Animal Outing meets Colorful Seasons

An Animal Outing birthday card

I do struggle a bit with children's cards - but then I struggle a bit with children!

This is for a little great niece turning 3.

I started by stamping the giraffe and frog with Saddle Brown Stazon ink onto Whisper White cardstock and then added foliage, masking as I went, using the Colorful Seasons stampset (which is retiring very soon) and Free As A Bird stampset.

Then I watercoloured my little scene, taking care not to use too much water and being gentle with my strokes to preserve the integrity of the Whisper White cardstock.  The Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper would have been more suitable ... but I didn't think ahead!

The sentiment is also stamped with the Saddle Brown Stazon ink.  Then I placed layers of Soft Suede and Granny Apple Green cardstock onto my Soft Suede card base.

TIP: MASKING

• Decide which image is to be at the front of your scene and stamp that first.
• Stamp the same image onto the sticky part of a post it note (so that the sticky bit is on the back!)
• Cut out this image INSIDE the lines.
• Stick the mask you've just made on top of the corresponding image in your project
• Stamp your next image - it will look like it's behind the first image you stamped.
• Masking is also useful for protecting images while you sponge around them.

Thank you for visiting.
'Til next time!
Stephanie

Product List - all available for purchase in my online store

Animal Outing Clear-Mount Bundle

$78.25

Free As A Bird Cling Stamp Set

$38.00

Colorful Seasons Photopolymer Stamp Set

$47.00

Saddle Brown Stazon Ink Pad

$17.50

Soft Suede A4 Card Stock

$15.25

Granny Apple Green A4 Cardstock

$15.25

Black & White coastal scene with lighthouse

A precious cargo is guided into the safe haven at the end of its journey

I've struggled over whether to share this one or not.  Eventually, though, I came to the conclusion that when we share our projects via our blog posts, we are also sharing a little something of ourselves and our lives.  And life isn't always flowers and sunshine, unfortunately.

Today (as I write this), I received the news that someone very dear to me has taken her last breath.  This card is for her family.

For me, this picture represents a precious cargo being guided into a safe haven at the end of its journey.  

Thanks for visiting me today.

'Til next time

Stephanie

Tips & tricks:

• I stamped the lighthouse & ship with black into onto Very Vanilla cardstock & masked them.
• I tore a piece of scrap paper to produce something like a cliff edge and used it as a mask while I sponged with black ink.  I used Mememto Tuxedo Black as I think it's a bit of a softer, warmer black.
• I tore another piece of scrap paper to create a mask for the mountains and used a straight edge of paper to mask the sea while I sponged the mountains with black ink.
• I then, very lightly, sponged black onto the sky area, using the straight edge of a scrap of paper as a mask to create the beam of light from the lighthouse.
• I reversed my "mountain" mask and sponged the mountain reflection into the sea area.
• Then I lightly sponged all of the sea area.
• The ship stamp has built in waves which I needed to incorporate into my scene somehow.  So I used a small brush and watercoloured in swirls of black ink until it seemed blended enough.
• I removed the masks from the lighthouse & ship and gave them a very light touch of black ink to reduce the stark contrast a little.
• I used the grass stamp from In the meadow to stamp with black in the foreground.

Product List

The Open Sea Clear Stamp Set

[123032]

From Land To Sea Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[139361]

In The Meadow Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[140754]

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

[132708]

Stamping Sponges

[101610]

Very Vanilla A4 Card Stock

[106550]

Basic Gray A4 Card Stock

[121689]

Beautiful Ride - moving card

The Beautiful Ride and In the meadow stamp sets were used for this card

This little car-d is intended to lift the flagging spirits of some elderly friends who have just moved!  The poor things are mentally and physically exhausted and full of aches and pains, so I chose yellow as the focal colour - I always think it's soothing and cheerful.

I stamped the car and luggage then masked them (having first removed the windows from the car mask) while I stamped the trees and shrubs then sponged the background.  The shrubs are created with the grass stamp from the In the meadow stamp set.

The road is sponged with Sahara Sand with shadows of a very light touch of black.  The sky is Marina Mist and the trees and shrubs a mix of Pear Pizzazz and Mossy Meadow.

Having removed the masks, I edged the road with Basic Gray and Basic Black markers.  I coloured the car with Daffodil Delight and Crushed Curry markers.  I used Basic Black, Basic Gray and Smoky Slate markers on the wheels.  I added a little bit of Basic Black marker on the road under the tyres to "ground" the car.

I coloured the tree trunks with Crumb cake and Chocolate Chip markers and added a few dots and strokes of Real Red marker to create some flowers.

The luggage is coloured with Sahara Sand and Basic Black markers.

I stamped the sentiment "Congratulations you two"  and then added the "'ve moved" by partially inking the "We've moved" greeting.  To ensure that it all looked even, I also inked the first sentiment with the Basic Black marker.

Thanks for visiting.

'Til next time
Stephanie

Click on any of the images below to shop in my online store

Product List

Beautiful Ride Photopolymer Stamp Set

[140738]

In The Meadow Clear-Mount Stamp Set

[140754]

Many Marvelous Markers

[131264]

Basic Black Archival Stampin’ Pad

[140931]

Daffodil Delight A4 Card Stock

[121680]

Basic Gray A4 Card Stock

[121689]

Shimmery White A4 Card Stock

[121717]

Pear Pizzazz Classic Stampin' Pad

[131180]

Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad

[133645]

Marina Mist Classic Stampin' Pad

[126962]

Sahara Sand Classic Stampin' Pad

[126976]

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad

[132708]

What I Love

Mistakes and accidents happen  but can be disguised

This card took on a life of its own!

I had intended it to be a simple one layer sponged strip with the greeting, however, as I was sponging - my masks moved!

To cover up my mistake (once I'd stopped chastising myself!), I stamped more of the flowers onto Crushed Curry cardstock with black ink and cut them out.  Then I carefully arranged them to hide the worst of the problem!

The colours I used are Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie and Cajun Craze.  The greeting is from One Big Meaning and the flowers are from the Sale-A-Bration set called What I love (free with any purchase of $90).

I used Shimmery White cardstock for the card because I like it for sponging and watercolouring and it also has a good weight for a single layer card.

'Til next time
Stephanie

Click on the images below to purchase any of the supplies.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Wetlands on masked, sponged background

In need of a quick but effective birthday card (February seems to be a very busy month for birthdays!), I made this.  What I like about it most is that it's suitable for both genders!

An easy but effective single layer card - I used Shimmery White card

I simply masked off part of the card (in this case half of it) with some scrap paper and sponged on the colours.  I used shimmery white cardstock because it has a good weight for a single layer card but is also a very nice surface for sponging and watercolouring.

I started with Pear Pizzazz at the bottom then blended in some Sahara Sand followed by Soft Sky.  Then I brought some Marina Mist down from the top and added a tiny bit of Mossy Meadow to the bottom.

Having removed the mask, I then stamped the images from Wetlands with Archival Black ink.  I used a Stamp-a-ma-jig to get the positioning exactly as I wanted it.

The last thing to add was the greeting from Happy Birthday Everyone.

All finished in no time flat!

Thanks for looking.
'Til next time
Stephanie

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

By the Tide - an exercise in masking

A quick and easy card using masking

This single-layer card is all about masking!

I used Shimmery White cardstock because it has a good weight for a single layer card and also has a nice smooth surface that inks up well.

I protected the majority of the front of the card with scrap paper (masked it), leaving one strip ready for sponging with Pool Party, Marina Mist and Night of Navy.

With the masking still in place, I started stamping my fish.  Starting at the right of the card, I stamped a fish then covered with a mask that I'd prepared earlier (see below).  Then I stamped the next fish, moved the mask onto that fish and stamped the next fish and so on.
Tip: Remember that the image you mask will appear to be in front of what you stamp over it.

Once all my fish were stamped, I removed the scrap paper covering the card and stamped the greeting (from the exclusive Hostess set: Happy Birthday Everyone).

Once the ink was nice and dry I added some clear Wink of Stella to the fish to make their scales glisten - sadly it doesn't show in the photo though!

'Til next time
Stephanie

How to prepare a mask:
Stamp the image onto some scrap paper.  I like to use a thin paper (like printer paper).
Cut out the image - making sure to cut inside the lines.
Dab or coat the back of the cut out image with 2-way glue and allow it to dry.

FAQ:
Why do I need to cut inside the lines for a mask?
Well, the edge of the paper makes the stamp "skip" ie it doesn't print in the area immediately around the edge of the paper.  Cutting inside the lines allows for this unprinted zone and prevents a "halo" effect.

Why am using 2-way glue and allowing it to dry?
There are certainly other ways to go about it!  However, this is what I have found works best for me.  The 2-way glue is repositionable once it's dry and is only lightly tacky (if it seems too tacky, I stick it to my clothing a couple of times!) so it stays in place while necessary but is easy to remove without causing any damage to the project.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Crazy Crafters Blog Hop - Sale-A-Bration products 2016

 

Welcome to the first Crazy Crafters Blog Hop for 2016! Happy New Year!!

You may just be starting the blog hop here at my blog - Stephanie Fischer, The Crafty Thinker - or you may have come from the person before me in the list. If you get off track at any time, the full lineup below will help you to move along from blog to blog so that you see all of the projects.

This month we are showcasing the Sale-A-Bration products that are available until 31st March. These products are FREE - you can choose one for every $90 you spend - how great is that?!  And there's a great selection of stamp sets and papers.  

Some of them are only available for a limited time so don't delay!

My card today features elements of the Flowering Fields (141303) and Hello (141243) stamp sets.

A single layer card using Flowering Fields to create a border

Each of these stamp sets have a great selection of stamps:  there are 7 rubber stamps in the Flowering Fields set and the Hello set has a whopping 9!

If you like the Hello set - don't delay - it's only available until 15 February.

I used Shimmery White Cardstock (121717) because for a single layer card I like its weight and it's nice and easy to colour smoothly.

I decided that the butterfly from Flowering Fields could have a little rest on the word "Hello" and I added a bit of Wink of Stella so that it shimmers in the light.

A little bit of Wink of Stella makes the butterfly shimmer

Sale-A-Bration is also a REALLY good time to join the team as a demonstrator if you'd like to get your hands on the great Stampin' Up! products at the discounted demonstrator prices or even build a business.  Until 31st March you can build your own Starter Kit with a value of $295 for only $169!! Contact me if you'd like more information.

And if you'd like an excuse to meet up with your friends - host a qualifying party until 31st March and earn an extra $40 to put towards the products you'd like to have. Contact me if you'd like more information.

It doesn't show well, but there's also some Wink of Stella on the flowers

I hope you've enjoyed this card and I welcome your comments. 

Thanks for taking part in our blog hop. Remember that currently you are at my blog - Stephanie Fischer - so check the blog hop line up list to see who is next in the list and click on their name as you don't want to miss out on seeing any of the blogs and the amazing inspiration they contain.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Butterfly Basics meets a Brick Wall

This card features the Butterfly Basics stamp set and the Brick Wall embossing folder.

This is another card that we'll be making during my 9 week semester of classes - it uses a few techniques: masking, sponging and stamping with an embossing folder.

Contact me if you would like more information about the classes I will be running at Learning in the Hills, Baulkham Hills, NSW or call Learning in the Hills direct on (02) 9639 7918  to book your place.

'Til next time
Stephanie

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Underwater masking - From Land to Sea & By The Tide

The bubbles have a shimmer to them.

I'm busy preparing samples for the next semester of my classes at Learning in the Hills (commence Tuesday 2nd February!) and this is one of them.

We'll be making this in class to learn about masking.

For those interested:  it's a 9 week structured course in Baulkham Hills, NSW.  Contact me for more details or call Learning in the Hills to book your place on (02) 9639 7918.

'Til next time
Stephanie

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Snowmum Shaker Card

The glitter in the shaker falls into interesting snow falls

I came over all adventurous yesterday and made my first shaker card!  I've been thinking of improvements ever since but, meanwhile - here it is!

I have decided to enter it into this week's Global Design Project #GDP012 since Brian King's lovely card inspired me to use the Snow Place stamp set.

A little bit of masking and stamping with the Snow Place stamp set

 I've called it my Snowmum card because of the comforting arm/stick around the little snowman.  My niece had been visiting with her new baby and all the cuteness must have affected me!

The inside of the card

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Christmas card - To You & Yours Too

Time is not my friend at the moment so I was very excited to complete a card to enter into the latest Global Design Project challenge!  This is GDP010 - click the image for the link to join in or see all the lovely entries.

And this is my card using the To You &Yours Too stamp set, some masking and sponging.

My entry for #GDP010: To You & Yours Too, Delicate Ornaments Thinlits, Masking & Sponging

To go with the moonlight theme, I stamped the black cardstock with versamark using the little stars from the stamp set and heat embossed with Heat & Stick before sprinkling with Dazzling Diamonds glitter.

I masked the moon with a circle of scrap paper (I made it sticky but removable with some 2-Way glue) before sponging with Soft Sky, Pool Party, Pacific Point, Night of Navy and a tiny touch of black.  Then I removed the mask and stamped the main image from the stamp set with Archival black ink.  I then cut out the image with one of the Delicate Ornament Thinlits and sponged the edge with a little black.

The ornament top and hook are cut from Silver Foil with dies from the same set.

I stamped the banner from the Project Life Hello December 2015 stamp set and coloured between the lines with my Pool Party Stampin' write marker (although it's a bit hard to see in the photo).  I manipulated the photopolymer greeting from the Happy Scenes stamp set so that it followed the shape of the banner and stamped with Pacific Point ink.  Then I fussy cut the banner.

The squares are Pacific Point cardstock layered onto Pool Party. The main card is also Pool Party.

I had so much fun with this that I went on to make several more cards using the same stamp set and similar technique: some sunsets and some moonlight.  I added the sled & reindeer image from Cozy Christmas and to some of them I added the trees from the Wonderland stamp set.

Crushed Curry, Tangelo Twist, Cajun Craze, Bermuda Bay, Night of Navy, Black

Soft Sky, Pool Party, Night of Navy, Black.  Main image in Basic Grey

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Dinosaur Hunt

Today I needed to make a birthday card for my pre-school age great-nephew.  I'm not sure what it says about me but this was my creative thought process:
"Must make a card for Hunter ... oooh, I haven't used those dinosaur stamps yet ... boys like dinosaurs ... Hunter ... T-Rex hunting vegesaurs" !!

Dinosaur scene - are they being hunted?

I like to think of the lead Triceratops saying to the other one "Run, Forest, Run!"

It all ends well though .... the T-Rex just wants to invite them to a birthday celebration!

No, it's just a dinosaur birthday party!

I was a bit pressed for time, so it's a very simple card.  The base is Cajun Craze followed by a layer of Lost Lagoon and the stamped layer is Crushed Curry.

I stamped the leading Triceratops first and masked it.  Then stamped the second Triceratops and masked that too.  Then I stamped the tree, leaves and foreground dots (I'm not sure if they're footprints or rocky ground!).  Then I stamped the T-Rex and sentiment.  I stamped the T-Rex right in the corner to try to give a little more depth to my simple little scene.  I used Mossy Meadow ink.

For the inside I stamped the T-Rex again, this time giving him a party hat and some foot prints.  The birthday sentiment is from the Tin of Cards set - it's one I use a lot.

I hope you like my simple little card - it was a lot of fun to make.  My mind is now spinning with more dinosaur scenes with more details (like a sky!).

Til next time
Stephanie

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

So long Stippled Blossoms

Welcome to our April Blog Hop, you should have arrived here from the lovely Angela Lorenz.  This month it's all about celebrating (and maybe mourning a little) the great products that will be retiring soon. 

Card closed

Stippled Blossoms was one of the first Stampin' Up! sets I purchased and I love and use it just as much today as I did then. This really is one of my all-time favourites and I'm so sad to see it go.  I've combined it here with the retiring In-Colours: Pistachio Pudding, Crisp Cantaloupe, Baked Brown Sugar and Coastal Cabana - weren't they great colours!

Double Gate Fold

This card also includes the retiring punches: Small Oval and Artisan Label as well as retiring framelets: Apothecary Accents (another firm favourite of mine) and Bitty Banners.

Just to continue the retiring theme, I've also used the retiring background Dictionary stamp.

Fully open

Other retiring products featured in this card are the Label Love stamp set, Flower Frenzy Bigz die and the  Petite Pairs stamp set.

Remember, the retiring products are selling at up to 50% discount but are only available until 2nd June (while stocks last), so if there's something you like on the list of retiring products - don't hesitate - jump in and get yourself a bargain now.

I hope you've enjoyed your visit here.  When you've finished, remember to click the "Next" button to move on to visit the next Crazy Crafter, the very talented Sue Wdowik who has done an excellent organisational job as our host this month.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog