Paper Trufflez

Busy, busy me!

Doncha' just love m' new blog banner?  *snarf*  Yeah, still haven't had time to make a new one myself.  So, I'm messin' with the Typepad stock ones.  I loved the idea of the other Typepad one I was using for a while, but, it was too dark!  I'm not dark.  I mean, as a person, I'm not dark.  I mean, my personality is not dark.  Kept feeling like I was blogging from a cave or sumpin', UKWIM?

So, I've been hunkered all week . . .

. . . *crazy* busy    prepping my holiday classes for this weekend.  So looking forward to seeing all the gals at Precious Memories--GOOD TIMES!!!

Hoping to have more time next week to stamp some stuff I can share here at Paper Trufflez--I've had some lovely ideas rolling around in my head, but had to bonk m'self  to stay focused on prepping--I am easily derailed (distracted), I'm afraid:

 

And, thaaaar she goes . . .

Hope you have a great weekend!

Thanksgiving Pumpkin

More pumpkin love!  *chinkle*  Stamped this up the other day, taking a chance the solid image would look well over the Flowers & Vines Background and absolutely loved the effect!  Solid images are just so fun to shade like this--so much fun that I just keep playing with the technique and trying different hues to see what I'm gonna get!  I LIKEY!!!

I don't think it would have worked as well if the background had been stamped in a darker color or the paper I stamped on had been much darker, tho.  This seemed to provide just enough definition and contrast to pull it all off.

I've used that pretty background stamp for *so* many different designs and it can look so different each time, depending on the approach you take with it--I swear, it's one of the most versatile stamps in my collection!

Hope your Monday has been more maaaahvelous than manic! *wink*

 

Supplies & Materials
Stamp Credits:  Solid Pumpkin (yes, I did it!), Flowers & Vines Background, "Happy Thanksgiving" by A Muse Artstamps
Paprika 4 bar Note card by A Muse
Ink:  Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inks-Tangerine, Olive Pastel, Burnt Sienna, Dark Brown; Versamagic Tea Leaves
Antique Copper Mini Brad by Making Memories

Julie Ebersole: Live Classes: November 7-8, 2009 Precious Memories, Langley BC

Julie Ebersole: Live Classes: November 7-8, 2009 Precious Memories, Langley BC

The designs for this series of classes turned out fab, and I'm so excited to share 'em!

Hope to see you in class at Precious Memories next weekend! Good times!

Give Thanks

The color purple.  It's not my favorite.  I usually avoid it because I just never know quite what to do with it.  Then, we released the Blackberry note cards.  Oh, LOLLY!!!  Talk about love at first sight!

And, with Autumn all around me, my designs seem to be begging for plums and berry hues, so I'm happy to oblige! *grin*

I've been offline for a week due to a family medical emergency.  I'm deeply grateful to the nurse and doctor that caught my Dad's dangerously low pulse rate at a routine office visit and rushed him to the ER; they probably saved his life.  He's mending just fine now, thanks to the cardiac team at Southwestern Hospital.

Lots to catch up on since I've been away--amazing what piles up in just a week's time! Crikey!

  And, hey.  Pick up the phone.  Call your parents.  Speak your love.  You know why . . .

 

Supplies & Materials:
Stamp Credits-Leaf Frond, Modern Wood Block (I drew those! *grin*) , Dill, "Thanks" by A Muse Artstamps
Latté 4 Bar Note card by A Muse
Chocolate Pearls by A Muse
Buttons by Foofala for Autumn Leaves
Inks-Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink inPink Pastel, Maroon, Dark Brown; Versamagic Sahara Sand

Serene Sympathy

Sympathy cards can be so hard to do . . .  I decided some subtle hues, and the Leaves Trio would combine well to create a serene and calm design.

I used Prussian Blue Fluid Chalk Ink, and 2nd generation Warm Green Fluid Chalk Ink.  Thought about black ink for the sentiment, but decided it might be just a little too high contrast/harsh, considering the occasion and gentle effect I wanted the card to have, and stuck with Prussian Blue.  There are clusters of Sky Blue Pearls among the leaves.

I reverse rounded the corners using a 1/2" circle punch, but, you could use a "ticket corner" punch if you have one of those.

Hope this inspires, the next time you need to create a sympathy design.

Supplies & Materials:
Stamp Credits:  Leaves Trio, With Deepest Sympathy by A Muse Artstamps
Sky Blue 4 Bar Note Card by A Muse (matt layer is Chiffon Green paper by A Muse)
Sky Blue Pearls by A Muse
Ink:  Colorbox Fluid Chalk in Prussian Blue, Warm Green
1/2" Circle punch

5MQ: Thank you for everything

Haven't done an OLC (One Layer Card) in a loooooooong time, and was really jazzed over how this one turned out!

The base is oatmeal (a slightly lighter kraft) card stock and I stamped the Modern Wood Block with white pigment ink--when I need a high contrast white, I usually use Colorbox Pigment "Frost White".  Yes, you have to heat set it, but, it's totally worth it, IMHO!

Inked up the Leaf Frond with Fluid Chalk Inks, first using Olive Pastel, then highlighted the edges with Dark Brown.  The sentiment was also stamped with Dark Brown.

The boldness of the images and high contrast of colors used worked so wonderfully together on this design--I'm madly in love with its simplicity--that it didn't really need anything else to feel "finished"!  And, the trial run, was the final run--gotta love that!  Long live the 5MQ! 

 

Supplies & Materials:
Stamp Credits:  Leaf Frond, Modern Wood Block (I drew those! *grin*), Thank you for everything by A Muse Artstamps
Oatmeal/kraft card stock
Inks:  Colorbox Pigment Frost White; Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink in Olive Pastel and Dark Brown

Chrysanthemum Thoughts

I know it's not very "autumn-like", but how can you resist this combo of warm orange tones and lime green?   The focal image is matted with a piece of paprika, and the gorgeous Petite Damask is from our new line of Shimmer Couture Papers--photos really don't do this paper, and the way it reflects light, enough justice.  Pop into your LSS to see (and pet, LOL!) it up close and personal.

The Open Chrysanthemum (I illustrated that one! *grin*) is fun to color and shade--I stamped it in brown, and used Copics in Golden Yellow, and Salmon Red, and then used Apricot to blend between the two colors--I like the effect.  I didn't do a completely "smooth" blend, so if you were to see it up close, you'd see the shading effects resemble watercolor quite nicely--love that!  Yellow Green and Pale Olive were used on the stem and leaf--kind of an unlikely combination that works, but, only if you do blend the two.  Highlighted some of the petals with Orange Stickles.

The circular sentiment piece was stamped using the Monogram Frames Set (I designed that one, too! *more grins*). I deliberately designed most of the circular frames in the set to fit within a 1.5" circle punch--we all love when things fit punches, eh?!  Our Clear Circle Epoxy Stickers fit perfectly right over the top, or you could do what I did here, and use a Chocolate Pearl to simulate a pearly brad--look Ma'!  No prongs!  *chortle*

I used the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder to emboss the white card--I think it added the perfect texture to the whole design.

Now that the days are becoming more grey around here, I'm having to practice my photography with the new camera I got over the summer.  It's been . . . "challenging" . . . trying to get the white balance to a level I'm pleased with, keep the colors true, and maintain sharpness, while shooting indoor on dreary days!  If at first you don't succeed, have some chocolate.  Then try again.  Right?!  *chuckle*  Hmmm, wonder what's left in the Halloween candy stash . . .

Supplies & Materials:
Stamp Credits:  Open Chrysanthemum, Monogram Frames (Clear Set) by A Muse Artstamps
Petite Damask Paper in Lime by A Muse
Chocolate Pearls by A Muse
Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa; Versamagic Tea Leaves & Jumbo Java
Copics:  Golden Yellow, Apricot, Salmon Red, Yellow Green, Pale Olive