A New Year and a New Challenge at Color Hues

 Welcome to a New Year and welcome to my blog. You're just in time for Color Hues Challenge #9 ! I know many have enjoyed a long break from card-making and stamping over the holidays. Jump back into the fun of our challenge to use red and gray for your project. 

I needed a few birthday cards for January, so I thought these colors would be great, especially for a couple of the men on my list

Using a monochromatic background really allows the red to pop! I combined some dies from my stash with a scripty sentiment and created a scene. Beginning with Dove gray card stock, I stamped pine trees in the background and die cut a trail of stars along the top. White die cuts of the stars are popped up. The stag was cut from white card stock, sponged with a very pale gray ink, and then covered with a wash of Wink of Stella. 

I hope you will check out the wonderful projects of our team, and play along!  

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!

What's Brewing in Your Mug?

 

Hello stamping friends! Our holiday celebration was wonderful! Now that we are back to quiet days, I feel ready to hop back on the crafting saddle. I made a card to share on this wintry cold day. Of course my cuppa is filed with brewed tea. Whatever is in yours,  I hope it warms you inside and out. 

 I pulled out a few stamp sets but started with a clean slate of what I wanted to create, enabling me to participate in some challenges. Freshly Made Sketches 

Inspired By Challenge  where I chose the colors, stripes, and curled ribbon.

and Tic Tac Toe

I chose the diagonal row: Wink of Stella (on the whipped cream), die cut and pearls on the row of hearts. 

Thanks for your visit! Wishing you a beautiful day.

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!

Supplies used:

Stamps: PTI - Merry Mug

Paper: Neenah Solar White, PTI Bitty Big DSP

INK: from Altenew - Rose Quartz, Morning Frost, Ocean Waves

Poinsettia Bouquets One stamp Three Cards

One week until Christmas! The cards are mailed, the packages are wrapped and the food is bought. I had time to play with a new purchase for the first time, the Poinsettia Bouquets stamps and dies from W Plus 9 Designs. Dawn's new release HERE is so beautiful and I love it! 
I love to watercolor, so I chose the bouquets to play with, and color them I did. Three different ways. Three cards to share with you today. 

 CLEAN and CLASSIC

This began with clear embossing over black ink, and coloring with Copic markers. A few dots with the white gel pen. I kept the lines clean and the embellishments simple - a gold embossed sentiment, and a few flat sequins.

SUBTLE SHIMMER

For the second card, I colored with watercolors mixed with Perfect Pearls in white. I began by embossing in gold onto watercolor paper. Mixing the pigment powder into each color gives a subtle shimmer and shine. I die cut the bouquet and then wondered what would set off the softly colored image. 

I decided to use a pale blue card stock run through the crimper. Lots of texture with a direct to paper inking of white craft ink on top of the ripples and lots of splatters. In gold and white. I finished it off with metallic thread, mirror paper mat, and pearls. IRL they are white. This was hard to photograph! It's my fav of the three cards because I love the texture.

Here is a better look at the shimmer.  And one more to go -   

BOLD ELEGANCE 5x7

This one is also embossed in gold onto watercolor paper and colored with Copics.  The gold mirror card stock is used minimally. This larger size is made easy by Dawn's dies for a 5X7 card. I loved having the extra space to make an impact! The bouquet was partially die cut and layered over Dove gray card stock. 

I am entering this at the NBUS Challenge. I'd love to know which of the cards is your favorite! Thanks for taking time to spend with me today. 

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!

Color Hues #8

 Hello stamping friends, it's that time again!  Yes, mid-December. We are almost there to Christmas but my post today is all about our new challenge at Color Hues. After all the Christmas cards we've been making, how does Green and Blue sound? 

I'm enthused about these colors but making my card at the last minute brought on some pressure! Oh my goodness, as often as I kept telling myself to keep it simple, instead I fumbled and bumbled my way through the creative process.  For way too long.

I began with the English Rose Bouquet Die (Memory Box) which is gorgeous all by itself. But could I stop there? NO! I wanted to come up with something different. And I did. I wish you could see the pretty blue gems in the flower centers IRL. 

I made a background using Distress Oxide inks, metallic inks and gesso on white card stock. Lost of playing, lots of splatters, and it was fun. 

You can only imagine how things went from there! You don't need any more details. I urge you to go have some fun with these great colors. 

Simple or complicated, it's all up to you! Hope to see you soon! Thanks so much for your kind visit.

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!

Christmas Rose Bouquet

 I am still enjoying revisiting a few much-loved Christmas sets from my stash. Christmas Rose Bouquet from W Plus9 Design is one of those. I experimented with a couple mediums for adding color but liked watercolor the best. 

I stamped the image with brown ink onto watercolor card stock using the Misti and painted several layers of colors. I wasn't pleased with how it looked at first, but after it dried I decided to go with it.

A bit of wild spattering with white gouache added texture and from there I was liking the look. I added more texture by pulling out the paper crimper. Do you have that tool buried in the back of a drawer somewhere? I was so inspired seeing Dawn's gorgeous card (with her new release HERE) that I pulled mine out. I had almost forgotten how to use it! I lightly inked the kraft card stock directly with white craft ink.

I'm soon coming to the end of the line for "specialty" cards for this year. I'll pick a couple of simple designs to mass produce for the rest. 

Sadly, that there are two shipments with new stamps that have been stuck for days en-route. They currently reside at the post office hub that's only an hour away from me. Been there for days.

Thankfully I've wrapped up the Christmas gift packages we are sending and will soon mail the cards too. Hope and pray that you are staying well. Thanks so much for visiting with me today!

I am adding this to the theme challenge at The Paper Players. They come up with one great challenge after another!

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!

Supplies used:

Stamps: WPlus9 - Christmas Rose Bouquet; The Greetery - Written in Ribbon Christmas

Paper: Neenah Solar White, SU - Crumb Cake, water color card stock

INK: WPlus9 - Coconut Husk, Gala Red, Sweet Gelato, White pigment ink

Accessories: Altenew - watercolors

God Our Refuge

Hello, crafty friends! 

 A week or so ago I needed a sympathy card. It was not fun making one under pressure. Isn't it always that way? I decided to make a couple others so I could have them ready in my stash when needed.

I pulled out the stamps from The Greetery that I had bought just for this purpose and made two cards. They are just what I think a sympathy card should be: simple in design, light and airy, with peaceful soft colors and a meaningful sentiment.

I began with a partial inking of the Windowpane Plaid on the white panel, using the Caring Cross stamps, stencil and dies for the focal point. On the left, I sponged using the cross stencil, added stamped images and die cut the whole piece. On the right I included the die cut cross and greenery and a die cut palm branch.  A flower was added on each using a bloom from Fleur Impressions. 

I don't always like "with sympathy" for the sentiment,  I  prefer something more unique for the recipient. I chose this scripture verse from Papertrey Ink (called Inspired: God) and the coordinating die. Don't know if the picture shows it but the word was cut from Metallic gold card stock.

All my inking was done with Distress Oxides. 

It's the end of a week! I can't believe how fast the days are rolling by! I hope that you are staying warm and well, and that you've been inspired!

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!

Countdown to Christmas!

 I can't imagine how it's December already, can you? I am keeping going with the Christmas cards and I'm really only getting started using up newly purchased Christmas stamps and stuff. Oh my goodness, those Black Friday sales, happy new things coming to me! 

Speaking of new, I'm using a brand new digital set from Power Poppy.  The pretty paperwhites (HERE) and Christmas ornaments (or is it an orange?) caught my eye and seem perfect for as a Christmas card, Christmas thank you, or a winter birthday. 

Using Copics to color, I snipped out the image and combined it with the Snowy Day papers from Lawnfawn.

I've been hesitant to use Power Poppy stamps because the design team colors them exquisitely and with such talent! For this card, I was absolutely inspired by THIS gorgeous card by Nancy. 

I am playing along on the last day of the challenge at CAS(E) This. It's a great simple sketch. Classic and clean! 

I am also linking up to The Paper Players. I used patterned paper, red and coloring tool. 

Hope you have a great day! See you soon as I have more to share. I so appreciate every one of you that spend  a bit of time encouraging my crafty journey. Thank you! 

Be yourself

     Delight in your craft 

        Make something beautiful!