Art Inspiration, Cards, Concord & 9th, Creative Tips

Hooray for Cake C9 Summer Camp

Hi Friends!

Today’s Creative Adventure is Interactive Cards. For me they are always fun but sometimes intimidating to try. This Let’s Eat Cake die & stamp set looked complicated but was really quite easy to work worth.

For as creative as I am, me & technical are not friends and interactive cards are usually technical. So I do better if I can watch it being assembled step by step. I love classes & tutorial videos for these type of projects.

My #1 suggestion is to always see if you can find several instructional videos on a project that might seem difficult. If you find the right instructor it helps a lot. If it’s a die like this card’s main feature, check out the company’s instructions & what their designers did with it. For this card the slider feature was designed right into the dies and after a couple of video walk-throughs, I got it. I always feel accomplished if something I thought was hard works out great.

Suggestion #2 is don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone & try a project. You may decide you don’t like a particular technique but by trying it out you expand your creative knowledge, tips & tricks for future creating. You also may fall in love with the technique & go on to create many variations of it.

So what is your favorite type of interactive card? A pop-up? Slider? Shaker? There are many possibilities when you start exploring moving parts on cards and albums.

Blessings!

Art Inspiration, Cards, Concord & 9th, Creative Tips

Shaker Party C9 Summer Camp

Hi Friends!

Let’s check out some ideas for shaker cards today. These cards from camp were quick & fun to put together.

You can turn just about any shape die into a shaker card fairly easily. Peruse your die stash & imagine which dies you already own that may make fun and unique shaker cards. Don’t forget to keep the cutouts for other fun projects.

Be generous with the foam tape when creating the “well” for your sequins, confetti or embellishments you plan to add to your shaker. Make sure to seal the opening edge to edge. You can also foam off several wells and highlight the area with different colors if you like. Each row of letters in the Celebrate card above is it’s own well. It also keeps the sequins front & center instead of at the bottom of the window.

Not all shaker cards have to be “fluffy”. Try your hand at the newer style of full front shaker cards. Shaker cards with less bulk are still fun and easier & less expensive to mail.

Using patterned paper will use up some of your scrap pile and add lots of interest to your card when you mix patterns that work well together. The Balloon card could easily be created with all scraps or make a stack of them with a 6 x 6 paper pad.

What kind of sequins or bits & bobs do you have that can make the shaker element fun? Confetti left over from a party, small seed beads from your bead stash, tiny flowers from your dies or flower collection, tinsel, chunky glitter or snow for a Christmas card, the possibilities grow when you look at your supplies with a new eye. This set came with a die that cut confetti shapes. If you have something similar in your dies, you could spend an evening watching TV and cutting out shaker bits from scraps.

Shaker elements are also fun for mini albums, junk journals, and scrapbook pages. Are there other art projects you can think of that you can add a shaker to?

Go on a creative adventure with your art supplies and see what you have that could make fun shaker elements. You might be surprised & come up with a few ideas for other projects when you look at your supplies with a different point of view.

Blessings!

Art Inspiration, Cards, Concord & 9th, Creative Tips

C9 Summer Camp Mountain Scenes

Hi Friends!

I broke out my group of cards from Concord & 9th Summer Camp into their individual classes and will try to share some tips & ideas to recreate a similar look with what you may already own. Especially since these are exclusive sets only for the campers. Class 1 was taught by Laura Bassen, who always shares great creative inspiration.

This Cardscapes set of dies, stencils & stamps offered a lot of variety for the class but also should translate well to similar items we already own. Let’s explore:

If you already own hill, mountain, wave, cloud or similar dies, it will be easy to duplicate this style of layered scenery. Look at your cover plate dies and see if they lend themselves to a decorative frame or check out your foliage & tree dies to be able to add in natural elements. Tree line dies were really popular a couple years ago so you may already have one. A simple circle makes an excellent sun or moon and it’s easy to make stenciled rays even if you don’t have a stencil. Blending between sticky notes works well when laid out in a ray pattern. Here’s a few more tips:

Tip #1 from class – if your die allows it, use it right side up and upside down to vary your hills, mountains, clouds, waves more.

Tip #2 – you can use edge stencils or torn paper to add the shading you see in the card on the right. It was blended with the same color ink that matches the cardstock. Shading & highlights add depth to the card without bulk.

Tip #3 – to create the tree shadow in card one, we used a matching stencil to the tree die placed upside down. If you don’t have a matching stencil you can use the negative die cut left from cutting out the trees as a stencil to create the same effect.

Tip #4 – add some playful fun by mixing patterned & solid cardstock

I hope these tips & tricks provide some idea starters for your next scenery card and allow you to look at your supplies with a new eye to possibilities.

Blessings!

Art Inspiration, Cards, Creative Tips, Simon Says Stamp, Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

You Are Loved

Hi Friends!

I planned on cleaning the studio today & only managed to clean 2 of my worktops but I started a mini book project & created a card.

Over the past year or so I’ve been working on sorting/organizing, I collected a basket of card kits from previous kits of the month that are long since separated from their stamps, dies, etc. So I decided that it might be fun this year to challenge myself to grab a kit & make a card with the pieces in the package.

Tonight I grabbed an easy one, (I’ll have to take a picture of the pieces in the future), with just 3 pieces. A pink card base, gray layering mat & die cut pierced rectangle. Good colors for a Love card.

I used Sweet ‘n Sassy Stamps Bitty Heart stencil and Simon Says Stamp You are Loved die combo to complete this card.

I attempted a tone on tone background on the card base with the old Stampin’ Up French Script background stamp but it was a little too tone on tone & came out very faint. You have to hold the card in the light just so to see it. I probably should have tried a light gray but I’m still happy with how the card turned out. It never hurts to experiment, it’s only paper.

Thanks for stopping by.

Blessings!

Cards, Creative Tips, Gloriously 60 Art Challenge

Gloriously 60 Day 40 Art – Hello Sunshine

Hi Angels!

Good news, my album is ready to decorate after class tonight the ‘eh’ news is my card is just so-so. I was playing with a new die & some scraps.

I was looking for a particular doily die & picked up a couple of more in the process. The one on tonight’s card is from the Scrap Man & is called Ethno Doily 2. It’s really pretty.

So after years & years of creating every once in a while I make a card and go “that’s okay but” and that’s perfectly fine. I still like the card, I’ll still send it to make someone happy. You don’t have to be top of your game all the time when you create.

I’m a bit tired & on creative overload after concentrating on the album class. I create because it’s just part of what makes me, me. And of course I needed something to post for my challenge today.

I literally was just trying a bit & that for this card design. I wanted a more classic darker blue for the red polka dots but it just really dragged the card down. Then the brighter blue was too plain. I added ink dots & it helps. If I really thought the card was awful it would have hit the trash.

Another lesson, you don’t have to try to salvage or live with something. Most paper only costs a few cents and except for the cardbase this card was made with all scraps from other projects. Practice & play does not always lead to a great creation but it’s very necessary to get to that great creation. So tonight was more of a play date, working out an idea & it’s just okay but not over the top.

I think a good night’s rest in is order & tomorrow I can come play in the studio refreshed & ready to design for my next class & decorate my album.

Play, Practice, Stumble a bit, Soar even more, Create & Inspire!

Art Inspiration, Cards, Catherine Pooler Designs, Creative Tips, Memory Box, Pinkfresh Studio

Glorious 60 Day 2 Art – Joyful Peonies

Hi Angels!

Today I am sharing my oldest daughter’s birthday card. Our ages are easy to keep track of as she just celebrated her 40th birthday and mom is celebrating 60. We celebrate our special days just about a month apart.

This came out so lovely. I used Pinkfresh Studio Joyful Peonies stamp, die & layering stencils for the beautiful floral focal point and their Essentials Classic Words die for the sentiment. The handcolored background is embossed with Memory Box Chrysanthemum Field 3-D Embossing Folder. The sequins are from the Catherine Pooler Design Williamsburg mix.

This card gave me just a wee bit of trouble as the original idea I had just wasn’t working with the pretty flowers so I may have created some extras for the infamous Bits & Pieces box. Nothing wrong with a little trial & error to achieve a pretty card, so don’t become discouraged with a project. Sometimes it’s as simple as walking away for a bit & coming back with a fresh set of eyes.

Don’t forget to comment for a chance at the prize package. I think I’ll do a mixture of products from a couple of my favorite companies.

Have a Fabulous Week!

Bible Journaling, Creative Tips, Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

Shine in the Dark

Hi Angels!

I’m enjoying the “Shine” theme for this year’s Bible Journaling retreat. It is a great reminder that we should always shine our light and share God’s love.

The second project is based on 1 John 1:5-7

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

I used Sweet ‘n Sassy Shine Your Light on a watercolor wash background. I added highlights with a sparkle gel pen.

Bible Journaling doesn’t have to be elaborate. Just create from what is speaking to you in scripture. Don’t have a Journaling Bible, no problem. Grab a sketchbook, watercolor or mixed media pad, notebook or anything else you’d like to create in.

Thanks for stopping by.

Art Inspiration, Cards, Creative Tips

Crop & Create Day 1

Hi Angels!

Boy has it been a busy day. Lots of learning and creating. I started 5 cards, completed 2, prepped more kits for classes and got 2 Bible Journaling projects done.

I will be posting over the next week or so as there will be tons of creating going on this weekend.

Today Crop & Create was market place, happy hour kick-off and a card design by Cathy Zielske. There were a couple of lessons during the market place time. I played with some more foiling, and created a quick heart card.

Here is my Cathy Zielske Clean & Simple Rainbow and my Heart card.

For the rainbow I successfully learned the Press & Seal technique. I had tried it once before but wasn’t successful. I also averted a disaster with my rainbow. I went to add Nuvo Glimmer Gloss to my clouds, the barrel popped open & dropped a puddle of sparkle on my rainbow. I grabbed a brush and spread the sparkle over the rainbow & the clouds. No mistakes, just creative detours.

The hearts have a fun pop element to them but will flatten for easy mailing. Quick and easy & using more of the Heidi Swapp paper pad we received.

Off to get some rest. Thanks for checking in.

Art Inspiration, Cards, Creative Tips

Spring Flowers

Hi Angels!

Working on a couple of projects as well as prepping for the virtual retreats this weekend. So this will be a quick post.

I’ve been playing with my flower dies from a variety of companies and made this card this evening.

The flowers are colored with Distress Oxides. A great way to use up white scraps. Cut out a stack of different die images & sponge on some color.

Thanks for stopping by.

Art Inspiration, Brutus Monroe, Cards, Creative Tips

Staycation ATC’s

Hi Angels!

I finished my ATC class today & turned the shaker one into a card.

Some may be wondering what an ATC is. It’s an Artist Trading Card, the artist’s equivalent to a collectible baseball card. Small individual works of art perfect for small gifts, day brighteners & thank-yous. Artists love to trade them at art shows & clubs.

These were lots of fun & incorporate a bit of mixed media too.

Now I have to confess the bee is a stretch for me & almost all the original design samples had bees on them. I don’t like them in any form, I have been stung by so many different bees & wasps over the years that ummm…. nope, not my thing. So I compromised and one honeycomb card has one small bee on it from the stamp set. I had a couple of wonderful art teachers early on that taught me there is always something to appreciate in art even if it is not your personal taste. Observe the colors, techniques, patterns, designs and see beyond the elements that are not your personal taste. They also were good at reminding you to step outside your box, create with something you normally wouldn’t. It expands your horizons, tool box of skills and enhances your designs.

Remember to step outside of your box once in a while & try different things. Keeps life interesting.