Frosted Four and a Freebie

Hi!  Sorry that I haven't made it around to check out everyone's blogs lately.  As I mentioned in my last post, I've been very busy with my university class and only finding time to make small things here and there.  Speaking of small things, here is one that I made recently.
 

Supplies: carstock from Neenah Paper; paint from DecoArt; ink from Tsukineko; glue from Elmer's; beads from my stash.

Why would I make a "frosted" paper four?  Because this happened...

Yes, I turned forty.  I can't wait to scrapbook my birthday photos.  I still have the paper four, and I hope to incorporate it into my page design as an embellishment.

My class ends in early May, so things will be back to normal soon on my blog.  In the meantime, I wanted to share this free printable from Shimelle.  It's perfect for birthdays, or for any time really.  You'll find a link to the full-sized printable at the bottom of this post.  Cheers!

Hard-to-Use Paper: Stamping, Painting, Misting

Hi, everyone.  Wow, it has been over a month since I posted.  That is very strange for me.  As you may remember, I am taking a university class this semester.  It sure has been keeping me busy!  I've been reading, researching, writing...and not blogging very much.  I haven't had a ton of time for creating, either, but I have been making a few little things.  Today I have three cards to share with you.

Supplies: cardstock from Neenah Paper; patterned paper from Basic Grey; stamps from Unity; stamping ink from Hero Arts; mist from October Afternoon.

My goal with these cards was to incorporate some hard-to-use paper.  Don't get me wrong, I love this paper from Basic Grey's 6x6" "Out of Print" collection.  But the patterns are very busy, and I needed to find a way to tone them down.  For this first card (above) I stamped on the paper with a butterfly stamp three times and then fussy cut around the images.  I love how the butterflies turned out!  They look like stained glass. 

Supplies: cardstock from Neenah Paper; patterned paper from Basic Grey; butterfly stamp & sentiment stamp from Unity; swirl stamp from My Mind's Eye; standard office hole punch; stamping ink from Hero Arts; assorted acrylic paints; pen from Zig.

This card is a little edgier.  I call it "girly grunge."  I stamped the butterfly again, but I also painted over a piece of patterned paper to create an interesting background.

Supplies: cardstock from Neenah Paper; patterned paper from Basic Grey; turtle stamp & stamping ink from Hero Arts; dashed line stamp from My Mind's Eye; assorted acrylic paints; glitter from Ranger; mists from October Afternoon; masks & sentiment sticker from my stash.

For this last card, I went whole hog with stamping, painting, and misting to create an underwater scene.  The patterned paper is only barely visible under all that mixed media, but it's still there, making a statement in the background.

So there you have it--I used stamping, painting, and misting to transform patterned paper.  And I ended up with three completely different looks: stained glass, girly grunge, and undersea.  Which one do you like best?