Guest Designing at Retro Rubber Challenge Blog

I'm so happy to have joined the DT at RRCB as the GD for Challenge #106.  Having been a stamper for nearly 25 years, my stash includes tons of old stamps I still love.  It's great having a challenge that celebrates using stamps at least 1 yr old.  This time the theme is to use stripes on your card, which give you lots of options.  For my card, the stripes are done with an old Darice embossing folder.

I've had problems with this folder tearing my cardstock in the past.  Recently I saw a tip to emboss a panel of vellum, leave it in the folder & then use it with cardstock.  Hurrah--it worked!  The leaves & flowers are SSS Spring Flowers stamps & dies from 2016.  After gold embossing the images on watercolor paper, I scribbled with Distress Markers & spritzed with water to blend.  Just have to go easy on the water so it doesn't wash away the colors.

When they were dry I cut them out with the coordinating dies & arranged them on the card which I had already splattered with a black Zig.  The flower centers have a drop of gold Pico Embellisher.  For the sentiment I used the 2017 SSS set called Thoughtful Messages--one of my favorites.  The words were white embossed on black scraps & mounted with foam tape.  Hope I've inspired you to pull out those old stamps & join the challenge.  I'm entering CAS on Friday & SSS Flickr No 118.  


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Challenge with a Friend plus PTI

Recently I told my friend, Betty, that I couldn't let myself place a C&9 order because I still hadn't opened my Everyday Bouquet Turnabout Tool Kit.  She replied that she hadn't opened hers either & challenged us to each make & send a card to the other.  We've both received our cards & so fun to see how totally different they are.  Check out Betty's fabulous card HERE.
For my CAS card I used PTI inks Aqua Mist, Ocean Tides, Simply Chartreuse & Cocoa Bean.

I picked them by looking through the monthly PTI downloads & really love how they look together.  The sentiment from the set is gold embossed & matted with a scrap of Ocean Tides.  I added some splatters & tiny gold star confetti.  I'm entering Virginia's March Show & Share and WAW.


Next is my entry for PTI LFF challenge: Favorite Packaging.  I'm hoping a gift card holder will count as I don't have other PTI packaging dies, boxes or bags.  A friend gave me PTI Monthly Moments: Journal Card Pocket #1 Die which makes a great gc holder.

I used it with a piece of PTI Happy Spots designer paper that I got for $1 a few years ago.  I embellished it with one of the PTI Delicates dies cut from vellum, stacked 3 high & lightly brushed with Aqua Mist ink.  The die cut sentiment from PTI Bold Borders: Foliage Die was cut from brown cardstock, stacked 2 high & covered with Nuvo Glaze. 

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Guest Designing for JUGs Take 2

It's time for another Just Us Girls challenge & my second card as the Guest Designer for March.  This is Trend Week: Use a Background Stamp.  Now that is one thing I have plenty of--haha!

I actually used 2 different background stamps:  Impression Obsession Boxwood & Hero Arts Envelope Pattern.  I'd been wanting to try the Distress monoprint technique I saw in a Jennifer McGuire video, so pulled out 3 Distress inks:  mowed lawn, lucky clover & twisted citron.

After heavily blending on the inks & letting the panel dry (helped with a heat gun), I clear embossed IO Boxwood.  Then I spritzed fairly heavily with water, laid a white cardstock panel on top & ran it through my die cut machine.  Some of the ink transfers onto the white piece giving a beautiful softly colored image.  For this card, I just used my original panel which I trimmed down & die cut with the PTI Mix & Mat: Flourishes dotted die.  The bird on a branch IO die was cut from a soft gold shimmery cardstock.  The sentiment is SSS Painted Hugs which I stacked, blended with the same inks & covered with Nuvo Glaze.  The kraft card front was stamped with Hero Arts Envelope Pattern wood mounted stamp from 2011.  Hope I've given you some inspiration & maybe thoughts of Spring!  I'd love for you to join in the challenge this week.
I'm entering SSS Flickr Challenge 118 & ModSquad.

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Friendship Cards

The latest PTI LFF challenge is to use your favorite PTI accessory.  I love the grograin ribbon, but my favorite has to be rainstones.  I was lucky enough to have some given to me by a friend several years ago & I'm hoarding them--haha!  I have other clear dots, but must admit they aren't the same.  My simple rainbow card began by white embossing the image from Lovely Layers across a scrap of white cardstock.

Then I brushed on Distress Inks festive berries, ripe persimmon, squeezed lemonade, shabby shatters & tumbled glass.  The sentiment from Corner Adorner: Februray was stamped in Brilliance Graphite Black & I added black splatters.  The panel was backed with a couple layers of cardstock for a bit of dimension & rainstones are the finishing touch.  I'm also entering Stamping Sensations & WAW.


Next is my entry for SSS Flickr Challenge: Friendship.  I gold embossed the flower, stem & leaves from SSS Spring Flowers on watercolor paper.  Then I scribbled with Distress Markers spiced marmalade & wild honey for the flower with lucky clover & peeled paint for the stem & leaves.  I found it a little tricky to spritz enough water to blend without washing away too much color.  Love the results, though.

 
After the papers were dry, I used the coordinating dies.  The frame from SSS Frames was die cut several times from ivory cardstock.  I double gold embossed the sentiment from SSS Thoughtful Messages on one of the interior panels you get when you cut the frame.  I lightly brushed the center with Distress Inks mowed lawn & salty ocean.  You can't really see it in the photo, but makes a big difference in person.  The frame was stacked several high & attached around the single interior panel already glued to the card front.  The pretty yellow irridescent gems given to me by a friend were the perfect embellishment.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday & W2CB.

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Friendship Flowers

I have trouble building bouquets from individual stamps, so decided to get some already done by the designer.  I used gift certificates to get a couple different ones.  This is my first card using Impression Obsession's Spring Flowers (G16343) which I double embossed with Rose Gold powder on watercolor paper.

 
As most of you know, I don't try to color very often, other than messy watercoloring.  I've seen a lot of gorgeous coloring lately in blogland, so maybe that inspired me to see what I could do with my Distress markers.  I used spun sugar, tattered rose, antique linen & pumice stone.  The blending was done with a barely wet brush.  The flower center & stamens are embellished with Champagne Stickles & I added splatters.

 
The IO sentiment, Precious Treasure (B13027), is one of my favorites.  I think having something fairly small to color is helpful for me & I'm going to keep practicing.  I do treasure the friendship & support of my blogging friends, so this card could be for any of you!
I'm entering IO Flowers for Friends, SSS Wednesday, WAW & The Flower Challenge.


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Guest Designing

I'm so honored to be the March Guest Designer at Just Us Girls.  This is Word Week and bet you'll want to play along.  Who doesn't need another birthday card?!

With Spring around the corner, I pulled out the beautiful Penny Black tulips called First Waltz & a panel of watercolor paper.  It's been ages since I used markers to color directly onto a rubber stamp.  I love the ability to put the color just where you want it. 

The Distress Markers I used are aged mahogany, worn lipstick, spun sugar, peeled paint, bundled sage & wild honey.  I used a stamp positioner so I could color, spritz & stamp over & over until I was happy with the result.  I added script in opposite corners using Distress Ink pumice stone & a very old stamp.  The gold splatters were done with my favorite tarnished brass Distress Stain & I lightly distressed the panel edges.

The sentiment from Impression Obsession's Greetings Top Edgers was stacked 3 high & colored with Faber-Castell Nougat PITT Big Brush.  I added the panel to a green textured mat & decided against any embellishments.  I'm looking forward to seeing your creations in the gallery.  I'm entering SSS Wednesday.

Thanks so much for taking time to stop by.  If your blog address is in your profile or comment, I will visit you.

Spring & Christmas

I've had the Altenew Fantasy Floral Die (currently in the EH clearance section) a long time & have only used it once, which is criminal--haha!  Pulled it out for my last minute entry into the Altenew February Challenge which is a gorgeous color combo!

I mixed Distress Inks picked raspberry & worn lipstick to get a color close to the photo.  Then I smooshed a panel of watercolor paper, heating between each of several layers.  Same thing for the leaves using Distress Inks pine needles, mowed lawn, weathered wood, faded jeans & iced spruce.  I matted 2 Altenew Leaf Frame Cover die cuts from my friend, Betty onto a light gray panel.  The sentiment from Altenew Painted Greetings was stamped in Versafine Clair Morning Mist twice for a darker gray.

I attached another die cut to each of the top layers of the flower for a bit of dimension.  The die cut leaves were glued in place & then I added the flower with foam tape.  Clear sequins finish it off.  I'm also entering Inkspirational & SSS Wednesday.



Next is the Christmas card I made for several challenges:  Winnie & Walter Rerun No. 38, Winnie & Walter 5th Birthday Bash 3+ Stamp Sets & Rudolph Days.

The layout, kraft cardstock, dotted mat & die cut panels are based on Heather's adorable bunny card.  I stamped a small dot from W&W Scenery: Dotty in white pigment ink on a panel die cut with the largest die in Essentials: Tilda cutaways.  The sprigs from W&W In Bloom: Frenchy's Favorite Florals were stamped in Delicata Emerald Green on a smaller die cut panel.  The flower from the same set was stamped in Delicata Ruby Red, die cut, stacked 3 high, attached with foam tape & embellished with Wedding Dress Pico Embellisher.

I masked off the other words so I could just stamp Peace from W&W In a Word: Grand Merry using Memento Rich Cocoa stamped several times.  The panel was attached with fun foam which makes a big difference when you layer panels the same color.  I'm also entering SSS Wednesday.


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