May 12 2008
Dragonfly Friends
Dragonflies always make me think of warm, still summer days near the water — the buzzing whir of insect wings, seed pods snapping open all around me, the occasional kerplunk of a bullfrog leaving its sunny lily pad float for the water’s cooling depths. There’s a lake we like to visit every year…more a pond, really…actually, it’s a small flooded meadow — picture Walden’s Pond. No motor boats, not even a boat ramp, but we like to slip a small car topper past the water’s edge and float quietly among the summer sounds all day. I’m longing to be there this very moment, but I’m afraid summertime isn’t quite here yet.
I was determined to make a simple card today. I really need to get better at that. One stamped panel, a sentiment and some ribbon, perhaps? I was a little surprised at how quickly this card went together. I know there’s not a lot to it, but I’m beginning to understand the allure of the simple card.
My stamped panel features the KK Originals Dragonfly Double Take stamps from Rubbernecker Stamp Co. It’s a set of two stamps — a solid and an outline. I stamped the solid dragonfly image several times in Versamark on glossy white cardstock then rubbed over it with ColorBox Fluid Chalk inks in Lime Pastel and Ice Jade. I used wadded bathroom tissue (yes, TP) as my blending tool — take up some ink from the pad, then rub it over the glossy panel. The Versamark images will resist the ink, thus the name for this technique, Versamark Resist. I stamped the outline on just one dragonfly image and covered the wings with Crystal Stickles. The white cardstock base has a slight texture to it. The sentiment is also from Rubbernecker.
It wasn’t until I’d finished the card that I realized the solid dragonfly images have no antennae — dang it! Poor things, flying around bumping into each other! Did you notice? I haven’t been able to focus on much of anything else about the card since I zeroed in on that. I hope it’s all right. I was so excited about making a simple card…
This will be my last post as a guest designer for Rubbernecker Stamp Co. I’ve enjoyed my time with them and you can bet I’m not done using their images. They’ve been a great team to work with, too — warm hearted and caring of each other. Thanks, girls, for bringing me into the fold and making me feel welcome!
Just a couple more things… you’ll find Rubbernecker Bucks up for grabs Tuesday at Linda’s Works of Heart (Linda Duke) and Walkin’ On The Bad Side (Sherry Cheever). Don’t miss out!
Treasure Hunt Tuesday means there’s a free stamp to be had if you can find it (it’s pretty easy pickin’s, actually) at Rubbernecker Stamp Co. Go here on Tuesday for your Treasure Hunt clue. Good luck to you! Have a wonderful day!
- Stamps: Dragonfly Double Take - SKU: 4021-O, Glad We’re Text - SKU: 25-21
- Paper: Glossy white, textured white, Tempting Turquoise
- Ink: Colorbox Fluid Chalk inks in Lime Pastel, Ice Jade and Chestnut Roan, Versamark, Chocolate Chip
- Accessories: Ribbon, Crystal Stickles
Oh I LOVE the gorgeous results of this cool technique. This card is absolutely beautiful, Leslie. And I didn’t notice the missing antennae until you pointed it out!
Lovely card. Sometimes we cardmakers go overboard with the layers and the finished card gets busy. I love your beautiful cards, Leslie. I didn’t notice the missing antennae.
Gorgeous! I love the cool, restful colours and atmosphere of your card. Can just see the scene you described. And no, I hadn’t noticed the lack of antennae until you pointed it out! Don’t think that it takes anything away from the card.
Lovely! I love these long sized cards! I have yet to try the versamark technique and Ithink it’s about time I do!. Is your card the size that would fit in a business envelope?
Sorry to hear you’re leaving Rubbernecker but happy to know you’ll still be using their images! Your work is gorgeous and I love my daily visits! This card is lovely!
Leslie, this card is simply gorgeous! I love your Versamark resist - in my favorite colors! And it does NOT matter that the dragonflies don’t have antennae!
I’m so sad that you’re leaving the design team now. But I’ll still be here every day for a visit!
LOL about the lake/pond/flooded meadow!!! But what is a car topper??? Is that how you refer to a canoe? You know what I’m picturing? One of those camper tops for a pickup truck, upside down in the middle of a big puddle, with you lying in it sipping a cool, tall summer drink through a straw!!!! HA!! Thanks for that image!!!
I love your sparkly dragonfly, and the background you’ve created is so beautiful!! (I wouldn’t have noticed the antennae missing if you hadn’t mentioned it.) I love your long card shape, and your ribbon treatment as well!! You do simple very beautifully, Leslie!!
Beautiful card…and I didn’t notice the missing antennae until you mentioned it and I had to go back and look at it…I think it looks just fine without it
Charmaine
What a sweet and simple, but beautiful card. Your stickles and heat curled ribbon are such a nice touch. No antennas……hmmmm, even though I did not notice, but you let the cat out of the bag…….they are still perfect
TFS
I didn’t even notice until you mentioned it! I was admiring the beautiful sparkly dragonfly and your gorgeous card!!! I love it!
However, Leslie, you did get my curiousity up so I went and looked the dragonflies up in my Audubon book. You can consider the dragonfly with the antennae as whimsical and not realistic because in my Audubon book dragonflies do not have antennae. When I look at the images in the Audubon Field Guide I see two extensions that appear on the side of the joint between the head and body which I think are called cerci and used for holding objects, and IMHO this is what is mistakenly thought to be antennae.
I have quite a few rubberstamps with dragonfly images and most have no antennae but I do have a couple that do have them. I just enjoy however the artist wants to render them and then enjoy them when another artist makes them come to life - you! Thank you for sharing your art
this is beautiful Leslie! I love the colors and the simple elegance of this card!
*STAMPIN HUGS* Alex
This is so pretty, I love the color!!!
Leslie ~ This card is just beautiful…I love the simple…it is so elegant…Thanks for sharing your tip about the heat iron on organdy ribbon. I used that on one of my cards for Flourishes and it worked perfectly.
This is absolutely darling Leslie! I love the glitter, colors, shape…very cool!
HELP! I tried this technique. I had glossy cardstock from SU and stamped a bold image with versamark. I then used tp to dab on some ink but it just keeps taking up the versamark. I then tried to dry the versamark with my embossing gun and changed my ink and it still smeared and I did not get an image. Please advise me if you left out a step. Does it have to be completely dry, the versamark, to work. Do I need specific kind of ink to do this technique? Please advise me if you can. I love the look of this card and would like to make some background paper for cards with this technique but can’t quite get it to work.
Thanks for your help!
Jen
This is so gorgeous! I think the dragonflies look just fine without antennae!
very pretty, I love dragonflies and the way you did the bg is so pretty, love the sparkle on the wings!
Lovely colors! I forget about techniques such as this! (And I love the sparkly dragonfly!)
That dragonfly versamark resist is *delish*! and no worries—they don’t have antennae!
A very lovely simple card, Leslie, and oh how I love the versamark resist background in greens that you created here! I’ve got to use my chalk inks more. I’m so happy there are a few more large and handsome dragonflies flitting around my yard this year. And I wouldn’t worry about those solid dragonflies without antennaes - ghost dragonflies don’t need those to get around! Linda