Turning the Page August 2019

Time to turn the page on our calendars to a new month.

I make calendars each year for my desk and my family.

I thought I'd set up a regular post on the last day of each month to share them.

I hope you enjoy my “Turning the Page” posts.

Here's our August page.

 By the way, the calendars are clipped together and can be displayed on an easel

or hung on a push pin or magnetic hook.  We all have a different way to display them.

If you would like a word document with the calendar, email me

and I will be glad to send it to you so you can design your own.

Email link is on the sidebar.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Doing Splits

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

I'm doing splits today.

Not that kind of splits.  That would hurt!  These were relatively painless and
so much fun doing them at the retreat.

Nancy shared this technique that she's seen Jennifer McGuire do.  

She'd asked us to bring some completed card fronts

so I pulled some from my UFO box.

This was a technique that I tried last fall when stamping with a friend.

Hers turned out much better than mine.  I didn't like it but wouldn't toss it.

When I saw that we were going to be cutting the piece, I decided

this was my least favorite of all I'd brought so I figured I didn't 

have anything to lose.

I held my breath and cut.

Okay.

Now I had to cut again to leave a space for the stamping.

That's scary!

Everything went back together beautifully and I actually think I

like this card now.

Then.....

Susan got us to play with bleach.

I had this really dark piece of Brusho gone wild and thought

it a likely candidate for the bleach technique.

The technique worked beautifully but the card was too dark for my liking.

I chickened out and didn't get fancy with the cutting this time.

But I have to say, I like the card much better with it split.

Maybe I'll get brave and do some fancier cuts one day.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Insightful Meadows (Unity)

Ink:   VersaMark, Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper:   Neenah

Other:  White Embossing Powder, Chalk Pastels (SU)

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Dogwood (Technique Junkies)

Ink:  Archival Jet Black 

Paper:   Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. cold press), Neenah, Black

Other:  Brusho Powders, Bleach

Together with Penny Black

Hello friends.  I hope your week is off to a good start!

I love this Penny Black stamp and it's so easy to use.

I popped it in my MISTI and inked it up with Distress Ink Cubes and Markers.

A little touch with a damp waterbrush and more stamping got the

depth of color I was looking for.

When finished, I used the almost inkless stamp around the background to

give a little more depth.

And another play with this stamp.

A little darker shade of blue, a popped up frame and a little bee

made this a bit different.  We used this design, minus the bee and

popped up frame at my last class.

I'm entering at

Penny Black Saturday Challenge

I'm going with the Anything Goes

and Penny Black and More Challenge

******Summer Colours******

Blue is the color of most swimming pools so I think it's a summer color

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Together (PB), Tiny Sayings (AlE)

Ink:   Broken China, Mowed Lawn, Peeled Paint (DI, DM), Whisper White (SU)

Paper:   Neenah, Pacific Point, Mixed Media

Other:  White EP, Double Pierced Rectangles Dies (AvE)

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  Together (PB), Enjoy (PB), Nature's Walk (SU)

Ink:   Salty Ocean, Chipped Sapphire, Mowed Lawn, Peeled Paint)

Paper:   Neenah, Pacific Point, Mixed Media

Other:  Double Pierced Rectangles Dies (AvE)

Sweet Christmas Bird

Hello friends.  I hope you're having a great weekend and getting in some crafty time.

This sweet little bird is going to join in at a few Christmas challenges.

He was so quick to stamp on a die cut ornament and color with Distress markers 

swiped on my palette and using the color with my waterbrush.

I'm sharing it with my friend Maureen's 

Rudolph Days Challenge

This is an anything goes Christmas challenge from the 25th of the month

until the 31st.  A great incentive to get those Christmas cards done!

The Christmas Kickstart Challenge #15

FESTIVE THINGS WITH WINGS

and

Jingle Belle's

has an inspirational photo this time.

I picked up on the wood floor and white ornaments and gold trim.

Not much sparkle so I'm not sure this will be suitable for their challenge.

ABC Christmas Challenge

N & O

O is for Ornament

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Jolly Friends (PB), Holiday Snippets (PB)

Ink:   Archival Jet Black, DM (Festive Berries, Vintage Photo, Abandoned Coral, Tumbled Glass)

Paper:   Crumb Cake, Gold Foil (SU), Mixed Media

Other:  Pinewood Planks EF (SU), Heirloom Ornaments Die (Splbndrs), Nuvo Crystal Drops (Autumn Red), Gold Cord (ret. SU)

Here's Jack

Hi there.  I hope you're having a crafty good day!

Jack and I had a little craft session not long ago.

He saw this card on the rack and wanted to make one like it.

It was made from a friend's kit and I didn't have the ingredients anymore.

I gave him the card and he added the bling.

Then he scribbled on a paper towel with some markers,

spritzed with water and pressed the paper towel around the bling.

All his own idea.

I've never got results that good from this technique!

I've spent today with both Jack and Emmy.

They are so full of ideas that it's hard to keep up with them!

I'm one tired but happy Nana tonight.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Kit from Spellbinders

Paper Towel

Waterbase Markers

Indroducing Emmy

Hi there.

I want to introduce you to an upcoming talent in the cardmaking world.

My lovely granddaughter, Emmy has been spending lots of time with me.

A couple of weeks ago I introduced her to Brushos and Lindy's Magicals.

She was a goner!

She did LOTS of backgrounds.

She picked one that would be perfect with the mermaid stamp on my shelf.

Here's a closer look at the card.

Her Aunt Kelli is going to love this!

She did a beautiful job on the inside with some flowers and a
message that will bring tears to her aunt's eyes.

We'll be sharing more in the coming days and months.

What a joy to share this wonderful obsession hobby with her!

And a special thanks to Ms. Loll for making her a watermark.


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Mermaid (Stampendous)

Ink:   Archival Onyx Black

Paper:   Mixed Media, Neenah

Other:  Brushos, Lindy's Magicals, Stitched Rectangle Die (SSS)

Gardens for Twofer

Hello friends.

First of all I want to thank you for your birthday wishes and cards.
It was a milestone birthday this year and you helped to make it a really special birthday!

The Twofer Challenge this month

I realize that my garden is kind of a bird's eye (or drone's) view.

I hope I'm not stretching it too much but this stamp had been in my NBUS box long enough!

First up...

I used one of my favorite techniques.  I've white heat embossed the stamping and used

my Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers and a waterbrush to watercolor.

For my twofer...

This one was a little bit tricky.  I started by stamping the entire

image with Antique Linen Distress ink.

Then I inked the largest flower with a

Distress Marker and pulled the color into the flower with my waterbrush.

(This technique works best for the no-line watercolor look.)

All was well.

Then I did the same with one of the smaller flowers.

Okay.  We're doing good here.

Then, oh no! The paper shifted and the next stamping made that blue flower

go all blurry to my eyes!

Hating to give up a perfectly good piece of watercolor paper, I

trudged on using Distress Markers swiped on a palette and

watercolor pencils and whatever else I could think of to color the rest of the image.

It wasn't the best of results!

But, Nancy showed us a technique at the retreat where you cut a

less than perfect (or a perfect) image and split it up on the card front.

Saved!

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Hello Lovely (C9), Bouquet of Thanks (SSS)

Ink:   Whisper White, Midnight Muse (SU)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 400 Series), Neenah

Other:  White EP, Zig CCRBM (#21 Lt. Carmine, #29 Geranium Red, #51 Lemon Yellow, #50 Yellow, #52 Brt. Yellow, #41 Lt. Green, #43 Olive Green, #37 Cornflower Blue, #49 Green Shadow), Sequins

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  Hello Lovely (C9), Friendship Messages (SSS)

Ink:    Antique Linen (DI), Chocolate Chip (SU), Distress Markers

Paper:   Mixed Media, Neenah

Other:  Watercolor Pencils, Foam Sheet, Sequins

Snowflake for CAS Christmas Reminder

Hello friends.

There's still time to join in at CAS Christmas.

I'm hosting the challenge this month and I chose

I am really enjoying all those beautiful snowflakes in the gallery!

I've cut both snowflakes from the Penny Black Snowflake Duo set from

Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper.  I also cut a larger snowflake from a 

piece of Neenah cardstock.

I found a piece of Inka Gold Smoosh in my backgrounds and popped

it behind the Neenah snowflake outcut that had been

subtly embossed and stamped with a sentiment.

Popped the whole thing up with a piece of fun foam

and it was done.

The Design Team along with our Guest Designer, Jane

have some awesome inspiration cards for you

at CAS Christmas.

Hope to see your snowflakes in the gallery.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Season's Greetings (OOB There She Goes)

Ink:   Real Red

Paper:   Neenah, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer (SU)

Other:  Subtle EF (SU), Snowflake Duo Dies (PB), Snowflake Die (IO), Inka Gold

Black Eyed Susan Bouquet for CAS Watercolour

Hello crafty friends.  There's still time to join in at
CAS Watercolour.

Susan is hosting the challenge this month and she chose.

I used this Corner Vase stamp from Serendipity (now sold at Impression Obsession)

and stamped it on mixed media paper using Antique Linen Distress ink.  Then I colored

it up using Zig CCRBM and my waterbrush.

Some of the flowers turned out really well.  Others not so great.

I found that swiping the Zigs on my palette and picking up the color 

with my waterbrush gave me better control of the color.

When I was a little girl, I loved the Black Eyed Susan flowers that grew in the 

meadow behind our house and would pick bouquets to take in to my mom.

They cheerful flowers bring back happy memories.

Our Design Team and Guest Designer Leslie have some

awesome inspiration pieces and the gallery is full of beautiful bouquets.

Hope you'll visit and enter in at

CAS Watercolour.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Corner Vase (Serendipity/IO), Snippets (PB)

Ink:   Antique Linen (DI), Chocolate Chip (SU)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 400 Series), Neenah, Daffodil Delight (SU)

Other:  Zig CCRBM (#50 yellow, #61 lt. brown, #62 dk. brown, #92 glue gray, #37 cornflower, #302 blue haze), Stately EF (ret, Crafts Concepts)

More Alcohol Lifting for CAS Mix Up

Hi.  There's still time to join in at
CAS Mix Up

 

I'm hosting the challenge this month and I chose

I pulled out an alcohol inked background from my stash.
This one was done on Photo Paper.

I used Alcohol Lift and inked up this beautiful stamp that was gifted
to me from my dear friend Loll.

It took several tries of stamping the lift ink and rubbing with a paper towel
to get a good lifted design.  The MISTI makes this possible.

Each time I lifted ink, I stamped the color onto some Neenah cardstock.

I ended up with more than one of the Neenah pieces.

Now I need to figure out what to do with the others.

I  thought the flowers need a little contrast so I took out an
ultra fine point black Sharpie and added some dots to the centers

The Design Team is joined this month by the talented Michelle.
There's some awesome designs over there.
Hope you check us out and join in at
CAS Mix Up.

I'm going to join in at
Craft Stampers Magazine: Take It Make It Challenge

ANYTHING GOES


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  At Grace (PB), Bouquet of Thanks (SSS)

Ink:   Alcohol Ink Lift, Archival Jet Black

Paper:   Photo Paper (HP Premium), Neenah, Basic Black (SU)

Other:  Alcohol Ink, Oxford EF (Cuttlebug), Black Twine

Sparkly Snowman for Jingle Belles

Hello friends.

I hope you are having a good weekend.
If it's as hot where you are as it is here, I hope this will cool you off.

This snowman was done using the Encrusted Jewels technique.

I used heavy cardstock which I die cut with this fun snowman die.

 My pancake griddle came out of storage and I used it to melt some clear embossing

powder on the die cut.  BTW, I used an oven mat to cover the top of the grill to keep 

the griddle clean and a piece of parchment under the die cut to make

it easy to move when everything was melted.

When the embossing powder was nice and melted into a puddle, I dropped

some Shaved Ice into it.  When the Shaved Ice was melted into the clear puddle,

I carefully removed the parchment paper and picked the die cut

off the paper with a paint spatula.

In real life it looks icy and I'm not seeing the pink that the photo shows.

As I move the card, the iridescence picks up all kinds of colors. 

I've die cut an aperture and put added a background piece that's

been sponged with Distress Ink and splattered with water.

I found some iridescent ribbon in my stash to tie around the top of the card.

I'm entering this at Jingle Belles where they're playing Tic Tac Toe

I'm not sure if the shaved ice is considered glitter or not.

If not it is definitely blingy!  So I'm using the row across the top

or down the right side.  Hopefully this works for one way.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Festive Snippets (PB)

Ink:   Versafine Smokey Gray

Paper:   Neenah

Other:  Snowman Joy Die (PB), Stitched Arch Stax (MFT), Shaved Ice (Stampendous), Kars Snowflake EF (ret. Cuttlebug), Clear EP (WOW)

Watercolor Garden

Hello crafty friends.

I'm back with a piece from the retreat that's finally been  put on a card.

Darnell showed us how to use a damp brush and watercolor pencils
to get fantastic control.  This technique is especially good on small,
detailed images like this one.

To do this technique, you draw the damp brush across the tip of
the watercolor pencil and paint the color onto the image.
I used my favorite Caran d'ache watercolour pencils.

It gives a light color and you just build up the color by repeating
the technique until you have the desired intensity.

We used stamped and heat embossed images.
I love how the embossing makes this shine.
It also helps to stay in the lines :-)

I think these pastel colors will work beautifully for
The Flower Challenge

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Snowy Scene

Hello crafty friends.

I'm trying to cool off with another snowy scene.

I used the rest of the die cut that I used on this card.

Thanks again, Maureen!

I had this frame stashed away that the little village piece fit into perfectly.

I popped a smooshed piece behind the die cut and added some glittery

snowflakes and a dusting of glittered snow.

There's still time to enter at CAS Christmas

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Christmas Sentiments (PB)

Ink:   Not Quite Navy (SU)

Paper:   Neenah, Dazzling Diamond Glimmer (SU)

Other:  Winter Village Die (PB), Snowflake Dies (IO), Stitched Square Dies (SSS), Dazzling Details

Alcohol Lift with Stencil

Hi there.  I'm so glad you could stop by.

I've been lifting alcohol ink again.
I'm glad it's not to heavy! :-)

This time I used a stencil over a piece of alcohol ink on Yupo paper.

I used a piece of felt dipped in blender solution and dabbed it over the

stencil. I found I needed to dab off the felt occasionally so it 

wasn't redepositing ink back on the piece.  I should have dabbed

it off on a clean piece of Yupo and maybe had another

background piece to use.  Too late now!

This is one of my favorite dies for a quick and easy card!

I'll take this over to CAS Stencil

and I'll drop it in the gallery at

CAS Mix Up

My mixed media are Alcohol Ink, Alcohol Ink Lift, Stencilling, Die Cutting, Stamping and Heat Embossing.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Sentiment (AE)

Ink:   Encore Gold 

Paper:   Neenah, Yupo

Other:  Alcohol Ink, Forest of Leaves Stencil (Stmplrtions), Blending Solution, Felt Applicator (Ranger), Floral Stem Collage Die (PS)