Picket Fence Studios October Release

Hello!

It's the 14th of the month, and that means it is time for another new release from Picket Fence Studios!  This month, there are some fun new stamp sets to color, and get artsy with, along with a few more holiday items.  There's also a couple of new additions to the Slim Line Die Cutting System - including mini slimline!

Find the full release in the shop now.  

As always, I have multiple cards to share with you today, so lets get right on into it!  

Card #1 | Feel Beautiful Today

This card began by stamping the image from the Watercolor Roses Stamp Set, in Barely There Amalgam Ink, onto white card stock.  I colored the image in with Polychromos Pencils.  Once the image was colored as I wanted, I die cut it, using the coordinating die.  

To create the background, I stamped the Watercolor Roses image onto Dove card stock, using the coordinating ink. I stamped the sentiment onto Grapefruit card stock, and heat embossed it with copper embossing powder. I fussy cut the sentiment, then adhered everything together with foam tape.  I added a few Vegas Baby sequins, tucked under the edges of the flowers, before adhering the card front to a white card base. 

♥   ♥   ♥

Card #2 | Chosen Family

For this second card, I once again began by stamping the Watercolor Roses image onto the corners of white card stock, this time using Midnight Ink.  Before I colored in the image, using Polychromos Pencils, I used a Life Changing Blender Brush, to blend Weathered Wood Distress Oxide Ink to the edges of the card panel.  

I stamped the sentiment from the Fancy Friendship Sentiments Stamp Set, onto black card stock, and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  I die cut the sentiment, using the coordinating die, and then cut a couple more pieces from the same die.  I stacked the die cuts together, and then layered them on my card front with a strip of gold card stock.  

For a unique twist to matting the card front, I cut two larger triangles from the gold card stock, and then two smaller triangles from the black card stock.  I stacked them under the opposing corners from the floral images.  Then I adhered the card front to a white card base.  

♥   ♥   ♥

Card # 3 | Sympathy Leaves

This card was actually super easy.  I began by ink blending a background using the Life Changing Blender Brushes, and Distress Oxide Inks, on a piece of white card stock.  To get the blend exactly how I wanted, I used the colors Scattered Straw, Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness, Peacock Feathers, and Chipped Sapphire.  

Once my ink blending was done, I taped the panel to my work surface, and taped the Funky Leaves Stencil over the top.  I spread a bit of Black Pansy Paper Glaze over the top of the stencil.  I removed the stencil, and tape, and allowed the panel to dry.  

I die cut the Slim Line Oversized With Sympathy Word Die from gold card stock, and vellum.  Once the card front was dry, I adhered the sentiment die cut, and trimmed the overhanging edges.  Then I adhered the card front to a white card base.  

♥   ♥   ♥

Card #4 | Real, Not Perfect

The Iconic Beauty Sara Stamp, just screamed "Watercolor Me!" when I first saw it, but I wanted to try something a little different that had a similar effect.  I stamped the image in Black Hybrid Ink, and then quickly heat embossed it with clear embossing powder.  Then, I used the Life Changing Blender Brushes to inkblend over the top of the image, and create the background.  I used Distress Oxide Inks in Tattered Rose, Salvaged Patina, Scattered Straw, Peacock Feathers, and Abandoned Coral.  

Once the ink was blended on, I used a few Polychromos Pencils to add a bit more shading to specific points of her face.  I also added a few dots of white gel pen to the center of the large flower behind her ear.  

To finish off the card, I stamped the sentiment in the upper corner, and heat embossed it with gold embossing powder.  I adhered the panel to a white card base, and added a few of my favorite Iridescent Moonshine Sequins.  

♥   ♥   ♥

Card #5 | Led Home for the Holidays

I stamped the image from the For the Holidays Stamp Set, in Black Hybrid Ink, onto white card stock.  I used a bit of tape to attach the circle from the 2-1/2" Blending Stencil to the card stock.  Then I blended in the sky, along with adding color to the snow, using the Life Changing Blender Brushes, and Distress Oxide Inks.  The colors used were Antique Linen, Spun Sugar, Stormy Sky, Dusty Concord, and Chipped Sapphire.  I removed the circle mask, once the background was blended, to add a bit of color to the moon.  Then added it again - along with coving the tree line and snow with a piece of scrap paper - to sprinkle some water droplets over the ink blended sky.  

After the water dried, I went in with a few Polychromos Pencils, and a white gel pen to add some detail and shading.  

I stamped and heat embossed the sentiment with gold embossing powder.  Then, I painted the snow with a mix of Sparkle Paper Glitz, mixed with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol.  I have a little container of this premixed on my desk, and can shake it up, grab a paintbrush, and paint it on as needed.  The alcohol makes it dry super quick, and it leaves an amazing shine sparkly shine behind.  

Once the sparkle layer dried, I added the card front to a white card base.  

♥   ♥   ♥

Bonus Tag | Sweeter Holidays

My final project to share with you today, isn't actually a card, it's an oversized tag.  Those who have followed me for some time, know that I used to get a little crazy with the Christmas goodies - it tends to get a little "Mrs Claus's Bakery Workshop" around here.  I scaled back a lot the last few years, due to time constraints, but plan on getting back into it this year.  So there were several products in this months release that ABSOLUTELY caught my attention.  

To being with, I die cut the Gingerbread Bob, and Gingerbread Betty dies from Wheat card stock.  I also cut a few of the larger hearts from the Betty die set, and a rectangle for my tag base.  I inked these pieces, using the Life Changing Blender Brushes, and Distress Oxide Inks. I used the colors Vintage Photo, Gathered Twigs, and Ground Espresso to try to mimic the coloring of baked Gingerbread.  

Then, using the same dies, I cut the icing details for the "cookies" from white card stock.  For the hearts, I cut the larger scalloped heart first, then ran the die cuts through a second time to cut the smaller heart from the center. 

I die cut the white scalloped rectangle, using the Mini Slim Line Stitched and Scalloped Rectangles Slim Line Die Cutting System Dies.  Which I then inked with Antique Linen Distress Oxide Ink.  

I laid all of my pieces out to get my layout figured out, then stamped the sentiment in Cranberry Ink.  I then punched a hole in the corner, and added a bit of ribbon.  

♥   ♥   ♥

That's it for today's cards.  As always, there are several other fun new things in the release, and I did not have time to play with them all.  Be sure to stop over to Picket Fence Studios and take a look at the entire release.   

Thanks for stopping by!

Believe in the Magic Christmas Card

Hello!

The other day, I was in a mood.  This past month has felt like I was dealing with deadlines, appointments, errands, and organizing for way too long.   I just wanted to hole up in my craft room, and not check off to-do lists, or "people" that day.  So, being the crazy person that I am, I turned on a Christmas playlist, and stamped out a Santa Claus to spend a few hours coloring, and tuning out the world.  

The Santa on today's card, comes from the Picket Fence Studios Believe in the Magic Stamp Set.  I stamped the image onto white card stock, using Gina K Amalgam Ink in Barely There.  Then, I colored in the image using Polychromos Pencils, and a white gel pen for highlights.  Once the coloring was done, I fussy cut the image, and set it aside - far aside.  I was not risking another craft fail with this year's coloring of Santa.  

While I still had the Believe in the Magic Stamp Set out, I stamped the sentiment onto vellum, using Versamark Ink, and heat embossed it in gold.  The sentiment was also fussy cut.  

On another piece of white card stock, I taped the circle from the 2-1/2" Blending Stencil.  I then used my Life Changing Blender Brushes, to blend Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire, and Black Soot Distress Oxide Inks onto the panel.  Once I had the blend how I wanted, I blended a little Antique Linen Ink right around the edge of the circle, before pulling up the stencil, and blending the Antique Linen to the masked off portion of card stock.  I again covered the "moon" with the stencil, and sprinkled water droplets, and some watered down Sparkle Paper Glitz. 

While that panel dried, I die cut the Slim Line Our Town Cover Plate die from black cardstock, and then cut a second strip of the house from gray cardstock.  I added the die cuts on top of the ink blended panel, and trimmed the excess off.  The panel was matted with black cardstock.  I filled in the windows of the little houses with Dandelion Yellow Nuvo Crystal Drops, and then topped that with Nuvo Aqua Shimmer Pen in Midas Touch.  

Before assembling the card, I dry embossed the front panel of the card base, with the Arctic Winter Stencil. This can be done on most machines, with the correct plates.  For my Platinum 6, I use the base platform, the tan embossing mat, my card stock, the stencil, then the purple embossing plate.  

Finally the card was assembled.  And, I was much more willing to "people" again.  I guess that means back to the to-do list.  Have a fantastic day!  

Thanks for stopping by!

Yay for Birthdays | Easy Masculine Birthday Card

Hello!

Today, I want to share this super easy birthday card I made.  I used the Concord & 9th Yay for Birthday Bundle to create this card.

I began with a panel of white card stock.  I lined up the "Birthday" stamp from the stamp set,  in my MISTI, And then stamped the sentiment in Aqua Sky Ink.  I wiped the stamp clean, and moved my paper up an inch in the platform, then stamped the birthday again - this time in Sprout Ink.  I continued cleaning the stamp, moving my card stock, and stamping, until the whole length of the card stock was stamped (Buttercup, Marmalade, and Wheat Inks).  

I moved the card stock to the bottom edge of my platform, and placed the "happy" stamp where I wanted it.  Then I stamped that the same way I did the "Birthday" - but all in Black Amalgam Ink.   
I die cut the balloons from the die set, out of vellum.  Once I figured out where I wanted them positioned on the card front, I stamped the strings, in the same black ink, and adhered the die cuts.  I matted the completed card front on Wheat card stock, and then adhered that to a white card base.  

As I said, this was a very easy card to make - perfect as a masculine birthday card, but easily changed up by changing the ink colors.  

Thanks for stopping by!

Sarcastic Kitties Picket Fence Studios Stamptember Exclusive

Hello!