Dragonfly Spring

 

I have been playing with mixed media lately inspired by videos and classes by Tiffany Solorio.  She sometimes prints out a sheet called 20 Days of Play which is a series of prompts to experiment with.  The goal is not to make a card but to just play and expand your techniques to use on future projects like this one.  This card includes prompts to brayer ink or paint (day 4) and to apply texture paste on top of ink without sealing it first (day 7).

I started by applying Wilted Violet, Chipped Sapphire, and Shaded Lilac Distress Oxide inks with a two inch brayer on to Strathmore Mixed Media paper.  Next I added texture by randomly stamping using the Sacred Spells stamp by Lavinia, cross hatch stamp from the Timeless Textures set by Stampin' Up, and parts a very old flourish stamp from Stampin' Up and Black Soot archival ink.  Then I lightly brushed Hero Arts White Unicorn Pigment ink through parts of the Feathered Leaf stencil from Lavinia.   You can see some of it below the dragon fly's tail and in the upper left corner.  I then applied texture paste through parts of the BoHo Glam stencil from A Colorful Life Designs.  Because the ink is water reactive it bled through the texture paste.  Lastly I masked off the stenciling with copy paper and whacked my white Posca paint pen with a ruler to splatter white paint on the background.  To finish the background I swiped Dusty Concord Distress Oxide ink along the edges and attached it to a card base.  Now for the focal point.

I used Simon Says Stamp's Tattered Leaves die to cut the vine from mixed media paper and glued only the stem and stem ends of the leaves to the background, so I could curl the tips of the leaves upward for added interest.  For the dragonfly I used the Etched Dragonfly die by Simon Says Stamp to cut the body from mixed media paper and the wings from Platinum velum from Grafix, which has a shimmer finish.  I attached the wings to the body and glued only the body to the background so the wings would pop up.  For the sentiment I swiped Seedless Preserves Distress Ink along the edges of one from the Tim Holtz Idea-ology Small Talk pad. 

I  plan to enter this card in the Crazy is Our Fame - Stencils are Our Game challenge using the optional theme of Vines-Vinery, Die Cut Divas Spring is Coming Challenge, Mix It Up challenge using an optional die cut, and A Place to Start Optional Twist: No Squares challenge.  Why not head over to these challenges and be inspired?

Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi

Mooch at Peace

 

This card was inspired by this one made by Kath Stewart.  It also inspired me to order the Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Christmastime 2 stamp set which was part of the 2019 release.  Although I have used other stamps in the set, this it the first time I have used the stamp that made me want to buy the set to begin with.  Six years!  How could I let that happen?!

I started by spraying Villainous Potion and Uncharted Mariner Distress sprays and water on watercolor paper and let it dry naturally.  Then I stamped and embossed the sentiment in gold and while I had everything out I gilded the edges of the panel with gold.  Now it was time to stamp Mooch from Lavinia Stamps in black Versafine ink and clear heat emboss him.  Yes, his name is Mooch.  Lavinia sells individual stamps and gives names to the fairies and animals depicted.  I bought him Christmas 2020 and used him quite a bit for a while, but lately I have been using cat die cuts and he has languished in my stamp drawer for a couple of years.  I stamped the holly from the Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Stamptember 2018 set with Harbor ink, a dark teal from Close to My Heart.  The clear embossing resisted the ink, so it looks like the holly is behind him.  I used gray Prismacolors to create a shadow to ground him.  Once I had the sentiments, Mooch, and the holly in place, I knew where to put the stars using a Tim Holtz Sparkle stencil and transparent matte texture paste.  I had almost forgotten about texture paste until I broke it out for my Abigayil and Her Kittens card last month.  Amazingly it was still spreadable after sitting for a few years.  I had placed a piece of Press and Seal plastic wrap over the the jar before screwing the top on and it really did work to keep the paste from drying out.  The last step before attaching the panel to a card base was to use a Jelly Roll #700 sparkle pen in the center of the stars and along Mooch's head and left side to look like reflected starlight.  This is what the card looks like if you tip it towards light.

Working on this card reintroduced me to some older stamp and and other products that have been neglected, so I am entering it in the Shopping Our Stash "The Cat is in the Bag" and The Neglected Stuff challenges.  I also am entering it in the Jingle Belles "Baby It's GOLD Outside,"  Crazy is Our Fame, Stencils are Our Game (optional theme Nature), Addicted to Stamps and More "Make Your Mark," and Show Us Your Pussycats challenges.

Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi

Abigayil and Her Kittens

 This card was inspired by my all time favorite children's book, Abigayil, The Story of the Cat in the Manger, written by Rouben Mamoulian and illustrated by Marshall Goodman.  It has lots of text and beautiful watercolor and charcoal illustrations.  The story, told in the voice of Abigayil, a cynical streetwise cat who lives with her kittens in a stable in Bethlehem, is her testimony about the night Jesus was born.  Her paw was broken that morning when boys threw a rock at her while she was foraging food and now seems to be infected.  She is worried about being able to provide for her kittens and the possibility of not surviving her injury.  A woman gives birth while spending the night in her stable, and she hears the parents call him Jesus.  She is puzzled by the visitors that come to worship him and the fact that she feels his love and finds herself unable to attack the mice who are watching from their holes.  During the night a cold breeze begins to  blow through the cracks in the door, and as a mother herself, she is concerned about the baby, so despite her pain, she leaves her hiding spot and manages to get into the manger where she stretches out along side him to warm him with her body.  As dawn approaches Mary stirs, so she leaves Jesus and goes outside and sees a new star in the sky.  Abigayil is so filled with joy she does a high twisty jump before racing around the barnyard and fields.  Then she remembers her paw and stops in horror, sure that she has done irreparable, possibly fatal harm to herself, but when she checks her paw she finds it completely healed.  Come to think of it, the pain began to leave as soon as she touched Jesus.  Recognizing this as a miracle, she goes back to the manger, kneels at his feet and thanks him for healing her and showing her that love needs no reason.  She ends her testimony saying that Jesus is no ordinary baby.  He is a prescious gift of love and light to the world who will be a blessing to all.  

Now about the card:  I started by ink Smooshing Balmy Night Shimmer spray and plain water on watercolor paper and allowing it to dry naturally between layers until is liked how it looked.  Like with Brushos, the pigments broke into their component revealing other colors.  Next I used the Sacred Spells stamp from Lavinia and second generation to stamp along the sides.  I used the Star of Wonder die from Memory Box for the star, Cat D-Lites die from Spellbinders for the Mama cat, and Cat Set die from Impressions Obsession for the kittens.  After laying out the die cuts to check their position,  I used the Sparkle stencil from Tim Holtz and transparent matte texture paste for the smaller stars   I gilded the edges of the panel by pressing the edges a Versamark ink pad and then fine silver embossing powder and melting it with my heat tool.

I plan to enter this in the Christmas Crafts All Year 'Round "Oh Holy Night," Mix It Up "Mixed Media," Cut it Up  "Add a Sentiment" and Peace on Earth "Anything Goes"  challenges.

Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi

Cat Gazing at the Universe

 

I need another birthday card.  Yes, I do have a stash of them, but certain people get cards made just for them.  Plus I want to play the Seize the Birthday Anything Goes and The Die Cut Divas Birthday challenges.  I used this Freshly Made Sketch for inspiration.

For the background I started with watercolor paper, sprayed it with some water, and then began spraying with Seedless Preserves and Unchartered Mariner Distress sprays and more water, drying, spattering with water, drying, repeating, sometimes letting colors move, sometimes dabbing up some of the ink until I was happy with what I had and then let it dry naturally.  Next I partially inked a swirly corner stamp from Inkadinkadoo, a cross hatched stamp from Stampin' Up's Timeless Textures set, and a script stamp, Sacred Spells from Lavinia and, without blocks, randomly stamped the background with black ink for texture.  I then lightly brushed Hero Arts white pigment ink through parts of a Feathered Leaf stencil from Lavinia to provide still more texture.  Lastly I swiped some silver metallic pigment ink from ColorBox along the edges and my background was done.  I thought about adding white splatters, but then thought they might take away from the swirly feel of the background.

I cut the "A" or top layer of the Prismatic Triangle layering die set by Birch Press Design to use to ground what my pointy eared darlings will tell you is the most important part of the card, a cat cut using a die from Spellbinders' Kitty Cats die set.  One of the things I love about this die cut is that you can wrap her tail through other die cuts on a card.  The sentiment comes from Taylored Expressions' Birthday Simple Strips set and is stacked on another strip of paper to pop it up.  Now I have a mixed media card for the Mix It Up Anything Goes + Mixed Media Optional challenge.

Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi

Trellis Kitties

 

This card which makes me think of cats sitting on a trellis looking out on a garden using this sketch from the Try a Sketch on Tuesday challenge.

I started with watercolor paper, and began spraying it with Distress sprays and water, drying, spattering drops of water, drying, sometimes spraying more and repeating until I liked what I saw and then let it dry completely.  I inked an assortment of stamps without attaching them to blocks, stamped off, and then touched just parts to the paper to get partial images to add texture.  I then lightly brushed ink through random parts of the Feather Leaves stencil from Lavinia Stamps.  Background pretty much done.

Next I cut twelve frames using the Essential Squares dies set from Ellen Hutson and stacked them in threes to make four squares.  I then cut three each of the cats using my favorite cat die from Impression Obsession and stacked them.  After I glued three squares and kitties on the background, I cut up the last square to make the "post."  I decided the background needed some brightening, so I covered up the cats and whacked a Posca paint pen with a ruler to make the splatters.  I ran a black Versafine ink pad along the edge of the panel to give it definition.  After attaching it to a white card base, I attached a cut up sentiment from Taylored Expressions.

I am also entering this card in the Addicted to Stamps and More challenge to use die cuts and/or stencils and the Cut It Up challenge to use die cuts on a card with a Critter.

Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi

Always in Our Hearts

 

The current Time Out Challenge is to CASE this card by Gina K: 

If you are new to the concept, CASE stands for Copy And Selectively Edit.  Gina has an easy to recognize style involving ink blending with stamping, often silhouette, over it, lots of white space, and a thin black mat mounted on a white card base.  This pet sympathy card, based on the comforting idea of The Rainbow Bridge, is my take on it.  I used small blending brushes and Distress ink with a stencil made with  a heart die from Stampin' Up and a piece of Gina K Masking Magic to create a rainbow heart.  The cat was cut from black cardstock using a die from Paper Roses and the sentiment is from an old Close to my Heart set, Big Hug.  I used a die from Altenew's Mix and Match Frame set to cut the black dots around the edge.

I also plan to enter this the Make My Monday All Creatures Great and Small and Allsorts A/G with option of All About Hearts challenges.

Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi

Moon Gazing Kitties

 

In my family of cat lovers Halloween cards must feature a cat or two or five...  You could say that this die cut from Penny Black is purrfect.  Actually the cats are in a horizontal frame which I cut off because I envisioned a nice big moon which wouldn't fit, but I am getting ahead of myself.

I started with a piece of Bristol and positioned a circle where I wanted the moon to be.  I used  blending brushes to apply areas of Bundled Sage, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint, Antique Linen and Speckled Egg Distress inks.  Next I used a fan brush to flick mostly small drops of water on the panel, let them air dry, and reapplied more ink to soften the effect.  I brushed more Antique Linen around the moon and Shabby Shutters  around the edges of the panel.  Next I brushed Speckled Egg in random spots though the Starry Night stencil from Hero Arts to give some texture and spookiness to the sky.  I removed the circle mask, lightly brushed on Colonial White pigment ink from Close to my Heart and Antique Linen and Old Paper distress inks to give the moon some dimension, and then outlined it with a Stardust Gelly Roll pen.  I stamped a sentiment from Close to My Heart's Purrfect Halloween set, attached the die cut and then attached the completed panel to a Very Vanilla cardbase.

I plan to enter this card in the Two Old Bats Anything Halloween, Simply Create Too All Things Spooky, Scary, Etc, Cut It Up Trick or Treat, and My Time to Craft! Halloween or Fall Colours challenges.

Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi

The Season to Sparkle

 

The sketch below from Freshly Made Sketches was the perfect one on which to test drive my new Penny Black die, Christmas Elegance.  It which cuts openings in the paper, so the design is formed by negative space.

I planned to use the technique I used on this card where you put wadded up plastic wrap on thickly applied watercolor, press it down and let it dry for a while.  I must not have applied enough watercolor because it did not end up with the cool texture I was looking for, so I went on to plan B.  I used the Crafters Workshop Lush Petals stencil with Rustic Wilderness and Pine Needles Distress Oxide Inks to put a pattern on the top half of the page, turned the stencil around, and repeated the process on the bottom half , so the petals would fan out towards both ends.  I repeated the process using ColorBox Gold Metallic ink after moving the stencil a little up and over to get a shadow effect.  I then masked off the ends that would show and applied some more Pine Needles in the middle and rubbed the excess gold ink off in spots so the color would show better through the tree openings cut into heavy white cardstock.  I gold embossed a sentiment from an old Close to My Heart set, Holiday Wishes.  I then pressed the edges of the inked, die cut, and sentiment pieces perpendicularly into a Versamark pad and then into gold embossing powder and melted it to gild all the edges.  I attached everything to a white card base and popped up the sentiment with foam tape.  I finished it off with bitty sparkles that  I had colored with an alcohol marker.

Here is the inside:

The sentiment is part of the same stamp set and the stars part of Stampin' Up's Star of Light set.  The gold embossing does not show up well in the photo.  I also plan on entering this card in a brand new challenge, the Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge.  It is an anything Christmas goes challenge with a mood board for inspiration if you would like some. 

This is an unusual card for me becuase I don't often used traditional Christmas colors.  Thank you for stopping by, Until next time, Hansi

A Cat Themed Anniversary Card

 

The festivity being celebrated at Festive Friday is National Cat Day which is confusing to Luna and Calli because, as any cat will tell you, EVERY day is National Cat Day, International Cat Day, AND World Cat Day.

To enter the challenge you do not have to make a card featuring a cat.  You just have to select three items from the inspiration list below:

I used a cat (two actually), heart, and love sentiment to make an anniversary card for my husband or, as Luna and Calli like to call him, Soft Touch.

I started by taping a piece of 4.25 x 5.50 inch watercolor paper to my glass mat to keep it from curling, taped a deckled edge rectangle stencil from A Colorful Life Designs over it, and placed a circle mask cut from Gina K Design Masking Magic where I wanted the moon to be.  I used blending brushes to apply various shades of pink, blue, and violet Distress inks, spattered it with water using a fan brush, and once dry, re-applied the inks lightly and not necessarily in the same places to tone down the splatters and allow layers of colors to show through.  Without using a block, I inked a small acrylic text stamp with Basic Gray ink from Stampin' Up, stamped some of the ink off onto scratch paper, and stamped different parts of it along the left side and in the lower right corner.  I used the flower bouquet stamp from Stampin' Up's Very Vintage set to stamp the flowers around the cats and the Grass and Borders stamp from Nellie's Choice to stamp along the bottom.  The thickness of the stencil kept the "meadow" from reaching the edges, so I used a small brush to apply some ink along those edges.  I also brushed a bit of Hero Arts' Unicorn pigment ink outward around the moon.  Now it was finally time to remove the stencil and mask.  I used a small brush to apply Colonial White pigment ink from Close to My Heart and Silver pigment ink from ColorBox to the moon to give it some texture and dimension.  I also outlined the moon with a Gelly Roll Stardust pen.  

With inking done it was time for die cutting.  I used Penny Black's Kitty Love die to cut the cats from black and silver foil cardstock.  This gave me a silver heart to use where the cats' tails meet and silver cats for my stash to use on another project.  The sentiment was cut from silver foil using a die from Gina K Design and embellished with clear bitty sparkles.  I attached the panel to a card base made from Stampin' Up Purple Posy cardstock.  Here is the inside:

The sentiment from Close to My Heart's The Happy Couple set is embossed in silver.  The cats were cut using a die from Impression Obsession.  

I am also entering this card in the Happy Little Stampers' October Anything Goes With Dies challenge and the Critter Crazies' Anything Goes With a Critter challenge.  Luna and Calli are not sure how they feel about being referred to as "critters" but, as well brought up Southern Ladycats, are too polite to say anything.  Thank you for stopping by!  Until next time, Hansi