Tuesday

 While I am in 'blog' mode I will add a few more random cards from last week.      

 

                                      Oops, Its Lucy Lou again..   

         This is A pocketful of Happiness die from Zoska . She is an inspiration. Look at her blog, then look at her store. These are her designs. Used paper in 2 blues, 2 yellow/gold, and an ivory. Made 5 cards. So easy!
         Another one from A pocketful of Happiness.

This is a 5x7 background die. Again easy!

Thanks for looking!

Mary

                                           

Tues July 18th

 Busy busy, well, not as much as I would like to project. Ha. I was on pinterest just now, (busy), and saw a card with the Simon Hurley Photosynthesis vases and flowers. It looked like the vases were metal, gilding paste, which I would never have thought to use. Cool. Just remembered I did a lot of these a few weeks ago. Lets get started!

                                            oops. Happy Lucy.

Most of these were different background paper or embossed layer.

I will add a sentiment when I know where or to whom it is going.

              Have to point out the black butterfly paper. It is from Magenta probably 20 years ago. Do we all keep it all?

             

    Love the yellow! That is about it for now.

 

    Thanks for looking!

Mary

 

                                             

                                      

                           

Saturday July 8th

Here we are two days later and still excited about the BetterPress techniques. Dawn came over Thursday and we experimented and just played with it. Most everything we did was with Neenah 110 cardstock. I liked the cotton papers, but for the most part I got a crisper image on the Neenah. I wasn't getting the 'impressed' image  on the cotton paper. So.........Please take a look at the videos out there (?) I will like a couple. I watched Simon Hurley and that was good. The really interesting one was Bibi Cameron. She is not afraid to take chances!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aKmtWhnqZQ  

Everyone  of them have something to offer. 

 Friday I used my BetterPress dies with my foil machine. This totally makes it worth the investment. Here are some of my observations...

                            

               These are just gold foiled. I finally put the one with the flower cluster together and tried to watercolor. Needs love......

                    Black foil, oh my, this is stunning! 110# Neenah cs             The day got even better when I tried my Memento inkpad on the dies. #110 cs & memento. I can use my copics!!!

 FYI: On every piece I inked with the Memento I used a 5x7 110# cardstock shim on the top of the press. Without that I would've had to run the piece through at least two times.
                                     TAKE A LOOK!!

 I saw several florals used as a background in circles, arches and more. These I could cut up if I want to after I use my copics! Ha.

                          FYI: Watch the Bibi Cameron video! She wraps her magnetic base in press & seal. She removes one of the extra shims from under the base to make room that the press & seal will take. This is the easiest clean up ever. No ink on the base!

                            Couple more pictures today.........

Finally finished a colored  pencil. Next and last one, if the 65# flimsy cs inked with the betterpress ink and finished with copic markers! Not a good idea as it smeared in places.

Hope you have as much fun as I have the last few days!

Thanks for looking today!

Mary

                             

Thursday July 6th

 Happy Summer! I am happily playing with my new Spellbinders BetterPress this morning. I got it Friday, but waited for my second order on Wednesday to open it. That was hard.

          Right away I will suggest one of the many videos available for the basic instructions. I am amazed that it is so easy! So what you get today are observations and experiments from yesterday and today. Lots more to do! These first 3 cards were done with the cotton paper suggested by Spellbinders. Used white on two, and off white on the Happy birthday. The Happy birthday was ran through the big shot TWO time to achieve the real black image.

                               Ran these words through 2 times. 

                  The next images were impressed on 110# cs.  I am so happy that worked!

           The orientation could be either vertical or horizontal, I 'stamped' this one two times on the same cs. 110# Neenah.

              Overstamped while stamping the second time.... right is left, left is right.....something like that. These little words come with their dies! Happy to save the paper.

                    Have not used colored pencils in years! These inks are not compatible with copics. I will try watercolor soon.       

80# cardstock ran through 2 times  

This is peachy in color and 65# cardstock. I only ran it through one time. Maybe if I would have ran it through again!

When you mess up.... turn the paper over!

Couple little extras from last nights playtime.

That is it for this time, but my next one will be using the dies with the foil machine!

 

Thanks for looking

Mary