Another CR84FN18 card!

I'm still loving these orange, yellow, and kraft colors so I sat down and made one more card for the CR84FN18 challenge!

This time I tried a new technique of using alcohol inks on vellum. I found this video by Sue on the Hero Arts Flicker site and just had to give it a try.



I used the colors of Sunset orange and Sunshine yellow alcohol inks on the vellum. I stamped the flower using Brilliance Moonlight white and embossed with white detail powder.

Here is a close up of the flowers- you can really see the fun marbled look of the alcohol ink. 

 I used these 2 stamp sets.........and had this card made in under 30 minutes- a rather quick and easy card :)

Now I've got a sympathy card on hand should I ever need it. This technique of using the alcohol inks on the vellum is really fun and quick- plus it looks so cool too!I think I'll try it again using some other colors and stamps.

Thanks all for stopping in and have a blessed day!

Inky Hugs........Anne

CR84FN18 Color challenge

I was playing a bit this weekend with some of my favorite Hero Arts flowers stamps and was inspired by the current color challenge over at CR84FN. Don't you just love the colors this week- some of my all time favorites to create with!

I really have "Spring Fever" bad, and would give anything to see some green grass and flowers right now......but with another 3 inches of fresh snow that isn't going to happen anytime soon......so I'll just  have to settle for just making my own little make believe flower garden for now...ha ha! 



I stamped the script here first, then came along and stamped the flowers in layers.  The dill stamp was inked up using 2 shades of distress ink, and then the violet stamp got inked up with 2 different colors as well. They were all lightly misted with water before stamping. I gave the whole image a shot of watered down gold paint mixture as well for a little more warmth and some shimmer (you really can't see the nice shine here....my lighting is just horrible today).

                                                  
                                             Here are the ink colors I used on the violet stamp.

                                        And these distress inks on the dill stamp and for the edge. 

Then I happened to find the sweetest little button in my stash to go with it all. I just love the shimmer and colors of it!

I think I am also going to go enter this card into the current Hero Arts monthly challenge for stamp layering!



Thank everyone for stopping bye and hope you all have a great crafty week.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Spring will arrive someday soon......I don't think I can take much more of this snow and cold!


Inky Hugs..............Anne 

Expiramenting ........

Hi everyone! Yup- it's been a while since I posted here- just haven't made the time to get it done.....it really can be time consuming with all the photographing and trying to fight with my hubby and son for some actual computer time.....I guess that's why I post so infrequently lately....sorry. 

This past week I played a bit with making some of my own background paper. I just sat down one day and got out my watercolor paper and some distress inks and other metallic inks I have and thought I would goof around and see what I could create.       
                             
                                                   I ended up making these funky and fun papers!
                           One of these is alcohol inks too (the yellow greenish bluish one in the middle) 
I started out soaking the paper well with water, then just dropped some ink here and there  and moved it around a bit with a paintbrush.....lots of trial an error here. 

Today I finally sat down and got busy creating something with them. There is a color challenge over at Hero Arts hosted by one of the newest hostess's Sally ......and I grabbed one of the papers to make some flowers with.  (Sorry- I forgot to take a picture of that particular paper I used before stamping on it and cutting it up).


                                                  This is what I came up with!



The paper was rather orangey red with a few splotches of brownish yellow here and there. I think I used Scattered Straw, Barn door, Worn Lipstick, and Vintage photo distress inks on this paper. I stamped the Hero Arts small striped flower in white, embossed and cut out, and I added a bit of gold paint to the centers. The stem for the flowers is a Hero Arts stamp "Real Daisy"-stamped and embossed as well. The background is another Hero Arts stamp " Old letter writing" and the "dream" stamp is from Inkadinkadoo.I just love the great multicolored flowers this made!

Next up I made this card using a favorite Penny Black stamp and one of the greenish-blue papers I created.



This just made me think of a rainy Springtime day......hence the sentiment (which was made on the computer). It's hard to see but the paper has a nice splotchy metallic sheen to it that reminds me so much of raindrops.

                                                Here is a much better view.




I sure had fun playing with making my own background papers- I hope you will try it too! I simply cut up some Hero Arts white watercolor paper.....soaked it really well with water....then dropped some distress ink refill ink onto the paper....then moved it around a bit with a wet paintbrush. Then I flicked on some watered down metallic paints I have with another paint brush and let it all dry. I had to try to flatten out the papers using a stack of heavy books and letting it sit  for a few days as the paper gets all warped and funky.....and they still seem a bit warped........thank god for heavy duty adhesive so they actually lay flat!

Thanks for stopping by everyone and hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Inky Hugs, 
Anne

Love you.......

I finally found some inspiration and time to make a card for the current Hero Arts monthly challenge. I happened to come across this cute "love you" stamp by Stampin Up while rummaging through my assorted Valentines stamps and decided to only stamp the sentiment portion and use a  much bigger butterfly from Hero Arts Antique Engraving set.

I just happened to have some turquoise paper laying on my desk and thought I'll just use that as a starting color......then found the lime green ribbon in my stash.I stamped the Hero Arts classic fabric BG using tumbled glass distress ink, and colored the butterfly using Prismacolor markers and added some glittery shine on the lime green sections of the butterfly using my Spica glitter pen. Stamped the old letter writing in just black......and assembled the card using some Spellbinders die cut shapes.

 It kind of seems as though the card needs a little something else......maybe a few turquoise pearls or a little heart somewhere......what do you think? I'll be giving this to my hubby for Valentine's Day- I hope it's not to girly looking.

 

I don't know about you but I'll be watching a bit of the Superbowl later tonight- I'm not much of  a football fan but I better cheer on the GREEN BAY "PACKERS"  seeing I'm a cheesehead!! 

Thanks for stopping by, love getting back in the groove and get creating again. 


Inky Hugs, Anne 

It's been too long!

Hi everyone! If you have been wondering where the heck I am......I have not been on a month long vacation (I wish), I haven't been sick or away for other reasons, I've just been incredibly BUSY!!

Work is going well, in fact I had to work out of town 2-3 days a week for most of January- and my social calendar has been filled with fun things to do every weekend. Been to many MN Wild hockey games, saw a play last weekend, played in a Scrabble tournament (and got totally whooped), been getting together with many friends (that has been way overdue) , even had to go help my brother move at the last minute one weekend! I have also been making a real effort to get to the gym 3-4 times a week and shed some of this extra winter weight that has appeared out of nowhere. So this is my poor excuse for not blogging or getting any cards made- I just simply haven't had the time.

Sorry I have not visited all of your blogs much either......feel really bad about that.

I did force myself to take some time and sit down and participate in one of the Hero Arts 90 minute scrambles a few weekends ago, and this is the kind of fun and silly card I made for that.



I pulled out my Hero Arts woodgrain BG stamp, grabbed a Stampin Up heart stamp and randomly stamped all over that, then thought I would try to color this silly looking Cupid quickly! Got out the Copics and colored that image as best as I could feeling the time crunch. The card had to include a frame so I used my white gel pen to make a simple dotted border. I had this whipped up in 30 minutes!! I LOVE these quick scrambles.....really gets the heart rate going and the creative juices flowing.

I hope to find the time and energy to get some more cards made in February- looking over my calendar it's going to be another busy month......have to get those dreaded taxes ready quickly ( ughh!) and have more fun things scheduled to go do on the weekends! Miss you all and hope to be back in the next week or so with some more creations!

Oh yeah, I had my own birthday this month (I turned 43) and I must admit really I don't like getting another year older- EEEK!!

Inky Hugs, Anne