PAPERLICIOUS

Waltzingmouse Challenge 91: Butterfly Masking

Can't resist the one layer sketch challenge this week at Waltzingmouse.  Here's my second submission --

Card Construction Details:

1.  Cut a bunch of butterflies with the Silhouette digital cutter.

2.  Using the open spaces on the die cut paper as a mask, sponged with various Ranger Distress inks.

3.  Stamped a wonderful Waltzingmouse Say It Loud sentiment.

4.  Rounded corners.

MOOD WHEN DONE = Thinking of ways to take this idea and go further with it....

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A note - loved reading your comments to my last post on folks with autism spectrum disorders.  Lots of interesting ideas and thoughts. 

On an entirely different note, since I have been a frequent poster on the Papertrey Ink forum, I thought I'd mention that I asked to be removed from the forum.  Therefore, if you try and send me a message there, you won't see me as a member any more.  Great products, nice forum folks.  No big mystery here, I'm just trying to surround myself with positive energy on all fronts.  Who knows?  Maybe I'll go back when things improve. 

Waltzingmouse Stamps Sketch Challenge 91

The sketch?

One layer! Right up my alley. Here's my take. Normally I would have cut out the butterfly and adhered; but no, have to play by the rules. 

Hope I get to make another one, but my week coming up is looking chock full of everything except stamping.

Card Construction Details:

1. Stamped butterfly from Waltzingmouse Stamps Nordic Spring onto A2 card.

2. Colored with Prismacolor pencils.

3.  Stamped sentiment from WMS.

4.  Using craft knife, cut out part of the wings of the butterfly.

5.  Added Ranger Glossy Accents to center of fly and yellow dots.

MOOD WHEN DONE = listening to a lecture by Bill Clinton and Jon Stewart.  Interesting.

Vellum Flowers

are pretty.

MOOD WHEN DONE = light, sheer, happy, pretty

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin Up Fabulous Florets; Waltzingmouse Ovals; Technique Tuesday Thinking of You
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, Versamark, Stampin Up Whisper White Craft Ink
Paper:  A Muse Studio Lichen cardstock; Vellum cardstock
Other:  Ranger White embossing powder; Corner Chomper

Distressed Alcohol Markers Technique and an Update

I had an idea to combine Copic markers with Ranger Distress ink and posted it when I was the Flourishes' Limelight Designer over here. 

Beate Johns (supah star) from Splitcoast saw it and asked me to do a tutorial for SCS.  So the pressure was on.  I try to avoid pressure situations when it comes to stamping, but this offer was too good to pass up.  So after lots of trial and lots of error, I made this card to feature this technique.  LOVE this Waltzingmouse Roses in Bloom set (please join my campaign to get Claire to sell more flowers!) 

This is the perfect technique when you want bright colors with some easy shading, but don't like to color large open spaces.   If you want to read how I made it, please check out my tutorial on SCS today.

Thanks to Beate and SCS for the opportunity to share yet another way to combine paper and ink!

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If you are interested in a life update, read on. Otherwise, I hope you are happy today.

My Mom has been in the nursing home for 4 months.  Since then, she

1.  magically can eat all the food (unable to use her false teeth in our house)

2.  no longer needs oxygen

3.  complains almost non stop about being there

4.  has normal blood levels for the first time in 5 years

5.  bonded with her roommate, who cannot talk or move much at all

Since then, I

1.  can sleep late on the weekends for the first time in 5 years

2.  can travel with Mike

3.  can stay late at work (and why that is a good thing?)

4.  don't have the sound of oxygen pumping through the house

5.  no longer have a household employee to pay

And no I don't feel guilty for feeling free. I am sad that my Mom is often unhappy but thrilled that she is in a safe place that treats her well and that that safe place isn't here. 

Mike and I took good care of her.  Too good.  She turned into a diva while she was here and I got sucked into meeting her every whim.  Still taking care of her as I did when I was a child.  I could see the neurotic dance of our relationship playing out every day but felt powerless to stop it.  My father's alcoholism and abuse taught me to be uber responsible for her, for the world, for everyone except me. 

But now I am one step removed from caretaker and sometimes simply do not know how to breathe.  But I do.  I'm not afraid to tempt the fates by writing that this is one of the happiest times of my life.  It is.  No, it isn't perfect.  There is stuff in everyone's life that isn't perfect and I have a list on that side of the ledger too.  But it is good. 

She'll be 90 next month.   I'll still be daughter.

Hello

Don't use too many people images, but fell in love with this Betsy Bluebell set from Penny Black.  Added a sentiment from Paper Smooches.

Card Construction Details:

1. Stamped image on white cardstock, extending the horizon line with a fine black pen.

2.  Colored with Prismacolor Pencils.  Covered image with Versamark Pen and embossed with clear powder.  Repeated.

3.  Die cut.

4.  Made mask for the ground and sponged various shades of blue Ranger Distress inks for the sky.  Repeated with green inks for the ground and edged the whole thing with Vintage Photo.

3.  Stamped sentiment and adhered panel to die cut oval scallop.

4.  Sponged a cream A2 card with Shabby Shutters Ranger Distress ink and adhered oval.

MOOD WHEN DONE = Cheery

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!

Distressing Patterned Paper

Another Christmas card -- uses my favorite Poinsettia from Waltzingmouse Stamps.  Colored with Ranger Distress Stains, colored pencils and Copics (it was laying on my table and I just kept fiddling with it...)

Here's the orginal patterned paper before I added Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint and Twig (can't remember the real name) -- all Ranger Distress inks.  The sentiment is also in the Twig. I'm liking that color...

Love those distress inks!

MOOD WHEN DONE = Confused. Listened to C-Span to testimony before some Congressional committee on a proposed merger between two drug distribution companies, which would affect small pharmacies but possibly give lower prices overall.  My confusion?  Why am I listening to this stuff?? (I need to get out of Washington!)

Iced Spruce Holly

This card is all about the colors...

Card Construction Details:

1.  Wanted to use the new Ranger Distress inks -- Iced Spruce and Festive Berries (the ones I swore I wouldn't buy). Love them. The Iced Spruce is a gorgeous gray green.

2. Took the white holly leaves left over from a die cut with my Silhouette machine and covered them with Iced Spruce ink.  Stamped the leaves with a Penny Black crosshatch background in gold.  Ditto with the berries (used Festive Berries ink). Sponged edges of leaves and berries with more ink.

3.  Stamped white strip of cardstock with one of the border stamps from Waltzingmouse Nordic Winter and covered another piece with Festive Berries.

4.  Stamped sentiment (from A Muse Studio) in Iced Spruce.  Was glad to get a decent image from distress ink as those inks are not meant for sentiments. 

5.  Adhered as shown and layered on a white card, with the left edge moved all the way to the edge of the card.  Just felt like doing something different from my usual.

MOOD WHEN DONE = Festive!

Nordic Winter Sampler

LOVE this Waltzingmouse set.  May be one of my all time favorites.  I started simple --

And kept going --

And going --

And going, but I won't bore you with all the color variations.

Hope your week is a good one!

MOOD WHEN DONE = Merry

Substitute Stamping...Debbie's Christmas Tag (and an update on life...)

Found this pretty Christmas tag (scroll down to the second tag) that Debbie Olson made last year and decided to substitute my supplies and make something similar. 

Here is my version:

Card Construction Details: 

1.  Die cut ornament (Memory Box).  Stamped part of Holiday Cheer from Impression Obsession and colored with pencils.

2.  Die cut tag (PTI) and stamped flourishes from Waltzingmouse on to kraft tag.

3. Stamped A Muse Studio sentiment in Versamark and embossed in white. Trimmed and adhered to tag.

4.  Adhered ornament with dimensionals and added Rangers Glossy Accents.

5.  Adhered strip of red cardstock.

6.  Added ribbon (SU) to tag and adhered tag to card. 

7.  Rounded edges of card.

MOOD WHEN DONE = Relaxed from all that coloring.

If you are interested in reading about my Mom and life, read on. Otherwise, hope your week is a good one.