Finally ink and paper products!

So I am finally sharing some of what has been keeping me sane the last week or so. I've gotten a few essential jobs done and finally allowed myself some play time. So, here are a few cards I threw together (trying my darnedest to use up scraps and bits as much as possible!) The card above was made by running red cardstock through my cuttlebug using the script folder and then rubbing cranberry red ink over the raised images till I was happy with it. After distressing the edges of the cardstock I also inked the edges with the same ink and curled them. The face stamp

is RubberStampede and is stamped on a piece of white corecardstock that I sanded first to distress and then layered on another piece of red cardstock. Then I just finished it up with left over red lace and a cute lil' saying and done. Can you say monochromatic? :)I had so much fun making this card I made a few.

This card I used some alcohol inked cardstock I had created and not yet used. I stamped the image using VersaMark and then embossed in GOLD. I originally had no intentions of using lace, but the card needed something more and that is what worked the best. The sentiment is gold embossed on a torn piece of vellum.

This card came out of nowhere. It was a set of three images that I had bought recently because they looked so fun. I stamped in VersaMark on yellow cardstock (I have a TON of yellow scraps-explanation to follow), embossed with clear powder and then used a dense sponge to apply the ink over and over til I had the color density I wanted on each one. Cut them out, layered it up and walla, a piece of modern art. :P

The lace and ribbon bug musta' bit me because I used it again on this card that just kinda came together as I was using up more alcohol ink background scraps and other odd pieces lying about.

The last greeting card came from a card I had remembered seeing online at http://www.scrapbooksetc.com/ . The original was a Valentines Card, but mine took a turn away from Valentines as I was again trying to use my bits and such and not break into my full sheets of cardstock and paper. At the start of the card I had a feeling it was NOT going to turn into any type of respectable card, but was pleasantly surprised when it turned out into a quite nice lil' card.

So tomorrow I must post again as I have yet to post the wedding invites I did for a friend. She has received them and is thrilled with them so I'll post a peek at that in the morning.....which will explain the yellow scraps. :)

For a special Gramma far, far away....

Sending some Hugs, Kisses, and Love to Gramma in the Philippines!

For Gramma.....

I generally would not post much of my children on the web, but my mother has gone on a mission trip to the Philippines for three weeks and misses her lil' guys A LOT! I've tried to email and send video but just can't get it to go.....So, here you are Gramma, your lil guy fix. :)

Some fun funky cards

Did some playing last night and actually created a couple cards. No huge techniques or anything, but had some fun and finished with a couple cute, fun, funky cards. Enjoy. Let me know what you think. The "You are special" card is a using an inkadinkado stamp set that is actually in pieces, like playing with a paper doll! I actually stamped her and decided she needed something more so restamped her dress on a pink piece of scrap cardstock and layered it on.

The "Beauty" card is using a Dawn Houser set from inkadinkado. I just love the dress....and the attitude. :) And then I just added a wee bit of bling to finish up the bottoms of the cards. I've been on a button and brad binge for quite awhile and neither of those embellies would really work on these cards, so sparklies it had to be. :)

The "Shoe" card is actually for a swap I'm doing, but it was inspired by a friend's love of shoes. It is from the same Dawn Houser set as the dress. The background is alcohol inks as are the shoes, which I stamped with archival ink on another background of alcohol ink I had made and then cut out. I wonder if my friend would wear a pair of shoes if I alcohol inked them? They would certainly be one of a kind! It's hard to see the sheen, other than on the shoes, but there is gold metalics throughout the background which makes it shimmery and shine as you hold it. Also there is a gauzy ribbon across the card behind the shoes...need a better camera. :P Thanks for looking and hope you enjoyed.

Been awhile yet again.....

Someday I'll get better at keeping regular about posting here! Going on TWO months again! We've been super busy here with snow....snow....snow.....and more snow. But it certainly does give excuse to stay inside where it's warm a little bit more to create and get inky. ;)

I am about to finish up my first order of Wedding Invitations (unless you count my own, then it'd be my second batch :p ). I'll be putting them in a post as soon as the bride-to-be gets them so she gets first peak. I was pretty happy with them, even if I really don't feel like using the color yellow again anytime soon now. :P

Here's hoping for some time to play and create tonight which I can then post later this week! Writers and inspirational block is HORRIBLE! Hmmm.....I do have some empty glass bottles.....maybe some springish bottle people are in order!

Distressing.....

So someone in one of the groups I'm in (Inkyfunstampers @ Yahoo-GREAT bunch of Inky People...and Fun too, go figure :P ) mentioned Tim Holtz Distress Inks and ways to use the ink. I thought, "Self, YOU have a Distress Ink Pad you bought a few years back because it 'sounded cool'. Go find it and try some stuff out with it." Being the obedient person that I am I did exactly that! After checking out some videos by Tim Holtz and others using his Distress Inks and Alcohol Inks of course. Oooohhh boy, when my hubby finds out who started that thread about using Distress Ink they are going to be in trouuuuuble!

These pictures aren't very good, but I decided to try a couple different alcohol ink techniques but using regular dye inks instead. Really did not turn out anything like alcohol ink would, but it was still fun (and leaves me REALLY wanting some alcohol inks for CHRISTmas, hint hint hubby (like he reads this :P )).

The two darker bits above right are just Stampin Up! White Glossy cardstock cut into 4 1/4" x 2 3/4" pieces with various reinkers applied over and around with a CTMH Swipe & Wipe and then stamped over with Stazon' Inks.

These three lighter ones with bamboo, CHRISTmas bits, and joy are the same cardstock with a Stamped Image using VersaMark or a generic colored pigment ink and then Tattered Rose Distress Ink brayered overtop. It was definitely entirely too much fun....obvious from the fact that I should have been to bed almost two hours ago! (Sorry the pictures leave MUCH to be desired. My "real" camera has grown legs and I am currently using my camera phone. :( ).

On a side note, the Snowbottle family just needs to stay still long enough for me to take a pic and I'll upload the finished product...or wait, maybe I need to stay still long enough to take the pic. Anyway, I don't think I should really be blogging past my bedtime....I tend to get a wee bit goofy.

Sparkly Snowbottles

I wait months and months without posting and now that I am posting it has NOTHING to do with scrapbooking! :p I picked up a copy of cLoth paper scissors (clothpaperscissors.com) last week when I saw these adorable "sparkling snowmen" on the cover . So last night I decided to try my hand at some altered mixed media art. It was a TON of fun. I LOVE glass bottles and had picked up a tobasco bottle years ago on a beach in Florida just because it was there and I had an old glass perfume bottle from avon laying about so I thought I'd give it a try.

The snowmen are simply made by creating a head from self drying white clay (I actually used scupley clay because it's what I had-it worked out just fine). The faces are made with metal brads and an orange photo clip. The snowbottle in the front actually has the bottle's original topper as it's hat. The arms are beaded wire and vintage glass and metal buttons. Her buttons are three clear flat glass marbles.

The snowbottle in the back has an old ring of mine as her hat with multiple strands of silver ribbon, a half of a paper flower for "wings", multiple snow themed ribbons around the long neck, white sparkly snow stickers and a bit of ribbon wrapped around the bottom.

Both bottles are filled half way with various beads to give them some weight and whimsy and then sprayed with acrylic sealer, sprinkled with fine glitter and finished off with the sealer again.

I have one more snowman head waiting to be placed upon his Coke Bottle body tonight. I haven't decided if these girls are done or need some more embellishment. I will post again once I have at least the trio completely completed. I really enjoyed digging through all my bits and bobs of glass, metal, beads, and ribbons....and my stash is getting lighter the more I do...imagine that! Thanks for stopping by!