July Flower of the Month Card

The flower of the month for July is the Larkspur!  This card is part of my personal challenge to make at least one card using stamps for the flower of the month.  I did not have a stamp of a larkspur before!  My challenge did include the stipulation that I should be using stamps I already have, however, it is my birthday this month, so I am giving myself leniency for using this stamp that was new to me!  See all my other flower of the month cards HERE.

 I colored the flowers in purples and blues, and added white gel pen to the centers.  My background was made by stenciling Distress Oxide inks over lavender lumiere paper.  The oxide inks remain matte so just the covered portion has the sheen from the lumiere paper.

Supplies:  I Brake for Stamps July Larkspur stamp, Memento black ink, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, Distress Oxide Wilted Violet and Blueprint Sketch, Heidi Swapp lattice stencil, Avery Elle Wonky Stitched rectangle dies, brad from My Mind’s Eye.

When you shop at I Brake for Stamps, use my coupon code to get 10% off your order!  SAVE10HEIDI

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I would love to enter SimonSaysStamp’s Wednesday Anything Goes challenge.

Christmas in July - Snowman Card set

Hello!  I am working on some Christmas cards, trying to get ahead for Christmas in July.  I recently bought some Heidi Swapp Texture paste and created some backgrounds with stencils.  I really love the way it looks on the light blue cardstock.

I colored all my snowmen with alcohol markers and then added Wink of Stella glitter to the snowy parts.  I mixed several stamp companies to create these cards. I do want to mention that the one Stampendous set has multiple bodies that you can mix and match with the heads, and that is a fun way to create “same, but different” cards!

Supplies:  Stampendous SSC1249 Winter Stack stamp set, Purple Onion designs Yule stamp (snowman with lantern), Elizabeth Crafts Holiday Cheer sentiment set, Lawn Fawn Bannerifci stamp set, Memento and Versafine black inks, Heidi Swapp White Metallic texture paste, stencils from The Crafters Workshop and Memory Box, EK Success large snowflake stamp and snowflake border (for little snowflakes), other items from my stash.

I would like to enter ModSquad Challenge’s Christmas in July challenge.

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Joy Comes from Simple Things....

Hello!  I hope you are having a great day. I am going on with my theme of cards appropriate to send a camper.

I love the quote in this scene stamp.  You can’t see it in the photos, but I did add some glitter gel pen to the water in places to make it look like the sun (or moon) was shining down on it.  I kept this masculine-friendly card simple, just adding a frame to the stamped image and putting it over some understated paper.

Supplies: I Brake for Stamps Joy Comes from, Memento Black ink, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, Sakura Stardust gel pen, DCWV Linen Closet patterned paper.

I am pleased to be able to offer you a 10% off coupon code at I Brake for Stamps Store!

SAVE10HEIDI

Thank you for your visit!  I hope you have time for simple things - like stamping - this week!!

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Popsicle Cards

Thank you for visiting today!  I have been having a lot of fun with this popsicle stamp this summer.  It is easy to color and I like that I can color it in any color I feel like.

I loved adding some stickles glitter glue to the popsicles, but in the second card, I took it a step further and covered the whole thing with glossy accents.  It takes a long time to dry, but it really makes an impact.

Supplies: Just for Fun Rubber Stamps Ice Cream Pop, Sweet Birthday Wishes and You’re So Sweet stamps, Memento black ink, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, Carta Bella Beach Day 6x6 paper pad, Stickles glitter glue, glossy accents, Gina Marie X Stitched circles dies.

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Fish Cards with Paint Bubble Backgrounds Tutorial

I recently made a bunch of cards using a painted bubble background.  It was loads of fun, and I haven’t seen it done often in cardmaking, so I thought I would share a simple tutorial.

(This card is also is being entered into Tuesday Throwdown’s Stitching Challenge)

You will need acrylic paint, dish soap, water, a container to mix in, and a straw.  I used this pie dish, but you might want to try a disposable cup or bowl, or maybe a take-out container.

I mixed about 1 part paint to 5 parts water. I added a few drops of dish soap.  I didn’t measure, I just eyeballed it.  Your mileage will vary here depending on how pigmented your paint is.

Mix it together with the straw and then blow the bubbles till you have tons of bubbles.  I didn’t want to waste too much paint, so I tipped the pie pan to the side and pool the liquid in one spot before blowing the bubbles.

Place your cardstock right down into the bubbles.  Some have found that scooping the bubbles up with the paper, and popping them yourself, is another way to do it.

Here is one of my backgrounds!  Let me know if you give it a try!

For this background, I had tried using a disposable cup.  I got an outline of the cup, too, which is a fun look.

Tips:

1)  Don’t have acrylic paints, try any of your reinkers.  

2) Want a lighter color, add water.  Want a darker color, add more paint.  

3) This can be messy!  Don’t work around your beautiful, completed card projects!  Don’t wear your favorite shirt!  I worked in the kitchen.  

4) Be sure to only blow through the straw, resist sucking in at all costs!

5) These don’t just have to be blue water, I am going to be doing black for Halloween cards.  Layer different colors, too.

Supplies:  Inkadinkado Fish and Bizzaro Stamps fish, Hero Arts (with Basic Grey) Awesome sentiment stamps, Versafine Black ink, K&Co patterned papers, DCWV Citrus Stack, Avery Elle Wonky Stitched rectangles, Spellbinders Fancy Edged Rectangles dies

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Wander Where the WiFi Is Weak - Camping Card

ETA 7/25/18: I was very pleased that my card was chosen to be an honorable mention at Case this Sketch!  Thanks!

Every year, I need several cards to send to my son at camp.  I am, therefore, a sucker for any camping themed stamps and supplies.  Although I love the outdoors, I have never been camping myself.  Anyhow, here is one that I will send this year.

I used a stencil over yellow cardstock and sponged through a stencil Distress Oxide inks in Faded Jeans, Walnut Stain and Fired Brick.  I then stamped the word, “Wander” with Versafine ink.  The die as cut from a patterned paper and was popped up on the card front.

I decorated the inside of the card with a scrap of the patterned paper, the sentiment and a little image from a related stamp set.

Supplies:  Plaid Fabric Creations stencil duo #98812, Distress Oxide inks Faded Jeans, Walnut Stain and Fired Brick, Versafine Ink Vintage Sepia and Toffee, Elizabeth Crafts Summer Sentiments and Camping Out Clear stamp sets, Pink Paislee Outfitters 6x6 Paper pad, Momenta Happy Camper die set

I used the sketch at CASE this Sketch for my project today! I would also like to enter SimonSaysStamp’s Monday Challenge - Summer Fun & Snippet’s Crafty Playground #330.

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Tropical with Distress Oxide inks

Hello!  Thanks for stopping by today.  I wanted to share a card I made using a technique I learned from my friend April.  Check out her blog here.  

For the background, I stamped in three Distress Oxide colors.  Each stamping, you will ink up your stamp, spritz it with water before stamping. You will move your stamp slightly with each stamping.  I used my stamping platform to make this a little easier, but it certainly isn’t needed.  First was Antique Linen, then Twisted Citron, and finally my darkest color was last, that was Peeled Paint.  It’s a fun technique and can be done with lots of different background stamps.  

The hibiscus is a stamp layering set.  I also used all Distress Oxides for this, spritzing the stamp with water before stamping.  So pretty and a great finish for the card without covering up too much of my background.  Clear Nuvo drops were added for decoration.

Supplies:  Just for Fun Rubber stamps Bamboo background stamp, Hero Arts Layering Hibiscus stamp and dies, Distress Oxide inks (pink flower) Worn Lipstick, Picked Raspberry, Candied Apple, (orange flower) Wild Honey, Abandoned Coral, Candied Apple, Black Soot for flower centers, Peeled Paint, Twisted Citron and Antique Linen, scrap cardstock, Gina K Sentiment with Versafine black ink, Clear Nuvo Drops.

Thanks for stopping by!  

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Baseball Handmade Card

Hello!  Thanks for stopping by!  My card today combines a sketch challenge with the Free For All Challenge at SplitCoastStampers.  I really just went with the the baseball theme and followed the sketch exactly.  I am happy with the card, so this taught me that sometimes you just go all-in on a theme and don’t over think it!  This will make a great birthday card for one of those really sporty boys in the family. (I got a couple comments on this so I am adding that I am thinking of specific boys in my family.  The sporty girls in my family aren’t interested in baseball.)

I did just ink up a portion of a Unity Stamp for the sentiment.  That stamp is combined with some basketballs, so I used a black marker to just get the words.  Simple stamping was in order for the other stamps from Prima, then fussy cut them.  

Supplies: Unity Stamps Making the Team, Prima All Star cling stamps, Versafine Black and Crimson Red inkpads, Memento Black marker, Spellbinders Oval dies, MAMBI Champs 8x8 patterned paper pack, other supplies from my stash. 

Tuesday Morning Sketches #461

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More Beautiful Birds

Hello!  Hoping you have had time for stamping lately.  I have actually made a stack of cards and am just getting around to photographing them.  We are having hot, but mostly not too humid weather.  Summer is in full swing.  A busy time of year when you have kids, but a lot of fun making memories.

I have another gorgeous bird card this week, if I do say so myself.  This stamp is so detailed, it was really very quick to color.  

I used a coordinating patterned paper to stamp the sentiment on.  I think this is a cute saying to send to a good friend who really gets you.  

Supplies:  I Brake for Stamps Sheet 141A Birds, Memento Dye ink, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, MFT Dienamics Pierced Square dies, DCWV Linen Closet patterned paper.

I am happy to be able to offer my readers a special coupon code that will get you 10% off your stamp order at I Brake for Stamps store.

SAVE10HEIDI

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Tall Ships Nautical Handmade Card

Hello!  Thank you for visiting my blog.  I’d like to share a Nautical card with you today.

The background was stamped and heat embossed with white.  I then made a sort of watercolor paint using my blue Distress Ink reinkers and a little water and applied this to the paper.  I simply stamped the Tall Ship with navy blue ink.  I think the red frame really finishes off the card well.

Supplies: Just for Fun Rubber stamps Tall Ship,  Old Sea Map Background stamps, Veramark Ink, Hero Arts Navy Ink, Recollections detail white embossing powder, Distress Reinkers in all the blues, Gina Marie X stitched circle dies, other supplies from my stash

This fits Just for Fun’s July Challenge, as well as SimonSaysStamps Wednesday challenge - Both Red White and Blue!

I always appreciate your visits and comments! Please consider following my blog using the Blogger tool on the side bar, or on facebook or pinterest, too.

Free for All challenge!

Hello and Happy Friday!  I just wanted to let you know that my Cling Wrap Stamping Technique is the challenge at Split Coast Stamper’s Free for All Challenge this week.  Find the challenge post HERE.  

It would be so fun if you played along!

I Brake for Birds...

 This is a fun post because I really do brake for birds.  I am a bit of a birder (aka birdwatcher) so I naturally am drawn to wonderful bird stamps like this.

Sheet 141A Birds

I colored my birds with alcohol markers to resemble an American Robin.  These birds strike me as being fledglings about to leave the nest for good.

I was listening to a birding podcast the other day and they said that there are really only a few weeks of summer for birds.  The entire breeding season is their Spring and then migration starts in late July for some birds, so they don’t get much rest!

I stamped the branch ink light beige ink onto vanilla cardstock for the background.  After die cutting, I added the sentiment tag on with a brad and popped the center panel up on fun foam.  

Supply list: I Brake for Stamps Sheet 141A Birds, Memento Black ink, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, Hero Arts Soft Sand, cardstock from my stash, Avery Elle Wonky Stitched rectangle dies, My Mind’s Eye brad.

You can use my coupon code, SAVE10HEIDI, to save 10% at the I Brake for Stamps online store.

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THANK YOU for your visit today!

Happy 4th of July - 90th Birthday Card (Cling Wrap Stamping)

Hello and Happy Independence Day to all of my American readers!  My card today is not only a 4th of July card, but also a 90th birthday card for my Grandpa.

The background was done with my Cling Wrap stamping technique.  (Find the tutorial with video HERE.) This tweed stamp usually gives a nice, crisp image.  But with the technique, I get a distressed, grunge look.

The star balloons were die cut with star dies, then cutting the number die into it. I layered it over a white die cut star to make sure you could read the numbers easily.  The bit of bakers twine finished them off nicely.  The inside was decorated with stars and sweet sentiments.

Supplies: Hero Arts Tweed background stamps, Our Daily Bread Designs Shine on and Patriotic Pennants stamp sets, Darice Star dies, Hero Arts Classic Numbers dies, Carta Bella It’s a Celebration 6x6 paper pad, Hero Arts Red Royal and Navy inks.

I would love to enter this in Cards In Envy’s Twinkle Little Stars Challenge, and SimonSaysStamp’s Monday Challenge Red White and Blue and Crafty Hazelnut’s July Patterned Paper Challenge.

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Just for Fun Color Challenge!

Just for Fun Rubber Stamps monthly challenge is Red, White and Blue!  I hope you will play along!

I colored my ice cream popsicles in these colors!  I wanted to use it for a birthday card for my nephew, so I kept is clean and simple, but I did add some glitter glue to the one of the pops to make it more festive.

Supplies: Just for Fun Rubber Stamps Ice cream bar, Ice cream push pop, Ice pop and Sweet Birthday Wishes stamps.  Memento black ink, Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, other items from my stash.

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