GC103: The Singing Cowboy

This week Gingersnap Creations is creating a scene! A stamped scene that is!

I started with a background technique called PULLED GLIMMERS - using Patina, Sunflower, and Sugar Maple.  Then stamped the cowboy, masked him, and stamped the bottom foliage and cacti.

Stamps: Artistic Outpost THE SINGING COWBOY and ROUTE 66; sentiment Stampers Anonymous
Paper: cream, kraft, brown cardstock
Ink: Archival Coffee, Distress Inks
Accessories: Glimmer Mist (Sugar  Maple, Sunflower, Patina) twine, star brad
Technique Junkies: Pulled Glimmers - June/July 2010

Gingersnap Creations has a great sponsor this month - Technique Junkies Newsletter!

I've been a subscriber for many years and love the detailed, step-by-step instructions in each issue of the newsletter. 

Stamps: Artistic Outpost THE SINGING COWBOY and ROUTE 66; sentiment Stampers Anonymous
Paper: cream, kraft, brown cardstock
Ink: Archival Coffee, Distress Inks
Accessories: Glimmer Mist (Sugar  Maple, Sunflower, Patina) twine, star brad
Technique Junkies: Pulled Glimmers - June/July 2010

Baby Shower Card

My niece's baby shower was this weekend. I couldn't go (it was in the Chicago area) but this is the card I sent. I don't know what's coming, so I picked green/purple for the card!

I used a Copic marker to color the silk ribbon, which was white, to match the card.

Stamps: I Brake for Stamps
Paper: Basic Grey
Ink: Archival Coffee & Distress Ink
Accessories: Silk ribbon, Copics, rhinestones, Prima rose, EK Success fern punch
Technique Junkies: Antiqued Glimmers

Here's Jessica and "Julian" in Miami recently.

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

Paris Exposition Birthday

I struggled a bit with this card. It just seemed to unfinished!

The panel under the picture is tag with the top cut off. I really like how the Distress Inks and Glimmer Mist work with a tag. I think it's the tag finish. Anyway. The tag was distressed with different brown Glimmer Mists and brown Distress Inks. Then I over-stamped with some of the smaller images from Artistic Outpost's PARIS EXPOSITION. The image is also from that set. The faces were colored with Copics and the sky was water colored. It seemed unfinished to me until I stamped the "postmark" with red ink.

Stamps: Artistic Outpost FRENCH EXPOSITION & 7 Gypsies AVIGNON
Paper: tag, french book page, white
Ink: Archival black & Distress Ink
Accessories: Copics, Scrappers Floss, Glimmer Mist (Creme de Chocolat, Coffee Shop, Wheatfields), ticket, brads.
Technique Junkies: Faux Paper & Antiqued Glimmers

GC53 - READ

For Gingersnap Creations theme of READ.

For the background I used Tim Holtz letter masks to cover a piece of white paper. Then I sprayed with Glimmer Mist. I blotted with another piece of paper - which came out very cool, I'll use it for a background on another card later. Then I hit it with the heat gun. I don't know what I was thinking - guess what? The letters melt! DUH! (grin) But when I pealed of the rest it was a great look. I sprayed some Wheatfield over the letters to tone down the white letters. The image is an old Stampin Up! set. And I ripped a page from an old French book I have. I also sprayed some Wheatfields on that and then gently rubbed it.

Stamps: Stampin Up! Knobbly Gnomes & Rough Type
Paper: kraft cardstock, french book page, white
Ink: Archival COFFEE & Distress Ink
Accessories: Copics, mini tags, Scrappers Floss, Glimmer Mist (Sapphire, Creme de Chocolat, Coffee Shop, Wheatfields), Tim Holtz letter masks.
Technique Junkies: Frame Frenzy - Torn Frames

GC#52 - KRAFT: Sunflower

Gingersnap Creations is one of my favorite blogs. The talent stampers over there have an inspirational challenge each week. The color challenge for this month is KRAFT! So starting with a kraft card base, I did another quick Wish RAK birthday card!
The sunflower was stamped on cream Neenah and colored with a TECHNIQUE JUNKIES method called MARKER WASH.

Stamps: Rubber Stampede WOODCUT SUNFLOWER, sentiment Amuse
Paper: kraft cardstock, french book page, Cosmo Cricket MATERIAL GIRL
Ink: Archival COFFEE
Accessories: markers, mister, and ribbon

Bubble Wrap Mermaid Tag

I've been playing around with bubble wrap since I saw Shar post this tutorial on Gingersnap Creations. I had done several things (which I hope will get published) with the regular sized bubble wrap. Then I got a package that had mini bubble wrap and had to try some more!

So today I started with a white tag, embossed it with clear EP and then spritzed with Glimmer Mist. After it had dried I placed the tag between two sheets of typing paper and ironed off the embossing powder. Then I restamped with the bubble wrap and used a glittery EP powder (you can see it at the bottom of the tag).

Tag Tuesday's challenge this week is GLITTER. I stamped this little CRAFTY SECRETS mermaid with Archival and then did a Technique Junkies MARKER WASH on the mermaid and shells. After that was dry I went back with a glue pen and glitter. (LOVE THE GLITTER!) I tried to get a picture of all that shiny goodness but it's the wrong time of day. Trust me - WHOLE TAG JUST SPARKLES!

Here you can see the difference in size between the regular sized bubble wrap and the mini. Fortunately, I still have LOTS and LOTS of the mini left for other projects. Don't you love how the wrinkles in the bubble wrap translate on to the background?

Stamps: Crafty Secrets MERMAIDS
Paper: tag
Ink: Archival black & embossing ink
Accessories: glitter, bubble wrap, emboss powder (clear and Creations Unlimited: Caribbean Magic), Glimmer Mist (Lavender Fields & Sapphire), Martha Stewart branch punch, pearls, fish sticker, ribbon, and dry wall joint tape

Tuesday Tag Challenge #48 -- Recycle, Repurpose, Reuse

Happy Earth Day! There are lots of fun challenges this week on the blogs to recycle, repurpose, reuse found items! I had so much fun with the first tag that I ended up doing two!

Last month the Colorado Springs Philharmonic showed two Charlie Chaplin movies and played the music to the silent movies.

My first recycled/repurposed item was the fabulous black and white still of the TRAMP out of the program. I had saved it because it was such a fun picture. A little Tim Holtz film strip ribbon over Charlies face. A couple of stars. And a Technique Junkies ANTIQUED GLIMMERS background! I used Chipped Sapphire and Pumice Stone Distressed Ink and a little Sapphire and Graphite Glimmer Mist.

In the most recent Technique Junkies newsletter was this background technique called Metallic Parchment. You start with tissue paper. My tissue paper was an old sewing pattern that I ripped up. Instead of alcohol inks I used Glimmer Mist again (Cranberry Zing, Tuscan Sunset, and Golden Terracotta). The dress form was part of a monthly scrapbooking kit from Cocoa Daisy.

My family finally made it back to Italy (where my sister lives). They did take a ferry from southern Ireland to France. Then they rented a car and drove the rest of the way. Mom said they had a lovely drive thru the French country side. So even though it was a very expensive trip home they enjoyed it!

Tuesday Tag Challenge #40 -- SHAMROCKS

Slipping in under the wire with my Tuesday Tag challenge.

I had a "FERN FAIRY" envisioned...it looks more like she's wearing a large hat! My shamrock is a bit hard to see - I glittered 4 little green hearts and added them as a "beauty mark". The fairy's face was watercolored with my new DISTRESS INKS! The background is TECHNIQUE JUNKIES ANTIQUED GLIMMERS.

Stamps: Hero Arts SILHOUETTE FERN; Hampton Art Stamps SQUARE FACE FRAME
Paper: tag
Ink: Memento, Distress Inks: Shabby Shutters, Bundled Sage, Forest Moss
Accessories: EK Success fern punch, Prima flower, aqua painter, gold brads, glitter, ribbon, and Diamond Glaze.
Technique Junkies: ANTIQUED GLIMMERS

Stampin DAmore FEBRUARY & MARCH

These are the last two ATCs in the year long swap on the STAMPIN D'AMOUR site.

FEBRUARY - LOVE:Simple collage. I didn't have a direction going into this other than LOVE. The little fairy girl was watercolored with Distress Ink and aqua pen.

Stamps: Red Lead fair; PaperTrey Ink MIXED MESSAGES
Paper: red card stock, DP, doily, ticket
Ink: Distress Ink and Memento
Accessories: Glitter, glue pen, Martha Stewart border punch, pearl heart, and aqua pen

MARCH - BIRD:The background was created on a 8.5 x 11 sheet of cards stock using the Technique Junkies ANTIQUED GLIMMERS method. After it was dry I stamped Artistic Outpost BIRDS OF A FEATHER background on the cards stock in Walnut Stain. The bird was stamped on cream in Memento, then watercolored with Distressed Ink and my aqua pen.

Stamps: Artistic Outpost BIRDS OF A FEATHER - all images.
Paper: white/cream card stock
Ink: Distress Ink and Memento
Accessories: Glimmer Mist: Creme de Cocoa, Creme de Chocolate, Moonlight, and Frost; feather, and aqua pen.
Technique Junkies: Antiqued Glimmers

GC40: Random Redhead Challenge - Numbers

I've decided to stop swapping for awhile and concentrate on the online challenges that catch my fancy. While I have one more ATC swap to complete, I've started on the online challenges. This one from Gingersnap Creations intrigued me!

Numbers? How easy could that be? And yet this card didn't come easily to me. I found this great number paper (on the back of the striped paper surrounding the bicycle) and thought WOW ! I like that paper. The bicycle was stamped on a tag after I had grunged it up with Glimmer Mist and Distress Ink - this is a Technique Junkies' method called ANTIQUED GLIMMERS. I cut the bicycle out but it was just wasn't popping against the numbered background - so I used the striped side of the paper too! I wrapped Scrapper Floss (I LOVE THAT STUFF) under the bike and added a Tim charm. And after looking at it for a while longer, I took my favorite number collage stamp and stamped over the bike. If you look closely you can see the numbers - but mostly it looks like a brick wall.

Stamps: Stampers Anonymous PEN AND PENCIL
Paper: unknown designer paper, tag
Ink: Distress Ink
Accessories: Glimmer Mist, Tim Holtz charm, and Scrapper's Floss
Technique Junkies: Antiqued Glimmers

Not Published (this time)

So, when I first started my blog, I told you I was working on Easter submissions for a magazine. It was hard for me because everybody was working on Halloween stuff and I had the rabbits out! :D Still I sent off 6 entries to Stamper's Sampler with my fingers crossed (since it was my 1st submission).

This weekend my SS issue came and none of my cards were selected for publication. I have others in the pipeline. So while I'm disappointed it didn't work out this time - I'm hopeful for future issues.

Modern Grid Bunnies

Stamps: Denami Designs
Paper: Whisper White, orange
Ink: black
Accessories: glitter pen, ribbon and copics
Technique Junkies: Modern Grid

Chocolate Bunny

Stamps: Stamp Francisco: Rubber Baby Buggy Bumper
Ink: Distress Inks
Accessories: Ribbon, pearls, doily, Glimmer Mist

Arch Calla Lilies

Stamps: unknown
Paper: green, lavender, floral DP
Ink: Memento
Accessories: Glitter pen, copics, pearls

Bunny Parade - 10 Minute Card

Stamps: Oxford Impressions: CLASSIC ALICE
Paper: Neenah Solar White
Ink: Distress Ink
Accessories: none

Baby Chicks

Stamps: Oxford Impressions: COUNTRY GIRL
Paper: White
Ink: Distress Ink
Accessories: glitter, chipboard birds, paper lace

Alcohol Ink Handsome Hares - This is a Tim Holtz technique were AI is dripped on glossy paper and then sprayed with canned air to move it around.

Stamps: Stamp Francisco HANDSOME HARES
Paper: Whisper White, glossy white
Ink: Distress Ink
Accessories: Photo corners, Alcohol Inks

OH....And I've been working on CAS GRUNGE. More on that one tomorrow.

Oxford Impressions Christmas Card

Suzanne of Oxford Impressions had a contest on her blog before Christmas. I put a quick card together and sent it off. I was one of five winners!

I used my only Oxford Impressions "Christmas" set - WINTER SNOW. I collaged all the smaller stamps in the set as the background and used a Technique Junkies method called Burnished Backgrounds. The background color is a mix of Distressed inks. I stamped the boy on glossy white with Archival ink and heat set it. Then I tore a strip of white card stock and misted with Glimmer Mist. The Marshmallow spray gave the paper a real SPARKLE. But it also needed some Stickles along the edges (wink). Doesn't his expression say - "I just shoveled all this snow and here's another flake..." ??

Finally, I did a crystal snowflake at the embellishment.

Stamps: Oxford Impressions WINTER SNOW
Paper: white and glossy white
Ink: Distress Ink: FADED JEANS, BROKEN CHINA, WEATHERED WOOD; Archival Ink
Accessories: Clear embossing powder, Glimmer Mist: MARSHMALLOW, Stickles, and Crystal Snowflake.
Technique Junkies: Burnished Backgrounds

Tim Holtz - Day 4 & A Crafty Secrets Card

Slowly catching up with Tim Holtz 12 Tags of Christmas. I didn't have all the parts for the gorgeous charm on Day 4's tag. So I changed the tag a bit!
Tim's background was very similar to a Technique Junkies technique called Burnished Backgrounds, so I used the TJ method. Which includes embossing the background images in clear before adding the color. After the color was dry I cut a window in the tag for the bubble window.

A close up of the window. I cut the oval in a scrap of paper first to get a good fit. Then drew it on the tag (after stamping and burnishing). I put tape on the back of the tag and then all round the edge to keep the glitter inside.

This is also my entry for the WINTER WONDERLAND Challenge on the Gingersnap Creations blog!

Stamps: Oxford Impressions WINTER SNOW, Memory Box
Paper: tag, Graphic 45 (snowman in window)
Ink: Distress Ink: FADED JEANS, BROKEN CHINA, WEATHERED WOOD, and BLACK SOOT
Accessories: German Scrap, clear embossing powder, bubble window, metal snowflake charm, glass glitter, clear snowflake buttons, and ribbon.
Technique Junkies: Burnished Backgrounds

I also worked on another challenge card using a Crafty Secrets image.
Every week on SCS, Crafty Secrets has a challenge (CSSC97). I've been taking part lately. The truth is I don't have many CS images, so sometimes it's a challenge. Last week's challenge was any CS image or stamp and 5 embellishments. I used Glossy Accents to apply the glitter around the edge. Last week when I used the tinsel glitter it didn't stick well. This worked like a charm!

Stamps: None
Paper: Bazzill cardstock, Cosmo Cricket
Ink: None
Accessories: Martha Stewart Holly border punch, primas, gold nailhead rhinestones, silk ribbon and glitter.

Tim Holtz - Day 1 & Tag Tuesday #28

Yippee!! It's December 1st and that means 12 TAGS of CHRISTMAS by Tim Holtz!! Here's Day 1!

My tag doesn't really look much like Tim's but I did use the same techniques. I also combined with Tag Tuesday's COLORS OF CHRISTMAS. This week is Green, purple, and silver! I used Technique Junkies's new ANTIQUED GLIMMERS technique which is very similar to how Tim did his background. I then over stamped with large pine trees in PINE NEEDLES and small pine trees in DUSTY CONCORD. I did cover the entire tag with ROCK CANDY crackle paint (but you can't see the crackles in my picture). I put Rock Candy Stickles along the top. And colored and cut out the Poppy angel from another tag.

Stamps: Stampers Anonymous REINDEER FLIGHT; Memory Box PINE BORDER; Poppy Stamps ANDREW ANGEL
Paper: tag
Ink: Distress Ink: Shabby Shutters, Pine Needles, Dusty Concord
Accessories: Glimmer Mist: Marshmallow & Deep Plum; copics, ribbon, Grungeboard snowflake, Crackle Paint: Rock Candy, and Stickles
Technique Junkies: Antiqued Glimmers

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!



Stamps: Art Gone Wild
Paper: SU! Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke, Pumpkin Pie, and More Mustard
Ink: black
Accessories: Copics, Nesties lace border die, ribbon, gold cord, gold nail head
Technique Junkies: Out of the Box (O/N '04)

VSN #3 - Tonight We're Gonna Party like it's 1999

TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA PARTY LIKE IT'S 1999: Let the song titles of the top 100 hits of 1999 inspire a card!

I picked #1 BELIEVE by Cher
Who doesn't BELIEVE in Santa? I love this stamp by the Angel Company (TAC) - Vintage Santa. It's so classic. I used Technique Junkies SEPIA method on Santa. The image is stamped on Kraft paper in a brown ink. Then gently colored in whites and in this case chalks. The edges were distressed and then outlined with gold ink. A Crystal Snow flake to embellish.

Stamps: TAC Vintage Santa; Stampers Anonymous SANTA's WISH (pine bough), and Memory Box "Believe"
Paper: SU! Kraft, Bo Bunny
Ink: Distress Ink: Vintage Photo, Pine Needles, and Aged Mahogany; Stazon Timber Brown, SU! craft White
Accessories: Deb's Crystal Snowflakes, gold pen, edge distressor, sponge, giltter pen, aqua pen, chalks.
Technique Junkies: Sepia with Torn Edges

The Moon and The Witch

Just a quickie card for a CAS challenge.


The moon was embossed using Technique Junkies' CUTTLEBUG SMOOSH. Then cut with my Nestabilities. Witch Tilda was colored with copics.

Stamps: Magnolia WITCH TILDA ON BROOM
Paper: Memory Box TWILIGHT
Ink: SU! Pumpkin Pie, Kaleidacolor AUTUMN LEAVES
Accessories: Cuttlebug embossing folder.
Technique: Technique Junkies CUTTLEBUG SMOOSH

Happy 2nd Birthday to Artistic Outpost!

Artistic Outpost is one of my long-time favorite stamp companies. And this month they are celebrating their 2nd birthday with a challenge sketch!! The rules were to make a fall or birthday card using an AO set. I used HOME.


The sketch below was flipped 90-degrees. The row of trees I stamped directly on the Basic Grey INDIAN SUMMER paper is the long "paper" piece under the main image. The main images was "rock 'n rolled" using the edged of the ink pads to ink specific areas. After the ink dried, I distressed with Distress Ink and a sponge dauber. I used another Technique Junkies method to distress the image panels - FRAME FRENZY: TORN FRAMES. It adds that great "grunge" feel to the card.



Stamps: Artistic Outpost HOME; A Muse HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Paper: Basic Grey INDIAN SUMMER, SU! Rich Razzelberry
Ink: SU! Dusty Durango, Rich Razzelberry; Distress Ink: Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy
Accessories: brads, pop dots, and sponge dauber.
Technique: Technique Junkies FRAME FRENZY: TORN FRAMES

Please visit KLSNS design team blog for more info on Basic Grey goodies!!

Alice in Wonderland

It's been a cold, blustery weekend. BUT! It's been warmer in the mountains west of Colorado Springs than in the Springs. Yesterday, I left home to go to an Archiver's class (10 Little Tags - really fun!) and it was 36-degrees and sunny. Before I got half-way down the mountain I had driven into fog/rain and it had dropped to 19-degrees. Fortunately, I got home before it all turned to black ice. It's been a mess this morning!

Did you know that October is National Book Month? And Oct 6th is Mad Hatter Day? Neither did I until the 3rd October challenge from the SCS Wish RAK group.

Challenge #3 is a sketch challenge, but in honor of Mad Hatter day I had to get out my Oxford Impression CLASSIC ALICE set. The background is the same technique from Technique Junkies that I used for my Fluffle Vampire: CREATEX CREATIONS. Createx is an airbrush paint. I'm not sure what makes it different from other paints but these ridges only seem to appear with Createx. This time I used gold and red, which is always stunning on black glossy paper. The Alice images are stamped in Memento and then watercolored with my aqua-painter and SU! re-inkers. I think it keeps the pen and ink drawings "original" - even if they weren't originally colored.

Stamps: Oxford Impression CLASSIC ALICE
Paper: SU! Basic Black & Real Red, glossy black card stock, Neenah Solar White
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: SU! reinkers, aqua pen, and nail-head rhinestones.
Technique Junkies: Createx Creation

I've been working on a lot of "future" projects that I can't share right now. I have some deadlines looming right now but should be back to the "daily" post soon. Stay warm! (or cool!)