Grow Love With Kindess hop

Polka Dot Orchard is having a Grow Love With Kindness hop over on Instagram today!  I wanted to share on my blog as well for those of you who don't do Instagram plus I can share all the details.  I am using the Blessed Lives set which you can pick up HERE in the Polka Dot Orchard store.

Alright, let's talk cards.  I recently watched a video from Jennifer McGuire.  She is such a constant source of inspiration!  I was intrigued by the Split Card technique.  Basically you work with one image, cut it down the center and it gives you two cards!  I always love getting two-for-one!

I started by printing out the main image and the two sentiments onto a piece of Copic friendly cardstock.  I colored it with Copic markers.  I went for a vintage color palette.  The pinks are RV11, RV32 and RV34.  The greens are BG93, BG96 and BG99.  That's it.  Six colors.

Once I was done with the coloring, I found the center of my image and cut it.  I know, I just colored it and then I cut right through it.  I promise it will be okay!

I went around the outer edge of the cut panel with a black sharpie to give it a heavy black line.  I then grabbed a ruler and a fine tip black marker to create a thin frame.  I felt like this step added a lot of visual dimension to the panel without adding actual dimension.

I adhered them both to some gorgeous paper from Basic Grey (out of print) and then onto a top folding card base.  To add just a little something extra I used Love Potion Nuvo Dream Drops.  Here are both of the completed cards.

Here they are next to each other.

And here they are apart.

This technique was a lot of fun and I can't wait to try it again.  As a reminder, this is actually a part of an Instagram hop.  You can find me there @ruok or you can start the hop from the Polka Dot Orchard Instagram account @polkadotorchard.  The next person on the IG hop is @vonmariedesigns

Toodles!

~Kristina

Ellen Hutson 4th of July sale!

I'm a little late but I wanted to make sure to let you know that one of my favorite online retailers is having a sale.  Ellen Hutson is having a 20% off EVERYTHING sale.  There are just a few restrictions so please be sure to read the fine print on the graphic below.  Sale goes through July 5th.

CLICK HERE

Happy shopping!

~Kristina

Compensated affliate links may be used - I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you should you make a purchase using my link.

Let's get inky!

Hello my friends!  Today I'm bringing you along on my recent crafty adventure.  Let me start off by telling you I'm using the Beauty of His Grace set from Polka Dot Orchard.  This set (along with all others!) are on sale for the 35% off in the PDO store.  You can go directly to the store by clicking HERE.

Purchase HERE

Here's my creation for today.

I was looking for a way to use digital stamps with alcohol inks.  Enter heavy vellum!  I printed the main image onto heavy vellum.  I flipped it over to the backside and started adding alcohol inks.  I  worked carefully to apply the colors roughly in an area where I wanted them.  Mojito for the leaves and stem.  Ember for the flowers. Teakwood for the butterfly body.  Boysenberry for the butterfly and Glacier for the sky.

With the help of isopropyl alcohol and a puffer tool, I was able to spread the colors out in a controlled manner.  I just kept working at it until I was pleased with the way it looked.  I then added splatters of just isopropyl alcohol.

I wanted to make sure that my adhesive wouldn't show so I added double sided tape that covered the enter piece.  I adhered it to a piece of plain white cardstock and then cut it out with a stitched rectangle die.  I placed it to leave a strip of white on the right and bottom of the panel.

The sentiment also comes from the Beauty of His Grace set.  I printed it out onto white cardstock and ran it through my Minc machine with a blue foil that matched well with the Glacier alcohol ink.  I took this photo at an angle so you can actually see the foiling.

And a close up so you can so some more of the detail.

This really was an easy card to create.  Plus, I always feel like a little kid in art class when I get to play around with alcohol inks!

Thanks so much for visiting today!

~Kristina

Supplies used: 

Compensated affliate links may be used - I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you should you make a purchase using my link.

Neenah Solar White Shop at: SBC | EH	Tombow Mono Multi Liquid glue Shop at: SBC | EH	Heidi Swapp MINC 6 inch Mini Foil Applicator Shop at: SBC	8.5 inch Tonic Guillotine Cutter Shop at: EH
A2 Stitched Rectangle Stax Set 1 dies -My favorite things Shop at: EH	40lb Vellum Shop at: SBC | EH	iCraft Deco Foil - Turquoise Shop at: SBC | EH	Glacier Alcohol Ink Shop at: SBC | EH
Ember Alcohol Ink Shop at: SBC | EH	Mojito Alcohol ink Shop at: SBC | EH	Teakwood Alcohol ink Shop at: EH	Boysenberry Alcohol ink Shop at: SBC | EH

Stand up guy - Baby version

Hi guys!  Today I'm bringing you a baby girl card.  The stamp set I used is Stand Up Guy from Polka Dot Orchard.  Yep, you read that right, Stand Up Guy.  But Kristina, you say, that stamp set is for GUYS.  Well, sure it is BUT with a little creativity I totally made a baby girl card.  Check out this set.

Purchase HERE

I have a co-worker who is expecting a baby girl any day now and I wanted to have a card all ready to go.  I was making a few sketches and I was struck with the idea to use the giraffe.  I mean, giraffes are totally perfect for baby cards.

I just adore how this turned out!  I love it when a plan in my brain actually works out on paper.  Let's talk details.

I cut a piece of watercolor paper to 8 3/4" x 3 3/4".  I picked out two Distress Oxide inks to use with Trinity Stamp's Slimline Stripes stencil. I'm using the diagonal one today.  I sprayed the stencil with Pixie Spray and got to work.  I used Spun Sugar for the first layer.  Now, I wanted to use the stencil in the opposite direction to create a gingham look.  The stencil isn't big enough for that but don't let that stop you.  I just moved it to where I needed it and lined it up.  I made sure not to leave any harsh edge lines when I used Picked Raspberry for the next layer.  I also spritzed it with clean water and dabbed it up.  Plus, I sprayed it with Shimmer Spray!

I set that piece aside and went to the giraffes next.  I resized them to fit my purposes and printed them out onto Neenah Solar White cardstock.  I then colored them up with Copic markers.  I used RV17, 13 and 11.  I went around the entire border of the giraffe with T1 and the colorless blender.  Next I cut them out using a slimline die from Whimsy Stamps called Slimline Scallops.

I bet you're wondering what I'm going to do about the necktie.  Just wait!

Next I colored the scalloped ovals leftover from cutting out the giraffes.  I used the Picked Raspberry and a blending sponge to color them.  I cut additional ovals out of scrap white cardstock and glued 3 layers together for each oval.

Now it's time to start building the card.  I trimmed the striped panel 1/4" off of one short side and one long side.  I didn't want to waste the long strip I cut off so I added it to the inside.

I glued the striped panel down to a white card base which is 8 3/4" x 3 3/4".  I used temporary adhesive to place the pink ovals down.  Then I tucked in the giraffe ovals.  I picked the ovals back up and added liquid glue before putting them back in place.  I printed the "Welcome Baby" sentiment from the brand new Footprints On Our Hearts set onto white cardstock.  I trimmed it down and backed it with a piece of gray cardstock.  Then glued it down.

I held the finished card in the sunlight to try and catch all the shimmer from the shimmer spray.  It's so awesome!  You can also see how I handled the ties.  I colored them like one of the other spots.  Then I used teeny tiny adhesive backed gems to make it look like they are wearing necklaces!  Pretty clever, eh?

And of course I didn't want to have just a plain old white envelope.  No sir.  I got out the new Slimline Envelope Builder die from Trinity stamps and made a cute pink envelope.  It makes my matchy-matchy heart so happy!

Oh, I almost forgot, Polka Dot Orchard is having a 35% off sale right NOW.  No code needed!  Go get yourself some new goodies.  You deserve it!  Thanks so much for stopping by my crafty corner of the world!  

~Kristina

Supplies used: 

Compensated affliate links may be used - I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you should you make a purchase using my link.

Neenah Solar White Shop at: SBC | EH	Tombow Mono Multi Liquid glue Shop at: SBC | EH	Tonic Studios-Retractable Craft Pick Shop at: SBC | EH	Mini Ink Blending Tool Shop at: SBC | EH
1/4 inch double sided tape Shop at: SBC	Distress Oxide - Picked Raspberry Shop at: SBC	Copic Marker Colorless Blender Shop at: EH	Sheer Shimmer Spritz, Sparkle Shop at: EH
Spun Sugar Distress Oxide Shop at: SBC | EH	Cloud 9, Nuvo Dream Drops Shop at: SBC | EH	Copic Marker T1 Shop at: EH	Copic Marker RV11 Shop at: EH
Copic Marker RV13 Shop at: EH	Copic Marker RV17 Shop at: EH	8.5 inch Tonic Guillotine Cutter Shop at: EH	Slimline Stripes stencils - Trinity Stamps Shop at: T
Slimline Envelope Builder die - Trinity Stamps Shop at: T