A Peaceful Forest Birthday Card

Sometimes a card just comes together, like this one did.  I was originally planning on using a different stamp set for the card, but after creating the background, I realized that I needed to change the set to use the 'Find Peace' stamp set from Gina K Designs.

I used the following for the card:

• Gina K Designs - Find Peace stamp set
• Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 2
• Distress Oxide Ink - Chipped Sapphire, Pine Needles, Vintage Photo
• My Favorite Things - Black Licorice Ink
• Pssst Sheer Shimmer Spritz - Frosty

To make the card, I ink blended the background using the Distress Oxide inks.  To add a bit of shine, I sprayed the background with the Shimmer Spritz.  The background was then cut using Master Layouts 2, along with the black mat.  The images were stamped using the Black Licorice ink.  The card was then put together, the background attached to the mat, and the entire piece to the card base to complete the card.

Rainbow of Color

I finally got to use a new stencil for this card.  Its one that I've had for a few months - Watercolor Wash from My Favorite Things.  I love the irregular edges and I can see using this one often. In this case, I decided to use a rainbow of colors and make a birthday card.

I use the following for the card:

• Distress Oxide Ink - Barn Door, Ripe Persimmon, Mustard Seed, Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean, Dusty Concord
• MFT - Watercolor Wash Stencil
• Gina K - Happy and Shadow dies
• Tim Holtz - Celebrate dies
• Gina K - Master Layout 1

To make the card, I ink blended the Distress Oxide Inks using the stencil.  Once complete, I spritzed a bit of water on the image.  This was then cut using Master Layouts1.  The black mat was also cut from ML1.  The image was attached to the mat, and the entire piece to the card base.  Happy was cut from both white and black paper, and the two pieces attached together then added to the card.  Birthday was cut from black card stock and added to the card to complete it!

Taylored Expressions Create-In-Quads Snowflake

So I just had to give the Taylored Expressions Create-In-Quads stencils a try.  I got the snowflake one since Christmas was coming up and I needed something new for my cards.  I was surprised at how different each color combination ended up looking.  As a plus, I got 4 cards per color combination! I ended up using a variety of inks and sentiments,

I used the following for the cards:

• Taylored Expressions - Create-In-Quads Snowflake Layering Stencil
• Inks from Gina K, Altenew, Distress Oxides
• Gina K Designs - Seasonal Greetings, Simple Snowflakes stamp sets
• Lawn Fawn - Winter Scripty Sayings stamp set
• Creative Expressions - Let It Snow die
• Spellbinders - Oval dies
• Versamark
• Wow - Metallic Brass Embossing Powder

To make the cards, the snowflakes were stenciled using a variety of inks.  The panels were then cut apart for 4 cards.  The sentiments stamped or die cut in coordinating inks and papers.  The panels were matted and added to the card base to complete the cards.

 

Rosy Birthday Card

I had want to make some Distress Oxide backgrounds, I made several, but because of stamping errors, this was the only one that made it to become a card!

To make the card, I used:

• Versafine - Black Onyx Ink
• Distress Oxide - Squeezed Lemonade, Carved Pumpkin, Kitsch Flamingo
• Prismacolor Pencils - Red and Green
• Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 2 
• Gina K Designs - Summer Silhouettes stamp set
• Gina K Designs - Wild Roses stamp set
• Gina K Designs - Soft White Pearl Mix

To make the card, I first created the background, blending the 3 colors of Distress ink.  Using Versafine ink, the rose image and the sentiments were stamped.  Using just 2 colored pencils - red and green - the rose image was colored.  The panel (and associated black mat) was cut using Master Layouts 2.  The panel was attached to the mat, and the entire piece to the card base.  3 small pearls were added under the sentiment to complete the card.

BKRS Horse and Sleigh Christmas Card

When I saw the Horse and Sleigh stamp set from Blue Knight Rubber Stamps I immediately knew how I wanted to use it! The design I had in mind is perfect for mass producing cards, which is helpful  when lots of cards are needed.  The Horse and Sleigh stamp set contains the same image in three different sizes.  The medium size was perfect for the card:

I used the following for the card:

• Blue Knight Rubber Stamps - Horse and Sleigh stamp set
• VersaFine Black Onyx Ink
• Distress Oxide Ink - Salted Ocean, Prize Ribbon
• Gina K - Complements of the Season stamp set
• Gina K - Master Layouts 1
• Perfect Pearls - Perfect Pearl 
• White Gel Pen

To make the card the card I masked the bottom and top portions of a piece of white card stock leaving the unmasked area large enough for the stamp.  Into the unmasked area I blended the Distress Oxide Inks keeping the lighter color toward the top.  Perfect Pearl was mixed with water in a small mister, and the inked area was misted with this combination, resulting in a slight glimmer in the inked area.  Once dry, the masks were removed and the image stamped.  A little bit of white was added with the gel pen.  This panel was then cut with Master Layouts 1 (along with a black mat using the associated die),  The panel was added to the mat and the entire piece added to a card base.  I then found the perfect sentiment for the card from a Gina K stamp set.  This was stamped in the upper corner to complete the card.

Batty Halloween Card

This card uses a variety of items from many different manufactures.  I knew I had to use the bat from Best Witches, and the rest of it just came together with items I had in my stash.

 I used the following for the card:

• Gina K - Best Witches dies
• Gina K - Black Onyx Ink
• Gina K - Master Layouts 1
• A Colorful Life - Ghosties Stencil
• Recollections - Halloween Phrases
• Distress Oxide Ink - Seedless Preserves, Carved Pumpkin, Lucky Clover

To make the card, I used blender brushes to add the Distress Oxide to white card stock.  The stencil was then placed on the panel, and a damp paper towel as added on top and lightly pressed into the stencil.  This removed some of the ink from the panel and made it look "ghostly". The panel was cut with Master Layouts 1 (along with the associated black mat).  Bats were cut from black cardstock with the die from Best Witches.  These were added to the panel, with some of the bats added with foam squares.  A white gel pen was used to add eyes to the bats.  The sentiment was added using Black Onyx ink (interesting that it ended up looking blue in the picture!).  The panel was then added to the black mat, and the entire piece added to the card base to complete the card. 

This card was entered in the Mod Squad Challenge - Halloween

Birthday Silhouette

 I create the background for this card first.  It took a while for me to decide what to do with it, and decided that a silhouette would be perfect.  Here is the card I made:

I used the following to make the card:

• Distress Oxide - Squeezed Lemonade, Ripe Persimmon, Wilted Violet, Blueprint Sketch
• Gina K - Wild Blossoms
• Gina K - You Make Me Happy
• Gina K - Obsidian Ink

To make the card, I used the Distress Oxide Inks to create the background.  I decided to try blending with my blender brushes, and they worked great with the Distress Oxide ink.  The ink blended so easily.

I stamped the flowers and sentiment with obsidian ink.  The entire panel was trimmed and matted with black.  The entire piece was added to the card base to complete the card.

Fall Leaves Card

A while back I purchased the Gina K Leaves Foil-Mates from Gina K.  I had plans at the time to use it, but somehow didn't get around to it until now.  Its hard to photograph foil, but you can see a bit of it in the card below. 

I used the following for the card:

• Gina K - Foil-Mates (Leaves)
• Tim Holtz - Skeleton Leaves
• Distress Oxide Ink - Carved Pumpkin, Mowed Lawn, Dried Marigold, Barn Door, Fossilized Amber
• Heidi Swapp Minc Foil - Gold
• Versamark
• Stampendous Detailed Gold Embossing Powder

To make the card, I cut the Foil-Mate to 3.75 x 5.  To this I added the gold foil .  Using Life Saving Brushes I added and blended the Distress Oxide Inks.  The panel was matted with green card stock and added to the card base.  I then cut the leaves from brown card stock and added them to the card.  The sentiment was stamped in Versmark, gold embossing powder added ad heat set.  This was then added to the card.  

Trick or Treat Halloween Card

For this card, I again used a variety of products from a variety of manufacturers, but they all went together so well to make this card!

For the card I used:

• Distress Oxide Ink - Dusty Concord, Abandoned Coral, Scattered Straw
• Martha Stewart - Happy Halloween Stamp Set
• Recollections - Halloween Phrases Stamp Set
• Just for Fun - Halloween Parade
• Unknown - Tree
• Versafine - Black Onyx Ink
• Versamark 
• Zing Clear Embossing Power
• Stampednous Detail White Embossing Powder

To make the card, I used Life Saving Brushes to add and blend the Distress Oxide ink.  Water was spritzed onto the panel.  Once dry, the tree was stamped with the Black Onyx ink, clear embossing powder added and heat set.  The process was repeated with both the fence, and the Trick or Treaters.  The sentiment was stamped with Versmark, white embossing powder added and heat set.  The entire panel was then added to a black mat.  This was then added to the card base to complete the card.

A Creepy Halloween Card

Here is a cute Halloween card that is made with a variety of products. These are all older stamps, some I don't even know the manufacturer!  But, they all went together so well to make this card:

I used the following for the card:

• Distress Oxide Ink - Dusty Concord, Abandoned Coral, Scattered Straw
• Recollections - Halloween Phrases
• I don't know the manufacturer of the tree and fence stamps
• Versafine Black Onyx Ink
• VersaMark
• Zing Clear Embossing Powder
• Stampendous Detail White Embossing Powder

To make the card, I used the Life Saving Brushes from Picket Fence Studio to add and  blend the Distress Oxide Ink.  This was then spritzed with a little water.  Once the panel was dry, I stamped the tree with the Black Onyx Ink, added clear embossing power over the top and heat set it.  I repeated the process for the fence.  I added the sentiment by stamping with VersaMark, adding white embossing powder and heat setting it.  The entire panel was then matted with black card stock and added to the card base to complete the card. 

Distress Oxide Background

Here is a birthday card I made using a distress oxide background.  It didn't come out quite as I expected it, but still worked. 

I used the following to make the card:

• Distress Oxide Ink - Seedless Preserves, Abandoned Coral, Tattered Rose
• Penny Black Blooming Garden Stamp set
• Honey Bee Sentiment Banners Dies
• Altenew Beautiful Inside Stamp Set
• Versamark
• Stampendous Detail White Embossing Powder
• Ranger Perfect Pearls Perfect Pearl

I first made the background with the Distress Oxide inks.  This was then sprayed with water which was mixed with Perfect Pearl.  The image was stamped, and I then "colored" the stamp with the pearlized water.  This was then added to the card base.  The sentiment strip was created by stamping the sentiment with Versamark, adding the embossing powder and heat setting it.  It was then cut with one of the banner dies and added to the card, completing the card.

 

Hooray - Its's Your Day Birthday Card

I seem to use products from a variety of companies.  Here is a birthday card I made using products from Altenew, Tim Holtz, My Favorite Things, and Lawn Fawn.

I used the following:

• Altenew - Weave Builder Stencil
• Distress Oxide Ink - Faded Jeans, Weathered Wood
• My Favorite Things - Hooray Die, Delicious Birthday Stamp set
• Lawn Fawndamentals - Deep Sea Ink

To make the card, I created the background using the stencil and the distress oxide ink.  This was then trimmed to slightly smaller than the card front and attached. I cut out the hooray several times, stacked them and added to the card.  I used one of the stamps, masking part of it, and stamped it on a strip of paper, which was then added to the card.

Another Lawn Fawn Halloween Card

Here is another card, made with the Candy Corn add-on stamp set.  For this card, I just used the stamps.

I used the following for the card:

• Lawn Fawn - Candy Corn add on stamps
• Martha Stewart - Halloween stamps (old set!)
• Copic - C0, C1, C3, Y6, YG07
• Distress Oxide Ink - Carved Pumpkin, Wilted Violet and Black Soot
• Versamark
• Stampendous Detailed White Embossing Powder
• Memento London Fog

To make the card, I stamped the candy corn cluster on white cardstock with Memento London Fog ink.  I masked the image, and continued stamping the lenght of the card base, masking as I went. The masks removed, and the candy corn colored with Copic markers.  The masks were then re-applied and the backgound added with the distress oixde inks.  Once dry, the sentiment was added with Versamark, embossing powder added and heat set.  The panel was then cut to 4 x 5.25 and added to the card base o complete the card.

Flower Silhouette Birthday Card

I love the way this card came out, I'll have to make more that are similar!

I used the following for the card:

• Hero Arts - Flowers stamp
• MFT - Handwritten Happiness Stamp set
• Distress Oxide Ink - Fossilized Amber, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick
• Versafine Black Onyx Ink
• Zing Clear Embossing Powder

The background was the first thing made for this card, I sponged the Distress Oxide inks on a piece of white card stock, lightest to darkest. Water was spritzed on the panel.  Once dried, the flower image was stamped with Versafine Black Onyx Ink.  Clear Embossing powder was added and heat set.  The steps were taken for the sentiment.  The panel was matted with black card stock and added to the card base to complete the card.

Merry Christmas with SImon Says Stamp Christmas Token Die

Merry Christmas!  Here is the a simple Christmas Card made with the Simon Says Stamp Christmas Token Die:

To make this card, I used the following:

• Simon Says Stamp Christmas Token Die
• Distress Oxide Ink - Broken China, Faded Jeans, Salty Ocean
• Perfect Pearls - Perfect Pearl 

To make the blue background, I used the Distress Oxide Inks lightest to darkest, for a bit of an ombre look.  This was then spritzed with water mixed with the Perfect Pearls.  I then cut our the Christmas Token, (saving it for another card).  The Christmas Token was then cut from white card stock.  The blue background was then added to a dark blue card base.  The white Christmas token was added to complete the card.

And here is the card I made with the left over Christmas token:

The background for this card was made using the  Close to My Heart Snowflakes Seasons and Nature stamp set.  The snowflakes from that set were stamped with  Memento Summer Sky ink and Brilliance Platinum Plant ink.  The Token was then added on top of the card base.

Peace and Joy Christmas Card

I love the simplicity of this card

I used the following to make this card:

• Penny Black - Winter Joy
• Just for Fun - 3 Wise Men on Camels
• Distress Oxide Ink - Salty Ocean, Faded Jeans, Black Soot
• Versafine Black Onyx Ink

To make the card, I masked out an area near the bottom of the card.  In this area I blended Salty Ocean and Faded Jeans Distress Oxide Ink.  Black Soot was added around the edges.  The 3 Wise Men on Camels was then stamped in the Distress Oxide Ink area with Versafine Black Onyx Ink.  The sentiment from Winter Joy was then added.  The entire panel was then matted and added to a card base to complete the card.

Mama Elephant Halloween Card and a Galaxy Background

Here is the last Halloween card I made with the Mama Elephant Bootastic Stamp Set:

I used a lot of different items to make this card!

• Martha Stewart Happy Halloween Stamp Set
• Mama Elephant Bootastic Stamp Set and Matching Dies
• MFT Small Brick Backgroup Stamp
• Various Distress Oxide Ink
• Versamark
• Stampendous Detailed Black Embossing Powder
• Various Copic Markers
• Lawn Fawn Hippo Ink

To make the card, I first created the Galaxy background for the card.  I made this using a technique shown by Jennifer McQuire (click here to see the details).  While that was drying, I then stamped the small brick background, using the Hippo Lawn Fawn ink.  This was then colored with Fired Brick Distress Oxide Ink.  I then stamped the images from Bootastic, colored them with various Copic Markers, and cut them out with the matching dies.  To the front of an A2 sized card, I added a strip of dark green card stock.  A small portion of the Brick wall was then added.  The Galaxy background was added to the top of the card.  The images from Bootastic were added.  To complete the card, I stamped the bats from the Happy Halloween stamp set, along with the sentiment in Versamark.  Embossing Powder was added and heat set to complete the card.

Another Mama Elephant Halloween Card

Her is another card made with the Mama Elephant Bootastic stamp set and Distress Oxide Inks:

To make this card, I used:

• Distress Oxide Ink
• Mama Elephant Bootastic Stamps and Dies
• SSS Stitched Circle Dies
• Lawn Fawn Spooktacular Stamp set (sentiment)
• Various Copic Markers
• MFT Diagonal Stripes Stencil

To make the card, I stamped and colored the images from Bootastic.  These were then colored with Copic Markers, and then cut with the matching dies.  The card base was made using the MFT stencil and Distress Oxide Ink.  I then changed the direction of the stencil and repeated the process.  The white of the base was a bit to bright, so I added additional Distress Oxide ink over the stenciled areas. A circle was cut using the Simon Says Stamp Stitched Circle Dies, and the sentiment was added. The circle was added to the card base and then the images added to complete the card.

Halloween Card with Mama Elephant

I've used the Mama Elephant Bootastic Halloween stamps several years now. They are perfect for the cards I make for the grandkids.  I also just got the Distress Oxide inks and had to play with them. Here is another card made with these stamps:

I used the following to make the card:

• Mama Elephant Bootastic Stamps and Dies
• Various Copic Markers
• Martha Stewart Happy Halloween Stamps
• Distress Oxide Ink
• Versafine Black Onyx Ink
• Memento Tuxedo Black Ink

To make the card, I stamped the images from the Bootastic stamp set, colored them with various Copic Markers, and then cut the images with the matching dies.  Distress Oxide Inks were used for the background. The fence, bats and bird from the Happy Halloween stamp set were then added with Verafine Black Onyx ink.  The sentiment was added, and the Bootastic images were added to complete the card.