Amazing Grace Will Bring Us Through #StampinUp #TravelsAbroad #Verve #AmazingGrace #PlainJane

Had a bit of time to play this morning so whipped this one up using my long coveted SU set, Travels Abroad. Yes, it came out in 2003, and this is just the 2nd time I've used it.  The first time was on my Shenpa card made a month or two ago?  Lol, so yes, I'm still coveting this set since 2003!

I loved this alternating ink color in today's new Muse inspiration, so decided to replicate my repetitive stamped image design of the previous Shenpa card with the Venus de Milo image.

I decided to stay with just SU Real Red and Brilliant Blue to keep with the Viva La France theme of the Venus de Milo; My image only allowed a row of 3 images instead of the 5 in the original inspiration card.  I was playing around with my brand new bottle of Heidi Swapp Gold Color Shine spritzer and decided to use that piece of "scrap" to play as background to my trio of Venus de Milo's.

Here is today's Muse Challenge #131 Inspiration by Carol Mane:

I wish I had feather stamps; That's one trend I missed out on during my 4 year hiatus.  I loved the colors she used...it's very reminiscent of Basic Grey colors.

P.S. If my Baker's Dozen Partner is reading this: Dawn, I used Glossy Accents this time to secure the sequins.  Keeping my fingers crossed that the sequins are truly secure! 





"Amazing Grace" Card
Paper: Recollections CS; SU Brilliant Blue CS
Stamps: SU Travels Abroad; Verve Plain Jane "Amazing Grace" 
Ink: SU Brilliant Blue; SU Real Red
Embellishments: Heidi Swapp Gold Color Shine; Darice Sequins
Size: 4.25" x 5.5" rectangular 

"Celebrate" with SU Manhattan Flower

Just a quickie today, so took a stab at this week's Muse Challenge #128 by finally whipping out my SU Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder that I just HAD to have about two years ago but never got around to using.  Yup, then I just adhered a "Celebrate" die cut sentiment from my QK Basic Phrases set using some silver metallic cardstock scraps.  Just kept this one super simple and quick.

Here's this week's inspiration card at the Muse by Michelle Ferguson.

Thanks for visiting! 

"Celebrate" Card
Paper: Recollections Cardstock
Embellishments: QK Nesting Cookie Cutter Basic Phrase Dies; SU Manhattan Flower Embossing Folder
Size: 4.25" x 5.5" rectangular

Think Happy Thoughts Watercolor Splatter

I've noticed this splattered paint/watercolor trend in many of the card galleries out there and finally got a chance to try it out.  I'm still finding my confidence in allowing the water to spread, mix and dilute the colors.  Can I tell you how hard it is to just leave it alone?!?!?!  

TIP:  When using watercolors, it's important to use an ink and/or heat emboss it so it doesn't smear.  I made the mistake of using Momento Tuxedo Black in my previous Crazy Birds card because it's been awhile since I've been crafting.  I love that Momento pad because the black is rather crisp.  But it's just a dye based ink pad.  Grr! I completely forgot I had been using Versafine Black which is an archival instant dry pigment ink pad.  Voila! No wait time, I could apply gobs of water or watercolor right away. 

Decided to play along with the current Muse Challenge #127 this week while trying out this splatter technique with my Kuretake Gansai set.

Here's this week's Muse inspiration card by Joan Bardee:

I loved the tons of fresh clean white space which I replicated on my card.  Also loved her circular / oval gathering of elements that framed her sentiment which I created with my color splattering and golden bronze-y sequins.

This was a fun card and challenge.  Thanks for visiting!





"Think Happy Thoughts" Card
Paper: Canson Watercolor Paper
Stamps: Reverse Confetti Color Me Happy 
Ink: Versafine Black; Kuretake Gansai Watercolors 
Embellishments: Darice Sequins
Size: 4.25" x 5.5" rectangular

If You're HOPPY and You Know It, Clap Your Hands

For hostess Kim aka berlycee's "Clap Along" challenge (JUN15VSNB) at SCS to use hands for the ongoing Virtual Stamp Night event, I've had to really think outside the box because I don't have hand stamps or many animals/figures with their hands.  Then I saw the current Muse #122 inspiration featuring a trio of balloons and a sentiment.

This is what I whipped up this morning featuring this little frog from the Very Punny set from Stampin' Up! Another set I never was in love with all these years and almost sold last month.  But, as the trend is now for simple clean cute images, I decided to hold on to the set.

Thanks Kim for incentivising me to finally use it!

So you see 3 pairs of froggy hands, too, right?  Waving them up in the air, like they just don't care!

The sentiment is a verse from the popular nursery rhyme that's been a favorite of mine due to an adorable memory of my now 6 year old niece from back when she was just learning how to walk as a toddler.  She would nod her head, clap her hands, and actually get up on her feet and wobbly turn around in a circle whenever we'd stream this song on youtube for her IPad.  I swear, this was just like yesterday? And now, she's SIX!!

I printed the sentiment on my computer since I have no such stamp and just made space in between the lines to adhere the die cut word "hoppy" made out of green paper scraps.  Thanks to the CASology #151 Challenge for the push to use a nursery rhyme for a kid themed card. 

My trio of "hoppy" froggies was inspired by this week's Muse Challenge #122 card cue as aforementioned. 3 balloons translated to 3 froggies and then I just drew in the dashes by hand for their springy hopping pattern. 

Thanks for visiting!

"If You're Hoppy and You Know it, Clap Your Hands" Card
Paper: SU Whisper White; SU Gable Green; Making Memories PP
Stamps: SU Very Punny
Ink: Memento Black; Zig Writer Fine Tip Pen
Embellishments: QK Lemonade Alpha Dies; Spellbinders Label 8 Mega Nestabilities; SU 2013-2015 In Color Sequins
Size: 4.25" x 5.5" rectangular 

SplitCoast Stampers June 2015 Virtual Stamp Night Event "You Are My Happy" Challenge JUN15VSNC

I'm so excited to be able to play along the 2 day Virtual Stamp Event going on at SCS this weekend. There are 10 challenges and the ongoing theme is Happy.

Hostess Sue (gregzgurl) is calling for cards to show a special someone how "You Are My Happy." The rule for all the challenges is to complete the card in 1 hour or less - eek! That in itself is stressful enough since I'm a slow poke!

Here's my entry for this JUN15VSNC "You Are My Happy" Challenge:

Thanks to the other day's attempt with heat embossing my Etch-A-Sketch cards, I decided to try heat embossing this flower stamp in order to use watercolor to color. It's a style trend I've seen a lot on the web.

The heat embossing and water coloring was actually quite fast. I think it helped that I made a color swatch of my Canson Water Color set because it made it so much easier to know which colors to use.

Once I watered down the embossed areas, I merely dabbed on the lighter of the green and blue violet colors on first before touching up with the darker versions.  While the water colors were drying, I then adhered the sequins.

Funnily enough, what took most of the time within the hour was
1) Choosing color/shape of sequins
2) Choosing location and number of sequins to adhere!

Whew! 1 down, 9 more challenges to go!

What's more, I was able to tackle another one of my 2015 Let the Year End with Beauty:

16.  Watercolor medium for coloring in flowers/roses. 

The color choices were inspired by this week's current Muse Challenge #121.

I've never been a green person, but this inspiration card featured a lot of green, so I decided to emphasize a fresh green on my card by attaching the SU Gable Green cardstock.  I took a liberal interpretation of their navy and sage green and made my versions of the color more springy for my card's purposes due to the Iris stamp image.

Thanks for visiting!






"You Bring Out the Happy in Me" Card
Paper: Canson 140lb Watercolor Paper; SU Gable Green
Stamps: PSX K-3192 Iris ; MFT All Smiles (Sentiment)
Ink: Canson Angora Water Colors; Stampendous White Opaque EP; SU Brocade Blue; Memento Black 
Embellishments: SU 2013-2015 In Color Sequins
Size: 4.25" x 6.5" rectangular 

Trio of Raffia Butterflies

Finally resolved to use up these hand made raffia butterflies that's also a swap return (created by Sheryl H from Colorado from the SBA forum) due to this week's inspiration at the Muse Challenge & Addicted to CAS Challenge sites.

I paired a sentiment from Verve with yet another of my water coloring attempts while spreading out the trio of butterflies.

It has a dated look due to the style and material of the butterflies, but they're still very well hand crafted.

I stamped the sentiment on top so that the butterflies could "hover" over the springy green water colored background.  And it's lighter and airier on the top?

Here's the Muse Inspiration of the week for Muse Challenge #120.

And here is the prompt over at the Addicted to CAS Challenge site for their Butterfly Challenge #65:

Thanks for visiting!





Trio of Raffia Butterflies Card
Paper: Canson Watercolor Paper
Stamps: Verve Nicest Thoughts  ("You are one of my nicest thoughts. - Georgia O'Keefe")
Ink: Versacolor Black; Canson Angora Water Colors
Embellishments: MM Buttons; Wire; Wire Tools; Glue Dots; Raffia
Size: 4.25" x 6.5" rectangular 

"Hello" #RadiantPearls #Shimmering #Poppies

I've noticed the watercolor flower trend since my return from my crafting hiatus and have been dying to give it try, except I didn't want to rush out and buy lots of new supplies like I would have back in the day.

I wasn't too thrilled with my background watercoloring attempts last weekend with my Canson watercolor paints because the colors weren't as bright as the current watercolor paint dujour Gansai's appear to be in the many samples & videos I've come across.

Thus my motivation to dig out my Radiant Pearl pots, an old favorite of mine from over a decade ago.  And the RP's do not disappoint in color vividness!

When funds become available, I'm sure I'll grab some Gansai's at some point, but until then, nothing wrong with using what I've got to learn/perfect a technique which apparently I've done lots of in the past once I got going with my Radiant Pearl's!

Seriously so sad I can't buy anymore as I recently discovered that these were discontinued and no longer on the market after being acquired by Luminart, so I'm torn between going to town and yet being mindful to use my paints sparingly.

Unfortunately, the gorgeous shimmering effects didn't photograph well in the above picture, so here's a another shot at it from the side which hopefully shows it off a bit better.  Sorry, my lighting is off on this shot.

I applied paint sparingly directly onto the red rubber stamp since a little goes a long way and it stays wet for some time. Then once all the colors were applied, I then took a hold of the stamp and impressed it onto my Neena Solar White 110 lb weight cardstock.

It was like running into an old beloved friend...hello Radiant Pearls!

CHALLENGES SUBMITTED:

• SCS' CAS362 to use Wildflowers for 5/25/15.  Hmm, I'm not sure what kind of flowers these are, but the dandelion like leaves of these tall stems scream poppies to me, so a type of wildflower? (I'm guessing this is a Hero Arts stamp because I only have the unmounted rubber stamp due to my very early attempts to ditch all my wood mounted stamps.)

• Muse Challenge #119 based on this card inspiration.  I'm a sucker for gold foil dotty designs.  I went with gold dotty washi tape for mine. 

• The Pink Elephant TPE#300 Anything Goes Challenge.

• Simon Says Stamps Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge for 5/27/15.

Thanks for visiting!



  


"Hello" Shimmering Poppies Card
Paper: Neena Solar White 110# CS
Stamps: Hero Arts Poppies (?)
Ink: Radiant Pearls
Embellishments: Reverse Confetti "hello" die; SU 2013-2015 In Color Sequins; SU Watercolor Wonder Designer (gold dotted) washi tape
Tools:  Paint Brushes
Size: 4.25" x 6.5" rectangular 

Quick Card using #AnnaGriffin #Metalasse #EmbossingFolder & #MarthaStewart #Butterfly #Stickers

Finally got to use some new goodies I picked up! But this one was a toughie because I could NOT for the life of me find my packet of 12x12 Anna Griffin printed papers I know I have.  I had envisioned fussy cutting some fabulous AG style floral bouquets to add as a center piece for my hand woven golden background.  I think I will die if I never find my AG packet of paper. I will persevere and find it hopefully.

Speaking of the hand woven golden background, I recently picked up this Matelasse embossing folder at Joann's recently when it was marked down on clearance and I was able to use a 40% off coupon on top of that! I haven't bought anything scrappy in years...at this steal of a price, how could I resist? Plus, all I could see was weaving this embossed design in so many kinds of paper finishes, so you may see this EF pop up frequently because I'm madly in love.

I would have preferred to kept this card strictly Anna Griffin, but this turned out to be a bit of a mod podge because I could only draw on the supplies I threw into my Cropper Hopper Navigator rolling luggage for a 4 day weekend trip in Central California to visit my other half's family.

I have to admit, couldn't figure out where to place a sentiment title, so I'm going to just leave this as a blank all occasions card.

Definitely a quick and easy card that came together in my hotel room this past weekend thanks to the inspiration over at the Muse for their Challenge #118.

How I was inspired??

• I went warm and shiny, whereas their's was cool. 
• I went woven whereas their's was chevron/herringbone-y. 
• I went butterfly-y whereas their's was doggone cutesy. 
• I went layered elegant whereas their's is clean and simple elegant.

So glad I could play along with the ladies at the Muse this time. Thanks for looking!


  

"Golden Monarch Butterfly" Card
Paper: Bazzil CS; Michael's Metallic CS; SEI Windsor Collection Foil PP
Stamps: SU Swallowtail
Ink: SU More Mustard
Embellishments: Anna Griffin Matelasse EF; Martha Stewart Elegant Nature Metallic Butterfly Stickers; Spellbinders Mega Label 8; Foam Tape
Size: 4.25" x 5.25" rectangular