One Watercolor Background - Two Cards

I love creating with both positive and negative pieces of dies.  Posting two cards today where I put my negative pieces to use. 

First, I created watercolor background with some emboss resist.  Then I cut it with a cover die.   

The first card uses the full die . . .

Submitting this one to Watercooler Wednesday challenge, which had the prompt occasions!  This one is going to a friend who is newly engaged.  I put this one on a white background.   I stacked my sentiment die on a layered tag. 

 I then cut another die using cream cardstock and used pieces from the die as pops of color/elements for my flowers. I used a sketch from one of my favorite crafty plates.  Submitting this one to Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies. 

 I always love using my extra pieces. 

I hope you find some time to create, and perhaps use extra pieces that might otherwise land in the trash! 

Debbie

Supplies Used - So Happy For You

Stamps and Dies:  Happy Thanks Word Dies, Layered Tags Dies; Marble Swirl Stamp and Color Burst Cover Plate Die (Catherine Pooler Designs);

Ink & Embossing:  Wow Embossing Pad and Wow White Embossing Powder; Suede Shoes, Samba and Limoncello Color Bursts (Ken Oliver/Catherine Pooler Designs); Midnight (Catherine Pooler Inks); 

Paper: Canson Watercolor; Premium White Cardstock (Catherine Pooler); Black Cardstock (Hero Arts);

Other:  Something Blue Twine and Crater Lake Sequins (Catherine Pooler Designs); 

Supplies Used - You Make me Happy

Stamps and Dies:  Marble Swirl Stamp, Color Burst Cover Plate Die and Wings of Joy Stamp Set (Catherine Pooler Designs);

Ink & Embossing:  Wow Embossing Pad and Wow White Embossing Powder; Suede Shoes, Samba and Limoncello Color Bursts (Ken Oliver/Catherine Pooler Designs); Midnight Ink (Catherine Pooler);

Paper: Desert Storm and Natural White Cardstock (Neenah); Canson Watercolor;

Other: Black Shimmer Trim (Close To My Heart);

StampNation Inspired

Sharing a card inspired my favorite crafty place, StampNation.  They have some weekly inspiration going on right now and this week had a watercolor technique that I'd not tried before.

I created the watercolor background with reinkers.  I love adding the cover plate die, as it hides any of the parts of the watercolor that I might not have been fond of.  

I hope you found some time to create today. 

Debbie

Supplies Used - Vitamin Sea

Stamps and Dies:  Vitamin Sea SS and Dies, Lava Lamp Cover Plate (Catherine Pooler Designs);

Ink & Embossing:  Royal Treatment, Juniper Mist, Eucalyptus, Daydream, Sauna Green Tea, Skylight, Sugared Lavendar Inks (Catherine Pooler)

Paper: Premium White Cardstock (Catherine Pooler); Watercolor Paper (Canson);

Other: Sea Breeze Jewel Drops and Sea Sprite Glacier Paste (Nuvo);

Christmas in July for SIP Challenge

Last week I was creating an Easter card . . . this week Christmas.  I love stamping "off" holiday cards.   This one was for Stamp Ink Paper, whose challenge this week was Christmas in July. 

 I created my watercolor background first, and then tried to be sure that my images were just as muted as that red and green background.  My distress markers were the best match for the Color Burst watercolor background. 

I added some sparkle with some Stickles . . . snow must have sparkle. 

I hope you find some time to create today. 

Debbie

Supplies Used - Happy Holidays

Stamps and Dies:  A Star is Born (Impression Obsession); Short and Sweet Sayings (Close To My Heart)

Ink & Embossing:  Pthalo Green, Alizaria Crimson and Sepia Color Burst (Ken Oliver); Zig Black Marker; Barn Door, Evergreen Bough Wild Honey and Walnut Stain Distress Markers (Ranger);

Paper: Solar White (Neenah); Watercolor Paper (Canson);

Other: Diamond Stickles (Ranger)

CAS Card Celebrating Mom

Created a little something on the CAS side for Mother's Day, inspired by the challenge at CAS on Sunday.  

 Maybe not a lot of white space, but certainly a lot of kraft space.

Love water coloring on kraft cardstock. 

Now, go create! 

Supplies Used - Happy Mother's Day

Stamps and Dies:  Love You Bunches Stamp Set (My Creative Time)

Ink & Embossing:  Versamark; White Embossing Powder (Ranger); Midnight (Catherine Pooler); Inktense Watercolor Pencils (Derwent);

Paper: Solar White and Desert Storm Cardstock (Neenah)

Other: Enchanted Garden Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh)

Birthday Wishes for SSS Challenge

An emboss resist technique for Simon Says Stamp Challenge, which was "fantastic florals.  I used some old materials from a previous Simon Stays Stamp card kit to create this card.  I also broke out some watercolor paper and Ken Oliver Color Burst inks. 

This is definitely not my typical card.  But the results are pretty cool, the colors mixing and blending. 

If you're anything like me, I know you want to find some time to create today.  Just do it. 

Cheers! 

Supplies Used - Birthday Wishes

Stamps: Birthday Flowers (Simon Says Stamp)

Ink:  Turquoise, Yellow Ochre, Orange, Alazarin Crimson (Ken Oliver Color Burst) and Versamark

Paper:  Solar White (Neenah), Licorice (The Stamps of Life), and Strathmore Watercolor

Accessories:  Scallop Circle Die (Sizzix), White Embossing Powder (Ranger), Rhinestones (Eyelet Outlet)

Plaid, Watercolor, Embossing and Distressing for Merry Monday

I absolutely hate when my job gets in the way of my craftiness . . . but I need one to support the other.  Harsh world.

All that said, I'm happy to find some time to post a few cards this week that I created for some challenges.  First up for this weekend is a card created for Merry Monday.  The challenge was to create a Christmas card with plaid.

I dug for plaid paper, and I don't own much of it.  Rarely does a piece of plaid paper scream "buy me".  But I found a piece!  It compliments my stamped and colored design well.

Now let's talk about that stamped design.  I saw a technique on StampNation that I had been wanting to try, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  Watercolor paper . . . distress inks to color . . . and then the technique . . . four coats of clear embossing powder over the entire image . . . put it in the freezer and upon removing a few hours later, a little wiggling and bending to create the cracks.  I then ran a gray ink pad over it, which got in the cracks.  I wiped off the excess and began to put my card together. 

I'm on the fence about the technique, but I will definitey try it again down the road.  It was fun to see where it would end up.

I hope you find some time to create . . . I'm heading back to the craft table right now.

Supplies Used - Night Before Christmas

Stamps:  Balancing Act (Stampendous House Mouse)

Ink: Sentiment stamped in Hero Arts Black; House Mouse Image stamped in Versafine Black Onyx; Image colored using Ranger Distress Inks; Versarmark

Paper:  Dear Santa (Photoplay), Bazzill Cardstock, Watercolor Paper (Canson)

Accessories:  Clear Embossing Powder (Ranger); Bitty Sparkles (Close To My Heart)

StampNation Inspiration

I'm often inspired by the creative and friendly group of crafty people on StampNation, and I wanted to share some of the creations that came out of StampNation Live, which I attended nearly two months ago.  I had shared some a few months ago on my blog (this post here), and you may remember that I talked about the "try-it tables" that they had, where we were able to play with some new techniques and products.

I left the tables with some "swatches" and did finally finish up some cards to share. 

Swatch #1 was a piece of white cardstock with  a watercolor image on it.  It was created using the Tim Holtz Distress Markers.  The markers were used to color the stamped images, we then sprayed with water and stamped.  I think this is absolutely gorgeous!  I love that depending on the amount of water, you get a completely different look (you can see I have more water on the flower to the right).  I've already used this technique on some cards.  One was posted just a week or so ago, and if you want you can check it out here.  

When I took my swatch back to my table, I pulled some orange and black cardstock and created this card.  I absolutely love that flower stamp and am so tempted to hunt it down, but I'm challenging myself to find a similar stamp in my stash to create a similar card.  Stay tuned! 

Swatch #2 was a watercolor piece created using the Tim Holtz Distress markers, and I think I probably need to perfect the technique a bit as it looks a little streaky.  I'm not sure if I needed more water, or if running the marker across the watercolor paper needs to be perfected, but I used the panel anyway.  

I took it back to my table, corner rounded, mounted it on black cardstock, added the stamped images, the ribbon, the sequins and mounted it all on a white card base.

Now, Swatch #3 surprised me.  There were beautiful samples at the table, and when I walked away with my swatch I remember thinking . . . wow . . . I really messed that one up.  I though this was my one swatch that would land in the trash bin.

The center piece was done on canvas, and we sprayed with die inks (forgive me for not remembering the exact brand of spray).  We then used a stencil with some embossing paste, and from there I added some super, super sparkly glitter that was available.  Well, let me tell you!  I walked away with that canvas and was thinking, this is a bit of a mess.  It was literally covered in glitter . . . everywhere.  You could see bits of red and green under it.

So, once it dried, I took a baby wipe and laid it over the canvas, pressed it and lifted.  All that excess glitter was coming up.  I repeated a few times, and there was my stenciled design and my color.  

I stamped the scallop circle image from Hero Arts, and then cut a circle window for my canvas to display below.  This one got a lot of ooohs and ahhhs from those who passed by my table.  

I have canvas on my shopping list (have not gotten there yet).

Hope you enjoyed my shared swatches.  

If you are looking to learn new techniques and stay connected with some awesome, friendly, crafty people, I highly recommend StampNation.  It is "virtually" so inspiring.

Supplies Used - Thinking of You

Cardstock:  Neenah, Stampin' Up, Bazzill and Watercolor

Stamps:  Penny Black

Ink:  Tim Holtz Distress Markers and Ranger Archival Black

Ribbon:  Stampin' Up

Supplies Used - Truth Is - Distress Markers

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up and Watercolor paper

Stamps:  CAS-ual Fridays

Ink:  Tim Holtz Markers and Versafine Black Ink

Ribbon:  Stampin' Up

Other:  Pretty Pink Posh Sequins

Supplies Used - Merry Christmas Canvas

Cardstock:  Stampin' Up

Stamps:  Hero Arts and CAS-ual Fridays

Dies:  Sizzix Scallop Circle

Ink:  Memento 

Other:  Ki Rhinestones

Canvas swatch in the center was made at StampNation Live, and I can't remember the supplies used . . . But there was embossing paste, sprays and glitter involved!

Blue Monster for Freshly Made Sketches

I created the little card below for Freshly Made Sketches.  I used my Simon says January kit and the stamp set that came with it.  

Here is my card.  

I colored my image using my Derwent Inktense Pencils.  I black embossed the image onto the card, which helps to keep the color in the lines.  

Here is the sketch.

Supplies Used

Simon Says Stamp Monthly Card Kit

Derwent Inktense Pencils

Ranger Archival Black Ink

Stampin' Up Black Embossing Powder

Versamark