Clean and Simple Cards - Day 5

Yes... I've skipped day four. I haven't figured out exactly what I wanted to do with the day four challenge yet and I woke up this morning more inspired to try some of Jennifer McGuire's techniques with Distress Inks from day five. I've always enjoyed working with Distress Inks, but I haven't played very much with them and how they react with water, so I was excited to give this a try. I came up with two cards this morning:

When I pulled out the Distress Inks to begin these cards, I looked at my colors and it seems I'm mostly drawn to blues and greens. I'm going to need to add some other colors to my stash, but I love the way these colors worked together. When I finished getting all of the color on the paper, it felt somber and more like a sympathy card. They're always the hardest cards to make, so I like to have a few already in my stash. It's hard to tell from the picture, but I added a slight shimmer to the inked background with a•muse's stardust finishing spray. I don't have any Perfect Pearls like Jennifer used in the video, but the finishing spray added just what I was looking for in the shine department. 

Recipe:

Paper: Strathmore watercolor paper, a•muse sky and sugar

Stamps: a•muse essential sentiments and beautiful botanicals

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMark, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in broken china, chipped sapphire, peeled paint, faded jeans, shabby shutters, bundled sage, stormy sky ( I really need to add some reds and yellows)

Other: a•muse white embossing powder and stardust finishing spray

One layer cards are very hard for me to do and feel like they are finished, but I'm pleased with how this turned out. It's simple, but very pretty and it will be easy to mail. This will be a technique I use a lot in the future. Besides... playing with ink and spray bottles and getting my fingers all inky is just super fun!

Recipe:

Paper: Strathmore watercolor paper

Stamps: a•muse essential sentiments and CTMH Treasures

Ink: VersaMark, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in faded jeans, peeled paint, and chipped sapphire

Other: a•muse white embossing powder and stardust finishing spray

I hope you have a wonderful day! All of my boys are off and occupied with boy things today. I'm heading out to my monthly scrapbooking get together and getting some much needed mommy time. But I will be making sure I know how my Niners are doing against the Saints!

Happy Saturday!

Devon

Clean and Simple Card Making - Day 2

A quick post this morning - Day 2 brings us a Perfectly Flat Card from Julie Ebersole. This is the kind of card I struggle with, because I always want to add some bling or ribbon, but I'm really happy with how this one turned out. I had to dig deep into my stash to try an emulate Julie's faux letterpress style and I got to ink up a CTMH stamp set that has never seen ink around here.

Paper: Strathmore water color paper

Stamps: CTMH Paper Lantern

Ink: a•muse | studio papaya, cranberry, ocean pigment ink, Memento Tuxedo Black

Off to have fun with 2nd graders! Hopefully I'll have some energy to play some more tonight.

Have a great day!

Devon

Clean and Simple Card Making - Day 1

Woo-hoo!!! I won a spot in the Clean and Simple Card Making online class being taught by Kristina Werner, Jennifer McGuire, and Julie Ebersole - three ladies who inspire me all the time! I won the spot by leaving a comment on Tami Hartley's blog i make cards. Thank you so much Tami! I'm beyond excited to participate in this class, as my mojo has been waning lately.

Today, I came home from work t-i-r-e-d... oof! 2nd graders can suck every ounce of energy out of you, not to mention my own two little monkeys! But when I saw the sketches for today, I couldn't stop making cards. I knocked out 4 cards tonight and could have kept going if I didn't need to go to work tomorrow. I know one of today's sketches is going to be a "go to" for me for a long time to come.

Before I show you what I did, remember... these are NOT perfect. I was whipping ink around, throwing paper, and grabbing stamps like a frenzy. There are flaws and mistakes and I'm alright with that! It's a class and this is a great way to develop ideas and get the craftiness moving. Perfect can come later. And with that, here are the cards:

All a•muse products for this one:

Paper: Kraft cardstock

Stamps: wild rose 

Ink: cranberry, fern, french roast

Embellishments: Tombow brown marker, french roast bakers twine, cranberry buttons

All a•muse products:

Paper: blush cardstock

Stamps: sweetheart background and quick & cute valentines

Ink: bubblegum and Versamark

Embellishments: white embossing powder, blush felt, heart trio die, white Signo gel pen

All a•muse products:

Paper: vanilla cardstock

Stamp: life is a song

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black and cranberry

Embellishments: cranberry glitter, black pen

And this card got thrown together in a crazed moment of raiding all sorts of items from my massive stash of products...

Paper: a•muse sugar cardstock and Kodak photo paper

Stamp: a•muse hand scripted

Ink: a•muse ocean and Tim Holtz alcohol inks in Purple Twighlight, Citrus, and Sail Boat Blue

Embellishments: totally random organdy ribbon scrap from the stash, CTMH button and embroidery floss

Looking at this post, the next class I clearly need to take is a photography class, but that will have to come another day. It's on my bucket list! 

If you see any of the a•muse | studio products that you just can't live without, I hope you'll visit my webstore and check out our catalog. There are several great stamp sets that are retiring, as well as my beloved cranberry products. But all of these retiring products means one exciting thing.... the NEW catalog is coming!!!

Happy Stamping friends!

Devon

Just Because ~ AMC07

I saved my absolute favorite for last! I picked up the Kokeshi doll stamp at Stamp Attic in Anchorage a few weeks ago. I'm actually taking a class on campus this summer, as opposed to online. (My very last class in my master's program happens to be my very first class on campus!) I just love her! I also picked up the Sakura flower to go with her. She's so dainty and girly (hard to come by in my house) and I had to have her!

Wow! 5 posts in one day! That's certainly a record for this blogger! Hope you'll leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Goodies I used:
A Muse stamps: Kokeshi doll and Sakura flower and just because sentiment
CTMH ink: Bubblegum
Papertrey Ink: Kraft cardstock
Random cardstock from my stash
Offray ribbon
Silver Stickles from Ranger
Copic markers

Thinking of You ~ AMC07

I had quite the amusing day with my friend Nancy. I spent several hours playing at my table! I used a whole bunch of my A Muse stamps that have never seen ink, so isn't it perfect that the challenge in the A Muse Lounge is to ink it up! I've got five cards coming that will fit that challenge just perfectly and here is the first:

I just love what sweet and simple cards you can make with A Muse stamps. I've done a lot of really layered up cards, but I think this might be more my style.

Goodies I used:
Green note card from JoAnne's
Offray ribbon
Close to my Heart ink in Sweet Leaf and Tulip and CTMH sentiment
A Muse stamps: Long Grass and Mini Flower