a merry little .....

Love Essentials by Ellen by Julie's Christmas Scribbles.  That sentiment gets me every time!

Embossed the sentiment on watercolor paper.  Colored Tombow markers on the dry watercolor paper and then brushed over with water.   The watercolor paper is hand cut and not even (on purpose!!).  I'm trying for a more relaxed style...(can you try to be relaxed?).

Supplies:

Stamps:  Christmas Scribbles (I cut the star away from the tree)
Paper:  Neenah Solar White, watercolor, and vellum
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo, Versamark, Tombow markers
Other:  White embossing powder, silver wire pulled from ribbon, embossing buddy, water brush, heat gun, paper trimmer, mono multi glue, and dimensionals.  (It takes a village).

MOOD WHEN DONE = Merry, Not Relaxed
HUSBAND'S COMMENT = "That's nice."  (Kiss of death, but I'm partial to this card anyway)

Crystal Christmas

Three flat, easy to mail, Christmas cards using Hero Arts Chrystal Christmas and few background spots and flicks of paint.  Just a bit of Peerless Watercolors and a tiny bit of water and no watercolor paper needed.  More pictures:

Pale Blue Sky, Brilliant Leaves

Stamped a leaf from Essentials by Ellen's Autumn Acorns three times onto pale blue cardstock from A Muse Studio. 

Added a couple of strips of unknown patterned paper that I had colored over with a yellow Copic because the tone must be right, right?

Popped up the sentiment from the same set and inked a few times to give it a gradient look.  Almost worked.


MOOD WHEN DONE = Soft
HUSBAND'S COMMENT = I like those leaves.

Thanks For Asking

Used Essentials by Ellen by Julie Autumn Acorns and some patterned paper (source unknown.)  Love this color palette. 

MOOD WHEN DONE = Autumnal
HUSBAND'S COMMENT =  Will that fit into an envelope?

Why, yes it will, because the card itself is only 4 inches wide.  But thanks for asking!

Sunday Savings: Get Advice and Follow Directions

 

Cringe when I think about how much I've wasted because I didn't know how to use something properly and didn't take the time to find out.  This card provides two examples -- Ranger Glossy Accents and the Cameo/Silhouette.

Ranger's Glossy Accents  How many bottles have I tossed?  Love this stuff, but the tip clogged every single time.  I'd stick pins in the top, trim the top, run the bottle under warm water, etc.  Nothing worked and I'd ruin the bottle.  I would buy more thinking that somehow a new bottle would be better.

No, I was the problem, not the product.

Finally, asked on Facebook for advice and someone pointed out that Jennifer McGuire has posted that the way to avoid a clogged tip, is to use it, and then tap the bottle until the glossy accents recede out of the tip into the bottle.  If any remain in the tip, push out, tap and repeat until the tip is clear.   

See that glossy joy above?  Sometimes it takes a little patience, but so far I've used my one bottle repeatedly and have had no reason to toss it off the terrace. 

Cameo/Silhouette -- So frustrated over the years with jagged cuts.  Finally slowed down, got out a new blade, followed the prompts on the screen, and got a clean cut on this fairly intricate design (the "o" in joy is tiny).  This cardstock is 100# -- this was the first time I got a clean cut using cardstock this thick.  I've wasted a lot of paper just moving too fast...

Although this tip is obvious, we can save money slowing down, reading directions, and getting (and following) advice!  

And the card --

Supplies:

Stamps:  Essentials by Ellen Bokeh Dots 
Ink:  3 varieties of green (two Hero Arts and One Versamagic) -- just use three shades for depth
Paper:  Michaels Recollections White, SU vellum, Simon Says Stamp Cotton Candy, Cosmo Cricket Self Adhesive Glitter Sheets
Other:  Simon Says Stamp star dies, dimensionals, Glossy Accents, Silhouette (to cut out the word Joy)


MOOD WHEN DONE:  Happy!
HUSBAND'S COMMENT:  Oh, pink.  For Christmas. That's different.

Edited to add:  At Taheera's suggestion, I'm entering this into the Cure for the Monday Blues challenge that she hosts every week.  You can find it here.