All occasion card

I made a few all occasion cards for emergencies (like when I don't have time to make a card).  I'll just add the sentiment (birthday, thank you, sympathy) on the inside.  For these cards, I used two different stamps from Unity.  I  stamped both images multiple times.  I heat set the background image before stamping the flowers, so I could emboss the flower image on the top.  I decided it needed something more, so I got out my Spellbinders dies.  I used the Curved Rectangles to cut out the background first one.  Next I used  Labels Six to cut out the embossed portion of the second one I stamped. I lined these up and pop dotted the second image on top of the first one.  I distressed all my background papers and layered them on white paper with a little bit of a medallion image peaking through on the bottom.  If you look at the brads, they are the ones I changes the color of using my embossing powders.

Did you know...

Did you know you could use your embossing powders to change the look of brads and buttons?  I knew you could color them with your Copic markers, but I decided to play around with embossing powders.  I had some pastel colored brads that I didn't like the color of too much, so I applied my VersaMark pad to the brad, dipped it into Stampendous' Pearluster Garnet embossing powder and heated it up with my Heat It gun.  It changed like magic.  Let it cool for a few seconds before you touch it, or you will leave a fingerprint (I'm sure you can guess how I know this).

Here is the before (on the left side) and after (on the right).  I also tried this with glittery and shiny embossing powders.  All worked well.

Next up, experimenting on a plastic button.  This is the plain button before I applied the VersaMark and Stampendous' Red Tinsel (glittery) embossing powder and after.

Now you have more ways to change your embellishments if you don't like the color, or if you want a more glitzy look.

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my mom's birthday and since she loves cats, it seems only appropriate to make a card featuring cats for her.  First off I used a Cuttlebug folder to emboss the background.  The cat panel is from Coronado Island Stamps and I colored the cats with Copic markers.  I also colored in the small butterflies with Smooch pearlized accent ink (Gold Lame).  One of the Fancy Tags Shapeabilities was used for my sentiment.  Since my mom doesn't like to share her age, this saying from Stampin' Up seemed appropriate.  I also placed small pearls on the tag and the four corners of the panel to give it a little bling.

Be Mine - clean and simple

Here is another valentine's card I made using Outlines Rubber Stamps.  This time I stamped the image twice, once in Memento Tuxedo Black and the second time in Memento Lady Bug red.  I cut out and colored the red stamped hearts with Copic markers and pop dotted them onto the black image.  I also cut out and colored the vase and adhered it to the black image.  For the heart on the vase and the dots, I used liquid pearls to give it a 3-D look. For the background paper, I randomly paper pierced the word "love" all over and mounted it on white so that the words would show up.  I also used Black Soot Distressed Ink to ink up my edges.

Spray starch technique

As requested, here's how to make a super quick and easy background using spray starch.  The items you will need are:

• black cardstock
• spray starch
• Pearl Ex or Perfect Pearls
• foam paint brush
• something to work in (old shoe box lid)

Place the black card stock in the tray and spray liberally with spray starch.  Tap on your Pearl Ex or Perfect Pearls.  As you can see, the paper does curl, but will flatten out once it's dry.  Swirl the powder with the foam paint brush until you get the look you like.  I used Perfect Pearls Heirloom Gold and Forever Red.

 I liked seeing some of my brush strokes and the black paper coming through a little, but you can make it smoother looking if that's what you prefer.  Let dry.  That's it!  Told you it was really easy.  I don't remember where I read about this technique, but thanks.

Once it's dry, you can use it as a background or you can emboss it using a contrasting color.  Since Valentine's is right around the corner...  I embossed with a seafoam white, colored in my heart on the vase with Smooch pearlized accent inks (Siren) and used Tim Holtz's Corners (in a traditional way).  The color of these corners matched my background perfectly.  I inked part of a larger stamp that says Be Mine, cut it out and used a small jump ring to attach to the ribbon.  I also brushed Forever Red Perfect Pearls on the Be Mine heart and the white base of the card.  It doesn't show up in the picture, but it gives a nice subtle look in person.

Now go have fun making your own backgrounds with spray starch.  One last note: the spray starch acts as an adhesive, so you don't have to seal it and it doesn't rub off on your fingers.

Documenting Firsts...

As any scrapper knows, you should always create a layout of  "firsts", whether it's a first tooth, first hair cut, or first time your project was published.  Since I'm a scrapper too, here is my  layout for my "first".  The letters are cut from the Cricut cartridge - Stamped and I sprayed the word "published" with Smooch Spritz -silver foil.  I like the Smooch Spritz much better than Glimmer Mist.  The nozzle doesn't clog up and the colors are vibrant.  This gave the letters an extremely shinny/glossy look (but hard to photograph).   The news man in the top left corner is a rubber stamp from a company called My Heart Stamps For You.  I colored him using Copic markers.  The patterned paper is Basic Grey and the solid paper is from Creative Memories.  Labels 7 from Nestabilities was used for my journaling box.

Spring fever (a little early)

I guess I still have warmer weather on the brain.  For this card, I used another Unity stamp.  I colored the stamp itself with Copic markers, spritzed it with Copic blending solution (don't spritz the Adirondack Alcohol Blending Solution - I have been told it has a resin in it that will clog your lungs), and stamped directly onto the paper.  I came back and colored in the petals a bit more with Copic markers.  For the centers, I applied adhesive and Diamond Dust to give it a chunky, shimmery look.  I also used nestabilities to cut out and emboss my oval. 

For the background paper, I used a technique where you combine Perfect Pearls and spray starch to create a really cool look.  If you want details of how to do that, just leave a comment and I'll get back to you.  I also used a template to paper pierce a design in the paper and added a small bow to finish it off.

Thoughts of Spring

Even though there is a chance of snow and single digit temperatures in our forecast (rare for Alabama), thoughts of warmer weather kept popping in my mind - mainly because I received a new butterfly stamp from Unity Stamps and just had to use it right away.  For the butterfly itself, I made my own glimmer mixture using Distress reinkers, Perfect Pearls, and water.  I took my Dusty Concord  Distress Ink pad and stamped it several times on my craft mat and then spritzed that with the glimmer mixture.  Taking the butterfly stamp, I stamped it into this newly created ink mixture and stamped it onto white cardstock.  It was very watery and runny, and it reminded me of a watercolor impression.  I used my Heat-it gun to heat set it before I cut out the butterfly.  This technique doesn't give you the details of the stamp, just an overall impression.  I cut the frame using two nestabilities from the Labels 5 set and the spring tag from the Ribbon Tag Trio 2 from Spellbinders.   I curled the edges of the butterfly and also pop-dotted it over the frame so that it looks like it is in the air.
For the base of the card, I used glossy paper and alcohol inks to make my own background.  I mixed greens, purples, and metallic to get a background that coordinated with the patterned paper I used behind the butterfly.

Here is a closeup of the butterfly, so you can see the shimmer it gives off.