Feeling crafty

I've been making quite a few cards and layouts this year. Over on Scrappin-n-Chattin we did a challenge in March where I made a card every day of the month. That was fun and I've got quite a stash of cards to send out now! Yesterday I had time to craft some and made these cards and a layout. I just love the new paper I got from My Mind's Eye and am happy with my creations.

I am loving my new scalloped punch and my Martha Steward butterfly stamp and punch set. I really like how I can punch out two butterflies, glue the bottom one down and the top one only along the center to get a 3-D effect. Thanks for looking!

Hope

Dye Resist Tutorial

Over at Scrappin-n-Chattin we have a challenge this month to create a tutorial, so I thought I'd share this cool over-stamping dye resist technique that makes stunning cards. I added this slide show with pictures of the steps and have them written out in detail below the slide show.

1. Gather up your supplies. You'll need glossy CS, a resist ink (I think VersaMark would work, but I've never tried it myself.) You'll also need two or three colors of coordinating inks, a permanent ink, an image and saying stamp and a makeup sponge. This is my tried and true tool- I attempted the Tim Holtz ink pad that goes on my inking tool, but I didn't feel like I had enough control. 2. Begin by randomly stamping your image with the resist ink onto your glossy CS. As a rule, an odd number of stamped images produces a more pleasing composition for the eye to follow. 3. Heat the resist ink for about 15 seconds or let it sit for about 15 minutes to ensure it's dry before going on to the next step. 4. Start staining the CS with your lightest ink. This first layer of color should be applied with firm pressure to ensure a bright resist. 5. Shade to deepen your colors. Blend and keep inking until you're happy with the result. 6. Use your darkest ink to overstamp the images, offsetting the image slightly from those that are in resist. This stamping of the design the second time is called overstamping. 7. Stamp your phrase in permanent ink for a high-contrast last layer. 8. Spray to seal, if you desire. I like Matte finish the best, but it's a personal preference to use glossy. Or, you don't have to seal it at all. 9. Trim your image, mat it and voila! A beauty of a card! I learned this technique from Nancy Curry and it is featured in her book, "Texture Effects". I hope you all try this fun and easy technique soon! Have a creative day, Hope