Retake on Thinking Inking Week Two - embossing Take Two

Rubber Stamp : Stampin Up Print Pattern (harlequin), Deadbeat Designs (Life ...)
Distress Embossing Powder : Tattered Rose
Distress Inks : Pumice Stone, Victorian Velvet, Worn lipstick, Old Paper
Paper : Tim Holtz Paper Stash Lost and Found (pig card was cut from a sheet in this pad)

I continued to play with embossing this week. I sponged with Pumice Stone Distress ink. Stamped SU Printed Pattern (Harlequin) with Victorian Velvet Distress ink and Embossed with Tattered Rose Distress embossing powder. I stamped Life is Good with Pumice Stone twice to help it show up a little better, and embossed with clear EP. The edges were inked direct to paper with Worn Lipstick to brighten it up a little. The embellishment was cut from Tim Holtz' Paper Stash, Lost and Found pad. I put 3 coats of UTEE on it, then stuck it in the freezer for a few minutes and crackled it. I rubbed it with Old Paper distress ink and adhered with redline tape. Thanks for looking!

Whew!  I think I'm finally just about caught up posting my latest stamping projects.

Retake on Thinking Inking - Week Two Swap Tags

To find out more about the Retake on Thinking Inking, check out this post.  Week two is all about embossing.  Embossing in general, using multiple colors of embossing powders, distress embossing powder, UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel) ... 

Here are the tags I made.  One to swap one to keep.

Rubber Stamps : Stampin Up Printed Pattern (harlequin background), Rubber Stampede (Gerbera Daisy)
Distress Inks : Shabby Shutters and Peeled Paint
Embossing Powders : Stampendous PEARLustre in Garnet and Champagne

Technique :

• Blended distress inks on with foam applicator
• Waterstamped background (inked with Versamark, then spritzed with water and stamped)
• Dried with heat gun and rubbed with embossing bag (so powder wouldn't stick anywhere except where I wanted it.)
• Stamped flower with versamark, sprinkled with embossing powders and heated.
• Inked edge by applying the distress ink pad direct to paper.

The cool thing about the distress inks is that they react with water, so stamping with a wet rubber stamp lightens the stamped areas.  Something I learned about embossing powder is not to overheat!  The first flower I stamped on another tag seeped in to the tag until it was no longer embossed.  I was left with a flat gold flower.
 

Retake on Thinking Inking Week 1 - Continued just for fun

Week one of Thinking Inking covered Distress Inks.  I wanted more play time so I made a few more tags just for fun.

Rubber Stamps : Stampendous (Pua Tapa border) , Sarasota Stamps (Hi - Florida Palm), Stampabilities   (Paradise postage), Viva Las Vegastamps (water skier)
Distress Inks : Tumbled Glass and Weathered Wood
Versafine : Onyx black
Archival : black (lighter skier, that ink pad was a little dry so I switched to Versafine for the others) 
Perfect Pearls : turquoise


Technique : 

• First two tags left to right - inked up a craft sheet with tumbled glass distress ink, sprinkled with a little perfect pearls, spritzed with water and then mopped the color up with the tag.  Third tag - applied ink with a blending sponge.
• Stamped border with distress ink.
• Stamped water skier with black ink.
• Used a marker to color just a portion of the Florida Palm stamp.
• Paradise postage stamped with Weathered Wood distress ink.

I sent one tag along with my bubble girl swap tag.  I sent another tag with a little package in thanks for a gift certificate I won.  I'm putting the last tag with my collection of Technique tags.  Thanks for visiting!

Retake on Thinking Inking Week 1 - Distress Inks

One of my favorite websites to hang out on is www.twopeasinabucket.com.  The Stamping Forum is re-visiting the Thinking Inking videos that Jennifer McGuire presented last summer.  There are 3 videos per week demonstrating techniques using Ranger and Hero Arts products.  Jan is spearheading the effort on her twopeas blog and in the Stamping Forum.  We're encouraged to make two tags using a technique of the week.  We keep one tag and swap the other.  Can't wait to get my first tag.  It's coming from Belgium!  My tag went to Maine.

Week 1 covered Ranger Distress Inks.  

My swap tags :

Rubber stamp : Stamp Camp (Bubble girl)
Distress Inks : Peeled Paint, Pumice Stone, Tumbled Glass
Versafine Ink : Onyx black
Perfect Pearls : turqoise
Other : Gelly roll, clear glaze pen on stamped bubbles


Technique :

• Blended on inks with a foam applicator.
• flicked on water with a brush that had a little perfect pearls in it.
• Stamped bubble girl with Versafine Onyx Black.
• Went over stamped bubbles with a clear glaze pen.

I hope my recipient likes her tag!  All the tags submitted were really wonderful!

While the Paper was out ...

Rubber Stamps : Stampin Up (Happy Birthday scallop), Endless Creations (circles and scallop dots)
Paper and twill : Scenic Route
Tools : Stampin Up scallop circle punch, Martha Stewart embossed border punch

I made another birthday card.  I made it a few weeks ago, so I'll try to remember the details as best I can. The double circle lines and dots on the scallop embellishment are another Endless Creations stamp, this one sized to fit the Stampin Up scallop circle punch.  The green scallops, candles and sentiment were colored with Tombow markers on a SU stamp.  There is a little sparkle pen on the candle flames, that doesn't really show up in the picture.  Always nice to have a birthday card ready to mail!

More Stampfest Goodies

 

Rubber stamps: Endless Creations (circular HB), Hampton Arts (cupcake), Hero Arts (Seize the cake and HAPPYbirthday)

Papers and twill  : Scenic Route

I  found the circular Happy Birthday stamp at Stampfest. It's sized for a little bit larger inside circle, but I used what I have.  The stamp came from Endless Creations.  They had lots of stamps sized to fit popular punches. This card was for my father's birthday.

4 Cards from 1 sheet of 12x12 paper

I had so much fun at Stampfest!  It was back in June in Orlando.  I went with my friend and we had a ball!
Had to get this double-sided paper from Graphic 45 as my husband loves airplanes and flying.

My first card was inspired by a display card at Stampfest.  It became my husband's Father's Day card.

Paper : Graphic 45


Portions of the paper were cut and collaged for the background.  The airplane was cut out and foam mounted.

Paper : Graphic 45
Rubber Stamp : Autumn Leaves
Tool : Star punch (Stampin Up)

I think the top card of these 3 will be a retirement card for a retiring pilot.  I had fun using up the whole sheet of paper to make these cards.  Thanks for stopping by!

Kari's card

Rubber Stamp : Magnolia (Longing Tilda)
Markers : Tombow
Rub on zigzag : Autumn Leaves



Finally posting again.  Time to catch up!  Kari colored Tilda, I just got her made in to a card.

Stars & Stamps Sketch Challenge #21

Rubber stamp : Stampin Up 
Papers : Basic Grey Kioshi
Tools :  Stampin Up punches - 2 step bird, scallop edge, word window and modern label

I followed this week's Operation Write Home Stars & Stamps sketch to make a card for my friend, Jayne.
We had an awesome day and a half at the beach last week.  By night we watched sea turtles emerge from the ocean to lay their eggs.  By day we gazed at the ocean from the balcony and the beach!  Ahhhhh, so nice, so relaxing! Thanks Jayne for sharing your company, your cooking talents and your beautiful condo.  It was heavenly!

Operation Write Home Sketch #19

Rubber stamp : Magnolia (Longing Tilda)
Coloring : Tombow markers on watercolor paper with a water brush and Niji Pearlescent watercolors (dress and hair bow)
Papers : Basic Grey Kioshi
Tools : Fiskars border punch

I made this card using this week's OWH sketch.  This is my first Magnolia stamp.  I think she's kinda cute!

I'm surprised that the Magnolia packaging doesn't have an image name on it.  Maybe I'll try and look her up. (It's Longing Tilda, don't know why that was bugging me ... I had to know!)
My daughter even sat down and colored one with me, only because the tv went blank and she couldn't watch college softball!  It was fun while it lasted!  Hopefully I can snag her to color with me again sometime.  I'll post hers when I get it made in to a card.

If you're active in OWH and in the know, please leave a comment as to whether or not you think the pearlescent watercolors are ok to send to the troops (no glitter policy, we don't want to make them sparkle, kind of defeats the camo you know).  I'm assuming they are similar to H2O's, but I don't have any of those.  The Niji's are a Yasutomo product.  They are a pan watercolor and very reasonably priced.  My pan has 16 colors and I got them with a coupon :)

OWH posts a new sketch every Sunday.  Check out the OWH Stars and Stamps site.  You can always click on the badge in the right hand column.  I just joined their blog circle.  I hope you'll try a sketch and send some cards to Operation Write Home!

I won!

I won Prize #2 for using Sandy's digital image (the eaglet) on a card and linking it up to her blog, It's a colourful world.  Yeah!  Thanks Sandy!  She hosted this challenge for Operation Write Home's Memorial Day Blog Hop.  You can see my eaglet card in the post just before this one.

OWH Memorial Weekend Blog Hop

Digital stamps : eaglet and sentiment, Sandy Allnock
Rubber stamp : wavy lines (umarked except for KC8211, if it's yours let me know)
Embellishments : star eyelets Stampin Up
Tools : Crop-a-dile, circle punch and hole punch, Tombow markers

WooHoo it's post number two!
Sandy, the founder of Operation Write Home (OWH), issued a challenge to make a card using one of her newly created digital stamps. I don't have much practice with digital stamps (I have way too many actual rubber and clear stamps) but I gave it a go. The eaglet and the inside sentiment are Sandy's. This card will be mailed to OWH who will in turn mail it to our military troops, so they can write a letter home to their loved ones. Thanks for the digi stamps Sandy, and the push to step away from the laptop and make a card!

You can visit Sandy's blog and the Operation Write Home Blog Hop for lots of patriotic and crafty inspiration.

Happy Memorial Day!

Intro

Hello! I guess I need a blog! I'm new to this, as you will be able to tell. I don't particularly like to write, but I tend to be too wordy! How does that fit? I'm starting this because I like to participate in blog hops and card making challenges. This weekend it's Operation Write Home's blog hop. I'll post a link when I figure it out.