Stampendous Week w/ May Arts

Whew! It's time for another hop with May Arts & The Ribbon Resource -- this time we've paired up with Stampendous!

Stop by the Ribbon Resource blog ALL week long to be inspired. Bethney is giving out a few gift certificates for people who comment along the way. The Ribbon Resource is a great new retail shop courtesy of May Arts. It allows us, as consumers, to purchase smaller bits of ribbon without breaking the bank or investing in 25 yard rolls! YAY!

I've been stuck in Valentines Day mode and so bring you a sweet little diddy today you could give to any significant other. I must warn you... I've been practicing my "Clean and Simple" style and think I may actually have it down!!

EEK! I'm so excited to show you :

Good stuff right? RIGHT? haha... indulge me here ;) The I'm Willing sentiment was so adorable.. and fit right inside my heart. It was FATE! I first diecut a heart from a scrap of muslin using the Sizzix / Tim Holtz Mover and Shaper Heart die. I used a bit of UHU to keep it in place while I stitched around the edges with May Arts 1/4 inch Silk in red. The Stampendous stamp was stamped in Archival Ink by ranger. I doodled a bit around the edges to of some parts of the card and finished it off with some dark brown wooden buttons. 

The 2 Of Us {CardMaker and May Arts Hop}

Hello Folks! Welcome to my blog today :) I am participating in a big ol' fabulous Valentine's themed card blog hop between May Arts Ribbon / The Ribbon Resource and Cardmaker.

The hop is as follows:

CardMaker
Amy Rysavy
DeeDee Catron <--- you are here!
Carisa Zglobicki
Gini Williams Cagle
Jenifer Cowles
Dawn Lusk
Jennifer Davey
Karen Baker
Kim Klinkovsky
Karen Hanson
Latrice Murphy
Linda Beeson
Lori Williams
Michele Kosciolek
Lisa Silver
Rebecca VanDeMark
Tami Mayberry
Pamela Haskin
Terri Burson
Jen Shears
Tracy McLennon
The Ribbon Resource

If you follow through and comment on everyone's posts you will be entered to win ONE of TWO $25 gift certificates to The Ribbon Resource. 

The card I bring you today is a non-traditional color theme for Valentine's Day... but that doesn't stop it from being AHmazing! Packed full of goodness and lots of little nods and tips to a couple makes me anxious to hand this over to the Mr.! I am thankful that he doesn't mind a little frill, too... haha. Anyways.. here's my card!

The base for my card actually comes from a pack of card bases put out by Strathmore! It's a nice heavy watercolor paper and we all know... I love watercolor paper! So when I found these in my stash I promptly placed them on my desk... and they waited to be used. I layered the card with my Lost and Found collection for 7 Dots Studio. It's jam packed full of vintage toned and patterned papers. I utilized the 6x6 which brings all the 12x12 papers into miniature patterns.. making them perfect for card making. Even the 1+1=2 flashcard comes from the back of one my papers.

Before I glued down the mini flashcard, I stamped a Viva Las VegaStamps! (Early Morning Swahili) stamp in the background with Black Archival ink by Ranger. I also splattered some watered down gesso and Daler Rowney ink in the background. Then comes the gluing of some embellishments.. The giant two is a wooden piece I picked up from the Paper Issues shop in a pack.. I can't remember the manufacturer, sorry! The crown at the top is one of many crown profiles in the Crown Mash by UmWowStudio. It's been covered in Art Sugar by Finnabair for Prima Marketing. The XOXO alphas are by Tim Holtz.

THE OF US alphas are from an older line by 7DS. And the final gorgeous embellishment is made up of TONS of scraps of ribbons from May Arts. I've used Burlap Twine, White Silk, Paper Cording, Box Pleats, Satin Pleats, Mini PomPoms, Double Faced Satin, Champagne Crushed, and even a couple I can't name! They've all been clipped and layered then knotted together. I tied them to the card and then topped the embellishment with a piece from UmWowStudio's Circa Flair set. Don't forget to leave me a comment about my card!

You are onto Carisa Zglobicki next! 

Since we're all in the Valentines SPIRIT I'd like to invite you to join me in an online Valentine's Day themed tag class! Stay tuned in the next couple of days to find out more :)

Bone Dust - Day 7

Whoop! One week in :) After yesterday's super fun ingredient bit... I took my idea to make a series pretty seriously. So be prepared for some super cool but spooky Witch's ingredient cards! Today I've got for you the key ingredient to every devilish concoction... BONE DUST:

The base is Canson Watercolor paper with a layer of that delicious vintage book text from yesterday's post. It's so fragile you can see all around the edges where it just starts crumbling. It's such a great thing to have in my stash! the book text has been adhered down with Golden Fluid Matte Medium. Perfect to preserve the look and feel of the paper but make it more durable and useable in my mixed media piece.

Then I took to stamping with the Numbers Set from Viva Las VegaStamps!. I spread out a nice thin gesso and dabbed my stamp into it. And I mean spread out.. like almost paper thin. This helps the paint mimic ink, but keeps the nice opacity of the gesso. I have yet to find a white ink I like and stamping in gesso never lets me down for a nice opaque image. 

The boney part of my card comes from the brand new FishBONES chipboard piece from UmWowStudio. It has such great attitude to it, I'm so glad it's in our collection for use! Rather than reaching for the same thin gesso I used to stamp in, I grabbed a heavier version and applied it in a super thick layer using my fingers to dab it on. It's a great way to create quick texture. Add a little heat from your heat gun and YUM. 

And then a little piece of a card was stamped with the Bone Dust stamp from VLVS!. This time I did stamp in ink -- Archival black by Ranger Ink. 

QUICK TIP : UmWowStudio's chipboard is so thick and sturdy... to get a little shape to it just dampen the back end with a baby wipe. Allow it to soak in and then bend every so slightly. Dampen again... bend a little more. It's a really great effect! Thanks so much for stopping by :)

I wanted to take a quick minute here and say thank you so much for all the comments about my thorough process descriptions! I invite you to stop by the other parts of my site to check out some of my online classes. ♥ They have even more description on mixed media tips, trick and techniques, PLUS are video based! Two classes per listing - $10 :)

and don't please forget about the other participants on this journey. Hop around, leave comments, and be entered to win:

Terra Black Dragon Alison Julia Lyneen Kelli Maureen Sue DominoART Lost Coast Portal To Creativity

Susan Sarah Keren Lisa F Teresa Fiona Lisa H Stampendous Stamps Shell Sarah S

Airless Chambers Susan R Dream In Darkness De Stempelwinkel Leslie Rahye Kat Rebecca Lee Suzi Sara DeeDee

Kokopelli Make n Take

This past weekend was one of the AWESOME Scrap Society crops where I am lucky enough to be continually invited to do the make n takes! The girls are so great with their crops -- full of fun, prizes, food, hilarity and they're all THEMED! September's happened to be WILD WEST themed and it was A HOOT! They're so great! They let me bring lots of UmWowStudio and Viva Las VegaStamps! to sell, too... so if you're local and looking to find some good stuff AND a great time... hit them up! Sign up for the next or get on the waiting list. ♥

Because I wasn't so sure how best to make something Wild West themed that EVERYONE could relate to.. I instead picked up a beautiful Kokopelli stamp from Viva Las VegaStamps! and created a sunset background. The background are made using Tim Holtz / Ranger Ink Distress Stain Sprays. For the first one I used Abandoned Coral, Wild Honey and Mustard Seed. Spray each in a line next to each other with a bit of overlap.. dry, spritz with water and dry again. It's finished with some book text circles, faber castell PITT pen doodling and the little chipboard star which is from the Christmas Confetti pack from UmWowStudio.

Since I demo to approximately 50 sweet ladies who attend the crop, I tend to try out the same techniques and products in slightly different layouts. Sometimes I change up color, or doodling, borders or dots. And here you can see the results! I love laying them all out together and seeing just how different each one ends up.

This one in the bottom left corner is a background that turned out slightly too dark for the stamp. So I figured out something else! no problem-o right? :)

Other Distress Stain Sprays used include Spiced Marmalade, Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves and Mermaid Lagoon. Some of the doodling has been done with a thicker pen, and sometimes I covered in the chipboard in the same ink I used to stamp in. (Archival ink by Ranger)

I was quite drawn to the one of the Coral and Raspberry mix..

as well as the Seedless preserves and Coral and Raspberry.

Which is your favorite? Or are there colors you might have chosen differently? PLUS! the stamp from VLVS is just KILLER to work with. It's so sweet and pretty. Really laid well over such gorgeous colors.

Christmas Card Hop {Viva Las VegaStamps!}

Yay! Blog hop time with the fabulous VLVS! Design Team.

We've lined up to offer you some inspiration when it comes to Christmas Cards! There is a prize so be sure to stop by each blog and leave some love. One random comment wins a LB O' Rubber and a Christmas themed Grab Bag! 

Our hop :

• Viva Las VegaStamps!
• Amy
• DeeDee <<-- you are here
• Glenda
• Hermine
• Karen
• Nataliya
• Tera

Onto my card eh?? I went with a woodsy sort of "All around good time" card using the Peace On Earth sentiment.

The base of the card is kraft cardstock. I livened up the background by stamping the brand new Sheet Music Background in nice rich Archival Black ink. I've been doing this whole creating new stamps thing a long time now, and even I'm surprised by the detail and glory this new background stamp has.

Peace On Earth was stamped in the same ink on a matching piece of kraft paper and then trimmed to size. The white block is a piece of white cardstock diecut. I trimmed off one side and adhered it down with Miracle Tape.

This version of Alice with Fawn/Deer is also from the brand new release. I adore how earthly, loving, and down to earth she feels. She makes a great Holiday themed stamp and gives her a little break from that maddening world.

My card was finished with a bundle of May Arts Twine, vintage button and some UmWowStudio Star Confetti. 

Thanks for stopping by today -- don't forget to leave me some love and then you're onto Glenda! 

Sweater Weather & Peace On Earth {7DS xMas cards}

Hello beautiful people :)

Today I'm up over on the 7 Dots Studio blog with a pair of Silvery Glittery Christmas cards created for the weather... the season.. or both! Can't wait to pop these beauties in the mail :)

The bases for these cards are Canson watercolor paper. I've layered both up with my brand new Destination Unknown paper in the neutral gray that is seen throughout the line. Next comes a layer of fibers >>> cheesecloth, thread or crochet ribbon from May Arts. Distress it all a bit and it's more of a textural element than a regular layer.

I've done a bit of stamping using Viva Las VegaStamps! (Sweater Weather, Peace On Earth, Invoice / Waybill) and Tsukineko Grey Flannel Memento. The chipboard comes from the Flourishes Two set by UmWowStudio, and the rest of the embellishments are Prima Marketing Inc (Flowers, and Gesso, Metal, Leaves, Glitter and Glass Glitter from the Finnabair Art Line)

Let me know what you think :) Stop by 7DS to leave a comment there, too! Different photos with more details :)

Card Duo {7DS and Nature Walk}

I forgot to post these last week... I was up with the Tatiana on the 7 Dots Studio blog:)

I worked up a couple of cards using Nature Walk and some neutral colored embellishments. The card base is plain kraft colored paper with a layer of plain black paper. Literally just the cheaper packs of cardstock from Michaels.

The left card has been adorned with a Prima flower, thread, holes, a punched trim of Nature Walk, mica flakes, some May Arts ribbon, and a few random gem brads from my stash.

The left card also has a Prima flower, some Prima metal embellishments, May Arts ribbon, thread and mica flakes.

The cards were fun to work on, creating little splashes of embellishments. I left the sans sentiment, so I can write a quick note to anyone on the inside. ♥

I need to HEAR {7 Dots Studio CHALLENGE}

A new 7 Dots Studio challenge is live!!

This time it's all about the 5 Senses!

And I chose to make a card for Mr. DeeDee :)

And really... it use to say a lot more things about the other senses -- but I scaled it back for the public eye, haha. I really do love just hearing my husband's voice♥♥ Some of our days are long apart between our two jobs and one person needing to stay at home with our babe. It brightens up my day just to hear him. 

Supplies used : 6x6 Nature Walk from 7 Dots Studio, Pink Paislee black alphas, Prima Marketing Bark Star, May Arts Crochet ribbon, doily, thread, gesso, dymo label maker, My Mind's Eye ephemera.

Hello {A May Arts Card}

Hello :) :) It's kind of a sad day. It's my last official post as a May Arts Ribbonista. I'm ending my term in celebration with a very sweet little card.

But it's ok --- because when one door closes --- THREE more open! I can't wait to share all my good news with you. For now, stop by the MA blog to see a video tutorial on how to tie the ribbon on this card.

Supplies:
May Arts – Burlap String | Grosgrain
UmWowStudio – Chipboard Daisy
Basic Grey – Hipster Collection
Scrapbook Adhesives – adhesive, 3D foam
Crop-o-dile
Sakura Of America Micron
Eyelets, white cardstock, corner rounder, scissors

Scraps Of Darkness {Vintage Card Duo}

I've got another set to share today for my Guest Spot @ Scraps Of Darkness -- this time a CARD duo!

These two cards were made with TONS o' goodies from the Scrap of Darkness June kit "Perfectly Stunning" main kit and embellishment add on kit. 

The base for the right card is a piece of Nature Walk layered with  a sheet of Marion Smith's Nirvana collection. I layered up some drywall tape and gesso to add to the beautiful textures already in the paper design. Then I stamped my Viva Las VegaStamps! Clockface stamp in Smoky Grey Versafine by ImagineCRAFTS. The final bit o' goodness in the background is a splash of Distress Paint in Pumice Stone.

I layered up a sticker from the BoBunny sticker sheet, a Prima Resin Frame, some Prima flowers, a piece of UmWowStudio From The Heart flair, some diecut leaves, and a piece of the Floral Collection chipboard set by UmWowStudio. PHEW. 

Here you can see all the different things mediums working together on top of the already pattern heavy paper. Such a great feeling this card has!

The left card base is a piece of sturdy watercolor paper, also layered with a lot of the same goods as the base of the right; Marion Smith's paper, drywall tape, gesso, and distress paint. Then I used a piece of the diecuts set from the Embellishment Add on in the background, and layered one on top of a Prima Resin Frame.

The diecut/frame embellishment has been topped with a vintage metal button and wrapped with May Arts Burlap twine. There are two pieces of Chevron Confetti from UmWowStudio and two enamel dots from My Mind's Eye to finish out this card. 

 One more closeup of the fabulous texture! 

I really love how these two cards turned out, and I'm having a great time broadening my range using the Scraps of Darkness kits. They are packed full of goodness, TRULY! Stop by and check them out. 

2 Cards - Gallory Idol BUST

Paper Crafts recently opened auditions for Gallery Idol -- the theme was "washi tape" in creative ways. There were some AMAZING entries. I did not make top 20 -- so am here to share them today.

The first is this card made from 6x6 Nature Walk, Gauche Alchemy washi tape, May Arts Ribbons, Prima star and brad, thread, and UmWowStudio Chipboard Star Confetti.

The 2nd is this, another tall skinny also from the 6x6 Nature Walk pad, but using a Doily, May Arts Ribbon, Gauche Alchemy washi tape, Prima Flower, UmWowStudio Layered Stars and Star Confetti, Gesso, and Viva Las VegaStamps! { w i t h   l o v e } stamp.

I really adore both of these cards, and even though I didn't make it into Gallery Idol, they are SO ME and I'm SO super proud of them. Can't wait to send them out to a couple o' perfect friends♥

May Arts & OWH

Today the Ribbonistas @ May Arts have joined together to celebrate Memorial Day with OWH. You can view all the cards here.

And here are some details about my own card:

The card base is white cardstock, with a cut piece of Authentique paper on top. I've layered a paper doily, 2 May Arts Ribbons, UmWowStudio Star Confetti and a My Mind's Eye epoxy brad for the focal point of the card.

There's a simple "Thank you" sentiment at the bottom from Viva Las VegaStamps!

And here you can see a bit better the dimension of this card. Sometimes it's hard for me to keep dimension at a minimum, but the ribbon really helped make this card feel full without being too bulky to still fit the OWH guidelines. 

Stop by and see what everyone else has done!

May Arts & Autism Awareness Hop

Welcome to the May Arts Ribbonistas Hop today.

The hop list looks like this today:

• Charlene Driggs
• Courtney Lee
• DeeDee Catron
• Emily Lanham
• Gini Williams Cagle
• Jen Shears
• Jenifer Cowles
• Latrice Murphy
• Rhea Weigand
• Shellye McDaniel
• Valerie Gee
• Virginia Fynes

I'm so excited to be part of this hop. Autism Awareness holds a special place in our hearts, and at the very base level.. EVERYONE deserves some sunshine. With that being said, here is my card:

And don't for get... to help spread awareness The Ribbon Lady is giving away a prize!! 3 spools from the "blue" ribbons - winner's choice.  To win: post a comment along the way.

Supplies for my card : May Arts Burlap Twine, Turquoise Chevron, White Leaves, Prima Flower and Engraver Brad, UmWowStudio puzzle piece and light bulb mask, 7 Dots Studio Nature Walk collection, Tattered Angels glimmer mist, black cardstock, Sakura of America micron, white thread, adhesive.

You are heading over to one miss Emily Lanham next!

Jingle Bells | Season's Greetings {Cards}

I've had a couple o' cute cards up over on the May Arts blog this month! 
INCLUDING a video tutorial on making a ribbon banner/bunting♥

Uses Eyelet lace, Burlap twine and Sheer Tinsel edge by May Arts
Canson watercolor paper,
Archival ink by Ranger,
Glimmer mists by Tattered Angels,
Season's Greetings and Jingle Bells by Viva Las VegaStamps!,
sewing machine, cheesecloth, miniature bells.

Stop by to see details and the tutorial.

(♥) Scrapki Card - STRIPS

Hiiiii!! Today is a new challenge over @ Scrapki-Wyzwaniowo and it's MY CHALLENGE!

I'm challenging you to... use STRIPS on your project. Strips of paper, journaling, fabric, etc. Just use good ol' strips somewhere! Then.. enter to win some BEAUTIFUL 7 Dots DREAMER papers!

My inspiration for you today:

The paper base is corrugated cardboard in white layered with a 6 x 3.5 inch bit of distressed 9th wave from 7 Dots Studio. 

 The strips really come into play with a bit o muslin I put behind my embellishing. On the right you can see a tear in the 7 dots along with some Prima goods (Junkyard findings and a white leaf.)

 The biggest cluster of embellishments is made of Prima Flowers, May Arts Ribbons (White Leaves and Tan Burlap Cord,) an Ideology arrow, MM jewel brad, and thread. It's all been made "cohesive" with a few sprays of Tattered Angels mists in Mustard Seed, Teal High Heel, Inch Worm and Tarnished Silver. Then it's been grazed with a bit o' white gesso. 

 Here you can see two bits from UmWowStudio (Swallow and a heart speech bubble,) and one of my favorite designs from Viva Las VegaStamps! : Arrow with Stars.