A Window Card

for the Hero Art's September Challenge. I didn't think I was going to have time to create a window card for the technique challenge but I found a little time last night to get started. I had been thinking about what I wanted to do for a Fall Window card so I just dove in. Do you ever have the perfect idea in your head and then what you end up with is really quite different? That is what usually happens to me.

So here's my card... 

This first picture I took with the card laying flat. I started by die cutting the window into the card and covering it with Fired Brick Red and Aged Mahogany Distress inks, using the ink blending tool. Next I took the Hero Art's flourish background stamp and misted it heavily with "Sunflower" Perfect Pearl water mixed. It's hard to see in  the card but it gives a touch of gold shimmer. I was really pleased with how it worked out.

Next I used Staz On "Saddle Brown" ink with the Hero Art's Real Leaves stamps to stamp 2 leaves directly onto the acetate. The darker brown leaves were stamped onto the inside. I was going for a very layered look, kinda of 3 dimensional. For the leaf on the front of the card I stamped using Wild Honey and Aged Mahogany Distress Stains. I also added leaves from Petaloo behind the stamped leaf on the front. I also think this picture is a more accurate photo of the color. The picture above has the flash.

Here is a picture of the inside.

I thought the inside was very plain with just the 2 leaves stamped in brown so I decided to add a little Dried Marigold around the edges. I was careful not to go to far in so that it didn't show through the window. I think I've only made one other window card before so I was glad I did this. I love that Hero Art's has a technique each month. Sometimes it really helps to stretch me.

Hope you are having a great week!!

Hugs!

Hello Friends!

It's been a busy few days. I went to Vegas last Wednesday to help out at an event my scrappy friend Ginger puts on. Inspiration Unlimited. It was such a great event, 250 ladies, wonderful teachers, Teresa Collins, Joey from Bazzill, Jennifer Packard from My Mind's Eye and soooo many more. I helped with the on site store and as a class room assistant. The event is held at the Green Valley Ranch Spa and Casino in Henderson and it is one BEAUTIFUL place.

I had to fly home a day early however. My cousin's son was married on Saturday and it was such an amazing wedding!!! The setting was beautiful and the way they did it was very unique. It was out on a lawn with bales of hay around in a circle where we all sat. This is the second wedding I've been to where everyone sat around the couple and I just love the feel of bringing the 2 families together. Anyway it was just lovely so I thought I would share a couple of pic's along with a picture of the card I made for them.

Thanks for stopping by. Tomorrow I have another job interview, I had one last week but haven't heard anything yet. I'm glad I'm at least getting the chance to interview. I will let you know how it goes!

TTFN!

I can't believe

I did another card from that darn sketch! I just can't get it out of my head...don't know why but I even have an idea for another card using it. But I'm going to stop myself, promise last one, lol.

I think this would work well for a masculine card, maybe for a young man going off to college? Anyway I always appreciate when you stop by. I will be out and about the rest of the week so I won't be here posting. I have so much going on the next few days. I will hopefully have some fun pics to post next time.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Hugs!

Another Card for...

the Lily Pad Cards Sketch challenge. I'm really having fun with this sketch. For this card I turned the sketch upside down. It will also work for the Hero Art's "Everything Autumn" challenge.

The pumpkin is from Quickutz and I stamped it with the Hero Arts Flourish S5034. The sentiment is also from Hero Art's CL 361. The stamped border is from Lawn Fawn, Blissful Botanicals. I used distress Inks to color in the leaves.

Thanks for stopping by!! Hope your having a great week!

TTFN!

Karen

Another Inspiration Showcase...

Inspired card. I'm having so much fun with Jennifer McGuire and friends over at Inspiration Showcase. Each day is another new video with lot's of inspiration and ideas.

I'm looking at the Tim Holtz Rosette die in a whole new light. For this card I cut a piece of double sided patterned paper out using the small and medium rosette die. It cuts both sizes at the same time. Then I flipped the smaller one over and adhered it onto the larger strip using glossy accents. I trimmed 2 pleats off the larger strip so the length would be the same and accordion folded it, adhered the ends and glued it onto a circle. By overlapping the smaller strip onto the larger strip it created a wider strip which then created a larger rosette. You could also cut the strip down to make it smaller. So many options.

Here are a few other Rosette's I did.

For this one I stamped and inked white strips and layered them.

This was a white strip that I added tissue tape to and Stormy Sky Distress Stain.

This is Distress Cardstock ran through an embossing folder then sanded before assembling.

Thanks again for stopping by. If you are enrolled in class I hope you're having as much fun as I am!

TTFN!

A Sketch Challenge

Here is this month's sketch over at Lily Pad Cards.   Hero Art's is the sponsor for this challenge. And here is what I came up with.

The Sketch....

My Take...

I just turned the sketch and this is what I came up with. I had spent most of the weekend laying around with a terrible cold but when I had the energy I would go in and ink a bit. The 3 strips were punched from white bazzill cardstock and then colored using distress stains, Aged Mahogany, Spiced Marmalade and Mustard Seed. The leaf is a Quickcutz Die that I applied ink onto with an ink blending tool and a spritz or 2 of water. The background paper is from Basic Grey...I think from an old holiday line. And the sentiment is of course Hero Arts CL497.

Well thanks for looking, I hope to complete another card using this fun sketch...we will see.

Have a great week!

TTFN

Scraplings....

My Hero Arts flicker friend, Dana is hosting her first blog challenge here. I love this idea of using up the scrap pieces you end up with after cutting a 12x12 piece of paper down to create 2 cards. What is left is a 3.5 x 12" piece of paper. Here's how I used my "Scrapling" and added it to a card.

I used another scrap to punch a border to add to one side and I used the scrap piece from the last card I posted to punch the little butterflies. It was in the top of my trash can....I couldn't resist, lol. I used Aged Mahogany with a little liquid pearls to paint in the poppies, I wish you could see the shimmer in the flowers.

Thanks for a fun challenge Dana!

TTFN!

Inspiration Showcase

I'm back with another card inspired by the class I'm taking on line with Jennifer McGuire, Inspiration Showcase. For this one I heat embossed the flower pattern in Vintage Photo ink and Clear embossing powder...

I used Distress Stains in Mustard Seed, Rusty Hinge and Aged Mahogany. Using a finger dauber I added my colors in a little more controlled fashion then sprayed the whole piece with water to get the inks to blend and move. I did this in all of about 5 minutes. I think next time I will take a little more time and see if I can get it blended a little better before I mist. Especially on the Rusty Hinge.

We celebrated our youngest daughter's 20th birthday this week with a scavenger hunt at Disneyland last Sunday and dinner with the family on Monday. Then on Wednesday my older daughter and I went with her to take her State Board for Cosmetology. My older daughter was her model. It was a very loooong day. The test started at 7am, and she had to be there by 6:30am. The first part was 4 1/2 hours, about a 15 minute break to eat half of the sandwich I brought her...while standing in line and then another 2 hours for her written test. About an hour later she got the news along with her license for the state of California!!! We are so happy for her. She is now licensed in 2 states!

Her sister got her the sash that says "Birthday Girl" and she wore it all day!

With that fiery Red hair you can tell she's a stylist...LOL.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs!

2nd Post of the Day

Well I'm back with another post. I forgot today was the last day for the Play Date Cafe Challenge so I thought I would give it a go. I wish my card did these beautiful colors justice!

I had no idea which way I wanted to go with this but the patterned paper I used for the card was handy so I just went with it.

I didn't have the right color letter stickers so I used my Copic's to color some Basic Grey Sticker letters. I've been wanting to use the Rosette as a "Ribbon" for a while but wouldn't you know it...I didn't have one stamp in all my stash that had a # sign on it! I'm going to have to fix that!

Have a great day!!
TTFN!

Inspiration Showcase Day 1

Yesterday was the first day of Inspiration Showcase with Jennifer McGuire. So much fun!!! Here is my first card. It was funny that the first technique was traditional resist on glossy paper. I had just thought last week that I should use that technique on a card for the Lily Pad resist challenge. I'm always thinking I need to do more of their challenges cause they have such a great blog! I love their fun posts. Anyway this was just the motivation I needed. I also decided to go with an "Autumn" theme for the Hero Art's challenge.

Stamps: Hero Arts CL457, Inks: Distress, Rusty Hinge, Mustard Seed, Aged Mahogany. Leaves: Petaloo.

Now I hope to have some time to work on the other techniques as well!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs!

More Distress Stains...

Oh how I'm lovin' these Distress Stains. My In-Law's came for a visit over the long, Labor Day Weekend and brought me a care package from SBP (Scrapbook Paradise). Yesterday I finally got to play!!!!  Here is what I came up with...

First of all I needed to get organized. I keep my stains in a drawer and thought it would be nice to be able to look in and see the colors from the top.  I created circles on my silhouette (.75") colored them and using a bit of glossy accents glued them to the top of the lid. Love It!

Next I created  swatch tags. I did this years ago for all of my ink pad colors and I love having it for my stains as well. It makes matching with other papers and embellishments a cinch. Tags also cut on my silhouette 2x3.

And here is the card I created using my new distress stains. This month on the Hero Arts Group the challenge theme is "All things Autumn"  The Colors I used are; Bundled Sage, Crushed Olive, Aged Mahogany,  Mustard Seed, Rusty Hinge, Frayed Burlap, Walnut Stain. Hero Arts Stamps; Lg Lotus Pattern CG350, Designer Woodgrain S5208, Real Leaves CL457.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs!