friends and dreams

  

  

It's been a while! I'm back to share 4 cards featuring 2 new stamp sets: Beautiful Friends and Blossom Dreams. We've got a little hop over on the STAMPlorations blog with Nancy and Tanja sharing beautiful projects featuring these sets as well. A $20 gift code is up for grabs and one lucky commenter will win it. Commenting closes this Saturday, March 2.

  

This is a quick clean and simple card -- I stamped just the cacti repeatedly along the bottom of my card base, colored it with alcohol markers, stamped the sentiment, and finished with matte enamels.

In my second card, I stamped the dog roses all over the card base in Rusty Hinge DOx ink, sprayed a little water to make the ink bleed a bit, and after it dried, sponged more Rusty Hinge DOx and Antique Linen DOx then stamped the grungy script. I stamped the sentiment and then finished the card with matte enamels.

For my third card, I once again stamped I stamped the dog roses all over the card base. This wouldn't be a quick card if I colored the background so I resorted to my favorite way to color large images: using a few grunge/ink splatter stamps (from this set and this set) and stamping them all over. I rather like the artsy look it gives. Next, I die-cut one of the smaller pierced curly frames, stamped the sentiment, and adhered it to the card base with foam tape.

For  my last card, I white embossed the hibiscus and used Inktense pencils to watercolor the image. I added purple and blue splatters then stamped the sentiment. I think this is my favorite from the lot :o)

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)

hope anchors

Here's to remind you that there's still a week left in the current challenge at Time Out Challenges. It's a Home Sweet Home challenge based on the photo above.

Do you see the subtle heart shape in my one layer card? I sure hope you do! ;o)

On cold-press watercolor paper, I heat embossed the plumeria spray then placed the heart stencil over it before watercoloring that area with Inktense pencils. Then placing the heart mask over the watercolored area, I watercolored the rest of the spray with various shades of pink/magenta inks (Spun Sugar DOx, Rosee Izink dye ink, and Inktense pencil) and those provided a subtle contrast against the loose heart shape. With the mask still on, I stamped the text for faux texture. I watercolored the background with yellow and brown Inktense pencils. I finished the card by stamping the sentiment.

I had a completely different idea in my head when I started on this card but it sort of took on a life of its own when I was in the middle of watercoloring the flowers -- and I have to say I was pretty pleased with the end result.

Check out the cards that the TO team made here and then come play! The winner (voted by the design team) will receive a $25 coupon code (gift voucher) to spend on the STAMPlorations store. And if you visit my first TO post here and answer a simple question by February 9, you get a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the store.

Linking up my card in these fab challenges:

• Craft Stamper February Take It Make It Challenge - Anything Goes
• Inkspirational #179 - Sweet Things (I was inspired by the heart-shaped cookies and soft pink color of the cake)
  
  
• Happy Little Stampers February Watercolour Challenge - Anything goes (I skipped the optional twist)
  

  

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to smile :o)