Dannie's Designs

Risk to Blossom

Wow, it's been a few days since I've been on here.  We currently have a cold going through our house.  Just when I thought we were at the tail end of it and only the girls would have it, the boys get sick.  Gotta love this time of year.

I started working on a card a few days ago and it took quite a bit longer to finish than usual.  Wanna see why?

I couldn't find my paper piercer on my stamp desk.  It was like playing Where's Waldo.  That pile of junk looks deceivingly smaller than it really is.  Under all of the stacks of papers, cards, etc. there were 40 spools of ribbon on my desk.  Yup, 4-0!  No wonder I couldn't finish my card.  Not only couldn't I find my tools, there wasn't any place to work either.

Even my paper cutter was buried in the mess.  I'm happy to say that I finally found my paper piercer.  It was tucked away with all of my pencils and pens.  I never would have thought to look there because I always keep it in my Crafter's Tool Kit.  I guess I left it out and my three-year-old thought she'd help me clean up and had put it away for me. 

Are you ready to see my card that took days to make?

When I saw this sentiment, I had to buy it.  It says, "And the day came where the risk it took to stay tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.  -Anais Nin."  Such a beautiful saying.

I stamped the flower image in Baja Breeze ink on Whisper White cardstock.  Then I stamped the sentiment on top of it and embossed it with black embossing powder.  I took some flowers from the Pretties Kit and tried to place them so it looked like a small flower arrangement being held together by the bow in the ribbon.  I finished it by adding a few pearls, some paper piercing and lots of dimensionals.

As usual, I tried to keep the layout of the inside of my card similar to the outside.  Now to finish cleaning my desk and organizing it so it doesn't take me days to make things.  I just have so much fun stamping that I don't want to stop long enough to clean up.  Not a good habit to have.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps:  Great Friend (Verve), To Risk (Verve)
Paper:  Whisper White, Basic Black, Soft Sky, DCWV All Dressed Up Stack
Ink:  Baja Breeze, Versamark
Accessories:  Paper Piercer, Pretties Kit, Dimensionals, Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Pearls,  Nestabilities, Basic Black Embossing Powder

Big Shot Card

I was so excited that today was Wednesday because I didn't have much to do.  I was going to sit at home, relax, and enjoy the day.  Wrong!  Ever since I got up I have been running non-stop and I still have so much more to do.  It doesn't look like I'm going to get any time to stamp today.  Sigh!

I did, however, want to stop by quickly and show you this cute card that we made at my downline meeting last week.

Mona designed this card for us.  Every card or project that she makes comes almost entirely from the Big Shot.  The Early Espresso Top Note layer and the center of the flower were embossed using the Square Lattice embossing folder.  I adhered the Top Note layer so that the bumpy side of the texture was showing.  For the center of the flower I adhered it so that the less bumpy side (the back) was showing.  It helped mix up the texture on the card.

I know this post is short and simple, but I'm off and running.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Thumping Technique

These past couple of days it has been raining and chilly.  I can definitely feel fall in the air.  This time last year I was in such a fog that it didn't even feel like the holidays to me.  I'm happy to say that this year is much different.  My kids already have their halloween costumes and they're already planning their trick-or-treat route.  Bring on the holidays!

Since it's beginning to feel like fall, I pulled out my Lovely as a Tree stamp set and made this card.

You can click on the picture to see a larger version for more detail.  I inked up the trees in More Mustard ink and then took the brush end of my Cajun Craze, Pumpkin Pie, and Old Olive markers and "thumped" on the rubber stamp (thumping technique) to add different colors.  Then I stamped it on the Very Vanilla cardstock.  It's gorgeous the way the colors blended together.  Instead of using designer series paper on this card, I used the French Foliage stamp set to create the background layer.

For the inside of my card I took a post-it note and tore a ragged edge across the adhesive part of the paper and adhered it to the More Mustard cardstock.  I then took a sponge and sponged More Mustard ink all over the exposed part of my cardstock.  I finished it off with some stamped leaf images.  I peeled off the post-it note and was left with this beautiful design.

Questions?  Just let me know.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree, French Foliage, Sincere Salutations
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard, Old Olive, Cajun Craze
Ink:  Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard, Old Olive, Cajun Craze, Chocolate Chip
Accessories:  Old Olive Ribbon, Dimensionals, Sponge
Punches:  Scallop Trip Border

Birthday Cards

As I mentioned earlier in the week, I'm trying to get caught up on my "to do" list.  One of the things I've been wanting to do is share a few hand-stamped birthday cards that I received back in August.

I got this gorgeous card from my upline Blythe.  I love the little scalloped edge beneath the row of cakes.  It adds just the right touch.  It's such a cute color combination too.

My downline Donna gave me this darling card.  She colored the image with Copic markers.  She blended the colors so well too.  I have some of these markers and need to learn how to use them better.

This last card I got from my downline Elaine.  I love how she used several circles to make the card.  When I make cards I feel the need to fill up the entire front with colors, paper, images, etc.  Sometimes it's the simple cards that are just striking.  I love how she finished off the front with a scalloped edge at the bottom.

Thank you ladies for the gorgeous birthday cards!

Black Magic

At my last downline meeting Elaine taught us how to do the Black Magic technique. 

I stamped the flower image and the grass image in Whisper White Craft ink on  Chocolate Chip cardstock.  I waited for the image to dry (you can heat set it with the heat gun if you're in a hurry) and then colored the images with Pure Color pencils.  I started with the lightest color first an then started blending it with the darker colors. 

This is a really easy technique to try and it gives such stunning results.  It's called "black" magic because most people use it on black cardstock.  Elaine thought she'd try it out with Chocolate Chip instead and it looks just as stunning as some of the black samples I've seen.  Give it a try.  You'll love the results.  Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Inspired by Nature, Afterthoughts
Paper:  Chocolate Chip, River Rock, Bravo Burgundy
Ink:  Whisper White Craft, Chocolate Chip
Accessories:  Pure Color Pencils, Daffodil Delight Ribbon, Dimensionals
Punches:  Scallop Oval, Oval
Big Shot:  Top Note, Square Lattice Embossing Folder

Thinking Of You

Several weeks ago I sat down to try out this Mojo Monday sketch challenge.

I got most of the card done and then I was called out of town when my dad was hospitalized.  It sat unfinished for several weeks and I finally got around to putting the finishing touches on it.

I inked up the tree image and the sentiment in Versamark ink, then I inked the image on my Rich Razzleberry pad and then stamped it on Whisper White cardstock.  I sprinkled clear embossing powder over the image and heat embossed it.  I don't have a Rich Razzleberry craft pad, so I cheated.  If you try this yourself, be sure to clean the stamp each time you do this so you're not getting Rich Razzleberry ink all over your versamark pad. 

I used my nestabilities to cut out the circle image and the scalloped circle.  Like usual, I used my paper piercer to pierce holes in each of the scallops.  The sentiment has three dots at the end of it, but I covered those dots up with three little rhinestones.  I wanted to add a little bling and that worked perfectly.

I finished off the inside of my card with a piece of Orchid Opulence cardstock cut out with the Top Note Big Shot die.   It looks really purple in the picture, but it goes well with the colors in the DSP.  That's all I have for today.  I'm off and running.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps:  Thoughts and Prayers
Paper:  Whisper White, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Cottage Wall DSP
Ink: Versamark, Rich Razzleberry
Accessories:  Clear Embossing Powder, Nestabilities,  Paper Piercing Tool, Old Olive Satin Ribbon, Dimensionals, Rhinestiones, Hemp Twine
Punches:  Tag Corner
Big Shot:  Top Note

Roses in Winter

I'm back!  I just needed a little break from all of the hustle and bustle.  Plus I was trying to get caught back up on life.  I realize that's a never ending battle, so I might as well jump back in and get to doing what I love...stamping!

My favorite stamp set that Stampin' Up! has made is Roses in Winter.  It retired a while ago, but this is a set that I will never part with.  You can make the most beautiful flowers with it.  I pulled it out the other day and made this 5 1/4" square card.

The flower is made from three separate stamps.  The largest flower image is stamped in Bliss Blue, the second layer is stamped in Buckaroo Blue after I stamped it off once on scratch paper, and the third layer is Buckaroo Blue full strength.  The leaf image is stamped in Old Olive.  I inked up the larger leaf image and then stamped it off on scratch paper before stamping it on my card.  The smaller leaf image is stamped full strength.

I added several light blue Dew Drops on my cards.  Depending on what color image was beneath the Dew Drops, they changed colors slightly. 

I stamped a simple flower on the inside of my card so I had plenty of room to write a message.  See what I mean?  This set makes beautiful flowers in just a few seconds.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Stamps:  Roses in Winter
Paper:  Shimmery White, Bliss Blue, Buckaroo Blue
Ink:  Bliss Blue, Buckaroo Blue, Old Olive
Accessories:  Nestabilities, Dimensionals, Old Olive Satin Ribbon, Water Dew Drops