Black Magic Birthday Card

This card is a dual challenge card - for technique challenge TLC274 (the black magic technique) and SCS sketch challenge SC282. The black magic technique has been everywhere lately on stamping blogs. Typically, you'll see it done on black cardstock but personally it's too harsh a look for my taste so I gave it a try on basic gray cardstock. I think it turned out quite nicely.

For this technique you stamp your image on dark cardstock with white craft ink and then colour it in with watercolor pencils or prismacolor pencils. I don't own the SU watercolor pencils so I used prismacolor pencil crayons that I have from junior high! I used two shades of pinks and three shades of green to get the added dimension.

Stamps: SU watercolor trio, sweet little sentiments (retired)
Ink: SU ww, versamark
Paper: SU ww, cameo coral, basic gray, walk in the park dp (retired)
Ribbon: SU basic gray taffeta ribbon
Brad: SU basic gray corduroy brad
Misc: SU white embossing powder, prismacolor pencil crayons, white signo gel pen

SFYTT Earthly Thank You

This card was created using the Jen's SFYTT on March 6 as well as the Crazy 4 Challenges C4C27 to use paper piercing. I'm not a big fan of purple but I love the way this card turned out. The cottage wall dp is so beautiful, although I have a hard time incorporating the larger patterns (as you can probably tell by the background piece in this card). I love how the "of the earth" flower fit so perfectly inside the circle!

I'm not happy with the way my paper piercing looks once it's glued down but I just got a great tip from Jessica to glue the pieces together and then pierce through the multiple layers for a cleaner look. I'll have to give this a try. It should work as Jessica is the queen of piercing!

Stamps: SU Of the Earth, Sweet Little Sentiments
Inks: SU orchid opulence, old olive, rich razzleberry
Paper: SU ww, orchid opulence, rich razzleberry, cottage wall dp
Misc: circle cutter, paper piercing pack, beautiful wings embosslits, dimensionals

Emboss Resist Challenge

PTI is celebrating their 3rd anniversary and is offering up some challenges to celebrate! Here is the first one I got the chance to participate in. The challenge was to use the emboss resist technique. I've never tried this technique before but I liked the way it looked so I tried it along with watercolouring to try to create a sunset look. It's not perfect, but I like it. It's not too bad for my first attempt at this technique and at watercolouring too.

Stamps: SU Pocket Silhouettes
Ink: SU Versamark, pumpkin pie, dusty durango, crushed curry
Paper: SU ww, watercolour paper, razzleberry lemonade dp
Punch: SU word window punch

Snowy Scene Tree Box

I finally got around to making a Christmas Tree box which was last weeks technique challenge #194 on SCS. Check out this link for the template and tutorial. This was really easy to make and so cute! There is also a version on the link that shows you how to make this box into an ornament!

I tore the whisper white paper to create a natural line to the snow then used SU glitter to add shine to the snow and snowman. I also used my blender pens in the baja breeze ink to colour the scarf the same colour as the background.

Supplies

Paper: SU baja breeze, ww, ski slope dp
Stamp: Inkadinkadoo snowman
Ink: SU basic black, baja breeze
Misc: SU dazzling diamonds glitter, sticky tape

Wasabi Enchilada TLC171

I've been overflowing with ideas and inspiration after over two weeks away from all of my supplies, especially after checking out the blogs I frequent and seeing what creations everyone has been making.

This post is done for TLC 171 (Technique Lover's Challenge) in which we had to create 3x3 cards, envelopes and a box to hold it all.

In addition, the inspiration for my set came from two things:
In reviewing blogs, Nancy Riley of iStamp had made several cards (seen here) using up Wild Wasabi paper before it retires. I realized that I too have tons of wild wasabi papers that I may as well use up now before they get neglected by new supplies! For this same reason, I again used my Circle of Friendship stamp set and this time, used all 8 stamps!

Here are closer up pictures of the 8 cards and their matching envelopes. I used a different envelope template than that posted at SCS. The one I used can be found here at StampwithGwen - I just like the look of them a bit better.


Here is a close up of the box. I used the template and directions here that my upline Andrea Walford created. I altered it slightly to make it deeper so that all 8 cards and envelopes could fit in.

Stamps: SU Circle of Friendship
Papers: SU WW, Wild wasabi, wild wasabi dp (from Hostess prints pack), regular computer printer paper for envelopes (cardstock seemed too thick)
Ink: SU Wild Wasabi
Punches: 1/2" circle, 1" circle, 1 1/4" circle, scallop punch
Brads: Creative Imaginations Decorative Brads

TLC 165 Birthday

Two weeks ago, the new technique (TLC165) to try was a gift card holder in a style that I had never seen before. I wanted to make it earlier but unfortunately my word window punch was on backorder - but now it has finally arrived! I know I could have used a different shape but I like the way it looks with the WW punch.


The cardstock used is SU real red, pumpkin pie and whisper white. The designer paper is SU Summer picnic - I love the tiny polka dots! The brad is SU real red.

The presents and sentiment are stamped from the SAB Birthday whimsy set in real red and pumkin pie. They were trimmed around the image and attached to the card with pop dots. I originially tried stamping them right on the designer paper, but they just didn't "pop" quite enough!


Inside the card, the cardstock is stamped in real red with the background basics stamp with stars - it seems everyone is using stars on their cards these days!

There are several different options for directions that use different dimensions, but I used the directions from Dawns Stamping Thoughts. You can find the directions here in a video tutorial.

Double Pocket Card Challenge

It's a week late but here is my submission for SCS TLC164. I had made it last week but didn't post it because I was waiting for my SU pretty in pink ink to arrive so I could stamp a couple of images on the tag inserts, but due to the snow my shipment has been delayed. So here it is with the tags still blank - when I do get the ink I will be stamping the baby stamp from the So Many Scallops set on there along with the baby one from Curvy Verses.


I had never tried this technique before and I quite like it - although it does use quite a bit of paper! You can find the directions for this card here. I was planning on using mine to put a gift card attached to the front tag with a glue dot and then write the message on the bigger second tag.

This card was made using SU "Spring Fling" dp, pretty in pink cardstock, certainly celery cardstock and whisper white cardstock. The flower is Prima and set using the SU build-a-brad set with a punch out from Spring Fling. The eyelets are Provocraft and ribbon SU white organdy.

Don't forget to enter for blog candy here!