Sunset Sail

Inspiration

I usually have to cast around to find ideas for a masculine theme for cards. Here’s one that came to me as I searched through seldom-used stamps for ideas to use on the several March birthdays that require a masculine touch. 

Of course, the technique is from Michelle Zindorf – on this one, I used a sponge instead of the brayer to create a color gradient across the card. I also came across a technique on Splitcoast Stampers that incorporates COPICs and colored pencils (2 of my favorite ways to color images) on the same image.

 

 

 

Ingredients

Note: Finished card size is 4 1/4” x 5 1/2”

Paper

Bashful Blue (SU!):  5 1/2” x 8 1/2”, scored at 4 1/4”

Whisper White (SU!):  4 1/8” x 5 3/8”

Stamper’s Select White (Paper Trey):  4 1/8” x 5 3/8”

Inks

Versamark (Tsukineko)	Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)
Apricot Appeal (SU!)	Bashful Blue (SU!)
Pumpkin Pie (SU!)	Brilliant Blue (SU!)
Dusty Durango (SU!)

Stamps

Medallion (SU!)	On Your Birthday (SU!)
Seagull (CC Rubber Stamps)	Sailboat (PSX)
Sand (CC Rubber Stamps)

Accessories

Colored Pencils (Prisma Color)	Gamsol and paper stubs
COPIC markers (Imagination International)	Clear embossing powder
Sponge	Heat Gun
Scor-Pal	Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch)
Rotary trimmer with deckle and straight blades (Fiskars)

Instructions

Sunset and Sea 

Step 1: Stamp the medallion sun in embossing ink on the left side of the white panel and emboss with clear powder.

Step 2: Sponge the sunset colors starting with the lightest orange color over the upper left 2/3 of the card.  Add the darker orange colors to create a gradual darkening in color as you move away from the sun.  After sponging on the color, you may want to “polish” the sun with a paper towel – this will remove some of the orange color from the embossed image, but still leaves a glow.

Step 3: Sponge the sea using the blue inks, again going from lighter near the sun to darker in the lower right corner of the card.

Step 4: Stamp the sand dots over the sea with the darkest blue color to add a little texture and movement to the water.

Step 5: Stamp the sentiment and the bird in black to the right of the sun.

Sailboat

Step 1: Stamp the sailboat on the heavier white cardstock using the black ink.  My sailboat image also has clouds and water – when I cut the image out, I eliminated the clouds – nothing to “block out” the sun!  I left the water around the boat as part of the image.

Step 2: Color the image with COPICs.  I used these colors:

• Sails: BG0000
• Boat: E30, E31, E37

Step 3: Add color shading using the colored pencils, and blend with mineral spirits and a paper stub.  I did all of the color for the water with pencils, but you could easily pick a blue shade of marker to lay the base color for the water.

Assembly

Step 1: Mount the sunset panel to the front of the card.

Step 2: Add the sailboat, using foam tape for a little bit of dimension.

Thanks for stopping by!

You Rock!

Inspiration

I was lucky enough to attend a workshop by Michelle Zindorf early this year – it was SO much fun!  Michelle does amazing work with white paper, a brayer, and beautiful combinations of dye inks – AND she writes fabulous tutorials on her blog – check out Freedom in Creating. (When I went to look for the correct link, I noticed she has 377 tutorials posted – WOW!!!!)

Here’s one I received rave reviews from the young folks who received it as a birthday greeting this year.  It’s a case of the “Sunset Skateboarder” tutorial.

Ingredients

Paper

Note: finished card size is 5” x 7”

Bordering Blue (SU!)	7” x 10”, score at 5”
Brilliant Blue (SU!)	2.5” x 6 1/2”
Only Orange (SU!)	2.5” x 6”
Summer Sun *SU!)	2” x 5.5”
Whisper White (SU!)	3” x 5”

Ink

Bordering Blue (SU!); Brilliant Blue (SU!), Only Orange (SU!), Summer Sun (SU!), Basic Black (SU!)

Stamps

You Rock (Inkadinkado); Musical Score (Art Impressions); Extreme Guitar (SU!); Sanded Background (SU!) 

Accessories

Rubber Brayer (3M); Post-It Notes; 1 3/8” circle punch (SU!); sponge; Scor-Pal; Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); Foam tape; Rotary trimmer with straight blade (Fiskars); Scissors

Instructions

Background Panels

Stamp the background pattern using blue ink on the bright blue panel, and the orange panel.  Stamp the background pattern using orange ink on the yellow panel.

Sentiment

Stamp the sentiment in black in the upper right corner of the base card.

Image

Punch a circle from a Post-It note to use as a mask.

Using the brayer, apply yellow ink lightly to the lower part of the white panel.  After a couple of coats, attach the circle mask, then apply some more yellow with the brayer.  Follow up by applying orange with the brayer – not quite all the way – this achieves the color gradient.

Now start at the other end of the card. Brayer the lighter blue ink just until it touches the top of the brayered orange ink, then add the darker blue ink to create the gradient effect.

Before removing the circle mask, stamp the music image in black 3 times.

Then remove the mask, and stamp the guitarist image in black near the ending point of the music lines.

Finish up the image panel by sponging black ink around the edges.

Assembly

Assembly is easy – simply mount the panels in order on the front of the card.

Thanks for stopping by.

Another Zindorf CASE

Inspiration
I made this card for a friend at work who lost her father yesterday.  I needed something I could make fairly large, so lots of people could sign the card. 

I went back to Michelle Zindorf’s work, and found beautiful inspiration – It gives a calm, gentle feeling that is so often needed in sad times.  Detailed instructions for how to create this card can be found here on her blog.  I’m headed to her class in Texas next spring and I can’t wait!

The ingredients I used are only slightly different, so I’ve listed them here.  The card dimensions are 5.5” x 8.5”, using a whole sheet of cardstock for the base.

Ingredients

CARDSTOCK: (All SU!) Whisper White, Soft Sky and Blue Bayou

STAMPS: Inspired by Nature (SU!), Flying Bird (CCs Rubber Stamps)

INK: (All SU!) Soft Sky and Blue Bayou

ACCESSORIES: Not Quite Navy SU! marker; White Gel pen; Ribbon; Brayer; 1 3/8″ circle punch; Post-it Notes; Sponges; Scor-Pal; Adhesive Transfer Gun 714 (Scotch); Rotary trimmer with straight blade (Fiskars)

Thanks for stopping by!

Summer Butterfly

Inspiration
This card is a blatant “CASE” of Michelle Zindorf’s work – I copied her Butterfly Season tutorial as exactly as I could.  She creates the most beautiful work, and explains it so well on her blog, that I had to give this one a try.  Her step-by-step instructions are fabulous, and have given me a lot to think about in how I can improve my own tutorials here.  I hope you’ll go to her blog and check out the beautiful work!

Thanks for stopping by!