Stitches and Smudges: August 2017

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Double Stencil Birthday Greetings - CAS

9/04/2017 Update: Winner of the Sapphire Award at Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #258.

Masking and stenciling are techniques that are fun to do in paper crafting. This card was double the fun because I stenciled over a stencil. Wanting to keep it CAS, I decided to place the image directly onto the card base. The card front was masked to form a frame and sponged with ink. The floral stencil was used to sponge the flower and stem. A second stencil of dots was placed over the floral stencil and sponged with white ink.

The ribbon was added. The sentiment was stamped and heat embossed with white powder then cut with an oval die and backed with foam tape to pop it up. I think the card is still CAS even with the ribbon and popped up sentiment. The inside of the card was decorated along the bottom edge with the dotted stencil.

The card is being submitted to:

1. Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #258

2. AAA Cards CAS Game #97 (Masking)

3. Allsorts Challenge #430 (Theme: Ribbons-more than just a bow.)

4. (CAS)E This Sketch #236

Techniques: Double stenciling, die cutting, stamping, sponging, heat embossing
Size: A2 (5.5" x 4.25")

Materials
Stamp: Stampin' Up! "Wetlands" (sentiment)
Inks: Versamark; CTMH Ruby, Sweet Leaf, Juniper; Stampin' Up! White Craft
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Basic Black
Die: Gina Marie Ovals
Ribbon: Stampin' Up! Smoky Slate 1/8"
Misc.: Stampin' Up! EP (white) & Dimensionals foam tape; stencils from stash

Woven Ribbons

My desire to participate in a challenge using ribbons, along with a sketch, led me to make this card. I was looking through my dies for some inspiration and found the lattice, which led to the idea of lacing the ribbon through it.

Note: The silver sequins and doily in the above photo are reflecting the red shirt I wore while taking the photos.

On a panel of black cardstock, the silver metallic tape was adhered and the small silver foil doily. The black panel was adhered to a white card base. The foil doily was cut in half and adhered. The lattice was die cut from white cardstock, the ribbon laced through and backed with foam tape. The sequins were added. The inside of the card was decorated with a strip of black cardstock and the aqua ribbon. A sentiment can be added later.

The card is being entered into the following:

1. Allsorts Challenge #430 (Ribbons-more than just a bow.)

2. Sunday Stamps Sketch Challenge #160

3. Happy Little Stampers August Challenge

Techniques: Die cutting, ribbon weaving
Size: A2

Materials
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Basic Black
Die: Paper Smooches Lattice
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Foil Doily, Pretty Pink Posh sequins, ribbon from stash

Monday, August 28, 2017

A Bright Birthday Card

9/03/2017 Update: This card was a Splitcoast Stampers Favorite of the Week ending 9/03/2017.

My card was made using a panel that I created at a crop last weekend. We don't always try something new but this time one of our members volunteered to show us the tried and true shaving foam method as seen HERE. We had fun making a mess and the results were worth it!

Following a sketch for the layout, a panel of black cardstock was adhered to the card base. On that, a dry embossed panel of white cardstock was adhered. A gold foil doily was cut in half and attached behind the art piece that had been framed in black cardstock and backed with foam tape to add dimension to the card. The sentiment was heat embossed using Versamark ink and gold powder, cut into a banner and adhered. Gold Stickles were added. The inside of the card was lined with white cardstock and decorated with a scrap from the gold foil doily.

This card is being entered into the following challenges:

1. Fab Friday Sketch Challenge #119

2. Brown Sugar Challenge #265 (Try something new, i.e., shaving foam technique)

3. Seize the Birthday (Anything Goes Birthday)

Techniques: Shaving foam/cream, dry embossing, heat embossing, stamping
Size: A2 (5.5" x 4.25")

Materials
Stamp: Stampin' Up! "Bloom with Hope" (sentiment)
Inks: Versamark, various dye ink refills
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Basic Black, Crisp Cantaloupe
Misc.: Stampin' Up! Foil Doily, Dimensionals (foam tape) & TIEF (diagonal); Ranger EP (gold); Stickels (gold); shaving foam

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Montezuma Marsh - CAS

9/10/2017 Update: Chosen as the First Place Award winner at AAA Cards Challenge #97.

9/04/2017 Update: Selected as a CAS Favorite of the Week at Splitcoast Stampers for the week ending 9/03/2017.

The Finger Lakes Region of New York State is my birthplace. At the northern tip of Cayuga Lake is the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, known locally as Montezuma Marsh. I saw an old postcard of the Marsh on the Internet recently and I decided to make my card from having seen that photo.

A mask was made using a circle die and secured over the card front. The horizon was masked and the water was depicted by sponging ink across the card, keeping the color lighter for the sun's reflection. The mask was removed and a small die cut circle was placed onto the horizon and the water was masked off. The sky was depicted by sponging pink, peach and yellow ink. All the masks were removed except for the large one on the card face. The images of the bird and reeds were stamped. The mask was removed and the sentiment was stamped. The inside was decorated by stamping reeds in the lower right corner.

I see my card as a multi-occasion card... Get Well, Friendship or Sympathy but it could easily be adapted for another occasion if a different sentiment were used.

This card is being placed into the following:

1. Aud Sentiments Challenge #187
(Include a sentiment.)

2. Addicted to CAS Challenge #118
(Theme: Friends)

3. AAA Cards Challenge #97
(Theme: Masking)

4. Happy Little Stampers August Challenge
(Anything Goes with Dies.)

Techniques: Masking, CAS, OLC, stamping, sponging
Size: A2

Materials
Stamps: Stampin' Up! "Wetlands" & "Moon Lake"
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Up! Pool Party, Daffodil Delight, Crisp Cantaloupe; Distress Oxide Worn Lipstick
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White (heavyweight)
Dies: Spellbinders Classic Circles

Live, Laugh, Love

While attending a crop, it was suggested that we refresh our memories on the shaving foam technique. The background of my card was created using shaving foam and dye ink refills. There are several updated twists on doing this, but the basic method, an oldie but goody, can be found HERE. The card layout was inspired by a sketch.

Two circles were cut from white cardstock. Using Distress Oxide ink, one circle is sponged with ink to achieve a peach color. The stitched edge is trimmed away and then the circle is adhered to the white circle with the scallops offset so both colors are visible, A circle of vellum was added between the two circles. The die cut words were cut from white cardstock and colored with a Copic marker to create the bright green color. They were adhered to the vellum. In keeping with the sketch, the peach colored strip was backed with foam tape and adhered to the art piece panel. The circle with sentiments was also popped up with foam tape.

This section was adhered to a card base with a panel of white cardstock. Copic markers provided color for the flowers, which were adhered. Nuvo Crystal Drops were added. The inside of the card was lined with a white cardstock panel and decorated with a die cut flower.

The card is being submitted to the following:

1. Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #226

2. Addicted to Stamps & More #256

3. Crafty Creations #348
(Anything Goes)

4. Happy Little Stampers August Challenge

Technique: Shaving Cream/Foam
Size: A2

Materials
Inks: Dye ink refills in assorted colors; Distress Oxide Marmalade; Copics
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Lemon-Lime Twist
Paper: Vellum (supplied by a crop friend)
Dies: Peachy Cheap word dies; circle die borrowed from a crop friend
Misc.: Flowers from stash, Nuvo Crystal Drops

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Daisy Note in Watercolor

9/16/2017 Update: Top Three Award Winner at Try Stampin' on Tuesday Sketch #336.

Just how many floral stamps does one crafter need? This is a set I've had for a while and have not used until now. I did not purchase the coordinating die set and the Brother Scan 'n Cut sliced a few of the flowers so I ended up stamping and masking this center flower, stamping the other two directly onto the paper and then fussy cutting before watercoloring.

The flowers were adhered to the vellum, which has die cut wavy edges and the vellum was backed with foam tape and popped up onto the cantaloupe cardstock. The cantaloupe cardstock was adhered to the white card base covered with a black cardstock mat and a white ribbon. The sentiment was stamped and die cut and the droplets added. The inside was decorated with a coordinating stamp and watercolored.

This card is being submitted to:

1. Sunday Stamps Summer Petals Challenge #159 (Use at least three colors from graphic.)

2. Tic Tac Toe Challenge #012
(Used third row across: die cut, sentiment, floral)

3. Try Stampin' on Tuesday Sketch #336

4. Addicted to Stamps & More #256
(Anything Goes)

5. Happy Little Stampers August Challenge
(Anything goes with dies)

Techniques: Watercoloring, masking, stamping, die cutting, fussy cutting
Size: A2

Materials
Stamps: Altenew "Summer Daisy" & WPlus9 "Hand Lettered Hello" (sentiment)
Inks/Paints: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stazon Jet Black, ZIG Clean Color Brush Markers
Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Whisper White, Basic Black, Crisp Cantaloupe, Vellum
Paper: Strathmore Watercolor
Die: Gina Marie Ovals
Misc.: No. 4 Paintbrush; Pretty Pink Posh Droplets (clear); ribbon from stash; Stampin' Up! Dimensionals (foam tape)

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Learn to Swerve - CAS

8/28/2017 Update: Diamond Award Winner at Color Dare Challenge #257.

Time for another CAS card. When I create a card that is CAS, I really have to "swerve" from my first instinct, which is to add layers upon layers.

Onto a white cardstock card base, dies were used to create two curvy stitched lines. A strip of cardstock was die cut to create the third. Another die was used to cut the three strips across the bottom of the card. The inside of the card was also cut with the stitched dies and a strip of cardstock was added. The card was assembled and the sentiment was stamped.