Zooming with Friends - September

Hi everyone.  A couple of weeks ago, we had our regular monthly group crafting session with Zoom.  This time we decided that we needed to pull out a long-neglected product to play with ... we chose Perfect Pearls.  Sharing four of my Perfect Pearl cards today that I made as samples for our crafting session.  And the rest of the group is sharing too - see below for links to their Perfect Pearl cards (Bonnie, Brenda, Christine, Darnell, Susan).

I only have four Perfect Pearls colours - all metallics (Pearl, Gold, Copper, Bronze) that I received as a gift ages ago from my dear friend, Mary.

Have to say it was fun to research and play with these lovely little pots of shimmer.  During our session, we covered several Perfect Pearl techniques. We had a LOT of fun. 

For the card above, I used Picked Raspberry Distress ink mixed with Pearl-coloured Perfect Pearls and water to watercolour this lovely image from Penny Black.  The image is heat embossed in Liquid Platinum and then watercoloured  That's it.  The colours shimmer from the added Pearl powder, which you can see a bit better in the close-up photo below.

Close-up ...

For our second technique, we smooshed a mixture of distress inks and Perfect Pearls. 

I used Mustard Seed and Carved Pumpkin Distress Inks, along with Pearl-coloured Perfect Pearls to create this shimmery, pearl background.  I then stamped my image in Versamark, dusted with Copper Perfect Pearls, and misted lightly with water to set the powder.

Close-up ... you can see the shimmer better from this angle.

Here's another card using the other half of my smooshed background.

This time Bronze Perfect Pearls were used to dust over the Vintage Photo Ink-stamped image.

Close-up shows shimmer must better ...

The last technique I'm sharing from our zoom meeting is watercolouring die-cuts with Perfect Pearls.

I used two colours of Perfect Pearls on the leaf sprig, Gold and Bronze.  I mixed the powders with water and painted two coats onto my leaves and stems, which creates an opaque look.  The sentiment is stamped in Versamark, dusted with gold Perfect Pearls, and set with a light mist of water.

Close-up ...

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

Bonnie
Brenda

Christine
Darnell
Susan

Thanks for coming by for a visit!

September Rudolph Days

Are you looking for Nancy Littrell's linky Birthday Party?  Click HERE.

Hi everyone.  It's time for the September Rudolph Challenge that runs Jan-Nov. from 25th to end of month with Anything Goes Christmas.

I made this card last month while having a Zoom play day with my friends Susan and Christine.  We wanted to learn about how to use the new Embossing Glazes from Tim Holtz.  The card above uses a new-to-me stencil Christmas Snowflake Stencil (Sweet Poppy), with embossing paste swiped over top.  While the paste was still wet, I added the Speckled Egg Embossing Glaze and heat set.  When wet and heated, embossing paste bubbles and bursts to create a different look.  I love how the snowflake ended up being both speckled egg and white.  And I love the shine from the glaze.  I added a tiny black sentiment banner with rubbed on white sentiment.  The ying and the yang of large image and small sentiment really work together well!

Close-up ...

Since this is the first time using my Sweet Poppy stencil, I'm heading over to NBUS #18 to join in the fun.

Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Black card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories & Tools:   Christmas Snowflake stencil (Poppy Stamps), Dreamweaver White Embossing Paste, palette knife, Speckled Egg Embossing Glaze (Tim Holtz); heat tool, rub on sentiment

Challenges:
September Rudolph Days

NBUS #18 Challenge

Happy Birthday Nancy!

Hi everyone.  My dear friend, Nancy (scandinancy creates) is celebrating a milestone birthday today!  WhooHoo!

HAPPY 75TH BIRTHDAY NANCY!!

Nancy and I met on-line when we were picked to be Designers for the CAS challenge at Splitcoaststampers... that was way back in 2011.  We have been friends ever since.  

Have a wonderful day spending time with Margie today.  Happy Birthday to you both!!

I'm having a linky party for Nancy so if you'd like to share a birthday card to help celebrate Nancy's birthday, please add below.  The party link will be open for two weeks.  Come join us!

I've sent off this card to her and hope that she received it on time. :)

Adding to NBUS #18.  First time using this wonderful background stamp from Simon Says Stamp!

Nancy's Birthday Linky Party

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Watercolour stamp sets

Hi everyone.  I haven't bought many stamp sets from Stampin' Up! for a long time, but when I saw the latest catalogue ... WOW!  Lots of watercoloured-looking stamp sets.  A lot of the work is already done ... just add ink! :)

Today is an amazing set called Beautiful Friendship.  All I did was ink up the stamp with three shades of blue (one at a time, spritzing, stamping and blotting with paper towel after each addition), working lightest to darkest inks.  This was my first time trying this stamp and this CAS design was done in about 10 minutes.  You gotta love that!

Close-up ...

The sentiment is from the same stamp set.  I first stamped it in green, but it looked too washed out.  Overstamped in black, which is a LOT of contrast.  Might have been better with a soft gray or dark blue. :) Oh well, next time. :)

Since this is new to me, I'm adding it to the NBUS #18 gallery ...

Stamps:  Beautiful Friendship (Stampin' Up!)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Tumbled Glass, Broken China, Salty Ocean, Shabby Shutters (Tim Holtz); Black (Memento)
Accessories & Tools:  Water mister

Challenges:
NBUS #18 Challenge

Penny Black - Windy

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing a card using one of the new die sets from Penny Black called Windy (51-675).  I love the stylized images in this tree die set.

Clean and simple card design really shows off the beauty of this tree.  I smooshed a piece of mixed media with picked raspberry distress ink and then added some aged mahogany distress ink on top, creating random pools and splats of colour.  I die cut the leaves twice so I'd have lots to choose from.  The tree trunk is die-cut from dark brown card stock.

I sponged around the outside edge of each leave with more aged mahogany (can you tell it's my favourite colour right now??!!).  Once dry, I played around with the leaves until I as happy with the design, then glued everything together.  The sentiment is from Good Wishes (30-541), also stamped in aged mahogany distress ink.  

For the final part of the card, the tree was added so it looks like the sentiment is tucked in nicely beside the tree.  The top part of the tree is popped up with pop dots, the base of the trunk is glued to the card front.

Close-up ...

Thanks for coming by for a visit!

Penny Black Products

Windy (51-675)

Good Wishes (30-541)

Stamps:  Good Wishes (Penny Black)
Paper:   White card base (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); Early Espresso (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Picked Raspberry, Aged Mahogany (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   water mister, Windy die set (Penny Black), sponge

Brown and Pink

Hi everyone.  Today's card is for The Flower Challenge #48 - Brown & Pink.  I love this colour combination!

The challenge is sponsored by Bugaboo Digital Stamps and I have several of their really fun images.  I printed off these sweet heart-shaped flowers in a pot (Flower pot #4) and watercoloured with distress inks.  I added a frame (Simple Stackers 51-613) and a sweet little sentiment (Happy Messages).

To finish, I sponged brown ink around the outside of the frame and added some clear Wink of Stella to the flowers and ribbon.  You can see the shimmer in the close-up photo below.

Close-up ...

I hope you'll come play along with this fun challenge.  Check out the amazing cards made by the Designers and their Guest Designer, Lee Ann.  You'll be inspired to join in!

Stamps:  Flower pot4 (Bugaboo Digital Stamps); Happy Messages (Stampendous)
Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.); Baked Brown Sugar (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Picked Raspberry, Gathered Twigs, Brushed Corduroy (Tim Holtz); Baked Brown Sugar (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:   water brush, Simple Stackers Frame die (Penny Black), sponge, Clear Wink of Stella

Challenges:

The Flower Challenge #48 - Brown & Pink

Penny Black - Rise and Shine

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing a beautiful sunflower image from the new release.  It's called Rise & Shine (40-749).

I started by stamping the Rise & Shine (40-749) sunflower in Antique Linen distress ink.  It's very light and I found it's a good colour for no-line watercolouring.  I watercoloured the petals of the sunflower with two colour of Distress Inks (Rusty Hinge, Ripe Persimmon).  The center of the flower is watercoloured in Ground Espresso ink and Peeled Paint ink was used to watercolour the stem and leaves.  The sentiment is from another stamp set in the new release (Falling Leaves 30-716) and is stamped in Ground Espresso ink to tie it to the image.

Close-up ...

Entering this card into the Penny Black Saturday Challenge for September - Favourite Colour or Anything Goes.

I do love these colours ...:)

Thanks for coming by for a visit!

Penny Black Products
Rise & Shine (40-749)
Falling Leaves (30-716)

Stamps:  Rise & Shine; Falling Leaves (both from Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Antique Linen, Rusty Hinge, Ripe Persimmon, Ground Espresso, Peeled Paint (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:  Water brush

Challenges:
Penny Black Saturday Challenge September - Favourite Colour or Anything Goes

CAS Challenges September Reminder

Hi everyone.  We are half way through the month of September.  Today I'm sharing reminder cards for both CAS challenges.  First up, CAS Mix Up September Challenge - Embossing with Dies.

Joanna is our host.

I die-cut this lovely poppy Bodacious die (Penny Black) from watercolour paper and coloured with distress inks.  I then used the same die to emboss the poppy on my card front.  This give some dimension to the card.  I used Wink of Stella to add lots of sparkle to the poppies.  I didn't realize that I used the same sentiment (also done on black banner with white embossing) as I did for my CMU launch card on the 1st. :)

This is a fun way to stretch the use of your dies.  Thanks to Jo for a great challenge!

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Colleen is our host.

Here's the reminder card for CAS Christmas challenge - Christmas trees.  I used a large Christmas Glow (Penny Black) stamp off the edge of the page to keep some white space on my card.  I inked with distress inks,spritzed with water and stamped.  Repeated until I was happy with the results.  Once dry, I added a little shading with a medium green coloured pencil.  The sentiment in red finishes this CAS design.

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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!

CAS Mix Up Reminder - Handmade with Love
Stamps:  Happy Snippets (Penny Black)
Paper:  Watercolour paper (Arches 140 lb. cold press); White card base (Neenah 110 lb.); Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Picked Raspberry, Pine Needles (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories & Tools: Bodacious die (Penny Black), water brush, white embossing powder, heat tool, Clear Wink of Stella


CAS Christmas Reminder - Oh, Christmas Tree
Stamps:  Christmas Glow (Penny Black); Sentiment - Love Bug Christmas (Unity Stamps)
Paper:  Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Mustard Seed (Tim Holtz); Real Red (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories & Tools:  water mister, Green coloured pencil (Prismacolor)


Challenges:
CAS Mix Up - Embossing with Dies
CAS Christmas - Christmas Tree

Tumbling Shells

Hi everyone.  I'm back today with another summery card using a fabulous new background called Tumbling Shells (Simon Says Stamp).  This is a large 6"x 6" background that I coloured and then cut up into two smaller pieces to make two cards.  I find photographing pastel colours so difficult.  The background has a pearl sheen, which adds another challenge to photographing.

I started by wetting my mixed media card front and sprinking with perfect pearls.  Used a brush to brush over the whole surface of the card creating a lovely pearl sheen for the background.  Stamped the seashells in versamark and heat embossed in white.  Then used diluted deep colours of distress inks to paint some of the shells and starfish (salty ocean, wild honey, aged mahogany).  Cut up my card to create this rectangle panel and popped it up over a stamped sentiment (tumbled glass).

I made a second card using part of the same panel.  This time I framed it with a stitched rectangle.  Used a different sentiment for this one.

Had fun using this background as the main part of my card and just adding a sentiment.  This is a new-to-me stamp, so I'm heading over to add to the NBUS #18 gallery.  Hope to see you there!

Stamps: Tumbling Shells (Simon Says Stamp); Feel Sand - retired (Stampendous); Life's a Beach - retired (STAMPlorations)
Paper: Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink: Versamark; Distress Inks:  Salty Ocean, Wild Honey, Aged Mahogany, Tumbled Glass (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:  Perfect Pearls - Pearl; brush, water mister, white embossing powder, heat tool, water brush

Challenges:
NBUS #18 Challenge

Penny Black - Falling Leaves

Penny Black has a new release call "Autumn Extraordinaire".  It is full of beautiful autumn / thanksgiving images.  You can see the newest release HERE.

Hi everyone.  Today I'm using just one from a set of 12 dies called Falling Leaves Cut Out (51-680).  I LOVE maple leaves ... and maple trees, maple syrup ... maple anything. :)  I'm Canadian, eh??!! :)

Sorry about the poor photograph above, shiny cards are hard to work with.  This card is much brighter in real life.  See below close-up photo for more accurate colours.

I die-cut the leaf from copper metallic paper.  I ran it through my Gemini with a script embossing folder (unknown).  I then added drops of three different colours of alcohol inks and let them run together.  Once dry, I spritzed with a little blending solution, which looks like drops on the leaf.  Where the alcohol inks build up, the ink remains a sticky for a while.  I took a small piece of copper foil and burnished it over top of my maple leaf.  You can see just little bits of the coppery shine that stuck.  To finish, I stamped a very small sentiment (Million Thanks 30-680) and heat embossed in copper.

Close-up ...

I'm entering this card into the Penny Black Saturday Challenge for September - Your Favourite Colours or Anything Goes.  I do love these colours (pink and orange is my favourite combination of colours) ... and I've added in some purple as well. :)

Thanks for coming by for a visit.

Penny Black Products
Falling Leaves Cut Out (51-680)
Million Thanks (30-680)

Stamps:  Million Thanks (Penny Black)
Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Copper Metallics (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Alcohol Inks:  Shell Pink, Terracotta, Eggplant (Rainger); Versamark
Accessories:  Falling Leaves Cut-Outs (Penny Black), Script embossing folder (unknown), Blending Solution, Copper embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool

Challenges:
Penny Black September Saturday Challenge - Your Favourite Colours or Anything Goes

Twofer Challenge #31

Hi everyone.  Today is the start of the Twofer Challenge #31.  I used some backgrounds that had been in my stash for a while.  Always great to have them handy to make some quick cards.

This first card is coloured with leftover inks from another project.  I don't want them to go to waste so always smoosh the leftovers with a piece of mixed media paper.

I have had this stamp for a very long time.  It's Pine Tree (Stampscapes) and it's so beautiful.  I stamped a few of the trees in black (1st and second generation stamping) and used a light gray ink for the background trees.  I have already sent this off to a dear friend who lost his mother recently.

The second card started with another piece from my stash - watercoloured tissue paper.  I love the colours and bit of texture from the wrinkled tissue paper.  Stamped Pine Tree (Stampscapes) again twice and then mounted my image on a black card base with circle aperture.  A simple "HELLO" finishes the card.

Edited to add:  Several of you have mentioned that these cards remind you of the fires burning in Oregon and California.  I made these cards a few months back, long before the fires started and did not intend on making cards to reflect the terrible devastation that is happening now.  Sorry if my post has upset anyone.

Card #1: Your in my Thoughts
Stamps:  Pine Tree (Stampscapes); Best Thoughts - retired (Stampin' Up!)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Black (Memento); Smoky Slate (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:

Card #2: Hello
Stamps:  Pine Tree (Stampscapes); Happy Messages (Stampendous)
Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Tissue Paper; Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:  Black (Memento); Smoky Slate (SU!)
Accessories & Tools:  Circle Nestability die - retired (Spellbinders)

Challenges:
Twofer Challenge #31