PAPERLICIOUS

A Special Sympathy Card

Decades ago I was truly blessed to meet Meg, a nurse/angel with the most wonderful British accent, who saved my life. Anyone who has ever suffered from clinical depression knows what a painful, difficult illness it is and Meg was there in ways that were transformational for me.  I owe my life to her.  More about that another time. 

I got a card from Meg earlier this week, letting me know that her husband of 50 years died last month.  She would be pleased if I could make it to the memorial service today.  Nothing would have kept me away.  And so I was there today for the most beautiful service.  What an amazing man.  I only met Meg's husband once -- at my wedding. Meg came to help me celebrate that day and brought her dear dear husband.  Died too young but lived more in his 73 years than most.

Meg is an artist, a watercolorist. So I was a bit nervous about making a card for her. But, I had to give it a try. This was the 4th attempt, but finally I was pleased. I hope she likes it.

And here's a closeup of the white silk ribbon that I soaked in Black Soot Distress ink stained water and then colored with some Copics in a random pattern.  

MOOD WHEN DONE = bittersweet

Friends

Can Not Live With Out Them. 

Card Construction Details:

 1.  Found a card on Nichole Heady's blog and copied the layout.  Unfortunately, I didn't make a note of which card, but I love most of her layouts......

2.  Trimmed patterned paper from Lily Bee Designs, stamped 3 Hero Arts flowers, masked and stamped leaves.

3.  Colored with Copic markers.

4.  Trimmed A Muse Studio Sage cardstock and stamped Hero Arts sentiment.

5.  Adhered and wrapped with May Arts cording.

6.  Adhered to an A Muse Studio Blush card and added rhinestone to bow.

MOOD WHEN DONE = grateful for good friends.

Color

How's life blog readers??  Hope you  are having a great week. If not, do something nice for yourself.... In the meantime, here is a happy card!

Card Constructions Details:

1.  Ran some Ranger Distress Ink pads over some scrap white cardstock.  Set aside to dry.

2.  Stamped with black ink and Stampin Up By Definition (retired background and the one I'd keep if I could only have one.  Love it!).

3.  Stamped with big flower from a Hero Arts set.  Cut out.  Added Ranger White Glossy Accents to center.

4.  Repeated with green and yellow inks and the leaves. 

5.  Assembled as shown onto a white Bazzill textured card.  Love that cardstock!

6.  Added sentiment from Paper Smooches.  Love those sentiments.

MOOD WHEN DONE = Apparently in Love! with everything

*****

Random thoughts and info:

-- loved your reaction to Train Wreck.  It is definitely going to be a series.  I'm not "brave" -- making cards is just a hobby for me.  I'm not trying to earn money or anything else.  Love it when it turns out great and I find analyzing the wrecks to be fun and informative. 

-- my Mom has turned into Little Miss Busybody at the nursing home, making "suggestions" and "advising" the other residents on all sorts of issues.  Duct tape please!

-- we are going to London in the fall.  Ativan for the flight please!

 

Substitute Stamping -- Card Set

When I saw this set of cards (again by Jill Foster), I knew that I wanted that heart stamp (and I have it on order...).  However, I also loved the cards themselves and decided to substitute another stamp and put my own twist on her beautiful set.  Here's what I came up with --

Almost the same.  I changed the layout slightly, substituted a Hero Arts image and Waltzingmouse sentiments, and added some white highlights (gel pen on the 3 pale cards and white pencil on the navy card) on the image. You can see them here --

And here's a shot of the navy card --

MOOD WHEN DONE = Happy. Even though I essentially copied Jill's cards, I enjoyed making this set. Ok, I'm very happy.  LOVE the set!

Poppies - Pencils and Copics

EDITED TO ADD -- Marsha commented on this post asking if it was safe to use Copics over pencils -- will the wax in the pencils ruin the markers?  I haven't had a problem.  The copic manufacturer website indicates that there is no problem if you wipe the marker on scratch paper to remove any residue.  See this list of Qs and As (scroll down to see this issue addressed). 

I love this technique so much that even if it affected the markers, I would replace the nibs.

Just in case you are here from google reader, I also reposted the picture of this card -- the first one was a bit washed out.

***

Love this Hero Arts set of poppies. 

Colored with pencils and a light wash of pale pink Copic marker.  Hope your holidays are under control!  Mine are not -- nothing wrapped, things to buy and bake. But I just had to squeeze in some coloring time.  

MOOD WHEN DONE = Happy!

Using Small Sentiments

Thanks for all your kind comments on my last post (except for the spammers...). 

Here's a fun way to use those teeny tiny sentiments on other than a tag. Sometimes I just need to make a flat one layer card....with no ribbon...just stamps and paper and ink and color.

Card Construction Details:

1. Stamped flowers from a Hero Arts set in Ranger Archival Black ink.  I am not happy with this ink, as it smeared while coloring with pencils.  Hmm.

2.  Colored with pencils and nothing else. 

3.  Outlined parts of flowers with a Sakura Micron pigment pen.  Got the idea to do this from Kathy at The Daily Marker.  Her work is amazing.  And she teaches at my LSS.  My goal is to get to her classes next year.

4.  Covered centers of circles with clear Ranger Glossy Accents and went to work.

5.  Came back and added small circles and the thanks sentiment to make a bit of a background and avoid having to add a sentiment and cover up any of the flowers.

MOOD WHEN DONE = Grateful for a lot of things

 

One Last Christmas Card

so I had to use this cute Hero Arts deer.

Kept it simple.  Quick colored pencils, Glossy accents on the scarf and various black parts...No distress ink! I'm itching to get back to coloring flowers....

MOOD WHEN DONE = done

Cute Deer/Relaxing Techniques

Here's a Christmas card that takes lots of time and inky fingers to make.  (I'm pretty sure that the deer and the tree are not in the "right" spots vis a vis each other -- the deer should be smaller and lower, but I had fun making this, so I decided to keep and share this card as I really love the result.)

1. Die cut white paper twice.  Tear bottom of one die cut, and Distress with Shabby Shutters ink and adhere as shown.  Stamp deer on top and color with pencils, blend with a clear Copic.

2. Mask deer.

3.  Stamped tree behind the masked deer. Stamped the bottom of the tree a second time, cut and layered over the green background.  Colored tree with pencils (and a Red Copic).

4.  Mask everything and rub Ranger Weathered Wood Distress Ink over the entire thing. Stamped snowflakes with the Weathered Wood ink over the background and added white dots with a gel pen to the centers of the flakes.  The white helps unify the image.

5.  Trimmed striped paper and rubbed with Shabby Shutters Distress ink.

6.  Took a Sakura Black Multiliner pen and went over all the black lines.  This helped make them pop against all that distress ink. 

7.  Added a lot of Ranger Clear Glossy Accents -- on the ears, nose, all the red highlights, star and the antler tips.  Stamped sentiment on bottom.

8.  Took some kraft cardstock and stamped with an Impression Obsession swirl background, using Ranger Picket Fence stain (white).  Die cut and rubber Ranger Walnut Stain over the whole thing. 

MOOD WHEN DONE = Jolly

Cheery Hello

I am so attracted to bright intense colors lately.  Haven't used kraft cardstock in a looong time!

Card Construction Details:

1.  Won a floral Hero Arts set at my LSS (where I was taking a great class from Shari Carroll of Hero Arts last weekend) and decided to use it right away. 

2.  Stamped flowers on A Muse Sugar cardstock with Memento ink and colored with Copic markers.  I get the best results using Copic markers on this cardstock -- and I've tried them all, including the Copic X-Press It Blending Cardstock (very pricey and I don't care for the slick surface).  Guessing everyone has her own favorite cardstock for Copics...

3.  Edged flowers with black Sakura Micron pen.  Added white Ranger Glossy Accents to centers of flowers, let dried and trimmed.  Set aside.

4.  Made blue panel by rubbing 3 Ranger Distress Inks onto the sugar cardstock -- Tumbled Glass, Broken China, and Faded Jeans.

5.  Stamped this Penny Black background with water onto the blue panel.  Dried with heat gun.  Edged with more Faded Jeans.

6.  Stamped stems onto blue panel and also onto sugar cardstock. Colored leaves, cut out, added black lines and glued, leaving edges curled.

7.  Adhered flowers with dimensionals.

8.  Die cut white panel for sentiment and stamped this cute Paper Smooches hello.  Adhered with dimensionals.

9.  Adhered entire panel with more dimensionals onto Sugar card.  (Will hand deliver this card although I think it would survive the post office.)

MOOD WHEN DONE= sunny

Distressed Leaf Prints

Oh this was an inky fun mess to make.

Card Construction Details (just the hightlights)

1.  Die cut leaves and stamped veins (PTI Leaf Prints).

2.  Rubbed Distress inks onto a craft sheet, added Bronze Perfect Pearls powder, misted with water, and swirled the leaves onto the mess.

3. Let dry and went over veins with a fine black marker.

4.  Made background panel by covering white cardstock with Distress Inks and misting.  (Was going for the rain dappled look...).  Let dry.

5.  Stamped background with one of the awesome Impression Obsession cover a card sets and black ink.  Wiped off some of the ink on the stamp with a baby wipe prior to stamping to give a more blotchy look.  Love this large script.  Distressed edges with more ink...

6.  Stamped cream card with Hero Arts woodgrain background and a strip with a Hero Arts sentiment.

7.  Assembed as shown.

MOOD WHEN DONE = one big fall inky mess

***

Thanks for the comments on my Mom.  Took her to the doctor yesterday.  She put her on an antibiotic just in case this confusion is caused by an infection.  Will know within a day or two, but given the length of the problem, the doc doubted it.  But I'm hopeful.

The doctor and I talked to my Mom about a nursing home.  This is more complicated than I wish due to financial concerns.  I'm living in the moment for now.  How's that for zen whatever!