StarLitStudio

inchie nest card

 

New neighbors moved in behind our house, and I created this card to welcome them to the neighborhood.  Our kids have already met and made fast friends - amazing how that works!  7gypsies Venice 6x6 paper and their coordinating stickers combined nicely for today's project.

I used 7gypsies adhesive foam pieces that are designed/cut specifically for their stickers to elevate several.

Lockhart Stamp Company's Itty Bitty Nest was stamped using Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto a White Inchie Square.  Inchie Squares are about 2mm thick - a quality embellishment that is also an art medium.  The archival matboard accepts ink incredibly well, and I've colored the Lockhart Nest with Copic markers.

A bit of Venice gaffer tape was torn and used on the side of the dark grey Inchie+ Square.  Button is from Hero Arts.  The bird eggs are Memory Box blue frost pearls.

Card interior features 7gypsies Venice 6x6 paper, and the coordinating card base and envelope is Memory Box Robin's Egg.  Sentiment is from A Muse. 

Best wishes for an awesome year in 2010!!

i like you berry much card

 
Today's project will walk you through coloring a bowl full of yummy strawberries from Lockhart Stamp Company.  Karen Lockhart's bowls of fruit are some of my favorite images to color!

To begin I stamped Lockhart's Strawberries onto white cardstock (Papertrey) using Memento Tuxedo Black ink, then diecut using Labels One.  Leaving the die in place I lightly airbrushed with Copic E02.  To begin coloring the strawberries I outlined each berry with E07 then used a small amount of E09.  I left a small area of each strawberry alone for a highlight.

Next, I blended each strawberry with E02.  Don't worry about smudging the markers into the bowl area - we're going to be covering the bowl up a few steps down.

Stamped the Lockhart Strawberries onto a piece of Basic Grey 6x6 Nook & Pantry paper and cut the bowl out.  We'll be altering the bowl a few steps down.

Colored the strawberry leaves using G82, then G99.  The areas are so small I chose not blend them.

Adhered the cut bowl over the stamped image, then colored in the dots with Copic 100, and added a few random white dots with a Ranger white gel pen.

Onto a Memory Box Pine card base I added more Nook & Pantry 6x6 paper, and a Labels One mat layer.  Memory Box white pearls were scattered on the card front at random.  White May Arts grosgrain ribbon.  The 'I like you berry much' sentiment is from A Muse.  Thank you for stopping by today!

angel ornament

Karen Lockhart's Trumpet Angel is one of my favorite Lockhart angel images.  I colored her using various Copic markers, and punched the image out using a Marvy scalloped oval punch (from Papertrey).  Edges were inked lightly using Distress Tea Dye ink.

I also highlighted portions of her hair with a clear Glaze pen.  Ellen taught me this at a creative retreat years ago and it really adds definition and a nice, shiny highlight.

 

The paper maché star was found at Michaels, and I collaged a few 7gypsies papers and sprayed the whole thing with walnut ink crystals mixed with water in a mini mister.

Although you can not see it, the edges of the star are wrapped with holiday printed twill - this concealed the edges of the collaged papers.

Abbie placed the angel on top of our tree this year by sitting on top of my husband's shoulders - we didn't need the ladder this time!

snowman holiday card

Today's project uses Lockhart Stamp Company's Snowman with Bird holiday image - I'm in love with her sweater!

I've discovered that Martha's Scallop Three-Dot punch (found at Michaels on Black Friday) lines up perfectly with Fiskars Scallop scissors.  This created a nice lining for the three dots.  October Afternoon Very Merry stripe paper was punched, then lined up with scallop-trimmed white cardstock.

The Lockhart Snowman image was stamped three times - on white cardstock (Papertrey) and twice on various Very Merry papers.

Images were trimmed, then pieced.  Using an Inchie Notes Neutral card base, I covered it with a few layers of October Afternoon's popular Very Merry papers and May Arts red velvet ribbon.

I used these Copic markers, black Spica pen and white gel pen for the image.  I forgot to include the border Copic I used - that's two photos down.  I used the Black Spica on the black dots of the snowman's smile.  The white gel pen was used on her hat.

I used a teeny tiny birch leaf punch to accent the Snowman's hat detail, punching Dill cardstock.  The manufacturer is not listed on this punch but I recall buying it online about a decade ago, and remember it was called a 'mini birch leaf'.  Hope this info helps if you are looking for one - it's super tiny!

Outlined the Lockhart Snowman image with Copic R81, then adhered to a Mocha cardstock square.  The unit was mounted to the card front using dimensionals.

Licorice bling from Hero Arts was added to the Snowman's eyes.  She's so cute!  A Muse tiny red bling was added to her sweater buttons, and a 7gypsies jumbo red jewel brad was added to her hat.

Finished card size is 3-1/2" (89mm) square.  Card interior features a punched, Very Merry paper scrap and sentiment from A Muse.  Happy Holidays!!

inchie holiday wreath card

Lockhart Stamp Company's Itty Bitty Wreath takes center stage on a white Inchie Square for today's project.

I needed just oooooone more holiday card, and this ended up being just what I needed.

Karen Lockhart's IB Wreath was stamped onto a white Inchie Square, then colored using two green Copic markers and two pinkish-red ones.  The white Inchie Square was then mounted onto a 1-1/4" square of Licorice cardstock using dimensionals.

Using Inchie Arts' Neutral Inchie Notes as a card base (these measure 3-1/2" or 89mm square) I adhered two October Afternoon's new Very Merry papers.  A strip of the pink October Afternoon paper was punched using Martha Stewart's Half Daisy Edger Punch. 

The cute holiday words are from an old 7gypsies sticker sheet mounted using their foam adhesive, designed especially for these stickers.

A Muse Pink bling was added to the wreath.

 

Card interior features the Lockhart Wreath stamp in Adirondack Willow ink, and a strip of October Afternoon using Martha's Half Daisy punch.  The lovely sentiment is from A Muse. 

Someone told me today that "Christmas is next week."  I wanted to stick my fingers in my ears and shout, "I'm not listening!  I'm not listening!"... there is still so much to do!

Thank you for stopping by during this busy time of year!

holly cupcake inchie

Lockhart Stamp Company's Holly Cupcake uses the newest Inchie Arts Inchie+ Squares!    These Inchie+ Squares are 1-1/2" (34mm) square and are available in SEVEN colors: black, dark gray, light gray, wheat, dark cream, ivory and white!

If you are not familiar with Inchie Squares, these are made from the highest quality artist grade materials.  A true artist medium - Inchie Squares can be used with both wet and dry mediums: from colored pencil to watercolor paints and everything inbetween.

What I especially like about them is their thickness - they are about 2mm thick, and add dimension, weight and quality to my projects.

 

Martha Stewart's Around the Page Scallop 3-dot punch was used on Cranberry (Memory Box) cardstock.  Strano Designs 5/8" Ivy was wrapped around the Inchie Notes Neutral card base front (these are 3-1/2" square) and adhered front and center.

Warm winter wishes sentiment is from A Muse.

Lockhart Stamp Company's Holly Cupcake was stamped twice - once onto October Afternoon's Very Merry paper and trimmed, and again onto a white Inchie+ Square.  I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  The Inchie+ Square was mounted onto a black cardstock mat.  Leaves were colored with two tones of green Copic markers and a pale yellow Copic for the highlights around the leaves and a pale gray for the grounding shadow.

 

Finished card - finished size is 3-1/2" square.  Red bling in two sizes is from EllenHutson.com.  Thanks for stopping by!

rock that cold away

A get well pocket card is featured today - Lockhart's Rocking Chair is paired with Basic Grey's Wisteria papers.

Copic markers were picked based on the colors in the Wisteria papers.

Lockhart Rocking Chair was stamped onto a white cardstock (Papertrey) Labels Eight die, using Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Colored with Copics, but leaving the quilt alone.

Stamped Rocking Chair again onto Wisteria paper, then trimmed quilt, and pieced onto stamped, colored image.

The pocket card base measures 5-1/4" x 11" and uses Memory Box Kraft cardstock..  Side flaps are 1/2" in width.  I opted to machine-stitch the wisteria layers to the pocket card front, so I sewed the Wisteria papers before I assembled the pocket.

Finished size of pocket is 4-1/4" x 5-1/2". 

Pocket card insert (Hero Arts thinking of you sentiment) and white cardstock labels eight die were aged along the edges using Distress Antique Linen ink.  Memory Box Kraft envelope coordinates with their cardstock.  The glazed brad is from the Wisteria collection.  Feeling better sentiment is from Papertrey Ink

Snippet pull flap of pocket insert is stapled into place using Tim's clever stapler.  Light blue layer is Memory Box Blue Poppy.

Corners of the pocket card top and insert were rounded using Zutter's tool.  Cardstock edges were distressed with Tim's paper distresser.

Mish inspired these apples!  They have bit of Glossy Accents on the tops.

movin' out...movin' in...

Another family in the neighborhood moved away, and a new family moved in.  The card on the left is for the new neighbors; the one on the right is for the family that moved away.

Hello and Miss You sentiments are from A Muse.

Lockhart Stamp Company's Sold Sign was a universal choice for both cards.  American Crafts Big Skies paper and May Arts butter satin ribbon used.  Copic markers quickly colored in the sign image, which was stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa ink.

Mini 3mm brad is from Bazzill (found these in Archivers).

Interior sentiments with strips of scrap paper.  Sentiment on the left is from Verses Rubber Stamps; verse on the right is A Muse.

The card base (and envelopes) are 100% recycled paper - it's called Brown Bag and from Greengrocer... they look and feel like a brown paper grocery bag!

knit. purl. repeat.

Notebooks make the most excellent gifts - I create these for teacher gifts and for those hard-to-find gifts for folks.  Mish sent me a notebook years and years ago, I got hooked making them, and I am still using the one she gave me!

I'm using American Crafts Big Skies paper and embellishments; notebook base is Memory Box Kraft - finished size is 3-3/4" x 10".  I cut down large 8-1/2" x 14" notepads to this size.  The interior pocket is formed with a 1/2" flap at the bottom.  Can you see the Dew Drops all over the front?  I love them with this paper!

Lockhart Stamp Company's Basket of Yarn was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto white cardstock (Papertrey) Labels Eight die.  Copic markers formed shadows and a grounding line.

Additional Copic markers were used to color in the balls of yarn.  I selected these Copic colors based on the colors in the Blue Skies paper.

Basket was stamped on striped paper from the Blue Skies collection, and again onto solid cardstock (the reverse side of one of the cardstock patterns from this collection).  Trimmed, then pieced.  Ribbon is May Arts.

This shot shows the Robin's Nest Dew Drops (Flame used)!

Notebook interior - Blue Skies glittery chipboard pieces with silver eyelets added.

kewl things and kittens

New Karen Lockhart stamps have arrived, and I fell in love with the kitten in the mitten!  I'm a poet and don't know it.

When my 7yr old saw this kitty stamp, she looked me in the eye and asked, "Mommy?  Can you please make this kitty a soft and white one?"  So of course this card had to have a white kitty.  Lockhart Mitten Kitten image was stamped twice onto October Afternoon Farm Fresh papers using Ranger Jet Black ink.

 

Image stamped with Memento London Fog ink onto a white cardstock Labels One die, and the sentiment (yup, it's crooked - I'll show you how I fixed this a few photos below) and dotted Vintage Labels stamp (verse, dotted image and cardstock from Papertrey Ink) with Ranger Archival Jet Black ink.

Decorative paper stamped mittens were trimmed and pieced, and adhered into place.  We'll cover the kitty's paws in the next step.

 

I stamped the kitty again with London Fog ink onto a white cardstock scrap, and cut the paws out, then adhered them into place.  Yup, sentiment still crooked...

Fixed the sentiment by stamping again onto white cardstock scrap, then punching out with a 1/2" circle punch.  Added circle sentiment using a dimensional and bam!  I did this nifty accent on purpose!  Not.   Using Copic grays in T1, T3 and T5 I colored the kitty to make the white pop against the white cardstock.  I totally learned this from Marianne. 

I die cut a piece of yummy 100% wool felt using Labels One, and machine stitched the kitty layer to the felt.

A loop of Strano Margot (5/8") and a Papertrey Pure Poppy button add dimension. 

 

Interior sentiment is A Muse, and a leftover strip of the Farm Fresh paper.

Kewl things:  Well it's November here in NJ, which means my hands are FREEZING!  I stop typing every so often to cup my hands to my face and blow hot air into my cupped hands, over and over.  I've been tempted to purchase a space heater for my studio, but have this irrational fear of fire from those things and don't want to waste the electricity.  Besides, it's just my hands that get so cold.  OK my nose too, but I can live with that.  So I found some fingerless gloves on etsy.com from a store called tango November bravo...she's a knitter, and a Canadian, living with a surfer in Portugal.  Crazy, eh?  Totally love it!  Her blog and photos will put you in a happy mood!