Mr Cardmaker's Monochrome Meadow

Back in 2013, I played around with this technique called "pulling pastels." It was the coolest thing, only I did it with blackboard chalk, because, well, because that's what I had.  Read more about it HERE.

Well, I loved the idea so much, that when CASology came up with a monochromatic challenge, my mind went right there again.
I am also joining the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge-Anything Goes.

I made this--

 

The sentiment came from a Heidi Swapp mini set on clearance at Michaels. I found two sets, which are wicked cool, because they come with a mini STENCIL! I haven't used the stencils yet, but, boy, I sure WILL.

 

The flowers are an ooooooold set from Stampin' Up called Upsy Daisy. I am almost positive this has been discontinued, but if I remember correctly, the image appeared in a best of flowers set they did a while ago.

 

Anyway, this could not be simpler.

 

I stamped and clear embossed the sentiment, because I knew I wanted it to be the star of this show.

Then, I just took a piece of chalk-I'm talking plain, white, chalkboard chalk-and rubbed it all over my panel of dark gray card stock, going pretty heavy handed with the whole thing.

I used my fingers and an almost-dry baby wipe to wipe the chalk off of my letters. Easy-peasy.

Moisture is NOT your friend on this kind of project. Trust me.

 

After that, it's all you, your stamp, and your versamark ink pad. 

For the darkest flowers, I got the stamp really juicy-fide, and then I stamped right over the chalk.

Lift the stamp off, and BAM!

Now, I knew I wanted those flowers to stay really dark, but with tiny bits of chalk in them to soften them, so I quickly clear embossed them to lock in that image permanently.

After that, it took me about six seconds to re ink my stamp, and stamp the image three more times in succession without reinking.

 

Aaaand, DONE!!

 

 

A quick, LIGHT shot of aerosol hairspray helps lock the chalk in place, but be LIGHT in coverage from way far away, or you'll make the whole thing wet, and everything will vanish on you.

Ask me how I know this.....

 

A gray card base, and oh yes, the inside--

 

The other Heidi Swapp stamp, simply stamped in gray ink...

 

SO, a really different look in a big hurry!

Speaking of, I am just about to get this in at CASology under the wire, so I'm off...

 

TRY this idea--Try it on navy and black cardstock, too, or even on a forest green (Oooooh, I may have to go there now!) --and try different colors of chalk!

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

All Best--

Richard

 

 

 

Mr Cardmaker Has Color on the Brain

Well, I'm still needing color in my life, and feeling the need to share it with others. Snow is pretty, but oceans of white can get soooooo BORING after too long. And we're getting to that too long place in a big hurry. If you live in New England or Canada or any of those places with the giant mounds, you know what I mean.
Had to bust out of that!

I made this--

So, this one is very much like my last card; in fact, some of the papers are the same. I was happy with that last one, and I know enough to strike when the inspiration is hot!

I think one of the things that I really like about this card is the fact that it's sort of seasonally ambiguous. It sort of looks springy, but boy that orange and that teal are DEEP, and spring is sort of more, well, pastel. The pastels are there, but they're sort of being tugged into another place, too. Something , well, juicier.
I kinda dig that.
I also dig that sweet felt flower.

Funny thing, but this is one of the few times I have done a larger edge around my panels on a card. That orange was so yummy, I really wanted to see more of it. It DOES feel weird breaking that 1/4" idea, though, I have to say.

Oh, and the inside--

Where I apparently did NOT break that 1/4" rule.  I just noticed that! LOL!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hope you have a colorful day.
All Best-
Richard

Mr Cardmaker Needs Something COLORFUL in His Life

I am not a hot, wet summer person. To that end, I make it a point NOT to whine about the cold, the snow, or winter in general.

Instead, let me whine (if you will indulge me) about the fact that we need SHORTER seasons all around. Why cant' we have six, or even eight seasons? FIVE, even, if only to shorten the boring, boring, BORING days of sitting and staring at the blinding WHITE landscape in front of me.

COLOR. I NEED some COLOR.

I made this--

Well, I stamped. I die cut. I used my foam adhesive and liquid glue and twine AND sequins.
I mention what I DID use, because I have been staring at this card and sort of alibiing for the fact that I didn't do any matting for any of my layers. Did you notice that lack of cardstock behind my layers?

Anyway...
The more I look at it, the more I think I was crazy to worry about it.  I think there is a lightness that happens without the matts. I think my laziness foresight worked well here.

I actually used stamps that have never seen ink on this card, and they're stamps from some of my oldest sets! I was really pleased to finally find a way to use them.

So, after winter comes the season called Whitus Interruptus. Mark it in your calendar.  Somewhere around February 15 until the first flowers of spring. Lots of lemons and all your bright colored clothing, and every happy colored thing you own hauled out and put on display. And, of COURSE, cards to friends.

 

 

And the inside, of course--

What do you think? Up for more seasons?
This one is going into the Lawnscaping 100th Birthday Challenge!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
All Best-
Richard

Mr Cardmaker is Safe as Houses

I don't think that Americans use that wonderful phrase. I hear it on BBC America, and I just love it. I suppose it refers to investments, really, but I think it can be applied to so much more.

Think about it. Where else is safer, than in your house/home? Do you feel safer anyplace else? Even when I've been to magnificent places and seen and stayed in wonderful spaces, I know I won't ever be as comfortable as I am in my own four walls and my own bed.

I have had a love affair with houses for as long as I can remember, and why I'm not a realtor or interior designer or architect, I have no idea. Get me near an open house, or a show house, or house and garden tour, I'll see you later, I have to see a man about a house!

SO, it's no wonder I love my stamps that have house images. I have several postings of cards with houses, and I'm sure this won't be the last!

This time, I went a bit on the simpler side.
I made this--

This is Papertrey Ink's Boards & Beams stamp and die sets at work, and some paper by My Mind's Eye.
I chose the red stripe paper because it looked a bit like wainscoting to me, and the quilt paper because it looks so cozy. I popped them off the red card base with just enough room for the sentiment to fit.

 

The sentiment dictated how much of my water colored farmhouse could live on the card front.
A few enamel dots help tie the colors in, and that one peeking out above the word "home" helps show off some of the dimension.

Like I said, relatively easy, once the house gets colored.
I am entering this card into the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge this week, because Paradise is my home for me.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
All Best--
Richard

Mr Cardmaker Needs to Coast for a Minute

I have a quick card to share with you today.

These days of so many fancy new techniques, I decided to drop back and go with some trusted ideas instead of walking the high wire of all things "new."

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE the new stuff. Watercoloring, metallics, whatever, let me at 'em, I'll give them a go.  And, I'll  keep going with the ones I like, until I get them the way I like them.

But, don't you sometimes just want to go with the ideas that you've got DOWN, the ones you can handle without a big effort, the "home" ideas?

I do.
So, I did.


I made this--


This card was made for a dear friend.
Cheerful and optimistic is what I was going for. I hope I got that right.

The leaves all have some Glossy Accents on them, to give them some shine and definition, and everything but the leaves and the tags (and ribbon, duh) went through the Cuttlebug with a Swiss dots folder.

Another view--

I also added a couple of "dew drops" with glossy accents on the tags. I think it sort of refers to the Swiss dots a bit, and of course, because shiny....

Sometimes doing the things you can do without the thought and with nothing but the "love" is exactly the right project to work on. This was one of those for me.

Thanks for stopping by!
All Best--
Richard

Mr Cardmaker is All Watery About Love

Well, it's Valentine's Day! Kisses all around! Hugs, too!

I made some tags for the Mr. We are not big on presents for V Day, but I like tags, so there it is.

I made these--

TOTALLY in love with Avery Elle's Circle Tag die.  I stamped with Papertrey Ink's Grand Ampersand set and I clear embossed that beautiful ampersand. 

Using Distress Inks, I just quickly dabbed red and pink inks (and a touch of grape) all over my watercolor paper tags.

Super random, but WOW, what an effect!

 

I thought they were a bit plain and lonely by themselves, so I die cut some pink tags to go with.

 

Now they look like this--

 

I also did two more in white, which I glued to back the tags, because the watercolor paper got slightly warpy from all the water. I taped the tags down to my surface to paint, but they warped anyway. I'll have to figure that one out.

 

Oh, and that's the gift there, holding everything up. I love a brown paper package, tied up with strings. And TAGS. Don't forget the TAGS that I worked so hard on.

 

PS-Don't you LOVE a big, clear sequin? I love layering them over the sentiment, because they're CLEAR, and you can read right through them!

 

Well, that's about it for me and Valentine's day/week.

I'm entering this at Simon Says Stamp Monday Red&Pink Challenge

 

Can we do Spring cards yet? PUH-LEASE????

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

All Best--

Richard

Mr Cardmaker DOES get Weary

This was SUPPOSED to be published tomorrow, but my big fat fingers pushed publish by mistake. This is my second post for the day! Scroll down to read the other one!

Red and Pink. Pink and Red. YES, it IS Valentine's season, but COME ON....

Ok, rant over.

I can appreciate all the red and pink that happens during February, but I gotta be able to break it up SOMEHOW.

SO, with thoughts of impending Spring, I made this--

Whew. something, ANYTHING to cut through the ....oh, I did say "rant over" before, didn't I?
Carrying on!

So, yeah, another shaker card.  I should be out of pink sequins soon, I think....
Stamps and dies, and punches are from Unity and Stampin' Up.

So, this card came about from scraps left on my table from another project. (though, I have no idea what that project WAS....hmm.....Mr. Cardmaker may be losing it.)

I  like the idea of putting the shaker as more of an interior panel, as opposed to popping it off the surface. That way I can pop up other elements, and it get to be more interesting (if only to me!).


A view of the inside--

 All those kisses and hugs? Well, that STARTED as a very well placed single stamp in a perfectly selected place just under the sentiment.

Yeah.
Except, I stamped it upside down. OXOX. Who puts OXOX on  card?  It's XOXO!
OXOX is some insult to a pair of chubby twins, for crying out loud...

So, now we have a very much OVERSTAMPED series of kisses and hugs. Because love, right?

SO, see the sequin right in the middle of the E? how nicely it hung there for the photo?
IT WON'T COME DOWN!
I have no idea what is so sticky in there, but that sequin found it, and is hanging on for dear life.

But, I fixed it!

I added two sequins to the OUTSIDE of the acetate, so that other one wouldn't look so weird.
Besides, when all the sequins are just lying there, waiting to be shaken, the card looks a little dead, don't you think? And that's NOT what I'm going for, so much.
Funereal shaker cards don't have too big a market, I'm thinking....

So! That's my Valentine's OTHER Valentine.
I'm entering this in the Virginia's View shaker card challenge. My third!
I made a couple of tags, too. I only have one gift. One tag left over. Hmmmm....
Come see those, next time!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
All Best!
Richard

Mr Cardmaker DOES Have a Heart, After All..

Yup, yup. I do have a heart, and it beats for my guy, my friend, my husband. Oh, and for the beagle, too. (Had to mention him, the beagle I mean, because he's sitting right next to me as I type this.)

So, with it being Valentine's Day, and all I made a card. Well, TWO cards, and a couple of tags, but I think on this post I'll just share the one. Look around for more!

I'm offering it up for Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge-Red and Pink. Since it is. Red and pink, I mean.
And since it's still open, it's another entry for Virginia's View shaker challenge.

I made this--

Now, honestly, pink and red are not my go-to combo, but hey, VALENTINE'S DAY....
So, this card was one of my first shaker attempts, and once I figured out the size and shape it all needed to be, (which took surprisingly long) I was pretty well set.

I think I am sort of sequin heavy in this thing, but to be perfectly honest, I'm trying my butt off to use up some of the zillion sequins I purchased!

I used Lawn Fawn's Love you a Latte set to do the sentiment, but when I went for the take out cup image in that set, I found them to be too small, so I went for my Fiskars Latte Love set instead.
The hearts on the shaker panel are from Julie Ebersole's  Cozy Christmas set (Hi, Julie!), and the dies are from two Spellbinders collections.

SO, as I do, I started with the one element, the shaker thingy, and went from there, filling in with panels and buttons and punched hearts, etc. When it was all done, it was cute, but as I mentioned in my last post, I will often look at what seems done, and feel the need to attack it with something else.

That's where my scribble lines come in. doing this always makes me nervous, because I feel like at any minute, I'm going to have a spasm or something, and ruin two hours worth of work, but I sallied forth. Not too shabby, and no disaster, so that's good.

I took some photos, and put it to the side, waiting for V day (NOT VD; that makes me laugh and nauseous at the same time).

About a week later, I saw it laying there.
Taunting me.
You REALLY think this is done? it seemed to say, sneering at me.  It sneered at me, I swear!

Well, I take my sneering cards both seriously and personally, so I grabbed my fine line marker, and went BACK to work--

(Thinks it can be all sneery with ME.....I'll show 'em...)

I came up with this--

Compare!

SO!
I gotta say, MORE black sketchy-ness really adds a nice, slightly gritty feeling to this easily sickening sweet card. Even on the coffee cups...
Since it IS for a man, I think this is a welcome element!
And, how about those felt hearts?
Winter warmth, warm and cozy, cozy and cuddly! How could THAT be wrong?

Once more--

Less glare on this one.  I like it better.

So, that's my Valentine's valentine. I hope he likes it, and shakes it to his hearts content.

I am off to the market, to buy something luscious for our dinner. And more chocolate.  Because Valentine's.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Happy Valentine's Day to you!
All Best-
Richard

Mr. Cardmaker Just Can't Leave Things Alone

This week I am jumping into the shaker card challenge at Virginia's View. This one is nice and colorful, so I'm also joining the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, too!
I have some shaker cards that I am holding back, because the hubby reads my blog (good hubby), and they're Valentines for him, so...

I made a new card! I found some stamps that I wanted to play with, and with no more planning than that, I got started. 

I first came up with this--

Pleasant, fine, whatevs... But, snoozeville.  Whomever I sent this to would probably appreciate it, but I wasn't happy, really.  (And, when Mr. Cardmaker ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.  Ask the hubby.)

Basically, there was too much negative space, and the pattern was really overwhelming.

So, while I was thinking about what to do, I went and did the inside.
It looked like this--

I stamped the You, and then grabbed my white gel pen and highlighted it, and added a few dots.
So, yeah, that happened. Whoopie, but not much.

Anyway, I had to add SOMETHING before I fell asleep on this thing ,so I did this--

Better, right?  RIGHT?! Some little white dots on the frame, the veneer hearts, and extra chevron....
Better! (Scroll back up and compare. You'll see...)
But....
Yeah...
Meh.
Still not there.  

Meanwhile, on the inside---

Can I just say what a difference a few white dots makes??? For reals, though.

Before--

After--

Crazy, right?  Moving on...

Okay, so I FINALLY was able to get this thing where I wanted it, and all it took was a couple more little pieces of paper--

I made (and finally walked away from) THIS--

Ahhhhhh......Sweet, sweet, artistic relief. The pattern of the background paper has been broken up and balanced, and there's enough visual interest overall. Ta-DAHHHHHHH!

Wait, let's do a quick recap of this journey, shall we?
Oh, come on, you know you wanna....

 

ZZZZZZZZZ....

 

Better, but, not really....

 

Now , THAT'S what I'm talking about!!! (Are we still saying that? I'm thinking not, actually....)

All I had to do was change the chevron at the top, and add those striped pieces.  SO crazy how the simplest things work to your advantage...

 

So, there's my (VERY LONG and SUPER picture heavy) tale of how my card happened.

I guess, in a nutshell, the lesson here is --don't give up on these crazy things. Unless you rip it, or maybe light it on fire with your embossing tool, you can probably make anything work in the end. WORK IT!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

All Best-

Richard

 

 



Mr Cardmaker is Not So Shaken

Well, there is SO MUCH to be said about shaker cards these days. I have two of my own here, waiting to be posted after Valentine's Day, because I don't want to ruin it for a certain husband...

But people are MAD about these shaker cards; MAD I tell you! They are making them in every shape you can imagine, and stuffing them with anything they can grab that will fit under the acetate.
I have been interested in all those fun things, especially the hand cut confetti I am seeing.

Well, our nephew Elliot had his birthday, and of course, I made a card.
I wasn't really moved to do a shaker for him, but the idea of that confetti stuck in my head. So...

I made this--

I made the balloon panel using Papertrey Ink's Birthday Basics stamps. I love layering that balloon stamp--they look translucent like real balloons!
The streamers use the coordinating die set with the stamps on top. 

I didn't want to bling this card up, being that it was for a guy, but I did want to make it more dynamic, so I was very glad when I remembered the idea of homemade confetti.
Two punches (a 1/4' circle and a ribbon slot punch), and a few scraps, and I was golden. I just dabbed some glue in the places I wanted the confetti, and threw it on. You're looking at what stuck!

Here's another view--
You can see the dry embossing on the black mat better in this shot.

I have been spending more time with my interiors lately, so I came up with this for the inside of this card--

Please excuse the weird messy junk on the red part--I forgot to get a photo before we wrote in it. Clearly, I possess no Photoshop skills AT ALL...
I wanted to show off the inside, because I was really happy with the way it spoke to the outside design. It references all the parts of the outside, and though smaller, keeps most of the visual impact.

SO, you CAN have confetti without the shaker! I think the other way (shaker with nothing in it) would just be confusing...

Be sure to come back to see the REAL shaker cards I did!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
All Best-
Richard

Mr Cardmaker is Tagged

Just a quickie post to share the tag I made for the Tag, You're IT Challenge, and for the Wednesday Simon Says Stamp Challenge.

I made this--

Isn't this FUN?!  Love the colors, and the liquid platinum embossing powder gives it such a nice shine.
I think the real fun, though comes at the bottom section, where I popped up a star in the DP, and added a wood veneer star.

Wait. Wha...?

Yes indeed, a wood veneer star. I dipped that sucker into some versamark, and triple embossed it with more liquid platinum embossing powder. Use a post-it to hold that tiny thing for you, unless you have Teflon fingers. Ouch!
Looks like it's made of metal though, right?

A close-up--

The inspiration comes from this tag by Debbie Hughes--

I gravitated toward the idea of the highlighted bottom area more than anything else, and substituted my sentiment die cut for an image one.

One more long, skinny, ribbon-y look--

I had so much fun creating this tag, and I am ready to make MORE!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
All Best--
Richard

Mr. Cardmaker Is Gaga for the GooGoo

It is always a happy day when you get to make a New Baby card!

My friend Kristin had her second child, a sweet, beautiful little girl. I HAD to get a card together.

Have I mentioned that my mojo has been on the fritz since the holidays? I think I might have blown a fuse, or something.

I have had very little experience doing baby cards, because the kids in the family were well beyond that place when I took up this card making thing. I DO like a challenge...

I made this--

I hand cut the onesie, (is that what it's called?) form pink cardstock, and found a teensy star stamp to give it some pattern. I used my piercing tool on the edges and added a tiny bow.

Do you LOVE that sentiment?!  I did it in liquid platinum embossing powder. Looks like my ribbon did some drifting while I did these pics...

I had JUST bought some felt in various colors, and what a perfect chance to use some to make flowers for this card.  I used a mini brad to hold the layers together, and I found if I pinched the flappy-part UP, it actually pinched the whole flower into a really attractive place.

Another view--

I think the baby liked it.  Her Mama said she did, even though I didn't see her eyes open up too much during my visit. I guess drool says much more these days than it once did.

Welcome to the world, little Miss!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
All Best--
Richard

Mr Cardmaker is Making the Most of Hibernation Weather

I don't know about you, but wintertime means indoors and hibernation as much as possible.
Max the Beagle keeps that from being true at my house, being privy to TWO two-mile walks a day. You definitely learn what 11 degrees Fahrenheit  feels like when you have an active dog. Oh, AND he gets up early, so no sleeping in, either. Good thing I love that good, good dog.

Outside or in, I have always been a HUGE house nerd. I love architecture and interiors, classical and modern. Give me a house, I'll tell you how I want to improve it, paint it, Christmas it up, whatever.
It made TOTAL sense to get my hands on Papertrey Ink's Boards & Beams stamps and dies. They came with my big box of Christmas goodies.

I was actually sort of slow to play with them--I don't know if it was a "sacred cow" syndrome or what. But, I did bust them out, diecut, stamped, and water colored a farmhouse and two town houses .  And then, they sat. And sat. Finally, after lots of staring at them, I came up with some cards.

I made this--

I think the painting turned out rather well on this guy, if I say so myself. LOVE my Distress Inks!

I borrowed a small stamp from a favorite Stamendous set to do that little grass/sidewalk-looking strip.
I love the chunky font of the hello die from Lawn Fawn. I did three layers, and did the top one from cardstock that was clear embossed. Hard to see the shine here, but it looks pretty good.
The house is also three diecuts, layered together, and the tree is on foam adhesive.

When I first stamped the fence and trees on the yellow card stock, I had to laugh at myself, because it looked like I stamped on a post-it!  My scallop punch gave it a more upscale look.

I thought it was done at this point, but I can't leave well enough alone, and I thought the card base was too plain.  I decided to add some stitch lines around the card with a white gel pen.

It looks like this now--

Better? Not better? I just don't know.  I need either a more steady hand or a better pen, I think, but it IS a handmade card, after all, so I don't worry about such things.

Then I made this--

I actually did a mix of stamps here. The background cityscape is from Jillibean Soup, called You Move Me, and the sentiment is from Stampendous. Everything else is from PTI Boards & Beams.

Another view--

Layers of the house diecut, glued together, pops the houses off the card front.
I think those tiny trees are so cute...

So, I am off and running with this set, and I'm happy with my start. More to come, I'm sure!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
All Best-
Richard

Mr Cardmaker has Finally Lost It...

I have had this tradition, for the past several years, of making calendars every year--one for Charlie, and one for his mom. 
These take me forever to make, for some odd reason, and I usually don't manage to get them done until the middle of January. This year, though, I had them done for Christmas! They still took WAY too much time to make, though, and I have vowed I will find a better way to do them.

For Charlie's mom, I made this--

I used The Stamps of Life's Calendar to Build stamp set to do the calendar pages.  Oh, my lawdy bees, this was a job.  Never again. way too much finagling with the 29th -31st on ALL of these months, and lining it all up just gave me heartburn.  I will find a calendar to download and print next time, fo' sho'.
Nana is a fan of the purples, so I went to town with my scraps and a butterfly die that I got for ONE DOLLAR at JoAnn's a while back.  It will come to me who made it...
Oh, and the tiny butterflies are done with my tiny heart punch on the fold of some paper scraps. SO easy, and a fun trick.

Another view--

For Charlie, I made this--

So, yeah. Stars and telephones.  You know, your usual, classic combo.
Yeah...
So, CLEARLY my brains had slid into my shoes on this one.  Call it "Holiday Fatigue", or whatever...
I liked the image, I like the glittery stars....So sue me. He likes it.
(Honestly, it occurred to me that he would be bringing it to work, where he uses the (WHAT?) TELEPHONE (!)--All day long. SOOO...)

Another view of this one--

And, so now Charlie will know what day it is. Tah-DAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

All Best-

Richard