Ombre Sympathy Card

I love ombre effects. They can be elegant or clean and simple or whatever you like them to be. Yet another challenge from PTI’s 8th Anniversary celebration.

I water coloured this panel and I wanted white edges but when I goofed that up, I trimmed the panel. Next I die cut the words from the watercolour paper. It is quite thick, took about 10 passes and I had to use a new plate with a metal shim to get it to cut. Yikes! The paper is really good quality from the art store that you buy in individual sheets; I got it back when I used to watercolour paint about 15+ years ago. Once I finally got it to cut through, I cut three more and layered them together. I saved the coloured bits from between the letter loops and glued them in without layering them.

The easiest way to glue the letters into the card for this technique is to add strips of double sided adhesive behind the word opening. If you are layering your die cut panel on foam dots, then add the double sided tape and add cardstock to the back. If not layering, just add it to your card base or panel. Once you turn the panel over, you will have the opening with solid adhesive behind it. This means that not only will the inset die cut have total adhesion but so will all the little bits around the opening.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Out on a Limb Revised-PTI
Ink: chocolate, wisteria, charteuse ink, blueberry sky-PTI, Paris Dusk-Memento
Paper: enchanted evening CS-PTI, watercolour paper-Strathmore
Accessories: word die-Dee-Lites, yellow paper pen-Viva Decor

Balloon Tag and Package

A matching tag and packaging was another PTI challenge. I had just made the tag in the post previous to this one with a set I neglect and thought about stamp sets I don’t use often enough for this tag.

I bought Everyday Button Bits a while ago second-hand and I’ve only used it once. So I decided to use it and use up some of those enormous buttons I don’t use much. I don’t use Vintage Labels a lot either so it made for a good match. I think this would make a good baby gift package.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: as above
Ink: archival black-Ranger, Hawaiian shores-PTI
Paper: white, aqua mist CS-PTI
Accessories: chartreuse, wisteria, spring rain buttons-PTI, labels 1 dies-Spellbinders, cloud dies-PTI, washi tape-stash, baker’s twine-Divine twine

Happy Car Tag

The next challenge I worked on was to use a stamp set that hasn’t seen ink or hasn’t been used often. I looked through my stamps and immediately decided on this one.

I’ve rarely used this stamp set. When it first came out, there were so many awesome ideas shown by the team but once I got it, I just haven’t thought to use it much. That ever happen to you? That’s why I don’t buy stamps right after releases any more. If I still remember how I wanted to use it and love it after a few months, I'm more likely to use it.

But I still do really like this set. It’s so cute and fun! I didn’t get it lined up perfectly; maybe I should have stamped the outline first, not second. But I didn’t mind how it looked with the slight edge showing. I paired it with one of my favourite sets, Fancy Flourishes.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Enjoy the Ride, Fancy Flourishes
Ink: Lipstick red-SSS, kraft-PTI, archival black-ranger
Paper: ivory, kraft CS
Accessories: baker’s twine-Masterstroke ribbon, button-Basic grey, ribbon-stash

Rose Bouquet Window Card

Another PTI 8th Anniversary challenge! This one was to use more than one floral stamp set to make a bouquet.

When I was looking for a card base in my scraps bag, I found a base I die cut a window in (it turnout out to be to large) and it made me think of using a window for this card. I also knew that the soft purple and yellow I wanted to use wouldn’t show up properly on the kraft card base so I came up with this idea! I’m not sure I love it, but I do think it looks pretty good.

I would have made the card shorter to make it more balanced but I’d already adhered the inside panel with a nice 1/8” border. If I’d chopped the top of, I’d also have ruined the border. I thought about adding a strip of gold glitter at the top but I wasn’t sure if it would look good. What do you think?

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: Life and Sweet Life
Ink: blush, autumn rose, scarlet jewel, avocado, chartreuse, harvest gold, winter wisteria
Paper: kraft, ivory CS
Accessories: sweet life dies, ‘window’ die (don’t know the name)-PTI

Sketch n Colour Challenge for PTI 8th Anniversary

Combining more than one challenge can be tricky but I think I did a pretty good job on this one.

The clock was stamped on vellum and embossed with some very, very old SU! embossing powder. A lot of the PTI gals have been using Zing! EP lately but this one is finer so I really like the way it turned out.

As you can see, I stretched the sketch so it would work better since my clock doesn’t have a 5.5” diameter like the card above.

I didn’t use the Fine Linen but instead used ivory. I much prefer it. The colours aren’t quite right above and I had a hard time editing them. The leaves are aqua mist stamped first with a second generation inking, then with a first generation inking for the veins. I did the same for the second and third layers of the rose. That ‘bow’ is what Melissa Philips calls a junk bow. I think i like them but next time I’ll add a few more soft ribbons and maybe add a few ribbons loops rather than have all of them single layered.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: PTI
Paper: vellum, kraft, ivory CS-PTI
Ink: kraft, soft blush, melon berry-PTI
Accessories: misc ribbons plus PTI blush grosgrain, sand sequins-Pretty Pink Posh, pick sequins-Ellen Hutson, pink EP-SU!

Amour Tag

This tag was for a Swap-bot swap with one of my favourite partners. She came up with the theme of Love Story. I took that quite literally!

Since I took this photo, I added some glue to restrain that bow and keep the little lady at the top from being swallowed up by it! :) The papers, tag and leaves are by Maggie Holmes for her new Open Book collection. I just ADORE it. I added the strip of glitter to the bottom of the tag, coated the people and heart in gold paint/Copic ink and added glitter to the little bird too. I love altering embellies to make them more my own.

The ribbon was hand-dyed (by me!) and when I first made it, it looked almost fluorescent! But it seemed to go well with this bright rose paper. I used some vintage lace to go with it.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Paper: Open Book-America Crafts, ivory cs (to make tag)-SU!
Accessories: Potty people, heart veneer-Studio Calico, lace-stash, ribbon-Hug Snug seam binding, tag, leaves-American Crafts, letters-Dollarama, Krylon gold paint pen, Copic marker, Art Institute ‘sand’ glitter, Sulyn Ind. gold sequins

Inspired by Maille

PTI has a ton of giveaways and challenges this week. This one was to be inspired by Maille Belles. (Isn’t that the best name?)

I realize that this is super simple. But since I was making multiples, that’s what I needed. I was able to make 12 cards in an hour and a half. That’s less than 10 min per card. I think I may still add some sequins but this is how it is right now. I used up quite a lot of older SSS card kit paper. Now I’m down to only scraps and a few sheets of DP.

Thanks for the inspiration Maille. Next I’m going to try stamping a floral border and trimming along the edge. I love this look!

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamp: Hero Arts
Ink: Archival black
Paper: white CS-PTI, DP-SSS card kit from a while back

Sending Love and Roses

My BFF’s step mom is really sick so I made this card for her. I like the sentiment better than just Thinking of You in this instance.

The heart is chipboard I covered in a few layers of embossing powder. You can tell my EP is old because there are lots of ‘inclusions’ in it after so long! I love how my new lights show the shininess so well! YEAH!

The roses are heat embossed on vellum and colours with Copics from the back. next time I may use regular markers. It’s the one time I’d say colouring with water based in is actually better. The Copics got gummy when I tried to blend then after the first layer of ink had dried. It’s hard to see but there are a few pearl dots using Liquid Pearls.

I’m entering this in Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge H is for… I used Hearts and heat embossing. And Mojo Monday’s sketch challenge 383.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamp: SSS
Ink: Versamark, Scattered Straw, Frayed Burlap
Paper: all from March 13 SSS kit
Accessories: chipboard from kit, Scotch-rose washi, other washi?, Liquid pearls, R83, 85 Copics, gold EP-SU!

Rows of Hearts

There are so many challenges involving love, hearts and the red, white and pink colour combo around right now. I though it might be fun to enter a few.

I was super inspired by the photo from TSTR week 245. How cute. I wanted to use the rows of hearts but not recreate them literally. So I made myself some patterned paper with the latest PTI Market kit. Part way through, I decided to add a heart with earrings to make this card a bit more special.

The earrings are quite simple but I think they will be pretty eye catching. Now who to give them to…

I’m also playing in the Friday Mashup and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge to use bright colours, All Things Bright and Beautiful.  And also Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge H is for… I used Hearts and heat embossing. And last but not least, JUGS challenge Word Week LOVE.

Enjoy, Rebecca

RECIPE
Stamps: PTI market kit
Paper: white, pure poppy, hibiscus, raspberry Cardstock
Ink: Angel pink-Memento, real read, Rose red, pretty in pink-SU!, Hibiscus-PTI
Accessories: ribbon-Offray, Tag die and border die-PTI, silver cord-SU!, foam dots-Sticky Stuff Store, EP-Hero Arts, I’ll do a separate post for the earrings soon