I have a little pond scene for you using this great flower image from the Stamp Sheet “Summer Elements III” by Innovative Stamp Creations.  If you wish to check out all the great stamps from Innovative Stamp Creations here is the link:  http://www.innovativestampcreations.com/ischomepage.html

My tutorial today shows how to put a moon in the scene using a simple masking technique and White Pigment ink.

Hang out a moment or two and check it out.

Let’s get started. . . .

Supplies:

Are you inspired by this Blog?  One way you can help support this blog is by ordering your Stampin’ Up products through me.   You can order from me 24-7 from this link:  http://michellezindorf.stampinup.net or e-mail me at mzindorf@aim.com if you are within the United States.  Want a copy of the current mini catalog, just e-mail me your address and I will pop one in the mail to you.  Want to become a Stampin’ Up Demonstrator and earn instant income?  Consider being part of my Stampin’ Up Team.

On a 3″ x 8″ piece of Whisper White card stock, stamped the flower image three times by loading my stamp first with Versamark and then with Kiwi Kiss ink before stamping each image.

Heat embossed the images using clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Brayered Baja Breeze ink at the top of the card stock.

Brayered Not Quite Navy ink at the top of the card stock, not covering the Baja Breeze ink entirely.

Brayered Really Rust ink at the bottom of the card stock.

Brayered Ruby Red ink at the bottom of the card stock, not covering the Really Rust ink entirely.

Added a dark Green marker shadow to the right sides of the plants.

Added some White gel pen lines at the bottom of the card stock.

Colored in the flower heads with the White Gel Pen.

Use the negative piece of card stock that I cut a 3″ circle out of with a Circle Cutter for a Mask to create my Moon.  Sponged White Craft ink (Pigment ink) in the open area of the mask.

Removed the mask and sponged Close to Cocoa at the base of each plant and at the very bottom of the card stock.

Sponged Not Quite Navy ink at the top sides and top edge of the card stock.

Assembled a few simple layers and here is the finished card measuring 4″ x 9″.

May your day be filled with great summer images as well. 

Until my next post. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Huge Hugs,

Michelle

  Get ready for Brayer Workshops!  I am coming to:

New Johnsonville, Tennessee

Stoughton, Wisconsin

Dayton, Ohio

Columbia, Missouri

Lynchburg, Virginia

Greenwood, Indiana

Castro Valley, California

Yardley, Pennsylvania (near Philadelphia)

Knox, Maine

Broomfield, Colorado

Moore, Oklahoma

Nashville, Indiana

Portland, Michigan

2010

Phoenix, Arizona

Monroe, Louisiana

Jacksonville, Florida

Mechanicsville, Virginia

Raleigh, North Carolina

Colleyville, Texas

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Salem, Oregon

Here is a link to my workshop calendar where you can see all of my travel schedule and to get info on beginner and advanced Brayer workshops:  http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/workshop-calendar

Link to my Stampin’ Up website were you can order all of your must have Stampin’ Up products from me 24-7:  http://michellezindorf.stampinup.net

Frequently asked questions answers:  http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/frequently-asked-questions/

Quick note, I have a case of the new Stampin’ Up 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalogs in.  These catalogs will be in effect on July 1st.  If you would like one mailed to you at the price of $9.95, please e-mail me at mzindorf@aim.com.  You should see this beauty and what it has inside, yummy!

I am teaching my Advanced Brayer Workshop today at Marco’s Paper in Dayton, Ohio so I am off to stamp and have fun!

Until my next post. . . . .

Huge Hugs,

Michelle Zindorf

Lounging in the yard last night gave me the inspiration to create a butterfly card.  I actually stayed up late last night, midnight to be exact, stamping this.  If you know me, you know that is way, way, way out of character for me.  I am an early to bed, early to rise person, so that must have been some inspirational force to make me stay up late.  I’m such a party animal, lol.

This tutorial is an example of what can be achieved with two layers of card stock.  :)  I know that 15 layers is the current fad, but it is nice not to have such a heavy card to mail, now and again.

But before we get started I have some blog candy to award in the “Name that Bird” contest.  The bird now has a name.  It was extremely hard to pick one from all of the entries.  First, I made the long list.  Then I created the short list.  Then I actually had to pick a name and the winner is out of 398 entries. 

Drum-roll, please. . . . . . . .  .. .  .. . . . . . . . . . .. . .. .

Linda who wrote “Obviously, his/her color jumps right out off the page…The shade of blue reminds me of the Carribean…which leads to Buffet and Marley Music…which makes me think “Marley” would be an awesome name! Parrothead might not work, huh!? LOL Of course an Aqua Cosmo if one of my favorite drinks, so “Cosmo” might work too! HA”

Linda, I have named my bird Marley!   I love the Buffet tye in.  :)   Linda, please e-mail your address to mzindorf@aim.com and I will pop these two stamp sets in the mail to you.

Thank you to everyone that played along.  You really came up with some fun and interesting names.  Here is my short list from your entries, Sunny, Turq, Mojo, Muse, Ranger, Elvis, Percy, Picasso, Peetry, Sinbad, Clyde, Merlin, Skyler, Art, Brazee, Stampson, Bubo, Rudy & Bosco.

Now on with today’s tutorial

Supplies:

Are you inspired by this Blog?  One way you can help support this blog is by ordering your Stampin’ Up products through me.   You can order from me 24-7 from this link:  http://michellezindorf.stampinup.net or e-mail me at mzindorf@aim.com if you are within the United States.  Want a copy of the current mini catalog, just e-mail me your address and I will pop one in the mail to you.  Want to become a Stampin’ Up Demonstrator and earn instant income?  Consider being part of my Stampin’ Up Team.

On a 4 7/8″ piece of Whisper White card stock, stamped the butterfly by first loading my stamp with Versamark and then Basic Black ink before stamping it in the center of the card stock.

Sorry folks, this Stampin’ Up set is retired and is no longer available, but you can you use any butterfly you have in your stamp collection for this project.

Heat embossed the butterfly using clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Colored the Butterfly in with a Stampin’ Up Apricot Appeal Marker.

Added some More Mustard marker to the butterfly.

Added Pumpkin Pie marker to the center of the butterfly’s wings.

Colored over the butterfly with a Versamark marker and then heat embossed the image using clear embossing powder and a heat gun.

Now I keep a pile of old circular mask.  This piece of card stock has a 3 1/8″ circle cut out of it.

I placed this over the butterfly image and then drew squiggly lines around the inside of the mask with an Always Artichoke marker.

Removed the mask and sponged So Saffron ink on the card stock in a pouncing motion.

Sponged More Mustard ink on the card stock in a pouncing motion.

Sponged Pumpkin Pie ink on the card stock using a pouncing motion.

Sponged Really Rust ink on in a circular motion.

Stamped side “C” of my Stampendous Marble Texture Cube using Close to Cocoa ink repeatedly until I achieved the look I wanted.

Sponged Close to Cocoa ink on the card stock using a circular motion.

Sponged Basic Black ink around the edge of the card stock using a circular motion.

Sponged More Mustard ink on the inside of the circle using a circular motion and leaving a light ring around it.

Outlined my card stock using a Metallic Gold Sharpie Paint marker, by holding the marker half on the card stock and half off the card stock and pulling straight down.  Repeat this for each side of the card stock.

Added my Basic Black panel and some gold brads in the middle.  Here it is my two layer card measuring 5.25″ square.

May your day be filled with the wonderful sight of Flutterbys.

Until my next post. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Huge Hugs,

Michelle

  Get ready for Brayer Workshops!  I am coming to:

Dayton, Ohio

Webster, New York

New Johnsonville, Tennessee

Stoughton, Wisconsin

Columbia, Missouri

Lynchburg, Virginia

Greenwood, Indiana

Castro Valley, California

Yardley, Pennsylvania (near Philadelphia)

Knox, Maine

Broomfield, Colorado

Moore, Oklahoma

Nashville, Indiana

Portland, Michigan

2010

Phoenix, Arizona

Monroe, Louisiana

Jacksonville, Florida

Mechanicsville, Virginia

Raleigh, North Carolina

Colleyville, Texas

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Salem, Oregon

Here is a link to my workshop calendar where you can see all of my travel schedule and to get info on beginner and advanced Brayer workshops:  http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/workshop-calendar

Link to my Stampin’ Up website were you can order all of your must have Stampin’ Up products from me 24-7:  http://michellezindorf.stampinup.net

Frequently asked questions answers:  http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/frequently-asked-questions/

Oh, I know, you come to my blog expecting to see a rubber stamping tutorial and then I go off the deep end a couple times a year and do a post on my gardens, lol.  Bare with me, a tutorial will be coming along after this post.    I know there are a couple of you that garden, along with rubber stamping and probably a couple hundred other crafts going on at the same time.  :) 

I was just out in the garden this evening and decided to take a few photos.

I’m a “Country Cottage” gardener, without the cottage, lol.  I have a boring ranch home.  But my gardens are done in Country Cottage.  That means I plant perennials and they pretty much decide where they will grow from year to year.  I let everything go to seed in the fall and seeds get scattered throughout the garden and new plants spring up in the Spring where ever they want to.  Only occasionally will a move a plant.  I also will grow some veggies in my flower beds.  They don’t mind sharing the space and I love home grown tomatoes. 

I also grow plants that the butterflies love.  Above is a circular bed that is grown just for the butterflies.  With a butterfly house even.  I haven’t seen the butterflies use it yet, but I am hopeful.

Behind the circular bed is my favorite place to kick back and enjoy the gardens.  Below is the view of the farm across the road that I see from my favorite garden spot.  The barn in the photo below  is the one I painted in the fall and use for my banner at the top of my blog. 

As you see below my gardens are so very full.  This happens every year with my perennials without me having to plant stuff.  I do fill a few pots with annuals, but my gardens are all perennials that come back year after year.

Come on over and sit a spell with me and have a martini or sweet tea.  But beware, I may put a shovel in your hand because I have yet to put in the large flower beds that will run the length of the front of the property. 

Thank you for indulging me and checking out a few of my garden photos.

Huge Hugs,

Michelle

How about a card for the Guys today.  Cards for men are always difficult for me and I aways lean towards a wilderness theme when creating them.  Perfect example is this mornings card. 

When creating a wilderness card I reach for my Stampin’ Up “Lovely As a Tree” set, time and time again.   Stampin’ Up, if you are listening, please, please never retire this set. 

Along with the “Lovely As a Tree” set I am using the Deer from the Stampin’ Up “Nature Silhouettes” set.  Another great set for guy cards.

Lately, I have been stuck in a blue and green mode and I am purposely using other colors to switch things up a bit.  The bright More Mustard ink will wake you up a bit and bring the viewers eye into the scene and hold it a moment.

Ready, let’s get started. . . . . .

Supplies:

Are you inspired by this Blog?  One way you can help support this blog is by ordering your Stampin’ Up products through me.   You can order from me 24-7 from this link:  http://michellezindorf.stampinup.net or e-mail me at mzindorf@aim.com if you are within the United States.  Want a copy of the current mini catalog, just e-mail me your address and I will pop one in the mail to you.  Want to become a Stampin’ Up Demonstrator and earn instant income?  Consider being part of my Stampin’ Up Team. Brayered Going Gray ink at the top of a 4.5″ x 6″ piece of Whisper White card stock.

Brayered More Mustard ink at the bottom of the card stock.

Stamped the trees with Going Gray ink.  I did not ink up the ground area on the stamp so it would be omitted when I stamped it.

Stamped the trees again with Going Gray.  First, I stamped off on my scrap paper, second generation stamping.  The lighter trees recess into the background creating depth in the scene.

Stamped the pine tree first with Old Olive ink and then over stamped it with Basic Black ink.

I did not ink the ground portion of the stamp when I over stamped in black.

I brought the background trees in a bit closer by stamping them again a bit lower with Basic Gray ink.

Stamped the deer with Basic Black ink.

Tore a hill in a post it note and sponged on Really Rust ink, right at the post it notes edge to create the hill on the card stock.

Moved the post it note and sponged really rust again at the post it note edge to create the second hill.

Sponged Basic Gray ink at the bass of the background trees.

Added white highlights to the pine tree and the deer with a white gel pen.

Streaked with a Sponged,  Really Rust ink at the bottom of the card stock.

Streaked Basic Black ink at the bottom of the card stock with a sponge and also sponged it around the outside edge of the card stock.

My highlights in the pine tree took on the look of snow so I decided to add some highlights with the white gel pen to the background trees too.

Assembled my card stock layers, Main image panel, Old Olive panel and Basic Black panel.  Took a Metallic Gold Sharpie Paint marker and pulled it down the edge of the Basic Black panel to jazz the card stock up a bit.  This gives you a look of a gold panel without the cost of gold card stock.

Punched the window punch twice out of Basic Black card stock and cut the ends off of one side of the punches.

Adhered the punches to the card front, added a couple of gold brads. 

Here is the finished card measuring 5″ x 6.5″.

I hope this tutorial has inspired you to get out of your color rut and try something different.

May your day be filled with peaceful moments.

Until my next post. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Huge Hugs,

Michelle

  Get ready for Brayer Workshops!  I am coming to:

Dayton, Ohio

Webster, New York

New Johnsonville, Tennessee

Stoughton, Wisconsin

Columbia, Missouri

Lynchburg, Virginia

Greenwood, Indiana

Castro Valley, California

Yardley, Pennsylvania (near Philadelphia)

Knox, Maine

Broomfield, Colorado

Moore, Oklahoma

Nashville, Indiana

Portland, Michigan

2010

Phoenix, Arizona

Monroe, Louisiana

Jacksonville, Florida

Mechanicsville, Virginia

Raleigh, North Carolina

Colleyville, Texas

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Salem, Oregon

Here is a link to my workshop calendar where you can see all of my travel schedule and to get info on beginner and advanced Brayer workshops:  http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/workshop-calendar

Link to my Stampin’ Up website were you can order all of your must have Stampin’ Up products from me 24-7:  http://michellezindorf.stampinup.net

Frequently asked questions answers:  http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/frequently-asked-questions/