Coloring Challenge

I'm participating in Kathy Racoosin's 30 Day Coloring Challenge. She usually has a couple of these challenges a year. Because this year we all need some extra stress-relief she has been hosting this challenge more frequently. 

My first entry is a stamped image that I colored using alcohol markers. I'm very new to this technique so my coloring is not great, but the point of this is to just relax and have fun. 

Screwdriver Card

I had a lot of fun with this latest color challenge from My Favorite Things.
This color combination was great to work with.

For this card I used a die from Reverse Confetti and a stamp from Riley and Company.

Mushroom Card

This card uses some die-cut mushrooms to coordinate with the paper from My Mind's Eye called Gnome Sweet Gnome

The layout is based on Mojo Monday sketch 353.

This photo was taken when other cards were in a bunch around it. I'll try to replace it with a better quality image


I'm entering this in the YNS challenge to use Lots of Layers and
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge to use a die cut or a punch

Maple Leaf Card

Here is another card using sketch 154 from Operation Write Home. This sketch is such a beauty I end up using it a lot. The leaf in the middle was cut out using an old punch that hasn't seen much love lately. The decorative strip at the bottom was from a page of punch-out embellishments that was also buried deep in the craft supply stash. 

I'm sharing this card over at the Mod Squad Challenge Blog where the challenge is week is "Leaves."

The Colors of Fall

A friend requested cards with no sentiment on them. This has been a challenge, but after a few cards I became more comfortable with just making images the focal point. 

This card uses a floral silhouette stamp. It was too wide to fit a rectangular paper, but this was solved easily. Because the stamp was acrylic I was able to carefully cut it into two pieces. Now I can use just a part of it -- like on this card. Or I can use both pieces for a larger image. 

The paper is from a huge Recollections pad called "Autumn Splendor." The colors work great for the latest color challenge from Your Next Stamp.  The little banner in the corner was cut using a die from Verve. 

My First Copic Coloring

Copic markers are so lovely, but very pricey too. The Copic Ciao markers are a little bit more affordable, but still an investment. I was very lucky one day to find a 6 pack of Copic Ciao markers on deep discount. 

Having only blues, green and grey really limits what I can do, but its enough to start learning how to work with these markers.

I colored in this stamped image as part of the 30 Day Coloring Challenge. 




Not too bad, but it makes me want more colors. I knew buying those first Copics would be dangerous!

Fall Coffee Card

Its the last day of the Fall Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog Hop and I am scrambling to get my card posted before the deadline. The coffee cup is cut using a Spellbinders Die. The little apple on the front makes me think of hot spiced apple cider, yum. 

This card uses cute fall-theamed colors from a Crate Paper 6 x 6 pad called "Farmhouse."

I used the colors from the current Your Next Stamp Challenge. The sketch is the classic sketch 154 from Operation Write Home 

Autumn Greetings

As the nights get cooler and the leaves start to change colors, I start heading toward the warm tones of fall colors. 

This card is very simple. Two patterned papers form the base layer. The focal image is an acorn and leaf stamp that I colored in with colored pencils before inking the edges. 

I'm posting this card over at the 30  Day Coloring Challenge and over at the Mod Squad Challenge Blog where the theme this week is leaves. 

Coral Leaves

This card is based on Mojo Monday sketch 353. It uses leaves cut using a Spellbinders die. I used a paper that has a lighter color in the core than the outside. Then I sanded it to bring out the texture of the die. 

An edge die from Whimsy Stamps was used to cut the border edge on the right. 

I'm posting this card over at the Mod Squad Challenge where the challenge is to use leaves. 

White Emboss on Kraft Paper

For this card I used the technique of using images embossed in white on kraft paper. The stamps are butterflies from Hero Arts, embossed with white embossing power from WOW.

I colored in the butterflies with watercolor pencils using the theme colors from the latest My Favorite Things Color Challenge.

I'm posting this card over at The Power and Spark Challenge where the goal this month is to color on kraft paper.  

Galaxy Background Fairy Card

This was my first time trying out the "Galaxy Background" technique. There are many tutorials on YouTube and on crafting websites that will show you how the technique works. There is no single way to create this type of background. Different materials can be use based on what you have on hand and what you prefer to use.

For this card I started with watercolor paper that I taped to the Ranger Inkssentials Craft Sheet. The tape prevents the paper from curling and the craft sheet is useful for easy cleanup.

I used a few colors of highly pigmented watercolor paint to cover the surface of the paper in patches of color. After drying the paint with a heat gun I covered the paper with black India ink. Then I wiped off enough of the black ink to allow some of the watercolor to show through. After another quick blast with the heat gun made the black ink dry enough to add the next layer. This layer is where most people like to add some glimmer. So I added a wash of Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst in Tibetan Poppy Teal. The final step is to add "stars." For this I dipped a small paint brush in a pot of Tsukineko ink in Moonlight White and flicked it over the paper.

When all of this was dry, I stamped a fairy image in Versamark and embossed it with white embossing powder.

I am posting this card over at the Mod Squad Challenge Blog where the challenge is to use the theme Fantasy.

My Favorite Things Sketch 346

Here is a card I made using Sketch 346 from My Favorite Things. I also used the colors from  MFT color challenge 75. The sentiment is from a MFT set called "Blue Skies Ahead." 

The little heart in the corner was cut using a die from Paper Smooches. The coral paper is a Bazzill color called Arizona. The solid blue paper is Navy from Recollections and Memento Ink in Nautical Blue is a perfect match. 

Coral Watercolor Emboss Resist

This is a card I made for the latest challenge on the website "A Blog Named Hero." The challenge was to use WOW embossing powder. 

I stamped the floral background stamp from Hero Arts on watercolor paper. Then I heat embossed using white embossing powder from WOW. When that was set I spread red, olive, and yellow watercolor paints over different parts of the surface. Then I wiped off the excess paint. What you see here is the result. 

The little brown banner in the upper left hand corner is die cut from a Verve die. The sentiment is from a Hero Arts set called "Remember Your Kindness." I stamped it using Honey Distress Ink. The sentiment panel was punched out using a punch from Stampin' Up. 

Scrappy Love Card

This card is an example of a way to use up smaller bits of paper that are left after completing larger projects. When you are left with a pile of scraps, see if you can cut some 1 1/2 inch squares. For every four squares you cut, you can make on

The layout is based on sketch 154 from Operation Write Home. 

I dry embossed the peach background layer and the blue paper for the heart using a swiss dot embossing folder. Then I used a Spellbinders die to cut out the heart. I used an edge die from Whimsy Stamps to create the scalloped edge for the blue strip at the bottom. 

Challenges: 

Dies R Us Anything Goes
Whimsy Stamps Anything Goes

Distressed Leaves Card

I have some paper from the "Chocolate Lovers" collection in my stash. I love these papers. They are coated in shades of brown but have other colors at their core. They are fun to emboss and sand. For this project I used the color called "Amaretto." 

I used a leaf die from Spellbinders to cut out and emboss the leaves and then sanded to reveal some of the color below. 

The patterned papers are from Amy Tangerine. I'm trying to use the whole pad of patterned paper but its slow going. This card is being entered over at the Dies R Us challenge where the current challenge is Anything Goes. 

B & W and Teal

The challenge this week at Mod Squad is to make a project using black and white plus one other color. It took a little while to find patterned paper that fit with these restrictions but there were some gems hidden in my stash. For this card I found black and white and teal paper from Kaisercraft. The pattern seemed too big to me, so I cut it into three strips to break up the large images. 

The sentiment is from Verve Stamps.  I'm posting this card over at The Cat's Pajamas as well where the challenge is called "How does your garden grow." 

Black and White plus Red

The challenge this week at Mod Squad is to make a project using black and white plus one other color. It took a little while to find patterned paper that fit with these restrictions but there were some gems hidden in my stash. 

This card uses Stampin' Up paper for the background layer. The red and white paper on the banners is from Queen and Co paper. I used Stampin' Up punches for the banners and the layers on the sentiment. The sentiment stamp is from Inkadinkadoo. 

Paper Pieced Flower Pot

This card uses the current sketch from Newton's Nook Inky Paws Challenge and the "How does your garden grow" theme from the current TCP Challenge. 

I stamped the flowers on white paper and colored them in using Stampin' Up markers. The flower pot was stamped on patterned paper using Momento Grey Flannel ink and then cut out. 

Birthday Balloon Wishes

This card uses another scrap from my never-ending scraps of Kathy Davis birthday paper. I'm trying to finish using this 6" x 6" paper pad, but the scraps seem to multiply overnight. 

The balloons were cut using a die from Whimsy Stamps and the stamp is from Inkadinkadoo. 

The layout is based on sketch 249 from Freshly Made Sketches.

I'm entering this card over at the Whimsy Stamps blog where the current challenge is Anything Goes. 

A Mason Jar of Flowers Card

I made this "thinking of you" card using the latest sketch challenge from Newton's Nook. 


The stamps are from a set from Newton's Nook called Versatile Vases.  I stamped the mason jar in versamark and then embossed using a light blue embossing powder from Lindy's Stamp Gang. Then I colored in a little light blue with watercolor pencil and swiped over it with a water brush. The flowers are a separate stamp from the same set and stamped with Stampin Up Wild Wasabi. The flowers are also colored with watercolor pencils and water brush. To make the jar look more like it had water in it I went over it with a Sakura glaze pen. That worked, but left some uneven surface so I went over it again with Glossy Accents. 

The papers are from several places based on what worked with the colors I used for the flowers. I used a corner punch to round one top corner and one bottom corner on both the stamped panel and the base. Finally, the sentiment needed more attention, so I added a little bling on each side.