Friday, September 30, 2011

Wedding Bells

...and some fairly fun but unconventional wedding cards.  I always and I mean ALWAYS tank when it comes to wedding/anniversary cards.....I have no idea why but I avoid them like the plague because I usually HATE what I make.  Maybe it is all the "white - ness" that a lot of wedding cards have.  And, it always seems that wedding and anniversary cards (like a 25th or a 50th) always have soooo much meaning and importance attached to them that I usually feel that my cards will look silly and sad in comparison to what's out "there".  So, generally I, (gulp) buy those type of cards.  But, tomorrow I have a wedding to go to and today I had time to mess around the crafting room.  And, I had time to fiddle futz with ideas that had the potential, however slim, of becoming a wedding card.  And, although I did not, could NOT go all white or all ivory I did produce two cards that I am happy in my Sheila-who-goes-overboard-with-color-all-the-time-way.  So, just briefly I will let you know how I pulled off my successful (for me) wedding cards.  First I decided to go with pearlized card stock....silver for one and pink for the other.  Then I folded a piece of vellum over each card.  I then stamped the vellum with a super large cover a card stamp in white and then embossed them with an irridescent powder.  Then I be-ribboned, (color=YES!) and then put sentiment labels on.  The doily that is on the pink card is swiped with the versa mark pad and then covered with the irridescent embossing powder.  So, my niece is going to give one card and my husband and I will give the other.  I plan to stamp/emboss a corner of the envelope and then I usually wrap the envelope with some glittery tulle.  Ta-da!  So, here are the cards-



What you can't really see is how really cool, glittery and just dang FABULOUS the irridescent embossed vellum is.  Oh well---guess you all will have to invite me to a wedding or anniversary bash someday because I will for sure be making this type of card again!  Take care and thanks for stopping by today....again, again and again!

Be well,
Sheila

yeah....sometimes flowers

that are considered to be Spring/Summer images just ache to be colored in Fall colors.  Know what I mean?    In my opinion, (now stick with me please....)  stamped images are kinda like people when it comes to seasonal changes.  Here in Wisconsin we have 4 very distinct seasons.  And that means 4 very distinct layers of clothing when it comes to style/texture/weight and color.  A soft pastel t -shirt looks "summery" or spring like when donned in 40 degree weather yet that very same t - shirt but in the colors of burn't orange or olive green, rust or mustard all of a sudden looks very season appropriate....very "fall-ish".  I do believe, (in all my cheapness and need to stretch my stamps as far as they can go :-D ) is that stamps also benefit from a "change in hue".  I am all into, lately, using my traditional spring- summer flowers in deep, rich fall colors.  And, knowing how my stamps have their own, distinct personalities...I think they are happy with the wardrobe change too!  So, here is my card...and I'm still on a marker kick.  This is done with TomBow markers on watercolor paper.I put in some chalk highlights and finally broke out my glitter pen 'cuz I love my sparkle (although it really makes no "artistic" sense here)!  The image is from the "Outlines" stamp line and  I purchased this stamp at the  i {love} mementos online store.  So, here is my card:



...and, thank you very kindly for stopping by!

Be well,
Sheila


                                

                                                  

It is a windy, blustery

....Winnie - the - Pooh sort of day here in SouthEastern Wisconsin.  Another good reason to do some crafting ;-D  I always seem to tie in my crafting time with either the weather or the laundry.....go figure.  Today's blog will be short and sweet (or just short) as I really want to maximize any free time that I have today to A. craft  and B. just generally be somewhat productive.  I have spent the better part of my free time lately curling up with a good but looooong book and now find that the dust bunnies in my house have grown large, violent and MUST BE TAMED.

Anyways, the card that I have today is for the Hero Arts Fall Card Exchange and I am pretty happy with how it turned out.  I like this particular HA stamp quite a bit and when ever I pull it out I wonder why I don't turn to it more often!  I think  maybe the size of the image holds me back from reaching for it more often...although I have seen people cut it down to really beautiful results.  Another "must try" to add to my already desperately long list!  Today I just continued to work on coloring with markers.  They are not as forgiving to me as pencils but I am liking them more and more and am seriously thinking of purchasing some Copics.  I hear from so many of my Flickr and Blogging friends about how great the coloring is with Copics.  Back to this card though....I also was thinking of popping up anther set of flower heads on dots, which I have done in the past with this image,  but ended up deciding that there was enough going on in this particular card without adding more; and I think I kinda like it "flat" too.  So ....a few patterned papers and a colored image later this is what I have to show!


It is not a traditional Fall card in that it is not with leaves, acorns etc ...but I like these flowers all dressed up in Autumn colors.  Take care all.....THANKS (capitalized for strong emphasis) on stopping by my blog today!

Be well,
Sheila
                                                              

Monday, September 26, 2011

....it's dark, gloomy and pouring outside

...and therefore the perfect weather to stay in and craft! It is so nice when life and Mother Nature (gotta love that chick!) create the perfect day when I absolutely can NOT say no to a little crafting time.  It has been super busy  here in the Hnilicka house....this last week has been Homecoming and in our small town Homecoming is a BIG DEAL.  Seriously, it is huge and is celebrated with activities all week long.  It culminates with the big parade and football game on Friday afternoon/night and then most kids have a sports event on Saturday followed by the Homecoming Dance.  Yep, Homecoming Dance is actually capitalized 'cuz it is that BIG!  This year we had perfect weather....all the activities all weeklong (including the nightly toilet papering) as well as the parade/game/dance were all blessed with lovely temps...very important here in Wisconsin where the girls want to show off their beautiful dresses without their coats on!  My son went with a big crowd but I was able to snag a pic of him alone before all the group pictures  began:


I also did have some time to get two cards done over this week....using lovely fall images.  I really am partial to Autumn stamp images.  I love the colors that can be used and for once I tend to stick to traditional colors ;-D  Neither card is being entered into any challenges....they were just done for fun.  The first  card uses all Impression Obsession stamps and they are Peeking Pumpkin, and Cover-a-Card Woodgrain and Houndstooth for the background.   This and the next card were colored using markers....I know, big departure for me as I usually use colored pencils but I am trying to learn more coloring techniques...and making LOTS of mistakes along the way!  Oh well, mistakes are part of the journey and, from what I have been told all my life it is ALL ABOUT THE JOURNEY!  At least, that is the phrase I console myself with when I make an 'unfixable" mistake 99% of the way into the card!  The sentiment is made with rub on letters.


This next card Imade for a Flickr friend who has not been feeling well lately and thought that I would pop this card off as well as some images and bath salts for her to enjoy....  I used a Whippersnapper image called Friendly Scarecrow and then lightly distressed some patterned papers for the background.  This particular card was basically all done when my hand cramped as I was finishing the scarecrows face....and then I totally biffed the marker across his poor face!  Oh well, it was a fixable mistake as I stamped another head, colored the hat and face and then popped the cut out head on dots over the ruined images.  And, I actually like the popped up look better!  I also used stick-on letters for the sentiment that I "scarecrowed" up a bit!


Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my "less than consistent" postings!  I appreciate your comments tons!

Be well,
Sheila
                                                          

Thursday, September 15, 2011

...and here I am ready

...to blog again.  I have been MIA for  awhile as I flew out to San Francisco to participate in the Susan G. Komen 60 Mille 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer.  It was alot of fun!  I have been walking all summer and was very excited to go  out to California with one of my  friends.  But...haven't had oodles of time to craft of course.  I sat down today for a little "me" time and this is what I came up with.  The first card is one I am going to enter into the Lily Pad September CCC.  Love participating in that chain and always am amazed at the wonderful cards I receive.  I am going with the color theme...


as well as the theme of "AUTUMN".  I love the colors of Autumn!  Here is my card.  The main stamps are Impression Obsession Pumpkins, Impression Obsession Craquelure and IO Canvas  and I have no idea who produces the sentiment stamp....oh well chalk it up to lost packaging.  I thought it might be Impression Obsession but am really not sure as but am going to enter this card into Impression Obsession's Is It Fall Yet challenge anyways!  If it isn't valid I'm cool with that....I still like the card!


                                                    

My second card is for a person who is going through some dreary, drab and painful times at the moment.  The stamps are all from this Hero Arts clear set Beautiful Peacocks.  I love this little set!

                                


Thanks for stopping by and I hope to be posting on a more regular basis....I find LIFE keeps getting in the way of my blogging regularity - heehee!

Be well,
Sheila
                                                        

Sunday, September 4, 2011

...continuing

...in the same vein as I have been lately I decided to make several cards using the same stamp.  I have been stamping out images and then putting them aside for coloring when I am sitting with my family and watching a show or movie.  Today, my husband and son were spending the day re-habbing my laundry room and so I was able to spend a large amount of the day crafting.  I really enjoyed myself....I have cleaned and "redesigned" the layout of my craft room and find that I am able to access more of my supplies and I came across this particular stamp set from Hero Arts called Delicate Blossoms.  I don't think I have ever inked this particular stamp set up before.  It was fun to color but then I really had a hard time making it into a card.  Wasn't really sure where to "chop" the image and it is a loooong image.  So, here are my attempts.  I wanted to create three very different cards but think I came up a little short of that goal....all three cards are actually pretty similar but I still like them!




So, thank you for stopping by....I really appreciate it when you do and certainly am tickled pink whenever you leave comments!  Really, itsn't it sooo nice to see and read the comments?  Personally,
I just love it.

Be well,
Sheila


                                                                  

Friday, September 2, 2011

I am so.....

...happy to have found time, well, actually, LOTS of time to create today.   Nothing I have made is for any sort of challenges....instead my husband had asked me for some special Thank You notes for people who wrote/gave extra special remembrances for his father when he passed last month.  I  told my husband that I would be glad to do that for him and I was ....but again, it is my old problem with making the commitment and then finding enough time to meet that commitment.  Well lo and behold, perhaps life is really changing as I have found more than enough time lately to finish these little projects without tearing my hair out in the process!  And, the funny thing is, I had so much FUN with out trying to meet particular challenge requirements...anyone else ever have that happen?  I was more relaxed as I just made whatever the heck I wanted to.  But, I know myself and I will totally be back on the challenge band wagon soon...maybe tomorrow hehehe.

I used some fav-o-rite clear Penny Black stamps to make these notecards. These images are smaller and really wonderful...actually, so perfect for notecards....and I find that both stamp sets work really well together to create a set of cards to give.  So, here are my cards....some are duplicate images but I have matted them differently and so thought, what the hey...I'll just post them all.










Thank you so much for stopping by....twice in one day!  Am I a "power post-er" or what!

Be well,
Sheila
                                                              http://www.pennyblackinc.com/display_item.php?PID=5174&CAT=RStransparentsets

Dogs cry too...

...especially if one of their "kids" is leaving for college.  Buster saw his  oldest "child" Bessie leave for college a few years ago so he knows what a crazy, packed to the roof and packed on the  van roof means....it means another one of his "kids" is leaving him.  Here is a picture of Buster, who spent the morning running around the exterior of the car crying as we packed Clarice's things, finally jumping INTO the van and WAILING out his sorrow....poor guy ;-(


...he and his brother Boca get so sad when the kids leave.  Buster actually braced his paws agaisnt the floor trim and tried to prevent us from pulling him out of the car....

Be well,
Sheila