August Rudolph Days

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing a card I made for the August Rudolph Days challenge.  I love this little mouse running with this huge stack of presents.  You gotta love it! :)

I watercoloured with distress inks onto mixed media paper.  I added some shading in all the nooks and crannies of the image (a la Kathy Racoosin), and blended them out.  It added depth and dimension.  I finished off with a fun sentiment stamped in red.

Close-up ...

Products

Christmas Fun (Penny Black)

Christmas Sentiments (Penny Black)
Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media paper (140 lb.) - Blick Art Materials

Stamps:  Christmas Fun; Christmas Sentiments (Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Black (Memento); Zigs; Candied Apple DOX ink
Accessories & Tools:   Clear embossing powder, heat tool, water brush,

Challenges:
August Rudolph Days

Zooming with Friends

Hi everyone.  A couple of weeks ago, a group of us got together on Zoom to have a crafting session.  We followed Kathy Racoosin's video Print Making with Die-cuts.

The group of us are all posting our cards today.  Would love for you to check out the links to the other's blogs and leave them a comment as well.

Bonnie
Brenda

Christine
Darnell
Susan

I believe you get the best results from this technique using watercolour paper (Cold or Hot Press).  I used Arches 140 lb. Cold Press for both cards

For the card above I used a Penny Black die-cut, along with watercolouring with distress inks (rather than markers like Kathy used in her video).  Added a frame and stamped sentiment to match the colour of the leaves.  Happy how it turned out.

Second card ...

This time I used a fern die from AliExpress.  I found when using die-cuts with lots of openings, it's best to just add the prints from the die-cuts.  If I watercoloured the fern on top of my main panel, because of all the openings, I would end up with blobs of colour that distract from the design.  Ask me how I know this. :)  I cut my panel down and added the black sentiment border.  I'm really happy how this turned out as well.

I hope you'll give this technique a try.  It's fun and easy to do.  With it being more free flowing it always turns out to be a beautiful and arsty card.

Products

Flower Flourish Die (Penny Black)
Gratitude (Penny Black)

Fern die (AliExpress) *

Many Everyday Messages (Hero Arts)

* AliExpress links are temporary

Card #1 - Have a Wonderful Day
Stamps:  Gratitude (Penny Black)
Paper:  Watercolour paper (Arches 140 lb. cold press)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Abandoned Coral, Fired Brick, (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Flower Flourish die (Penny Black); paint brushes, water mister, Rectangle die - retired (Spellbinders), white acrylic paint pen (Posca)

Card #2 - You're the Best
Stamps:  Many Everyday Messages (Hero Arts)
Paper:  Watercolour paper (Arches 140 lb. cold press); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Black card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Crushed Olive, Forest Moss (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Fern die (AliExpress); paint brushes, water mister, white embossing powder, heat tool

Reminder for Christmas Craft Creations

Hi everyone.  I'm here with a reminder card that we are half way through this challenge at Christmas Craft Creations.  I'm happy to be Guest Designing for them this month!

I just received my first Gerda Steiner order in the mail the other day.  I HAD to ink up with adorable reindeer right away.  He is watercoloured with distress inks.  Sparkle (clear wink of stella) was added to the ornament and stars.  Then I used my white Posca pen to add little details to the lights and ornaments before adding clear glaze over top - along with his red nose and hoofs.  To finish, I used red chalk to add colour to his cheeks.  He was then die-cut and popped over top of the speckled egg distress ink blended background with snowflake stencil.  A white heat embossed, black sentiment banner finishes the design.  I was so happy making this card! :)

Since I'm using a new stamp, die, and ink, I'm sending this over to NBUS #17 Challenge.  I have been visiting this challenge A LOT this month! :)

Close-up ...

Thanks again to the ladies at Christmas Craft Creations for having me join them this month!

Products

Little Reindeer Stamp (Gerda Steiner)

Little Reindeer Die (Gerda Steiner)

Merry Messages (Lawn Fawn)

Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media paper (140 lb.) - Blick Art Materials

Stamps:  Little Reindeer (Gerda Steiner); ? (Lawn Fawn)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Black (Memento); Distress Inks:  Pumice Stone, Frayed Burlap, Ground Espresso, Mustard Seed, Wild Honey, Mowed Lawn, Candied Apple, Fired Brick, Speckled Egg (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories & Tools:   Clear embossing powder, heat tool, water brush, Snowflake stencil (Simon Says Stamp), white embossing powder, Clear Wink of Stella, Crystal Glaze (Nuvo), White acrylic paint pen (Posca), red chalk, q-tip

Challenges:
Christmas Craft Creations August Challenge - Animals

NBUS #17 Challenge

Penny Black - Floral Silhouettes

Hi everyone.  I have a super CAS card for you today using one of the beautiful images from the Floral Silhouette Stamp set (30-563).

I think this is a very peaceful and soothing monocromatic design.  It could be used for a lot of different occasions.

I stamped two of the flowers (off set from each other) in smoky slate ink (softer gray).  I stamped one more of the same image over top, in the center of the other two flowers, in granite gray ink (darker gray).  The sentiment is stamped using the lighter gray ink.

Close-up ...

Thanks for stopping by!

Products:

Floral Silhouette (30-563) - Penny Black

Special Sentiments (30-574) - Penny Black

Stamps:  Floral Silhouette; Special Sentiments (both from Penny Black)
Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Smoky Slake; Granite Gray (Stampin' Up!)

At the Beach

Hi everyone.  Adding another card to the CAS Mix Up August Challenge - Beach (Watercolouring).

Another new stamp set!! :)  I thought this would be so fun to play with .  It's easy too.  I just inked up the stamps separately and stamped onto mixed media paper.  Then I took a water brush and moved the inks around to create a watercoloured card. :)  I think it would have blended better if I spritzed the inked stamps with a light mist of water before stamping, but I was working outside on my deck (enjoying the sunshine) and my mister was in my studio.  I was too lazy to go get it! :)

Close-up ...

Since this is a new stamp set (and the sentiment is new too), I'm adding my card to the NBUS #17 challenge.  I've been pretty busy using NBUS stamps and dies this month! :)

Products
Waterfront stamp set (Stampin' Up!)
Ocean Wisdom (Stampendous)

Stamps:  Waterfront (SU!); Ocean Wisdom (Stampendous)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs, Mowed Lawn (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  water brush, stamping blocks

Challenges:
CAS Mix Up August Challenge - Beach
NBUS #17 Challenge

Experimenting with Embossing Glazes

Hi everyone.  I have three cards to share with you today.  They are all the same design.  The only difference is the colour of the bell.

These cards are from a play day with Susan and Christine, using embossing glaze.  I started by stamping Christmas Story in a soft gray for the background.  I used a new Sweet Poppy Stencil - Bell to add embossing paste over top.  Then sprinkled embossing glaze (broken china for above card) and heat set while the paste was still wet.  It adds some lovely texture as the paste bubbles and bursts.

The next card uses fired brick embossing glaze ...

It wasn't until I was cropping my photos, that I noticed the bell above is a reverse the first blue bell.  The stencils are made of steel and I hadn't noticed that I turned it over. :)  I like it both ways. :)

For the final bell I used speckled egg embossing glaze. This is a very subtle colour so it doesn't show up as much at the above two, but it is pretty (even more so in real life).

I'll be making more of these bells in the different colours. :)

Check out the embossing glaze cards done Susan and Christine during our session.  You'll be inspired!

Since this is a new-to-me never-before-used-schtuff I will be heading over to the NBUS #17 gallery ...

Thanks for stopping by!

Products

Bell Stencil (Sweet Poppy)

Christmas Story (Penny Black)
Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media paper (140 lb.) - Blick Art Materials

Stamps:  Christmas Story (Penny Black)
Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Smoky Slate (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories & Tools:  Bell stencil (Sweet Poppy), White embossing paste (Dreamweaver), Stencil Pal, Embossing Glazes: Broken China, Fired Brick, Speckled Egg, Hickory Smoke (Tim Holtz), heat tool

Challenges:
NBUS #17 Challenge

Old Letter Rose

Hi everyone.  Today I've used a beautiful stamp I received for my birthday from a very sweet stamping friend.

Isn't it gorgeous??!!  It definitely has a vintage look, so I used colours that reflected that.  Stamped in Rich Cocoa Archival ink and watercoloured using distress inks.  I sponged the background lightly with gathered twigs ink and then used a water brush to move the ink around.  To finish, I added two coats of clear Wink of Stella to the rose.  It really shines in real life, but hard to capture in a photo.

Close-up ...

I made this for The Flower Challenge #47 - Add Sparkle, where my dear friend Darnell is Guest Designing this month.  

This is a new-to-me stamp and my first stamp from Joy Crafts.  I'm sending this over to the NBUS #17 (never-before-used-schtuff) challenge.

Products

Old Letter Rose 1 (Joy Crafts) - this is a shop in the UK.  I have not used this shop but Joy Crafts doesn't sell their own stamps so just linking for your info.

Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media paper (140 lb.) - Blick Art Materials

* * * * *

Sharing Before and After Photos of Jessie.

She wasn't able to get to the groomers for several months because of Covid.

She finally got in the other day.  Now she is trimmed short for the summer heat. :)

 

                                   BEFORE                                                         AFTER

Stamps:  Old Letter Rose 1 (Joy Crafts)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Srathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Rich Cocoa (Ranger Archival); Distress Inks:  Candied Apple, Fired Brick, Aged Mahogany, Mustard Seed, Wild Honey, Gathered Twigs (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:   water brush, sponge

Challenges:
The Flower Challenge #47 - Add Sparkle

NBUS #17 Challenge

Let's Celetrate Summer

Hi everyone.  I bought this fun stamp set a little while ago and realized I had better use it before summer was over. :)  These stamps make for the most delicious looking summer drinks ... don't they look refreshing for a hot summer day??!!

This is a clean and simple design (my favourite) with just a little masking and some bright and fun watercolours.

Tip:  I saw a video by Fran (Stampdenous guru) where she uses a small 3" square post-it note pad.  She stamps her images on the pad, making sure the top is on the sticky portion.  Then she pulls off three post-it note sheets together, fussy-cuts the image and she now has a stack of the same masks to use many times.  She always uses the masks from the back of the stack, leaving the image on top where you can see it.  When she runs low, she can use the same image onto a new stack of post-it note sheets to fussy-cut some more.  So clever!

Close-up ...

Hope this brightens your day! :)

Products
Fruity Drinks (Stampendous)
Essential Sentiments (Maker's Movement)
Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media paper (140 lb.) - Blick Art Materials

Stamps:  Fruity Drinks (Stampendous); Essential Sentiments (Maker's Movement)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Black Archival (Ranger); Distress Inks:  Mustard Seed, Festive Berries, Picked Raspberry, Carved Pumpkin, Fired Brick, Mowed Lawn (Tim Holtz); Smoky Slate (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories & Tools:  Clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, water brush, masks

CAS Challenges August Reminder

Hi everyone.  We are already half way through August ... this summer is disappearing fast!  I'm here with a reminder card for the CAS Mix Up August challenge which is Beach (must use watercolouring on your card). 

I'm the host!

This is my first time using this beautiful stamp from Penny Black.  I watercoloured in Distress Inks and then placed my image behind a circle aperture which is "off-the-edge".

Adding this to the NBUS #17 challenge (never-before-used-schtuff).

And I'm heading over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge with this card as well.  The challenge for August is Anything Goes or Make the Sentiment the Focus".  My card is an anything Goes. :)

------------------------------------------------

And here is my reminder card for the CAS Christmas August Challenge - Twelve Days of Christmas.

Susan is our host.

Here's my ...

Five Golden Stars

I used a piece of smooshed (with magicals) watercolour for my background, die cut the winter trees and then heat embossed five stars in gold.  The sentiment is stamped and heat embossed in gold as well.

Hope you've had fun playing with this challenge.  Thinking outside the box in how to use stamps / stencils or dies in a new way has been good for me! :)

------------------------------------------------

I hope you'll check out the challenge blogs to see the amazing cards from our Designers, Guest Designers, and participants.  If you haven't had time to play along, there's over a week left before both challenges close on 24th at midnight PST.  Come join us!


Products
Penny Black Ocean Breeze stamp
Stampendous Ocean Wisdom sentiments
Alpine Trees die (Memory Box)
Christmas Sentiments (Penny Black)

CAS Mix Up Reminder - Deep as the Ocean
Stamps:  Ocean Breeze (Penny Black); Ocean Wisdom (Stampendous)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Distress inks:  Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs, Broken China, Salty Ocean, Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  Paint brushes, Circle Nestability (Spellbinders - retired)

CAS Christmas Reminder - Five Golden Stars
Stamps:  Christmas Sentiments (Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Magicals:  Guten Tag Teal, Afternoon Delight Denim, Witch's Potion Purple (Lindy's); Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  Alpine Trees die (Memory Box); Star stencil (AliExpress), Princess Gold embossing powder (Ranger); heat tool

Challenges:
CAS Mix Up August Challenge - Beach
CAS Christmas August Challenge - 12 Days of Christmas
NBUS #17 Challenge

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - August - Anything goes or Make the Sentiment the Focus

Guest Designer at Christmas Craft Creations

Hi everyone.  I'm thrilled to be Guest Designing at Christmas Craft Creations.  Christmas cards are my favourite cards to make. :)  Thanks to Lady Joyful and team for having me join them this month!

  

I find animals on Christmas cards can be a lot of fun to make.:)  They are always so adorable!

I love this image from Penny Black.  We can all relate to be tangled up with Christmas lights. :)  I stamped my image onto mixed media paper in black ink and heat embossed in clear.  The image is watercoloured with distress inks.  I added crystal drops to the lights to make them shine.  Once dry, the top of the image was fussy-cut and popped over top of a background of sponged peeled paint ink over white embossed Christmas Words.  Stamped a sentiment at the bottom of panel and then popped it up over card base.

Close-up ...

I hope you'll have time to come join us at the Christmas Craft Creations blog.  Such a fun challenge!  I'll be back here with a reminder card on August 26th!

Products
Christmas Fun (Penny Black)
Merry Up - sentiment (Penny Black)
Christmas Story (Penny Black)
Strathmore 400 Series Mixed Media paper (140 lb.) - Blick Art Materials

Stamps:  Christmas Fun (Penny Black); Christmas Story (Penny Black); Merry Up (Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Black (Memento); Distress Inks:  Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, Candied Apple, Aged Mahogany, Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  water brush, clear embossing powder (Ranger), Cyrstal Drops (Nuvo), white embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, sponge

Challenges:
Christmas Craft Creations August Challenge - Animals

Twofer Challenge #30

Hi everyone.  It's time for a new Twofer Card Challenge #30.  This time we are asked use a sun and/or moon on our cards.  As you can see from above, I went with the sun.  I was looking to make some cards that would not only brighten the day for the recipients, but it made me smile making these. :)

Remember to follow the rules below ...

First up, a summer day with a bright sun, rainbow and a little cloud ...

Each diecut has been watercolour.  I did add a second coat of colour to the rainbow so that it was bold and bright.  The Hello Sunshine seems like the perfect sentiment. :)

And using the same sun die as the above card, my second card is a happy card that will hopefully bring joy to someone under the weather.  

I die-cut the same stitched sun, watercolouring with distress inks.  The pot and leaves are stamped, fussy-cut and watercoloured as well.  I added some "seeds" to the center of the sunflower and popped it up over top of the stem and leaves.  The pot is popped up as well.

I hope you'll come and play along with this very fun challenge!  As always, the challenge is open for two weeks, ending on August 24th at end of day.  Hope to see you in the gallery!

This is the first time I've used my rainbow die ... so heading over to join the NBUS #17 Challenge (never-before-used-schtuff).

Products

Puffy Cloud die (Memory Box)

Our Friendship Grows (Lawn Fawn)

Spring Sentiments (Stampendous)

Card #1 - Hello Sunshine
Stamps:  Spring Sentments (Stampendous)
Paper:  Watercolour (Arches 140 lb. cold press); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Spiced Marmalade, Squeezed Lemonade, Twisted Citron, Tumbled Glass, Wilted Violet (Tim Holtz); Real Red ink (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories & Tools:  Large Stitched Sunshine die (Lil' Inkers - out of business); Magical Rainbow die (unknown); Puffy Clouds die (Memory Box), paint brushes

Card #2 - feel better
Stamps:  Our Friendship Grows (Lawn Fawn)
Paper:  Watercolour (Arches 140 lb. col press); White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Black (Versafine); Distress Inks:  Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge, Mowed Lawn (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools: paint brushes

Challenges:
Twofer Challenge #30 - Sun / Moon
NBUS #17 Challenge