Let's Celetrate Summer

Hi everyone.  I bought this fun stamp set a little while ago and realized I had better use it before summer was over. :)  These stamps make for the most delicious looking summer drinks ... don't they look refreshing for a hot summer day??!!

This is a clean and simple design (my favourite) with just a little masking and some bright and fun watercolours.

Tip:  I saw a video by Fran (Stampdenous guru) where she uses a small 3" square post-it note pad.  She stamps her images on the pad, making sure the top is on the sticky portion.  Then she pulls off three post-it note sheets together, fussy-cuts the image and she now has a stack of the same masks to use many times.  She always uses the masks from the back of the stack, leaving the image on top where you can see it.  When she runs low, she can use the same image onto a new stack of post-it note sheets to fussy-cut some more.  So clever!

Close-up ...

Hope this brightens your day! :)

Products
Fruity Drinks (Stampendous)
Essential Sentiments (Maker's Movement)
Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media paper (140 lb.) - Blick Art Materials

Stamps:  Fruity Drinks (Stampendous); Essential Sentiments (Maker's Movement)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Black Archival (Ranger); Distress Inks:  Mustard Seed, Festive Berries, Picked Raspberry, Carved Pumpkin, Fired Brick, Mowed Lawn (Tim Holtz); Smoky Slate (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories & Tools:  Clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, water brush, masks

CAS Challenges August Reminder

Hi everyone.  We are already half way through August ... this summer is disappearing fast!  I'm here with a reminder card for the CAS Mix Up August challenge which is Beach (must use watercolouring on your card). 

I'm the host!

This is my first time using this beautiful stamp from Penny Black.  I watercoloured in Distress Inks and then placed my image behind a circle aperture which is "off-the-edge".

Adding this to the NBUS #17 challenge (never-before-used-schtuff).

And I'm heading over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge with this card as well.  The challenge for August is Anything Goes or Make the Sentiment the Focus".  My card is an anything Goes. :)

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And here is my reminder card for the CAS Christmas August Challenge - Twelve Days of Christmas.

Susan is our host.

Here's my ...

Five Golden Stars

I used a piece of smooshed (with magicals) watercolour for my background, die cut the winter trees and then heat embossed five stars in gold.  The sentiment is stamped and heat embossed in gold as well.

Hope you've had fun playing with this challenge.  Thinking outside the box in how to use stamps / stencils or dies in a new way has been good for me! :)

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I hope you'll check out the challenge blogs to see the amazing cards from our Designers, Guest Designers, and participants.  If you haven't had time to play along, there's over a week left before both challenges close on 24th at midnight PST.  Come join us!


Products
Penny Black Ocean Breeze stamp
Stampendous Ocean Wisdom sentiments
Alpine Trees die (Memory Box)
Christmas Sentiments (Penny Black)

CAS Mix Up Reminder - Deep as the Ocean
Stamps:  Ocean Breeze (Penny Black); Ocean Wisdom (Stampendous)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Distress inks:  Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs, Broken China, Salty Ocean, Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  Paint brushes, Circle Nestability (Spellbinders - retired)

CAS Christmas Reminder - Five Golden Stars
Stamps:  Christmas Sentiments (Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Magicals:  Guten Tag Teal, Afternoon Delight Denim, Witch's Potion Purple (Lindy's); Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Alpine Trees die (Memory Box); Star stencil (AliExpress), Princess Gold embossing powder (Ranger); heat tool

Challenges:
CAS Mix Up August Challenge - Beach
CAS Christmas August Challenge - 12 Days of Christmas
NBUS #17 Challenge

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - August - Anything goes or Make the Sentiment the Focus

Guest Designer at Christmas Craft Creations

Hi everyone.  I'm thrilled to be Guest Designing at Christmas Craft Creations.  Christmas cards are my favourite cards to make. :)  Thanks to Lady Joyful and team for having me join them this month!

  

I find animals on Christmas cards can be a lot of fun to make.:)  They are always so adorable!

I love this image from Penny Black.  We can all relate to be tangled up with Christmas lights. :)  I stamped my image onto mixed media paper in black ink and heat embossed in clear.  The image is watercoloured with distress inks.  I added crystal drops to the lights to make them shine.  Once dry, the top of the image was fussy-cut and popped over top of a background of sponged peeled paint ink over white embossed Christmas Words.  Stamped a sentiment at the bottom of panel and then popped it up over card base.

Close-up ...

I hope you'll have time to come join us at the Christmas Craft Creations blog.  Such a fun challenge!  I'll be back here with a reminder card on August 26th!

Products
Christmas Fun (Penny Black)
Merry Up - sentiment (Penny Black)
Christmas Story (Penny Black)
Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media paper (140 lb.) - Blick Art Materials

Stamps:  Christmas Fun (Penny Black); Christmas Story (Penny Black); Merry Up (Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Black (Memento); Distress Inks:  Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, Candied Apple, Aged Mahogany, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  water brush, clear embossing powder (Ranger), Cyrstal Drops (Nuvo), white embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, sponge

Challenges:
Christmas Craft Creations August Challenge - Animals

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