little inklings

Genuine Elements

Can you stand yet another Bronc Buster Father's Day card from me? This set, and the Wanted set have really turned into my go-to for masculine cards, and I've enjoyed their versatility.
I hosted a workshop on the weekend, and this was one of the cards that we made. It was pretty fun to put together, and I tried to encorporate "genuine elements" like wood and leather. And I saw a really great card on SCS somewhere, that did this awesome lasso element, and thought it was pretty neat. Not sure how it would mail, though. Anyway - with Father's day approaching this Sunday, thought I would post one more idea for a last minute Dad's card. (It's easier than it looks, I promise..:)

Here’s how I made it: My card base is a 5 ½” x 8 ½” piece of Chocolate Chip Cardstock (CS) folded in half. The next layer is a 5 ¼” x 4” piece of River Rock Card Stock (CS) thats top half was stamped with the Weathered Background stamp, and sponged along the edges. The Blue Bayou panel added to the bottom measures 5” x 2”, and the Star & horseshoe design thingy was stamped using the coordinating ink and adhered to the bottom of the River Rock matte, leaving about a ¼” for a border. I then wrapped a strip of Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain ribbon around the middle, securing with snail adhesive. The main sentiment is a 3 ¼” x 2 ¼” piece of Chocolate Chip CS. The sentiment is embossed in the centre using Chocolate Chip Craft ink and Clear Embossing Powder. The edges were first sponged, then distressed with the distressing tool and adhered to the card front with Dimensionals. I then added that itty bitty 'Dad' sentiment, using Chocolate Chip Ink on a 1/2" square piece of River Rock CS, distressed the edges, then adhered it to the back of the main 'leather' sentiment. The final element was to add the lasso - which is hemp twine. I wrapped the twine around three of my fingers, three times, leaving a good 'tail' on either end. Then, wrapped one end around all three loops, and tied in place. I adhered it to the card front with a glue dot. 

Here’s the supplies I used:
Stamps: Bronc Buster, Weathered, Dad’s Day
Paper: Chocolate Chip, River Rock & Blue Bayou Cardstock
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa & Blue Bayou Classic Ink, Chocolate Chip Craft
Extras: Chocolate Chip Wide Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals. Clear Embossing Powder, Hemp Twine, Sponge Daubers, Distressing Tool

Amazing Father

I featured the Stamping with Bleach technique at my last card club. This technique is really fun and if you haven't tried it yet, Splitcoast has a great tutorial found here. I had it in my head that this stamp set would work perfectly with the technique, and with Dad's day coming up, it all fit! And isn't this sentiment the truth, about our parents getting smarter the older we get? I certainly think so. Anyway, I liked the end result.. and hope you do too!

Here’s how I made it: The card base is a 5 ½” x 8 ½” piece of Chocolate Chip Card stock (CS) folded in half. The next layer is a 5 ¼” x 4” piece of Blue Bayou CS stamped with the paisley image using the Bleach technique, then set aside to dry.  The horse image was stamped full strength in Chocolate Chip, then stamped off twice on a 3 ½” x 2” piece of Very Vanilla CS. The top and bottom paper pierced, all the edges sponged. The image was then adhered to a 5” x 2 ¼” strip of Ruby Red CS that had first been stamped with the Weathered background stamp and edges sponged, both using Chocolate Chip ink.  The tab was made by stamping the sentiment on a scrap piece of Chocolate Chip CS in matching Craft ink, clear embossing powder sprinkled, heated to set, then punched out using the Tab punch. The tab was then adhered to the Ruby Red strip and secured with an antique brad. 

Going back to the Blue Bayou matte - after the bleach dried, the edges were sponged with Chocolate Chip Ink, the sentiment was added to the bottom, using Chocolate Chip craft ink, clear embossing powder & heated to set. Then all the layers were assembled using snail adhesive.

Here’s the supplies I used:
Stamps: Wanted, Dad’s Day, Weathered Background Stamp
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Blue Bayou, Ruby Red, Very Vanilla
Ink: Chocolate Chip Classic & Craft
Extras: Dimensionals, Clear Embossing Powder, Tab Punch, Paper Piercer, Antique Brads
Technique: Stamping with Bleach

One and Only Dad

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! And Happy Mother's day to all of you who are .. My DH took my boys to the park on Sunday so I could do a little stamping... in the AFTERNOON versus late into the evening.. I'm quite amazed at how much faster things seem to come together during the day. Plus, I really loved Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge this weekend. I ended up making three cards based on, or inspired by her sketch. This is the first of the three that I did. (I'll be sharing the other two shortly). And yes - GUILTY - Chocolate Chip overdose on this card. But Its the ONLY one of the three! You'd be so proud! I'm sure getting alot of mileage out of the Bronc Buster and Wanted sets. They are great for those masculine cards.

Here's how I made it: The card base is a 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" Piece of Chocolate Chip Cardstock (CS) folded in half. I stamped the swirl pattern up the left and right sides of the next layer, a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Cranberry Crisp (retired) CS, using Cranberry Crisp Ink. I paper pierced around the border and distressed and drug the edges over the Cranberry Crisp Ink pad. The next layer is a 4 ¼” x 3 ¼” piece of Close to Cocoa Paper with strips of Outlaw Designer Series Paper (DSP) measuring 4”x 2” and 4” x 1” adhered to it. The Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain Ribbon was wrapped around to hide the DSP seam. I added the little ‘Dad’ tag by using a small scrap piece of Very Vanilla CS, inking up the stamp with my marker as I just wanted the sentiment and sponging around the edges in Creamy Caramel. The Antique Brads were added next, right over top the Blue Bayou circles from my ¼” circle punch. I then adhered the whole piece it to the cardbase using Dimensionals.

The ovals for the main sentiment were created using my Nestabilities dies. I stamped the sentiment on a Very Vanilla oval in Chocolate Chip ink and sponged around the edges using Creamy Caramel. I adhered it to the Chocolate Chip Oval matte and added the antique brad in the center. Then I adhered the ovals to the card front using Dimensionals.

Here's the supplies I used:
Stamps: Bronc Buster, Dad’s Day
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Very Vanilla, Outlaw Designer Series Paper, Cranberry Crisp (07 In Color – retired),
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Cranberry Crisp (07 In Color – retired).
Extras: Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain, Nestabilities, Antique Brads, ¼” circle punch, Paper Piercer, Dimensionals

Wonderful Father

This is such a wonderful set for masculine cards, and with birthday's coming up for some very important Dad's in my life, I was motivated to put a few together. Here's another card using the Bronc Buster set, in combination with last weeks Sketch Challenge #173 on Splitcoast.  And you'll be so proud of me - I managed to put this card together without any Chocolate Chip Craft Ink or Paper Piercing! Its a miracle.. :)

Here's How I made it: The card base is a 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" piece of Close to Cocoa cardstock, folded in half. The next layer is a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Sage Shadow, randomly stamped with the Paisley stamp from the Wanted set, in matching ink. The next layer is a 5" x 2 3/4" rectangle of patterned paper, called Outlaw. It's retired, but the patterns in the pack are very similar to the Western Sky DSP in the current catalogue. It's adhered to the Sage Shadow layer, and secured with the Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, then both are adhered to the card base.

The cowboy is stamped on a 3" x 3 1/4" square of Very Vanilla cardstock, using close to Cocoa ink. The edges are distressed, and sponged with Really Rust, then adhered using Dimensionals, but before I stuck the image down, I added the tag. To make that, I stamped the paisley on a scrap piece of Very Vanilla, in Sage Shadow, then stamped the "Dad' sentiment over top, inking it up with my Really Rust marker. I punched it out with a 3/4" circle punch and matted it to a 1" circle of Chocolate Chip. I added the Linen Thread and tied it thru the corner of the image. I also secured it using a dimensional. I finished the card with the Chocolate Chip photo corners.

Here's the supplies I used: (All Stampin' Up! unless noted)
Stamps: Bronc Buster, Wanted, Dad's Day
Paper: Close to Cocoa, Sage Shadow, Chocolate Chip & Very Vanilla Cardstock, Outlaw Designer Series Paper
Ink: Sage Shadow, Close to Cocoa, Really Rust
Extras: Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, Photo Corner Punch, 1" & 3/4" circle punch, Linen Thread, Dimensionals

Dad's Day

As I mentioned in my previous post, Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #44 really inspired me - and drove my dear hubby crazy, since I couldn't seem to 'give it a rest' with the cards this weekend - LOL. He meant it in the nicest way possible.. really, don't they always?? Anyway - I've had this DSP in my stash for a while, and since this layout is so great for just about any DSP.. out it came. I put this card together with Father's Day in mind, but iit would probably work for a Birthday card too.. Hope you like it.

Here's how I made it:
I stamped the Cowboy in the center of a 2 3/4" x 3" piece of Whisper White cardstock with my Stamp-a-ma-Jig (LOOOVE my Stamp-a-ma-Jig!! For silly perfectionists like moi... a must have..) using Chocolate chip craft ink - clear embossing powder and heated to set. I sponged around the Cowboy with Blue Bayou ink for a bit of contrast, then distressed the edges. I matted him to a 3" x 3 1/4" piece of Blue Bayou cardstock, distressed the edges, then matted both pieces to a 3 1/4" x 3 1/2" piece of River Rock cardstock, and, you guessed it, distressed the edges too, and set it aside.

I cut two strips of the Western Sky Designer Series Paper to 3 3/4" x 5" in complimenting patterns, then cut strips on the 5" side, so I had 3" and 2" wide pieces. I adhered them to a 5 1/4" x 4" Blue Bayou matte and paper pierced all around the outer edges of the DSP. I stamped the 'Dad' sentiment using Chocolate Chip Craft, Clear Embossing Powder and heated to set. I added the Chocolate Chip wide ribbon and brads, Photo Corners in Chocolate Chip, then added the matted main image to the cardfront using dimensionals. I adhered all the layers to the base card, a 8 1/2" x 4 1/4" piece of River Rock cardstock folded in half.

Here's the supplies I used: (All Stampin' Up! unless noted)
Stamps: Bronc Buster, Dad's Day
Paper: River Rock, Blue Bayou, Western Sky Designer Series Paper, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Chocolate Chip Craft, Blue Bayou
Extras: Dimensionals, Chocolate Chip wide Grosgrain Ribbon, Hodgepodge Hardware - Pewter, Photo Corner Punch, Clear Embossing Powder