Months ago I ran across a card using this technique and made a sketch and notes to refer back to... scratch paper set aside and lost under other papers... suddenly unearthed... diligent attempts to decipher my scribbles... this is my best effort to replicate what I think I saw way back when.

I first stamped the focal image on the lower left of white cardstock. I then shielded the image with a sheet of paper at an angle and used a foam applicator to apply faded jeans distress ink to the lower right corner. This was repeated on the upper left corner. I used watercolors to color the image and trimmed to size. I backed the image with a thin band of black, bright yellow, and another thin black band. These bright bands enhance the illusion of a shaft of sunlight on the image.

I then used more of the yellow to stamp a sentiment and band it with black. This was glued to the panel front and a sheer green ribbon was knotted over it.

The feature panel was mounted on a folded white cardstock base.

I have no idea if this is what all the scribbles were really about, but I like the effect. In fact, I liked it so much I made a bunch more.

For these two, made with the same stamp, I moved the bordered sentiments on the right margin where I noticed the notes I made really had it. I kept it as a bordered item and matched them to the bright backing. I also colored the smaller flowers brighter than that first one I did and like this better.

I kept going with this stamp and coloring but mixed the sentiment colors to match the ribbons.

Then I went in a whole different direction, looking for other stamps in my collection that might be nicely featured with this technique. I started with a couple of vases of flowers. For these I stamped the sentiment directly onto the bright backing.

And finally, I used a berry stamp, again stamping multiple times to place it in a garden setting. I also tied the ribbon with two colors for added interest.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PST

Updated: Thursday, 18 August 2011 5:35 PM PDT

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One thing that is fun about cruising so many blogs daily is the reminders of techniques that I haven't used for a long time and some that I have never got around to trying. Such is the case with today's cards.

First, I used a stamp that I have had for years but never used - the 6x shadow block stamp. Just inked this with extremely pastel pink and stamped on white cardstock. It made the perfect backdrop for the second technique that I had never done. It is called 'thumping'. You do this by inking a stamp with a dye ink and then tapping on the stamp with a darker tone of the same color using the side of a watercolor marker. The ink dries out as you do this so you breathe on it and then stamp.

AWESOME!

You don't get the full effect here but there are two tones of green in the leaves and stems and there are two tones of muted purples in the blossoms. I used a Nestabilities die to cut them out and chose the same soft green for the main background. The scalloped edge is a new punch I picked up on special. It cuts the scallop and indents dotted marks. I placed them on a piece of foam and used a piercing tool to prick through the indentations.

Then they diverge...  I used printed papers for the left edge of both, but one is a faux dictionary print and one is a script. Both use color blocking. I chose a shimmery purple card base for one and a wine card base for the other.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 12:01 AM PDT

Updated: Tuesday, 16 August 2011 10:32 PM PDT

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I had a dream...

No, nothing so earth-shattering as what comes to mind at those words! I just had a dream about making a particular card.

I used a new stamp set that I picked up at JoAnne Fabric and Crafts where they are stocking MANY more products from Tim Holtz. I  used Versamark to stamp the bicycle repeatedly over the background of a kraft colored cardstock. Then I stamped a single image in brown chalk ink and stamped the text with the same ink. I used a brown marker to draw a double base line and then used a black fine-line marker to create some drop-shadow lines on the image and the text. AWESOME!

I liked this treatment so much that I did the same thing with another image from the same stamp set. The major difference is that I used brown fine-line marker to add the accent lines to the text and vehicle on this one. Just as awesome as the first!

I love it when a dream becomes reality.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 7:00 AM PDT

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When I won a challenge online a couple of years back I was given, as part of the prize, a wee little packet of miniature scraps which was labeled 'inchies kit'. It got tossed in the parts and starts bin as I was not inspired by it at the time.

I recently ran across that kit and decided to challenge myself to create as many inchies as I could from it. I added only a couple of things from my own stash (button, punchouts, gold trim) and made 5 little miniature works of art, each one inch square.

That was step one. Then I set them aside for a couple of weeks until I challenged myself to make cards with each of them. This is the set I ended up with...

Inchie includes: doll image, ribbon scrap, paper flower, button, text sticker.  Card includes: printed cardstock square, cardstock strip, printed cardstock strip, Cuttlebug embossed background, cardstock text sticker, butterscotch folded card base.

Inchie includes: printed cardstock background, star punchouts, text block, gold peel-offs. Card includes: printed cardstock square, Cuttlebug embossed background,'old paper' distress ink, three cardstock stext stickers, rose folded card base.

Inchie includes: Textured cardstock, sheer ribbon scrap, cat punchout, star punchout, sunflower button with shank removed. Card includes: ColorMe paper treated with chalk ink direct to paper, A rub-on frame element, three cardstock text stickers, apricot folded card base, black fine-line marker faux stitches.

Inchie includes: violet cardstock base, graphic of violets with corners rounded, black ribbon snippet tied through punched holes, purple shrinky-dink stamped heart. Card includes: ColorMe paper background with sprayed coloration, fine-linemarker dots within pattern, rub-on frame element, cardstock text sticker, 'old paper' distress ink on edges.

Inchie includes: glossy color gradation background, two ribbon snippets layered, gold peel-off borders, shrinky-dink floral image. Card includes: ColorMe paper with sprayed coloration, Rub-on frame element, photo corners, clear text sticker strip, violetfolded card base.

These are all truly one of a kind as I will never have an inchies kit like that one again and many of the scraps I used to complete the cards were also one of a kind or last of the supply.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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When I was making the embossed card to enter in the fair I stamped and embossed a second copy of the cardinal image in case I messed up one. Since I didn't mess it up I set the second one aside to color up later - and later finally came!

I used watercolor markers to do the coloring - three reds, three greens, and gold for the beaks. Then I cut it out with the craft knife leaving a white border all around. This was adhered over a ColorMe tag which was sprayed with a shimmery color spray. I used foam tape for this mounting. For backgrounds I selected a green folded card base and some printed cardstock in a flourish and a woodgrain.

At the end I decided it needed a finishing touch so I added rub-on corners to two sides.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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That probably should read "O is for Ornaments". This is the next entry in the stitching through the alphabet project.

I worked only in metallic threads (red, green, gold and copper) in outline stitch. This took me forever as I kept trying to stitch in the car and the lighting was too bright for that. I have to keep reminding myself how hard it is to stitch on dark backgrounds.

I punched the scalloped border and then backed it with a shimmery yellow cardstock and shimmery blue folded card base.

The text is a gold peel-off greeting sticker.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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I was working on an assignment to use hand carved rubber stamps and made three cards. These are the two that I did NOT select for the assignment - not that there's anything wrong with them, I just chose the other one.

First up is my carvings of a hummingbird and a flower. I stamped on glossy cardstock and colored with watercolor markers, doing quite a bit of blending with the pens. I added golden stickles to the bird throat and gave him an eye of glitter dot. The sky is colored in as well with a very light blue that does not show much at all. I used distress ink on all the edges and mounted to orange cardstock. The greeting is stamped.

Next up is the carved llama. He is also colored with watercolor markers. I used a nestabilities die to cut the shape and distressed the edges with ink. He is mounted with foam tape. I added a stamped greeting, a pen-stitching line, and three paper flowers with glitter dot centers.

His nose is NOT blue as it appears in the photo.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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Assignment: make cards using rubber stamping on the theme "Fairs and Carnivals"

My most memorable association with the fair was winning a blue ribbon for canned cherries over 30 years ago. So I decided to recreate the event. I used alcohol inks on acetate to tint it reddish-pink. I cur a jar-shaped aperture in white cardstock and mounted the tinted acetate on the back. I used pink cardstock ans stamped solid cherries in 5 shades all over it. Then I stamped in black some cherry outlines. This was mounted behind the acetate and, voila! - canned cherries!

I cut a strip of gold cardstock for the lid and used the scor-pal to create screw-top ridges. The label is stamped before adhering and I used fabric and a punched metallic blue cardstock to create a blue ribbon. The whole piece is mounted to a raspberry folded cardstock base.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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This was for a card swap with the assigned theme "sea life". This pattern was originally a 'string art' pattern that I found on the net and converted to paper embroidery. The stitching is just so simple and it looks elegant when done. I used verigated thread (pink, white, blue).

I brought in some coordinating scraps of paper and a couple of thick acrylic stickers.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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HA! I snitched the L is for Lantern card to send in a swap that required beading so I had to make another L card. I decided NOT to do the same one again and actually combined one whole pattern and part of another pattern to create this:

The heart is created by the method of stitching a circle and it requires two full rounds of stitching to do it. Love the way it works up. I took the birds from another pattern and stitched them last so their white threads would be the top layer of the design.

Heart stickers trim up the four rounded corners.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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I chose a cheery two-toned blue stripe to stitch a sailboat because, to me, it 'read' sky and water. I chose to do all the stitching in white for a fresh look that would be a natural for the sails and the waves. This pattern does not include the outline stitching but it really needed it to define the stitching away from the background.

I wanted to retain a masculine feel on this card so selected a distressed woodgrain backing. Then, even though I used a scallop punch on the bottom to mimic the waves, I used a strip of distressed text as a border that keeps it from looking 'girly'.

I punched some stars using the wood grain and leftovers of the text strip to add some interest to the sky.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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I have one more Christmas card from my marathon that did not fit any of the other categories. So here it comes on its own.

I used a recycled card illustration, a gold background on whick I had tested out a corner punch, and a punched circle from when I needed an aperture in something else. The illustration and gold panel are popped up on foam dots over a printed paper from last year's 6x6 pad. I stamped the round greeting on the blue dot and then brushed with distress ink to tone down the brightness of the blue. I added tails of grosgrain ribbon and used glue dots to affix it to the card front.

The background on the illustration is really very yellow instead of the orange it appears to be.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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OK, I admit it. Only ONE of these cards really has a stamped image. The rest are from a book of 'clip art' designed to be used for folk art painted plaques. NOT my thing - so I appropriated the images I liked and colored them with Copic markers for these cards.

For this first one I used the sketch rotated 180 degrees. I selected all the papers first and colored the image to match them. After gluing the strips and image I had a bunch of open space on the left so I added two gold foil stars. I drew in strings and bows to mimic the image and added a greeting with the same style of lettering. Then I added pen 'stitching' around the border and cross-stitch pen work on the strips. This was done with a Sharpie. The image is muted with distress ink:

I cut the strips with banner ends and added pen stitching around them as well as the stars for a country feel on this card. The muted tones make this feel quite masculine:

With a rotated orientation and angle-cut strips, this card is more playful. I added stars, drew around them in a style to match the illustration and added strings and bows with a pen. I used distress ink on the image to mute the tone:

This snow family is colored in non-traditional colors to match the paper strips. I flipped the sketch 180 degrees and used a longer illustration than the formula calls for. The greeting is stamped:

The same illustration with a different color scheme creates a more masculine card. The brown and cream snowflake strips are certainly non-traditional. Because the base card is so dark, I placed the clear oval greeting sticker on a lighter printed paper and trimmed it out before gluing it to the card:

THIS card is actually stamped. But NOT by me! I got it in a stamped image swap. I did color it, though. I used a lot of blue in the snow, bits of green to bring out the color of the base card, and strips of pinecone printed paper for the strips. There was not a logical place to stamp a greeting so I layered a punched star and a clear sticker to create the text feature in the upper left:

Does this mean I am ready for Christmas? NO! It just means I have my box ready to mail to Operation Write Home. I have yet to start making my OWN cards.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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Time for another Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps sketch (#79)

Since I also needed to fill 1/2 of my box of cards with holidays I made all of my sketch into Christmas cards. Today I will show those made with recovered materials. Tomorrow will be those made with stamps.

First up is an illustration from an old page-a-day scrapbooking calendar. This time the sketch was flipped 180 degrees to put the three stripes on the right. I used strips from an old paper pack and stamped the greeting on the illustration with its flourish falling on the base cardstock:

For this card I went a little funky and arranged the strips and the illustration off-kilter. The picture is recovered from a card received last year. I used the same stamped greeting:

This card is also illustrated by means of a recycled Christmas card. The 'merry' is a puffy acrylic sticker. 'Christmas' is a clear sticker:

I did a very tight trim on this recycled Christmas card image so it would fit the sketch. By mounting the image high I had room to stamp a larger greeting. I like the way the flourishes escape the edges of the card borders:

Another recycled card image - trimmed close to rid it of background. I cut the bottoms of the metallic strips to resemble a banner, for some added interest. A little dimension is achieved by popping the image up on foam tape. The same stamped greeting was used:

I rotated the sketch for the rest of my card set. The strips on this one are the last of piece of cardstock I stamped two years ago. It seems I get one or two of these same Santa images on Christmas cards every year. That's OK - I kinda like the folk art look of him. I stamped the greeting on the lower right:

This Santa face is from the page-a-day scrapbook calendar. I left the printed borders at the top and bottom for framing. The beard provided a handy spot for stamping the greeting:

The gold in this recycled card image looks so formal that I just continued down that path. I even chose black cardstock for the card base. The strips are gold on gold text and I created those banner ends again. The image is raised up on foam tape and the greeting is a puffy acrylic sticker:

This gold pinecone image from an old greeting card was paired with silver and white strips sor a fresh look. It looked so clean and simple that I did not want to mar it with stamping so I selected a clear sticker for the text:

More sketch cards tomorrow - using stamped images.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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In a swap of dry embossed papers I was sent 4 lovely Christmas trees. I decided it was time to use them and liked the first layout so much that I copied it for all the rest. I pulled out printed paper scraps from last year's 6 x 6 pads and used them to create a border on the left. Then I used the open scallop border punch doen the left edge of the tree, glued it on and trimmed the tree.

For this first one I used sticky-back clear rhinestones in a symetrical layout.

Theother green tree was decorated with sticky-back green pearls in various sized in an informal arrangement.

Two of the trees were on a bluish metallic finished cardstock with a linen texture. Very elegant. For the first, I trimmed the tree with red acrylic heart stickers.

Finally, I trimmed up the fourth tree with borders and sticker waste from gold peel-offs.

This is one of those embossing folders that I would like to have for myself. I've been relying on the generosity of others since it first came out!

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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The last sketch is shown today:

I did the first one on end because this Santa image was so very tall. Since the wreath was colored green I added green Stickles on it and added red Stickles berries. Green marker was carried over to the dots in the b/w block. The text is a clear sticker:

Lots of vellum stickers of holly create a frame on this card. I added some fine doodle lines in red, green and black. A thick acrylic sticker provides text and I added red Stickles to all the berries:

The penguin is back! He, like his brothers, has Stickles snow underfoot and on the dots on the b/w block. The text is a rub-on phrase:

This one looks totally different through the use of overlapping kitchen stickers. The text is provided from the same sticker sheet. I ran the stickers off the side edges to intensify the scene-setting:

The red heart on this card is a stamped and colored image. I trimmed it close, added a black peel-off sticker with red Stickles inside. A clear text sticker graces the red block and a few additional black peel-offs finish it off:

And finally, I used a lot of gold peel-offs on this card. The two hearts have red thick heart stickers in the center, surrounded by gold Stickles. Thin red doodle lines frame the card:

And that's the end of the project.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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Here we are with the third sketch from the Verve cut-up series:

For the ones with the red center block (3) I used up some of the adorable penguin stickers I got at the dollar store. They got lines of Stickles for snowy ground and I decorated with thick acrylic stickers:

I upended this one with the b/w center block and used another of the stamped elegant ladies. I, again, added the yellow bustle but this time only added Stickles to the yellow. I used a square clear acrylic sticker on the upper right and added two rhinestones to the b/w block:

Purple is the added color on this card - used for both the b/w block and the lady's scarf. I used red Stickles on her draped neckline and one red rhinestone on her corsage. A white glossy sticker provides the text:

Back to the original rotation we have a sharp red dress with red Stickles on the neck, straps, and hem popped up on foam tape. a thick acrylic sticker rests on the top edge of the left red block, gold peel-off borders frame on the left and right sides and two black flower stickers add the final touch with their red rhinestone centers:

The Christmas sticker on this card is so large it almost covers the center b/w block. I added a gold peel-off image of three candles and colored them in with various Stickles. Gold peel-off corners adorn top and bottom. I split some long clear text stickers to apply top and bottom:

Last set will be shown tomorrow.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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Continuing the sketches started yesterday here is one I call 'with a twist'.

Starting with those that have the black/white block on point. For this I used another Santa image and made him walking into the card. A clear sticker for text and some yellow Stickles on the star he is holding are the finishing touches:

A gold peel-off rose sticker is the feature on this card. I filled in the blooms with red Stickles and the leaves with green. A long clear text sticker was cut in half to mount over and under the twisted panel:

A lovely lady image was colored up  on this card. I added yellow Stickles on her bustle and red Stickles on the draped neckline. A thick acrylic sticker is used for the text:

Not sure I like this one. I used a circle sticker element and added a thick acrylic round sticker on top. I added a black thick sticker to the red panel and trimmed all four edges of the card with gold peel-offs. Gold Stickles trim out the round sticker:

Then on to the red twisted blocks. I used more of the gold peel-off roses for this card. They also got red and green Stickles in the open areas. another gold peel-off was used for the text. I added some doodle lines in red around the black panel:

Next up is a few vellum heart stickers. I decorated the heart with red and crystal Stickles, added some red doodle lines and added gold peel-offs for text and as borders around the red block:

And finally, I turned this one on end, added some yellow to the black/white block to make it go with the lady's scarf. The scarf got some yellow Stickles and there is a rhinestone on her corsage. The image is bordered in black and the text is added with a white glossy sticker:

More tomorrow.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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Back in September 2008 the people at www.vervestamp.com put up a challenge. They gave a cutting sketch along with four card layouts to make from the resulting paper snips. Here is the page they issued:

One does the same cuttings with two patterned papers, arranges the snips according to the sketches and adds (according to them) a stamped image block to finish it off. Working with two papers in the 6 x 6 papers they specify you would have 8 cards when done, as the blocks are reversed on the second card made from each sketch.

Well, at that time (yes, September 2008) I used 12 x 12 papers to make four 6 x 6 sheets of each color (I used red and black/white). Since I had four times the papers I ended up with supplies to make 32 cards. . . . I made 5 then got bored with it and put the rest of the supplies away. I just ran across them again and decided to do a marathon session to finish them all off.

This is the first of the sketches I used:

Throughout this whole project I used white folded card bases and attached all the red and the black/white pieces. Then I set about looking for stamped images and/or stickers that I could color red with watercolor markers to decorate the cards.

For this one I used a bicycle image on white cardstock. I colored the backet and flowers with green/brown/yellow to add another pop of color to the card. I rounded the corners and ran a red marker around the edge of the image and popped it up on foam tape. Then I added red Stickles to the bicycle. The text is a clear sticker:

For this one I used a black/white text image from a catalog. I added red marker to the word 'you' throughout the text. Fine-line markers were used to doodle lines throughout the card and I placed three red acrylic heart stickers on the left border. A gold peel-off word 'you' sets the tone for the card:

Next up is this Santa image. I colored some of the white areas of the b/w border with green to match the Christmas tree. I added green Stickles to the tree and a clear sticker for text:

This stamped image was colored in red and grey and red Stickles line the stripes on her jacket. I colored the edge of the image with red marker to separate it from the background card. Two clear stickers were combined for the text and a rub-on heart plus a red rhinestone decorate the small red block:

Then I started on the cards with the color blocks swapped. This flirty little dress was colored in red and Stickles were used to trim the neck and sleeves. I added a thick clear acrylic sticker for the text block:

I pulled out this penguin I had stamped up a long time ago (handcarved by me) and drew in a red bow tie. This I glittered with red Stickles. I split a long text clear sticker to mount over and under the red bar. A bit of red marker and a round acrylic sticker were added to the little black block:

Finally, I placed strips of tissue tape over the color bar and then added vinyl butterfly stickers on top. I filled in the tissue tape butterfly wings with Stickles and added a clear script text sticker at the top:

So that's it for the first sketch - more tomorrow.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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I've had this double pocket element with two tags hanging around for a long time. I pulled out some ledger print and roughed up the edges before coloring with 'old paper' distress ink. The background print is some of the Color Me papers with chalk inks. These are all layered on a tan folded card base.

The text is part of the original artwork - printed directly on the cardstock. The grossgrain ribbon is original to the piece as well, though the butterfly is part of the Color Me tags sheet.

I pulled the tags out to decorate them as well. They each got a chenille cord tied through the hole. The larger tag got another butterfly as well as two stamped ones. I colored in the stamped wings with Stickles and used an acrylic stamp across the middle by sticking it down to a block in a wavy curve. The round tag only got a stamped text.

Hard to tell from the photos - the larger tag is really pink and the round one is green. They have a text printed all over them very lightly.

Ddd

Posted by studio3d@ccgmail.net at 6:00 AM PDT

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