This sketch said Christmas to me

As soon as I got home from work today I checked out my email and the Mojo Monday Sketch. My goal to not miss a Monday sketch has not gone so well lately. This sketch though when I saw it said Christmas to me and in a matter of a few minutes I had another Holiday card made. I really like the design of this sketch. It has lots of possibilities. The poinsettia is stamped twice, embossed in gold, cut out and layered. I used a Sparkle and Sprinkle embossing powder I have had for quite awhile call Christmas for the Happy Holidays. I plan to make a few more of these.

Wow! it sure has been awhile.

I hadn't even realized how long it had been seen I stamped last. These weird hours I'm working are not leaving me with a lot of play time. I have made a promise to myself to show you something at least once a week. Let's see how I do. Today I want to show you some card stock I bought a month ago. Finally played with it this afternoon. It's called Coredinations. For those of you here in Florida, Linda sells it at Scrap and Stamp Art Studio in Lecanto.



Have you heard of it? I'm sure you have. But have you worked with it. Coredinations card stock comes in a bunch of colors. One side is textured and one color. The other side is smooth and another color.



Today I'm going to show you how to use it with your embossing folders. Cut a piece to size, stick it in the folder and run it through your machine.



Now take your sanding block and rub over the design. The back color will start to show through.



Examples of some of the looks you can get. It makes a nice soft background.



Here's a Halloween card I received yesterday from my friend Trish using the Coredinations. This is a great idea for those of you who don't like the ink pad to paper look when working with your embossing folders.

I finished a Mojo Sketch

I've been looking at this sketch all week wanting to do it. I was determined to get it done this morning before I headed for work. I already had this paper attached to the card stock for a project I never finished so decided to start from there. The stamp is from I Brake for Stamps. I used Gamsol and my Prisma pencils to color it.




Here's my attempt at a masked brayered Zindorf. Needs work. She must have a magical brayer.

A whole day to myself

Wow!! It's been awhile since I had a whole day where I didn't have to be somewhere else. So after I cleaned the house and did the laundry I went straight to my desk. Where to begin. After coloring several images and mixing and matching papers and backgrounds I started to complete some cards. Here are a couple. The first background is a piece of glossy card stock. I stamped with Versa mark a leaf background stamp and then embossed in white. Then using a dauber colored here and there with some Adirondack inks. The crackled layer is actually a paint chip. Didn't have to do anything to it. Came that way. Cool!!The leaves were cut out of a piece of a Salted background. The photo doesn't show what the salt does to the ink but it leaves pits in the ink. To do this technique wet a piece of glossy card stock. Paint it with some dye reinkers. Wet again. Sprinkle with salt either Kosher or Table. Let dry. Wipe off the salt.



I received this cute nest image in a swap. I really like it. Used Gamsol and prisma pencils to color. Inked the edge in dark blue and used a light blue pastels to shade around the image. Found a background I had made a long time ago. Wrapped it with an olive green ribbon and added to a white card base.



This next image is another one I got in a swap. Colored the same as the nest. Pressed a Versa Mark pad all over. Poured Heat and Stick powder on it. Heated it up and then Sprinkled with glitter. Easy to do. Sparkly too look at.

Finally some Mojo time!!

After missing the last 2 Mojo sketches I was determined to get this weeks finished. This work schedule has got to change soon. Leave here at 11 and get home at 9. I have no play time and I have so many ideas and projects in the brain. This is a Inkadinkadoo stamp. I searched for days online to find it. You'd think there would be lots of Santa and the reindeer flying images out there but there is not. I was thrilled when I finally found it. So was my husband. He was tired of seeing me glued to the computer all hours of the night. This years Christmas cards will make use of it. I got the idea from the Halloween witch card I posted last week.

It's almost Halloween

My work schedule has made it impossible to work on anything. I did get a few minutes on Sunday and I pulled out a set I bought last Sept after seeing what Michelle Zindorf did with it. I love this. It was so easy and looks like you did a lot.




Today I have all morning off but haven't been able to talk myself into doing anything. Do have some Christmas ideas in my head for an upcoming class. I'm going to try and work on those.

The Demo that wasn't or was it?

First my apologies ladies for not making it to our get together today. I'm sure you were all real disappointed I didn't make it. Or maybe you didn't even know I wasn't there. No I'm going to believe you missed me. Even Gerri missed me I'm sure. I think something or someone was telling me to stay home today. First I had a bad night. Woke up with blood squirting out of a hole on my rear end. I was rubbing my hip which is sore and felt this hard thing and flicked it off. Next thing I knew blood was squirting everywhere. I mean everywhere. Have no clue what it was. We couldn't find anything. My husband got the bleeding to stop and stuck a bandaid on it. It's not sore so who knows. So that was our night. Robin had to be up a 7 this morning. I got up, woke her up and laid back down with the dog. Was still awake when she left at 7:30. The next thing I know it's 9:10. Now I have to leave at 9:30 to get there so got up and dressed. Everything was already packed and I was on my way. Got to the road and the tire went flat. Backed up real slow to get back in the drive and then I gathered up all my stuff and walked home. Next thing I know there is a Sherrif helicopter circling the area where my car is. I'm guessing they think someone is hunting or something because there is a car on State land. Go to get on the tractor to drive up to the car and the dang thing wouldn't get out of park. So I walked back up there. Called the Sherrif's office. Told the dispatcher to tell them it was my car and it had a flat tire. She said to me no one had called in about a car with a flat. I said Maam they are in a helicopter. My car is on the ground. I don't think they can see if I have a flat. She says, guess not well OK. That was the end of the conversation. He left, I walked back home and 15 minutes later he came back. I walked back to the car and sat there waiving at him and then started walking home. He left. Has not come back and I pray when I go and get the mail that my car is still there and hasn't been towed. So that has been my day. I did get my laundry done but didn't want to disappoint all of you so I decided to do a online demo for you. I know it won't be the same. But I will know that you are picking on me and whining as you do the technique at home. So here is the project. The technique is called Bleached Polished Stone.

This is what you need. A bottle of alcohol if using a cotton ball or a spray bottle with alcohol if you have one of the Ranger distress tools and a piece of glossy card stock.


You will also need 2 Dye ink reinkers and a metallic reinker. Now if you use one of the Ranger metallic mixatives you will not need to seal the project when your done. If you use a pigment reinker or gold leaf pen you will need to seal it so it does not rub off. I use Krylon Fixatif Spray when I seal things.

Wet your cotton ball or felt piece with the alcohol. Then add a few drops of the lighter color.

Stomp it pounce it ,or whatever you want to call it, around until you have real good coverage.

Now add a few drops of the next color and do the same thing.

if you feel it is getting dry and the inks are not moving add a little more alcohol.


Now add a few drops of the metallic and a little alcohol and pounce that around till you are happy with the results. .



Let it dry about 5 minutes. Now take your embossing buddy and wipe it across your polished stoned card stock. Ink your stamp with Versa mark and stamp it.



Put black embossing powder on it and then heat emboss.


Next comes the fun part if you haven't already been having fun. You are going to need a small paint brush and some bleach.

Now paint with the bleach between your lines. Let dry a few seconds and add a second coat of bleach. In about 10 minutes this will be your results.

What you have left is the white of the glossy card stock and the metallic reinker. It has a real nice shine to it. I hope you all enjoyed your lunch. I bought Chinese take out after work last night so finished that off. I missed our time today. Looking forward to next month. Give this a try. It's a fun technique and will be the theme for our monthly swap. .