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