Heartfelt Creations Alumni Hop December 2020

Hello there crafty friends!  I'm joining my fellow Heartfelt Creations Alumni Designers as we hop and celebrate the end of the 2020 year with a fun hop!  If you've arrived here from Kathy's blog, you're on the right track.  If not, that's ok.  You can find the complete blogroll at the bottom of my post!  As with all of our monthly hops, one random comment from a mystery blog in this hop will win a $25 Heartfelt Creations Gift Card on Tuesday, December 22nd. If you win from my blog, I'll contact you and Heartfelt Creations will also announce the winner on their blog and Facebook page on Wednesday, December 23rd.

For this month's project, I pulled out my Gelli Plate, Rich Red and Ivory Acrylic Paint and used a sponge dauber to blend the ink in an ombre fashion. After that, I used my Christmas Poinsettia and Holly stamps to a design on the Gelli Plate impression. I then pressed some white cardstock onto the plate and lifted to reveal the master background. YUM! After that, I used VersaColor Nocturne ink to stamp the poinsettias over the Gelli Plate press background and then embossed with gold embossing powder.

Next, I added some green sparkle to the centers of these flowers and then moved on to the embellishing.  I added a tiny poinsettia that was colored with Copics, some holly and stamped the sentiment (from the Candy Cane Cottage set) onto a panel that was machine stitched.  To finish things off, attached some black twine and a red button before mounting the panel onto a white card base.  

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope my project inspires you to create something gorgeous.  See you again next month and have a very Merry Christmas!  Please hop on to Vicki's blog to check out her beautiful creation!  

Blogroll:  

Kathy Clement

Kerry Urbatch

Vicki Dutcher

Amarilys Doria

Candy Slabaugh

Alissa Wells

Emily Niehaus

Oksana Clegg

Carole Wright

Coffee Love....Happy Valentine's WEEK!

Hello there inky friends! Today I'm sharing a few cards I created using the fun brand new stamp sets from RG Avenue. Heart Day (digital only) and Awesome Thoughts (stamp and digi options) are perfect for this season of LOVE!  

To create my first card, I edited the images to my liking and then cut them out. I colored the images with Copic markers. I then brushed white acrylic paint onto a Gelli Plate and then dropped one drop of Sour Mist onto it then brushed it together to blend. I laid a piece of Powdered Sugar cardstock onto the plate and pressed the ink on. After that, I applied some sprinkles of RG Avenue Gold embossing powder onto the paint and then heat set it (from the underside) until it melted. Next I started assembling the collage.  

When designing the cup, I opted to remove the whimsical heart and apply the "Hugs and Kisses" sentiment and a sketchy heart from the "Hello Beautiful" sentiment in the Awesome Thoughts set. I love this sketchy heart and it works perfectly for this design. 

My second card was created in a similar manner however, I chose to use Rich Cherry and Sour Guava mixed with white acrylic ink (on my Gelli Plate). I then added RG Avenue Silver embossing powder in the same manner as before then added some flicks of black acrylic paint.  

Again, I chose to remove the whimsical heart and instead added the fun sketchy heart onto each to-go cup. After coloring and cutting out the printed images, I assembled them onto a piece of ribbon with foam squares. I also applied black twine to the background to add to the movement of this card.  

 I really love how both cards turned out and I can't wait to share them with someone special this year.  :)

SNOW DAYS are FUN DAYS!

Hey there inky friends...This card is dedicated to my family and friends in Arizona who have experienced a BIG snowstorm!  I'm soooo jealous!  LUCKY DUCKS!  I created this card today in honor of you.  I hope you are enjoying your glorious snow!  

To create my card, I used a mix of Copic markers (in blue and lavender) on my Gelli Plate and spritzed it with alcohol.  I then lifted the ink onto a piece of white cardstock to create the gorgeous background layer.  Next, I stamped the snowflakes from the Snowy Greetings set from Joy Clair using some black ink.

After that, I stamped the sentiment and the snowman cluster with black ink.  I cut out the center snowman and added some copic coloring.  I attached a little snow ground layer that I doodled with a marker then attached the snowman and the sentiment.  I flicked some white ink onto this panel to give some additional "snow" effect then mounted the whole panel onto a blue piece of cardstock then mounted it onto a white card base.  FINISHED!

So fun, so blue, so deelish!  Lucky ducks! 

Thanks for popping over!  I hope you enjoyed this adorable little card!  See you tomorrow!

Special You...

Hello there inky friends!  Sending special love and greetings to you as we celebrate this wonderful holiday season.  While I'm out spending some time with family for Christmas and the New Year, I wanted to leave some love with you today because YOU ARE SPECIAL!  

I created these two cards using the gorgeous floral digital set called Special You.  If you're not a fan of digi images, you might be interested to know that this set is available in clear stamp form HERE as well.  When purchasing any RGStudio360 stamps, you'll automatically receive the digital download for free!  It's a TWO FER!  Woop, woop!  I used only the medium sized bud in the set and resized and layered this image multiple times (in Microsoft Word) to create a pleasing little frame for my sentiment.  

After creating the digital design/layout, I printed it on my computer and set it aside.  I then went on to my background.  I wanted to experiment a little with acrylic paints and inks to create a watercolory layer using my Gelli Plate.  It took four layers to create this beauitiful background.  I did not clean my plate between layers, I just used my paintbrush to make swirly designs in the same layout as the floral digi image panel.

Take a peek:

 Layer one:  Ivory acrylic paint and a little rosy pink...

 Layer 2:  Adding a little green...

 Layer 3:  Adding a little aqua...

Layer 4:  Another pink layer to finish it off!

After creating the background, I splattered some metallic shimmer ink onto the panel with my paint brush then started working on the digi panel.  I wanted to add a few tendrils and doodled elements so I took my Staedtler microfine pen .01 and doodled some images.  I then colored the images with Leisure Arts colored pencils and applied Gamsol to blend.

After coloring, I spent some time in my comfort zone...Fussy cutting the image.  Oh there's something about fussy cutting that just puts me into a relaxed state of zen.  After fussy cutting, I applied some golden thread to the background panel just before popping the digi image onto the card then glued on the fussy cut sentiment.  I made sure to add some embellishing touches of pearls and Nuvo Drops (Pearl).  I mounted this panel onto some soft pink cardstock and then onto cream cardstock base (side fold).  

Since my card design was digitally assembled in MSWord, I was able to make four exact images on one sheet of cardstock.  This allowed me to have four panels...FOUR CARDS!  WOO HOO.  

For my second card, I wanted to keep it "somewhat" simple and just keep it to one layer- the layer I designed in MSWord.  SOOO...I cut the panel into a perfect size (Slap my hand for not catching the fuzzies on the edge of my card...I need a new cutting blade on my trimmer!...OOPS!).

Anyway, I colored these images with watercolor pencils this time.  I pulled in a bit more orange and some reds so it's slightly different than the previous color scheme.  After coloring, I doodled again (I LOVE DOODLING!) and splattered some blue watercolor onto the panel.  I also pulled out my White Gelli Roll pen and added some white here and there.  You can see that in the close detail shots.  

I think the white pen added some fun highlighting that is needed in this panel.  As you can see the "scribbly" effect in the close-up, it is not noticeable when looking at the whole card panel.  This Gelli Pen is not as intense as other white pens (more watery) so it allows for just the slightest highlighting possible.  :)

ACK!  Seee... THOSE edge fuzzies!  AHHHH!!!  I took care of them with my fingernail after I saw this close up shot!  LOL.  No worries, it's crisp and clean.  :)

Thanks for popping over.  I hope you have a fabulous week and spend it with those you love.  If you are hanging with yourself, that's ok too...You're special...Take some time to relax, and enjoy a few relaxing moments!  See you again!

Gettin' Down and Dirty!

Hey there inky friends!  I'm finishing up on my Christmas Cards this weekend and wanted to use the candle in the Happy Birthday Stamp Set as a holiday candle.  I thought I'd pull out my Gelli Plate so that I could make some fun backgrounds.  This first card started out with some bright, bright Distress Oxides and then I just couldn't deal with the super bright colors so I had to tone them down a bit by pulling in a little gray. 

To create my background I created several layers: 

Layer 1:  I placed three tiny drops of each color (pictured above) onto my Gelli Plate and used a bamboo scribe to spread the colors in a linear formation.  I then placed the cardstock over the ink and lifted quickly. 

Layer 2:  After that, I spread some Ivory acrylic paint on my Gelli Plate with a paint brush and used the same bamboo scribe tool to scribe some scribbles onto the plate.  I applied the paper again to lift that layer. 

Layer 3:  Next, I spread some more Ivory Acrylic paint onto the Plate then used the largest star stamp in the set to lift some of the paint.  Once satisfied with the design, I lifted the impression onto the paper. 

Layer 4:  I placed three tiny drops of (a gray color) Distress Oxide onto the Plate then added a few drops of Ivory acrylic paint and spread it around on the Plate.  I used the same star stamp to lift more star impressions.  Once satisfied with the design, I lifted this impression onto the paper. 

Layer 5:  I spritzed the paper with water to help some of the distress oxide bleed with the acrylic paint, then used my heat gun to dry the paper.  I brushed a little Ivory Paint onto the paper (just a few stripes here and there) and then used the scribe to scribble off some of the paint. 

The next layers were embellishing layers of glossy accents, microfine glitter and mini star sequins. 

After the background was complete, I stamped the stars and the candle, doodled some drippy parts for the candle and colored with Copic markers.  I added additional glitter and gloss to make it shine.  I brushed some watered down acrylic paint over the colored images to tone them down a bit and to help them coordinate more closely to the background. 

If you take a peek at the close-up, you'll notice the layers and the yummy embellies.  

 I selected some fun and festive fibers and some shiny silver edged ribbon to finish the card off! 

Adding some little blingy elements helped bring more light to this card.  I love the grays and the pops of yellow. 

Thanks for hopping over!  I hope you enjoyed this project and it inspires you to pull out that Gelli plate!  :)  See you around soon!

Coffee Loving Papercrafters meets Casual Fridays!

Hello there Coffee Loving Crafters!  Today I'm joining my fellow Coffee Loving Cardmakers DT and the designers from CAS-UAL FRIDAYS stamps for a collaboration hop!  I'm thrilled to share a few cards I created using the fun new sentiment set called Hot Coffee and the Coffee Cup Fri-Dies.  

Make sure to leave comments on our blogs as you just might win one of three generous gift certificates from CAS-UAL Fridays Stamps worth $25 each!

To create my first card, I started out by applying a variety of colors of splashes (lavender, two greens, orange) to mix the perfect coffee tone and placed that on my Gelli Plate.  After I lifted the print, I made a second print to use for my diecuts.  

Next, I flicked some colorful ink onto the background panel and used a leftover sparkly oval as an embellishing layer onto the side of the panel.  Then, I tied some ribbon, added the cup/sentiment and finished the card off with some pretty bling and real coffee beans.  

The insert of the coffee cup was painted and attached a little low so that the brown coffee would be set apart from the cup.

My next card...

It's a little lady incognito...  All spiffed up for Halloween!  

She's sparkly, frilly and oh-so-fabulous, don'tcha think?!  I paired up the fun die with some machine stitched and ruffled ribbon, and some doodly facial features.  

To finish off her fabulocity, I added some doodly sentiments and a little fun with Nuvo drops.  She sure does like Big Cups...Yep, I do too.  :)

An InLinkz Link-up

Sunday Sip...Refresh yourself!

Hello there Coffee Loving friends!  It's Sunday and that means I'm up on the Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog with my weekly Sunday Sip and Share post.  I created this card and sketch yesterday while playing with my Gelli Plate.  I had so much fun playing with some new Liquid Colors I recently received in the mail.  

How did I create this card?  Well, I just squirted a bit of each color (Turbo Teal and Sweet Pear) onto my Gelli Plate and brayered the colors together.  I placed a piece of white cardstock over that and lifted it to print the paper.  I then took three different circle punches and punched some circles out. After that, I prepared a piece of white cardstock as my base card panel.  I splattered some Sweet Berry Liquid Color, Gold Silk and Sparkle Silk onto the white card panel and then dry brushed some light ivory acrylic paint over it to tone down the color.  Next, I brushed a bit of acrylic paint onto the punched circles.  I put a foam square onto each circle and assembled the circles onto the card panel in a pleasing layout.  Next, I flicked more Gold and Sparkle Silk onto the card panel.  
Next, I stamped the Sweet 'n Sassy Creative Worship "Fill Me Up" sentiment and the coffee cup using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and my Misti.  I colored the cup with a "Dot" pattern to mimic the design of the card.  After that, I fussy cut the cup and cut the sentiment and arranged them on the card.  Of course, few of my cards are without fibers or ribbon so I added a little bow using some Hemptique twine.  I added a few Nuvo Drops pearls here and there and then mounted the card onto the berry card base.

Like the card?  If so, please join the fun and create a card using the sketch below.  My sketches are always inspired by the cards I create so I hope you find them fun and challenging!  If you do happen to play along, please add a link to our inlinkz below.  I look forward to seeing your creation!

An InLinkz Link-up

Hello Fall!

Hello inky friends!  I'm happy to be back to share a fun fall card using one of the new Joy Clair stamp sets called Fall Leaves.  I love this set because it is a combination of leaves and the "skeleton" veins as well as some gorgeous sentiments. I stamped the leaves directly onto my Gelli Plate and then applied my kraft paper to the plate.  This lifted the leaves and the color off perfectly.  I think it gives a nice image that isn't crisp and clean but rather a bit dreamy.  I added some swipes of color onto the plate too then applied those too.  The Gelli Plate is so fun to use! 

After creating the background, I applied some ink and Gold Pan Pastel to the edges to make it shimmer and shine.  I also added some gloss, let it dry then buffed the gloss over with gold Pan Pastel.

After finishing the background panel, I mounted it onto dark brown cardstock and machine stitched around the border.  I attached some twine and some golden pearls and then finished it off by adding a few stamped, colored and fussy cut leaves. 

Mounting this image onto a bright yellow card base helped set the stage for this gorgeous fall card.  Bring on the cool, crisp air! 

Out of this World!

Hi again inky friends!  I'm back in a flash with another adoooorrrrable card featuring the new Out of This World stamp set from Joy Clair.  This was such a fun and easy card to create so get your Gelli Plate and your ink pads ready and let's have fun!  

To create the fun background, I swiped some ink (directly from the Memento dewdrop pad) to the Gelli Plate.  I laid my paper onto the inked plate and lifted up the impression.  I did this a few times with a couple different Memento colors and oh yeah...It ended up deeelish!  After that, I stamped a few stars and dots and added some sparkle washi for pizaaaaazzz...

I stamped the UFO with black Memento ink twice (once onto some leftover Gelli Printed paper and then once on white cardstock).  I paper pieced the green part of the paper onto the other UFO that I colored with colored pencils.  To finish the card off, I punched a few stars, added some twine and mounted the card onto some bright and alien-ish cardstock.  A little gold flicked here and there just made the card complete!