One Final Card Set

Mentioning the roll I was on, here is another couple of cards made from the card fronts I watercolored last month.  Can it be that long ago?  I finished these with a bit of patterned paper - some made by hand and others that were store bought.  I also added touches of Wink of Stella glitteriness to the images.  It adds a bit of shine and interest.

Don't you just love those teeny tiny flowers made with my IO spiral flowers die?  I can't get over how cute they are and the interest they add to the image.  Thanks for bearing with me as I share these cards with you.  As I've mentioned before, these cards will go into the Christmas gift stash for my friends and family.  'Tis the season!

Making Cards Out of Card Fronts

I colored these images a while back and finally decided to get around to matching them up with some printed paper and creating cards with them.  I relied heavily on a couple of different stitched die frames to keep the finish simple, yet effective.

On the inside - I simply used a variety of sentiment stamps.  Some neutral to leave the card more a note card and others specific birthday, etc.

These stamps are old, but I think the watercoloring transcends the style.  I am keeping these kinds of cards in the stash to wrap up as Christmas gifts.  I figure we all don't really need one more thing, but if my friends and family don't have to purchase cards this year, things are going well for me.  Less in my stash and more reason to keep buying new tools and supplies.  What do you do with your works of art - send lots of cards? Stash the finished product too?

Watercoloring with Distress Markers

Another no-line watercoloring image to share with you today. I once again I used the technique shared by Kristina Werner in her video to practice a lesson from my online class.  In this case, I used an old Stampin' Up wood block stamp that my grandma had for years.  She gifted me with the entire set last year and I was struggling to decide how to use it.  Kristina inspired me to give water coloring with the stamp a try.  I think it took me a bit of effort to get a pleasing image - there are a couple of pieces that I left in the garbage bag when all was said and done.  However, after playing a bit I'd have to say I really like the simple result here that created a beautiful focal point for a card topper.  I haven't decided just what to do with these images, but I am thinking I will make a few up to put onto a Christmas card to give as extra's this year.

So adorable and really quick and simple to make.  It kinda makes me look talented!   I will resist the urge to downplay my part and simply say - I am pleased. Again, I would suggest you break out some of your stamp sets you haven't used in a while and give it a go.  This water color thing is fun!

More Watercoloring with Distress Markers

I did it - broke out an old Close to My Heart Twinkle Toes stamp set and created some scene cards.  Once again, I followed the no-line watercoloring technique with Distress Markers shared by Kristina Werner in her video.  In this set, I started each image with Antique Linen Distress Inks and created the background by eye-balling it.  In Some cases this worked, but if you look close enough there are other cases with clear flubs.  Don't look too close and you'll start to think I'm a bit of an artist!

The sentiment is stamped onto the same watercolor paper in black Archival Ink.  The sentiment comes from the CTMH stamp set and the frame stamped and die cut with my Our Daily Bread Designs Ornate Borders stamp and die set.  

I enjoyed cutting these images out with some of my dies and others I just punched the corners with a corner punch.  Either way, these are ready as card toppers to put together as needed.

I really had a lot of fun working with these images and coloring them.  Truthfully, they have sat idle in the stash for a very long time because simply didn't believe I had enough talent in me for coloring.  Be encouraged all who think the same of themselves.  It is not true!  Our talent is just slightly different than those who can create these images with slightly more ease.  Try it, mess up, try again and be amazed.  I sure am...

I'm not sure what I will do with this one last piece.  The flower stamp comes from a different stamp set.  I ended up stamping and coloring this image and then decided to cut the frame using a similar technique shown in this video. Wonderful technique that I simply don't use enough.

Stretch your crafting talent.  Go out a view a few YouTube videos or surf the talented blogs of your friends and then give these techniques a try.  You might be pleasantly surprised at the results, just like me.

Watercoloring with Distress Markers

No secret, I'm loving water coloring right now.  I have been extremely busy at work, traveling a bit this month.  I'm trying to get caught up with some of my Online Card Class, Water Coloring for Card Makers.  This lesson included Kristina Werner's no line water color technique.  This caused me to get out some very old Close to My Heart image stamps and try my hand at this technique.  For each image, I used a similar technique shared by Kristina Werner in her video.

I first stamped the image using Antique Linen Distress ink.  I then used a water brush and Distress Markers to color each image, drying with a heat tool between colors.  When the edges became very faint, I then would use the fine tip of the Distress Marker to provide definition to the image.  Finally, the scene was completed by washing some ink as sky and ground using my larger tip water brush.  The sentiment in this card front is stamped using black Archival Ink.

I'm no artist, let me be the first to tell you.  However, the stamped images which are exquisitely designed by CTMH really help someone like me to look a bit more polished.  However, I have to credit Kristina Werner who provided such a simple tutorial that I plucked up my courage to give it a try.  I'm now looking for more stamps in the stash to try my hand at this technique.

I'm sure to make cards out of these images.  If/when I do I'll share the finished product.  For now, I'm off to cut down some water color paper and try to finish my class lessons.

Dancing Your Way to Health

My watercolors were out on the work table and so I couldn't help myself.  I decided to try to act a little like an artist.  I am slowly coming to terms with the idea that I may, in fact, have artistic tendencies.  This might sound funny to you since I've had a craft blog for several years, but I always thought of myself as crafty rather than artistic.  My grandma had purchased a little dancing mouse stamp set from Close to My Heart several years back, never used it and gave it to me.  I had not yet used it so I made this card.

I loosely used Kristina Werner's technique with Distress Markers starting with a stamped image using Antique Linen Distress ink.  The marker colors included:

• Scattered Straw
• Worn Lipstick
• and Weathered Wood

I used Strathmore watercolor paper which is the right price on sale and a perfect medium for this technique.

Ultimately, I gave this little card to my MIL as she was recovering from a minor surgery on her foot.  Minor or not, the thought of dancing around made her smile- just the right touch I'd say.

If you haven't given your inner artist a chance (like me!), let her out.  She's not too bad and look what you have to show for your efforts! Ive also found the challenges help me to think of my craftiness differently.  I'm linking this up to The Ribbon Girl Blog challenge August Colour Challenge- Pink and Word Art Wednesday's Challenge#197 - AnythingGoes/Family.  Come join the fun and challenge yourself to see your craftiness differently.

More Watercoloring Fun

I just couldn't help myself.  I kept up the watercoloring.  I had to find something to keep the card set fresh, so these are all made with patterned paper and a little stitched rectangles sentiment.

The papers are from an assortment of paper pads- I tried to match the Distress Ink color to the patterns in the paper or at least coordinate a bit.

My least favorite- look at the stem here- not good on the coloring.  Still, it is kinda a fabulous match to that background paper.  Maybe it saves the card, yes?!

This last one might be my favorite.  Yellow is not typically high on my appeal list, but the background paper, the offset with the blue- it all works for me.  This was so much fun, I'm looking around for additional watercolor techniques.  Don't forget to check out Kristina Werner who inspired this card set if you are interested in using this technique.

I'm linking this up to The Ribbon Girl Blog challenge August Colour Challenge- Pink, Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge - Citrus With a Twist, and Word Art Wednesday's Challenge#196 - AnythingGoes/Family.  Come join the fun.

Watercoloring Fun

I am so into the whole watercolor thing right now.  It somehow make me look like I know what I'm doing.  I went craaazy last weekend stamping and watercoloring using my WPlus9 Very Vintage Greetings stamp set.

I used a similar technique to what Kristina Werner uses in this video by stamping the flower in the Distress Marker first and then using a water brush to pull the color into the flower.  I went back over the image after it was dry with the fine point of the marker to darken some of the lines in the flower making it sharper in some areas.

The stem doesn't actually come with the WPlus9 stamp set.  I ended up using the branch from my Papertrey Ink Out on a Limb stamp.  I simply didn't ink the branch part of the stamp.  You can kinda see where the branches would be.  I stamped in the green Distress Ink and then used a waterbrush to make the image more "blurry".  Here too I added some fine color with the tip of the Distress Marker.

The color can be soft to deep depending on your technique and how you ink up the paper.  I'm so in love with this technique that I still have plans for a few more.  This was I can give these away as a card set.  Stay tuned!

Until then,  I'm linking up to Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge Homegrown Summer as my flowers look like wonderful summer blooms and Word Art Wednesday's Challenge #196: Anything Goes.   Come join the fun.

A Very Special Birthday Card

I had a lot of fun making this card for a dear friend's birthday.  She's received a fair bit of my crafty stuff and so I was looking for a special card design.  My mom gave me a store bought mother's day card this year with a huge die cut butterfly 3'd out of the center of the inside.  After thinking how thoughtful the card was, my second thought was - I'm totally scraplifting that idea.  Thus, this card was born.

I stamped the butterfly on white cardstock with black Archival Ink.  I then used my Faded Jeans Distress Marker and a water pen to watercolor the butterfly centers.  A little Wink of Stella glitter brush was used, but the pictures don't do it justice.  This matched the front of the card where I used a larger waterbrush to brush ink before stamping the sentiment in black Archival Ink.

I die cut the butterfly out of the layered portion of the inside to give the impression that the butterfly "emerged" from the card.  I ran the butterfly die through the die cut twice- cutting only half of the image.  This allows the die cut to be visible around the raised die cut.  The centerpiece that pops the butterfly off the card is a 2 in. x 1 1/8 in. rectangle.  I scored the piece 1/4 inch from each end and then again a 1/2 in. from each end.  This created the 1/8in. flat section that the butterfly is adhered to.  I glued the 1/4 in. ends together to create a slightly triangular piece.  The card doesn't lay completely flat- but she didn't mind.

The sentiments are stamped in black Archival ink and then accented with gems.  I'm really pleased how this card turned out. It will be one of my favorites for a long time.

I hope your Saturday is going well.  I'm off to redo the bathroom cabinets.  More of the home reno that started earlier this year. I'm really stretching things out...

I've linked this card up with Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge Blog: Simon Says Anything Goes and Word Art Wednesday's Challenge #194:Anything Goes Family.  Come join the fun or be inspired.