Reflecting on Boston

I needed to make a thankyou/farewell card for a physician that is leaving the hospital where I work next week. I decided to use the sketch challenge over at Split Coast as well as this Zindorf Tutorial for my card.

Here's the sketch we were to use.

I've been wanting to use this skyline stamp from My Favorite Things since I got it - particularly the way Michelle did with the reflection - and it worked perfectly to represent the Boston Harbor Skyline.



The top buildings are clear embossed to protect them when you sponge - but the bottom reflected buildings are not embossed. You use a darker color marker on the top row of buildings and a lighter hue of the color on the reflected part (see the marker colors on my supply list below).


Then you sponge the sky with Soft Sky ink, Not Quite Navy ink and then a little black ink as per the tutorial.


You stamp the mirror image of the buildings using a mirror image stamp by Rubber Stampede - I got mine at Michaels - it's just a rectangular stamp of plain red rubber on wood. You stamp your image on that with black ink - stamp it upside down on your card stock - then stamp the image using the original image stamp just above it right side up - this works best with a clear stamp which this building stamp is - as you can see where you are stamping it above the mirror image. - clear as mud??? Michele's tutorial above shows pictures so don't panic!!

I took a little poetic license with the sentiment and added 'Boston' to cover 'the world' to fit my purposes for this card.

It's no where near as lovely as Michele's - I can't tell you how many attempts are on the floor - but I'm learning!

Stamps: Going Places: My Favorite Things, Snap Stamps: Karen Foster, Mirror Image Stamp: Rubber Stampede Paper: White: PTI, Basic Black: SU, green Bazzill, DP: Arctic Frog - Lilly Pads
Ink: Onyx Black Versafine, Basic Black, Not Quite Navy, Soft Sky: SU
Accessories: Oval punch, nestability petite rectangle, cuttlebug, SU Markers: Almost amythyst, lovely lilac, gable green, green galore, pretty in pink, cameo coral, embossing pen, clear EP, hot gun, sponges, foam dimensionals, photo corner punch, spring moss saddle stitched Ribbon: PTI

Scoring the Moon

Here is my card for the Ways to Use it - Got Grid? challenge over at Split Coast. I used my Scor Pal to make the grid on my white panel scoring on the diagonal every 1/2 inch and I used Michele Zindorf's tutorial for my stamping method. Note: I sponged my ink on as I have not had much success in brayering on color smoothly the way Michele does!

I used 2 floral stamps from the Pressed Petals set from Artful INKables and the sentiment is from the Basic Salutations set. (Both on sale for 10% off during July so check it out!)

After scoring the panel - I masked the moon shape using a 1 3/8 inch punched circle. Then I sponged Soft Sky ink on top and bottom and then Not Quite Navy ink in certain areas as per the tutorial. I removed the mask - stamped the flowers with black Versafine ink - then sponged some Basic Black ink along the left bottom corner.

I added the metal frame and stamped sentiment attaching it with 2 blue brads. I tied black gingham ribbon around the top. To finish it off I layered the panel to a black panel using foam dimensionals - then attached it all to the white card.

I hope you will try scoring a grid on a card - if you don't have a scor pal - some paper cutters (like Fiskars) come with a scoring blade - or you can just use a ruler and your bone folder if it has a fairly pointed end - just don't push it through the paper! I've also scored card stock with a letter opener. Try it out on a scrap first!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps: Artful Inkables: Pressed Petals & Basic Salutations
Paper: WHite: PTI, Basic Black: SU
Ink: Basic Black, Soft Sky, Not quite navy: SU, Onyx Black Versafine
Accessories: scor pal, black gingham ribbon : SU, 1 3/8 inch circle punch: SU, metal frame: SU, blue brads, foam dimensionals, sponges

A Tree of Hope and a House Too Small

This is my card from yesterdays Sketch Challenge at SCS. I finished it too late to load it - I had to get to bed! But here it is today - and I really love how it came out!

I used Michelle Zindorf's Northern Lights tutorial here as inspiration. Michelle is such a terrific artist and she makes a tutorial every day on her blog - you really have to check her out!

This is the sketch we were given.

I had to make panels 3 and 4 the same size because of the size of my tree stamp and I turned it on it's side. I sponged the River Rock panel with certainly celery and Blue Bayou leaving a clear space in the middle - and then stamped my tree from the Natural Heritage set by Artful Inkables with black ink. I love this tree and sentiment don't you? I used the Distressed stripes cuttlebug folder on the black panel and I attached little blue square brads to the corners of the blue bayou panel.

Stamps: Natural Heritage- Artful Inkables
Paper: River Rock, Basic Black, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky: SU
Ink: Onyx Black Versafine, Certainly Celery & Blue Bayou: SU
Accessories: hole punch, blue square brads, petite rectangle nestabilities, glue dots, cuttlebug, Distressed Stripes folder, foam dimensionals

Next up is my card for Amy Rysavy's A-Muse-a-Palooza Ambassador Challenge - we had to use the layout of 4 punched circles on a square. My card is 4 1/4 x 4 1/4.

I first traced circles on a piece of Very Vanilla CS and then stamped my images within the circles the way I wanted them placed. Then I colored the images and paperpieced the pillows, lampshade and girls dress. All the images are Amuse. I had this circles chipboard piece (forever!) from a Stampin Up On Board Accents set so I was happy to finally use it! I covered it with this pretty DP from 7 Gypsies (after I punched the holes out of it!). I attached it to the vanilla stamped piece with foam dimensionals. I cuttlebugged the card using the Floral Fantasy folder then attached the chipboard over it.

You can see the detail of the paper piecing better in this close up.

I stamped the Irish Proverb (from Amuse) onto a piece of Very Vanilla and used my Labels Trio Spellbinder die to cut and dry embosss it. I attached that onto the chipboard piece with foam dimensionals. I stamped New Home (which is a piece of a Michaels $1 stamp that has a house above it) onto a piece of Very Vanilla and punched it with the tab punch. I did a little paper piercing on it, sponged it and attached it to the side. The foam flower has a little bit of stickles on the center for a little sparkle. I'm really happy with how this came out!

Thanks so much for stopping by today - now I'm off to do today's Ways to Use It Challenge - to use a photo on your card - I'll be putting that up tomorrow - have a great night!

Stamps: Irish Proverb, Couch, Kissing Couple, Lame: Amuse, New Home: Mike's $1
Paper: Bordering Blue, Very Vanilla: SU, DP- 7 gypsies Olana
Ink: Bordering Blue SU, Onyx Black Versafine
Accessories: tab punch, arctic ice stickles, Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive, spellbinders Label Trios, cuttlebug, Floral Fantasy folder, sponge, foam flower: Petaloo, SU on Board Accents, SU marker: Not Quite Navy, Prismacolor markers, Sky blue light, light cerulean blue, cool gray.

Cat Tail's a la Zindorf

You may have noticed that I wasn't here yesterday??? I was dutifully sitting at my diningroom table pulling my hair out doing my taxes. I 'think' I'm done with the Federal but still need to do the State one and then review the Federal one more time. The forms are so absolutely rediculous aren't they??? - they drive me crazy. There has to be a more straightforward way for these to be done!

So - by hook or by crook - I was going to stamp today. And today is the Sketch challenge over on Split Coast which I always do.

Another thing I have been wanting to do is try out one of the terrific tutorials Michelle Zindorf does on her blog. She is a wonderful artist and shows how she creates her beautiful cards - step by step - so we all can recreate them ourselves !

Since the stamped panel on this sketch is only 1.5 inches wide I knew I would only be making a small sample of Michelles technique so it was less intimidating than trying to fill the whole panel on my first attempt!

Here is Michelle's tutorial for her Sunset Wheat card. I used my cat tails stamp from Stamps by Judith which I stamped using river rock and versamark inks and embossed in clear embossing powder. Then I sponged all the colors on according to Michelle's directions. I sponged rather than brayering as I cannot seem to get good coverage over embossing the way she does with her brayering. I masked for the moon and overstamped the wheat in black ink at the end. See her tutorial for full instructions on all these techniques.

I stamped a portion of the Cheesecloth backgrounder stamp by Cornish Heritage Farms on the back panel using Espresso ink by Adirondack. The sentiment and circle are by Verve Visual. The cat tails panel is up on dimensionals.

I am pleased with how my first attempt came out - I can't wait to have some more time to try out another of her tutorials on a full size card!

Thanks so much for dropping by - for those of you following such things - I have almost finished the retirement card for my sister's brother-in-law that I mentioned on Monday but I'm not totally happy with it yet - I'll post it as soon as I am!

I'm afraid I have to drag myself back to the diningroom table to attack the State Taxes - wish I could stay here longer!>>>>......

Stamps: cat tail - Stamps by Judith, Cheesecloth - Cornish Heritage Farms, Circle & Sentiment - Verve Visual Wonderful Wishes
Paper: River Rock, Really Rust, Black, PapertreyInk White
Ink: River Rock, Really Rust, More Mustard, Cranberry Crisp, Apricot Appeal, Pumpkin Pie, Versamark Embossing ink
Accessories: sponges, crop a dial, eyelets, dimensionals, clear EP
Techniques: embossing, sponging