Christmas Card for Ryan

Just a quick post.  My neice's oldest grandson is in first grade. His mama said he wants to make and send Christmas cards this year, and he hopes he gets some Christmas cards back.  So I made him this "special" Christmas card.

I don't know if you can see it or not, but the deer in the trees has a red nose.  I think he will like it: it has all the things a boy likes: trucks, snow, snowmen (or the start thereof), Christmas trees, presents, and Rudolph.  

Have a Merry Christmas

P.S.  I have to edit this to say that Ryan loved the card.  I decorated the envelope and he thought it was from Santa.  I also put a bunch of stickers inside, and he told his mama that Aunt Becky sends the neatest cards because they have stickers inside.  What a cutie he is.

Hug a Child's Heart - Literally

Re-printed with my friend, Donna's, permission:

HUG A CHILD'S HEART - LITERALLY!

"Greetings, everyone!

(a special note to my friends in the U.S.)

There are many card drives during the holidays and throughout the year.

May I share about one you may have never heard of?

"HUG A HEART" CARDS DRIVE FOR CHILDREN

Our Blogging Buddy Christina Hor Memories Crafter has a very special Mission.

Her husband is a cardiologist at Ohio's Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Christina tries to give parents of terminally ill children in the cardiac unit encouragement cards during the long process of procedures and care. If the saddest moment of loss happens, she provides a heartfelt sympathy card to the parents at the loss of their sweet baby or dear child.

She also tries to provide cheerful cards to the children in the cardiac intensive care and inpatient wings throughout the year.

Especially during Christmas she strives to deliver holiday cards.

This year, Christina and her children are creating mini 3D Christmas trees for each room in the intensive care and inpatient wings.

With so many rooms, Christina has never been able to have a card for every child spends Christmas in the cardiac unit. 

This year, she is hoping to do that, but needs a little help from friends.

Would you like to create a simple, sweetly-appropriate children's Christmas card for those pediatric cardiac patients who will have to spend the holidays in the hospital?

If so, here is Christina's message

As these cards go to very young age children and of different ethnic background, I do have a few guidelines.

DO's:

• use kid's friendly images.  Kids love anything that is cute, cuddly and funny such as teddy bears, woodland creatures, reindeer, penguins as well snowman.  Just to name a few.

• keep it clean with minimum embellishments.  However, shaker cards and pop-up cards are welcome.  So if you like making one of these cards and you know who you are, please do!   But please make sure to use strong adhesive to ensure that none of the shaker/embellishment pieces fall out.  

• consider keeping your theme more of a: winter scene, "thinking of you" as well just a general "holiday" theme since not all of them celebrate Christmas.  Some celebrate Hanukkah, Bodhi Day, Pancha Ganapati and some just don't celebrate the holiday at all.  So avoid using sentiment like "Merry Christmas" on your card.  

           Here are some sentiments i like to use: Let It Snow; Warm Winter Wishes; Thinking of you this holiday season; Sending you lots of hugs and wishing you a happy holiday.

If you are able to help, please have your card mail to me by December 10th to the address below.  If you know of any crafty friends who would like to help, please forward the message to them or share on your blog post.  It is safe to include the address in the blog post as it is my PO Box address and not my home address.  

Christina Hor 

P.O. Box 517

Dublin, OH 43017

Thank you SO MUCH in advance for your help!

Hugs,

Christina

RECAPPING:

Christina suggested greetings to read something like:

"Sending you hugs and thinking of you this holiday season. From Ms. Christina of Ohio"

(only use your own name, of course LOL)

She will be delivering the cards and trees on Dec 15. 

She is requesting cards by December 10.

REMEMBER:

NO GLITTER - NO ORNAMENTATION THAT

 MIGHT FALL OFF OR BE PROBLEMATIC 

FOR SMALL CHILDREN.

and a sweet thank you from me to my Sweet Friends!"

Let's all get in the Christmas spirit and make some cards to share.  

Inky hugs!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween!

I don't have a card to share with you today, but I do have something creative. My granddaughters came over yesterday to carve pumpkins, and I'm impressed.

Emilie carved the pumpkin on the left. She's 12.  It actually LOOKS like the Grim Reaper, which is what it's SUPPOSED to look like.  She did really well.  Rachel carved the pumpkin in the middle. Isn't it spooky looking?  It is very intricately carved. I would never have attempted it, but it looks really good.  And then we have the pumpkin I carved on the right.  I went for simple.  

We had a good time, and really, isn't that what it's all about?  

The Altered Letter

Good morning!  I hope it's beautiful where you are.  We were fortunate that Hurricane Matthew was wobbling when it went past us, and we didn't get the 140 mph winds that were forecast.  It was bad enough, but not nearly as bad as it could have been for us.

Today I want to share a project that I am working on. I bought some wooden letters, and I have been working on altering them.  This is the first one...

It has been a fun project, that is ongoing, and I am enjoying working on different letters.  

To alter this letter, I first painted the letter with gesso.  Then I painted it the base color with acrylic paints.  When that was dry, I got out my texture paste and some stencils.  I mixed a little spray inks and/or color burst powders with the texture paste to make it colored.  Then I spread the paste through the stencils to get the raised portion.  I let that dry.  I also sprayed some of the spray inks and moved it around to give it a variegated look (some parts lighter, some darker).  After it was dry, I coated the entire thing with a glossy sealer.

While that was drying, I die cut some flowers and leaves and colored them with my alcohol ink markers.  I also die cut the butterfly out of glitter paper. I adhered a piece of burlap around the stem of the R, then adhered my flowers.  I added some sequins, and pearls to the flower centers.  A little glitter glue on the textured flower centers finished it off.

I think the person who is going to receive this will love it.  Blue is her favorite color.  And I have another friend who loves purple, so I made this one for her:

I didn't get a good picture of this one, I got too much reflection back off the glossy sealer. But I already gave it to her and she loved it.  And I will be working on more of these, they are fun!

Hope you have enjoyed.   Have a great day!

Becky

P.S.  I played along at the Mod Squad Challenge blog and won in the Top 3 for my letter R.  Woohoo!

Autumn

Now that Labor Day is behind us, can we hope for cooler weather?  Evidently not here in the south.  It's still in the 90's during the day, and we've had rain at least once a day for the last two weeks.  I guess you could say I'm pretty over the weather.

So, to help cool myself, I've started making some autumn cards.  A girl can dream, right? And I had a 3 day weekend, and it was too hot to go outside.

The first one uses a set from Gina K. Designs from the Autumn Wishes set.

  The colors of autumn are some of my favorites, so I loved watercoloring the trees. 

The next card uses one of my favorite fall stamps. Unfortunately, it was from a set by The Angel Company, and they are no longer in business.

I used glossy cardstock and alcohol inks to make some pretty fall colored paper, then stamped the leaf with archival black ink and cut it out.  A scrap of ribbon finished it off.  Very clean and simple.

I really love this card.  I used a leaf embossing folder, then watercolored the leaves.  The tag is punched from kraft cardstock, and stamped with a script stamp.  Several scraps of paper were used on the bottom of the tag, then a leaf was die cut (from the same paper I made for the leaf above), and adhered to the tag. I used dimensional foam to adhere the tag to the background. 

Hope you have enjoyed my little projects.

Inky hugs,

Happy August

Oh, my goodness, where is the time going?  It's August already.   School will be starting soon.  Soon some of you will be getting cooler weather. Hard to believe, huh?  Of course, it doesn't start cooling off here until sometime in October.  I sometimes miss the northern autumn weather.  It just seems wrong to carve pumpkins when it's 90 degrees outside.

Anyway, I needed to make an autumn card. So I pulled out my stamps and watercolors.  I always use leaf stamps for autumn cards, but this time I wanted to do something a little different. This is what I came up with:

Actually, I came up with one very, very similar. But, my husband is my biggest fan, and he's been taking some of my cards to work and selling them, and he took the original. I told him not to sell it, I was mailing it to someone, but he just wanted to show the lady.  

Well, she loved it, and wanted to buy it. But, he was a good husband and didn't sell it to her.  So I offered to make one like it and I did.  The colors were a little different, since I watercolored them at different times using different colors, but they were very much alike.  This one is a little more colorful (and truthfully, I like it best).  So, off he went with both cards.  The lady liked the first one best, so he sold it to her for an obscene amount of money.  (I like him to be my salesman).

So, I still have a card to mail out. This one took me a long time because everything is stamped individually and I had to let watercolors dry between painting. But I really like it, and I'm thinking I need to make a few more.  Maybe if I do them assembly line style it will go a little quicker.

So, that's my post for today.

Now I think I'm off to find a cold glass of lemonade and try to stay cool.  Till next time,

Inky hugs,

Top 3 Winner at Mod Squad Challenge

Woohoo!  I was a top 3 winner in the Mod Squad Challenge for last week.  The theme was nautical and here is the card I submitted:

I colored watercolor paper with Spectrum Noir watercolor markers.  Then I stamped the nautilus shell with Versamark and embossed it with clear embossing powder.  Then, I re-wet the watercolor paper and removed some of the color, leaving the darker colors underneath the embossing.  I think the technique is called embossing resist.  Then I stamped the nautilus shell on white cardstock, colored it with Spectrum Noir markers, stamped the "Always In My Heart" and embellished it with some drops of Nuvo Crystal Drops. Everything was matted with black cardstock.

And here is my badge:

Hope you have a happy day!

Peek-A-Boo Card

Good afternoon.  I hope the sun is shining where you are (unless, of course, it's night).  We were supposed to get a lot of rain from a tropical storm, but so far I haven't seen any precipitation.  Which is a good thing.

Mod Squad Challenge is having a new challenge this week to make a peek-a-boo card.  This is my take on that challenge.

I used the rose background paper from my stash.  The rose on the white cardstock was die cut from a Hero Arts die, which allows the background paper to show through.  Hello is a Heidi Swapp stamp, and was stamped in Delicata Goldenglitz ink, as is the spatter stamps (The Angel Company).  I used Nuvo Crystal Drops for the dew drops.

A quick and easy card to make.  Hope you enjoy.

The Galaxy

Happy Friday!

This week I was watching some videos and I fell in love with this cool "galaxy" technique.  Below are the fruits of my labor.

This was the first card I made. Both cards use the same technique.

I used 5 colors of ink on watercolor paper.  I started off in the middle with a distress pad in Wild Honey.  Leaving a little of that in the middle, I moved on to Memento ink Lilac Posies and sponged that around the Wild Honey.  Then I sponged some Dusty Concord distressed ink around the Lilac Posies. The next sponging was Faded Jeans distress ink, and finally, Tuxedo Black memento ink around the outside.  

Once all those were dry, I spritzed with water, which gives you the lighter spots. When the water was dry I splattered some white acrylic paint on the background, but it was too thick and I got blobs. Which I now call comets or meteors.  :-)  I also added some splatters of gold Smooch ink, but they don't show up very well in the scan.  

For the saying, I just sponged white cardstock with the light colors I used for the background, then stamped the saying.  I stamped the moon, colored it with spectrum noir markers, cut it out and adhered it with a pop dot.  I really like the way it turned out, even the comets.  :-)

This is my second attempt.  I did everything exactly the same, but I watered down the acrylic paint so I didn't get blobs, and I used a different moon stamp. And I put the saying on the inside of the card.

This may be my new favorite technique.  

Have a happy weekend.

Curves

Good morning!  I hope you have a fun and/or restful weekend, whichever you prefer. I got a chance to play a little this weekend, and it was fun AND restful, so I'm always happy when that happens.

I have been playing with Dylusions sprays and I love the results. I'm also in love with watercoloring at the moment, so I got to do a little bit of both.  Throw in some curvy dies, and it was heaven.

The first card was made with Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside Borders dies.  I love these dies. I wasn't sure what to do with the card after I mirror cut the borders and inserted the patterned paper.  I was toying around with maybe adding some retro flowers or something like that. While looking through my stamps for stamps that would be compatible, I found the "Let your dreams take flight" stamp from Gina K. Designs,  and using a butterfly punch, I punched the white butterfly out of cardstock, and the patterned butterfly out of a scrap of the patterned paper, and the card was done.  I like that it looks like the butterfly just decided to take off out of the patterned paper.

The underneath panel of reds was one of the Dylusions sprays that I used. I made a bunch of these backgrounds one afternoon sitting outside at the picnic table while my chickens wandered around the yard catching bugs.  I have to supervise them when they are out so that hawks, dogs, or other animals don't get them, and it's the perfect time to play with these sprays.  I splashed some gold ink on the background, but you can't see it in the scan. 

Pearl and Harriet

When I came inside I die cut the white panel and glued it down on the red background.  I tried to mirror image the dies, and I think I did a pretty good job.

This was a water colored background I made, also while supervising the chickens. I'm waiting for them to hop up on the table and "help me out", like they did at Christmas time when I was trying to wrap presents and supervise them.  Might make for some interesting art.  

With this background, I flipped the dies so they are going in opposite directions.

I haven't decided what I'm going to do with these 2 backgrounds yet. Maybe flowers, or maybe something else. My muse it keeping it a secret from me right now.  :-)

I turned one of the cards on the side, and it works that way, too.

Hope you've enjoyed my weekend art.  Have a happy stamping day.

The Stars at Night

Hello everyone.

I remember, as a child, laying outside at night on a blanket, looking up at the night sky and seeing all the stars. Then you grow up and life gets busy and the time slips away.

Recently, my husband and I have been going camping, and I love sitting out at night, sometimes with a campfire, but sometimes without.  Depending on where you are and the amount of light pollution, you can still see the stars.  Sometimes we can see the International Space Station as it goes across the night sky.  Which prompted me to make this card.

Imagine that you are looking up through a forest of trees, looking at all the stars.

I can't wait to go camping again....

See you next time...

Yupo paper

Good morning.  I hope this finds you well.

I have been dabbling in mixed media, and I have discovered Yupo paper, which is a paper made from plastic and is untearable.  I think it's perfect for alcohol inks.

I am just beginning the journey of discovery, but I wanted to share with you my discoveries so far:

I dropped small drops of alcohol ink onto Yupo paper and let it spread.  Then I spritzed it with alcohol and copic blending fluid.  I love the variations of color.

For this piece, I ran the Yupo paper through the cuttlebug with an embossing folder first, then added drops of alcohol ink.  The channels of the embossed piece helped to spread the ink.  Then, I added inka gold paste to the piece, which gave it a sheen that you can't see in the scan. Then I left it alone for awhile.  Finally I took a fine sharpie marker and outlined the channels and immediately wiped it off, which kind of "antiqued" the piece.  It's very much more subdued than the first piece.

I haven't tried using watercolors on it yet...that will be my next experiment.  I'll keep you posted.

Washer Necklaces

Good morning!   I've been playing again!

I was inspired by Carolyn Dube to make some washer necklaces.   Here are the results:

I made mine a little differently:  I stamped on mine using archival ink, and I used Ranger Crackle Glaze as a sealant.   You can see the crackling, but I'm thinking of adding some dark brown ink to get into the crevices.  But basically, I made them the same way.

I am now addicted to making these necklaces. I see a trip to the hardware store in my future....lol.

Hope you enjoy.

Thank you...

Good morning!  It's been awhile since I posted, but I've been busy, busy, busy.

I have discovered Mixed Media and have made one journal and am in the process of making another journal.  I have fallen in love with the Dylusions paints, and I have the newest colors on my website at My Paper Moon, under Ranger Products.

Also, I was commissioned to make some thank you note cards, and I finally finished 24 of those and delivered them to the person who ordered them.  They loved them, I'm happy to say.

And now to my latest "Thank You"...a card I made to send to the person who commissioned my work.

I sponged various colors of yellow/orange/brown ink onto white cardstock to make the background, masking off the horizon. The stamps are all from Gina K Designs, and were stamped in a dark brown (almost black) ink to make the silhouettes. I used a golden glitter glue on the water to simulate reflections.  The glitter glue doesn't scan well, but it looks stunning in real life.

I hope you and she like the card.

Happy crafting...

One More Ombre Card

I couldn't help myself.  I had some Ranger Dylusion Paints on my desk, and they were just screaming to be used. So I did.  I used yellow, orange and red to make the ombre background for the Mod Squad Challenge.

I used a stencil with the black Dylusion Paints for the flowers and leaves, and stamped a Stampin' Up sentiment in orange ink, which I matted on black cardstock.  An easy peasy card that is very striking in real life.

Ombre Technique

Oh, my goodness, it's been awhile since I've posted. It seems like the holidays came very quickly this year, and I just simply ran out of time.  Also, I've been playing in mixed media a bit, and that took away from my cardmaking.  But it's fun.

Anyway, I will try to do a little better in posting.

This week the Mod Squad Challenge was to make an ombre card.  I had bought a Penny Black stamp that I love, and thought this would be the perfect time to use it.

I made the background using 3 shades of blue, then stamped the tree image with Versamark and heat embossed it with detail white embossing powder from Gina K Designs.  I added the sentiment (from the Frames and Flowers 1 kit) and also heat embossed it with white.  I added Diamond stickles (which you can't see in the scan) to give it a twinkling effect.  It's actually matted on white cardstock (which you also can't see in the scan), but in real life it's very pretty.

Since I was making ombre backgrounds, I made another, stamped and embossed some butterflies and the sentiment in white. The sentiment is also from Gina K Designs.  I wasn't happy with the butterflies, so I cut out an overlay from vellum and used white liquid pearls for the bodies.  It also is layered on white cardstock.  The vellum and the scan didn't do the card justice, but in real life it's very nice.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing my ombre technique. 

Until next time, do something crafty.