Working with Complementary Colors

This week's Hero Arts challenge was to make a card featuring complementary colors. I chose black and white but ended up adding a smidge of red to help separate the butterfly from the background patterns. Part of the reason I chose black and white is that I have had that floral ribbon for about 5 years now and never used it!

The top part of the card was made using white embossing powder and a Hero Arts floral background. I then layered some striped paper (I think it is Doodlebug), some white cardstock, and a floral ribbon. I then stamped the Hero Arts butterfly onto black polka dot paper and cut it out. The saying is from a Hero Arts clear set. To finish the card, I added some Memory Box white pearls to the flowers on the ribbon.

I am currently without much access to the Internet because of housesitting, so I haven't been able to visit blogs like I usually do. Does anyone else suffer blog withdrawal from time to time? It feels like I am missing out!

Fun at the Store

I wanted the chance to remind anyone that shops at Angela's Happy Stamper that Mitra, the owner of Impression Obsession, will be at the store today between 6-8pm for a meet and greet, demos, and a trunk show. You won't want to miss it!

In honor of Mitra's visit, I am posting an Impression Obsession card featuring a Tami Potter clear set called "circle calendar." I love it because it makes the best spur of the moment cards that are also personalized. I like to personalize birthday cards for people whether it is by using their favorite color, flower, hobby, etc. However, sometimes I don't know the person that well and I choose to hightlight the date instead. For this card, I personalized it for someone with a September 6th birthday. The set comes with a circle stamp to use around the dates, but I decided to circle it with rhinestones instead. Here is a close up that shows the rhinestones as well as the fact that the date element is popped up off of the card with foam mount tape:

I hope you can make it in to the store today to meet Mitra!

On an unrelated note, I want to revisit the card I posted on Tuesday. As I mentioned, I thought I colored my fish so that he looked paranoid. I decided to fix the problem by adding what I call a "non-google google eye" by A Stamp in the Hand. I think the 3D sticker makes him look a bit more normal.

Here is a close up:

Another Day, Another Mullett

Originally I thought I would post another card from my Saturday class today, but I changed my mind. Instead, I am posting one from my class last night. What can I say, I am a crazy and impulsive person! Okay, not really.


Basically, the class involved creating non-specific, non-detailed backgrounds and then adding detail later to create a focal area. Very cool. For today's card, I am posting one that involved bleaching black paper with a fish stamp and then adding watercolor for a fuzzy, nondescript background. I then added white ink detail to the face, side fin, and top to focus interest there while leaving the rest of the body fuzzy. To finish the card, I added Prismacolor pencils to the face and neck area. I did something weird when coloring his eye though because now he looks a little freaked out and paranoid. Not good! Here is a close-up of the head. Doesn't it look like he is thinking, "AAAAGGGH!"?

Oops, I just noticed the top left corner was peeling away from the blue card. Imagine that I had stuck it down BEFORE taking a picture of the card. It doesn't look that the green mat goes all around the fish, but it really does. :)

Fun in Class

My unplanned trip to VA Beach at the end of the week was a blur, and although it was sad to be attending a funeral, I am so grateful for the time I got to spend with friends and family. Funerals have a way of putting things into perspective.

I missed one of my Fred Mullet classes on Friday, but made it back in time for my Saturday class (just in the nick of time). I can't tell you how wonderful it was and how much I learned! Fred's theory is that it is boring to just stamp an image and emboss it in just one color because you are left with a flat picture. Instead, he had us combining various inks with opaque as well as transparent embossing powders to get a more dynamic effect. I will never look at embossing powders in the same way again! We then worked on watercolor techniques and color theory to complete the embossed images. I am still processing everything I learned.

The card above is one I made when he let us take the techniques he taught to create something of our own. I liked it enough that I matted it to be 5" x 7" in case I want to put it in a frame.

I will post one of the fish images we made in the class soon because you can see the various embossing powders and paints better with those images. I still have a class with him tomorrow night, and I can't wait!

IO DT Challenge- Just Stamping

Time again for another Impression Obsession Design Team challenge. This time the theme was "stamps only." We weren't allowed to use any patterned paper. Embellishments were allowed, but no decorative papers.

For my card, I chose Leigh Hannan's new Watermelon Slices (F2338) and colored them with Prismacolor pencils. I made my own decorative background by cutting out little seeds from black cardstock and gluing them onto red paper. As a finishing touch, I added some Doodlebug scalloped strips. I have no idea what they are called. You could make something similar with white paper and decorative scissors. It might be hard to tell from the picture, but the watermelon slice is actually popped up on the card with some pop dots.

For the stamped saying, I used words from the CL233 Fun in the Sun set. One of the nice things about clear stamps is that you can cut them apart and reassemble them as you want. In the set, the phase I used said "Vacation Fun." I cut the two words apart and then paired the "fun" with the "summer" saying. Practical!

If you want to see other "stamps only" ideas, check out what Daniela, Deborah, Dina, Jeanne, Jenny, Julie, Kelli, and Shirley have created.

Sad Day

Today my friend Tricia lost her mom to pancreatic cancer. Trish and I have been friends for over 25 years, so I knew her mom Mary when I was an adolescent as well as an adult. Mary lived for her family and especially her kids. As a friend of one of her daughters, I received that love and kindness through extension. Yesterday was Mary's 40th anniversary, and I know in my heart she waited till today to pass.

I wanted to make a card for Tricia's dad to send my condolences. I realized that I was obsessing over the card and trying to make something that said the right thing and had the right image. I wanted to chose the right colors and layout as well as have it be masculine instead of floral. Then I realized that he isn't even going to notice what the card looks like and that I was being stupid. In any case, it comes from the heart.

To make the card, I brayered glossy paper with the Creole Spice Kaleidacolor pad. I then stamped a tree by Just For Fun and a saying by Impression Obsession using black Memories ink. I was having a hard time getting the saying to photograph so that you could read it. If you can't it says, " Wishing you hope in the midst of sorrow, comfort in the midst of pain." To finish the card, I added some black pearls.

That Stinks

I knew when I saw the Lockhart saying for this card, I had to have it. Isn't it fabulous? Plus, it is a phrase I say a lot. Actually, I say, "well that just stinks." Close enough.

The card was made for this week's Hero Arts challenge which was to create a card using die-cuts. I made mine using the Labels Two Nestabilities set I just bought at Angela's. After all, I had to play with my new toy! I ran a white piece of paper through my Cuttlebug machine using the nestability die. Then I ran it through again to emboss the edge. To finish the look, I colored the embossed area with a black Sharpie to make it stand out more. I then layered it onto a silver label I cut from a slightly larger die.

The image is from Hero Art's Woodland Creatures set. I love those clear stamps! It is the same collection I used for my raccoon Rockettes. As with that card, I colored the animal using Prismacolor pencils. I tried to make the background card resemble a skunk, so I used black and white paper and a duel-color ribbon to enhance the effect. The paper is some of Bazzill's dot paper, so it comes with a nice texture to it. One less thing to run through the Cuttlebug!

More with the Wisteria Paper

Have you ever gotten into a groove using a certain product? For me, I have been using an awful lot of Basic Grey's Wisteria line. I just love it! This card allowed me to use a lot of my leftover strips from the collection.

I stamped the Mini Topiaries (E2325 by Impression Obsession) onto green polka dot Wisteria paper using black Versafine ink. I then chose some Prismacolor pencils that matched my paper and colored in the image. Next, I added a saying from Impression Obsession's clear Thanks Sentiments set (CL41) using Imperial Purple VersaFine ink. To finish the card, I added some strips of paper from the Wisteria line as well as some gold pearls from Memory Box.

For those of you who live in the DC area, I really want to encourage you to go into the city and see Artomatic. It is running through July 5th and allows you the chance to see local dancers, singers, and visual artists. Last year I went and was blown away by the fact that the building hosting the event was filled with over 10 floors of art-goodness. It is worth it to go even if it is just to see the Peeps diorama finalists. :)

Playing with Backgrounds

I have to say, this week's Hero Arts challenge didn't go well for me. The idea was to use a background stamp in an unusual way. My first thought was to try paper bargello. If you don't know what that is, you can see some samples here. Yeah, mine didn't turn out so well. I think next time I need to cut smaller strips.

Next I tried the card that you see above. I stamped a HA background stamp onto watercolor paper using blue Versafine ink. I then colored it in with watercolor crayons and blended it with water and a paintbrush. The end result looked chalky, which I didn't expect. I like the painted background, but I wish I had done something a little more exciting with it. It was one of those techniques I stored away in my head to try again another day. So, the end result is that I completed the challenge, have a new technique to experiment with, and have a finished card to use. I guess it wasn't so bad after all.

Impression Obsession DT Challenge

Well, I am back in the saddle again and thought I had better get back to posting. What better way to return to posting than to participate in an Impression Obsession Design Team Challenge? This time the theme was a color challenge, and we were to highlight the colors of "red, white, and blue."

I don't usually combine red, white, and blue unless I am making a patriotic card or a 4th of July card. I thought it would be good for me to try something different and make something that didn't fit into either of those two categories. Instead, I chose to highlight my new Sarah Phelps clear coffee set called CL231 More Coffee.

To make this card, I stamped the cup, sugar, and pot onto white cardstock using Majestic Blue VersaFine ink. I colored the coffee images with Prismacolor pencils and then added some brown watercolor pencil around them to look like a table. I then stamped the saying in the same blue ink and added some coffeebeans from the same clear set using Sepia VersaFine ink. To finish the card, I added some Bo Bunny patterned paper and added a red satin ribbon.

In a red, white, and blue mood? Check out what Daniela, Dina, Jeanne, and Julie have created for the challenge.

Be sure to check out Impression Obsession's latest Design Team member....Jenny. She is definitely one Krafty Kat! Welcome aboard Jenny!

Also....be sure to look at Shirley's post on her blog today. She is offering some blog candy you won't want to miss.

Take care,