Twofer Challenge #30

Hi everyone.  It's time for a new Twofer Card Challenge #30.  This time we are asked use a sun and/or moon on our cards.  As you can see from above, I went with the sun.  I was looking to make some cards that would not only brighten the day for the recipients, but it made me smile making these. :)

Remember to follow the rules below ...

First up, a summer day with a bright sun, rainbow and a little cloud ...

Each diecut has been watercolour.  I did add a second coat of colour to the rainbow so that it was bold and bright.  The Hello Sunshine seems like the perfect sentiment. :)

And using the same sun die as the above card, my second card is a happy card that will hopefully bring joy to someone under the weather.  

I die-cut the same stitched sun, watercolouring with distress inks.  The pot and leaves are stamped, fussy-cut and watercoloured as well.  I added some "seeds" to the center of the sunflower and popped it up over top of the stem and leaves.  The pot is popped up as well.

I hope you'll come and play along with this very fun challenge!  As always, the challenge is open for two weeks, ending on August 24th at end of day.  Hope to see you in the gallery!

This is the first time I've used my rainbow die ... so heading over to join the NBUS #17 Challenge (never-before-used-schtuff).

Products

Puffy Cloud die (Memory Box)

Our Friendship Grows (Lawn Fawn)

Spring Sentiments (Stampendous)

Card #1 - Hello Sunshine
Stamps:  Spring Sentments (Stampendous)
Paper:  Watercolour (Arches 140 lb. cold press); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Spiced Marmalade, Squeezed Lemonade, Twisted Citron, Tumbled Glass, Wilted Violet (Tim Holtz); Real Red ink (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories & Tools:  Large Stitched Sunshine die (Lil' Inkers - out of business); Magical Rainbow die (unknown); Puffy Clouds die (Memory Box), paint brushes

Card #2 - feel better
Stamps:  Our Friendship Grows (Lawn Fawn)
Paper:  Watercolour (Arches 140 lb. col press); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Black (Versafine); Distress Inks:  Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge, Mowed Lawn (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools: paint brushes

Challenges:
Twofer Challenge #30 - Sun / Moon
NBUS #17 Challenge

Christmas Doggie Treats

Hi everyone.  Today's card is a reminder for this month's CAS Christmas challenge, hosted by Nance.

I don't have a lot of "people treat" stamps, but I did buy this stamp last year and made several cards with it.  I pulled it out again as it is perfect for the challenge.

This time I used a Christmas background to stamp in green.  Stamped the doggie with candy cane bone, watercoloured with distress inks, and fussy-cut.  I popped a white stitched frame over the background and placed the image popped up on top.  I didn't think it needed a sentiment.

I had a lot of fun making this card. :)

Close-up ...

We are so happy to have Birgit as our Guest Designer this month.  Come check out the reminder post to see Birgit's Holiday Treats card, along with the cards from our wonderful Designers.

I hope you'll join us if you haven't already played along.  Still one week left before the challenge closes on September 24th at midnight!

* * * * *

Jessie & Violeta

(Becoming best of friends)
Photo by Alejandro

Stamps:  Dog Candy Bone (Whipper Snappers); Christmas Story (Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Black (Memento); Gumball Green, Real Red (SU!); Distress Inks: Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Rusty Hinge, Black Soot (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  Clear embossing powder, heat tool, Stitched frame (Lil' Inkers), white gel pen

Challenges:
CAS Christmas September Challenge - Holiday Treats

Alcohol Lift Pad Success

Hi everyone.  I get together with some card making friends once a month and we experiment with techniques and products.  This last session was led by Christine.  She had played around with her Alcohol Lift Pad and figured out how to get the best results.  I had just tried it by stamping to remove colour and didn't have much success.

So the trick is to ink your image well with the Alcohol Ink Lift Pad and once stamped, the "lift" formula leaves a lot behind and your image is quite wet.  Make sure to blot it well or dry it thoroughly before buffing the image (with paper towel or cloth) to get the best result.

We decided to go a step further and use the ink lifted from the image to create a second image.  So I inked my flowers with the Lift Pad, stamped onto the alcohol inked Yupo paper, added a piece of plain card stock on top and stamped again, transferring the ink as well as absorbing any "lift" solution with the back of the card panel.  I did this about three times per image.  The result above is awesome!  And below is the image I made from my lifted alcohol ink ...

A true Twofer! :)  I'm really happy with them both.

So I did a second set using different colours ...

... and the lifted ink image ...

Now that I know you need to make sure the first image is completely dry before buffing, it makes more sense.  Repeat stamping always removes more ink and makes your image stand out better.

Thanks for the help Christine!

Edited to add ... to diana ... this is a fairly new Penny Black stamp (from the summer release).  Click HERE for the link.   Anytime you have a question, I'm happy to help if I can ... please leave your email address in the comment OR send me an email using the form on the sidebar.  Thanks diana!

Stamps:  Together (Penny Black); Good Wishes (Penny Black)
Paper:  Yupo, White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Alcohol Inks:  Mermaid, Stream, Clover (Ranger); Tangerine (Pinata), Wild Plum, Sunset Yellow (Ranger)
Accessories & Tools:  Alcohol Lift Pad (Ranger), blending solution (Ranger)

CAS Mix Up October Challenge

Hi everyone.  Today's card is for the CAS Mix Up October Challenge - Metal.  This month's challenge is being hosted by the very talented, Mac.

This will be a birthday card for my oldest son who turns 35 in November.  Where do the years go??!!  He likes all things mechanical and so I bought this die from AliExpress to use specifically on a card for him.  I think it's really cool.

I started by sprinkling Lindy's magicals on mixed media paper and spritzing with water.  I kept adding more powders and sopping up any excess water as I went along.  I used three colours of magicals (hydrangea blue, cattail copper brown, and bells of Ireland).  By adding more and leaving it to move and bloom, I ended up with very intense colours.

I cut the gear frame from the magical panel and also from a panel of heavy white card stock.  With the white die-cut, I pressed it into a Versamark pad, dipped it into copper embossing powder, and heat embossed.  I repeated this to add three full layers, which helps the powder to melt very smoothly and adds a thick layer.

I inlaid the magical powder panel, adding in a few of the gear pieces and leaving some empty for more interest.

Here's a close-up, which I tilted so you can see the shimmer from the magicals ...

I hope you'll join us for this fun challenge.  Check out the challenge blog to see the amazing designs from our Guest Designer Pat (Colourful Card Creations), along with our designer's cards.

Also wanted to welcome the newest member of the CAS Mix Up Design Team.  Welcome to Susan Joyce (CatsInkcorporated)!!  So happy to have you on the team Susan!

Sending this over to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Anything Goes challenge.

Stamps:  Sentiment - Thank you (Lil' Inkers)
Paper:  White card base (Neenah 110 lb. card stock), Mixed media panel (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Lindy's Magicals Powders (hydrangeo blue, cattail copper brown, bells of Ireland), water mister, copper embossing powder, black embossing powder, heat tool

Challenges:
CAS Mix Up October Challenge - Metal
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday - Anything Goes

Salted Snowflake

Hi everyone.  Today's card is another for the CAS Watercolour August Challenge - Salt.  I love how the salt reacts with watercolours.

This time I die-cut a sparkly snowflake to pop on top of my blue Brushos and salt background.  I added a glittery jewel to the center.  A silver embossed sentiment finishes the card.

This card was simple to make.  I made a full panel of background (4 1/2" x 6"), then cut it into four equal pieces of 2 1/8" x 3" to create four cards.  Two are for my Christmas card stash and two I will donate.  A quick and easy way to get lots of cards made. :)

There's still a few days left to play along with the CAS Watercolour Salt Challenge. It closes at midnight August 24th.  Hope you'll join us.

Stamps:  Joyful Greeting (Paper Smooches)
Paper:  White card base (Neenah); Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); silver foil (SU!)
Ink:  Brushos:  Turquoise, Ultra Marine; Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  water mister, kosher salt, Snowflake die (Lil' Inkers), glitter jewel (AliExpress),

Challenges:
CAS Watercolour August Challenge - Salt

Happy Birthday, Christine!

Hi everyone.  Today is my friend Christine's birthday.  We are hoping to get together tomorrow for a crafty play day, but I couldn't wait to let her know that I was thinking of her on her birthday!  Hope you have a wonderful day, Christine!

This is made with alcohol inks.  But, not in the normal way of using them with yupo. I usually put down aluminum foil when smooshing with alcohol inks.  They are messy to deal with and they bleed through other liners like wax paper.  Ask me how I know this. :)

Anyways, I decided to keep the foil with the leftover alcohol inks and used it for my card today.  It's shiny, so  little difficult to photograph.  I did learn another "what not to do" making this card.  I used a 3M adhesive spray to adhere the foil to a piece of card stock.  I stamped on top, but the ink (even though it was Archival ink) did not dry.  So I coated it with black embossing powder and heated.  The spray adhesive didn't appreciate getting hot.  It created a gas bubble between the foil and card backing.  You'll see after it cooled, that I burnished the foil again.  It left creases, which I thought looked good, but next time I will heat emboss before adhering. Lesson learned! :)

I'm sharing this alcohol ink card with the gallery at CAS Mix Up.  So many gorgeous and inspirational cards.  I hope you'll check it out.

Stamps:  Flowers (AliExpress); Thank you (Lil' Inkers
Paper:  White (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Alcohol Inks:  Tangerine (Pinata), Wild Plum (Ranger); Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Aluminum foil, black embossing powder, heat tool

Challenges:
CAS Mix Up August Challenge - Alcohol Inks

Salted Christmas

Hi everyone.  I'm having some more fun playing with watercolour and salt.  I used Brushos for this background, adding kosher salt and letting it air dry.  I love the bursts that the salt creates.

I'm adding these to the CAS Watercolour gallery.  The challenge this month is "salt".

I actually did two pieces, the one above with deep blues and purple, and another with turquoise and blue.  I cut both pieces in half to create four backgrounds and then made them into the same design.  Great way to create four quick and easy Christmas cards. :)

Here's a picture of the turquoise one ...

I hope you'll join us at CAS Watercolour for this fun challenge.

Stamps:  Season's Gifts (Penny Black)
Paper:  White card base (Neenah); Mixed media panel (Strathmore 140 lb.); Silver foil (SU!)
Ink:  Brushos:  Turquoise, Purple, Ultra Marine; Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  water mister, kosher salt, Curves Border die (AliExpress), Holly Jolly (stitched tree) die (Lil' Inkers), Holiday Shapes (star) die (Simon Says Stamp), Silver embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool

Challenges:
CAS Watercolour August Challenge - Salt

Peace on Earth

Hi everyone.  First I want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes and cards.  You helped to make my birthday a special one!!

Today I'm playing along with Rudolph Days, a Christmas card challenge that runs every month from the 25th to the end of the month.  I decided to combine it with the sketch challenge at Less Is More.  As soon as I saw the sketch, I thought Christmas card. :)

  

I used a piece of smooshed alcohol inks that I had in my stash for the background colour.  I die-cut the curves, placed them over the AI piece and then added a sparkly die-cut snowflake and a few clear sequins.  The sentiment is stamped in soft gray. Easy, peasy CAS design.  I will be making more of these! :)

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Stamps:  Christmas Messages (Hero Arts)
Paper:  White card base (Neenah 110 lb.); Yupo
Ink:  Smoky slate (SU!); Alcohol Inks (Ranger)
Accessories & Tools:  blending solution in a mister, Curved dies (AliExpress), Stitched snowflake die (Lil' Inkers), sequins

Challenges:
June Rudolph Days
Less Is More #334 - sketch

Silver Snowflake

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing a CAS Watercolour card featuring a snowflake. That's our challenge this month at CAS Watercolour ... check out the challenge to see all the beautiful entries.

I used brushos to create a background and then cropped to just a bit bigger than my snowflake.  I stamped the background in versamark and heat embossed in silver to create the look of more snowflakes falling.

The snowflake is a stitched die cut from silver foil card stock.  I heat embossed the sentiment in silver as well to tie it all together.

I hope you'll come join in the fun at CAS Watercolour.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Stamps:  Gorgeous Grunge (Stampin' Up!), Frosty Sentiments (Amy R)
Paper:  White card base (Neenah 110 lb); Watercolour panel (Arches 140 lb. cold press)
Ink:  Brushos:  Ultra Marine, Purple; Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Silver embossing powder, heat tool, Stitched snowflake die (Lil' Inkers)

Challenges:
CAS Watercolour January Challenge - Snowflake
Snippets Playground - Week

Inka Gold Christmas

Hi everyone.  I'm playing along with Merry Monday Challenge #211 (Blue, Gold, White / Silver).  This is the last Merry Monday until the beginning of September as the Design Team is taking a much needed break for the summer.

I had a difficult time photographing this card.  It looks blurry, and the inka gold shimmer does not show one bit.  In real life the blue, platinum (pearl) and gold inka smooshed in the background are shimmery and look like marble.  The die-cut gold snowflake is recessed behind the popped up card front with the snowflake aperture. The sentiment is heat embossing in gold to match.

Easy card to make as I already that the inka gold background in my stash, ready to be made into a card.  Why don't you come and play along??!!  The challenge is open until noon (PDT) on Sunday, so there's still lots of time to join in the fun!

Stamps:  Mixed Christmas Sentiments (Happy Little Stampers)
Paper:  White card base (Neenah 110 lb. card stock); Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); gold foil (SU!)
Ink:  Inka gold in Steel blue, Platinum and Gold; Gold Delicata
Accessories & Tools:  water mister, stitched snowflake die (lil' inkers), gold embossing powder, heat tool

Challenges:
Merry Monday #211 - Blue, Gold, White / Silver

More Brushos with Stencils

Hi everyone.  Sharing a Christmas card I made using Brushos with Stencils technique.  Click HERE to see my short video tutorial on how I do this fun and easy technique.

I found another stencil that works well with brushos.  This is from Simon Says and it has large snowflakes with both open space and solid space so you can really see the shape of the snowflake outlines.

I used two colours of Brushos (Ultra Marine and Turquoise), each having several pigments so there's lots of colour variations and blending.

I added a sentiment banner stamped with two colours of inks (first inking with Turquoise and then adding a little Pacific Point to get a colour match to my background).  To finish I added a silver foil die-cut snowflake that I got as a gift AGES ago from my good friend Karen (Snippets).  I tucked these snowflakes away in a "safe place" and just found them the other day. :)  Thanks so much Karen!

This card was so easy and quick that I made a second one to donate.

I'm entering this into three challenges:  AAA #66 - Watercolour;  Craft Stamper's Magazine: Take it Make it - Let's Get Inky where I used two types of inks (brushos and dye) and two colours (blue and turquoise) ... and STAMPlorations CAS Challenge where anything goes (optional twist for June is blue).

I do love to include die-cuts frequently in my cards, so you'll see lots of reminders from me about the current CAS Mix Up June Challenge - Die-cuts.  :)

My CAS Mix Up card has stamping, die-cut, and stenciling with brushos.

Thanks for coming by!

Stamps:  Snowman Sayings (Amy R)
Paper:  White card base (Neenah 110 lb. card stock); Mixed Media card front (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Brushos (Ultra Marine and Turquoise); Pacific Point and Turquoise (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Snowflakes stencil (Simon Says), water mister, Stitched Snowflake die (Lil' Inkers)

Challenges:
AAA Cards #66 - Watercolour
Craft Stampers - Let's Get Inky
STAMPlorations June CAS Challenge - optional:  blue
CAS Mix Up June Challenge - Die-cuts

STAMPlorations June CAS Challenge Guest Designer

Hi everyone.  Today I'm excited to be a Guest Designer for STAMPloration's June CAS Challenge.  I have really enjoyed joining in their new CAS challenge which just started at the beginning of 2016.  I love that it is an anything goes, with an optional twist of colour.  Here's June's challenge ...

I have a lot of STAMPlorations stamps.  This is another freebie that I got with an order (yes, Shery is very generous!).  When I saw the optional twist was blue, I thought about ocean and blue sky, and immediately thought of this stamp that I've had for a while, but haven't inked up yet.  There's a lot of those in my studio. :)

I used a sprayed background from my background stash, masking the bottom and adding more blue watercolour paint to deepen the colour.  The bucket and shovel were watercoloured, fussy-cut and popped up on top of a torn piece of cork.  More cork was used to paper piece the piles of sand and sand in the bucket.

The sentiment (from the same freebie stamp set) is stamped in black.  A die-cut and popped up watercoloured sun finishes this fun, summery card.

Thanks so much to Shery and the girls for giving me this honour of being a Guest Designer this month for the CAS Challenge.  I hope you'll come play along. Anything goes, so as long as your card is CAS.

This is also perfect for the CAS Mix Up June Challenge - Die-cuts.  My CAS Mix Up card above uses a die-cut, stamping, sprays, watercolouring, masking, fussy-cutting, paper piecing, torn edge, and cork.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps:  Beach Life (STAMPlorations)
Paper:  White (Neenah); Mixed Media (Strathmore 400 series); Watercolour Paper (gift from Shirl)
Ink:  Black Archival (Ranger); Black (Memento); Zigs (Kuretake)
Accessories & Tools:  Blue watercolour spray from Liquid Concentrate Watercolour (Dick Blick), masking tape, white gel pen, cork, Sunshine small die (Lil' Inkers)

Challenges:
STAMPlorations June CAS Challenge
CAS Mix Up June Challenge - Die-cuts