Playing with Oxide Inks

I had an opportunity to play with my new Distress Oxide Inks (DOX) last week.

Here are two samples of smooshing with them.

I used the same technique on both of these samples.

The one on the left was smooshed on cardstock.

The one on the right was smooshed on Tim Holtz Specialty Paper.

For each sample, I applied the ink to my craft sheet one color at a time 

and smooshed the paper in the ink WITHOUT spritzing with water.

Then I spritzed the inked piece with water as I dried it.

It moved a lot more on the specialty paper.

I thought the colors were more vibrant than when I spritzed the inks with water before smooshing.

It looks more like smooshing with Distress Ink with the

advantage of the colors layering.

Here's a card I made from the sample on the left.

That bit of pink made me think of a flower.

I framed it with a NBUS Stitched Hexagon Layers.

There's a piece of die cut foam underneath.

I don't know if you can see the background or not.

It was a piece that had been dry embossed with a stencil.

It adds a very subtle embossing.

It's a good thing it's subtle, because the embossing is crooked.

The more I tried to straighten it, the worse it got!

This is the card I made with some of the piece done on Specialty Paper.

It's a shameful CASE of Jennifer McGuire's card.

I love this NBUS Poppystamp die!

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: ANYTHING GOES

Pixie's Snippet Playground: Used snippets for my butterfly.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Beautiful Butterflies (PTI)

Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black, Fossilized Amber, Twisted Citron, Worn Lipstick, Spiced Marigold DOX (TH)

Paper:   Neena (110 lb.), Specialty Paper (TH), Basic Black (SU)

Other:  Stitched Hexagon Layers, Kaleidoscope Butterfly, Texture Mesh Stencil (MB), Floral Stem Collage Poppy (PS), Candy Dot

Cigar Box

Hi ya'll!

I hope you are having a wonderful day!

I'm not going to share a card today but instead another kind of project.

I am in a craft group that meets once a month and we always swap something.

This month each of us was given a cigar box and told to decorate it.

After a panic attack lot of thought, this is what I came up with.



My box had a very rough, ridged top.

After struggling with a coat of gesso, I asked my DH if he still had the electric palm sander.

Wonder of wonders, he found it and there was one piece of sandpaper.

So we went to work trying to smooth the top some.

After another coat of gesso and two  coats of white acrylic paint, I was forced ready to start decorating.

I thought of some beautiful vellum pieces that our dear friend Darnell had given me
and pulled them out.

I used Modge Podge to adhere the vellum pieces to the box.

Much to my dismay, some of the pieces didn't seem to want to hold.

I tucked a bit more Modge Podge under the corners of the pieces and weighted them down.

Still not great.

I think my Modge Podge was too old.

Does that stuff have a shelf life?

So I switched to TH Distress Collage Medium.

Thinking that if I gave it a good coat over the top, it would help stick it down,
I slathered it on!

And then the orange started to appear.  Ackkk!



I'm not sure what that is.

Could it be stain from the wood that hadn't been coated with gesso?

Whatever it was, it didn't disappear.

So I'm calling it distressed!

I added some fancy feet and a little pull for the top.

I'm hoping the "jewelry" will make it more appealing.

So that's my swap for this month.

I'm so relieved it'd done and can't wait to see what the rest of the gang did.

I'll try to remember to take a picture of the one I get.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  

Ink:   

Paper:   

Other:  

A Star for Merry Monday

Hello friends.

Today I have another Christmas card for the stash.

This week's Merry Monday Challenge was chosen by Lori.

I used an old SU set, stamped on Crumb Cake, heat embossed, 

and die cut the star.

I pulled out a snippet that had been dry embossed with the Woodgrain EF,

popped the star on it and matted it with more crumb cake.

A little bow from linen thread and a sentiment and it's done.

I'll take this over to Scrappy Mo's Rudolph Days, where it's anything Christmas goes.  

This challenge is every month from the 25th through the end of the month. 

Always wonderful inspiration pieces over there from the design team and gallery!

And it's a good feeling to have a stash of Christmas cards put aside.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Many Merry Stars (retired SU)

Ink:   Whisper White (SU)

Paper:   Neena (110 lb.), Crumb Cake (SU)

Other:  Stars Dies (retired SU), White EP, Linen Thread (SU)

Another Tag

Hi folks!  I have another tag using watercolor in pink and green.

This time I made it into a card for the CAS Watercolour Challenge that ends tonight.

I used the Poppystamps Pin Point Main Street tag die again.

I love this die!

This time I cut it twice and scored 1/2" from the top on one die cut.
By adding adhesive at the top, it opens like a card.

The design piece was stamped using Distress inks and
moving the color around with an Aqua Painter.

Once the flowers were dry, I did a wet on wet wash around the flowers.

I used watercolor pencils to add some details to the flowers and stems.
It's a technique that I learned from an Altenew class that Marika taught.

The die cut love and embossed layers complete the project.

CAS Watercolour closes on the 24th.

Entering at

Penny Black and More - SPRING

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - SPRING

Poppystamps Challenge - GIFT IT

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - SHOWERS AND/OR FLOWERS 

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Blooming Garden (PB)

Ink:   Abandoned Coral, Mowed Lawn (Distress)

Paper:   Neena (110 lb.), Mixed Media (Strathmore)

Other:  Pinpoint Main Street Tags Die (PS), Heartfelt Die (PB), Square Lattice EF (retired SU), Watercolor Pencils (SU), Aqua Painter , Bits of Ribbon

Inlaid Iris

Hello friends. Welcome to my blog.

Here's a reminder that there's still time to join the challenge
at CAS Mix Up and CAS Watercolour
Both challenges are open until the 24th.

My sweet friend and teammate, Joanna (Jo-Jo's Spot) sent me a card recently
 and I was so inspired by it that I had to CASE it!
I'll share a picture of Joanna's card in a bit.

This Penny Black Single Iris die continues to be my favorite to go to this time of year.

This time I die cut it from watercolor paper and colored with Zigs and lots of water.

After it was dry I tucked it into the piece it was cut from.
It fits like a puzzle and tucks in nice and tight!

I added some stencil paste through a stencil to add a bit of interest to the background.

When that was dry, I wound some gold thread around the base several times and
tied it off where it would be hidden by the design panel.

I added the design panel with a piece of fun foam on the back.

I masked the iris and splattered and splotched some Gold Color Shine.

Now here's Joanna's gorgeous card that inspired me.

AAA Cards #88 :  Stencil
CAS Mix Up: Inlaid Die Cuts + Watercolor + Stencil Paste + Splatter
CAS Watercolour: Green and Pink

Simon Says Monday Challenge: Splash it on - watercolor

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge: Showers and/or Flowers - flowers

   

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Snippets (PB)

Ink:   Old Olive (SU)

Paper:  Neena (110 lb.), Watercolor (TH) 

Other:  Zig CCRB (#28 Pale Pink, #25 Pink, #41 Lt. Green, #43 Olive Green, #44 Deep Gree), Gold Color Shine (Heidi Swapp), Embossing Paste (Wendy Vecchi), Textured Scraped Paint Stencil (retired MB)

A Wreath for Merry Monday

Hello.  How's your Christmas stash coming?

I raided my Christmas UFO box and found parts for this card.

Yep, all the elements were in that box of goodies.

I thought they'd go together well.

I'm not sure where the wreath came from because I don't think I own,

or have ever owned that stamp.

It's white embossed on Crumb Cake cardstock and fussy cut.

The background is little snowflakes stamped and embossed on Crumb Cake cardstock

and die cut with stitched rectangles.  I had kept both parts so I inlaid

the smaller one into the frame.

The die cut joy was bouncing around in the box too so I 

adhered it to the wreath for some color.

I think it took all of 5 minutes to put it together.

Going through the UFO box took lots longer!

I'm glad to have lightened the load in there.

This week, my friend Linda is hosting

Merry Monday

My entry last week was the winner!

Thanks Kathy!

and since I inlaid the rectangle die, I'll add this to the gallery at

CAS Mix Up

I used stamping, inlaid die cuts and heat embossing.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Wishing you Cheer Snowflakes (retired SU)

Ink:   Whisper White (SU)

Paper:   Naturals White (retired SU), Crunb Cake, Real Red (SU)

Other: White EP, Wonderful Wreath Framelit Joy (SU), Stitched Mats Rectangles (LI) 

Darling Viola Love

Hello stamping friends.

Today I have a tag.

I don't usually do tags, but I wanted to join in at the
poppy Challenge


I was the random winner there last month and I'm excitedly awaiting more Poppystamp dies!
THANK YOU, POPPYSTAMPS!

I used my NBUS Darling Viola and cut twice from mixed media paper.

I also used the Poppystamp Pin Point Main Street Tag die cut from a piece of
smooshed mixed media paper.

The flowers were painted with my Kuretake Gansi Tambi paints.

A light stamping of script gives the tag a little more dimension.

When the flowers were dry, I gently shaped them and attached them to
the tag with rolled glue dots and bits of dimensionals.

A stamped sentiment and some ribbon finished it off so it's ready for DD's birthday present.

I'm going to join in at tag Tag You're It Challenge too.

My flowers don't add as much dimension as her gorgeous flower, but I've

got dimension and pink.  I think I'm squeaking in just under the wire.

and it fits our 

CAS Watercolour Challenge

It closes the 24th.

Oops! It is pink and green watercolor but it isn't a card.

You can join in with a card though.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Gift of Love (SU), French Script (Darkroom Door)

Ink:   Soft Suede, Sahara Sand (SU)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore)

Other:  Pin Point Main Street Tags, Darling Viola (PS), Kuretake Gansi Tambi Watercolors

Sweetbriar Rose for CAS Watercolour

Hello peeps.  Here's a reminder that there's still time to join in at
CAS Watercolour Card Challenge

Here's this month's challenge

The die cut tag can be used as a bookmark by removing the brad.

The sweet flower image was stamped on watercolor paper with
Whisper White ink and heat embossed.

I colored the flowers with Zig Clean Brush Markers


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Sweetbriar Rose, Take Care (both retired SU)

Ink:   Whisper White, Crumb Cake

Paper:   Watercolor for image (Arches 140 lb. cold press, Watercolor for card base (Strathmore 140 lb. cold press), Printed vellum (retired SU)

Other:  White EP (SU), Stitched Tags (LI), Vanilla Seam Binding (retired SU), Brad (stash)

He is Risen

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!

Alleluia!

Easter blessings to you all.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Cross:  Taylored Expressions Stained Glass Cross (Thanks, Nance)

More Inlaid Dies for CAS Mix Up

Hello.  Can you believe how quickly this month is flying by?

I have another Inlaid Die Technique to show you today.

I used my NBUS, Memory Box Sketch Daisy Die, cutting it

from heavy white cardstock and from alcohol ink smoosh snippets.

Then I inlaid all the little pieces together.  It was kind of like doing a jigsaw puzzle.

I had the piece that I'd stamped and embossed in my UFO pile.

Since there was a bit of copper in the leaves, they seemed to go together.

There's more inspiration from the Design Team at

CAS Mix Up

The challenge is open until the 24th.

And since I used this fun Memory Box Die, I'm going to enter it in

Memory Box Out of the Box Challenge

My Mom passed away many years ago.

So this is for all the moms/mums out there.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  French Foliage (retired SU)

Ink:   VersaMark, Alcohol Ink (pinks, greens, copper mixative)

Paper:   Neena Solar White, Yupo

Other:  Sketch Daisy Die (MB), Copper EP, Raindrops (PTI)

Masked Snowman

Hello, Crafty Peeps!

Here's another card for the Christmas stash.

I stamped and heat embossed the snowman and masked him to stamp the trees.

After coloring him with markers, I sprinkled some Chunky White Embossing Enamel
over the piece and heat set from the back.
(I have a hard time getting this stuff sprinkled evenly.
I seem to always end up with a glob of it somewhere and
actually scraped some off with my fingernail.)
And you'll notice that the snow hasn't fallen to the snowman's boots yet either.
I guess it's just started snowing!

Merry Monday

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Snow Much Fun (retired SU), Lovely as a Tree (SU), Festive Snippets (PB)  

Ink:   Archival Black, SU Markers (Garden Green, Real Red, Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie)

Paper:   Thick Whisper White, Basic Black, Whisper White (SU)

Other:  Chunky White Embossing Enamel (Stampendous), Kars Snowflake EF (retired Cuttlebug)