Taking a different view

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Tropical Lagoon 002 003

For you today, I have a tweaked version of a great card.  It’s a completely different look – a more subdued, dare I say masculine look?  Today, I’m going to share with you how to take a great project and then improve upon it so that you get more from those great ideas that you have.

I thought that you would enjoy seeing what I mean.  Here are both projects on top of each other.  Which one do you prefer?  I mean, they both are great, but yet evoke a different feel.  Be sure to tell me in the comment section which one you prefer!  I am rather curious…go do it now and then come back and read the rest!

 

It’s funny, I love the sunset cards, but there’s something about the other one that mesmerizes me as well.  I can’t quite put my finger on it.  Here it is close up.  To see the other close up click here.

The main difference between the two, other than the color, is that the foreground palm trees are embossed first to really resist the background and remain clean.  I just love that pop of Jungle Green.  The Cloud Space stamp was added in place of the sunset – that’s a FABULOUS stamp. Smile

I made this card for a friend of my Dad’s who lost his wife to a long battle with cancer.  When I remember her, I think of how much she loved the beach and waters of the Mediterranean and Atlantic.  She would come back from vacations in Spain so brown it was unbelievable.  Laura was a real artist who painted the most amazing sceneries on canvas.  Of course by trade, she was a pharmacist, but I remember her as an artist.  Laura, this one’s is in memory of you. Smile

Signature Snowflake 001

To Shop 24/7 in the Creative Store – Click here!

Stamp Sets – Stampscapes Stamps Ink – Marvy – Oriental Blue, Turquoise, Caribbean Blue, Jungle Green, Yellow, Brilliant Yellow; Adirondack Lights – Cloudy Blue, Aqua, Peach Bellini; Stampin’ Up! – Early Espresso, Crushed Curry, Tangerine Tango, Sahara Sand, Crisp Cantaloupe, Early Espresso Marker Paper –Glossy White, Early Espresso Tools – Colorbox Stylus, Brushtix Mixed Media Brushes Finishing Touch – Uni-ball Signo White Gel Pen

Filed Under: Cards, Masculine, Scenic, Stampscapes Tagged: , , , ,

Creatively Sponging Scenery Video

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This last week I played with sponging winter background scenery.  A few of you asked how I did this – so I made a video to show you all the steps to creating these little pieces of art.

You can also read my original post with all my tips and photos.  Read original blog post here.  This video is rather long due to the several steps.  I shortened it by creating two parts.  Rather than make you wait another day or have to go to a different post, I thought I’d share both video’s with you here.

Part one of my Creative Sponging series covers the sky in our project.  I know it looks like it was brayered, but I created it by using four different shades of blue.  There are specific steps to getting the trees just right as well.  I show you three different looks for the trees at the end of the second video, but my personal favorite is in this project we’re making together.  Enjoy!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BhwRgVwCJc]

 

Part two of this series is all about the ground.  It’s actually a rather simple process, but I give you a few tips and tricks that I learned along the way.  Be sure to watch it til the end – It seems like it’s done, but there’s one last sponging tip.  Have fun!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MK50jKvo7A]

 

Here is the completed project from the video.  It’s a little different from my other blog post.  I love the ground in this one the best, and of course the trees look really good in this one. 

I like using the StazOn Jet Black ink the best for the trees.  This card is set to go to my dad.  I think he’ll be shocked to see something like this from me.  It’s like a little piece of art.  Of course he’ll love it just because he’s my dad!  I’d love to see what creations you come up with too!

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Single Stamps – Do you love that Greeting set, but wish you could buy just the one or two stamps?  Well, now you can from these select stamp sets: Perfectly Penned, Word Play, Seasonal Sayings.  Buy some of our best Greetings Stamps individually!   Hurry, this special is good for a limited time only through Jan 2, 2013! For more details, click here.  

Ingrid Blackburn

 

 

 

 

To Shop 24/7 in the Creative Store – Click here!

Stamp Sets – Lovely as a Tree (127793), Sweet Essentials (128315) Paper – Whisper White (100730), Midnight Muse (126843) Ink – Midnight Muse (126860), Marina Mist (126962), Bashful Blue (126961), Night Of Navy (126970), Versamark (102283), StazOn Jet Black (101406) Cool Tools –Stampin’ Sponges (101610), Heat Tool (129053)  The Perfect Finish – Clear Stampin’ Emboss Powder (109130)

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Filed Under: Cards, Techniques, Videos Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Winter Wonderland

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Lovely as a Tree has been in the Stampin’ Up! catalog since before I ever began stamping with SU in January of 2002.  That said – I have never owned this amazing stamp set – until now.  Yes, you read that correctly.  It is the ONLY stamp set that has stood the test of time with this company. 

Why have I never owned this classic, you ask?  Well, since Lovely as a Tree had always been in the catalog, I continually thought it was going to retire; and then I wouldn’t be able to use it for demonstration proposes.  Yes, that’s what I told myself year, after year, after year.  My girlfriend Rose laughed when she heard I broke down and bought it…actually she said – “oh great, now they’re going to retire it, just because you bought it!”  So if they do, I’m sorry Rose and everyone else!

Now that you know my personal history with this stamp set – here is the first ever card that I’ve stamped with this oldie but a goodie!  It’s nothing to complicated – I wanted the image to stand on it’s own so I created a winter wonderland at night around it.

  • First, I stamped a mask for the edge of my hill.  I cut that out and applied it to my Whisper White card stock. 
  • I then went to work creating the moonlit sky at the border of the hill and around the masked moon.
  • I started with Bashful Blue, then worked a little with Marina Mist, added some Midnight Muse and finished with a very thin edging of Night of Navy.
  • I made sure to leave a little white in the sky so that it wasn’t too dark.  This gives it two effects, depending on how you look at it – some illumination from the moonlit sky or a snow storm.
  • Once I was happy with my sky, I added a separate mask for the bottom of the trees (Keep in mind – I haven’t stamped the trees yet since I wanted to use Midnight Muse and not StazOn Jet Black). 
  • I sponged a slight amount of Bashful Blue to add depth to my snow bank around the trunks.
  • I added several masks for the snow drifts and lightly added a little Bashful Blue to each one, working from the top down.

 

  • I stamped my image onto a Stamp-a-majig so that I could perfectly line up the double image.  First, I stamped in Versamark® and then stamped a second image in Midnight Muse.
  • I then embossed my image using clear embossing powder.  I wanted to give my card a frozen look, rather than a snow-laden look.  If you want the snowy tree look, use white embossing powder.
  • I added a saying in Versamark® and embossed it with White Embossing Powder on the Midnight Muse card base.

My card has depth and a wintery feel to it.  This project would make a great one layer card – which is what I started out intending to make.  I ended up wanting a bit more pop, so I trimmed it and layered it.

If you want to see exact step by step instructions on how I made this card, check out my video here.  I know you’ll have as much fun as I do – and the end result looks SO much better in person.  You’ll say to yourself – did I really just make that!

Signature Snowflake 001

 To Shop 24/7 in the Creative Store – Click here!

Stamp Sets – Lovely as a Tree (127793), Sweet Essentials (128315) Paper – Whisper White (100730), Midnight Muse (126843) Ink – Midnight Muse (126860), Marina Mist (126962), Bashful Blue (126961), Night Of Navy (126970), Versamark (102283) Cool Tools –Stampin’ Sponges (101610), Heat Tool (129053)  The Perfect Finish – Clear Stampin’ Emboss Powder (109130)

Lovely as a Tree

Filed Under: Cards, Christmas, Techniques Tagged: , , , , , ,