Heat Embossed and Distress Ink Happy Birthday

Another birthday card for the busy family birthday season.

The background stamp is a Hero Arts/Basic Grey Diamond. I used Versamark Ink and then white embossing powder, finished with my heat gun. Then, using the Tim Holtz mini blending tool, color was added to the background over the heat embossing.

Using Bundled Sage, Peeled Paint, Stormy Sky and Faded Jeans, the color was laid down at an angle to the cardstock for interest.  The sentiment is from the Hero Arts Year Round Sentiments set. It, too, was stamped with Versamark Ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder.

The heart was die cut using Simon Says Stamps Mini Hearts die using Stampin' Up cardstock in Night of Navy. I then covered it with Ranger Glossy Accents for depth and shine.

The sentiment and the background mat are both Stampin' Up cardstock, Old Olive.

I really like the way the background came out!  I'm going to try this again using different color combinations.

Make a Wish

Make a Wish is a birthday card that doesn't say Happy Birthday!

Starting with the Hero Arts/Basic Grey Diamond  background stamp, I stamped it in Versamark Ink and heat embossed it with white embossing powder. Using the mini blending tool from Tim Holtz to apply Distress Inks in evergreen bough, seedless preserves and broken china.  I applied in on the diagonal for interest.

I matted the background on Stampin' Up Coastal Cabana, the same used for the sentiment.

The sentiment is from Alte New Super Script 2. I really like the way the background turned out!

happy Birthday

One of the things I have been playing with is embossing paste. I used the same pattern to make two cards, one happy birthday and one i love you. Happy Birthday is from the Hero Arts Find Joy set.

The background stamp is from the set Background Builders by There She Goes. The ink colors are Stampin' Up Marine Mist, Night of Navy and Pacific Point. The mat cardstock is also Stampin' Up Night of Navy.

On the second card, I used Distress Inks  in bundled sage, crushed olive and peeled paint. 

The mat cardstock is Stampin' up  in  Always Artichoke. The sentiment stamp is from There She Goes from the Sentimental Set.

The stencil Concentric Circles  from My Favorite Things using Ranger Ink Texture Paste adds the finishing touching. It makes for a very interesting effect!!

Thinking of You with Arboscello Tree

I can't believe it has been so long since I posted! Guess I better get back on track.

This card is for my next OWH box.

The patterned background is made using a Hero Arts/Studio Calico Lattice background stamp. I stamped it in Versamark Ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder.  The colors are added using Distressed Ink Bundled Sage, Mowed Lawn and Forest Moss using the mini blending tool. It was then splashed with water. After drying, it was sprayed with Heidi Swapp Color Shine.

The tree is a die cut, Memory Box Arboscello Tree. I used the same above distress inks to color the branches and leaves and Gathered Twig for the trunk. Wink of Stella clear, although it does not show in the photograph, covers the entire tree.

The background cardstock is Stampin' Up Always Artichoke. The sentiment is from the Hero Arts Find Joy set, stamped in Memento Ink Rich Cocoa.

Although this card was a bit time intensive, I am pleased with the final result!

Stretch Your Stamps Class Day 5 - Take 2

The second card I made today was with the focus on the sentiment.  I used a scrap of patterned paper and scrap of plain paper. To play off the circles on the scrap paper, I used one of the geometric stamps from the Paper Smooches set and Versamark ink to add dimension to the plain cardstock.

I also used Tim Holtz Distress Inks on the background of the sentiment.  Instead of using water, I used Mister Huey's Color Mist in Shine.  It doesn't show in the photo, but there are streaks of shine mixed in with the colors.  I am still quite the novice with this technique, but it has been fun to play with.

Stretch Your Stamps Class Day 5

Today's challenge involves sentiment stamps.  Not having the specific stamps used in class, I decided to mix up stuff from Day 2 using Tim Holtz inks and a sentiment I love.

I made the background using watercolor paper and Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  Then I stamped the flowers to one side and clear embossed them.  Then I masked the right side and did direct to paper with black on the left side.  The sentiment is embossed with white and again the color is direct to paper.

Stretch Your Stamps Class Day 2

Today was a challenge for me.  Almost all of the cards I do are CAS.  In addition, I have never really played with the "Tim Holtz Technique".  I combined bits from a couple of the examples to make my card.  It certainly is a work in progress, but something I want to continue to play with.

I double embossed the background, the large stamp with clear embossing powder and the butterflies with white.  I expected there to be more contrast between the two, but the white paper behind the clear showed up nearly the same color as the white embossing powder - learning experience!

Clean and Simple Card Class - Day Five

Day Five was a bit challenging as I did not have some of the same materials used in the example.  I used regular cardstock instead of watercolor paper and a mixture of alcohol/Stampin' Up All Purpose Ink instead of the Inkessentials Mister.

The first card, I did not use the spray.

The third try (the second didn't make it past the trash can)  I did use the mister. The effect is hard to see in the picture, but there is a nice sheen in the ink.

The stamps are Hero Arts/Operation Write Home Year Round Sentiments. The inks are Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Dusty Concord, Vintage Photo and Faded Jeans.