Kaleidacolor Birthday Fun

We had an important birthday at our house this week, my youngest son turned the big ONE ZERO, double digits baby!  I decided to play around with the brilliantly colored Tsukineko Kaleidacolor Spectrum ink pad and create a fun step card for his birthday.  It is the perfect card to share for the new Retro Rubber Blog Challenge which is Anything Goes!

1.     Score an 8 1/2” x 11” white card stock from the edge to 3 ½” in at the following measurements:  1”, 2”, 3.75”, 5 ½”, and 8 ¼”.  Fold along the 5 ½” across the entire card.  Trim between the 1” and 8 ¼” score lines 3 ½” from the edge.

2.     Stamp the background stamp (Where the Rubber Hits the Road Balloons and Streamers purchased in 1997) in a pattern with the Kaleidacolor Spectrum ink pad.  Start along one edge and stamp a strip, clean the stamp and rotate the direction of the ink pad 180° to match up the center color.  Complete the background pattern by rotating the ink pad on each strip.  Stamp the area above the 5 ½” mark that will show in the tallest step.

3.     Fold the card with mountain and valley folds and die cut with Spellbinders Grand Labels Twenty-Three.  Select the die that will cut a 5 ½” high die cut.  Line up the card stock just inside of the die to allow part of both the top and bottom folds to remain intact.  Secure with low tack tape.  Due to the thickness of the folded portion, remove the card and line up the die on the reverse side to complete the cuts.

4.      Trim a section of Vertigo to fit the open section of the step card and die cut with Spellbinders Grand Labels Twenty-Three.  

   

5.     The streamers and confetti, candles, gift boxes, and balloons are all by Quickutz and have been in my collection for over 12 years, so they are also considered very retro!  The streamers and confetti, gift boxes, balloons, and Spellbinders Labels Twenty-Three were die cut after the card stock was inked.  The candles and the gift box ribbons were die cut then inked.  

  

6.     Kaleidacolor Spectrum ink pad can be used to ink the various embellishments in several different ways.  A soft foam brayer on card stock will give a soft sponged background used in the balloon under layers, sentiment panel, and the gift boxes.  A hard rubber brayer and Ink Potion No. 9 on glossy card stock is used for the balloons, the cake base, and the streamers and confetti.  Ink blushers are used on individual sections of the ink pad to ink the ribbons on the gift boxes and the candles.  The candle flames are colored with Memento Dual Tip Marker in Tangelo.

7.     The sentiment “Happy Birthday” from Hero Arts It’s Your Day (2013) is stamped in Tsukineko Tuxedo Black.  “Peter” is from the Scrappy Cat Playful Serie set.  After the Spellbinders Labels Twenty-Three is die cut it is outlined in black.

8.     The “cake” from Spellbinders Labels Twenty-Three die cut is pressure embossed with Cuttlebug Polka Dots.  A 1” strip of white glossy card stock is also die cut with Spellbinders Labels Twenty-Three and then punched with Martha Stewart’s Drippy Goo punch.

9.     The glossy balloons are adhered to the sponged balloons layer and sections of black craft thread are tied to the bottom of the balloons.  The balloons are adhered to the base card with various levels of dimensional foam adhesive.  The threads are gathered to the center and adhered under the sentiment panel.  The sentiment panel is adhered with the thickest dimensional foam adhesive.

10.  The layers on the steps are adhered together and to the steps of the card. 

My son really loved his card and liked the fact that there are ten candles on the cake!  Please do come play along with us at Retro Rubber Blog Challenge and enter our Anything Goes Challenge.  Remember to use your stamps that are more than a year old!

Imagine Crafts featuring Tsukineko:

·      Kaliedacolor Spectrum

·      Memento Tuxedo Black

·      Vertigo in Taffeta

·      Ink Potion No. 9

·      Ink Blushers

·      Craft Mat

Other

·      Where the Rubber Hits the Road Balloons and Streamers background stamp

·      Hero Arts It’s Your Day set

·      Scrappy Cat Playful Serie set

·      Spellbinders Grand Labels Twenty-Three and Labels Twenty-Three

·      Quickutz gift boxes, balloons, candles, streamers dies

·      Martha Stewart Score Board, Drippy Goo punch

·      Soft and hard rubber brayers

·      Cuttlebug Polka Dots embossing folder

·      Miscellaneous: Glossy and matte white card stock, adhesive, dimensional foam adhesives of varying thicknesses, die cut machine, low tack tape, black craft thread

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Eclectic Ellapu Pink Team Balloons, Banners, or Bows

Seize the Birthday Vellum or Acetate (Vertigo is a type of acetate) 

Creative Corner Happy Birthday

Crafty Card Makers Winter Birthday

Pile It On #96 Fancy Folds

613 Avenue Create #151 3D, Birthday, White

Creative Knock Outs #16 No Square Cards

Aud Sentiment #145 Anything Goes + a sentiment

Special Thanks

We celebrate several birthdays during the late fall, so it is a great time to make thank you cards.  It is also Thanksgiving break here in Central Oregon so there is a little time to play along with a few challenges!  The Fusion Challenge was the primary source of inspiration for this flowery thanks.

1.     Trim cream card stock to 5 ½” x 8 ½” and spritz with Fireworks and Walnut ink sprays.  Set aside to dry.

2.     Trim cream card base to 6 ½” x 10 /2” and fold in half.  Trim Newsprint patterned paper to 4 ¾” x 6” and the gold card stock to 4 ¼” x 5 ½”. 

3.     Die cut curve into top layers by lining the layers up and placing the Hillside border in the desired position, hold in place with low tack tape and die cut.  Repeat with the the opposite side. 

4.     Trim 1/8” from each end of the gold card stock.  Place inside the Enchanted embossing folder and pressure emboss.  Distress raised portion with sanding block.   Adhere the layers together and temporarily place on card base.  Make light pencils marks and remove. 

5.     Curve Special Thanks sentiment to match cure and place on acrylic block.  Ink and stamp with Versa Magic Gingerbread.  Erase pencil marks.

6.     Die cut two of the smallest Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms and three of the medium sized Impressions Obsession Spiral Flowers.   

7.     Twist flowers with quilling tool and tweezers and adhere with wet adhesive.  Set aside to dry.

8.     Die cut two sets of leaves from green card stock and pressure with embossing mat.  Ink raised portions and edges with Versa Magic Gingerbread.

9.     Adhere leaves and flowers to card base with glue dots and varying thicknesses of dimensional adhesive.  

Imagine Crafts by Tsukineko:

·      Fireworks in Dandelion, Tangelo, Lady Bug

·      Walnut Ink in Walnut

·      Versa Magic Gingerbread

·      Craft Mat

Other

·      Spellbinders:  Bitty Blossoms, Enchanted embossing folder

·      Impression Obsession Spiral Flowers

·      Lawn Cuts Stitched Hillside Borders

·      Inkadinkado Thanks

·      Die Cuts With a View Textures & Finishes

·      Coordinations Distress Collection gold card stock

·      Miscellaneous:  Cream and green card stock, die cut machine with embossing mat, quilling tool, tweezers, wet adhesive, glue dots, dimensional adhesive, permanent adhesive, low tack tape, sanding block, acrylic block,

There a few more challenges that I would like to enter this card into:

Fusion Challenge 

Amusing Challenges Thanks

Robyn’s Fetish #291 Cards with Autumn colors

One Stitch at a Time #350 Giving Thanks

Aloha Friday #61 Thanks

Simon Says Work It Wednesday Thank You Card

Allsorts #338 Three Die Cuts

Addicted to CAS Dimension

Crafty Addicts #4 Anything Goes with Die Cuts

Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting my blog, please follow if you are so inclined!

Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving

Our college student is more than 1,000 miles away and the airline ticket home for the short Thanksgiving break is VERY expensive.  She will celebrate the holiday with family in the area, but I always like to send her a little bit of home with a handmade card.

I was inspired by the fun sketch over at Pals Paper Arts #276 and the card came together very quickly!

Level:  Beginner

Time:  15 minutes

Imagine Crafts by Tsukineko

·      Kaleidacolor Autumn Leaves

·      Ink Potion No. 9

·      Memento Dual Marker Rich Cocoa

·      Craft Mat

Other

·      Technique Tuesday Say It Happy

·      Spellbinders Foliage

·      Heartfelt Creations Leaf Medley PreCut Set

·      Darice Foliage embossing folder

·      Miscelaneous:  glossy white, Kraft , and cream card stock, burlap trim, hard rubber brayer, die cut machine, adhesive

1.     Use the hard rubber brayer to apply Kaleidacolor Autumn Leaves ink to 5 ½” x 8 ½” glossy card stock.  Ink up the brayer and spritz lightly with Ink Potion No. 9.
2.     Trim selected section of inked glossy card stock to 4 ¼” x 5 ½” and pressure emboss with Darice Foliage embossing folder.
3.     Use Spellbinders Foliage to die cut the small leaves from remaining sections of inked glossy card stock. 
4.     Ink Heartfelt Creations stamp with Memento Rich Cocoa or alternately use Memento Dual Marker if lacking the ink pad.
5.     With tweezers place die cut over stamp and use another acrylic block to apply pressure. 
6.     Ink Technique Tuesday’s Say It Happy sentiment with Kaleidacolor Autumn Leaves.  Reverse the image on the section of ink pad to get a desired color.  Stamp on Kraft card stock and trim to 1 5/8” x 2 ¼”.  Back with cream card stock 1 ¾” x 2 ½” and adhere together.
7.     Trim Kraft card stock to 4 ½” x 5 ¾” and cream card stock base to 6” x 9 ½”.  Score card base and fold in half.  Adhere Kraft card stock and embossed glossy card stock.  Adhere sentiment panel.
8.     Trim burlap trim to 5 ½” and adhere to card.  Adhere die cut leaves.

This turned out to be such a lovely card that went together very quickly!  

I would like to enter it into the following challenges:

Pals Paper Arts #276

Sassy Studio Designs #308 Give Thanks/Thanksgiving

DLart #168 Thanksgiving

Crafting for All Seasons Embossing

Color Throw Down #369

Die Cutting Divas #242 Thanksgiving

My Sheri Crafts Happy Thanksgiving

Happy to Report that this card was selected as the third spotlight at

Crafting by Design Times 3

Thanks for stopping by!  May your Thanksgiving holiday be blessed with family, friends, and food.

CAS Thanks

It is that time of year to make Thank You cards!  My birthday is around the corner and what better way to truly send thanks than to send a handmade card!

I started with a sketch from Retro Sketches and went looking through my card making kits.  I found scraps from an old Basic Grey collection named Lucky.  It had fun and happy colors combined with pretty blossoms.   The front of an A-2 size card was placed in Cuttlebug Thanks embossing folder.  After trimming the diagonal strips to 5/8”, ¾’, and 5/8” they were adhered to the front of the card.  The tag was part of the Lucky printed set, and is decorated with ribbons and fibers from my stash.  Spellbinders Petite Ovals Small and Large die cut the sentiment label.  The sentiment is from a $1 Studio G set that I’ve had for many years.  It is stamped in Tsukineko Memento Luxe Elderberry and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  Once the design elements were selected it took less than 10 minutes to put this Clean and Simple card together.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Retro Sketches #189

 Artistic Inspirations #144 AG w/ a twist of feminine

4 Crafty Chicks #272 Ribbon

DRS Thankful Thanks

Aud Sentiment #144 Tic-Tac-Toe Ribbon, Rubber Stamp, printed flower on tag

Crafty Gals Corner #45 Thanks or Thank you

Crafting for All Seasons #114 Embossing (both pressure and heat)

Happy Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran’s Day in the United States, and is celebrated in other parts of the world as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day to mark the end of World War I.  I was privileged to attend a high school assembly that honored veterans.  Notably the oldest living recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor is a graduate of Bend Senior High School, and a current resident of Bend.  A staff member in full dress military uniform who served eight tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan was honored to place Robert Maxwell’s medal for him during the assembly.  The school also honored six fallen service men and women from the War on Terror, one of whom I was a friend with during his years in Bend.  It was an incredible time of respect and remembrance.  It was also amazing the percentage of students who stood to indicate a family member has served at one time in the armed services.  I am proud to be an American and to honor those who gave our freedoms to us through their service.   

What a lead in for the current challenge at Ruby's Rainbow Challenges #117, to use the colors of red, white, and blue.   It just so happens that I volunteered to make cards for the care packages our church sends to members who are currently deployed, so I am taking this opportunity to start on a few with this CAS design.

Directions

1.     Mask the bottom the bottom portion of Stamper's Best "Thank you for your service" and ink the top portion with Versa Magic Night Sky.  Remove mask and stamp on white card stock.  Trim sentiment to 2 7/8" x 1 7/8".  (With solid rubber images this is often quicker than using a stamp positioner.)



2.     Trim red ribbon to 12" and 6 1/2".  Tie a double looped bow with a backing ribbon on the Zutter Bows-It-All v.2.



3.     Run a line of adhesive along the back of the sentiment and adhered the backing ribbon.  Slide the bow into the desired position.
4.     Back with Kraft card stock trimmed to 3 1/8" x 2 1/8".



5.     Trim red and blue panels to 1 5/8" x 4", and white panel to 1 3/4" x 4".  Lay side by side in the Darice Stars Assorted embossing folder and pressure emboss. Apply temporary adhesive to each panel and place on Kraft A-2 sized card. 



6.     Run a line of adhesive along edges of sentiment panel and adhere.  Remove from the card base and wrap ends of ribbon around back of outside panels and adhere.  Adhere to Kraft A-2 sized card.

Come and play along with our red, white, and blue theme at Ruby's Rainbow Challenges and enter your card or project!

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Creative Knockouts #115 Ribbon

Shabby Tea Room 263 Thankful

Cards in Envy Gratitude

Crafty Card Makers 151 Thank You
Make My Monday Many Thanks
Simply Create Too #98 Give Thanks
That Craft Place Kraft challenge
Glitter and Sparkle 162 Use some Red 
AAA Cards CAS 52 Thanks

Fall Thank You

Time for a new challenge over at Retro Rubber Blog Challenge!  This time around we have a beautiful color scheme to work with to create a project.  I am in need of a few thank you cards this time of year, and the colors provided the perfect inspiration.  Do stop by the RRBC and see all of the Mod Squad's fabulous makes!

1.    I started by searching through my papers to find my version of Hello Honey, Old Olive, Blackberry Bliss, and Baked Brown Sugar.  I knew I wanted to use the multi-lingual thank you sentiment by Distinctive Impressions and combine the colors in the stamping as well.  This is a timeless image because I purchased it in 1995 at the Portland Stamp Convention! 

2.    The easiest way to stamp different ink colors on one image is to use water based marker directly on the image.  For this card I used Memento Dual Tip Markers in Cottage Ivy and Grape Jelly.  They are a great color match, don't you think?  After coloring, a very light mist of Imagine Crafts Ink Potion No. 9 reactivated the ink before stamping on honey cardstock trimmed to 3 ½” x 5”.

3.    The Spellbinders A-2 Locking Loops die is centered over the image allowing for twine embellishment along the bottom and secured with light tack tape.  The sentiment is die cut.

4.    An 18” length of Darice hemp twine is tied in a multi-loop bow with the Simple Bows template.  The ends are threaded through holes in the design and secured into placed on the reverse side.

5.    The Blackberry Bliss card stock is trimmed to 2 ¾” x 4” and adhered to the sentiment panel die cut.

6.    A piece of Kraft card stock is pressure embossed with Sizzix Wrought Iron Balcony Moroccan folder.  Cottage Ivy is colored in a strip on a rubber brayer and gently misted with Ink Potion No. 9.  The brayer is gently rolled over the raised portion of the design.  The design is trimmed to ¾” x 4”.

7.    The Old Olive is trimmed 4" x 5 1/4" and adhered to the A-2 sized base card.  The remained sections are adhered into place.

Please come and join in the fun over at Retro Rubber Blog Challenge and play along with this beautiful color scheme.  Remember to use your rubber stamps that are more that a year old (mine is 20 years in my collection!) and have some fun.

I would like to enter the following challenges that provided inspiration for this card.

Creative Knockouts #115 I used twine

Southern Girls Challenge Twine

Aud Sentiment 144 Tic Tac Toe row: embossing, rubber stamp, die cut

Simon Says Thanks

Shabby Tea Room 263 Thankful

Cards in Envy Gratitude

Crafty Card Makers 151 Thank You
Make My Monday Many Thanks
Simply Create Too #98 Give Thanks
That Craft Place Kraft challenge

Soccer Coach Thank You!

We are so blessed to have community members and parents step up to coach our youth sports!  They spend hours with our kids during the soccer season and coach their hearts out, in this case with fourth graders.  In case you haven’t watched most fourth grade recreational leagues . . . they are still at the “bunch soccer ball” stage for game strategy.  Our boys had a wonderful mom who LOVES soccer and plays adult league as their head coach this year.  It is the end of the season and time to thank the coaches who give so much of themselves and their time!  I volunteered to make the thank you cards.  I couldn’t resist making a soccer themed card similar to her favorite ball!

A recent video at Imagine Crafts Blog highlighted the use of Ink Potion No. 9 and the Kaleidacolor ink pad.  I’ve used the brayer technique with Kaleidacolors before, but with the Ink Potion No. 9 spritz, the colors are so much more vibrant and blend so much better on the glossy card stock.  If you’ve not noticed, soccer balls come in all colors now and the Kaleidacolor Spectrum made for a great background on this soccer ball.  After inking the glossy card stock it was die cut using the Quickutz Soccer ball die.  Black card stock is die cut for the pentagon portion of the soccer ball. 

 I also decided to participate in Week #385 over at Sketch Saturday because they have great sketches AND I was the winner over there last week.  I didn’t have to scroll very far down in the archives to find this great sketch to incorporate a round soccer ball!

I used a scrap of the Kaleidacolor Spectrum glossy cardstock to die cut the Spellbinders Phrase Set One sentiment “Thanks”.  It is backed with black and blue cardstock trimmed to size.  Boxer Scrapbook’s Soccer Clear Stamps provided the soccer goal, which is stamped on blue card stock in Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black.  Green cardstock is die cut with Lawn Cuts Stitched Hillside Borders.  The layers are adhered to the card front and the sentiment panel is adhered with dimensional foam adhesive.  I was able to crank out two thank you cards for the coaches in no time!

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Sketch Saturday #385 Pick any Sketch 215-375, I went with 218

Hiding in My Craft Room #223 Freestyle

Sweet Stampin’ Dies & / or Punches

Art Impressions #171 Use Water Based Inks

As You Like It Brights or Pastels? 

(I like brights!  The brilliant color cheers me up!)

Mod Squad Bold and Beautiful