It's that time of year!

This was my first year for making Halloweenie cards, and I've enjoyed coming up with enjoyable backgrounds, and easy images, just for fun.

Here are a few in addition to the Autumn Inspirations blog hop on 8/25. This card used Black Lightning Brilliance ink on the Chartreuse and Black embossed panels. Same ink, but it takes on a different color appearance.

This was easy peasy using Spellbinders Grand Calibur, Grand Labels One, an embossing folder, Black Lightning ink and a sticker LOL (lazy)

In fact, I was so Lazy (with a capital L) that I made several of these easy cards.

Thanks for stopping by!

Vellum-Embossed Leaves

The Florida Stampers are leafing it this month - we created cards using leaves. The leaves could be anywhere on the card, and used in any manner (stamped, stickers, designer paper, die cuts, etc). Hence my Clean and Simple card.

The Vellum has dry embossed leaves on it (that's why the leaf veins appear white). Under the vellum is a white piece of cardstock with randomly smooshed chalk (pastels). The chalk was applied with a highly technical device called a cotton ball. :-)

The inside image is stamped with another oldie crying out to be used: Memories solvent based dye ink pad Barn Red color. Then image is entirely colored with chalks (one of my favorite coloring mediums). I prefer the softer look of watercolors when applying the chalks. That's why the color is deliberately outside of the lines.

This swap card has been mailed to temporarily transplanted Florida Stampers member Rita Held who is residing in Kansas, much to our chagrin. The sentiments were embossed with a platinum embossing powder which contains chunky glitter.

Thanks for stopping by to see creations done with more "old stuff" stashed in the crafting closet and whining to be used!

hugs,

Vintage Roses (October's FS Sketch)

Good Morning, friends! I'm happy to see you!

Fellow Florida Stamper Sharon Field drew my attention recently to a wonderful Sketch site - Creative Sketches. One Sketch in particular became October's Sketch of the Month for our Florida Stampers Group. This A6 size card will be mailed to swap partner Sandy Meier.

To see the sketch cards created by the Creative Sketches Group, just click here.

My version uses ovals rather than rectangles.

It's actually my first try at a vintage style card. Then I couldn't find the right stamp for the centers of the small Nestabilities Ovals! The second stamp I ever purchased back in 1988 came to the rescue (another oldie-but-goodie crying out to be used!). If you've been stamping for 20 years, you'll remember that PSX (Personal Stamp Exchange) was the main stamp manufacturer in those days. This was their small botanical rose image. "Incredible" describes Sandy to a T. The image is part of an Anna Griffin set. (What ever happened to Anna?)

Flowers were colored with PrismaColor Pencils. The Labels One Grand dies, Ovals, and leaves were cut on my Grand Calibur (truly my favorite of all the die cut machines in my stash). 

Thanks for visiting.

Blog Candy Awarded!

Thank you for the sweet e-mails and comments regarding Friday and Saturday's posts!

Instead of awarding one of the new Sparkle N Sprinkle Stampette Sets to my followers who left comments, I'm excited to award TWO Stampette Sets for two lucky people! The Hope Love Faith set is to Lynne Platt (for some reason her e-mail did not notify her of her previous win), and Ellie Cornell has won the Christmas Basket set! 

One is the Hope Love Faith set,

and

the other is the Christmas Basket set.

Congratulations to:

Ellie Cornell

and 

Lynne Platt

If you will visit my profile and click on "e-mail" to send me your mailing addresses by Friday October 21, I can snail mail your sets!

Stay tuned for more blog candy in the coming weeks LOL

stamping hugs,

Donna

It's Purple, Of Course!

In my farewell salute to Sparkle N Sprinkle, another oldie but goodie which does not appear in the SNS Gallery is being presented. This card shows how identical products can be utilized to create several nearly identical cards, with variations. The image is "Boxed Petal" from the Corner Elements (315) set.

Originally displayed in March 2009,  for use of embossing powders as coloring agents, this card also utilizes paper pieces, assorted sizes of Tear-ific Tape and Glitter to create the look of several layers.

Here are two cards shown side by side. The simple changing of the center axis square, and adding the white lacy border changes the card appearance.

Not sure why the recipe isn't showing in the Gallery, but here it is for you:

Stamp Credits

Box Petals [1698-315C] stamp

Just because    1057-222AA

Other Supplies

VersaMark ink #99702

Royal Purple EP275

Wisteria  EP358

Amethyst Spray  EP319

Glitter Sunny Daze  G1038

Glitter Impulsive Purple  G1069

Dimensional Adhesive (tape or pop dots)

Dark card stock in navy, purple or indigo 5.5” x 8.5” folded in half

White card stock (can be scraps)

White pigment ink

1/2” Double Sided Tape SAT04

Brushable Glue #540

Spoon  #99751

Deckle Edge Scissors

Leaf punch (Martha Stewart)

Regular tape

Possible: Sakura Glue Pen #99202 (to fix any border tape issues, see NOTE below)

Instructions:

1. Begin with base card in dark navy, purple or indigo 5.5” x 8.5”. Score in middle and fold in half. Card view is horizontal.

2. Place 1/2” double sided tape SAT04 along the bottom of the card. Carefully lining it up, place a second line of double sided tape just on top of the first one, creating a one inch wide border. Do not remove protective covering from the tape.

3. Ink stamp Box Petals (1698-315C) with VersaMark and stamp image twice onto white card stock (using left over scraps from another project is perfect for this application). Be sure to reink between stampings.

4. Using tiny spoon for better control, dip into Wisteria EP and carefully cover 1/4 to 1/3 of the image. Set spoon down and very gently “drum” the EP from under the card stock with finger tips to force EP into every tiny space. Gingerly tap off excess without contaminating the rest of the inked image.

5. Repeat step 4 using the Amethyst Spray EP.

6. Finally, sprinkle the entire image with Royal Purple EP. Now heat set the three embossing powders.

7. Ink stamp Box Petals (1698-315C) with VersaMark and stamp image once onto white card stock. Cover with Royal Purple embossing powder and heat set.

8. Using decorative edge scissors, cut the 3 squares out, carefully leaving a white “halo” around the image as a mat, and set aside.

9. Ink “Just Because” greeting with white pigment ink and carefully stamp just above the tape border. Avoid pressing too hard into the ink, or the image will be blurry.

10. Adhere the two tricolor tiles on the front of the card so that they are facing diagonally.

11. With a leaf punch, or other favorite detailed punch, punch out 4 leaves (or as many as you like). These are to be adhered on the back of the solid tile with regular tape.

12. Place dimensional adhesive to back of solid tile in all four corners or on all four sides (depending on type of adhesive). Pull of protective backing and adhere on top of the other two multicolor tiles.

13. Pull off the protective layer of the double sided tape at the border of the card and shake on Impulsive Purple glitter. Tap off excess and return to jar.

14. Finally, squeeze a tiny amount of Brushable Glue to the center of the solid color tile. Gently spoon a tiny amount of Sunny Daze glitter onto the glue. Gently drum the card from underneath, settling the glitter into the glue. Tap off excess and return to bottle.

Thanks for stopping by!

An Oldie but a Goodie (blog candy!)

Hi! So glad to see you! I'll be sharing a few cards as my final days with Sparkle N Sprinkle wind down. (sob!)

Do you ever look back on your cards and see a difference in your style, techniques or ability? I sure do! This was made prior to my life with Spellbinders LOL

One of my favorite SNS images is this Christmas Dove called "Nestle in for Christmas". My card was created for and published in Cardmaker's Sketchbook Christmas Celebration book released in 2009. It was my one and only publication submission LOL.

The directions are not in the card gallery at SNS because it is property of Cardmaker, however, I've grocery listed the products used. The Cardmaker sketch was specific: card had to be 8" x 5", but this easily could be done on a standard A2 size card, with less glitter being shown.

Are the winter doves in your area white? Living in central rural Florida, we enjoy an abundance of feathered creatures. Inspiration comes from my stamping room window. Our doves range from a blue grey to dark tan. So this little guy is not the traditional white.
(Just click on the card to see more detail)

Stamp Credits: (all stamps are Sparkle N Sprinkle)

Nestle In For Christmas #0342-119P

Dark Fern #1693-327B

Merry Merry Christmas  #1075-223A

Products:

Sparkle N Sprinkle Fire Engine Red Glitter #G1007

Sparkle N Sprinkle Sparkling Snow Glitter #G1003

Sparkle N Sprinkle Gold Detail Embossing Powder EP168

Basic Brand Ribbon 7/8” Red

May gold banded ribbon 1/4”

Sparkle N Sprinkle Brushable Glue #540

Zots Clear Adhesive Dots 1/8” thick

Tsukineko VersaMark Ink

Tsukineko VersaFine Onyx Black Ink

Tsukineko Brilliance Galaxy Gold Ink

Ranger Adirondack Meadow dye ink

Ranger Adirondack Mountain Rose dye ink

Leaf Punch by Martha Stewart

EK Success 1 3/8” round circle punch

Stampin Up Medallion Punch

Stampin Up Large Oval PUnch

Yasutomo Pearlescent Watercolor -21 (Paints)

Dove Blender Marker

Tombow Marker #026

Tombow Marker #845

Signo Uni-ball pen in white (for the eyes)

Craft-T Decorating Chalks by Provo-Craft

Though the camera did not capture it, the ornaments are glittery with the Pearlescent Paints (still available at SNS for $8 - a real easy-to-use coloring medium with beautiful results in real life). The background (white present wrapping) is actually glitter. Just run cardstock through your Xyron, or use Super Adhesive Sheets from SNS. "Merry Merry" is gold embossed. For dimension after embossing, use light colored inks, chalks or markers to provide just a dab of color.

On September 24 some blog candy was offered to those who follow my blog AND left a comment on my blog. The winners did not claim their prizes, so I'm offering one Stampette set from the two shown on the September 24 post  (winner's choice). If you are following via feedblitz or feedburner, please indicate that in your comment. Drawing will be on October 16 (my dh's birthday!).

Thanks for stopping by!