A StenDoodled Birthday Card For My Brother!!

Good morning everyone.  I hope everyone survived their Thanksgiving (if they celebrated) and their Black Friday shopping (if they did any).  We normally do some sort of Thanksgiving dinner here with friends but this year it was just a pizza with hopes of a turkey dinner with all the fixings soon.  

As for Black Friday, you cannot beat the 30% off that Simon Says Stamp gave on Thursday and was able to finally get 1 die and 3 stamp sets that I have had on my wish list. On Friday (at 6am my time) Ellen Hutson had a great sale and I was able to add some Inchie Arts products and 2 WPlus9 sets I have been wanting.  There was plenty more that I wanted but I kept my wallet in check. What bargains or deals did you find?  I'd love to know!

Now for today's card.  It seems my parents scheduled the arrival of their children around major holidays.  LOL.  My birthday is Christmas Eve and my brother's is Thanksgiving.  Of course he always got birthday gifts and Hanukkah gifts and I always got 1 gift for both celebrations.  I know.  Unfair.  But therapy helped.  Kidding!!!  Last year I made a card for my bro (HERE) but he never received it (thanks to the Brasilian post office).  So this year I decided to make a StenDoodled birthday card for him that he will have to enjoy online until I see him in person!!  Whatcha think bro??

I started by stamping this Happy Birthday image on a piece of white cardstock with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink.  I am 99.999% sure that this stamp, although retired, was made by DRS Designs.

You can also use letter stencils and spell out whatever word you wish to use this way. 

The next thing you need to do is fill in each letter with a different stencil design (otherwise it would not be a StenDoodle. Right?)  Because these letters are about 1" tall, the perfect stencil to use is the Doodle It Inchie Stencil by Maria McGuire from StencilGirl Products.  

This stencil has a bunch of different designs and I tried to use a different one in each of the letters.  Place the design you want to use over the letter and trace the design with a Copic Multiliner or Micron pen, making sure you do NOT go out of the lines of the letter.  You can also trace with a pencil and then go back with your marker. 

 Here is the card front after all the designs were in each letter.

Next I used the Cake! set by Jane's Doodles.   Using a stamp positioner I stamped the cake and the candles so they were sitting on top of the image.  

Next I colored in the whole image using a variety of Copic markers.  I also trimmed the white cardstock to 3 1/2" x 6 1/4" and adhered it to a piece of black cardstock.

The last things I did was to adhere this to a Kraft card 3 3/4" x 6 3/4", applied some yellow Stickles to the candles and Espresso Dimensional Pearls to the cake as frosting and set aside to fully dry.  

Done!!  I love love love using stencils inside of open letters like this image or within open stencil letters.  Each card becomes unique to the person you are making it for or for the occasion.  I hope you enjoyed this idea of a StenDoodled birthday card.  Let me know by leaving a comment below!  Until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil - 

Michael

More Coffee Please!!

Hello again everyone.  Yes, two posts in one day and both are coffee related.  I actually started this idea late last night for National Espresso Day and did not think I would have enough time today to finish it.  But, since the car had to be taken to the mechanic, I found the time!  I just love this smiling Lady Liberty holding up her large coffee for the whole city to see. Hope you do too!

I started with a piece of white cardstock, 4" x 5.25".  Then I stamped the Liberty Balloon Holder (Eureka Stamps) with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored her with Copic markers. 

Next, using a piece of black cardstock and a piece of grey textured cardstock I cut the City Landscape Layers die (Impression Obsession) and adhered them to the card front so it looks like Lady Liberty is behind the city.

Next I stamped the phrase next to Lady Liberty using Coffee Town by Sweet Stamp Shop and adhered it to a top folding A2 card base of Kraft cardstock.  I stamped and fussy cut the coffee cup (also from Coffee Town), colored the word "coffee" and the coffee cup with Fluorescent Copic markers, and then pop dotted the cup in Lady Liberty's hand.  The last thing I did was to adhere a few sequins in the same colors to the card front.

Done!!  I promise this is the last project for today!  And I also think this woudl be a great card for a Starbuck gift card.  Hmmmmm.  Hope you enjoyed this quick card also.  Until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil  -

Michael

Happy National Espresso Day!!

Hello everyone!!  Today, November 23rd, is National Espresso Day so allow me to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy National Espresso Day!!  LOL!!  You can learn more about espresso and this holiday by clicking HERE.  Since I am a huge coffee lover and live in coffee country I love making coffee related projects when I can.  I wanted to share one of those projects with you today - a wall hanging stack of coffee cups.  

I started with a "stack of cups" digi image that I found on Carmen's Place, a fun store on Etsy that sells digi images.  You can find the digi image I used HERE and another one with several coffee related images HERE.    

I sized and printed the digi image on a full A4 sheet of white cardstock. Because I wanted an easy watercolor effect I colored the image with a water brush and several Tombow markers.  You can also use distress inks.

I decided that I can get two projects from this image so I fussy cut the stack of cups and then trimmed across the 3rd cup from the bottom.  Because I wanted to protect the image for any liquids I rubbed MicroGlaze by JudiKins over the whole piece.  

Next I stamped, die cut, and colored the Flower Bouquet by Donna Salazar for Spellbinders, also with a waterbrush and Tombow markers.  I did fussy cut the bottom of the flowers so there was no white border.  Below are both pieces fully colored.

Now, because my cups are so bright (like most of my work) I needed to mount them on paper that would tone them down a bit.  Coffee/brown hued papers would work perfect.  I started with a base piece of cardstock 4 5/8" x 7 1/8".  I then found a piece of decorative paper with a "newsprint" type of look in my stash and cut a piece 4 1/8" x 6 3/4", which I mounted on a piece of black cardstock, which was then mounted to the center of the base paper. 

Then I adhered some pop dots behind my cups and the flowers and adhered them to the front of the wall hanging.  I also applied some Stickles to parts of the cups and flowers to give a shimmer.  I also adhered a piece of ribbon on the back so that the piece could hang on the wall.

The Stack of Cups hanging on the wall.

And that's it.  I'd love to know what you think of this piece.  I'll have more coffee related projects coming up and more with these digi images from Carmen.  Enjoy the rest of your day and go have an espresso!!  Until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil - 

Michael

Prozac, Schmozac....Give Me A Martini

Good morning everyone!  I wanted to share a few cards I made using a digi image called JJ Christmas Cheers by Bugaboo Stamps.  Each card has a different sentiment.  These cards were all made in jest and I hope no one takes offense to them.

Also, while working on the card at the top yesterday I saw on Facebook that my friend Karen will be having some surgery. She loves a good martini and is always joking about it.  Karen, even though we don't talk often, I do think about you a lot and am dedicating this card to you with hope for a speedy recovery and that you will be able to kick Harvey out the door!!  

It's a very simple card to make.  I started by printing out the digi on white cardstock and colored it in with a few Copic markers.  I then stamped the sentiment called Prozac (244-01) by Rubbernecker Stamps under the image with Onyx Black Versafine ink and then heat dried.  I then cut the image out using the large stitched rectangle die from the Bundle of Stitched Shapes set by Simon Says Stamp.  Lastly, I adhered it to a top folding A2 card, applied some stickles to her boots, the martini, and the leaves and a little crystal in her bow.

For my 2nd card - 

This is pretty much the same idea as the first card.  The only differences are (1) I changed the sentiment, which is called Dirty Martini (244-04) also by Rubbernecker Stamps and (2) I cut a piece of fun foam and adhered it to the back of the image before adhering to the card front.  This way it is raised off the front.  and (3) I added red half pearls to the corners of the card. 

And the 3rd card - 

Again the same image.  I changed the coloring around a bit.  I added a speech bubble with the the words Ho Ho Ho and a few red sequins.  

1 image but 3 different and funny (or punny) ways to use it.  Let me know which card you like best.  Tomorrow is National Espresso Day and I will have a really interesting "coffee" post on my blog.  Hope you'll stop by.  Until then - 

Hugs from Brasil  - 

Michael 

Colorful Tangled Leaf Card with Donna Downy Images from Unity Stamp Co.

Happy Monday everyone.  I hope your weekend was great.  Yesterday we went with our friends Baron and Cris explored a town about 45 minutes from us called Piracicaba.  One of the oldest areas this city is called Monte Alegre and was home to a huge sugarcane plantation (Usina) that closed in 1981.  At its height the area had over 5,000 people.  The area is now being renovated and renewed. I will do a separate blog post on the adventure but here are a few interesting photos.

The Usina (or factory) in complete disrepair.

Another photo of the Usina.

Old windows to be used in a new restaurant opening in a few weeks.

Now to share a quick card I made for Day 19 of The Daily Marker's 30 Day Coloring Challenge using two of Donna Downey's images from Unity Stamp Co.  

I started by stamping the Tangled Leaf Background image with Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger) on white cardstock.  Then I colored in each part of the image using a waterbrush with distress inks (Ranger) and used a heat gun to fully dry the inks.  

I then stamped the phrase "inspiration is everywhere" from the Art & Possibility set on another piece of white cardstock, traced around the phrase with a black marker, cut it out and then adhered it to a piece of black cardstock, which I then adhered to the card front.  Then I went over the whole leaf with a Clear Wink of Stella Brush pen to give it a shimmer, put a dot of white in each of the little circles on the leaves with a White Pen by Uni-ball.

Next I layered the cardstock on a piece of black cardstock, which I then adhered to the card front and, lastly, adhered a few sequins around the card front. 

Done!!  I have to tell you - I love this image.  I have a few other projects in mind using this same image and will share them with you as soon as I get them out of my head.  LOL.  Please let me know what you think of this card by leaving a comment below. 

Enjoy the rest of your day and, until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil - 

Michael

JOY = Gratitude with Emma the Rag Doll and Clear & Simple Stamps

Hello everyone!  Hope your weekend has started off well.  I am hoping to work in the garden this morning and make some sense of all the plants that have decided to take root!  They are calling for rain today and I am hoping they are wrong.  

Today I wanted to share a card I made yesterday for The Daily Marker's 30 Day Coloring Challenge.  I used several stamp sets from Clear & Simple Stamps.  I really love their whole Rag Doll line as they are so unique and different and I will need to add a few new ones to my collection soon.  Every year they send a free gift to everyone that has purchased from them during the year and the phrases on this card was one I got - I think two years ago - and I just love love love this phrase.  It needs to be made into a permanent stamp.  

I started with a top folding A2 card of white cardstock.  I adhered a piece of Christmas themed paper to the card front. Then I cut a piece of white cardstock, 3 7/8" x 5 1/8", and stamped the word JOY with Rhubarb Stalk Memento Ink and the 2nd phrase underneath in Tuxedo Black Memento Ink. Next I stamped the tree stump from the Rag Doll: Scenes 3 set with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink and colored it with some Copic Markers.  I then adhered the white cardstock to a piece of red cardstock and adhered both to the card front.

Up next was some paper piercing - I stamped Rag Doll Emma with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, colored in her skin and hair, and then fussy cut her out.  I then stamped one of her coats from Rag Doll: Coats 1 on to a piece of white cardstock and on two pieces of decorative papers using Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, and then I fussy cut them.  I adhered both pieces of her outfit on to the white cardstock outfit and then adhered this on to Rag Doll Emma.  

Can you say CUTE???

Next I put some pop dots behind Emma and adhered her to the card front so that she is standing on the tree stump leaning against the word JOY.  

I wanted it to look as if she was screaming it to the hills or to all the animals in the forest!!

I also added some Frosted Lace Stickles by Ranger to her coat and adhered a heart gem to the tree stump in place of coloring it in.

The last thing was to add 3 red sequins to the card front.  Here is how the final card looks - 

Well I hope you guys enjoyed this not unconventional Christmas card.  I love this phrase and will have to try and use it a bit more!  Let me know what you think of this card and of Emma, the Rag Doll.  Until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil -

Michael

SIP Challenge 74 - Clean & Simple Christmas Card with IO Stamps

TGIF everyone!!!  Man, today took forever to get here.  This was a crazy week - filled with more clouds and rain than I ever wanted - and I am shocked I actually got this card done in time.  This week's challenge over at Stamp Ink Paper Challenge is Challenge No. 74 - Clean & Simple Christmas - 

To make my card I started with a top folding A2 card base of white cardstock. To the front I adhered a piece of decorative paper with a Christmas feel to it.  Then I cut a piece of red cardstock, 4" x 5.25", which I adhered to the card front.

Next I cut a piece of white cardstock 3.75" x 5".  Using the Round Ornaments 2 set by Impression Obsession, I stamped one of the ornaments with Warm Red Chalk ink by ColorBox (my favorite) and then I embossed it with clear embossing powder.  I then stamped the string the ornament hangs on, also in the Warm Red Chalk ink.  Next I stamped the Happy Holidays To You phrase, also by Impression Obsession, with Jet Black Archival ink by Ranger Inc.  I then adhered this to the red cardstock on the card front.

Next, using the Round Ornament Die by Impression Obsession, I cut the bow out of red cardstock, which I adhered to the top of the ornament.  And the last thing I did was to adhere crystals to the center of the flowers and in the center of the bow.  

Here is a close up of the card front - 

Done!!  I hope this card is CAS enough for the Stamp Ink Paper Challenge.  I think it is.  If you want to upload your own project for the challenge, just click HERE to be taken right over to the page.  

Hope you enjoyed this card!!  Until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil - 

Michael

Being Thankful with Retro Rubber Challenge No. 51

Hello everyone!  Although I have been really busy it seems I cannot get anything done!  Ever have one of those weeks? LOL.  I wanted to share some photos I took last Saturday of a farm Ruy and I went to explore with hopes of taking photos there of the Super Moon.  But it rained both days and it was a total bust.  But it was a fun day trip.  

First we got a bit lost on one of the sugarcane plantations.  So I got out to take a panorama photo.  

  

We were in total cow, horse, mule, bull country!! (I know my friend Toniann will like this photo).

I also got some other cool photos of textures, etc.  But I am still working on them and will share soon. Now for today's card.  Over at the Retro Rubber Challenge Blog they are having Challenge No. 51, which is all about Being Grateful with a photo for inspiration - 

I started with a beautiful background stamp that I have owned for YEARS! Crazy, I know.  It's called Oak Leaf Background (retired) by Heartfelt Creations. Because it's a large stamp, I put it in my Misti and stamped it with Archival Black ink by Ranger on to regular white cardstock.  I then trimmed the image to 4" x 5.25".

Then I pulled out a few Distress Inks - Mustard Seed, Fossilized Amber, Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade, and Seedless Preserves.  I applied each of the colors to a clear block and then, using a waterbrush, colored in all the leaves.  I would start with one color, heat set it, and then go back with a darker color, heat set again, and then blend.  

Once it was all colored in and dry I adhered it to a piece of black cardstock, which I then adhered to the front of my A2 sized card cut from Kraft cardstock. Then I stamped the phrase called Many Blessings by Stampendous (retired) on to a piece of Kraft cardstock, adhered it to a piece of black cardstock, and then adhered this to the card front.  The  final step was to lightly brush the leaves with Gold Stickles and allow it to dry.   Done!!

I really like how these Distress Inks worked on this card.  I hope you guys do too.  If you want to enter a project in the Retro Rubber Challenge just click HERE to be taken right to the challenge page.  Until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil - 

Michael

Art Squares - Stencil and Color Your Own Piece of Jewelry

Hello everyone!!  Happy Election Day!  I do believe that this is going to be a long and very interesting day and, since I am 3 hours ahead of the states, I will probably not know who won until tomorrow morning!   At least the sun is out and it will be a beautiful day.  Gotta think positive...right? 

So for Day 6 of The Daily Marker and the 30 Day Coloring Challenge I decided to go in a different direction.  Actually, I kinda veered way off course and used an Art Square by Inchie Arts to make a simple necklace.  Art Squares are precision cut mattboard, available in many different sizes, and are perfect to use with ANY medium!  To see all the different ways you can use an Art Square check out the Inchie Arts blog HERE.  

Now...to make the necklace - I started by placing a 2" Art Square on my work surface with the Crazed stencil (StencilGirl Products) on top of the Art Square.  I then traced the design I wanted with a pencil.  Then I removed the stencil, went back over my pencil lines with a black Bic Marker and then colored in the design with a variety of other Bic Markers.  (You can trace directly with the black marker but...if you make a mistake...you cannot erase it).

Next I adhered a piece of decorative paper to the reverse side of the Art Square and smoothed out the edges with a piece of ultra fine sandpaper.  Then I rubbed in some MicroGlaze (Judikins) to seal both sides so that my colors would not bleed when I applied the glaze.  To be honest, I can never remember how the markers I use will react with certain glazes I use so I use MicroGlaze first. MicroGlaze is a cream wax that protects and coats the project and repels water. I love this product and highly recommend that you have it in your craft arsenal!! 

Once the MicroGlaze has been rubbed in, I let it sit for a bit to completely dry, and then I applied Diamond Glaze (Judikins) over the front of the Art Square. I popped all the bubbles and then set it aside, covered it with a box so that no dust would settle on the glaze, and allowed it dry overnight.  

The next morning the piece was dry and ready to make into a necklace.  You have two options - one is to slip the finished Art Square into a 2" Memory Frame, slip a chain around it and you are ready to go.  The only problem is that it seems these are no longer being made by Ranger so they may be in limited supply at your local craft store.  (If these are still being made, please let me know because I cannot find them online other than on Amazon or Ebay).

The other option is to adhere a jewelry backing to the back of the Art Square, allow it to dry, and then slip a chain through it to wear.  This will not give you a frame around your piece but it gives a more modern look - I think.  

I hope you guys enjoyed this different type of project from me.  I love making cards but I miss using my stencil stash and had to try something different this week.  Let me know what you think and which necklace you guys like better. Until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil - 

Michael

Day 4 and 5 - 30 Day Coloring Challenge/The Male Room Challenge #47 Colors

Hello everyone!!  Happy Saturday night.  This post was supposed to go live this morning but the day completely got away from me.  We had our friend Daise here this weekend giving classes and pretty much played all day.  LOL.  The above baby card I made this morning.  I don't think there is anything more enjoyable than coloring an image while sitting on the veranda, sipping freshly brewed coffee and eating a piece of freshly baked apple cake.  Okay...enough gloating.  LOL

Today's card is for Day 5 of The Daily Marker and The 30 Day Coloring Challenge.  It's also being entered into a new card challenge site I stumbled upon called The Male Room.  I know it sounds like a strip club (LOL) but it's a card challenge site for male only projects.  Their current Challenge #47 is to use the colors Orange, Yellow, and Blue (along with some allowed neturals) -

I started by stamping the Baby Zoo Umbrella by Whipper Snapper Designs in the lower right corner of a piece of white cardstock, 3.75" x 5".  I then colored in the image using a mix of Copic markers and Bic Markers - keeping to the blue, orange and yellow options.  The Copics used are E31 (Brick Beige), W1 (Warm Gray No. 1) and W5 (Warm Gray No. 5). The Bic Markers used are Yellow Blaze, Moonstone Yellow, Adobe Orange, Sunset Orange, Deep Sea Blue, Stone Grey, Cloud Nine Grey, and Black.

I adhered the white cardstock to a piece of navy blue cardstock, 4" x 5.25", then these to a piece of blue plaid, 4.25" x 5.5", and then I adhered all the layers to a top folding A2 card front.  Last things I did was to adhere a few small blue sequins to the card front and the phrase "Sweet Baby" which is from Itty Bitty Banners by Stampin Up.

I also wanted to share the card I made for Day 4 of The 30 Day Coloring Challenge - 

I started with a top folding A2 card base of Kraft cardstock.  I then cut a piece of white cardstock, 4" x 5.25", and splattered some red paint on the front.  On another piece of white scrap cardstock, I stamped the Santa image from the Christmas Cutts Apart set by Art Gone Wild.  I colored the image in using a mix of Copic markers and Bic Markers.  Then I trimmed around the edge, adhered it to the card front and then stamped the phrase, "Merry Christmas" from Hero Arts, under the image.  

Both cards were super easy and I am thinking that the Santa image one might get made a few more times.  LOL  I hope you enjoyed this post.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!  Until next time - 

Hugs from Brasil - 

Michael