Rogue Redhead: Ladies in Blue

It's Rogue Thursday!

Aren't the ladies from MILLINER MISSES beautiful in blue and yellow?

We're making gate-fold cards on the Rogue Redhead blog this month. It's not a card format I use very often, but I have to say I like the end result here.

The ladies are triple mounted on die-cut panels using my new Stampin Up! Labels set.  The designer papers are Basic Grey.

GC115: Tribute To Teens

First...HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADAM!! It's a bit early but here's your card...

My nephew turns 15 next week, so Gingersnap Creations TRIBUTE TO TEENS had perfect timing! I think I find teen cards harder to do than masculine cards. Their interests in life are gelling which helps, but it's hard to do "full" adult. Adam got a new guitar this year and is becoming quite the rocker (yeah Adam!!) So, when this rocker boy image was retiring from Stampin' Up! I had to have it.

Gingersnap Creations is also focusing on using child playthings in our art...crayons, clay, etc. All good stuff...but I never had kids so I don't have much of that laying around the house. :( In the quest for this card background I tried the following:

1) I bought mold-making clay - I was going to use a stamp to make a 3D guitar embellishment. That didn't work out because I bought the wrong modeling (mold making) clay and I didn't get the guitar stamp in time.
2) I tried to do an encaustic (paint with hot wax) technique with crayons & an iron. All I had was glitter crayons, and the end result was muddy background. I think I'd have better luck with a travel iron.
3) So...I decided to move to a marble background. GREAT! Except I didn't have any ROUND marbles (only the flattened ones). BUT, I did find some large wood beads. And so my red and black background was created with those. You can find the technique here on SplitCoast Stampers.

Stamps: Stampin' Up! EXTREME GUITAR, Inkadinkado SQUARES, Amuse Artstamps sentiment.
Ink: Archival Black
Paper: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White
Accessories: Real Red & Basic Black re-inkers, wood beads, plastic box, red eyelets, black/white baker's twine, and Black Diamond Stickles

I hope you let your inner child out to play! Please join in the challenge at Gingersnap Creations!!

GC114: Baby Wipes

Hello!

This month at Gingersnap Creations we're celebrating the JOYS OF CHILDHOOD! Today's Spicy Supply challenge is all about BABY WIPES. There are several great techniques out there that use baby wipes to create beautiful backgrounds. I'm using a SplitCoast Stampers tutorial by Beate Johns.
Below are the two backgrounds I did. Besides the strip I used curves and swirls; and even dotted a bit.

The cute crocodile image is from a cute little set I ordered from England. Woodware Crafts - Jungle Pals. I pulled out my Copics to color...it's been so long I was worried they might have dried up. I stamped the leaves on the swirl green baby wipe section and then layered with foam tape.


background #1 - SU! Certainly Celery & Old Olive

Background #2 - Tempting Turquoise & Taken with Teal.

I hope you'll drag your baby wipes and post your creation on Gingersnap Creations!!

GC98: Mists

It's Wednesday! That means another Gingersnap Creations post!! Today we're playing with Mists!

I have a VERY GOOD local stamp/scrap store. Kathy is great at bringing in traveling teachers. Several months ago, Fred B Mullett came to teach some messy but FUN classes. I took THE ELEGANT MESS. This is just one of the techniques we did that night to make incredible, 0ne-of-a-kind backgrounds!

One of the papers we used was Oriental Calligraphy paper. The best way to describe this is really stiff tissue paper. It's very thin but will hold up to lots of water. You can find it here on Fred's web page.

We used Adirondack Colorwash in a variety of strengths, but any color wash/mist will work. I used Glimmer Mist for this card. I chose 4 colors (Key Lime Pie, Sunflower, Turquoise Blue, and Tiger Lily) and started with the lightest and randomly sprayed on part of the paper.

Then I used several kitchen items as masks (penny sink mat, sushi mat, rubber shelf liner). Spraying other colors over the masks, flipping them over onto other sections, and making an "elegant mess".

Then I let it dry for a bit. You can use a heat gun to speed things up - I did to finish the drying.

24 hours before I started, I choose three Twinkling H2Os (Dreamsicle, Summer Breeze, Apple Blossom). I filled each pot up with water and let it sit. The water made the H2O's very "gloopy"...kinda like Elmers Glue.
By scooping a little color out onto my mat and adding a bit more water, I could stamp with it (Apple Blossom and Memory Box Sonoma Print). Or fill my brush and fling it. The final result is a large piece of background that can be used for multiple card!

In Fred's class he had little window template so you could figure out where in your sheet you wanted to cut. He has one on his web page - CROPPING TOOL TEMPLATE. There's also a short video. Note the PDF template does not have the marking holes.

He also has a template for the card base - the rectangle works perfectly with the template. As you can see this card would be perfect without any further embellishments. I choose to stamp the Stampin' Up geisha over the color block. Even my "sits on top of everything" Archival black wasn't 100% crisp.

The final touch was a double coin knot. I used a thick paper cord in a turquoise blue.

Stamps: Stampin' Up! DREAM GARDENS, Memory Box SONOMA PRINT
Paper: Oriental Calligraphy paper, Neenah Solar White
Ink: Archival Black
Accessories: Glimmer Mist, Twinkling H2O's, found masking items, Japanese cord

Please join us in using MISTS at Gingersnap Creations! You have a month to make your entry.

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

Happy Birthday Joanna!!

Happy Birthday to my friend, Joanna!! She's one of my local stampin buds and we often get together for a fun night at Archiver's!
This is very simple card. Memory Box paper covering the entire card base. The circle is a new Memory Box circle script stamp and over-stamped with the butterfly collage. I used two Stampin Up colors: River Rock and Pacific Point. It fits perfectly in one of the Nestability circles. A swirl of rhinestones (of course). And the "B" and butterfly are both stickers. I brushed a little talcum powder on the back of the butterfly sticker to get it to "stand up".

Fast, simple, elegant! Happy Birthday Joanna!!

Gingersnap Creations: TEA BAG TEMPLATE

Today's Random Redhead Challenge a TEA BAG TEMPLATE.

I wanted to do something a bit different with the tea bag template. AND I wanted to make a Valentine gift for my mom. The original template is posted here. I bumped up the size of the tea bag template just a bit and made a mini album with some pictures I took at Christmas. The mini album is titled GG's BB (Great Grandma's Brag Book).

Stamps: Stampin Up! NOTABLY ORNATE
Paper: River Rock
Ink: River Rock, Archival Coffee
Accessories: glitter letters, Prima rose, Basic Grey magnet, Scrapper's Floss


I increased the size of the template just a enough to hold 4x4 pictures. The width is 4.5" (not 3.5" ) and the length is 12" (scored at 5", 5.5", 6", and 11").

I used magnets on the inside flaps.

I cut 3 sets of pages 4" x 9.5" and scored in the middle. This gave me 6 pages for pictures. I used my paper piercer to make holes in the center at 3/4", 2", and 3 1/4". I placed the pages inside the tea bag and punched again.

I used scrapper's floss as binding thread. It's a simple figure eight. The ends of the floss come from the inside to the outside - end and center holes. The thread from the center goes into the other side and out through the middle again.

Then the threads are pulled tight.

And a knot is tied near the outside center. There's a photo section in each tea bag valley.

I picked some of my favorite pictures from our Christmas trip to meet Julian and used Photoshop to make them sepia toned. I printed 4" x 6" but trimmed them down to 4" x 4".

I left pages blank for future additions...

..and included a picture of all the family members. (Here's my nephew, Adam, who finally out grew Grandma).

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

See you next week!

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.

Cookie Exchange

I was invited to participate in a cookie exchange today. I must say it's been 10-15 years since I've done one. Back in those days I stitched...no cards/stamping card for me! You know I've been doing recipes cards all year (and yes I know I'm behind but I'm catching up (stay tuned)). So it's seemed natural, even mandatory to give the cookie recipes the "treatment".

This is a new recipe for me - Pistachio-Cranberry Biscotti - taken from last year's Betty Crocker's Christmas Cookie book (you know--the ones at the grocery check-out that look so darn good!)

It doesn't have a lot of ingredients but it does have a lot of steps. So, it didn't fit on the standard card. I solved that problem with a flip page. The paper and image is all Stampin' Up.

You remember my Tim tag from day #2. You might have wondered why I made a BUNCH of them. It's simple...they were the fronts to a recipe. People always ask me what I do with my tags. I generally just stand them in a box to look at now and then. This seems like a better use!

Here's the back - my Grandmother's Ginger Snap recipe. I have to say it's my favorite Christmas cookie.

A *BELATED* Happy Birthday to GRANT!!

I have one niece and one nephew...my sister's kids.

I have two nieces and one nephew of the heart...my best girlfriends' kids.

My adopted nephew, Grant, turned 18 last month. And the "scummy" Aunt Deb that I am...I didn't get a card in the mail to him. And then I didn't get a card in the mail to him. AND I STILL DIDN'T GET A CARD IN THE MAIL TO HIM! (UGH!)

Excuses? I have many but I think you'll all understand when I say...making a card for a man is HARD!

Then inspiration hit...my Fred B Mullet fish stamps! They needed ink. Or in this case - BLEACH!

I started with two blue papers from Stampin Up (Not Quite Navy and Night of Navy. I wasn't sure how the bleach would react with the paper. This is the Night of Navy and you can see that it bleached out to a "tan" color. (The Not Quite Navy turned a pink color - yuck!) After that dried I stamped with the same color SU! ink over the bleached fish.

Finally, I added a bunch of water to a pot of Twinkling H2O's and let it set. As the water absorbs the H2O becomes "gloppy". With a paint brush I put some on my mat and added a bit more water and then "inked" up the stamp! And I got the cool metallic looking fish!

The fish on white paper is the same H2O. After it dried I used my stamp positioner to restamp with Archival.

I think it turned out cool!

Happy Belated Birthday Grant!! (love you!)

Stamps: Fred B Mullet, Amuse sentiment
Paper: Stampin Up! Night of Navy, Whisper White
Ink: bleach, Night of Navy, Archival black
Accessories: fly, Twinkling H2O's

Deb's Recipe of the Month Club - September

Being unemployed takes a toll on your psyche. Everybody wishes for DAYS of crafty time but when it actually came for me...all I could think about was finding a job. And not being able to spend $$, I ended up staying away from blogs so I wasn't tempted. As a result, my creative UMPH disappeared. I never knew how many ideas I got from reading other peoples blogs. Not CASEing...just "Oh, I never thought of that". And putting my own spin on things.

So the September recipe is LATE! I knew what I wanted to do. And found great paper, but that last bit of "magic" just wasn't happening.

There are two recipes that my Mom makes that I will miss when she's gone. And that's not to say, I can't make them...but I think it's the LOVE inside that makes it taste different. I still miss my grandmother's banana bread and she's been gone for 29 years now. APPLE CHEESE CRISP is one of those recipes my mom makes better than anybody!! In fact, it's often my birthday "cake". (GRIN)

The trick is in the cheesey crust and until food processors became kitchen MUST HAVES....I couldn't come close. I do better now - but I'll eat Mom's!

Red Apple Copics

Pail Copics

Green Apple Copics

Stamps: Stampin Up! BASKET FULL OF FUN
Paper: Neenah Solar White, Imaginisce
Ink: Memento
Accessories: Copics, glitter pens, Scrappers Floss, brads, Marvy punches

Circle Journal - Slim Pages

I've told you before about the "circle journal" that travels between 7 stampers. Each stamper has a month to create an entry for the journal and pass it to the next lady. July was my month and I created this SLIM PAGE (I think that's what it's called - 2x4 piece of art).

My page is really 2.25x4, but it was a pre-cut piece of card stock I had gotten from Stampin Up! I also ordered the small glassine envelopes that held the "tag". This is a "Tim" technique of stamping the image with a white dabber (or acrylic paint) and then sponging color over it. A damp towel removes the ink and returns the "whiteness" of the stamped image.

The leaf punch on the glassine envelop is alcohol ink background and a Martha punch!!

Stamps: Stampers Anonymous URBAN CHIC; Inkadinkado LEAVES GALORE
Paper: White
Ink: Archival Black & Distress Ink
Accessories: rhinestone, alcohol inks, sponges, Martha Stewart punch, glassine envelope, paint dabber

Faux Designer Paper Thank You

So after being hosted by a bunch of GREAT people on my vacation - I have a bunch of thank you notes to send!!
This is a combination of Technique Junkies methods: Faux Designer Paper (which is one of my favorites) and Torn Frames. I used a combo of Distressed Inks for the background paper and the main image. I highlighted the palm tree with white gel pen and my favorite glitter pen (adds shine but not color).

Stamps: Stamping Up! BALMY BREEZES
Paper: kraft, Ruby Red, White
Ink: Archival Coffee & Distress Ink
Accessories: Clear EP, twine, red eyelets, white highlight pen, glitter pen, sponges
Technique Junkies: Faux Designer Paper & TornFrames

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

Deb's Recipe of the Month Club - May

Just squeaking under the wire with the May issue of DEB'S RECIPE OF THE MONTH!! This is an old family favorite recipe. Something my mom made for my sister and I as a special treat - "RED HOT JELLO". We'd all fight over the last bite.

Why the "Valentine's Day" treatment? Simple - my mom always made/makes this recipe in a heart-shaped mold. I used a lot of Nesties and punches on this - the only thing that is stamped is the label. I love the concept of the Just Rite stamps - the ability to create custom word borders or tags. But I struggle every time to get a clean stamp. There's always a edge or incomplete stamp on the letters. And the miniature letter blocks are an exercise in patience and steady hands! But this small 1 5/8" size works well. maybe there's not as much surface area.

Stamps: Just Rite RECIPE BORDERS & CENTERS
Paper: Amuse check, SU! Real Red
Ink: SU! Real Red
Accessories: Stampin Up! Bird punch, Nesties