Penny Black - Cuddlesome and Fragrant Friends

Hi everyone.  I have a couple of cards to share with you today.  The first one (above) is one of the new releases called Cuddlesome (30-814).  I love this adorable bear peeking out from the tea cup. :)  This image is watercoloured with Distress Inks, using primary colours for the tea cups.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set.  The only detail I added was some white dots to one of the cups.  Clean and Simple one layer design.

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Sending the above card over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes with Optional:  Clean and Simple.  This is definitely a clean and simple card!

For the second card, I've used a sweet bear image from Fragrant Friends (30-807).

He is watercoloured using distress inks and then cut out using the matching die, Fragrant Friend Cut Out (51-704).  I used the Leaf Pattern die (51-432) to create a stencil from acetate.  I then sponged through the stencil with a soft green to create a background.  The bear is popped up on top to add dimension.

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Thanks for stopping by!

Penny Black Product Links

Cuddlesome (30-814)

Fragrant Friends (30-807)

Fragrant Friends Cut Out (51-704)

Leaf Pattern die (51-432)

Card #1:

Stamps:  Cuddlesome; Sentiment - Fragrant Friends (Penny Black)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Black (Memento); Distress Inks:  Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs, Mustard Seed, Wild Honey, Candied Apple, Fired Brick, Salty Ocean, Chipped Sapphire (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, paintbrushes, White Posca pen

Card #2:

Stamps:  Fragrant Friends (Penny Black) 

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Black (Memento); Distress Inks:  Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs, Mowed Lawn, Kitsch Flamingo, Picked Raspberry (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, Leaf Pattern die (Penny Black), acetate, sponge, paintbrushes

Challenges:
PBSC May - Anything Goes with Optional: Clean and Simple

Twofer Challenge #38

Hi everyone.  Today is the start of the new Twofer Challenge.  I found this a bit of a challenge because I don't have a lot of cake/cupcake images.  So I went shopping and my cake stamp arrived yesterday.  In the meantime, I found this cupcake and used it instead.  Now I have a cake stamp. :)  Thanks Dolly!

Don't forget to follow the rules ...

I used this adorable cupcake from a stamp set called, Balloons and More (Stampendous).  I stamped in black ink and clear heat embossed.  Stamped again onto patterned paper  and fussy cut both, adding the patterned paper wrapper overtop.  The candle was coloured with cobalt blue zig and I added the same zig ink over top of the patterned paper wrapper so they are the same colour.

The Happy Birthday is part of a stamp (Cling Chunky Birthday - Stampendous) that I masked off and inked in black, also heat embossing in clear.  Fussy-cut before using my zigs to watercolour in rainbow colours.  Tried to make the letters look ombre, light at the top and getting darker at the bottom, but not sure I succeeded. :)

For my second card; stamped, heat embossed in clear and fussy-cut (same as the above card.  This time used the zigs to watercolour the cupcake wrapper in colours of the rainbow.  Rainbows are so happy ... both these cards make me smile. :)

Outlined the icing (or frosting for those not from Canada) .. :)  in bright yellow (same as above card).  This time placed my cupcake in the bottom right corner of a horizonal, kraft card base.  Added a little brown pencil to create a shadow and stamped the sentiment (Many Everyday Messages - Hero Arts) in black (heat embossed in clear).  The cupcake and candle are popped up to create dimension.  Very simple CAS design.

Even though a struggled to get my cupcakes the way I wanted them, I'm really happy with the end results. :)

Hope you'll come play along.  Twofer is open for two weeks, closing end of day May 24th.  Don't miss out!

Also adding the first card to May's NBUS challenge (#26).  I have not used this cupcake / balloon stamp set before.

* * * * *

Darnell (Dolly to me!) has asked us to include our favourite cake / cupcake recipe if we'd like.

My favourite is one that my Mom used to make when I was growing up.  I made it for my kids, and I still make it once in a while now.

Coconut Cake (click on link to see recipe)

* * * * *

Product Links

Balloons and More (Stampendous)

Cling Chunky Birthday (Stampendous)

Many Everyday Messages (Hero Arts)

Card #1:  Happy Birthday Cupcake

Stamps:  Balloons and More, Cling Chunky Birthday (both Stampendous)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); patterned paper
Ink:   Black (Memento); Zigs (Kuretake)
Accessories:   Clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, waterbrush

Card #2:  Just Because Cupcake

Stamps:  Ballons and More (Stampendous); Many Everyday Messages (Hero Arts)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); Kraft paper
Ink:   Black (Memento); Zigs (Kuretake)
Accessories:  Clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, waterbrush, brown w/c pencil (Derwent)

Challenges:

Twofer Challenge #38 - Cake / cupcakes

NBUS Challenge #26

Penny Black - Delight

Hi Everyone.  I have another card to share that uses one of the new release cling stamps from Penny Black.  This image is called Delight (40-775) ... and it really is! :)

I started by creating a washed background.  I used the easiest way for me, sponging three layers of colours across the card front (green, mustard seed, broken china).  I kept the colours very light so that it wouldn't interfer with my watercolouring of the flowers.  After sponging, I spritzed with a little water and used a large paint brush, stroking from side to side.  Once the dry, I stamped the image with Archival Shadow Grey ink.

I watercoloured the flowers with distress inks and then added some brightness with zig brush markers.  To finish, I stamped a sentiment from Gratitude (30-105) in black ink so it would show up overtop of the flowers and sky.

Close-up ..

Thanks for stopping by!

Penny Black Product Links

Delight (40-775)

Gratitude (30-105)

Stamps:  Delight; Gratitude (both Penny Black)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Shadow Grey Ink (Archival); Distress Inks:  Mowed Lawn, Mustard Seed, Broken China, Abandoned Coral, Spiced Marmalade, Wilted Violet; Zigs (Kuretake); Black Ink (Memento) 
Accessories:   Paint Brushes:  1", #4 and #2 round

The Flower Challenge #56

Hi everyone.  Today is the start of The Flower Challenge #56.  The challenge is to use your 

favourite flower.  That can be a tough one.  I love lots of flowers, but my most favourite is the Stargazer Lily.  The image above is a Tiger Lily (Penny Black), but I watercoloured it in the Stargazer colours.  I love the shades of bright pink and the fragrance is amazing. 

I stamped the lily in black ink, clear heat embossed and watercoloured with distress inks and zig markers.  I then fussy-cut.  

I used a embossing folder stamping background from my stash.  This was done with a woodgrain embossing folder (Sizzix - retired) and Distress Inks Picked Raspberry and Gathered Twigs.  I die-cut a square aperture (My Favorite Things - retired) on the card front and secured my lily with the bottom stem inside the aperture, with the rest of the flower outside.  A simple sentiment (Trust Me Builder - Penny Bloom) was stamped in black to finish the card.

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We are excited to have BozenA (ArtCardBox) as our Guest Designer this month.  Please check out the challenge blog to see the beautiful flower cards from our Designers, and wonderful Guest Designer BozenA.

Our challenge is open until April 25th.  Come play along!

Product Links

Tiger Lily (Penny Black)

Trust Me Builder (Penny Black)

Stamps:  Tiger Lily, Trust Me Builder (both from Penny Black)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Picked Raspberry, Gathered Twigs, Kitsch Flamingo, Candied Apple (Tim Holtz); Black (Memento)
Accessories:   Woodgrain embossing folder (Sizzix - retired), water mister, clear embossing powder, heat tool, waterbrush, Stitched Square die (MFT - retired)

Challenges:

The Flower Challenge #56 - Favourite Flower