This Old House

Old farmsteads are beautiful, interesting and great material for dramatic photos.

This is card has scrapbook paper attached to the card base. The edges were sponged with dark brown ink. The phrase was stamped with VersaMark and embossed with fineline black embossing powder.

The edges of the photo were also sponged with dark brown ink.

This is an easy basic card. I usually print up the photos in wallet size after cropping them in Paint Shop Pro.

Using Corrugated Cardboard

Yesterday I showed you a quick and easy way to turn your cardboard boxes into great embellishments. Today I am showing you how to use that corrugated cardboard on a card.

One side of the corrugated cardboard is torn. I gently rubbed a dark brown ink pad over the corrugations and then sponged the torn edge heavily. This was layered over a striped vellum. The vellum was cut with a mega Fiskars decorative scissors, then the cut edges were lightly sponged.

The image of the fisherman and the phrase are by a fantastic Montana stamp company, Sweet Grass Stamps. Stampers Quest showcased the quality and versatility of their stamps in their last Design Challenge. The image and the phrase were both stamped with black Archival ink by Ranger.

The fisherman was colored with Rose Art colored pencils. Yes, Rose Art, the inexpensive ones that you find with the school supplies. As you can see from the picture of the card the fisherman image was cut out on three sides and torn on the fourth. The phrase was torn on all sides. Lighter brown inks were "swirled" in a short distance on both with the final touch being a heavy sponging of dark brown ink and the very very edges "burned" with black ink sponging.

Pheasant feathers were placed at both ends of the phrase. Three bronze colored brads were used as a masculine accent on the fisherman.

A Perfect Match

Have you ever had a piece of paper that you just

loved the color of and could not find an ink

or embossing powder to match it???

I have a solution. It is soooooo simple and

it works every time.

The above card is it!!!

Stamp with clear pigment ink or VersaMark,

apply clear embossing powder and heat

with a heat gun.

The result is a perfect match

that is several shade darker than your card stock.

How easy is that?

Now you can add to your card and embellish as desired

or send it just as it.

Match the inside to the outside

A lovely finishing touch for a card is to have the inside

match the outside, as in this card.

It is also a way to use a scrap.

And we paper addicts hate to waste even the smallest

scrap of paper.

When you use a border punch there is often a strip of

paper left over. It is perfectly straight and just cries out

to be used somewhere, so I glue them along

the inside of my card.

Since the strip came from a part that is on the front

of the card, using it on the inside "pulls" the

entire design together very nicely.

The above card was created using Basic Grey clear stamps.

For once I stamped right on the front of the card base,

using VersaMark ink and ivory embossing powder.

The ivory on white is very elegant and subtle.

The blue punched border was stamped with the

same image using clear embossing powder.

The phrase was computer generated, attached

to the same blue cardstock as the punched border and

trimmed to a narrow border on the top and bottom.

A Fiskars Ripple decorative edge scissors was

used to cut the white and the blue cardstock.

It takes a little practice, but this matching of

the cut on both layers can be that final little

touch that finishes off a card perfectly.

Ink Blocks Indian

Ink Blocks has some fantastic Indian images.

This one was stamped with VersaMark

and Distressed Embossing Powder by Ranger was

used to create a rough carved woodsy look.

The embossed image was cut out in a square with

the corners then being rounded with Fiskars corner scissors.

The edges were sponged for depth and drama.

The three brass brads add a little interest.

The paper on the card base is a gift wrap.

It was glued to the card base and then sponged with

dark brown ink for that vintage look.

The two narrow bars of faux snakeskin have

been mounted on dark brown card stock

that has been trimmed to a narrow border.

I used a clear glitter pen to accent the eyes of

the Indian and the eagle.

Ten Minute card

Quick and easy. Yet it has a distinctive style.

On a piece of white card stock,

shadow stamp randomly in a light color.

Now stamp over that in a dark colored ink

with your phrase stamp. In this case

it is a stamp that I love to use by Stampendous.

Now tear around your phrase that is stamped over

the shadow stamps. You can see that

I didn't tear too close to the stamping,

this makes it easier to position the brads.

I used the same ink that I stamped the phrase with to sponge

the edges of the tear.

The strip of paper under the phrase is

actually PearlEx and glue technique.

(very glitzy, fun and messy)

The phrase is attached to the PearlEx and glue

strip wtih brads. A round paper clip

was attached to the upper left corner of the

phrase as well. Glue all of this to

a light coordinating paper. Trim to desired size

and then attach that to a darker card base.