A little different.

I needed a get well card for someone who loves primitive folk art, so I dug into the stash and found this set from Cornish Heritage Farms I've had forever. I stamped all the images in Versamark and embossed it in brown embossing powder. I put in the hills with a Versamark pen. Then I simply sponged Distress inks to color it in.

I used the checkerboard stamp from one of  Waltzingmouse Stamps sets, and added the faux stitching as well.
Here's a closer look at the sponging:

Some gingham ribbon, twine, a button and a tag I printed the sentiment on and I call it done. Love the earthy colors and simple images, so nostalgic!

Gotta run, thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms, Waltzingmouse Stamps
Ink: Versamark, Distress, Memento
Paper: PTI, SU
Accessories: Fiskars apron lace punch, gingham ribbon, button, twine, embossing powder, Stickles, antique silver brads

Primitive Christmas Wreath

I've been meaning to do a write-up about an awesome product from Impression Obsession for a while now. I saw their new Mega Mount and thought, oh, I don't need that! I can stamp just fine without it! I had the Tapestry Cover a Card background stamp and used it to make this card a while back. I used one of my cutting plates from my Big Shot as a temporary mount, and it worked....sort of. I didn't get a very crisp, clean image, and it was very awkward to use. I actually had to lay the stamp down on my table, face up, then lay the paper on top, praying it wouldn't move!
I love the background stamps so much, I got another. This time Thick and Thin stripes. I love striped DP, and am always struggling to find the color combos I like. I knew with this one, I could make my own. For the above card I wanted very specific colors from Adirondack.

I love Cranberry, Caramel and Pesto together for Christmas colors. It's a lot easier to ink these large background stamps with small ink cubes, which I made myself since Ranger doesn't offer the Adirondack inks in little cubes. Each cube covered three wide stripes easily, and I just alternated colors until the whole stamp was covered.

The Mega Mount is around 6" square, with a very comfortable handle. It's slightly curved, which makes stamping large stamps easy as pie! I'm sure if you've tried using large stamps before, you faced the same problems I have using a flat acrylic block. You RARELY get a complete image. Or some areas are too dark, and others too light. This is why the curved surface is so helpful. The natural motion is to rock it front to back, ensuring all areas of the stamp come in contact with your paper. It works really, really well. I use it for ALL my large stamps, not just backgrounds. I get near perfect impressions every time.
Anyway, after stamping my stripes, I did some distressing around the edges. I wanted some shimmer too, so I took my Versamark Champagne shimmer ink pad and rubbed it all over. It's a very subtle shimmer, so I spritzed it a few times with my home made shimmer mist too (Adirondack Caramel reinker with Pearl Ex & Gum Arabic). It was a little splotchy, but that looked cool, too. Kind of like old, slightly stained ticking.

The Small Wreath stamp is so adorable, with the little saltbox house! I colored it up real quick with colored pencils, added some Liquid Glass on the ball, and it's done! The 'Merry Christmas' is from the clear set 'Sentiments II'. I love the way this card came out, very 'Folk Artsy'!

Hope you like it too, and learned something at the same time. Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Impression Obsession

Ink: Adirondack, Vivid, Distress, SU

Paper: Papertrey Ink, Stardream, Coredinations

Accessories: Martha Stewart simple scallop edger punch, gingham ribbon, PTI button/twine, colored pencils, OMS, Liquid Glass, Copic Spica gold pen, Nestabilities, McGill Label punch

Santa's Toy Co. This one's for you Nancy!

A very nice lady from SCS sent me some stamps to play with, Cornish Heritage Farms' 'Just Believe'.
I love primitive folk art style! These stamps were made for me! Instead of coloring with my usual colored pencils, I used my Distress inks to watercolor with.

I used an assortment of Cosmo Cricket's Christmas papers, all very homespun that went well with the vintage theme. Lots of stitching, some Scarlet Jewel buttons with twine, and there you have it!

I hope you like it, thanks for looking!

Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms

Ink: Memento, Distress

Paper: PTI, Cosmo Cricket, SU, Bristol vellum

Accessories: Fiskars apron lace punch, PTI buttons/twine, Copic Spica pen, sewing machine

Homespun Snow Angel

I found a web store last week that had the most adorable snowmen stamps, Stamping Details, by the artist Shara Reiner. I think I remember seeing some of her painting patterns a long time ago. Anyway, they didn't have too many, but I love the style of them and asked them if they would be selling more in the future. They said they might. But I did get this little snow angel, and I love it! I knew it had to be paired with some homespun plaid paper that I've had for ages and ages. And of course one of Anna Wight's famous snowflakes! I am just as addicted to making these as she is!

Stamps: Stamping Details, Papertrey Ink

Ink: Palette, Distress

Paper: Mustard Moon, Basic Grey, Hot press w/c paper, PTI, Bazzill

Accessories: Sizzix snowflake die, Martha Stewart snowflake and branch punch, glass glitter, button, Peerless watercolors, markers, Copic Spica pens

100th Post Today!

I'm in sparkly snowflake heaven! I saw Anna Wight make a couple elaborate, layered glittered snowflakes on her blog and immediately knew I had to make them too! I didn't have the tin snowflakes at the time (I do now, and will be making some soon!) so I just used the German glass glitter to coat some of my Sizzix snowflakes. I love the look and am using them on everything! I just bought another 1/2 lb. of glass glitter on Ebay 'cause I was running out! I have a little rustic 'Everyday' tree that I keep up all year round and I plan on putting lots of sparkly snowflakes all over it! I'll take a picture soon.

Well, I got another small design team package from Magnolia, so I'm off to work on that!

Stamps: Plum Purdy Designs, Papertrey Ink

Paper: Hot press w/c, PTI, Cosmo Cricket

Ink: Palette, Distress

Accessories: Sizzix snowflake dies, Martha Stewart snowflake punch, Button, German Glass Glitter, Jute string

Two Primitive Snowmen Cards

I just love, love, LOVE these snowmen from Inky Antics! Snowmen have been my favorite since forever, and when I ran across these sweeties in my internet ramblings, I snapped them up right away, LOL! The primitive and somewhat folk-y style is so me, they remind me of the snowmen I used to paint and sell on ebay. I decided to do a paper quilt block background with some Cosmo Cricket decorative papers. Simple, yet so effective.
Stamps: Inky Antics
Paper: PTI, Bazzill, Cosmo Cricket, Fabriano w/c paper
Ink: Palette, Distress
Accessories: Cream Twill Tape, Tombow markers

I added the pine needles to the twig tree in this one, I thought it needed them.

Stamps: Inky Antics

Ink: Palette, Distress

Paper: Fabriano w/c paper, PTI, Bazzill

Accessories: Cream Twill Tape

I've Been Busy!

What seems like a long, long time ago (actually only about 1 1/2 years) I had my own Queen Anne Victorian house with plenty of room for all the stuff I love. Folk art, primitives, whimsical decorative art. Rooms full of tinware, antique distressed wood furniture and shelves, a huge collection of prim raggedy Annies (most of which I sewed myself) and folk-sy snowmen. Saltbox houses, willow tree paintings, warm silicone candle lights, etc. etc. Anyway, I don't have any of that anymore (no room now, I've moved) but when I saw this set from Cornish Heritage Farms, my heart ached with nostalgia for times past. So, I tried to recreate that feeling with this card. Warm, earthy colors and aged patinas. I really like the way it came out, and I think I will definitely be making more. I used to paint these kinds of scenes in acrylic on all sorts of found wood and tin surfaces, and had to stop suddenly when all my supplies had to packed away, but I still love that style, and maybe I will pull out the paints and brushes and start fresh someday soon!

Stamps: Cornish Heritage Farms
Ink: Adirondack reinkers, Palette
Paper: Kraft, Fabriano w/c, Bazzill
Accessories: Cream Twill tape

And then, there are more things that I love! Like the color of this Basic Grey paper, and Magnolia stamps. I wanted to post this on the Tilda & Co. challenge blog, but missed the deadline. The challenge was 'Swirls'. I used Maya Road chipboard swirl that I painted with white acrylic paint (ink shows better on white base, and the chipboard doesn't suck up all the ink, so you use less), then inked it with Tsukineko Glue pad and sprinkled pearl glitter over it. I think Tilda looks lovely on the pretty blue background!

Stamps: Magnolia
Ink: Palette, Versa Magic

Paper: Arches w/c paper, PTI, Basic Grey, Memory Box

Accessories: White grosgrain ribbon, Snowflake punch from The Punch Bunch, Art Institute glitter, Tsukineko Glue Pad, Tombow & SU! markers, Copic marker, Stickles and Sakura Glaze pen