Our Beautiful World - Vintage November

Our Beautiful World is at it again.  This week's prompt was Vintage November.   I couldn't think of anything more vintage than my mom's Thanksgiving day table.  This shot is from 2006, but it looks as though it would have been at home in the 60s or 70s.  My mom has a set of Johnson Brothers Friendly Village china which just screams vintage to me, but that could be because she's had it since I was a kid.  The figurines in the center are from the 60s and if you were to look close are chipped from use over the years.

Vintage when used as an adjective can also mean "of best: representing what is best or most characteristic of somebody or something.  Of course, for me that would be marching band.  At least 27 years ago, I spent my November Friday nights at the football field cheering on the team.  Now, I get the distinct pleasure of spending a November Friday night with my daughter's high school team at the field.  nothing better (that's my Katie nearest to the photographer on his right side, smiling away!).

We had the distinct joy of hosting my grandparents last Friday night.  They came and braved the weather (a WHOLE 65 degrees outside - look how bundled up we were!) to watch the game and our daughter march.  Sadly, the Chandler High Wolves could not make it work and lost to the Desert Ridge Jaguars who are playing tonight for the championship.  We'd hope to have made it ourselves, but consoled each other when Katie's band took second place at the tournament the next night.  

What does a Vintage November look like in your part of Our Beautiful World?  Come join the fun or just take a gander at what others have shared.  It's always fun with the ladies over at Our Beautiful World.

Sympathy Card

I had occasion to need a sympathy card recently.  Always tough to create and usually at the last minute.  This card is a simple one layer card, but I hope the care and love spent creating it communicated a message of care and love to the recipient.  I stamped using the branch from my Birds and Blooms stamp using brown Archival ink.  I colored the branches, leaves and flowers using a watercolor brush, water and my Prima Oil Pastels.  I scribbled the color onto a piece of palette paper and lifted it using water and the brush to apply to the stamped image.  When everything was dry (I only used a small amount of water to prevent warping), I dabbed glue onto the flowers and sprinkled some Flower Soft onto them to create a little definition to the petals.  It sorta looked like tears for some reason to me and I thought it fitting.  The sentiment, also stamped in brown Archival Ink, was from my Handwritten Borders set from SSS.  Never any fun, but hopefully a ray of encouragement during a tough time of grief.

I'm going to enter this card into Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge: Simon Says Anything Goes,  Word Art Wednesday's Challenge #211 Anything Goes and Simon Says Stamp's Work it Wednesday challenge.

For a Grown Son's Birthday

Just a quick post to share this card I made for my son's birthday last month.  I taped the kraft cardstock card to the work surface with some painters tape and then sprinkled the card with the blue and violet Brushos.  I sprintzed water over the top and created this fabulous background.  If I had to do it again, I'd add a kraft cardstock piece that was watercolored because you can see color bled through to the other side.  Son didn't care though!  I then ran the card through my printer and put this sentiment in block letters over the top.  The printing didn't stand out so I brushed on some black molding paste with a paint brush.  I'm pleased it turned out and my son thought it was a bit funny.  Hit that note just right!

A Masculine Happy Birthday

Of course we always need to make those masculine cards.  Trouble is to get it right so that you aren't that weird, card making lady who sprinkles glitter on all the cards.  Watercoloring makes the job easier.  For this card I used one of the stamps from my Darkroom Door Trees.  I stamped the image in Vintage Photo Distress Inks and then sprinkled some red and orange Brushos onto the leaves.  Using a brush I added water to the Brushos and they covered the Distress ink completely.  I used my Distress marker (the fine tip) to bring back some of the branch definition that could still be seen.  Then it was the sky - watercolored with my Prima Oil Pastels.  Brandy bought me a set as a birthday present.  It was the best present in the whole world!  There are two different colors of blue in the sky which adds a lot of depth.  I scribbled the oil pastel onto a piece of palette paper and wet the media with water to bring it to the watercolor paper project.  For the ground, I drew on the watercolor paper directly with the brown oil pastel crayon and then filled in with three different colors of green oil pastel crayons.  I then used the brush with water to wet and create the watercolor look.

I finished the kraft cardstock card with some brown cardstock (ever do manly don't you think?) and a piece of rough fiber (manly?  too girly?  it is soft- maybe too much?).  All together I really like how this turned out.  If you haven't jumped into the watercoloring, I encourage you to try.  It isn't all the tough and the results are fantastic.  Have a wonderful rest of your day and thanks for stopping by.

Heartfelt Creations - Birds and Blooms Card

I just had to share this card with you.  I must admit that the design is Heartfelt Creations and is the show demo at their booth.  I recently helped them out with the Rubber Stamp show in Mesa, Arizona.  This card was made using their Birds and Blooms stamp and die set.  The stamping and die cutting we done for me and all I had to do was add some chalk ink to the birds and shape the leafy branches, flowers and birds.

I had so much fun sharing my love for their products it didn't seem like work.  It is another way for me to infect others with this contagious crafty bug.  Of course I own these products, so look for more projects using these particular sets coming in the future.  Hope your day is special.

Our Beautiful World - Stone

As we join France in grieving for those that were lost this weekend, I went looking for these pictures from our visit to Oahu, Hawaii this summer.  This monument, made of stone so that it will not quickly wear away, was erected to those who died in the Pacific theater during World War II.  You can read more of this monument here. Whether the violence is decades ago or recently in Paris, our world must fight the forces of evil who seek to destroy what is good.

Paris - we stand with you now.

I'm linking to Our Beautiful World whose word prompt this week is Stone.

Let's Celebrate!

I'd been on such a good run there, posting reguoarly.  Work caught up with me and so I have been delayed in posting some of the projects I've been working on.

Today, I'm sharing a card made with my Gorjuss stamp, The Fox.  I colored the image with my set of 12 Inktense pencils and then fussy cut the image so that she can be t he centerpiece of thus birthday card.  I then layered her on some patterned paper with vines cut from green cardstock.  The teeny blue flowers were cut using my Inspiration Obsession Spiral Flowers die.  A few A Penny Saved prills in the center of the flowers to finish them.

I'm going to enter this in Word Art Wednesday's Challenge #209 Anything Goes.  Come join the fun.

I a m saddened by the news from Paris, horrified by the violence there.  My thoughts and prayers go to the people of Paris, to those who lost someone and to those who survived.

Just Thinking of You

Stopping by with a very girly card, different from all the watercoloring I've been doing.  I wanted a quick notecard and decided to go to my stash for some pre-cut pieces.  The leaves had already been cut for other projects long ago.  So, too, were the Arianna Blooms flowers, stamped with white pigment ink onto vellum and die cut using the coordinating die.  I colored the flowers with Scattered Straw and Worn Lipstick Distress markers (on the backside of the vellum) and shaped them gluing TuTu Pink prills to the center of the flowers after placing on the card front.  The sentiment and frame were made using my WPlus9 Vintage Greetings stamp set.  I fussycut the frame as I didn't have an exact die to coordinate.  A few pearl swirls and individual accents on a patterned paper background punched using my corner punch and this little notecard was done.

So soft and very different from my recent endeavors.  It make me happy to look at this card.  I hope it made my recipient happy too.

I'm going to enter this card in the Simon Says Stamp'sMonday Challenge Create Something Beginning with the Letter "N" as this is a notecard.  I'm also entering it in Word Art Wednesday's Challenge #208 Anything Goes.  Come j oi n the fun.

Our Beautiful World - Space

Our Beautiful World is at it again.  This week's word prompt is Space.  This is such a fabulous word as it has such varied and different meanings.  Pop on over to see some wonderful photography from around the world.  I'm going to link this photos of my ScrapBox as this is what I immediately thought of when I heard their word prompt. 

I live in a small house (1640 sq. ft.) by most American standards.  I've been questioned by many - why not move to a bigger house?  Certainly there are plenty around and available.  We've lots of reasons for staying where we are, but mostly it comes down to my husband and I which are homebodies.  We like where we are and don't see a reason to change.  However, with two children in such a small, three bedroom house, storage is a problem and I am papercraft supply addict.  Thus enters the Scrapbox.  The only open space that is not in use is in the living room and so I needed something that fit into the decor.  This cabinet is perfect.

I no longer have craft storage anywhere else. All my sewing supplies are inside this box. All my supplies for kids crafts are inside this box. No more hiding places, just enough space to store my tools and supplies.

Another great thing about my ScrapBox is that I know where stuff is.  There are labeling places on each bin.  

The simple fact of the matter is that my ScrapBox is equal to the kind and customer-oriented service provided by the folks over at The Original ScrapBox.  The prices are not small.  However, this is a piece of furniture in my living room.  Paper crafting and all other sorts of crafty stuff is a part of who I am.  I will always accumulate some stash of craft supplies, whether they are properly organized or not.  Having my stash organized and available, yet shut away for Sunday night Bible study is part of what allows me to create beautiful cards and other crafts on very short notice.  From that standpoint, I consider the cost of my ScrapBox small in comparison.  Check them out!  The Original Scrapbox.

When you are done checking them out, stop on over at Our Beautiful World to see all the lovely photos of Space!

A Fall Scene

Oops, quick before I loose my fall season all together I thought I'd share this handmade watercolor scene with you.  I just want to first say that I wouldn't have dreamed 3 years ago that I'd be attempting let alone making this kind of card.  I didn't consider myself that talented.  Granted, the tools have improved a bit and I've purchased a few of them, but the other thing I'd say is that my own vision of me shut down a possibility that was always there.  I'm going to encourage you to put off those crafty limitations you've set for yourself and give a new and challenging technique a try.  I did and look how it turned out.

This card front was made with a combination of watercolor media.  I started the image by stamping with my Darkroom Door Trees stamp using Tea Dye Distress Ink.  The burst of color in the tree leaves was made by sprinkling Brusho Scarlet, Yellow and Orange watercolor crystals on the watercolor paper.  I covered the tree limbs a bit with a paper towel and spritzed the Brushos with a spray bottle to burst their color.  It was at this point I believed this image could become a card front.  I used my Inktense Pencils to create the extension from the tree base and shape the hills.  A little water on the waterbrush blended this shape and made that ink permanent.  Then I sprinkled Leaf Green and Dark Brown Brusho watercolor crystals, covering the rest of the image with a paper towel and spritzed the Brushos to burst the brown and green color at the bottom.  I used a bit of Prima Oil Pastels to fill in the color on the grass and the blue of the sky, dropping small water droplets full of color int he spaces between the Brushos which were now dry.

For the inside of the card I used the technique used in this video to stamp Happy Birthday in green, red, orange and yellow Prima Oil Pastels.  I then flicked color off the end of the crayon with a water brush to create these tiny burst of color on the inside of the card.  I'm super pleased with how this card turned out.  I might give it a try again.

I am linking to Jennifer McGuire's Sharing Handmade Kindness challenge.

Thanks As In a Bunch of Flowers

Brandy sent me this photo a while back and it got lost in the sea of pictures since we've both had a prolific month of crafting.  This card was too big a stunner not to share with you here.  The card front was made by clear embossing red cardstock using Heartfelt Creations Vintage Floret stamp.  Brandy hand cuts each flower since she finds the fussy cutting to be relaxing.  This adds a certain neatness to the look of the flower.  The flowers are shaped using a technique similar to that used in this video, though I'm not sure Brandy uses glue dots to make the shape happen.  Behind the flowers is leaves stamped with Heartfelt Creations Classic Leaf stamp onto green paper. In this case, she die cut the image using the coordinating die.  A few drops of VivaDecor Pearl Pens create these fabulous embellishments and the card is practically finished.

Brandy made the envelope so that she could make it dimensional to prevent her flowers from being crushed.  This image is to show you how the space allows the flowers to retain their shape.  Of course, this envelope was hand delivered making this design useful.  Still, with Christmas coming up, this is a grand idea, don't you think.

Here's the card all tied up and read for delivery.  Fantastic don't you think!?!

I'm going to link up to Jennifer McGuire's Sharing Handmade Kindness challenge and the SSS Wednesday Challenge Simon Says Thanks/Thanksgiving.

One Final Card Set

Mentioning the roll I was on, here is another couple of cards made from the card fronts I watercolored last month.  Can it be that long ago?  I finished these with a bit of patterned paper - some made by hand and others that were store bought.  I also added touches of Wink of Stella glitteriness to the images.  It adds a bit of shine and interest.

Don't you just love those teeny tiny flowers made with my IO spiral flowers die?  I can't get over how cute they are and the interest they add to the image.  Thanks for bearing with me as I share these cards with you.  As I've mentioned before, these cards will go into the Christmas gift stash for my friends and family.  'Tis the season!

Cards From the Brusho Card Fronts

Well, I got on a roll making cards out of many of the card fronts I've created while stretching my watercolor skills.  I thought I would share the finished product for these sets of cards.  You'll find I used some store bought and homemade acetate butterflies to finish these backgrounds.

I am keeping these kinds of cards to use as Christmas gifts for my friends and family.  If they don't have to purchase cards this year, things are going well for me.  I use up my stash don't feel guilty if I find a new tool or supply that I want to try out.  Can you believe that Christmas is a few short weeks away (ok - less than eight weeks, but that will seem short in about 4 more weeks!)?  Are you ready?

Making Cards Out of Card Fronts

I colored these images a while back and finally decided to get around to matching them up with some printed paper and creating cards with them.  I relied heavily on a couple of different stitched die frames to keep the finish simple, yet effective.

On the inside - I simply used a variety of sentiment stamps.  Some neutral to leave the card more a note card and others specific birthday, etc.

These stamps are old, but I think the watercoloring transcends the style.  I am keeping these kinds of cards in the stash to wrap up as Christmas gifts.  I figure we all don't really need one more thing, but if my friends and family don't have to purchase cards this year, things are going well for me.  Less in my stash and more reason to keep buying new tools and supplies.  What do you do with your works of art - send lots of cards? Stash the finished product too?