hugs & prayers...

Hello!  Popping in with a card for a few challenges:  Color Throwdown, Freshly Made Sketches and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.   Feels like I haven't played along with any challenges in ages, but that really isn't the case.  Just haven't posted much on my blog, I guess.   Love the pretty palette over at Color Throwdown and just had to make something.  I pulled out the pretty Simon Says Stamp Sketch Ranunculus stamp set and did a lot of stamping and masking.  The ink I used is my favorite black ink VersaFine CLAIR Nocturne.  Love how beautifully it stamps... even on watercolor paper!  Once that was done I did some simple watercoloring using my Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors.  When the piece was dry I trimmed it down to fit the FMS layout.  To bring some additional blue into the card I watercolored a strip of watercolor paper with the blue I used for the little berries.    Because of the way I stamped the flowers and leaves I decided to flip the sketch on its side.  Not super happy with where I had to stamp the sentiment, but that is the spot where it fit the best.  Think I will add this to Simon Says Stamp's Work it Wednesday, too.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI rustic white; Canson watercolor; Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp; Ink:  VersaFine CLAIR; Watercolor medium:  Kuretake Gansai Tambi watercolors

cards for a few challenges...

Hey friends!!  Popping in with two cards that I made for several challenges.  The first card is for the current Color Throwdown, Freshly Made Sketches and Time Out challenges.  I have not played along with a Time Out challenge in ages so when I saw that the new challenge is to be inspired by words ('Autumn...the year's last, loveliest smile') I had to combine it with the other two challenges and play along.  Been in a bit of a crafting funk the last few days so I did something that usually helps kick start my mojo... straight up stamping!  I pulled out a few Stampin Up! sets (Painted Petals and French Foliage) and got to work.  I used the rock and roll technique and threw in a bit of collage stamping.  After stamping the majority of the images and the sentiment I felt there was a little something missing so I added a bit more stamping using a splatter image from French Foliage and the orange ink.  I die cut the panel using the A Jillian Vance Design Polka Dot Rectangle Backdrop dies (these dies are now my go to dies for creating my card panels... love them!) and then added a little sparkle with some clear sequins.  Absolutely love how the card turned out and it did help to kick start my mojo... YAY!!  Since today is World Cardmaking Day I'm going to enter this card into the Simon Says Stamp World Cardmaking Day challenge.

 

 

The second card was made for the current ColourQ and AAA Cards challenges.  The current AAA cards (I had so many places I was trying to remember to link up my cards to that linking it up to AAA got lost in the shuffle...realized it last night!!) challenge is to make words the center of attention so it was the perfect time to use my Painted Thank You set from Concord & 9th.  I found Concord & 9th several months ago through Splitcoaststampers.  I love their fun, unique designs and just recently made another purchase from them.  Can't wait to get my new goodies.  For this card I kept things really simple and just used the brushstroke image from the set to stamp all the colors in the ColourQ combo.  I then overstamped the thank you in black.  The panel was die cut with the second largest rectangle from the A Jillian Vance Design Polka Dot Rectangle Backdrop dies and added some clear sequins.   The panel was mounted on a light grey card base.  I think I will add this card to the current Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday, as well as the current Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge of anything goes.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by.... and for sticking with this rather long post!!

Supplies:  Cardstock:  Recollections white, Simon Says Stamp Fog, PTI kraft; Stamps:  Stampin Up! and Concord & 9th; Dies:  A Jillian Vance Design; Inks:  Memento Tangelo, Dandelion and Tuxedo Black, Stampin Up! Kiwi Kiss, Riding Hood Red, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie; Pretty Pink Posh clear sequins

birthday balloons...

Happy Thursday friends!!  A quick post sharing a card that I made for the Simon Says Stamp flickr challenge (the challenge is over, but you can find it here).  I posted the card in the SSS flickr group yesterday afternoon, but this morning realized that it will work for the current Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge (ombre), as well as the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge (anything goes) so I will be posting it to both those challenges... YAY!!  I'm also adding this to the current Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday (use a stamp).The SSS flickr challenge was to use emboss resist so I flipped through my small collection of SSS stamp set and settled on the set called Celebrate.  The set has lots of different balloon and I used three for my card.  I didn't want any of the balloons to run into each other so I stamped a few in Versamark watermark ink, applied clear embossing powder and then stamped a few more.  It is hard to see watermark ink on white cardstock so doing my stamping this way helped me make sure I didn't overlap any balloons.  Once all the balloons were stamped and embossing powder applied I heat set everything.  I used Ranger Salty Ocean and Broken China distress inks for the background.  I applied Broken China over the majority of the card fading out toward the bottom.  Salty Ocean was applied only to the top of the piece to darken it up a bit.  Balloon strings were added using grey ink and then the sentiment was stamped.  I used the word happy from the SSS set Happy & Smile and the word birthday from the Celebrate set.   Happy was stamped in Salty Ocean and then birthday overstamped slightly in black ink.  A few clear sequins finished things off.  I added a strip of silver glitter cardstock down one side of my card base and then adhered the main panel.

Thanks for stopping by today...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  Recollections white; DCWV glitter cardstock; Stamps:  Simon Says Stamp; Inks:  Ranger Distress ink, Memento Tuxedo Black and London Fog; Pretty Pink Posh clear sequins

pti july blog hop...

Hey friends!!   Time for the July PTI blog hop.  While many of you will be hopping around, checking out all the beautiful cards and leaving comments I will be motoring down the freeway on my way to California with my boys.  But, before I left I had to make sure that I got a card made for this month's blog hop.   The inspiration photo for this month is so lovely.  I tried to pull some of the colors from the photo, as well as including butterflies.  My layout is based on one of the PTI release week sketches.  I used up a tiny amount of my huge supply of patterned paper for the background, as well as for the butterfly.  After trimming the patterned paper to fit the Rustic White card panel I adhered it and added the sentiment from Pretty Peonies in black ink.   Pretty Peonies is one of my very favorite PTI sets and the only one I own that has a butterfly in it.   I die cut the butterfly from Rustic White cardstock and then stamped it using kraft colored ink.  Some off white hemp twine was added behind the large butterfly (cut with a Stampin Up! die), adhered to the panel and then the smaller butterfly added.   Finished with a little paper flower.  This is another one of those cards that as I was making it I wasn't entirely sure if I would like how it turned out, but once I was done I really like it!  I'm also going to add this to the July SSS Work It Wednesday challenge:  die cuts.  

Thanks for stopping by today... I appreciate your comments and will return the favor once I have internet for my Nook tablet.  (Comment moderation is on so your comment will appear once I get the chance to approve them.)

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI Rustic white, Stampin Up! Crumb Cake; Stamps:  PTI; Dies:  PTI and Stampin Up!; Inks:  Stampin Up! and Memento; hemp twine; Prima paper rose; Patterned paper:  My Mind's Eye

all things...

Hello friends!!!   We have had some silly weather here in Western Washington.  Yesterday it was rainy and cold and told we have sunshine and warm!  I will definitely take the sunny and warm!  Have a card I made using the Reverse Confetti March Sketch for You to Try.  I think I will post this to the current Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday since I do have stamping on it, as well as the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge of anything goes.

Yesterday (when it was rainy and cold) I made a quick trip to the best paper crafting/stamping store in my area Impress Rubber Stamps to get just one thing... a box of envelopes.  But, of course, I walked out of there with a few more things... including a super cute pad of Teresa Collins Nine & Co papers.  I used those for my card.  The stamps and dies are Reverse Confetti.  The lovely Love Blooms set and matching Confetti Cuts dies.  Followed the sketch quite faithly... most of the time I'm just not super creative, lol!  Anyway...

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  Recollections white; PP:  Teresa Collins; Stamps:  Reverse Confetti; Dies:  Spellbinders plain circles; Confetti Cuts; Inks:  VersaMagic Straw, Pumpkin Spice, Sage and Spanish Olive; VersaFine Black Onyx; Yellow Stickles

 

my sunshine...

Hey friends!  So... I made this card for the Simon Says Stamp/Lawn Fawn co-challenge over at flickr.  Unfortunately, I had to pull the card from the challenge because I missed one little (well actually big, lol!) component:  use kraft!   As you can see from my card there isn't a drop of kraft on it!  Sigh... going to try to make something new for the flickr challenge.  Thankfully there is still plenty of time to enter.   I will be posting this to the new SSS Work It Wednesday challenge (spring... don't cute bunnies just says "spring" to you?) and this week's SSS Wednesday challenge Anything Goes.

I love it when I get an idea and I'm able to have my card turn out exactly like I envisioned it!  I own one Lawn Fawn set, Hello Baby.  I stamped the big and little bunnies on some Teresa Collins Memorabilia patterned paper and die cut them with the matching dies.  I stamped the grass using light blue and grey inks and then adhered the bunnies.  The blue "sky" was die cut using the Lawn Fawn Speech Bubble Border die.  The sun is from the SSS set Bring the Sunshine and was cut using the matching die.  The clouds are also from Lawn Fawn.  I added a bit of stickles to the clouds and bunny tails for a bit of sparkly.

Have a happy day...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white & Spring Rain; Stamps and dies:  Simon Says Stamp and Lawn Fawn; Crystal Stickles; Teresa Collins Memorabilia 6x6 pad; Memento Tuxedo Black & London Fog inks; PTI Spring Rain ink

sharing some color...

Hey friends!!  Popping in with a couple of cards for some challenges:  ColourQ, Color Throwdown and CASology - birthday.   Today I got lots of fun new crafty stuff so I will also be entering the Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday:  new.    First up is my card for ColourQ.

For this card I used the Stampin Up! SAB (Sale-a-bration) set Lotus Blossom.  The flower was stamped using Cherry Cobbler, Rose Red and Calypso Coral.  The stem  and sentiment were stamped using Memento London Fog and then a few clear sequins were added.  I matted the piece with grey cardstock (I believe it is from Simon Says Stamp, but I don't know the name).  Super simple, but a design that I think will work very well for all kinds of cards.  Think this is the one I will add to the SSS Work It Wednesday.

This card is for CASology and Color Throwdown.  I used the Stampin Up! set Butterfly Basics.  It has a matching die set that I wanted to use for the card, but boo hoo... the dies are on back order!  Hopefully I will get them next week.  Butterfly Basics is a stamp set that makes my inky little heart very happy!  Lots of collage possibilities with this one.   The color combo at Color Throwdown is one that I would never dream up, but I think I made all the colors work nicely.  I used distress inks (Squeezed Lemonade, Crushed Olive, Peacock Feathers and Seedless Preserves).  After stamping everything I also finished this one with some clear sequins.

Thanks for stopping by...

Supplies:  Cardstock:  PTI white, rustic white and kraft; SSS grey; Stamps:  Stampin Up!; Inks:  Stampin Up!, Memento and Distress Inks; Pretty Pink Posh clear sequins