Gerda Steiner Designs

A Smile for your Monday

September 24, 2018

Hi there! I hope your week is getting off to a good start and I thought a smile today might help.

My card today features the new Foxes stamp set from Gerda Steiner Designs and this happy guy is my favorite!

I started by stamping the fox and mushrooms in MFT Cement Gray ink on a piece of Xpress It cardstock that I die-cut using the MFT Stitched Rectangle Stax die-namics. I masked the images and a little bit of ground under them. I then taped a Memory Box stencil over the piece and lightly inked using Memento Desert Sand and Old Paper Distress ink.

 

I colored the images with Copics and added colored pencil details.

For the sentiment, I inked a piece of white cardstock with Vintage Photo, Wild Honey and Rusty Hinge Distress inks and then die-cut the sentiment using the MFT Stitched Alphabet die-namics.

To finish, I die-cut a piece of gray cardstock with a larger MFT Stitched Rectangle Stax die-namics and adhered the pieces to a rust cardstock card base.

Hope you enjoyed and be sure to check out the Gerda Steiner Designs blog for more inspiration using these adorable stamps!

Thanks for stopping by!

My Favorite Things

These Hedgies are ready for Fall!

September 21, 2018

Hi there and happy Friday!

It still feels like full on Summer here, but these hedgehogs are ready for Fall tomorrow!

I started this by first coloring these adorable guys from the MFT BB Happy Hedgehogs stamp set with Copics and adding some (a bunch) of colored pencil details to them and I die-cut them using the coordinating dies to this set.

I then stamped the MFT woodgrain background stamp with Vintage Photo Distress Ink on kraft cardstock and die-cut using the MFT Stitched Rectangle Stax die-namics. I die-cut an opening in this piece using the MFT Inside and Out Stitched Rounded Rectangle Stax die-namics.

 

I adhered the woodgrain piece with dimensional foam tape and then die-cut and inked a piece of white cardstock with Old Paper, Vintage Photo, Wild Honey and Walnut Stain Distress Inks behind the hedgehogs.

I adhered all of the stamped images except for the large mushroom with dimensional adhesive.

For the sentiment, I stamped and heat embossed with Wow! detail white embossing powder on a dark brown cardstock and die-cut the piece with the smallest MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangle Stax die-namics and cut off a small portion of one end to line up with the edge of the card.

Hope you enjoyed and have a great weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

My Favorite Things

MFT Card Design Superstar 2018 Submission

September 16, 2018

Hi there!

I decided to enter the MFT Card Design Superstar contest for the first time this year! I really wanted to enter in all 3 categories, but preparation for Hurricane Florence got a bit in the way. As we were riding out the storm on Saturday I worked on my submission for the CAS category. Coloring this sweet guy was SO calming during those high winds!

I die-cut the top panel using the MFT Stitched Rectangle Stax die-namics and then stamped the cute little bear image from the Birdie Brown Beary Special Birthday stamp set with MFT Cement Gray. I masked the image and Copic airbrushed a subtle background in a few light colors using the MFT Circle Burst stencil.

I colored the image with Copics and added some colored pencil details.

For the sentiment, I Copic airbrushed a piece of white cardstock with 4 shades of warm grays and then die-cut the letters using the MFT Birdie Brown alphabet die-namics.

I matted the top panel on a piece of MFT Homespun Gingham paper also die-cut with the Stitched Rectangle Stax die-namics.

Hope you enjoyed my CAS submission and thanks for stopping by!

Gerda Steiner Designs

Oh Manatee….Or Maybe Coffee??

September 10, 2018

Hi there!

I’ve got a new card up on the Gerda Steiner Designs blog today and sharing it here too. I wanted to work with the cute Oh Manatee stamp set before summer’s officially over and I start thinking about cooler temps and furry forest critters.

To make this guy feel right at home, I created a little seaweed river habitat for him using an Avery Elle waves die and MFT Stitched Dome Stax die-namics. To get a color gradient on these die-cut pieces, I first airbrushed a piece of white cardstock with Copics (BG49, BG45 and BG53 and a hint of YG03) and then die-cut the piece. The waves background die is really intricate, so it’s much easier to ink or airbrush the piece first.

 

 

I cut out a few areas in the waves background to leave some open space for the sentiments. I colored all of the images from this set with Copics and used the coordinating dies to the set.

To make the manatee appear to be floating along, I popped him up a little bit by adhering him with dimensional foam tape.

Hope you enjoyed my card today and thanks for stopping by!

Gerda Steiner Designs

Whoo is Grumpy…

September 7, 2018

Happy Friday!

I’m really excited to have been selected as a member of the new design team for Gerda Steiner Designs! I’ve shared my first post on the GSD blog today and I thought I’d share my new card here too.

I’ve used the brand new Owl Rather Be With You stamp set and let me just say… this grumpy owl is a hoot!!

I’ve inked up a sky at dusk with Spiced Marmalade, Seedless Preserves and Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks and stenciled some clouds towards the top with Hickory Smoke and Chipped Sapphire.I used Wild Honey Distress Ink for a harvest moon and stamped sentiments from both this set and the GSD Coffee Monster stamp set. They work really well together! The sentiment at the bottom is from the MFT Penguins in Paradise stamp set.

 

 

I colored the images with Copics and used the coordinating dies from this set. For a little extra interest, I airbrushed a Hero Arts stencil around the frame using Copics and adhered the kraft panel, stamped images and moon with dimensional foam tape.

Hope you enjoyed and have a great weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

Heffy Doodle

Congrats! I’m honestly a little jelly…

August 24, 2018

Hi there and happy Friday!

I’ve got a new card today inspired by a recent vacation I took to Monterey, CA. We visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium while there (one of the best aquariums in the world, btw) and they had the most amazing jellyfish exhibits. There were all different types, sizes and color variations. My favorites had the blues, pinks and purples like these little guys I’ve colored up.

I wanted to create the feel of looking through the glass at them, so I started by die-cutting a piece of white cardstock with the MFT Stitched Rectangle Stax die-namics and then die-cut the piece again with the MFT Inside and Out Stitched Oval Stax die-namics centered towards the top.

For my jellyfish exhibit, I cut a piece of X-Press It cardstock 2 3/4″ x 3 3/4″ and stamped the jellyfish from the cute Heffy Doodle “Oceans of Love” stamp set. I masked some of the images and made sure to stamp some of them on the outside edges just barely peeking out for more interest.

 

I colored the scene with Copics and then adhered it to the back of the white cardstock piece so I could position the jellyfish through the window just so. I then adhered this whole piece to the card front.

I die-cut the congrats sentiment using the MFT Birdie Brown alphabet die-namics from a shimmery teal specialty paper and then stamped the sentiment underneath from this stamp set.

To finish it off, I added a little contrasting color by die-cutting some coral shapes from a piece of watercolor cardstock that I first inked with Distress Oxide in Twisted Citron. I used the Memory Box delicate coral die for this.

I hope you enjoyed my card I hope you have a weekend to be jelly about!

Thanks for stopping by!

La-La Land Crafts

Hang Loose

July 23, 2018

Summer is my favorite time of year to make cards. I love all of the sea life, beach and vacation themed stamp releases and this “Stay Cool” stamp set is just adorable.

I started this card by using a MFT stitched rectangle Stax die-namic in the 4″ x 5 1/4″ size and die-cutting a piece of Canson Mi-Teintes watercolor paper. I stamped the bear with surfboard image from the latest La-La Land Crafts release in MFT Insulation Pink hybrid ink and then masked the image. I wanted to bring in just a bit more bright color on this card, so I stamped a few flower images to either side of the bear. (The hibiscus stamp is from an old WaltzingMouse stamp set in my stash).

I applied masking fluid to the images using a Molotow Grafx pen to protect those from the watercolor painting to come.

I die-cut a large circle and centered it towards the top of the paper making sure the stamped images would overlap the circle. This is easier done by cutting the circle from a clear vellum or acetate so you can see the images beneath. I then applied masking fluid with the pen around the outside edge of the circle about 1/2″ wide.

Once the masking fluid was completely dry, I taped the new La-La Land Crafts Water Ripples stencil across the top of the circle and watercolored with Distress Inks in Peacock Feathers and Salty Ocean. You have to go easy with the water to avoid a lot of running under the stencil.

I colored the images with Prismacolors and stamped a sentiment from the set to finish it off.

Hope you enjoyed! I’m off on vacation for a week, so I may not have any cards to share for a bit, but I hope you check back.

Thanks for stopping by!

Clearly Besotted

Warm Wishes and Good Vibes

July 20, 2018

Happy Friday! I’ve got a new summertime card to share today. I fell in love with this “Good Vibes” die from SimonSaysStamp and I thought it would be fun paired with this little hippo cooling off with a tropical drink. This stamp set is too cute!! It’s the new Clearly Besotted “Cooling Off” set and I tried my hand at no-line coloring with Copics again on this one.

For the background, I Copic airbrushed the MFT Sunrise Radiating Rays stencil using RV19, RV14 and RV23. I also airbrushed a piece of white cardstock with BG49, BG45 and BG53 before die-cutting the Good Vibes from it. I dripped a little Copic colorless blender from a small paintbrush on the die-cut to give it a little texture and then applied Glossy Accents over the spots.

 

I adhered the hippo and drink with dimensional adhesive for a little extra detail.

He makes me smile:D

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for stopping by!

Sizzix

A Toucan of my Appreciation

July 15, 2018

Hi again! Hope everyone’s enjoying a beautiful weekend. I’ve got a fun interactive card to share using some new Sizzix stamps and dies that I picked up at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago.  I’m a sucker for anything tropical in the summertime and I couldn’t resist these.

I used the Sizzix Tropicool Slider dies for the center portion of the card. It’s got a nice big pull tab and folds the center area up to reveal a sentiment, stamped image, etc. underneath. This can stand alone as a card or you can do what I’ve done here and adhere it to a larger card base. Super easy to put together using the photo instructions on the packaging.

I adhered patterned paper to cardstock before die-cutting to add some extra stability to it. The die set also comes with the tropical leaves dies.  I inked the leaves with Distress Inks in Peeled Paint, Shabby Shutters, Crushed Olive and Twisted Citron.

 

The stamped images are from the Sizzix Toucan Sentiments set and I colored them with Copics and used the coordinating dies. The sentiment is also from this set and to create the wooden sign I stamped a wood background on a piece of kraft cardstock in Vintage Photo Distress Ink, stamped the sentiment and then hand cut a wavy edge around the sentiment.

I can see using the slider dies for any theme or occasion and you might be able to adapt this to fit a gift card under that folding portion. Might have to play around with that this Holiday season.

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for stopping by!

My Favorite Things

Oh, Crab!

July 9, 2018

I can’t believe it’s been 6 months since I’ve posted on here! I made a decision at the beginning of the year to take several art classes and focus on improving my coloring skills with Copics and colored pencils. The courses were fantastic, but pretty intense, so I found myself not taking any time to just have fun with card making.

And honestly, after 4 months of doing nothing but classes, I kinda burned out on coloring. Eek. I’m gradually getting my mojo back and I thought I’d share this little card I made over the weekend.

First off, the background is part of a fun little mini course taught by Sandy Allnock and available in her online store www.art-classes.com. The underwater scenes mini class has 5 different scenes and full video tutorials on them.

 

I also had an awesome opportunity to attend Jane Allen’s no-line coloring class last month at the MFT boutique! She’s such an amazing artist and the class was excellent. Highly recommend it, but be quick on the purchase of a seat when they announce the next class. Both days filled up really fast.

I used a few of the techniques I learned from Jane on this little crab from the MFT Just Beclaws stamp set. If you’re familiar with this set, you’ll notice the crab stamp has a smiley face. I changed it up a bit by drawing in the top shell parts and giving him a shocked look on his face. Fun stuff!

Hope you enjoyed my card today and thanks so much for stopping by!

I’ll try not to be absent so much and I really look forward to sharing more creative adventures!