The new lightbulb stamps from Maya Road are quickly becoming some of my new favorites. They're full of retro-kitsch fun:
I stamped the lightbulbs onto kraft cardstock, then sponged around each one with Tea Dye distress ink (leaving the actual stamped images untouched). The result is kind of a "glowy" effect, giving the lightbulbs a subtle pop. For the sentiment, my trusty Dymo labelmaker added the perfect "industrial" touch.
A while back, I mentioned the winter-time sidewalk sweet potato vendors we have here in China. I finally remembered to snap a picture of one:
Basically a 55-gallon drum rigged up with two wheels and a wooden push-handle, with the inside filled with coal for roasting corn and sweet potatoes. On a cold day, the vendors manning the carts are enveloped in clouds of fragrant steam wafting from the piping hot vegetables. Melty-tender, naturally sweet, they're the perfect meal-on-the-go!
Card Supplies:
Stamps: Maya Road "Eureka Lightbulb"; Ink: black pigment, Ranger "Tea Dye" distress ink, Ranger "Walnut Stain" distress ink; Cardstock: kraft; Accessories: Dymo labelmaker, foam dimensionals
I've got just enough time to squeeze this in before the challenge deadline. I wanted to make a nice, neutral baby card that could work for either a boy or a girl (great to make ahead and keep in your stash),something a little fresh and not too cutesy. Here's the result:
I gave the little eggs a touch of color using a watercolor pencil and a blender pen (lay down colored pencil first, using appropriate shading, then use blender pen to even out and blend color). The rest is just some simple Cuttlebugging and foam tape between layers for texture and dimension. I think this card would also look great in a pale, pale yellow, or celery, or light periwinkle... What do you guys think?
Card Supplies:
Stamps: Studio G; Ink: SEI chalk (Cocoa), ColorBox Pigment (Chestnut); Accessories: Cuttlebug / Rectangle Nestabilities / Forest Branches embossing folder, watercolor pencils, blender pen, foam dimensional tape
Is anybody still out there? Oh my goodness gracious, where has the time gone? The last few months have been busy, to say the least. Since Christmas, we've had two weeks of Chinese New Year (kind of a big deal around here), a trip to Thailand, house guests, a visit to a friend in Shenzhen, out-of-town business contacts to show around the city, and lots of work stuff for hubby. And it's just going to keep getting busier from there!
I've finally gotten a chance to sit down and craft again; boy have I missed it! I just recently got my hands on some of the new stamp releases from My Mind's Eye, American Crafts, and Maya Road. Can I just say LOVE? I'm glad to finally see some new products in stores. Of course I had to break everything out right away - and here's one of my first creations:
I was inspired by this super-cute Unity stamp (which just might have to find its way into my next shopping cart). In the meantime, I thought this was a pretty good facsimile, no? The "Thickers" were made using adhesive fun foam and a Cuttlebug alpha.
Well, gotta keep this one short and sweet. More cards coming soon!
Card Supplies:
Stamps: American Crafts "Hello There"; Ink: My Mind's Eye "Sundress" pigment ink palette; Accessories: Cuttlebug / Rectangle Nestabilities / Olivia Alphabet dies / Quickutz Retro Diamonds embossing folder, fun foam, adhesive pearl
One last Christmas card to share today (although you might still see a winter-themed card here and there - we still have a long ways to go till spring!). I bought these Studio Calico button stamps several months ago, but this is the first time I've gotten to use them. I think they'd look even better heat embossed, or covered in Ranger Glossy Accents. I can't wait to play around with them some more!
Let me tell you, I am SO ready for Christmas to be here. Today has been one of "those" days - woke up to water leaking out of the toilet tank (and I had just put one of those blue discs in, so bright blue water was staining the grout behind the toilet). Had a guy come to "fix" it, which left blue water ALL over the bathroom floor. Sacrificed some towels to clean up the blue mess, then threw them in the washer... only to walk by a few minutes later to see sudsy water all over the floor, and gushing out of the front of the washer... This was all happening mere hours before friends were scheduled to come over - so in the middle of all the chaos I was also trying to bake mini coffee cakes (from a never-tried-before recipe), make a gift tag, sign a card, wrap said cakes, and apply my makeup... Really, all I could do was laugh. Can we just skip ahead 16 or so hours to Christmas?
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday weekend (and hoping your toilets and washers are all in working order)! ; )
Card Supplies:
Stamps: Studio Calico (Buttons), Studio G (sentiment); Ink: Ranger Distress (Antique Linen), Stampin' Up craft (Always Artichoke), Ink It Up! pigment (red); Patterned Paper: Basic Grey (Eskimo Kisses); Accessories: Cuttlebug / 2x2 Scalloped Squares dies / 2x2 Circles dies, cereal box "chipboard," embroidery floss, small corner rounder punch, foam dimensionals
Can you believe Christmas is almost here? Yikes! I still have so much to do! I made this quick card yesterday in between bouts of cleaning (my father-in-law is coming to stay with us for a few weeks, so we've been in deep-clean mode). I wanted to try out this Cricut diecut, and decided it would look even better with glitter. I used this super-easy method:
- Place dicut face-down on craft mat.
- Apply a large piece of packing tape to the back of the diecut, covering the cutout opening(s).
- Flip diecut back over, right-side facing up. The sticky side of the tape should be showing through the cutout(s).
- Pour glitter onto diecut. Cover with a scrap piece of paper and press down firmly in order to adhere glitter evenly to sticky areas. Tap off excess glitter, and voila! A glittered image without any messy glue!
I've been tagged by the super-talented Cristina to answer a few questions about myself. So here goes!
1. Four shows that you watch:
Bones
NCIS
Vampire Diaries
Criminal Minds
2. Four things you are passionate about:
God
My husband
The NGO my husband and I work with here in China
Creativity in all forms
3. Four words/phrases you say a lot:
Meh...
No barking! (to our Schnauzer)
你好 ("hello" in Chinese)
Coffee sounds REALLY good right now!
4. Four things you've learned from the past:
Home is relative.
You're stronger than you think you are.
You CAN have too much chocolate.
Go ahead and try "it" (whatever "it" is) - you just might really like it!
5. Four places you would like to go:
Rome
Paris
Tokyo
Angkor Wat
6. Four things you did yesterday:
Started cleaning up my craft area (but then...)
Made another mess in my craft area
Played around with my Cricut
Watched a movie with dh
7. Four things you are looking forward to:
Christmas
Our wedding anniversary next week (14 years!)
Our trip to Thailand next month
My new Cricut cartridge that's in the mail
8. Four things you love about Winter:
Snow
Peppermint hot chocolate
Christmas decorations
Sidewalk hat/glove vendors
9. Tag four people to play along:
I'm actually going to leave this open to anyone who happens to read this blog. Just let me know if you answer the questions - I'd love to learn more about you!
Card Supplies:
Cuttlebug / Woodgrain Impression Plate (Papertrey Ink), Cricut / Joys of the Season cartridge, eyelet, packing tape, Martha Stewart glitter (peridot), Dymo labelmaker, woodgrain label tape
I held out as long as I could, but with a little nudging from hubby I went ahead and opened my new Cricut. This time everything is working great! (My previous Cricut dropped dead after only a handful of uses.)
One of the really cool things you can do with the Cricut is make your own embossing plates (aka impression plates or texture plates). It's insanely easy! First, choose your image and size it appropriately, then cut it out three times from cardstock. I cut this square image at 3 3/4" (real dial size off):
Next, glue the three diecuts on top of each other, keeping them aligned as closely as possible (I used a Zig 2-Way Glue Pen). You'll end up with one thick diecut, like this:
Once the glue is dry, your new "embossing plate" is ready for use in your manual embossing machine! Here's the stack that I used in my Cuttlebug, starting from the bottom:
- A Plate
- B Plate
- DIY embossing plate
- Cardstock
- Spellbinders tan embossing mat*
- B Plate
*I actually use two tan mats together - it works best for my Cuttlebug - but I recommend starting with just one mat. Some Cuttlebugs are tighter/looser than others!
And here's the finished product:
See how nice and crisp the impression is? Just think of the possibilities - it's got me looking at Cricut cartridges in a whole new light!
Card Supplies:
Stamps: SEI "Windsor" (leaf), PTI "Mixed Messages" (sentiment); Ink: Ink It Up! pigment (olive), SEI chalk (cocoa); Accessories: Cricut / Storybook cartridge, Cuttlebug / 2x2 stamps die / 2x2 sliders die, watercolor paper, raffia, edge distresser, foam dimensionals
I'm on a roll this week! Gotta make use of the mojo while it's here, that's for sure! Today I've got two more quick holiday cards to share:
I have to say, these pics do not do these cards justice! (You can click on each for a better look.) I stamped the snowflakes with silver and copper metallic inks, and IRL they have a gorgeous glow-y shine. Maybe if the sun comes out later this week, I can try again. Anyway, the challenge over at Splitcoaststampers is to create holiday cards that can be made in 15 minutes or less, for those moments when you need a card "on the fly." Both cards utilize the same supplies, just in different ways. (I figure if you've already got the supplies out, and you have a few extra minutes, why not make two?)
This embossing technique (used on Card #1) is a great way to add visual interest to an otherwise simple card . And since we're trying to get as much bang-for-our-buck in as little time as possible, metallic inks are a fast alternative to heat embossing. (Note: the brand I used dries very quickly; other brands can smudge if not given enough drying time.) Rhinestones in various sizes add a glamorous touch, and a corner rounder punch gives a finished look in a matter of seconds. As an added bonus, I even kept the sentiment "holiday neutral," so the cards can be used for a variety of seasonal events. So, what do you think? Do you have a go-to "on the fly" design?
Card #1
Stamps: SEI "Glitzmas" (sentiment), SEI "Alpine Frost" (snowflake); Ink: Ink It Up! (copper), SEI chalk (charcoal); Accessories: Cuttlebug / Circle Nestabilities, small corner rounder punch, rhinestones
Card #2
Stamps: SEI "Glitzmas" (sentiment, snowflake background), SEI "Alpine Frost" (large snowflake); Ink: Ink It Up! (copper, silver), SEI chalk (charcoal); Accessories: Cuttlebug / Circle Nestabilities, small corner rounder punch, rhinestones, foam dimensionals
