Here We Come A Caroling

Hi dear readers as much as I love to get inky and stamp there are times I need to use digital images since I either don't have an image of what I want to use or it is the wrong size. In this case it was the fact that the only caroler stamp I have is of snow people which right now I am not sure which box the majority of my wood mount stamps are in.

Sometimes I don't like how a card looks when I photograph it which is why I now use re-positional adhesive so I can change things if I don't like the arrangement. In this case though I basically ended up adding more detail.

Except for the stars and tree the images are from the Melonheadz Christmas Caroler set. I wrapped gift ribbon around the lamppost and crotchet thread around my tree. My sidewalk was card stock airbrushed since I don't have gray card stock and then a stencil used.

I was experimenting with rubbing alcohol and paint again for my background. I had bought Prussian Blue paint at a thrift store and when I opened it the paint was really liquidity which no amount of shaking changed. I painted my canvas paper and then while the paint was wet splattered rubbing alcohol over it. I didn't like how it looked so misted my paper and took a house painting brush and swiped over it. I love my result. I can see a lot of potential using thin paint and rubbing alcohol.

What techniques have you tried lately?

Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again!

Stopping By The Woods

Hi my dear readers. Ever since I learned about poetry at an early age Robert Frost has been one of my favorite . My favorite poem by him is "Stopping By Woods On  Snowy Evening". I decided to make a card based on that poem. Although my Just For Fun stamp has more than one person in the sleigh.

I tried a alcohol technique and it didn't work. Being the queen of frugal I went ahead and painted my forest on the dark blue background.On the bottom of my background I applied heavy gel and fine glitter. I didn't realize that if the heavy gel is put on too thick that it will crack. In this case it was a happy accident. I cut out my frame and used my airbrush to color it.

My stamp was being stubborn and I was ready to throw it out. Then I remembered about putting down a piece of foam underneath so took the stamp off the stamping platform and stamped. I decided to leave the image as it was without coloring. I also decided that the horse peeking over the frame would give more of an idea of motion.

I'm happy the way this card turned out. Sometimes I have an idea but never really sure what the outcome will be.  Sometimes also a card will evolve while I'm working on it.

Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again!

Joy To The World Sheet Music Card

Hi all I saw in a mixed media book where sheet music was used for a collage along with heavy gel and acrylic paint. I decided to not use actual sheet music but to scan in a piece and print it 3 x 5 for a card using my laser printer. Of course if you are not going to use paint and gel you could print your scanned piece with an ink jet printer. Here is my result. Just wish the photo would have done it justice as it looks better in person.

Lol! After taking this picture I cleaned the dried heavy medium off the bottom of the scanned piece. Didn't notice it before but my camera magnifies everything.

Following the technique in the book I brushed heavy medium over my scanned piece of sheet music. When dry I brushed thinned metallic turquoise paint over the top portion. Once dried I mixed yellow paint with heavy medium and brushed it on. I decided to leave white where just the words are.

I stamped on a scrap of white card my holly which is a Just For Fun stamp with Dirty Martini Dylusion waterproof ink. I then painted with glitter paint and metallic paint. While unpacking boxes I found the scrap of dark blue paper to use for a mat.

There you have it my different sort of Christmas card. You could use any sort of sheet music and embellishments to create a simple card.

Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again!