Reflection Technique: February's TAT Challenge

The Stamp Addicts Blogging Group on Split Coast have started at Try-A-Technique Challenge (TAT).  Each month one of us hosts: picks a technique to use for the challenge, posts links to various resources explaining the technique and generally prods us...ahem...encourages us to give it a go!

This month's TAT is Reflection Technique.  Stamp your main image(s) and create a reflection of that image by stamping onto vellum, wax paper, acetate, etc., flipping it over and Viola!  You have the inverse of the image as a reflection.

Here's what I managed to come up with:

I just love this old SU set.  The card base is Wasau cream stock, the mountain stamp is a favorite from somewhere, there is no name on it.  Likely an eBay treasure.  It's stamped in Creamy Caramel and lightly sponged with Old Olive.  The sky is sponged with Brocade Blue and Not Quite Navy.

I stamped the image & colored with SU markers, then cut her out and popped her out on top of the "lake".  I've had these clear and various colors of vellum forever, bought when I was just beginning to make cards.  I used to buy anything, thinking it was cool, and eventually I would know how to use it. LOL

The image was stamped again and colored onto the blue vellum, dried with the heat gun, then flipped over to get the reverse.  Then mounted on the card base.

Here's a view from the side so you can see (sort of)

 the depth of the mounting on the image and the sentiment.

I really liked this technique and think that there are lots of possibilities to be considered for its use.  I can hardly wait for next month's TAT challenge to be announced!




Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit the  other members of Stamp Addicts (their blogs are listed on my sidebar) to admire their Reflection Techniques!  You'll be impressed!

I Am Gifted with the Liebster Award!

My wonderful friend Barb (barbaralynn on Split Coast) has named me as one of the recipients of the Liebster Blog Award!

I am truly amazed, since being such a newbie to blogging, I hardly even know why she would do such a kind and thoughtful thing.  However she did!  Isn't that just like her?  Thank you Barb!!  Check out her wonderful blog here:
Inkingintoretirement

Well, it seems that I am to pass this award along to 5 others.  So...I am so pleased to pass this reward along to the following talented crafters who have enriched my life.  I urge you to visit their blogs and leave them some well-deserved love!

1.  Paige
2.  Joan
3.  April
4.  Shelly
5.  Lynn

Please take a few minutes and visit each of their lovely blogs, admire their wonderful creations and leave them some love!  They deserve it!!

Hugs!

Lou & Bijou's Nightly Routine

Pets like their routines, and birds are no exception to this.  Lou (our Budgie) and Bijou (our Lovebird) have this routine:
When I come home from work, the heat downstairs has been turned on for a while to warm it up (they spend most of their days upstairs, where we have the heat on).  Everyone greets me at the door, hubby, Lou & Bijou.  After greeting them all back, Lou & Bij decide whether they want to be on our shoulders or run and play tag on the kitchen & family room floor.

Eventually they always opt for the tag-you're-it game.  Bijou is usually the front runner, and typical younger-child fashion, Lou is the "wait for me, I wanna come too!" kind of follower.  We prepare our dinner with them underfoot and have become accustomed to watching out for them.  Sometimes when it gets too distracting, they are put on a towel over the back of a kitchen chair and perch there to supervise.

I tried to get them to be still long enough to grab a picture

Showing the different blues on their backs.

I shot these 2 pictures really quickly with my iPhone, so they are not the best.  But I was trying to capture how differently they are colored, even though they are both blue.

They are both the same size, weighing about 50 grams each.  But you can see that they have very different body shapes.  Hmmm, people do too!

Lou is a vibrant teal & aqua with black & white accents.  Bij has a mix of gray-blues, some violet and a peach forehead.



Wow, my floor looks dirty!  Actually the linoleum is over 20 years old and needs to be replaced.  It's seen lots of wear & tear that children can do to a kitchen LOL.  It's clean, just lots of marks on it!

They like to worry shoelaces, working on the little plastic coating on the ends.  Bijou had claimed Hubby's shoe and wouldn't let Lou get on it.  She had been running back & forth, from side to side trying to join him & he wouldn't let her play.

So I picked her up and showed her that Daddy had two shoes.  She thought that was pretty cool and got busy with her own set of laces.  Bijou of course, did not play anymore, just spent all of his time watching her to make sure she stayed put.  Pfft!

Full tummy and sleepy.

After they eat their dinner (which they refuse to do until the requisite amount of playing tag) they each retreat to specific spots. Bijou picks me or my husband and has some snuggle time.  Lou perches up high on a dried grapevine branch outside of the play cage.  She faces us and sits, preening, dozing and sometimes singing the prettiest collection of sleepy songs and little chirps.
Here's Bijou on my chest while I'm in the recliner.  He flattens out just like a little hampster or mouse, and gets a nice petting.  I usually hum to him.  Then by 8:00 or 8:30 they are ready to go to bed for the night.

That's our little family at the moment!

Dancing In the Rain!

Here is a card made for my dear friend, Jeanette's "Rain in the Forest Swap".  Now, it doesn't necessarily have to be forest related, The Forest is what we call her community on SCS, and she is known there as the Forest Ranger.  (Don't know why I am explaining this because I think all of my followers know her! LOL)   Anyway...

The color scheme is SU's Crushed Curry & Mellon Mombo, and the adorable Umbrella DP is from American Crafts, their Hello Sunshine series.  I'm not sure where I bought the stamp from...I've had it a while.  The ribbon is from either Michael's or AC Moore, bought on sale of course.  A Martha Stewart border punch was used along the edge and Mellon Mombo paper mounted on the inside panel to show through.

Here is a picture of a bouquet of flowers that our son brought me for my birthday a few weeks back.  The picture was actually taken TWO WEEKS after he brought me the flowers.  I texted him this picture because it was unbelievable that they lasted so long.  These flowers were my color inspiration for the card.

Here is a closer image showing more detail on the cute umbrellas. I only had one sheet of that DP, and now that it's gone, I think I may just have to get some more.  I really like it.

I certainly hope that those who receive my card in Jeanette's swap like them.

And remember:
Just DANCE!!  It will make you feel good!

Humorous Guy/Geek Card

My friend April is hosting a humorous card swap.  That's just my style, especially for men.  So here's what I made for the swap:

The stamps are from My Favorite Things. The panel and tag are popped up to give some dimension.  The DP is from SU, sorry that I don't know the name of it. It's colored with Prismas & Gamsol. There's a shiny silver rivet on the tag.

Here's the inside, it says
"The geek shall inherit the Earth".  Probably true.  I should know, I'm married to one!

This stamp set is really fun, since the shirt and computer face are blank and there's a lot of tiny sayings that you can put on the shirt, computer, etc.  I used some on the front left panel.

Binary, anyone?

011000111

       ;)

Dueling Darlings February Challenge!

Here it is, at the last minute (so to speak)!

The Dueling Darlings are at it again, and since it's the 15th of the month, it's time to post our creations from Debbie, our lovely hostess this round.

And what a great kit she sent us, the cutest little Valentine's images, a sweet sentiment for the inside, pretty DP, ribbons, flowers, brads, all kinds of goodies to work with.  One fun element was a wonderful doily die cut.  This is my first to use a doily die cut and I was so happy to get to play with it.

I decided to use the red & white polka dot DP that was in the kit as a backdrop for the doily. Each layer is popped up so it has considerable depth but I wasn't successful in capturing it in my photos.  The card base is die cut with my Big Shot, then stamped and clear embossed with a fun stamp of candy hearts. I just love that stamp!

Debbie included the sweet "love" charm that I hung off of the doily on the bottom right side. The adorable mouse & heart is colored with SU markers and I replaced the flower on the image with a bright green bling-flower!  Used Nesties scallops to cut out the image and the green layer behind it, dragging the edges over the stamp pad to give them some color.  The ribbon is something from my stash, it has tiny pink polka dots on it (I know, can you believe that I used so much PINK??)  Ha ha!

Here's a peek at the inside.  I oval punched the sentiment, dividing it up into two segments, accented again by a bit of green bling.  Since I was gone over 14 hours yesterday between work and church, Hubby & I are celebrating Valentine's Day tonight (although we don't actually do much to celebrate it) and is his card.  Debbie: hubby said he likes the mouse!  And he likes pink more than I do LOL!!!

Actually, I had a lot of fun with this kit.  We were challenged to post who we thought the saying related to in our life.  Well, so very many people flooded my mind.  Family (here and in heaven), of course my hubby (even when he's difficult ha ha!) and so very many dear friends.  I can't even count how many times my friends have helped me through tough times when I didn't think that I could cope!  And my friends in the Dueling Darlings are counted amongst those friends that I rely on for cheer, support and fun!  Love you all!