More Photo Cards

Both of these photos were taken this summer in southern Cheyenne County in the Nebraska Panhandle. So much of our homesteader heritage is on the backroads of western Nebraska. These were tough intelligent men and women who believed in the American dream. If you work hard you will succeed. Of course they didn't have the government and it's multiple agencies stomping them down either. Not to mention all the wacko activist groups that now impede every capitalist venture as well.

I have a little word of warning to you all. I know that many of you think I am a total nut. But here

it is: The government (aka Obama and the corrupt that put him in office) now own our banks. The farmer and rancher for the most part have to borrow from those banks to operate every year. Those notes can be called in at any time and if that operator can not repay that note the bank will seize the collateral, which is ALWAYS the land. When the government (Obama and cronies) control the land they will then control the food source. If you desire to totally control all aspects of a nation, you control its food source and the distribution of that food. They have it. The banks and the unions.

I hope a lot of you are preparing your garden plots because otherwise you are going to starve. Maybe not today or next year, but it will happen. Look at how fast and how far we have degenerated already under blundering ill-mannered corrupt Chicago style White House. If the current trend continues and the American silent majority remains cowed and silent, this is our future. (yes, Homeland Security already has my picture, I was at a TEA party and will continue my protest and attempts to educate until they shut me down)

OK, rant over.

Black and White

In an earlier post you saw this same picture in color. Here is the black and white version.

The edges of the picture have been lightly sponged with black ink. It was then layered on black cardstock and a narrow border cut. The next layer is a mesh stamp from B-Line. This was stamped in Soot Black Distressed Ink by Ranger. I then misted it heavily with water to make the ink spread out over the paper. When I had the look that I wanted I immediately began to dry with my heat gun. A craft iron can also be used. Note that the edges of the mesh layer are also sponged with black ink.

The final layer is the card base. A Magenta border stamp was used. And yet again the edges were sponged with black ink.

Old Truck Photo Card #2

Love this card, and love this photo. Note that the edges of the photo and card base have been sponged. This not only gives a distresses that edge, it also softens it. Matching sponged ink on the edge of the both the photo and the cardbase also pull the whole design together.

I used a shadow stamping with medium brown ink using Tim Holtz's distressed line stamp. The flouishes are also shadow stamped.

SHADOW STAMPING - ink up your stamp, now stamp it once on scrap paper and then stamp it where you want your image to be. Sometimes I even stamp twice on the scrap paper if I want a really light image.

Thru The Window of Time

This was a picture that just had to be snapped. If I am ever back at this abandoned farmstead I may even get brave enough to go into the old house. There were several rooms that I could not safely get close enough to the windows to get some decent pictures.

A vintage type scrapbook paper was used to cover the front of the cardbase. The edges where sponged with a dark brown ink. I used beige ink and a Tim Holtz stamp by Stampers Anonymous to put the "worn look" lines on the scrapbook paper.

A ticket corner punch by Stampin' Up put the finishing touches on the photo and card stock layers.

Old Wringer Washer Photo Card

I just have to look at this old wringer washer and be grateful for when I was born. I have vague memories of this process for cleaning clothes. If that memory is right, washing took all day.

Vintage look scrapbook paper covers the front of the card. The edges are sponged with a dark brown ink. The right edge of the card front is embossed with a cuttlebug border folder. I then put scrap paper over the rest of the card and along the edge of the card. The goal was to make a depressed area that contains the embossing. Now ink up a brayer with dark brown ink and with a light gentle touch brayer over the embossing. You will just kiss the raised portion with the brayer. That little bit of ink makes the embossing pop.

Old Truck

I found this old truck on an abandoned farmstead and fell in love. True love. Isn't it just stunning? I had to make a card using this image.

The photo corners are real. I am thinking this would work great to send a picture to my daughter and then she could just remove it from the card and save the photo.

The scrapbook paper on the card front is from K & Company. One of my favorite companies. I sponged around the edge of the card. When using black and white photos it looks wonderful to sponge the edge of the photo.

The hardest part of using photos on the front of a card is finding just the right paper to go with it.

Hi Karen!

My dear friend Karen and I attended a Lucy McGoo Day Retreat in Lafayette CO last spring. We had so much fun and learned so much. I had one of the attendees take a picture of us. It was so "cute" that I made a card of it for each of us.

The frame look in the photo was done in PSP.
The phrase is computer generated and the papers are from a scrapbook slab.

Do you have some great pictures of you and friends? They make great cards.

Take a picture

These four cards are all photos that I have taken in the last few years. My camera is usually with me when I am out wandering or working in the pastures and fields.





I have only seen this type of cloud and light formation once and am still in awe of God's handiwork.
He is an awesome God.







I have kept the mounting of these photos on the card base as simple as possible. The desired focal point is the photo and I did not want to distract from it.















The two punch set used for the mounting of the photos are by EK Success. They have a very good product that has no trouble punching through cardstock.













Wow, the colors and the cloud formation are so stunning. Awesome, just awesome. I have tried and tried to match these colors with inks or chalks. It looks fake!!!!
Only God can do it right.

Best Buds

Our boys, Diesel a standard Pomeranian

and MacDuff a Scottish Terrier, were intently

watching "dad" working in the yard.

I simply could not resist and took this very adorable

picture, which of course I had to make into

a card to send to our friends and family.

Scrapbook paper covers the card base.

The letters are die cut from a Cuttlebug alphabet

and the black dots are a large hand punch.

Make your photos into cards

These are my adopted grandkids.

Their mother has done two tours of duty in Iraq.

When the kids came out for a visit with their dad,

I took lots of pictures. This card is one that was sent to Iraq.

Oval punch, deckle scissors, some coordinating scrapbook papers

and computer generated words that were torn out and edges sponged

is all that it took to make this very simple card.

I hope that just by looking at it you have a good idea of how it was made.