Muse Challenge #201

Hello there!  I'm glad you are here.  Today's card is one made for the Muse Challenge #201.  Valentyna is the Muse for this week and she created the card on the left.

For several weeks, I have been making Valentines for my friends and family and before that it was Christmas Cards.  This week we are supposed to have temps in the high 70's and I am ready to work with some beautiful flowers.  So for my card, I pulled out a favorite from Clearly Besotted called Beautiful Friend. I love this image of a branch from an Apple Tree and I used Valentyna's colors as my inspiration.

I started with a panel of 4.25 x 5.5 Canson Bristol Watercolor Paper and did some ink blending on it with a combination of Pale Peony and Lovely Lady Inks. Then I misted it with Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist and set that part aside to dry.
Next I stamped the blooming branch in Versamark on another piece of Canson Bristol Watercolor Paper and heat set it with Simon Says Stamp Antique Gold Embossing Powder.  I cut a banner from Tag Sale: Quilted and stamped the birthday greeting from Boutique Borders: Birthday Stamp Set, again in Versamark and heat set it then laid it aside.

Using Distress Markers, I watercolored the blooms in Worn Lipstick, the leaves in Mowed Lawn and the branch in Gathered Twigs.  Once everything was dry, I die cut the background panel with the largest Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle, and used the coordinating die for the flowering branch.  Using a card base made from Stamper's Select White, I adhered the background panel using my ATG dispenser.  For the banner and the branch, I used Thin 3D Foam Squares.  I had a few small hearts leftover from my Valentine's Day projects, so I put one of them on the left side of the banner which completed my Clean and Simple card.

I watercolored additional images of this branch as I made a card for a niece and I'm making several cards for one of my sisters-in-law this week so they'll be ready to go if I want to use them again.  I always try to make multiples so that I have extras for pulling together a quick card.  I leave them uncut until I decide on my design, keeping them in the Stamp Pocket with the stamp set.  It makes for a fast card if I need one in a hurry.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Be sure to check out the Muse Challenge Blog to get all the details on this challenge and to see the beautiful entries.

Paper Players #284

I have a super short and quick post for you today.  I am participating in Challenge #284 over at The Paper Players with this sketch.  I started with a piece of Canson #140 Watercolor Paper and stamped and heat embossed the Iris image from the Just Darling Stamp Set by Clearly Besotted which is apparently no longer available.  I watercolored the image using Broken China and Mermaid Lagoon Distress Markers for the flower and Mowed Lawn for the leaves.

Next, I cut the watercolor panel with the Stitched Rectangles Dies from Simon Says Stamp. To get the narrower rectangle, I repositioned the die cut into the die and cut it again. Since I know a picture would better convey what I'm doing, here you go!

I took a sheet from the new Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid 6 x 6 Petite Paper Pack and cut it slightly larger as a frame for the flower image.  I used the same method as before to cut a narrow strip for the horizontal line going across, out of Gold Foiled Paper scraps. I have two different sets of Stitched Rectangle Dies and I can make basically any smaller size I want or need from them by using them in this way.  I can't go wider or taller, but I can make tall or short, fat or thin rectangles in this way which really stretches my dies.

For the background panel I cut one full size of the largest rectangle in some teal. Using the Simon Says Stamp Smile Circle Die I cut one from gold foiled cardstock and cut a 1.5 inch circle die to go behind it from a deeper teal scrap.  I assembled everything to a 4 x 5.25 inch card base made from Stamper's Select #110 White Cardstock.

I stamped the daffodil from this set on some more of the Canson #140 Watercolor Paper to make a couple more cards in this same design.  For the Papertrey Ink Make It Monday Challenge this week, Betsy Veldman created an ink blended Ombre background and then used a stencil afterwards to add more texture to her card. She was using the new stencils that came out during the Papertrey Ink 9th Anniversary Sale but I used one I already had. I ink blended using a Ranger Mini Ink Blending Tool in SU! Regal Rose and So Saffron.  Then I did ink blending over the stencil with the same tool in Regal Rose.  The color deepened over the pink and created orange over the yellow in the same pattern as my stencil.  I created a card base from Stamper's Select #110 White in a top folding 4.25 x 5.5 inch card.

I hope you enjoyed these cards today and I'll be back soon with a new prioject. Thanks so much for stopping by today.  Be sure to check out the activities over at Papertrey Ink and The Paper Players.

The Yellow Rose of Texas

I wanted to send a card to someone who lost their husband recently.  I sent a card at the time, but I wanted her to know we are still thinking of her and that we know what a significant loss that is in her life. I always love the look of white on white cards and today was no exception.

I stamped the rose from the Clearly Besotted Merci Beaucoup Stamp Set and the Hero Arts Acts of Kindness Stamp Set in Versamark for the greeting.  I was told that yellow is a favorite color and since she lives in Texas, I thought of The Yellow Rose of Texas for this card using WOW! Metallic Gold Sparkle Embossing Powder.  I have to say that I love that embossing powder.  I also have the WOW! Platinum Sparkle Embossing Powder and both are just beautiful. 

I haven't had the chance lately to talk about the differences in embossing powders so since I was doing quite a bit of heat embossing for the granddaughters to watercolor today, I pulled out a powder that I haven't used lately.  It was complete and total frustration as it takes forever to melt and I won't be purchasing any of that brand in the future.  I don't think it is very nice to "bash" a specific product in such a public forum (a blog), but I can say that I will talk about the products I do like and why. That is just my personal policy regarding any of the products I talk about here.

Besides the WOW! Metallic Gold Sparkle Embossing Powder, the Simon Says Stamp Gold Metallic Ultra Fine Embossing Powder is a favorite, even over Ranger Embossing Powder.  It melts quickly and easily and is very fine for great detail in your heat embossing while being less expensive than some of the other brands. When the embossing powder doesn't melt quickly, it tends to really warp your paper during the heat setting phase.  I won't throw this embossing powder away, but it will go to the back of my drawer for use only when I don't have a preferred brand which I hope never happens.  Honestly, I thought maybe I hadn't remembered correctly at the time, but I did.  It took about ten times longer to heat set that particular powder.  Also the Simon Says Brand is twice as much powder for less or equal money so that is a win-win to me.  

I used Tim Holtz Distress Marker in Mustard Seed and Mowed Lawn for the leaves.  I looked at using a few different markers or Clean Color Real Brush Pens, but I liked the warmer undertones of this yellow. Once I had watercolored the rose, I cut the panel using the largest Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle die.  I made a 110# Top Folding Card Base from Stamper's Select White from Paper Trey Ink. I am just trying this card stock for the very first time but I love the heavy weight and the smoothness of this card stock.  I also think it is a good value for the quantity, quality and smoothness at $6.00 for 40 sheets.  I've used Stampin' Up's Whisper White but the heavy weight is quite a bit pricier for fewer sheets.  I would definitely try this card stock in other colors as well.  As always, I added some sheer shimmer spritz to the panel once it was cut before adhering it to the card base using Tombo Mono Adhesive.  The final Touch was Wink of Stella Clear Shimmer Pen.

I'll be back soon with another project as I have a couple to finish up for another project that I was working on before Christmas.

Watercolor Glads

I started today's card by stamping the Gladiolus image from the Clearly Besotted Friends Forever Stamp Set on Canson XL 140# Water Color Paper, heat embossed it with Judikins Fine Detail Silver Embossing Powder and set about to watercolor it for my card front.

I love to watercolor.  It is so soothing to me and I know my friends & family enjoy the mini works of art I send to them.

Whenever I see Gladiolus, I think of my Grandpa Shaver who named them as his very favorites.   He was killed by a drunk driver when I was 13, but I still remember seeing these flowers bloom in their special section of his vegetable garden.  "Glads" he called them and they were prolific at his funeral.   I have a really incredible number of memories with him for having lost him at such a young age.  For much of my childhood, they lived in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, while we lived in a Kansas City suburb.  I started 4th grade when we moved to a different suburb because my dad became a police officer in that city.  My grandparents moved from Florida to be closer to us grandkids.  The six of us were the only grandchildren for them.  After they moved to the same town, I would go to stay at their house on the weekend and they would always take me to this truck stop/diner they liked for Fried Chicken (still one of my favorites) with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.  When quizzed about what dessert I wanted, I would always ask for more mashed potatoes and gravy rather than a dessert.  So many of my memories are connected to that place in my mind and heart.  At that age I also didn't realize that my mom made the best fried chicken on the planet!

As you can imagine, while I was coloring this image I was visiting that place and time in my memory.  And as always happens when I think of flowers, I got a little curious about the specifics of that flower.  I was surprised to learn that Gladiolus are a member of the Iris family while Amaryllis is not.  You know, because Glads look like Amaryllis and vice versa.  I figured they would be of the same family but they aren't.  And Iris are perennials while Glads are annuals. Once I get a question in my head, it will not leave until I look it up, so that is your science lesson for the day.

I used Tim Holtz Distress Markers in Mermaid Lagoon to color the flowers while the leaves were done with Peeled Paint.  I used a Yellow Stardust Gel Pen for the Stamen because they are so small.  I love sparkly pens!  I bought this set a number of years ago and they still work.  I handed a card to a friend the other day and she opened it and said, "You even have sparkly pens!"  It wasn't a question as she is my nail tech and I usually get a sparkly finish on my nails called (quite appropriately) "Fairy Dust".  *Wink*

Next I took one of my many water color "experiments" where I was doing the splattering technique in blues and purples to make a night sky.  My base color wasn't really dark enough for a night sky, but I still liked the effect and it was a perfect match to the flowers I water colored here.  I cut each side of a 2 inch wide piece with a scallop border die, then cut it down the center as if it was printed paper for a decorative strip on each side of the watercolor panel.  Then I mounted that to a top folding A2 card base in Simon Says Stamp Island Blue Card Stock misted with some Tsukineko Sparkle Shimmer Spray.

I cut the Mama Elephant "hello" greeting in DCWV Silver Foil Card Stock to match the silver embossing and attached it near the bottom of my card.  I cut another "hello" for the inside of the card.  I used a white panel to go inside the card since I used a colored card base this time.

I enjoyed perusing Pinterest to see all the many colors and varieties of Gladiolus out there and pinned a few favorites to my Flora & Fauna Board.  I actually didn't see any in blue, but they certainly exist in my imagination.  Thanks for stopping by today!  Feel free to leave a comment for me when you do.  I enjoy them very much.

Dream a Little Dream

For today's card, I took one of the many images that I have recently colored using Tim Holtz Distress Markers and finished with my Wink of Stella Clear Shimmer Brush Pen.  This image is from Clearly Besotted's Beautiful Friend Stamp Set and has a coordinating die.  After stamping my image on Canson XL 140# Watercolor Card Stock, I heat set it using Simon Says Stamp Ultra Fine Gold Detail Embossing Powder.  I colored the image with Abandoned Coral, Mowed Lawn and Gathered Twigs.  These are super simple to take a few to color when you are on the go. You can literally throw three markers, a few embossed images and a water brush in to a stamp pocket and toss it in your purse.  The stamp pocket helps to keep everything nice and clean.  I buy the Simon Says Stamp brand of Stamp Pockets because the thickness feels identical to the Avery Elle Pockets but I get twice as many for only one dollar more.

I had previously cut a few of these Impression Obsession Butterflies in a peachy-coral color with some vellum top layers so I grabbed one out of my container that I keep spare parts in. I always cut the antennae off of the solid butterfly image and just keep them on the vellum layer so it doesn't look like my butterfly has 4 antennae.  I use a marker to make them black.  I attached the layers as I usually do by putting Ranger Multi Medium Matte down just the center of the butterfly's body to attach the vellum layer.  Using my fingernail or my bone folder, I gently curve the tips of the wings on both layers so that they are pointing slightly downward.  I use a foam square cut in half lengthwise under the butterfly's bottom layer to attach it to my background panel and then a smaller piece of foam adhesive under the tip of each wing.  The rear of the butterfly I attach directly to the card base using Ranger Multi Medium Matte or you could also use a glue dot.  This card panel is cut with my largest Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle Die in Cameo Coral, which is another discontinued SU! color. 

I took 3 foam squares and cut each of them in quarters to use in attaching the floral image to the background panel.  You always need to put a little of the foam adhesive in the center of whatever image you are attaching so it doesn't "cave in" at the center.

Next I cut three of the "Dream" die cuts and stacked them up so I would have a nice, dimensional word.  This die cut came in a set of three words from Little Yellow Bicycle at Hobby Lobby but the only place I've seen it since I got mine is Amazon.  The bottom two layers are just scraps of watercolor card stock and the top one is from some scrap pieces of watercolor paper that I had painted.  I try to always look at and utilize my scraps.  If something is a nice color or special in some way, I try to find die cuts that I can use with it.  I sort my scraps by color families from time to time when the pile near my Cuttlebug starts getting too big.



I cut a thin strip of Gold Glitter Cardstock and started assembling my card.  For the word "Dream", I put a tissue underneath it and added a layer of Wink of Stella and then Ranger Glossy Accents on top, setting it aside to dry for about an hour.  When I came back, it was ready to attach to my card.  Using Ranger Multi Medium Matte, I adhered it and held it down for a few minutes so it would not come loose.  I could have set some acrylic blocks on it, but my hands were free for a few minutes Ü.  I love the simple but elegant touch that just a narrow strip of glitter card stock makes on a card.  This is a tip that I picked up from Jennifer McGuire and I find it works often when you need just a touch of something more on your card.  I considered sequins, but I like this option better for this card at least.  

Wonderful Watercolor II

I made another card today for the Wonderful Watercolor Challenge over at the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog.  Since I just went into a ton of detail yesterday, I am going to try to keep it simple today.

The card base is made from a pale pink card stock cut to 4.25 inches x 11 inches and top folded at 5.5 inches.  The Green is Wild Wasabi cut into the scalloped & stitched panel using the Sunshine Layers Die by WPLUS9.  The background panel was water colored using Abandoned Coral and Worn Lipstick Distress Inks then cut with the Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles.

The floral branch is from the same Clearly Besotted Beautiful Friend Stamp Set I used yesterday and then cut with the Beautiful Friend Coordinating Dies.  Using Distress Markers I colored the flower first using Abandoned Coral for the base layer of color.  Next I added in more color with Worn Lipstick marker.  The leaves were all colored with Mowed Lawn Distress Marker.  After coloring the image I applied Wink of Stella in clear on the flowers and leaves. The greeting is made from 4 die cuts stacked and glued on top of each other for added dimension.  The floral branch was adhered to the background panel using Ranger Multi Medium Matte as was the sentiment and the sequins.  The rest of the pieces where adhered with my ATG Gun. 

After I assembled the card, I decided I wanted some sequins for that touch of whimsy.  This card uses Pretty Pink Posh Watermelon 6mm cupped and an 8mm green from the Go Green Collection.

Since I already had the image colored and the background water colored, it took only a little time to assemble everything. 

Have a great day!  Leave any questions or comments below and thanks for stopping by.   

A Little Bit of Watercolor

Whenever I sit down to make a card, I almost always pull "spare parts" from my work surface.  I always have spare parts because not everything that I create in my mind works out in the practical application but I can usually use it in some other way or on a different card eventually.  I have a little dish on my table that I put these things into as well as a stack of backgrounds that didn't come out how I wanted on the original project.  Sometimes I am just experimenting with a new technique a few times to see if I can repeat the process.  I'm actually getting better at that part.

Today's cards are super easy ones.  I embossed the image using Versamark on Canson 140# Watercolor Paper and heat set it with Simon Says Stamp Clear Embossing Powder then water colored it using Tim Holtz Distress Markers in Abandoned Coral, Mowed Lawn & Gathered Twigs.  For the halo effect I used Tumbled Glass.  I'm still in the process of trying to determine how much color I want in my halo and that seems to change from image to image.  I think that's probably as it should be.

Originally I thought I would like using the textured side of the watercolor paper but I am totally devoted to the smooth side by now.

I had a red and coral background from the other day when I was trying out the "smooshing" technique so I cut that as the mat for the water colored image.  Then I attached that to a 4 x 5.25 SU! Cameo Coral stitched rectangle using Ranger Multi Medium Matte.  I'm pretty sad because that color hasn't been available for quite a while and when I use up my stash, I won't be able to get any more.  That color has just a bit of pink in it and I love it.

I used a Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangle, and the two largest My Favorite Things Stitched Ovals.  I love all of the stitched dies that I have and there are some double stitched dies on my wish list.  The "smile" die came in a set of 3 words made by Little Yellow Bicycle.  I've never seen them again anywhere but they are among my very favorites and they cut like butter.

For the other two cards I made today I wanted kind of a matching set.  The floral images are from the Clearly Besotted Beautiful Friend Stamp Set.  There are Beautiful Friend Coordinating Dies as well.  That is my very favorite thing that has been happening in the paper crafting world.  So many stamp sets these days all have coordinating dies.  In fact, I try to purchase only the ones that have coordinating dies.

Water color is definitely an art form that you can spend as much or as little time as you want on it.  I have a tendency to overwork an image and when I do that, I tend to not like the outcome.  The leaves are okay, but I wish I would have obsessed less on the flowers.  It was a good lesson for me.

I used Tim Holtz Distress Markers in Worn Lipstick, Mowed Lawn, and Gathered Twigs for these.  The pink scalloped and stitched rectangle is another SU! color that is no longer available called Regal Rose.  The gold mats are pieces of foiled cardstock that were cut using my favorite die, the Simon Says Stamp Stitched Rectangles set.

Both cards have been mounted to a 4.25 x 5.5 top folding landscaped card.  I actually found this paper at Michaels and it is a heavy weight 100# super smooth card stock.  It was a ream of 250 sheets so I have enough to last for a few more days at least.

I am very late getting this post up and I wrote all but this paragraph last Thursday.  With our Grandson getting married on this past Sunday the 11th, I had too many things to do to get ready for our trip.  It was a beautiful and very touching wedding and we had an awesome trip.

I love reading your comments, so don't be shy!