Birch Press Design Post

 Happy Friday!  I have a post up on the Birch Press Design blog today.  Here is a little peek at what I made.

I hope you will head over to the blog to see the full card.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!.

Birthday Wishes...

 Hello friends!  I back to share a card that I made for a few challenges:  Paper Players (sketch), Color Hues (colors) and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge (anything goes).    I'm also going to share more thoughts on the new Waffle Flower Crafts 0+ shader brushes.  Here is what I made.

I don't know about you, but sketches that involve one of the elements being set slightly askew (like in the Paper Players sketch) give me fits.  I think it is because the off kilter panel makes it hard for me to put the sentiment on straight.  Anyway, I persisted and this is my card, lol!   I started by die cutting the Memory Box Backyard Wren die from white cardstock.  I then used one of the 0+ shader brushes to add kraft colored ink to the layers of the bird.  I really liked that with the small shader brush I was able to get the depth of color I wanted where it was needed.  I was also able to add more color to the bird's head after I had put the bird together and I didn't get the ink everywhere.  Waffle Flower sent me one of their little sampler brush packs that you can see in the photo.  I used the 0+ shader in the pack, as well as the larger 1+ shader.  I used the 1+ shader brush for the body of the bird.   While larger than the 0+ shader brush you are still able to ink up your die cuts with precision.   Once I had the bird done to my satisfaction I worked on the branch that it is sitting.  The branch is from the Birch Press Design Hillside Branch and Bramble Contour Layers die set.  I inked them up with the kraft and yellow inks and then layered them.  I die cut the rectangles from yellow gingham and white woodgrain cardstock.  In her introduction video about the new shader brushes Nina talks about how they pick up much more ink than the original brushes (or other brushes for that matter) and she isn't kidding.  I had to use a blender brush from another company to ink up the edges of the woodgrain panel.  I had to work twice as hard to get ink on that blender than I did for the Waffle Flower shader brush!  To finish the card I layered everything onto another panel of the white woodgrain cardstock.  I thought I had die cut down the panel, but when I went to adhere it to my kraft cardstock base I discovered that I had not!  Yikes... too late to trim it down so I just adhered it to the cardstock base as you see.   The last piece was the sentiment.  I got it on, but it wasn't easy, lol!

I hope I was able to share some additional good information with you about the new Waffle Flower shader brushes.  I can tell you that I plan on getting a set of 1+ brushes in the near future.  Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

hey there...

 Hello!  I'm popping in today to share a simple card I made using a new product from Waffle Flower Crafts.  Waffle Flower was so kind and sent me a package of their brand new Shader 0+ brushes to try out and give my thoughts on.   I used the mood board/color combo from JUGs for my colors and the new Waffle Flower Pop Up Fall Leaves panel die and the coordinating Fall Leaves stencil which Waffle Flower generously sent to me, as well.  

You can see the shader brushes I used on the right hand side of the photo.  How cute are they?  Even though slim in size they fit nicely in your hand.  I die cut a piece of white cardstock with a rectangle die and then die cut the pop up leaves from that.  I selected the following distress ink colors based off the JUGs color palette:  Ripe Persimmon, Wild Honey, Aged Mahagany and Fired Brick.  I layed the stencil on top of the die cut panel and started blending on the ink.  I had initially thought I would blend two ink shades together, but I realized that I could achieve the shaded look I wanted with just one color.   It is very simple shading, but I like the more graphic look that I achieved.    

Because the brushes have a slight slant to them I found that for me what worked best for me was using a stroking motion instead of the usual circular motion that is used with most blending took.  You can blend with them that way it is just that the other way worked better for me.  And even for their small size they pick up a lot of ink.   Waffle Flower also sent me one of their sampler packs to try out.  I hope to have a few more cards to share made with these new brushes.  Life has been a bit of a struggle this past week.  My oldest was in a car accident that thankfully he emerged from with only lacerations, scrapes and bruising.   We are also thankful that he was driving our Subaru.  They have one of the best safety records and now we, as a family, can attest to that!   I think from all the stress I caught the cold my youngest had and that has knocked me for a loop.  I'm feeling better, but still lacking energy or drive!

I finished the card with a Waffle Flower sentiment that I foiled in gold and die cut with the matching die.  

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Your Kindness...

 Hello everyone!  Hope all is well in your world.  Popping in today with a card for a few challenges.   One that is closing very soon so I had better get to it, lol!   The challenges are JUGS (pumpkin), Sunday Stamps and Simon Says Stamp (food and drink... pumpkins are food!).   Take a look.

For this card I did something I have done in a very long time.  I colored with Copics!   I also used a stamp set I haven't used in a long time, either.  A Jillian Vance Design's Autumn.  I stamped the pumpkins using Memento Rich Cocoa ink and then colored with Copics.  I left the image in my stamping tool and once I was done coloring, I stamped the image again with VersaFine CLAIR Acorn ink.   I then die cut the image with the matching die.  I pulled out papers from P13's The Four Seasons Autumn pad and die cut them down with rectangle dies.   The branch image from Autumn Pumpkin was stamped with the Acorn ink and then layered on the bottom rectangle.  I used a Copic marker that closely matched the background and used it to color the white rim around the die cut image.  The image was then popped up on the panel with foam squares.  The sentiment is from the Simon Says Stamp Full of Thanks stamp set and was stamped with the Acorn ink before being trimmed down and adhered to the card front. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Birch Press Design Post

 Hello!  Popping in to let you know that I have a post up on the Birch Press Design blog today.  Here is a little look at what I made.

Thanks for stopping by today.  I hope you enjoy my project!

fall berries...

 Hello!  I'm popping in today with a card for this month's Pinkfresh Studio challenge, as well as the Sunday Stamp challenge.  The Pinkfresh Studio challenge this month is to use ombre and/or tone on tone.  I actually used both on my card with the gorgeous color way from Sunday Stamps.  Take a look at what I made.

I have mentioned this before, but Scrapbook.com often has a "gift with purchase" or freebie offer.  During the summer one of their offers featured a product from Pinkfresh Studio.  It has been a while, but I believe it was the stamp set called Berry Branch.  I couldn't resist so I bought the coordinating stencils and die.  That is what I am using on my card today.  The stamp set is actually a Christmas set, but as you can see, the berry branch looks amazing in fall colors.  I used distress inks in Scattered Straw and Rusty Hinge for the leaves and Festive Berries and Fired Brick for the berries.  That created my tone on tone look.  I did ombre ink blending on white cardstock using Weather Wood and then die cut the panel with the Pinkfresh Fancy Oval Frame die.  I die cut multiples of the frame from scrap cardstock, adhered them together and then adhered it to my white cardstock panel.  With the Fance Oval Frame die the oval is a "fall out" piece.  I adhered all of the ones made when I die cut the frame together with the ink blended on on top and then added thin foam squares to the back to pop it up even more.  I then adhered the berry branch on top.  Originally, I had wanted the white portion of the oval frame to be at the top, but I could find a good place to put the sentiment (from the Pinkfresh Studio Thanks for Being There stamp set).  I flipped the panel upside down and there was the perfect spot, lol!  I adhered the sentiment with a combo of liquid adhesive and foam squares cut into thin strips.   I finished with some Pinkfresh Studio ombre jewels in gold.  

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

just a note...

 Hello!  I am popping in to share the card I made for Freshly Made Sketches and Color Throwdown.    The CTD colors this week are similar to the color combo at Color Hues so I thought about entering it there, but decided that if I participated in the CH challenge, I would just make a different card.  I will also post this to the Flower Challenge.  It is their birthday and the last challenge that Viv, who helped start the challenge will be participating in.  I "met" Viv when I participated in the Less is More challenge.  She is a fabulous clean and simple card designer and will be missed!   Alright how about a look at what I made.

The CTD colors are coral, blue and navy.   As many people know Ellen Hutson is closing its doors except for their stamp and die line that will be available on Amazon.  I was pretty sad to read that announcement as Ellen Hutson is a local business that I liked to support.    I took advantage of the sale to purchase the Concord & 9th Eclectic Blooms stamp and die set that I used for my card.  I actually looked at a lot of different stamp and die sets that I had and even did some stamping with another set before settling on Eclectic Blooms.  I used Pinkfresh Studio inks for all the stamping.  After stamping and die cutting the flowers I die cut some PTI polka dot vellum with a circle die to provide me with the three elements on the sketch.  I used the polka dots to hide the glue I used to glue the circle to my white panel.  I adhered the flower and the sentiment that I stamped with the dark blue.  I added some dots of Nuvo drops in a pale blue to finish things off.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

SSS Season of Wonder Release!

 Hello!  Hope your October is off to a great start.  Simon Says Stamp has a new release called Season of Wonder now available in the shop.  You can see the full release here.   Simon was so kind and sent me the super pretty layering stamp set called Fresh Air Holiday Tree.  Take a look at what I made.

What do you think of my pink tree?  This is actually the third card I made with the stamp set.  Sadly, the first card didn't make the cut.  I used distress inks in Spun Sugar, Kitsch Flamingo and Picked Raspberry.   After I stamped all the layers, I decided that I wanted to add some embossing, but I had removed the final layering stamp from my stamping tool.  Then I remembered that you can add embossing powder to distress ink before it completely dries.   So, I applied some SSS Rainbow Sparkle embossing powder, created a mess removing the excess and then heat set it.   The embossing powder only stuck in random sections of the top layer.  That happened to be the Picked Raspberry and I love how it deepened the color in some areas.  I die cut the piece and adhered it to a panel of light pink cardstock that I embossed with a Simon Says Stamp snowflake embossing folder.  I then added some Tim Holtz Idea-ology mirror stars.  The sentiment is from a different Simon Says Stamp set called Holiday Gift Giving.  I tried using the sentiments from the Fresh Air Holiday Tree set, but the sentiments are curved and when I stamped one of the sentiments on the first card panel, I made I just didn't like the look.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink (after trying it in Picked Raspberry) and then die cut it with the matching die.  I love this tree in pink!

For this card I used traditional Christmas colors when stamping my trees.  I used Altenew Fresh inks in Evergreen, Forest Glade and Frayed Leaf.   There are two additional layers in the stamp set that will add the tiny ornaments or a scalloped banner.  I added the small ornaments on both trees with dark red ink and then added Stickles in Frosted Lace on top.   The sentiment is also from the Holiday Gift Giving set, as well.  This time I stamped it in the red I used for the ornaments and then die cut it with the matching die.  The Holiday Gift Giving set has a stamp that creates the look of falling snow.  I stamped that at the top of the panel with watermark ink, added the Rainbow Sparkle embossing powder (that time I didn't make a mess, lol!) and heat set it.  The stars were stamp with Altenew Fresh ink in Sunray.  Adhered my panel to a white cardstock base with foam tape and then added the sentiment.   Two Christmas cards down... more to come, lol!

Affiliate linked products used:

Fresh Air Holiday Tree stamp set

Fresh Air Holiday Tree stamp and die set

Fresh Air Holiday Tree die set

Season of Wonder Release 

Holiday Gift Giving stamp set

Holiday Gift Giving die set

Holiday Gift Giving stamp and die set

Altenew Frayed Leaf Fresh Ink

Altenew Forest Glade Fresh Ink

Altenew Evergreen Fresh Ink

Altenew Sunray Fresh Ink

Simon Says Stamp Faceted Snowflake Embossing Folder

VersaMark Watermark Ink

Spun Sugar Distress Ink

Kitsch Flamingo Distress Ink

Picked Raspberry Distress Ink

VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne Ink

MISTI Stamping Tool

Spellbinders Platinum 6

Hope you will check out the release.  Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!