Cards and Such

Okay everyone... I have now ventured into the world of card-makers!!!! isn't that exciting?!?!? Every month, I will be hosting a mid-month card challenge over at Colorful Creations.  Please stop in and check it out :-)

For my first challenge, I decided to do something a little different. After watching several videos on how-to's and reading over various tutorials, I ended at using household cleaners to stamp with.  What was that??? Bleach? Dish Detergent? Are you serious? Well, I gave it a "test drive" and was amazed by the results!!!!

I started by inking plain white cardstock with Tim Holtz Distress inks in Wild Honey, Worn Lipstick, Fired brick, and Spiced Marmalade.  Then I set my stamp atop of a plate lined with Cascade (dish detergent) that acted as my actual stamp pad.  Then I laid the stamp on the inked cardstock and waited!!!!  I happen to be a very anxious person so I wanted to speed up the process a bit by taking my heat gun to the paper.  The heat actually makes these tiny bubbles come up from the detergent to give you one unique look!!!

Another technique I came across while browsing is called the reflection technique.  I wanted to give this a try for the "Say it with words" challenge hosted by Anne at Colorful Creations and combine it with the Holiday Challenge over at Sketches4All.  The "word" to use this month on the challenge was "Happiness".  The holiday challenge is called "The end of summer" challenge.  For the challenge, you are to create a project that means the end of summer to you.  Whether it's back to school, no more beaches, etc.  I think of fall when I think of summer ending and wanted to incorporate that with my card.

I started by stamping a tree stamp (any "nature" type stamp should work fine) on plain white cardstock.  Then, with the same stamp, I stamped a piece of transparency.  I took the transparency and laid it upside down (ink side down) on the cardstock and pressed firmly.  You are merely transferring the image from the transparency to the cardstock, but backwards.  I used Tim Holtz inks in Shabby Shutters and Tumbled glass to create a "land and water" type of effect.  This gives you the impression that there is a reflection of the tree in water.  Very neat!!!! I used my pop-dots to place atop of tan cardstock with a sentiment that says "Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open".  I also ran some yellowish-gold colored cardstock through the Sizzix with the Swiss Dots embossing folder from Cuttlebug and laid it behind the image.  I am IN LOVE with this card!!! It just looks so beautiful :-)

Thanks again for stopping in!!! Have a LUCKY day :-)