Through the Woods (IO card challenge)

Second card... for the challenge
http://mitrafriant.typepad.com/impression_obsession_news/2015/09/new-challenge-happy-haunting.html 

Through the Woods
I used the IO Cover-a-Card "Branches" (CC031 C-A-C)
and my favorite little die cut town: IO "Haunted Hill" (Die 029P)
I had fun figuring out how to put the village behind the branches... and came up with die cutting the village in white and in gray. Then I used the relief or top white piece and the town or bottom gray piece. Then I sponged a moon with a circle die cut on a post-it note... and then stamped the black trees over it all. The trick was to add a branch in front of the bell tower- I stamped the branches again on gray paper and cut out the main two branches and glued them on (they are the ones on the left reaching to the moon and going over the bell tower.

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

My First Stampscapes Experience!

I went to a class at Stampers Warehouse in Danville, CA a couple of weekends ago with a stamping buddy, Carol. We made 4 really amazing pieces with Stampscapes stamps. The instructor, Brian Miner, was great and I learned so much!


I'm excited because I have two friends who have a handful of these types of stamps and I plan on making a bunch of scenes. More to come on that one... So for the ingredients: For the three cards, we used Marvy Uchida Dye Ink and Qtips or those oval sponge daubers that have purple handles (name??). The Old Mill up River scene was made with 7 different stamps. The Wolf spirit in the sky was made with 3 stamps. The Lighthouse was made with 3 stamps. And the little one with the moon peeking out from behind the clouds was made on Stampboard (ceramic covered board), stazon ink, and using 3 stamps.

Thanks for looking!