Pets are magic...

 Another easy card today... No Copics, just simple stamping and assembling. I used MFT's Clearly Sentimental about Pets Stamp Set and also their neat stacking dies to frame the image. I am really liking a lot of the MFT products. I will be making more cards featuring them, for sure! 

The stacking die cuts make for such a quick and easy card. I added the piercing around the oval and also sponged ink on most of the layers. I used Perfect Layer Rulers on all the straight line layers.  Simple tent card again, A2 sized. 

• Stamps: MFT's Clearly Sentimental about Pets
• Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
• Paper: Max and Whiskers 6x6 by Basic Grey, White, Black
• Other: Layered Labels Die Cuts by MFT, Perfect Layers Rulers, Foam Tape, Ink Blending Tool, Bow Easy Tool, Piercing Tool, Misc. Ribbon, Button

Ring, Ring...

 Sometimes a stamp and paper were just made to go together! This is exactly the case for MFT's "Ring Me" Stamps and Die set and Jillibean Soup's Neapolitan Bean Bisque 6x6 pad - which features the phone inspired print papers on this card. After cutting out the phone pieces with the die from red card stock, I used an ink blending tool to just darken the edges slightly on the phone and the other die cut pieces. The card is a tent style card, opening at the bottom. I used the Corner Chomper to round all four corners.

You can see I added an embossed panel down the left side, I sponged a little black ink over it to help pick up and show the embossed design.  A little dimensional silicone helps keep the banner propped up and bent. I cut a piece of acetate to go over the phone numbers. 

• Stamps: MFT's Ring Me Stamp and Die set 
• Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
• Paper: Jillibean Soup - Neapolitan Bean Bisque Soup 6x6 paper pad, Red, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White
• Other: Jute String-Black and Ivory, Bow Easy Tool, Spellbinder's So Trendy MBossibilities Folder, Spellbinder's Circles, Dimensional Silicone, Corner Chomper, Ink Blending Tool, MFT's Sweet Stack Labels Die

Bunny in the Grass

Today the Serendipity Team is making cards that use acetate. 

Check out what the team came up with: Amy -  Kathie - Miriam - Jeanne - Sue

 I used the acetate to make a little shaker box for this cute little bunny.

 I used Flower Soft to fill my shaker box and to look like grass. 

 I stamped the bunny, I used a nestie to draw a circle, larger than the window, just so I would have a guide to make sure I colored the areas needed. I just dabbed some random green color on the bottom, knowing it would be covered with my FS grass. 

 I used nesties and a Spellbinder's M-bossilities Folder (So Trendy) to create my shaker box. You can find a tutorial on how to make a shaker box HERE. 

Here is my finished card, dressed up with adhesive pearls and a little ribbon bow on top. 

• Stamps: by Serendipity Stamps - #1245F Easter Bunny with Eggs
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
• Paper: Green, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, DP by Jillibean- Souther Chicken Dumpling 6x6 Pad
• Other: Spellbinder's M-Bossibilities Folder - So Trendy, Spellbinder's Circles, Spellbinder's Lacey Squares, Copics, Ribbon by May Arts, Bow Easy Tool, Flower Soft, Foam Tape, Adhesive Pearls, Perfect Layers Rulers

Tea Cup Roses

 Yesterday's card used kind of drab colors and you can see I went to the extreme opposite for today's post.  I loved this "stitched" paper I found in my stash and that was the inspiration that drove the bright color choices. I also am playing along with the Touch Twin Marker Challenge this week. ShinHan Touch Twin Markers have been popping up everywhere I turn lately. I used a few on my card for today. I can honestly say, I don't find any difference in how they color compared to a Copic Marker. 

 Here are the Markers I used. Copics and ShinHan Touch Twin markers.  You can see on the bottom layer of the image, I just did some rough one tone coloring on the image so that if you looked under the popped image you wouldn't see a naked edge. 

I popped the second flower image up using foam tape. I added Crackle Accents to the cup area, giving it a little shine and a little texture. Finished card size is an A2 (4 1/4" x 5 1/2") and opens tent style at the bottom. 

• Stamps: #2141 Teacups and Roses by Lockhart, Sentiment from Botanical Bookplates by Flourishes
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black
• Paper: DP by Bo Bunny, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Hot Pink Card Stock
• Other: Copics, ShinHan TT Markers, Bow Easy Tool, Ribbon by May Arts, Piercing Tool, Spellbinder's Circles, Spellbinder's Rectangle Nesties, Perfect Layers Rulers

Poppies and Prima!

The Outlines Team is showing off Spring Themed creations today. Each week you can always play along with the DT and have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate. Find all the details on the Outlines Blog. Check out what the team created this week...  Lisa Silver - Kecia Waters - Sue Kment -  Jeanne Strieff - Julie Warner

 Outlines flowers are so versatile, you can use them for anything and almost any theme. I chose to color the flowers today, choosing my colors to match my papers. I am not sure this represents any kind of "real" poppy with the weird colors. But it's just a card! My card is A2 sized and I covered the entire card front with paper and then trimmed it right to the edge. 

 I know the colors are unusual for a flower! I stamped three images, stacking them up with foam tape in between each layer on the finished card.  I used the out of the box technique to frame the first flower in the oval and sponged some Tim Holtz Tattered Rose ink along the edge. 

I used Spellbinder's new Floral Ovals Nesties to frame the flower. I really like all the little pierced holes that the die creates around the edge. I used Viva Pearl Pens (Salmon and Cream) to embellish the flower center and a little pearl edge down the side of the card. 

• Stamps by Outlines Rubber Stamps: B-107 Striped Poppy Small, D-106 Striped Poppy Medium
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Distress Ink - Tattered Rose
• Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Natural White, all DP by Prima from the Printery Collection 6x6 paper pad
• Other: Spellbinder's Floral Ovals, Copics, Ivory Seam Binding, Viva Pearl Pens: Salmon and Cream, Bow Easy Tool, Ink Blender Tool, Foam Tape

New RUBBER from Impression Obsession!

If you have been reading the Impression Obsession Blog, you know we are showing off new rubber today! Next Month in April and also in May we will be doing the same thing! That's right monthly releases of new stamps from IO! Today is also the beginning of our "Spring Is In The Air Challenge" and you all are still invited to join us with the chance to win a $25 Gift Certificate. Find all the details of how to play and win on the Impression Obsession Blog!

MORE exciting news from Impression Obsession... We have a brand new website for all of your IO shopping!!! We are trying to get sample cards up for each and every image that you can use for inspiration and ideas! Visit and bookmark the site - IOStamps.com 

Check out what new goodies the team has posted today: 

Dina, Jeanne, Laura, Vicki and Daniela

I was soooo in the mood to sit down and just color, so this is fun little garden image was perfect and fit the Spring Theme perfectly. The stamp is called Romeo and Juliet... and I guess I covered up Romeo Mouse with my banner and button, oops! My card base looks a little red in the pic, but in person it is a better match to the terra cotta pot color. Sometimes the camera doesn't always get it right and my photography skills are limited!  

 Here are the Copics I used. I love using the E90's for a terra cotta pot color. I mixed some W5 in to the pots too. I was just sitting and coloring and having a good old time as you can see by all the Copics I pulled out! I also drew a little line in the background with a Memento Black Marker to help me separate the background colors. My spilled dirt is just a bunch of dots made with the E40's.

I added my little hand cut banner with a dab of silicone under the bend to keep it propped up. A little button and jute string bow to embellish. All of the straight line layers were done with Perfect Layers Rulers. 

• Stamps by Impression Obsession: H11019 Romeo and Juliet, B3758 Thinking about You
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black
• Paper: Yellow Check DP by Authentique, Terra Cotta card stock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
• Other: Bow Easy Tool, Jute String, Corner Punch by SU, Perfect Layer Rulers, Copics

Easter Bun-Bun!

This week the Outlines DT is showing off Easter designs. We hope you will join us and play along for a chance to win a $25 Gift Certificate. Find all the details on the Outlines Blog. Check out what the team created this week...  Lisa Silver - Kecia Waters - Sue Kment -  Jeanne Strieff - Julie Warner

 New Nesties in the HOUSE! So of course, I had to break one in today! Love this Labels 25 set. It is large enough to use as a card base shape. This little bunny image fit inside this shape nicely, you can see I added more piercing around the edges, before I took it out of the nestie, using the inside edge as a guide to keep me straight. I can't seem to stop piercing on cards lately.

Here are the Copics I used to color the image. I stamped bunny twice, cutting out the second bunny and popping it up with foam tape. You can see I added a pink border, hand trimming the layer to match the Nestie shape.

I added some twine and button on each side to embellish. The bunny panel is raised up with foam tape. Viva Pearl Pens to create the bunny tail and add a pearl in each of the flower's centers. Glossy Accents over the bunny collar for a little shine. The card will fit in an A2 sized envelope.

• Stamps by Outlines: F-933 Bunny Tail
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
• Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Natural White, Pink, DP from Lily Bee's Head over Heels 6x6 paper pad
• Other: Spellbinder's Labels 25, Copics, Bow Easy Tool, Baker's Twine (Blossom Pink), Viva Pearl Pens - Cream and Lilac, Piercing Tool, Foam Tape, Misc. Buttons, Glossy Accents

Simple Calla Lilies

Simple card today! I love love love coloring images from Flourishes and this was a beautiful image of Calla Lilies. Honestly, the flowers were not really colored, just a few little color highlights. The blue background helps the white flowers to look white and stand out too.  

 Just a few Copics shown above.  I used the Out of the Box technique with oval nesties to add a little interest to the simple layout. 

• Stamps: All of the images are from Flourishes Calla Lilies Set
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black
• Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, DP from Authentique
• Other: Spellbinder's Oval Nesties, Copics, Corner Chomper, Spellbinder's Oval Nesties

Friendship Dogwood Flower

 Still completely in love with the new Dogwood series of stamps from Impression Obsession. You an see all three new Dogwood Design using this LINK. I think they make such a pretty card and you can always color them pink too or go the simple route (like me!) and leave them mostly white. 

 I stamped my sentiment and then stamped the flower above it, cutting them out as one panel.

 I used the G20 Copic to color in select areas on the background. The middle of the stamp I left uncolored, as it would be covered up. All of the straight line layers were added using Perfect Layers Rulers.

• Stamps by Impression Obsession: CL318 Fabulous Friend, E12002 Dogwood, Circle Fusion Background Stamp
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black
• Paper: Dk. Green, Green, Neenah Classic Crest Natural White
• Other: Foam Tape, Bow Easy Tool, Copics, Perfect Layer Rulers,Ribbon by SU

Dimensional Flowers

Today the Serendipity DT is showing off projects suitable for Mother's Day with Dimensional Flowers. Check out what all the ladies created... 

Amy -  Kathie - Miriam - Jeanne - Sue

 I thought I would share my process today with this card. Instead of stamping and cutting out multiple flowers to add dimension, I did something a little different. 

 Here is the image... aren't these Coneflowers beautiful! I used the out of the box technique and Spellbinder's Reverse Wonky Rectangles to frame the image. You can see the Copic marker I used to color the flowers.

 I used a craft knife to cut out the petals of the flowers, leaving the center of the flowers intact. You can see above how I cut them. I used a foam pad and silver ball stylus to press against each petal curling them slightly, adding dimension.

 Next, I used Dimensional Silicone on the back of each cut out petal. I added glue to the flat parts of the panel and then glued it down... the petals stay popped up with the aid of the silicone.

 You can see how the petals stay popped up in the above picture. 

 I colored some seam binding with Copic Y26 and made a bow with it, adding some piercing around the edges. the flower panel is popped up with foam tape. All of my straight line layers were made with Perfect Layers Rulers. 

• Stamps: 201L Coneflowers by Serendipity Stamps
• Ink: Memento uxedo Black
• Paper: Kraft, Brown, Neenah lassic Crest Natural White, Mustard DP by Authentique
• Other: Bow Easy Tool, Piercing Tool, Dimensional Silicone, Foam Tape, Sizzix Embossing Folder, Spellbinder's Reverse Wonky Rectangles

Happy Spring!

 How cute is this little ducky! This is a new spring release from Prickley Pear and I thought it would be a fun one to color up with Copics! I also used some of Tim Holtz's Kraft Core paper.... finally opening the package! After cutting and embossing the Spellbinder's Beaded Squares Die, you can see I sanded it to reveal the Kraft colored core of the paper. 

 Here are the Copic Markers I used for the image. I did something a little different on this one. I colored the duck, smoothly blending the colors as I normally would. I then went back over the Duck adding small little dots with Y23, my darkest yellow of the group. I thought the little dots helped give the duck a little bit of texture. Something different anyway! Maybe you think he looks like he has a bad case of spots!

I used Perfect Layer Rulers for all the layers on the card, using 1/16" and 1/8" edges. If you look at the water you should be able to see some texture... I added Crackle Accents... giving it a glass like finish with a little cracked texture. If you turn it in the light, the light hits all the little cracks -making it look like ripples. 

• Stamps: all stamps by Prickley Pear - HH0113UM Duck in Tub, Happy Spring from the Build a Bird 2 Set
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
• Paper: Yellow DP by Imaginisce, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Tim Holtz Kraft Core, Kraft
• Other: Spellbinder's Beaded Squares, Perfect Layers Rulers, Copic Markers, Misc. White Sheer Ribbon, Viva Sunny Yellow Pearl Pen, Bow Easy Tool, Sanding Block

Outlines - Miss You

This week the Outlines team is starting off March with a Sketch Challenge. We hope you will join us and play along for a chance to win a $25 Gift Certificate. Find all the details on the Outlines Blog. Check out where the sketch took everyone this week...  Kecia Waters - Sue Kment -  Jeanne Strieff - Julie Warner

 I used Spellbinder's Grand Labels One to create the card base and layers for my card. Instead of using the entire Miss You image in it's entirety,

 I used a Memento Marker to just ink up the sentiment only, stamping it on my pattern paper.

 Here are the Copics I used. I just added a tiny amount of grey to the bunny, leaving it primarily white. For the yellow hue in the background I used Y11 and Y000. 

To finish off the flowers I added little pearl embellishments to the flower's centers, of course with the Viva Pearl Pens. A little bow and button topping off the sentiment. I inked the edges of the bunny panel with a Coral Rose Cat's Eye. 

• Stamps: all stamps by Outlines - E-931 Bunny, C-300 Miss You
• Paper: All DP by Jillibean Soup - Sweet and Sour Soup, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Balck
• Other: Bow Easy Tool, Blossom Baker's Twine, Coral Rose Cat's Eye Ink Pad, Misc. Button, Spellbinder's Grand Labels One, Viva Pearl Pen Lilac and Light Yellow, Memento Tuxedo Black Marker

Friendly Butterfly

Thursday means a post for Impression Obsession. 

Our theme today is BLUE... the color. 

Play along with us and you can win a gift certificate to shop at IO. Find all the details on the Impression Obsession Blog. 

Check out what the ladies came with:

Dina, Julie, Jeanne, and Laura 

OK... so I know the challenge is BLUE... and well this is more like aqua... but I'm thinking it's sort of in the BLUE family.... so don't worry I'm not going color blind, just bending the rules today a bit. Ooops. Butterflies always work in my opinion any time, in any colors and for any theme! This butterfly was in the new releases for 2012 and so is the Friends sentiment. 

Here are the Copics I used to color the image. You can see I stamped the butterfly twice and cut out a second wing to pop up.

Here is the finished card and you can see the second stamped wing slightly popped up at an angle. I used Dimensional Silicone under the wind to keep it propped up at an angle. I added pearls, ribbon, buttons, border die cut... a little bit of everything to embellish and finish this one. 

• Stamps: all by Impression Obsession - C8720 Frilly Butterfly, C8719 Friends
• Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
• Paper: Polka Dot paper from Authentique's 6x6 Gathering Collection, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Black
• Other: Pearls, Spellbinder's Fleur de Lis Accents, Dimensional Silicone, Ribbon, Bow Easy Tool, 1/16 Black Rainbow Tape