Creative Elements

This year for convention, I joined 10 different organized swaps.  I'd never done that before, and I must say I was really pleased with the cards I swapped and received.  The day before Convention, I realized that I did not have cards for general swapping, so I got busy and starting playing with my new stamps.  This was the card I came up with, and to be honest, it was my favorite of everything I swapped.

Here's what I used to make it.

Stamps:  Hello, Doily; Creative Elements
Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Lucky Limeade, Crumb Cake
Paper:  Elegant Eggplant, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla
Accessories:  Lucky Limeade ruffled ribbon, SNAIL, Crop-o-dile. sponge daubers, crinkled cellophane paper

I had planned on using Wisteria Wonder, but I really felt this needed the deeper Elegant Eggplant to give it some punch.  I also did a lot of antiquing with the crinkled up cellophane paper and Crumb Cake ink.

After Convention, I made some of these for a swap I was in.  The Very Vanilla card stock was a double layer, scored and folded at the top.  Then there was a score line 1/2" from the top fold, so the front lifted up like a flap, with the ribbon securing the layers.  (Elegant Eggplant was cut 4 1/2" x 5 1/2", Lucky Limeade was 4" x 5 1/4", and Very Vanilla was 3 3/4" x 10" and scored at 4 3/4" and 5".  I hope that helps!)

Thanks for stopping by today!  As always, I love to hear your comments, and if you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them.

Blessings,
Barbara

Back to Blogging!

After taking close to three months off from blogging, I'm rested and raring to go again!  I have lots of things to show you from my summer projects as well as convention, so let's get started!

Today's card is one I just finished for a monthly swap I am in.  It is a case from a card I saw this week, from the wonderful Mary Brown, with some tweaking to make it my own.

If I could only have one new stamp set from this year's catalog, it would be "Hello, Doily."  It is just exquisite, and gives such beautiful texture to a card.  It really looks like a hand crocheted doily.  Here are all the details.

Stamps:  Hello, Doily (BG), Field Flowers
Inks:  Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake
Paper:  Whisper White, Crumb Cake
Accessories:  Houndstooth embossing folder, basic pearls, dotted scallop ribbon border punch

After I had the main images stamped, I softened the look by taking crinkled cellophane paper (that covers our card stock) and inking it with some crumb cake ink, then pouncing it over the background.  This has become one of my favorite new techniques to give a soft, aged look.  I also added the dotted scallop ribbon punched in Crumb Cake with just the small scalloped edge peeking out.  I hope you like it!  Here's a close up so you can see the details.

Well, I'm off to do some class planning and work on some sketch challenges.  I hope whatever you do today, you can work in a little time to stamp.  It's good therapy!  :-)

Blessings,
Barbara