Praying for You

Sometimes we have to make cards for some pretty serious occasions. We usually think of sympathy cards as being the hardest. But I find one other category is even tougher.

Making cards for someone who is seriously ill or dying is definitely the hardest. Sometimes we can’t even make them for the person but instead for their family because they are too ill to appreciate a card. I call these hope cards as you can always hope for a miracle. Hope or sympathy cards were the theme at Crazy 4 Challenges this week. I usually use Thinking of You or a sentiment with prayers or praying in it if that’s appropriate. For imagery, I tend to go with the same things I’d use for sympathy cards. Writing inside the card is the hardest.

I used a Prima paper pad for the papers. The scalloped circle is by Spellbinders cut from Ocean Tides cardstock, but as the cardstock wasn’t bright enough, I added some BG15 marker. It’s a great way to use up some ink if your marker is too juicy too! The plain circle is actually stitched from Simon Says Stamp. The kraft card base was stamped with various postmark stamps from Rubber Buggy. They don’t show much, mostly in the torn areas. I distressed this card pretty heavily. Not sure why, maybe just because I haven’t done it in a while. I was working with the latest Global Design Project #148, case the designer.

Enjoy, Rebecca

Entered In:

GDP#148

Kindness Enclosed: Flower and Wood Frame Card

For the third week of the month at Crazy 4 Challenges, I designed a sketch for us to use. I’ll be honest, I CASE’d this from a card I saw but when I went to find the name of the designer, I’d lost it! oops!

So I learned some fun things when I was making this card. I tried a few different dies to make a frame. But, none of them were working quite right. So I tried making a frame with my new Infinity Rectangle Dies by Hero Arts. To save time, I used some cheap watercolour paper I bought for my son. I cut the frame 3 times. Then I wanted it to look like a wood frame so I embossed it with my Gemini Junior using a PTI texture plate. But, I made my sandwich too thick. My machine moaned and groaned but it finally allowed the sandwich through. My frame was deeply embossed but also quite warped and even torn in one place! At first I was annoyed assuming I’d have to redo my frame. Then I looked at it again. I liked that the frame wasn’t perfect, it made it look more rustic. Also, the torn part went together quite well while the remaining portion that showed could be hidden under the flower. I highlighted the texture with some gold wax paste.

The flowers are from a Spellbinders stamp n die set. I used professional watercolours from several brands to colour the image that was stamped in Antique Linen Distress ink. I used spring moss cardstock for the card base, then some patterned paper with soft printed dots. A doily and some sequins added some shabby chic texture to this card. I wasn’t sure what kind of sentiment I wanted to use and I knew that I needed some new cards for More Love Letters. I try to send a couple of cards each month. It’s hard to know what sentiment to use when making cards in advance, so I went with a kindness sentiment from a set by Hero Arts.

Enjoy, Rebecca

Shaped Cards for Crazy 4 Challenges

For my second week hosting over at Crazy 4 Challenges, I decided we should make shaped cards. Anything other than a plain circle, rectangle or square. I had lots of ideas but then I realized I’d already made this card that I loved!

When I made it, I was experimenting with some new supplies. The Rebecca Lace background from Simon Says Stamp and some gorgeous new Daniel Smith paints. If you like to watercolour, you MUST get yourself some professional paints, just a few at a time, when they are on sale. Preferably Daniel Smith ones. They truly are amazing! I also finally got myself a few Silver Brush watercolour brushes. They are soooo much better than the ones I’d been using. I had a variety of brushes from value lines from Curry’s to expensive ones from Michaels (coupon baby!) and even some from the dollar store. I’ve always wondered how someone could paint something then come back to the first part and add pigment when in my world, that paint would already be dry! Well, it’s because Silver Brushes hold an enormous amount of water! Oh, now I get it! That’s how their paint is still wet! Such a revelation!

The colours I used here were Amythyst Genuine, yes, the actual gemstone is used to make the paint, Duochrome Oceanic which is an aqua with gold shimmer in it, Rhodonite Genuine, Bronzite Genuine, Prussian Green and Cobalt Teal Blue. Most of these are shimmery which looks so amazing with the platinum embossing powder I used to emboss the lace image. I used multiple layers of the same powder to colour my Thinking of You die cut. The stamp is actually square but I decided I preferred it trimmed into a scalloped circle.

I hope you have some awesome ideas for shaped cards. If you join us over at the C4C blog, don’t forget to come back here and leave me a comment so you are entered in my giveaway!

Enjoy, Rebecca

Mermaid’s Treasure

For the last few years, I’ve been obsessed with all things related to the ocean and blue-greens like teal, aqua and turquoise. I didn’t have any mermaid stamps until this year but I am so hooked!

This sweet little gal and her accompanying stamps are by Stamping Bella. This style of illustration is my favourite from this company. She was so much fun to colour with my Copics. The little dots on her tail look like scales right? The coins in the treasure chest are coloured with a coppery gold pen. Isn’t the ocean-themed frame stunnning? It’s by Hero Arts, cut from Bristol Smooth paper, sponged with Distress Oxide inks and flicked with water to create texture. The little tiny fishies I added as accents were cut from the area behind the mermaid; rather than wasting them, I trimmed the fish colouring them with warm colours to help them stand out. The background is hard to make out here but it’s stamped with the sea weed stamp that accompanies the mermaid.

Do you love the ocean? I could make nothing but beach and ocean themed cards and be very happy!

I’m hosting a giveaway! Read the details HERE!

Enjoy, Rebecca

Eiffel Tower Tea Set Card

I’ve got to admit, I’ve been holding out on you guys. I often post my cards to Instagram and forget to post them here. Sometimes I don’t even remember to take a photo of them with my good camera and all I have is an iPhone pic! So this summer, I am resolved to find all the cards I’ve made in the last while, about 6 months I think and post them all! We shall see how long this particular resolution lasts!

This card was for the spring Coffee Lovers Bloghop. The Eiffel Tower is by Hero Arts, (I’m so used to Instagram that I almost typed #heroarts!) which I airbrushed in tan to get as close to the colour of the real tower as possible. Did you know that it is painted in an ombre of tan? But metallic tan of course. To save time, I die cut the tea pot and cup (dies by Poppy Stamps) with coaster board so I wouldn’t have to layer so many die cuts. Just snag a few every time you go out to a restaurant or bar! Most die cutters will get through it in just a couple of passes with a shim.

The background is text paper from PTI but it looked too plain so I airbrushed some of the colours from the patterned paper on it. At the bottom I added a fabric doily; sadly most of it was covered by the flowers.  I finished the card with some crystals, silk and paper flowers along with some die cut flourishes.

I wonder if some of you are curious as to why so few of my cards are my usual shabby chic style. There are a couple of reasons. First, many of the stamps I get in my Hero Arts and Simon Says Stamp kits don’t lend themselves to shabby designs. I wish I was like Melissa Philips and I could make a shabby card out of nearly any stamp set! But alas, I lack that particular talent. Also, I’ve been trying to sell my cards and the over-the-top shabby ones I love to make don’t sell very well. I will always be a shabby and elegant designer at heart but I have been enjoying making some cards that aren’t as ornate and girlie. Oh, I guess there is another reason. I’ve been colouring a lot and not finishing those cards! Especially since I’ve participated in the last couple of Kathy Rascoosin’s 30 day colouring challenges. That’s another goal of mine, to turn those coloured panels and backgrounds into cards!

Enjoy, Rebecca

Hola! Piñata Celebration Spinner Card

Hey paper crafters! It’s my month to host at Crazy 4 Challenges and I’m so excited for you to see the challenges I’ve created! In addition, I have a giveaway for you this month, more details below.

My card features stamps from the Mexican-themed Hero Arts kit from a couple of months ago. My theme for the week at C4C is WINDOWS. There are lots of ideas on the blog to get you started. When I thought of a window, I though of a spinner card, cutting a circle window in the front panel so the piñata can spin. There is only one little donkey (not two mirror images) so I didn’t have a stamp for the back of the spinner. I stamped the image, got out my light box and traced the image on the back. Then, d’uh, I realized that I needed two images so I could sandwich the clear thread in between them. So I grabbed another piece of paper and used my light box again to trace another donkey. Now I had one facing each way!

The beautiful intricate white frame is from the kit too! I just love how it looks like lace. In this second photo you can see how the spinner seems like it hovers in space because I used clear jewelry stringing material to suspend it in the window. I added a few cacti in pots to the front of the card and I’d also coloured a cake but since it didn’t fit on the front, I added it to the inside of the card. I don’t usually decorate the inside of my cards (I like lots of room to write) but I’d already added the circle die cut and sentiment, so why not add a little more?!

So, I’m sure you are waiting for the giveaway details right? All you have to do is play along with any or all of this month’s C4C challenges, link up your card and come back here leaving me a comment that you made a card for the challenge! The prize is a pair of earrings custom made by me in your choice of colour and metal (silver or gold). We can discuss styles you like if you win. Below is a pair I made a while ago. I can easily make them more or less intricate and shorter if you prefer.

I’m also adding some paper crafting goodies! Have you ever pushed ‘Add to Cart’ once but then it seemed like it didn’t work so you hit it again? Well, I do that ALL.THE.TIME! I rarely if ever order something I already own in a later order but I accidentally order 2 in the same order! So, that means I have a stash of fun goodies that are duplicates! I’m happy to pass some on to you!

I can’t wait to see your take on WINDOWS! If you regularly post on Instagram, you can still link up your card! Just click on the 3 little dots in the top right of the screen. Then click Copy Link. Paste that link into the Mr. Linky and you are all set!

Enjoy, Rebecca

Party Balloons!

This week at Crazy 4 Challenges, we were asked to try out the Eclipse Technique. I did another card with this technique recently so I’ll have to post it soon.

Basically the technique requires you to cut a word or shape out of a background then add foam tape and add the die cut back into the spot from which it was cut. The background can be stamped, painted, printed (like patterned paper) or in my case, die cut! I cut a bunch of balloons all in white then added them to the card. The paper I used was not too thick so the die would cut through both layers. The balloons are by MFT, the confetti by PTI and the party from Winnie and Walter. I added Copic marker colouring to the balloon areas of the word die cut to make the word stand out more; all white would have been pretty boring right?!

So this card could be used for a male or female, I used only a bit of pink and purple for the die cuts and none for the sequins. I added a couple of strips of paper along the edges for another pop of colour. I rarely add a full sheet of paper when I do a layer. If just two edges show, I add strips of paper. If I want a layer that shows all around, I often cut the center out so I can save that bit for die cutting. I don’t do this on small layers but it does save money in the long run.

I hope you can come up with a cool design using the eclipse technique! Please join us over at the blog!

Enjoy, Rebecca