It's my turn to be on the Scrap 'n Stamp blog today with my prompt for June's Random Acts of Cardness, CANADA! Beavers, maple syrup and maple leaves, it's all good. I hope you will pop over to the blog and take a closer look! 🍁
Monday, June 28, 2021
Saturday, June 26, 2021
Watercolouring with the Snarky Sisters
The Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers are back with a beautiful new challenge: W is for Watercolour! At first glance, watercolouring and snark do not seem to go hand and hand, and yet the Sisterhood somehow managed it. Here is my slightly snarky version:
Whatever crafty mojo I may happen to possess had gone completely AWOL as I went to create a card for this, so my many attempts at watercolour techniques are now seeking new life in the recycle bin. Finally, I thought, duh, watercolour powder! I started by stamping and embossing this fun sentiment on watercolour paper, then added my favourite powder - it has lots of secondary colours in it, always making a fun result. After die cutting the panel, I added a little bit of patterned paper and the two martini glasses.
I decided to try a second version:
A different drink-based sentiment, with a little more water added to the powder this time for a slightly different look. I found some pink cardstock that coordinated, and added a black card base for a little extra drama.
There are beautiful - and snarky! - sources of inspiration from my sisters as well as our current guest designer and Queen of Snark, Deanne! I hope you will check them out and then join us!
Supplies: (alcohol/salad) Stampin' Up smoky slate & Recollections black cardstock, Master's Choice watercolour paper, Lawn Fawn Hello Sunshine patterned paper, Unity Alcohol and Salads stamp, Versafine onyx black ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Magenta Nuance watercolour powder, Spellbinders wonky reverse rectangle & Paper Smooches Free Spirits Icons dies; (laughter) Stampin' Up melon mambo textured & Recollections black cardstock, Canson watercolour paper, Hampton Arts Wine stamp, Versamark ink, Wow white embossing powder, Magenta Nuance watercolour powder, Tim Holtz/Sizzix deckle dies
Inkspirational: Maritime
Welcome to the weekend! We're back with a new Inkspirational challenge, and our Word Prompt is MARITIME. Not long ago, I picked the theme "nautical" for a Seize the Birthday challenge, and made six cards! Fortunately, I have lots of nautical/maritime supplies:
Speaking of Seize the Birthday, I was inspired by my teammate TaeEun's card for the nautical challenge, and die cut my anchor from a piece of alcohol-inked yupo I had previously made. The papers are from an old October Afternoon travel paper pad. All I really needed to do was add a simple sentiment. I'm adding this card to the current Wednesday Simon Says Stamp challenge: Red/White and/or Blue. (My paper's not actually white, but you don't have to have all three!)
How does the word maritime inspire you? Check out the Inkspirational blog for the many ways this word prompt can be used. And then I hope you will join us!
Supplies: Neenah natural white cardstock, Yupo paper, October Afternoons Boarding Pass patterned paper, Clearly Besotted Happy Travels stamp, Memento Luxe Danube blue ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Jacquard Piñata alcohol inks, Paper Smooches anchor, MFT blueprints 29 & wonky stitched rectangle dies
Thursday, June 24, 2021
Seize the Birthday: Use an Embossing Folder
Happy Thursday! It's time for a new Seize the Birthday challenge, and teammate Ashwini has added the extra, optional topping of EMBOSSING FOLDERS. A great tool that I, at least, easily overlook when I'm creating a card, but that can add a lot of texture and interest.
Since I was using an embossing folder anyway, I made sure I checked out my friend Jo's (and her friend, Gail's) Let's Squash It challenge! The current challenge is Nature Meets Watercolouring, which was easily incorporated into a birthday card:
I began by embossing a panel of watercolour paper with my chosen folder - Crafter's Companion Butterflies and Flowers. I added a light wash of colour to the largest flowers, the butterflies and the vines using my Zig markers. Picking up on the butterflies, I die cut my sentiment backing in purple, and the sentiment itself in silver. I used the same purple for the card base. Finally, a few sparkly confetti to add a little more shine!
My teammates have worked magic with embossing folders, as has our current surprise party guest, Melanie! Be sure to head to the Seize the Birthday blog for some embossing folder eye candy. ;)
Supplies: Memory Box purple & Tim Holtz silver cardstock, Master's Touch watercolour paper, Crafter's Companion Butterflies & Flowers embossing folder, Heffy Doodle Happy Birthday shadow die, Zig watercolour markers, Creative Memories corner-rounding punch, Studio Katia crystal clear confetti
Tuesday, June 22, 2021
Addicted to Stamps and More: Happy 9th Birthday!
It's Addicted to Stamps and More's NINTH birthday! The first challenge was on June 20th, 2012. And how fitting that we have rotated to BIRTHDAYS in our challenge list! I went a little fancier than usual in my cardmaking for this special occasion:
This is only my second time using this sweet Cats & Plants card kit from My Favorite Things - which is a little silly, since it's so much fun to use! I decided to create a little windowsill scene, starting with die cutting the window, curtain rod and curtains. I used a cloud stencil for the window view. (I think it will be fun sometime to put either another cat or a dog peeking in, but that's another card.) I also die cut the bench and cushion, adding woodgrain texture to the legs. Next up was stamping, embossing and colouring the cat and monstera before die cutting them, as well. I also added a bit of floor to the white panel, sponging the lighter colour before adding a few darker marks using a stippling brush. Added the sentiment and put everything together!
Hope you will come and help ATSM celebrate its 9th birthday!
Supplies: Neenah white, PTI soft stone & scrap blue cardstock, Echo Park We Are Family patterned paper, MFT Housecats stamps & dies, Verafine onyx black & antique linen, gathered twigs distress & tumbled glass distress oxide ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils. MFT Window Dressing, Cat & Plant Perches & diagonal stitched rectangle dies, PTI woodgrain impression plate, MFT small cloud stencil
Friday, June 18, 2021
Smooshing at Scrap 'n Stamp
It's my turn to be up on the Scrap 'n Stamp blog today, and my two cards are all about ink smooshing! I've got a card for a friend as well as a Father's Day card for the pandemic working-from-home kind of dad. I hope you'll pop over and take a look!
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Color Hues: Aqua and Black
Here we are into the second half of June, and time for a new Color Hues challenge! Teammate Sheri has picked AQUA and BLACK for our new duo. Leading me once again into the dilemma of the many many shades of blue. :D I decided a sea-themed card with a watery-named ink would definitely qualify:
I am also continuing to have a lot of fun playing with my new Whittles dies! For my watery background, I smooshed some mermaid lagoon distress oxide ink plus a few drops of sparkle mist onto watercolour paper, crumpled some plastic wrap over top, and left it to dry. This gives me lots of tonal variations, even using just the one colour ink. While that dried, I cut out my shark and painted him with the same mermaid lagoon ink as well as some silver paint for his belly. Of course, then I added a bit of silver to his top half too - a shark this cute is happy to be sparkly! :D Once the smooshed panel was dry, I cut out the wavy backdrop, then for good measure, added some waves to the white panel with an embossing folder. To add a little more contrast between the shark and his ocean, I also cut him from black cardstock and used it as a shadow layer. That led me to shadow everything else, too! Not so much an innovative design choice as perhaps a little weird, but I went with it anyway. With a leftover of the smooshed watercolour paper, I stamped and embossed a punny sentiment.
Lots of aqua and black inspiration from my Color Hues teammates! And I hope we will see your contribution in our gallery.
Supplies: Neenah white & Stampin' Up basic black cardstock, Canson watercolour paper, Poppystamps Whittle Sea Life Sentiments, Versafine onyx black & mermaid lagoon distress oxide ink, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Poppystamps Whittle Shark & Whittle Wave Background & MFT wonky stitched rectangle dies, Cuttlebug D'Vine Swirl embossing folder, Imagine Crafts sheer shimmer spritz, foam tape
Sunday, June 13, 2021
Pretty Pansies
I'm back with another card using the Pressing Thoughts stamp set, part Of Ellen Hutson's new Essentials by Ellen release! Pansies are such a cute flower - we had them in our back garden when I was small, and I would look for the faces hidden in their petal design. :) And have you noticed, nature does not worry about colour blending in pansies? So neither did I! :D
I stamped and embossed one large and two small pansy blooms, colouring each in purple and yellow (my preferred pansy variety) before die cutting them. From my white panel, I die cut three hexagons, using the Essential Hexagons from last month's release. I also cut them from gold cardstock, then fit everything together after stamping and embossing my sentiment. For a finishing touch, I sprinkled a few gold confetti sequins.
To celebrate the new release, there is an Instagram hop with three $25 prizes up for grabs for commenters! If you are interested, start here to see all the beautiful creations! You have until tomorrow to comment for your chance to win.
Supplies:
Saturday, June 12, 2021
The Textured Snarky Stampers
It's a Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Saturday, and our newest challenge to you is T is for Texture! I added two kinds of texture and a little bit of snark:
My sisters are as talented with texture as they are with snark! We also have a returning Queen and guest designer, Tristan. Grab your favourite texturing technique and join us!
Supplies: Neenah white, Stampin' Up smoky slate & scrap green cardstock, Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz Mini Crazy Cats & Dogs stamp & die, Technique Tuesday You Aren't Normal stamp, MFT extreme black & Versafine onyx black ink, Wow clear gloss & pirate's gold embossing powder, Copic markers, Heidi Swapp confetti stencil, Nuvo Tuscan gold expanding mousse, PTI woodgrain impression plate, MFT stitched rounded rectangle die, foam tape
Inkspirational: Slimline
Happy weekend! Today starts a Designer's Choice challenge at Inkspirational, and my teammate Marlena has chosen Slimline Cards! Slimline cards seemed to start as a trend, but they certainly haven't faded away as most fads do, so I may have to start making them more often. :D Here's mine:
Thanks to another teammate and friend, Carol, I had this pretty butterfly set to ink up for the first time. (So this card will be winging its way to Darnell's June NBUS challenge!) After die cutting the white panel, I randomly stamped the three large branches included with the set. Then I heat embossed the butterfly in gold on vellum - I picked this butterfly of the two as it had larger solid areas where I could hide my adhesive when it came time to add it to the card! The die cut sentiment is also embossed in gold. I layered the white panel on some brushed gold cardstock, then put everything together on a white card base.
Beautiful makes by all my Ink teammates, as always! If, like me, you haven't ventured too far into the slimline world yet, you're bound to find a card that inspires you.
Supplies: Neenah white & Sizzix gold brushed metal opulent cardstock, vellum, Colorado Craft Company Blissful Butterflies stamps & dies, Versamark & Catherine Pooler melon ice inks, pirate's gold embossing powder, Pinkfresh Studio slimline stitched die
Friday, June 11, 2021
Essentials by Ellen June Release!
The new Essentials by Ellen release is available now - only at ellenhutson.com! And I am thrilled to say I am playing a small part in it, by getting to create with one of the brand new releases, Pressing Thoughts by Brandi Kincaid! This is a beautiful pansy set that also comes with a number of mix-and-match sentiments for different occasions. Here's my card:
I wanted to let that pressed pansy stem shine, so I started by blending three shades of ink on my card panel, Bellini, Tiara and Melon Ice, all by Catherine Pooler. The pansy is stamped then embossed with some clear sparkle embossing powder. Next I trimmed the panel, adding a fancy border to the right side. The sentiment is also stamped in black and embossed. To add some extra interest to the card base, I added some diagonal striped patterned paper. Finally, all that was needed was a few clear drop embellishments!
This is just one set in the June Essentials by Ellen release - you can find the full release here!
