Plaid Stamping

Laura Bassen is teaching this technique.  I LOVE her plaid patterns.   But I do agree with her that there needs to be a wider stamp for making plaids.   I just need the wider stamps at the moment.  It was hard to create the overall look at an angle.

1. Cover and layer inks for a complete plaid pattern.
2. Ink blending over plaid stamping.
3. Using masking and ink blending in plaid patterns, including dye and pigment ink.

Up first is the cover and layer inks for a complete plaid pattern.  LOL, only after finished I realized I forgot one color in the order of ink.  yikes.  At least I did not even notice until a day later so it cannot be that bad.

Supplies:

Neenah Solar White Cardstock
Avery Elle Ink Pads (sorry forgot to write it down)

Next is the ink blending over plaid stamping

It ended up being a little distressed because of the short stamps.  Dang I need those longer stamps from Papertrey Ink.  LOL

Supplies:

Neenah Solar White Card Stock
Simon Says Stamp Ink Pads: Cobblestone, Fog
My Favorite Things Plaid Background Builder
Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads: Tumbled Glass, Shaded Lilac, Scattered Straw, Worn Lipstick

Finally the last plaid technique is using masking and ink blending in plaid patterns.  Ok, no masking done here, but I get how to do it.

Supplies:

My Favorite Things Plaid Background Builder
Mama Elephant Basic Border Stamp Set
Papertrey Ink Pads: True Black, Orange Zest, Tropical Teal, Hawaiian Shores, Summer Sunrise

Thanks for much for looking at my creations.

Water & Ink

Kristina is showing us these techniques.  I did not do the last two, but I think you get the idea.

1. Paper-to-surface ink smooshing background.
2. Acetate ink smooshing background.
3. Variation on acetate ink smooshing background.
4. Watercolor background.

First up is the Paper-to-surface ink smooshing background.  I think next time I will do the smooth side of the watercolor paper.

Supplies:

Ranger Watercolor Paper
Tim Holtz Distress Inks: Mustard Seed, Worn Lipstick, Salty Ocean

The next card is technique #2 which is using a piece of acetate to smoosh the paint on the paper.  I can clearly see the difference on using this technique.  This feels more like watercolor.  I can see doing this technique to create a nebula look from the sky!!!!

Supplies:

Ranger Water Color Paper
Tim Holtz Distress Ink:  Seedless Preserves, Abandoned Coral, Ripe Persimmon, Wild Honey

Thanks for checking my blog out!!!!

Ink Reactions

The wonderful Jennifer McGuire taught us the next three techniques about Ink Reactions

1. Distress inked background and stamping with water on top.
2. Distress inked background and using a baby wipe over a stencil on top.
3. Dye inked background and stamping with Versamark on top.

The first up was the distress ink Background with stamping with perfect pearls instead of water!

Supplies:

Neenah Solar White Card Stock
My Favorite Things Garden Flourish Background Stamp
Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Forest Moss, Mowed Lawn, Crushed Olive, Cracked Pistachio, Shabby Shutters
Perfect Pearls – Pearl White

The next card was using distress inks with a baby white over a stencil and then embossing.   Yikes, that is a mouth full.  I wanted a sort of Moroccan style look, with warm colors and circular style.  The print did not really pop until embossed the card with the stencil.  I have never done that before and I like the look.

Supplies:

Neenah White Solar White Card Stock
Distress Inks:  Mustard Seed, Wild Honey, Dried Marigold, Spiced Marmalade, Picked Raspberry, Worn Lipstick
Tim Holtz Stencil: #19 Latticework

The next card is using dye ink and using versamark ink.  I really like this one.  Came out cute and I have idea for the final card!!!  Love the ocean look!!!!

Supplies:

Neenah White Card Stock
Simon Says Stamp Ink Pad:  Fern, blue Jay, High Dive
Versamark Ink
Hero Arts/Basic Grey Fish Background

Thank for looking at my creations!!!!

Here I am again, doing another Online Card Class.  If you have never taken one, I suggest you go out there and get a class or two.

This class is a good one.   Making great backgrounds for cards.  Full of lots of techniques.   I learned a lot.  Since my blog was down for a bit, I am now just rushing to get the posts in.

The first part of day one was taught by Laura Bassen

Ink Blending

1. Basic ink blending of dye inks.

2. Masking with ink blending of pigment inks.

3. Ink blending from the center of a background.

First up is the Basic Ink Blending of Dye Inks.

Supplies:

Neenah Solar White Card Stock
Simon Says Stamp Ink Pads:  Duckling, Scuba, Island Blue, Jellybean

Next up is the Masking with Ink Blending of pigment inks

Supplies:

Neenah Solar White Card Stock
Mama Elephant Ink Pads:  Buttercup, Tutti Fruitti, Piggy Bank, Apricot, Fresh Mint, Pacific Blue, Stargazer

And finally is the ink blending from the center of the background.   I did find that this left some marks from the sponge.  I think it is because the inks need to be reinked.     I actually did two of these hoping that I could control it more.  You can see the marks from the sponge.  But I will try reinking the pads and try again later.

Supplies:

Neenah Solar White Card Stock
Tim Holtz Distress Ink: Fossilized Amber, Cracked Pistachio, Abandoned Coral, Mermaid Lagoon

Stay tuned to see the cards made from these backgrounds.

Thanks for looking

Day 17 – Making Grace a Way of Life

“All that we have and don’t have is a grace.” ― Mac MacKenzie

In today’s meditation, we go beyond the mere behavior and attitude of gratitude, and let gratitude and grace become our way of being and living in the world. In the past, feelings of grace may have been rare and fleeting moments. To make grace permanent, we need to establish gratitude as a habit, so it becomes your default mode of relating to others.

When gratitude is the natural way you approach life, it is no longer an activity you try to remember to do. Gratitude is simply how you express who you are and how you feel. The practice of gratitude naturally and invisibly becomes a life lived in the state of grace.

My Notes:

Make Grace a way of life.  We are the author of our own story.  All the power of the universe rises up to help you.  We must take gratitude from a fleeting feeling to being a way of being.  So much so that we no longer question it.  However it does seem to be in small doses so you need to make it a habit.  This work happens inside becomes a joy because with each effort it brings more happiness and fulfillment.  Grace stands beside me.  Grace is always there, but there will be times where life is not going well and we will lash out, like a small child who is blaming others for their pain.   We are responsible, no one else.   Take charge of your story.  Do not blame others.   Only you own it.  Everything you want to achieve in life already exists in your own being.    Eventually only love and light will exist in your life.

Day 16 – The Hidden Secret of Being

“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” ― Thích Nhất Hạnh

In today’s meditation, we explore how the practice of gratitude reveals the hidden qualities of our awareness: wonder, joy, and beauty. As grace connects us to the hidden truths of Nature, we are really discovering the essence of our expansive liberated self.

Gratitude awakens these dormant gifts of our unlimited self and makes them powerful forces of positive change in our lives. As our self expands through gratitude, our concerns, anxieties, and insecurities become small and insignificant, while our experience of joy, freedom, beauty, and compassion continues to grow.

My Notes

Love truth and beauty is inside of you.  They come out when your awareness is expanded to gratitude.  Everyone has that experience when something is magnified in beauty.  Such moments happen for the short term.

When you are out in nature, and you appreciate the beauty, you only see awe and wonder when you create it.  The hidden secret is that you already have this.

Day 15 – Seeing the Big Picture, Becoming the Big Picture

“True wisdom is being able to say ‘it is what it is’ with a smile of celebratory wonder on your face.” ― Eric Micha’el Leventhal

Living in grace is for everyone, not just for those who feel called to a secluded life of prayer and devotion. Grace is everywhere all the time. To fully live in the state of grace only requires that we allow our true self to shine forth.

In today’s meditation, we learn that we attain this state by simply being it, which means we naturally and effortless live an open life of gratitude. That is how we become a complete person. We embody a life in grace by acting from a spirit of generosity and wholeness.

My Notes:

We now are becoming the big picture, the more complete we are the more grace resides within us.

Living in a complete state of grace happens when you become a complete person.  First we saw the big picture, now become the big picture.

We now have a wider perspective and see how everything is inter-connected.  Grace exists in every moment.  Truths to live by.  Your attitude is the key.  Show generosity to all about you.  Generosity of spirit is grace itself.  It means that you are open with everyone that you will accept them with kindness.  Show appreciation.    Pay it forward.

Day 14

Gratitude Brings Compassion

CENTERING THOUGHT

When I have no judgment, I see everyone with kindness.

SANSKRIT MANTRA

Karuna Hum
I am compassion.

Day 14 – Gratitude Brings Compassion

“We are all of one light on this one Earth, and loving humanity makes all the difference.” ― Michelle Cruz-Rosado

Today’s meditation shows us how expressing gratitude easily leads to compassion. We all know that to be spiritual we are supposed to be compassionate, but with all the negativity and injustice we see around us, it’s easy for our egos to feel justified being judgmental and critical.

However, when you find reasons to feel grateful to someone, you are bridging the gulf of separation between the two of you. You can’t be thankful and resentful at the same time. That connection you feel when you are thankful is your shared humanity – it is the ground of compassion. A compassionate heart is accepting and forgiving not only to others, but to yourself as well.

My Notes:

Compassion can change your perception of the world.   We are more alike than different.  When you judge another human being, you deny the connection between each other.

There is a link between compassion and gratitude.  Compassion sometimes feels impossible, we tend to judge against those who are bad or wrong.   When you are thankful, you cannot be judgmental at the same time.  Work on feeling thankful for each person.    Next to compassion is to forgive.  When you stop judging others, you stop judging yourself.  Eventually you get to a place of grace.

Day 13

Succeeding through Gratitude

CENTERING THOUGHT

I find true success through inner fulfillment.

SANSKRIT MANTRA

Om Kleem Shreem
I attract all divine abundance and blessings.

Day 13 – Succeeding through Gratitude

“Having contentment and gratitude in the present moment is the surest way to achieve success.” ― Bryant McGill

When grace guides our thoughts and actions, our success will be fulfilling and meaningful. Today’s meditation shows us how the practice of gratitude can guide our success in an intelligent and compassionate direction. This type of success is different from the ego-driven success which seeks to hold, control, and keep the object of desire as a way to feel better about itself.

However, if your success is driven from gratitude and grace in your heart, then you are connected to your true self and your success always feels complete and fulfilling.

My Notes:

Showing gratitude will be success.  It is not about sacrifice, but about gratitude.  The universe is waiting to provide you all the success you need.

Success is not often associated with grace.  However it is very much linked.  True success comes from internal fulfillment.  Take every gift from humility and gratitude.    What you want to avoid is the ego.  Grace is always the giver of success, and not selfishness.   If you feel gratitude you have grace, if you feel you need to control something or feel a rush over “beating others”, that is the ego.

Day 12

Loving with Gratitude

CENTERING THOUGHT

Love is the truest sign of grace in my life.

SANSKRIT MANTRA

Aham Prema
My true essence is divine love.

Day 12 – Loving with Gratitude

“The more grateful we are, the more connected we become to the universe around us.” ― Stephen Richards

Today’s meditation is about divine love, the spiritual grace that supports everyone and everything. This love is always there whether we see it or not. Gratitude, when offered to another person, is really an expression of love. Like all forms of love, gratitude removes the feeling of separation and distance between hearts. It is an affirmation of our common existence.

Gratitude takes us out of our ego self that may be afraid to love because of insecurity, vulnerability, or fear of rejection. When we learn to feel gratitude with a full heart, we are learning to love unconditionally. Living this divine love is living in grace.

My Notes:

When you chose to love everything around you, you send a message to the universe.   Love even those who have hurt me, because they need it the most.

Grace is connected to divine love in all religions.  Divine love does not need to be deserved.  Even bad people are loved by God.  Grace is not a choice; it exists in the infinite feeling of consciousness.  It is the supporting structure in nature.   Love is already part of our awareness, and we can express it or not.   You can give a little or a lot.  If you chose to give a lot, something magical happens.  You become more of who you are.