Various Odds n Ends

 First is a graduation card for a guy. I used my copics to color Edwin and then cut him out. He is on dimensionals.  Most of this card is from a page kit that is a couple of years old. Since we have so many grandchildren - lots of ages, I pick these things up when they are super cheap and just hang onto them until I need them. Of course, you have to like most everything in that pack. I probably will never make a page from any of it, but it sure works well for cards. This is actually the second card I made with this kit and I do have quite a bit left - even the stickers. I glittered stuff up with stickles and that was about the size of it.

This one to the right is the inside of the card. I was really pleased with it and too late realized that it could just as well have been the outside! The background on the outside was actually fussy cut so that it actually had whole words even though Edwin is in front of part of them. After I put the gray banner sticker on, it looked so plain, so I put the grad's name on it using stickers that also came with the kit.

This one is the anniversary card I made for DH. Those little houses are made of wood and colored with copics that I chose to match the colors in the star paper. Finding that paper was a happy accident! It was among a bunch of sport papers that I have never found a use for - it is now missing all the stars!! I love that shape for some reason. That banner is from a spellbinders die and I actually cut two of them. One was white. I arranged my stamp greeting on the white one and cut out the entire front. I thought it would look so nice on the red, but it didn't. Then I colored it very lightly with Tim Holtz vintage photo and cut it out close to the letters. After I glued it on, I added

glossy accents over the letters and really liked the way it came out. That car is from a Sizzix movers and shapers die. It can be cut if you have just the tray which I bought early on so I could use those cute little shapes. Before I cut though, I embossed a piece of card stock with a new Tim Holtz embossing folder. It looks like the diamond tread that is used on trucks where people might walk so they don't slip. I colored it with the pewter TH paint that just finally became available and let it dry. Then I cut the car out. It looked ok but I added a small piece of red card stock behind the windows and stickled them. Then I really liked it. The "road" is just a piece of wavy cut card stock. You can draw the shape on the back so you know it will have gentle curves. The line is done with a unibol white gel pen. It is the whitest white and flows so very nice. The inside heart is cut from a spellbinders heart die and then I cut out the love which is a mover and shaper die. If I had to do this again, I would cut the word out first and then place the heart die where it needed to be.  I got very lucky and it actually came out for me. I added some white colored with vintage photo behind the words so it would match the front lettering. And it looked plain so I added the dots of stickles. The bottom houses is from a sizzix on the edge die. I absolutely love that die and have probably used it more than almost any other I have. You can set it several inches above the edge of your paper if you wish or right on the edge or anywhere in-between. I have cut this out of chipboard and painted it for embellishments but this one is cut from the star paper and glued to a red piece of paper. The dice are from a cheap flat sticker that I stuck to card stock, cut out and put on dimensionals, also stickled the dots. The winner is a purchased sticker.

This is a new page in one of my art journals that I thought I would share with you. Lets start with the background. I used a spellbinders die as a stencil. It cuts out dresses. It is a new die for me and I also bought the stamp set that goes with it and haven't had a chance to use it at all. So I thought why not? I colored the background with distress inks and if you look closely you will see 3 different dresses. The leaf stamp at the top is from a Dyan Reavely set (as is the turquoise dress and hat). The other leaves are from a Heartfelt Creations set. The purple flowers are stamps and dies (Asters) also from Heartfelt Creations. I stamped that hat and dress directly onto the page and also on card stock that I colored with copics. Cut them out and glued them where I stamped them on the page. The reason to stamp on the page is that it will not only tell you where to glue your image but also if you cut any of the black edge off, it won't look like it.  And then added stickles. That dark blue at the top is something bled from the back of the page. See that cool line by the spiral binding- it is from the same set as the leaves at the top.
I have been learning zentangles lately and it is about the most relaxing thing you could ever imagine. Very similar to doodling only it is making patterns one line at a time. At least that is my take on it. I bought an online book of pdf's that is the neatest thing - it takes you directly online to where each pattern is laid out (how to create it). you will find it at Tanglepatterns.com. They ask for a really small amount of money for this book so they can continue to support this art form. I can't believe how very pretty most all of my things are. And it is so relaxing - I said that didn't I? There are lots of youtubes out there if you are interested. Maybe next time I will post some. Until then, lots of hugs! Barb F