WOYWW #199

Good Wednesday everyone!   It is that wonderful What’s on Your Workdesk Wednesday, where Julia atthe Stamping Ground hostess' us around the creative desks of the world.

As I was taking the Online Card Class, “Pattern Play”, I was trying very hard to get the homework done in my limited time, so I really should have taken a picture of the floor, as that is where most of my pattern paper has ended up, all around my chair.  Now that I better know what works (which is not what I’m drawn to) I need to start buying those easily managed 6 x 6 pads; the 12 x 12 are usually just too big a pattern to fit in my style of card making. 
So, what you see is my new spellbinders Basic Cuts (I think that’s the name) die, which makes layers for your standard card size…love that! In the center, one of the cards I made for the homework; I made them out of order, but you can see the post here.   Notice; my new Dylusion’s Sprays are still there, untouched…I hope to remedy that this coming weekend! And my Tim Holtz stamps, which I want to get back to for all the April Birthdays! 

So, to see some really creative desks, pop over to Julia’s and portal away.  And Happy Easter everyone!

Pattern Play Day 4

Day 4’s subject of the Online Card Class “Pattern Play” was altering patterned paper. Three techniques were shown, and I went with the distressing and the glittering. (Stitching is right out! Even more so than ironing!)  As I didn’t have a yellow patterned paper I thought would go with the papers I picked for the leaves, and I don’t have white core cardstock, I went with using distress ink instead of sanding. I used Mustard Seed and Shabby Shutters Distress Stickles for the striped leaves, and Enamel Accents on some of the dots on the flowered leaf. And, has anyone else had the white enamel accent separate?  And no amount of shaking got it mixed…any suggestions?

So, overall, I’m not thrilled with this card, I think the striped leaves are too busy. They could have been layered better, but the glitter, etc. was still wet so I just sorta plopped them down.  Perhaps a whitewash, except then the glitter would look weird.  But the distressing part will fit nicely into my toolbox!

 

Pattern Play Day 2 & 3

OK, Got some serious homework time in for my Online Card Class 'Pattern Play", where we learn how to use all those pattern papers we're drowning in, but can't seem to use!  I have come to realize, that unlike other techniques, were you do them once, you're good to go; this is going to be an ongoing strugg, er, refinement process for me!  It took me almost an hour just to chose a pattern for day 2! Gah! It turns out it was too subtle...but I do love this clear embossing over the paper.  I even broke out the iron (well, really had too; it was just too shiney to leave alone...this time....) And believe it or not; this was one of the very first pieces of patterned paper I ever bought...so it's at least 12 years old! And I picked a Penny Black for the stamp, which, being a circle, really limited me, and I wasn't prepared with images after the fact, so, eh...used some St. Patrick's stamps I hadn't puit away. I will come back to this, as I also like the card sample where she punched the saying through the background, making it the main theme...I just don't have any dies to do that with.

So, Day 3 was using bold, bright, "harder to work with" patterns.  I admit at this point I was a bit frazzled, so wussed' out and mimiced the clean, simple sample.  I can't remember which pack I got the paper from, but the stamp is from Onyx Xpressions. I do like this one much better, and I also know that somewhere I have peacock blue pearls which I will add to finish it off.  This is one way I can see me really using my papers.  I also liked the word bubble sample, but, again, not the type of dies I have in my stash. 

So, only 2 more days to go. But I will make this an ongoing study...for I see patterned paper becomeing my friend!

WOYWW #198

Happy Vernal Equinox! And since it’s also Wednesday, it’s also a WOYWW kinda day. Best to go seek out Julia at the Stamping Ground if this is new to you!

Nature abhors a Vacuum; see, very true! My space is back where it was a few weeks ago. And while I was a bit frustrated with trying to do my first homework assignment for the Online Card Class “Pattern Play”, I really do feel more creative the more cluttered I am. Well, as long as what’s cluttering me is what I’m needing…and none of my paper stash that I had dug out was what I was needing…but you can see the rest of that issue here.

Before my homework, I was playing around some more with my TH Birthday Blueprint stamps, and you can see those up top.  I also have some marbled stains backgrounds hanging around.  There are my new Dylusions’ Ink Sprays; all the yummy new colors. And of course the inks and stains I hadn’t put away before I started my homework.  Mostly because I want to go back to them next moment I have…Of course, I’m behind already 2 days of my class, and probably won’t get a chance to play again until Friday; but ah well, they’ll be out and ready!

So, I’ve shown you mine, now go visit Julia to portal around to the rest of the WOYWW gang! Happy Spring everyone!

Pattern Play; Day 1

Day 1! And I admit, this was a lot harder than I thought! And not just the cutting into the stash either! LOL!  I am drawn to pattern paper with the voraciousness of an addict! But once home, they just never seem to work with any project I’m working on. Unless it’s a single sheet, which I won’t use..because, you know…I might need it, later….

So, I finally settled on Déjà vu’s Global Trek stack, which I bought years ago.  It has some nice non-busy patterns, so I finally found 3 to work with.  I went with the third technique, because, quite frankly, I couldn’t get the cuteness of the first two techniques’ samples out of my head. Also, cutting the first die to break the layer fascinated me.  I got to use my new Sizzix Framelits…which cut Grunge paper, by the way.  I’ve been too afraid to try that with the spellbinders dies.

 

As I don’t have small enough alphabet dies, and I’m not sure I liked that part anyway, I went with the butterfly, which I coated with Rock Candy Distress Stickles (well, rock candy distress glue—I seem to be out of the stickle part), and kinda squished it up while it dried to form it.  I added some pearls for the body, and some twine…and I have to say, I’m rather pleased with the way it came out. A few more tweaks maybe, as I get more comfortable, but still pleased. 

So, Day one complete, I picked up some nice pointers…stay tuned for day 2!

Simply Resist---able!

OK, I was playing around with my new Tim Holtz blue print stamps, and the March challenge for the Creative Chemistry FB challenge was Clear Emboss resist, which seems made for these stamps...so here are some more cards that will fit in nicely!  I used Antique Linen DI for the image, with Wild Honey, and Crushed Olive on the background. A bit of flicking was thrown in, which really is noticable on the specialty stamping paper.  The background was run through Tim's texture fade, then hit with more Crushed Olive. 

The blue is again Antique Linen, then Tumbled Glass, Faded Jeans and Crushed Sapphire. The background was sanded, then spritzed with Perfect Pearls, at an angle, with hope of pooling in the creases---not sure that worked. 

Now that I've done this a few times, with this set, I can't wait to break out my Christmas Blueprint set and start on those!! Actually, since we still have snow on the ground, I should probably do that while the mood is still there....hmmmmm.

Thanks for stopping by.

WOYWW #196

Wednesday!!! Mid way through the first week of March….counting down the days available for one more big snow storm….I haven’t seen any robins yet, even off the hill, so I’m expecting a good one yet. And Wednesday is also the day we get to peek in on some really creative work desks, thanks to Julia at the Stamping Ground.

So, my desk; still scary clean for me, did get some action over the weekend…and this is how it was left…my  new Blueprint stamps on the left; the holiday mini’s I got for Valentines Day, and the Birthday set I bought with the credits my hubby has racked up at Absolutely Everything (Shhh! LOL!)

The cupcake is a, err, learning piece…to reinforce that the Specialty Stamping paper really needs Distress Markers to get heat set….in the back, some of the birthday cards I made for March and April Birthdays, and I’m learning to make extra’s for the holiday craft show!  Yay!   They also fit the Creative Chemistry Facebook March challenge, which you can see here.  And then continuing around, just some craft flotsam hanging around, the stamp foams I keep in the little drawer (I just can’t see using applicator tools, too much space) oh, and the batteries I really need to replace in the Carbon Monoxide alarm, now that our furnace is fixed…

So, I’ve shown you mine; now go jump to Julia’s and portal your way around the world! Happy Wednesday everyone!

Creative Chemistry FB March Challenge

Here we are in March!! And I just know this month will fly by….so I decided to get a jump on some spring Birthday cards, and try to work in a challenge or two.  The Creative Chemistry Face Book March challenge was to use Tim Holtz’s Clear Emboss Resist technique from the Creative Chemistry 101 Online Class.  I also wanted to use my new Blueprint stamps, which worked out nicely.

This card will be for my Manager.  I used Antique Linen DI for the image, so it will still come across almost the color of the paper.  I colored the cupcake with Distress Markers, then used DI’s to blend all around the image. Core’dinations Glamour paper in a texture fade, sanded, then the rough areas hit with DI Chipped Sapphire, and some more pearlized paper for layers, a few tiny (probably could have gone bigger) pearls, and pretty cool. 

 I do like this technique! I’m always trying for a true white ink, and with planning, this is the solution…I just usually don’t think of it until I already have a colored background!