Swallowtail

Hello everybody! Hope you are having a good week. We are having a rash of thunderstorms here in North Carolina, so I've been staying in and playing with my inks.

Just recently, I bought some Ken Oliver Color Burst powders in green, blue, yellow and red. This is my first card using them. It's a little dark but I still like it okay.

For the image, the Stampin Up! Swallowtail stamp was embossed in white onto watercolor paper. I could hardly see it, but that's before the magic happened.

For the background, I first wet the watercolor paper with water, then dropped some of the different colors of powders (green, blue and yellow) onto the paper. It had a cool effect but I couldn't stop! I took my brush and swiped the colors together across the page. The colors turned out pretty cool, and I got a different color of green than expected with the yellow mixed in the blue. The Swallowtail showed through pretty well.

The card was not difficult to create and it took little time. This is an easy technique to try when you need something with deep colors.

Soon I'll have to try the other colors, but that's all I have for now.

Before I go, I want to thank you all for your support when I posted about the floods in West Virginia and about my friend who passed away. It's been a shock to lose her; however, the recovery efforts in the cleanup have given me hope for a positive recovery throughout the State.

I know people's lives have been changed forever, and change is a part of life we all must endure. West Virginia people are strong and diligent. They will strive for a more positive future and work hard to create it. I'm proud to have roots from a State with such endurance.

Thanks for stopping by today! I appreciate your comments and visits very much. I look forward to seeing you again real soon ~

Hello

Hi everybody! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. Lots going on.

Today's card is one I actually saw on Facebook. I'd give the person credit here but I can't find it again and don't know the creator's name. I think she used stamps from Stampin Up! but mine are from The Stamps of Life. The set is called Cherries2Stamp. The sentiment, ink and patterned paper are also from The Stamps of Life. Bling is from my stash. I used Allyson's Ribbon Die for the white strip.

This was a fun card to create. I like the design and the use of patterned paper.

Unrelated to this cheerful card, I want to share with you great concerns I have for the flooding that's happened in West Virginia, my home State. Many, many people are suffering from loss of home, family and friends. I, too, have lost someone due to this flood--she was an excellent teacher to my children when they were young. This is a very sad time for all who learned from her as students and all who enjoyed her as friends. Her death is just one example of the horrific crisis that's occurring as I write this. I am fortunate my family is safe, but many are not. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank you for stopping by today. I appreciate your comments and visits very much, and I hope to see you again real soon ~

Celebrate Your Day

Hi everybody! How's your day coming along? We are getting a Tropical Storm here in NC, and the winds are as heavy as the rain pouring down.

Father's Day is coming up, and I always send a card to my Ex to let him know I appreciate all he's done as a father to our two sons, Chris and Coleman.

The stamp set I used is an old one I purchased from Stampin Up! many years ago, called Seaside Sketches. Many of the images include a beach, and that applies to me now, so I continue to use them.

The background was done by applying different colors of ink to a sheet of heavy vellum. After it dried, I added the top layer of vellum with the heat-embossed image and sentiment on it. Finally, I added a border cut with a Spellbinders die.

This is a very CAS design on purpose. Like the card, the relationship I have with my Ex has no frills or bling, although we remain close friends. I felt no need to dress up the card, but I did want to make the message clear with a peaceful scene.

Our sons are truly blessed with a father so dedicated to their happiness.

Before I go, I wanted to share an old picture I have with Chris and Coleman with their Dad, taken when they were very young. Now 30 and 31, I'm sure they'd be embarrassed to know I'm sharing this now on my blog! Oh, well...

Thanks for stopping by today! I appreciate your comments and visits very much, and I hope to see you again real soon ~