Asian Artistry

March 8, 2010 By Connie | 1 Comment

Hi everyone! I'm back from the LONG weekend stamping retreat, but still have my friend, Linda, here today. Wow…the time went by SO fast! I couldn't believe it! Seems like we just unpacked everything and it was time to pack it all pack up. I love getting together with this group of women! All so VERY talented. There were about 30 of us there this time. In the fall, there are always about 45-50!

I did get a lot done. I made up the Bridal Shower Invitations for my future daughter-in-law's shower in a few weeks. I also did a lot of sympathy cards for my mother-in-law since she told me she was out. I taught a lot of people how to make the paper roses that are so popular again right now. I remember making them so many years ago from the Carol Duvall Show!

Today's card is adapting one I found online using Stampin' Up!'s set, Asian Artistry. It is one of the Level 2 Hostess Sets you can earn. I've had several hostesses order this set recently, so here is an idea for them! Very easy to mass produce!

I started with a base of Dusty Durango. On top of that is a Whisper White layer that I ran thru the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Impressions Folder. I added a strip of Always Artichoke cardstock and stamped Sharing your Sorrow from Thoughts and Prayers Stamp Set. I added a band of Black Satin Ribbon (goes perfectly with the Asian theme of the card!)

For the focal piece, I stamped the bamboo and bird from Asian Artistry in Always Artichoke on Whisper White and layered it onto Dusty Durango cardstock. This panel was popped up with Dimensionals. I watercolored the bird with my Dusty Durango Stampin' Write Marker and AquaPainter.

Not too bad for doing these at 2:00 AM in the morning, huh? lol! Hope you have a great week!

Asian Artistry Final take

July 6, 2009 By Connie | 4 Comments

Well…ok…are you ready for the FINAL Control Freaks swap I did? As I mentioned, the other two were the ones I started with, but just couldn’t get the look I wanted. Here is what I ended up making. Isn’t it funny how just playing with the set, you can turn out a final product so different than the original direction you were going?

This card uses two of the new in-colors, Dusty Durango and Soft Suede. I loved those two matched with Blush Blossom from the Soft Subtles color family! What do you think?

I started with a base card of Blush Blossom and added a layer of Dusty Durango. Then I took a 3-3/4 square of Soft Suede cardstock and stamped the Asian grass from Asian Artistry Level 2 stamp set in the bottom right corner with Chocolate Chip Craft Ink, let it dry, then ran it thru my Big Shot with the Texturz Kit #4 plate. I lightly ran my Soft Suede ink pad across some of the highlights of the texture. I mounted the Soft Suede cardstock to the Dusty Durango layer and wrapped Soft Suede Polka Dot Ribbon around to the back to hide the seam.

I used the Butterflies die and Blush Blossom cardstock to make the small butterfly. Then I stamped on it with the Flower stamp in Asian Artistry and Dusty Durango ink. I added two gold mini brads for the body and popped it up on the card with dimensionals.

I stamped the greeting in that Asian Artistry hostess set with Dusty Durango ink on Whisper White and punched with the Wide Oval. I layered that on the smallest oval cut from Chocolate Chip cardstock and the Ovals Die in my Big Shot.

I was really happy with my final Control Freaks swap! Hope you like it, too!

Email me if you’d like to take advantage of the Deal of the Week!

Connie
www.inkspiredtreasures.com

Asian Artistry Take 2

July 1, 2009 By Connie | Leave a Comment

Well…did you notice anything different? I had a mini Blog makeover. More changes coming soon, but this is a start. I wanted to go from a 2 column format to a 3 column format to help spread out the sidebar badges a little…they were looking a little crowded!

Today feature is the second of the cards I rejected for my Control Freaks swap. You can see I was on the same thought process as yesterday’s Asian Artistry card with the Watercolor Wash in the background, but I dropped the Shabby Chic look and went more streamlined.

On this one, I started with a base of Cameo Coral and added an extra inch so I could fold the top edge over the Mellow Moss layer. I stamped the flower stamp with Cameo Coral over the flap randomly for a tone-on-tone look. The Mellow Moss layer was run thru the Big Shot with the Texturz Kit #4 plate, then Mellow Moss ink applied direct to paper on the highlights of the texture. I wrapped the 5/8 Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon around the top and secured, then brought it down the front of the panel, turned up the end and secured it to the Mellow Moss with a Clear Rhinestone Brad. I adhered the top flap to the front of the Mellow Moss. The focal element was done with the Watercolor Wash technique from Technique Junkies on Shimmer Paper and I overstamped the Asian grass stamp with Chocolate Chip Craft Ink. This was layered to Chocolate Chip cardstock. The Dragonfly from this set was also stamped on Shimmer Paper with Chocolate Chip Craft Ink and then colored with the Mellow Moss marker. It was punched with the 1 1/4 Circle Punch, layered to a 1 3/8 Mellow Moss Circle Punch and then added to a Chocolate Chip Scallop Circle and popped up with dimensionals to the background.

Stay tuned over the next couple days for my final Control Freaks swap card! Today, I included a picture of the new Level 2 Hostess Set, Asian Artistry. Be sure to book your workshop with me today so you can earn yours as soon as possible! I love this set!

The Sweet n’ Sassy Stamps mini tour is going on now. See the tour schedule over on the right. Tomorrow will be a post with my first featured card as a Design Team Member! Be sure to stop by!

Asian Artistry, Level 2 Hostess Set

Asian Artistry

June 30, 2009 By Connie | 2 Comments

Today is the last day to order from the Occasions Mini Catalog and any of the retiring Stamp Sets, Decor Elements or Accessories. Don’t miss out…once they are gone…they are gone. See the lists HERE.

So tomorrow at 12:00 N starts a new catalog! I’m excited to order some new things…already have my list waiting to be put into the system!

This was one of the Hostess stamp sets that I was able to preorder as a demonstrator. It is a five piece Level 2 hostess set, Asian Artistry. I loved the clean lines of this set! I started out with the thought that this would be my Control Freaks swap, but the pieces just didn’t come together as smoothly as I like! I’m happy with the card, it just didn’t say WOW to me…it also didn’t use any of the new In-Colors and I wanted to make sure I used some of them for this swap. So…this is in the "reject" pile. (You’ll see another one tomorrow!)

I used a Watercolor Wash technique for the background I learned from the Technique Junkies Newsletter. I stamped the grass and dragonfly stamps in Chocolate Chip Craft over top of the technique. I also added a little Mellow Moss color to the dragonfly with my marker. This I layered onto Chocolate Chip cardstock and used my Spiral Punch along the right side. In the background on the Mellow Moss, I stamped the flower stamp from this set randomly with Mellow Moss, then I ran the layer through the Big Shot with the Texturz Plate Kit #4. I distressed the edges with my Cutter Kit and added more Mellow Moss to the edges. I wrapped some Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon around this layer before adhering it to the Blush Blossom layer on the base. In the top corner, you can see I also stamped the flower stamp in Blush Blossom for a tone-on-tone look. This card turned out a Shabby Chic kind of look…definitely not my usual design preference!

Hope you have a wonderful day!