3 one layer rainbow cards

Happy Friday! I'm joining the girls in the Theme & Sketch team over at STAMPlorations for this month's rainbow challenge.

I went with both the theme and sketch and ended up creating 3 one layer cards :o) (Whoop, I seem to be on a roll this week!)

Linking up my card above to:

Crafting with an Attitude #45 - Always Anything Goes

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - October Technique (Masking)

Addicted to Stamps and More #316 - Anything Goes

Linking up my card above to:

Creative Knockouts #270 - Clean and Simple

Linking up my card above to:

613 Avenue Create #214 - Anything Goes

AAA Cards #127 - Kindness

I hope you'll play along this month. Create a project (any type...not just cards!) based on the theme, sketch, or both! You can link up to 6 projects. The challenge closes at end of the month. The winner (voted by the design team) will receive a $15 GC to the STAMPlorations store.

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

Products used:

An InLinkz Link-up

3 one layer CAS Christmas cards

Hello! I'm joining the girls in the CAS team over at STAMPlorations for this month's clean and simple card challenge.

I skipped the optional color twist (but I'll be back in a couple of weeks with a couple of rainbow CAS cards) and simply went with clean and simple -- I needed more Christmas cards so I made three one layer CAS Christmas cards :o)

Linking up my card above to:

4 Crafty Chicks #427 - Christmas

Creative Moments #155 - Anything Goes (I skipped the optional twist)

Linking up my card above to:

Craft Rocket Challenge #54 - Christmas is coming

Linking up my card above to:

Addicted to CAS #148 - One layer

Merry Little Christmas #4 - Anything Christmas Goes

Fancy joining us this month? Create a CAS card (you can link up to 3) with or without the optional color twist and then link up by the end of the month. The winner (voted by the design team) will receive a $15 GC to the STAMPlorations store.

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

Products used:

An InLinkz Link-up

Paper craft project no. 483: Always

Hello! Last week, a new challenge started at Time Out. This time around we're to CASE a card and put our own twist to our creation. We are CASE-ing this beautiful card by Ksenija of Sweet Kobylkin.

I took my cue from the non-white card base, stamped background, and panel. First I stamped the stitched pocket stamp from the Pocket Blooms stamp and die set (an NBUS and newly released too) all over my taupe card base. Then I die-cut my panel using the CUTplorations ATC Tag Builder and Art Edges dies, die-cut the stitched pocket from designer paper, stamped the daisies onto white cardstock, colored with Tombow brush markers, and fussy cut them. For my sentiment, I die-cut "always" (one of the 5 new love-themed CUTplorations dies, another NBUS) twice in the same card stock as my card base to finish the card.

Check out the cards the team + guest designer Marjan made and then link up your own project inspired by Ksenija's card. There is still a week left to play. Sponsoring this challenge is Happy Little Stampers. We can't wait to see your creations!

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

Happy National Coloring Book Day!

  

August 2 is National Coloring Book Day! I have just come out with my first coloring book mainly for cardmakers, crafters and mixed media artists: COLOR BLOOMS. The STAMPlorations girls are celebrating today in a fun coloring event on the STAMPlorations blog. 

We are sharing pages in the book that we colored using our favorite coloring mediums and we are inviting everyone to join in! There is a Color Blooms page sampler that is free to download. Print it out, color, and then add it to the linky by August 7, Sunday, for a chance to win a copy of Color Blooms.

Here's the sampler I colored with Zig Clean Color Real Brush pens. I printed it on mixed media paper.

    

For the page below, I used BIC Marking permanent markers. I was pretty surprised at how well the markers blended on the page. As expected, the markers bled on the back of the page (which is why I recommend either placing a thick cardstock underneath or tearing out the page before coloring), however, they colored the flowers beautifully.

I dusted off my Chameleon pens and colored the seashell cosmos.

And here's a fourth sample. I cut out 2.5" by 5.5" inches off the page with the large zinnias and decoupaged it onto balsa wood. I applied clear gesso and then started coloring the blooms with Cretacolor Aquarelle oil pastels. (I have a tutorial on this one posted here.)

I hope you'll join us in celebrating National Coloring Book Day! Happy coloring!

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

Paper craft project no. 453: Hello mixed media card

New month, new challenge theme over at The Mixed Media Card Challenge. Rainbow's the word with dragonflies as the optional element(s).

To make my card, I applied clear gesso on the card base and then colored with Gelatos. The panel is from a second-generation monoprint (gelli plate, acrylic paints, and Artsy Tribal Doodles stamps) that I then die-cut with the CUTplorations rectangle die with the crazy stitching. The "hello" is die-cut from the first-generation monoprint. I stamped the framed coffee pot in black, cut it, and then left is uncolored.

Hope you'll come check the mixed media cards the rest of the team made and then join in! The challenge is open until August 25 so plenty of time to get artsy and messy!

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

Paper craft project no. 452: Seriously amazing

Someone seriously amazing recently turned 30 and she's throwing a party! I may not be a party animal, but I made sure I joined in on the celebrations because she's never going to let me hear the end of it a darn special girl :o) So here's my little contribution to your birthday bash, dear Becca! 

With that mood board, how could I not take out my acrylic paints, brayer, Gelli plate, and go crazy? After I scared myself for about 15 minutes when I couldn't find my Gelli plate, I pulled these two prints:

I brayered acrylic paints then stamped with the Artsy Tribal Doodles stamps. The one on the right is the first print. The one on the left is the second (obviously!) print I pulled. When monoprinting, I usually like the second print mainly because it often looks more artsy/grungy/distressed than the first print that it hardly needs anything else done to it. So as soon as I saw the super cool second print, I die-cut the A2 panel with the CUTplorations rectangle die with the crazy stitching. Then I die-cut "seriously" and "amazing" twice each: on plain card stock and on the first print. Because I'm not one to really fiddle-diddle with layering die-cuts (and I don't have the patience for it), I simply dipped my fingers into my jar of matte gel medium (I couldn't find the paint brush I use for this) and slathered it all over the panel before layering the words on it. That takes care of keeping the words stuck onto the panel and to each other as well as sealing the card front.

That's pretty much it -- phew! And this card's now on its way to a seriously amazing woman. I already sent her a birthday card, but since I made this one for her party, it would be pretty silly if I kept it in my stash or sent it to someone else on their birthday ;o)

Linking this up to:

• Seize the Birthday (I skipped the toppings of Pink and Brown)
• Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
• Time Out Challenges #62 - Home Sweet Home inspiration photo (I took my cue from the colorful painting on the wall)

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

Paper craft project no. 449: The sun will rise

We have a brand new challenge at Time Out. For the next couple of weeks, it's the Inspired by Words challenge. Here's the inspiration: Wherever you go, no matter the weather, always bring your own sunshine (Anthony J. D'Angelo)

I took my cue from "sunshine" and created a CAS card with real layers! I die-cut the panel (CUTplorations Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle die) then stamped the image and sentiment (New Beginning) on it. I love the stylized scene and I colored it with Zig Clean Color brushes and Aqua Markers. I felt something was missing so I decided to stamp the birds (Trendy Birds 2) at a slant across the panel. Then I simply stuck the panel on my card base with foam tape. Not a card in my usual style -- I actually got a headache while making this card haha! -- but I'm quite happy with how it turned out :o)

Check out the cards the team + guest designer Sue made and then link up your own project inspired by the quote. We can't wait to see your creations!

Linking up to these fun challenges:

• CAS Mix Up July Challenge -- Stamping + Markers + my choice (die-cutting)
• CAS(E) This Sketch #179
• Addicted to CAS #91 - Fly
• Addicted to Stamps and More #201 - Anything Goes

  

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

Card ingredients

Inks: VersaFine, Zig Clean Color, Crafter's Companion Aqua Markers

STAMPlorations Stamps and CUTplorations Dies:

    

 New Beginning | Trendy Birds 2 | Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangles

Paper craft project no. 448: Every flower is a soul

We have a brand new challenge at Time Out. It's a one-week challenge, however, instead of our usual two weeks. This time around we're to CASE a card and put our own twist to our creation. We are CASE-ing this gorgeous card by Therese Calvird of Lost In Paper.

I went with the stamped rows (Mixed Media Elements) but instead of going with pink, I went with yellow -- nice and summery :o). I wasn't in the mood for fussy cutting flowers so I went with the framed zinnia stamp (Blossoming). My twist? Instead of coloring all the flowers, I just colored one with Aqua Markers. I'm not a vellum girl so I simply stamped the sentiment in black.

Check out the cards the team + guest designer Birgit made and then link up your own project inspired by Therese's card. We can't wait to see your creations!

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