Thankful For Sweet Violets!

I guess I should be thankful my computer is still alive and breathing. I can't tell you how many times I have loaded and unloaded certain programs. I honestly think stamping and painting helped me maintain my sanity. Enough already~!

The stamp for this card is Sweet Violets from Flourishes. In case you haven't seen this set I am going to post it here because I think it was designed to cover the desires of any stamper.

I couldn't believe it when I received it. I was in love with the largest stamp, but take a look at what else is there. A lot of smaller images that can be used for inside, the envelope, or even a background. Also, I really like the brackets to use around the words, if you choose to use them.......and the words are all so perfect to cover just about any occasion. I think they may be out of the set just now, but I know they will be getting more. So on to my card:

The image was stamped with Brilliance Galaxy Gold and then painted with Twinkling H2O's. I cut it out using an X-Acto knife. Stickles Yellow glitter glue was also used for the center of the flowers. I wasn't really happy with the way this turned out and will do this again soon I hope with better results. I'm going to blame it on my computer problems. Ha!

The die cut background is a piece of Neenah Classic Laid (It has a rough finish to it) Solar White cardstock put through the Cuttlebug using the largest Spellbinders Labels Four die. I embossed it and then used the die and an X-Acto knife to quickly cut around the outer edges. It made it a little bigger and if you look close you can see the double ridge from the embossing and not cutting it like a normal die.

The background is another Flourish stamp called Vintage Wallpaper. I stamped it with Clearsnap Mica Magic Purple (*Don't get rid of your Mica Magic refills. See below) on Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Super Smooth cardstock. The corners were done with the SU Ticket Corner Punch. That was mounted on Neenah Classic Laid Super White cardstock.

The ribbon is from Michaels and I wanted to give it a Vintage look, so after tying the bow I heated it with my heat gun. I did the same to the ribbon I mounted beneath the die cut.

Supplies:
Stamps: Flourishes Sweet Violets and Vintage Wallpaper
Cardstock: Neenah Classic Crest and Classic Laid Solar White
Inks: Brilliance Galaxy Gold and Twinkling H2O's (Still 40% off all of their products)
Accessories: Spellbinders, Ribbon from Michaels, Rangers Stickles Yellow, Mark Richards 3 and 5mm Pearls

*A word about Mica Magic pads and reinkers. The pads dried out really fast and I think that is why ClearSnap quit selling them. The colors are fantastic though and I think there are two new products now using the reinker under different names and maybe a little different. ClearSnap is now selling, what looks like the refill ink, but in a nail polish looking bottle and called Smooch Pearlized Accent Ink. I have the Moonlight and the Gold Lame, but haven't had the chance to use them yet. Check them out. Also Judikins is now selling a product named Mica Gloss, which also look a lot like the Micas, and look at the video below to see what they are doing with them:

So that's all for now! Tomorrow I will be calling my computer buffs at HP to ask them to put my computer back the way it was when they fixed it last week. LOLOL and me too! If anyone with Windows XP had problems with the most recent update of Flash Player, tell me how you fixed it if you can. :-O Yikes! They still don't have the wrinkles out of the newest Internet Explorer and I went back to the other. Thanks for stopping by 'the blog' to look and share.

 

 Shirley

 

All Ready For Christmas

Lottie, by Impression-Obsession was stamped with Stazon Timber Brown on Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Super Smooth 80lb cover cardstock and painted with Twinkling H2O's Warm Pecan, Rubilite, Black Orchid, Moss Green, Sweet Alfalfa, Natural Linen, Pink Crocus. The faux pearls in her hair and on her neck and arm ribbons are Rangers White Opal Liquid Pearls.

The green matte behind Lottie and the cardfront is Stardream Fairway text weight paper. The BG paper on the top half is Neenah Paper Classic Craft Natural Super Smooth 80 lb. cardstock that was embossed with the Cuttlebug Textile Texture folder, and then a Mica Magic Regal Red ink pad was lightly dragged across the top embossed area. The Regal Red was also used on the edges of the cardstock behind Lottie. The paper on the bottom is half of the cardfront is Curious Ice Gold text weight paper that was scored on Scor-Pal every 1/2" using a Copic At You Spica Olive Glitter pen.

This is embarrassing. I can't remember where I saw the Scor-Pal technique. I think it was on video. If it was you, please email me privately so I can give you credit. Lyn from Arty Aspirations just let me know it was Mel Stampz blog and here is where I saw it. Thanks, Lyn, for the memory!!!

The corners were punched with an SU Ticket Corner Punch. The Pearls are Mark Richards Crystal Stickers Elements 3mm pearls. The snowflake is Cuttlebug Snowflake #2 Die and was cut from White scrap cardstock (thinking Green) and painted with Twinkling H20 Black Orchid.
The iridescent ribbon is May Arts and is a beautiful polyester blend of a Deep Pink and Moss Green. In one light it looks mainly Deep Pink and if you turn it you see mainly Moss Green. I love it and it doesn't wrinkle ever. The Stick Pen was made using a JoAnn Sew Essential Pearlized Leaf Straight Pin. They are not found online, but can be purchased in the area stores. They come with 6 different colors and 6 of each color in a pack for $1.49 plus tax. (all of this information was given to me by Kathie MaGuire and you can see how she used the pin here. The pearls and glass heart are Czech glass beads bought at hobby stores or EBay. I used Glossy Accents squeezed into the end of the pearl on the bottom to attach it to the sharp part of the pin.

Thanks for stopping by 'the blog' to look.

 

 Shirley

 

Last Summer Fields or Halloween Too!

This was my first try at a Zindorf and I didn't like it at all at the time, but then when I was trying to find a background for another card.............well, you know what can happen. I found the Cuttlebug folder used behind the image in my box and thought wow, that would go with that image I didn't like. Duh!!!
The image is Summer Fields by Impression-Obsession and was stamped with Brilliance Galaxy Gold on Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Super Smooth 80lb cover cardstock, heat embossed, then painted with Twinkling H2O's Orange Peel, Fern, Sweet Alfalfa, Icicles, and Lemon Yell0w. I went over the daisies, jack-o-lanterns, stars, and moon with my Ranger Bullet Perfect Pen, added Clear Embossing Powder and heat embossed, like Michelle Zindorf. She uses a Versamark pen. This was done to protect the images when the sky was brayered.
The sky was created using SU Night of Navy, Brilliant Blue, and Ballet Blue Classic inks. I wasn't really happy with the results so I tried adding a little watercolor to the moon. I also didn't like the way the grass area looked so I went over it with a Green Sharpie and liked the result.
To finish the image Stickles Yellow glitter glue was added to the fireflies, eyes of the jack-o-lanterns to me (remember my last card using this stamp). Stickles Diamonds was added to the little flowers below the daisies in the grass, and Stickles Orange Peel was added to the centers of the daisies. Glossy Accents was used over the daisies and the fire flies.
The background behind the image was done using the Cuttlebug Spots and Dots embossing folder and then dragging a Mica Magic Burnt Orange ink pad over the top. The cardstock behind that is Bazzill Bling. The ribbon is Michaels $1 bin. The beads are Czech 5mm Topaz glass hearts with Stickles Yellow glitter glue applied. The dots on the White cardstock are Gelly Roll Stardust Marine and the dots on the Bazzill Bling are White Signo Uni-ball pen.
Thanks for stopping by the blog to look and share!!

 

 Shirley