Stampscapes #2 - Wish You Were Here!

Hi Everyone!

Well, I just HAD to try out a new scene with my Stampscapes stamps tonight. The photo shows it quite a bit lighter than it actually is. I was going for a late evening scene and think I did okay. The stamps I used tonight were Pines with rocks, Lakeside Cove, Canoe, Gulls, Oak Trees, Pine Tree. The Adirondack Dye Inks used were: Aqua, Stonewashed, Willow, Meadow and Black. I also used two Distress Inks, Weathered Wood and Frayed Burlap. All were applied with a Colorbox Stylus and layered until the blending was just right! Once all the colours were applied I used Adirondack Black to soften and darken everything up. The water is quite a bit darker than it looks and the sky is a black/blue towards the outer edges.
Well, that's it for today. It's time to head to bed and then on to another long work week.
Hope you like my new design!

My First Stampscape!

Hi Everyone!
I recently purchased some Stampscape stamps and Adirondack Ink Pads from Crafty Capers and finally had a few minutes to play after taking my first class to learn how to use that brayer I've had in the drawer for a year!
The image was done on glossy photo paper from Stampin' Up! I used the mountains, lakeside cabin, leafy branch, large pine tree, flock of gulls and some leafy oaks.
I did the sponging with a Colorbox stylus and used the following inks: Pink Sherbet, Aqua, Pool, Willow, Meadow, Weathered Wood and Frayed Burlap distress inks and Archival Black for stamping the images. I found that the inks faded quite quickly when I looked at it the next day so went over everything again and changed a few things. This is the result! Once I finished inking I sprayed the whole image with a clear varnish.
I'm pretty happy with my first try and have since gone back to buy more stamps (I'm turning into an addict!) so will post the new designs as I create them.
Hope you like it and thanks for looking!

Romantic Valentine

Here's a Valentine I came up with a week ago. Due to dealing with year end at the shop it took me until now to upload it!
I started off with white card stock 4 X 6". The next layer is cut 1/8" smaller and is an embossed paper with small leaves and vines. The third layer is popped up. I started with plain white card stock and used my Scor Pal to emboss a frame and then within that frame, diagnal lines. The next layers are a smaller piece of white card stock embossed with Swiss Dots and my CuttleBug. The smaller piece is framed with the Scor Pal and stamped with the sentiment "Happiness held is the seed. Happiness shared is the flower" For the top layer I started with white card stock and used my Nestabilities for the oval frame. The Sweet Pea Stamp and sentiment are from Flourishes.
The Sweet Peas were coloured with Copic Markers and the tendrils accented with a Jelly Roll pen on the outer half of the tendril. Tim Holtz' Dimensional Enamel Accents which dry to a glossy white.
I purchased some shimmery 1" sheer ribbon for the first bow and then added a satin white bow on the top which I made using the Bow Easy. Hmmm.... I just looked at the picture and the satin bow must have come off on it's way to the photo studio in the dining room..... oops!!
The card doesn't look it's best in the photo. I thought I did a pretty good job at doing something a little fancier than normal.
Hope you like it and thanks for looking!!

Saved My Bacon Christmas

Another quick card to whip up when you've realized that you need more in a hurry!
The Cuttlebug christmas tree was enhanced with stickles and a jewel for the top. It doesn't show how glittery it really is!! The bow was made using the Bow-Easy (Love that thing!) and the corners were cropped using a one inch circle punch because I didn't have a ticket punch.
Everything was mounted on some silver cardstock and the white insert carstock was punched using a snowflke punch and accented with stickles.
Voila!
Thanks for looking!

Season's Greetings

This card is so much cuter in real life. The picture doesn't do it justice at all. I learned how to do the weave at the top in a class last December. I was surprised at how easy it really was to do and will be incorporating it into designs in the future.
The medallions are Spellbinders Fleur de lis and are popped up with the center medallion raised a bit higher.
I found some awesome precut cards that were clearing out at She Runs With Scissors in Campbell River. After cutting them down a bit and adding the weave I inserted a pearlized cardstock underneath. This off- white is also used as the top strip under the medallions.
After adding the bling I decided it was finished and ready to go! This card has also been done with the same off-white cardstock underneath and the top layer was a metallic dark teal green. The green version is the more stunning of the two but... I sent it away before taking a picture!
Hope you like it and thanks for looking!

Masculine Birthday

You'll notice, over time, that I make more masculine cards than pretty, fancy ones. We have four boys and I do homecare for War Veterans so... there you have it in a nutshell!
I LOVE my new Stampscapes stamps!! The main image was sponged on glossy photo paper using Adirondak Dye Pad Inks. I started with Aqua all over and then started blending in Pool and Stream, adding layers of each until I acheived the depth and look I wanted! The main stamp is Prickly Branch from Stampscapes and the sentiment is from Stampin' Up!, both stamped with Archival Black.
The card stock itself is Kraft and the mottled cardstock background is unknown but from a large pack I purchased at Costco a few years ago. I finished it off with just a couple of brads from Michael's.
I'm sorry now that I didn't take a picture of the other card which is a mate to this one except for the sentiment was Get Well Soom. After many botched attempts at finding the right opaque white accent pen (Uniball Craft Pen - White) I added snow to many of the branches and random sized snowflakes falling from the sky... It turned out awesome!
Hope you like it and thanks for looking!

Valentine #1

Well, here is my first upload to my Blog! This isn't the first card I've made but it's one I did up on the weekend while playing around.
The hearts are cut out with the Cricut and embossed with the Cuttlebug. Most papers are Stampin' Up! except for the plaid which is unknown. I've used popups under the hearts and plaid layer which may be a little hard to see. The heart brads and pink ribbon are from Michael's. The satin rose is from my stash circa 1992?
This card went through quite a few cuts and ammendments until I was somewhat happy. There was something else needed so the cream insert was extended past the rose and edged with the punch. The sentiment stamped inside is from Michael's as well.
Hope you like it and thanks for looking!

Things are looking up!!

Good Morning!
Well.. I spent the night in my craft room instead of working on this blog!  I've got a few more cards so will take some pictures and upload them here over the weekend... I'm crossing my fingers I'll make some headway.
Our clear skies have now clouded over so once I finish work I'll get the camera out and take some pictures, write out the supply lists and get them on here.  This blog has sat idle for a long time and it's time to get off my rump!
I'll update again soon.  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Work in Progress!!

Hi Everyone!
Okay.. I'm still trying to set this Blog up for 1 1/2 years now.  I left it alone for a long time after getting frustrated with trying to do everything with only a few minutes here and there.
So... it looks like *%#) and I apologize profusely but one of these days I'll be posting pictures of my quilts, cards, tole painting and scrappy pages.  Please don't give up on me!! 
It's tough getting old ....  I used to be a whiz at figuring things out but this Blog thing is making my hot flashes have hot flashes!!  How the heck can I copy and paste a link to another blog to advertise their blog candy or anything else they'd like to be seen?
I'll talk to you again soon!

Sheree