories/Tools: Vagabond, Wink of Stella, sequins, Adirondack paint, Wendy Vecchi embossing paste
Dies: Avery Elle? (numbers), Memory Box? (letters)
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Challenges:
Kathy Racoosin's 30 Day Color Challenge 2
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

It's all about YOU...

All about YOU!

Hello and welcome,
So I've had embossing paste for about a year now and have never used it! Yesterday was the day to experiment! I did several versions using the paste and different stencils! I need practice with smoothing it out and getting it even though. I have a few spots that are thinner than others.

I've had this card in my head for awhile now. I've always loved cards with sun rays on them and thought it would be fun to have a bold YOU with the rays representing different sweet sentiments about YOU! I also saw awhile ago that either Jennifer McGuire or Kristina Werner had sprinkled microfine glitter on embossing paste and had some I wanted to use it on. I learned a few things along the way about embossing paste!

So here's the process I used: I used Wendy Vecchi translucent embossing paste and colored it with distress ink. I mixed it on my mat and used a 12 inch sun rays stencil. I laid the stencil over my 80 lb cardstock (mistake #1... use heavier cardstock!) and taped it down with micro-pore tape (mistake #2 de-sticky the tape first on your arm or clothes... it left sticky residue behind on all the cards I used it on!). I really had to work this embossing paste to get it smooth... it seemed not very smooth when it came out of the jar (maybe too old!) and so I worked it to get a smoother consistency. Then I started spreading it around! I realized that I was trying to be too stingy with the paste and should have made more than I needed to get good, even coverage. There are a few spots on the rays that aren't as full as the rest!  When I took the stencil off I was pleased with how the rays turned out so I quickly washed the spatula and stencil. I then sprinkled microfine glitter over the paste. I let this dry about 1 hour while I did other stencils with more paste (you'll see those in later posts!).

Shimmery sun rays up close

I love my Avery Elle stamps and die set "Simply Said You" and use it often. I picked out six sentiments from the set and stamped them in between the yellow rays using my MISTI stamp tool (I stamped them all at once!). I also die cut the YOU from black foam to be in the lower corner for all those rays/sentiments to come from. I knew I needed a stronger cardstock base for that heavy embossing paste panel and so used 110 lb weight. I cut down the panel and adhered it some white craft foam to pop it up and then adhered it to the card base. I used multi matte medium to adhere the YOU in the lower left corner.

I love how this turned out! It was a lot of work but worth it to me! I don't have anyone in mind to give it too and I may end up selling it on my Etsy shop... whenever I get time to set it up!

You'll be seeing the other embossing paste cards I did as I finish them!
Thanks for sticking with me this long! God bless your day!
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Supplies:
Stamps: Avery Elle Simply Said You
Paper: Neenah solar white 80#, 110#
Ink: Ranger Mustard Seed
Dies: Avery Elle Simply Said You
Accessories/Tools: MISTI, Vagabond, Wendy Vecchi embossing paste, Elizabeth Crafts silk microfine glitter "Cool Diamond", Hot Off The Press stencil, Micropore tape, Ranger multi matte medium
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Challenges:
Kathy Racoosin's 30 Day Color Challenge 2
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday Challenge: Refreshment (Sunshine is so refreshing after winter!)