Saturday, May 11, 2013

Hello! Welcome to my blog and thank you for stopping by. I design and create handcrafted greeting cards. I like to call this passion of mine "visual poetry" ....imagery on paper. Please feel free to browse the photos of my cards and leave a comment.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Don't Lose Hope



Hello!

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday offered a challenge to create a card with a stamped image but......with NO COLORING. In the card that I made for this challenge my image and sentiment are blue but that was done by embossing with blue embossing powder. For a finishing touch I added some score lines across the bottom and right edges.

The products I used in this CAS card were as follows:

Card Stock:  GKD Pure Luxury white
Stamps:  HFC Sun Kissed Fleur Swirls, GKD Don't Lose Hope
Ink:   Versamark
Other:  Blue Embossing Powder

This was a very simple and easy card to create. I like to think, as the expression goes, that "less is more."  Hope you liked it and thanks for taking the time to stop and visit.



This card was entered in the following challenge(s):
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday  -  Challenge #260 - Less is More
TTCRD  -  Feb 25-Mar 3  -  Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown  -  Challenge #184 - Anything Goes
Sister Act  - Challenge #45 - Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday  -   Challenge #120 - Anything Goes
Crafty Girls  -  Challenge #12  - Anything Goes
Sunshine  Mail  -  Feb 15-28 - Anything Goes
IBS Blog Hop  -  Feb 20 Challenge - Flowers


Monday, February 24, 2014

Smiling Thoughts




Melanie Muenchinger, Illustrator for Gina K. Designs StampTV, did a video using the emboss resist technique, the result of which, was just stunning. This inspired me to make a card for a friend using this same technique.

I prepared my base card in white card stock, sizing it to 5"x5". I cut a layer 1/4 inch smaller in black card stock and adhered it to my base. I put this aside while I worked on my focal point.

For the focal point I cut a panel slightly smaller than the black layer. I stamped my flower border, from HFC Sun Kissed Fleur Border and Corner stamp set, in Versamark ink. It was then embossed with clear EP.

Next, I sponged GKD Honey Mustard ink over my focal point panel, going from dark over the flower border to light at the opposite edge on the right. The sentiment, from GKD Elegant Florals was stamped in GKD Black ink. This panel was then adhered to my card.

Here is a photo of the inside:


 I was very pleased with the way this card turned out. I hope you liked it as well.
Thanks for stopping by and please come again! 


This card was entered into the following challenge(s)
The Outlawz  -  GCC0224 - Anything Goes
TTCRD  -  Feb 18-24 - Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday  -   Challenge #120 - Anything Goes
Sister Act  -  Challenge #45 - Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create  - Challenge #60 - Anything Goes
MFP Speedy TV  -  Challenge #85 - Simple Salutations  
Sunshine Mail  -   Feb 16-28 - Anything Goes
ABC Challenge  -  F is for Flowers 
Crafty Girls Challenges  -  Challenge #12 - Anything Goes 
IBS Blog Hop  -  Feb 20 Challenge - Flowers
 

Friday, February 21, 2014

Happy Anniversary in Gold


I love gold on black, be it in cards or jewelry on clothing. Here was my chance to use this color scheme. Mod Squad's challenge was to "Go for the Gold" and create a card incorporating either gold, silver or bronze in our creations. I chose   gold.

I made my base card using white card stock and layered it with black. Using the rose image from GKD's Stately Flowers 6, I created my background on a white panel by stamping the rose flower randomly using Versamark ink and then embossing it with gold EP. This background panel was adhered to the black layer. All other images were also stamped with Versamark and embossed in gold.

The hearts were cut using dies from Heartfelt Creations Timeless Amour. I stamped my sentiment (GKS/s Elegant Post) on the larger heart and added leaf branches (GKD's The Vine). For the smaller hearts, on one I stamped the leaf branch and then added love birds from PTI Love Birds stamp set. On the other I used a small rose image from a wood stamp that I had on hand. These were all attached to my background panel and the project was complete.

I'm glad you stopped by and I hope you enjoyed this post. I'll be back soon with more.


This card was entered into the following challenge(s)
Mod Squad  -  Go for the Gold
Sister Act  -  Challenge #45 - Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday  -  Challenge #120 - Anything Goes
TTCRD  -  Feb 18-24  -  Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create  -  Challenge #59 - Anything Goes
The Outlawz  -  Twisted Thursday - Anything Goes

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Classy and Fabulous



Joan's Touch offered a challenge which was to include the colors of pink and black, a bow and a lady. This is what I came up with.

I started with a pink card base and added a black layer. For my focal point I needed to have an image of a lady but didn't have any that would work with the idea I had in mind. So I went searching and found this digital image at Just Inklined. I colored the image with copics, giving her a black dress with a pink waistband and hemline ruffles. I thought she looked pretty good (chuckle).

Now I had to come up with a sentiment. I had a stamp from GKD's Border Bling stamp set that I thought was perfect to use with the lady image. However, the stamp was too big and would not fit in the space I had open for a sentiment. So I computer generated it and it worked out very well. I then cut and embossed that panel with Spellbinders Radiant Rectangles and adhered it to the black layer.

I cut out the lady image and popped it onto the card. I added my bow to the upper left corner and it was done.

Thanks for stopping by!


This card was submitted into the following challenge(s)
TTCRD  -  Feb 18-24 - Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday  -  Challenge #119 - Anything Goes
Sister Act  -  Challenge #44 - Anything Goes
613 Avenue Create  -  Challenge #59  - Anything Goes
The Outlawz  -  TT021314  - Anything Goes
Sunshine Mail   - Anything Goes - (Feb)
Loves Rubber Stamps -  Challenge #91 - Funny Sentiment
CMC Copic Challenge Group  - Challenge #87 - Anything Goes


Monday, February 17, 2014

Heal "Beary" Soon


Hi, fellow crafters! Hope all are safe and warm in the US Northeast. We're getting some clippers here in Ohio but nothing to worry about. We've had to struggle with several -0 temps and snow a couple of weeks ago but this week we're heading towards temps near 50 and rain.  YAY!

My brother and sister-in-law were touring Spain last month when my sister-in-law had a mishap and injured her right arm. After returning to the US she had to have her arm put in a cast for 6 weeks.

I thought the little teddy bear with its right arm in a sling was a perfect image for the card I wanted to make for her.So I started out with a light pink card base. I layered it with chocolate brown card stock. I added another layer of darker pink which was cut and embossed with Spellbinders A2 Distressed Edges die. For my focal point layer I used white card stock on which I had computer generated my sentiment and then cut and embossed it with a smaller die from the same die set. While still in the die, I sponged Memento Angel Pink ink over it.

The teddy bear image, from GKD's Under the Weather stamp set, was stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa ink, colored with Copics and then cut out. The floral image is from GKD's Grateful Heart STV Kit. I stamped this image in Memento Rose Bud ink. For the shadow effect, I inked the image in Memento Rich Cocoa ink, stamped it once on scratch paper, and then on my focal point layer. This layer was then adhered to my card and the teddy bear attached with dimensionals.

Here is a photo of the inside of the card:


Hope you enjoyed this post. I love to receive your comments so please feel free to add one. Until next time, Happy Almost Spring!


This card was entered into the following challenge(s):
The Outlawz  - GCC0217

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Quilled Hearts Birthday


I have a good friend whose birthday happens to fall on Valentine's Day. (How lucky can you get?) So I decided to incorporate hearts into her birthday card. I have yet to master quilling but I came across a card on line with quilled hearts and thought that would be a perfect idea for my card.

My color scheme consisted of white, pink and black. I started out with white card stock for my base card. I added a layer of black and then a layer of soft pink. For my focal point I die cut a white panel using Spellbinders Radiant Rectangles and matted it with black. I stamped a tree branch from PTI's Out On a Limb Revised stamp set. The birthday greeting is from PTI's Birthday Bash Sentiments stamp set. I then adhered this panel to my card using dimensionals.

I made the quilled hearts in different sizes (took me a while) and drew lines of different lengths from the tree branch using Memento markers. Then the hearts were adhered to the ends of the lines.

I don't do much quilling at all although I love the effects. With more practice (and patience) I hope to master this art.

Hope you're having a wonderful day flowing with creative ideas. Thanks for stopping by!


This card was entered into the following challenge(s)
613 Avenue Create  - Challenge #57 - Anything Goes
TTCRD  -  Feb 4 Challenge  - Anything Goes
Sister Act  -  Challenge #42 - Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday  -  Challenge #118 - Anything Goes