Saturday, August 12, 2017

Exploring Styles: Black Matting

Hello again!

I'm back with another card and today I'm exploring the style of using black mats under your layers.  There are a number of people who do this style very well - Gina K and Kristie Marcotte come to mind right away.  I always love the pop that the contrasting layers give the finished card.

I used a sweet set called Woodland Cuties by Your Next Stamp for the main image and added a hand drawn butterfly and a sweet little mushroom from another YNS set called Plant Some Kindness.  Here's my card...


My take on this style:  I really like parts of the card, but I think the final product is too bold for me.  Maybe it is the papers that I chose or the image, but I think I'm more comfortable with layering with other colors or Kraft card stock, rather than black.  What do you think??

Friday, August 11, 2017

Exploring Styles: Making a Scene

Hello again, friends!

I got an early start in my craft room today and decided to channel my inner Anita Madden and try a scene card.  Scene cards intimidate me.  Yes, it's true.  Just like yesterday's grouping of flowers intimidated me.  The good thing is that there are lots of people out there who make scene cards that I love, so I did some studying of some cards I had saved on my Pinterest board and chose a couple things that I wanted to try on my card today to see how I liked it.  First, I wanted to try a blended sky/ground background, and second, I wanted to use bright colors.  Here's what I ended up with...




I used the super sweet Waddles - Fall Fun set from Your Next Stamp for my images.  I stamped them on white card stock and colored them with alcohol markers before cutting them out.  I cut out my image panel from watercolor paper with a YNS Stitched Rectangle Die and then sponged and spritzed the background while it was still in the die.  After it was dry, I attached my images.  Then I stamped the SMILE (from Phoebe and Pets) in Versamark, embossed it in white and cut it out.  Finally I stamped the "You Make Me" in Versafine Black on my completed panel... which made me nervous that I would totally mess it up!!  (And, yes, I could have used my MISTI, but, ummm, it was buried under my pile and I couldn't see it... #trueconfessions).  I've really liked the look of using patterned paper to cover the entire front of the card base, so I attached my scene to a piece of WeRMemoryKeepers "Happy Camper" and then attached it to my card.

My take on this style...  I like it!  It takes me out of my comfort level, so I'll need more practice, but I like the playfulness of the card and it would be fun to send.

I'm entering this in the Color Challenge over at Your Next Stamp...


Thanks for stopping by!

Tricia



Thursday, August 10, 2017

Exploring Styles: CAS Collage



Kay Miller has a style that I absolutely love.  She makes gorgeous backgrounds and collages of everything from flowers to cute and quirky animals.  But, WOW, I found this card a stretch of my creative powers!  I was looking at this card as my inspiration, and I do like how mine turned out, but it wasn't easy for me, or even quick.  I think I made yesterday's card in half the time!  The other thing I am working on right now is figuring out how to edit the pictures that I take on my new phone.  I just can't get the colors like I want them, and I am needing to learn a new program to edit them on my new MacBook, because my old program is obsolete.  I'd love some tips from you veteran phone picture takers!!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Images:  Gina K Designs - Sentimental Bouquet
Sentiment: The Stamp Simply Ribbon Store - Beatitudes
Stitched Die and Gumdrops - Your Next Stamp

Wednesday, August 09, 2017

Exploring Styles: Layers



Hi everyone!

I thought it would be fun to explore my style a little over the next few weeks.  What do I really like?  What don't I do anymore, simply because it isn't the "in" thing? Am I really a clean and simple stamper or do I love layers?  What kind of card makes me happy when I send it to someone?

A person whose style I really admire is Kristie Marcotte.  She had a video about matting your cards that she put up today and I thought it would be fun to start with her style  --  to try it on for size, as it were.  I used a sweet paper pad that I picked up at Tuesday Morning called Happy Campers by We R Memory Keepers and an image and sentiment from Phoebe with Wagon by Your Next Stamp.  My little puppy was colored with Spectrum Noir and Chameleon markers and popped up over the circle.

My take:  I really enjoyed making this card.  I love the look of the layers and I would be happy to send this to someone.  Layers and patterned paper get a high happiness score in my Style Quest!! :)