The Fog in the Trees and Popping Up Fun

So... I've been inspired again... this time by an Impression Obsession Cover-A-Card Stamp called Pine Trees     Here's what that stamp looks like:

I also was inspired by the landscape where I live (ah paradise).


These sunrise pictures were from two days ago and the fog pic was taken by my son not long ago. These are common sights. Nice.

And below is the card I made...  "Trees Through the Fog"

The rolling fog is done by daubing different hues of gray ink on the edge of a torn piece of paper shaped to look like rolling hills. To get the layered effect, you have to play around and re-position it a bit.

To make the trees look darker- more like shadows- I double or triple stamped them. The trees are are from 3 companies:
1) Stampin' Up! Lovely as a Tree
2) Ink-adink-ado
3) Rubber Stampede
I drew in the little tree tips because it was hard to get the stamps to work. My son thinks I should take an art class, because I have potential- awww... Hmn, maybe.

Trees Through the Fog                         

The other inspiration came from the SplitCoastStampers Challenges- just gotta love how they help get the creative juices flowing!

The sketch was to use layered die cuts TLC509... Here are my works of art:

Tree of Trees and Gems

This one was all die cuts and a bit of bling and string. 

The trick to make the candy cane from the baker's twine is to rub some Modge Podge 

(it's like glue) on them, shape them, then let them dry on a non-stick cookie plastic sheet.

Beary Merry Christmas

This one involves stamping the cute bear "Grizz" by Judith Stamps, the tree by Amuse Stamps, and the words from an old Stampin' Up! set called Warm Words. I added the "Love, Bear!"

The die cut pail (with handle!!) on some silver foil poster board paper is made 

by Impression Obsession. The ornaments and the star are all from the retired 

Stampin' Up! Merry Mini punch set and on foil poster board paper- I had to make the green one by coloring a silver ornament with a green alcohol marker. Gotta love those makers!

Cocoa for Two and Two for Cocoa, You for Me and Me for You... 

This last one combined the same layered die cuts from the retired SU! Scentsational Season dies

and matching stamps set and SU! Season of Style Designer Paper. 

The cute little penguins and the saying are from Ink-adink-adoo. Penguins get me everytime!

I was inspired for the layout by the SCS sketch challenge SC516

Well, that's it for now! Hope I inspired you!

Happy creative crafting and playing! 

Makani

PS I post more pics on my SplitCoastStampers (SCS) gallery than here- go see more here:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=91627

Soda Can Butterfly, Scenes from my Window, and Starlight Starbright!!

Thank you Kat at A Stamp in the Hand for once again hosting the Rubber Stamp Convention in the San Jose, CA area!  Here are a few of my inspired works...

Soda Can Butterfly
Tessler Stamps had a great demo once again at the convention for this... but when I got home and wanted to do it... I couldn't find a video on it anywhere... so after a dozen failed attempts today, I figured it out. Then I videotaped how to do it and loaded it to YouTube so next time I won't forget how!  Check out my video here.... Soda Can Butterfly by Makani (and if it helped- vote you like it!)

And you will see how to make some lovely butterflies...

I included the recipe at the end of the video... but I will paste it here too:

How to Make a Soda Can into a Butterfly- Using a Big Shot or Vagabond (or Cuttlebug)
Recipe from the bottom up...
1) Magnetic plate (for Cuttlebug- use A plate + C plate)
2) “B” sized (thinner) acrylic plate
3) Metal shim plate
4) Card stock
5) Fun foam
6) Soda can – print side up – toward the blade
7) Wax paper
8) Butterfly die- blade down
9) “B” sized (thinner) acrylic plate
10) Brush with a toothbrush or a Spellbinders Tool ‘n One to remove small pieces

Making Designer Paper from Background Stamps

and View from my Window... 

The second inspired work was from the Impression Obsession Booth- love your work Kallani Allred and all your help Cindy! I bought a lovely Cover-A-Card background stamp of a winter scene and some wonderful die cuts of little deer, a window with panes, and some phrases that pop up... to create this. (Note, the background paper was made with 2 stamps and 3 colors- thin stripes 2x and a vine stamp.)

I was in the mood for window cards this past few weeks- here's another... 

The other theme of the week has been stars- here are a few of my star creations:

This white and silver star card was inspired by my friend Deidre's Noel card.

The paper fan card (aka sunburst or star) is so much fun to make. Great way to use up scraps!!

That's all for now. :)   Makani

Fun with Popping up and Die Cuts

Here are a few of my recent pop up cards...  Inspired by the Stamps of Life Step Up Die , I cut out my cardstock to make my own Step Up Cards...

 Ta Da! 

This snowman is from Stamps of Life (there is a stamp set and matching dies).

Up! Up! and Away!

The reindeer are from StampDoctor and the Tree die is by Ellenita (from Tessler Stamps)

Here's how I laid out the reindeer on the card folds

Here is the template for the step up cards I made:

Lastly, I figured out quite by accident that if you don't cut a lamp post at the base (forgot to roll it all the way through the machine), you can make it stand up like a pop up.

Well, that's it for pop ups, but here's one last card

It was a 10-minute card I made for a special person in my life. The stamp set is a retired Stampin' Up! set called Just Buzzin' By. (link to the SCS Just Buzzin' By album and my card)