Razzleberry Floret

Today I'm taking a "rest" day and just playing in the studio.  I'm been on my feet a lot the past couple of days and was planning on making some more Pesto today to freeze, but have decided I need a day off :)

Here's my card for today's sketch challenge at Splitcoaststampers.  The great thing about the sketch challenges is usually it involves several layers and I usually am more of a "clean and simple" card-maker, so it helps me to use up some of my beautiful DP (designer papers) that I'm had hanging around for a while.  The DP used in my card today is Cottage Wall and it's retired.  It is one of my favorite SU! papers and I bought several packages of it when it was available a couple of years ago.  Everything used in my card today is from SU!  Hope you like.

"Razzleberry Floret"

 

 

 

Stamps:  Fabulous Florets (SU!)

Papers:  Rich Razzleberry, Rich Razzleberry DP, Cottage Wall, Whisper White (SU!)

Ink:  Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Versamark (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Ice embossing powder, heat tool, 5/8" Rich Razzleberry satin ribbon, sticky strips and dimensionals

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I stamped the leaves in Old Olive ink onto Whisper White cardstock.  I stamped the blossom onto Whisper White cardstock in Rich Razzleberry ink.  After it dried, I coated it with Versamark and ice embossing powder and heat set it.  I find embossing powder sticks better to Versamark so I get better coverage than embossing the image directly.  I cut out the flower and adhered it on top of the leaves, popping it up with dimensionals.

I added a thin frame of Rich Razzleberry to the stamped image and also the satin ribbon and bow.
I mounted all the pieces as shown in the picture above, popping up the main panel with dimensionals to add depth.

Basket of Apples digital stamp

I'm heading out to Westham Island Herb Farm in a few minutes to pick up some blueberries and more basil.  I'm making glazed blueberry pies again today ... have to take advantage of the local blueberry season!!  And I'm going to make more Sun-dried Tomato Pesto tomorrow so will need more basil.

But before heading out, I wanted to participate in today's SCS Color Challenge - kraft, any yellow, any red ... and the dessert is leaves.  Today I'm using a digital image that I got from Beccy's Place (http://beccysplace.blogspot.com/).  Beccy is an amazing artist who generously shares her artwork for free.  Check out her blogspot - it's amazing!!  And thanks Beccy for this adorable digital image that I used in my card below!  Hope you like.

"Basket of Apples"

 

Stamps:  Apple Basket (Beccy's Place); happy day sentiment (Stampendous) Paper:  Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White (SU!); yellow gingham
Ink:  Stampin' Write markers:  Cherry Cobbler, So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Early Espresso, Old Olive, Marina Mist, More Mustard Accessories & Tools:  sponges, adhesives and dimensionals

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I printed the digital image onto Whisper White cardstock and then colored it in with the Stampin' Write markers.  I used small make-up sponges to add some dark shadows to the basket and bow.  I carefully cut out the image ... it took a bit of time :)

I mounted all the pieces as shown in the picture above, popping up the basket with dimensionals to add depth.

Vines of Flowers

What a busy past couple of days!!  Yesterday, Gord and I headed out to Langley early in the morning to pick up Penny.  Evan and Nikki were going to be busy all day painting their garage and we thought we'd take the dog so that they didn't have to worry about her while they were painting.  We love looking after Penny - she's so much fun!  My friend Cindy came over and her and I went for a nice lunch at Times Pub (formerly The Celtic Pub).  We had a delicious lunch and then headed back to my place for White Peach Daiquiris on the deck - yum, yum!!  After dinner, we took Penny home.  It's not that we did that much, but I was tired by the end of the day - might have been the rum!! :)

Today I made batches of Sun-dried Tomato Pesto.  I make it every summer when the basil is fresh and plentiful and then freeze it to use throughout the year.  Moe (SIL) was nice enough to pick up a big bag of fresh picked basil for me from Westham Island Herb Farm on Saturday morning ... thank you Moe!!  I managed to get 15 dinners made for the three of us.  Whew!!  Tomorrow I make dinner for Evan to pick up on his way home ... I'm thinking we'll all be having Penne with Chicken and Sun-dried Tomato Pesto.

On to today's card.  I was planning on making a one layer card, but I felt it needed a little something more, so I added a thin purple frame for the main image panel and a thin purple frame for the card base.  I got to use my new stamps that I picked up from the $1 store - they are so cute!  This is a quick and easy card and took only about 10 minutes to make.  I added half-pearls to the centers of each flower after posting onto the SCS website ...   Hope you like.

"Vines of Flowers"  

 

 

 

Stamps:  Marina Drive (Heidi Grace)

Paper:  Elegant Eggplant (SU!); Bazzill White

Ink:  Old Olive, Elegant Eggplant (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  mauve half-pearls, adhesives and dimensionals

 

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I inked the vine stamp with Old Olive and stamped it three times.  I inked the flower stamps (two different ones) with Elegant Eggplant ink and stamped them over top the vines.  I added mauve half-pearls to the center of each flower.

I mounted all the pieces as shown in the picture above, popping up the main panel with dimensionals to add depth.  Easy, peasy!!
 
 

Brayered card "African Sunset"

The other day I went to Clipper Street Scrapbooking Company in Langley.  They have a 40% sale on Sizzix and Spellbinders this week.  I was really hoping to get the nested maple leaves, but unfortunately they didn't have it ... I should have gone the first day of the sale - my bad!  I did manage to find three Sizzix die-cuts that I really liked.  One is the Tim Holtz Branch Tree and I used it today for my brayered card below.  I have done a little reverse masking, but the challenge from Splitcoaststampers last week really opened my eyes about the possibility of using ANY die-cut for that technique and today I used the Branch Tree outline as a mask - I'm really happy with how it turned out.  Hope you like.

"African Sunset"

 

 

Stamps:  none

Paper:  Glossy White, Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black (SU!)

Ink:  So Saffron, Real Red, Bravo Burgundy, Basic Black (SU!) 

Accessories & Tools:  Speedball Rubber Brayer, post-it notes for masking, 1 3/8" circle punch, Tim Holtz "Branch Tree" die-cut, scrap cardstock for tree mask, sponge dauber, Dotto temporary adhesive, and permanent adhesives

 

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I used the temporary adhesive to secure my glossy white cardstock to a large piece of scratch paper.  I used a post-it note to mask the sky area.  I loaded my brayer with Real Red ink and brayered up to the mask, filling in the area completely with ink.  I then loaded my brayer with Bravo Burgundy and slowly added it at the bottom and working my way upwards, not completely covering the Real Red ink.

I removed the mask and placed it on the bottom part of my cardstock, covering the ink I had just added.  I loaded a clean brayer with So Saffron ink and brayered, starting from the masked edge and working upwards about an inch or so.  I punched a circle with the post-it note and placed it about half way above the horizon line (masked line) and off center, over top of the So Saffron ink.

I loaded a clean brayer with Real Red ink and started brayering, this time from the top down, not completely covering the So Saffron ink.  I loaded the brayer with Bravo Burgundy ink and brayered on top of the Real Red, not completely covering all of the Real Red.  I removed all the masks.

I ran the Branch Tree die cut through my Big Shot with a large scrap piece of cardstock.  I used the outline as a mask and placed it on top of the brayered cardstock, about 1/2" or so from the bottom and slightly off center.  I used a sponge dauber to fill in the tree with Basic Black ink.  I removed the mask and sponged black along the bottom.

I framed the brayered image with Basic Black cardstock and then mounted it on the card base of Cherry Cobbler.