Penny Black - Refreshing

Hi everyone.  I'm sharing another of the Penny Black new Release - Refreshing.  This image is from the stamp set Refreshing (30-695 ).

I love this sweet little posy.  I smooshed a background of Mustard Seed and Wild Honey.  Once dry, I stamped my flowers in water-proof black ink.  I heat set to make sure the ink was dry before bleaching out the background colours from the flower petals and stems.  I blotted with a wet paper towel after bleaching to make sure there wasn't any bleach residue that would effect my colours.  Then watercoloured with Distress inks.  I added a bit of shading with watercolour pencils, not much as the flowers are so small.  Once everything was dry, a white Posca pen was used to whiten the centers of the flowers before adding crystal drops.  Frame the image in a small rectangle and stamped a sentiment in black ink.  Done! :)

Close-up ...

Thanks for coming by for a visit!

Products
Refreshing (30-695)
Happy Snippets (30-358)
Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media paper (140 lb.) - Blick Art Materials

Stamps:  Refreshing and Happy Snippets (both Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Black (Versafine); Distress Inks:  Mustard Seed, Wild Honey, Salty Ocean, Mowed Lawn (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  water mister, bleach, paint brush for bleach, water brush, watercolour pencils (Derwent)

Santa is Stuck!

Hi everyone.  This is one of my new-to-me Stamping Bella stamps.  I thought this was so cute and I had a lot of fun watercolouring the image.  I fussy-cut and then popped it up over a background of sparkle embossing paste snowflakes.  Two stitched snow hills were adhered at the bottom (another NBUS).  The sentiment is stamped in red so it stands out. :)

Close-up ...

Another card that had me smiling the whole time I was working on it! :)

Sending this card to a few challenges:

July's Rudolph Days Challenge

and

Christmas Craft Creations

(July - Christmas Characters)

and

NBUS #16 ...

Products
Santa is stuck stamps (Stamping Bella)
Falling Snow stencil (Simon Says Stamp)
Glitter Snow embossing paste (Aleene's)

Stamps:  Santa is Stuck (Stamping Bella)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Black (Versafine); Distress Inks:  Brushed Corduroy, Rusty Hinge, Black Soot, Candied Apple (Tim Holtz); Real Red (SU!); Zigs
Accessories & Tools:  Paint brushes, Falling Snow stencil (Simon Says Stamp); Glitter Snow Embossing Paste (Aleene's); palette knife, Stitched snow hills die (AliExpress)

Challenges:
July Rudolph Days - Anything Goes Christmas
Christmas Craft Creations - July - Christmas Characters
NBUS #16

Smile!

Hi everyone.  One more stencil tracing card for the CAS Mix Up Challenge before it closes in 2 days.

You may recognize this stencil. :)  I used it for my reminder card.  It's one of my favourite large flower stencils.  This card looks totally different than my reminder card.  Changing up the colours of the flower and the colour of the pen for outlining makes a big difference

This is such a simple technique that gives a whole new look to the image.  Thanks for this fun challenge Nancy!!

Close-up ...

I hope you had time to try this technique.  As always, I'd love to see your cards in our gallery.  Hope to see you there!

Products
Bloom Stencil (Mayco) - Blick Art Materials

Stamps:  Smile (AliExpress)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Bloom stencil (Mayco), sponges, Black Micropen, white embossing powder, heat tool

Challenges:
CAS Mix Up July Challenge - Stencil Tracing

Split 4 with Watercolouring

Hi everyone.  I'm back with another set of cards using the Split 4 technique (click here for link to video by Robin Broome).  This time I took a little extra time to watercolour my cards once all the stamping was done and the cards were cut apart.  I love how all four turned out.  This stamp set from Stampin' Up! (Forever Fern) is perfect for this technique. :)

I used three colours of distress inks (twisted citron, evergreen bough, pine needles).  I thought I'd watercolour all four card fronts BEFORE cutting them apart.  Being a lefty, my hand dragged across the stamped images and smeared ink.  I was able to use that to my advantage by watercolouring the smeared ink into the blue watercolouring you see around in the background.  But now I know it's best to cut them apart before watercolouring. :)  Always learning something! :)

Here's a close-up of the other three from the set ...

I hope you'll give this fun technique a try.  FYI, distress inks worked really well for this  Because they are so easily dissolved with water, I could stamp them all and not worry about how much time I took to start watercolouring.  I have since tried this using dye inks, but once they have dried, you can't get the colour to move.  So if you want to use inks to watercolour, distress inks are important when doing this technique with watercolouring.

Since this is a new-to-me stamp set, I'm adding my card to the NBUS #16 gallery (never-before-used-schtuff).  I hope you'll join me there!

Products
Forever Fern (Stampin' Up!)

Stamps:  Forever Fern (SU!); Painted Petals - retired (SU!)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Twisted Citron, Evergreen Bough, Pine Needles (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  Water brush

Challenges:
NBUS #16 Challenge

Reminder for Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing a card for the July Challenge at Penny Black Saturday where I am Guest Designing this month.  It's been fun!  Thanks to Helen and the team for having me!

I love this sweet scene with the flowers, birds and bird houses (Good Neighbours - Penny Black).  So fun to watercolour!  I started with a background from my stash that was smooshed with left over inks (subtle pink, yellow, and purple).  I stamped my image in medium brown ink and heat embossed in clear.  Watercoloured using distress inks.

I didn't want to cover up the image with a sentiment, so I added a small white heat embossed brown banner with a staple.  The whimsy of the staple works well with the image. :)

Close-up ...

The challenge is open for several more days, so there's lots of time to still play along.  Come join us!

I'm entering this into The Flower Challenge # - Summer / Winter.

Penny Black Products

Good Neighbors (40-439)
Happy Snippets (30-358)

Stamps:  Good Neighbors and Happy Snippets (both from Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); Baked Brown Sugar (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Baked Brown Sugar (SU!); Distress Inks:  Mustard Seed, Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Ripe Persimmon, Abandoned Coral, Festive Berries, Picked Raspberry, Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  Clear embossing powder, heat tool, paint brushes, white embossing powder, staple

Challenges:
Penny Black Saturday Challenge - July
The Flower Challenge #46 - Summer / Winter

CAS Mix Up July Reminder

Hi everyone.  Today's card is a reminder that we are already half way through July.  There's still nine days left until the CAS Mix Up July Challenge closes.

I'm having fun with Stencil Tracing, which is hosted by my dear friend, Nancy.  This time I used only a portion of a large flower stencil, tracing the stencil with a metallic silver pen.  It turned out well, even though the silver pen had a mind of its own. :)  It doesn't like to stop and start, usually leaving a little extra of the silver ink behind.

I cropped my image to fit inside this beautiful PB frame.  I then heat embossed the sentiment in silver to match.

My CAS Mix Up card has stenciling, stencil tracing, sponging, die-cuts, heat embossing, and stamping.

Close-up ...

I hope you'll come join us.  Make a stenciled card and then trace the design using the stencil as a guide.  Come join us!

Products
Many Everyday Messages (Hero Arts)
Bloom Stencil (Mayco) - Blick Art Materials
Simple Stackers frame dies (Penny Black)

Stamps:  Many Everyday Messages (Hero Arts)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Broken China, Salty Ocean (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Bloom stencil (Mayco), sponges, Silver metallic pen (Pilot), Simple Stackers frame (Penny Black), silver embossing powder, heat tool

Challenges:
CAS Mix Up July Challenge - Stencil Tracing

Split 4 Stamping for Christmas

Hi everyone.  On Monday a few of us had a craft session on Zoom and tried out the Split 4 Stamping technique that I saw on my friend, Marcia's blog (scroll down to the photo with four cards with leafy corners).  She had followed a video tuturial on youtube and I was so impressed by the cards she made.  I watched the video - Split 4 Stamping by Robin Broome and LOVED her cards (and the stamp set she used --- had to order it right away).  You need to watch the video to see how to make four very quick cards at one time ... it's much better than me trying to explain the steps.

See a post in a few days with me using this same technique (adding watercolouring) with the gorgeous Forever Fern Stamp set (SU!). :)

Robin shows how to stamp on a full sheet and then cut it into 4 cards, making these very quickly and ending up with gorgeous cards.  I made samples for my session with my friends.  As you can see with the card above, I used a set of branch stamps to create four quick and easy CAS designs.

Here's a photo of all four cards ...

Below I am sharing two more sets of four cards (all Christmas as I was on a roll).  This time I used stencils to create the Split 4 cards.  Worked great!!

Close-up of snowflake stenciled card ...

Photo of all four cards ...

Close-up of holly stenciled cards ...

Photo of all four cards ...

I hope you enjoyed seeing these cards.

Products
Branches stamps (Inkadinkado) from Amazon
Snowflakes stencil (Paper Artsy)
Endearing stencil (Penny Black)
Merry Up stamps (Penny Black)

Card #1: Branches
Stamps:  Branches (Inkadinkako); Gorgeous Grunge - retired (SU!); Art Deco Celebrate Christmas - retired (Poppy Stamps)
Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Distress inks:  Mowed Lawn, Peacock Feathers, Pine Needles (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:

Card #2:  Snowflakes
Stamps:  Say It's Christmas - retired (Clearly Besotted)
Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Salty Ocean, Wilted Violet (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  Snowflake stencil (Paper Artsy), sponges, paint brush for splattering

Card #3:  Holly
Stamps:  Merry Up (Penny Black)
Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn (Tim Holtz); Real Red (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Endearing stencil (Penny Black); Autumn Red Crystal Drops (Nuvo)

Twofer Challenge #29

Hi everyone.  Today I'm playing along with Twofer Challenge #29.  I'm sure you can guess what the challenge prompt is ... :)

Remember to follow the rules ...

I have created two different designs for two different occasions using the same butterfly die-cut.

First up, a CAS birthday card ...

The background behind the butterfly is stamped in delicata silver ink.  The butterfly's main body is cut from a piece of mixed media paper that had been smooshed with purple and red metallic liquids.  The outline of the butterfly is layered over top and a simple sentiment is stamped to finish the card.  This a one layer card which I don't make often.

The second card is a CAS mixed media encouragement card ...

The background is from my stash of paper towel transfers with pink and orange inks.  I stenciled over top with a honeycomb stencil in both bright pink and gold inks.  You can't really see the original background any more unless close up.  This time I only used the outline of the butterfly.  Die-cutting it from black really makes it pop off the background.  I complimented it with a black sentiment banner with white embossing.

I hope you'll come join in the Twofer Challenge.  It only runs for two weeks, so have your two cards posted before end of day July 24th!  Hope to see you in the gallery!

Products
Flitter Side Butterfly die (Memory Box)
Liquid Metallics (Ken Oliver)
Many Everyday Messages (Hero Arts)

Card #1 - Happy Birthday Butterfly
Stamps:  Gorgeous Grunge (SU! - retired); Happy Birthday sentiment (Cosmos - Technique Tuesday - retired)
Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Delicata Silver (Tsukineko); Black (Memento)
Accessories & Tools: Flitter Side Butterfly (Memory Box); Liquid Metallics:  Ruby Red, Quartz (Ken Oliver)

Card #2 - Happy Birthday Butterfly
Stamps:  Many Everyday Messages (Hero Arts)
Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:  Picked Raspberry Distress Ink (Tim Holtz); Delicata Gold (Tsukineko); Versamark
Accessories & Tools: Flitter Side Butterfly (Memory Box); Honeycomb stencil (cut with my Silhouette Cameo); sponges, white embossing powder, heat tool

Challenges:
Twofer Challenge #29 - Butterflies

Print Making using Die-cuts

Hi everyone.  After seeing this AMAZING card on my friend Bonnie's blog, I had to give this technique a try.  It's from The Daily Marker 30 Day Color Challenge that just started a few days ago.  This is my first time checking out Kathy's amazing videos.  She is AWESOME!  Here's the link to the video used for today's card.

I used Alexandra Renke's cornflower dies.  Coloured them with Distress and SU! markers, making sure to colour on top of my card front so any over colouring would end up on this awesome background.  I also coloured my flowers, wet them and pressed into the card front a couple of times to get more interest.  Once everything was dry, stamped a sentiment in matching green ink, popped up my panel onto my card front and glued (bottom of the stems) and pop dotted (flower heads) dimentionals to give some depth.

Close-up ...

Easy and fun card to make!  Thank you to Kathy for this great technique and to Bonnie for inspiring me to give it a try!

Entering this into The Flower Challenge (second entry) for Challenge #46 - Summer / Winter.

Products
Thoughtful Messages (Simon Says Stamp)

Stamps:  Thoughtful Messages (Simon Says Stamp)
Paper:  Watercolour (Arches 140 lb. cold press)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean, Wilted Violet (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  Cornflower dies (Alexandra Renke); paint brushes, mister

Challenges:
The Flower Challenge #46 - Summer / Winter

Penny Black - Soulful Silhouettes

Hi everyone.  Back with two more cards using one of the new stamp sets from the Penny Black Refreshing release.  Soulful Silhouettes (30-691) has a beautiful collection of images --- seven in the set.  Today I've used just two ...

I had leftover distress inks on my palette after finishing another project.  I sprayed lots of water and dropped my mixed media paper on top, moving it just slightly.  I ended up with this gorgeous mix of several colours ... soft colours because of the water I added.  I LOVE IT and thought it would pair perfectly with the silhouettes.  I used my one piece of mm paper to create the backgrounds for both cards.  The image and sentiment are heat embossed in white, adding to the softness of the card designs.  The images were cut with a Simple Stackers((51-613) frame die.  The main panel is popped up on the card base.

The designs are the same with smooshed background, white heat embossing, and framing.  Just changed up the main image and sentiment.  The first card has a sentiment from Gratitude (30-105).  I've double embossed both the flower and sentiment so they would stand out more.

Close-up ...

The second card uses a leafy image from the same stamp set and sentiment from Family Sentiments (30-555).

I double embossed the sentiment so it would stand out more.

Close-up ...

Products
Soulful Silhouettes (30-691)
Simple Stackers (51-613)
Gratitude (30-105)
Family Sentiments (30-555)

Stamps:  Soulful Silhouettes, Gratitude, Family Sentiments (all from Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card Stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Distress Inks - mix of colours; Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Simple Stackers die (Penny Black); White embossing powder, heat tool