Just For Fun December Challenge

I know we just celebrated Thanksgiving, but December has snuck up on us and it is time for a new challenge at the Just For Fun Blog.  It will be so easy to enter this challenge with the theme of “Happy Everything - Holiday of your Choice”

I am in the Christmas spirit, so I am sharing a Christmas card.  Just for Fun Rubber Stamps has this new image, Silhouette Pines, and I had two Snowflake Ring Memory Box dies I couldn’t wait to use.  Both size ring dies were cut from white cardstock.  The pines image was stamped and heat embossed with detail white embossing powder on blue cardstock.  This was cut out with a Spellbinders’ Classic Circle die and the large Snowflake Ring was layered on top.  The sentiment, from the JFF Sentiments1 Unmounted Sheet, was stamped with Blueprint Sketch Distress Ink onto the white center of the smaller Snowflake Ring.  This was inserted back into the die cut.  Additional ink was lightly sponged on both die cuts.

The blue cardstock for the background was run through a Sizzix Holiday Knitembossing folder.  The edges were sponged with white ink.  Both Snowflake Rings were added to the front and this was added to a dark blue layer and the white card base.

Head on over to the Just For Fun Blog to be inspired by more holiday cards and find all the details for the challenge.  I will be looking for your creations.

E. Marie

What's Brewing?

Coffee Loving Cardmakers is having their summer blog hop so true coffee lovers are inspired to share their passion.  How could I resist posting my latest coffee card – What’s Brewing?

I used Just For Fun Rubber Stamps’ Cafe' image, stamping it with Rich Cocoa Memento Ink on top of the same designer paper I used for a background layer.  Then I added subtle color with Copic markers, using more of a flicked brush affect.   

The sentiment, What's Brewing, and the coffee bean border from the Coffee Unmounted Sheet, both from Just For Fun, were both stamped on a second designer paper and all was layered on brown.

I spritzed a little Vintage Photo Distress Ink with water on my craft sheet and used a lid to stamp some coffee rings on top of the whole card.  Then I also added some splatters.  Did you know there is a new Distress Ink called Ground Espresso?  I know I need that!

Since I am off for the summer, I am posting from Omaha, NE where I am visiting my mother, and other family members.  It has been extremely hot here but mom and I still have our coffee together each morning and afternoon and are taking lots of time to catch up. 

What’s brewing with you?

E. Marie

Happy 90th Birthday, Dad

This week is my father’s 90^th birthday.  He has seen so much in those 90 years and touched so many lives.  He has been a minister most of his life, trying to help others, and I am grateful for all he has taught me.  I thought I would share the card I have made for him.

One of his favorite things to do is go camping.  We did this all our lives - can you imagine having 6 children camping in a tent?  I loved to go fishing with him and remember sitting by the lake together as the sun set, hoping for one more bite.  Then it was off to roast marshmallows over the open fire.  Yum!

I based this card off of those memories.  I created a sunset scene on a square of white cardstock, sponging various Distress Inks around a paper circle.  Keeping the circle in place, I stamped the background with Impression Obsessions Cover-a-Card, Gradation (CC015 ), from top to bottom in grey and from side to side with black (stamped once on scrap paper first so not so dark).  After removing the paper circle and adding some yellow ink, I stamped it a third time on the top third of the card with Versamark ink and covered this with Dandy Dandelion Embossing Powder from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  I brushed some of it off before heat setting, giving a soft sparkle.   Lightening bugs?

I added the lovely tree silhouette using IO’s Cover a Card, Pine Trees (CC101), and black ink.  The “Enjoy” is from IO’s EnjoyYour Day stamp (B5501).  Distressed the edges and sponged them with dark blue ink, then layered on black.  This was layered on a white square that distressed and inked with the same Distress Inks I used on the main background so they would coordinate.  All of this was adhered to a black card base.

For the final touch I added some die cuts to give the hint of being by water.  I used Impression Obsessions Cattails die (DIE087-P), die cutting from white cardstock and coloring with distress inks.  The cattail stems were darker but lightened as they dried, but I decided to just leave them.  I added some flocking to the cattails and a little glitter on the dragonfly wings.  Great birthday card and perfect for the current challenge at Impression Obsession – Beautiful Stamped Backgrounds.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

E. Marie

Products used:

Impression Obsession:

        Cover-a-Card Pine Trees Stamp (CC101)

        Cover-a-Card Gradation Stamp (CC015)

        Enjoy Your Day (B5501)

        Cattails Die (DIE087-P)

Sparkle N Sprinkle:

        Dandy Dandelion Embossing Powder (EP178)

        Sunny Daze Glitter (G1038)

        Sparkling Coffee Sparkle N Soft (SS105)

        SNS Brushable Glue (540)

        SNS Dimensional Glue (539)

Tim Holtz® Distress Ink:

        Mustard Seed

        Spiced Marmalade

        Ripe Persimmon

        Barn Door

        Stormy Sky

        Stormy Sky

        Bundled Sage

        Evergreen Bough

TimHoltz® Distressing Tool

Ranger Ink Blending Tools

Tsukineko Memento Ink:

        Tuxedo Black

        London Fog

        Paris Dusk

This card was entered in the following challenges:

Impression Obsession Challenge – Beautiful Stamped Backgrounds

Scrapy Land Challenge #1 – Anything Goes Using Dies

Simon Says Stamps Wednesday Challenge – Create Your Own Background

Penny Black And More September Challenge - Autumn Colors

Loves Rubberstamps Challenges #120 - Glitter or Sparkle