Alcohol Blending Technique==#tgifc339

The TGIF Challenges challenge this week is  a technique called Alcohol Blending.  I haven't tried this popular technique yet--so dove right in.  To create with this technique you need Vellum card stock (#101856) Stampin' Blends, which are alcohol based markers; and 90%+ rubbing alcohol (don't ask me what the percentage means--but it is higher than the normal 78% you usually buy off the shelf--but if you look at the labels, it is easy to find at the big box stores).  

As is so often the case for me this time of year, the inspiration for my card today were the trees and leaves in my yard.  Specifically, it was our beautiful Red Maple that is, sadly, dying.  The leaves are turning brown and not the lovely Fall red before dropping off.  I got closer to inspect a few and they were still green, one had a bit of red and a little ladybug crawling across it.   With that leaf as inspiration, I pulled out my dark Shaded Spruce, dark Just Jade and dark Poppy Parade Stampin' Blends to use with the Alcohol Blending Technique:

  

The alcohol blended piece forms the background on the card.  I scribbled Shaded Spruce and Just Jade Stampin' Blends on the Vellum card stock piece, then dropped the alcohol on the scribbles until they started to expand on the vellum.  I  blew the alcohol around using my Heat Tool set on low as it dried the piece.  Then I scribbled over the dried piece with the Poppy Parade Stampin' Blends in just a few places and again added the alcohol and blew and dried it with my Heat Tool (#129053).  I cut the Vellum down to 4" x 5-1/4" and layered on the same sized piece of  Basic White card stock (#159276).  It looked like Christmas paper when I was finished, but I still went with leaves!

The maple leaf image from Gorgeous Leaves stamp set (#153365, also bundled with the Intricate Leaves dies at 10% off, #158609) was stamped in Just Jade on Basic White five times, then the leaves were die cut using the coordinating die from the Intricate Leaves dies (#153566).  Two branches were die cut using the same die set out of Soft Suede card stock.  The greeting is from the Pretty Pumpkins stamp set (#1564712).  It was stamped in Soft Suede and die cut using a die from the Tasteful Labels die set (#152886).  A doubled length of Linen Thread (#104199) tied in a bow completes the card.

This alcohol blending technique makes some stunning cards.  See them over at the TGIF Challenges Blog here:

Have a great week!

--Sara Nell 

  

Blackberry Bliss Hello--#tgifc336

This week's TGIF Challenges color challenge was a bit of a challenge for me:  Blackberry Bliss, Basic Black and Vanilla.  Vanilla!!!!  Well, I thought it was white as I was making my card.  I'll just let you imagine the white background as vanilla on the card front and greeting tag.  You can do that, right?  Right!

The difficulty with this challenge for me was that there is very little contrast between Basic Black and Blackberry Bliss.  I mean, do you see the layer of Basic Black between the vanilla (your imagination is at work, isn't it?) top layer and the Blackberry Bliss card base?  To solve this,  I watered down the Blackberry Bliss ink with a paint brush and water on Watercolor Paper (#149612) and then die cut my leaves from the watercolor paper. The leaves and two Basic Black die cut branches were arranged over a wide splatter of Blackberry Bliss and small splatters of Basic Black and Blackberry Bliss.  The splatter images are from the Gorgeous Leaves stamp set and the die cuts were done with the coordinating Intricate Leaves die set (#153566, available in a bundle with the stamp set at 10% off, #158609). 

The greeting image is from the Artistically Inked stamp set (#154542).  It was stamped in VersaMark, heat embossed with Black Stampin' Emboss Powder and die cut using the small label die from the Harvest die set (#156504).  Three Brushed Metallic Adhesive-Backed Dots (#156506) complete the card. 

For more fun projects using this color combination, head over to the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Have a great weekend!

--Sara Nell

Fall Birthday--#tgifc332

This week's TGIF Challenges color challenge includes Cinnamon Cider, Cherry Cobbler and Mossy Meadow.  These three rich colors remind me of a crisp Fall day and the best part of a crisp Fall day is falling leaves!  Of course!  So, I pulled out my Gorgeous Leaves Bundle (#158609/includes the Gorgeous Leaves stamp set, #153365 and the Intricate Leaves dies, #153566, bundled at 10% off) and stamped falling leaves:

The maple leaves were stamped randomly over Very Vanilla card stock in Cinnamon Cider and Cherry Cobbler.  I love how these images surround the leaves in speckles!  I added more speckles with my Mossy Meadow Stampin' Write marker.  The large maple leaf was die cut out of Cherry Cobbler and adhered to a Mossy Meadow circle embossed with the Timber 3D embossing folder (#156406).

The greeting is from the Artistically Inked stamp set (#154542).  It was stamped in Mossy Meadow on a 1/2" strip of Very Vanilla card stock.  A card base of Very Vanilla, a layer of Mossy Meadow and a bow of Linen Thread (#104199) complete the card.

The TGIF Challenges team designer's created some beautiful cards for this week color challenge.  Check them out over at the TGIF Challenges Blog here.

Have a great week!

--Sara Nell

     

Creation Station September Hop--From Simple to Artfully Stepped Up

 

It's that time again--time for the monthly Creation Station Blog Hop.  Welcome!  We have really got some great inspiration for you today. We are creating simple cards, then artfully stepping them up.  Check out each Creation Station designer's blog by hopping using the "Next" link at the bottom of the blog post.  You'll be glad you did!!!

Just in case you didn't yet know this about me, I am totally inspired by the leaves of Fall--I walk my yard collecting fallen leaves to decorate my craft room and inspire me.  I love crunching leaves underfoot and "wading" in big piles of leaves --especially now that I have a grandson who wades right in with me even when the piles are over his head!  Leaves haven't started falling here yet, but I am totally inspired by the Gorgeous Leaves Bundle (#158609/includes Gorgeous Leaves stamp set, #153365 and Intricate Leaves dies, #153566, at 10% off).

For my projects today, I used Blackberry Bliss, Cherry Cobbler, and Cajun Craze as my leaf colors with Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake and Soft Suede as my neutrals.  I added Gold to my stepped up card.

My simple card features three maple leaves, one of each color stamped on Very Vanilla card stock and die cut.  They are arranged over a piece of Crumb Cake card stock that was stamped three times in Soft Suede with the timber grain background image from the stamp set. The greeting is from the Very Versailles stamp set (#149275).  It was stamped on a 5/8" strip of Very Vanilla card stock with Blackberry Bliss.  The ends were punched with the Banners Pick-a-Punch (#153608) to form a label.  The card base is Blackberry Bliss.

For my stepped up card, I used the Blackberry Bliss card stock as a layer and added a Crumb Cake card base.  Instead of using the timber grain stamp image, I embossed the Crumb Cake top layer with the Timber 3D embossing folder (#156406) inside of which I applied Soft Suede ink side before running the piece through the Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine.  This brought out the grain just a bit more. 

Most of the maple leaves arranged on the Crumb Cake layer were created with the three leaf colors, using refill inks dropped on a baby wipe as the stamp pad.  The mottled colored leaves are what I always see in my yard.  Three of the leaves were stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with Gold Stampin' Emboss Powder (##155555, Metallics collection).

Instead of a punched label for the greeting, this greeting was fussy cut.  It is layered over a piece of Cherry Cobbler & Gold metallic ribbon (#156312).  Several Gilded Gems (#152478) complete this stepped up card.   

Now, let's head over to The Creative Teacup Blog and see what wonderful creations Yvonne has for us today!  

To Yvonne's blog . . . 

Enjoy the rest of the hop!

--Sara Nell