Trees for Two

Yikes!  What a challenge Darnell's Twofer Card Challenge is!  I really have to get my brain in gear to make two different cards for two different occasions using the same stamp!

But I think this month, I actually got it!  Using a tree stamp in two different ways!

For my first card, I used the lovely willow tree as a tree.  Stamping the tree and die cutting it, adding the little swing and birdhouse.  

I got this stamp set from a flash sale from PTI.  It's called Backyard Branches and PTI sold it from Facebook a few weeks ago - I got an e-mail about the sale and was lucky enough to order two of the four sets available before they were gone!  They are small stamp sets with the dies included for $15.00 each.   

I think they may offer the four sets again - but it's not in the web store now.  

Anyway -  I made this a Birthday card and stamping Happy Birthday inside.

For my Sympathy card, I took the willow tree leaf stamp (it's separate from the trunk stamp), turned it upside down, inked the bottom half of it with Simply Chartreuse and the top half with Plum Pudding - thinking it would look rather like a lavender plant.   I die cut the square frame out of a panel of Plum Pudding and layered the stamped panel behind the opening using foam tape so it sits  back from the frame.  I stamped the sentiment from Words of Comfort from PTI and added 3 Tiny Twinkles and layered it all over a white card base.

So there you go -  my Twofer!  And please excuse me while I go take a nap to rest my brain!!

Twofer Card Challenge 

Blue Skies card:
Stamps:  Backyard Branches - PTI, Sentiment - Inkadinkadoo
Paper:  White, Textstyle Bitty Dot Basics - PTI
Ink:  Hero Hues Black, Blueberry Sky, Simply Chartreuse Cocoa Bean - PTI
Accessories:  Backyard Branches Dies, Noted: Scalloped A2 dies - PTI, foam dots, Tiny Twinkles - Taylored Expressions.

So Sorry card:
Stamps:  Backyard Branches, Words of Comfort - PTI
Paper:  White, Plum Pudding - PTI
Ink:  Hero Hues Black, Simply Chartreuse, Plum Pudding - PTI
Accessories:  Square Peek a Boo Die - MFT, foam tape, Tiny Twinkles - Taylored Expressions.

Mid Month June CAS Mix Up Reminder!

I'm here today as a mid-month reminder of the June CAS Mix Up challenge!  

Loll is our hostess the month and this is her challenge.

Here's my card using Layered Embossing Powders, Die cuts, stamping and water coloring.

Here's how I used layered embossing on my die cut seahorse.
I die cut the seahorse out of mat board.  Then I rubbed Versamark ink over the seahorse and spooned Baked Texture Patina Oxide Embossing powder over it.  This EP has powder and bits of gold in it. 

 I held my heat tool about 10" above the piece going back and forth over it so it wouldn't all blow off as it heated up.  Then I could move the heat tool down closer to get it all melted.  Look how thick and gorgeous this looks already!

Then I inked around the nose and up around the outside edge down to the tail with Versamark and spooned on Baked Texture Deep Sea Embossing Powder to add another layer and color to my seahorse.
(I picked the piece up carefully and moved it to a clean sheet of paper before melting the powder)
I used the same melting technique - holding my heat tool high above the piece until the powder started getting hot and then lowering it to completely melt the powder.

While I was at it -  I die cut 4 seahorses so I could make more cards!  They all look a little bit different, depending on how much of the Deep Sea EP covered the area.
I added a blue enamel dot for the eye.

To create the watery background, I took a panel of watercolor paper and tapped it onto my craft mat where I had rubbed Ranger Distress Cracked Pistachio Ink spritzed with water.   I stamped this fun Beach Day sentiment from Technique Junkies and glued the seahorse over the background.

You'll find lots of inspiration from the Design Team as well as links to videos for various Layered Embossing Techniques over at CAS Mix Up!  You have until 6/24 to link up your CAS project!  Hope to see you there!!

I'm also linking my card to:

CAS Watercolour Challenge

Stamps:  Beach Day - Technique Junkies
Ink:  Hero Hues Black, Versamark, Ranger Distress Cracked Pistachio.
Paper:  Watercolor paper - Canson, white - PTI, Little Sizzles Matboard - Sizzix
Accessories:  Patina Oxide Baked Texture Embossing Powder and Deep Sea Baked Texture Embossing Powder - Emerald Creek, Sand and Sea Die - Sizzix/Tim Holtz, navy enamel dot, Tombow Glue.

That First Silent Night

Today I have another Christmas card to share. 

I just got this lovely sentiment from Impression Obsession and thought it went well with the majestic mountain stampings.  I added a little barnyard scene at the base of the mountain using stamps and dies from Petite Places: Barnyard from PTI.

I'm linking my card to the following challenges:

Merry Monday

CAS Christmas

Stamps:  Alpine Christmas - Waltzingmouse (retired), Petite Places: Barnyard, sentiment from Impression Obsession.
Paper:  White, Soft Stone - PTI
Ink:  Soft Stone - PTI, Hero Hues Black.
Accessories:  Petite Places: Barnyard dies - PTI, foam dots.

Eileen Hull Book Club 2 projects Contemplative Patent Leather Wrapped Journal

Today I'm sharing a tutorial on a journal I made using Eileen Hull's new Sizzix Die - Wrapped Journal.  The right edge was die cut with another new die - Scallop Border.

Something about this wonderful golden patent leather inspired me to use black with it.
(Eileen actually cut this journal and sent it to me as we were making samples before we got the dies and she says the die cuts the leather like butter!)

I added an Idea-ology Word Band and Typed Token to the binding cord with jump rings and tied with a piece of black and white twine.

I tied a saddle stitched grosgrain ribbon around the journal as it's closure - using a jumbo eyelet and Idea-ology buckle.

 The hearts panel was cut using Eileen's new die - Journaling Cards - Hearts  The word love layered over it is from her new Journaling Words die set.

I made 4 signatures out of black cardstock - cutting each page 7" x 5" and scoring them in half at 3 1/2".  I used 4 folded pages in each signature.

   I punched holes in each page to match up with the binding holes on the journal and then attached each signature using black elastic cord - tying the knot on the inside.

I white embossed a contemplative stamp on each page.

Stamp:  Inner Strength - River City Rubber Stamps

 Stamp:  Go to Natures Words - Wordsworth

I used leaves and flowers on some pages cut from Eileen's new Journaling Cards - Flowers and Leaves dies.

 Stamp:  For a tree to become tall - from Alison Bomber set EAB01 - PaperArtsy

 Stamp:  There is a Garden - Stampotique

Stamp:  Learn to Be Silent - from Alison Bomber Set EAB03 - PaperArtsy

Stamp:  The inspiration you seek - from Alison Bomber Set EAB03 - PaperArtsy

 Stamp:  What You See -  Impression Obsession

Stamp:  from Paint Your Canvas set - Lil Inker Designs

 Stamp:  Do Wah Ditty - Technique Junkies

Stamp:   Do What You Can - Cornish Heritage Farms (retired)

Stamp: I must have flowers - from Alison Bomber Set EAB01 - PaperArtsy

Stamp:  from Paint Your Canvas set  - Lil Inker Designs

 Stamp: Kind Words - Inky Antics

 Stamp:  Plant Kindness - Stampotique

 Good Things - Stampotique

 It Was the Sweetest - Stampotique

 Side by Side - Inky Antics

The 4th signature in this book has 4 blank  pages as a place to write my own reflections.

Stamp from Paper Journal Set - Clear Dollar Stamps

 Here's a top view of the pages snug inside this wonderful wrapped Journal!  You can see here how the right side wraps around and over the left side so it is expandable if you add pockets and fill them on your pages! 

 The finished size is about 4 1/4" x 5 1/4".

Please be sure to check out Eileen's blog all this month where the Inspiration Team will be posting lots of projects using these wonderful new dies!

 All of the new Book Club - Chapter 2 dies are available for purchase at your local retailers now and will be available at Sizzix on July 5th.

Stamps: listed above by each page.
Paper:  True Black Cardstock - Papertrey Ink
Ink:  Versamark
Accessories:  Wrapped Journal Die, Scallop Border Die, Journaling Cards -Hearts Die, Journaling Words die, Journaling Cards Flowers and Leaves die - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, white embossing powder, heat tool, Black Saddle Stitched Ribbon - Papertrey Ink,  ScorTape, jumbo eyelets - Stampin'Up, Crop a Dile, black elastic cord - Joann, Idea-ology word Bands, Typed Tokens, Jump Rings, black and white twine,  golden patent leather (from Eileen Hull - she purchased it at Marden's in Maine.)

Where is Summer??!

That's what everyone  here in New England is asking - we have a hot humid day and then we are putting the blankets back on the bed and turning the heat on!?! 

Well -  summer is here on my card today!

I water colored the background on water color paper - first brushing over the panel with water and then adding watercolor paint with a wet brush - tan for the sand - dark blue for the ocean waves and lighter blue for the sky.  I added this cute little layered die cut umbrella - popping the top up on foam dots and this lovely seaside sentiment.   I used a new embossing folder I just purchased called Level Curves. I thought it looked like a few things - a topography map, snail marks in the sand - and/or marks in the sand underwater after the waves have gone by!  Anyway, I thought it added nice CAS texture in white!

I'm linking my seaside card to:

Splitcoaststampers - Inspiration Challenge

I was inspired by the photo on the bottom - from Caron's Beach Website

 

CAS Watercolour Challenge

 Double Trouble Challenge

Do not use patterned paper -  and use a die cut

 Just Us Girls

Stamps: Crafty Individuals # C1-278
Paper: watercolor paper - Canson, White and Hawaiian Shores - PTI
Ink:  Hero Hues Black
Accessories: watercolor paints, brush, water, Beach Umbrella Die - Taylored Expressions, Level Curves Embossing Folder - Alexandra Renke