Inside Shadow Box Cards

Recently, I ran across a 2018 tutorial for Inside Shadow Box cards made by Jennifer McGuire.  I just had to give this a try. This card was fairly easy to make and it fits into an envelope for mailing! I used these Hero Arts stamp sets:  Color Layering Waves CM316, Color Layering Sea & Sky CM317 and Seas The Day Seagulls CM276. I was happy to find these stamp sets 40% off JoAnn's!

The first card I made didn't fold quite right at first. However, I was able to press it flat and adjust the crease slightly to make it work. For the water, I played around with different inks, never finding a combo that I thought perfect. But the colors look better if I don't examine them too closely.  I've noted some of the color combinations I used:

* Distress soft sky, SU bashful blue, SU tempting turquoise (or Ranger Caribbean coast)

* SU bliss blue, SU ballet blue, SU tempting turquoise

* Distress tumbled glass, distress broken china, Ranger Caribbean coast

Jennifer used pretty colors that I didn't have, more in the "sea green" family.

Here is the outside of  one of my cards. The "thanks" die cut is from Hero Arts, Thanks Stamp & Cut DC152. Palm tree colored with Tombow marker green #177 and distress vintage photo. Birds stamped in distress hickory smoke. Clouds stamped with distress tumbled glass.

Here are the inside panels which will go behind the oval cut-out. Jennifer gives us the tip to use the back part of the cloud stamps to create the islands in the distance. I stamped mine with distress peeled paint. Then stamped a second time with right side of the cloud stamp using in the same ink to give the islands some dimension. I used blending brushes for the sky with distress tumbled glass ink and for the sand, antique linen ink.

Here you see the finished "inside shadow box". I added the fussy cut chair stamped in SU's groovy guava ink. Attached it with Gina K Connect glue which worked great.

The sand here was made by sponging distress oxide fossilized amber. The boat and birds were stamped with distress hickory smoke.

Here I switched to  stamps from Seas The Day Seagulls CM276, stamping the birds in versafine onyx black and the wood stump with SUs close to cocoa. I used markers to add red to the hat and scarf and wood stump.

I used the oval cut out from the inside part to make some cards with kraft cardstock.

I had a lot of fun with the Inside Shadow Box cards. Thanks to Jennifer McGuire for sharing her creative ideas!

Thank YOU for visiting me! Hope you are well and staying safe from Covid-19!

Generational Stamping on Christmas Card

Inspired by Heather Telford's Tannenbaum Forest Video I made these card layers using Canson 140 lb watercolor paper. A great big thanks to Heather for sharing this very fun and easy tutorial! 

Since I do not have the Penny Black Tannenbaum Trio set, I used an Inkadinkado wood mounted stamp labeled #96683. It has two pine trees. Also used a smaller wood mounted pine tree stamp that was not labeled. As Heather suggests, I inked my stamp with mowed lawn, then added some peeled paint then a little chipped sapphire on the edges.  The inked stamp is spritzed before stamping. Then two more impressions are made with that stamp without adding more ink! The spritzing allows a lighter and then again another lighter image! The lighter trees look farther off in the distance.

I used a distress vintage photo marker to add brown to the trunk of my small tree. Heather used a gathered twig brown distress marker. This is done before the first impression is made. My larger trees did not have tree trunks. 

My stamp is smaller than the Penny Black Tannenbaum Trio, so I just kept at this process till I felt I had enough trees. I followed Heather's instruction to change the color order to peeled paint, then mowed lawn, then chipped sapphire after a couple of rounds of stamping. I think she did that for her  second round of three impressions. Please refer to Heather's video for all the details on her wonderful method of generational stamping!

Heather recommends using Yellow Frog tape. I wish I had that because the blue painters tape ripped my paper when removing it. Before using it, I stuck the tape piece to my hand a few times to try to remove some of the "stickiness".  

I planned my layers to be 4 x 5-1/4 inches. But I made a mistake when cutting. Then I had to trim the rips from the blue tape removal. So I have some odd sized layers.

I used a heat tool to dry the paper before the first strip of tape was removed. Added a circle mask cut from a sticky note. Used a blending brush to add distress faded jeans to the top edge and around the circle and to the edge of the tape to get "snow hills". Once the first hill was "created", removed the tape and reapplied it for more "snow hills".

Below you can see some of my finished cards. I used a dark green card base, 4-1/4 x 5-1/2 inch size.

Then I experimented using Michael Strong's cloisonné Christmas tree, adding the distress mowed lawn, peeled paint and chipped sapphire, spritzing  and stamping. I only did the one impression with that stamp. Then I switched to the Inkadinkado two tree stamp used above and continued with Heather's generational stamping technique.

Heather's generational stamping technique was very fun and easy! I hope you give it a try!

Happy Stamping! Peace and all good!

Bird Talk Birthday

Made two birthday cards with my old Tim Holtz stamp and die set, Bird Talk 2.

Background layers are from my stash. Just added some stenciling and sponging. Used distress twisted citron for the zig zag and dots. Sponged the edges with distress abandoned coral.

Stamped bird, hat and balloon with distress abandoned coral, fossilized amber and festive berries inks. Used coloring pencils to add more color. 

Sentiment is stamped in Versafine onyx black ink. Used a Faber-Castell PITT pen to add  "sister" and the string to the balloon.

Used fossilized amber for the stenciling and used mermaid lagoon for the sponged edges. The bird is stamped in mermaid lagoon and coloring pencils were used afterward.

Sentiment stamp is from Verses Rubber Stamps.

Thanks so much for visiting!

Restful Tree Cards

I had a lot of fun making cards with the Penny Black Restful stamp. It's quite large, extending over my 4 x 5-1/4 inch layer of paper. The Misti platform worked great on this. I used Versafine onyx black ink to stamp the tree.  After the ink was thoroughly dry, I sponged it with distress and Stampin' Up inks:  scattered straw in the sky behind the tree and fossilized amber on the ground. I sponged a little blue jeans ink along the horizon and then used Stampin' Up brilliant blue for the rest of the sky.

Below are some variations.

Sponged with distress scattered straw for the ground.

Sponged distress spun sugar ink behind the tree. And intentionally made "swirl lines" while sponging the SU brilliant blue of the sky. The ground is sponged with fossilized amber ink.

I used some Sure-Line touch up paint pads to sponge this one. They are about 1-3/4 inches wide by 2 inches long. I really like the smooth result. The ground here is sponged with distress crushed olive and fossilized amber is used behind the tree and along the horizon.  

Below are photos of these Sure-Line pads. 

Thanks for visiting! Keep yourself safe from Covid!

More Halloween Cards

. 

a Halloween Birthday card for a special friend

Stamps and Embossing folder used:

Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Snarky Cat Halloween

Tim Holtz Bird Talk #2 Stamp and Die set

Michael Strong Pumpkin Harvest

Stampscapes

Park Lane Brush Dot embossing folder

Thanks for visiting! Please stay safe from covid!

Another Stencil Butterfly Card

 Another Stencil Butterfly Card

When I was making my other stencil butterfly cards, I stamped the big butterfly in Versafine onyx black ink. At that time, I thought the black was much too dark, so I set that aside. 

Now, after seeing Arjita's butterflies here I decided to use my black butterfly. I colored it with yellow number 050 Zig clean color real brush marker and fussy cut it. 

I used Gina K's water droplet stencil again, sponging it with distress inks: scattered straw, shaded lilac and can you believe it, worn lipstick. I know that's not the color of worn lipstick! The velcro sponge I used was contaminated with an orange inkpad. So the worn lipstick has an orange look! I recently saw that Tim Holtz has a new red ink...and he's calling it crackling campfire! I wonder how close my mixed up worn lipstick is to his crackling campfire color!

Sentiment is from Stampin' Up, stamped in Versafine onxy black. I added some of the Zig yellow 050 marker to the edges.

Thank you so much for visiting! Hoping you are having some fun this week and that you are staying safe from Covid-19.

Stencil Butterfly Cards

After seeing Hetty's beautiful card here, I was inspired to pull out my stencils, inks, sponging tools and blending brushes.

I liked how Hetty created a circle of intense color by making her own circle mask.  I gave that a try, putting my circle mask on top of my stencil. Then removed it and tried to add softer color outside the circle. I decided to sponge the edges of the card. 

I am using a cream cardstock from my stash that has a laid texture. Was surprised that it was easy to add color to it with a sponges and blending brushes. 

Stencil is from Gina K - Water Droplets.

Stamps are from Michael Strong - Mini Cloisonne Wings

Stencil is from a Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Mixed Media kit.

Stamps are from Inkadinkado - 96723 Garden Delight

Inks:

Stampin' Up! green galore, tempting turquoise, taken with teal, lavender lace,

Distress: worn lipstick (note...by mistake I used a sponge that had an orange ink on it, so the worn lipstick looks orange-y) twisted citron, mermaid lagoon

Aug. 20, 2020...thought I'd add a photo of the stencils used...

The stencil on the left came in a Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Mixed Media kit. I couldn't find the name of it. The stencil on the right is Gina K's Water Droplets stencil.

Thank you for visiting! Please stay safe and healthy!

PaperArtsy Kids Plate 2

I bought this PaperArtsy stamp set, "Kids-Plate 2" a long time ago. So glad to get some use from it. I have shared my most recent card first. Then you will see two cards made a few months ago.

Used Sizzix Texture Fades embossing folder Rays, sponging it with distress inks:

 faded jeans, fossilized amber, rusty hinge.

Images were stamped with faded jeans and rusty hinge and fussy cut.

Sponged antique linen on the white areas except for the sentiment.

Used a grey blue card base from my stash.

I love this world map embossing folder, but it is not mine. I think I made some impressions of it from my friend's embossing folder.

This card uses Stampin' UP!'s Old World Map stamp. I think date on it is 1998!

Hope you are having a great week. Please stay safe from Covid!

Sweet Girl Tags

I was inspired to make these two tags after finding Rays and Clockwork stencils

by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous on clearance at Michaels recently. 

Materials

 #8 manilla tag by Ranger

6-1/4 inches (16 cm) long by 3-1/8 inches (8 cm) high

Stamps: Sweet (girl) SBB567 by I Brake For Stamps

The Mind Determines GG0137  by Prickley Pear

Distress inks: fossilized amber, vintage photo, oxide faded jeans

Also used muslin fabric, 2 yellow eyelets and fibers drawn through tag opening.

Closer look at fibers.

Variation using the clockwork stencil with distress inks:

candied apple, fossilized amber and twisted citron.

Added a Stampin' Up stamp also.

View showing entire tag including fibers.

Thank you for visiting!

December 28 Stampfest at Lynette's

Lynette and I had our last Stampfest of the year at her house on December 28.

We had a great time visiting and enjoying food and treats...

yummy chili for our dinner

and snacks...

cheese and crackers, tortilla chips and salsa, 

fresh fruit, cookies,

and we had a great time making cards!

Used a map for the background

Stamps: Lost and Found CSS25887, Boundless Flight CSS30188

French Market CSS30232,

Stamp Francisco 1982-94

Stamp: Inkadinkado #98045

Vintage photo distress ink 

Sponged distress inks peeled paint, mustard seed and peacock feathers on faces

Stamps: Acey Deucy Spring K2-836, 1034-lady

Club Scrap

Distress inks: walnut stain, aged mahogany

Twill, staples

Sizzix Texture Fades embossing folder called Leafy by Tim Holtz

Stamp set: Stampin' Up! Best Blossoms

Distress inks: pickled raspberry, wilted violet, mermaid lagoon, squeezed lemonade, twisted citron

I think Lynette used the Cuttlebug Stars embossing folder.

Stars made with a punch for this card.

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!

Thank you for visiting!