The Flower Challenge and CAS Watercolour Challenge...and SO much more!

Got a couple of things to share with you today.  I've been so busy these past few weeks! Made a couple of cards today that will fit perfect with the Flower Challenge "anything goes" theme and the CAS Watercolour Challenge with a "spring" theme.

Both cards actually fit the Flower Challenge...but the second card is for the CAS Watercolour March challenge. Let's get started....

Have you ever opened your mouth and made a statement, only to realize over a week later that you really should keep your mouth shut?...Yeah, me too....thus the You Matter to Me card.  I used Altenew stamps for the blooms, and SSS You Matter sentiment.  I used two background stamps...one for the stripes on the card base (IO) and the other for the background under the flowers (PB). Added a few dots with some Nuvo and card done.

I used one of my favorite dies for this card....the Penny Black Poppy die.  The sentiment is from SSS You Matter stamp set.  The background for the flowers was a piece of water color paper that I was practicing my "smooshing" on. The poppies were also cut from watercolor paper and painted with water colors. I used a SSS stitched rectangle die to cut the background piece from the watercolor background paper that I'd "smooshed" color onto. For a little "extra" I flicked a few splatters of red and teal onto the background.

I seem to flit from one thing to another...and here's part of the reason why.

Got me a new "toy" a few weeks ago and I've been thoroughly enjoying it!  I've been really busy for the last couple of months making clothes to send on a couple of mission trips for my church.  One trip is to Haiti this month, and the other trip is to Alaska in August.  I've made almost 72 items thus far...shorts, dresses, bibs, burp cloths, blankets, knitted booties and caps, knitted dish cloths....the list goes on.  I think I made more shorts than anything...31 in all!  Anyway, this machine will do SO much more and I can't wait to learn more (embroidery and monogramming!)

In the mist of learning my new machine...I got a wild hair to make an exploding photo box of my great granddaughter for my grandson and his wife.  See...jumping from one thing to another! LOL!

I made pics of all the inside pages, but decided that would be TOO photo heavy!

Last weekend, I made a trip to visit my daughter, so I could see my granddaughter all dressed up for prom.  They do something different at their proms...they have something called "lead out" where all the couples are introduced and all the parents come to watch "lead out".  It was really a nice event. Here's a photo of my beautiful granddaughter and her date.

As I said before...BOY! have I been busy! Now I'm trying to play catch up all in one blog post!  I need to try to post a little more often!

That's all for me today....As always, thanks so much for stopping in.  I appreciate your visit...and I appreciate each and every comment!

LIM 276 - One Layer week

The challenge this week at Less is More is to create a one layer card with a theme of the "sea".  I must say I am absolutely tickled pink with my card!  It turned out just perfect for me.  I actually made two cards, but I wasn't so thrilled with the water color card.  For the life of me, I just struggle with water coloring!

This first photo is with the card closed...

This photo is with the card open.  Here's how I did it...I printed the digi image on white card stock. The digital image had a black box around the image, so I erased it in my Silhouette program and stretched the image out so that it would print all the way across the front of the card.  Then I trimmed the right hand edge so that the edge of the umbrella hung off the edge.  To finish it off, I drew three black lines on the inside of the card and then finished the edge of the inside to match the surf, sand, and sky on the front of the card.  Make sense? The first photo is with the card closed so you can see how well it flows. The image was colored with Copic markers and a little clear wink of Stella was added to the water although it doesn't really show up on the photo.  The sentiment is a quote I found on the internet (unknown author) and I printed it on the computer at the same time I printed the digi image. LOVE how this card turned out!  

 I stamped the SU image on a card base made from water color paper.  I colored with distress inks and added a few white highlights with a white gel pen and a touch of clear wink of Stella.n  It was really kind of quick and easy, but I'm rarely satisfied with my water coloring.  Really don't like not having "complete" control over the finished product! LOL!

Thanks so very much for taking the time to stop by!  I love it when you leave me a comment!  

Hugs!

CASology 189

I love the cue word for CASology this week!  It gives me the perfect opportunity to get out my pens and do a little doodling!

I actually doodled two cards for this week's challenge (Actually I doodled 3 or 4 cards, but I only really liked two of them!)

Definitely not rocket science....but definitely FUN!  I used a black Micron 01 pen to doodle the image, then colored it with Prismacolor pencils.  The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.  This is a one layer card.  I rounded the bottom corners with a corner chomper.

This was actually the first card I doodled.  Not much too it.  I doodled the image with a Micron 01 black pen, then colored it with Prismacolor pencils.  The sentiment is from Paper Smooches.  This is also a one layer card with rounded corners.

I've also finished a couple of cards for the widow's group. Can't say that I'm thrilled with the outcome, but I think it's because I tried to use water colors and I REALLY have a difficult time when I don't have "control" over my work!  I might be just a little OCD!

I used distress inks to smoosh my watercolor paper into...then added a sentiment strip stamped on velum and edged in gold metallic pen.  Relative simple card.  Maybe it's the big white background is just too much...what do you think?

I had pretty much much the same reaction to this card when I finished it.  The lack of control I had over the water color just makes me cringe!  At least this is a big piece and doesn't have that big white glaring background!

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by for a visit!  Hope you'll come back soon!  Your comments are greatly appreciated! Until next time...

Muse Challenge, ATSAM, and LIM...Go ME!

I've made several cards today for three different challenges! Go ME!  I've had a very productive day! The challenges I have cards for are Less is More, Muse, and Addicted to Stamps and More...

          

I actually made two cards for the LIM challenge...but that's not unusual for me.

Used the Altenew Beautiful Day stamp set for this first card.  Sentiment is from PTI.  I stamped the flower in layers using 3 different colors of ink.  Leaves were stamped in two layers.  I LOVE layered stamps (now that I've figured out how to use them!)

I inked the background with distress ink, then stamped the image over it in black Memento ink.  I wasn't sure how it would turn out to color over the background ink with Copics...but I think it turned out just fine.  Sentiment is from Altenew's Beautiful day stamp set.

This next card is for the MUSE challenge.  I heat embossed the flowers from Clearly Besotted stamp set (love this set!) with clear embossing powder.  The sentiment is from SSS and is stamped in black and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.  After coloring the flower and heat embossing the sentiment, I ran the panel through my Big Shot machine with an embossing folder....pretty cool look!

I can't say I'm really happy with this card...I often feel that way when I try to use water colors!  I water colored the background, stamped the cupcake on watercolor paper and then painted it with distress inks.  Sentiment is from MFT and is stamped in Versafine black.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by for a visit!  Hope you'll come back soon!  Your comments are greatly appreciated! Until next time...

Case this Sketch #157 and a little watercolor

I love this week's Case this Sketch challenge!  I knew the minute I saw it what I wanted to do...and it turned out exactly how I envisioned it!  How cool is that....and how often does it really happen!

Using my MISTI, I stamped the sunshine first...then I sponged the clouds with distress ink.  After sponging the clouds, I put the panel back in my MISTI and re-stamped the sunshine to make it a little brighter.  I thought about masking it, but I really wanted a little blue behind the sun, so I decided re-stamping it would work the best.  The sentiment is from Flourishes...and just perfect for this card! I rounded the corners and added a touch of blue by added a small border around the panel before adhering it to the card base.  Another quick and easy card!

This card is one that I made just because I had an idea....and it kind of worked.  I love the tree popped over the sky background...I'm not too happy with the "ground" around the base of the tree.  But...still, kind of a cool card.  I die cut the opening with a SSS stitched rectangle die (using a partial die cutting to make it more of a square).  The tree is a Impression Obsession die cut from brown card stock.  I colored the base card (the background) with distress inks, and then popped the die cut opening over the "sky".  The sentiment is from HA. The "grass" was done with Copic markers.

This card is one I made a while back, but I don't think I every posted it.  I used a background stamp to heat emboss the background  (I think it's HA) on water color paper.  I colored the diamonds with distress markers and then added a little water to make them move across the diamond.  Popped the panel over a blue card base.  The sentiment was heat embossed in white on black card stock.

This last card was one I made after taking the intermediate water color class at Online Cards.  I'm not sure I like the colors (although IRL they are NOT this bright!) It was really a cool class and I did learn a lot.  I think my biggest challenge with water color is that true water color is loose...and free.  I like tight control...not going to happen with water coloring!

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by for a visit!  Hope you'll come back soon!  Your comments are greatly appreciated! Until next time...

LIM 236 - The Eyes Have it!

I'm finally getting my cards posted for the Less is More challenge for this week.  My problem is taking the time to photograph my cards!  I don't know why this is so difficult for me to get done!  This week is a one layer card challenge and we must use something with "eyes" on the card.  I actually made several cards (surprise, surprise!) because I didn't really "like" the first ones I came up with!

This card was made using a Paper Smooches stamp set.  I embossed the double stitched circle with a die from SSS. I drew on the ground and colored it with Copics.  Very quick and easy card.

For this second card I finally used a stamp that I've had for a year or two!  The woman is a stamp from Riley & Company.  I stamped in Memento black and then colored with Copics.  The sentiment is from Avery Elle.  Inside the card I stamped....I missed your birthday...a sentiment from TH.

I think I might have to give up on water coloring.  I used the TH stamps to create this card on water color paper. I tried using the Zig Clean Color brush pens to add color and I guess I just haven't gotten the knack of using them yet.  Not happy with my coloring at all!  I drew a string to hold his hat on and a string for the deflated balloon.  I think water coloring is kind of messy and random....and I'm just too much of a perfectionist!

 I tried water coloring on Neenah solar white card stock for this card.  Didn't turn out very well.  The water really saturates the card stock.  Oh, well....I sure I can find someone to send this one to! LOL!

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by for a visit!  Hope you'll come back soon!  Your comments are greatly appreciated! Until next time...