I was able to play with the new Cool Cats stamps from MFT Stamps. I love the images on this stamp set and the sentiments are so adorable. MFT has done it again! They never cease to amaze me. Here is a process video of the card I made yesterday.
Have an amazing day!
After unpacking my suitcases and doing a load of endless laundry, I needed some “me-time” to relax and one way of achieving this is to color stamp images. I have recently received the pack of Vivid Irojiten Colored Pencils from Tombow USA and so I decided to test them out.
The package comes with a sand eraser and a sharpener. I have wanted to try the mono-sand eraser for quite sometime now so this will also be a review of the eraser. When you open the package, you will have to sharpen all of the pencils. The pencils glided on so smoothly and I was able to sharpen all of them in no time.
I stamped my image using My Favorite Things Hybrid Licorice Black Ink on 80 lb. Neenah Solar White card stock. As you can see on the photo, I had a little accident with my stamp. I used the Tombow Mono Sand Eraser to try and fix my mistake. It worked so well and I was able to save my piece.
I started coloring the image using the brown colored pencil. I tend to be heavy-handed with my colored pencils and I was immediately impressed with the lead core because it was really strong and it didn’t break at all during my coloring process. I was also able to color the small lines without any issues.
Using my Gamsol, I started blending the color as you see on the photo above. Technically, I was quite happy without even using the Gamsol, but I wanted my colors to have a smooth finish. You can see the difference between blending it with Gamsol and leaving it as-is.
Here is my card. I love how it turned out. I also used Ranger’s Glossy Accents to highlight the cat’s eyeglasses. I know you can barely see it on the photo but in real life, it really is amazing!
I am so happy with the pencils and the sand eraser. I love it so much that I decided to order the set of Tranquil Irojiten Colored Pencils. I particularly prefer the soft pastel colors and I cannot wait to receive my order.
These colored pencils are available at http://www.tombowusa.com. Please let me know if you have tried them.
Have an amazing week!
I am back from my anniversary trip from Greece and today I am joining the Lawnscaping Blog Sketch Challenge No. 128 using one of my favorite Lawn Fawn stamp sets called Fairy Friends. I just can’t stop playing around with this set and this time, I used it for a birthday card. I also used a couple of older Lawn Fawn stamp sets and dies. The supplies I have used are listed below for your reference. You will also find a photo of the sketch challenge if you decide to join. Remember, you only have until Wednesday to finish your card.
I am also entering this card for another challenge at Crafters With Artitude Facebook group and my friend, Sandi Nagel is hosting this month’s challenge called “Solid Gold”. You can basically create anything your heart desire, using Gold and bling.
Here is my rendition of the sketch challenge #128:
Here is a photo of the sketch challenge:
Supplies used:
LF Fairy Friends Stamp Set and Dies
LF Happy Wedding Stamp Set and Dies
LF Stitched Scallop Border Dies
LF Large Stitched Rectangle Die
Stampin’ Up Birthday Greetings
Copic Markers – E000, E00, E02, R00, R20, B0000 (Skin tone, dress and wings)
Copic Markers – E37, E35, E31 (Hair)
Copic Markers – R85, R81 (Cake)
Tombow Mono Permanent Tape Runner Adhesive
Scotch Foam Adhesive
Ranger Diamond Stickles
Recollection Gold Paper Pad
Recollections 110 lb. white card stock
Recollections Gold Washi Tape
Here is a close-up photo of the project so you can see the glitter. I hope you like what I created. Have an amazing day!
While waiting for my MFT Order from the April release, I am once again joining MFT Stamps Sketch Challenge No. 275 this week. Here is a photo of the sketch challenge.
I used two stamp sets for the card that you see below. The cat images are from the “I Knead You stamp set” and the cute cat “bed” is from the “You Make my Tail Wag”. Aren’t the cat images adorable? Here are the materials that I’ve used:
Recollections 110 lb. white Card Stock
I Knead You Stamp Set and Coordinating Dies
You Make My Tail Wag Stamp Set and Coordinating Dies
Stiched Arch Stax Dienamics
Doubly Amazing Dienamics
DCWV Pastel Glittered Card Stock & Silver Card Stock
Barb-wire cutting die
Little Meow A5 Paper Pad
Tombow Mono Liquid Adhesive
Scotch Foam Adhesive
Pearl Gem Stone
Copic Markers – W0, W2, W4, W6 and R00, R20
Sakura Black Gel Pen
Sakura White Gel Pen
Exacto Knife
I hope you like the card that I created. Have a great weekend!
Hello stampers and crafters! Today is my turn to showcase my all-time favorite Brentwood stamp from www.jessicalynnoriginal.com. It is also JLO’s 11th year anniversary. Today’s post will be a little different. I will not be showing you a ton of card samples. My blog post will be all about my designing process. A little disclaimer, I am still a novice in card making. The tips I am sharing with you today are some of the things I have learned along the way being a paper crafter. I am still learning and trying to improve. However this is my own designing process so I hope you enjoy. I would love to receive your comment as well on what is yours. What inspires you to create cards or scrapbook layouts? Some of you guys are visual learners and would probably like to see some of it in action, so here’s a little YouTube video that I filmed and posted on my channel. This is my “happy” place.
First thing that I do is to make a good cup of coffee for myself. I then turn my iPod on to my favorite playlist so that I can play my favorite music while I work on the card. Lighting a great scented candle is always my go-to. I know that’s too much for some people but that is what I do for myself. I like to work in a peaceful and beautiful environment. Once the room is completely how I like it, I then start gathering my supplies.
If I am using a clear stamp, my favorite tool to use for stamping is my MISTI or my stampoholic-Nano. This tool makes lining up the sentiments and stamping the images so much easier. If you didn’t stamp it correctly, you can always go back and stamp it again and make it look as perfect as you want it to be. However for the two cards you see below, I used my all-time favorite digital stamp from JLO and the free anniversary digital stamp now available for download until the end of this month. Here’s the link http://www.jessicalynnoriginal.com/limited-edition-instant-download-jessicalynnoriginal-coms-brentwood-owl-singing-in-the-rain-celebrating-our-11th-anniversary-digital-rubber-stamp/
From my experience, stamping the image a couple of times is always a good idea because if you somehow mess up the coloring on one image, then you can color another without having to go back and stamp again and again. Trust me, it will save you so much time! I use Memento Tuxedo black ink for Copic markers, or MFT Stamps Black Hybrid Ink. Now, Simon Says Stamp made the Intense Black Ink that is both good for Copic markers or watercolors. I switch between the three!
Before I die-cut the stamped images, I like to clean my stamps by using my all-time favorite cleaner, water and a chamois. Yes, a chamois! You know, the stuff that you use to wipe your car with? You can purchase one inexpensively at an auto-supply store, or order one from Amazon (where I got mine). You can reuse this a hundred times and it will clean the stamps nicely. I used to use baby wipes but they sometimes left some fibers on my stamps. I got this tip from a fellow stamper months ago at a Facebook group called Stamping Enablers. Lawn Fawn now has a stamp Shammy that they also sell in their online store.
Once the images are colored, I proceed to die-cut the images with the coordinating dies but if I don’t, I fuzzy-cut the image using my favorite Fiskars cutter-bee scissors. I also die-cut everything else that I need for my card. I like to use post-it tape to hold my dies in it’s place so it doesn’t shift when I run it through my die-cutting machine. The supplies you see on the photos are all of my favorite supplies in card making. One helpful TIP: I try to use as few colors as possible and also try to coordinate my patterned paper or card stock with the color of the images that I’m using for my card.
Have you ever noticed that popular card-makers always somehow create the most beautiful cards? Aside from using some great tools, this is the main reason why! However, this doesn’t always work for me. Sometimes, I don’t have the coordinating patterned paper or card stock but I try to minimize the colors that I use. At times, I get carried away over-embellishing my cards but then that’s what card-making is all about. Isn’t it? Sometimes I like to create simple cards, sometimes I don’t. It depends on my mood, I guess!
Once I finish the card, I then proceed to take a final photo so I can post it on my social media accounts, like Instagram, post on my Blog or use it as a thumbnail for my YouTube videos.
Another great tip: Lighting is the key to great photographs. I know it doesn’t always work but I will teach you a trick on how to edit your lighting! YOU DON’T NEED EXPENSIVE LIGHT BOXES TO MAKE THEM LOOK PROFESSIONAL!
For my cards, I use a white poster board that I lined up with a neutral patterned paper. Having a neutral color background will always make your images pop. I use a frog pin (purchased from a craft store) to hold my cards up. Once I am satisfied with the position, I take a few photos using my iPhone 6S.
If my lighting is really bad and the sun doesn’t want to cooperate, I use a photo-editor app to fix my lighting (Layout, RealBokeh, or Adobe Photoshop). However, there are a ton of free photo apps out there that can do this for you. You just need to find whatever works for you. Once I am happy with the lighting, I then use another app to put a watermark on my photos (Phonto). I started doing this now because I found that some of my card photos before were (stolen and) used to submit photos for an application to be published at a magazine. Yes, I know it is horrible and I really do not want to specify anymore because I try not to dwell on things and just move forward. I have learned my lesson the hard way. This is why I always have my watermark on my finished cards.
So I hope you guys found these tips and tricks very helpful. I would like to know your designing process and would be really grateful if you share your tips with me as well.
Here are my cards to celebrate Jessica Lynn Original’s 11th year anniversary! Please celebrate with us by going to Jessica’s Blog for more details; she will be giving away a HUGE prize at the end of the week. To participate, download the free digi-stamp and post your link at Jessica’s Blog. Here’s Jessica’s link: http://jessicalynnoriginalstamps.blogspot.com/2016/04/happy-11th-anniversary.html
Have an amazing week!
The April release from MFT Stamps has inspired me to play with my I Knead You stamp set and dies. This card will be another entry for the MFT Sketch Challenge No. 274. It is obvious that I love MFT, and this adorable cat stamp set is a must-have.
The supplies I have used for this card:
MFT Stamps – I Knead You Stamp Set
MFT Stamps – I Knead You Dienamics
MFT Stamps – Stitched Arch Stax Dienamics
MFT Stamps – Hot Cocoa Cups Dienamics (the small heart with the kitty)
MFT Stamps – Lucky Prints Paper Pad
Copic Markers – E33, E35, E37, W0, W1, W3, R00 and BV02
Stampin Up Bow Die
Little Meow Paper Pad
Tombow Mono-Adhesive Tape Runner
Scotch Foam Adhesive
Recollections A2 size Card Base
Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangle Dies
I hope you like my card today. Have a wonderful week and happy crafting!
It has been a very busy week for me so far but one of the things that always relax me is to go to my craft room and create something beautiful. On today’s blog post, I decided to join MFT Stamps Sketch Challenge for the first time. Here is the photo of Sketch Challenge No. 274.
And here is my rendition for the challenge.
I have used MFT Stamps Adorable Elephants (one of my favorites), with the LJD All Heart stamp set and my new favorite, the Tag Builder Blueprints #5. I just absolutely love the color combination that I used for this card. The pink and gold color combo is very popular these days but to tune it down a little, I used gray card stock for my banner and for my card base.
I hope you like this card. Happy crafting!
I am back from traveling and I couldn’t wait to start playing with my new Pretty Pink Posh stamp set. The images on this stamp set are extremely cute. As soon as I looked at this set, I knew I wanted to create a cute Mother’s Day card.
I first stamped the images using my mini-Misti stamping tool, then colored the images using my Copic markers. For the “mom” – I used R000, R00 and R01 for the body and YR07 for the beak and legs. For their bellies, I used Y11. The same goes with the tiny little chick in the middle of the trio. For the male chicks, I used BG000 and BG00, and for the rosy cheeks I used R20.
Using the coordinated dies, I run it through my die-cutting machine to cut out the images. To create the scene for my card, I used my Spellbinders Cherry Blossom die for the branch, and the little bow was using the Pretty Pink Posh Twine and Bows die.
The background paper is from Doodlebug, Sweet Cakes paper pad. To create the shaker card, I used Mama Elephant’s All Prettied Up die set. This die-set is one of my favorites in creating shakers. The scallop and stitched details are so dainty it is perfect for a feminine card.
For my shaker material, I used Pretty Pink Posh sparkling clear 6 mm sequins, with 4mm blush and watermelon sequins and some dark pink star confetti. Here is a detailed list of what I’ve used.
Mini-Mist Stamping Tool
Card Base – Recollection 110 lb. white card stock
Patterned Paper – Doodlebug Sweet Cakes 6×6 paper pad
Window Sheet
8 mm Fun Foam
Pretty Pink Posh – Birdie Friends Stamps and Die Sets
Pretty Pink Posh – 6 mm sparkling clear sequins
Pretty Pink Posh – 4 mm Blush and Watermelon sequins
Cartwright Flower Sequins in Blush
Pretty Pink Posh – Twine and Bows Die
Martha Stewart – Star Confetti in Dark Pink
Mama Elephant – All Prettied Up Die Set
Lawn Fawn – Mom and Me Stamp Set
Tombow – permanent tape runner adhesive
Mini Glue dots
Spellbinders – Cherry Blossom dies
Copic Markers – R000, R00, R01, Y11, YR07, BG000and BG 00, R20
Memento Tuxedo Black Ink
Mama Elephant – Bubblegum Dye Ink
Lawn Fawn – Hippo Dye Ink
Sakura Gel Pen – White
Sakura Glazed Pen – Black
Stampin’ Up – Gemstones
I hope you like the card below. Have an amazing weekend!
Today, I am sharing with you my Design Team project for http://www.not2shabbyshop.com. I have made 3 different projects using the CC Designs Chicky Henry Stamp set.
I hope you like the projects that I made. Here’s the YouTube video if you’d like to see it.
Maria Russell Designs 