America The Beautiful

This weekend many of you will be traveling to visit family for the upcoming 4^th Of July holiday.  To get the celebration started I have four patriotic cards to share with you, using Just For Fun rubber stamps.

I have been playing with several techniques and this first card uses a smoosh technique with a ziplock bag.  I added Fired Brick and Faded Jeans Distress Ink to the bag and spritzed with water.  White cardstock was laid over the ink and then all of this is flipped over so you can manipulate the ink to help with coverage.  When this has dried, you can repeat the process to add more color.  Once the background was completed and dry the Striped Background was stamped with Versamark Ink and Sparkle Embossing Powder was added and heat set.

The Statue of Liberty Silhouette and America the Beautiful sentiment were stamped with the same inks on a rectangle and layered on the front.  This was added to layers of blue and black and three small, red buttons were added.

For the next three cards I did a similar background but the ink was placed directly on my work mat, spritzed, and the cardstock was dragged through the ink.  I was working towards creating a background for the Joseph’s Coat technique so once the background dried, the Fireworks Burst was stamped several times on the background with Versamark Ink and then heat embossed with Sparkle Embossing Powder.   

It was so pretty like this that I just added the fussy cut Statue of Liberty Silhouette.  The Home of the Free... sentiment was added to a layered flag across the top and three small red jewels on the bottom.

This card has the same background technique as the previous one but this time I completed the Joseph’s Coat technique by sponging Chipped Sapphire Distress Ink over the entire background, bringing out the fireworks. 

On this final card, I used Distress Oxide Inks, which gave it a more muted look.

Have a wonderful time celebrating the upcoming holiday with friends and family and be safe!

E. Marie

I entered these projects in the following challenge:

Rubbernecker Challenge #12 - 4th Of July

TTCRD Challenge – “Anything Goes”

Simon Says Stamps Wednesday Challenge – Anything Goes

Repeat Impressions Challenge J2817 ~ Anything Goes

Happy 4th Of July!

 

Happy 4th of July!

I hope you are having a beautiful day to celebrate this holiday and spending time with family.  Just For Fun has these wonderful swimming suite images that are great for a summer themed card so I thought I would combine them with a 4th of July look.

I used the Vintage Bathing Suits, stamping the entire three suits on white cardstock.   Then the individual suits were stamped on various decorative papers and paper pieced.  Note that the middle two-piece image actually stamps with large polka dots but I wanted to use this cute red polka dot paper so I created a mask to cover part of the stamp when I inked it so I could get just the outline.  This worked great.

The background layer was stamped several times around the edges with Just For Fun's Fireworks stamp.  To add a little sparkle, I went over them with a Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle Pen.  I also added a little sparkle to parts of the bathing suits, though it is hard to see in the pic.

I decided to not add a sentiment at this time because this card could be used for several occasions.  I know several people celebrating a birthday today so adding a Happy Birthday or Celebrate would be perfect.  Or maybe just a simple Thinking Of You for a friend.

Enjoy your day and be safe.

E. Marie

You Are Not Forgotten

I had planned to post this yesterday for the 4^th of July, but it just didn’t work out.  Not really a big deal since this was actually made for my dad.  I had the opportunity to visit with him recently and I know he is having a real hard time adjusting to being in a care facility instead of home with mom.  He has always had a very strong faith but, with all the changes, his dementia has caused him to have more fear of death (more about leaving my mom) and being forgotten.  I thought I would have my sister put this on an easel next to his bed to remind him that the Lord is with him and he will not be forgotten.

The background behind the sentiment is created with Color Bursts.  I had created a different background and when I moved it over to let dry, there was all this nice color on my mat.  I grabbed another piece of white cardstock and picked up the color.  I added just a little more and it came out like this.  Then I stamped Our Daily Bread Designs’ Old Flag Background top of it.  Then I distressed the edges and added it to the different layers.  The blue layer with stars was created by inking my embossing folder and running white cardstock through.  Both sentiments are from ODBD’s Not Forgotten stamp set.

I added a few stitch marks with a white pen and added a few jewel swirls that reminded me of fireworks.

Have a great week!

E. Marie

I entered this card in the following challenge:

OurDaily Bread Designs Shining the Light ODBDSLC244 - Anything Goes with ODBD!

Simon Says Stamps Wednesday Challenge – We’re Going Dotty

Top Tip Tuesday Challenge – Name That Tune (Star Spangled Banner)

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #141 - Sentiment

Repeat Impressions WIW Color Challenge ~ Red, White & Blue

Crafts 4 Eternity Challenge R#233 – Red, White, and Blue

Going Grey With Scrap-Creations Challenge:  4th of July project or Red, White and Blue

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #187 - Anythying Goes/Family Friendly

Crafty Catz Challenge #286 - Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown #251 - It's In The Stars

Crafty Creations Challenge #292 - Red, White, and Blue

Paper Sweeties Inspiration #33 – Red, White & Blue

Sister Act Card Challenge #113 - Anything Goes

Jo’s Scrap Shack Challenge FFC #95 "Anything Goes"

A Mighty Warrior

My card today was challenging but fun to make.  I had a friend stop by while I was working on it and was watching me.  I made a test run using a plain black and white image, and it went great.  Then I decided to start on my colored images and on the third cut the die moved and messed it up.  My friend looked at me and quickly said, “I guess I will head home.  I will see it when you post it.”  Maybe it was the way I was clutching my Big Shot, like I was going to throw it across the room.  Don’t worry, Susan.  I controlled myself, started over, and finished the card.

This card has a white, square base.  I added a mixture of layers using red cardstock, decorative blue paper, and white cardstock embossed with a Cuttlebug folder.  The stars are cut using a Sizzix die and then I sanded them.  I also sponged ink on the edges of all the layers.

The main image and sentiment is from the newly released set, Not Forgotten, from Our Daily Bread Designs.  Go here to read the story behind this stamp.  I stamped and heat embossed the image twice, using Versamark ink and black detail embossing powder from Ranger, and colored them with watercolors.  I used Spellbinder rectangle dies to cut out the different layers and used dimensionals to layer it on the card.  The sentiment was stamped with Tim Holtz Fired Brick Distress Ink on a white rectangle.  I rounded the corners, layered it on red, and tied it on using some sparkly red cording.

I do not usually make a lot of patriotic cards but these new sets have just touched my heart and inspired this card.

 

E. Marie

This card is entered in the following challenge:

Our Daily Bread Designs Shining The Light Challenge ODBDSLC67 – Red, White, and Blue

Stamp It! Cards Week Challenge in the Moxie Fab World – Stamping Is the Predominant Element

Creative Inspirations Challenge #63 – Red, White, Blue

The Shabby Tearoom Challenge Week #69 – Happy 4^th of July (Red, White, and Blue plus Photo Inspiration)

Stamptacular Stunday Challenge #118 – Seeing Double/ Two Of The Same Thing (Two of the same image to make layers and two stars)

Aifactory Challenge #086 – Double Time/Two of Something

Art Impressions Stamps Challenge #23 – Use Something From Your Stash (all layers, including the already embossed white cardstock, were from my scrap stack and the red cording was a leftover piece from Christmas)

Corrosive Challenge #123 – Use Red and White

Crafts and Me Challenge #42 – Favorite Stamp/Image (This is one of my newest favorites)

Craft Your Passion Challenge #65 – Anything Goes

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge #74 – Celebrations (USA 4^th of July)

The Pink Elephant Challenge TPE106 – Red, White & Blue

Welcome to ODBD July Release Blog Hop!!

Hello friends of ODBD! Welcome to the July 1 release blog hop!  This is a very exciting day for me because it is my first day as a Guest Designer for Our Daily Bread Designs and it is also my very first blog hop.

If you came here from Julie Warner’s amazing blog you are in the right place.  If you just happened on my blog you might want to go at Our Daily Bread Designs Blog and start from there.  If you find that any links are broken, just return to the ODBD blog where you can find the entire hop listed in order.  (You can always go on to the next person and check back later for the missing one.)

The Hop will run from 8am EDT July 1 until 8pm EDT July 2. The winners will be announced on the ODBD Blog on July 3.  There will be FOUR great prizes!  Three Prizes of One Free Set of Choice AND One Grand Prize of the complete Bread Basket Bundle!

Here is what you need to be qualified to win one of these prizes:

v Hop to each designer’s blog and leave a comment.

v Return to the Our Daily Bread Designs blog and leave a comment telling us that you have completed the hop, making note if there were any you could not comment on

v Answer the question on the ODBD blog in your comments (not all the designers’ blogs).

Now, on to my project.  I am absolutely thrilled with these new stamps.  There are a total of six sets released this month and the hardest decision was which one to stamp first.  With July 4th around the corner. I could not resist using the Old Flag Background and the Not Forgotten sets.  I have been making a lot of cards with brayered backgrounds and decided to use a similar technique, only I sponged the ink on this time.

I started with a white card base and embossed the striped pattern using my Scor-PaI.  I sponged ink around the edges and on the embossing.  I made a small slit in the card fold so I could run sparkly red ribbon through it, tied a knot on the front, and added a fabric covered brad to the center.  I embossed a rectangle of striped, decorative paper with a striped embossing folder and sponged the edges with linen and blue distress ink.  This is layered on red cardstock and placed on the left side of the card.

For the image, I used a Spellbinder die to cut a circle and used removable tape to place it on the right side of white coated cardstock. Then I sponged Distress inks around the circle, adding darker layers toward the outer edges.  I removed the circle and stamped the Old Flag Background in dark blue. Then I stamped the sentiment from the Not Forgotten set with Fired Brick Distress ink.  What inspiring stamps!  I added the image to layers of white, red, and blue, then adhered this to the bottom right hand side of the card.  All layers were first sponged with ink around the edges to give the whole card a more aged look to go with the beautiful distressed look of the flag image.  I was tempted to add some jeweled swirls to this card but decided to hold myself back this time to keep a more simplified, masculine feel to the card.  Instead I decided to add three dark blue pearls to the left of the image. 

From here you need to hop over to the talented Betty Wright to see what she has waiting for you.  Thank you for stopping by on this exciting day and enjoy the hop!!

E. Marie