Positive Chemistry

I was so smitten with the new Positive Chemistry stamp set from CTMH - perhaps it's my chemical background (education and career).  I have a son-in-law who is working on his PhD in Biomedical Physics and the combination of the periodic table and the atomic structure really grabbed my eye!  I think this will work as a masculine birthday for a really smart guy!  

The stamped images were on vellum (that has little dots in it!) and adhered to the retired CTMH design paper with Scrapbook Adhesives that left a little dot pattern.  It looks so much like the dots on the design paper below that while I was concerned at first, it actually grew on me and I like it now!  

Life is a beautiful ride!

My cards were totally inspired by this beautiful card designed by Yoonsun Hur at this post.  I just discovered her work, and you can bet I'll be imitating lots more from her blog - she is one talented artist!

I used Close to My Heart stamps (Enjoy the Ride B1525) from the brand-spankin' new, not-yet released Seasonal Expressions mini-catalog.  You can begin to order from this new catty on May 1st - so not too much longer! I also used a sentiment from an older stamp set from Papertrey Ink called Pedal Pusher.  I made two versions (but forgot to change to the "girl" bicycle stamp - Oops!) and I do love them both!

Roses!

This card was inspired by another CTMH Consultant, whose name I don't have!  I loves the way she allowed the roses to fall off the card front!  It was a little "cutting intensive" but I actually love cutting things out by hand.  Crazy, huh!  The stamp set is a retired one - Love Blooms.  The sentiment came from somewhere!  (CTMH I'm sure!).  I believe it was all one stamp and I had cut it into two words some time in the past.  I love that you can do that with the acrylic stamps - so easy to use them creatively! The dot paper was from a National Scrapbooking Month special several years ago called Dotty For You! 

On a more personal note, we are trying to get our taxes done before we leave on our trip (we had to file an extension - again!).  I've been working on last minute details such as "do I have enough room on my camera?  Perhaps I should buy another memory card for it!" and "Why are all my GoTubes too big - I need 2 ounce ones!"  I'm sure I'll forget something - but I'm really trying to pull it all together!  I am taking the I-Pad, but don't know how often we will have Internet available and probably won't have any art work to post anyway.  I could bore you to death with photos from our trip . . . (I'll leave that to my Facebook page!).  Hugs!

Just a little note

I continue to play with the masking & sponging technique - you can really create some pretty designs this way! The little butterfly was an ooo-llllll-dd! punch that I found in a drawer. I drew the patterns on by hand with my ShinHan markers, and popped them up on a small piece of foam tape. The stamp set is CTMH Just a Little Note.

Second card for my friend's family

My friend leaves behind two grown children with spouses, and two precious granddaughters.  So, I made two cards; one for the son and his family and the other for her daughter and family.  This one used heat embossing on kraft cardstock. The flower elements were colored with a white chalk marker and the firmer, thin lines, were added with a Derwent pencil.  The piece die cut from the bottom of the kraft piece was used on the bottom of the inside page.  

Don't take your friends for granted. 

Sympathy cards

I have learned first hand how important it is to have some sympathy cards on hand; and how difficult it is to make them when you are heart-broken. One of my friends, who comes to the monthly Open Stamping days and has for over 10 years, died suddenly. She was on a vacation, having a blast if I know her at all! I had to take frequent breaks to rest and compose along the way. 
The middle section was masked and Sorbet and some Smoothie were sponged on between the two masks (upper and lower). Then leaving the masks in place, I inked up a background stamp with Sunset and added the design element. The twine is some Steve used in the garden years ago to stake out a flowerbed border (I grabbed it!). The butterflies (stamps and dies) are Winged Beauties from My Favorite Things. Each butterfly had a "wink of Stella" clear added over the color. The sentiment is Verve - Forever in our hearts.

And she is.

My favorite of the four of these birthday cards!

I think what I love most about this one is the combination of blue and brown.  The woven "ribbon" and the script design paper are good, too.  I counted 18 birthday cards that I will need for my friends and loved ones before we return from our pilgrimage to the Holy Land.  Yikes!  I don't have that many days left before we leave - so I'll have to start doubling up on my production schedule!  LOL

How about a Violet one?!

So, I tried it with some Smokey Plum colors.  The ribbon is just something I had in my stash - although I suspect it might be a May Arts ribbon (I belonged to a ribbon of the month club).  I'm getting the hang of using the watercolor pencils to create the illusion of a shiny pail, I think. 

Birthday card version 2

Once I completed the first card, I thought I should make another one - same layout, different colors and papers.  

Birthday card - brought to you from the Minnesota studio!

I have a few stamps that are wood mounted that I took up to MN - basically because I don't have room for them in Arizona and because I will actually use them here.  This stamp is labeled Lockhart Stamp Co. 2008 from Redmond, Washington.  I love the image and had fun coloring the foxgloves with my Derwent Inktense pencils. The papers are CTMH (all long ago retired!).  That's another thing I took up North - retired paper.  LOL