GC108: The Color of Money

This month's color challenge at GINGERSNAP CREATIONS is the COLOR OF MONEY! In keeping with the month long shopping theme we get to the heart of the matter..that cash you spend!

The US dollar has long been nicknamed "GREENBACKS" so I decided to go with a monochromatic color theme (even though the re-vamped dollar is starting to get some color).

This week I'm shopping for vintage hats!! I love these stamps by Hero Arts. The tag was covered with green designer paper. I added a rub-on. The girls were stamped on a color washed tag and cut out. And then I added pearls and a ribbon.

Stamps: Hero Arts THREE SMILES and SMART STYLE
Ink: Archival black, Distress Ink PINE NEEDLES and BUNDLED SAGE
Paper: tags, green designer paper, black card stock
Accessories: rub-on, pearls, rhinestones, ribbon

GC107: Bags & Tags

This week at Gingersnap Creations, we're doing BAGS & TAGS!! I'm saving the bag until later (although you can see it today on the Gingersnap blog).

The tag started with a white acrylic paint brushed across the tag. Then I used Distress Stain (Broken China) to color the entire tag and a small squirt of Glimmer Mist (Tuscan Sunset) to give it some shine. The Hero Arts wheat stamp was inked with Distress Ink (Wild Honey) and Hero Arts FRIEND DEFINITION was stamped in gold. Some sponging with Vintage Photo.

As for the shiny piece under the flower...come back on Saturday! (wink)

Don't forget to post your BAG & TAG on the Gingersnap Creations blog!!

Happy Birthday Missy!

For my niece Missy...she turned 22 on Monday!

Just a little Asian influenced card.

For the kimono I stamped these Stampin Up two-step flowers and used a Hero Arts background stamp. I have to rave about the new Amuse Studio pigment inks! They have great coverage.

I used the stamp positioner to line up the kimono stamp image. Then cut out the image and collaged the card. The green polka dot paper was stamped with VersaMark and glitter embossing powder.

Stamps: Memory Box, Stampin Up FAST & FABULOUS, Hero Arts, Amuse sentiment
Paper: Amuse Studio (A|S) Grass polka dot & Bermuda
Ink: Amuse Studio (A|S) Buttercup & Lemon Whip; VersaMark; Archival Black
Accessories: Glitter embossing powder, Prima flowers, skeleton leaves, dragonfly charm, pearls

GC83: Snow, Pine, and Mahogany Color Challenge

Just slipping in under the wire here with last month's Gingersnap Creations Color Challenge: SNOW, PINE, and MAHOGANY!
I've been wanting to try the Tattered Angels CHALKBOARD Glimmer Mist, so I bought two bottles over the holidays - Evergreen and Strawberry Shortcake. I sprayed the tag with Evergreen and then placed a mask over that and sprayed with Strawberry Shortcake. The neat thing about the Chalkboard GM is that it's opaque, not transparent like the regular GM. So the colors do layer with out loosing much of their own color personality. I did sponge a little bit with Pine Needles.

A close-up of the top of the tag.

And in this shot I think you can see the white netting.

Stamps: Hero Arts SMART STYLE
Paper: tag
Ink: Archival Jet Black, Distress Ink: Pine Needles
Accessories: Prima flowers, white netting, white feather, fuzzy yarn, pearl swirls, Glimmer Mist

Gingersnap Creations: COFFEE FILTERS

Today's Spicy Supply Challenge is COFFEE FILTERS!!

Coffee Filters? I have to say my first thought was DO I HAVE ANY COFFEE FILTERS? (remember - Diet Coke thru and thru). But I did find some in the back of the cabinet, lost and lonely.

My second thought was the classic SplitCoast technique FROSTED FILTER. I decided to morph that technique with another MULBERRY BATIK. And then add my own little twist. Below is what I did for the background.

The image was stamped on white with Black Soot and covered with clear embossing powder (for that glossy, wet ink look). The image was watercolored with Distress Inks. Oh, and my choice of image came more from the "tea" side of the monthly theme. When I think of the far east, I think of green tea.

Stamps: Stampin Up! ORIENTAL BRUSHSTROKES, A Muse sentiment, Hero Arts CHINESE THANK YOU
Paper: coffee filter, Neenah Solar White, black scraps
Ink: Distress Ink, embossing ink
Accessories: clear embossing powder, Glimmer Mist (Tiger Lily, Sunkissed Peach, Viva Pink, Tuscan Sunset)

If you'd like to play along with the Gingers, you have a MONTH to post your interpretation of COFFEE FILTERS on the Gingersnap Creations post. Be sure to stop by here and leave me a link to your creation too!

Have fun - stay warm - see you next week!

Stamp background image on coffee filter with embossing ink. Heat set clear embossing powder.

Saturate the coffee filter with Glimmer Mist. Slowly dry with heat gun. Be sure not to burn the filter or re-melt the embossing powder. I found that setting it on another coffee filter to absorb some of the moisture helped.

Put the dry coffee filter between two pieces of typing paper and PRESS (don't iron) with a hot iron. I've tried this with a craft iron before but they don't get hot enough.

You should press until the embossing powder is soaked into the typing paper.

I cut a background sheet slightly bigger than the finished size and ran it thru my Xyron. If you don't have a sticker maker - just be sure to hit the edges of the paper with your adhesive.

Place your sticker sheet on the part of the filter you want to use. Trim the edges and finish your card.

Gingersnap Creations: HOT BEVERAGES

Today's Chestnut Theme Challenge is HOT BEVERAGES!!

Once Christmas is over I immediately start "craving" Spring colors - blue skies and green leaves! I have to confess I don't drink many HOT beverages... I'm a Diet Coke girl thru and thru! It's my coffee in the morning and my glass of wine with dinner. But this cup from Flourishes was a must for my hot beverage. The cup was stamped on a scrap of Memory Box paper that changed pattern along one edge. You can see the polka dots on the cup and circles on the saucer. I just sponged a bit of Broken China on the cup to give it additional dimension.

The tag background is a variation on the classic "smoosh & spray" technique (color pads rubbed on a craft sheet and misted with water). I sponged color on the tag first. Then I sprayed water on my craft sheet to make the colors "run" a bit. My "new" favorite coffee ring stamp. And then embellishment.

Stamps: Flourishes COFFEE WITH FRIENDS; Hero Arts GIRLFRIEND (sentiment); Stamper's Anonymous COFFEE RINGS
Paper: Tag
Ink: Distress Ink - Broken China & Shabby Shutters
Accessories: White embossing powder, doily, Prima flowers, pearls, ticket & leaf punch, Stickles, trinket pin, ribbon

If you'd like to play along with the Gingers, you have a MONTH to post your interpretation of HOT BEVERAGES on the Gingersnap Creations post. Be sure to stop by here and leave me a link to your creation too!

Have fun - stay warm - see you next week!

Thank You

So after all the great gifts I got at the surprise party...I needed thank you cards! Like the tag I posted on Monday, my inspiration for the colors came from Shari Carroll's blog posting. In fact, she used the digi version of the stamp (which I've had for ages but never inked up!)

I used Basic Grey AMBROSIA paper. It use that same great color combo of reds, oranges, and grays.

This is also Basic Grey AMBROSIA.

The color mix was just sponged Distress Inks (Fired Brick, Wild Honey, Pumice Stone) on white paper. Then I stamped over the random color blogs with Archival Black. The birds and sentiment (Stampin' Up!) were stamped, cut out, (inked in the case of the birds), and popped up with foam dots.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy Halloween!!

Life is slowly getting back to "normal". I just finished my first month back at work and that's going well. Last weekend I taught my classes at ONE LITTLE SPARK in Tuckerton, New Jersey. A big thank you to Pat, Lee, Heather, and the ladies in the class!! I had a UBER WONDERFUL TIME!!!

Here are the tags we did in class! Hope you have a Happy Halloween!! (OH....and I became a GREAT AUNT DEB last Friday!!!! (yes, I was always "great" but now it's official!!)









Be safe tonight!!

With Deepest Sympathy

A friend lost her father this last week. I don't keep sympathy cards on hand. Many months ago I had seen this tutorial by Jennifer McGuire, and this is pretty much a CASE from the stand point of the coloring and card shape. But I did do somethings differently.

I had never used a digi print before. Jennifer's video goes into great detail about how to buy, download, and use the digi print, so I won't cover it.

I started by cutting out a mask of the areas I wanted to keep the color from. Then I sponged Mustard Seed along the outer wing edges.

After removing the masks you can see that the wing tips and spots are still white.

Then I sponged Wild Honey in the center and used Jennifer's method for the wing tips (flat piece of scrap paper as a mask).

Then I used the other part of the mask that had the spots cut out and sponged blue from the center out; being very careful not to cross the line (you can still see a bit of white).

The larger spots I sponged directly with a twisting motion.

Then like Jennifer, I stamped the "FRIENDS DEFINITION" over the entire area. I selected a Twinkling H2O that matched the Broken China blue and painted circles around the edges. You can see it's still wet in the upper left.

And a coppery color along the wing veins. Once dry you get a glimmer. The body was colored a darker brown with a Copic marker. Then I cut out two single butterfly shapes and adhered them together. One I wanted to cover any color that might have gotten on the back of the colored butterfly. And two, I wanted the butterfly shape to have a little more strength. Stampin Up! Whisper White is a great card stock for sponging (there's no tooth to it so the color flows), but it's not very sturdy.

I cut more card stock 4.25" x 11" and scored it, like a normal card. I off set the colored butterfly just a bit, so there would be a fold along the wing edge.

I made antennae out of wire and placed it between the colored butterfly and the card.

Stamps: Hero Arts digi-print & FRIENDS DEFINITION
Paper: Stampin Up! Whisper White
Ink: Distress Ink
Accessories: wire, Twinkling H2O's

Deb's Recipe of the Month - July

Time again for the Recipe of the Month! This month (being half way thru the year) is BONUS month. In other words, I did two recipes.

My mom and I have dueling recipes for this slaw with Ramen Noodles. She uses red cabbage and chops it up like sand. And fries the noodles. ME? I like them soft and the cabbage shred (I don't care what color). Since I'm the one doing the recipe do-overs, I did MY version!

I always love using the Hero Arts FOUR DOLLS set. This one was colored with Copics to "match" the Basic Grey paper. I didn't really have the right markers but it worked. And I wasn't that crazy about the BG June Bug paper series, but I loved this soft purple/blue one. And it's very oriental looking. It's a pretty basic recipe card.

Stamps: Hero Arts FOUR DOLLS; Memory Box SONOMA PRINT
Paper: Basic Grey JUNE BUG
Ink: Memento, SU! Pretty in Pink
Accessories: Copics, Nestabilities, pink pearls

This recipe I saw this recipe posted on Michelle Wooderson's blog MISH MASH last year. I *LOVE* Fresca, it brings back many memories of my grandmother and hot summer afternoons. So EASY SQUEEZY CRANBERRY LIME COOLERS sounded great!

The glass was colored with Copics and then highlighted with glitter. I was worried that the Glossy Accents would make the Copic run or fade - but it didn't! You can see the glitter under the Glossy Accents. It's a cool look.

The colors I used for the drink recipe.

Stamps: Hero Arts LETS CHILL; Denami Designs SMALL CITRUS SPLASH
Paper: SU! Pink Passion, YoYo Yellow, Green Galore
Ink: Memento, Yo Yo Yellow
Accessories: Copics, glitter, Glossy Accents, EK Success border punch

CAS74 - CELEBRATION

I always look at the SplitCoast Stampers challenges - I love the Sketch challenge on Wednesdays and the Clean and Simple (CAS) challenge on Mondays. But you *KNOW* how I struggle with CAS!!! But last Monday's challenge was to take inspiration from a website of wedding cakes. I loved this cake - and it immediately brought to mind my hew Hero Arts stamp!

Pretty clean and simple for me, huh? I had to add a bit of bling with the rhinestone. But I don't think it takes it over the edge!!

These are the Copics I used to color the image.

Stamps: Hero Arts LONG STEM FLOWERS
Paper: Neenah SOLAR WHITE; red cardstock
Ink: Memento
Accessories: Copics, silver cord, rhinestone

GC60: Shades of Blue

This month's color challenge at Gingersnap Creations is SHADES OF BLUE.

The tall lady is colored with Copics. The "stylish" ad is China Blue sponged on white and then the image was stamped with Chipped Sapphire.

Stamps: Hero Arts SEW STYLISH & SMART STYLE; Memory Box SONOMA PRINT
Paper: Memory Box JUBILEE
Ink: Distress Ink
Accessories: Prima flower, silver ball rhinestones, ribbon, EK Success punches

CoC #1 - Water-stamped Tulips

Linda Ledbetter over at Studio L3 has challenged the owners of Tim Holtz's new book A COMPENDIUM OF CURIOSITIES to use the techniques found between the pages. The first challenge is Water-Stamping (pg35).

I rubbed and sponged the background with Distress Ink. Then used the Hero Arts tulip to do the water-stamping. But instead of just leaving the water-stamped tulips as the focal point - I made it the shadow background to the main image tulip.

Stamps: Hero Arts ANTIQUE ENGRAVINGS; Memory Box TENDRIL PRINT
Paper: tag
Ink: Distress Ink: Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Peeled Paint, and Shabby Shutters
Accessories: ribbon, button, Scraper's Floss, rhinestone

Didn't Publish

My friend, Heather, convinced me to submit these cards to Paper Crafts STAMPING ROYALTY contest. I had my doubts, but did it. I love Paper Crafts magazine but they really aren't my style of cards. As I expected none of these made the cut (grin).

LOVE - this was a Distress Ink background - smoosh 'n' spray. The stamp is a Christmas stamp but other than a bit of holly on the spray and the sentiment it's great stamp. The sentiment was Stampin Up! I used a small sponge to highlight areas of the image

Stamps: Penny Black CHRISTMAS IN PARIS; Stampin Up! SHORT AND SWEET
Paper: Pink & white card stock
Ink: Distress Ink
Accessories: Nesties & rhinestones

HELLO/THINKING OF YOU - the image was colored with Copics and cut out. The rest is just that great Basic Grey ORIGINS paper.

Stamps: Stampendous SCENIC SUNFLOWER
Paper: Basic Grey
Ink: Memento
Accessories: Nesties, rhinestones, Copics

THANK YOU - Stamped the bamboo image on plain card stock. Then layered the HAIKU paper. The doll image was colored with Copics.

Stamps: Hero Arts FOUR DOLLS and ASIAN FRAMES
Paper: Stampin Up! HAIKU
Ink: Memento and VersaColor BAMBOO
Accessories: flower, Copics, pearls, border punch

CHRISTMAS - I love this Santa! It's such an iconic image. I stamped with Distressed Ink and no other color.

Stamps: Rubber Stampede SANTA COLLAGE
Paper: Graphic 45
Ink: Distress Ink
Accessories: Prima flower, Martha Stewart punches, ribbon

A "Big Red" Graduation Card

My friend's daughter, Missy, graduated from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln last week. I didn't want to post her card until I was sure she had it!

I stumbled on the chipboard "N" in the sale pile. I rubbed it with a red chalk ink. Then ran it thru the Xyron sticker machine and hit it with glitter! The red swirl is a Hero Arts stamp, also high-lighted with red glitter.

CONGRATULATIONS MISSY!!

Stamps: Hero Arts SWIRL FRAME
Paper: TPC Studio
Ink: VersaMagic RED MAGIC
Accessories: chipboard letter, red glitter, paper flowers, ribbon, glitter ball "rhinestones"