Have a Heart Full of Love

I fell in love with this Stampin' Up! designer series paper last year but hadn't used it.  You know it's part of the eroding of beautiful patterns, colors  that are in the papers these days.

Since foiling is a big thing once again with card makers I had to go back and revisit this technique and play with it again.  I only slightly messed with foiling back in the early 2000's and things have changed.  I now have a laminator,  and a little stash of foils from the newer companies so I was set to go.


The stamp set I used is Hero Arts Stamp Kit from January 2016.  I thought it would be perfect for the SU papers and some gold foiling.  Little did I know with my great enthusiasm and hopes that I would have so many problems getting those little detailed flowers in the heart shaped stamp to foil clearing.  I either got spotting adhesion of the foil or a big blogs of foil with out detail.  I tired several different ways, sticky powder embossing - foil, run though the big shot; sticky powder embossing -foil, run through the laminator; clear embossing - foil, run through the laminator with or without a cover sheet.  Let's just say I threw away a lot of errors.  And my frustration was over the top.

In the end I gave up with trying to foil that heart shaped clump of tiny flower shapes and embossed it all with gold embossing powder.  However I was still wanting to understand how to make this work.  So I took some of the individual flower shapes and ran that with many different ways trying to get the foil to give me a nice clear impression.  I also threw away a lot of errors again but in the end I got a pretty good impression with clear embossing powder, melt that, add foil and run through the laminator in a cover sheet once.  If I ran it twice I got a blob.  If I ran it without a cover sheet I got a blob.  You can see the individual flowers at each end of the sentiment strip on the card.

I am sure I will keep trying to figure this out.  I think every laminator machine is different and perhaps as my daughter says what embossing powder one uses may have something to do with it too.

This pretty little card is going to Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - "Have a Heart." 

Head on over and see what other beauties people have created here:  

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-heart/

May the coming week be filled with blessings and love.

Thanks for stopping by, 

Deborah David

Make-Up Brushes for Ink Blending

This was brand new to me.  I am use to using the stencil brushes or the round foam pads for ink
blending but had seen some others use these very very dense make-up brushes and I wanted to give it a try.  Well I am not so sure I like it, maybe I had too heavy a hand or didn't know what I was doing.

The first attempt I used Ranger Speciality Stamping Paper because it is the card stock I like best for blending since the ink stays wet a bit longer on it.  However I didn't like it so switched to Neenah Paper which is what I finished up the card with.  As for the brushes themselves I found the ink does not stay on the brushes for very long.  In fact by the time I did a few circular motions I could rub the brush on a white towel and noting transferred.  It almost got frustrating trying to get an over all smooth finish with a lighter edge disappearing into the white card stock.  On the envelope I gave up with the blue and just used a well inked foam pad and it did much better.  I'll probably go back and add a few Nuvo drops but I didn't have time this evening.

It makes sense that one would not want these brushes to hold onto the makeup but transfer it, however make-up usually has an oil base and I think that is going to allow for a smooth finish with make-up but for me anyway, I was disappointed with using a water based ink. So I think I will retire these brushes from my studio to my make-up bin.


Flower Stamp - Unity Stamp Company
Greeting - Designed Inked (I miss that company)
Inks - Distress

I'm entering this into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Card + Matching Envelope

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/16639-2/

Thank for stopping by. 

Deborah David

Use Something New

I purchased the Tim Holtz "Paper-Cut Bird" way last fall and hadn't used the die yet.  I had always thought this die would need to be in front of a really cool background or need stained with watercolor paints but it wasn't until Tim featured his new die "Organic" in black card stock that I knew that is how I would do it.  I had never thought of using black card stock as I am just not into the real dark colors but this came out stunning.  The Bird panel is cut down to fit a 4.5x6 inch card base.  Black strips of paper are used to make a frame and finish off the cut ends of the Bird panel.

The background is alcohol ink with a bit of gold, mixative as well.  This background had enough white left in it to make the black card stock really stand out.

Because the card seemed so plain when finished, I decided to add a silk ribbon stained with Mowed Lawn ink into the birds mouth with the words "Hello Friend" stamped on the ribbon.  The stamp set I used is also by Tim Holtz.

The inside of the card got a general greeting by Unity Stamp Company.

I will be entering this in the Simon Says Stamp Blog Monday Challenge here:

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/

I hope you all had a wonderful time playing with any new products, stamps or dies you recently acquired and if not the ending results may surprise you with glee in your creative process.

Thank you for stopping by,

Deborah

It's a Party! Shake it Up! Happy Birthday!

My oldest grandson turns 15.  The years, like all years in the lives of our children and grandchildren just seem to swiftly pass by as they grow up.

This card using the New Tonic Studios Cardmaking Collection Issue 7 Magazine with Celestial Star Die Sets, which also includes an embossing folder and stamps to match the set.

I die cut the craft paper, ran it through the matching embossing folder and lightly applied some ink onto the high spots.  The window around the "You're a Star" is filled with little gold stars and sequins.

I am entering this into the Simon Says Stamp Blog Monday Challenge "Party Time"

Here: https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/

Thanks for stopping by,

Deborah

Happy Moos Year!

I live where there are moose and snow and I adored this Merry Moose by Tim Holtz.   I call this cute moose "Tim's Wonky Moose" but actually when a Moose runs they do look a bit like this guy.

He is having a bright fun New Year's Evening enjoying the show of fireworks as he runs though the snow.

Firework stamp was stamped onto black cardstock with Versamark Ink.  I used the Ranger Sticky embossing powder then applied foil over it.  Next I enclosed the cardstock with the foil into printer paper, added another cut piece of cardstock over it, sandwiched it all between the embossing plates on my big shot and ran it through.  I was amazed and thrilled at the wonderful transfer of foil I got with that technique.

Snow along the bottom of the card is Ranger's Distress Grit-Paste.  Next I applied Tonic Nuvo Aqua Flow Pen, Glitter Gloss,  for that frozen sparkle that happens at night when a light bounces off the snow on the white paper and the grit-paste.

I am entering this cutie in the Simon Says Stamp Blog Wednesday Challenge, "Something New" 

Here: https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/

Happy New Year Everyone, may the year be full of Blessings, Love, Joy.

Deborah