Thinking Inking

Stand Where It's Shining and Upcoming COPIC Classes

Do you live near either Grand Rapids, Michigan,
or Madison, Wisconsin? 
Please check out my last paragraph for COPIC class information!

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Welcome! It's been a busy week here. Summer finally came: we went from no leaves on the trees to fully leafed out trees in a span of one week. We've planted two gardens this week and cut a lot of grass. That hasn't left much free time for playing in my studio, but I finally got downstairs tonight to make a card. I had a new MFT Sun Ray stencil that I've been wanting to try for a few days. I had a perfect sentiment stamp to go with it, from the MFT Bokeh Builder stamp set. Background is stamped with the BG Grid Background.

Shown above are the Copic markers that I used, along with my Copic Airbrush System.

I used some new MFT black hybrid ink to stamp the sentiment directly on top of my airbrushed sunburst, and I really liked its darkness and coverage. I used the Die-namics Blueprints 14 dies to cut my card layers--love that stitching layer! (See top picture in the post for the stitched layer.) 

Finally, I am headed to Grand Rapids, Michigan, on June 20-21 for Copic Standard and Intermediate Certification classes, and to Madison, Wisconsin, on July 18-19. This will be my FIRST time in Madison; please come join me so that it isn't my first and last! There is still room left in both of these locations. I'd love to meet you there!

Thanks for visiting,

Debbie

Courage. . .

Welcome! I know that I said that I was going to quit playing with that Embossing Folder Stamping technique, but I needed something soft and pink to go with this *fabulous* PTI stamp sentiment from A Little Inspiration, right? And I still had some Cabbage Rose M-Bossabilities and Gelatos. backgrounds left. . . 

I also used my Cabbage Roses M-Bossabilities folder to emboss the pink cardstock background. It's a pretty simple card, but I think it will encourage my sweet friend! Thanks for stopping by,

Debbie

Thankful for All They Gave. . .

It's Memorial Day here in the United States, and though it's already late afternoon, I wanted to acknowledge the tremendous sacrifice that so many have made for the cause of Freedom. 

In addition to those who have died serving their country, my family and I are also thankful for the many who continue to give--servicemen and women, and not just them, but also their families. My heart goes out to those of you who are missing loved ones at this time.

Thank you!

Supplies
Stamps: Military Stars, Military Hero (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Wild Cherry (MFT), Denim (Ranger), and Chamomile and Chai Distress Inks (PTI)
Cardstock: Pure Poppy, Stampers Select White (PTI)
Patterned Paper: Of Liberty Collection 6 x 6 pad (Bo Bunny)
Die: Stars Cover Plate (PTI)

Father's Day Coupon Holder

Welcome! I've been working all day on cutting pieces for a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers group) craft for tomorrow morning, so that's what I'm sharing tonight. It occurred to me that this was the last MOPS/MOMS craft day before Father's Day--that's a good indicator that the moms just might need a Father's Day gift that their kids can give Dad! I looked through my Father's Day stamp stash and found a Papertrey Ink My Hero My Dad stamp set, then paired it with graphics from the Grunge Me stamp set.

While perusing Pinterest for Father's Day ticket books, I found a fabulous ticket book by Lisa Dickinson on the Basic Grey website, perfect for the moms! [Thanks, Lisa and Basic Grey!] You can download a printable file from Lisa's post linked above. The main change that I made was to create a few extra blank tickets in case the Moms wanted to fill in their own coupons for Dad. (I opened the .pdf file in Photoshop Elements and used the eraser tool to take words out, making the style of the blank coupons match the ones printed ones. I can't offer that file, because it isn't mine to offer; it is Lisa's and Basic Grey's--get it from them if you'd like it.) I took color cues from Lisa's coupons since they were my starting point: PTI Hawaiian Shores, Summer Sun, Kraft, and True Black. For background, I used a Spellbinders Kickin' Rubber M-Bossabilities folder. Instead of binding my coupons, I left them loose and created a pocket for them . The card base is 3-1/2" x 5", finished size, but 5" x 8-1/2", scored at 3-1/2" and 7" to form a pocket for the tickets. The front sentiment panel is cut with a Spellbinders A-2 Curved Matting Basics B die template.

While I still had plenty of cardstock and ink out out, I thought I would make a Father's Day card for my Dad too, though I didn't need a ticket book since he lives much too far away for me to promise car washes and garage sweeping. ;-) I used the Spellbinders That's the Ticket set to cut a panel for my sentiment. (Sorry--just realized that this is a retired set, still available some places, but not on the Spellbinders site.) This is a standard 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" card. Okay, that's about it for today. Wish me luck with our MOPS projects tomorrow!

Thanks for visiting,

Debbie

You Float My Boat

Welcome, or better yet, ahoy there! I am in Minneapolis this weekend for a couple of Copic Certification classes--hope to meet some of you there! I'll be in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area next month (June 20-21), so if not in Minnesota, maybe in Michigan. . . ;-) I have a sweet little MFT Pure Innocence Sailor Girl card to share tonight. Isn't she a cutie? 

Here's my Copic Color Map for you. (Feel free to Pin anything that you find helpful.) The texture on her dress is made with a scrap of my husband's jeans that I saturated in Copic colorless blender and laid on top of the dress for a couple of seconds. Obviously, if you do this, you need to color the dress *before*  you color skin tones--unless you want textured skin too. ;-)

For the background I used MFT's Star Background stamp. I used dies from the Die-namics Vertical Stitched Strips for the red panel and Die-namics Blueprints 15 for the "stitched" kraft layer. She's a cutie!

That's it for tonight. Have a great weekend,

Debbie

CAS Birthday Card

Welcome! I'm supposed to be packing right now, so it's a clean and simple card night. I've been in a minimalist mood lately, but I reserve the right to change my mind any time. . . ;-) Tonight's card uses two stamp sets, Papertrey Ink's Sketched Shapes and Keep It Simple Birthday Mini Set. 

The funny thing about CAS cards is that I often spend more time redoing them then I do complex cards. This card front is generation number 4. If it were a complex card, I'd just layer something on top of a misplaced bit of ink! But with clean and simple, it's a redo when you don't stamp hard enough or didn't clean your stamp well enough from the previous color. Not quite being comfortable with JUST cardstock and ink, I added a snippet of baker's twine as well as some sequins. I'm still figuring out how to use sequins, but they mail so much better than buttons that I'm determined to keep playing with them. 

Hope you're having a great day,

Debbie

Cabbage Roses Embossing Folder Cards

Welcome! Can you handle one more  Embossing Folder Stamping post? I promise I'll stop playing with this technique for a while after today. ;-) (It really is a fun one!) Today I used my Spellbinders Cabbage Roses M-Bossabilities folder along with my Gelatos. The birthday card sitting on the wooden stand was one of the first ones that I pulled from the embossing folder, and the one on the right was the last good one that I got from the folder. You can see how an earlier generation image is more distinct and darker, while a later generation is looser and lighter.

For this card's sentiment, I used Papertrey Ink's Stylish Sentiments Birthday stamp set.

For this sentiment, I used PTI's A Little Inspiration stamp set. (The inside sentiment is, "Remember, everybody else is making it up as they go along too.") I used a couple of  Spellbinders die template sets: A-2 Matting Basics B and Standard Circles Small to cut the button-notch. Ribbon is PTI Raspberry Fizz Grosgrain and 1/4" white silk ribbon.

HERE is a link yesterday's Embossing Folder Stamping post, again, based on a Splitcoaststampers  tutorial found HERE. I hope you Mamas have a great weekend in store--Happy Mother's Day!

Debbie

Grace: Embossing Folder Stamping

Welcome! I had fun with technique-play after seeing an Embossing Folder Stamping Tutorial by Audrie Magno Gordon on Splitcoaststampers yesterday.  I have several Spellbinders embossing folders, and I usually use them for (are you ready for this?) well, embossing. But I loved how the gallery samples looked, and I knew that my embossing folders needed a new trick. :-)

I started with some Gelatos (soft watercolor crayons) and two Spellbinders embossing folders, Butterfly Kisses and Numbers and Letters. I lightly spritzed my embossing folders with water so that the Gelatos would stick to the plastic better, then colored parts of my embossing folders with various coordinating colors of Gelatos. Next, I spritzed the Gelatos again and laid my cardstock (PTI Rustic White) on the embossing folder. I was able to get about four of each of the patterns without needing to re-color my embossing folder, though I did spritz between each generation of imprint, and each imprint was a bit lighter in value.

I found a perfect little sentiment stamp in my stash, Grace, a Plain Jane stamp from Verve. On the butterfly card, I wanted to split the sentiment and put part of it inside the card. I took a picture, just in case you wondered about this part. I used Scotch tape to mask off the part of the sentiment that I wanted to stamp inside the card, and i inked the top part and removed the tape before stamping the word "grace. . ." For the inside of the card, I just reversed that process, masking the grace part off.

In addition to the embossing folders, I used a few die templates: A-2 Matting Basics A and B, A-2 Curved Matting Basics A, and Wonderful Wings. I used a couple of Copic markers and my Copic Airbrush System to airbrush the solid/vellum butterfly.

I used a scraps of seam binding that I had dyed previously for the pink ribbon--maybe with Copic RV02, but I can't remember for sure. Do you have embossing folders? You should read Audrie's Embossing Folder Stamping and try it if you get a chance! I like the looseness and simplicity of this technique. Thank you for visiting,

Debbie

Mother's Day Botanical Blocks

Welcome! I have a Mother's Day card to share today--just got it in the mail this morning, so I hope that it makes it by Saturday. I had colored this lovely rose image from Papertrey Ink's Botanical Blocks stamp set last week and thought that it would be a perfect focal image for my Mom's card. 

Here are my Copic marker specifics--as always, feel free to pin any images that are helpful. :-)

I used several Spellbinders die templates on my card, including an A-2 Matting Basics B (3rd size up from the smallest) for the block mat in the card center, a  5 x 7 Matting Basics B for the outer edge of the rose cardstock, and Resplendent Rectangles for the card base. For the inside sentiment, I used a phrase from PTI's Quilter's Sampler stamp set. Cardstock color for the front panel is Lavender Moon, matted in Autumn Rose. That's it for today--hope you are having a great week!

Debbie

A Very Happy Birthday Shaker Card

***Copic Classes Page updated this week***

Welcome! Today I have a masculine birthday card to share. I pulled another goodie out of the PTI box that I ordered last week; I've been wanting this Text Block: Birthday die for several weeks now, so I finally ordered it! I knew that I wanted to create an airbrushed gradation to go with this die, but I wasn't sure whether I wanted to cut the words from the airbrushed piece, or leave the words in white and use the airbrushed piece as a background. I finally decided upon the background version. 

First I used a scrap of Stampers Select White cardstock and airbrushed it with my  Copic Airbrush System and the five Copic Sketch markers shown above (YG06, YG17, BG07, B26, and B66). 

Next I cut my Text Block: Birthday die focal image from white cardstock and lined it with a piece of clear cardstock cut just barely smaller than the die cut, gluing the die cut to the clear panel. I used thin foam tape cut into narrow strips to line all of the edges of my die cut panel, then scraped up some confetti (scraps from a Parisian Lace Doily die cut), and some chunky glitter to add as my shaker material. TIP: Don't add too much shaker material. I almost always add too much shaker material. One of these days I will be bright enough to add half of what I *think* I need, and I'll get it just right! I could have used a little less here. . . 

Here is my complete card front with the shaker part all sealed up. Since it's a guy-card, I avoided my go-to pinks and bows. :-) I'm sticking a Red Lobster gift card inside, so I'm pretty sure he'll like it, even with no bows!

***Copic Classes Page updated***

I updated my Copic Classes Page this week.
I have certification classes coming up
in Minneapolis on May 16-17,
and in Grand Rapids on June 20-21.
I would love to see you there! Thanks for visiting,

Debbie

Teamwork: Bicycle Built for Two

Welcome! It's the last day of JustRite's May Release, and I have a song running through my head: "Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do. . ." (Is it in your head yet?)  Of course I'm talking about "A Bicycle Built for Two," which also happens to be the name of one of today's two featured sets. In the card above I've paired Bicycle Built for Two Cling Stamps with Fleur Twist Cling Background Stamp, released earlier this week.

Bicycle Built for Two Cling Stamps

I stamped my bicycle in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and cut and embossed it with a Spellbinders 5 x 7 Matting Basics A die template, leaving the die in place to use as a mask for Airbrushing some Copic B23 into the top part of the space for sky. I colored parts of the bicycle with a Melon green Spica glitter pen, and the chrome with a Copic C3 marker.  I added shadows behind the bicycle tires with a Copic C1, then removed the die template mask. I stamped the sentiment in green and black inks, then die-cut and embossed with a Spellbinders Classic Rectangles Large die template.

The green background is created with JustRite's  Fleur Twist Cling Background Stamp, stamped in PTI's New Leaf ink on New Leaf cardstock. Those star brads are some old ones from my Stampin' Up stash--not sure if they sell them any more. Finished size of my card is 4-1/4" x 5-1/2".

Would you like to see more projects with either Bicycle Built for Two Cling Stamps or today's other featured set, Iron Swirls Cling Background? Then be sure to check out the blog posts below! Thanks for visiting,

Debbie

JustRite Inspiration
Darsie Bruno
Marisa Job
Eva Dobilas
Kathy Jones
Debbie Olson (here)
Sheri Holt
Kristi Schurr
Michele Kovack
Angela Barkhouse
Margie Higuchi
Heidi Blankenship
Kazan Clark

Cupcake Wishes Birthday Card

Welcome! I have a really fun stamp set to introduce to you today, JustRite's Cupcake Wishes Cling Stamps. Do you feel a birthday party coming on? 

I like that it has two cupcake bottoms and tops, as well as a great variety of sentiments for birthdays. It can also be fancy or fun--your choice!

On my Spellbinders Labels Twenty-Eight die cut, I airbrushed a spot of pale yellow for the candle flame's glow with my Copic Airbrush System and Copic Y32.  Next I used a Copic C1 to airbrush a shadow at the base of the cupcake. I had already stamped the swirly frosting piece for placement, knowing that I was going to cut out the cupcake base and the candle.

In addition to the Spellbinders Labels Twenty Eight for the focal image, I also used a  Decorative Labels Twenty-Eight (for the blue mat layer), and A-2 Bracket Borders One (for the bracket edges at the bottom of the card front). Patterned paper is from a Jillibean Soup Birthday Bisque 6 x 6 mini paper pad. 

Would you like to see more projects made with JustRite's Cupcake Wishes Cling Stamps? I hope you have a chance to hop to the blogs below then! Thanks for stopping by today,

Debbie

JustRite Inspiration
Becca Feeken
Kristi Schurr
Kathy Jones
Marisa Job
Debbie Olson (here)
Eva Dobilas
Darsie Bruno
Michele Kovack
Angela Barkhouse
Sheri Holt
Margie Higuchi
Kazan Clark