Things that make me happy

...in cardmaking, as opposed to real life, or else I'd have a much longer post on my hands!  (I published this once before but it got deleted while blogger was down.)

Happy things - blossoms, tiny tags, and using itty bitty little stamps (like the bee from Postmarks).

The image panel is rustic cream, with a bunch of stamps layered on it.  The blooms coloured in with copics.  They make me pretty happy too.  The tag is wrapped around with a silk ribbon I ripped in half.   

Supplies; Stamps - Cherry blossom (Flourishes), Tiny Tags, Song birds, Postmarks, Paper - Curio PP (Basic Grey), text (making memories), chocolate, rustic cream, Other - Tiny tags die, 1/8'' silk ribbon, copics, lace.

Cherry blossom obsession

I have a slight obsession with cherry blossoms.  The real things ofcourse, but stamps/paper/photos also.  I act irrationally (ie. hoard, buy compulsively) anything related to this amazing bloom.  And with that intro, are two cards (blossom stamps by Flourishes) -

There was a bit of an 'oops' technique with this one.  After colouring in with copics, I wanted to add some glitter, but in my mad excitement over the blossom, I accidentally sprinkled embossing powder instead (and rather thickly).  So I decided to heat emboss, and then add glitter.  The result is dewy slightly dimensional glitter. 

The card is for a dear friend who's going through some major life changes and moving across the country to figure it all out.

The next I decided to make the blossoms more of a background.  The copics I used for these are T1 and E50, and here I used glossy accents for a dewy look.

This reminds me of that 'botanical collage' technique Betsy Veldman showed once (tried to find link but was not successful).

I think either would make a great mother's day card too.

Supplies; Stamps - Cherry blossoms (Flourishes), Ledger (Hero Arts), Song birds (Tweety Jill), Postmarks (PTI), Label basics (PTI), Paper - Sweet blush, cream, rustic cream, Other - copics, postage die, Fine linen buttons, 1/8'' silk ribbon, glitter, glossy accents.

Madame butterfly

Going to package up a gift of a theatre ticket with this card -

I stamped BB: Musicsheet with a light yellow, then the butterflies in black and coloured in with copics.  I went over the butterflies with T1 a few times to make the pink more muted.   I love this stampset I got from my LSS - Songbirds.  So many vintagey images.  Something so nice about stamping with rubber stamps.

I coloured in the lace with a black marker.  The middle image has glitter around it (like a theatre display).

The background popped a bit more when I distressed the edges of the cardstock.

Supplies; Stamps - Songbirds (Tweety Jill), BB: Music sheet (PTI), lacey medallion (Sparkle n' sprinkle), Ink - Memento black and London fog, Antique linen distress, black SU marker, copics (sweet blush, T1), Lemon tart, Paper - Fine linen, cream, Sweet blush, Other - lace (SU), Mat stack #4 die, topaz glitter.

Trying vintage

...and my new dies!

I have been cutting out doilies like a mad woman.  And strangely, I find pushing out the little holes by hand very satisfying.

They are both 5.5'' square card.  The layout on the second is a little off, next time I'd mat the labels die cut and move the charm closer to it.  Overall I'm happy with my first tries at 'vintaged-up' cards.

Supplies; Stamps - Song birds (Tweety Jill), Giga guidelines, Fancy flourishes, Paper - Ocean tides, cream, white, Spring Moss, Patterned paper (Webster's pages), Ink - Brown, versamark, Crumb cake, markers (SU), Antique linen, copic, Other - Parisian doily die, Edgers #2 die, Mat stack #1 die, Labels 1 die, lace, twine, charms, 1/8'' silk ribbon, gold embossing powder.