My first ODBD card

I was so happy to get my ODBD stamp sets in the mail yesterday! I can't tell you guys enough how absolutely beautiful the sets are! The images are so detailed and the scriptures are a perfect companion to them. For my card I used the Sing to the Lord set which has 7 stamps in all.
I heat embossed the bird on 140 lb. coldpress watercolor paper and colored with waterbased markers. I popped out part of the bird and the flowers to get a 3-dimensional look. I also covered them in Crystal Effects (paper glaze). I put Stickles on the flower centers and edged the entire piece with Tim Holtz Distress Ink Walnut Stain pad. The sentiment is heat embossed in brown and also edged with the Walnut Stain. I machine stitched all around, added the Silver Bells Dew Drops and a brown organza ribbon with a blue tip pin to finish the card. ODBD also carries the Dew Drops so make sure to check those out as well, just click on the links.

Tune in to Stand Up To Cancer tonight!!

Please take the time to watch Stand Up To Cancer and show your support for cancer research funding. It is on all the major networks.

Our Daily Bread Designs (ODBD) Blog Candy!

Wonderful Kelley from Our Daily Bread Designs has a FANTABULOUS blog candy giveaway! Three...yes, THREE...lucky winners get a stamp set of their choice! How very cool is that? I say way cool!! All you have to do is leave her a comment as to what your favorite ODBD stamp set is and why...that's it. Click on her name to go directly to her blog. See her wonderful stamp line HERE. What are you waiting for?? Run!

Oh so velvety!! New Tutorial and Blog Candy

This is one super simple texturing technique that uses Liquid Applique (made by Marvy Uchida). So, gather your materials:

• heat gun


• Liquid Applique
  
• brayer


• cardstock


• matching ink pad

Squirt a generous amount of Liquid Applique on your cardstock. If you already know the size of your project you could use a smaller piece of cardstock, saving you some of that wonderful Liquid Applique. Brayer the Liquid Applique to cover the entire piece of cardstock. I brayed only in one direction, but you can do both vertically and horizontally to get a smoother texture. IMMEDIATELY wash your brayer - if you let the applique dry on it you'll be spending the day peeling that stuff off.
Heat with your gun.
Notice how the applique dries white? I used a direct-to-paper with my ink pad to change the color so it will match the cardstock, in this case Stampin' Up's Blush Blossom. Here' s my finished card :). I used two stamps sets from Clear Dollar Stamps called Leaves and For Our Lord. Close-up of the texture you get using this technique!

As always, I love what you have to say about my tutorials, and even better when you try them out and show me what you've created! Everyone who leaves me a comment (no card creations needed...but it would be great!) will receive this huge Prima Marketing set called Build-A-Frame...ooh....ahh.. Winner will be randomly chosen and announced September 22.
This is what you can make with them...awesome, right?
Don't forget to subscribe for my blog updates so you'll never miss a tutorial and blog candies! Remember to put a number next to your post...I forgot to include that so #'s 1 and 2 are already posted :).
From my craft room to yours,

Elegant vs Cute

I tend to bounce around from cute cards to elegant cards, depending on my mood or stamps I decide to play with. For a while really cutesy cards (like those that feature Penny Black stamps or anything cartoon-like) were all the rage on eBay...I watched cards go for $20, $50 and even $150 each! Unbelievable, huh? The card artists who have been successful are very talented and have an extraordinary eye for detail, detail, DETAIL.

I don't know if it's the approaching holidays, but I've noticed a trend towards a more elegant design and the "not so ordinary" card like pop-ups, sliders, swings, etc. So what's a stamper to do? I've decided to offer both and see what's a hit and what's a miss. I just love stamping and can't think of a better way to spend my childless hours (sons at school from 8:30 am to 3:15pm) than in my craft room PLAYING.

So, these are just two cards that are on opposite ends...cute vs. elegant. Keep stamping your hearts out!