Christmas Memory Book

Decorated the cover of a mixed media notebook 

to create a Christmas memory book for my daughter

who is having the Christmas dinner celebration this year.

The idea is to have family write a little something in it each year. 

Stamps: Michael Strong, Stampin' Up!

Inks:  Distress pine needles, walnut stain, Versafine embossing ink

Zing "gold glitter finish" embossing powder

Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder

Jane Davenport INKredible pen

Canson Mix Media 5.5 x 8.5 inch, 138 lb. blank journal

Thank you for visiting!

Wildflowers and Mixed Media Thinlits

I thought I'd share some cards I made in the past month or so

using my new Sizzix dies:

Mixed Media (background)

and Wildflowers #2.

I had fun using old book pages for these two cards.

As I sponged this background I tried to create a peaceful scene.  I don't like to make gloomy sympathy cards. The cut openings reminded me of an opening into a beautiful world.  The tree reminded me of the everlasting tree of life. 

Used an alcohol ink background on glossy paper from my stash for this one.

Thanks for visiting!

Sponged Background Autumn Cards

Here are more distress ink sponged backgrounds.

I know these are similar to my Halloween cards,

but I was on a roll and having fun with this.

Stamped tree with walnut stain distress ink.

Used Michael Strong's Pumpkin Harvest set

fussy cutting the pumpkin and adhering with dimensional foam.

Stamped cherish and friends (unknown stamp manufacturer) 

with Stampin' Up! close to cocoa ink on white cardstock,

trimmed then sponged with fossilized amber ink.

Sponged distress ink on scraps of paper and punched tiny leaves

adhering them with liquid adhesive.

Used a script stamp (unknown manufacturer) with pumice stone distress ink 

and stamped randomly over the background.

Colored the vine part of Michael Strong's Pumpkin Harvest stamp

with mowed lawn distress marker.

Stamped and fussy cut one of the leaves and adhered with dimensional foam.

Pumpkins stamped in distress carved pumpkin ink.

Distress inks: 

mermaid lagoon, stormy sky, fossilized amber, fired brick, carved pumpkin, twisted citron, pumice stone

Thanks so much for visiting!

Halloween Cards 2017

Happy Halloween!

I made my own distress ink sponged backgrounds for cards this year.

Also fussy cut my own bats and ghosts drawn from home made templates.

Used Michael Strong's oval alphabet set to spell "BOO".

Added white eyes to my larger bats with a Jane Davenport White Paint Over Pen
Used a Gelly Roll White 08 gel pen for my small bats eyes.

Used Jane Davenport Mermaid Markers (water brush markers filled with dye based ink) and an aqua brush on scraps of "watercolor like" paper for these backgrounds.  Trees drawn by hand with brown mermaid marker. Used black PITT marker for ghost face.

Added a background script stamp here.

...and a background screen stamp here.

For a friend's Halloween Birthday

Quick cards made with printed papers with handwritten 

"Happy Halloween"

Distress Inks used: mermaid lagoon, stormy sky, black soot, pumice stone, carved pumpkin, fired brick, twisted citron, walnut ink, fossilized amber, scattered straw, seedless preserves.

Versafine Black Onyx ink

Stamps:

Michael Strong, Hero Arts, Posh Impressions and unknown 

Miscl:

Jane Davenport Mermaid Markers
Jane Davenport White Paint Over Pen

Gelly Roll White 08 gel pen

Faber Castell Black Pitt Pen

August 14 Stampfest at Lynette's

Lynette and I had a wonderful time visiting, stamping, drawing and painting yesterday.  We experimented with my new distress oxide ink pads: broken china, faded jeans, fossilized amber and worn lipstick. We were inspired by Jennifer McGuire's blog post and video demonstrating distress oxide ink on kraft and other dark papers. It was fun to see the "oxide" effect, a whitening of the stamped image after it is sprayed with water. We added accent marks with a white gelly roll pen after the stamping was dry. We also used a green ink pad. I think it was a Tsukineko Opalite Interference. 

Update Aug. 17, 2017: Versa Magic Tea Leaves, a chalk ink pad.

Most of the images are just card fronts, 4 x 5.25 inches in size.

Card front created by Lynette

Card front created by Lynette

Card front created by Lynette

Card front created by Lynette

Card created by Laura

Card created by Laura

Card front created by Laura

Card front created by Laura

Stamps:

Hero Arts CG303 Luscious Bold flowers
 Stampin' Up! Tropical Blossoms
Punch Box Designer labels Stamp Set and matching punch
Rubber Stampede

Lynette and I both drew a lady face and then added watercolors to it.
Here are the unfinished pieces.

Lynette used a piece of  Canson 140 lb watercolor paper.

I worked on the watercolor paper inside my Jane Davenport Butterfly Book. It's also known as a travelers notebook. I have not had the nerve to paint it this till now. 
We ran out of time. Hope to do more work on these lady paintings.

Materials:
Jane Davenport watercolors, neutrals and brights
Aqua brushes

For  our dinner, Doc grilled Coho salmon that his friend caught in Lake Michigan. Yum!

Lynette made fresh green beans and a yummy seafood pasta salad!

My husband, Don and I had always have a wonderful time with Lynette and Doc. 

Thanks for visiting!