Saltwater & Spruce Birthday

I'm loving the color combo iced spruce and saltwater taffy in the distress oxide inks. I stamped them on acetate, spritz with water and smooshed on the paper for the background colors. Then stamped the image from Nature's prints in the same colors. Used the french print from the old French Foliage set. Added some distress paste mixed with silver stickles and glitter using a Tim Holtz splatter template and added some to the die cut happy birthday. Also added some iced spruce to the edges with a blending brush. It was difficult to capture a photo that showed the glimmer of the Stickles...

 

Bird Crazy and Gelli Plates

 More Gelli plate fun and the bird crazy stamps from Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous. I love, love, love these funny little birds. Their facial expressions are darling.

I used the Gelli plate, lightweight watercolor paper, acrylics, distress inks, stencils, brayer, sponges, distress paste and washi tape to create the backgrounds. I love the funky bold colors, great patterns and textures, and of course the crazy birds! The sentiments are from Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Tiny Text set. 

SHINE LIKE THE STARS / light the way

BE YOUR BEAUTIFUL SELF / use your wings

DON'T FORGET TO FLY / choose to shine

the world needs who you were made to be / JUST ONE LIFE

Praying Gelli Plate Circles

Praying Gelli Plate Circles

I made three sympathy/praying for you cards last week. For all three cards I used the sentiment from SU set Flourishing Phrases. I love this sentiment because when one is going through a difficult time, or time of loss, it is so powerful to know that people are thinking of them and praying! For this one I used a gelli plate and stencil to create the background. I smooshed the distress oxide inks in picked raspberry, ripe persimmon, worn lipstick directly onto the gelli plate and then used a brayer to roll over them. I then placed the circle stencil on the gelli plate and sponged the hickory smoke distress oxide ink over the stencil, removed the stencil, and then pressed the paper down on the gelli plate. (I removed two images from the gelli plate, this may have been the second removal) For the flower from Stampers Anonymous Flower Garden, I diecut the flower, then used distress crayons to color the flower, and followed with stamping the image on top.

 

 

Sympathy Gelli Plate

Sympathy Gelli Plate 

I made three sympathy/praying for you cards last week. For all three cards I used the sentiment from SU set Flourishing Phrases. I love this sentiment because when one is going through a difficult time, or time of loss, it is so powerful to know that people are thinking of them and praying! For this one I used a gelli plate and stencil to create the background. I placed the stencil on the gelli plate and sponged the distress oxide ink over the stencil, removed the stencil, and then pressed the paper down on the gelli plate. For the flower from Stampers Anonymous Flower Garden, I diecut the flower, then used distress crayons to color the flower, and followed with stamping the image on top.

 

 

Mixed Media Birthday

SUPPLIES:

• STAMPS: Elements of Style, Bloom With Hope (sentiment), En Francais, Gorgeous Grunge
• CARDSTOCK: Pretty in Pink, Brown Sugar, Crumb Cake, Whisper White
• INK: Tuxedo Black Memento, Chery Cobbler, Espresso, Brown Sugar, Craft White
• ACCESSORIES: Square Lattice EF, Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon, Vintage Brad, Jewels Basic Pearl, Lace Trim, misc. reinkers, sponge daubers.  Not SU: Gesso, Crackle Paste, TCW chicken wire 6x6 template, watercolor pencils, edge distress tool, White Faber-Castell PITT pen.

This card was completely inspired by Julie Gearinger and her mixed media technique. her post on pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/346284658824815500/

I have never done a mixed media card. I began (after reading Julie's blog instructions) by spreading a layer of white gesso on whisper white cardstock. Spritzed a few Tim Holtz distress sprays and a few drops of SU reinkers on a craft mat then spritzed with water - laid the dried gesso coated cardstock on top and moved around to get the various coloring.

After that layer dried I stamped portions of the En Francais background stamp in Espresso; added some crackle paste using the chicken wire template. Stamped the flower in Tuxedo Black and colored with watercolor pencils. Added some white with the White Faber-Castell PITT pen. Sponged some color on top of the crackle chicken wire (use heat gun to dry it more quickly).

Added a bit more distress with Gorgeous Grunge background stamps in White and Brown Sugar. Tore, distressed and sponged edges of front panel, and Pretty in Pink panel embossed with square lattice.

Wow, this was fun and I spent hours without even knowing it! Thanks for the inspiration Julie :)