Gold Encore Ink

Beautiful Banners

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Well, I certainly got distracted today.  Here it is nearly evening and I forgot I had this half way done.  Suppose I could finish it after all.  I was tempted to just skip today and save this for tomorrow, but let’s just share it.

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This project was all about the foil designer acetate that came out in this years catalog.  Not until I gave in to use it did I discover it was gold foil on one side and silver foil on the other. I was pretty darn pleased if I say so myself.  I do think I will try this project again with silver, because I do think I prefer blue and silver after all.  But this certainly is lovely.

I used four different banner thinlits and two of the banner stamps.  The layering was simple, just a little patience while I sorted out the positioning.  Both the silver and gold encore inks are so beautiful stamped on dark card stock.  I do tend to prefer the look of embossing powder when it comes to metallic ink, but it did just fine.  Such a beautiful sentiment.

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I started with the small banner cut in gold foil, but it was too smooth and shiny so I put it through the same embossing folder I used for the background paper.  And, it tied it together as well.

Such a lovely day of distractions, hope you had one too!

Moana

Country Basics

~ moanaj ~ 2 Comments

This particular project really made me slow down and think.  My usual haphazard color selection just didn’t work out, as you can tell from the huge collection of colors I have listed. This might be the most color I have used on one project.  It ended up kind of cool in the end, but not sure what it will end up serving as.

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One single stamp was the beginning, just the guitar.  The rest of the images were at the end and quite an afterthought to be honest.  I painted the guitar with cajun craze and the color adventure began.  I had thought it would have been fun to sew metallic thread in the guitar string area, but when I spent so much time on the painting I really wanted to walk away. Maybe next time.

Even though it can be a bit frustrating, it is also quite relaxing to work like this.  It also helps a lot with patience.  I know that if I just stick with it, eventually it will come together. Then, the next project doesn’t seem so daunting, because look at what I managed to pull out of the trash bin!

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I left it clean of sentiment and all other embellishments.  The images speak for themselves and that guitar, I love that guitar.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Enjoy the Little Things

~ moanaj ~ 2 Comments

Yesterday was a very thoughtful day.  I was able to enjoy a day all to myself, which is quite rare in itself.  I had grand plans, a bit too grand, but decided to change them all around and enjoy it differently. This was one of my moments spent, a very indulgent chunk of time working ink all over this lovely card.

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I was given some new paper and brushes for my birthday, so of course I had to get to work using them.  I took this beautiful paper to the brink of maximum absorption.  Sometimes it just takes more time to get the colors just the way you want them.  If you were to smooth your hand over the top of this card you would feel the difference in texture.  The edges of course kept their very smooth surface, but the inked area is actually raised up.  Cool, right?

I did start with the embossed phrase first.  Then I worked around the edges and started in with all of the color mixing.  This copper embossing powder is so fantastic, I absolutely love the color.  It gives a much more masculine feel and goes better with my kind of color pallet ideas for sure.  So, I basically just embossed my sentiment and then went to town on the ink til I was happy.  And I am so happy, so very happy with this one.  I tend to do my best work when I am creating for someone in particular, especially when that someone is my husband.  What more can I say?

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Well, This Just Stinks

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

I think sometimes cards can just be funny and that is more than enough.  When I read the sentiment I used I knew I didn’t care what the rest of the stamps were like, I had to have it. Good thing it is really a great set with fun and sincere sentiments.  This phrasing, especially with the intro, is kind of an inside joke.  No pun intended…tee hee…

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The background stamping was pretty darn easy.  I used an element stamp from the Basket for You stamp set and just stamped my way across the card front.  I could have been a bit more careful to keep some of the edges better in line, but my desk is such a mess I just went for it.  Really, my desk hasn’t ever been this bad.  I think it will be top of my to do list tomorrow.  Summertime really gets me out of whack.  As you can tell by this very late blog.

Anyway, then the fun die cut letter had to get done.  I didn’t want those huge letters to take over my funny phrase, even though they are so large.  So, I decided to stamp them lightly in gold.  It kept them not as strong and allowed the rest to really catch your eye.  In order to keep them lined up I arranged them on the card front how I wanted them and laid a piece of painters tape across them, lifted them up, turned them over to put on dimensionals, and then placed them right where I wanted them.  It worked out pretty good.  The tape lifted some of the ink, guess I should have heat set it first.  Oh well, you can hardly notice it.

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I sponged all around the edges on the front and a touch on the inside panel.  All in all, this little project really makes me laugh.  There are times when life is great and sometimes it just stinks and it is more than okay to say so.  Even better to laugh about it.

Have a creative day!

Moana

Artistically Asian

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

New stamps, new stamps, new stamps!  I love having new stamps!  This particular one caught my eye right away on my first browse through this seasons catalog.  I could easily get lost exploring the possibilities, there are so many.

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But, I am totally in the mood for water coloring, so what else would I turn to just now?  I thought some of the new in-colors combined with gold would compliment the Asian feel of the stamp set.  And, I absolutely agree with myself.  Good thing too…

Flirty flamingo is the card base and the main color I painted with.  These colors go so very well together.  I used a lot of water and kept the color light building the intensity but not overdoing it.  Experimenting with this kind of painting is really something you just need to sit down and do it.  I have learned some things that work better for me, and of course there are tons of very talented people online that generously share their techniques to learn from.

I did stamp over the floral image again with both flirty flamingo and gold encore ink.  I wasn’t looking for a particular effect, just more of the image itself.  Then I hit it pretty hard with the gold wink of stella brush pen.  I accented the image quite a bit then followed along some of the water mark lines.  They ended up giving me a bit of a mound for the plant to rest on and maybe an interesting mountain or two in the background?  That wasn’t the intention, but I keep seeing that when I look at it.  Judge for yourself.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Balloon Bouquet Celebration

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

I finally got my back ordered balloon bouquet punch and I am totally celebrating!  This punch is just the coolest thing and totally worth the wait.  This will be getting tons of use, just tons.

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I may have gone a bit overboard with the balloons, and the cording, but I love how pretty it is.  One special person will get this card, and I think I know who it is.  Not everyone appreciates how much time can go into a hand made card, but those that do deserve every one they get.

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I used a leftover kit from Saturday’s workshop to make this project.  I stamped several balloons on the background paper.  To get the tone I wanted I stamped off once before I applied it to the card.  Then on my other paper, that I would be punching, I stamped off twice.  Both sets of balloons were also stamped with the dotted accents in mint macaron and gold encore ink.  I added gold to everything and sponged away.  Too cute!

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Flowering Fields with Botanicals for You

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

I did start out with a St. Patrick’s Day card set in mind.  Hence the green and gold. However, it quickly changed into something more elegant and much more useful.  I do know several people that truly do love to celebrate this holiday and this would work wonderfully for them as well.  What fun, right?

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This Flowering Fields stamp set will be gone soon.  I do love the fun free products available during Sale-a-bration, but always are sad to see them go.  I do know that there are always new things on the horizon that I will love equally well, but I do have my favorites that stick around year after year.

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I ended up using a full sheet of very vanilla, part for the card front and inside, and used the rest to make a gift bag.  I prefer to have paper used up with as little waste as possible.  I even used the snipping left from cutting the front and inside to be my sentiment tag.  Very little waste today indeed.

This glitter tape is so much fun.  I admit I have stashed it a bit too long, I thought I had learned my lesson.  Guess not.  So, I broke it out and put it to work.  Just a little bit does so much.  And it is so tidy, no glitter messes to be found.  A win for everyone for sure. I do think I will use some tape to close the bag when it gets filled with a treat or two.  Yeah!

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Have a creative day!

Moana

Hello Perfect Plum

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Living in the country has its perks, but sometimes it can be frustrating.  For example, when you live far enough out you are restricted to satellite internet.  It is slower for one thing, but when it is very stormy the weather interferes. Sometimes it stops it all together.  That would be this last weekend.  Bummer.  Let’s catch up.

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I made this lovely little gift set for a friends daughter.  She had the role of Violet Boreguarde in a children’s musical this last weekend.  Of course the gift bag needed to be filled with gum, because that is what Violet is all about.  That was so much fun!

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I also dug out one of my old stamp sets from 2004.  I wanted to create the look of bubbles, for the gum of course, and this set came to mind.  I don’t even remember the name of the set.  When you purchase quality it lasts for sure.  This set is twelve years old and worked like a charm.

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I brought in perfect plum, elegant eggplant and some gold encore ink for this set.  Violet did indeed get a golden ticket after all.  When the scene came for her to change into the large blueberry, she had this inflatable suit that literally made her look so huge and round and most definitely violet in color.  It was a great night.  The grin she made when she looked in the bag was fantastic.

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Have a creative day!

Moana

CD Gift Envelopes

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

More gifts?  Well of course!  Giving little favors to people is just one of my favorite things to do.  I have found that nearly everyone I give to loves a hand made gift.  Works for me!

CD Gift Envelopes

These are actually decorative covers for some holiday CD’s I gave out this holiday season.  There are a few little treats inside and a horrid extreme sour warhead candy cane.  My daughter loves them, I am not a fan.  But those that got these gifts also appreciate sour stuff like that.

CD Gift Envelopes

This particular last minute gift set was so close to Christmas that the paper was on clearance!  Good for me, but definitely cutting it a bit too close.

CD Gift Envelopes

Have a creative day!

Moana

Garden Green Gift Box

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Need a gift box or two?  During the holidays we are always looking for something to wrap a last minute gift or party favor.  That is what my husband needed for a work party tomorrow.

Garden Green Gift Box

They are having a white elephant gift exchange, so I thought a really great box would throw them off completely.  The ornament inside is nearly bizarre, but almost interesting at the same time.  It has a flying pheasant, with a hunting fest hung below, and then a pheasant call hung below that.  Yes, somehow I let that one not go on my tree.  I wonder how that happened.

Garden Green Gift Box

This box though.  I used two sheets of garden green cut at 8.5 x 8.5 and scored at two inches all the way around for the sides.  The top score lines were moved a smidge over so the lid would be just a bit larger than the bottom and fit snug.  Mission accomplished.  I used the snowflake stamp from the Perpetual Birthday Calendar set.  Love that one so much.  It gets used all of the time.  I put a whole in the center with a circle framelit, which gave me funny half circle edges on two of the sides, but I couldn’t see a way around it, so I just went with it.

The window sheet was embossed with the elegant dots folder and stuck down inside.  The sheet measured 4 x 4 and I used fast fuse to keep it in there.  I ended up wrapping the gift in some 6″ wide burlap ribbon and doesn’t that look great?  Surprised me too.  Then this lovely box was given a big hug with some satin ribbon, gold to match the stamping, after being sponged like crazy of course.  Now, the fun begins!

Garden Green Gift Box

Have a creative day!

Moana

Death By Chocolate

~ moanaj ~ Leave a comment

Another card with this wonderful set.  How much fun is a stamp that says, ‘Death by Chocolate’.  I am sure many would agree that is more than a fun idea.

Death By Chocolate

I did think it would be nice to make it with non-traditional coloring though.  When I think of chocolate, these are the colors I come up with.  A pretty gold wrapper with something dark and rich inside.  Sounds like a winner!

Death By Chocolate

Stamping perfectly isn’t always my strength, so when I make a background like this I stamp off center on purpose just to take the stress off.  Has to be fun, right?  And this card was.  Some simple layering with a few embellishments to spruce it up.  I applied the ribbon in kind of a caution tape fashion giving the hint of Halloween, but not right out saying it.  Maybe a gift card from a candy store should go inside for the perfect grown up Halloween treat?  I like it!

Death By Chocolate

Have a creative day!

Moana

You’ve Got This

~ moanaj ~ 2 Comments

Sometimes simple words are all you have, and sometimes that is all you need.  That is just how I feel this morning.

You've Got This

I took my time painting this lovely flower with a few of my favorite inks.  I stamped the flower in almost artichoke and did light water coloring to get the base down.  I added cajun craze but kept it light the first time through.  Adding more water helped to do a little blending, but I didn’t want too much of that.  I like that two colors together can create a third unexpected surprise.  In person, you can see the blended areas have nearly a cherry cobbler tone.  Cool, right?  I thought so too.

You've Got This

The entire image was accented in gold encore ink, still using the aqua painter.  That really creates a fun look and is surprisingly easy to control.  One simple sentiment in black stazon ink with a little gold metallic thread and this simple card was done.  Well, I did have to stamp inside as well.  I stamped off twice before I placed the stamp on the inside paper.  Nice and light.  And look, absolutely no sponging!  Crazy.

You've Got This

Have a creative day!

Moana