Wishing You Brighter Days

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing a card I made for a sweet friend that is not well.  I'm hoping these adorable hippos will make her smile. :)

This stamp set is called Rainy Day Play (Clearly Besotted).  This is the first time using the set, so I'm sending this card over to NBUS (never-before-used-schtuff) Challenge #36.

I stamped the images in black ink and heat embossed in clear before watercolouring with distress inks.  I added some soft stenciling of stripes in the background (to look like it's raining), brushed them with a wet brush to soften and added some lines of white overtop using my Posca pen.  I used the same pen to add polka-dots to the umbrella. :)

Close-up ...

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Stamps:  Rainy Day Play (Clearly Besotted)

Paper:   White card base (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Black Ink (Memento); Distress Inks:  Mustard Seed, Picked Raspberry, Salty Ocean, Pumice Stone, Black Soot
Accessories:   Clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, paint brushes, Stripes stencil (Tim Holtz), sponge, white Posca pen

Challenges:

NBUS Challenge #36

The Flower Challenge #61 Reminder

Hi everyone.  Today is the reminder for The Flower Challenge #61 - Use a Shape.  It's also our 5th Birthday Celebration for our Challenge ... lots of prizes to win!

I rarely get freebies in the mail, but with my last on-line order I received this background.  Actually it was advertising the pad of paper for sale.  All the designs were on the back, but just one on the front, so I used it today. :)  I love the vintage look of this paper.  I stayed with the pink and brown to add my elements to the card.. 

I stamped a bouquet of peonies (Perfect Peonies - Clearly Besotted).  I love this stamp and have used it A LOT. :)  Looks awesome in pink and brown.  I used Ground Espresso, Kitsch Flamingo, and Picked Raspberry distress inks, mixing the pink and brown to get the colours for my blooms.  Stamped the peonies in dark brown ink and clear heat embossed.  Then watercoloured the image.  I die-cut the bouquet with matching die, but thought the white edging left from the die looked too stark so just added a light coating of pink.  The background is die-cut with a postage stamp die (Postage Stamp - Spellbinders retired).  I did a little stenciling in the top left and bottom right corners with Ground Espresso ink and Pebbles Stencil (Lavinia).  I stamped the sentiment (Happy Messages - Stampendous) in brown and then placed everything on a white 4 1/4" square card base.  Popped up the flower with pop dots for some dimension. :)

Close-up ...

Happy with how this card turned out ... I need to use patterned paper more often.  I have lots, but make so many of my own backgrounds, I rarely use them. :)

I hope you'll check out the reminder post for The Flower Challenge #61 to see the amazing cards from our Designers.  Then come play along.  Challenge is open until end of day Oct. 25th.  Hope to see you in the gallery.

This will be my last post for The Flower Challenge.  After a year of enjoying being on the team, it is time for me to step down and concentrate on running my own two challenges.  Thank you to Aileen and the team for making my time at The Flower Challenge so enjoyable.  A special shout-out to Viv, who works tirelessly to keep the team happy and well-informed as well as keeping the challenge running smoothly.  Thank you Viv for all the help you gave me over the past year!!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the subscription form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add sw1subscribers@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

Stamps:  Perfect Peonies (Clearly Besotted), Happy Messages (Stampendous)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Patterned paper 
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Ground Espresso, Kitsch Flamingo, Picked Raspberry (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Clear embossing powder, heat tool, watercolour paint brushes, matching die for Peonies image, Postage Stamp die - retired (Spellbinders), Pebbles stencil (Lavinia), sponges

Challenges:

The Flower Challenge #61 - Use a shape

Stamping Through Stencil

Hi everyone.  Back with another stamping through stencil using the same heart stencil as THIS CARD.  There are still a few days left to play along with our CAS Mix Up August Challenge - Stamping Through Stencil.  

Jenny is our host.

I loved how my first heart stencil worked, so did a second card using it again.  Placed it over my card front panel and secured with tape before lightly sponging with Picked Raspberry distress ink.  After watercolouring the flowers, I wasn't thrilled with the colour combination, so sponged salty ocean over the picked raspberry background and ended up with this pretty background colour. :)

Stamped the image, Peony Stems & Blossoms - retired (Poppy Stamps) in black ink and clear heat embossed.  The blossoms and stems were watercoloured with Zigs (they are so bright and happy colours!).  I placed the stencil back overtop and outlined the heart with a thin black marker.  It made a huge difference to the design.  Finished by stamping a simple sentiment (A Little Sentimental - Clearly Besotted) near the bottom of the heart.  The card front was popped up from the base to some dimension.  

Close-up ...

Stamps:  Peony Stems & Blossoms - retired (Poppy Stamps); A Little Sentimental (Clearly Besotted)

Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White Card base (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Black (Memento); Picked Raspberry distress ink; Zigs (Kuretake)
Accessories & Tools:  Heart stencil (cut from die); clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool), Watercolour Paint Brushes (Round #2 & #4), thin black marker


Challenges:
CAS Mix Up August Challenge Reminder - Stamping through Stencil

Zoom Session - Embossing with Foil Card Stock

Hi everyone.  Yesterday we had our regular monthly Zoom call.  This month Bonnie shared a new-to-us technique following one of Jennifer McGuire's videos.  

Bonnie graciously mailed each of us a package of different coloured foil card stock to use.  Love happy mail! :)  Thanks Bonnie!  Each of us made several cards from the foil card stock ahead of time and then shared our finished cards on our Zoom call.

Technique is simple.  Dry emboss foil card stock and embossing folders (regular or 3D EFs both work well).  As an added element, use a sanding block to highlight the raised design.  It removes the colour to reveal silver underneath.  Then make your card.

I tried several of the colours so there are lots of photos below.  I cut the pieces to make two cards from each of an A2 Foil card front (5 1/2 x 4 1/4).

My favourite is the card at the top of this post.  I LOVE the rose coloured foil with black and white accents.

Sending the first card to NBUS Challenge #29.  Actually every one of these cards uses a new product. :)  Yay!

All products I used are listed at the bottom of this post.

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Love the blue foil paired with white die-cuts ...

 

* * * * *

The bright green makes beautiful Christmas cards.  Three more for my stash! :)

  

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Last, but not least, gold foil card stock with a beautiful flower embossing folder.  No sanding on the butterfly card (gorgeous butterfly die-cut gifted to me by Bonnie)

  

I hope you like this technique and will give it a try.

Product Links

Card 1:

Blossom Field Embossing Folder (Simon Says Stamp) 

Fresh Foilage die-cut (Memory Box)

Greetings (Cavallini & Co)

Card 2:

Blossom Field Embossing Folder (Simon Says Stamp) 

On the Edge Thank You (Simon Says Stamp)

Card 3:

Gracious Leaves embossing folder (Memory Box)

Frieda Curve die (Poppy Stamps - retired)

Simple Sentiments (Lawn Fawn

Card 4:

Gracious Leaves embossing folder (Memory Box)

Berry Branch die-cuts (Penny Black)

Happy Messages (Stampendous)

Card 5:

Holiday Greenery Embossing Folder (Simon Says Stamp)

holly vine die (retired)

Inspired (Penny Black) - reindeer die

Art Deco Celebrate Christmas - Poppy Stamps - retired

Card 6:

Holiday Greenery Embossing Folder (Simon Says Stamp)

JOY die (AliExpress)

Card 7:

Holiday Greenery Embossing Folder (Simon Says Stamp)

Blooming Poinsettia die (Poppy Stamps)

Snowglobe Sentiments (My Favorite Things - retired)

Card 8:

Tim Holtz Botanical 3D Embossing Folder

Dreamy die (Memory Box) - butterfly die-cut gifted to me by Bonnie

Brushed Wishes (Stampendous - retired)

Card 9:

Tim Holtz Botanical 3D Embossing Folder,

Two flowers die (AliExpress)

A Little Sentimental (Clearly Besotted)

Challenges:

NBUS Challenge #29

Pencil Colouring on Kraft

Hi everyone.  Three friends of mine are playing along with the Monday videos from Gina K, learning new techniques.  I have been loving the cards I'm seeing from them, so I joined them Monday night and watched as Gina showed how to use coloured pencils on kraft without having to use any blending liquid.  Here is a link to her video Coloring on Kraft Card Stock with Colored Pencils.  Fast forward through the first part where the audio is not good until you get to the actual colouring.  Gina fixes the audio part way through the video.

I only have crumb cake and baked brown sugar card stock from SU!  I don't like the lightness of the crumb cake, so I used the darker colour.  This is darker than kraft, but I'm happy how it turned out.

I stamped my image in black ink.  Used three colours for the petals (magenta, pink, white), three for the leaves (olive, lime, white) and dark green for the stems.

It took me MUCH longer to actually decide on the design than it did to colour the image. :)  In the end I placed a plain piece of brown sugar card stock through the aperture of the white card front with stitched square cut-out.  The card front has been dry embossed with leafy branches, but couldn't capture them in the photo.  The peonies are popped up through the window so they hang outside the edge of the frame.  Sentiment is stamped in black.

Close-up ...

I don't have a good pencil sharpener (more shopping!).  So I ended up colouring over the lines in the center of the petals and leaves.  I had left my image in the Misti, so once I was finished colouring, I restamped the black and heat embossed in clear.  It really made a big difference.

I rarely have time to play along with Just Us Girls, so happy I can this week for their "Frame It!" challenge!

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We were lucky to have my mom stay with us last weekend.

She had a good time and got in lots of cuddle time with Jessie.

Jessie loves my mom ... here she is licking (kissing) mom's ear.  It tickled!

Thanks for shopping by!

Stamps:  Perfect Peonies (Clearly Besotted); Essential Sentiments (Maker's Movement)
Paper:  White card Stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Baked Brown Sugar (SU!)
Ink:  Black (Memento); Prisma coloured pencils
Accessories & Tools:  sharpener, Clear embossing powder, heat tool; In & Out Stitched Squares die (My Favorite Things); Leafy Branch embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

Challenges:
Just Us Girls - #540 - Frame It!

QCAS Card

Hi everyone.  Today's card is a QCAS (as per Darnell), which means it's a quick, clean and simple card.

I used a NBUS (never-before-used-schtuff) die (Tall Sketch Daisies), which are watercoloured with distress inks.  I placed the daisies in the opening of a stitched rectangular aperture and stamped a sentiment in bright green ink undernearth.  Very quick card!

Since my die is NBUS, I'm adding this to the NBUS #15 gallery ...

Close-up ...

You'll have to excuse the photographs ... I had a heck of a time. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Products
Tall Sketch Daisie die (Poppy Stamps)
Rectangle Peek-a-boo Window die (My Favorite Things)

Stamps:  Nouveau Flowers - sentiment (Clearly Besotted - retired)
Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Twisted Cirton, Mowed Lawn, Ripe Persimmon, Picked Raspberry (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  Tall Sketch Daisies die (Poppy Stamps), Peek-a-boo Window die (MFT), paint brush

Challenges:
NBUS 15

CAS Watercolour February Challenge

Hi everyone.  It's the start of the CAS Watercolour February Challenge.  This month is hosted by the lovely Marcia (Marcia's Stampin' Pad).  We are excited to have Michele (I Card Everyone) as our Guest Designer this month.  Welcome Michele!

I wanted to make more of a dramatic looking card so started with the black card base.  I stamped my image in black onto white mixed media paper and watercoloured with Distress Inks (Festive Berries, Mahogany, Black Soot).  I added a thin, striped black and white washi tape to the left side and heat embossed the sentiment in white.  It wasn't until I went to write my post that I realized I used this same flower for last month's challenge.  I really do like this stamp!!  And having a matching die makes it so easy to use. :)

Close-up ...

Please check out the challenge post to see the gorgeous cards from our Designers, and Guest Designer Michele.  I hope to see you in our galley!!

Stamps:  Perfect Peony (Clearly Besotted); thank you (unknown)
Paper:  Black card stock (SU!), Mixed media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Obsidian Black (Altenew); Distress Inks:  Festive Berries, Mahogany, Black Soot (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  waterbrush, matching die for image, stripe washi tape, white embossing powder, heat tool

Challenges:
CAS Watercolour February Challenge - Red & Black

CAS Mix Up January 2020 Challenge

Hi everyone.  Happy New Year!!  Welcome to the start of the CAS Mix Up Challenge.  We have lots of fun challenges set up this year and we hope you'll play along!

We are starting the year off with a bang!  Hideko (Papercraft Boutique) is hosting this month and she has chosen ...

I have to admit that I was a bit worried as I've tried this technique before and failed.  But I watched the videos and it really is simple.  Who knew??!! :)

Stamped my peonies onto mixed media paper with permanent black ink and watercoloured using distress inks.  Temporary taped my matching die over top and then positioned the edge of my top cutting plate where I wanted the cut to be.  Easy, peasy!  I backed the image with some a beautiful soft green card stock and white heat embossed the sentiment.  For my CAS card design I have stamping, watercolouring, partial die-cutting, and heat embossing.

Here's a close-up ...

Thank you Hideko ... I'm so happy I have tried this technique again and I love the look!

We are excited to have Tristan (Tinstar Designs) as our Guest Designer this month.  Please check out the challenge blog to see the cards from the rest of our amazing Designers and Tristan!  Then come play along.  Challenge is open until the January 24th PST.

* * * * *

Jessie in the rain at

Deas Island Park

Stamps:  Perfect Peonies (Clearly Besotted)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); Wasabi card stock (SU!)
Ink:  Versafine Black; Distress Inks:  Festive Berries, Fired Brick, Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Mustard Seed (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Matching die (Clearly Besotted), water brush, white embossing powder, heat tool

Challenges:
CAS Mix Up January 2020 Challenge - Partial Die-cutting

Barley Silhouette

Hi everyone.  Today is my reminder card for CAS Mix Up's July Challenge - Alcohol Ink Lift, hosted by Bonnie.

This time I created a softer coloured background using pink, peach and a little yellow.  Then I placed a barley stencil over top and used a sponge dauber lightly wet with blending solution.  It worked well as long as I didn't add too much blending solution, otherwise it would leak under the stencil and just make blobs.  Ask me how I know this. :)  I wanted to make this into a masculine birthday card so added a simple dark gray sentiment banner, heat embossed with white and then popped the panel up on my card base.

Here's a close-up ...

Hope you'll check out the challenge blog to see the new reminder cards from the rest of our Designers and Guest Designer, Michelle.  Come play along!  We'd love to see you in the galleries!

Since CAS Stencil's challenge this month is using a stencil with Alcohol Inks / Alcohol Ink Lift, I'm adding it to that gallery as well.

Stamps:  Nouveau Flowers (Clearly Besotted)
Paper:  Yupo; Whie card base (Neenah 110 lb.); Basic Gray (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Alcohol Inks:  Pink Sherbert, Peach Bellini, Honeycomb (Ranger); Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Blending Solution (Ranger), Barley stencil (ARTplorations), sponge dauber, white embossing powder, heat tool

Challenges:
CAS Mix Up July Challenge - Alcohol Ink Lift
CAS Stencil July Challenge - Alcohol Inks / Alcohol Ink Lift

Double Embossing with Die and Embossing Folder

Hi everyone.  Sharing a technique led by Trina (Phamtastic Design) at our retreat.  This is so cool ... it actually created a one layer card front that has lots of texture and depth and looks like it's many layers.  I did pop the card front up on some foam before adding it to the card base, so it's no longer one layer.

It's hard to tell in the photo above, but the close-up below shows that the background is dry embossed with a woodgrain design.  The scalloped circle die was taped down to the folder and run through the big shot with a card front and silicone mat.  It dry embossed the scalloped edge and the circle.  We also cut a mask from the scalloped circle, removed the center and placed the background mask over the embossed card front so that the scallops lined up and just the center was open.  I sponged yellow, orange and purple inks on an angle, then splattered with water to add a bit of texture and interest.  The silhouette image and sentiment are stamped in black and heat embossed in clear so they stand out more.

Here's the close-up ...

You need to have a solid die for the main image (scalloped circle), so I need to go through my dies and see what I have that will work.  So fun!  Thanks Trina!!

Stamps:  Meadow (Inkadinkado); A Little Sentimental (Clearly Besotted)
Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Distress inks:  Mustard Seed, Ripe Persimmon, Wilted Violet (Tim Holtz); Black (Memento)
Accessories & Tools:  Scallop Circle Solid Die (unknown); Woodgrain Embossing Folder (SU!), masking paper, clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool

Watercolouring through a Stencil

Hi everyone.  Had a play day last weekend with my CAS team mates, Susan, Christine and Trina.  We tried out a few new things and one was using rubber cement with stencils and watercolouring.  Rubber cement is an old fashioned product that is very inexpensive to use, but it does have a strong smell, so best to use it in a well ventalated room (or even outside if the weather permits).

We followed the instructions on this video tutorial and it worked great!

For my card I used red and pink to watercolour the roses, so I'm adding this to the CAS Watercolour challenge gallery for February.  There's still a few days left before the challenge closes at end of day Feb. 24th.  Come check out the beautiful red and pink gallery ... it's really something to see!

Here's a close-up ...

I really like this technique and will definitely do more cards.  I thought this turned out really well for my first try.

Stamps:  Sentiment - Nouveau Flowers (Clearly Besotted)
Paper:  Watercolour (Arches 140 lb. cold press)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Picked Raspberry, Barn Door, Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  Floral Layering Stencil (Tim Holtz), Rubber Cement, water brush, Oval Nestabilities die (Spellbinders)

Challenges:
CAS Watercolour February Challenge - Red & Pink