May-Mixed Media Card Challenge.

Welcome back!

You are arriving at the just the perfect time.  If you need a little extra sunshine today... I have plenty to share. Sunrise here today is at 4:10am and sunset at 11pm-that's right nearly 17 hours of daylight!  So yes, I have lots of extra daylight to gather inspiration, be creative and to share!

This month the MMCC's theme is wings with the optional element of foil.

I wanted to play on a different surface for today's inspirational card so I chose a non-porous glossy cardstock to create an alcohol ink background. Then I chose a fond stencil to use with the Faded Layers Technique to add a layer of dark leaflets pointed on the left edge. The stencil was used as a mask while removing the background ink with rubbing alcohol.

Another stencil was used with distress inks to create a mosaic pathway.  The bird was stamped with archival inks and then over-stamped with script in memories unicorn ink. I used enamel accents to create the eye .  Additional branches were stamped with archival inks. To finished I added drops of rubbing alcohol for additional dimension.

I would like to thank you for stopping by, sharing your
comments and moving onto find additional inspiration at the rest of the design team blogs.

Here is a link back to the challenge post.

I look forward to seeing you entry into the Mixed Media Card Challenge!
...Jan

Virginia's Vew Challenge #1

Virginia has started a special new Challenge Blog this month.  The first challenge asks for watercoloring. With featuring such a hot trend and her involvement in many stamping circles she has hit the ground running and currently is just shy of 300 entries!  Even if you don't have the time to play viewing the entries is a treat in themselves.  As well she as great tips and tutorial links.
Not only excited for Virginia but I am also pleased for the stamping and creative communities to share in such a wonderful new opportunity!


With this card I am also playing  in a challenge at 2 Peas to make an easel card. I have been playing with distress inks, water and watercolor paper for some time.  I decided I was to use a Penny Black background stamp as my main image but wanted to add some water to the ink to add depth to the teal background instead of the traditional flat stamped ink look.  I also water colored the  Hero Arts butterfly image and combined lots of colors to created the card base.

 And here is the full easel look.

 Thanks so much for stopping in!
...Jan

More cruisin'...

GLACIER BAY!

The beauty of glaciers caving is at special as I had dreamed...and then some! Only wish I could have captured their moment and a few of whale tails we said in pictures to share with you.

















We altered this mirror frame in class today. Yes, I covered the mirror with paper to photograph. We cut pieces of grungeboard and colored them with Dabber paint and then distressed them and added black dabber paint to accent. To make it my own I used some Prima flowers from our first kit and swirls from the new grungeboard smaller alpha set.

Chillin in Alaska

Yes it is Monday... so it is ISMAKI Challenge day! Three Magnolia design team members have joined together to coordinating a fanstastic sketch challenge site. I appreciate them being kind enough to allow those of us without Magnolia stamps to play along.

It was 43 F degrees below zero in Fairbanks today (-45 C) It feels like a cold winter card is very appropriate. I mixed some distress ink accents with a watercolor background and a center masked snowflake. Thanks for the challenge, thanks for stopping by and yes my friend who still hasn't gotten her Christmas thank you also appreciates it!

Happy New Year!

Bring on 2008 with special greetings to all of my stamping pals for the very best in the New Year! I created this black and blue challenge card on New Year's Eve with you in mind.

One of my resolutions for 2008 is to enjoy using some of my hoarded stash. This beautiful black washi paper is a great example--oh how I love speciality papers! The image is created with Heidi Swapp stencil and a stamp from Tim Holtz collection by Stamper's Anonymous. They arrived in December so I am glad to finally play with them. I used distress inks and homemade glimmer spray for the image. On the order of Tim's #6 tag but I have was doing it before his great tutorials...so you may get even better results if you follow his instructions.

Thanks for stopping by and a very Happy New Year!

More work with Tim's tutorials

I am thoroughly enjoying following along with Tim Holtz tutorials for 12 days of Christmas tags. Sure I have to adapt a lot to the supplies I have but so far I have enough to learn the techniques.

Day 3-Distress embossing powder...Oh this one was so fun to color the image with the distress powders and dump it off all at one time---what a surprise of how good it looked and of course the hardest part is letting the embossing powder cool after heating.











Day 4-Custom making an inkpad--to be done later

Day 5 Alcohol inks-the difference from traditional polished stone is that at the end one drizzling small droplets of blending solution on the ink pieced to whiten some areas and make it look like snow. Also inked the ribbon, beads and bells with the felt used with alcohol ink.





Day 6-Pearlized Shimmer Mist & using a mask
As always Tim presented a few trick that I was not familiar with using. Again anothe fun tag!

Note caribou live in this part of Alaska-may their domesticated sisters, reindeer soon be making their annual trip to your house!

Thanks for looking!...Jan
PS-Did you know you can double click on a picture if you what to see a larger version?