Stacy's Paper Crafts

Watercolor Digital Stamp Images Two Ways!

Hey Everyone! I have a fun technique to share with you all today. If you've been following my blog for awhile you know that I enjoy using digital stamp images. There are pro's and con's to using digital stamps compared to using rubber or photopolymer stamps. The biggest con for me when it comes to digital stamps is not being able to utilize techniques like heat embossing or being limited to certain types of coloring mediums because I print my images using an Ink Jet printer.

I spent some time experimenting and I found two easy methods that allow me to use digital stamped images printed using a standard Ink Jet printer that can be colored using water based coloring mediums! For both methods I printed my images onto 80lb. Neenah Solar White Cardstock using an Epson Eco-Tank 2850 printer using the standard print setting. I also tested these methods using a very old printer, a Canon Pixma iP2760 and achieved the same great results, crisp bleed-free images! The image I used for my card today are part of the Iris Fantasy Digital Stamp Set from Pickled Potpourri Designs.

 

The first method is to apply a fixative to your digital stamped images after printing. I used Krylon Workable Fixative, but I believe there may be other sprays on the market that work similarly. This method is easy and allows you to use your image with very little wait time. The only downside to this method is that this particular fixative spray has a strong odor and it lingers for more than a few days. It always triggers a headache or migraine for me, but I suffer chronic headaches & migraines so I might just be more sensitive. I always wear a mask and spray it outside, and then I leave my sprayed pieces in my garage for a few days. It dries very quickly so if you aren't sensitive to the odor, you can work with the images within a few minutes after spraying.

 

 

The second method I used requires a little more drying time but it's also super easy! After printing your image wait a few minutes to ensure the printer ink is completely dry. Then apply a thin even coat of Fluid Matte Medium over the top of the image. Allow it to dry completely before coloring your image. You can apply a second coat of Matte Medium if you need to. I find that applying the first coat using upward and downward strokes, and then applying a second coat left to right gives me a nice even application. I allowed my images to dry overnight and then I ran them through my laminator because some of the edges of the paper curled. You could also use a hot iron without steam to flatten them out. Be sure to sandwich your paper between a few sheets of regular printer paper to protect the surface of your iron. If you have a mini Cricut heat press or something similar that would work well too!

 

 

I used Neocolor II Water-Soluble Pastels & Dylusions Spray Ink to color the image. I am not a skilled watercolorer but I'm so very excited about having the option to use water based coloring mediums with my digital stamps! During my experimenting I also played with rice paper, a new to me substrate. That text panel behind the iris was created by stamping on rice paper using Versafine ink. I ended up with some very cool results that left me beyond giddy and deserves an entire blog post of it's own so stay tuned!

 

*Some affiliate links were used in this blog post.

 

CFK Project: A Snowman Note Card

Hope you all had a great weekend! It was chilly but sunny here on Saturday which gave me a chance to photograph more of my "January Counterfeit Kit Challenge" makes. I'll be sharing those with you all this week. Today's card features an adorable snowman from a stamp set called Snowman Blocks from Red Rubber Designs. I colored his little scarf and buttons in shades of blue-ish greens using Copics & Polychromos colored pencils. I added some Nuvo drops to highlight the circles on the frame around the snowman, I love the dimension it adds!

I added some white splatters to the Kraft card base using white gouache, and then inked the edges using PTI Kraft Ink. I like to keep some cards on hand that don't have a sentiment for those occasions when I need a card last minute but don't have time to create one. I will usually just add a sentiment related to the occasion, or will leave it blank and will just write my message to the recipient on the inside of the card. Thanks for visiting today, stop by tomorrow to see this little guy's ensemble in pink :)

 

July Counterfeit Kit Projects

I'm late sharing my projects that I created using my July Counterfeit Kit, let's pretend that it's not the very last day of September! LOL Fair warning, this is going to be a super long post today. I didn't do much scrapping with my kit, but I did created several cards and a DIY travelers journal with 3 inserts.

I created this "Pop/Flip" card following a tutorial created by Chris Franco, here's a link to her video Pop/Flip Card Tutorial. I need to create more fun fold type cards, I love how this one turned out!

Although this next card looks like it has a lot going on I'd classify it as a Clean and Simple card. It has a panel of printed vellum adhered to the card base. I used a stencil to emboss a card mat and then blended some ink on top. I then used my sewing machine to add some stitching detail around the embossed panel and then adhered it to the card base. I never seem to be able to get the tension right when sewing on paper. Even though the stitches are a little wonky, I still like the subtle texture it adds. I then adhered a stamped and die cut leaf to a simple tag, attached a button, and a little sentiment, and then adhered them to the card front.

My last card has several layers and features a floral die cut and some Papertrey Ink ribbon that's been in my stash forever.

And finally a DIY travelers journal with a few inserts. This was a little tricky to photograph but so fun to make!

Hope you all are doing well, thanks for stopping by!

 

 

Springy Bunny

Another bunny card? Yes! I think I have bunnies on my mind because I've been "bunny watching" daily for weeks! Bunnies have literally taken over my back yard. There's a teeny tiny wooden preserve behind my house where I'm assuming they live. Several times a day they venture out and they come to nibble on this specific area in my yard. It's a barer patch of grass that my husband has been seeding and babying so the grass will thicken and grow. About a month ago he put down some type of fertilizer or grass seed or something or another, and the the bunnies have been drawn to it. I feel bad for my husband because he's been working so hard for years to get the yard looking a certain way... but watching the bunnies has been so fun! They're just too cute. 

Anyway, about a week ago I shared a card, Bunny Boy featuring this same image but with a completely different color palette. I love how color and pattern has the ability to  alter the overall feel of a design or image. Pairing the grey bunny with the lighter colors in the patterned paper definitely makes this card feel much more "springy" to me.

 

Thanks for stopping by today!

 

Stampin' Up's No Matter The Weather Kit - Part 1

A few years ago I subscribed to the Paper Pumpkin kit by Stampin' up, some of them I really enjoyed! Unfortunately I ended up becoming more of a collector of the kits rather than an assembler! So I'm slowly working through my stash.

The March 2020 kit, No Matter the Weather has been one of my favorites! I created several cards but I'm going to share them in two separate blog posts so be sure to stop by to check out the second one if you're interested. I think it might have been sometime in 2021 when Stampin' Up decided to add some of the past Paper Pumpkin kits to their regular kit offerings and this is one of them! They just had a BOGO sale on their kits so it may be out of stock but I think they may restock them.

 

When I create with the Paper Pumpkin kits, 95% of the time I don't follow the instructions! LOL I try to create at least one of the cards the way the kit was designed, but I almost always end up using my own card bases, adding additional embellishments, or doing something completely different. With this card I cut up one of the envelopes and used the striped patterned liner as the mat to back the focal point for this card.

I used some patterned paper from a SU Sale-a-Bration offering from several years back. The sentiment is from a retired SU set called Seaside Notions, I stamped it using Calypso Coral ink. I added some mini metallic pearls to the flower centers.

I think this card is the closest that I got to following the instructions. I stamped the sentiment in a dark grey ink although it appears black here.

I also cut apart one of the dark green striped envelopes to add a bit of pattern to this card. I stamped the little heart using Blushing Bride ink, and then stamped the sentiment using Basic Gray. I used more of those mini metallic pearls for the flower centers, and then popped up the rain boots and flowers using the stampin' dimensionals included in the kit. Stay tuned for part 2!

Bunny Boys

Hi Everyone! I have a CAS card to share with you today featuring the bunny image from Pickled Potpourri Designs' Beautiful Day digital stamp set. The images are so, so, so cute, but I especially love the little bunny!

 

 

I'm also playing along with this week's Tic Tac Toe Challenge. I used the middle row across,"Any color, Free, & CAS."

I layered the "hugs" sentiment on the wooden plank before printing it for this card. I used a stitched oval die to cut it out and layered it on a tag after coloring it with Copic markers. I liked the simplicity of the image paired with the stitching detail and the patterned paper so I kept the embellishments minimal and added a single enamel dot to anchor the tag.

 

Thanks for stopping by today!

Spring Tulips

Do you have a "go-to" color scheme when you color floral images? I always seem to reach for yellows and purples when I color tulips. I couldn't decide between the two, so today I'm sharing cards featuring both colors!

The tulip image is from the Beautiful Day digital stamp set by Pickled Potpourri Designs. You might actually have this set in rubber form if you've been stamping for a long time and still have some TAC stamps in your stash. Unfortunately I missed out on purchasing the rubber version so I was thrilled to see it being offered as a digital stamp set!

The yellow tulips were colored using Copic markers, and that adorable bee patterned paper is from an Echo Park collection called New Day.

I also colored these purple tulips using Copic markers and then added a sentiment from the Love Lines stamp set from Red Rubber Designs.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

 

Vintage Birdie

Hello everyone! I have a vintage/shabby chic inspired project to share with you today. This project may not look like much to you, but it was a bit of a creative stretch for me. I'm not sure I've ever created a true vintage inspired project, but I love how this turned out. 

I started out by applying a watercolor wash to an A2 card base using a shade of turquoise dye ink. I then tore some book pages into random pieces, inked the edges using Vintage Photo Distress, Ground Espresso Archival distress, and Fallen Leaves Versafine Clair inks, and used an edge distresser to add some extra texture to the edges of the papers. I layered and adhered them to my card base, along with a piece of embossed wood grain cardstock. I then inked the edges of the card base using the Ground Espresso Archival distress ink. I then spritzed and splattered them with Lindy's Stamp Gang Spray inks in Sandra Dee Sepia & Tilt-a-Wheel Teal. 

I've had some Deco Foil Adhesive glue and foil sheets in my stash for quite awhile that I decided to put to use. I applied the glue directly to the stamp, the smallest image in the So Splattered stamp set, using a makeup sponge and stamped randomly over my card. After allowing the adhesive to dry completely, I used a gold foil sheet to transfer some of the foiling to the card. I love the subtle effect it gives the card. 

The little bird is from the All Things of Nature stamp set. I stamped it using Fallen Leaves Versafine Clair ink, colored it using Copic markers, and then used a die cut to cut it out. I also applied some gold foiling along the edges of the die cut. I added a strip of watercolored paper, embossed vellum, and gold thread to create a little nest under birdie die cut, that I adhered to to the card base using chipboard pieces. For a final touch I added some ink splashes using white gauche.  

 

My project was inspired by the following crafty challenges...

Addicted To Stamps and More: Anything Goes

Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge Blog: Anything Goes Mixed Media

AAA Birthday: Game #13 Things with Wings

Krafty Chicks Challenge: All Occasions 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies:

Red Rubber Designs stamps: All Things of Nature & So Splattered

Paper: Book pages &  white cardstock

Inks: Distress Vintage Photo, Ground Espresso Distress Archival, Fallen Leaves Versafine Clair

Embellishments: Gold Thread & Gold Foil

Other: Copic markers, Teal watercolor paint, Lindy's Stamp Gang Sprays- Sandra Dee Sepia & Tilt-a-Wheel Teal, & White Gauche

Layered Heat Embossing

Happy First Day of Fall! It's my absolute most favorite season of the year! It's the time of year when my body feels fewer MS aches and pains, my muscles are less spastic, the humidity is more bearable, AND I can actually spend some time outdoors. It's also when I feel most creatively inspired! The changing colors and textures in nature around my community has a way of stirring my crafty mojo. 

 

My project today is a super textured card inspired by the sketch challenge over at Sunday Stamps.

I started out by cutting a leaf die cut using my Silhouette. I inked the surface of it using Versamark ink and then heat embossed it using copper embossing powder. I then stamped the background stamp from the Here I Am stamp set by Red Rubber Designs using Versamark ink. I then heat embossed it with gold embossing powder. I also sponged a little black ink along the edges of the leaf.

Although the crisp stamped pattern is lost, the second layer of embossing powder gives the leaf a fun subtle texture. Heat embossing the second application of embossing powder also caused the first layer to become "over embossed," which made the embossing powder bubble up creating additional texture! It's difficult to capture it in a still image, but I encourage you to try this this layered embossing technique. Your results will vary depending on your stamped image design and the type and coarse of embossing powder that you use. My embossing gun only has one setting, if yours has multiple settings, experiment with them! They may give you some varied textures.

I used patterned paper from the Robyn Digital Paper Collection by Pickled Potpourri Designs. I applied Distress Crazing Medium to a piece of the the brighter pink patterned pattern, and inked over it using Ground Espresso Archival Distress ink. I'm still experimenting with the best way to apply the Crazing Medium, but I really like it! It gives your project a slight crackled appearance without the texture of a traditional crackle medium. I then adhered the panel to a layer of chipboard to give it some depth. 

I cut a piece of the houndstooth patterned paper, distressed and inked the edges using more of the Ground Espresso ink. I adhered it to the card base, and layered the pink inked panel on top. I tore a piece of corrugated paper, applied a bit of Ground Espresso ink to it, and adhered it on top. To embellish the card I added some gold thread layered behind the leaf, applied some copper wax to a little chipboard heart and adhered it on top of the leaf. I stamped a partial sentiment from one of the sentiments in the Ever So Thankful stamp set on cream cardstock, adhered it on a strip of chipboard, and then inked the edges before adhering it to the card. I cut it a little wonky but figured it works with all the distressing on the rest of the card! LOL

As always you can click on the photos for a more detailed view. A supply list is provided below. Thanks so much for stopping by today!

 

^Supplies:

^{Stamps: Red Rubber Designs: Here I am & Ever So Thankful}

^{Paper: Pickled Potpourri Designs: Robyn Digital Paper Collection, Kraft & Cream Cardstock, chipboard}

^{Ink: Ranger Ink Archival Distress Ink Ground Espresso & Black Soot}

^{Other: Ranger Ink Copper & Gold Superfine embossing powders, Ranger Crazing Medium, Finnabair Metallique Wax Rich Copper, Mini Chipboard Heart, & Gold Thread}

 

A Yellow Rose Highlight

Hi there! I'm popping in today to share a card featuring some of my favorite Red Rubber Designs stamp sets. I knew that I wanted to use the Rosebud image for my project this month but I didn't have a real plan. I started out stamping the image using brown ink to create the background.

I used the Speckle Background stamp to add a bit of texture, and then inked the edges of the stamped panel. I was going to stop there and maybe add a sentiment and a bit of twine, but I decided to highlight one of the images with color. After stamping and water coloring the image, I fussy cut it and adhered it to the card panel. 

 

I stamped the sentiment in black ink and added a little "nest" of gold metallic thread and adhered them on top of the highlighted rose. The sentiment is from a set called Background Soup. I love how versatile this particular image is. You can use the stamp as a Background image, or you can cut the sentiments out individually! 

 

 

The sentiments are tiny, but sometimes you need a smaller sentiment for your projects. I also added some Morning Dew Nuvo Crystal Drops, although it didn't really do much for the card. I think a gold color would have been better. Nonetheless I like it, hope you do too! As always you can click the photos to enlarge the view. 

I'm also including this card in the following Challenges:

Cute Card Thursday

Addicted To Stamps and More! 

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge

 

Thanks for looking!

 

Supplies:

Stamps: Rosebud, Background Soup, Speckle Background

Paper: Kraft & White Cardstock

Ink: Soft Suede & Versafine Onyx Black Ink

Other:  Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors, Nuvo Morning Dew Crystal Drops, Gold Metallic Thread

 

 

 

Day 13 of #100daysoftenminart

My Card for day 13 features more Pickled Potpourri Designs Shades of Black & White Digital papers. Those floral images are fun to fussy cut, and they create a great focal point! 

 

I kept this card simple again and let the paper stay front and center. I added a mini button and some scrappers floss to give it a tiny little something. The sentiment was the perfect size for this card, it's from the Enjoy Nature set by Red Rubber Designs. I stamped it using black ink and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. 

Supplies:

Pickled Potpourri Designs' Shades of Black & White Digital Paper

Black, Grey, & White cardstock

Red Rubber Designs' Enjoy Nature

Other: Black Ink, Clear embossing powder, mini button, & white scrappers floss

Day 9 of #100daysoftenminart

Day 9's card features one of the card fronts that I stamped on day 7. The design was inspired by the floating die cut style cards except that I left the "frame" intact and adhered it flat to my card base.  The images are from the Painted Seasons stamp set by Stampin' Up'.

I added some dimension by adhering the middle succulent in the center of the card using foam tape, and by adding some clear dew drops that I've had in my stash forever. I felt like the succulents in the center needed an anchor so I stamped some texture behind them using an image from the Stampin' Up Artisan Textures stamp set using Pool Party Ink. The sentiment is from the April 2019 Paper Pumpkin Kit stamp set, stamped in Crumb Cake ink. 

 

Supplies:

SU Painted Seasons Stamp Set, Artisan Textures, April 2019 Paper Pumpkin Kit stamp set

White Cardstock

Ink:  SU Crumb Cake, Garden Green, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Sea Foam, & Pool Party. I also used a distress ink in Twisted Citron

Other: Clear dew drops & foam tape

 

Day 7 of #100daysoftenminart

No pink or red today! Today's project is all about the greens with a splash of blue! I created two A2 sized card fronts using the succulent image from SU's Painted Seasons stamp set. I decided to go with a mostly monochromatic look and used SU inks in the following colors: Garden Green, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Sea Foam, & Pool Party. I also used a distress ink in Twisted Citron. Some of the images were stamped in full ink, some were the 2nd or 3rd stamped ghost prints.

For this first print I only used the succulent stamp. I like how it turned out, but I wanted to see what it would look like with a "filler" stamp So I added the asterisks like cluster stamp to the second background panel. 

I love how it turned out! Now I just need to figure out a way to use these backgrounds without having to cut or cover them up!  Thanks for stopping by! 

 

Supplies:

SU Painted Seasons Stamp Set

White Cardstock

Ink:  SU Garden Green, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Sea Foam, & Pool Party. I also used a distress ink in Twisted Citron

Day 6 of #100daysoftenminart

Whenever I craft I'm always drawn to using reds & pinks. I suppose it's not a bad thing, but I'm going to challenge myself to use some other colors for my next project. This card features a floral image from the Bloom by Bloom set by stamping up. You'll probably see some more projects featuring it, it's such a fun set that can create so many different looks. 

I cut the sentiment tag using a Silhouette cut file, and stamped the sentiment using Versafine Onyx black ink. The sentiment is from a clear stamp set I picked up from Joann's by Ms. Sparkle & Co. Paperie, but the stamp set isn't named. The item # is 15915929. 

This clean & simple design came together pretty quickly! I love the subtle texture the distressed edges of the patterned paper panel gives this card. 

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Supplies:

SU Bloom by Bloom & Ms. Sparkle & Co. stamp set

DCWV Pink #1, SU Pool Party, & White cardstock, B&W chevron patterned paper

Silhouette cut file: Tag Set of 12

Versafine Onyx Black ink pad, Momento Rose Bud, & SU Pear Pizzazz

Day 5 of #100daysoftenminart

Today's card features an adorable duck image from Pickled Potpourri Design's Adorable Animals  stamp set. I love how this cheery clean & simple card turned out. I used a lot of foam tape to pop up the polka dot  panel & the frame around the duck.

I colored the image using colored pencils & Gamsol, and used a white gel pen to color the center of the flowers. I then stamped a sentiment from a Red Rubber Designs stamp set called Enjoy Nature on the frame panel. I tucked a die cut border piece behind the frame and adhered it with foam tape to the card base. 

 

Thanks for stopping by today! 

Supplies:

Stamps: Pickled Potpourri Designs Adorable Animals & Red Rubber Designs Enjoy Nature

Silhouette Cut File Die Cuts: Polaroid Frame & 5 Seamless Borders

Paper: Blue & White Polka dot, & Yellow & White Chevron patterned papers, Yellow textured Cardstock, 80lb. Neenah Solar White Cardstock

Ink: Ranger Archival Manganese Blue

Other: Colored Pencils, Gamsol, White Gel Pen

Day 4 of #100daysoftenminart

My #100daysoftenminart project is going very well! I find that I have less pain, more energy, & creative mojo in the evening, but unfortunately I don't have the best set up for photographing my work at night. Initially I thought I would focus on creating and not worry about sharing my work everyday, but doing "bulk photography" sessions isn't going to work for me. I think I may just photograph & upload my project the morning after I create them. So bear with me, over the the next couple of days as my blog & Instagram feed will be bombarded with my progress so far. 

My card for day four features floral images from Stampin' Up' Bloom by Bloom stamp set. After stamping the panel I felt like it needed something else, so I also used the little asterisks like cluster stamp from the Painted Seasons stamp set. It's the perfect little texture/filler image for the spaces where you need a tiny little something.  

I added some enamel dots to some diecut flowers and adhered them using foam tape. I then stamped a sentiment from SU's Lasting Lily set on a silver embossed label tag. I adhered a decorative diecut strip behind it, along with some metallic silver thread and popped up with foam tape.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Supplies:

Stamps: SU's Bloom by Bloom, Painted Seasons, & Lasting Lily

Cardstock: SU's Regal Rose & Soft Sea Foam, So Saffron, Pool Party, & 80lb. Neenah Solar White

Silhouette Cut Files: 8-Petal Flowers & 5 Seamless Borders

Ink: SU's Regal Rose, So Saffron, Soft Sea Foam, Highland Heather, Pear Pizzazz, Pool Party

White Enamel Dots

Metallic Silver Thread

Updates + Day 2 of #100daysoftenminart

Hi Everyone! First an update:

You may remember that several years ago I was a design team member for Pickled Potpourri Designs. Unfortunately my health went haywire and I had to take a step back to focus on it. I was recently asked to come back and I'm excited, thanks Pam! I'll be designing using both digital images from Pickled Potpourri Designs and will also use rubber stamped images from Red Rubber Designs.

Next up, a card for Day 02/100 of #100daysoftenminart ...

I decided to ink up this beautiful image from the Lovely Peony Stamp set by Red Rubber Designs. I actually won this set in a giveaway many years ago, I'm not sure how I haven't used it up until now. I colored the image using colored pencils and baby oil. I finally have a sharpener that works really well! The Kutsuwa STAD Angle Adjustable Pencil Sharpener T'GAAL is a game changer! I know I'm late to the party and this isn't new to most of you, but it amazes me how a little gadget can get me excited about coloring again. 

Thanks for looking! 

Supplies:

Red Rubber Designs Lovely Peony stamp set

White & Kraft Cardstock

Versafine  Onxy Black Ink

Prismacolor & Polychromos Colored Pencils

Black Nuvo Drops

 

 

#100dayproject round 2

I failed miserably with my #100dayproject last year. I’m trying again this year, and I have a plan which I hope will make me more successful! ⁣My biggest challenge last year was trying to manage the symptoms of MS & and other health issues. When I’m in pain and the brain fog & fatigue grabs a hold of me, it’s difficult to muster up the strength to sit at my desk let alone create anything. ⁣
⁣
This time around I’m keeping things simple! #100daysoftenminart I’m going to commit at least 10 minutes to create something for the next 100 days. Some days I might spend more time depending on how I’m feeling. I may complete something start to finish, and I might not. My goal is just to make a habit of doing something craft related. I have a few things I can even do while lounging in bed or on the couch! ⁣

⁣I'm also going to make it a point to use some of my most beloved yet neglected craft supplies including lot's of stamps that have never been inked up. My card for day 01/100 features a digi image that has been sitting in my "waiting to be colored" pile. It's from the Tea or Me stamp set by Love Cynthia Stamps. I used colored pencils & baby oil to color the image. 

Supplies:

Stamps: Tea or Me by Love Cynthia Stamps, Hedgehog with Sign by Gerda Steiner Designs

Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black + Prismacolor & Polychromos colored pencils

Paper: Pink & White cardstock

Other: Wink of Stella clear pen

Painted Seasons Florals

Hi everyone, long time no see :)

I wanted to share a card with you featuring images from the Painted Seasons stamp set, it's one of my new favorite stamp sets from Stampin' Up. I'm sure you've seen these images all over the place because it was a Sale-a-Bration set, I hope you had a chance to order this set too!

Supplies:

Stamps: SU Painted Seasons, Butterfly Gala, Linen, Artisan Textures

Ink:  SU Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, Garden Green, Old Olive & Palette L'Amore Red

Paper: White & Red Cardstock, & SU Crumb Cake

Other: SU Four Seasons Framelits , Tag die cut,  & Large Silver brad

 

Create Your Own Patterned Paper Using Digital Stamps

 

I have a quick card to share today showcasing one of my favorite stamping techniques... stamped backgrounds! It's really easy to create a background using digital images using Microsoft Word, but it's even easier if you use Photoshop or a similar program. They have some great tools that allow you to manipulate and align your images quickly!

 

I normally use Microsoft Digital Image Pro to re-size and print my digis. For this technique you would just open your image file, copy and paste several images to fill your desired paper size. I sized mine at 4 1/2 x 5.75 inches. I then rotate and align the images as desired across the length and width of my paper.

 

The image I used for my background is from Pickled Potpourri Designs' Sketch Scrolls set. I used black ink to stamp a sentiment from Red Rubber Designs' Trendy Greetings stamp set. I added some black enamel dots and a resin flower my crafty friend Stephanie from Skyline Paperie  RAK'ed me quite some time ago. I love those little flowers so much :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

 

Sketched Scrolls

Trendy Greetings

White Cadoodle Cardstock

InLinkz.com

 

Adorable Smiling Butterfly

Hi all! I have a cheery card to share with you all today. This smiling butterfly is just too cute, she's a digi image from Pickled Potpourri Designs' Cutie Pies stamp set. 

I colored this image using Spectrum Noir markers. I'm slowly adding them to my alcohol marker collection. I usually wait until they go on sale for $7.88 at ACMoore and will pick up a pack or two. I didn't think I'd like them, but I really like the newer designed markers! They color and blend pretty well without bleeding, which was a common complaint about these markers when they first became popular among card makers a few years ago.

I matted the image and adhered it to the card front using foam tape. I then stamped the sentiment on a strip of white cardstock using pink dye ink and tucked it behind the image. I used some white embroidery floss and a button to embellish the card.

 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges

4 Crafty Chicks: Something Old/Something New. The image, pink patterned paper, & markers are my new items. The green patterned paper mat is my old item. 

Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog: Any sentiment other than a birthday sentiment

Cute Card Thursday: Anything goes

 

Thanks so much for looking! 

  

Cutie Pies

It's Your Day

White Cadoodle Cardstock

InLinkz.com

Red Rubber Inspirational #134

 

I have a quick one layered card to share with you today. I pulled out a couple of stencils, some inks, and a moth image from Red Rubber Designs' Moths stamp set to create a card for the latest Red Rubber Inspirational, you can check out the details for this challenge here -----> "Just Wing It"

 

 

I stamped the moths using distress ink... which turned out pretty good! I usually don't have much luck using distress ink for my stamped images but I'm happy with how nicely the moths stamped. I used a newer ink pad so maybe that made a difference. 

 

 

I then used some gray ink and sponged it through my stencil to give the background some texture and interest. I spritzed some purple ink over the card front, and stamped the sentiment using black ink. I finished the card by adding a few mini rhinestones. 

 Thanks so much for looking!

 

Moths

Sophisticated Sentiments

White Cadoodle Cardstock

Tombow Markers

InLinkz.com

Floral Minis

 

It's been a little while since I created some mini cards so I whipped up a few this morning. This set of images is perfect for mini cards. I decided to use a primary color scheme to make these little cards cheery. 

Each of these mini cards measure 3x3 inches. I cut white cardstock squares measuring slightly smaller and stamped polka dots using ink to match the cardstock. I'm not the best fussy cutter so I left the scallopy edges off the images when I cut them out. 

I colored each of the images using Copic markers. I applied shimmer mist around the edges of both the rose and tulip, although It really doesn't show well in the photo. 

 

I applied glossy accents to the center of the flowers for the blue & orange florals. 

 

These cards were inspired by the following challenges...

2 Cute Ink Challenges: Anything Goes

Love To Scrap! Challenge Blog: Scheming Crafter

 

 Thanks so much for looking!

 

Spring Boxes	Background Soup	Scarlet Cardstock	White Cadoodle Cardstock
Momento Danube Blue	L'Amore Red	Palette ink Pad Sunflower

InLinkz.com

Kitty Kitty

This weekend just flew by way too fast! I wanted to share another kitty themed card before the week was over...

This past week I practiced coloring skin tones using Copic markers. I need more practice with the darker tones, but this is my best one yet!  I love this little girl and her stubborn kitty! LOL 

Thanks for looking! 

 

It's Your Day

White Cadoodle Cardstock

Scarlet Cardstock

Momento Tuxedo Black Ink Pad

InLinkz.com

Forever Friends

I just knew these two were meant to be friends when I saw this image in the Pickled Potpourri Designs store. These two cuties are from a set called Cat and Mouse. I attempted to color the kitty similar to the colors of my kitty's brown fur... I think I achieved a more abstract version! LOL 

I used a gold ink pen to color the two wood veneer hearts and then coated them with glossy accents. Once they were dry I adhered them to the card. I stamped the sentiment on a strip of white cardstock and layered it on a strip of brown cardstock. I attached a gold eyelet, and adhered the sentiment to the card front. The patterned paper is another scrap I was hoarding, I love the shades of brown in it. 

Thanks so much for looking! 

 

Cat and Mouse

Forever Friends

Patterned Paper Bundle

X-Press It Blending Cardstock

   

InLinkz.com

Tea Pot Mouse

Hope you all had a great weekend! I have a quick card share today. I used the other image from Pickled Potpourri Designs' Pot of Tea to create a "just a note" card.

I colored the image using Copic & ProMarkers, added a bit of patterned paper, and embellished the card with twine & a button. I stamped the sentiment on a little tag, and adhered it directly to the card, tucked just under the button.

I'm entering this card into two challenges this week...

Red Rubber Inspirationals: Anything Goes

Totally Gorjuss: Tag It

Thanks for looking!

  

Pot of Tea

Trendy Greetings

White Cadoodle Cardstock

Momento Tuxedo Black

InLinkz.com

Farewell Two Peas...

I sure you all have heard that Two Peas in a Bucket announced that they are closing. To say I was shocked is an understatement. I got my start in this paper crafting hobby way back in 2001. A friend invited to a Creative Memories party and I had fun but didn't really jump into scrapbooking. The small purchase I made sat for almost a year before I thought about it again. I can't recall how I learned of Two Peas, but after visiting the gallery I was hooked, and that was all she wrote! 

In a few short days the Two Peas in a Bucket website will be taken down. I thought it would be fun to share some of the very first crafting projects I uploaded online. You can click on each photo for a more detailed view.

 

 

This was the very first layout I ever shared. This photo of my son cracks me up! I remember asking him why he wasn't smiling in the picture and he said "I didn't like the man!" I guess he didn't like the photographer for some reason! LOL 

 

 

This was the cover of a Halloween Mini album I created. Remember fun fur? LOL I bet you still have some in your stash! I really had a thing for diecuts and paper punches then... still do! 

 

This was one of the first cards I stamped using unmounted stamps. The image I used is called Sunflower Botanical and is still available from Red Rubber Designs.

 

 

This is also one of my favorite layouts and memories. This was my son's first year of soccer, and my husbands first year of coaching. The kiddos in this group were 4 to 4 1/2 years old and were so fun to watch play... ok well they mostly played in the grass, with rocks, and danced on the field! LOL Their favorite part of the game was the end of the game team huddle... and snacks of course :) 

 

 

 

This was one of my all time fave layouts :) That photo I snapped on a whim and was thrilled when I had it printed. 

 

This little guy was SOOOOOOOOOOO excited about this cake! He wasn't interested in birthday presents until after he got his hands on that cake topper. It was a pretty cool cake :)

 

 

I never thought a layout featuring cicadas could be cute... nonetheless I could live the rest of my life without seeing another one! LOL This layout also highlights my Heidi Swapp chipboard alphabet love. I still have a ton in my stash... I haven't purchased any since 2006, and I use them all the time so that should tell you something! LOL

 

 

One last one. I'm noticing a theme here... yellow t-shirts, that oversized hat, & chipboard alphas! LOL Looking back at these layouts is bitter sweet. My son is now 6 months away from turning 14. I'm not sure how that happened!

I'm so grateful to have discovered this beautiful hobby. I think that most paper crafters would agree that this industry is changing, always changing. One thing that that I hope will remain constant is our need and desire to document our lives.

 

A Mousey Greeting

 

Happy Saturday! 

 

 

I have a card to share that I created for a few challenges...

 

I ♥ ProMarkers: Embossing

Delicious Doodles: Buttons and Bows

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog: Anything Goes

Pile It On: Kawaii/Cute

 

I love this adorable mouse in a mug image from Pickled Potpourri Designs' Pot of Tea digital stamp set.  I  found some sticky back plastic mesh in my stash that I wanted to use, so I decided to color the little mouse using brown ProMarkers. I embossed the ivory panel using a Cuttlebug embossing folder, and adhered it to the card base. I added a strip of patterned paper, and adhered the mesh on top of it. 

 

 

I stamped the sentiment on a die cut circle using black ink, I popped it up using foam tape, added a mini button with scrappers floss, and tied a bow around the mug handle using a bit of twine. I cut out the image and adhered it to the card using foam tape.

Thanks so much for looking, have a great weekend! 

  

Pot of Tea	Chicken Scratch	Catelynne Patterned paper
White Cadoodle Cardstock	Momento Tuxedo Black

 

 

Lot's To Share Today...

I finally got around to photographing the last of my May Counterfeit Kit projects, so this post is going to be short, sweet, & photo heavy. 

 

I got a little carried away with the distress ink on this card, but I like how it turned out. The "Cherished" badge is a Pickled Potpourri Designs image from the Affirmation Badges digital stamp set. I printed it out on white cardstock, used a circle cutter to create a die cut, applied distress ink, and adhered it to the card front using foam tape. 

This layout features a photo of my eldest nephew's first Easter. I'm a little bummed about how the spray mist turned out. I pictured it completely different in my mind! LOL But it's another memory documented so I'm happy about that. 

 

I adore this little bunny :) It's another Pickled Potpourri Designs image from the Adorable Animals digital stamp set. I pulled out my Prismacolor colored pencils to color this image, and outlined it using a gray Copic marker. 

This layout was super easy to put together. I used acrylic paint to color the chipboard alpha and embellished it with some die cut leaves. Aren't those trucks pretty all in a row? One of these days I'm going to hunt down a truck that offers vegetarian & gluten free options. I've heard that there are a few in the city.

And finally, one last card. I'm still loving those tulips from Pickled Potpourri Designs' Flopsy Bunny digital stamp set, it's not just for Easter! I stamped a sentiment from Red Rubber Designs' Sophisticated Sentiments stamp set on a piece of die cut vellum. I heat embossed it using black embossing powder. I love the crisp appearance the embossing powder gives. I colored this image using Copic & ProMarkers.

 Thanks for stopping by today! 

 

 

Little Lamb

Just wanted to pop in today to share another card that I created using my Counterfeit Kit. I moved my craft room to a different bedroom in my house a couple of weeks ago. I basically just shoved everything in the new room and it's a disaster! I haven't figured out how to capture the best lighting in there just yet so I apologize for the dark grainy photos. 

This little lamb is from a Pickled Potpourri Designs set called Adorable Animals. I colored him using Copic & ProMarkers and applied distress ink along the edges of the image panel. I stamped a sentiment from Red Rubber Designs' Sophisticated Sentiments using black ink and popped it on the card front using foam tape. I also used foam tape to adhere the button. 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

• I ♥ ProMarkers: Flowers 

• Through The Craft Room Door: Anything Goes

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today! 

 

Adorable Animals

Sophisticated Sentiments

White Cadoodle Cardstock

Momento Tuxedo Black

InLinkz.com