Second time around!

I got so excited about the first mirrored image card that I decided to go a around with the idea a second time. I looked through all my stamps and couldn't find one that would work. Then I saw the lighthouse stamp at A.C. Moore and knew this was a perfect image to mirror. Luckily I had coupons galore and I got it. The paper is from Cosmo Cricket and works well here too. I stamped the reflected image in gray to create a softer affect and the actual image in black. Using a brayer I inked the lower part of the image with various shaed of green and blue inks. Therest of the coloring was done with pencils. The text is a sticker from Cloud-9-Designs/Fiskar (which is now available on an acrylic stamp sheet).

May: a time to reflect

Experimenting with new techiniques and looking back at what you have done is always a good thing. I wanted to come up with something new and fresh (at least for me) for a generic man's card. So I took out some stamps and played around. I'd always wanted to try my hand at mirrored images with rubber stamps and I decided this was as good a time as any to go for it. So here it is. A serene manly landscape using the mirrored stamping technique. The idea really came together when I found a great background paper from Cosmo Cricket of a beautiful sun set/rise. The rest was just a little trial and error and a lot of patience and work. I had seen stamps sold at craft store to use for creating mirror images, but they were small and quite expensive at over ten dollars. So I looked for something else to use that woult not limit me on size and break the bank. I settled on a sheet of plumbing rubber (about 8"x8" that I bought at the local Home Depot for under three dollars). To create the mirror image I stamped on the plumbing rubber, which I laid flat on my working surface and then laid the paper over it and using a brayer "rubbed" the image on. A quick tip: the process works better using dye inks. The stamps used in this case were all from Stampim Up! I left blank spaces in both the sky and the water areas for future text or greetings.

Easter Greetings

Once again I was challenged to come up with a manly card for a Holiday that is adorned with cutsy images. This was going to be a challenge! I wanted something that was simple, direct, to the point with strong yet not overbearing images. To achieve this I opted to go with rubber stamps and inks, rather than my usual stickers and rub-ons.

My first challenge was coming up with a suitable background shapes and colors. After several attempts I settled on the largest shadow box from "Hero Arts" inked in several different light and dark green tones. The results were those of soft aged stone, which I really liked and suggested to me to use a cross as the main image. The image I chose was the Celtic cross from "Inkadinkado", which I stamped in black over the dried background. The contrast seemed too stark and sharp. For the second attempt I stamped the cross directly on the pre-inked shadow stamp and then on to a piece of white paper. The results were, at least I think, great and reflect the theme I was going for. A strong image, yet subtle in tones. I mounted the stamped image on a light olive piece of paper and then adhered the panels to the card. The text is from "Serendipity Stamps", simple, direct and to the point.

Just Good Wishes!

I was chanllenged by a friend to use some very unusual stickers and make cards. The 3D butterfly stickers from the Saffron line by K & Company, although very attractive in a retro kind of way, are totally out of my usual pallette and style. The almost pasley patterns and retro colors on the butterflies proved to be quite a challenge, but in the end I managed four completely different cards. One seemed to fit the idea of march, green and good wishes, so I wanted to share it and get some feedback. The papers are from K & Company as are the die cut borders, while the text is a rubber stamp from Hero Arts.

Saint Patrick's Day (part 2)

After all I said, not only did I go back and get some of the shamrocks and leprechauns but once I got started I couldn't stop. I found some really impressive glittered rub-ons from Royal Langnickel and knew I had to do something with them. So here's another Saint Patricks's Day Card