Touch of Nature

I recently watercolored some long ago stamped pieces.

I painted this little guy as what we refer to as a LBJ (Little Brown Job).

We're using corrugated cardboard this month at
 CAS Mix Up
so I added a cardboard mat and heart.

I really like the added texture and color of the cardboard
on this card.

My mixed media are stamping, corrugated cardboard, watercolor,
distressed edges, tearing and dry embossing.

Here's another card using this stamp.

this time it's a chickadee.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Touch of Nature (retired SU)

Ink:   Jet Black StazOn

Paper:   Naturals Ivory (ret. SU), Cheap Watercolor, Acrylic (Strathmore), Basic Black (SU)

Other:  Koi Watercolors, Cardboard from box, Primitive Hearts Bigz Die (Sizzix), Stately EF (Craft Concepts), White Gel Pen

Featuring Jodi and Sue

I've gotten behind on the Featured Stampers at SCS, again.  This is for last week's celebrity, Jodi (aka jodi r.)  She has lots of cards I'd like to CASE but I chose this one for the layout that worked with something from my UFO box.  I see that Jodi made her card from scraps. How appropriate is that!

The embossed and colored piece was in the box.  I added a butterfly from Papillon Potpourri that was in the butterfly box. (I have all kinds of boxes.)  I stamped a sentiment, added a narrow black mat and tied a knot in a snippet of ribbon. 

This week's Featured Stamper is Sue (aka Susiespotless).  I love that call name!  Again, such beautiful cards to amaze and inspire us!  I chose this card because it showed me what to do with the pieces I was working with the night before that totally stumped me.  

The flower, which had been stamped on handmade paper, was in my UFO box.  I fussy cut it and found the already embossed piece that I liked it on but couldn't get any further than that.  Then I went to bed and dreamed about that card all night.  Do you do that?  Not the most restful night's sleep!

When I saw Sue's card, it all clicked.  

I found the DP in the scrap box.  I couldn't find any ribbon that I liked so I used a scrap of Elegant Eggplant and my Scallop Trim Border Punch instead. 

I'm caught up with the Featured Stampers for now.  And I'm so excited to be using some of the UFO's.  

Some of you have commented that I should host a UFO challenge.  While I would love to host a challenge, my time is limited right now.  Like some of my blogging friends, I am thinking about slowing down with the blog.  It seems like I'm spending more and more time on the computer and the boys are only going to be little for a while.  Soon they won't want Nana to play with them and I don't want to look back and wish I'd spent more time playing with them and less on the computer.   

So I'll unofficially challenge you to use your UFOs (UnFinished Objects) and your NBUS (Never Before Used Stuff) and your Snippets and just have fun with them.  Isn't that what this is supposed to be all about?  We need to relax and enjoy the craft.  And if they fit in a challenge, so much the better.

I'm taking these to Pixies Crafty Workshop cause I used Snippets.

All supplies are Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps: Papillon Potpourri, Short & Sweet

Ink:  Bashful Blue, Certainly Cellery, Tuxedo Black (Memento), SU Markers

Paper:  Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Whisper White

Other:  Bashful Blue Taffeta Ribbon, Bitty Butterfly Punch, Elegant Bouquet EF (retired)

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  Touch of Nature

Ink:  Perfect Plum

Paper:  Handmade (non SU), Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White, DP (non SU)

Other:  Square Lattice EF, Scallop Trim Corner and Border punches, Bitty Butterfly punch, Basic Pearls 

Thanks for the visit.

Enjoy!

Faux Letterpress

The CAS challenge today is to do a technique where you ink your embossing folder.  The technique is called Faux Letterpress.  Basically you use your inkpads (Stampin' Spots work well) to ink the bottom of the embossing folder.  Well, my embossing folders don't say which is the bottom.  I tried inking both sides and I thought they looked very similar.  So I guess you can ink either side.  After you ink the folder, you put it through your BIG GUY and watch for the magic results.

I used Close to Cocoa since I wasn't sure what it was going to do.  I think Crumb Cake would give similar results.  I also used my new Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder.  It gives such a deep impression!  I used it on Whisper White Cardstock and I really like the contrast.  I think I like this technique and will probably try it again!

I was trying to figure out what else to use on my card, and I thought about this bird that I had stamped on watercolor paper a long time ago and never painted.  I just got my Stampin' Up! Watercolor pencils so I gave them a try.  I had used some watercolor pencils in the past but they are not the quality of the Stampin' Up! ones!  I used the pencils and a blender pen and I think the bird (a sparrow?) looks pretty good for me.  I love the way the colors blend with these pencils!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Touch of Nature

Ink:  Black StazOn, Close to Cocoa

Paper:  Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Tangerine Tango Textured, Watercolor

Accessories:  Big Shot, Vintage Label Embossing Folder, Ovals Die, Shape Cutter (non SU)

By the way, the embossing folder cleans right up with soap and water and the Classic Ink works fine with this technique.

Hope you enjoy this and are inspired to give this technique a try.

Bonnie

Another Touch of Nature

Hello again. I hope I'm not overdoing it today. I'll probably get behind again tomorrow. Oh, well! That's life!

I did this card today for the CAS challenge this week. It is a sketch challenge of a card by ravengirl. You can see the card here.

I used the Top Note Die and the BIG GUY for the white layer then used the Square Lattice Embossing Folder to add the texture.

The flower is another from my UFO box that I had stamped ages ago. I think I used Brilliant Blue ink to stamp it so I used a Brilliant Blue scallop circle and card base.

The sentiment is stamped on a 1" strip of Whisper White layered on a 1 1/4" strip of Brilliant Blue. I stamped the sentiment in Brilliant Blue and used the Scallop Trim Corner punch on the ends. The flower is popped up on a dimensional.

I love this stamp set. Even though it is retired, I keep it. Now that I've used all the elements I had stamped from it, I may need to get it out and stamp some more. But not until I clean out my box!

Card Recipe
Stamps: Touch of Nature, Watercolor Trio
Paper: Brilliant Blue, Whisper White
Ink: Brilliant Blue
Acc.: Scallop Trim Corner & 1 3/4" Scallop Circle Punches, Big Shot, Top Note Die, Square Lattice EF, Yellow Brad

This is really all for today. Maybe I'll go see what else I can find in my box.

Happy Stampin',
Bonnie

Chalk it Up

Here I am again. Still trying to catch up posts from last week's SCS challenges. Both of these are for the Ways to Use It challenge to use chalks.

This first card was a stamp from my UFO (UnFinished Objects) box. It had been stamped with black StazOn on watercolor paper. I used some makeup (eyeshadow I think) applicators to rub the chalk on. I think I used Real Red, Summer Sun & Garden Green. I can't be sure because I opened my chalks upside down once and they all fell out! Gasp! I had to guess at the colors when I put them back. Believe me, I am careful when I open it now. Hint...Make sure the picture is on top.

After I colored the flower(from the retired Touch of Nature set), I mounted it on Basic Black then adhered it to a Confetti White card base. I stamped the happiness (from Warm Words, also retired) with Basic Black.



For this next card, I did the Poppin' Pastels technique. I stamped the flourish from the Elements of Style set with VersaMark and used makeup applicators to apply the chalk to the stamped image. I did the same for the hummingbird on a scrap piece and cut him out. He is popped up on a dimensional. I used tiny pearls in the center of the flowers to carry on the soft look of this technique.

The design is mounted on Basic Black and the sentiment, from the Short & Sweet set, is stamped in Basic Black.

I think Poppin' Pastels is one of my favorite techniques.

Stay cool and try to get inky!
Bonnie