Followers

1/10/2013

Thinking of You



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Good evening & welcome to a new follower. I hope you will enjoy the cards & ramblin' on that happens on this blog. Here's another effort at trying to develop the snow sponging technique done by Miss Heather, whose work I find so very inspirational. Her tutorials are extremely well done, make it look so easy, UNTIL...I try to do it! I keep trying though, and one of these days....! After I had sponged with Memento Summer Sky & just a smidge of London Fog (to create the hollows), I inked Penny Black Nature's Dance with Versamark: used a stamp positioner, stamped the branch. Reinked with Tuxedo Black, stamped off once, then inked just a bit below my initial Versamark stamp. It looked just a bit 'too off' for me at first, but after I left it, re-looked the next day, I decided it was 'passable' so made into this card. The stamp has a little bird perched on the twigs (which is cut off in the leftmost branches) and he didn't stamp out as well as I wanted. I tried to use a thin copic black multiliner, draw him in better, then color with red copics. Looked 'ok', but I wasn't thrilled with it. Remembered I had some of these Making Memories Mistletoe glittered birds I had bought on sale, hunted them up. (?snippet?!) He's a bit oversized for the branches, but I liked him anyway. I used a Spica Red Lipstick to color the berries The sentiment is an Elizabeth Craft rub on, and I thought about coloring it with copics. Decided the original silver of the sticker might help convey the 'frosty' feel of the card. Matted the image with a piece of Moire brown-black that was a snippet, as a mat. Founded a folded red cardbase (ah, more snippets!) left from Christmas card making. I had gotten some C/Bug borders in one of the Florida shopping runs-there's 5 slim borders in the pkg- and embossed 3 sides of the cardbase. I had to open the card to run through the Big Shot, and the edge of the border EF sort of created a tear on the back side of the cardbase, up at the very top...sort of a gouge. So I took 2 more pieces of snippet c/s, embossed those, and adhered them to the back on each side. I hope it will look planned!!! This card is for a friend who is dealing with some Life's Onion at the moment, and I wanted the person to know she was in my thoughts. Thanks for coming to visit, and hope your tomorrow is filled with wonderful things.
Hmm, maybe I'll bop over to the Playground and see what those crafty girls are up to...won't you come along to join in the fun? I promise, there's ALWAYS something crazy going on.
 

12 comments:

  1. This is a lovely, thoughtful, caring card...I love that little red bird!
    I think you are getting very proficient with that sponging technique...It looks just like snow to me.

    What is a stamp positioner. Is that the sort of stamp press thingy I see you pinned on pinterest?
    I am a hopeless stamps...I stamp things 3 or 4 times until I get a decent image...I always seem to get heavier on the right than the left or smudged from uneven pressure...maybe I need some special stamp holder thingy that will help my images be clearer!!!

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  2. Mary, I think this is just sensational!!!!!! Love how the bird is oversized and your sponging is just knock dead gorgeous! SO very lovely and know who ever this is going to, is going to just treasure it. So very pretty.
    Lynn

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  3. Hi Mary! I'm loving your card. I know it would brighten my day receiving that cute little red bird! I think you did a marvellous job with those branches and how the one in the background fades...it really looks like it's further back. Good job!

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  4. Absolutely gorgeous Mary! So interesting to read how you made it and I'm sure it will be treasured. Hugs, Di xx

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  5. Hi Mary this is just lovely and size is totally irrelevant in crafty work you know.. and think you are doing well with sponging! Shaz in Oz.x

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  6. I really love this card Mary. I think you've totally cracked the sponging technique. Looks VERY professional to me.

    I think I know who your Life's Onions person is, and I'm willing to bet she'll be delighted to receive this card from you.

    Hugs
    Sarn xxx

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  7. Mary, this is so beautiful! I think you've mastered Heather's technique! And that red bird just pops off the page! Sigh, I love Winter scenes!

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  8. Such gorgeous inking on this card, the London fog adds real depth to the shadows. Hugs, Amanda x

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  9. Absolutely Gorgeous card!!! I love the blues and grays and then the pop of red!!! Stunning!

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  10. Wow Mary, this card is stunning! Your snow drifts look so real, just like it does here where I live. You branches and then the dark red against the stark white is so beautiful!! I love your red bird-which I am thinking must be a cardinal. Love, love this card! You do a wonderful job with layering your colors to make the snow-well done my friend, well done!! Hugs!

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  11. This is lovely, Mary. The little branches are so delicate and your sponged snow is subtle and soft, making it a perfect "Thinking of you" card.

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