Happy Birthday Susan!

Hi everyone.  Today is Susan's birthday (Cardmaker's Garret) ... my dear friend that I've known for over 10 years.  We met on-line through a stamping forum and found out that we only lived about 1/2 hour drive away from each other.  We've been meeting up in person (and online with Zoom calls during COVID) ever since. :)

Susan's favourite colour is blue, so I watercoloured some blue flowers using Distress Inks Salty Ocean and Unchartered Mariner.  LOVE the Mariner colour!.  The background is a stencil monoprint of one of my favourite stencils, Mini Tiny Dots.  It's especially good used in a monoprint.  I stamped the image in black ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder before watercolouring.

Card inside ...

Susan, I hope you have the most lovely day, my friend!  xx

I'm sending this card to the Seize the Birthday Challenge #252.  Didn't do the Topping this time ...

And, I'm also sending this card to the Stencil Fun November Challenge.  This is my third entry this month! :)

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Stamps:  Bouquet of Thanks (Simon Says Stamp); Good Wishes (Penny Black); Gratitude (Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.); Black card stock (SU!)
Ink:   Black (Memento); Distress Inks:  Mowed Lawn, Salty Ocean, Unchartered Mariner (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories:   Mini Tiny Circles stencil (Crafter's Workshop), Clear embossing powder, heat tool, 

Challenges:

Stencil Fun November Challenge

Seize the Birthday Challenge #252

Holiday Sprigs Cards

Hi everyone.  I was recently inspired by Janet (Swanlady Impressions).  She made the most beautiful set of Christmas cards with the Holiday Sprigs stamp set from Simon Says; stamps, dies, stencil.  As soon as I saw her post, I hopped on-line at SSS and bought all three.  Thank you Janet! :)

Since I saw Janet's post, I have seen other on-line friends using this set.  Check out the cards made by my sweet friend Jenny, (click HERE) ... and a tag made by the lovely JoAnn (click HERE).  I'm sure this set will be a favourite for many years. :)

I'm sending the top card to the Color Hues Challenge #53 - Scarlet and Green.  

I do love using traditional colours for Christmas cards. :)

* * * * *

I've had a lot of fun using my new purchase to create a variety of cards (10 in total), each with a mix of elements and different layouts.  Here's a second card from the same set.  This time I used stamps, dies, and stencil ...

And because this is a new-to-me stamps and stencil, I'm sending the above card (wreath) over to NBUS Challenge #44 and Stencil Fun November Challenge.  :)

  

* * * * *

One more to share ...

And ... I'm sending the above card - Holiday greetings to the Rudolph Days November Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes.  I'm happy that I've been able to enter each month this year! Yay!

Thanks for visiting!

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Stamps:  Holiday Sprigs (Simon Says Stamp)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)

Ink:  Obsidian Pigment ink (Altenew); Versamark; Distress Inks:  Candied Apple, Fired Brick, Peeled Paint, Rustic Wilderness, Mustard Seed (Tim Holtz)  
Accessories:   Holiday Sprigs dies (Simon Says Stamp); Holiday Sprigs stencil (Simon Says Stamp), sponges and brushes, Liquid Platinum Embossing Powder, heat tool, White Acrylic pen (Posca)

Challenges:

Color Hues Challenge #53 - Scarlet and Green

NBUS Challenge #44

Stencil Fun November Challenge

Rudolph Days November Challenge

Penny Black - Berry Bouquet

Hi everyone.  Sharing another wonderful stamp (Berry Bouquet 40-860), from the Penny Black Christmas release.

I love this sweet vase filled with berry branches.  I kept the design very CAS by inking up the whole image with Brushed Corduroy distress ink.  More distress ink was added to the vase portion ... this time Gathered Twigs, before spritzing with a light mist of water and stamping onto my mixed media card front.  A wet paint brush was used to move some of the colour around on the vase.  I then inked up the berries with a marker (Stampin' Up's! Real Red marker).  I spritzed lightly again with water and stamped onto my mixed media card front; then left it to dry naturally.  The red mixed with the brushed corduroy ink to create lovely, deep coloured berries.  The sentiment (Jolly Snippets 30-925) is stamped in the same SU! real red ink.  To finish, I used my white acrylic pen to add dots to the berries.

Close-up ...

I'm sending this over to the Merry Little Christmas Challenge #47 - Anything Christmas Goes ...

Penny Black Products

Berry Bouquet (40-860)

Jolly Snippets (30-925)

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Stamps:  Berry Bouquet; Jolly Snippets (both Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs (Tim Holtz); Real Red (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories:   water mister, white acrylic pen (Posca)

Challenges:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #47

Penny Black - Loads of Cheer

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing another new image, this is from the Loads of Cheer (30-920) stamp set.  This stamp set is from the Christmas release from Penny Black.

I stamped the image in black ink and heat embossed in clear.  I watercoloured the sweet bear and tree and added a bit of colour at the bottom to ground the image.  I added gold glitz glitter gel to the stars to give them some sparkle, as well as red glitz glitter gel to the ornaments on the tree.  Snow glitter paste was used to add even more sparkle and texture to the bear's hat cuff and pompom.

To finish, I stamped a sentiment from the Penny Black Shine Upon You (30-938) stamp set.  I thought the message was perfect to go with this adorable bear. :)

Close-up ...

I'm sending this card to the Christmas Kickstart #68 Challenge - Trees, Trees, Trees!

And entering into PB Saturday November Challenge - second entry ...

And, last, but definitely not least, I'm sending this over to NBUS Challenge #44! :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Penny Black Products

Loads of Cheer (30-920)

Shine Upon You (30-928)

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Stamps:  Loads of Cheer; Shine Upon You (both Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Black Obsidian (Altenew); Distress Inks:  Brushed Corduroy, Gathered Twigs, Ground Espresso, Mowed Lawn, Mustard Seed, Candied Apple (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Clear embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, watercolour paint brushes, Gold and Red Glitz Glitter Gel (Simon Says), Snow Glitter Paste (Aleene's), white acrylic pen (Posca)

Challenges:

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #68 - Trees, Trees, Trees!

Penny Black Saturday November Challenge

NBUS Challenge #44

Autumn Sunflowers

Hi everyone.  We are celebrating Rembrance Day today.  Hubby and I watched the ceremonies on TV this morning (as we do every year).  A wonderful tribute to those that sacrificed everything for us.  We are so thankful.

On to my card ... I started by pulling out a background from my stash.  This is a smooshing of shades of orange and pink --- love it! :)

I used the Peeking Sunflowers stencil (STAMPlorations) over top, sponging with Distress Inks, Rusty Hinge, Ground Espresso.  I love the deep colours for these pretty sunflowers.

To finish, I stamped the sentiment (Gratitude - Penny Black) first in Rusty Hinge ink, and then a second stamping of Ground Espresso ink over top.

Close-up ...

I'm sending this over to the Stencil Fun challenge where anything stenciled goes.  This month the optional challenge is Fall Colours!  Perfect :)

Thanks for stopping by!

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Stamps:  Gratitude (Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Smooshed Mixed Media paper using shades of orange and pink inks
Ink:   Distress Inks:  Rusty Hinge, Ground Espresso (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   Sunflowers stencil (STAMPlorations), sponges

Challenges:

Stencil Fun Challenge for November 

Penny Black - Winter Gem

Hi everyone.  LOVE this beautiful pinecone and pine needles image (Winter Gem 40-857) from the Penny Black Christmas Release.

I inked up the image with distress inks (evergreen bough, pine needles, rustic wilderness, gathered twigs, walnut stain) and then lightly blotted once with paper towel.  Used a mini mister to add a fine spray of water over top and stamped onto a piece of mixed media paper, then blotted up any excess ink.  This created a soft background pinecone and needles.  I moved my image and reinked the stamp again in the same colours of distress inks.  This time I did not blot with paper towel.  I sprayed a fine mist of water and then stamped over top of the other image.  I left it to dry naturally.  This creates depth with the two layers of pinecones.  

To finish, I stamped the sentiment (Jolly Snippets 30-925) in gathered twigs distress ink three times to get the depth of colour I wanted.  I finished the card by splattering with diluted white gouache paint for falling snow.

Close-up ...

I'm sending this card over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge - November - Anything Penny Black Goes.

Thanks for stopping by!

Penny Black Products

Winter Gem (40-857)

Jolly Snippets (30-925)

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Stamps:  Winter Gem; Jolly Snippets (both Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Distress inks:  Evergreen Bough, Pine Needles, Rustic Wilderness, Gathered Twigs, Walnut Stain (Tim Holtz)
Accessories:   White Gouache Paint (Arteza), splatter paint brush

Challenges:

PBSC - November (Anything Penny Black Goes)

Metallic Watercolour on Black

Hi everyone.  Today I'm sharing two cards I made following the YouTube video Metallic Watercolor on Black by Betsy Veldman.  This technique creates dramatic cards with just a few extra brushstrokes / details.  All the designs are done with watercolouring mediums that work on dark card stock.  I believe this technique could easily be used on any watercolour papers to add a little somethin' to your watercoloured images. 

Love this technique and recommend you give it a try.  For the colour medium, I used Pearlescent Gouache paints, which I find to be subtle in colour, as well as not having a huge range of colours with my box of 12 from Arteza.  I mixed them with my regular Gouache paints to create more vibrant colours with a bit of sheen from the pearlescent.

Here's my second card, which is much simplier design.  Besides watercolouring the image, I have added some dots of bronze pearl paint around the image and splattered with diluted white gouache paint.  

I'm sending the first card over to Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Penny Black Goes.  

And I'm sending the second card over to Peace on Earth Challenge #26.  LOVE this mood board.  This will be my second entry.  I love traditional colours for Christmas. :)

Thanks for stopping by.  

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Stamps:  All the Trimmings; Season's Gifts; Bright & Light (all Penny Black)

Paper:   White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Black Mixed Media paper (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:   Versamark; Pearlescent Gouache Paint (Arteza); Gouache Paint (Arteza)
Accessories:  Princess Gold embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool, watercolour brushes, splatter brush 

Challenges:

PBSC - Anything Penny Black Goes

Peace on Earth Challenge #26