Sunday, July 31, 2016

Challenge Creations . . .

A few challenge cards to share today.  First up is a card that is for Freshly Made Sketches and Color Throwdown.  The sketch and color scheme are further below, so check `them out.  Here is my card . . .




And here are the inspiration photos . . .





Love a soft colored thank you card.

And then next, for Stamp Ink Paper.  Here is there sketch . . .
SIP Challenge 58
  And here is my card . . .


And then finally . . . "Journey" . . . for CASology.  And here is my bear on a journey . . .



 I certainly hope you found some time to create this week.


Supplies Used - Thank You for Being Awesome
Stamps:  Lovely Notes and Butterfly Notes Stamp Sets (Catherine Pooler Designs)
Ink: Canary, Crème Brulee and Pixle (Close to My Heart), Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper:  Stampin Up and Solar White (Neenah)
Accessories:  Circle Die (Sizzix), Wink of Stella, Sparking Clear Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh)
 
Supplies Used -Happy Birthday
Stamps:  Balloon Animals (Close To My Heart)
Ink: Leaf Green and Archival Black (Close To My Heart); Versamark
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah) and Patter Paper (Close To My Heart)
Accessories:  Ribbon (Stampin' Up); Clear Embossing Powder (Ranger); Shimmer Tape (Close To My Heart); Stitched Essentials 2 Die (Pretty Pink Posh)
  
Supplies Used - Bear Hugs
Stamps:  Sledding Santa Bear and Beary Mice (Stampendous)
Ink: Archival Black (Ranger), Distress Inks for Watercolor
Paper:  Bazzill, Bee Watercolor, Desert Storm (Neenah), and Pattern Paper (Photoplay)
Accessories:  Wink of Stella Clear; Rock Candy (Stickles)

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Sharing a Few Cards

I had created a few cards a few months ago that I never shared on my blog.  I'm trying to clean up my computer a bit and thought I would share some pictures of some cards that came from an event at StampNation, my favorite crafty place.  


This one was created using stamps and dies from Stamp of Approval.  I just love these products that come out quarterly, and Catherine Pooler Designs had their very first stamp set released, which is called Geobuilders . . . that's where my suspended diamonds came from.  Love how this card turned out.



This snowy scene above was created using stamps from Pretty Pink Posh, and colored with Copic markers.  Cute!  


And this is another card created using the Geobuilders stamp set.  I love that amazing set.

I hope you find some time to create today.


Supplies Used - You Make Me Smile
Stamps:  Geobuilders (Catherine Pooler Designs), All About You (CAS-ual Fridays)
Ink:  Pool Party, Blushing Bride, Smokey Slate (Stampin' Up), Black (Hero Arts), Versamark
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah), Favorite Things (Heidi Swapp)
Accessories:  Gold Tinsel Embossing Powder (Ranger); Black Shimmer Trim (Close To My Heart); Twine (The Stamps of Life); Postage Stamp Edge Die (Simon Says Stamp); 2 You's Dies (CAS-ual Fridays)
 
Supplies Used - Tis the Season
Stamps:  Holiday Pals (Pretty Pink Posh)
Ink:  Fern, Cashmere, New England Ivy (Close To My Heart); Copic Markers; Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah) and Scraps from my stash
Accessories:  Mini Tags Dies and Holiday Pals Dies (Pretty Pink Posh); Sparking Clear Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh); Twine (The Stamps of Life); Icycle Stickles

Supplies Used - So Happy for You
Stamps:  Geobuilders (Catherine Pooler Designs), All About You (CAS-ual Fridays)
Ink:  Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, Black (Hero Arts), Versamark
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah); Licorice (The Stamps of Life)
Accessories:  Postage Stamp Edge Die (Simon Says Stamp);  Storybook 4 Dies (Pretty Pink Posh); Gold Detail Embossing Powder (Stampendous); Frosted Crystal Embossing Powder (Ranger); Metallic Bronze Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh)

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Stamp of Approval . . . 2 Cards . . . 2 Challenges

Finally found some time today to get back to creating, and I really enjoyed it.  I had some brand new product to play with from Stamp of Approval's latest release, Lovely Notes.  I couldn't wait to get busy today.

First up was a challenge from Stamp Ink Paper, which was a black and white challenge.  Here is my card . . .


Stamping and embossing was the name of the game for this one . . . super simple . . . as always the hardest part is keeping the embossing powder where it needs to be.  


And then for my second card, a little creation for Freshly Made Sketches using some pattern papers.  Trying to use my stash, which we all know is never an easy task.

Here is the sketch . . .
  And here is my card . . . 



Pattern papers and a splash of black, and using my new SOA products.  What can be better. 

I hope you found some time to create today. 

 
Supplies Used - Black and White Thanks
Stamps:  Lovely Lattice Background Stamp and Butterfly Notes Stamp (Catherine Pooler Designs for Stamp of Approval)
Ink: Versamark
Paper:  Licorice (The Stamps of Life) and Solar White (Neenah)
Accessories:  Black and White Embossing Powder (Ranger) and Itty Bitty Sparkles (Close To My Heart)

Supplies Used - A Note to Say Thanks
Stamps:  Butterfly Notes and Lovely Flowers Stamp Sets (Catherine Pooler Designs for Stamp of Approval)
Ink: Versamark and Black (Hero Arts)
Paper:  Desert Storm and Solar White Cardstock (Neenah), Licorice (The Stamps of Life) and Pattern Paper (Die Cuts With a View)
Accessories:  Lovely Flowers and Banners Dies (Catherine Pooler Designs for Stamp of Approval), Sparking Clear Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), Ribbon (Stampin' Up),


Monday, July 11, 2016

Happy Bird'day for Seize the Birthday

Whoa . . . I'm back.  I have been away from the creativity for quite some time.  Work and life in general has just taken over my life. 

But today I have a card for you which I created for the Seize the Birthday challenge.  The toppings challenge this week was birds, bees and butterflies.  For me it was birds . . .


 I used scraps of paper from Kiwi Lane and dies and stamps from The Stamps of Life.  The scraps were given to me after a demo of Kiwi Lane at a crop.  I loved the colors, and I just had to do something with them. 


Love the colors . . . love the elements.  I was pretty happy with this card.  I'm even happier that the scraps didn't sit in my scrap pile. 

I hope you find some time to scrap. 



Supplies Used - Tweet Birthday
Stamps:  birdcage2stamp (The Stamps of Life)
Ink: Licorice and Cloud (The Stamps of Life)
Paper:  Birds of a Feather (Kiwi Lane) and Marshmallow (The Stamps of Life
Accessories:  Birdcage Dies (The Stamps of Life), cShimmer Trim (Close To My Heart), Twine (The Stamps of Life)

Friday, July 8, 2016

A Year of Card Techniques Blog Hop - July


It's month seven of our year long adventure into different card-making techniques, folds and paper crafting products. 


We hope you got the chance to hop with us each month.  It's not to late to hop and comment to be entered into our prize drawing.  If you missed any of the previous months, you can click on the month to be taken directly to the start of that month's hop.

January - Emboss Resist Technique
February - Ink Layering Techniques
March - Inlaid Die-cutting
April - Shaker Cards
May - Spinner Cards
June - Step Cards

This month we are playing with watercolor and you won't want to miss the amazing and fun cards we've got for you today.  We really love feedback, so please leave a comment on each of the blogs in today's hop. Each comment on the 12 hops throughout the year will be entered into a drawing for a $25 Blitsy.com or Stampin' Up gift certificate (Winner's Choice).

Now on with my projects.  I took a few different approaches with my cards today.   First was a card using watercolor paper, distress inks and a stamp set from My Creative Time.  


For this card, used a brush to color in the stamped circle images.  I painted the circle images with water and then dropped the distress ink colors into the card.    

As opposed to my next card, where I used the same stamp set with a different technique.  I dropped the color in using a "smooshing" techique with a solid circle stamp from the same set, which clearly has less control.  It's a completely different look. 


And speaking of using the same supplies, what follows are two watercolor cards using a stencil.  One was a bit more saturated in color than the other.  You'll see this first card was all color.  And you'll see later that the second card was using the saturated stencil to give the impression of the stencil itself - so the negative image.  

Here is the first image . . . 


Again, this one is using lots of distress ink.  (I love that darn sentiment!).  

And here is a card using the the negative image.  I literally took my wet and inky stamp up from the panel used in the card above, and I dropped it onto a piece of watercolor paper to create the panel below.  


I am loving the white space in this card.  It is all such a subtle look.  I used new stamps and dies that had just arrived from Catherine Pooler's new shop.  

Next on the hop is Sharon, and just in case you get lost along the way or want to start at the beginning, here is today's Line-up:

     Theresa  -  http://scrapsbygracie.blogspot.com/
     Kim  - http://katydidcards.com/

Thanks for hopping!  


Supplies Used - Circle of Friends
Stamps:  You Are Spot On (My Creative Time)
Ink: Archival Black (Ranger), Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean, Picked Raspberry, Ripe Persimmon (Ranger Distress Inks)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah), Licorice (The Stamps of Life, Watercolor (Bee)
Accessories:  Onyx and Sparkling Clear Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh)

Supplies Used - Bright Spot
Stamps:  You Are Spot On (My Creative Time)
Ink: Squeezed Lemonade, Mowed Lawn, Abandoned Coral, Mermaid Lagoon (Ranger Distress Ink), Archival Black (Ranger)
Paper:  Solar White (Neenah), Licorice (The Stamps of Life, Watercolor (Bee)
Accessories:  Chevron Washi Tape, Onyx Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh)

Supplies Used - Sarcasm
Stamps:  Raise Some Sass (Riley & Co.)
Ink: Festive Berries, Ripe Persimmon, Mustard Seed (Ranger Distress Ink); Versamark
Paper:  Licorice (The Stamps of Life, Watercolor (Bee), Sunshine (Simon Says Stamp)
Accessories:  Wonky Chevron Stencil (My Favorite Things), Whisper White Linen Ribbon (Stampin' Up), Black Shimmer Trim (Close To My Heart), Perfect Pearls, White Embossing Powder (Ranger), Stitched Essentials 1 Die (Pretty Pink Posh)

Supplies Used - Hugs & Kisses
Stamps:  And Stamps (Catherine Pooler Designs)
Ink: Festive Berries, Ripe Persimmon, Mustard Seed (Ranger Distress Ink); Black Archival (Ranger)
Paper:  Licorice (The Stamps of Life, Watercolor (Bee), Orange Peel (Simon Says Stamp)
Accessories:  Wonky Chevron Stencil (My Favorite Things), Onyx Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh, And Dies (Catherine Pooler Designs)