Just Because Cards

Life Happens, Coffee Helps

April 20, 2018April 19, 2018 SkyPaperScissors

Happy happy Friday! We survived another week!

I often think of coffee-themes on Sunday evening, when I’m dreading dragging myself out of bed on Monday morning to start another challenging week at work. But today I was inspired by the My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge #381, specifically by the three small dots in the sketch that, for some reason, made me think of coffee beans (I must have been really tired!).

I started by blending Vintage Photo and Tea Dye Distress Inks onto a piece of Strathmore Bristol Smooth paper. I added some sprinkles of clean clear water, let it sit for about 10 seconds, and then dabbed it up with a paper towel. Then, I blended more Vintage Photo over the resulting spots which gave the effect of a darker splatter, rather than a lighter splatter.

Then I used a mug and an espresso maker image from the Altenew Coffee Love stamp set and stamped them onto a scrap of Bristol Smooth using Copic-friendly Hero Arts Intense Black ink. I used a few colors of Copics (C1 and C3 for the espresso maker, E31 and E35 for the mug, and R30 for the heart on the mug) for some very basic coloring. In hindsight, I might have tried W1 and W3 for the espresso maker since the Cs look particularly cool compared to the rest of the card. When I finished coloring, I cut out the images using the coordinating dies and set them aside.

The sentiment comes from Studio Calico’s Coffee by One Little Bird Stamp set. I just love the sentiments in this set! I stamped the sentiment in Versamark ink onto a piece of black Recollections cardstock, sprinkled Hero Arts white embossing powder of it, tapped of the excess, and hit it with my heat gun.

For the card front, I used a piece of Neenah Solar White 80# Classic Crest cardstock. I cut out a circle using the second largest circle from the My Favorite Things Stitched Circle Inside & Out die set. I adhered the inked Bristol Smooth piece behind the card front and then adhered the sentiment strip, all using liquid adhesive. The coffee mug is also adhered flat onto the card, but I popped up the espresso maker with some foam tape. Then, I stamped a trio of coffee beans from the Altenew set in Vintage Photo Distress Ink. To finish, I adhered the entire card front to an A2-sized card base.

I hope you have a wonderful day, thanks for swinging by!

Animal Cards, Feel Good Cards, Friendship Cards, Just Because Cards

You Are My Favorite Human

April 19, 2018May 21, 2018 SkyPaperScissors

Hi there! I hope you’re having a great day!

Today I’m sharing a quick and easy card using My Favorite Things’ Puppy Kisses stamp set. I just love all of these cute dogs!

I started by trimming a piece of Neenah Solar White #80 Classic Crest card stock using the largest die from the Lawn Fawn Outside In Stitched Rectangles die set to create the card front. Then I placed the card front in a Misti and laid out six dog stamps in two columns. I stamped the images in Simon Says Stamp Fog ink which is a very light gray.

Shifting the card front over a few inches, I stamped another set of six dogs. Then I filled in any extra spaces by hand-stamping individual dogs to finish this the pattern.

I stamped the featured dog image in Copic-friendly Hero Arts Intense Black ink. Using just a few Copic colors (E31 and E35 for the fur, E00 for the inside of the ears, and B4 for the collar), I did some very basic coloring and blending. I cut out the pup using a Brother ScanNCut2 machine and set him aside.

For the heat embossed sentiment, I masked off alternate parts of the sentiment (which is one long strip) so that I could stamp in two lines. I stamped in VersaMark ink onto a piece of blue Recollections cardstock, sprinkled Hero Arts white embossing powder over it, tapped of the excess, and hit it with a heat gun.

I assembled the card by adhering the card front onto an A2-sized piece of the same blue cardstock and then used foam tap to pop up the puppy and the sentiment strip. Then I adhered the entire piece to the front of an A2-sized card base to finish up the card.

Thanks for coming by!

Feel Good Cards, Just Because Cards

Hello Lovely

April 17, 2018May 5, 2018 SkyPaperScissors

Hello, lovely!

Today’s card is my submission to the Color Throwdown Challenge as this week’s Guest Star Stamper. I’m super excited that my card is being shared as an inspiration card for this week’s color palette, alongside some of my favorite card makers like Amy Rysavy and Barbara Anders. How did I get to be a Guest Star Stamper? A random number generator picked my submission to an earlier challenge :p

Today’s card uses flowers and leaves from the Altenew Adore You stamp set and a sentiment the Concord and 9th Hello Lovely stamp set.

I started by stamping the flowers and leaves onto Bristol Smooth Cardstock using Copic-friendly Hero Arts Intense Black ink. Then, using Copic Sketch markers, I did some very basic blending. I added some white detail to the centers of the flowers using a white Sakura Gelly Roll pen. I cut out the images using a Brother ScanNCut2 and set them aside.

For the card front I cut down a piece of Neenah Solar White 80# Classic Crest cardstock with the largest die from the Lawn Fawn Outside In Stitched Rectangle die set. I stamped the sentiment in Versafine Black Onyx Ink. It was looking a little sparse so I smooshed some Mowed Lawn Distress Ink onto an acrylic block, added just a touch of water, and then used a small 2 round paint brush to create green splatters on the card front.

I went back to the flowers and leaves and played around until I settled on an arrangement. Then I used a few strips of Post-It tape to temporarily hold the arrangements together so that I could easily move each arrangement around as a single piece. I flipped each piece over and added liquid adhesive to the backs of the pieces that I wanted to sit flush against the card. Then I flipped the piece right-side up, laid it over my card, and gently removed the Post-It Tape. The remaining flowers are popped up using foam tape. Finally, I adhered the entire card front to an A2-sized card base to finish off the card.

Thank you for visiting!

Encouragement Cards, Feel Good Cards, Just Because Cards

You Were Born To Sparkle

April 17, 2018April 16, 2018 SkyPaperScissors

Hi there!

Today’s card features the new Center Cut Star background stamp from Simon Says Stamp and the Born to Sparkle stamp set from Sunny Studio. I just love the star shape of this background!

I started using Versamark ink and Hero Arts white embossing powder to heat emboss the background onto a piece of Strathmore Bristol Smoothe paper.

For the watercoloring, I used Champagne Gold from the Gansai Tamby Starry Colors set, and a pink Arteza Real Brush Pen marker. I used a small Pentel Aquash waterbrush, but a regular small paint brush would have worked just as well.

While the paint was drying, I stamped the sentiment in VersaMark Black Onyx ink onto a strip of vellum, sprinkled it with Hero Arts Super Fine clear embossing powder, and hit it with my heat gun.

I trimmed the card front down to 4″ x 5.25″ and then wrapped the vellum piece around it, adhering the ends of the vellum to the back side of the card front using a Tombow Mono Dots Adhesive tape runner.

Then I used liquid adhesive to adhere the card front to an A2-sized card base and that finished up today’s card.

Thanks for swinging by!

Encouragement Cards, Feel Good Cards, Just Because Cards

You Are Mermazing

April 16, 2018April 15, 2018 SkyPaperScissors

Hello there! I hope your week is getting off to a good start!

Today’s card is for the My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge #380. A few days ago I pulled out some alcohol ink backgrounds that I made in late February and when I saw this weeks challenge I thought of a fishbowl and remembered that I had a blue and green background that I could use.

I started by trimming a panel of Neenah Solar White 80# Classic Crest cardstock using the largest die from the Lawn Fawn Outside In Stitched Rectangle die set. Then I cut out the circle using the second-larged die from the My Favorite Things Inside & Out Stitched Circle die set. I added a little bit of ink splatter using Mermaid Lagoon and Peacock Feathers Distress Inks, and then I trimmed the alcohol ink background and adhered it behind the circular window.

Then I stamped and colored one of the mermaids from the My Favorite Things Mermazing stamp set. I used Neenah Solar White, and just did some simple Copic-marker blending. I used E57 and E59 for her hair, E50 and E53 for her skin, R20 for her cheeks, YR15 and YR68 for the starfish, and BG11, BG45, and BG49 for her top and tail. Then I cut her out using a Brother ScanNCut2. I added sparkle to her top and tail using clear Wink of Stella.

For the sentiment, I prepped a piece black Recollections cardstock with an anti-static powder tool and then I stamped the sentiment in VersaMark ink. I sprinkled Hero Arts white embossing powder over it, tapped off the excess, and then hit it with my heat gun.

I used liquid adhesive to adhere the sentiment onto the card front, and then popped up the mermaid with foam tape. Then I adhered the entire card front to an A2-sized card base to finish.

Thanks for visiting!