Trying a New Technique

So I'm hiding out from the heat in my craft room...trying out some new (to me) techniques and creating away! I love the relaxed schedule of summertime! 


I'm improving on my blending distress inks, and decided to try the 'double sponging' technique that I learned from this tutorial to see how I would do. 


I used a text background stamp, which fits right in to the challenge over at CAS-ual Fridays: to use text in your Clean and Simple design. 


Here is the completed card:

And a closer view of the focal point:

As you can see in the tutorial linked above, the sequence to make this is sponge the background, stamp the overall background, clear stamp and heat emboss the focal image, then use a darker ink to sponge over the focal image. It looks so intricate for how little time it takes!

I did some fun masking for this card, the yellow and green background edges were created by tearing the painter's tape and using it as a mask, then when I couldn't find the right color brown ribbon to use across the middle, I used the strait edge of the painter's tape to create a mask and sponged on the brown. In real life it looks like suede...so cool!

Supplies:

• Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Inks (wild honey, peeled paint, vintage photo)
• Stamps: Stampabilities (faded text background), Studio112 (Dandelion wish)
• Other: cardstock and buttons from stash

Thanks for looking!

Meredith

Guy to Guy Cards

I've made an effort to pick up some papers more suitable for 'guy' use lately, and the sketch challenge over at Freshly Made Sketches seemed like a good place to start using them. 


I like the simplicity of this sketch, although if you take a look through the work that others are posting, there are some truly lovely interpretations! I think my favorite so far is this one, I love, love, love her color combo!

I made two, with a couple more to come today...these are destined for OWH...I'm making an effort to design cards that the heroes will feel comfortable sending to other guys. 

Supplies:

• Patterned paper: Recollections
• Cardstock: Bazzil (brown), unknown (cream)
• Ink: TPC Studios
• Stamp: Hero Arts
• Other: canvas fabric

Thanks for looking!


Meredith

Some Days are Better than Others...

...and yesterday was not one of those days!


I'm experimenting with some new (to me) techniques, which can sometimes mean a few 'oops' before getting the hang of it. 


Case in point...blending and silhouette stamping for the One Layer Wednesday Challenge...


Since the current challenge is to make a card size other than A2, I thought that it would be nice to make a quick set of 3"x3" notecards to send as a little gift. 


I started by masking the edges of the notecard, blending in a background, stamping an image, then stamping and heat embossing a sentiment...and ended up with this...

Not too bad, but the sentiment gets lost in the image, and I was not careful with the embossing powder, so there are flakes of it all around the sentiment...so, not gifting material.

Next up was this notecard...

Nicer...and I like it...except for when I picked it up to put it in the 'keep' pile...

I noticed that I had oriented the stamping the wrong way...the card opens backwards!!!

Ugh! Next try...I changed up the masking a bit to mask in from the edges, leaving the edges to be colored by the distress ink as well.

I ended up with this creation...

Hmm, I like it, but the white space is too large...it doesn't seem to be in proportion to the rest of the space...you know?

So, try again...this time with 1/8" strips masked around the edges...

Eureka! I love it! I added buttons to accent the intersections, stamped and embossed a sentiment...it is definitely what I was going for...and looks great for giving!

And then...

Really? I let my work surface get so messy that I totally messed up the back of the card!!!

That's it! I gave up for the evening and watched some Netflix! And today...cleaning up the craft room is what is on the agenda!

Thanks for reading my rambling!

Meredith

Supplies:

• cardstock: stash
• ink: distress inks by Tim Holtz and memento ink
• stamps: floral silhouette by hero arts and sentiments by tpc studios

Sketch Challenge

I'm enjoying making cards regularly again, and managed to put one together today to fit the sketch challenge over at the Stars & Stamps blog for Operation Write Home. 

I'll be putting together some additional cards following the same sketch later tonight...it goes together quickly, but looks nice!


Supplies:

• patterned paper:my minds eye
• ribbon:hero arts
• stamps:sentiment:tpc studio, flower:inkadinkadoo, frame:our daily bread
• die cut:spellbinders

Thanks for looking!


Meredith

Technique: Paper Weaving

Hello, hello!


If you are visiting from the Cardswaps message board, welcome! If you stumbled upon my blog from another place and decided to look around, why, you're welcome too!


I'm responsible for the weekly challenge on the Cardswaps board this week, with the assignment of 'technique'. If you have no idea what I'm referring to, please click through to the board and read all about it...then join in on the fun!


A little background...I spend way too much a bit of my time on the computer looking around and enjoying others creativity, mostly on Pinterest. (Which, by the way, if you do not know what that is...keep your sanity, stay away!!!) (Just kidding...if you want an invite, just message me on the board, and I'll be happy to send you one.) I came across this delightful card and filed the idea for later...well, happily, later finally came!


This week, we're going to give our trimmers a workout, while making some paper weaving! I've given directions for the size weaving that I made...but you can change it up to make whatever size you want!


Start by gathering the supplies you'll need for the paper weaving:

• cardstock 'base' for the weaving (mine was 6" x 6")
• strips of paper cut to equal widths (mine were 1/2"), and long enough to cover the 'base', you need enough to cover the base width and height...so, 24 for me (my base is 6 inches high and the strips are 1/2 inch wide, so it will take 12 strips to cover the width, then the height of my base is 6 inches, so it will take another 12 strips to cover the height)
• dry adhesive
• that's it!

I used paper from a coordinating pack I picked up at WM on clearance, its really bright, as you'll be able to see in the final pictures.

Next, run a single line of your dry adhesive across the top of your 'base' cardstock...I tried to take a picture of this...but it is beyond my meager photography skills to take a picture of clear adhesive on white paper!

Start applying your strips in whatever order you like across the top of the 'base'. Keep the strips right next to each other, trying to leave no space in between them. All going vertically across the 'base'.

Continue until the 'base' cardstock is covered completely.


Now, don't mind my two pieces that stick up from the top...it is just because the strips I used had patterns on part of them that I wanted to be a part of the design...there is no need for you to do the same!

Now take the strips that you still have, and start weaving them one at a time, over and under the vertical strips, these will make your horizontal layers.


Look closely at the picture and you will see that the first horizontal strip is on top of the first vertical strip, under the second, over the third, under the fourth, and so on...all the way across the base. Snug it up next to the top, just by sliding it up.

Grab your second horizontal strip, and start weaving it...but take the opposite side that you used for the first strip. In other words, weave the strip under the first vertical strip, then over the second, under the third, over the fourth, and so on.

Then slide that second strip right up next to the first horizontal one!

Continue alternating weaving the strips, always making the next one weave the opposite of the strip above it...be sure to snug the strips up tightly against the one above it.

Until you get to the end of your cardstock 'base', and it is fully covered. Doesn't it look fabulous!?!

Now, you need to secure the weaving, so that when you use it, it does not shift and come loose. You are going to think I'm crazy, but grab the bottom of the weaving and lift it up. It should pretty much stay in place as you lift it...that is why you were careful to snug the strips up next to each other.

Pull the weaving out of the way, and apply adhesive to the base...how much is up to you and should depend on how you are planning to use the weaving. If you will be leaving it in one piece, you will need to do the edges. If you are planning to cut it up, more adhesive would be better...you can see that I put quite a bit on, and you will see why, later.

Lay the weaving back down, carefully, you don't want any wrinkles at this point! If your strips came a bit loose, just use your fingers to snug them together before you lie them down on the adhesive.


Once the strips are stuck to the base, trim the overhanging edges even with the base. 

Voila! You have a masterpiece of paper weaving!


Now, what can you do with it?


One option, is to die cut a shape from the weaving...

...and use it as a fantastic element on a card!

And just in the spirit of full disclosure...I may have gone a bit crazy fitting die cuts into the space left on my weaving leftovers from the first element...

But look...they make such great elements for the inside, too!

Here is the complete card...including a matching envelope for sending.


I am also entering this first card in the challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments ~ Quilts 


The first quilt pictured has such bright colors, they are so lovely! 

Here are some other options for using your woven element...

Stitch around the weaving and make it a main element...

And these cards are for entry into the Shopping Our Stash weekly challenge ~ red, white & blue and/or stars & stripes. Don't they fit perfectly?

Use strips made of a punched border...

Use two contrast colors, one for the vertical strips and
one for the horizontal strips and leave the edges uneven...

Have fun weaving!


Thanks,


Meredith

Bright butterflies

Oh, how I love Pinterest! It is such a great way to gather inspiration, and so easy to find the item that inspired you when you wish to give credit for a great idea!


Just this morning I saw this card posted...and I could not help but recreate the fantastic boldness of it!


Here is the result...

So cool! This lovely card is destined for a young lady who is very much my 'daughter by another mother'. She calls me mom, and she is working at a camp for the entire summer! So this will go in the mail with a little surprise to hopefully keep her from missing us too much!


And as far as supplies go, this entire card was made with papers already out on my desk! I put together a tutorial for posting on Monday...and with the leftovers from that, plus pulling a piece of black out of the scrap bin, I was done!


Thanks for looking!


Meredith

playing with color

I've started following a few new blogs, with some incredibly talented cardmakers! As a result, I've been spending more time creating and experimenting with new techniques to me.

This card came about after viewing this post, she calls the technique color-emboss-color...and that is exactly what you do!



I colored a piece of cream cardstock with distress ink (broken china) on a foam pad, stamped the flowers (Unity KOM) in brown (Memento), stamped the diamond background (Unity KOM) with versamark ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder, then colored the entire piece again with the same distress ink, darkening the color everywhere except under the embossing...cool, huh?



And I'd just like to mention...how do you like the way the sentiment (Studio G) fits into the punch (EK Success)? Its like they were made for each other!

Thanks for looking!

Meredith