Happy Poppy Fields

Poppies are one of my favorite flowers, and according to Wikipedia poppy flowers are a symbol of remembrance. Hello, friends, Mindy here to share with you a special card of remembrance and thoughts of you from Classy Cards 'n Such.

One of the New Stacy Stamps Poppies has a single flower stamp, and a cluster of flowers corner edge stamp in the same package. Here where I live in So. Texas the bright red poppies are one of our wildflowers that start to bloom in late April in fields and along the roadways.  I stamped the single flower on a sheet of Neenah white card stock, and using my Copic markers, colored in the flower and leaves.  I fussy cut around the image, and highlighted the edges with a Wink of Stella Gold glitter marker.

To prepare the background, I stamped the Wood Texture Cover-a-Card Stamp on a sheet of white card stock using Antique Linen Distress Ink. I then took the frame die, Claudette Frame from Poppy Stamps and ran the die and stamped paper through my Cuttlebug machine to get my wood look frame.  I adhered it to the card front with double stick tape, and used Joy! Foam Pads Large to add dimension to the poppy flower.

I the tied a strip of twine around the card twice, and tied the ends in a square knot. Then using one of the Spellbinder's Matting Basics die I stamped the Thinking of You sentiment in the strip and colored it in with the Wink of Stella Gold glitter pen. I added some of the black Pearl Pen from Viva in the center of the flower, and Baby Pearls-white around the frame and sentiment strip for a little more bling.

Why not remember a friend by making them a hand-stamped card and sending it today.  They will really appreciate the thought. Thanks for visiting.

Summer in the Park

Summer in the Park, is what I have titled this scenic view entered in the weekly challenge at the Classy Cards 'N Such Challenge #33- Scenic View. I have used another of the "Try" Folds series from Art Impressions Stamps as the base stamp for this card.  "Garden" set contains the park bench and trees image, along with the light post with hanging basket, planter and single bunny stamp.  Although, Beverly, at the Classy Cards 'N Such Online Store does not carry this one set, she does carry others to choose from, and would probably order this one for you if you asked nicely.

I started this card on a white X-press Blending card, suitable for Copic coloring, by stamping the garden bench stamp with trees and flower pot at the top center of the card in tuxedo black Memento ink. Then as per the instructions enclosed with the stamps, stamped the light post cluster at the left edge of the card near the bottom.  To fill in between the two images, I freehand drew more rocks for the path, along with stamping the other bunnies and ducks on a pond, along with more grass, leaves, and lastly added a cattails stamp at the bottom to finish the design. I then attached it to an A2 card base, and applied a little glitz from my Wink of Stella Glitter pens on several of the images.

The stamps I used for this scene are:

Art Impressions:  Garden "Try" Fold set, park bench, trees, flower pot, light post, single bunny with 2 flower pots.

Art Impressions: "Try" Folds Add-Ons- "Furries-2 bunnies, "Feathers"- ducks on pond.

Hero Arts: Delicate Leaves stamp

Stampscapes: small Cattails stamp

Memorial Day weekend is just about upon us, so along with your long weekend, remember the Veterans and Military personnel that gave their lives and work daily to preserve our safety and freedom.  Thank a soldier, and have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend!

Road to a Friends House

The Road to a Friends House is Never Long!  Hello friends, today's card is another using the wonderfully fun "Try" Folds series stamp set from Art Impressions.  "Cottage" is the base for this card, using the house and surroundings as a background image and other add on images to make a country scene.  This week on the Classy Cards 'N Such Challenge #33-Scenic View , I am creating this scene to enter in their card challenge. 

I started by stamping the cottage house, available at the Classy Cards 'N Such Online Store in the center of the card, as the anchor image. From there, I started adding other stamped elements such as the fence, the red wagon, and the chicken family. Info on these images are available below,  I stamped the fence directly on the card base, and then using my Copic markers, started coloring the images. The wagon and chickens were stamped on a separate sheet of card stock, colored, then fussy cut and adhered to the card front with zip strips, and foam tape to give the scene dimension.

After completing the placement of my images, I adhered the card front to an A2 size card base, and tied a length of red sparkle twine to the fold to give the card a little bling. The sentiment is included in the "Cottage" stamp set, and I stamped it on a small scrap of dotted card and adhered to the front of the card.  The stamps I used in the creation of this card were:

Art Impressions: "Cottage" Try Fold set; house, trees, and flowers.

Art Impressions: Try Fold Add-Ons-"Feathers"; chickens

Amuse Artstamps: Fence

Deep Red Rubber: Red Wagon 

I hope you have enjoyed this scenic card, and will use your stamp stash to create a scenic card to send someone today!

Lilac Festival

Happy Monday Friends! My card today is another one of the Art Impressions 'Try'folds stamp sets, "Gazebo". This stamp set is currently available from the Classy Cards 'N Such online store.

You start out by cutting a piece of card stock 51/2" X 11" and scoring it in thirds.  On the center panel you stamp the Gazebo section. You then turn the card over and stamp the Archway with table on one side, next to the fold line, and on the other side stamp the Sign, gifts, and hat box next to the fold line.  Then using your favorite coloring agent (I used my Copics) color in the designs with the suggested colors or some of your own choice.  I colored mine today in various shades of purple and lilac.  When you complete the coloring you then fussy cut around the images on each side, from the outside edge of the card towards the folds. When you reach the fold, turn your scissors and cut straight up along the fold to the top of the card.  You can then fold the side flaps in to make your "tri-fold" card. I then mounted mine onto a 41/4" X 51/2"  A2 size piece of Stardream Punch Metallic card stock, just to give it a little more strength on the backing.

I am entering this card in the Classy Cards 'N Such Weekly Challenge #32- Lilac Festival.

To add a little more sparkle to this beautiful card, I highlighted some of the elements with my clear Wink of Stella glitter pen. Purple is one of my favorite colors, so don't be surprised if you see more cards with this color scheme during the week.

Hey Neighbor!

Howdy, Friends! Welcome to May 2014.  The start to another new month, boy how these months fly by!  I have a fun card to share with you today.  A scene stealer if I have ever seen one. i started out with a piece of watercolor paper that I had spritzed with several different Dylusions  Inks.  I cut it into smaller pieces to fit on the A2 size card base, so I have several different ones to pick from.

I then stamped out my parts of my scenery on Express Blended Card stock suitable for Copic coloring. I used the Thelma standing stamp from Deadbeat Designs, the Garden fence and bucket from Art Impressions, and the Bloodhound dog stamp from Art Impressions. I stamped the dog stamp first, and then masked it off, using a post-it note, before stamping the gate with bucket  Garden stamp. After coloring in the pieces with my Copic markers, I fussy cut around the dog and gate images leaving a small white border around the images. I also cut around Thelma after coloring her with the Copics, and then set the pieces aside to dry.  I then used my Cloud Stencil from Memory Box to stencil Golden Light Molding Paste in several of the cloud cut outs. As the clouds were drying, some of the Dylusion Inks bled up through the molding paste. I learned through my Art Journaling class I have been taking, that if you will be stenciling on your background, do that first, then apply the water based ink colors. 

This is what happened on this card. I applied the paste over the inks, and they re-activated with the wet paste and bled into the cloud shapes. So, to repair the clouds, I applied a layer of white Posca acrylic paint pen over the top of the stenciled cloud to make them whiter.

To complete the card, I die-cut a banner die, and then stamped it with a sentiment from the Howdy clear stamp set from My Favorite Things. I attached the fence and dog section with foam dots on the background to give it dimension.  I then placed Thelma behind the fence to look as if she was leaning on the other side of the fence. I attached the banner with foam tape to the right of the image, and glued a tiny gold star sequin for accent.

This card makes a great Friendship card, Thinking of You, or Welcome Neighbor card. I hope you all have a great weekend, and enjoy the beginning of May!

Spring Cottage Try-Fold Card

Today's card is the Try-Fold card featuring the Art Impressions "Cottage" Try-Fold stamps. I hope you enjoy it.

This is the outside of the card, with all of the flaps folded to form the A2 card. The card itself is made following the instructions on the stamp set, stamped on Blending card stock especially made for Copic coloring, and tuxedo black Memento ink.  The entire card was colored with Copic markers. 

This is with the first fold opened, I printed the sentiment stamp enclosed in the set on this flap.

And this is the card with the two folds open, to show the interior of the card.  I stamped the message "Welcome" with this view to welcome all to the cottage.

As you can see, the stamp set includes 4 stamps, the cottage, the garden gate with foliage, the garden chair and bird houses with a white cat in the chair, and the sentiment "The road to a friend's house is never long."

I added the "black cat" die-cut to cover a mistake on the card.  When I stamped the sentiment on the gate panel originally, I stamped it upside down.  (We all make mistakes, sometimes!) So, to remedy the problem I stamped the phrase again, right side up this time, on another scrap of card stock. I inked the edges, and then to cover my mistake, I adhered it over the boo-boo.  Then when the card was closed, some of the edging showed, so I placed the die-cut cat on the front, looking into the flower pot.

These cards are so much fun to "create" and color, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it. Visit with me again, soon.

Mindy

My Price is. . . Chocolate!

Happy Tuesday one and All!  Today's card celebrates my favorite . . . . . CHOCOLATE!

Of course, this stamp came out at Valentine's Day, but in my opinion, chocolate can be celebrated everyday!

The stamp is the "Love Chocolate Set" from Art Impressions. I stamped it on the blending card stock especially made for Copic markers with tuxedo black Memento ink. After coloring in the image with my Copic markers, I fussy cut around the image with a small white border around it.  I then cut the  image,"Turkish Lace Doily" from Cheery Lynn Designs from magenta colored card stock. I cut it in half, and adhered half to the front and half inside the card. I also took two pieces of the fall-out and attached them to opposite corners. Using my Posca paint pen in brown, I doodled a dot border around the card, and then stamped the saying from AMuse Artstamps on the side. My Wink of Stella Brush pen in dark pink highlighted the saying and the lady's earrings.

I am entering this in the Classy Cards N' Such Weekly Challenge , Die-Cuts.  The Lace doily is one of the many Cheery Lynn Design Die Cuts sold in the Classy Cards "N Such store . Plus, there is a coupon available on the web site for a discount on the Cheery Lynn Dies.

Thanks for joining me today, and enjoy a little chocolate, too!

Thelma's Cottage

Hello Friends!  Another wonderful week is upon us, and the card I have to share with you was so much fun to make. The cottage and scenery is from one of the New Art Impressions Try-Folds stamp sets; "Cottage".
The birthday sign is from the "Gazebo" Try-Fold set, and Thelma is from Deadbeat Designs Stamps.

I am a big fan of Art Impression stamps because they make stamps that are bits & pieces and you combine them to make your own scenery.  I learned how to watercolor with their stamps years ago, but this set I colored with my Copic markers.  The Try-Fold line of stamps is a play on words of a three-fold card.  But this time I stamped two of the designs together on one layer, and then added Thelma and the birthday sign popped up with foam tape for a second layer, all on the card front. 

I stamped the image on Blending card stock especially made for Copic marker coloring with Tuxedo Black Memento ink and then colored it in with my Copic markers.  Thelma and the birthday sign were stamped on scraps of this stock, fussy cut and adhered with dimensional foam tape.

I will probably stamp this card out on the three panels instructed by the stamp set, and will share it with you soon.  I just thought you might like to see how you could also use this set on a one-layer card to decorate the entire front of the card. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week, and join me again soon for another card. Keep on Stampin'!

Mindy

Easter Fold-Out and Taxes Are DONE!

Before I get started with today's card, I just wanted to take a deep breath and say "thank you, Lord" my income taxes are DONE! I mentioned last week that I was going to be taking a few days off to do my taxes, and thank goodness I completed them today, e Filed the return, and received notice from the IRS that my return was "accepted"!  YAY!  Enough of that, now back to card making FUN.

This is made from a New Art Impression stamp set called Garden.  The card itself is a tri-fold, and there are step-by-step directions in the package that are very easy to follow. You start out by cutting your white card stock  to the specified size, and then score it in thirds. In the center section you stamp the bench and tree stamp in the center 1/2 inch down from the top of the card stock.

 

You then flip the card over and on the right side next to the fold, you stamp the coach light and bunny stamp 1" from the top. On the left side, you stamp the birdbath and birds next to the other score line 1 1/2" from the top. You then trim the extra card stock from the cut-out sides close to the stamped images.

There is also a sentiment to stamp wherever you like, and I chose to stamp it on the second panel. You then color your images with any medium you prefer, watercolor pencils, colored pencils, markers or Copics. I used my Copics, which of course bled through the card. Next time I will probably use the blending card stock especially made for Copic markers to prevent the bleed through.  I also chalked around the edges of all the folds, and of the base card stock I mounted the picture on.

I purchased this stamp from Paper Wishes.com, and they carry three different designs. You can check out their web site to see the different images. I hope you have enjoyed this card as much as I enjoyed coloring it.  I learned so many things from coloring and stamping this image, the next time I stamp it I'm sure I will really be pleased with it. Have a nice new week ahead, and I will visit again with you soon.

Mindy

Merry Christmas - Santa's Elves

Merry Christmas to one and All!

Today's card is a heartfelt wish for a Merry Christmas to one and all! It is stamped on a natural card stock base in black Memento ink, using the Christmas Elves stamp set from Art Impressions Stamps. It is colored in with Copic markers, and each elf is a separate stamp, so you can place them anywhere you please. The set also comes with the large greeting, "Merry Christmas", and also a festive poem along with the various elves.  I used a sheet of Graphics 45 printed card stock from the 12 Days of Christmas paper pack inside the card to cover the bleed through of the copic markers. I also stamped the little poem and another of the elves inside. To complete the card, I added a strip of Santa washi tape along the bottom of the inside, and used my Wink of Stella glitter pens to add some sparkle to the entire card.

The little poem inside says it all: "Lots of busy going on, Fruitcakes all are baked & gone. Just one more task still left to do, Send a Merry Christmas wish to you!" Best wishes to you all.
Mindy