A New Card, Die Set Storage Idea, & Google's New "I'm Not A Robot"

IO QUILT VASE, CAC DOTTED ARGYLE, & GREETINGS DIE SET

I need to schedule time to do what I love best since Spring is here.  For this card I chose another Tara Caldwell image.  She has only been with IO a short time.  I have fallen in love with her designs.  Here is how I used her Quilt Vase design:

DETAILS:

1. Stamped the image with Timber Brown ink 1 time, and then the flowers 3 times on white cardstock and painted with Twinkling H2Os.  Cut around the main image and embossed from the back with a stylus.
2. Used largest Spellbinders Labels 40 die twice with white cardstock to get the front and back side of the card, mounted on red cardstock.  (Mounted using ATG tape in the middle of the die cut and then used needle nose bottle with Glossy Accents (GA) to tack down the lace area in places.
3. Stamped Argyle background with Blazing Red.  Used the center of the die as a template to get the portion I wanted for a tablecloth look, traced with a pencil, and cut out.
4. Mounted tablecloth with 1/4" ATG tape, mounted the vase with ATG along the bottom of the vase and 3D pop-dots from middle to top.
5. Cut out flowers and leaves from second image, embossed from the back and used GA lines on matched flower/leaf, let dry just a little and mounted flower or leaf with a tad of glue dot at one end.  Highlighted areas with Vivas, Wink of Stellas, and Stickles.  Mounted gold sequins and heart stick pin with gold bow.
6. Die cut the "Hello" using the red and gold mirror cardstock.
7. Trimmed the other 2 flower images and mounted as shown with tape and GA.
8. Below is the back of the card with one of the flower images at the bottom.
9. The third image was mounted on the envelope as shown above.  (The cardstock has been peeled to make the image thinner in case I mail it.  If mailed I will also place a clear piece of packing tape over the corner area with at least .25" overlap to the back side.  That way it slides right through the mail postage reader.)

DIE SET STORAGE SUGGESTION

I store my die sets in plastic ziploc bags.  I hate all the dies collecting on the bottom as it's to sort them to find the one I want.  It's hard enough reading them 'backwards'.  ;-) Another bad habit I have is saving anything that looks like I can use it for my cards, etc.  I save the magnetic strips that have come on the telephone directories, etc.  Below is what I did:

1. Taped two of the magnetic squares together using duct tape.
2. It was too big for the back of the IO cover, so I added ATG to the back of the magnetic strip(s) and mounted from the top and center on the IO cover back.
3. Trimmed the bottom of the magnetic strip to match up with the IO cover bottom.Mounted the dies.  Love it!!!

 GOOGLE UPDATED
"PROVE YOU'RE NOT A ROBOT"

Many of you probably already know about this, because that's how I found out.  Some of us chose to use the 'Prove You're Not A Robot" feature and many of us hated it as commenters because of the time taken to figure out what the image said, like the one below which is easy compared to most.

OUT WITH THE OLD

One of the first things I noticed when blog hopping again was the NEW "I'm not a robot", shown below. Most of the time I didn't have to read a caption anymore (unless the Show Word Verification is checked in your Settings-Posts and Comments area).  Even then it was just three or four letters that were easy to read.  ***Below is the best part.

IN WITH THE NEW

With the NEW as Blog Moderator:

1. "I'm not a robot" is automatic.
2. They have also given us a choice of continuing to use the Word Verification or not.  It too has been improved with simple to read short letters.  I have mine turned off because I tested having it on or off and I still didn't get those pesky ads anymore, even on old posts. (If any of you have questions, just email me).

Well that's it for this post and I can guarantee you the next one will be shorter!!!  Thanks for stopping by to look and share.  Thanks for all of your welcome backs too!!!  Big hugs.

 Shirley

 SUPPLIES:

A Big Hello

IMPRESSION OBSESSION THOUGHTFUL BOUQUET & CAC FRENCH TEXT

To all of you.  I especially want to also say thank you to my friends who emailed me to ask what I had been doing.  I am sorry I didn't post about why I had not been posting.  I had some difficult family matters and had to take care of business.  :-)

For today's card I chose a new Impression Obsession stamp.  Below is how I created the card:

IMAGES:

1. Stamped Thoughtful Bouquet with Espresso Truffle on natural cardstock once and the flowers on top on white cardstock twice.  Painted flower images with Twinkling H2O's ( they have shimmer.  Trimmed around main image and flowers.  Embossed main image and one flower image from back with stylus on mat.
2. Stamped CAC French Text with Espresso Truffle on natural cardstock twice.  Stamped the corner of a natural envelope with the text too.
3. Embellished the flowers with the Yellow and Purple pens from my Wink of Stella set.

DIE CUTS:

1.  Did 2 die cuts from Spellbinders new Labels 39 die set.  I had to do the die cut and then trace around the edges of the die before removing it.  Then I trimmed the penciled edge as shown above and just below.

BACK OF CARD

ASSEMBLY:

1. Trimmed 2 pieces of French Text to 4.0"X5.25" and mounted on 4.25"X5.5" white cardstock for front and back.  (I have found I really like the cards without the fold and it saves on cardstock.)  Used watercolor around the edges for a shadow or aged look.  Mounted the ribbon through the centers of the die cuts as I mounted them as shown.  Used Glossy Accents in my needle-nosed bottle for the die cut edges.  Taped my centers with ATG tape. (BTW you don't need the gun to use the tape.  Let me know if you want me to explain how).  Added bows and white pearl hearts to front and back.
2. Tore the piece of French Text done on the envelope diagonally and painted on the edge as shown.  Added to envelope corner.
3. Mounted the layered Bouquet image on the front and laid the bouquet image on the back.
4. Cardstock has layers and I took the bottom layer off my last bouquet image before mounting it to the envelope.  If I send it in the mail I will cover the corner with clear package tape so it will glide through the postal thingy.

 Shirley

 SUPPLIES:

Stencil Class Day 2 - A Rose Is A Rose

Stenciling Day 2 covered using stencils with stamps, masking, watercolors, colored pencils, and using the negative portions of sticker sheets, etc. as a stencil.  Another packed lesson with the lessons in downloaded pdf and videos too.

I chose to use my stencils with inks, stamps, and watercolor too.  This is what I did:

STENCIL IMAGES AND SENTIMENT:

1. Stenciled CW Echoes with TH Antique Linen on white cardstock.  Used tiny leaf and dot stamps from IO Branches Of A Tree inked with Memento Pistachio and Angel Pink over the AL.  I did the same to the corner of a wrong A2 envy.  Trimmed the corner and mounted on square envy so could still mail at cheaper rate.  Used Lil' Inkers Square for die cut.
2. Taped MFT Rose Builder onto white cardstock.  Painted stencil areas with twinks.  Went over inside edges for depth with Niji waterbrush and ink gathered from ink pads for Pistachio and Angel Pink.  Embossed white areas with stylus.
3. Used the negative leftover image from Day 1 on Dotted Swiss CS mounted on white CS as sentiment for today.

ASSEMBLY:

1. Mounted Echoes BG on pink CS, then green, the white.
2. Mounted rose on leaves.
3. Mounted rose and leaves on Echoes BG with 3D Pop-dots.

 INSIDE CARD:

1. Lined with dotted swiss and white CS.  Used left over remnants from stenciled Echoes for sides.
2. Used Stitched Square die cut, sponged frame, added leftover Echoes remnants to frame, added smallest Spellbinders Classic Hearts die cut from Echoes leftover.

EMBELLISHMENTS:

1. Added Wink of Stella to some of the little pink stamped dots, the edges of the rose and leaves, the white area of hello, inside for the same pink dots.  Added white pearl heart stickers as shown and white pearl corsage pin with dotted swiss bow.

Off to do Day 3.  Loving all of it so far.  Thanks for stopping by to look and share.

 Shirley

SUPPLIES:

My First Almost Christmas Card!

PARTRIDGE IN PEAR TREE

I have had this image forever and to prove it, it is from Rubber Stampede and I could not find it for sale anywhere but on EBay.

IMAGE:

1. Stamped on white cardstock with Brilliance Galaxy Gold and heat gun used to dry the ink.   The pears were stamped again and the leaves too.  They were all fussy cut.  They were painted with twinks, and all but leaves turned over and embossed from the back with stylus.  Added Glossy Accents to bird's eye.  After it was mounted I brushed on Wink of Stella Brown. It looks great next to the Galaxy Gold.

BACKGROUND:

1. (To the best of my recollection) - This BG was done eons ago, just like the image!!  Stamped a fern here and there on natural cardstock with VersaMark, covered with Clear EP, and embossed.
2. Spayed Radiant Rain Fern here and there, sprayed with Radian Rain Solar Gold, sprayed with a little water to mix a little and then laid aside to dry.  
3. Heated with heat gun to dissolve the Clear EP.  BE careful not to burn if you try this.  Laid aside for years. ;-)
4. Added the green trellis leave border stamp with Memento Bamboo Leaves and painted leaves with twinks.

CARD FRONT AND FOLD PREP:

1. Two die cuts from white cardstock and 2 die cuts from white text paper.  The text cuts are to line the backs of the cardstock die cuts so it looks more finished.  The nerd in me.... ;-).  They were put together like it describes in my tutorial HERE   Cut two smaller die cuts from white cardstock for inside top decor.
2. Used the largest die as stencil on the prepared BG and mounted to cardstock side; added ribbon across the front and taped in the middle on back.

ASSEMBLED:

1. Mounted bird in middle of front.  Mounted pears on back for inside top.
2. Used largest die inside to trace pieces of BG for inside top and bottom as shown.
3. Added a corner of BG to envy (Peeled top layer of cardstock so it is thin); peeled of top layer of 2 leaves and added to the corner of envy.
4. Embellishments added are:  Viva Ice White Pearl was added to dots on BG pieces and to make a heart on envy; baby half hearts were added to front and inside card as shown.

If nothing else it's a loving start toward Christmas!!!  Thanks for stopping by to look and share!

 Shirley

SUPPLIES:

Victorian Spray

WOODWARE - VICTORIAN SPRAY CARD FRONT WITH ENVY

All I can say is it's a mixed bag!!  It started when I ran my hand across the stamen of the flower, while it was wet with glitter glue.  Yuk!!!  I almost always paint with Twinks and since most everyone else uses Copic, Shinhan, etc., I haven't listed the H2O colors.  If you ever want them, feel free to email me.  I also started out with something totally different in my head and here is how I got the above:

IMAGE:

1. Stamped image on white cardstock twice with Golden Glitz ink and used heat gun to dry ink; painted all of one with Twinks. Painted all but the flower on the second.  Fussy cut around the outside of the completely painted image.  Fussy cut around one corner, the leaves and the berries of the second image.

CARD FRONT:

1. Used largest die cut, from Spellbinders A2 Curved Matting Basics - B, as a stencil for a piece of dark purple card stock.
2. Used an old 4.25"X5.5" Lavender striped piece of DP with the largest die cut; daubed the smallest cirles corner of Circle Explosion stencil on upper left and lower right of die cut and mounted on the dark purple piece.
3. Mounted the image in the middle of that.
4. Embellished with Stickles orange and yellow glitter glue - rubbed my hand across it before it was dry. :-(
5. Applied Stickles Golden Rod to spots and berries on image; applied here and there on the Circle Explosion area.  Brushed just a touch of Wink of Stella Clear along the darkest purple lines of the flower.  The ribbon for bow was a gift for a purchase somewhere.  I secured the heart bead with GA to diamante stick pin.

INSIDE CARD

 INSIDE CARD and ENVY:

1. Cut two pieces of dark purple cardstock .75"X5.5"; taped to each side.  
2. Used the IO Circles Cut Out on a piece of the striped paper ( NOTE - There are no borders on the circle die.  You can place it anywhere on any piece of paper, (i.e. in the middle if you want) and you just get holes.  Saved the negative holes.  Cut it in two pieces with 2 rows on one and one row on the other.  Taped to purple as shown.
3. Taped to right and left as shown.
4. Mounted fussy cut leaves and added Golden Rod glitter glue as shown.
5. Applied the "leftover dots" from the Circles Cut Out here and there using Glossy Accents applied with needle-nosed bottle and a QuickStik for the dots, embellished with Golden Rod glitter glue.
6. Used GA and needle-nosed bottle to apply corner of image to envy and berries with leaves; embellished with glitter glues.

That's it for now.  Almost have a Christmas card done!!  Thanks for stopping by to look and share!

 Shirley

SUPPLIES: