Sunny Smiles for You!

Hi everyone.  Have been busy for a few days working on some cards / projects that will be upcoming - more on that later.  Finally had a little time to make a card - yay!!  I saw that Linda's beautiful card was one of the winners from last week's Less is More challenge.  WOW!  I love everything about her card ... colors, layout and design, techniques - I mean everything.  So today I CASE'd her card, just changing up the colors slightly and adding a different die-cut flower.  Had lots of fun making this and thanks to Linda for the inspiration!! :)

I recently bought 28 distress inks from Tim Holtz ... yes 28!! :)  I have now ordered a few more and they will be headed my way soon.  I didn't have any of the inks before, so this is new for me (I've always used SU! inks).  I really enjoyed working with the inks for the background of this card ... they blended beautifully and I love the colors.  I used a stencil I made with my Silhouette Cameo - still having fun making lots of stencils to play with. :)

I made a sunflower from yellow gingham and polka-dots paper - so cute.  I added a little shading on the leaves to bring out the color.

Stamps:  Sweet Summer Sentiments (Amy R)
Paper:  110 lb. white (Neenah); Yellow Gingham (Making Memories); Yellow polka-dot (unknown); Pear Pizzazz (SU!)
Ink:  Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon (TH Distress Inks)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Sunflower die (C.C. Designs); Tender leaves die (Memory Box), sponges, Silhouette Cameo for cutting stencil, plastic sheet (Grafix), Stamp-a-ma-jig, stylus and mat, paint brush for splattering

Challenges:
SCS - CAS274 - May Flowers

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I'm sharing more Design Team cards from my time on the Dirty Dozen.  The cards I'll be sharing over the next few weeks are from last November so there are several fall themed cards.  The theme for the Fan Club Challenge last November was "Grateful".

The leaves are cut from watercolor paper.  I sponged them randomly with yellow and orange ...  and then the edges with red ink and then spritzed with water.  Once dry, I splattered them with watered down brown ink.  This is such an easy technique and worth trying! :)

Stamps:  Truly Grateful (SU!)
Paper:  110 lb. White (Neenah); watercolor paper
Ink:  Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Real Red, Soft Suede, Early Espresso (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Large Leaves #2 dies (Cheery Lynn), Twigs & Berries die (Memory Box), Woodgrain embossing folder (Sizzix), sponges, water mister, toothbrush

Honouring Peggy

Hi everyone.  Today's card is in honor of my good friend, Peggy.  She is the Featured Stamper this week at SplitcoastStampers.com.  I love Peggy's elegant and sophisticated style ... she is a master at layering die-cuts.

I didn't CASE a particular card from Peggy's SCS gallery, instead I tried to capture the essence of her style, with a little twist of adding my own CAS style.  Peggy makes THE most beautiful white-on-white cards and at first I was going to do that, but in the end, I added some soft pastel shades as she sometimes does as well.  Peggy also adds lattice die-cuts to many of her cards which I replicated with a lattice stencil sprayed with frosted pear ink (hard to see in the photo, but the background is very shimmery).  She also likes to add sparkle to her cards and I added the pearl frost to the stenciled background and white die-cut branch and flowers.  Congrats Peggy ... I hope you enjoy your special week, my friend! :)

I'm also entering this card into a few other challenges.  This will be my second entry into both ATS&M #96 - Anything Goes, and Less is More #173 - Dies.  And I'm also entering it into the SCS CAS challenge #274 - May Flowers.

Stamps:  Sunny Sentiments (Amy R)
Paper:  110 lb. White (Neenah)
Ink:  Pear Pizzass, Smoky Slate (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Grove Branch die (Memory Box), Hydrangea punch (Martha Stewart), Silhouette Cameo for cutting stencil, plastic sheets (Grafix), water mister, rubbing alcohol, Pearlescent white acrylic paint (Lumiere), pastel blue half pearls

Challenges:
Featured Stamper at SCS #381
CAS at SCS #274
ATS&M #96 - Anything Goes
LIM #173 - Dies

Textured Fern

Hi everyone.  Today is the start of the new challenge at Addicted to CAS.  Our challenge this time is being run by the mega talented Vicki Dutcher (All I Do Is Stamp).  Vicki has chosen this fun code word ...

Lots of ways to add texture and I know the gallery for this challenge is going to be filled with fabulous cards - can't wait!! :)

This challenge is being sponsored by

Prize:  3 images for the CAS Perfectionist

(please follow the rules to be eligible to win)

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I made my own stencil using a plastic sheet and fern leaf die.  Old Olive re-inker was added to embossing paste and then a thin layer was spread over the stencil.  Once dry, I placed the stencil back over top and sponged more Old Olive ink down the center to make it darker.  Not only is the fern raised and textured with embossing paste, but there's wonderful texture from the burlap ribbon.  I think this would make a great masculine birthday card. :)


I hope you'll join us for this fun challenge (ATCAS Challenge #39 - code word:  Texture).  As always, the challenge is open for two weeks so there's lots of time to play along.

Darnell (djkardkreations) is again our Guest Designer and I know you'll love the creative card she made for this challenge.  Check out her card and the rest of the amazing cards by our talented design team here.

Come and join in the fun!! :)

Edited to add:  Just saw that the challenge at Less is More #173 is dies.  I used a fern die to make my stencil, so I'm entering this card.  :)

Stamps:  Handwritten Notes (Avery Elle)
Paper:  110 lb. White (Neenah)
Ink:  Old Olive (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Fern die (Cheery Lynn), plastic sheet for making stencil (Grafix), embossing paste, palette knife, burlap ribbon, sponge, stamp press (Fiskars)

Challenges:
Less is More #173 - Dies

Maple Leaf Forever

Hi everyone.  I started out by making a card today for the Free for All Challenge at Splitcoast Stampers.  I thought it was to include a symbol of our flag (maple leaf) ... but when I went to link up, realized that it was to "show our colors" with our flag ... whoops! :)  So even though there is a little red on the maple leaf, this is not at all like the solid red maple leaf on the Canadian flag.  :)  Oh well ...

I did have a lot of fun coloring this leaf using my new alcohol inks that I received in the mail a couple of days ago.  Can you believe this is the first time I've owned alcohol inks (besides copic markers that is).  Crazy!! ... and my order also included 28 colors of Tim Holtz Distress Inks (also my first time owning any of these inks).  I'm going to have a lot of fun playing with my new toys! :)  One thing I learned today ... alcohol inks are MESSY! :)  Not that I mind getting a little inky, but next time I'll probably wear gloves. :)

I squirted and squiggled a little bit of the three colors onto my craft sheet, dropped over some blending solution and then pressed my maple leaf into the ink.  Pulled it up and pressed it down again ... several times, until it was all covered (smooshing technique).  So pretty!  Mounted it onto a wood grain embossed background and added a popped up sentiment and bow of gold thread twine.  Easy, CAS card.

I'm going to enter this (second entry) into the ATS&M #96 - Anything Goes challenge.

Stamps:  Lots of Thanks (Simon Says)
Paper:  110 lb. White (Neenah); glossy white
Ink:  Botanical, Poppyfield, Honeycomb, Blending solution (Ranger Alcohol inks); Black (Memento)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Large Leaves #2 die (Cheery Lynn), Wood Grain embossing folder (Sizzix), Gold-threaded Twine

Challenges:
ATS&M #96

CAS Thank You

Hi everyone.  Today I'm making a set of thank you cards for my hubby to send out.  I love the simplicity of this card! ... and the colors, coral and olive, they just pop against all the white space. :)  I cut my own stems and leaves after seeing it done by Bridget (Bridget's Paper Blessings).  She is so creatively talented, check out her blog ... you'll be glad you did!

The tulips are a four part die (three petals and a stem), but I didn't like the stem because it was too short, so cutting my own was much better.  I used all three petals on the large tulip and two on the other.  I added a little bit of shading around the petals for interest, and then shaped them with my stylus and mat to add dimension.  A simple 'thank you' stamp finishes this CAS card.  It's from a set that I've had for a while, but not inked yet ... actually there are several of those in my studio, with more in the mail, heading my way right now :)

This card works for a few challenges:  CAS-ology (#96 - Flower),  and ATS&M (#96 - Anything Goes),  and Paper Players (#196 - CAS Floral).  This is also my third entry into Less Is More (#172 - Flowers).  Looks like lots of challenges in blogland for floral cards right now :)

Stamps:  Lots of Thanks (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper:  110 lb. White (Neenah); Calypso Coral, Old Olive (SU!)
Ink:  Calypso Coral, Old Olive (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Tulip die (C.C. Designs), sponges, stylus and mat, crystal effects, dimensionals, stamp press (Fiskars)

Challenges:
CAS-ology #96 - Flower
ATS&M #96 - Anything Goes
Paper Players #196 - CAS Floral
Less Is More #172 - Flowers

Vellum Poinsettia

Hi everyone.  I'm having a play day in my studio :)  I finally finished one card after being in here all day, but I did have lots of fun experimenting with some new paints I bought.  I used two of them to make shimmer sprays which I used on the card above.

This is for a few challenges ... Muse#68 - this is a CASE of the beautiful card by Marion Vagg ... I changed the theme to Christmas, the layout is the same and the colors are similar.  This is also for Merry Monday #109 - use a flower, and my second entry into Less Is More #172 - Flowers.

I haven't been making Christmas cards much lately, and need to get back at it!  I moved my Christmas stamps off my worktable when I was organizing things, and haven't pulled them out much since.  They are now back on my worktable, right in front of me and in my way :) ... so hopefully I start using them more often. :)

I stamped the poinsettia onto vellum, heat embossed in white, and spray misted with pearlescent white for some shimmer.  I then watercolored using ink and water and fussy-cut.  Tip:  would have been best to paint the flower first and then spray with the frost white ... I'm always learning things! :)

The strip behind the flower is made using a stencil and some silver shimmer mist that I made with silver paint and rubbing alcohol (same as the pearlescent white spray - mixed it myself).  The sentiment is stamped in silver ink.  It's hard to see how shimmery the card is so I have a close-up and hopefully it shows more.

Stamps:  Watercolor Winter, Christmas Greetings (SU!)
Paper:   110 lb. white (Neenah); 40 lb vellum (Bazzill)
Ink:  Versamark; Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink (SU!); Silver (Colorbox)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Fresh Foliage Die (Memory Box), White embossing powder, heat tool, paint brush, Pearlescent White paint (Lumiere), Silver Paint (Tsukineko), rubbing alcohol, water mister, Silhouette Cameo cutting machine, Quatrefoil pattern cut file, plastic sheet (Grafix), silver stickles

Challenges:
Muse #68
Merry Monday #109
Less is More #172

Artistic Fern

A second post for today! :)  I'm having some fun playing with my inks.  This card has two techniques from my class ... these are techniques that I have done in the past, but I did learn a few tips that make it even better.

For the background, I pressed my ink pads onto my craft sheet in random places, trying not to overlap in order to keep the pads from being contaminated with the other colors ... so there were blank spaces in-between.  I spritzed with water to activate the inks.  This is the smooshing technique.

I made a monoprint yesterday that didn't work ... I didn't add enough ink or water so ended up with only a little bit of color on my watercolor card front.  Instead of throwing it away, I used it today for this technique.  I used the same colors, so it all blended.  I placed my card front on the wet craft sheet and pressed down, holding it for a few second so that it absorbed the ink.  Here's the part I learned from class ... even though I wasn't happy with the amount of ink on my card front, I dried it with my heat tool and then inked and spritzed my craft sheet again, adding the same card front and picking up more color.  I did this three times, drying in-between the layers.  I LOVE how it turned out.

The second technique is what I call watercolor spritz.  You ink your stamp, spritz with water and then stamp.  It gives a watercolored look to the image without any of the work.  Super simple and fun to do!  I did the same with the sentiment.

I hope you find these tips helpful.

Stamps:  Artistic Fern (Hero Arts); For You (Rubber-Art Stamps)
Paper:  Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. cold press); Black (SU!)
Ink:  Crushed Curry, Tangerine Tango, Melon Mambo, Garden Green (small amount) (SU!); Black (Memento)
Accessories & Tools:  Mini mister, heat tool

Vellum Roses

Hi everyone.  Another fun technique from yesterday's class.  This time, I've "watercolored" a white embossed image on vellum, using my Stampin' Up! inks and water.  I LOVE how this turned out ... so pretty! :)

I mounted the vellum to the underside of my card front with square cut-out, leaving space between the vellum and my card base.  It does give it more of a stained glass look.

One thing's for sure, I've made a lot of cards since the start of my course, so have a large stash to give as gifts to family and friends ... it's all good.

The instructors have given us a bonus day today and lots more things to learn.  I still have lots of the techniques from the course that I haven't tried as well, so I'll slowly work my way through them over the next while and see what works best for me.  I've learned lots of different ways to watercolor and now have lots more techniques in my repertoire.

Just noticed the challenge for Less is More (#172) is Flowers so I'm entering this card. :)

Stamps:  Roses (Rubber-Art Stamps); Happiest Birthday Wishes (SU!)
Paper:  110 lb. white (Neenah); 40 lb. vellum (Bazzill)
Ink:  Old Olive, Garden Green, Regal Rose, Raspberry Ripple (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Square Nestability (Spellbinders), white embossing powder, heat tool, paint brush

Challenge:
Less is More #172 - Flowers

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Here are the last two of my Dirty Dozen Design Team cards from last October.  I'll start to include November's cards in my next few posts (I made a lot less for the remaining five months of my Design Team gig). :)

 Again, the theme was "It's about Time".  Music is all about timing :)

Quick and easy card that uses a strip of musical paper, edged with twine.  An embossed heart and simple sentiment finishes the card ...

And who doesn't love "tea time" :)  I used a digital image and sentiment for the card below, paper piecing the tea cups and adding crystal effects to give them shine.

Love Song card:

Stamps:  Short and Sweet (SU!)

Paper:  White (Neenah); Real Red, Modern Medley DSP (SU!)

Ink:  Real red (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  Heart Punch, Big Shot, Adorning Accents embossing folder (SU!); Charcoal Twine (The Twinery)

Tea for Two card:

Stamps:  Tea Time (DigiStamp Boutique)

Paper:  White (Neenah); Bella Rose DSP - retired (SU!)

Ink:  Real Red (SU!)

Accessories & Tools:  paper doily, crystal effects, 1/4" real red ribbon

Monoprint Birthday for Sandie

Hi everyone.

First of all ... Happy Birthday to my friend and fellow DT member Sandie (London Days).  Sandie, I hope you are having a wonderful birthday.  I know there's some special events for you today and I wanted to join in.  I hope that you have already received the birthday card I mailed about two weeks ago, but if you haven't ... here's another one for you!  Have a great day Sandie!!!

Today is the last day of the on-line watercolor class that I'm taking (although the write up today said there will be some bonus techniques tomorrow - yay!).

There were four different, fun techniques shown today ... the first one is called "monoprint".  Tim Holtz demonstrated this fun and easy technique using stencils ... LOVE IT!  I haven't yet received my Distress Inks that I've ordered, so I used Stampin' Up! inks, and a sponge dauber to add them to the stencil - worked great.  I love the bright colors of the background and didn't want to cover it up, so I added a simple stamped sentiment along with a thin word die (layered), which is coated with Wink of Stella for some added shimmer.  I'm entering this into the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Die Crazy!

I had fun experimenting and below are two more backgrounds I made with the monoprint technique.  I made one that didn't turn out (not sharing), but I think I just didn't add enough ink or water.  This technique needs lots of both.

Here's the other samples I made with stencils ...

I like how they both turned out, especially the harlequin and will make it into a card at a later date.

The weather has been lovely all week here in B.C. and I've been working on cleaning out my greenhouse that has been neglected for two years.  It became a dumping ground for pots, dead plants, etc.  I've now emptied it out and today I'm going to start washing it down.  I know it's late to get started for this year, but it's the first chance I've had, so I'll do it now while the weather isn't too hot, and then be ready for bulb planting in the fall.  It's nice to have some time to putter ... and being outside getting fresh air is even better.

Hope you all have a wonderful day  too!  :)

Stamps:  Handwritten Notes (Avery Elle)
Paper:  Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. cold press); Black (SU!); White (Neenah)
Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, Pacific Point (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Happy die (Simon Says), Stencil (cut with Cameo and cut file Polka-dot Lace), sponge daubers, water mister, Fiskars Stamp press, Wink of Stella pen

Challenge:
Simon Says - Die Crazy!

Splattered Tree

Hi everyone.  Today's lessons at the on-line watercoloring class I'm taking is all about hand painting.  I know, that's just crazy! :)

I love making cards, but I am no artist, so I was skeptical when I started with the first lesson of splattering a tree.  This is my fourth attempt and I'm really happy with how it turned out.  I learned a lot from the first ones I tried that didn't make it into this post. :)

For me, the most important thing was how much water to mist onto the paper (not too much) and how much water to add to my watercolor paints before splattering (lots!).  Learning to control where the splatters go (at least to a certain degree), was also helpful ... my first tree spread across the whole page :)

I have also learned to cut my watercolor paper into small pieces for experimenting and learning, and then switching to card front size when I'm comfortable enough to make a card ... saves lots of wasted watercolor paper. :)

I'll also pass along another great tip I learned from Debby Hughes ... watercolor paper tends to warp sometimes when it gets wet.  Once the piece is finished and dry, Debby recommends placing it between two sheets of paper (I used computer paper) and iron flat ... it works!  Rather than stacking heavy books and having to leave the card front overnight, this was a quick fix - LOVE IT!

As I mentioned, the tree is "painted" using paint splatters.  I hand painted the tree trunk and then added a simple Paper Smooches sentiment from their "Many Thanks" stamp set.

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I'm sharing two more of my Dirty Dozen Design Team cards from last October that weren't published on my blog.  Again, the theme was "It's about Time".  Both cards are whimsical and fun ...

I LOVE Bugaboo digital images.  They are so fun and easy to work with.  The expression on the snail's face is what got me with this one :)  I was smiling the whole time I was making this card! :)

And, I had fun making this little scene about going on vacation.  I stamped the airplane, colored with Copics and used the matching die to cut.  I added crystal effects to the windshield and propeller.

So Sorry I'm Late card:
Stamps:  Polka-dot Snail (Bugaboo); Word Salad (Paper Smooches)
Paper:  White (Neenah); Snap Color Vibe and Snap Life DP (Simple Stories)
Ink:  Black, Real Red (SU!); Copics - Gray (W4)
Accessories & Tools:  Honeydew Twine (The Twinery), clear glitter

Fly Away with Me card:
Stamps:  Fly Away with Me (C.C. Designs)
Paper:  White (Neenah); Daffodil Delight (SU!); Copics
Ink:  Soft Sky, Daffodil Delight, Real Red
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Fly Away with Me dies (C.C. Designs), Puffy Clouds die (Memory Box), Small Sunshine die (Lil' Inkers)

Sketched Poppies

Hi everyone.  I tried one of techniques from my on-line watercoloring class that uses markers and water to create a soft watercolored look.  I LOVE this technique!!  So happy with how my poppies turned out.  I just wish the image was larger.  Because it is so small, I used a layout that is very different for me ... adding some patterned paper and layering to fill in some of the space.  I kept all the elements in the soft pear so that the poppies really stood out.  Because the image is long and narrow, I cut my card base to 3 3/4" wide, and added the patterned panel (4 1/4" wide), extending it over both edges - I'm happy with how it turned out.

I was so excited when I finished watercoloring, that I quickly wanted to stamp the sentiment and get it mounted onto a card base.  Of course, in my hurry, I flubbed the sentiment and put it too close to the poppies :) ... weird thing was that I actually used the Stamp-a-ma-jig and somehow managed to still mess it up :)  So I opted to fussy-cut the image and popped it up on another panel with sentiment.  Save!

Stamps:  Simply Sketched, Vintage Labels (SU!)
Paper:  Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. cold press); Pear Pizzazz, Pear Pizzazz DSP (SU!)
Ink:  Versamark; Pear Pizzazz, Always Artichoke, Tangerine Tango, Real Red (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Black embossing powder, heat tool, paint brushes, Stamp-a-ma-jig

Watercoloured Tulips

Hi everyone.  Back with another watercolored card.  Not completely happy with this, but I made it into a card anyways and am sharing it with you.  I need to learn how much water to add when trying to paint and shade ... I think there's a big learning curve.

Anyways, stamped my image in waterproof ink and used diluted ink to "paint" the image.  Added splattering to finish, hoping it would cover up some of my watercoloring mistakes :)

Love the tip from the course on inking the sentiment and then adding a little water so when it is stamped it looked watercolored as well.

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Hope those of you celebrating Mother's Day yesterday, had a wonderful time.  Our family, along with my DDIL parents, went for brunch at a nearby golf course.  Lovely setting, delicious food, and the best company ... made for a wonderful time. :)  I was spoiled with flowers, a plant for my garden, cards ... and best of all, an album of pictures of Cooper taken by a photographer when he was eight days old - so precious!  

Before I go, I'll share a pic of Cooper taken yesterday at the restaurant ... so cute! :)

Stamps:  Tulips (Rubber-Art Stamps - The Stampin' Place); Where your Heart Is sentiment (Simon Says)
Paper:  Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. cold press); Rich Razzleberry DP (SU!)
Ink:  Black (Staz-on); Rich Razzleberry, Garden Green (SU!); Black (Memento) for sentiment
Accessories & Tools:  paint brush

Tone-on-tone Copper Butterfly

Hi everyone.  Yesterday I was experimenting with some metallic paints that I just purchased.  They are made by Tsukineko and are an all-purpose ink that washes up with water, but also forms a resist surface on paper (and fabric).  I poured a few drops on my craft sheet and used a scrunched piece of plastic wrap to pounce the copper onto my white panel.  Once dry, I randomly sponged the panel with deep yellow and orange (faux mother-of-pearl technique).

I die-cut a butterfly from a heated piece of copper and placed on the panel ... yuck!  :)  The colors just didn't work.  The orange was good, but the butterfly has lots of pink as well (no yellow tones), so I sponged over the yellow sections of my panel with pink ink and it turned out really pretty.  It's very close to the color of the butterfly.  In fact, in the photo, they look like they match perfectly.  I love the tone-on-tone of this card.

I kept it very CAS by just adding a stamped sentiment.  The sentiment shows up nicely, but you'll see in the close-up below that the ink doesn't stamp perfectly over the copper portions of the card, so it's a little faded in places - I like how it turned out.

Here's the close-up ...

I'm entering this into the current challenge at CAS-ology #94.

Stamps:  Be Happy Sentiments (Amy R)
Paper:  110 lb. white (Neenah); Whisper white for sponged panel (SU!)
Ink:  Crushed Curry, Tangerine Tango, Melon Mambo (SU!)
Accessories & tools:  Big Shot, Moonlight Butterfly die (Memory Box), Copper metal sheet .005 thickness K&S Precision Metals), mini butane torch, Metallic Copper paint (Tsukineko), sponges, Stamp-a-ma-jig

Challenge:
CAS-ology #94 - Metal

Thanks a Latte!

Hi everyone.  Today I am the Guest Designer for CAS on Sunday!  I won their challenge a few weeks back, so they asked if I would like to guest design - of course!! :)  Thanks to the team at CAS on Sunday for this wonderful honor!

Today's challenge is this fun sketch ...

Right away I thought of the three, stacked coffee mugs from Bugaboo Stamps.  I kept it simple by coloring with Copics, adding a little shimmer to the designs on the mugs with my Wink of Stella Pen, and adding faux stitching around the edge of the main panel.

Since I have faux stitching on my card, I'm also entering this into the current challenge at Virginia's View #3 - stitching.

I hope you'll join in the challenge at CAS on Sunday #33.  The challenge is open for two weeks, so there's lots of time to play.

Stamps:  Espresso Yourself (Bugaboo); sentiment is computer generated
Paper:  110 lb. white (Neenah)
Ink:  Copics:  R27, R29, E77, Y32, G43, YG67, V09, V25, W4; Real Red marker for stitching (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Wink of Stella pen

Challenges:
Virginia's View #3

Dahlia

Hi everyone.  Time for a new challenge at Addicted to CAS.  Today, the very talented and always entertaining Marie (baileyrosy) has chosen this code word ....

LOVE this challenge!  Looking forward to seeing all the creative cards in the gallery! :)  I used a digital image printed onto watercolor paper.  I used my yellow marker to outline along the outside edge of the image and then used a wet paint brush to blend it to create a sunny glow around the dahlia.  I then used my inks and blender pen to color the flower (marker layering technique).

This challenge is sponsored by

Prize:  5 free digital images

(please follow the rules to be eligible to win)

I hope you'll join us for this fun challenge (ATCAS Challenge #38 - code word:  Off the Edge).  As always, the challenge is open for two weeks so there's lots of time to play along.  Click on the link to find out about the challenge and see the wonderful Design Team cards by the rest of our team.

We are so excited to have Darnell (djkardkreations)  join us as Guest Designer for May.  If you haven't visited Darnell's blog yet, be sure to take some time and drop by to say hi - you'll be glad you did! :)

Stamps:  Dahlia (Clearly Digi); Friendship Garden - sentiment (Fiskars)
Paper:  Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. cold press)
Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo, Raspberry Ripple, Pear Pizzazz (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  blender pen, paint brush

Watercoloured Flower

Hi everyone.  Here's another watercolored card from my on-line class.  I really love how this image works with watercoloring.  I've had this stamp for a while, but hadn't found the best way to use it ... now I have :)

I have made this card three times ... won't bother to show you the first version as I used it more for experimenting.  I had just stamped the image, watercolored it and added the sentiment.  I found it a bit boring and tried to add some stenciling after the fact.  Don't add wet after watercoloring!  Even though I was careful, I still had some places where the sentiment ran.  It was a good learning experience :)

Then I made the card above, doing the stenciling first.  I made up my own shimmer spray, mixing rubbing alcohol, drops of SU! smoky slate re-inker and a couple of drops of frost shimmer paint to thicken it and provide the shimmer.  Works great and I've ordered a bunch of the misters to make up sprays in all different colors to have on hand.  The alcohol dries quicker than water and I found it doesn't run as much if I over-spray.

Anyways, I thought the above turned out well, but wanted to try it again with a lighter stencil version.  I also switched up the sentiment to something simpler, so it's basically a CAS'er version of my CAS card above :)  The sentiment was a little too boring, so I underlined it - much better.  Here's the CAS'er version ...

The harlequin stencil is hard to see, but not in real life ... the softness doesn't photograph very well.  And again, the stenciling is shimmery ... so pretty! :)  The softer version looks more like the first card in real life, and the first card has much darker stenciling IRL.

Having fun with this technique of stamping onto dry watercolor paper and then blending with a damp paint brush and will use this technique again and again.

Stamps:  Flower - no name on stamp (Artful Stamper); Sunny Sentiments (first card) by Amy R; A Little Sentimental (second card) by Clearly Besotted)
Paper:  Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. cold press)
Ink:  Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Melon Mambo, Raspberry Ripple, Smoky Slate (SU!); Black (Memento)
Accessories & Tools:  Harlequin Stencil, water mister, rubbing alcohol, Frost White Shimmer Paint (Tsukineko), paint brush

Coral Blossoms x 2

Hi everyone.  Today's card is made in honor of a very talented stamper at Splitcoast Stampers.  Angela Maine has an elegant, sophisticated CAS style of card making.  I am always in awe of her cards.  Today's card is a CASE of this beauty by Angela.  I kept the same layout, stenciled background and floral theme, but changed up the colors and used vellum for the sentiment banner.  I absolutely LOVE this layout and will use it again.  Thank you Angela for providing such amazing inspiration!!

I hope you aren't sick of seeing my hydrangea blossoms.  It is my go-to flower and I know I use them A LOT.  I just love working with them.  I'm also stuck on coral right now ... just can't get enough of it! :)

I wanted to try using my glass bead embossing gel again.  I sponged over the harlequin stencil with Pear Pizzazz and Old Olive inks, and then added the glass bead gel.  I used this a little while ago for the card I made for my son's birthday, but I wanted to try adding it to a stencil to see how it would work - LOVE IT!  I wish you could see it in real life - it's so pretty!  I'm including a close-up so you can see all the lovely sparkle ...

I'm also entering this into the latest challenge at ATS&M #94 - CAS, and Simon Says - Spring Flowers.

Stamps:  Love Bug sentiment (Fiskars)
Paper:  110 lb. white (Neenah); Pear Pizzazz, Calypso Coral, Vellum
Ink:  Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Calypso Coral, Staz-on Black
Accessories & Tools:  Big Shot, Fresh Foliage die (Simon Says), Hydrangea Punch (Martha Stewart), Silhouette Cameo for cutting harlequin stencil, Glass Bead Gel Medium (Golden), palette knife, sponges, white gel pen, stylus and mat for shaping flowers

Challenges:
ATS&M #94 - CAS
Simon Says - Spring Flowers

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One other quick card to share with you today.  This is a couple of techniques from my on-line watercolor class I'm taking.  The background was supposed to have more white space in the middle ... but the ink had other ideas :)

Other than that, I'm pretty happy with how this turned out.  LOVE this Too Kind stamp set from SU!

Stamps:  Too Kind (SU!); Chit Chat - sentiment (Paper Smooches)
Paper:  Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. cold press)
Ink:  Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Cameo Coral, Calypso Coral (SU!); Black (Memento); Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Acrylic block, paint brush