anyone need a shave?

I love playing with stamps and inks, and one of my favorite techniques involves reinkers and shaving cream. You need a lid of some sort that is rather large, or a powder pal from Stampin' Up! (the large one works best). Use shaving cream (the foamy kind, not the gel kind) and fill it up, then level it out with a stick of some sort (I use a long lollipop stick). Then drop several drops of reinker color in a random pattern over the shaving cream, repeat with at least 2 more colors. Then using the same stick lightly swirl all the colors around, being careful not to muddy the colors. Then take your paper and set it into the shaving cream, making sure to press down the whole paper, so you get good coverage. Then carefully lift it up, if you pull it sideways you get a different look than if you pull it straight up. You also get very different looks if you use 3 different colors as opposed to 3 different shades of the same color. I chose to use 3 different colors for this one, but I will show you tomorrow what 3 different shades of the same color looks like. It also looks really different if you use a lot of drops or just a few of each color.


Stamps: Fast and Fabulous, Occasional Quotes
Inks: Almost Amethyst, Daffodil Delight, Certainly Celery
Papers: Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Wild Wasabi, Daffodil Delight
Misc: Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, 1/8" Basic Black Taffeta Ribbon, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Dimensionals,

Pac Man....how cool is this???

The Owl Punch that Stampin' Up! sells can be turned into almost anything!! I love how versatile this punch is. When I first saw it I said no way am I ever buying that punch....I don't like owls that much, and I have no need to put them on a card. WOW was I wrong, not only have I made cards just so I can put the cute little owl on them, I am finding more and more ways to use the owl as something else. My brother in law had a birthday a while back, and we like to poke a little fun at him for being the oldest (at least the oldest that lives in the same city). I also know he likes a lot of things from the 80's so I thought how cute would a Pac Man card be, and that darn owl punch would make the best ghosts for it. I also used it for the white dots, they are the middle sized eyes. This is probably the easiest card I have made in a while. It took less than 5 minutes, and I think it's awesome. I didn't play Pac Man too much when I was younger, but I think it's pretty close to what Pac Man looks like.

Stamps: Occasional Quotes (hostess level 3)
Inks: Basic Black
Papers: Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White
Misc: Owl Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Corner Rounder, googly eyes

I love my Brayer

I know I have been showing you all a lot of different brayer cards lately, but I really do love using my brayer. Whenever I need to make a quick card I grab my brayer. This is very similar to one we did for my brayer basics class. I had to make a card very last minute (I almost forgot a birthday and needed to mail it asap) so I grabbed my brayer and whipped this card up. It took me literally less than 8 minutes to make the whole card and get it signed and in the mail. This uses the gradation and masking techniques.


Stamps: Nature Silhouettes, Occasional Quotes (level 3 hostess set), Sanded
Inks: Not quite Navy, Basic Black
Paper: Whisper White, Not Quite Navy, Basic Black, Night of Navy
Misc: 1" Circle Punch, Signo White Gel Pen

Beautiful Hydrangea.... take 1

I LOVE Hydrangeas, and I am beyond thrilled that Stampin' Up! has this new level 1 hostess set. It is called Because I Care, and it is now my new favorite set. This is take 1 of this set. I am actually doing it in a 3 part set, each one a little bit more embellished than the last. This is to showcase how you can step something up and create a different card, with only a few additions.
You start out with a very simple card, and just keep adding.



It is a little hard to see from the angle, but there are a few extra blossoms that are popped up for added depth.
Stamps: Because I Care (Level 1 Hostess), Occasional Quotes (Level 3 Hostess)
Inks: Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist, Concord Crush, Basic Black
Paper: Watercolor Paper, Marina Mist, Concord Crush
Misc: Aqua Pen

I will add the take 2 of this card later today or most likely tomorrow. I am dog sitting for my sister in law, and I am planning on taking both dogs out for a long walk soon, probably around 5-8 kms in hopes of tiring them out so they behave well. They are the funniest dogs when they are together. Meika (our dog) is a brat and will chase Shasta for hours, but Shasta doesn't like it and takes for ever to learn/remember that if she just sits still, Meika gets bored and stops.