Thursday, August 31, 2023

Winter Barn Merry Christmas

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

Hopefully I'm not going to miss the deadline for the Peace on Earth Challenge.

Time sure flies!


I stamped this retired stamp with Archival ink and used Distress Markers and my 
waterbrush to color.  I started light and kept building up color until I had the depth 
of color I wanted.

For the moon, I punched a 3/4" circle and colored around it. I added a light wash of
Scattered Straw to add some glow.

I used a very sharp watercolor pencil in black to add some definition to the tree and 
windmill.  Some Chunky White Frantage added a little snow flurry.  

Finally, I fashioned a tiny wreath with a snowflake stamp and tiny paper punch and
a stamped sentiment finished it off.

Challenges:
Peace on Earth #46 - Inspired by mood board






Card Recipe
Stamps:  Winter Barn (ret Serendipity), Merry Christmas (ret IO)
Ink:   Archival Watering Can, Fired Brick, Hickory Smoke, Iced Spruce, Chipped Sapphire, Scattered Straw (DM), Versafine Onyx Black 
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 400 series), Night of Navy (SU), Neenah Solar White
Other:  Caran d'ache Supracolor Pencil (Ivory Black), Chunky White Frantage (Stampendous), White Gel Pen


Enjoy!


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Wednesday, August 30, 2023

More Stylized Flowers

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

I have another card using this month's Spellbinders 3D Embossing Folder.

I got a bit carried away from my usual CAS style!

 

Jack had painted a piece covered in roses and told me I could use it for a card.

It was sitting on my table while I was working with this embossing folder and I
thought, why not?

It really was too busy to show the lovely embossing, but I kept going anyway.

I embossed a piece of Neenah Solar White and fussy cut two of the flowers out to
place over one of the flowers.  I had some die cut branches and butterflies
sitting on the table and added them too. 

The die cut sentiment was already cut so I added that too.

It's not my favorite card and I wish I'd used his beautiful roses in a better way,
but it is another way to use this embossing folder.

Challenges:
Spellbinders - August Clubs Inspiration Roundup




Card Recipe
Stamps:  
Ink:   Celery, Field, Lemonade (SSS)
Paper:   Watercolor (Strathmore CP), Neenah Solar White, Black
Other:  Twinkle H2Os, 3D Stylized Floral EF (Spl), Yana's Wonderful Scripted Sentiments (Spl), Leafy Sprig, Sealed Birds (Spl), Graceful Butterfly Set (SSS)



Enjoy!


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Leafy Bird

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

I don't think it's a surprise the I like birds!

Whether they are outside or in the studio, they are among my favorite blessings.


I had this embossed background laying on my table since the 3D Embossing Folder
arrived.  I wasn't sure what I'd do with it.  I think it would be beautiful colored.
But I decided to keep it plain and color some NBUS Spellbinder die cuts to go with it.

The bird was colored with Distress Markers and spread with a waterbrush.
The leaves were colored with a blending brush and ink.

I trimmed it down and used the same colors to brush ink on a leftover strip of
watercolor paper to add a bit of contrast to the background.

I am loving these Scripted Die cuts and need to do some more. 
It's very handy to have some cut and ready to go!

Challenges:
NBUS #53 - Never Before Used Schtuff - 3D Embossing Folder, Bird Die, Leafy Die
Seize the Birthday #268 - ATG Birthday (no musical topping)
Try it on Tuesday - Let's Go Outside


    
 



Card Recipe
Stamps:  
Ink:   Rusty Hinge, Brushed Corduroy (DM), Sprout, Pearfection, Field, Sherbet (SSS)
Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Watercolor (Arches CP), Gold Foil, Vellum
Other:  3D Stylized Floral (Spl August Club), Leafy Sprig, Little Chickadee, Yana's Scripted Sentiments (Spl), Everyday Sentiments Glimmer Plate, Gold Foil (Spl)


Enjoy!


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Tuesday, August 29, 2023

Fall Wren

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

I'm sliding in to some challenges before they close, so I'll be posting a lot
for a few days.


I've used my NBUS Memory Box Wren die that I've been wanting to get to.

I die cut him from mixed media paper and colored with Distress Markers and my
waterbrush.  I also die cut the Winterberry Sprig from mixed media paper and the 
Magnolia Leaf die from cold press watercolor paper.

I decided to place him on some stitched hexagon die cuts from my stash.

To add a bit of interest in the background, I used another leaf die to
emboss the background.  I also pressed the wet berries down on the background to 
add more interest.

Then, because I couldn't seem to stop, I pulled out this vintage Memory Box stencil
and brushed a little Antique Linen DOX on the card base.

Challengs:
NBUS #53 - Never Before Used Schtuff (Wren Die)


 


Card Recipe
Stamps:  
Ink:   Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge, Crushed Olive, Tea Dye, Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs (DM), Antique Linen DOX
Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 400 series), Watercolor (Arches CP), Neenah Solar White
Other:  Backyard Wren, Magnolia Leaf (MB), Lorelai Leaf (ret PS), Stitched Hexagons, Winterberry Sprig (ret. MB), Textured Scraped Paint Stencil (ret MB)


Enjoy!


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Monday, August 28, 2023

Ink Blending with Water Lifting

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

This month's Group of Seven Cardmakers were focusing on 
Ink Blending with Water Lifting.


We weren't able to meet up on Zoom this month so we used this technique on our own
by following the video that Loll provided for us.

Our friend Colleen shared a video on her blog that I found to be very helpful too.

For my first card, I stamped and heat embossed before ink blending the background with
Distress Oxide inks.  I chose a more subtle blend of colors for my backgrounds, the depth of color.

I found that stamping and embossing first worked better for me than ink blending 
and having to wait for it to dry.

I needed to dab with water several times to get the ink to lighten.  I found it was better to let
it dry between dabbings.  And it's a definite must to use watercolor or mixed media paper.


For my second card I used a background stamp and heat embossed after ink blending
the background and letting it dry overnight.

I have a little strip of this one left so you'll probably be seeing it again.

I hope you'll check out the Group of Seven Cardmakers blog and see what the
rest of the group has done and what they found that worked best for them.
It's a fun and easy technique!



Card Recipe (card 1)
Stamps:  Feathered Lilies (Alt), Fancy Greetings (Alt)
Ink:   VersaMark, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Candied Apple (DOX), Versafine Onyx Black
Paper:   Watercolor Paper (Alt), Neenah Solar White, Black
Other:  White EP, Blending Brushes, Waterbrush

Card Recipe (card 2)
Stamps:  Roses All Over (MFT), Sentiment Strips (Alt)
Ink:   Whisper White, Picked Raspberry (DOX)
Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 400 series), Neenah Solar White, Vellum
Other:  White EP, Blending Brush, Waterbrush, Elegant Frames STAX (MFT), Subtle EF (ret SU), Graceful Butterfly Die & EF set (Spl))



Enjoy!


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Sunday, August 27, 2023

Jumbo Mum in Red

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

 

Challenges:
Color Hues - Red & Yellow





Card Recipe
Stamps:  Jumbo Mum, Easy Expressions Original (Ton)
Ink:   Whisper White, Versafine Onyx Black, Lemonade, Sunbeam, Citron (SSS)
Paper: Mixed Media (Strathmore 400 series), Neenah Solar White  
Other:  White EP, SU Re-inker (Real Red), Graceful Butterfly Set EF & Die (SSS), Large Words EF (Kwan Crafts), Stitched Rectangle Dies (SSS)


Enjoy!


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Saturday, August 26, 2023

Scattered Shells

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

I rarely play in sketch challenges.  I don't know why.  But this is a special challenge at
Freshly Made Sketches.  It's their 600th sketch.

Wow! That's a lot of sketches and this happens to be one of my favorites!


I needed a card for the widower of a dear friend and thought of this 3D emboaaing
Folder.  It's 8 1/2 inches long so it's perfect for a slimline card.  In this case it's a Monarch
size.  It's bigger than a mini slimline yet smaller than the larger slimline.

I've embossed a piece of Pool Party cardstock and rubbed over the raised areas with
Whisper White pigment ink.  (Sometimes I hit the lower areas too!)

I added a sand dollar and a fussy cut embossed starfish and little shell.

I don't know what happened to the top of the E.  I checked before mailing the card and
the E is complete.

Congratulations to the team at Freshly Made Sketches for providing all those fabulous
sketches.  I'll try to get over there more often.

Lots of inspiration over there from the fantastic team and a load of Guest Designers!

Challenges:



Card Recipe
Stamps:  
Ink:   Whisper White (SU)
Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Pool Party, Crumb Cake
Other:  Scattered Shells 3D EF (Spl), Sand Dollar Die (GM), Every Day Sentiments Hot Foil Plate (Spl), Gold Foil (Spl)


Enjoy!


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Friday, August 25, 2023

Merry Elf

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

The past couple of weeks have been very busy here which means not much
time to create cards.  But I did squeeze one out.


I've stamped the elf with Memento ink and colored with Copics. I don't have the
die so I had to fussy cut him out.

The MERRY was die cut from Cherry Cobbler ink and all added onto a 
Pinpoint Snowflake background.  I even found a stitched snowdrift in the
UFO box.

Challenges:
ABC Christmas Challenge - P is for Present
Christmas Kickstart #77 - Just Elfing Around
Krafty Chicks #678 - Occasions (Christmas)
Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes


    
 



Card Recipe
Stamps:  Santa's Elves (MFT)
Ink:   Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Cherry Cobbler
Other:  Copics (G14, YG17, E11, E21, RV00, E13, E23, R29, R37, C00), Stacked Merry Die (MFT), Pinpoint Snowflake Plate (MB), Stitched Borders Die (MFT)


Enjoy!


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Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Songbird Celebration for Try it on Tuesday

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

I am excited to be Guest Designing for Try it on Tuesday
where the challenge is Let's Go Outside.
This could be activities, scenes, gardens, flowers, etc., basically anything that's outside.

I chose to do an outdoor scene with some Penny Black stamps.



Hope to see you in the gallery at Try it on Tuesday!


I'm also entering in....

Other Challenges:
Penny Black Saturday - ATG no option
Triple B - Birds and Blooms


Card Recipe
Stamps:  Songbird Celebrations, Enamor, Serene (PB), Flower Silhouettes (MFT)
Ink:   Memento Gray Flannel, Chipped Sapphire, Candied Apple, Peeled Paint, Barn Door (DI)
Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Blueberry Bushel, Merry Merlot
Other:  Whittle Birds (PS), Caran d'ache Supracolor Pencils


Enjoy!


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Saturday, August 19, 2023

Holiday Blooming Trees

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

I pulled this Spellbinders Glimmer plate and die set from my NBUS box
and it seems that I couldn't stop!


It's really hard to get a photo showing the fabulous shine so you'll have to use your
imagination.  Maybe you can see some of it better with this one...


I did a landscape card for a little variety.


and finally foiled with green foil...


They've all been colored with Copics and I popped on some foiled sentiments.

Challenges:
Jingle Belles - Oh Christmas Tree
NBUS #53 - Never Before Used Schtuff





Card Recipe
Stamps:  
Ink:   
Paper:   Neenah Solar White, Pool Party, Real Red, Gold Foil, Christmas Pine
Other:   Blooming Tree Glimmer Plate and Die (Spl), Holiday Blooms Dies (Spl), Holiday, Hemstitch Rectangles Dies (Spl), Holiday Sentiments 2 Glimmer Plate & Dies (Spl),Perfect Sentiments Holiday Hot Foil Plate & Die (PFS), Foil (Spl)


Enjoy!


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Thursday, August 17, 2023

Going Coastal

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

I thought I'd try something a little different.

I had a used canvas that I wanted to re-use so I'd covered it with gesso.


I used watercolors to paint a coastal scene then it sat on the table for a few days.

I wanted some texture so I used texture paste for the foam on the waves.  That pointed
palette knife worked great for spreading the paste.

I had in mind to do some cabanas and tried to paint the area over with white acrylic paint.

It became very apparent that I would NOT be able to paint stripes on these cabanas in an
attractive way.  So it sat for a few more days.

It dawned on my that I had some wide striped ribbon that could work for the cabanas.
It worked much better than what I could paint.

I wasn't sure how to do the roofs but Trina had a fantastic idea of using star dies.
She used them for faces on her Jack-o-lanterns, but they worked great for the peak on
the roofs.


I'd picked up the chunky fragments from a clearance table years ago and thought they 
would work great for sand or broken shells.

The gulls are die cut and colored with watercolor pencils.

Finally I die cut some "sea oats" from specialty paper that has lovely specks in it.  I sponged a bit 
of Brushed Corduroy DOX ink on the edged.  Just the stems are glued at the bottom 
so they can wave in the breeze.


I don't think mixed media canvases will lure me away from cardmaking, but it was a 
fun summer project,


Recipe
Stamps:  
Ink:   
Paper:   Woodgrain (TH), Collage Pad, Neenah Solar White
Other:  6" x 6" Canvas covered with gesso, Watercolors (Gansai Tambi), Grasses Dies (AR), Star Dies (ret SU), Flying Gulls Die (MB), Caran d'ache Supracolor Pencils (Grayish Black, Beige), Taupe Color Fragments (Stampendous), Ribbon (ret SU), Embossing Paste (Wendy Vecchi, Tacky Glue


Enjoy!


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