Girls' Night In...Crafts 'n Things Dec 2010

It's a Cookie Party!
Find out how to make this
decorated paint pail
to carry your cookies home!

President's Day and a Round Top Box

Another odd title day!

Some trivia for you in case you ever get asked "Just where did Lincoln's funeral train go?". This sign is in our town of St Paris. The tracks used to run behind our house but have since been removed...how I miss the train rumbling by!

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Now, the Round Top Box....this was today's Technique challenge on SCS. I ended up doing 2 of these and have no clue what I'm going to do with either one! lol

I started with this one, printed the template onto Kraft cardstock because I wasn't sure what I'd put on it when I got upstairs to the stamp room.
I'm trying to use stamps that haven't had love for a while and this one definitly qualifies! I can't remember the last time I used these tulips and I don't think I've ever used the sentiment! The tulip image from PSX is colored with reinkers. I pieced the Nestabilities scallops to fit just around the top. Rather plain compared to some of the awesome examples today!

It's been kind of a lazy day around here...my son had a couple friends spend the night so they were hanging here all day. Should I try another box....oh sure...why not!

Well....I went upstairs again with NO PLAN.... I stood and looked at this stamp, that set, this one, that one...you get the picture!
This is what I ended up with.............my mind just kind went off on it's own! LOL
I started by making a "moon" mask...hole and circle and putting the 'circle' down I used my Copic Airbrush System (ABS) to put down the blues and greens. Then using the 'hole' mask I airbrushed the moon.

Using one of the trees from "Forest of Trees" from Flourishes, I stamped just over the edge of a piece of scrap paper so I only got part of the tree each time, then I colored them in with Copics. Adding more Distress ink below the trees gave me my shadows
For the wolf face in the moon, I inked it up with Distress Old Paper, took a tissue and wiped the edges. This softens any definitive lines which I didn't want and also made the image a little smaller to fit inside the moon.

The rest is just pieces of the retired Wolf set...the running pack, masked several times so I could get a large pack. The single howling wolf...colored with Copics and a coat of clear ep to ease in cutting out and it looks cool!

recipes for both:
stamps: tulips-psx, sentiment-verses rubber stamps, retired wolf-stampin up, forest of trees-flourishes
paper:gp white, prism kraft, classic yellow, nautical blue med
ink: adirondack pitch black, reinkers, distress faded jeans, pine needles, old paper, vintage photo-ranger, versamark-tsukineko
other: copic markers, abs, scor-pal, template, waterbrush, spellbinders nestabilities, zip dry glue, inkssentials white gel pen, distressing tool, clear ep, daubers

Thanks for stopping!!

Lilacs and Butterflies

Today's Featured Stamper on SCS is an old, dear friend...one of the first ones I got acquainted with on SCS...Vicky. This is the card I did today...thanks Vicky!

I don't know if you have this problem taking pictures of some colors, but purples give me fits! I tried so many different areas and settings on my camera and still couldn't get the exact colors of the card! If you looked at my SCS upload, it's dark... then I took it in another window here... better........oh well!

I chose this card of Vicky's. I really didn't change a lot, colors slightly and stamp images from other companies. I stepped it up a bit with Nestabilities.

Flourishes Lilac Set and Gina K's Take Flight were colored with Copic markers. I fingerwalked over Spanish Script by Cornish Heritage Farms (ink up background image and have it face up, take your paper and carefully lay on top and lightly "walk" your fingers here and there). Distress inks were lightly sponged around the lilac and edges. I stamped the butterfly head and antennae on the piece with the lilac so when I cut out the colored butterfly I wouldn't have to worry about those thin pieces! The butterfly is attached at the body only with the wings slightly bent up.

recipe:

stamps: flourishes lilac set & siberian iris (tag sentiment), gina k designs take flight, cornish heritage farms spanish script, su itty bitty backgrounds

ink: adirondack pitch black, latte by ranger, scattered straw, shabby shutters by ranger

paper: georgia pacific white, pure luxury brilliant white, prism wizard lt/dk, herbal garden lt

other stuff: spellbinder's curved rectangles, cuttlebug embossing folders, copic markers, foam mounting squares, ribbon

Thanks for stopping!

A Sophisticated Iris

Today's card is for the Featured Stamper on SCS...
I chose this card of Judy's to case.
Judy has an awesome gallery!

*disclaimer* for some reason I just couldn't get a good picture that showed the rich colors! you'll just have to take my word for it.

I stamped the Siberian Iris from Flourishes on watercolor paper from Marco's Papers and watercolored it with Staedtler WC pencils and waterbrush.

The flourish on the iris panel is from the set, Beautiful from Cornish Heritage Farms. Sophisticated Swirl Backgrounder, also from CHF is the main panel.

The iris panel is popped up on foam mounting tape. All the layers are "fauxed" using a ruler and a black sharpie marker. That's gold embroidery floss, unraveled, tied around the layers.

recipe:

stamps: Siberian Iris-Flourishes, Beautiful, Sophisticated Swirl-Cornish Heritage Farms

ink: adirondack pitch black, distress black soot-Ranger

paper: wc paper-Marco's Papers, wizard lt/dk-Prism

other: staedtler wc pencils, waterbrush, ruler/sharpie marker, brads, crop a dile, scissors, foam mounting tape, gold embroider floss

Thanks for stopping!

An Iris....Just Because

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of "wintery" cards!
Don't get me wrong...I LOVE snow and winter time,
but I was so in the mood for a different type of card today!
So for the Sketch Challenge on SCS

I used this beautiful Iris from Flourishes.
I was all done with it, ready to upload, when a lightbulb went off (yes, sometimes I have those moments!)...and I thought...HEY! I could add Flower Soft! So I headed back upstairs and added just a dab.

I colored the image using Prismacolor pencils
and baby oil for blending.
Lots of layers of colors blended to get the finished result.
Distress inks sponged around the edges just make it glow!

I really was happy how adding the little bit of Flower Soft changed the look of the card!

I'm running out of black cardstock,
so each layer is Faux Layered...
I just used a ruler
and a black Sharpie marker along the edges!
Voila! Looks like six layers when it's only three!

recipe:
Siberian Iris-Flourishes
Prismacolor Pencils/baby oil/blending stumps
Flower Soft/Zip Dry glue
Georgia Pacific white cs
DCWV Old World, Once Upon A Time
Adirondack Pitch Black ink
Distress Shabby Shutters, Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed
Dimensionals
Ruler/Sharpie Marker

Thanks for stopping!

November SNOWstorm!

Ok, so maybe it's not a storm...but it's really coming down out there!! I had to snap a few pics and now I'm FREEZING!! It was nice of Mother Nature to put down some "white stuff" for this card I did today for the DD Sketch on Splitcoast!

The tree is from Forest of Trees by Flourishes, the sentiment from Christmas Expressions by Cornish Heritage Farms.
Colored with Copics, sponged with Distress inks.

And here is my winter wonderland....I do really LOVE snow!!

Makes you want to go heat some water and make some Chai or Hot Chocolate...hey! Not a bad idea!!

Hope you're having a great Saturday...

Thanks for stopping!

A Sneak, A Peek and a Sketch

If you love scenes or even just the great outdoors, you're going to love what CHF is putting together! We've had one release from Scene It, the Beacon of Hope (lighthouses)...now...we have Mountains! And it doesn't stop there...Mona is having way too much fun putting some fabulous images together!! (faster Mona...faster! lol)


This set will be released next week on the 18th. Here are several cards I've done so far.

I called this one "Escape To The Mountains". It's a combination of Rummage Bin and some Grass images, colored with Copics.


"From The Valley" is the Sketch Challenge on SCS today. All these images are from the Mountains set. It has some beautiful sentiments too. Can you guess how many images I used from this set....4 and the sentiment! I love this one combined with the Beacon of Hope! (yes, I've done several already!)

Supplies for these two

Cornish Heritage Farms:
Mountains-Scene It
All Things Fall (moose)-Rummage Bin
The Great Canadian Stamp Set (escape)-Rummage Bin
Grass
Tall Weeds

Paper:
Prism Sage md,dk
Georgia Pacific white
DCWV Old West

Ink:
Adirondack Pitch Black dye&pigment-Ranger

Other:
Copic markers-ellenhutson.com
Spellbinders Nestabilities/Ribbon Tag-ellenhutson.com
photo corners
dimesionals
leather strip

Unfortunately, I needed a sympathy card for a dear friend whose sister-in-law died unexpectedly.
I flipped the sketch and used my new Flourishes "Lilac" set. The sentiment is from the Mountains set.

I heat embossed the Lilac with Evergreen embossing powder, watercolored it with reinkers then sponged it with Distress inks. I super distressed the edges....oooh, I love that look and it relieves stress too! LOL

I thought I'd give it a totally different look with the Cuttlebugged die cut squares.

Supplies:
Lilac Set-Flourishes
With Sympathy from Mountains set-Cornish Heritage Farms

Paper:
Georgia Pacific white
DCWV
Pattern Paper from Joanne's

Ink:
Versamark-Tsukineko
Adirondack dye reinkers
Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed, Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord Distress-Ranger

Other stuff:
Evergreen EP-Ranger
Distressing Tool
Cuttlebug dies
Waterbrush
Inkssentials white gel pen-Ranger

Hey, thanks for stopping by!

Aimee Nugent

Today marks the release of a new designer at CHF, Aimee Nugent! You've seen some sneak peeks already, be sure to check out the gallery for more.

I've had this idea in my head since I got this image and decided yesterday to put it to paper and see how it would come out! I'm super happy with the results.

I started by using my Top Score, on the main panel, to get the embossed curve and cut the extra away.

Next, I stamped the Cross With Vines 3 times with Black Soot (remember Ranger distress ink stays wet long enough to emboss) and heat embossed with detail ep.

I took my ol' trusty piece of torn copy paper, two sizes of daubers and started sponging off the edge. For this one, I turned the panel upsidedown and sponged down with Tea Dye, moving the copy paper at angles to get the 'hilly' effect. Then I took Frayed Burlap and darkened various places, adding some Shabby Shutters and Peeled Paint lightly in a couple places. Walnut Stain was lightly added to the tops of the hills for definition.

I masked where I wanted the sun with a circle cut sticky note and sponged down with Broken China, stopping just before the horizon.

I removed the sun mask and took my reverse mask (a piece of copy paper with a circle cut out) and placed it over the area where the sun would appear....and started sponging with Mustard Seed from the center outward. Using a small dauber in Spiced Marmalade, I sponged just the edge inward a little ways. *you can see where the paper slipped and my sun oozed a little! the camera makes it look worse than it is IRL....honest!

Using what yellow was left on my dauber, I lightly sponged the horizon.

Leaves on the vines are colored with a copic marker.

Cut the black mat the same, using the Top Score for the dry embossed arch.

• Stamps
• Cross With Vines, Aimee Nugent, Cornish Heritage Farms
• Geometric Flowers, Mona Lisa Moments, Cornish Heritage Farms
• Ink
• Black Soot, Tea Dye, Frayed Burlap, Shabby Shutters, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Broken China, Peeled Paint, Walnut Stain Distress by Ranger, Adirondack Pitch Black by Ranger
• Cardstock
• Georgia Pacific White
• Sunflower med, Mystic med by Prism Papers
• Accessories
• detail embossing powder
• Top Score by Crafter's Companion
• Small and Jumbo Daubers by Tsukineko
• Copic marker www.ellenhutson.com

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Two more Easter cards with Aimee's images, this time coupled with Beautiful from The Rummage Bin.

I so admire Michelle Zindorf, her work is so beautiful and she's so creative! So artsy!! The other day she did this absolutely gorgeous card, you can see it on her blog and see just how she does it!!

I decided to give it a try............well, I'm nowhere near the artist Michelle is, (practice makes perfect right?!) but I'm pretty pleased with the 2 cards. As you can see, I used my Top Score again....LOL, because several ideas going at once for one card turned into two!

Using a Copic marker, Sakura white and Stardust gel pens and a super fine Faber-Castell artist pen, I highlighted parts of the flourishes.

Sponged, again using Ranger Distress inks.
Here is a close-up of the Stardust pen.