Mixed Media Class

 

Lucky

Thinking of some of my angels while driving through Rainbow, CA

Inspired by...Colorful Corners Card

This Danielle Flanders inspired watercolor card was created with just a few stamps and my gelatos.  I've been really trying to use those magical marking crayons for more than just looking at! So simply scribbling a bit on my craft mat, adding a misting of water and then dunking my paper in swirling motions over that colorful mess has been a fun way to experiment.
I started with plain white paper, and colored the entire piece as explained above. Then I stamped with a (recently purchased -gasp) stamp in a newsprint design by KaiserKraft. I didn't try to be perfect with the stamping but I did use Momento black in hope that it wouldn't bleed. I've used this background for about 4 cards so it was effort that paid in multiples!
Using one of the cut pieces for my background, I reached for one of my only flower stamps, a Close To My Heart rose. Stamped that a bit off the page and then used a red and pink gelato/water mix to paint the petals. For the leaves, I simply stamped in green ink and used a watercolor blender pen to pull some of that color into towards the center. It ended up very subtle but that was fine.
Now, I had intended to put a block of patterned paper on the left side of my navy blue card base, but I happened to try putting a remnant from the piece I used over there, and the effect was pretty fab! So I left the card base peeking through and then added a bow in baker's twine by the sentiment. For some extra touchy feelys I layered two fabric flowers with a tiny die cut and topped them with white sequins and a pink Queen & Co. Rock Candy gem.
Although this card had a lot of steps, the effect is gorgeous and simply beautiful. The gelato brings a different depth of color and with a little experimenting, can be just as easy, or even easier to use, than traditional watercolors.
Have you tried these pastel-like tubes of color and had pleasant results? Less than pleasant :0 ?  I'd love to hear about it, so leave a comment below and come back again soon to see what's making in my house!

More Quick layout inspiration

Last night while waiting for my favorite show, Survivor, to load between commercials on the computer, I ran into my craft room and grabbed two sheets of paper, based on a layout I had admired earlier in the day, at left in this picture, featured in Northridge Media's, Create: Quick and Easy Scrapbooking. Its a little magazine with big ideas for capturing memories in a flash. All very do-able ideas I might add!
So last night all I had selected was that burgundy flourished background and the green and cream music notes piece, the reverse of which has a delicate grid with scalloped border going round the edge. Grabbed this pic of my mom and I at one of our favorite hang out spots, the Wine Studio in Gig Harbor. I thought it was a good match for the two papers because we love music and singing together and the only thing better than drinking wine for us is a little Karaoke! Aside from that, there was a lot of wood in the photo background and I like how the faint striping in the background mimics the racks of wine shelved in this place.
To mimic my example's kraft border, I simply cut along the grid lines of the green and cream print, then turned over the cut out piece, and curled the edges up for added visual interest and texture. You can just see a little of the background color along the edges and this looks extra shadowy in real life. There is something about the shabby look of those curled edges that I don't ususally include in my layouts... but when I do, I always think, why don't I do this more often?!
Another look I love is sewing on paper, but despite moving my sewing machine to sit directly in front of me while crafting, it continues to collect dust instead of improve the look of my paper piecings. My latest excuse is that it's too hard to plug in... funny though, I can plug anything else in down below that location, no matter how much I need to move or crawl, so yeah, that's not a great reason!
My aunt recently garage sale-d a bunch of kid's stickers, including a set that looks like it came in a Carnation packet or something. I decided they would be a better addition to my stash, and used them right away by adding the little sentiment stickers directly on the photo- in part to hold it in place, because it was bedtime for me!

So this morning Rainie helped me select and lay out flowers and brads to finish off this gorgeous layout. My October product of the month challenge has been "flowers," but along with that I think the challenge for me has been "hot glue gun!" Not a tool I'm used to reaching for, but damn it does make adhering easy! It's all those strings at the end that don't make me so happy. It seems like they keep appearing no matter how vigilant I try to be about getting them off!I love the smiles my mom and I are sharing in this photo. She is my number one go-to hang out person; she has a different way of looking at and reacting to situations, we have a lot of fun and can find a reason to laugh about all of life's ups and downs. Part of the inspiration to add the flowers came from that quote by Emerson, "Earth laughs in flowers." Getting to preserve the memory of that fun night out with my own daughter completes my circle of happiness!

I love that in our house it is not uncommon for the three of us girls to be in the craft room at 7:30 in the morning making things together- while Rainie and I worked at getting everything in just the right place, Sunday was busy placing her own stickers on a little mini book she had crafted (by book, I mean a piece of paper, folded over)! After that it was on to painting, acrylics for Rainier and water for Sunday. We can't find our water colors, so just water works for us lol.

Thanks for stopping by to read today and keep watching for the next Card Magic: Part Three, which will have contest info and a whole lot of fun contained within :-) Catch up with Parts One and Two on my YouTube channel- subscribe and don't miss a thing! There is a purple button link to all my social media accounts at the top right of this post.

Another Fun Stamping Class



Need some crafting help?



My classes at Michaels are always such fun, and last night was no exception! My friend Becca and I met at the six o'clock start time and got right to work, excising our creative muscles with a trendy Mason Jar stamp. Not being an experienced stamper wasn't at all a problem for her, and hopefully the little tid bits of stamping lore I supplied her with will inspire her at home as well.

Aren't these two cards she created so cute? I love the mason jar stamp she chose, it is so versatile and could be filled with any idea. We chose a few little birdies helping a friend, and some hearts and flowers to fill our stamped jar images. Can you see the subtle hand painted accents added to the jars? It makes them look sooo realistic! Especially the brown swatch painted on the yellow card's jar- it looks like the kraft border is showing through the glass...The baker's twine and ribbon definitely added some textural pizazz to the card fronts, and then we trimmed the bottom edges to show some peekaboo pattern showing from the inside.

The custom, color coordinating envelopes were made with the WeRMemoryKeepers envelope punch board. A unique tool and defiantly a cool addition to your go -to tool supply, once you get the directions down that is! We laughed as we attempted envelope after envelope with mixed results. I have the same kind of fun with my Martha Stewart score-board, so I guess it's just all part of the process, lol. Another bit of patterned paper inside the envelope adds just the right amount of summer time fun and fabulousness to an otherwise plain yellow card cover.

WELL, this is the last day to comment to win in my July contest... go ahead and subscribe to my blog and or YouTube channel, and comment away for an opportunity to win either a custom die cut or scrapbook page made especially for you, by me:-)  

Thanks for reading and good luck!

Add a Fourth of Fun

Today I'm sprinkling a dash of creativity, adding a Fourth of Fun, and mixing up a big scrap bucket of card fronts!
Occasionally, there are nights I successfully bring myself back downstairs after tucking the kids into bed. Earlier this summer I discovered a way to make a table I can work off while sitting on the couch and it's opened up a few more hours of crafting for me! As hunny and I watch our fill of the Orange is the New Black, I sort through my scraps and find interesting color combinations to play with. Sometime I'm really happy with the results, and sometimes I just love the idea of what I've made, but not really the card itself.

That's the case with this card to the left; I actually like it a lot more photographed and here on the blog than I do in real life. It was fun to create though, and that's what matters most to me. The cute little paper flower was made by folding strips of paper and then topping it with a fussy cut flower and a pearl. A peek-a-boo sticker from the kids and an assortment of additional blings bring the focus onto the flower. Thank goodness I have every color bling under the sun to compliment all the shades shown here, thanks to Queen & Co and their value priced booth at CKC each year!

Speaking of bling, I need to go make some Fourth of July cards for the peeps I'll see. I've got some blue and red star blings that are just dying to get on something.
Have a safe and fun, festive Fourth- and make it crafty!