Cactus

I was so happy and surprised to see that this guy was blooming.  The blossoms are huge!  4+ inches across.  It only has 3 buds, but I am so pleased.

More Christmas fun

This first card is a one layer that I dry embossed the cover, then applied gold embossing powder to the ridges and heat embossed.  The die cut is "quilted" with 1/2" strips of an embossed pattern paper.  A couple years ago I bought a pack of this paper and split it with Christy and I still have lots of it.  I ran the die cut base through the xyron so there wouldn't be a lot of gluing and just trimmed the edges when done. 

 The white looking part of the snowflake is actually die cut on the car itself.  The white showing through is actually the inside of the card.  I glued three other little die cut snowflakes on top of that and added the bling.  The white "frame" is actually the trim on the die cut that I used on the inside of the card below.

I just love my little jellyroll glitter pen.  The little flourishes on the snowman are outlined with the jellyroll pen.

 The front of this one is dry embossed with one of my new Sizzix embossing folders, then I die cut the snowfkaje abd added the embossed snowflakes and bling as with the other card.

 Though it doesn't show well, this is the inside of the last card.  The blue snowflake on the left side is actually the "positive" of the die cut from the front, and the stamped image "jellyrolled" is on the right.  These were all quite time comsuming but I like the results and it is something just a little out of the ordinary.

Snow globes

These little guys were so fun.  I used the dryer sheet-glittter method, though it can't really be seen in the scan.  In the video tutorial I read, it says to trim the dryer sheet, but I just cut one at the same time I cut my circle for the globe.  I also figured out that you can stamp on top of the image so that it isn't quite as subdued.  I thought this little Close to My Heart stamp was perfect for the globe.

 The background is done with versamark resist and distress inking.  The snowmen and snowflakes are Close to My Heart, and the flouris on the other is Inkadinkado.

Christmas Cards

With Thanksgiivng over it is time to get in earnest about my cards.  This one really didn't scan well, and is actually very pretty.  It is a technique I just learned using a used fabric softener sheet.  First, you color the image just as you normally would, and then run it through the xyron so the adhesive is on the front of the image.  The put a used dryer sheet on top and apply fine glitter and rub it in.  Trim the edges (in this case, I ran it back through with the die cut and attach to card.  IRL it looks like a glittery snowy image.  I am going to try to do a snowglobe with it, I think it will look very pretty.

The next two are from the Copic class.  Actually, I am not sure why, the only use of copics was for the background using the wide copics.  Penguins are stamped and the black was colored with a "glaze" pen, scarves were cut from pattern paper, fringed and adhered.  There is a little glitter on the snow.

We didn't get to complete this one in class, so I did it at home.  The background is sticky glitter paper.  I know that the donkey looks red, but he really isn't.

These two were fun.  The stamp is an older Hero Arts, and fun to color with copics.  The trees are highlighted with a white "ink" pen.  Snowflakes are highlighted with the glitter pen and look very pretty IRL.  Sure with glitter would show up on scans.  Background on green and red card is embossed with a Sizzix die in my Cuttlebug, then inked so the embossing would show more.

Christmas cards

It's been a long time since I've posted.  I guess I just haven't felt very inspired lately.  But I finally got to take my Copics class last weekend, and found some inspirations.  I was scheduled for the class last month and had the time wrong, so it was rescheduled for this month.  It wasn't as dissapointing as the last class that I took at Scrapbook Nook, but it really wasn't all that I hoped it would be.  But I did learn a little bit more, and mybe I'll find an advanced class sometime.  I bought the stamp with the lightpost when I was there.  There is a lot of glittery on it that doesn't show in the picture.  The snow on the trees has glitter from the Jelly Roll Silver Star pen, and the holly berries have Stickles.

 The snowmen are a stamp that I've had for a while, but have never done them with Copics.

 I just love this little snowman and birdie. It is from Northridge and I got it at the class at Unique Creations.

 The card on the left is the one I did in class.  I used the Toner Grays for the fence, which is a more brownish gray.  The one on the right I did with Cool Grays and it makes a huge difference.  I'm going to have to go buy some Toners now.

So, I feel like I'm back on a roll with my cards.  Not sure how many I have done, but i know that I'm a long way from done. 

Elizabeth and David in Seattle

My beautiful granddaughter and her husband David were visiting this weekend from South Africa.  Well, they didn't come all the way here just to go to Seattle.  But that was a bonus for us!

They came on Friday, we did some shopping that evening in Federal Way.  Saturday we spent the day in Seattle.  Went to the Experience Music Project and SciFi museum, then took the monorail to Westlake for lunch.

 We had other plans for the day, but the time just flew, so we headed out to Safeco field for the Mariners vs the A's.  They didn't win, but it was a good game.  We had totally radical seats besides!  Second row from the front and looking right at home plate.

They headed home on Monday.  I miss her already, but we kept telling each other that it was just 6 more months until we see each other again in South Africa!

Page 8 and 9

I like the way this one turned out, except one little thing.  I colored the button die cuts and I think they look too bright for the rest of it.  .  I think I may go back and try and mute them a bit.  Also, it scanned a funny color.  It is actually a light tan color, not the yellowish that it shows here.

I wanted to have lots of elements to it and for it to look extremely girly.  It was going to be just one page, like the last page or something, but then the stamp gave me the idea for the second page.  The first page took me over two hours to complete.  I think it will show case a couple pictures nicely.