Guest Designer for Crop Stop

I have the privilege of being a Guest Designer for The Crop Stop blog. I have enjoyed participating in their challenges (I'm linking to the current challenge) and was really happy when Karen asked me to guest design for them. I enjoy using many of the products that are carried in the Crop Stop store.

I love to try new techniques so I thought that this was a perfect opportunity to try this Emboss Resist technique. I've seen it several places on the web but here is a great how-to video from Gina K of Stamp TV. This is the video that inspired my cards. She uses Zig brush markers but I substituted Distress inks and markers with great results. I had so much fun, I couldn't stop with just one card....I had to make two!

On watercolor paper, I scribbled a Chipped Sapphire Distress Marker in various places. I didn't take any care, I just was laying down color. Then, using an ink blending tool, I added other colors of distress inks all over the watercolor paper. I didn't try to blend them. Again, I was just laying down color. Then using a water brush, I softened the edges of each color and did a little simple blending. I dried this with my heat gun. Then, using Versamark and clear embossing powder, I stamped a swirly image randomly all over the image and heat embossed it. I then generously spritzed the entire piece with a mini-mister. I let the water sit on the surface for about 45 seconds and then blotted it off with a paper towel. The vibrant colors were trapped under the clear embossing but the rest of the distress ink started to lighten up considerably. I continued to spritz and blot until I was happy with the colors. I then let them air dry. I kept the embellishments pretty simple so that I wouldn't cover up too much of the pretty background. The first card is a standard A2 size and uses some fantastic glitter paper from DCWV. The second card is 5" square an has a recessed sentiment.

Products from Crop Stop: Mini Mister, Distress Inks {Chipped Sapphire marker (both), Peacock Feathers (both), Faded Jeans (both), Worn Lipstick (rectangle card only), Fired Brick (rectangle card only)}, Versamark Ink, Star Dust Stickles (rectangular card only), Ink Blending Tool 1" Round, Cuttlebug machine,

Other items from brands carried by Crop Stop - Spellbinders Standard Circle Dies Large and Small (square card only), Ranger Multi Medium Matte, Fiskars trimmer (the blades can be purchased at CS), Fiskars butterfly punch (rectangular card only)

Other supplies used on these cards that have not been mentioned above:

Both Cards:
Strathmore Cold Press Watercolor Paper (300 Series)
Georgia Pacific white cardstock 
Recollections black cardstock
The Paper Studio rhinestones and sequins
Stampin' Up! Crystal Clear embossing powder
 
Rectangular Card only:
Inkadinkado clear stamp sets (Floral Flourish, Chelsea Sentiment)
DCWV Glitzy Glimmer paper
Stampendous Opaque White embossing powder
 
Square Card only:
Momenta Butterfly Die
Dare 2B Artzy clear stamp set (Prayers 4 You)
Versafine Onyx Black ink 
Studio G 5" Square cards/envelope set
Bazzill Vellum

I hope you will stop by the Crop Stop for your stamping needs. They carry a wide variety of items from many of the popular manufacturers. Thanks to Crop Stop for allowing me to Guest Design for them. It was so much fun!!

Perseverance - Graduation

This month, Deedee's Digis is sponsoring the challenge at the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog.  The theme this month is Perseverance.  Regular visitors to my blog know that I've really come to enjoy the Path of Positivity challenge and have even had the privilege of being a Guest Designer for them.  So I'm extra happy today to get to combine two things I really enjoy....Deedee's Digis and the Path of Positivity!

It's the time of year for graduations.  When I think of perseverance, graduating from school comes to mind. We personally know several graduates from all levels and types of schools this year...high school, home school, Christian school, college and even grad school. Each one has had to work hard to accomplish their work load and complete the course to earn their degree.  That takes perseverance. This shaker card will be going to one of those graduates.  I used a sentiment and one of the pre-colored images from the Congratulations Graduate set. 

For Non-EU Customers ONLY

For EU Customers ONLY

After matting the patterned paper, a circle die was used to make the shaker portion.  Star sequins are inside the shaker and provide accents on the card front. Two nesting circle dies were used to make a frame for the shaker window.  Several of these frames were stacked on top of each other for some added dimension.  A label die that reminds me of a book was used to mat the sentiment.  The mat for the sentiment panel was made by tracing the outside of the die on the cardstock and then hand cutting it.

Here is another view with the shaker pieces mid-shake.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Creativity Inc. (gray), Papertrey Ink (image and sentiment panels), Georgia Pacific (card base and interior panel), The Paper Temptress (acetate)
Patterned Paper:  Recollections
Stamps: Deedee's Digis (Congratulations Graduate)
Tools/Embellishments:  Spellbinders dies (Standard Circles Large, Labels 7), V's Sweet Ideas sequins (Holographic Stars 5mm), Stickles (Star Dust), Darice fun foam, Multi-Medium Matte

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:
Craft Your Passion Challenge #260 - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday Challenge #371 - Use a Sentiment
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #244 - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by for a visit today.  I hope you'll have time this month to play along in the Perseverance themed challenge at the Path of Positivity blog.  You will have a chance to win a $25 gift code to the Deedee's Digis store if you do!!

Smart Owl

Hello, I hope your week is going well.  I'm sorry my post is so late.  I've had some computer/internet problems and wasn't able to get my post It’s time for another challenge at Word ArtWednesday.This week’s focus verse is one of my all-time favorite Scriptures. Psalms 126:3, “The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad.”My brother sent me this verse after our son was in a car accident and only had minor injuries.Since that time, I’ve found that it is applicable in so many situations…good and bad. A wreck isn’t generally considered good news, but when the only un-crushed space in the car is the exact rectangle where your son is, yes, you can say, “The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad.” When someone shares good news, it’s a great way to rejoice in how the Lord has worked in their life.When someone has reached a milestone or major accomplishment, that’s also a good time to rejoice in the great things the Lord has done.  

Robyn’s Fetish is one of our fantastic sponsors this week and I was able to play with Smart Owl.I thought it was perfect for this verse. When someone reaches the point of graduating from a course of study, that is cause for great rejoicing!! 

Smart Owl was colored with Copic markers. His eyeglass lenses were coated with Glossy Accents for some shine. He takes center stage on this 5.5" square gate-fold card.  The left-over pieces from a corner bracket punch frame the four corners. 

On the back of the image panel, this week's focus verse has it's own showcase.  Some background stamping adds some interest to the solid kraft cardstock.  A bracket punch sets off the interior sentiment. 

 When sandwiching the image and sentiment panels for the gatefold, there was a gap because of all the layers.  A piece of fun foam helped keep things level.  I didn't want the white of the foam to show, so I used Copic marker E29 to color the edges.  

Supplies: 
Cardstock:  Paper Trey Ink (white for image), Georgia Pacific (all other white cardstock and card base), Bazzill (brown), Recollections (kraft) 
Patterned Paper:  Kaisercraft (Secret Bird Society Collection - Undercover) 
Stamps:  WORDart by Karen (Psalm 126:3), Robyn's Fetish digi (Smart Owl), Autumn Leaves clear stamps (Swirls), Inkadinkado wood mount (Congratulations) 
Ink:  VersaFine (Vintage Sepia, Onyx Black) 
Copics: (Y11, 13, 15, 17, 35, 38; E02, 04, 07, 08, 09, 11, 25, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37; N1, 3, 5, 7, 9; W1; B21, 23, 26; R24, BG000, 01; Colorless Blender) 
Tools/Embellishments: Staedtler fine tip marker (brown), Fiskars Decorative Corner Lever Punch (Bracket), Darice Fun Foam, Glossy Accents, Spellbinders dies (Class Squares Large) 

 I'm entering this card in the following challenges:  
Pile it On Challenge #64 - Die Cuts or Punches - I have both 
V's Sweet Ideas Challenge #33 - Anything Goes  
ABC  Challenge - G is for Go Digital (must use something digital - the owl image and Scripture are digis) 
Crafty Creations Challenges #286 - Anything Goes 
CropStop Linky Party 3 - Anything Goes (I used my Cuttlebug, and some Glossy Accents,  which are available in the Crop Stop store) 
Fan-Tastic Tuesday Challenge #80 - Use a die or punch (I used both)  
Inky Chicks Challenge #49 - Stitching (Real or Faux - I used faux)  
DigiChoosday Week 14 - Use a die (I used a square Spellbinders die)
Fab 'n Funky Challenge #254  - Bingo (diagonal bottom left to top right - punches, digi image, faux stitching)  
Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge - Use a punch 

I hope you'll stop by the Word Art Wednesday this week for more inspiration from the rest of the Design Team and to pick up your free digi.  Thanks for visiting today.

Great Outdoors

When I first saw the Great Outdoors set from Deedee's Digis, it moved to the top of my wish list.  I love cats, my cat is gray and my husband and son are fishermen.  No brainer...I *had* to have it.  LOL  I used the pre-colored version of the cat fishing in the boat but added my own sponged clouds and added some sponging to the water to extend it a bit.

The emphasized technique for the current challenge at the Scrapbook Blessings Club Challenge is to make a wiper card.  I'd never tried one of those but thought the time was right to change that.  If you've never made one, here is a good written tutorial for a Wiper Card on SCS and here is a YouTube video by Beate Johns.  They are really pretty easy.  I'll be making more of these!

My card is going to someone who loves fishing and has been looking for a different job for a long time.  Last week he was offered a position with a new company.  I used one of the sentiments from the Chalk Talk set for the wiper.  I thought this would make a fun "Congratulations on the new job" card.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific (white), Recollections (kraft)
Patterned Paper:  My Mind's Eye Collectable (Remarkable 6 x 6 pad), Three Bugs in a Rug (Frisky 6 x 6 pad)
Stamps:  Deedee's Digis (Great Outdoors, Chalk Talk)
Inks:  Stampin' Up (Bliss Blue), Distress Ink (Peacock Feathers)
Tools/Embellishments:  Spellbinders dies (Petite Ovals Large and Small), Creative Memories 1-1/4" and 1-1/2" square punch, Staedtler fine tip marker (brown), The Twinery baker's twine (cappuccino), buttons from my stash

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Scrapbook Blessings Club Challenge #29 - Anything Goes with an emphasis on Wiper Cards
The Kraft Journal Make It Monday Challenge #188 - Anything Goes
Inky Chicks Challenge #37 - Stitching (Real or Faux)
PDE Linky Party - Puns
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #120 - Sewing Real/Faux
Clear It Out Challenge - Theme:  Fancy Folds, Stash Item:  Punches or dies (I used both)
Fan-Tastic Tuesday Challenge #52 - Anything Goes - Twist add a button or buttons

Thanks for visiting with me tonight.  I hope you'll give the wiper card a try.  Please come visit again tomorrow when I'll have a new Word Art Wednesday challenge card to show you.

Picture Perfect Congratulations

Deedee's Digis released quite a few new sets last week.  This card uses the Picture Perfect set.  The camera, speech bubble and checked paper are just a few of the choices you have when you use this set.  I chose to use the pre-colored camera but an outline camera is also available for you to color.  I cropped one of the sentiments from the Stitchy Stars set to put in the speech bubble.  I used the sketch from the current Clear It Out Challenge but won't be entering this card in their challenge because I didn't use any die cuts.

The camera has gold and silver glitter accents courtesy of Wink of Stella brush markers.  The lens and the 2 hearts were also accented with Glossy Accents.  The camera flash has a small rhinestone for a little extra sparkle.

I didn't have red brads so I colored white ones with a Copic marker and then gave them two coats of clear embossing powder.  I just colored a brad, dunked it in embossing powder while it was still wet, heated the embossing powder until it melted and repeated the dunk/heat cycle one more time.  These last two pictures also show my interior decorating.

Supplies:
Cardstock:  Georgia Pacific (white), DCWV (metallic blue/gray)
Patterned Paper & Stamps:  Deedee's Digis (Picture Perfect, Stitchy Stars)
Tools/Embellishments:  Copic marker (R29), Wink of Stella glitter brush markers (gold, silver), Making Memories brads, Recollections fine detail clear embossing powder, Staedtler fine tip black marker, Glossy Accents,  Gelly Roll white gel pen

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Sentimental Sunday Challenge #219 - Decorate Your Card Inside & Out
Scrapbook Blessings Club #26 - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Fan-Tastic Tuesday Challenge #47 - Anything Goes
C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #271 - Well done/Congratulations

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you'll come back to visit again soon.