CREATING ARTISTIC BACKGROUND WITH SEVERAL STAMPS

I love to combine several different stamps to make my cards.  It is a freeing activity to create my own conglomeration to be my background.

 I love these postage stamps and punches.  It feels like I am using antique stamps from my stamp collection.

 I love this natural lace trim. It totally works with the colors in this card.

Crumb cake, early espresso, baked brown sugar, very vanilla are the colors on this fun card.

I am entering this card at:

CASual Fridays using numbers

A MANLY TYPE CARD

I chose very vanilla, crumb cake and soft suede as the color pallet for this card.  I believe the colors and the fact there are no flowery accessories helps to make it masculine.

 Postage Due and Artistic Etchings stamp sets create the stage for this card.  I also used a very pale designer paper that I inked with soft suede around the edges.

 I punched the postage stamps out with the postage stamp punch, then backed it with soft suede punched out with the scallop square punch.

I added one straight line of the victorian lace ribbon because it fit the old fashioned theme.  I do not think it distracts from the fact that this is a masculine card.  Inside I stamped a happy birthday sentiment.

I really like this mural/artistic type card and enjoyed creating it.  What do you think?

I am entering this card into:

 Latenight Stamper's Challenge

Use it Tuesday Challenge 52

There is only a little over a week left of Sale-a-Bration.  If you have not gotten all your free items you had hoped to get, you can still order from my online shop by clicking my signature line below.

Fun Card to Share With You for FRIDAY MASHUP CHALLENGE

Hey Y'all - you trying to keep cool in this oppressive heat?  It is awful here in Texas - with the humidity, the feels like temp for today was 112 degrees!!  OUCH.

Here is a cute card I made for a friend of mine.  She was without her mojo and needed a card to swap in her card group.  So I designed up one for her and I think it came out really cute.  It is an anniversary or a wedding card with congratulations stamped inside.  But this design can be used for other cards as well.

I used the First Edition DSP and aged it with my sponge with daffodil delight and some early espresso.  I ripped a few places and rolled it up a bit and sponged some extra on it.  It looks like an old newspaper that is torn and wearing away on the edges.  I used my big shot and the embossed hearts embosslet to cut and emboss two hearts - real red and black.  On the red heart I put the 1/8 inch taffeta black ribbon with the white stripes on the edges.  The black heart needs the red taffeta ribbon 1/8 inch but I don't have it.

I used the Artistic Etchings stamp set for the Amour on crumb cake card stock, using early espresso ink, then punched it out with the modern label punch and sponged the edges.  I used a cordory crumb cake button (from clearance rack) on the left of the label punched word.  My inside "congratulations was stamped with early espresso from the Swirls & Curls Verses hostess set (I think it is retired).

The base of the card is white with a black layer underneath the First Edition DSP.

Please let me know what you think of my original creation, won't you?  I really appreciate your comments.

Inky fingers y'all!!

Friday Frenzy Sketch Challenge SFF020411 AND Sketch Challenge week SAH 155

I got this idea from Frenchie - I LOVE her blog, don't you?  She did a video on how she did this color blocking with inks.  As soon as I saw it I KNEW I MUST try it.  After getting ink all the way up to my elbows I was finished and happy with my card.

I used Bashful Blue CS base, Pacific Point layer under Glossy White.  Stamped versamark ink and clear embossing powder with my Medallion large stamp to start.  Then divided up the size by 4 and cut 4 strips of scrap to cover the white.  Lifted up each one separately as I worked from light to dark across the card.  My colors of ink: Bashful Blue, Marina Mist, Tempting Turquoise and Pacific Point.  After you have the inks sponged or dabbed on as dark as you want, use a tissue to rubb the ink off the embossed part and add your embellishment.  I punched with my Decorative Label Punch and the Small oval Punch to make a frame over my AMOUR stamp from the Artistic Etchings Stamp Set.  One sweet little bling in the middle with the pearl still keeps it for a man if you choose, and keeps it simple and elegant.  Oh, and I added one more touch - I spritzed it with my spritz spray for some more shine.

Enjoy!!