Category: cardmaking

Home in the PNW

I was fascinated by Jana Millen’s “tree and cat in the snow” card in this post the moment I saw it. As I have a Golden Retriever, (and don’t have at cat), I decided to make a similar card with the Labrador die. And since it feels as if spring is just around the corner here in the Pacific Northwest, I created my card to reflect the spring season. You’ll notice the sky still looks as if there’s a chance of rain – well, that’s the PNW for you!

The background was stamped twice – first with the soft pool shadow ink and then with the soft granite. I shifted the stamp just a titch between the two stampings. I added distress ink to all of the die cuts just to soften them a bit. This is a big card – almost 6 1/2″ tall and 4 3/4″ wide in order to accommodate that magnificent tree! 

PNWDog

Pinspired Challenge #4

It’s time for another Pinspired Challenge. The inspirational photo is for you to interpret anyway you want. You can take from the colors, the style, the theme – it’s up to you!

This challenge is sponsored by Sweet Stamp Shop who are offering a $10 gift certificate to their online store.

For my card, I sought to capture the wood grain/planks, the colors and the stacked type sentiment contained in the inspiration image.

Challenge4-JM

Head on over to the Pinspired Challenges blog to see the creations from the rest of the “Pin Heads” and find out the details for playing along. Three runner ups will be chosen and win a “Pin Pal” badge for their blog. A winner, who will also be chosen by the “Pin Heads,” will win a “Pin Perfect” badge for their blog along with the prize from Sweet Stamp Shop. We can’t wait to see your creations!

Supplies: My Mind’s Eye button; Sizzix flower die; corrugated kraft

Whimsical House – Right at Home

I’ve still got the concept of “home” on my mind as a result of the map course I’m taking (which I mentioned in this post). For this home-themed card, I was inspired by a card created by Jennifer McGuire for the Online Card Classes Summer Cards course. I’ve had the “Whimsical House” stamp set for awhile but have never used it before.

AtHome

 

As you can see, I’m using the same design (from Jennifer McGuire) as in some of the other cards I posted last week. It’s a great design to use as I try out techniques!

Butterfly #2

I decided to make another card with the same design that I showed in this post. For this card, I created the panel with a technique shown in the Online Card Classes Inspiration Showcase course.

Butterfly2

 

When I took the Inspiration Showcase course, I was fairly new to cardmaking and stamping, so I’ve been revisiting the techniques taught in the course. The background stamp was “inked” with the acrylic paint dabber. After the paint dried, I added distress inks in layers, beginning with the wild honey, followed by the spiced marmalade, and finally with the persimmon.

Right at Home

This week I began an online Map Making class taught by Anne Ditmeyer. For my class project, I’m creating a map of our daily walk with Ginger, our golden retriever. With my head full of map ideas, I set out to create a map-based card celebrating Ginger and the Pacific Northwest. (I don’t always feel “at home” here, but I do make an effort to celebrate what I have. The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful part of the world, and for the time being, it is my home.)

MyHome-blog

 

I used the Washington State from Nettio Designs’ map template as a mask for Cosmo Cricket’s Mr. Campy digital paper. I printed the state shape and cut it by hand. This is a case where I’d very much like to have had the use of a digital cutter. 🙂

As my cardmaking has evolved, I’ve recognize the importance of  little details. In this case, I went back and added the small, die-cut heart to the sentiment and colored in the dog’s nose.

Supplies: Cosmo Cricket Mr. Campy digital paper; Stampin’ Up cardstock (orange, red)