Playing with Trucks and Cars!

I’ve made a number of masculine cards over the years using trucks and cars; they’re a popular image for the guys in our lives and I enjoy the break from florals!  This card was made using a car from the long-retired Classic Convertibles set by Stampin Up.  I heat-embossed the image in black then cut it out and colored with Zig markers.  I needed a map background so googled Vermont road maps and printed this off on the computer and roughed up the edges after smudging with Pumice Stone and Walnut Stain distress inks.  The Route 66, tire track and Road Trip images are from Tim Holtz’ Road Trip set and I stamped those right over the map.  I used a diamond-plate embossing folder on the base card and smudged Walnut Stain distress ink over the raised part to get the grungy look. The sentiment is from Unity Stamp’s I’d Go Anywhere set.  

Another awesome vintage car from Stampin Up’s set, colored and cut out.  I printed out this map of Vermont, smudged Pumice Stone distress ink around the edges, stamped the mileage stamp in red from the same Tim Holtz set and the sentiment from Fiskars Let’s Get Lost was heat-embossed onto the map.  This was a quick and easy card!  

For this card I used Deep Red Rubber Stamp’s Chevelle, colored and cut out.  The same printed out Vermont map with more images from the Tim Holtz Road Trip set and the sentiment is from The Stampin Place.  The interstate sign image is from the Fiskars set I mentioned previously and it has an empty space for whatever numbers you choose!  I stamped in the 89 because that’s our main highway here in Vermont!  I smudged ink around the edges, roughed it up with my scissors, then tore and curled up a corner for a fun, distressed look!  Layered onto a red panel, then a black card base, I think this is a pretty cool card!  

Another combination of Stampin Up and Tim Holtz!  The awesome embossed background is Tim Holtz Travel Signs on kraft cardstock, smudged with Walnut Stain distress ink.  A strip of colorful Tim Holtz patterned paper on a narrow panel of red card stock really pops!  

The last in my series of trucks and cars, this truck is from Deep Red Stamps as well!  I stamped it in the center of a piece of white card stock, then masked it in order to stamp the other images around it.  They’re from Papertrey Ink Stylish Sentiments .  I then uncovered the truck, colored it with a red Zig marker and glazed it with a coat of Glossy Accents.  The PTI set came with the little star stamp which I randomly stamped in red around the card front.  I trimmed the panel down to layer onto black, then onto a base card of Stampin Up Crumb Cake on which I’d embossed their folder called World Traveler.  I hope you enjoyed this series of masculine cards!  

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Some of My Favorites!

I pulled a number of cards from my photo files to share some of my all-time favorites!  I think you’ll like them too!  This card was copied from one I saw on Pinterest a couple years ago and LOVED!  I had to improvise a bit to create the gold frame behind the flowers; I used Altenew’s Beautiful Day set, heat-embossed in gold onto Bristol Smooth watercolor paper and fussy-cut them out.  I embossed the leaves onto vellum.  I didn’t have a frame die back then, so instead embossed the frame stamp and cut it out by hand.  I think the geometric black and white paper makes an interesting backing for the organic florals!  

I’ve always loved the vintage feel of this card!  I used an old Stampin up set called Nature Walk and stamped the images onto a vintage book page, then cut it into panels.  I mounted them onto a layer of dark brown card stock, then onto a pretty yellow card base.  The flower is one I picked up at Michaels and after I scrunched up a length of silk binding tape and glued it to the strip of dark brown card stock, I glued the flower over it.  The Happy Birthday sentiment is from another retired Stampin Up set called Warmest Regards and I stamped that onto a punched out label, sponged brown ink around the edges to soften and added a brass brad.  

Here’s another favorite vintage/shabby chic styled card I made some years ago, using torn patterned paper, a bit of vintage book page and Stampin Up’s retired Toile Blossoms which I stamped in pink and brown ink onto a piece of card stock.  I smudged brown ink around the edges to soften, then roughed up the edges with my scissors.  A length of sheer ribbon, then velvet ribbon tied on completed this beautiful card!  

I was really into vintage/shabby chic!!  Using patterned papers add interest to a card and I love the colors in this one!  Stampin Up’s retired Bloom With Hope blossom was colored with markers then clear embossed for shine.  I added a die-cut sprig of leaves, a length of crocheted lace and a twist of black string.  The sentiment is a Stampin Up stamp and mounted using a Stampin Up punch.  Two little golden jewels added the final detail!  

I have several Stampendous scenery stamps and I’ve always loved this one, as it reminds me of Vermont!  I colored this with Zig markers, fussy-cut it out, mounted it onto levels of patterned paper then onto a dark brown base card.  The sentiment is from Stampin Up’s retired Botanicals set; I smudged brown ink all over it to “distress” it.  Copper brads add a little extra touch.  

This Inkadinkado stamp was given to me by my step-daughter a number of years ago and I think it’s so beautiful!  I stamped it with Versafine Onyx Black permanent ink onto a piece of card stock then colored it using Zigs.  I cut the panel down and layered it over a piece of red card stock, then onto a base card which was layered with patterned papers.  I looped a length of narrow red ribbon and attached it along the edge to add a fun bit of texture!  

Oooooo!!  More beautiful patterned paper!  I stamped, colored and then glazed with Glossy Accents the blossoms from Stampin Up’s Fabulous Florets set, die-cut the green leaves and layered them onto a strip of blue textured cardstock to which I’d added two little eyelets.   I stamped the Thinking of You sentiment over the patterned paper.  

This is probably my favorite of ALL of these cards!  I made this for my daughter, Sara, a long time ago.  I embossed the base card with a folder then smudged a little gray ink onto it.  Layers of patterned paper, die-cut leaves, a store-bought paper rose and a length of ribbon held down with brads made for a very easy, but very beautiful card!  The sentiment is from a Tim Holtz set.  

Prismacolor Pencils on Black

Last summer I was inspired by a card from Yana Smakula, made by using Prismacolor pencils on black card stock!  I never would have thought of this technique and couldn’t wait to make one myself!  To begin, I heat-embossed in gold the leaves from Altenew’s Beautiful Day stamp set onto black card stock, and began to color them in.  It was a little challenging to work around the raised lines of the embossed images, but loved how the color popped on the black!  When I finished coloring in the leaves, I simply cut the black panel down to layer over a piece of metallic gold card stock, then mounted it onto a white card base which I’d run through the Cuttlebug with Stampin Up’s Petal Burst embossing folder.  Finally, I embossed the sentiment in gold onto a scrap of black, lifted it with a piece of foam tape, then attached a few gold sequins to the card front.

After making the card above, I wanted to try it again with another set, so I pulled out Winter Flowers by Simon Says Stamp, heat-embossed the images in gold onto the black card stock, and again, colored with Prismacolor pencils.  I just love how creamy and translucent the color is on the black!  The Greetings stamp was heat-embossed in gold as well, and mounted onto a strip of the gold paper.  I put this card together in the same manner as the first, but without embossing the base card.  Thanks to Yana for her continual inspiration!

Sizzix Paper-cut Bird

Isn’t this fascinating?!  Paper-cut Bird by Sizzix/Tim Holtz is a full-size die, and this is the first and only card I’ve made with it!  I cut it out of Strathmore watercolor paper, then let it sit for a time while I tried to figure out what on earth to do with it!  Finally, I decided to just cover it with assorted colors of Ranger Distress Oxide inks!  In the usual manner, I smooshed one color of ink at a time onto my craft mat, then spritzed water onto it, and laid the bird die down into the ink.  Drying between each layer, I kept adding more color till I was satisfied with the result!

For the shadow box effect, I stamped the leaves from a retired Stampin Up set onto a panel of Stampin Up’s Crumb Cake card stock, then die-cut the top frame in Crumb Cake with my Gina Marie Designs Stitched Rectangle dies, added a layer of pink below it and adhered the layers with the die cut image in between using strips of foam tape to lift.  All were mounted onto a base card of Crumb Cake.  I surprised myself with this card and absolutely love how it turned out!  

Distress Oxide Sampler

When Ranger Distress Oxide inks first came out, I poo-poohed the idea of needing yet MORE inks!  What could they do that my regular Distress Inks couldn’t?!!  But I finally gave in and bought four or five of them to investigate!  And wow!!  Am I glad I did!!  The oxides have such a velvety appearance and the fact that you can layer them over each other without losing the colors is a win!  For this very simple card I taped down a piece of Canson watercolor paper to my small Epicurian cutting board with painters tape.  On my craft mat, I smooshed Peeled Paint and Broken China and spritzed on some water which caused the ink to bead up and spread out.  Although it was a bit awkward, I laid my paper (attached to the board!) onto the wet ink, being sure to get the blue on top and the green below.  I dried the ink, then tapped out more, added more water and did another layer onto my card.  After drying with my heat tool, I dripped water onto the dried surface which left those cool little spots!  I stamped the image from Penny Black’s Nature’s Friends set using Versafine Onyx Black, then removed the tape, leaving a crisp border.  I mounted it to a textured white card base.  This card makes me very happy!

I made the background for this Thank You card in the same manner, except for taping the paper down.  It was much easier to drag through the watery distress oxide ink on my craft mat!  But first I heat-embossed the sentiments, and then the leaves from Stampin Up’s Kinda Eclectic set in white onto Bristol Smooth watercolor paper.  After adding the ink, I spattered black craft paint, then trimmed the panel down to fit onto my textured white card base.  The oval sentiment is from Stampin Up and I used an oval punch to cut it out, then lifted it with a bit of foam tape.

I love the muted tones of the Distress Oxide in this card!  The leaves are from a retired Stampin Up set called Wonderful You, which I heat-embossed in white onto the inked up panel.  You can see that I spattered droplets of water and white craft paint onto the background which gives it such a wonderful look!  I didn’t add a sentiment to this one so that I could customize it at a later date.

Papertrey Ink Meadow Greens

I don’t have a lot of sets that are “solid” images with coordinating dies, but Meadow Greens from Papertrey Ink is fabulous!  And so easy to use!  Here’s how I constructed my card: for the leaves and fern, I covered the stamp with a layer of Peeled Paint distress ink, then tapped a little Walnut around the edges, spritzed with water then stamped onto a piece of Canson watercolor paper.  For the blossom, I covered the stamp first with Fired Brick, then tapped a little Mahogany around the edges, spritzed and stamped it onto the watercolor paper.  I dried the images, then using the center piece of the flower, inked it up with Black Soot distress ink, and stamped it onto the flower.  

When the images were dry, I used the coordinating dies to cut them out, and set them aside.  I used Stampin Up’s Woodland embossing folder on a piece of white card stock for the middle layer.  I then inked up Stampin Up’s Hardwood background stamp with Walnut, Gathered Twigs and Weathered Wood, spritzed with water and stamped it onto a scrap of watercolor paper. I stamped the leaves and fern over the Hardwood and then cut the oval using Gina Marie Designs Stitched Oval dies.  The base card is kraft card stock and I adhered the embossed white layer, then attached the oval and finally, layered the greenery and flower at different heights using double-stick foam tape!  The sentiment was stamped on a scrap and mounted to finish the card!