Oct 28, 2016

7 Dots Magic School by Marina Syskova


It's no secret that I am a lover of mixed media.  When Marina Syskova announced her new joint venture Magic School with 7 Dots Studio - I about flipped my lid!  Woo hoo!  To learn from some of these great creative minds is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  So despite the busy holiday season approaching (and my desire to do December Daily), I am jumping in for this four week course beginning November 11.  The challenge promises to be exciting and I can't wait!  What about you?  Will you join this venture?  Find all the details on Marina's blog HERE.


Oct 26, 2016

Oh Deer Fall Woodland Cards with Tim Holtz Stamps


My sweet friend Bonnie shared this lovely felt leaf trim with me and I decided to pair it with some other natural elements for a couple of fall cards.  I just got Tim Holtz's new deer stamp set and couldn't wait to get it inked up!  I layered with some of Tim's vintage Christmas paper - oh how I love that plaid!


Isn't this trim so beautiful!  I mounted over burlap for a rugged feel.  I stamped Tim's vintage "rubber stamp company" word block over the background in sage to add a little interest and splashed with Walnut Stain.

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Oct 23, 2016

Purple Mixed Media Feather Card


I'm super excited to be participating in Becca Cruger's Hop to Stop Domestic Violence again this year.  What a great way to raise awareness for this worthy cause.  Thank you Becca for organizing another great hop.  I had in mind playing with a particular paper pad by Prima with a lovely deep purple.  I started by gessoing my paper with clear gesso and stenciling a Prima damask stencil onto the paper.  I sprayed a combination of purple inks over the stencil work for color variation.


I purchased this stamp a couple of months ago particularly for this cause.  It is amazing and truly speaks to me.  Shouldn't that be our goal?  I grew up in a home with a stepdad who turned from prince charming to drug addict and abusive husband almost overnight.  He caused so much pain and anxiety, not to mention bad memories.  I am thankful that my mom had the courage and support to leave after many years of struggle.  I am most thankful that God helped me to forgive him and that I am at peace with that part of my past now.

I thought it would be fun to layer the sentiment over the flower.  I just love the center of this flower and was able to tuck the sentiment in just so it would pop out.


I decided to tear the edges of my paper panel and then regretted it, so I added the torn off sections back to the sides and like the dimension it added.  I added some sequins and splashes of gesso for contrast.
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Oct 22, 2016

Dark and Moody Double Take


I hope you are having a lovely October day today.  :)  I'm sharing a couple of dark and moody cards with you, each having a pink/purple offset to balance the dark.  I hope to find time to work on some more pink creations to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness, but have a busy weekend ahead.  I left these cards without sentiments and thought I could stamp out a strip of text and tuck in there at the last minute, pending the occasion.  So imagine they each have a beautiful verse or saying...


This was my recipe as I stated in the Dark and Moody Background Tutorial: First add something light and lacy to balance the dark, but still allow your beautiful background to show through.  Try lace or holey dies.  Next add some embellishments in a cluster.  You can use several flowers, or a combination of ribbon, sentiments, stamped images, etc.  Finally, add some more shimmer.  You can add  microbeads or chunky glitter, or sequins as I have.


Both of these cards feature handmade flowers.  I layered this flowers over some embossed vellum flowers, a favorite layering element.  I added splashes of black to tie in the distressed black edges of the background.




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Oct 20, 2016

Asian Easel Card with Pop Up Bamboo Dies


Each Thursday I am sharing a new project featuring Tutti Designs dies.  Today I am so excited to share this fun easel card using our new Bamboo Screen Die and some lovely Graphics 45 designer paper.  This is quickly becoming a favorite die for me!  I hope you will pop over to the Tutti Designs Blog for a the tutorial.


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Oct 19, 2016

Elegant Autumn Card for IndigoBlu


I'm sharing an inspirational post with my teamies today on the IndigoBlu blog.  I was trying to think out of the box because I have a limited supply of traditional fall stamps by IndigoBlu.  I decided to experiment with their line of metallic paints and see how they compared to Distress inking.


I spread both Miss Money Penny Copper and Goldfinger onto my craft sheet with a palette knife and sprayed with a lot of water.  I dipped my panel in until I had good coverage and dried with a heat gun.  What a beautiful result!  I embossed the Vintage Flourish stamp in copper repeatedly on my panel.

This is one of my favorite stamps of all time!  Every time I use it I am wowed!  My background paper truly reminded me of something I would pick up at a specialty store.  I will definitely be trying this again in other color variations.  


For my focal image I used the skeleton leaves from the Blooming Great stamp set and inked them with a few colors of Distress Inks.  I love creating color variation by inking with multiple ink pads, especially for leaves.  I layered over a simple panel that I stamped with the Script Background stamp.  To achieve the faded look I lightly tapped Distress Ink onto the rubber and sprayed with water, then stamped without pressing too hard.


Oct 18, 2016

Metallic Elegance Mary and Child 12 Tags of Christmas


I'm back with you sharing my Christmas card inspired by The Funkie Junkie's 12 Tags of Christmas.  For my week 3 card, I was inspired by Linda's use of black and gold.  I did not have any products similar to those Linda used but I tried to keep the regal feel.


I thought I would play and develop a new background technique, so I started by spritzing my watercolor panel with water then quickly brushing IndigoBlu's Metallic Acrylic Paint in Goldfinger over the panel.  I had planned to lay a sheet of scrap paper over it and couldn't grab one quick enough so I pulled this plastic wrap packaging from the trash and quickly wrinkled it onto my paint.  Next I dipped my loaded paintbrush into water and mixed on my craft mat and splattered my panel.  I further cleaned my brush by wiping any excess paint along the edges of my panel.  I used gold texture paste through a Prima stencil for texture.  Then I sprayed both black & gold Glimmer Mist and Brown Lindy's Stamp Gang spray to darken it up.


You know those projects that are impossible to photograph, well this is one of them!  I just wish you could hold this in your hands to see the beautiful color variation and metallic shine - BUT - since you can't, imagine with me and trust me that this is so much prettier in person.


I stamped this Stampington & Company stamp in black onto inky paper.  I layered it over a prima doily die in brown.  I also stamped the IndigoBlu Script Background stamp in black in the open areas of my background.


The sentiment is also an oldie, but I love it!  Perfect for the season.  I wanted to try and keep an elegant feel so I layered a neutral bow and flower by Recollections.  The photos turned the flower pink, but it's not IRL.  The card base is metallic brown, a bit lighter than the doily.


To see all of my 12 Tags of Christmas click HERE.

Find these amazing products at The Funkie Junkie Boutique Today!


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Oct 15, 2016

Floral Bouquet Digital Stamp and Giveaway


Welcome to Day 1 of the Graciellie Design Fall Fest blog hop. This month Graciellie Design is celebrating with lots of giveaways, sales and inspiration! Find the Day 2 and Day 3 hop list on Gracie's blog Sunday and Monday.  Each day you'll have the chance to win a digital stamp set of your choice from Gracie's shop following our blog hops. Winners will be announced on Graciellie Design's Facebook page on October 29th.  The designers have prepared beautiful projects for your crafty inspiration, so be sure to hop through all of the participants blogs.


For my card I used one of Gracie's beautiful digital papers for my layers.  I decided to go for a vintage toile look and changed my image to brown, similar to beautiful china patterns.  For my base layer I wrinkled my paper for texture.  I created a little banner with my printed sentiment.  A layer of crocheted lace and a seam binding bow add the finishing detail.  

Visit the other designer's in this hop:
Autumn Clark (You are Here)


Make sure to visit the shop to see the special sales and promotions during Fall Fest.

Oct 14, 2016

Tim Holtz October 2016 Tag


I trust that you are having a lovely October day.  I am full speed ahead into Christmas crafting, with inspiration from the 12 Tags of Christmas, hostessed by The Funkie Junkie!  I did not make a September Tim's tag because I don't have any Yupo and I started not to make an October tag because I don't care for Halloween - UNTIL the idea to do a metallic snowflake popped into my brain.  And the rest is crafting history...


I picked out some of my favorite grungy winter papers and made my patchwork.  I used the grey Distress Crayon for my edges, which turned out beautifully.


For my snowflake, I adhered tin foil to cardstock with Mod Podge.  I picked up several Tim Holtz dies this summer on clearance and had forgotten all about them!  I was pleasantly surprised to find this one and the deer one in my stash when I was rearranging the other week.  Woot woot!  I just grabbed thew new thinlet snowflake set this weekend and decided to use a solid snowflake for my layering.  I splashed some white gesso to complete the snowy look.


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