Happy Little Stampers CAS: Positive

Welcome to the February CAS Challenge at Happy Little Stampers, where our theme for this month is POSITIVE. Of course, my cynical brain saw that prompt and thought, really? What fun is that? But then I decided to take on the challenge of making a positive, uplifting card, and came up with this: 

I used my MISTI to stamp the flowers in opposite corners of my panel before colouring them with Copics. The sentiment is embossed in gold and the vellum wrapped around the panel to avoid that awkward "where can I put adhesive that it won't show through?" dilemma. Mounted on a card base, the card was done - which I think meets the definition of clean AND simple! :D This also gives me another card to add to Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Anything Goes challenge. 

If I can make a POSITIVE card, anyone can! Keep it CAS, and join us! 

Supplies: Neenah white cardstock, The Ink Road Bella Flora & Compliments Vol. 1 stamps, Versamark & Versafine onyx black ink, Hero Arts clear sparkle & Simon Says Stamp antique gold embossing powder, Copic markers, Winnie & Walter Katharine cutaway die

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Happy Little Stampers Watercolour: Bling

Heading into February, it seems only fitting to add a little BLING to what can be a dark and dull month here in my part of the world. And so Happy Little Stampers Watercolour Challenge is offering bling as February's challenge! The bling is optional of course; we love to see any watercoloured project in the gallery. 

While deciding what I wanted to make for this month, I discovered two different hydrangea images that I had stamped and die cut previously. I thought it would be fun to paint them both to see what happened. Here's the first one: 

This hydrangea is from Technique Tuesday, and it is stamped in black and embossed with a pearly-sparkly powder on watercolour paper. For this image, I decided I wanted to use my Zig watercolour markers. For each petal, I added a few strokes of light blue and mauve, then blended them together a bit with a paintbrush. I purposely tried not to overblend, as I wanted each colour to stay distinct as well as letting some white show through. I used medium green on the leaves, again trying not to blend the colour too much. After putting the card together, I added some Stickles to the centres of the florets. Sparkly embossing powder and Stickles: my level of bling. ;) I'm adding this to Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Anything Goes challenge. 

I also had a much larger hydrangea from Ellen Hutson that I'd embossed in white on watercolour paper: 

This time I got out my Gansai watercolours. I started with a light wash of blue then mauve, letting them blend more this time. Once that was dry, I went back in with a fine paintbrush and the blue, deepening the colour around the floret centres. The main panel is blended with bundled sage distress oxide ink. This time for bling, I added a die cut foil sentiment and gold Nuvo drops to the florets as well as a trio under the sentiment. 

Be sure to check out the beautiful makes on the Happy Little Stampers blog today - watercolours and bling are all you need to join us! And even the bling is an option... ;) 

Supplies: (good friend) Hero Arts layering & (?) green cardstock, Canson watercolour paper, Technique Tuesday Happy Hydrangea & Hero Arts Cheer Up stamps, Versafine onyx black ink, Altenew translucent pearl embossing powder, Zig watercolour markers, MFT stitched rounded rectangle die, Frosted Lace Stickles; (happy birthday) Neenah white & $ store gold foil cardstock, Canson watercolour cardstock, Essentials by Ellen Mondo Hydrangea stamp & die, Totally Awesome stamp, Versamark, Versafine onyx black & bundled sage distress oxide ink, Wow clear & white embossing powder, Gansai Tambi watercolours, Paper Smooches Christmas Words 2 & MFT stitched scallop rectangle dies, bright gold Nuvo crystal drops

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Seize the Birthday: Creatures Great and Small

It's time for another Seize the Birthday Thursday! Our new topping is "Creatures Great and Small". Remember, the theme is optional; we love to see any new birthday card in our gallery! 

I decided to go with a creature on the greater side... 

For the background panel, I used three colours of distress oxide and ink smooshed some mixed media paper. The oxides are fun as they don't blend as much as regular distress inks, especially if the panel dries between smooshings. Once I had something I liked, I matched markers as best I could for my elephant's party hat and podium - he is in greys, of course. I die cut the balloons from coloured cardstock and added a thin layer of Nuvo drops for shimmer. The party hat pompom has a big drop of Stickles. 

I'm adding this to Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Anything Goes challenge. 

Joyce continues as our surprise party guest, and everyone has birthday creatures to inspire you! Hope you will come and play along. 

Supplies: Neenah white, American Crafts textured purple & scrap blue cardstock, Canson mixed media paper, Unity It's a Party & Clearly Besotted Many Mini Messages stamps, Versafine smoky grey, antique linen, tumbled glass & wilted violet distress oxide inks, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Copic markers, MFT stitched scalloped rectangle & Provo Craft balloon dies, frosted lace Stickles, white blizzard Nuvo drops, The Twinery lilac twine, foam tape

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Snark Meets Valentine's Day

The Snarky Stampers are back with our second challenge for 2020! And we have gone way back to our beginnings, with A is for Anti-Valentine. Do you not love Edna's t-shirt? <3 Obviously Valentine's is an occasion perfect for snarkiness. 
I had a few different ideas for this theme. I knew that one of my Ink Road stamp sets had a sentiment saying, "I dislike you the least" - but when I got the set out, I discovered a sentiment that I think is even snarkier for the annual day of love and mushiness: 

My husb laughed out loud when I showed him this, so I think I succeeded in bringing the snark. ;) I started by blending some distress ink on white cardstock, starting at the centre and letting the intensity fade closer to the edges. It wasn't quite working for me on its own, so I added a very thin layer of Perfect Pearls to add a touch of shimmer before I used   a hearts embossing folder. (It's amazing when you pull supplies by theme; I think I have four different ones.) Black seemed appropriate for the sentiment and card base, and I called it done. :D 

A closeup shows the shimmer a bit:

We have a returning Queen of Snark with guest designer Michelle, and of course lots of snark from the Sisters, as well. Feast your eyes on the inspiration and then join us! 

Supplies: Neenah white & Recollections black cardstock, The Ink Road Modern Romance stamp, Versamark & candied apple distress ink, Hero Arts white embossing powder, Perfect Pearl Perfect Pearls, WRMK Next Level dotted embossing folder, Tim Holtz/Sizzix Stacked Deckle dies, foam tape

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Addicted to Stamps and More!

I'm excited to announce that I've joined the design team at Addicted to Stamps and More! ATSM is a weekly challenge blog with five rotating themes. We accept cards, tags, scrapbook layouts... and more! ;) This week, our theme is HOLIDAY. 

While there are lots of holidays to choose from, I went for the easy answer: CHRISTMAS. After all, it's not like I've put all my supplies away yet! :D It also seemed the ideal chance to play along with the current challenge at Christmas Kickstart, Penguin Parade. 🐧

Lawn Fawn penguins are so cute! And while I could have had a literal parade of penguins, I decided to go with one skating one. I gave him a sparkly ink-blended circle to skate on, with a silver skate trail. The sentiment is embossed in the same silver. For a little extra interest, I added a strip of patterned paper and a trio of iridescent snowflakes. 

I hope you will go see what my new design teammates have created - there may even be a non-Christmas card or two - and then join us! 

Supplies: Neenah white cardstock, Echo Park Winter Wishes patterned paper, Lawn Fawn Holiday Penguin stamps, Versamark, Versafine onyx black & tumbled glass distress ink, Wow clear gloss & Ranger ultra fine silver embossing powder, Copic markers, Tsukineko sheer sparkle shimmer spray, Studio Katia iridescent ice crystals, foam tape

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Seize the Stencil Birthday

It's time for our second January Seize the Birthday challenge! Our new - but always optional - topping is STENCILS. As ever, we love to see any newly created birthday card, but stencils certainly offer lots of options for adding extra interest to your cardmaking. 

I decided to go with an underwater scene: 

I started with my background, using a fun bubble waves stencil and blending a number of distress inks through it. Next, I stamped, coloured and die cut a variety of critters (and a little vegetation) to make my scene. Since he was the biggest and I would be popping him up, I thought it worked that my one fish had the same colours as the background. For the sea bottom, I used two shades of distress ink and a stipple brush to create my sand. To get the sentiment I wanted to fit on the speech bubble dies I have, I needed to mix words from two different companies, but the fonts play nicely together. Finally, as a finishing touch, I added a little strip of patterned paper that complements the sandy bottom.  

Although I didn't use one of my ARTplorations stencils this time out, I'm going to link this to January's Stencil Challenge at STAMPlrations, as well as Inkspirational's current Fauna challenge.  

My friend Joyce continues as our surprise party guest, and you'll be amazed at all the different ways stencils have been used on our birthday cards! Take a look, be inspired, and play along. 

Supplies: Neenah white cardstock, MFT neutrals patterned paper, MFT Beach Buds stamps & dies, Paper Smooches Birthday Buddies & Paper Issues/Snarky Stamps Ahhhh Birthday stamps, Versafine onyx black, broken china, mermaid lagoon, blueprint sketch, shaded lilac, antique linen and gathered twigs distress inks, Wow clear gloss embossing powder, Copic markers, Heffy Doodle bubble waves stencil, MFT scenic safari & Paper Smooches word bubbles dies, foam tape 

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