OCC Mask-erade: Day 3 Roses

After the balloons, I wanted to try watercoloring the roses from PTI Botanical Blocks thinking of Debby's hand drawn tree, I was hoping if I didn't stamp the border, maybe I could color in some petals to look like they were there! First I taped the border of the watercolor paper, then stamped in Distress Antique Linen which is hardly visible as I "painted" the Distress pinks... I layered it on a black layer before the card base.

Here's my card...

Love how it came out and again I used the rubber cement to mask the flowers before watercoloring the blue sky. Will definitely use this technique again...

OCC Mask-erade: Day 3

Today the masking was all about liquid masking, for me- rubber cement. Loved it!
Without going into too many details keeping the integrity of the class, I also used masking the foreground for the pink balloon as you can see. And again the PTI Super Swoosh Die! Love it!

Here is my card ...

Thinking of Jennifer's technique with butterflies, I thought to use SU Up, Up and Away hot air balloons. They too are usually double stamped in some cases. Not this time for me though... Just too hard to line them up correctly as cling stamps, again having trouble not having clear stamps.  I actually made my own baskets and strings too with pen. Love how the rubber cement worked...

OCC Mask-erade: Day 2

It always surprises me when I try a technique that I'm not too enthusiastic about, and then I just love it! That is what happened with "Masking A Scene" from Jennifer. I loved hers - but wasn't sure it was me...

I chose a stencil from my stash that I have never used as the mask. With the negative space, I filled the butterfly on white cardstock with stamps- flowers and leaves. I didn't emboss, just stamped in blues and greens. Love the look and then got ink on the white, ruining it... or so I thought! 

Trying to figure out a solution, I got out my PTI Super Smooches die - cut right in the inky space. Then put the layer on a green card base, separating the pieces on the cut... Love it!  So then I had to try again...

This time with the bird, which I made a bluebird; with the "thanks" die I actually just made a thin space above and below it. Love how it turned out... will use this technique again for sure!

OCC Mask-erade: Day 1

Signing up for an Online Card Class means lots of fun techniques to try! I've been watching the videos, staying in touch with the class planning to do the "homework" this week.

Day One three specific techniques that I want to try with masking paper. The first one by Kristina was so fun! I wanted to use SU Wild About You and Zoofari stamp sets to try it out. What a difference going back to wooden red rubber stamps instead of clear stamps! It was very difficult for me. After many trial and errors, I decided to use SU Unfroggetable and made a card for William's 8th birthday...

Masking the frogs and ordering how I stamped them, this is the design I came up with. William loves interactive cards, and the zipper reveals the answer to the riddle... What goes up and never comes down? ... I thought the frogs jumping up would make you really think for the answer, PTI Movers and Shakers stamps and the zipper die.

You have to pull the zipper to reveal the answer... Your age! I colored the frogs with Copic markers. The inside...

Little frog has a "jiggler" attached that makes him shake when the card opens. Loved the masking with masking paper.

Hoppy 8th birthday for William...

June - Anniversaries

Anniversary cards are difficult for me this year, since we have one in the family that won't be celebrated anymore. Such sadness when a marriage comes to an end ...

So it was difficult to get going for these! Here is an overview of all of the patterns that I used...

The Heart Card is for our anniversary on June 26th, 44 years! It was made in February, the idea from Debby Hughes during the OCC, what she called paper cutting. It gave me the idea thinking of John.

The PTI Flipping Out stamp set card is one I made also from the OCC using one stamp set 3 ways. Very clean and simple... I liked how it came out so I made two more for our kids that are celebrating this year in July and August ... check it out here Annie card . This got my mojo going and I was ready to try something new...

So this is PTI's Uncorked stamp and die set. I masked off the border to make it one layer... that was my intention. Sponging Distress Antique Linen to show the border, I stamped the wine bottle in two stages, red then black and then the cork!

I really wasn't happy with the glasses though! So I die cut them and adding plastic behind the cut, I used red stickles to make the wine. Then I used the PTI Swoosh die congratulations and glued it down. Thought some of inlaid... maybe next time. Added the two hearts and left it to try!

But I am too impatient and the stickles weren't dry! What a mess... all inside the card. Hated to throw away all of that work! So I cut the back off and put the whole panel on Kraft cardstock and cut the glass die in the same place - Saved!

Then I tried again with a one layer...

Actually I made three of these for several long time anniversaries. The sentiment inside says...

"Love is like wine ... You know it's good when it gets better with time..." 

June - Friend Birthdays

There are a couple of friends that have birthdays this month, which gives me a great chance to try some new cards! For a "new" card friend...

Since we are connected by the beach ... this was a perfect card to make. Making  another it covered two birthdays. The originial was made during OCC in February using one stamp set (PTI Flipping Out) three ways. Changing it up a bit, I used some patterned paper that looks like water. It is very thin so it fit well on the white card base. 

Partially die cutting the flip-flops on another piece of white card stock,  I sponged  stripes with brown Distress ink using an edge of a scrap to look like beach sand. I tore the edge to resemble the foam of the water with just a touch of sponged blue at the edge. Then I die cut the red stamped flip-flops to layer on the partial die cut, adding the detail pieces at the end. 

That whole section was attached with a foam base to raise above the water. It looks so cool in real life! The sentiment is divided to make it more what I wanted it to sound like :) Versamark stamped and embossed. 

The beach would be a nice birthday present for anyone, right?

Retirements... Pretty Amazing!

Maybe because I haven't been spending much time card making... it has been so much fun! These past few days have been so relaxing for me.

Here's my latest retirement cards...

Once I looked at the SU Pretty Amazing stamp set, I could visualize this one layer card. I masked off the border and using a Distress yellow I sponged the edge after stamping before removing the mask.

The large SU Daffodil Delight yellow flower was stamped and then masked before being surrounded by PTI Bigger Blooms flowers. All of the inks are SU. The black greeting is cut from PTI Super Swoosh Die and glued on with Tombo Mono. Tried letting it extend over the masked area on the first card. Love that little hummingbird, fussy-cut and water colored with Distress inks. 

Made another one layer, and kept the greeting inside the masked off area. Here's another look at all of the congratulations cards...

Love retirement! Guess what else?

I just signed up and PAID for a Watercolor class at the Art Center! Crazy or what???