Never enough tags!

Have you ever had an idea for a design in your sleep?  It doesn't happen often, but I had been going through my stamps looking for things that might work for Christmas tags.  I came across an "oldie" set that has boot tracks and the sentiment "Not all who wander are lost" - and this tree.  It didn't occur to me to use the tree until I went to bed - I was actually looking at the two smaller trees in the package.  LOL  

So, the details; It was stamped on a store-bought kraft tag with Pomegranate ink, then the image was stamped again on a scrap of retired CTMH design paper from years ago (when the paper was two-sided but the patterns were the same on both sides, just the colors different).  I used Ponderosa Pine on the green side and Cocoa on the brown side of the paper; cut them out and paper pieced.  The star was from a set called "Live, Laugh, Love" (also retired) that has beautiful swirls and design elements.  I thought about stamping it on a lighter color but decided that I liked the rustic look better.  

Ombre Watercolor

 I've made an ombre background using the ink pad and a water brush; but honestly, the way the watercolors move on the new CTMH watercolor paper with a brush is so satisfying! I believe doing it this way the blending was even easier! 

I used three of the colors (I actually worked it from lightest to darkest), I "encouraged" the piece to dry with the heat gun, and then stamped the sentiments with the new Sapphire ink.  The front piece is self-matted (I had taped the watercolor paper down with Washi tape) and it is mounted onto a piece of Sapphire cardstock. Then I stamped some stars with White Daisy pigment inks.  I had to stamp them several times to get them solid enough but the final effect is nice - they are a little blurry just like all the stars I see in the sky at night! I also used just a touch of the Wink of Stella Clear on the stars.  

Another watercolor - Northern Lights

One of the CTMH consultants posted a video showing how to create a northern lights scene using sponges and ink pads.  I decided to try doing it with watercolors.  This was my first try - and I kinda like it!  The stars are dots of Star Dust Stickles.  The snow is Wink of Stella - Clear and the tops of the hills were done with the Stickles.

I don't think I mentioned on here that I actually saw Northern Lights this summer!  It was after midnight, Steve and friends had been out fishing for Walleye and saw the lights from the boat.  They woke me up and made me go outside with them in my robe and slippers - but I am SO GLAD they did!  What I saw wasn't as colorful as my example - mostly white with some green and blue hues; but the way it danced in the sky is a sight I'll never forget! Simply magical! 

Watercolor paints

I hadn't yet dipped my new brushes into the watercolor paints from Close to My Heart.  I decided to make a small batch of cards I could share with my artist friends - the sentiment is one of a CTMH set available to Consultants - I believe the goal is for recruiting.  But I love how this looks over the watercolors and thought it would be great fun to share with my card-making friends.  One of these is not like the others - can you see which one?  (Given: each one is unique - but three have the same background paper from Kaleidoscope). 

Get Well, Thinking of You, Thanks!

This set of cards was completely inspired by the design paper that I stumbled onto at a garage sale.  One of my dear friends has more scrapbooking/card-making stuff than any (make that ALL) of the Local Scrapbook Stores combined!  She was trying to reduce the load of stash - and I was the very fortunate recipient of over 100 sheets of design paper.  There was only one of this one, however.  And I was completely smitten by the copper foil on these roses.

I made a Get Well (for a friend who had surgery) a Think of You for another with a serious health issue and a Thanks for the young woman who cared for my house plants all summer.  I like them all!

Sentiments are all Close to My Heart stamps and the inks were Blush, Topiary, and Cocoa. I added a few "gems" also.

It sure feels good to be creating again!

Masculine birthday card

Steve's oldest Grandson is turning a TEENAGER soon - the family is celebrating early so we can do this with him in person!  It's nice! So, I'm thinking a 13 year old boy won't want a goofy, childish card - but something very masculine. Hope this works!

 

The papers are the new Urban design from Close-to-My-Heart, and the sentiments are from a stamp set that isn't available; it was a September special celebrating Scrapbooking, Card-Making, and Picture-My-Life planner types of stamping.  I believe this particular one was Card-making (but I get confused and my stamps are packed so there is no looking it up).  Anyway - I cut the stars from the Urban paper, I stamped "Happy birthday" in a subtle "whisper" over the metal plate design paper. What doesn't show is a little pocket I added after I took this photo for us to slip in the $13 that we give at birthdays.  ($1 per year).  Next post will be from Arizona!  Yippee!!

One more Christmas tag

This is a retiring stamp set from the 2014-2015 catalog; an "A" size, that I had to have.  I love the simplicity of it - the sweet message (not so much the sentiment as the image of the girl holding the single star).  I stamped it in black ink, then colored with my Inktense pencils.  I love the effects!  There is a little Wink-of-Stella on the star and star-beams but not anywhere else. 

I'm scheduling this post and the next one because we are traveling soon and I may be without internet connection temporarily!  Next real visit will be from Arizona (Home!)!! 

Christmas Tags

It's time to wrap family presents in MN before we leave (we're trying to save money on postage!).  We'll be having a big "thanksgiving" meal together on Saturday and everyone here will take home their gifts to open with us on Skype at Christmas.  It's been our tradition for as long as I've known Steve.  He has no desire to be in MN with snow on the ground and -40 degree weather!

I used a beautiful CTMH stamp set called Christmas Love and delved into my supply of "zip-strips" (I cut them off, and store them separately - but I rarely use them!).  Their sources are too many paper packs to remember, but I do believe all of them are retired papers. I'll probably tie these to the packages with a piece of twine or ribbon of an appropriate color.

Christmas Tags

These cute stockings were from a retired CTMH set called Holiday Magic.  It is a "build-your-own" type of deal - with a couple of stocking tops and stocking designs. I used just a portion of last years Christmas paper (cut out just what I wanted) for the "hand-made zip strip".  *giggle*

There is also Wink of Stella on the top of some of these.

Christmas Tags - Trees

These trees are from a retired set - Holiday Magic.  I had some fun here!  I stamped the bottoms by just inking that part (i.e. put the stamp on the edge of the ink pad) but the top part of this stamp (which has all the different patterns on one tree) was done by stamping one Ruby one and one that was Fern and then mixing up the sections.  Fun, huh!

Christmas Tags - Penguins!

These tags are a combination of Christmas Melodies and Wintry Wishes. I love using up little bitty scraps of pretty paper - the scarves and hats came out better than I expected!

Christmas Tags - Christmas Love tree

Such a pretty little tree!  I love the swirls built into the stamp that make this tree look decorated already!  I used Wink of Stella to add sparkle to the tree (not sure if it really shows up).  In real life it is so pretty!  Another part of a vintage zip-strip (so glad I save everything!)

Fallen Leaves

The colors of the Sangria paper pack have captivated me!  Perhaps because I am living with them in the beauty of this rich Northern autumn (and it is a stupendous autumn - spectacular!) where the trees are every color imaginable!  Today is warm (no kidding!) and I even have a window cracked open in the studio this afternoon - the cool breeze is tickling my face as I sit and write this post.

The colors are Saffron, Poppy, Pomegranate, and Cocoa - the cardstock base is Cashmere.  I didn't think I needed that Fallen Leaves stamp set but it has been put to good use! Hope you like it!

Making Christmas Tags

I'm working on Christmas tags for the family presents!  I love making tags - probably for the same reason I like to make cards before scrapbooks (instant gratification!).  Tags are even more instant (now that sounds weird!).  The stamp set is a retired CTMH one called Christmas Melodies.  I used some black shimmer tape, some black design paper cut out of the Christmas paper pack from last year, and the sweet leaf dot paper is from the current paper pack Zoe.  I really love how the words stamped in black look on that dot paper!  I stamped the dove on all sorts of things before deciding that it looked best on plain old White Daisy Cardstock.  Okay! 

Stay tuned for more tags - I'm on a roll!

Cheers! 2016 (Stamp of the Month)

Isn't it strange how in real life the orange button didn't look out of place but in a photo, it looks totally the wrong color?  Oh well.  

Again, Aaron did a fabulous job with her original of this card - my imitation is still pretty nice and could be even better with the right color button!!  LOL

This card definitely says graduation to me.  How about you?  Any other ideas how to get more from this stamp set?  

Cheers! 2016

I like this card - but I also can see it being a Birthday card - or celebrating a graduation, promotion, or retirement, even!  Just change it a little bit and you've got an entirely different use for these stamps!  I used Eggplant, Poppy, and the Coral Shimmer tape (love, love, love this stuff!).  The design papers are from Sangria.  

November Stamp of the Month - CHEERS! 2016

This stamp set didn't "scream" out to me like some of them do - but then I discovered the amazing things that Aaron Brown was doing with it on her blog and I was smitten!  I find Aaron to be very inspiring - I try to visit her every single time she puts up something new!  I hope I'm not jumping the gun - but I believe she will put up the November SOTM on November 1st (like me!).  You can see her work here, if not today then soon! Tell her "hi" and that I sent you!  You can say that I've made some mediocre imitations of her cards . . . it's alright - I know her work is far superior!

I included the close up so you could see the cool ribbon I used. I put a few glue dots on the paper under the focal sentiment - then looped the ribbon (it's pretty stiff) around and over a few times, pressing it into the glue dots.  Then I mounted the focal image on foam adhesive over the ribbon loops.  I used Eggplant and Pomegranate inks.